Ides of May

Well, it is the start of a new year and it is overdue for me to reboot this blog and post more frequently.

Every step counts; no matter how big or small

In the past year I’ve taken several steps, not all of them big, small or particularly productive but they are each incrementally part of my life. What steps have you taken in the past year?

The biggest step of the year for me was two unexpected awards for my community service. The first was the Legionnaire of the Year which the local Legion branch awarded me. Normally, as President, the selection of the recipient for this award falls to me and I had in fact chosen a recipient. The Honours & Awards chair, Faye Wile, chose to override that choice as her final act in the position she has done so faithfully for several years. It wasn’t her final act because she lost the position, she has moved out of the area.

It’s humbling to be on the receiving end when you’re used to being on the giving end. At first, I was worried that some would be unhappy that the person charged with choosing the recipient was receiving the award. I was shocked and humbled by the heartfelt congratulations I received.  Read more »

Once again a summer has flown past and I’ve hardly noticed. This morning I awoke with the need to fly around the house and close all the windows. I think it had something to do with the 50F temps outside and no heat on inside.

I’d say fall has arrived in all but offical form. We’re not getting the trees turning yet but that will come soon enough. I actually turned a heater on in the house today. Which means I can hear the cash register running at the Hydro company since it’s currently the expensive part of the day.

Well, I may have let summer fly by but I am getting ready for an upcoming event early, Halloween. No, I’m not putting up decorations or planning on buy candy to give out to kids who never appear at my door. I”m building a Halloween blog which I hope to have released in a few days. I have the content, just need to get it loaded in.

I just added a new link to a blog. As you can see, I don’t add a lot of blog links, so I really like this one. Gail Hyatt’s daughter Megan Miller wrote about Brené Brown a week or so ago. I’ve gone back and read that post and watched the video a few times. I learn something every time I do.

Brené is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. Now, one would think that she’s pretty dry and boring. She’s anything but, she’s witty, candid, shoot from the hip and talks to you, not at you.

She also talks about a subject we all experience but rarely talk about, vulnerability and shame. Forgive the pun but a lot of us are just ashamed to talk about shame, our own that is. Anyone who knows me offline, knows I’m pretty reserved. I don’t often let people know what I’m feeling or struggling with. I’m vulnerable, just like anyone else is, I just throw a shield up in front of it. Read more »

Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s been so long since I last posted here. I haven’t been doing blogging on most of my blogs for the last while. I’ve been busy, aren’t we all. The reality is, I just kept putting off posting. That’s not really an excuse, it’s just plain honest.

We’re busy at the Legion these days, which is a really good thing. There is a great team of people there who really care about the place and want to see it not only survive but also to thrive. Volunteering can make you rich in ways money can never measure.

Unfortunately, my bills require money to pay so I have to work on actually making some money. I’ve wanted to do that online for several years but never seem to really make it work. It’s me, I know that, I don’t work consistently enough at putting the infrastructure in place to make that happen. There is no overnight success methods, it takes deliberate action.

So, my primary goal for this year is to take deliberate action, consistently. One of those deliberate actions includes posting more regularly to this blog. This is my place to hang out and share what I feel like sharing.

They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadian:

Spr Brian Collier – Afghanistan July 20, 2010

Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated

Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays