Servant Song

Pascal Moonrise March 2024

The full Pascal moon rose at dusk this weekend, the first full moon after the Spring equinox and thus the marker of the Easter season. This year it came the evening of Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week. 

This year's weekly Wednesday Lenten services focused on the last Servant Song in Isaiah 52:13 through the end of the 53rd chapter. I memorized Isaiah 53 as a nine-year-old to win a prize in Sunday School. The language of the King James Bible obscured the full meaning at the time but the words stayed with me.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.    
Isaiah 53:2b-4 NIV

We still turn our heads away from human pain and suffering and look with pity, even horror on those with visible disabilities. Just as people consider the Suffering Servant "punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted", we look for reasons to blame people who have pain, weakness, deformity, mental illness, social disadvantage, and relational issues. In John 3, the story is told about the man who was born blind.  The disciples asked Jesus,

"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, 
"but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him."

Throughout my career, I have worked with people who suffer injury and disability. Physical and Occupational therapists work together to help patients reduce that disability in a society which values beauty, strength, high functional performance, emotional stability and financial independence. Christian churches that preach a prosperity gospel, including physical healing, imply that a lack of faith or spiritual inferiority prevents a person from being fully restored. A "gospel" that offers health and wealth is more appealing than the gospel that invites us to share in the sufferings of Christ. In truth, this teaching offers an excuse to diminish the value of and discriminate against a person with a disability. Suffering eventually comes to everyone as bodies fail with age. We can become bitter, or learn compassion and generosity of spirit through our own loss and pain so that the works of God can be displayed in us. I love the verses in 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5 that say,

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble 
with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  
For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, 
so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

I have learned much from people who have suffered physically and emotionally. They often offer authentic strength of spirit and wisdom from their experiences in a society that discriminates against imperfection. Physically intact people are not necessarily whole in mind and spirit or relationally. Pride needs pain to learn humility. I have enjoyed good health and functional ability and recognize my prideful tendency to judge others less fortunate than myself. I must be a servant rather than a judge, striving to see each person as the compassionate and merciful God sees them.

As we observe the death and resurrection of Jesus this week, I will remind myself of Paul's instructions in the ancient hymn quoted in Philippians 2:5-8.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Each year I read the devotional Seeking God's Face: Praying with the Bible through the year. This is the prayer for today, Palm Sunday.

Mighty God, we look for salvation and security in many different places. We confess we're tempted to seek out a pumped-up Saviour of power who would flex rippling muscles. Prepare our hearts to welcome our humble servant King, Jesus, finding in him all we need for our salvation. Amen     (Heidelberg Catechism 30)

 

Fossilized or Alive and Growing?

The Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa ON

We visited the Nature Museum in Ottawa, Canada at the beginning of the month with our grandchildren and daughters. The beautiful structure was the first building in Canada specifically designed to house a national museum. The Victoria Memorial Museum opened to the public in 1912. The first fossil gallery in Canada featuring the fossilized dinosaur bones of a hadrosaur named Edmontosaurus regalis opened in 1913. One mile away, The Canadian parliament buildings burned in 1916 and the Victoria Museum became the Canadian government's emergency headquarters for the next four years. The building was named the Canadian Museum of Nature in 1990 and it houses eight permanent galleries and various temporary exhibitions. 

Interactive dinosaur room, Extinct Passenger Pigeon, Fossilized dinosaurs, mounted Broad-winged Hawk 

My grandson's favourite exhibit was called Bugs Alive and he wanted to visit it twice. Our granddaughter loved the Arctic Gallery where large chunks of ice are displayed on a chilled floor. I was excited to see the Bird Gallery and the 500-mounted bird specimens arranged in interactive stations. I saw a mounted Passenger Pigeon which became extinct around the time the museum was built. 

We rushed through most of the other displays as we had a time deadline, but it would be easy to spend at least four hours or more here. I enjoyed the Owls Rendevous, a special outdoor area featuring live owls and a Bald Eagle. All the birds have been rescued and cannot be released in the wild.

Alive! Bald Eagle, 6-year-old girl under ice, Goliath Stick Insect, Barred Owl

It is interesting to see things from the ancient past and near past. I do love history! Our world has changed in every era and continues to do so today. Our grandchildren liked the live displays best, the bugs, the ice, the live birds. I was surprised that they were not that interested in dinosaurs. As we age, we can become sentimentally enamoured with the past, losing interest in the present and resisting change. 

Grandma D. died peacefully 34 years ago today, just before her 94th birthday. She never became "fossilized" and maintained an active interest in the lives of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She seldom talked about herself but was a gifted conversationalist, getting others to share their stories and interests. She travelled widely and brought us souvenirs and books from around the world, stimulating our interest in other cultures and places. 

I am reading two books this month that explore our relationships with the past. Jewish theologian Abraham J. Heschel writes about religion in his book God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism,

"When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; 
when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendour of the past; 
when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; 
when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion—
its message becomes meaningless."

Kate Bowler writes less philosophically about ordinary life in her book Have a Beautiful Terrible Day!,

"Lord, I couldn’t bear to lose any more than what’s already gone.

But then, God, the children wiggle out of favourite clothes with each passing year,
and there are boxes of Grandma’s things in the attic.

He left, and she’s gone, and my closets are stuffed to the ceiling with reminders:
we are losing the life we knew; we are gaining a life we didn’t imagine.
We are picking up and putting down.

So let’s take the china out of the cupboard, the baseball gloves out of the garage,
or whatever tells our story. And tell it.
We will not be lost. We will never be lost."

I think about Grandma daily and try to pass on the love and the life lessons we shared during our times together. My brothers and I always wanted to spend time with her. She set the standard for me now that I am a grandmother. I am also grateful for my current part-time job and good relationships with considerably younger co-workers. I see patients who have aged well, engaged and curious about the present and others who became more and more isolated as they got older. As Kate Bowler said well in verse, "...we are losing the life we knew; we are gaining a life we didn’t imagine,"...as long as we are not afraid of change.




Early March Nature Observations

FOY Great Blue Heron

At this time last year, I walked along the trail at the confluence of the Grand and Speed Rivers and stepped carefully through the snow and ice that still covered the ground. Spring is definitely early this year compared to last and the birds and plants are aware of this too. Yesterday, at midday, I briefly checked three of my favourite birding spots in the region.

Carolina Wren- A year-round resident here unlike its cousin the House Wren

I found one Carolina Wren a few years ago on the shoreline of Burlington Bay and haven't seen one since. Walking a local trail yesterday, I heard one singing but could not spot it in the trees. A few minutes later it landed close to me and sang its heart out. Wrens have big voices that are way out of proportion to their size and the Carolina Wren has a distinctive and more melodious song compared to the House Wren. I heard another loud bird song that I did not recognize and after recording it on the Merlin Bird ID app, discovered it was a Tufted Titmouse. The Tufted Titmouse is not widespread in our area but there are several in this park. Other birders and photographers had left seeds on the posts of the boardwalk, attracting the usual winter birds such as Juncos, American Tree Sparrows, Chickadees, Nuthatches and Northern Cardinals.

Red-bellied Woodpecker- another non-migrating species

I noticed another bird in a pine tree and when it came into the open, it was a beautiful Red-bellied Woodpecker. Its belly was more yellow than others I have seen. These three birds;- the Tufted Titmouse, the Carolina Wren, and the Red-bellied Woodpecker- are birds of the Carolinian Forest that have gradually extended their territories northward over the past few decades. Ontario has Carolinian Forests along the northern shores of Lake Ontario and Erie, as well as the southeast shore of Lake Huron. The Tufted Titmouse moved into our region in the past couple of years and has been nesting successfully.

L-R, top to bottom: Skunk Cabbage, Red Maple flowers, Crocus, Snowdrops, Pussywillow, Snowdrops

I checked out early spring flowers which are blooming about three weeks earlier than last year. Skunk Cabbage blooms were emerging out of the swamp and a Pussy Willow bush hid an American Tree Sparrow. Red Maple trees are in full bloom. Driving home I spotted clumps of Snowdrops (Galanthus) and Crocuses which are not native North American plants but have become harbingers of spring.

Spring and winter usually battle for supremacy in March and April but clearly, spring is a winner this year. We will undoubtedly see more snow, but I hope there are no dry frosts during the crucial budding season of our fruit trees. The ground is very dry and today's rains are most welcome. 


Birds seen or heard: I did not count prevalent birds like Canada Geese, Mallards, Starlings, Crows, etc.

FOY:                                               OTHER:
Turkey Vulture                                American Robin
Song Sparrow                                 Red-winged Blackbird
Carolina Wren                                Great Blue Heron  
Common Grackle                           Bald Eagle
Eastern Bluebird                             American Tree Sparrow
                                                        Black-capped Chickadee
                                                        Red-bellied Woodpecker
                                                        Tufted Titmouse (very loud calls)
                                                        Northern Cardinal
                                                        White-breasted Nuthatch
                                                        Junco

International Women's Day 2024

Women of Strength

Today marks yet another observance of International Women's Day, a day to celebrate the women's rights movements of the past 125 years and to encourage ongoing focus on gender equality, abuse and violence against girls and women. "Women's Day" has been observed in some form since 1909, becoming a global event in 1977. One hundred years ago, Grandma D. was passionate about women's rights and while she filled the role of wife and mother capably, she also had a career and was a community leader. 

Our mother ran for class president when she was in high school. The photo in the top left corner shows her on a tractor with Dad as a teenager and a wagon-load of supporters (including Aunt Lois) as they drove through town garnering support for her election. She grew up capable and confident because of the strong women who mentored her. The picture on the top right is of Mom and her best friend, Ruth Knowles, for whom I am named. The photo on the bottom right is of Grandma and her sister Dorothy (on the right) with two of their friends in the 1940s. Women around the world proved their capabilities during WW1 and WW2 and moved forward in the paths forged during the Suffragette and Women are Persons movements at the turn of the 20th century. 

I feel that ground was lost in the 1950s and 60s as many women stayed at home and raised the Baby Boomer generation in city suburbs. Gender stereotypes were reinforced and it took the second feminist wave of the 1970s and 80s to bring calls for equal pay, equal economic opportunity, equal legal rights, and the prevention of violence against women. I completed my education, starting my career in the mid-1970s and have observed both women and men providing capable leadership in various roles. No one in the Western world is surprised to find women excelling as lawyers, judges, educators, researchers, politicians, artists, musicians, as well as being leaders in medical and scientific endeavours. While struggles continue, Western society has generally accepted that women can choose to be what they want. There is still much work to be done to ensure that women around the world enjoy the same privileges.

It is troubling to see how various conservative religions have increased efforts to push women into specific roles, denying them the chance to choose their own path and exercise any inherent leadership abilities. Some Christian churches, in response to increased legal and social rights for women, have doubled down on enforcing societal standards of the first century AD that keep women subjected to men. Abuse is easier to hide when women have their voices muted and are made to submit to men in authority. Women are different than men and healthy, equal relationships in marriage and career settings bring strength and balance to our families and communities.

Grandma D. was every bit a lady. The picture on the left is her graduation photo from Medicine at the University of Toronto in 1918. The picture on the right is of her equally feminine great-great-granddaughter in 2023. I want her to grow up to be whatever she wants, confident in her abilities and relationships, and an equal partner domestically and in her world. 

1918                                                                               2023


“My career has been one of much struggle
characterized by the usual persecution which attends everyone
who pioneers a new movement or steps out of line with established custom.”

- Dr. Emily Howard Stowe, First Female Doctor to Practice in Canada

Sunshine, Moonlight


We enjoyed a day of 100% clear skies, calm winds and cold temperatures. There is little snow and the ground is frozen so we took our dog to the woods for the first time this year. At the end of November, the vet discovered a tumour on the roof of her mouth and gave us a sad prognosis of one to six months. Raven had lost considerable weight so we stopped giving her kibble and started a soft textured home-cooked diet. I thought she might not make it over Christmas but she has decided to thrive. She will be 13 years old in two weeks and has some arthritic stiffness as well as a heart murmur. But her appetite is terrific, she has gained weight, her energy levels have improved, and she is not in pain.


We let Raven choose the path through familiar woodland trails and she happily completed the longest route. Being outdoors in bright sunshine and crisp, clean air was a pleasure.

Sunset
The sunset was at 6:04 PM tonight and a full moon rose at 6:18 PM. The sky remained cloudless making it a perfect evening to enjoy the sun, moon and emerging stars and planets. The local astronomy club arranged a meet-up on the top of "Mount Trashmore" in our neighbourhood. Several people brought telescopes and an enthusiastic member gave a short lecture. After the sunset, it was frigid on the hilltop but we stayed until our limbs were numb.
Moonrise
The moon did not disappoint as it rose above the horizon as an enormous reddish ball. The moon appears extra large at the horizon due to an optical trick called the "moon illusion".  I cannot explain it succinctly but this Wikipedia entry describes various theories that astronomers have developed over centuries of study. The medical building where my husband's ophthalmologist has an office stood in front of the moon giving perspective to the moon's size. The moon is large and on the horizon we can compare it to familiar landscape features. It is still the same size as it rises but we lose the comparative perspective.  The moon's edges appear irregular in the lower atmosphere due to the refraction of light from larger molecules and dust. The upper atmosphere is clearer with less moisture and the moon's appearance changes as it rises.

An enthusiastic nine-year-old girl with her dad on the hill showed us some night sky features with her telescope. She lined up Jupiter with some of its moons and rings in the scope. Other planets and stars became visible as the sky darkened and I learned more about astronomy in fifteen minutes than I have retained in a lifetime. Smartphone apps have become little tutors and can be used with newer telescopes to identify celestial bodies.

If it hadn't been so cold I would have learned more!


The astronomy club had a bundle of eclipse glasses which were passed out to people who wanted to be prepared for our next big sky event. A total solar eclipse is coming on April 8, 2024, to parts of eastern Mexico, United States and Canada. We would have to drive an hour south of our city to Hamilton ON to observe the total eclipse for 1 minute and 50 seconds and to Niagara Falls to observe 3 minutes of total eclipse. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and the glasses will be put to good use. 

Full Snow Moon in the upper atmosphere, February 24, 2024

Revisiting the Past on Google Maps

I was in the mood to clean some closets and shelves today and came across one of Mom's books in which she had written her name and various addresses where we had lived when I was a child. I remembered the street names but not the house numbers. I use Google Maps at work when I need to see what a patient's house looks like. Part of my job is to ensure that a patient can access the outside and inside of their home safely when discharged. Many patients can tell me how accessible their homes are, but for those who cannot, I look up their address and street view on Google. Is the house a two-storey, side split, or walk-up apartment? Do they have railings on the outside stairs?

Today I decided to look up the addresses of the homes I remember living in during the years I was in school. Surprisingly, all of the houses are standing after fifty to sixty years and they still look familiar. So here is a brief history of 15 years of my life illustrated by Google Maps.

Lighthouse Rd, Durban. The bus stop is still near the house

We moved to 207 Lighthouse Rd in Durban, South Africa when I was four years old. My brother Philip was born the next year. I remember my mother teaching me to read and I spent hours practicing with my hoola hoop in the front yard. The yard was fenced but there was no wall or gate when we lived here. I remember a bus stop in front of the house and my brother Nathan used to talk to people who were standing there. I started school at the nearby Marlborough Park Primary School and was terrified of my strict teacher. I remember throwing up my breakfast each morning due to anxiety about school but it never gave me license to stay home. The scary teacher became ill partway through the year and my mother, who was also a teacher, taught our class for a few weeks making me very happy.

My first school is behind this wall 

The school is still there but is behind a high wall topped with barbed wire and is patrolled by a security company. We moved to another neighbourhood before I started Class Two, my second year of school. 

26 Piedmont Rd. The mango grove is still behind the house in the aerial view

Piedmont Rd rose along a hill and we lived at number 26. The front yard was flat in front of the house and then dropped steeply to the road. Again, there were no walls or gates and all you can see now from the street is the distinctive peaked roof of our house. The hill at the front has been terraced and landscaped. This is the house where my parents called for help to remove a puff adder and a black mamba from the yard. (I still have a snake-phobia) The road looks much the same as I remember and we used to visit our playmates across the road and up the street. Two friends' names come to mind;- Binky and Megan Crawley. Mrs. North lived across the road and looked after us sometimes if Mom needed to run an errand. We still make her Hot Milk Sponge Cake. I used to walk to the end of the street at 7 AM with my father on my way to school and continued on with friends as he took the bus to work at Lever Brothers. School started early and ended shortly after lunch. There were mango trees behind the house and black-faced monkeys that were sometimes bold enough to enter the house to grab fruit. We had Dutch doors and no screens on the windows and a wild chameleon shared our kitchen. I had my first little garden here and remember planting radish seeds. A current aerial view shows the mango grove is still there between the backyard and Jan Smuts Highway, along with the footpath we took as a shortcut home from school. Grandma D. visited us for six months when we lived here and she took me to many interesting places around the city.

My second school- I walked about 2 km each way with other children from the neighbourhood

I attended Sherwood Primary School for two years and it is still operational. I enjoyed this school much more than my first school. My brother Nathan likely started school here but I do not have definite memories of going to school with him. South Africa was completely racially segregated when we were there in the early 1960s. Today this neighbourhood is only 6% White and is populated mainly by Black and ethnic Indian residents. Durban has the largest ethnic Indian population in Africa and I remember Mom and Dad sampling some of their hot curries. 

Centre St Aurora ON

We came to Canada the summer before I entered Grade 3 and lived in Aurora, Ontario for two years. Aurora was a small town of 5000 people and I knew all the streets well. I learned to ride a two-wheeled bike and rode everywhere. Our cousins lived around the corner and Grandma D's home was two blocks away. The house at 98 Centre Street is where we lived when my two youngest brothers, Mark and Stephen were born. There were two bedrooms in the attic and I remember that they were cold and scary at night. The house has an addition to the attic now. The large glassed-in front porch looks the same. I attended Wells St. Public School which has since been converted into condominium apartments.

Willowdale, ON- the pine tree was planted when we lived there

We moved to a new subdivision in the Toronto suburb of Willowdale the summer before I started grade 5. The house at 11 Unicorn Ave was the first my parents owned, a brand-new four-bedroom, two-bathroom house that cost $19,000. I am sure Dad made no more than $6,000 a year in 1964. We lived here until the end of 1970 which was a record for being in one place. I attended Snowcrest Public School, now closed, Northmount Junior High School, now Cummer Valley Middle School, Earl Haig Secondary School and the newly built A. Y. Jackson Secondary School. I loved living here and was heartbroken when my father got a new job in Kitchener ON. I still have a special best friend from this area.

Kitchener ON

We moved here in December 1970 when I was halfway through grade 11. It was hard to leave my friends and switch schools partway through the year.  I met my husband-to-be who lived across the road and we were married in 1975. We stayed in this community and called it home. I am the only member of my family who still lives in this region. My parents and three youngest brothers moved to Mexico in 1976. One brother eventually returned to Canada and lives a couple of hours away from us. Another brother lives overseas.

It is unlikely that I will ever return to South Africa for a visit as I do not know anyone there. I am grateful to live in a country where walls, gates and barbed wire are not needed around homes and schools. Finding Mom's old book took me down memory lane and while we moved often, I have happy memories of each home. Like most people who grew up in the Baby Boomer generation, I was able to explore areas around my home and play with friends with minimal parental supervision. I did experience normal childhood fears and anxieties but overall grew up confident in my ability to change and face new challenges. 

Very Early Arrivals

Red-winged Blackbird (m) and American Robin

I usually start looking for returning male Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles and American Robins around the first week of March. It is not unusual to see the odd Robin in January as a few of them overwinter in protected areas. I was surprised to see a male Red-winged Blackbird on February 10 and another male doing a territorial call on February 11th at the local park. My husband returned from a walk with the dog on February 11th and reported that there were a dozen Robins in a tree at the end of our street. I hurried out and heard them before I saw them. Yes, there were 14 Robins in the trees and shrubs at a neighbour's house. This is an early record for my first-of-year sightings.

I was looking at Grandma D's Roger Tory Peterson's A Guide to The Birds of Eastern North America, 1947 edition. Several birds, including the Northern Mockingbird, Tufted Titmouse, and Sandhill Crane were not found in Southern Ontario at that time. Bird ranges shift and populations rise and fall for many reasons. Birds move where there is food and there a plenty of local berries for Robins around here. 

Here are some more photos taken on February 10th and 11th in our region.


The Bald Eagle nest was empty but it is mating time for them this month. They were here on February 14th last year. 


The American Tree Sparrow is a winter visitor that hangs around local bird feeders. 

Confluence of the Grand and Speed Rivers, Cambridge ON

A canoeist took advantage of a warm day to paddle down the river. The river is high and flowing quickly so there was no need to paddle. I did wonder how hard they would have to work to go back upstream.

A group of Golden-eye Ducks, winter visitors to southern Ontario, hold their place at the edge of the river

Transfiguration Sunday


So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.
And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as
we are changed into his glorious image.  2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT

January was grey and gloomy. Our region received 17 hours of sunlight in the entire month, less than one hour a day on average. We experienced a cold spell and then February brought unseasonably warm temperatures and sunshine. I pumped up my bike tires and enjoyed several rides around the neighbourhood in the past week. There were several puddles in the local park from melting snow and I went through them slowly as my bike does not have fenders. As I inched through the water, I admired the reflection of the sun and the beautiful afternoon sky in the muddy puddles.

Today is Transfiguration Sunday. The mountain where Jesus stood in his glory with Moses and Elijah was a place of sacred power where the veil between the physical and spiritual world was thin. Any place where we perceive the sacred can be a thin place, even a muddy puddle. I went through the same puddles today, a cloudy and dull day, and the water was dark and dirty. 


I am reading Skye Jethani's devotional book, What if Jesus was Serious? A Visual Guide to the Teachings of Jesus We Love to Ignore, which explores the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. The illustration on the left is from the book and features a quote by Valcan Havel. I love watching British crime dramas and am going through recent seasons of Midsomer Murders and Father Brown. The very ordinary people in the stories act on impulses rooted in anger, revenge, envy, and greed, the same impulses that we all harbour within. While we like to label people as good or bad, the line between good and bad is with us. 


The Sermon on the Mount challenges me to live a life transformed from the inside out, not as someone who just follows external rules. I am quick to belittle others in my thoughts and insult them with words and looks. I am not naturally patient and peace-loving. The only way to be transformed and reflect the character and glory of God is to walk in His light. 

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, 
and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.   1 John 1:6-7





Post-pandemic Observations


This Canada Post mail truck passed our house this week with its late 1960s-style psychedelic glow. Artist Andrew Lewis created the design for a postage stamp but it was later expanded as a wrap for some of the corporation's delivery vehicles. The stamps were issued to thank employees for their service during the pandemic and to inspire positivity and happiness. The artist is quoted as saying, "I wanted something really positive and happy in this weird, gloomy and kind of oppressive time."

COVID-19 is now endemic along with our regular coronavirus and influenza strains. I had a mild COVID-19 infection during the first week of January 2024 with some fatigue and a scratchy throat. I was scheduled to work seven shifts in the first week and a half of the month but did not have to report my positive test to employee health. We can work if we are afebrile and if our symptoms have been improving for 24 hours. This is quite a paradigm shift and it will take a while for society to see COVID-19 as a generally minor illness now that there is mass immunity to the virus. 

Free COVID-19 home test kits are no longer available in our region as the provincial government stopped distributing them in September 2023. Hospitals are extremely busy this season with various respiratory illnesses. Influenza A is widespread this year and the effects can be serious in younger and older patients. Symptomatic patients are screened for COVID-19, influenza and RSV on admission. During the pandemic, the rates of other respiratory illnesses were low as masking and lockdown orders stopped the transmission of more than COVID-19. We started wearing gloves for patient care in the 1980s and '90s when blood-borne illnesses like Hepatitis C and HIV were identified. The use of face masks in high-risk environments will become a new normal in the post-pandemic world. When I was working with my own COVID-19 infection last week, I was required to wear a mask all day and could not eat around other people. This is a smart way to act when infected with any communicable respiratory illness.

Early on in the pandemic, it was clear that many people with severe disease had other medical comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiac and pulmonary issues, and advanced age. as well as those with compromised immunity. Lifestyle has a major influence on our "healthspan" which is a more significant quality of life measure than "lifespan". I see this over and over again in my work and it motivates me to take responsibility for my health. 

It is good to leave pandemic restrictions behind as we adjust to a new normal. The scientific expertise that identified the virus, developed a vaccine, and improved treatment options for vulnerable people is to be commended. Unfortunately, anti-science conspiracies gained traction within some groups of people and spread into politics during the pandemic. Epidemics will continue to crop up from time to time but we can hope that another pandemic will be at least 100 years off in the future. Let's remember the lessons learned over the last four years.

Now I am Six






“When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five, I was just alive.
But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now forever and ever.”

― A.A. Milne, Now We Are Six







We have a practically perfect six-year-old in the family right now. I have always maintained that children aged six to seven are at an ideal age:- quite independent in self-care while still enjoying the company of adults. They are curious, helpful, optimistic, observant and take delight in learning. Our granddaughter is taking piano and singing lessons and has learned how to swim. I hope she always maintains her current enthusiasm for living. This is the age when most children develop reliable autobiographical memory and I hope to be part of many more positive memories.
Sleepover with Nana and Aunt B
There is merit in being "six forever and ever" and I am taking note of things I can do to maintain an optimistic inner six-year-old self. I remember being a rather anxious six-year-old who dreaded school and had many fears. I also remember mastering my Hoola Hoop and finding pleasure in learning to read and write. My family was the centre of my world. Here is the start of a list to take "six decades plus" off my life.
  • enjoy spontaneous dance parties
  • make time for play 
  • and be silly regularly
  • practice new skills daily
  • face new social situations with confidence
  • have a sense of wonder 
  • trust people who love and care for me
  • increase my independence but...
  • allow others to help me when needed
  • have a simple faith and optimism each day
  • laugh often
  • wander and explore my world
  • love my family wholeheartedly
  • make gifts for everyone

We have a special 4-year-old grandson who is also becoming a very interesting person. Before I know it he will also be six and "clever as clever" just like his big sister.



Numbers Neuroses

Six-year-old me going to school in the pre-digital age
Durban, South Africa

I received my first wristwatch at the age of 7, a small-faced Bulova timepiece that needed to be wound at night. A single spring was attached to a stem and the time was set by pulling the stem out of the wind-up position and turning it to move the hands of the watch. I was proud of the device and looked after it carefully for years. It was my introduction to the importance of time awareness in modern society.

My dad was intelligent but lacked formal education as his father did not allow his teenage children to finish high school once they were old enough to work. Dad had a methodical mind and loved numbers. When we returned to Canada from South Africa in the 1960s, I remember Dad doing mathematics in the evening after work to successfully earn his high school diploma. He was in his early thirties and had four children but realized the importance of upgrading his education. Dad was an early embracer of digital technology and taught me how to use a computer in the early 1990s. I also like numbers and the technology that helps me track many aspects of my life.

Somewhere along the road from my first watch to my umpteenth computer, we have become obsessed with numbers, to the point of anxiety-ridden neuroticism. We used to know the temperature highs and lows of the previous day when they were reported in the news. Weather forecasting was not an exact science and "feels like" wind chill and heat indexes were not widely used until the early 1980s. The Weather Network has become an over-sensationalized site with click-bait headlines. We still need to stick our heads outside to check reality. A destructive tornado ripped through my brother's neighbourhood in Barrie, Ontario on July 15, 2021. They did not get a tornado warning until after the damage was done. Severe weather still bypasses the reports of forecasters.

I can get up in the morning, check my weight, heart rate and blood pressure, calculate the calorie count (or macros!) of my meals, and look at a weather app to see the "feels-like" temperature, wind speed, hours of sunlight, and precipitation forecast. The same device will count my steps through the day along with my walking symmetry, double leg stance time and energy consumption. It reminds me how many minutes it will take to get to an event on my calendar and buzzes when I need to leave. Workplace decisions revolve around numbers. In the hospital, vital signs, lab results, input and output numbers are analyzed and medical treatments are adjusted accordingly. I can now access my hospital and lab reports at home and can track values on my own. On the financial front, constant information on stock prices, exchange rates, oil prices and more is available at the touch of a finger. Songs and movies, political polls, and retail and service industry reviews all come with numeric ratings. Who doesn't note the Amazon stars before purchasing an item? Numbers matter in places like churches and community organizations where success is measured by attendance and monetary giving. 



How can we live intuitively in this world without tracking and measuring every aspect of life? I have not used an alarm clock or a wristwatch in years and my devices are turned off at night. I rest when tired and awaken when refreshed and my body clock is pretty consistent needing adjustment only when switching to and from daylight savings time or travelling across time zones. I know what eating patterns make me feel the best and realize the importance of simple food routines. Sabbath rest is a foreign concept, even or *especially* in churches. We need downtime to hone our senses to the rhythms of our body and nature. Our minds need a rest from a calculated lifestyle.

Anxiety is a hallmark of our modern society and our children need to learn strategies to cope with high-paced, quantitative living. Life is more than a scorecard. 

I watched The Dead Poet's Society starring Robin Williams for the first time yesterday. (It seems I watched nothing but children's movies in the 1980s and 90s). Robin Williams, as English teacher John Keating, makes his students tear out the introduction to their poetry textbook because it uses a mathematical grid for assessing the value of a poem. He says, 

"We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for." 

He also tells his students, 

"Carpe Diem. Seize The Day, Boys. Make Your Lives Extraordinary.

Psalm 90 speaks about time and the brevity of our human lifespan. The only thing it tells us to number is "our days". 

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations...
For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night…
The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labour and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away…
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom…
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.


We have become so dependent on our devices in this digital world that there is panic when the internet goes down or if we find ourselves in a place without a signal. I have read a couple of recent thriller novels, not about nuclear war, but about the criminal disruption of digital systems that control every aspect of our lives. People who remember an analog age are getting older and a journey back to the old ways would be very difficult for most of us. We need strategies to manage in an unexpected non-digital world as much as we would need extra food and water in an emergency.  We can start by using our intuitive skills and making time to be disconnected from our devices.

Teach us to number our days
April 1978- Mom and Dad's 25th wedding anniversary in Guadalajara Mexico


January Greys and Moody Blues

New Year's Day 2024



The past month has been grey and dreary with only one half day of sunshine I can recall. When winter weather is mild, the Great Lakes have no ice cover and lake-effect clouds bring drizzle and flurries. This year El NiƱo is influencing the weather and our first significant snowfall didn't happen until New Year's Eve. We took our grandchildren sledding early in the day on January 1st before the snow became trampled and icy. The weather was less than inspiring!

Short winter days and inclement weather keep many people indoors and our mood can reflect the darkness of the season. The third Monday of January has been dubbed "Blue Monday", the most depressing day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Staff have been encouraged to wear bright clothes to work next week to bring some extra cheer to the hospital corridors.




I haven't been outdoors regularly this winter and have experienced uncustomary sleep issues. I bought a light therapy lamp and have been using it faithfully for thirty to forty-five minutes when I get up in the morning. Phototherapy, like sunlight, stimulates areas of the brain that affect mood, appetite and sleep. 

I cannot deny that winter weather has changed in southern Ontario during my lifetime. There used to be outdoor skating at a small lake in a downtown park for several weeks each winter. But we stopped getting the prolonged cold weather that kept the ice safe.  And last year was the first winter there was no ice skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. Local ski hills are opening later and later each year. Snow cover brightens the winter landscape and if the Great Lakes freeze over we get more sunny days that make January and February beautiful. 

A winter storm dumped about 18 cm of snow in our city last evening but rain overnight melted about half of it. Colder temperatures are coming this week and, fingers crossed, perhaps we will have a real Canadian winter this year after all. I won't be skiing or skating but can look forward to walking some trails and doing a little winter birding. In the meantime, I will do my morning light therapy and look forward to slowly lengthening days as we inch toward spring solstice.

The only snowman so far this season! Courtesy of The Becka


Seasonal Simplicity

Mom's paper nativity set

Our Christmas decorations are stored in the crawl space and must be retrieved by someone with a young spine and good knees. We had boxes of seasonal decor that had not been touched for years and many of the collected items were sent to a thrift store this November. I am minimizing our belongings as much as possible while respecting the nostalgic feelings of each family member.

Christmases of my childhood were simple yet special. We moved often and Mom had only one box of seasonal lights and ornaments. She had a paper nativity set that was displayed every year in the living room. I still have it even though it has not been used for years. (my nostalgia!)

Christmas tree selection at Uncle Bill's farm- 1964

We always had a real tree, whether a decorated palm frond in South Africa or a freshly cut pine from Mom's brother's farm. The tree went up a few days before Christmas Eve and was taken down by New Year's Day. As children, we received one item of clothing, one book and one toy and I know that the gifts were subsidized by our grandmother. Christmas baking was also simple:- shortbread cutouts, sugar cookies, Graham squares, graham crumb rolls with coloured marshmallows, and fruitcake with thick marzipan topping for Dad. I was tasked with making place card decorations for the Christmas dinner table each year. Mom combed magazines and newspapers for ideas for inexpensive, disposable decorations. I remember assembling construction paper and popcorn garlands as well as glitter and glue stars and angels.

I am sure Christmas celebrations changed for my three younger brothers after my parents moved to Mexico in the mid-1970s. I married into a family with different traditions who celebrated Christmas on a much grander scale. Times change, people move, ideologies evolve and new traditions are formed by younger generations. My daughter told me her friends turn their noses up at the thought of a big turkey dinner. They prefer more informal pot-luck gatherings where one person is not stuck in the kitchen for hours (or days) making a multi-course meal. Grandma D. hosted many Christmas dinners and I now understand how she struggled to even put up a few decorations in later years. Family and friends are who make holidays special and as we get older our connections often thin out. 

Christmas 2012

Mom's last Christmas was spent with family that she loved. Sadly, not everyone in the family was able to get to Mexico at the same time but I am grateful to have pictures from that day. My brother from Canada and I visited a few weeks later in January so she got to spend time with all her children before her health worsened quickly.

Here are some of Grandma D's recipes, the first two in her own writing and the last one written out by Mom. The lemon square recipe is from Aunt Minnie and is at least 100 years old!




.