Seriously????

  Congratulations people of the United States! You have shown the world your true colors.  And orange is your color of choice.

  You have chosen a leader who, by his own words, disrespects women, veterans, people of color, Muslims, immigrants, Mexicans and anyone who doesn't agree with him.

  He attacks at the slightest of provocations. Going after his perceived enemy with the nastiness of a twelve year old school yard bully. His choice of words is cruel and intentionally hateful. He is dismissive and arrogant. He is everything we tell our children not to be.

  Your soon-to-be leader scares the democratic world. He is loved by Putin and feared by your allies. That should scare you. Apparently it doesn't. ISIS leaders are laughing their asses off. That should scare you. Apparently it doesn't. I'm sure in the very near future it will. Damn sure.

  Today the world must start to pick up the pieces from the fire storm you have inflicted on us. Just like the housing/banking crisis that crippled most of the world, we yet again, must deal with a plummeting stock market, global uncertainty and economic upheaval....over your choices. The entire world suffers because you picked a leader based on bigotry and fear instead of policy.

  You have gone from a dignified, respectful, competent leader to a racist, bigoted, misogynistic, loudmouthed bully. Congrats.

  Ang

  
  

Election Day

  I wasn't sure we would live through it! It's been a long road filled with bombs, guerrilla warfare and internet recruiting. But we survived. It's election day in the U.S.! Finally!!!!

  I'm not sure about the rest of the world but in Canada we have heard waaaaaay too much about an election we have no say in! Every single news agency is bombarding us with coverage. And while I don't normally speak for the country I will now. We are tired of it! Enough. Vote and put the rest of us out of our misery!

  Who ever wins, the first executive order they make should be to shorten this process down...by about 18 months! At least. Just imagine what all that wasted money could have been used for? How many schools could have a free lunch program just from that? Mind-boggling.

  Go vote citizens of the United States. Flex your democratic muscles. Maybe then the news agencies will focus on the real issues of the world.

  Fingers crossed the world wakes up to a female President. Not an orange one.

  Ang

Disrespectful?

  I told myself I wouldn't do it. That this year I would let the "disrespectful" comments go in one ear and out the other. I told myself that everyone has a right to their own opinion no matter how much I disagree with them. Still taking all of that into account..... here I go.

  Remembrance Day is November 11. This Friday. A day when we as a nation, show our respect for those who never came home from war, those who did and those who serve our country today. It is a privilege and an honor to show these brave men and women our thanks for their sacrifices. Sadly every year the number of people who show up at these services are less and less.

  Over the past few years, in the news, on social media and in public places, people are talking about how disrespectful it is to put up Christmas decorations before Friday. Perhaps if it was Veterans or serving military members who were saying this I would be more inclined to agree. They are not. It's people who have never served who seem to have the biggest problems with it.

  My husband was gone to Afghanistan over Christmas in 2001. He left with no return date. No idea what was in store for him. His country said this was where he needed to be so that's where he was going. The last thing he was made to do before leaving was to up-date his will. That is an eye opener let me tell you.

  Through out the years he has missed birthdays, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, holidays and more family time than I care to remember. He has been held at gunpoint and helped take plane wreckage out of the ocean. He has foot, back, knee and hearing problems due 100% to his job. 

  One would think after doing all of those things our government would take care of him. With out any issues or fuss. That's not the case though. We have been relatively well treated by Veteran's Affairs. And when John felt he hadn't been he fought the system and always came out with the result he wanted in the first place. But he is in the minority.

  Too many Veteran's don't get the assistance they need. From healthcare and  transportation to housecleaning and yard services, some vets are not getting even the basic care they rightfully deserve. That is disrespectful. Ninety year old WW11 veterans are told to apply for programs on line. That is disrespectful. Claims being denied because of minor spelling errors. That is disrespectful. Veterans who are living in squalor. That is disrespectful.

  I can go on and on about the way our Veteran's are treated on a daily basis. But most people don't want to hear that. They want to complain about Christmas decorations. My friend Sandra just got a Christmas tree removed from a liquor store in her home town citing that it was disrespectful. While I don't agree with her on the respect factor, she does however get a pat on the back from me because she volunteers with a PTSD support group. She has written her MP's and complained about the treatment of veterans throughout the entire year. She is fighting the battle on many fronts. And for that I applaud her.

  Maybe if everyone who is worried about decorations followed her lead we could force our government to make the sweeping changes needed so that every veteran is treated with dignity and respect 365 days of the year.

  Not just on November 11.

  Ang

  

  

On-Line Shopping

  
  On-line shopping is the greatest thing ever! More stores than any mall can handle. Every single thing you could ever want is at your finger tips. And with a click of the mouse you can have it delivered to your door. You never have to get out of your pajamas!

  It's by far the easiest way to shop for the holidays. And I don't just mean presents. Decorations, tableware and food can all be delivered. Need wrapping paper and tape? Monogrammed stockings? Gift cards, wreaths and well everything. All dropped off on your front step. Most likely by a UPS driver still wearing shorts.

  You can even splurge and have it wrapped and delivered to the recipients home! How's that for convenient? No more carrying boxes into the local Canada Post office and paying through the nose for shipping. Freedom.

  But all this convenience comes with a price tag. Most people, myself included, over spend this way. It's worth the extra few bucks to not have to battle the crowds. That's what I keep telling myself. And to a certain extent it's true. However if I normally spend $50 on your present and all of a sudden I've spent $150, I should have left the house and stayed on budget.

  Last night I spent some time browsing Macy's site. The actual store isn't here but they do ship to Canada and you can pay in Canadian funds. Perfect. The selection is different. So much so that I put 6 items in my cart within a few minutes. For a grand total I don't care to reveal. Let's just say I quickly left that site after dumping my cart.

  If you haven't tried it I highly recommend it. If you are an old hand at it remember don't go crazy this holiday season. 

  Unless you are buying for me!

  Ang

  

  

Daylight Savings Time Ramblings

  Daylight Savings Time (DST) starts today. In November we "fall back" an hour. In the spring we "spring ahead". I'm not sure why. Maybe it had to do with farming a long time ago. If it did then why doesn't Saskatchewan do it? Or is it just the government trying to drive us crazy?

  This DST is why I am up at such an ungodly hour. And have been for over an hour. Making lemonade out of lemons, it has given me a chance to skim the headlines and drink my coffee in peace. For that I guess I should be thankful.

  I saw a story about how to make your home "almost" maintenance free. I didn't need to read that one. I already know. Rent. Then you are 100% maintenance free! I made myself laugh at that one.

  Michael Buble's three year old son has cancer. I can't even imagine. Cancer is a scary word and to have it used with a child is heartbreaking. My heart breaks for all of them. Truly.

  Friday is Remembrance Day and people are up in arms about Christmas decorations and it being disrespectful to Veterans. This isn't coming from Veteran's groups mind you. Private citizens are outraged. I wonder if their outrage will propel them to a cenotaph on November 11?

  A Florida woman is disputing a $7400 charge for a delivery room when she had her baby in April. Why? She had the baby in the back of her jeep in the hospital parking lot! She is ok with the charges for the mid-wife and nurses. But since she was never in a delivery room why would she be charged for it? Sounds like a valid dispute to me. 

  Well the sun is now rising. I can hear feet upstairs. Maybe even the tv. It's time to begin the day. Fingers crossed it's a great one.

  The first thing I need to do is change every damn clock in the house!

  Ang

  

Morning Sunshine!

  I've never claimed to be a morning person. I don't jump out of bed with tons of energy. You could say I crawl but maybe slither is a better description. Finding my glasses is the equivalent of finding Blackbeard's buried treasure most mornings. Even though they have their own rooms, something of the kids is always on the floor in my direct path to the bathroom. And it's always sharp to the foot. Always.

  By the time I struggle downstairs, holding the railing as if I'm 100 years old, my eyes are starting to open. Sadly as soon as my feet hit those cold entry way tiles they are wide open. But somewhere in my head I know the coffee maker is only a few short feet away and that gives me the strength to keep going.

  The reusable coffee filter has last nights grounds in it. Damn you John. I clean it out while mumbling under my breath about being the only one who ever does anything around here. Finally it's clean, full and ready to brew. 

  Eureka there is a clean mug! I can hear it brewing. I can see the steam. I can smell the aroma. As it's streaming into my Disney Cruise-line mug, it makes me happy in the morning, I add the perfect amount of sugar. As I grab the cream out of the fridge the coffee maker quiets. Yes it's done! In goes the cream.....ahhhh.

  That's when I notice the egg whites in my hand. Who decided that the egg white container should look exactly like the cream container?? That person, or persons, needs to be fired. Same size. Same weight. Same shades of blue. What the hell?? And who put them on the same shelf in the fridge????

  I think it was me. It's gonna be a long day.

  Ang

Equal? Nope.

  Like most of you I was raised to believe that I was no better, or worse for that matter, than anyone else. Rich, poor, white, black...the only thing that did matter was what kind of person you were. The phrase "All men were created equal" was lived in our home. But I've come to learn, as an adult, that this simply isn't true.

   If you are black and poor in the southern United States you are not equal. Hurricane Katrina showed the world that. As does the ever increasing amount of shootings of unarmed black men by police.

  In Europe being of middle eastern descent is a mark against you. Children living in refugee camps, without proper conditions, for years are forgotten about. And if you are a single male well forget it. No one wants you. You are labelled as a possible terrorist and staying right where you are.

  Canada is no better. We treat our indigenous people like a burden. "They" are lazy. "They" don't want to work. "They" need to become just like us. Once you are labelled good luck trying to get that out of most people's minds. 

  Hell "we" don't even try to hide it. There are native communities that don't have clean, drinkable water in their homes. Yes there is running water....but it's brown. Drinkable....yes....but it's brown. Can you imagine pouring yourself a nice cold glass of brown water, adding your brown ice cubes to it and then sitting down to dinner? Of course not! But as a white person in Canada that's never going to happen to you.

  Now the federal government said just over a month ago that they will begin shortly a new treatment facility to remove the iron and manganese from the water on a reserve in Cape Breton Nova Scotia. No details have followed. The residents are still unable to bath, drink, cook or clean. Water is being shipped in. And portable laundry facilities are on site. But you have to get up, get dressed and drive somewhere to take a shower. That's convenient.

  Canada has more than enough clean, drinking water yet our own people don't have any. Would this happen in a white community? Maybe but trust me it would be short term. Very short. 

  Remember how equal you are today...especially when you turn on your faucet.

  Ang