I think as a country we have to continue to look inward and manage our trade within and among the provinces to maximize our ability to have homegrown trade between us. Building the pipelines an absolute must no matter what the price of oil. We save money in the long run if we refine our own oil and distribute across the country. Both parties are in favour of this forward move which is why I personally do not really see it matters which party wins so long as it is a majority and that the bulk of the population is on the side of increased trade between the provinces and the energy grid being utilized and improved between the provinces. External trade is also a high priority in terms of acquiring new customers by both parties. The opposition needs to be one of the two parties - Liberals or Conservatives. The decline in the NDP will be better for the country as their ability to alter the political situation is dangerous for Canada at this moment in our growth. They have been effective in some provinces on the provincial/territorial level not in Ontario for sure and would not like to see a repeat on that particularly. But the increase in the size of the federal government due to their bartering to gain votes has not been good for Canada - the federal government staffing is too large for a country this size. Attrition can perhaps solve this problem as the baby boomers retire but definitely we need to avoid having NDP in parliament and being able to alter the natural flow of our government. When a government is out of favour it is time for an election. That is the Westminster system and it has always served us well. I am not entirely convinced that cheap daycare, pharmacare (free drugs), dental care best serve us. I have no problem with the lunch program but I think it should be universal and made to pay for itself and managed locally by the Board of Health possibly (I certainly would have paid to have children eat at school; making lunches is a pain when you are rushing about in the morning trying to get to work). The restaurants are looking for increased usage due to people working at home and they could be utilized if they can manage a reasonable price for lunches taken into the schools. I look at this house and wonder still if I should just sell it as it is too big for me and when my daughter returns we will do just that as it is too big for just the two of us. If more old people sell their homes that too will help with the need for more housing. But of course we need to find a place to live then but it will depend on where she works when she returns in the future. Two moves is a lot for an old person but I will think about that. I know her thoughts turn to returning because of me getting older but she always wanted to work in Canada but there were no jobs in her particular field but her nearly 20 years in the United States has been wonderful working in the field for which she completed her PhD. You can not always have a job exactly where you would like it to be; that's life but I would go anywhere in Canada for sure - I still wonder about my eyes and crossing the border back in. I will have an optometrist appointment in the summer sometime and I will ask his opinion and perhaps a letter to say that my eyes have slightly changed since the cataract surgery. It could just be a feature of my seeing up close so much better (I never had 20/20 vision) and the blue eye ring is just more noticeable to me. Getting old is both amazing and sometimes difficult.
Two Easter Sunday services was quite remarkable and amazing in my old age. At this age my mother went to Church with my brother Doug although not every week. My father was in a Nursing Home at that time although he did not like it there. He loved his independence but in a wheelchair my mother could not manage him. I was far away but when we were there I spent the day with him in the Nursing Home. We chatted once he recognized me which did take a bit on occasion and I can remember the last time he said my name. It was just before he passed as we came on a whim to London to see both of my parents actually. He had had influenza and was weak but he said my name with some of the strength it had when I was a child. His eyes looked at me with strength but his time was coming and I could sort of feel it so we said goodby for the last time. The girls came in to say goodby to Grandpa as well (and Edward too); they knew we had come because he was not likely going to live much longer he was then 94. The girls had had a lovely time shopping with their grandmother and chatting with her; Edward had driven them. We also took the time to visit Edward's mother on the way home. It was an unanticipated time although my father and Edward's mother were both over 90 at the time and my mother younger but still in her early 80s. Who would have thought in December 1998 that both of my parents and Edward's mother would have passed by 2002. It was sad for sure as we had lived our lives here far from family and missed a lot of items here and there. I also never would have dreamed in 2002 that Edward would be retired in 2004 as he didn't mention it until just before he retired actually. I worked until 2007 and I would have worked longer but I hurt/injured my shoulder and by then it was just difficult. I did finally get some therapy on that shoulder and the exercises made all the difference (I had a torn rotator cuff). Now you wouldn't know at all that I injured that shoulder - therapy is great.
Today is cleaning day and it is the top floor. The week is planned in my mind. I will continue the matches as I do want to get them all done and not get distracted from that. I also need to look at Living DNA and FT DNA for matches and that will follow. Gradually I will get that all done but in the meantime I am continuing to look at the old documents in Latin. I need to get them translated and it is a slow process - the latin I am learning is more of a modern look at words and I need old Latin for sure.
I can see that the yard is starting to dry up so I must get out there and rake and will do that in bits and pieces. Gone are the days when I will go out there for a couple of hours and work. I have the strength to do that but I have never been a gardener and I will be most effective if I do bits at a time.
Teatime and solitaire.
Just remembering as I cleaned that someone rang the front doorbell on Easter Sunday. Weird really, I looked out and did not recognize the woman nor was I expecting anyone (my children are pretty much the only people who get a response). I would never drop by anyone's house without being invited for sure - I never get lonely and it was Easter. I wanted to contemplate Easter all day long. I hardly have time to get everything done that I am working at; the years pass and I am still writing my books and all my time and concentration is directed toward them just as it was directed towards my children when they were young and my husband as we aged. I remember the day that my husband's cousin and his wife (he was also our family doctor) dropped by years ago and they were members of the Church we went to. I was going to pass on answering it as I was very busy cleaning as I recall (I thought they were just dropping in on a walk visiting people in the congregation) but Edward answered and welcomed them in. Strange really, I have no idea why they came really but Edward was more of a country person (like his cousin) and did visit people spontaneously (perhaps that is why he volunteered me to be Church Secretary!). I only did that if there was a reason like being volunteer secretary but I am not the most sociable person in the world for sure. I once walked by the house of one of the students that had been in my high school when I was going to University. She said I could ring the bell and we would walk to the bus together. Being the daughter of a person who owned his own business locally I felt obliged to do that (my mother always stressed politeness and she was always wanting me to have friends although I said to her I have my brothers I do not need anybody else). I was so very happy when she said that perhaps I wouldn't do that anymore (I also went a different way). Great news! Being polite can be the pits sometimes.
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