I am delighted we have been able to get it up and running again. We are working on new content and it will be added soon.
Today there are so many easy ways to communicate:- email, Twitter, text, skype, Instagram, messenger, etc. They have outpaced, indeed, replaced, a handwritten letter send through Postal Services, or a telephone call when long-distance charges cost a fortune.
But I have decided to try this website and WordPress as a way of communicating my activities in retirement. I am going to continue to write and post things, from time to time, that still interest and delight me and bring me joy. One example is the flower gardens here at the farm which are a positive delight each week throughout the summer, bringing a pleasant surprise of new colors and aromas, as they bloom. The row of colorful day lilies were exceptional this year and now the glads and hollyhocks are opening for the bees and humming birds to enjoy as well.
Although I am unable to do the management and control (weeding, hoeing and watering) of the gardens, I can and do still enjoy them. I will post a number of photos generated by things I see in the garden as I try to pass on to you some of the joy and euphoria I receive from their rich tapestry of color.
My health has seriously curtailed my chefs activities in the kitchen, but I still read widely about food and wine and discuss new approaches and techniques with my foodie friends. I hope to share with you some new wines and recipes I have found to be a positive delight. There is always something new to be learned in the kitchen.
And because a lot of my current chats, emails and calls often include:” what are you reading these days”, I intend to mention a few books that I have enjoyed. But I warn you in advance, the titles may surprise some readers because of my eclectic tastes and interests!
Another area I hope to touch on a bit will be issues of personal health and our health care system. It is believed that there are thousands of people walking around the world with undiagnosed Amyloidosis of one form or another. There is so little known by the Medical Profession and others about this deadly disease, that I will write about my own experiences and how they completely changed my life. I will present links to some sites that contain important contemporary research and data on select Clinical Trials.
I love living on a farm. Eating fresh from the garden all summer long starting with rhubarb and asparagus in the spring, is a great thrill for me. Then as June and July approach, we can have many rapturous moments as we gather and eat fresh lettuce, kale, spinach, radish for salads, and peas and beans so fresh they barely need steaming. And each week thereafter there is something new to make my mouth water, like cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and beets. And, of course, there are the several weeks when we are able to eat our own raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and currents. Yum. It seems the ecstasy is never ending. This is farm living at its best.
So, it’s clear. I just love the charm of living in the country. Of having a piece of land large enough to ensure privacy. Of having a river meander through the property. Having a self-contained house with access, certainly with the help of technology, to a lot of the things like music I have enjoyed throughout my life. I want to try to impart some of that ‘country joy’ to you through these pages. The joy, for instance, of waking up with the sun in the morning to watch deer grazing and frolicking in the fields.
I spent more than 25 years applying the law as a practicing lawyer and, later, 22 years in the Senate of Canada helping to make new laws. I will review some of the highlights of those years including things like the public policy , the people involved, the issues at stake and what really went on behind the scenes. And I want to share with you some of the jubilation and sheer delight I felt in working on breaking down systemic employment barriers in the Senate, House of Commons, Library of Parliament, Bay Street, and, most of all, the Public Service of Canada. I espoused the ” business case for Diversity” and how it could make for a better Canada. I encountered great resistance from all quarters. There’s lots to write and chat about there.
But I am going to stop here before I make commitments I cannot keep for health and other reasons. But I am anxious to start communicating again with more Canadians. Thanks again for visiting this site.
Don