Author: Margaret Murray

Today marks the 15th anniversary of September 11. This is not the day we want to remember but it marks one day after my father in law’s 80th birthday which was spent with his family. Also, his brother and family from Holland were present for his celebration.

Last evening 21 family and friends were hosted to an evening dinner at The Gates. Darryl made a toast which was simple…dad if you were a car you would be a classic. Uncle Bert spoke as well. It was emotional because as brothers they have been apart for almost 50 years. The last time they were here together was at Peter’s wedding in 2009. Bert spoke about connections and how with today’s social media it has brought them closer together via email.

Both Darryl and I have enjoyed spending time with Bert, Femmy, Harold and Robert. It has been a week of sharing family stories.

Yes, we can be taught because we were once students and we know what it takes to become a great teacher. Some of the most important characteristics of a teacher include: setting reasonable expectations and goals for our students, preparing and organizing engaging lessons that promotes inquiry, developing relationships with our students and their parents and least but not last, we spend time continuing to acquire new knowledge in our subject. We try to be enthusiastic and instill that love for learning with the students we teach daily.

Personally, I look at ways students can become better readers and writers. The key is to improve and inspire others. I once read an article that said ” we must build a home away from home in our classroom where we can feel safe and secure while achieving our full potential in our courses as well as social and emotional development.” -Edutopia

56 brought me a year filled with many happy filled moments. We began the school year with Darryl accepting  the director of creative services job with Investors Group.

We travelled to Austin, Texas and I attended one of the largest educator’s technology conference. Both of us really loved van Zandt hotel’s night life and the exploration of Rainey  Street’s pubs and fine dining.

Summer was filled with many wonderful experiences and included traveling to PEI to attend a family reunion and a dedication of my grandfather Murray inheriting the family farm 100 years ago. Also, we celebrated dad’s 85th birthday.

We bought two amazing paintings from a well known Canadian artist Gordon Harrison. These paintings represent a piece of my island heritage…boat life and pastoral sereneness.

Darryl and I continued our holidays in Quebec City and here we explored many cafes and restaurants. A truly remarkable experience within the walls of this historic city left us with fond memories.

Also, this summer I attended 14 boot camp sessions and met many wonderful teachers who excelled in challenging workouts. Fitness is a daily commitment for us and has provided many hours of walking or running in our community.

Now it’s time to move forward to the next number and celebrate the day with coffee, a walk and a fun evening at our favorite restaurant Cafe Carlo. It will be another year filled with health and happiness. Traveling will continue!

Watching and reading about our Canadian team of 313 athletes over the past 16 days has been exciting. Some of their facial expressions says it all…proud moments. Some of the best hours for me was listening to Ron Maclean interview our Canadian participants after their competitions. Ron is so wonderful in probing the athletes and allowing them their moments to express themselves through tears of joy. These athletes are grateful to represent Canada and appreciative of their parents, coaches and sponsors. Canada, indeed has a lot of talent and as John Herdman, women’s national soccer team coach stated: “Canada’s best is yet to come.”

We must believe in our youth and surround ourselves with a new, enthusiastic and talented next generation. It was awesome watching our Canadians perform in such a way that they all could flourish in their own ways. We placed tenth overall with 22 medals. we improve at every olympics and that’s what counts: improvement.

I have a few pairs of summer sandals however, a comfortable walking pair of sandals is key for my lifestyle. Everyday I walk approximately an hour and somedays even more than the hour. Summer lifestyle is about sipping a coffee at home on the deck or heading to a cafe to read the newspaper or a chapter or two on my iPad. I meet many faces daily and the regulars always stir up a lively conversation about the goings on within the city or across the globe.

Exercising keeps both of us on the edge. It is this slice of life that brings happiness to our lifestyle.While on holidays, workouts become the routine. In Charlottetown we ran along the scenic boardwalk and it was here that I could feel nostalgia building in my mind. Running provides a healthy vibe for us and we can either try to challenge ourselves to run together or run at each other’s pace. We mix it up and aim to increase our stamina. In Quebec City we climbed 396 steps and yes, this was a workout. Also, walking up and down several steep streets provided an excellent cardio for the legs.

Exercising allows us to breathe in fresh air as well as develop our muscles to become better athletes. Sometimes we run outdoors or we create a repertoire of core exercises to keep the momentum challenging. It is rewarding to know that we are on the leading edge of awesome health.

My favourite toys when I was a child were the red building blocks and a couple of wooden dolls. These toys provided many hours of fun and also I could play by myself for hours creating several styles of houses with the red bricks which would be known as LEGO today. Some other toys that I was fascinated with were simple games including chess, snakes and ladders, checkers and memory games. Also, I remember playing hop scotch with friends and owning bright green and pink skipping ropes.

Seeing that most of these toys and games could be played individually or with a small group is no different as to how I see myself today. I fit in where ever I feel most welcomed and also I like spending some time alone to read, reflect and exercise. Self expression through toys, clothing, books, or hobbies is how I value and experience happiness within myself.

Summer of 2016 is about relaxing, exercising, reading, and enjoying valuable conversations with friends. Sometimes meeting on the spur of the moment while walking past patios creates bits and pieces of happiness. Many minutes of laughter occurs over the course of a day.  A good example of this was while we were walking past Cafe 22 whereby we recognized  some gym friends enjoying their pizza and wine. We chatted with them about the life of owning VWs and how there is room for negotiation when salesmen are attempting to persuade you to buy a new car that is six months old.

Gemma and I spent the afternoon sipping on a Corona and nibbling away at spicy chicken nachos. We shared many stories. Always energizing to hear what other friends are reading and thinking.

It was exquisite sitting under many colourful umbrellas  with some close friends at Pizzeria Gusto’s patio. We, too exchanged many laughs and stories about life.

Also, Darryl and I walked to the Grove and sampled a cider and some saucy steak bites. So delicious. Then a Market Burger was next on the agenda and was slightly disappointed with their creation. To top out the evening we relaxed with a latte at MAKE where we caught up with some reading.

Overall, summer life  is wonderful.

This line comes from a favourite band of mine called Hedley. Why should I compose a blog about being out of control? Well, it’s a procedure that I had to prepare for about two days and then admit myself to Health Sciences Centre to have a colonoscopy. I don’t need to say anything more about the prep.

I arrived at the hospital by taxi and I proceeded to admitting. While being asked a few questions tears welled up in my eyes. First time admitted to a hospital and I kept repeating the phase in my head…I can do this and just deal with it. I followed the purple bear symbol to the seventh floor and turned to this holding room filled with patients of all ages. Nursing staff looked overwhelmed with the amount of patients to be cared for. My nurse was amazingly witty and she thought I had way too many clothes in my bag especially when the temperature outdoors reached 34 degrees. However, I packed a bag full of treats: fruit and granola bars because I knew I would be famished after the procedure.

I waited two hours before I was wheeled out to another room. Once I reached the destination i was informed that my doctor had to finish an emergency. I immediately said OMG, you must be joking because we need to get this shit show on the go. The nurses laughed and replied, “the red carpet will be rolled out for the second time we wheel you in.” Sure enough, I only had to wait another ten minutes and I was wheeled in to the room. I joked with the doctor and immediately stated that I am healthy and I want to receive an A+ report and  a pass /fail is not in my category of standards. He laughed and asked me if students of today read any books.

The nurses were great and joked with me about the colon blast prep and I had a smirk about OMG…out of control and I am ok. Then they connected me to some tubes and it was over in a few minutes. One nurse held my hand and was very sweet. Soon, Darryl came into the recovery room and I was ready to leave.

W e enjoyed the evening of relaxing and even walked to Cafe 22 where we ate a platter of grilled flatbread and I sipped a Savannah cider. No problems whatsoever and I am one healthy woman. I am very thankful to be healthy and thought to myself how on earth did all those people beside me in the rockery room become so unhealthy.

Let’s appreciate the simple things in life and continue to stay healthy.

I admire this phrase and thought it’s time to express myself. Sipping a cup of coffee, reading an intriguing ebook, or a strolling through the neighbourhood expresses my true self. It is amazing the number of people that I see and know when I am out reading during the day. Friday, I sat with a friend at Starbucks and we exchanged stories for over an hour. She is great at recommending new titles to read. We have a lot in common because we both are gym junkies and are into new routines.

Later in the day I decided to treat myself to a power breakfast at BerMax cafe. I sat and read a business magazine for a few minutes and then walked over to visit another friend at her fashion business. She brewed me the most amazing espresso. We exchanged some more stories about our aging parents.

Walking in the neighbourhood is peaceful. Noticing all the Monarch butterflies fluttering in my footsteps has one wondering about the sense of nature and its beauty. I continued on walking to our local farmer’s market and here, the kids enjoy a little snack from the homemade muffins or banana bread table. I, too couldn’t resist the tasty treats.

Both Darryl and I love the local pub and here, we chow down on the well known Danielle pizza altered to our perfection. Once again we were surrounded by well known people who enjoy a brew and a chat. Of course, we had to sample the night life at the old market square where some guitarists and soloists were entertaining the locals. Our destination was to reach the newly opened PEG Beer Co. close to the waterfront. We were amazed with this establishment and the story went on and on about a former teacher who went to Korea to gain experience and returned to his hometown and started this new adventure…brewing company. Now you catch a narrow glimpse of how I express myself.