[2024-05-11] Saturday Synopsis #95
Today, my daughter treated me, my mom and my sister to Mother's Day Tea at the North Lanark Regional Museum. Located at 647 River Road in Appleton, a picturesque village between Carleton Place and Almonte, Ontario, this lovely museum collects, preserves and displays the history of Mississippi Mills.
We sat on the lawn at beautifully decorated tables, under a large tent. We enjoyed tea and homemade sandwiches, squares and cookies, along with pickles and cheese. As the sandwiches and sweets dwindled on our three-tiered tea tray or our pot of tea ran dry, friendly volunteers replenished our supply. At just $15 per person, the Mother's Day Tea was an economical way to enjoy some light refreshments, in a beautiful setting, with pleasant people.
After our tea, we visited the museum, spending considerable time looking at the telephone switchboard in the basement. My mom, who had worked as a long-distance operator for Bell Canada in the late 1950s, explained to us how it worked.
The museum hosts similar events to today's tea, such as a strawberry social in June and an apple pie fest in September. Check the Museum's website or Instagram account for details as they become available.
Saturday Synopsis
[Leo] Babauta recommends choosing those tasks that will have the greatest impact by doing one of two things:
- Examine your task list. Take a look at everything on your list and ask yourself the following questions about each one: Will this have an impact that will last beyond this week or this month? How will it change my job, my career, my life? How will this further a long-term goal of mine? How important is that goal?...
- Start with your goals. If you start by identifying the things you really want to accomplish in the next year, you can plan your tasks so that you are doing things each day to further those goals along. Let's say you have three long-term goals―each day, choose a task from your list that will move you closer to those goals.
"If there's one change that you could make today that would have the biggest impact on your life in terms of productivity, effectiveness, and being able to do the things you want to do, it would be to reduce the commitments in your life," asserts Babauta.... To determine which commitments to keep and which to eliminate, take an inventory of your engagements. "Now take a close look at each thing on the list and ask yourself: How does this give my life value? How important is it to me? Is it in line with my life priorities and values? How would it affect my life if I dropped out? Does this further my life goals?"
There is no reliable test for ovarian cancer. The disease is often discovered by chance or only after the symptoms get so severe that the individual or their doctor requests tests to determine the source of the issues.
To all the mothers, grandmothers, adoptive mothers, foster mothers, caregivers, aunts, big sisters, mentors, coaches, leaders, neighbours, nurses, teachers and volunteers who have cared for, listened to and guided children: thank you for mothering the next generation. Happy Mother's Day.
Gardening is, after all, one grand experiment. It's also a fitting metaphor for life. We plant seeds today, hoping to reap their bounty in the future. We may want to hurry them along but, for the most part, they will take the time they take to grow and mature. Weeds will inevitably grow in our garden, requiring that we pull them out to leave room for tender vegetables and flowers to flourish. Sometimes we over-plant, leaving insufficient space for each plant to develop, in a form of biting off more than we can chew.
A wise colleague replied to last night's post (Planting day) to suggest additional lessons from gardening: we nurture, adapt to and learn from the plants in the garden; we discover that different plants thrive in different conditions; we understand that the potential in a seed is a miracle. There are so many parallels for people, she noted.
More than once today, I found myself saying, "You are the head of your medical team," which was wise advice given to me at the beginning of my cancer journey.
I don't wish cancer on anyone, and I wish that I had never gotten it. But I did, so I was determined to take as much good out of my predicament as possible and to be a light to others.
"If there's a message I want my blog to communicate it's that you can go through cancer or another serious illness or something really hard and still enjoy life every single day." I added that even on the days when I was recovering from chemotherapy—which I called my pyjama days—I enjoyed something, such as a good book or a movie. I saw this quiet time as a gift. "Because you can be sure that if I were feeling 100%, I wouldn't be reading a book or watching a movie. I'd be working. I'd be doing something. I'd be washing the car." So a little forced down time for this self-described workaholic was not a bad thing.
Ovarian cancer may be the disease that whispers but if those of us who have had this illness can amplify its signal by sharing its signs and symptoms, it doesn't have to be.
When we live a life of gratitude, we are more likely to notice the little things that bring joy: the bleat of a baby goat, the attention of a llama to someone with treats, a father racing his son to the mailbox (and letting his kid win), the tender green leaves bursting forth from deciduous trees in spring, appointments that run on time, courteous drivers and smooth-running traffic, juicy fruit, a meal that comes together effortlessly, a message from an old friend, the hug of a loved one, a visit to the country, getting the answer to Final Jeopardy.
The grief one experiences often depends on where one stands when the loss occurs. As one woman put it: "I think that loss and grief are one of those funny things, both universal and deeply personal. Suffering is universal, but how we move through that suffering is unique to where we started, and where we are going."
"Broaden your interests. It's nice to have at least one surprising hobby or passion. People find it interesting. In many ways, the part of you that is least expected is more respected."
— James Clear
"Rejection doesn't have to mean you aren't good enough; it often just means the other person failed to notice what you have to offer."
— Ash Sweeney
"I do a daily (weekdays) What’s Today? post for the team at work. I noted that, on top of being Reward Yourself Day, National Coconut Cream Pie Day, and David Attenborough's birthday, it is also World Ovarian Cancer Day. I let the team know about your wonderful blog and included a link to it."
— A friend
Melanie explained that in her Women’s Studies class at university, she had learned that girls who read about successful women before taking a test felt more confident and performed better.
"Whenever he met a new acquaintance, he [Jim Farley] found out his or her complete name and some facts about his or her family, business and political opinions. He fixed all these facts well in his mind as part of the picture, and the next time he met that person, even if it was a year later, he was able to shake hands, inquire after the family, and ask about the hollyhocks in the backyard."
— Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People
