Ilml March To May 2015

MARCH - APRIL - MAY 2015
I LOVE MY LIFE MAGAZINE
Living Life With Passion

Love & Connection Issue
$4.95
Message from the founders:

We hope that you enjoy reading this magazine. Our focus is to
bring you an experience that is different than the usual feel good
magazine. We want you to participate with us, in changing the
world. Some of you may think that is a futile idea, but we are stubborn in our view that life is what you make it. Dream Big, and Love
your Life. Yell it out loud to the world and it will reverberate back to
you. Only you can love your life into being what you want it to be.
contents
page 3
- Love Lessons from Charlie................................................pg 4-5
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quarterly publication and not bimonthly, due to printing and distribution cost. Our goal is to keep this magazine going with the
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www.Ilovemylifemagazine.ca
Welcome to
our second issue
With much Love

Suzie , Carol & Jane
Suzie Hollihan: 519-212-3771

Content and Assignment Editor, & all around Goddess
Carol Dahmer: 519-841-8889
Business Development Diva & Kick Ass Ad Sales Manager
Jane Wojtasznski: 519-504-5263
Designer, Motivator, Mover & Shaker who pulls it all together
ILML magazine March/April/May 2015
page 4
page 5
As I began to love myself

I found that anguish and
emotional suffering are only
warning signs that I was living
against my own truth.
Today, I know, this is
AUTHENTICITY.

I freed myself of anything that
is no good for my health
food, people, things, situations,
and everything that drew me
down and away from myself.
At first I called this attitude a
healthy egoism. Today I know
it is LOVE OF ONESELF.

I understood how much it can
offend somebody if I try to force
my desires on this person, even
though I knew the time was not
right and the person was not
ready for it, and even though
this person was me.
Today I call it RESPECT.
As I began to love myself I quit

trying to always be right, and
ever since I was wrong less of
the time. Today I discovered
that is MODESTY.

I stopped craving for a different
life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was
inviting me to grow. Today
I call it MATURITY.

I refused to go on living in the
past and worrying about the
future. Now, I only live for the
moment, where everything is
happening. Today I live each
day, day by day, and I call it
FULFILLMENT.

I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place
at the right time, and everything
happens at the exactly right
moment. So I could be calm.
Today I call it
SELF-CONFIDENCE.

I recognized that my mind
can disturb me and it can
make me sick. But as I connected it to my heart, my mind
became a valuable ally. Today
I call this connection
WISDOM OF THE HEART.

I quit stealing my own time, and
I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only
do what brings me joy and
happiness, things I love to do
and that make my heart cheer,
and I do them in my own way
and in my own rhythm. Today
I call it SIMPLICITY.
We no longer need to fear

arguments, confrontations
or any kind of problems with
ourselves or others. Even stars
collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today
I know THAT IS LIFE!
I Love My Life Magazine Contacts

Suzie Hollihan - suzi@ilovemylifemagazine.ca Story & All Around Goddess
Carol Dahmer - carol@ilovemylifemagazine.ca Marketing & Sales Diva
Jane Wojtaszynski - jane@ilovemylifemagazine.ca Design, Media & Jane of all trades
Advertising Office, Subscriptions and Customer Service:
7 Simcoe St., Cambridge ON N1R 1N7
For information on Advertising rates & Distribution,
call Jane 519-504-5263, or email jane@ilovemylifemagazine.ca
Charles Chaplin
page 7
I have learned to always be humble. I have listened to nature and to

the teachings and lessons of the universe. I make it my lifes passion to always learn and grow and to
exercise daily kindness. From the book Little Boy Gan from Passion-Filled Everland
Lisa McDonald, author of the childrens book
Little Boy Gan from Passion-Filled Everland
was able to successfully launch herself in a new
direction following her own passions after
coming to terms with a marriage separation,
and having two small children to raise as a
single mother and a career change.
Through a series of events, Lisa found her passion and is living her dreams; believing that we
are all interconnected and if you leave yourself
open to possibilities, you can achieve the goals
you set out for yourself.
After working in the social services sector for
25 years; when it came time to go back to work
following the birth of her children, she knew
that her heart wasnt in it. Lisa always wants
to give 100%, but felt that she would be torn
between thinking of her children and her clients.
Her schedule at work would not allow her to
always be available at the times needed so that
was not an option. Being a pro-active planner,
about a year and a half before her daughter
started school,, she started to really think of
what would make her happy and be fulfilled.
Although she has many books piled at home
to read, it was The Passion Test book that
called to her one day as she was perusing
a book store that changed her life.
That was the beginning of a series of coinciILML magazine March/April/May 2015
dences that set her life moving forward in a new

and exciting direction. After a series of discussions with a Passion Test Facilitator, Lisa was
asked to become a facilitator herself. As events
started to unfold, a course became available in
Calgary that worked into the same time that her
husband would be in the country and had the
children for ten days. However, after getting it
all arranged, the course was cancelled. She was
then invited to go to authors home in California, being one of twelve people selected from
around the world. She had four days of intense
training and although when she got back; she
discovered that being a passion test facilitator
wasnt really where her own passions lie, things
started to happen.
She remembered that her grandmother had told
her when she was five years old, that she should
be a writer; and looking back over her school
days, Lisa noticed that mostly she had loved
all the essays and storytelling assignments. As
well, in her career, she was the one who always
had very detailed documentation and truly
enjoyed doing that part of the job.
Something resonated with that revelation and
Lisa became clear that she was to be a writer.
Suddenly the birth of 4 childrens books came
forth. Not knowing anything about publishing
them, she called a bookstore that she frequented and asked for help. As luck would have it,
the sales woman, Heather, who answered the expectations and the pressure of a projected
phone happened to know a lot of informatimeline. When you put the energy into that,
tion, giving her the next piece of the puzzle.
and choose how to manifest what you do
want, you will have grappled the challenges
She was put in touch with a husband and
and overcome them.
wife illustration team, and upon meeting, had
an instant connection. The first book then
Lisa believes that you become your own catbecame a reality.
alyst and everything will happen as it should.
Be true to yourself; other people do not have
Her next hurdle was how to market the book a magical ingredient to succeed. You must
and sell it. It was then the name of Ben Trafbelieve in anything and everything and have
ford was given to her. Through emails and
an honest discussion with yourself. You must
texts they put together a plan for web design, ask yourself at the end of each day, Did I
ebook and multi media marketing. Although do what I could today? You need to take
they had never met in person, while staying
stock of what to keep and what to get rid of
in a hotel, she received a message from Ben
in your life. Focus on your own journey. You
saying he was in Ontario and they should ar- must align yourself and be open for things
range to meet. She explained where she was to show up. And they will. Just ask Lisa.
and she would come to wherever he was.
Again, through coincidence they were both Since her decision to change directions in
staying in the same hotel, same floor, she
her life, Lisa has had many book signings,
was in Room 4 and he was in Room 5.
and has had to place an order for her 2nd
Little Boy Gan, the first book went to the
order of a 1000 books. She is being asked
publishers and Lisa had nothing to do but
to do speaking engagements and has a
wait. Meanwhile, they set up an Ebook avail- second book due for release shortly with 2
able to purchase while she was waiting for
more books following close behind. Lisa took
delivery of the printed copies and to both
control of her life, decided what she didnt
their surprises, theE book started selling.
want, and what wouldnt work according
to her wishes, and the Universe opened
It was through the site that customers started up saying, Here you go. She believes
asking for the printed copy of the book when
that life is about community and giving.
they arrived; and while delivering one, Lisa
What you give out, you get back,
became lost.
claims Lisa.
Again, as luck would have it, she stopped
to ask a woman for directions--which turned
out to be a long-ago friend. They set up a
time to meet but Lisa arrived a little early
and her friend was busy with someone else.
While waiting in her car, she wrote Christmas
Cards and exactly when she was finished
a mail person walked by and took them for
her! Looking up, she noticed the car in front
had an inspiring quote about letting go on
the bumper sticker, which she quickly used
as status post. She was then invited in to her
friends and it turned out the owner of the
car with the bumper sticker belonged to the
womens other guest.
Lisa has always had hurdles to overcome in
order to get to where she is now. She learned
to clarify exactly what her strengths were;
what she could and could not do, believing that clarity is about surrendering your
And Lisa got back the life she designed.

(The last piece of the puzzle is that the
office that I Love My Life Magazine in
was the first place that Ben Trafford
had worked in as he started his career. )
Live a life of joy by choosing to live
your passions. (Lisa McDonald)
Learn more about Lisa at
www.lisamcdonaldauthor.com
Synchronicity
contents
and Success
page 6

Every so often, I think about selling our cottage. Maybe there's an economic
downturn, or the neighbours have built a new
boathouse in my view, or the place needs painting... again. For whatever reason, I begin to fantasize about freeing myself from this particular
albatross forever.

But I can't.

Owning a cottage is like owning a cat.
The very concept of ownership is debatable,
as is the determination of who actually owns
whom. Ask anyone who lives with a cat, and
they'll tell you that the cat is not property in any
common sense of the word. The cat graces the
home with its presence. The family is obliged to
care for the cat, indulge its whims and desires,
and expect nothing in return except the odd
mouse corpse or hairball.

Similarly, a cottage that has been
in the family for several generations does not
fail to make its opinion known. I sit at the end
of the table in what was my grandmother's seat
and gaze out at the lake, busy with more and
faster boats than she knew, more populated
with architectural marvels, but still rippling
under the same wind and sparkling in the same
sunshine. And I feel the clench in my chest, the
tightening of a bond that will never let go. There
is no logic that can explain the hold this place
has on me.

Our cottage is located, like so many
in Ontario, on land that was rejected by our
homesteading ancestors because it featured
too many rocks and not enough topsoil. The

demise of logging, which took the best out of
the forest, coincided with the rise of an urban
class desperate to get away from city heat and
crowding during the summer months. Early
cottagers rode the train from Toronto and then
boarded a steamboat that delivered them
by water to their own dock. Families stayed
all summer, getting groceries by steamer as
needed, and forming communities away from
home for church, regattas, and other activities.
Having an island cottage at that time was no
disadvantage, since all local transportation was
by boat, anyway. Later, as private vehicles took
over from train travel, my great-grandparents
moved to the main shore (legend has it that a
poker game was involved in the transaction),
where we remain to this day.

I grew up in the weekly exodus from
city to cottage and back again, watching the
highways evolve from my car window, eating
tuna sandwiches en route, and squabbling
with my sister over who had more room in
the backseat. We would wait for our favourite
landmarks, counting down the miles to the ice
cream stop, debating who would get to open
the cottage gate. At last we would reach the
lane through the woods, each curve and hill so
familiar I could put myself to sleep on a winter's
night replaying them in my mind's eye. And
then: our cottage. We would erupt from the car
as if pressurized, charging out into the freshness of the air, with an unmistakeable sense
that this was our true home.

Of course, the eternal appeal is the
natural world. Tall pine trees, rugged Canadian
Shield, deep clear water. Trilliums in the spring
and bright red maple leaves in the fall. Loons,
great blue herons, and osprey above; pan fish,
bass, and muskie below. My mother kept the
family tradition going, spending whole summers there with us. Family and friends visited,
and we made friends along the shore. We
swam, read endless stacks of library books,
swam some more. As I got older, I took my
teen-aged angst on solitary hikes through the
bush or paddles across the lake. I always came
back to the city with a tan that lasted till the next
spring.

I loved the lake, the woods, and the
cottage. But I hated the drive and swore I would
never adopt this lifestyle as an adult. No way
would I take on my mother's perpetual row of
bags in the hall, which she tinkered with and
restocked from Monday through Friday, then
loaded into the car to go back to the cottage.
page 9
No way would I abandon all hope of a

normal social life by never being home on
weekends between May 24th and Thanksgiving. No way would I risk life, limb, and
high blood pressure by enduring that crazy
drive.

Hah! Then came being an adult...
My father fulfilled his life's dream of providing each of his offspring with their own
cottages, scattered along the same beautiful
shore of the same beautiful lake. We didn't
all receive this legacy with equal enthusiasm.
Two of my siblings resolved the issue by
moving to cottage country full time. Not me.
I moved farther away, so the drive now required braving the ever-expanding terrors
of the GTA.

Good plan, except that I was
the kid who got the ancestral cottage,
the one with the heaviest load of history and early childhood memory. My
brothers and I taught our baby sister
to walk on this living-room floor. We
learned to swim at that old cement dock.
We played cowboys and Indians in the
woods out back. We sat around a little
black-and-white TV here and watched the
first human footsteps on the moon. The
ancestral cottage, complete with an entire
ecosystem of ants, mice and bats, is a realtime slideshow on auto play.

But I might have made it out alive
if I'd acted soon enough. The neighbour
would have bought us out, torn down the
ramshackle structure, and put up something

fancy. We would have become the visiting
relatives, camping on the lawn at the remaining family cottages for long weekends and
shoe-horning into sofa beds for Thanksgiving. I wouldn't see my siblings as much, but
think of it: cash in hand, the freedom of the
open road, time to travel instead of time to
prop up tired old buildings...

Then the window of opportunity
closed forever: we had our own kids. To
clinch it, they each had their first trip to
the cottage before they were three weeks
old. We started our own round of routines
and rituals, making
memories, and increasing our attachment

to the property. We don't go every weekend,
and we have never spent all summer there.
We have traveled to other places. And we
Aha Moments - Cottage Connections
page 8
have finally arranged our lives so that we

could do the drive on non-peak days and
hours. But open any photo album from the
past 30 years, and you'll see that the cottage
rules. Good years are the ones full of happy
mementos, sharing the cottage with family
and friends, building connections all round.
Bad years are the ones we didn't get to go as
much as we wanted. So the die has been cast.
I have only to picture my kids' faces to know
how the idea of selling the cottage would be
received. We're in it for the long haul, now.

Still, it has taken a while to admit
that neither we nor our progeny are really in
control here. The true test of a cottage owner's
commitment turns out to be the experience of
taking on tenants. If you can do this without
pain, you really do own the cottage, rather than
vice versa. It seems so logical: give someone
else the chance to enjoy a summer vacation
during the time that you might not be there
yourself. If you're really feeling noble, you can
tenants develop their own cottage connection

and their own pool of memories from one year
to the next, and they're not above flattery and
even bribery to ensure a chance for the following summer. Sometimes they leave a bottle
of wine, as well as the leftover mustard and
freezies.

You spend the first week putting the
kitchen cupboards back in order and figuring
out where they put all the paring knives. You
notice every new chip and scuff, the little rips
in the screens, the spilled fish hooks on the
beach. It takes a while to shake the sensation
of violation, to make it yours again. "How could
you do this to me?" the cottage asks, a little
sadder and older than you remember. "You
belong here, not those other people." Huffy,
guilt-inducing, like the cat you left in the care of
the pet-sitter...

You see? No way I own this cottage,
even if I am the one named on the deed and
the one responsible for paying the bills.

Yet who am I to complain? I feel
honoured when my cat plunks onto my lap,
kneading me with soft paws and curling
donate a week to Cottage Dreams for the fam- against me for a long nap. Just so, the cotily of a cancer survivor. After all, hospitality is tage teases me year round, whether I'm there
part of the cottage ethic. Or maybe you prefer or not, with images and scents and memories.
to charge some rent and get at least the taxes Even in my mind's eye, I look out the window
and hydro paid for in the process.
at the lake and somehow I am able to breathe

Either way, you look around at the
more deeply. Any quibble over possession of
stuffed muskie head hanging in the living
it is the quintessential first world problem: I am
room, the depression glass in the kitchen
so blessed to have this place of rock and wacupboards, the artistic creations your children ter and sun, where five minutes in the breeze
have pinned on the walls, every little thing that can make any heartache more bearable, where
you cannot bear to have broken or lost. You
the roots of family history connect me to the
pack some away, and others you leave, hoppast, present and future. The cottage will not let
ing against hope. You empty the fridge, clean me down.
like there's no tomorrow, and make the place
ready. You hire a local family member to be
on standby for when the toilet backs up. And
you drive away, proud but nervous.

When you come back, miracle of
miracles, the cottage is still standing. They've
left it nice and clean, and you feel warm and
fuzzy, reading their thank-you note. Repeat
We launched ourselves and our brand new magazine December 10, 2014
at the Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge. It seemed relevant; just as
a cocoon emerges into a gorgeous work of art, so too did our thoughts
and ideas emerge into a magazine we were proud of.
Many guests came to wish us well and to all them we thank you.
It was humbling that so many people took the time out of
their own hectic schedules.
Thank you to all that trekked out and thank you to all that
contributed to the overall success of our event.
contents
page 11
We met a deadline - Butterflies & Cupcakes
page 10 Cottage Connections Continued
page 13
By Laura Edwards-Knoll
A Mothers Love, authored by Helen

Steiner Rice, It believes beyond believing, when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty, of the
rarest, brightest gems . . . were the
words that first came to mind when
Jane W., asked me to write this article
for the February issue of I Love My Life
Magazine. Jane asked me to share my
story about Autism. She suggestted that
my perspective on Autism, my journey
as a mother to Ben, would help people
to understand how to make connections
to someone they have no idea how to
relate to and show them love in doing
so. I accepted the challenge without
hesitation.
Benjamin Robert Scott Knoll was born
on September 10, 2003 in Palmerston,
Ontario, the youngest of my three bear
cubs. Bens sister Amanda was eleven
and brother Josh was seven that year.
Bens dad, Scott, and I were lulled into
the idea that Bens growth and development would be no different than that of
his elder siblings, but by the time Ben
reached six months of age, my mothers
instinct, and perhaps my education as
an Educational Assistant, told me that
Ben was going to have a very different
life journey.
Ben had many of the tell-tale signs and
symptoms associated with a diagnosis
of Autism Spectrum Disorder, such as
the flapping hands and bowel issues,
didnt enjoy being held, and seemed to
stare off into the distance and in his
own little world. Speech came very late
to Ben; he used to scream in short,
high pitch squeals in place of words. It
was a sound so shrill that in the summer
with the windows were open, a neighbour one day shouted back would
you shut that kid up! I bought plastic
alphabet letters and Ben, by the age of

two, could spell words like vacuum,
triceratops, to communicate with us,
but he could not verbally communicate
his wants, his needs. But I could see his
love, his intelligence, his desire to communicate in his beautiful, warm brown
eyes. Ben was caught somewhere in
there, and I was determined to unlock
the gate to unleash the wonder of him to
the rest of the world.
There started the journey to find Bens
voice. Doctors said he was the youngest
of three who had other family members
speaking for him, be tougher Mom,
dont speak for him, push him to speak
for what he wants, you love him too
much. Nonsense! Ben wasnt parented
any differently than his older siblings,
and they spoke within the targets for
their developmental stages. No, sorry,
that wasnt the case...I had to look harder, look elsewhere, but where? I turned
to researching the holistic medicine that
was being practiced and showing benefits for those with individuals with ASD.
I learned about the relationship between
leaky gut syndrome and the brain. I
found Dr. Jodie Peacock in Oakville, ON.,
a doctor in natural medicine, specializing in Autism. Dr. Peacock unlocked
the gate for Bens speech after three
visits. Bens world consisted of dietary
changes, supplements, and within a
few short weeks, by God, the words
started to come......and they havent
stopped since!
Loving Ben was easy. I loved all of my
children from the moment the pregnancy test result came back positive. For
parents, there are never any guarantees
that our children will be perfect. No
such creature exists in this world. We
are all here on Earth to learn, to perfect
our souls, at least that I what I believe.

All of us are teachers and students
simultaneously throughout our entire
lives. My children have been my greatest teachers. I am confident in saying
that Ben has been our greatest teacher,
because we all worked as a team to
figure him out and know what makes
him tick, to help him, to make sure he
has the best quality of life that life has
to offer.
Ben didnt get a formal diagnosis until
the age of 6 years, yet the Principal
at the elementary school that Ben attended was keen and validated what I
had observed from the time Ben was
six months old when Ben attended his
Kindergarten orientation. Ben wouldnt
make eye contact, or join in with his
peers. Instead, he isolated himself
and made a circle around himself with
a train track, rocking and flapping his
hands. The Principal pulled me aside
and asked me if I thought perhaps Ben
had Autism. I looked up from Ben, tears
in my eyes, and said finally, someone
sees what I see. The Principal said,
yes, I do, and though Im not a Doctor,
Ill write a letter to a few contacts, and
well get a referral to service for your
son and get the ball rolling for him to
succeed. Love that man.
That lead us to an amazing Social
Worker from Mount Forest who was no
taller than 55 at best, but in our eyes,
she was 6 feet tall and bullet proof! She
marched into our world and connected
Ben to every resource available in
record time. Granted, to lacking funding, Ben was placed on wait lists, but at
least he was on the wait lists and steps
closer to being identified, diagnosed
and steered toward success for life.
Love that woman.
School has been a rollercoaster for Ben.
Social skill development continues to
be challenging. Ben is 11 years old and
has no real person that he can call a
true friend at school. Yet, he never stops
trying in his attempt to make social
connections. Ben has attended the
Rainbow Day Camp at the University

of Guelph for the past four summers,
where he is treated like every other
camper. Jennifer Harrison, the Administrative Director for Rainbow Day
Camp saw Bens spark. She invited
him to speak at the Journey to Inclusion
a couple of years ago to the new and
returning camp staff about how important it is for children, youth, everyone
who lives with a disability to be afforded
the same opportunity to attend camps
alongside their same-aged peers, and
not be segregated just because they
may not be able to compete or participate in all activities as their same aged
peers without some modifications
made by creative staff. Ben feels as
if hes just like every other kid his age
for three weeks every summer when
he attends Rainbow Day Camp. They
know the key to offering programming
to EVERYONE, because they know that
EVERYONE counts in this life. Brings
the saying all of Gods children have
a voice in the choir to mind. We love
Jennifer Harrison and the rest of the
Rainbow crew!
When it comes to loving someone who
may have a compromised ability to hear
the words I love you, or have difficulty
receiving or welcoming a loving touch,
or perhaps cannot see the unspoken
emotion that one feels by looking into
the senders eyes, it cannot mean we
do not stop trying to get the message
across. We spend more time observing the individual to see how they
absorb their world around them, and
try another key to unlock the door to
reach them. Loving Ben has been easy.
Having patience for others who show
their ignorance, cruelty, impatience,
and judgement without education and
compassion has been my greatest test
of faith in humanity. Yet if Ben can turn
his cheek after being bullied on nearly
a daily basis, and extend his hand in
an effort to develop a friend from a foe,
then I have to rise to the challenge as
his Momma Bear and follow his lead
and be just like the fine young soul
that he is growing up to be.
Living Out Loud - A Moma Bears Love
page 12
page 15
By Jane Wojtaszynski
For My mother who will now
forever be immortalized in
these pages, she always
wanted to be famous.
This story was started when
I was 49 years of age
and finished at 52.
Moms little brother, John on the left along with other German
children my mother was assigned to care for, while working
on a farm in Germany.
My mother came from Mokziczia, which is somewhere in White Russia. My Father was from a village close to Lubek somewhere in the Ukraine.
Most of their known-to-me history is faint at best
and interlaced with embellishment and intrigue,
some fabricated and some - well never quite be
sure.

My mother always refers to herself as
a native white Russian... thus the Indian princess
tittle: she wants to be buried with her moccasins
on.

My father never spoke of his parents,
who threw him out when he was a boy of only
twelve. He landed on the doorstep of his oldest
brothers home, who took him in to tend cows, in
exchange for room and board. There wasnt much
said about my grandfather on his side. I poked and
prodded, but nothing was ever mentioned. There
may have been a possible murder and a lunatic
roaming the countryside? I may never know.

My moms village, one of many ravaged
and destroyed by either Germans or Russians, was
a real place, although I cant find it on any map. It
mattered not who invaded, both were equally calculating as they cleansed the area and expropriated lands without compensation. The story told
by my now deceased aunt is that their home was
the only one left standing after fire consumed the
village.

They were the wealthiest family, with
cattle, crops and land, even employing others
on occasion. One of my dreams is to find that
house, if it still stands.
Moms Great Uncle and

his son in their village
Mokzicza

My mother was pretty, maybe even
beautiful; all dressed up with Kleenex stuffed into
her bra for extra confidence. A sparkle in her eye
and a hint of flirtation, but mostly innocence was
the reference point from which she processed
life. The stories Ive heard about my mother and
her family coming to Kitchener and working in
restaurants and on the Tobacco farms in Tillsonburg, were all very sordid. Tales of men coming
from miles to woo the twin sisters, twins only by
fiction to get my mother into the country, because
of an age restriction. There was always a certain
amount of sex talk, depending on what part of the
bi-polar cycle she was in at the moment. She was
too young to immigrate.

My mom and dad both spent years in
the camps, separate camps in Germany, working
towards a future and a hope in a new land. I have
no clue what is true and what is not. My mothers
stories change depending on the listener and cycle
status.

With my moms family in Canada, specifically Kitchener, the progress of life took on
new adventures. It seemed like a sprawling place
to them, where farms where few and far between.
People were cold and everyone was an immigrant
from somewhere. Money was the goal. Life revolved around the Polish Legion. I hated that legion. Dank my first drink there, was scared to death
by stories of children dying in a fire, had a paying
job, learned to dance, ate great food, was watched,
scrutinized and picked apart by an overbearing
aunt.

So there were dances Im told, for those
who came from the same part of the world. There
were parties, parties and more parties; times that
grew and flourished at wars end. I think the drink
was a great coping mechanism for my mother and
father until the iron cross came onto the picture.
The eighteen inch four pound cross of shame was
used as protection, prayed to with martyr-like fever,
and used as a weapon of malice and ill intent. It really held her like a hostage, as she prayed to it and
was beaten by it. It was her double edged sword.
We had to take it away from her

a few years ago, as it held some
mystical power of influence.

My parents met in
Kitchener at a dance and eventually married due to an unwanted
pregnancy. My dad was quite a
player, and I later found out that
there may be countless half brothers and sisters of mine in Germany, due to his excellent genes and
a lack of males in the area. My
mother hates blonds. She especially hates it when I bleach my hair blond.

I dont have any recollection of the
event, but, when I was two years of age, my father
beat her black and blue with that cross, as she
tried to protect herself from his anger. She should
have gone to the hospital but was afraid they
would take my dad to jail. A friend of my fathers
had made advances towards my mother after following her as she came up to my room to give
me a bottle. This man had ill intentions, looking
for a quickie even as his wife sat in the kitchen
waiting for his return. Ultimately it was that mans
wife who saved my mother, after my father beat
my mother for saying Get this devil out of my
house. The event unfolded before my eyes while
I was held captive by the bars of my crib. There
was no place like home, no safe place.... my subconscious recorded the event perfectly, however
I was never able to fully know, until a few years
ago. I had an inner knowing, that I had seen some
horrific event, but didnt know what it was. It was
the continuation of war, in my very own room,
with the people I was supposed to trust for my
very existence. The realization of this only came
to light as I dug deep into my soul for answers.
These answers were to questions that were
brought on by automatic responses
to situations, men, church, and my inability to understand them. This history
is fact, as it was recounted by my siblings who heard the event from another
bedroom but did not witness it. Only I
witnessed this specific tragedy.

This iron cross, was found
in the foundation of a house my father
had purchased and was renovating.
They all laughed as they gave it to her,
mocking her faith. Years of partying
ended for my mother, when her best
friend died. She then turned to the
church and wanted more than anything
to become a nun.

My dreams were vivid and
always left me in a vulnerable position. In fact Im quite surprised that our family
isnt more dysfunctional that it is. We daughters,
after numbing the feelings with drugs and alcohol, turned to faith to see us through. Belief is a
strong tower to the broken. Broken

is not where I want to be, and Ive
inched my way through life, soul
searching and learning, researching and testing theories. My early
years were frought with thoughts
of suicide.

My mother was kind of
a social pariah. She often said
things that were off the wall and
very strange in social settings, and
so I was ostracized by my friends.
Their parents would tell them to
stay clear of that nut house. I didnt really understand. I survived this period by escaping on
my bike out into the suburbs, (Im thinking this is
my pull to the Suburbs song, by Arcade Fire) exploring every new road that my fathers company
had just paved as an artery into the meandering
countryside. Maybe my ventures out into the
wild suburbs were a way to take back my power.

Looking back, I realize how a facade
can fool anyone. After answering a friend request
from a grade school chum on Facebook, I realized that illusion can indeed be reality for some.
After exchanged pleasantries, there was a confession of you have no idea how messed up my
family life was. The other party to the conversation was shocked that such events could have
been happening, when, on the surface, there was
no evidence of distress. Yes appearances are
everything; I guess thats why I hate keeping up
with the Joness. I refuse to compete, or to pretend to be something that I am not.

I never knew what I would be coming
home to; an ambulance in the drive, a police car,
a fight between my parents, a party. Even though
life was anything but stable, my father kept up
appearances and was the life of any social event,
many of which he organized. Some of
these events included bringing well
known Polish actors and actresses,
singers and dancers to our community for shows and performances. He
was very good at this, and I think it
gave him some amount of satisfaction, even though his life was chaos
at home with my mother. He had a
large group of friends. Everyone took
turns with hosting social gatherings.
On many occasions, I can remember
my dad telling me to lie to our guests,
telling them she was sick in bed, when
really, she was in the psychiatric ward
of the local hospital.

Her first break with reality was when I was five. My childhood
was spent visiting her in the hospital, and being
her rag doll for consolation. She requested my
presence in her bed to hug as she fell asleep. As
soon as I would hear that familiar snore, I would
contents
Family Connections
page 14
leave her for my own bed. I wanted out as soon as

possible. The problem was, there was nowhere
for me to go. I had a bag packed, stashed away in
the closet and was ready to leave, may have even
gotten to the corner. As I stood on the corner, I realized that this is my family and I was doomed to
live through the nightmare. I remember sleeping a
lot, because my dreams were better than reality. I
also wanted to die more than anything else, and
went to bed positioning my body as a cadaver in
a coffin, arms cross the chest, just so I would be
ready for burial if my will to die was strong enough
to make it happen that night.

How much fun is that... a little intense,
not much fun to be around, confused about everything, and no one to help in the deciphering
of the life I was given? At fourteen, I found God,
through a hell fire and damnation service... what
was better, hell fire or my family? Equally shit in
my opinion, so I opted for some sliver of hope and
salvation, which came through an elder sister and
her experiences. My life however has been one
long spiritual quest for meaning and purpose.

From my earliest interactions with other people, I felt like I didnt belong in this world. I
felt things others didnt feel. In grade two at my
first confession, (catholic school) I cried hysterically (no other child reacted this way) when I was
forced to go confess my sins to the priest... what
the hell did I have to confess about. Maybe I was
subconsciously afraid that my parents fighting
and mothers episodes were entirely my fault for
some reason. Well that at least was what my father drilled into me, from the moment of her first
breakdown to his death bed. Her breakdowns wer
always the fault of one of us kids... couldnt possibly be that she was cyclically wired, to be up and
down and never in the middle. I sought escape
from my family in whatever way possible, and so
did my siblings. One on a motorcycle, one to Banff
Alberta, and the other escaped in her own ways. I
was left to referee the fights and endure the belittling comments which unfortunately infiltrate my
own parenting.

(My kids, now early twenties, had the
benefit of a mostly sane mother, but there were
many residual effects from the lack of parenting
I received. I dont recognize it when it creeps in,
until its too late. Then I must backtrack and ask
for forgiveness. They are very gracious and loving
children.)

When I first menstruated, my mother
called my older sister to deal with the situation.
She then cornerd me in the bathroom and told me
about what men do to girls in a vulgar and lewd
manor, expounding on the times when she was
a girl scout in Germany and the men who tried to
take advantage of her while she rode her bike on
the path. Somehow, when her focus should have
been about and on me, it always became about
her and what she endured and lived through. I

wasnt allowed to have issues, so I never vocalized them. Just kept everything under my hat because you never know what might set her off.

My mother was and still is a very religious person, in a magical voodoo kind of way.
She would and continues to pray herself into a
frenzy nonstop for whomever she felt was her biggest concern at the time. This would always lead
to a manic episode and then a hospital stay (or
vacation, as she called it). She had prayer books
filled with cut out pictures and flower petals. Rosaries hung from her iron cross. Fire from candles
lit for the prayers of her family burned the curtains
in our home. The big red rotary phone was locked
up in my dads room when he wasnt home, so my
mother couldnt make phone calls to everyone
in her black book about whatever horrible things
happened to her in the war, or with my dad etc.

I never really understood the extent of
her illness until she came to live with my immediate family in our home after a seven year stint of
non-stop drama, while living at a seniors co-op in
Kitchener. We thought it would be best for her, to
be in a safe environment. Safe for her, but not safe
for me. I thought I was strong enough to handle
her. But she drove me mad in a relentless, slow
torture, no where to get away kind of way.

It was a stormy night when the call
came from my mother to come and pick her up
from her apartment, as all of the power in her
building and surrounding area were out. Our
power was fine. I drove into Kitchener like Joan
of Arc on a rescue mission to retrieve my frightened mother from the difficulty of her situation.
Her room was ready for her in our home, and she
hadnt yet made the decision to move in. That
night was the catalyst in her decision making
process; however she ruminated about it for the
next nine months. Didnt get out of bed, didnt
take a bath or shower unless I bathed her, just
slept and ate everything in sight. I thought I was
doing her a service and she was also helping us
with the mortgage. It wasnt until I lived with her
as an adult that I truly understood the torment my
father endured.

It was a learning curve for all of us. In
the belligerent part of her cycle, she would defiantly avoid anything that I asked her to do...like
clean herself and avoid eating directly from pots
on the stove. She often would get up and do laundry at three or four in the morning because she
couldnt sleep in a manic phase. I had to keep
my eyes and ears open 24/7 to keep her out of
harms way. (kind of like a two year old on the
loose) She definitely did not like her baby telling
her what to do, and often said to me I wish you
were still little and nice, Im guessing that was the
compliant and rag doll Jane she was referring to.

My kids didnt leave their rooms much,
and she barged in on them many times to tell

them some crazy story or whatever was passing
through her mind at the moment. Each thought
was VERY IMPORTANT and had to be said immediately. They mostly just tolerated her, but
also benefited monetarily from her presence.... in
the form of 5 and 10 dollar bills here and there.
That was her way; the only way she knew how to
show us that she loved us was with money. Her
cycle only allowed her a window of about two
days every six months that she was relatively
sane, and even a pleasure to be around, unfortunately after that came the belligerent part of
the cycle and then a decent into the depths of
depression, where she would sleep for days and
sometimes weeks not knowing what day or time
it was.

The liberty I have found after many
years of soul searching, has given me a new perspective. Its been a long thirty years of investigation and research, trial and error to bring me to
the point where I have now the tools to change. I
am no longer held hostage by my subconscious,
sabotaging every good thing in my life, just because I was programmed not to feel that I deserved it. I heard it many times over, youll never
make it, you are good for nothing... etc, etc.
When you have no self esteem, anything or anyone is a step up. The confusion comes in when
everything looks like its normal on the outside.

The time my mother spent with us
in our home on was a very trying time. It was a
roller coaster of emotions and a balancing act
for me between, working, being a mother, a landlord and also a caregiver. This took its toll on me
and my family and after four years I decided to
find an alternative solution. This solution, I knew
would be a most difficult transition for my mom.
We told her on Thanksgiving Day and by the
end of the night she was in the hospital with
an overdose. Ironically this turned out to be the
best thing that could have happened. Because
of this crisis, we actually appeared on the radar
of social services and geriatric mental health.
For years prior, I had tried and tried to get my
mother help and support from various agencies,
but I was always met with barriers. Isolation for
her and a difficult and heavy responsibility for
our family to carry, but mostly this fell on my
shoulders.

The years I can remember of my childhood and youth were overshadowed by the ever
present threatening clouds of a psychotic breakdown. This threat was used to keep us all in line.
Whatever it is we were planning, be it good or
bad would be the catalyst that would send her to
the hospital once again. This was not the norm,
in my understanding, of most children my age at
that time. I so desperately wanted to be normal
and have normal Canadian parents. I tried to
endear myself to my friends parents and spent
as much time as was allowed in their presence,

doing things with their families.

Jump to the year 2015, the phone
rings for the fourth time in two hours. I should
change her ring tone more often so I dont end
up despising the song assigned to her profile.
Everyone within earshot knows who is calling.
The space falls quiet as they cant help but hear
the conversation they also heard an hour earlier.
Shes so cute Uh Hugh, thats one way to put
it. More childlike than sick it seems. I love her in
an caregiver sort of way. Somehow I am able to
overlook all of her tendencies to lie and steal, the
unkempt way, the uncaring and depression that
overtakes her weeks at a time and left me a type
of orphan at five.

I grieved for the mother I never really had, and have let go of the illusion of what
a mother should be. This is the only way I can
support the mother that I actually have. Desperate for freedom, yet co dependant in some ways,
Ive reached the tipping point. I can say with resolve that I am able to do my own thing without
her influence on my decisions. Its only taken
52 years, there is always however a kickback of
some sort.

After the emergency overdose crisis,
Nancy has received more attention and ultimately better medications. She has had a few
TIAs and possibly that has altered her brain
chemistry a bit, but she is not as much of a going
concern as she was four years ago. She doesnt
require my attention every minute of the day.

She has a Facebook page and has
now appeared on the cover of a magazine. I
would say that her dreams have come to reality.
Its now time for my dreams to come to reality.
I will no longer use her as an excuse to not do
something because of her possible reaction/
meltdown.

Shes slowing down, but still a force
to be reckoned with. Having outlived all of her
family, my father, his brothers, etc., I wonder if
she might even outlive me. She worries about
me only because she worries about what would
happen to her if I wasnt around to take care of
her.

The echo of my fathers words...
Dont upset your mother or shell have a nervous breakdown... are in the distant past now, a
faint whisper, barely audible.

I Love My Life, and have reached the
peak of my lesson I chose to learn by being born
into this specific family.

My hope is for all of you to get to the
place in your lives where you are free to be who
you are, to love who you are, where you are and
who you are with, without reservation and with
joy and excitement.
contents
Family Connections
page 17
page 16 Nadia the Indian Princess Continued
Travel Tips
by Carole Kitchenwitch
A few years ago for my 50th birthday, my

husband and I took an all-inclusive vacation and got hooked. We just loved it. You
wake up in the morning and its all about
you. You head to the dining room and
there before you is a wonderful break
fast and for the rest of the day complete
service. Room is cleaned, belly full and
libations flow freely.

During my travels, I have learned a few
things that can make your trip go much
more smoothly. So I am going to share
some of these tips with you.
Things to Buy
I will start with a small shopping list, and
then explain why you might want to get
these items.

towel clips or large clothes pins

small plastic bottles
sunscreen
bug juice
after sun lotions
medical supplies
insulated mug (large Bubba)
small denominations of currency to
be used,
scale for luggage
sun hat.
Towel clips are very useful for keeping your towel on your chair, if the
wind is kicking up, while Oceanside.
You can also use the clips to hold
your hat or clothing in place while
you go for a swim.
Scale at $20.00, is worth the expence. Over weight luggage is very
expensive, whether you pay for it or
throw things out.
Small plastic bottles are used for
shampoo, body wash etc. as large
bottles take up space and weight.
However, take large bottles of sunscreen as you will use lots of it or
burn. Sunscreen is very expensive
at the resorts.
Buy all your medical supplies; antacids, anti-diarrhea and any other
things you might require. Dont forget

to bring enough prescription meds for
the duration of your entire time away,
include a little extra in case of delays.
The mark-up at the resorts is crazy.
Large insulated mugs means fewer
trips to the bar and your drink stays
cold. This is something my husband
never forgets to pack.
While out shopping, you can hit the
dollar store for some small items like
nail polish, jewelry or things for small
children. I use these for tips to the
maids and have found that they love
them. In thanks, they may add some
nice touches to your room in appreciation.
Tipping
Tipping does work. This is the reason for
small denominations in the currency of
your destination. For example... $10, $20,
$50 PESOS = $1.00 $2.00 and $5.00
CAN relatively, but not exactly, depending
on the rates at the time of your trip. U.S.
dollars are not being accepted in some
countries any longer, but they still use it
as their standard conversion rate.
Tip your bartender well the first day. Once
you are known to be a tipper, they will tell
their co-workers and you will be noticed
in the crowd around the bar. I tip once in
the morning and once in the evening. By
doing this, you wont have to tip each trip
to the bar, which means you dont have to
carry money all the time. $5.00 to $10.00
a day is enough to keep everyone happy.
Do the same in the dining hall. Pick an
area and use it every day if you can. Tip
your server $1.00 or $2.00 dollars per
meal. They will remember and watch your
service carefully, compared to those who
dont tip. Everybody is happy.
Booking Your Trip
Many people book online which is fine.
I always use a travel agent. This doesnt
cost any more; as a matter of fact, we
actually received a cheaper deals book-
page 19
ing with agents at times. The agent is

paid by the travel company. The bonus
when using agents is they are aware of
information that you dont get online.
Things like; there is major construction
at a specific resort or the last hurricane washed out the beach. They also
receive feedback from their customers
and pass it along to help you in your
decision making process as they want
repeat customers.
Packing
Your carry-on is very important. First
a change of clothing, for two really
important reasons; First, when you get
to your destination, it could be a few
hours before you reach your resort.
If it is a hotter climate you will want
to change right away. Secondly, you
will have a change of clothes in case
your luggage is lost. (This almost never
happens.) Pack your swim wear and
sunglasses in the carry on as well. If
your room isnt ready, especially if
youre on an early flight, it wont matter much if you can get to the pool or
beach to wait.
there is a small amount left in a larger

container, its the size of the container
they are looking at. You may find yourself throwing out things, so better to
pack them in your suitcase to remove
all doubt.
All prescription meds should be in your
carry on or your purse, for reasons
mentioned previously.
Ladies, your purse is a freebee. Put
heavier things like cameras and electronics in it and not your carry on, as
they do not weight your purse. Heres
a good excuse for a man purse and if
not put those items in your carry on,
to keep them from damage during
suitcase processing.
I hope these tips help make your trip
even more enjoyable. Have fun and
Love Your Life every day.
While youre away, do your planet a
great favour, DONT LITTER. I love the
beach fronts of the world and would
like my grandchildren to be able to
enjoy them.
Be careful with liquid in your carry-on:

Happy Holiday, Bon Voyage.
the airlines are very strict about sizes
Kitchen Witch Carole
of containers; containing liquids, even if
Dear Carole
Carole Candor,

My husband to be and I
have been trying to have a baby. I just
caught him cheating. How do I love
my life after this and what do I do?
Lynda
with Carole Kitchenwitch
Dear Lynda
I am sorry for the pain you are feeling.
It is really heartbreaking when something like this happens. I think you
need to be very grateful that you have
seen his true colours. You need to be
especially glad you dont share any
children and youre not married, that
would make things more complicated.
What to do?
That depends on a couple of things in
my opinion. If this is the first time, you
may have a chance to fix things. I

would not get married or pregnant at
this time. He would be kissing a lot of
butt and making some changes.
If this is not the first time, I would see
a pattern, thank my higher power and
kick his sorry ass to the curb.
Love your life, you are not trapped,
you have choices. You can have
children later with a changed man or
a new man.
Best wishes for your future.
Carole
Advice for Life - Corole Cander
page 18
One Individual, One Dog, One Life at a Time

by Suzie Hollihan with Cathy Jurchuk (senior trainer)
Incredible! Thats the only word to
describe the care and commitment
for the training and placement of
service dogs National Service Dogs
(NSD) in Cambridge, Ontario.
The entire process begins with

selective breeding to ensure an even
temperament and optimal health.
National Service Dogs has their own
breeding program. At age eight
weeks puppies are fostered out
Since 1996 over 300 National
to loving volunteers who serve as
Service Dogs have been placed in
puppy raisers, training and caring
the homes and lives of persons with for puppies for their first 18 months.
autism, PTSD and other disorders all When puppies are between the ages
across Canada. At any given time
of 16-18 months they are recalled to
NSD has 100 puppies in training at
NSD headquarters in Cambridge for
various stages. This may seem like
Advanced Training.
a lot of dogs to train, but there is currently a wait list of up to two years
For Advanced Training, dogs live
so the need is great.
at the NSD centre. They train each
day with NSDs training team of
The training and placement of
four, learning the skills necessary
service dogs is very intense. Clients to qualify them as certified service
must complete a 12 page applicadogs. During the next 4-6 months,
tion; if that is approved, an interview the dogs undergo daily training sesis conducted with NSDs Program
sions with NSD staff but enjoy play
Coordinator in the clients home.
and relaxation with NSD volunteers
Acceptance into the program is
in the evenings.
based on the final interview. Because demand for the program is so NSD can house up to 14 Advanced
great, the waitlist is up to two years Training dogs per class. While in
long. When a service dog becomes their kennels, dogs are treated to
available clients must complete a
classical music and aromatherapy.
training course to learn how to effec- Charts on the kennel wall keep track
tively work with their service dog.
of anything going on in the dogs
life, such as medication, or feeding
A small staff of 12 employees and
amounts. On weekends, the dogs
over 400 volunteers are responsible enjoy a break from their training
for the breeding, fostering, training
with volunteer weekend sitters.
and placement of these beautiful
Golden and Labrador Retrievers.
When it comes time for placement
There are many people and many
in a home with a client, clients must
hours involved in the care and life of attend Team Training classes at
a service dog.
NSD headquarters. Team Training
prepares clients and families to

work with service dogs to achieve
desired outcomes, and includes
one full week of training at NSDs
facility and five days of training
in the clients home. Team Training is followed by a Public Access
Test. Service Dogs are recertified in
years one, two, three, six and nine.
If the client is a child in elementary
school, a trainer from National
Service Dogs, works with school
staff for 3-5 days to prepare them
to work with a service dog in a
classroom setting.
The value of a fully trained certified service dog is estimated at

$30,000, but dogs are provided to
clients at no charge. NSD receives
no government funding and must
rely on donations. All activities are
supported by community and family foundations, corporate partners
like Purina, Milk-Bone, Bissell and
Green Shield, and private donors.
With the high cost of training

service dogs, NSD hosts annual
fundraisers to support their work.
NSDs primary fundraiser is their
Easter Egg Hunt for Dogs and
National Service Dogs was the
Families, held every Good Friday
first organization in the world to
in seven Ontario cities and one in
establish a service dogs program
Calgary. This year the Hunt will be
for autism. Over its 18 year history held on April 3, 2015; for the Hunt
NSD has diversified its programnearest you, visit www.nsd.on.ca
ming to include Certified Service
or contact Judy@nsd.on.ca
Dogs for Post Traumatic Stress
(PTSD), Canine Assisted Interven- On a personal note, I have worked
tion and Companion Dogs. NSD
with an autistic youth and two
is accredited by Assistance Dogs
service dogs through the years,
International; as such NSD must
seeing first-hand how the dog is
meet the highest standards of care, trained to sense if the youth is
ethics and client services. NSD is
starting to feel anxious. The dog
the only accredited organization in will go to them and nudge them,
Canada providing Service Dogs
often distracting them long enough
for PTSD.
that they become calm again. It
contents
Real Life Real Love - For the Love of
Dogs
page 21
page 20
page 23
page 22 For the love of dogs continued
truly is incredible to see the effect

these dogs have on their owners
and families.
FAST FACTS:
Service dogs while out are

required to wear a jacket.
Service dogs are to be handled only by their owner
or a parent if the child is too
young
Service Dogs are permitted
anywhere the
general public is with no
exclusion
Service Dogs are not to be
talked to or touched
as they are working dogs
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519-504-5263
page 25
by Judy Kells
Ever get frustrated when you are driving and
the guy in front of you stops at the light and
activates his left turn signal last minute? Or
someone changes lanes in front of you without using their signal? Ever try to cross a busy
highway when the lights are not working?

Signs and signals are an important
function of our society. They let us know others intentions and help to keep order. They
help us to know what to do and when. Think for
a moment about how many different signals
and signs you see just on the way to work in
the morning. Now imagine that you couldnt
read those signs. Imagine the language and
signals were all foreign.
How frustrated would
you be? Now think of the
whole concept as if you
were a dog.
Dogs have hundreds of
signals that they use to
communicate with each
other, and try to communicate with us. Our failing
is not knowing what those signals mean. When
we bring a new furry family member home we
expect them to know sit and down, we expect them to understand. Dogs are not born
with an understanding of English. We have to
teach them, through training, what those words
mean. What steps do we take to learn to understand their communications to us?

Our canine companions have over
100 signals to tell us and other dogs what
they are feeling. Thats right, over 100!! I was
amazed too. We dont need to spend hours
and hours studying canine body language,
but knowing your Dog, and understanding
the basics goes a long way in helping you to
make your Dog a well adjusted, happy family
member. Ever ask yourself why does my dog
yawn so much? or Why does my dog scratch
his collar all the time? Why do they bark, or
hide, or many, many other questions I could go
on for pages but lets talk about a few of the
most common signals that dogs use.

Yawning does not usually mean that
your dog is sleepy. Really. It usually means
that your dog is uncomfortable or under stress.

A dog would use this yawning to calm himself
as well as let other dogs know that he is under
stress. If your dog yawns when you hug him,
then although he will allow it, he is uncomfortable. Hugging a dog is the number one thing
that people do that dogs dislike. Remember
they are not furry people and what makes us
feel better (a nice hug) can be uncomfortable
to them. Scratching at their collar area is a
similar sign, or licking the end of their nose. All
of these signs signal a stressful situation for
your pet. Your job as
a good leader and
guardian, is to remove your dog from
that stress and help
him to be comfortable.

My dog
growled, he must
be aggressive!! No,
it doesnt mean
they are aggressive.
Growling is a warning that your pet
does not like what is happening and the situation must be remedied right away. Whether
they feel threatened, or need space, or a host
of other reasons. How else can they tell you?
In my experience, most people scold their dog
for growling. Think about it for a minute, if I
scold my dog for growling, then he feels he
cannot growl to warn that he needs something, then what are his options?

Canine body language is an
extensive and complicated topic of which we
barely scratched the surface. It is important to
understand what they are trying to tell us, so
that we can interact with them positively. So
that we can let them know we WILL keep you
safe. If your pet is displaying body language
or behavior that you dont understand, or know
how to fix then call in a professional. Difficult
and sometimes dangerous situations can be
resolved with some understanding and commitment. We, as responsible pet owners need
to take it upon ourselves to ensure a happy
care free life for our pets. After all, they are
worth it.
by Sandra Tone

It seems strange to think that
when my sister was born in 1949, that
hardly anyone had a Television set, let
alone a car! So picture for yourself what it
would have been like to live your life with
limited hearing. Most grown-ups think
that childhood is the best time of ones
life. Most children, on the other hand, say
that its tough being a child.
What was it like to grow up without being
able to hear? When you are given the
space to become part of the group, to
hang out with kids in the neighborhood,
to make your way through school, to
create the identity that you want, you find
ways to adapt and conform.

You watch the world closely.
You mimic what you can. You gravitate to
close relationships. You have to dominate a group conversation because you
cant follow the fast back and forth. Some
kids think youre weird. Some kids get
it and try to watch out for you. You read.
You work with your hands. You feel on
the outside.
When Mary Ann was at school the teachers were good to her. They cared about
her so they tried to help her as much as
they could. The other kids didnt understand what it was like to be deaf, so they
bullied her, pushing her around, beating
her up and in general treated her differently.

The day she got the hearing
aids was the day that she realized what
you didnt know when you grew up
deaf. Mary Ann suddenly knew what it
sounded like when a paper was crumpled. She would jump when the phone
rang. Her clothing made swishing noises
when it brushed together. For the next
part of her life, she learned what it meant
to be a hearing person. She discovered
what her talents were and went through
a learning curve in relating to others. And
she moved into life with her handicap
ameliorated by micro-circuitry and plastic
cases that she put into her ears each
morning and took out each night. It was
and stillisa miracle.
But you never stop being deaf, even

when you have the tools to help you
offset it. When she takes out her hearing
aids, she drifts into a world of silence. It
is a familiar and comforting world, where
she isnt hyper-alert and vigilant. It is the
world that she knows from when she
was achild.

At the age of eleven getting
the hearing aids gave her freedom. She
could listen to music on the radio; hear
the television without it blaring. Talking to
someone on the telephone was made so
much easier. Mary Ann went on to high
school and gained more independence.
The other kids stopped bullying her and
gained respect for her and what her life
was like with a handicap.

She still faced difficulties
because there wasnt an abundance of
knowledge about deafness and how to
treat it. Her condition was called Otosclerosis. Basically, this means that the sound
vibrations cannot be transmitted properly
from the outer ear to the inner ear. The
bony part of the ear and the nerve cells
are affected. She had multiple surgeries
that were all unsuccessful in fixing her
hearing. It was devastating to know that
she would always be deaf, but she was
determined to live her life the best she
could.

Having a hearing impairment
brought new struggles to life as an adult.
It became a depressing time for my
sister, both socially and economically.
She couldnt do all the things her friends
were doing because being in large groups
made it hard to follow conversations if
there was other noise added to the mix.
Music playing meant she couldnt hear
someone speak to her. Even in a quiet
setting like a library, if people were talking
in a low voice she couldnt hear them. Or
if someone was in a different room in the
house and called to her, she wouldnt answer. Not because she was ignoring the
Speaking Dog and Along Came MAX
page 24
person, it was simply because she couldnt

hear them.
After graduating school, when most of her
friends were either heading off to college or
university or entering the workforce, Mary
Ann had the task of finding someone who
would hire her even though she was almost
completely deaf. Employers turned her
away because she was a risk to them. The
noise level in factories was too much and
the safety hazards being deaf presented
wasnt something employers wanted to
deal with. Certain jobs were clearly out of
bounds for her. She couldnt do a job that
involved answering the phone because the
technology we have with telephones today
wasnt available in the 1970s.

Mary Ann was able to find an
employer willing to take a chance and hire
her. For the next 14 years, she worked in
the shoe factory, in a department that didnt
have excessive noise. She loved her work
and being able to accomplish something
and also have her own income to support
herself. She made friends and now had a
more active social life. After the shoe factory
closed, Mary Ann went to work at McDonalds restaurant. She worked in the back
preparing the food so she didnt have to
deal with taking peoples food orders. She
worked there for the next twenty years until
her retirement.

Over the years, the technology for
hearing aids improved. Although she would
never be able to not wear them, it allowed
her to be more independent. She was able
to live on her own and do things for herself
without fear of not hearing. Im not sure if it
was lack of awareness, education or what
the actual reasons were but my sister never
learned sign language. She did learn to lip
read although that isnt easy to do. Life was
good until about three years ago, when
after having more testing done the doctors
discovered that her hearing was declining.
They told Mary Ann that she would eventually be one hundred percent deaf. What they
didnt know was how long that would take.
With help from the doctors, Mary Ann was
able to apply to a service club for a Hearing guide dog. In October 2012 she went
to meet her dog and train with him before
bringing him home to live with her.

Max soon came to live with Mary
Ann and he is a big help to her. He alerts
her to sounds within her apartment such as
the microwave and the tea kettle by coming
page 27
and putting his paw on her leg when he

hears the sound of the microwave beeping
or the kettle boiling. He turns around in a
circle 3 times if he hears the smoke alarm
or other alarm go off. When the phone rings
or someone knocks on her door, he goes
to the source of the noise then moves to
Mary Anns side and nudges her to alert her.
When they are out in public, Max is trained
to alert Mary Ann to the louder noises of
trucks and other traffic, or noises coming
from behind her such as sirens from emergency vehicles. Max is also trained to alert
Mary Ann with a nudge if someone is trying
to get her attention by calling out to her.
When Max is at home with her, he knows he
can have play time, or sleep time but he is
also aware that he needs to drop his toys or
stop eating if he needs to alert Mary Ann to
a noise or sound. When he is out in public
with her he is always working and aware of
what is going on around them.

When the decision to write this
story about Mary Ann and Max was made,
I asked Mary Ann what Max has brought to
her life. She answered by saying Max has
given her confidence to live alone, companionship so that she is never truly alone in
her later years. He has improved her quality
of life because she has the independence
to do things for herself like the daily tasks of
living. She can go to the doctor or dentist or
shopping for groceries, or even just a trip to
the mall although Max isnt very fond of the
escalators in some stores. Having Max also
helps her to be more active because she
has to treat him like any other dog by taking
him for walks for exercise and to the vet for
his checkups.

Mary Ann and Max are a good
team. He helps her with her daily activities and she looks after his needs as well. I
hope they have many more years together.
Max is loved by everyone who knows him
and what he has brought to Mary Anns
life. Without him, she may not be able to
continue living in her own home and would
have to rely on others to care for her needs
in certain ways.

The weight of deafness may be
heavy, but the power of Max is very buoyant. Even when some people in this world
still turn their backs due to ignorance, Max
is there to protect Mary Ann and give her
peace of mind that she can overcome any
obstacle in her life.
If you read Living with Nadia the Indian

Princess, then you might be interested in
the alternative part of that world which has
contributed to who I am today.

On many occasions I was shipped
off to Babas house, which was a magical
place. It included; trips to Victoria Park to
feed the ducks, a cat who became one of
my first friends, a raspberry patch in the
backyard which produced amazing jams and
medicinal syrups, that I learned how to make
and of course... a big old red velvet flower
patterned pull out couch which I slept on
when visiting.
Coming
from the chaos that
hounded my family
life, it was settling for
me to know that my
grandma, was always
the same. She would
spend time with me;
take me to see her
friend Zinna who
lived a few streets
over, and I actually
felt special when I visited her, I felt safe. Zinna
was pure Russian. I felt more akin to that part
of the world than the Polish world I was immersed in because of my fathers interests.
These two ladies shared Ricky the cat, my
first friend. He would go from house to house,
staying a few days at each, which fascinated
me. My mother did not want animals in the
house, so we never had any. The funny part
is, now she lives with two dogs and three cats,
which to me is poetic justice.

When I would arrive at my Babas
house, Ricky the tabby cat would come from
the depths of the basement to greet me, as
I was the one

who gave
him the most
attention. He
loved the attention,
and I loved giving it to him.

Being there gave me a bit
of grounding and a small window into the
world which was The Old Country. I would
love to see the old village where they lived.
My grandmas kitchen was filled with lovely
smells and there was never any fighting
there. (The kitchen was always the ring for
sparing at home) She was always busy
doing something, and never did she throw
something out until it was absolutely useless. I think this is where I get my fix it DNA
from.

I would never get bored there.
Baba fascinated me and I think this is where
I learned a few small old world cures for
common ailments. My first foray into the
world of natural medicine was there in the
raspberry patch.

Her
house
was dark in the summer, with heavy velvet
curtains drawn over big
sash windows to keep
the heat out. Old chrome
table and chairs, with a
lovely old wooden hutch
where many magical
items were stored.

Food from
her kitchen was different than what my
mom was preparing, more Ukrainian than
Polish, which I loved. That old house actually had two apartments in it as well, with a
lovely porch and a deck on top. Across
the street the trains hauled cargo and
ran into the night, now there is a row of
Real Life Real Joy -Babas

contents
Couch
page 26 Along Came Max continued
condos in their place. I loved that house, and

have gravitated to older homes to purchase
in our real estate acquisitions, all of which are
eighty to hundreds of years old.

My Baba was the link to my other
heritage, which I was not allowed to participate in.

I was caught between two ethnicities and not a full member of either one. No
history, no grounding, no ancestry, which
of course is the most important thing to a
Taurus.

I tried to visit my Grandma as we
both aged and I eventually married. My life
By SHELLEY BYERS

Diamond decorations grace a table
and sparkle on a black and white photograph
taken 60 years ago of 27 young, eager, new
nursing graduates.

Kitcheners St. Marys Hospital
School of Nursing class of 1954 gathered June
2 to commemorate friendships that were forever stitched together with trust, courage, and
the
act of learning together.

The former classmates celebrated
their Diamond Jubilee at the country home of
Pat Weber,
near Conestoga. Stories were passed around
the dining room table like the scrumptious carrot cake made especially for the occasion.

Their monthly gatherings after
graduation (affectionately called mental health
page 29
became busier, her life slowed. She died

before I had kids sadly. I would have loved to
have given her that joy. My grandfather was
a recluse and did not communicate much.
He died a few years after her and it was
always a bit awkward with him as he did not
speak much.

When I think back on my childhood, my most memorable and comforting
times were spent with my Baba. I am glad
she was there for me, although I didnt realize
how much those visits meant to me then,
they are deeply ingrained in my being and I
will be glad to see her again someday.
days) changed to yearly visits as families and

careers grew. They still remain a highlight.

We bonded in nursing school, said
Weber.

We were a great support to each
other. Thats why were all still together.

Entering nursing school on September 3, 1951, all in their early 20s, theirs would
be the largest class to that date. Living in close
quarters, in what is now the administration
building of the hospital, gave the women a
sense of family under the watchful eyes of the
Sisters of St. Joseph.

We owe a lot of credit to the nuns,
said Ruth Kelly.

We left home and the nuns took
over where our parents left off.

Sister Paula Schnurr gave them
words of wisdom on February 6, 1952, the day
of their capping ceremony. Receiving their

caps with a ribbon signifying their school of
training as well as crisp, white bibs marked
the first leg of their three-year program.
The first class in the history of the school to
have this ceremony attended by members of
the community, it took place on the day the
King of England died.

As the students were about to receive their nursing caps, the former nurses remembered Sister Paula advising them saying,
Now girls, I dont want you to remember this
as the day the King died, but as the day that
the Queen began her reign.

Sue Bradford remembers her class
as the most musical. With a little prompting, the ladies lift their voices to once again
sing The Bells of St. Marys. As the notes
drift off, they share their thoughts on three
years together in residence. They remain a
family who helped to lay the foundation of a
hospital now rated as one of the best in the
province and their pride in their work shines
through.

Sister Joan OSullivan, then known
to her students as Sister Celestine, was their
first teacher at the nursing school.

We were her first class.
She loved us and we loved her too,
said Betty Bauman.

We learned together.
Sister Joan attended the classs annual gatherings until the year before
her passing in 2013.

As the women reminisce
about their adventures in nursing
school, Pats daughter, Ann, creates
cards for those who were unable
to join them. She is dressed in her
mothers training uniform. The ladies
each recall how the tight, plastic
waistband and cuffs felt on hot
summer days before air conditioning.

From the beginning, the young girls
trained on the floors remembering that they
stood when a doctor entered the room and
opened the door for him/her when he left,
even when balancing a tray of meds in their
hands.

We were taught to respect all
people period, said Pat.

We were to treat the patient in the
bed as our mother or grandfather, or our little
brother.

When not working or in class, the
girls spent many of their off hours together.
The real giggles begin as they remember
having to sneak back into the residence after
playing basketball at St. Marys High School
and the fun they had sun bathing on the
roof of the residence with airplanes from the
Waterloo Wellington Airport flying overhead.

They werent allowed to leave the
residence wearing pants and under no circumstances were they to shake hands with
their boyfriends.

Can you imagine? they chime.

Ann sums up their friendship as
the afternoon comes to an end.

Never have I seen this type of
friendship that can last all of these years.
Its a testament to you, the program and the
experiences you had when you were at St.
Marys.
Shelley Byers is the daughter of Edna Byers
one of the graduates of the class of 1954.
Edna, who was unable to attend the event,
was the inspiration for this article.Sadly, Pat
Weber passed away December 10, 2014.
We will miss her smile.
Life long connections
page 28 Babas Couch continued
by Norah
To do an astrological chart we need the date,

place and time of when the person was born.
Why the place?
Is not the same the position of the planets in the
sky at the same moment, in London, England or
Calgary, Canada, in relationship with Longitude
and Latitude. The chart will be different orientation for each of these places.
Why we need the time?
We have 2 wheels in a chart, the Zodiac wheel
and the Houses wheel. The Houses wheel, give
the personality in the 1st house and the technical astrological name is Horoscope, from the
Hour- Hora, the Greek name of the time. The hour
of birth in relation with the latitude and longitude
will make a difference between 2 people born at
the same time in different places in the Earth.
What are the houses that are mentioned?
There are many houses in which to use:
Ptolemy Domification, , Koch, Regiomontaurus,
etc. Only the experience of the Astrologer doing
thousand of charts, trying all of them and seeing
what works best will give you the answers you
are seeking.
How do you become an Astrologist?
First read Greek Mythology. I can explain it this
way: Saturn in Astrology is the planet of time,
Karmic- obstructions, is good when people are
old, but it is not good for babies. In Mythology we
know that Saturn was married and the wife wanted to have a baby. But the oracle said to Saturn
that one of his children will kill him. So every time
the wife had a baby he ate it. The wife, (as we the
woman, when we have something in the head are
sure we are going to do it) she decided to have
babies anyhow. But since every time she had one,
and he atet it, she decided to outsmart him. She
gave him a stone in the place of the baby which
he ate. The baby survived and grew old, but that
is another story. What I am trying to say is that
Saturn is not good for babies, whatever is the
baby: a business, a person, a country. The beginning is always difficult for everything and needs
to follow the truth as shown in the charts.
A good starting point in whatever field including
astrology, is to have Mars, ruler of the first sign
Aries. Mars is the energy; the fire element. Saturn is the god of patience, time and Karma. In the
Olympus, these 2 figures are enemies by nature.
In astrology too, Mars and Saturn are enemies,
they agreed on only one thing, to be successf
page 31
lin whatever field we need action and patience

in.This is the reason they co-ruled the sign of
Capricorn; the ruler Saturn and theexalted Mars.
When they are, with patience and energy we can
do everything and be successful.
situation, marriage, person, career, business,

country or very simple, to know where is my
ring (horary chart) astrology will give the complete information if we have the patience
and the time to do the analysis.
the astrological chart is going to show us the

root of where is the problem, if It is in the car,
we need a mechanic, if in health we will need
a doctor, if it is a business then you need a
coach, and so on.. Many different technicians.
Is Astrology Art or Science?

This is another of the interminable discussions.
To be an astrologer we need to be knowledgeable of both mythology and mathematics (and
this is what attracts people who love math, there
are many engineers doing astrology and at the
same time the math aspect can stop other people). We need to know about physic, psychology,
geography, astronomy, etc. It is not simple stuff
and takes at least 2-3 years to start to understand
how it all works. Each Astrologer has a different
personality too, which influences what they think
is important to show in the interpretation of other
peoples charts.There is also the personality,
years of study, philosophy and knowledge of the
subject that is important to know when searching
out an astrologer to have your charts done.
A chart gives very interesting information

about health. We are not gods, and we are not
perfect. Often we are searching for answers;
we may be born with something wrong or
maybe I need to say a weakness in our body?
Even a car when new, and just out of the factory
can often have something wrong. In that way,
Hugs, Norah
Happy New Year 2015 for all of you.
www.norahsastrology.com
www.ayurvedalifestyles.com
If you wish to contact me, please email me at:
norahsastrology@rogers.com
One of the most well known questions in Astrology is how to determine the time when a baby is
born? Is it when the head is out of the mother?
Or when did the baby cry? The astrologer can be
viewed as the same as whatever other specialist
in other professions; in relation with the experience the view will change.
When do we need to do a chart?
Only when we want to know something, when we
need to make decisions, or find the best solution
in relation to the timing of something such as: I
need to sale my house, I would like to change job,
I would like to have a baby, open a business, etc,
then When will be the best
moment? You may just want to know for
curiosity as well.
Today it is very easy to do the mathematical
calculations, when I started, in 1978 there were
no computers and I had to learn to do it by
hand. It is so much simpler now, some are done
in seconds. We put the date, place and time
into a program and we have the Chart. What is
interesting is when everything is put together, it
is studied much the same as we study the movements of the players in a football or soccer match.
Except we study the movement of the planets in
the sky.
I am always surprised with the charts. One that I
do find incredible is the Lady Di chart. The chart
works perfectly after her death. What we can find
there is: when the fountain was open, her son
married Kate and the baby was born. This shows
me that the chart is always alive.. When we need?
If I want to know about the development of a
In general 2015 is a year of changes

for everybody!
the stock market, the gold and the Gas.

This year we need to let go off the control and follow what happens around us
This will be common theme for everyone instead. There is so much more confuand everything in general: people, coun- sion in life with instant news reporting,
tries, companies and institutionsl. This
and social media. There is more stress
will be a better year or at least not so
for everyone at a personal level.
difficult; where more problems are going The solution will be to simplifly our
to find solutions.
lives at the personal level, clean up the
past, and to create more organization
This year of 2015 brings 2 big opposiand clarity. We need to decide what is
tions; Mars army, energy, strength
important and accept how we are; our
is opposite to Jupiter legal order in
potential, our values and our truths.
Leo (sign of gambling.) and Saturn in
Sagittarius (going sometimes back to
As I say to my friends and clients, we
Scorpio) is playing with Jupiter up and
need to let go: 1) what we dont need, 2)
down in almost square position. Saturn
what we dont like and 3) what is broken,
is opposite to the Moon in Taurus, it
and this is in relation with objects, ideas
seems this year people are going to
or people around us.
have lot of influence.
This year will be better for Taurus,
Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius. Saturn was
People are going to have the right to
working on them for the last 3 years,
talk; we see now this day in that there
putting them in all kind of difficult situwill be a lot of protests, these moveations and obstacles. Saturn the planet
ments are going to increase in the next
of Truth is at the same time the Planet
months and push the governments,
of Karma, the law of cause and consecountries, and institutions to change
quences. What we do, good or bad, we
the old laws, religions, and habitudes.
need to pay the price, and now is movBut whatever will be the result of this
year, it will be the personal and individ- ing to bring the truth to Gemini, Sagitual result in relation with the seeds that tarius, Virgo and Pisces where is going
to stay around the next 2 years.
were planted in the past; oh what king
Hugs, Norah
of flowers we are going to have.
2015 is not a year to try to control; is
a year to do deals. The relationships
between Saturn truth control, concentration and Jupiter expansion, is going to
give an up and down in our lives as in
Happy New Year 2015 for all of you.

www.norahsastrology.com
www.ayurvedalifestyles.com
If you wish to contact me, please email me at:
norahsastrology@rogers.com
Astrology with Norah
page 30
31 Days and maybe more

of Love Actions to Do
page 33
(that way you can do it every month and maybe more than
one on a given day) by Ruth Blackmore
1. Go out of your way to hold a door open for someone

2. Find some great rocks and write inspiring quotes or words on them
and pass them out
3. Make up little care packages for the homeless and pass them outgranola bars, drinks, gloves, crackers, chapstick, etc.
4. Draw funny cards and mail them to family
5. Pick up litter around your neighbourhood
6. Offer to babysit for someone who cant get out much-could be babies or elders
7. On a rainy day, buy a couple of cheap umbrellas and pass them out
8. Give a sincere compliment to a stranger
9. Treat someone to a cup of coffee-a stranger or a friend
10. Bring a smile to someone-could be a joke, clipping or antic
11. Pay it forward at a drive-thru
12. Volunteer for a couple of hours -could be a school, shelter, group
13. Take a senior on an outing
14. Help a busy person clean their house
15. Make up small bags of activities to keep young ones entertained.
If you see a struggling mom or dad, give it to them-crayons, book,
paper, stickers, etc.
16. Drop off a baked or bought treat to a friend or neighbour
17. Make a meal for a busy family or one that needs a little sunshine in
their life
18. Tell a public service person (police, fire, city) that you appreciate
them; you could send a card as well or deliver treats
19. Donate something warm to a shelter for someone in need
20. Let someone go ahead of you in a line-up
21. Pay for someones grocery cart rental-give them theirs when you
are finished with it
22. Shovel or rake for a neighbour--or take out their garbage
23. Drop off a plant or flowers to a friend or neighbour
24. Prepare a small picnic for a friend and surprise them at lunchtime
25. Share a meaningful song with someone-you could make a CD or
send it to them
26. Invite someone who lives alone for a tea or coffee party
27. Pick up groceries for a neighbour that doesnt drive-or a busy mom
28. Read to a senior at a nursing home
29. Give up a parking spot in a busy lot
30. Donate a pair of shoes to someone who needs them
31. Visit a stranger in the hospital
32. Let people know in your life that you appreciate them and why
33. Make a new friend with someone you set out to meet
34. Bring lunch treats to share with co-workers
31 Day Challenge - Joy Bringers Club
page 32
r
i
a
f
f
a
e
v
o
l
t a
c
u
d
n
o
c
o
t
w
ho
page 34
by Suzie Hollihan
Affairs are fun (keep reading, this one is, just go
along with this for a minute). There is the thrill in
keeping it a secret. Your heart flutters, you feel
like giggling for no reason and you spend copious amounts of time thinking of great things to
do in all the spare time you have now managed
to carve out of a busy schedule that had no
extra time in it before. You search out special
little gifts and love quotes to write in secret
messages. You take extra care in selecting an
outfit or choosing a meal. At moments you can
hardly focus on anything else because you are
day-dreaming of your new ultimate friend.
People search out love affairs because they
are bored, feeling neglected, too busy, overwhelmed, irritability, too much seriousness, no
passion or fun, no commitment, and emotional
dissatisfaction. Take note here--do you need an
affair? ( keep reading, this is not bad)
If so, try this one. However, for this love affair,
you do not need to search the globe, although
it may be fun to set up a profile on a dating site
and then respond to yourself wouldnt it?
Here is a question to think about, Would you
respond to your own dating profile and fall in
love with yourself?
I hope so, because this is a coveted affair
with yourself.
Doesnt that sound delicious? You get to spoil
and treat yourself the same way you would
treat a new partner. And you get all the rewards
and benefits.
How many times a day do you look in a mirror
and to yourself, .....(your name) You are pretty
darn terrific and amazing and I am happy to
have made your acquaintance!
Try it.
It will make you smile and if you say it enough
times you may actually start believing it.
We are the hardest on ourselves; our own
worst critic. What is the record on repeat that is
playing in your head all day? How awesome or
how awful?
Although hard to do, try and write down for a

day all the thoughts that pass through as you
go about your daily routines.It would pretty
much be impossible as we have an estimated
50,000 thoughts according to the National
Science Foundation. So, try it for a few minutes.
If that becomes unbearable make two columns
on a piece of paper, one marked positive and
one marked negative. Now all you have to do is
place a stroke under the appropriate column to
see what the director in your head is saying. As
well according to them, 95% of those thoughts
are repeated daily. Lets hope you are thinking
good thoughts!
Is that little director cheering you on with inspiring thoughts or dashing any potential million
dollar ideas?
If someone walked up to you right now and announced that you were the luckiest person ever
and were being awarded a prize for being that
one in a million special person how would feel?
Blessed that you earned it? Nervous they were
going to take it away? Guilty that you didnt
deserve it? Shamed that someone else you
know deserves it more? Often we have a very
hard time of accepting accolades and instead
of replying with a simple thank-you, we brush
it off with a put down of our self.
Oh, Ive had this forever.
It wasnt anything special I did.
Or my favourite line, It is just
The best reply to that gift would be to jump up
and down and scream, I AM WORTHY AND
THEY NOTICED!
Until we love ourselves, we are unable to fully
love another. If you couldnt answer the question of would you love your own self, then what
could you do to fix that? Is it time management
or wrong priorities? Is it selfishness of time or
possessions? Is it laziness or lack of empathy?
Try to find what you would like about your self
better and be concious of choices you make.
Put yourself first. Fall in love with yourself!
Here are some ideas to get you going with
your own love affair.
Send mysterious little texts and flirty sayings
such as Baby, you are the best!

Tuck a little chocolate kiss under the pillow for a
surprise treat. (I know it is not much of a surprise
if you put it there, but pretend)
Purchase a scrumptious bath robe, set up the
bath with oils, candles and floating rose petals in
the tub.Add 1 cup of epsom salts, 1 cup of baking
soda as well and you have a spa soak.
Send a beautiful bouquet of flowers with an
unsigned note that simply says I love you
Plan a picnic indoors with all your favourite
snack foods and a good book.
Create a playlist of music of love songs that
page 35
touch your own heart.
Read aloud one love quote a day. You can fill
up a small box with a selection of them and pull
one out every morning. That can be your mantra
for the day.
Have a pajama day! Stock up on supplies so

you do not have to go out at all. Have all your
favourite meals ready and watch movies or do a
hobby you have longed to have time for.
Keep a love journal and each day write in exactly
a reason why you do.
Keep the affair a secret for as long as you can,
then expose it in a fun way to your family such
as a photo collage or video message.
imagine if you will

a series of paths, trails, ways
many exits and entrances
in a gigantic hedged maze
alone, you explore the inside

alone, but not lonely
as others know of you...
you
will
see
you are here to evolve, to grow
ask the right questions
but
first learn
to let go
open your heart

to the paths end
let it change you
mine the love, the energy
the maps not yet revealed
to unfold hidden trappings
that ultimately bind you
dont
tarry
as resistance brings grief
escapes not guaranteed
acceptance builds reference
embrace what you fear
ILML magazine Feb/March 2015
by Suzie Hollihan
Chili is a comfort food; for a while;
then it can get uncomfortable!
Just about everyone claims to make the best
chili in the world. Perhaps that is why there are
so many Chili Cook Offs. You can use any
type of meat and mostly any type of bean.
And once you combine a bunch of ingredients
and add a chili pepper, it becomes chili. Chili is
a food you can get down and dirty with: anything goes. A number of variations of chili have
become popularized over the years. Texasstyle chili doesnt contain beans; vegetarian
chili (aka chili sans carne) typically replaces
meat with corn and other vegetables; chili
verde uses pork, tomatillos and green chili peppers in lieu of beef and tomatoes; and white
chili uses white beans and chicken or turkey.
Chili is just chili but if you have Chili Con
Carne--you have now added meat!

According to Whats Cooking America,

the first recorded batch of chili con carne
in America was made in 1731 by a group of
women who had emigrated from the Spanish Canary Islands, which historians noted
not as chili but as a spicy Spanish stew.
The first documented recipe for Chili is
dated September 2, 1519
A green chili pod has as much Vitamin C
as 6 oranges
Some cultures put chili powder in their
shoes to keep warm
Chili pepper colour is display of ripeness.
Green peppers are not ripe and the same
pepper can be yellow, orange or red
The green chili pepper has been growing
in the United States what is now New
Mexico for more than 400 years.
Chili peppers were used in ancient cuisines in Europe, the Caribbean, Asia and
the Middle East.

The International Chili Society says that chili
was popularized during the Gold Rush of
the mid-1800s. Cowboys and prospectors
combined dried beef, fat, pepper, salt and chili

peppers together into stackable rectangles or
chili bricks that were then dumped into boiling water.A number of variations of chili have
become popularized over the years. Texasstyle chili doesnt contain beans; vegetarian
chili (aka chili sin carne) typically replaces meat
with corn and other vegetables; chili verde
uses pork, tomatillos and green chili peppers in
lieu of beef and tomatoes; and white chili uses
white beans and chicken or turkey.
When spicy foods are consumed, the common
reaction of the body is to sweat, particularly
on the forehead. The technical term for this is
gustatory perspiration.
Low in calories, chile peppers contain more
vitamin A than carrots (especially red chiles).
Capsaicinoids irritate the trigeminal nerve
cells (the pain receptors in the mouth, nose
and stomach), releasing the chemical messenger Substance P. This causes the brain to
produce endorphins, the morphine-like natural
painkillers that give the body a sense of wellbeing. The runners high is caused by these
same endorphins.
The official state vegetables of New Mexico
are the chile and Frijoles (pinto beans).
Chilies help you lose weight by increasing
your metabolism. Chilies make it easier to
stick to a healthy diet because the food has
more flavor.
(same recipe-with con carne and without,

which could then be called Chili sans Carne)
4 pounds of lean ground beef or 8 cups of TVP
(instructions follow for TVP)
4 medium onions chopped into size pieces(too small and they become bitter)
2 large green or red sweet peppers chopped
into size pieces
4 stalks celery chopped fine
6 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped fine
(after peeling, sprinkle with salt, they dont

slip and slide around making it easier to
chop fine)
6 cans of kidney beans-undrained, dump it
all (figure it has flavour too)
2 cans of chickpeas or garbanzo beansagain: undrained
2 cans/jars of spaghetti sauce
2 large cans of tomato paste
4 large tomatoes peeled and chopped or 1
can of diced canned tomatoes
cup sugar* to add later (see note)
2 tablespoons of salt
1/4 cup of chili powder
2 tablespoons of oregano
Oil for frying meat and veggies
Hot peppers to taste-jalapeno, Red Pasquale
or your choice and how much
Method:
In a large pot heat oil briefly on medium
heat and toss in chopped onions and celery,
cooking for about 10 minutes to start sweating them and bringing out their sweetness.
Add meat and slosh around the pan until it is
mostly cooked with the onions and celery.
Add rest of ingredients and
simmer on low for about 2
hours to develop flavours
on low heat and with a
cover. If for some reason
it is too runny to stick to
your buns, (and I mean the
bread type) leave the cover
off. You can never judge those darn juicy
tomatoes! Near the end
of the cooking time add the sugar.*
I once served the TVP version (textured vegetable protein; and the name needs changing if they want it to fly in the public) and no
one noticed. They loved it, in fact the picture
here is that version. Not only is the cost of it
a fraction of the ground beef, ($2.48 for about
8 cups), it is packed with protein and actually
tasted better!
page 37
To Use: In a large bowl combine 8 cups of

the dehydrated TVP. Slowly add 7 cups of
boiling water and stir. Let sit for about 10
minutes and then when it is time to add the
Meat--add the TVP! Continue on Mate with
tossing in the rest of the ingredients and you
have chili!
I dont add hot peppers.. because I am hot
enough, but you can always pass them along
on the side so others can spice up their life!
*And the last tip: I prefer to add the sugar at
the end to prevent burning, however if I think
I am too busy and am going to forget, I throw
it in and hope for the best. If your chili does
burn on the bottom, dont scrape; stir gently
about it--and leave it for the pot washer to
get off!
Side Story (because I always have one)
I once made a huge pot of chili for a family
camping rendezvous. It was left in Carols
truck for safekeeping while we all set up the
tents; however, her Great Dane thought it
would be a great snack. Not only was there
no dinner, except for the bottom of the pot
where he couldnt get his down to, there was
a horrible smell erupting from the dog all
night!
And finally: There are no serving numbers
because it depends on your family and your
use of leftovers. You can freeze leftover
chili in small freezer bags and then use it
for Nachos, Enchiladas, Taco/Burritos,
Southwestern Salad, Over rice.. see: the
possibilities are endless! You could just
eat chili for the week! One prep, one pot,
7 meals. Sounds like a plan!
ILML magazine Feb/March 2015
Spice it up - Chili
page 36
page 38
All You Need is Love
page 39
Whats it all about?

By Suzie Hollihan
Too often we underestimate the power of

a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening
ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the
potential to turn a life around.
Leo Buscaglia
Google search of the word Love produces 3,170,000,000 results. (although the
word cheesecake will give 63,000,000
which is also pretty impressive). And furthermore, What is Love was the most
searched phrase on Google in 2012 so
it appears that many people all over the
world are searching for the same answer.
You may have never thought about
how much love you receive in a day
from other people. There is the crossing
guard that loves to make sure children
are safely in school. The waitress with
the smile serving people their morning
coffee. Road crews who head out in the
middle of the night so you can have a
safe drive in the morning. The custodian
at work who sings while they clean and
keep things in working order. Police, fire,
doctors, nurses--all people who interconnect with you on an everyday basis
sharing their own labour of love. We are
surrounded by invisible love.
Just about every movie and every song
ever produced has a love theme. You
can never go wrong with a love song-and
it will never go out of style; people will
always love one someone-and there will
always be broken hearts. In fact a whole
music genre was created just for that

aspect. Many a child has been conceived
to a love song! Even Selena Gomez
loves you like a love song. Whatever
that means? Love is in the air and yet
we know so little about it. I wonder if it
is something we catch like a cold or flu?
The only time we question it is when
things start to fall apart.
How can one word describe the emotion we feel towards both a loved one
and a piece of dessert? We throw the
word love out for just about everything
we find pleasure in. We love the song
that just came on. We love the way that
sweater looks. We love our favourite tv
shows. And we love our family. Does that
mean we have the same emotion for our
children as the sweater?
Love is an interesting emotion. You do
not set out with a plan to love someone.
It just happens. You do not have a child
and say Okay, I can love you now, and
it magically happens. It is just there.
There are many theories on what exactly
love is. It is physical, physiological, and
emotional. It is free. you cannot buy,
sell or trade it. You give it, you have it.
And yet we dont really question it. You
produce it, and yet do not know how.
There are many scientific studies trying
to figure it out, and apparently according
to Arthur Arun, on average, the mind of a
person takes between 90 seconds to 4
minutes to determine whether it is struck
by love or not.
The Hebrew word for love, ahavah,

reveals another definition of love, for
the word ahavah is built upon the root
consonants hv, which means to give.
In order for love to be real love, it has
to be expressed as an action. If you
love your beloved, then you must show
it. By the same token, if you are loved,
that will show, too. You will recognize it
by the way you are treated.(Shais Taub)
The dictionary claims it is a noun. You
have love in your heart. Except love
requires an action; so therefore a verb.
In true love, or attachment and bonding, the brain can release a whole set
of chemicals: pheromones, dopamine,
norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin
and vasopressin. However, from an
evolutionary perspective, love can be
viewed as a survival tool a mechanism we have evolved to promote longterm relationships, mutual defence and
parental support of children and to promote feelings of safety and security.
(Jim Al-Khalili is a theoretical physicist
and science writer)
Falling in love means being in that
state of instability. Appetite loss, lots
of energy, loss of sleep, giddiness and
of course the never ending questioning
if everything is alright and the terrible
feelings of despair thinking it might not
be. Amazingly, when you see a picture
of a loved one, your brain lights up the
same regions as a drug addict when
they take a hit. I guess Robert Palmer
was right, you can be addicted to love.

Which to me means that all you need
is love. You dont need drugs or anything else.
And in the end, there is no direct
answer to what love actually is; it is an
emotion, a chemical reaction, a verb
and a noun. I know I love cheesecake,
not quite as much as my children. I
dont love dishes--funny--I see them
more than I do my kids. I should by
all accounts love the dishwater more
if the amount of time spent with it
counts. So I guess the mystery of love
remains. Maybe it is better that way.
I dont really want to know why heart
beats a little bit faster when someone
offers me an ice-cream cone. But lets
just say Love is Blind so that explains
how I cant tell the difference between
cheesecake and my children.
The law of love will work, just as the
law of gravitation will work, whether
we accept it or not a man who applies
the law of love with scientific precision
can work great wonders The men
who discovered for us the law of love
were greater scientists that any of our
modern scientists The more I work
at this law, the more I feel the delight
in life, the delight in the scheme of this
universe. It gives me a peace and a
meaning of the mysteries of the nature
that i have no power to describe.
Mahatma Gandhi
The smell of chocolate releases brain

waves that trigger relaxation
Every second Americans collectively
eat 100 pounds of chocolate
Chocolate Helps to Prevent Bad
Cholesterol Chocolate is rich in phenolics, the same heart protective antioxidants found in wine. In fact, 1.5
ounces of chocolate -the amount of
a typical chocolate bar - has as many
phenolitcs as a glass
of red wine. These
chemicals help lower the risk of heart
disease and prevent
clot-like substances
from clogging arteries.
A
substance
in
chocolate
called
theobromine
triggers the release of
endorphins, which
are chemicals, produced by the brain,
that act like a natural antidepressant
and can temporarily
relieve the blues.
Research has confirmed that chocolate is a good source
of the kind of antioxidants found in
tea. But actually, the
antioxidant content
of chocolate is four
times that of tea.
Plus, the fat in chocolate can help your
immune system and
it can also help outwit cytokines by reducing your susceptibility to infections
and inflammation.
One of chocolates active ingredients, Theobromine, suppresses activity in the vagus nerve, which causes
coughing. According to a study published in a recent issue of The Federation of American Societies for
Experimental Biology journal, it was
one-third more effective at stopping a
page 41
persistent cough than a placebo.Suggested serving size: One 50-gram

bar of dark chocolate or two cups
(500 mL) of hot cocoa (made with
real cocoa, not hot chocolate mix)
A dark bar, with its high cocoa-tosugar ratio, may actually discourage
tooth decay and lead to fewer cavities and whiter teeth
Boosts the Brain - A brain imaging
study on healthy
women at Britains
University of Nottingham found flavanol-rich cocoa increased blood flow
to their brains for
two to three hours.
Researchers
believe cocoa could
benefit older adults
with dementia and
Alzheimers.
Chocolate May Improve Skin - Researches at Germanys Heinrich Heine
University exposed
chocolate eaters to
ultraviolet light and
found that after 6
weeks, they had 15%
less skin reddening than those who
didnt eat it. After 12
weeks, the chocolate eaters skin
was 16% denser and
42% less scaly. We
believe that compounds in chocolate
act as UV filters,
says study leader
Wilhelm Stahl.
Do YOU still need a

reason to eat chocolate?
Here are three lucious chocolate desserts that are my favourites: And they
go well together; the Mousse uses the
whites and the Pate uses the yolks.
As well you can pair either with the
Brownies for an overdose of chocolate.
Tip: You can cover egg yolks with a bit

of water and store covered in the refrigerator or freeze in individual ice cube
tray until frozen and then transfer to
a freezer bag. Keep frozen for up to 6
months.
You need:
8 oz. of dark chocolate
1 cup of whipping cream (35%)
3 egg whites (separate when cold, but
let warm slightly to get a bigger volume)
teaspoon of salt
cup sugar
Optional:
1 teaspoon of essence
flavouring such as orange,
hazelnut, mocha
Whipped cream and chocolate
curls, sprinkles or even a
chocolate
What you do:
In the top of a double boiler, or metal
bowl perched over a small pot of hot,
not boiling, water melt the chocolate.
Stir constantly until smooth and then
stir in flavouring of choice if you want.
Set aside to cool so as not to melt the
whipped cream when added.
In a medium size bowl, with an electric
mixer whip the cream until peaks form
and set aside. In yet another medium
bowl and with CLEAN beaters whip the
egg whites with the salt until soft peaks
form. Do not overbeat or the whites will
be dry and hard to fold in.
Stir of the whipped cream into the
chocolate to lighten. Then fold in the
egg whites being careful not to mix
too hard. Gently fold in the remaining
whipped cream until well combined.
Spoon into individual wine glasses or
small bowls. Refrigerate 6 hours. At
serving time, garnish with whipped
cream and chocolate.
Will serve 8 people if slicing for a

dessert or enough for a small buffet
table served alongside biscuits.
What you need:
8 oz (227 g) dark chocolate, chopped (the
better the chocolate, the better the pate)
1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (60 mL) icing sugar
4 egg yolks (separate when cold)
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
Optional:
1 oz (25ml) liquor or 1 tablespoon of
essence flavouring such as orange
or hazelnut
Fresh berries or sauce and 1/2 cup
whipped cream for garnish
What you do:
Line 8-x 4-inch (1.5 L) loaf pan or a glass
bowl with plastic wrap; set aside.
In saucepan, melt together chocolate,
butter and sugar over medium-low
heat until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks,
one at a time; cook, stirring, for about 3
minutes or until thickened and glossy.
Transfer to large bowl; let cool to room
temperature.
In separate bowl, whip cream; fold
one-quarter into chocolate. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Spoon into
Chocolate - How to Justify it
page 40
page 43
Chocolate
page 42 Chocolate continued
prepared loaf pan. Cover and refrigerate Spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Place
for at least 8 hours or until firm. (Make- in the middle of a preheated 350 degree
ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)
oven on the rack of course. Bake for 30
minutes, and thats it. Take it out and let
To unmould, gently pull on plastic wrap the brownies finish setting up while it
to loosen top edge of pate from pan; is cooling.
unmould onto cutting board. Cut into 8
slices/portion. Arrange on small plate, You can add icing or icing sugar, but you
top with soft whipped cream and rasp- do not need it and the millions of testers
berry sauce (optional) and/or fresh ber- I have had like them without the icing.
ries. Optionally you can place on serving platter as a whole and surround the If you do want to top it off with more
pate with Amaretti Biscuits, fruit or any sugar here you go:
other cookie you choose.
(the coveted recipe for all to see)

What you need:
1 cup butter or block margarine
(not tub margarine)
1 cup of white sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
cup dutch processed chocolate
3 eggs
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
I cup of something: chocolate chips,
pecans, sunflower seeds, etc
What to do:
Melt butter in microwave or in small pot
on stove top.
Place in medium size mixing bowl;
add both sugars and cocoa. Mix until smooth and add eggs one at a time
beating until smooth and slightly fluffy.
Add flour, baking powder and salt and
mix until combined. If added chocolate
chips or nuts, stir them in by hand at the
end so they dont break apart.
In a food processor (or mixing bowl if

you do not own a processor, or go buy
one because it makes great icing) toss
in:
1 cup icing sugar
cup butter or margarine, not melted,
but not cold
cup cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla or liqueur if you have it or
want it
2 tablespoons of milk or water if you
have no milk.
2 tablespoons of hot coffee. I just use
instant-- about 1 teaspoon added to 2
tablespoons of boiling water and stir to
dissolve
Blend until smooth and spread over
cooled brownies; making sure to cover
the corner of the pan where someone
has snuck a piece while they were
cooling.
Help us to continue
to ensure students in Waterloo Region
attend school well nourished.
A small investment in time to

volunteer or nancial support
will ensure that students in
Waterloo Region attend school
well nourished. Please consider
a monthly donation and know
that you have made a difference
in the life of a child in our
community.
For more information or to support

www.nutritionforlearning.ca
495 Waydom Dr Ayr Ontario N0B 1E0
519-624-5744
info@nutritionforlearning.ca
page 45
by Suzie Hollihan
Ever wonder why your spouse didnt fall

down with gratitude when you gave them a
great gift that you spent hours searching for?
Or when you bellowed words of praise and
they didnt respond? You may have offered
a great massage but they turned you down?
You may be speaking different languages.
The love languages that is. Learning to
communicate your love language with those
closest to you can improve the relationship.
According to the book, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to your Spouse written in 1995 by Dr.
Gary Chapman; there are 5 key categories
that most ways we show love are encompassed: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time,
Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical
Touch. These are at the core of everyones
deep emotional needs.These five languages
of love are what motivates us to do what we
do. As you start to understand them, you
will discover that one of them will resonate
with you over the others and you can start to
develop that into stronger love relationships
around you. Dr. Chapman also suggests
that you do not use the one that you like
the best, but instead use the ones that suit
your loved ones best. You often know know
others love languages more than you
know yourself.
In a loving relationship, we often focus
on our own needs, and presume that just
because we love receiving gifts or words of
praise, our partner or those closest to us do
as well. However, it may make them uncomfortable and instead of taking it as a show of
affection and love, in may instead do the opposite. Their cringing away from a hug, does
not necessarily mean they have no feelings,
but they may not like to have physical touch.
And yet that same person may simply appreciate heartfelt words of praise. Open up
a dialogue with them about their wants and
needs; you may be surprised as to what type
of love they actually appreciate the most.
This is the praise you receive. It makes you feel

good when others notice and comment on how
well you are doing. One of your deepest needs
is the need to feel appreciated. Verbal compliments, words of appreciation,encouragement,
kind and humble words are all ways to show
love to you.
You enjoy spending time with those you love.
You enjoy doing things TOGETHER! We arent
talking about just sitting in front of the T.V.
together but really giving each other undivided
attention. This means looking at each other,
talking to each other, sharing the activities in
life with your partner.
The act of receiving gifts. Some people will
always bring a gift for you no matter what the
celebration and to you this proves they truly
care. The gift to them is a symbol of she cares
about me and he thinks of me.
Actions speak louder than words. You would
prefer to see something done, not just words
of love. For you, actions speak louder than
words! You prefer your partner to do things for
you such as cooking a meal, giving a massage,
cleaning the room... You like your partner to
initiate the acts of service and put effort into
doing them to show that they care.
You love to receive a hug, a kiss, squeezes on
the shoulder, a pat on the back, a touch of the
face, and an arm around the waist.Touches
can be 10 times as powerful and comforting
as any words in your heart!! Most of our family
are huggers, but there is a couple that cringe-so I just touch their shoulder--soothes me to
touch them but not too much to make them
uncomfortable.
It would be beneficial to discover the love language of those around you. For example, a wife
at the end of the day is frustrated by the
lack of interest her partner has in her job. He
asks for a back rub, she wants to talk; and this
leads to an argument. To him, the value of

touch means she still loves him, and to
her its a word of praise for things
she accomplished.
1. When you walk by a loved one do you:

a) Tell them what a great person they

are and the activity they are doing is
outstanding
b) Sit down with them and join in
their activity
c) Hand them something like a
chocolate or an article to read
d) Clean up around them, pick up
their used dishes
e) Touch them on the shoulder or
hug them when you pass by
The answers lie in order of the 5 languages

of love One is not better than the other.
They are equal. Still not sure? What do you
complain about the most?
No gifts brought home?
No help around the house?
No one ever hugs you? Y
ou never go anywhere?
Ask those that are closest with you,
chances are they will know!
Notice what you most often do for others.
Are you always praising people, hugging
them, finding little things you know they
would love or making dates with them to do
things together? This may be a clue that it is
in fact your own love language. If you still are
not sure-eliminate the ones that make you
uncomfortable first. That will help to narrow
it down!
2. What do you hear yourself saying

the most to your partner, children or
close friends:

a) You never say anything nice to me.

You always put me down! or You
dont appreciate anything I do for you.
b) We never spend anytime together,
I am always alone.
d) How come you never bring me
anything? or You never take the time
to pick up a surprise and give it to me.
d) I would love it if for once you could
do the (laundry, dishes, fill the car
with gas)!
e) If I didnt touch you, you would never
think about it.
Which of these acts are you most likely

to do for your partner:

a) Compliment them on a job well done

b) Do yard work with them
c) Pick up a surprise present at the
grocery store
d) Order a take-out dinner
e) Give them a back rub
Words of Affirmation
Write love notes or words of inspiration
and hide them
Place a small whiteboard somewhere
where loving words or inspiring quotes
can be left daily
Write simple love notes and tuck them in
pockets or lunch bags
Write words of love and praise on a
windshield with washable paint
Write in sand or snow how much they
mean to you. Take a picture and have it
framed if they cant see it physically
Schedule mini-dates with people-

doesnt have to be for a long time
Bring a small picnic to their place
of work
Join a volunteer group or an activity you
both love such dancing, meditation, etc.
The Five Love Languages
page 44
page 47
to accompany
Bake favourite cookies and package them
up for a small gift
Paint or collage a small mini canvas of
what the person means to you
A small bouquet of flowers, or even one
single one left somewhere to find
Find used favourite books to wrap
with a ribbon and regift
The gifts dont have to be expensive, but
they do need to be thoughtful
Wash their car and clean the inside for a

surprise (can you tell I need that done)
Offer a couple of hours of housecleaning-just show up with supplies, dont ask-you
can also arrange a group of friends
Show up to drive someone to a difficult

appointment-have chocolate or treats
in the car as well!
Show up at the drs office when you know
a friend is waiting there
Cook a meal or have one delivered to a
friend or neighbour
Take out their garbage when you know
it is garbage night
Take a massage course

Search out aromatherapy oils
Make sure to always hug hello,
goodbye and goodnight.
Dance together--we always dance at
home, everywhere in the kitchen
or wherever
Discovering the love language of those around you is beneficial in being able to
strengthen relationships. Of course, you may love all of them, but I am pretty sure
that one of them makes your heart flutter just a little bit faster when it is shown to you.
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page 46 Love languages continued
page 49
front so that those who were previously androgynous could procreate,

and those who were previously
male could obtain satisfaction and
move on.
By Rhia Wicks
Why is the feeling of love so intense

and fulfilling that it can be an allencompassing emotion? Love can
take over your life in the most exciting and thrilling way. Connecting with
someone on such a level is what many
aspire to do, and hope to find in their
journey through life. To find the one
person who will love you unconditionally and understand you for who you
are. But where did love originate? Let
us travel back to 400 BCE. Plato wrote
a text known as The Symposium,
where he describes the origins of love.
It is a fascinating tale beginning with
the origins of human life. Neel Burton
MD, tells this tale well
A long time ago, there were three
kinds of human beings: male, descended from the sun; female, descended from the earth; and androgynous, with both male and female
elements, descended from the moon.
Each human being was completely
round, with four arms and four legs,
two identical faces on opposite sides
of a head with four ears, and all else to
match. They walked both forwards and

backwards and ran by turning cartwheels on their eight limbs, moving in
circles like their parents the planets.
As they were powerful and unruly
and threatening to scale the heavens,
Zeus (the king of the gods) devised
to cut them into two like a sorbapple which is halved for pickling,
and even threatened to cut them into
two again, so that they might hop on
one leg. Apollo (the god of light) then
turned their heads to make them face
towards their wound, pulled their skin
around to cover up the wound, and tied
it together at the navel like a purse. He
made sure to leave a few wrinkles on
what became known as the abdomen
so that they might be reminded of their
punishment.
After that, human beings longed for
their other half so much that they
searched for it all over and, when they
found it, wrapped themselves around
it very tightly and did not let go. As a
result, they started dying from hunger
and self-neglect, and Zeus took pity on
them, and moved their genitals to the
This is the origin of our desire for

other human beings; those of us
who desire members of the opposite
sex were previously androgynous,
whereas men who desire men and
women who desire women were
previously male or female. When we
find our other half, we are lost in an
amazement of love and friendship
and intimacy that cannot be accounted for by a simple desire for sex, but
rather by a desire to be whole again
and restored to our original nature.
Our greatest wish, if we could have
it, would then be for Hephaestus
(the god of fire) to melt us into one
another so that our souls could be at
one, and share in a common fate.
-Plato, Symposium, The Myth of Aristophanes (c. 400 BC)
I find this tale very interesting, particularly the origin of our desire for
other human beings. Have you ever
heard someone refer to the person
they love as their other half? Maybe
there is some truth behind this myth.
Love is such an intense feeling that
it makes sense that our need for
love stems from the search for our
other half.
So what about connection? A connection is a relationship in which a

person is linked or associated with
someone else. So do you have to be
in love to be connected with another
person? Certainly not! But I believe
that in order to be in love with someone there needs to be a connection.
You need to be able to have a relationship with another in order to be
in love with them. The connection felt
between two people who are in love
is emotional and consuming.
The words love and connection boil
down to emotion. The meaning of
emotion is a strong feeling deriving
from ones circumstances, mood, or
relationships with others. Emotion is
what runs our lives and make us who
we are. Humans by nature are emotional beings, and maybe some more
so then others, but we are driven
by our emotions. Our emotions and
desires are what define us and drive
us to do what we do bestlove and
connect with the people around us.
Plato is right, when we find our other
half, we are lost in an amazement of
love and friendship and intimacy that
cannot be accounted for by a simple
desire for sex, but rather by a desire
to be whole again and restored to our
original nature.
Humans are emotional beings that

are guided by their passions, desires,
and needs. When we need love we
But let us leave behind the 5th censearch for it. When we need to feel
tury and dive back into the 21st. How a connection we go out and explore
do we define love now? By definition to find someone or something to
love is an intense feeling of deep
connect with. We have a need to feel
affection arising out of kinship or per- happy and loved by those around
sonal ties. This explanation certainly
us. Therefore, the origins of love is
makes sense when analyzing the
important to understand why we are
story above. The intense desire to be the way we are. It helps us underin love and find the one in which you stand the meaning of love and the
are meant to spend your life with can importance to have this feeling exist
be linked to the need to find the one
in your life. Whether you are loved by
in which you were separated from.
a partner, child, friend or family memThere is a need to find the one in
berlove is the fuel that drives us.
which you are connected to.
A Millenials Perspective - Love Origins
page 48
posite is contraction. We are feeling

one or the other at any given time.
The more we feel expansion, the
more expansion will be our normal.
by Niki Kline
Beginning a new year, we look at the clear
slate of our future with great hope and
intention. This lasts until the next Hallmark day of St. Valentine.
When we are young, we have great
expectations of this heart day and are all
atwitter with expectations of receiving
those red envelopes. As we mature, we allow ourselves the glimmer of romanticism
and the hope of true love. Oh those starry
eyes. Eventually, reality sets in and we find
a way to live in grace with ourselves. How
this happens is the result of the work we
do on ourselves and with our partners
in life.
money? And what I mean by this is: what

money can do, NOT what money can buy!
Do you struggle with money? What fears
and doubts come up? Because, how you
do money is how you do everything in
your life. Everything shows up relative to
your relationship with money.
Feelings such as relief, release and

then clamp down; whuh...feels scary.
You are so used to being in contraction that it has become your norm.
The point of this exercise is to recalibrate where expansion is your norm.
Keep up this exercise and you will
have the feelings of expansion more
frequently. What causes contraction? Avoidance, doubt, fear; experience with money, how to talk about
it, not knowing what to do; money is
not taught in the family.
We live, work, share, love and argue...what!

Argue yes! And what do we argue about
most frequently? What does it always
come to, when you strip it down? Money
how we spend it, save it, hide it doesnt
matter. The pattern is always there.
The generation I grew up in had parents who lived in some way through the
depression and war. Money was never
taught to us; not discussed in front of the
children. When it was talked about, it was
usually after I asked for something and
was told there was no money for that
and what do you think were made of
and that money doesnt grow on trees.
Sound familiar?
How were you brought up around money,
what were the patterns in your parental
home, how was money looked at/talked
about/whispered about in your household? And most importantly, how has it
affected your life?
Why dont we teach our children about
The realty is that in todays world,

most people are not familiar with
feeling in a state of expansion
regarding money, for any length of
time. My challenge is to increase
your feelings of expansion. This may
feel very uncomfortable when you
begin the exercise, and perhaps for
a while on, because you are not
use to this feeling.
Lets Talk About

Money Clutter!
When it comes to money, we feel joyful,
abundant, relaxed, happy, excited, secure,
bountiful and in gratitude and deep appreciation OR we dont!
When we dont, we have the opposite
feelings of fear, doubt, nagging worry,
concern, guilt, embarrassment, resentment and all kinds of yucky feelings. It is
impossible to feel two opposite emotions
at the same time; just cant do it. We can
go back and forth in our feelings, but we
cant hold both at the same time.
The feelings of joy, abundance, security are feelings of expansion. The op
Money Clutter is Avoidance:

Avoiding paying bills on time
Not having enough money in the
bank to cover the bills
Avoiding looking at your bank
balance
Not speaking to someone who
you owe money to or who
owes you
Avoiding asking for a raise or
raising your fees
Money Clutter piles up physically,
piles up energetically; takes up
space and time in our head, spirit
and body. Frequently our thoughts
are taken up about money and more
often than not, it is contraction.
Are Your Bills Piling Up?

Are your bills scattered on the
counter or piled up on your dining
room table; no specific place to
organize them? That is avoidance or
guilt. Every time you walk by the pile
you are reminded of what you owe.
This is not good. It is robbing you of
energetic space and thoughts. Every
time you walk by, the feelings of guilt
arise and the reminder of needing to
pay that bill. This is contraction.
What are worry, chaos and contraction doing to your relationships
with your family?
Action:
Pull out all your bills and create a
folder Bills to be Paid; keep in one
spot and put all bills in it in order of
due date.
Action:
The frequency with which you pay
the bills is up to you. Most people
dont pay in any organized way;
paying here and there, doing the
juggling act. This creates chaos and
money drama and a lot of energy
spent on worrying = contraction.
Stand in your power and make a
decision on how often you will pay
your bills.
2X/month?
What dates ex. 1st and 15th?
5th and 25th? (If you dont have
enough in your account to pay
twice a month, then pay bills
weekly. Keep checking your bank
balance. This allows you to stay
in harmony and relationship with
your money. Do not check
with anxiety.)
Love and Money
page 51
page 50
page 52 Love and Money continued
Put on the calendar; your smart

phone; schedule for the rest of
the year.
Pull out the To Be Paid folder
and pay those bills!
Money Clutter creates chaos and
drama. Things get missed, delayed,
late fees add up and sometimes we
lose our privilege for credit due to lack
of on-time payment. Our sense of selfesteem and self-worth is low = deep
contraction. People get used to
feeling that contraction.
We dont want that in our lives. Our goal
is to create order and consistency...and
expansion.
Who Owes You Money?
page 53
cates and gift cheques. We all have them!

Hey its just past Christmas...grandmas
cheque still lying around?
Action:
Spend/cash them all within the next 7
days, 2 weeks max! On Yourself! Not on
your children, partner or friend. I would
not be surprised to hear that you may
find date-expired cheques. Now I just
know that this is going to freak out those
who live in Delayed Gratification, for I am
guilty of this. I of all people, just found a
two-Christmas-ago gift certificate for new
boots! Yup, guilty!!! My commitment is to
follow through prior to you reading this.
(We are all works-in-progress)
Saving gift certificates comes from fear.
Is the fear that you will never get it back
again? This is an issue around security.
Have you submitted insurance

claims for medical expenses?
If you have cards lying around, you dont
Rebates - from a purchase
give attention or value to them. Thats a
Refunds - have you returned
different issue; an issue of value.
something you ordered on-line?
Have you received the credit? Did
Loose change
you even check for it?
Action:
Charge card properly credited
Gather up all loose change
Clients
lying around.
Friends, family, colleague loans
Car, couch, pockets, old purses,
Trade or barter of service. This is
coats, wallets (I used to keep $5
money owed to you.
in my coat pockets, so I would
have a surprise next season.)
For those who barter or trade, this must
If you find lots of change, turn
STOP! (Ask me why)
it into bills and then spend it on
yourself.
Action:
Write down the company and
Yes, I know I am speaking a lot about
people who owe you money and spending money when I am a big believer
how much.
in savings and have always been a saver.
Contact each company and
However, money needs to flow and you
person to find out where your
havent been paying attention to it, so it is
money is.
hanging around stagnating.
It needs to flow and circulate!
You know it is money clutter because
it feels messy, complicated, unfinished,
Wallets
something you have been avoiding.
Quite frankly women and mens wallets
are a mess. Theyre stuffed, old and ragClean Up
gedy. Mens wallets are often worn out and
Gather any and all gift cards, gift certifiso full they leave a fat bulge on the wornILML magazine March/April/May 2015
out backside of pants; not attractive.

Women often cannot close their wallets
and keep buying larger purses to accommodate a full life. Their purses are lovely,
wallets often not so much. How long
have you had your wallet?
Action:
Take everything out of your
wallet and sort the contents.
File, shred or act on receipts
Throw out the worn out notes,
old business cards, grocery lists
and other useless items in
your wallet
Sort your bills by denomination
and always keep them orga
nized that way. Saves time.
You could take your smaller
change and put it in a savings
jar to watch grow.
Now, look at your wallet. Is it
time for a new one? One that
speaks of your value.
Your energy consumed is a hundred
times greater than the time taken to
clean it out.
Now some of these exercises may seem

simple and if you actually do them, they
will have a profound effect on your relationship with money and life in general.
Niki Klein knows there is a deep need for
financial healing and forgiveness before
we can confront our money management
challenges.
Niki works with service professionals

and entrepreneurs who have trouble
charging clients what they are worth.
This often stems from them not valuing
themselves; feeling guilt and embarrassment over credit card debt; or a
deep-seated need to heal
money shame.
Incorporating a holistic approach,
Niki helps people un-shame their
money shame.
For a complimentary, private Discovery
Session (value $97) email: Coach@
NikiKlein.com with your phone
number or call 519.745.5971
to leave a message.
by Suzie Hollihan
Lots of Amenities to Offer :

Cool/Cold Truck or Bus Rides and may even include seats
Showers occasionally - mostly cold and sometimes outside in the crisp mountain air
Allowed to Bring your own sheets to cover slightly stained mattresses
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Chance to learn a new language or 40 different
Local foods such as mashed beans and rice to sample-daily
And for only the outrageous price of airfare-you too can participate at this resort
Would You Sign Up?

And if you do, in return you will be given a new outlook on your own
life and its perceived problems and stresses
Martin and Nancy Foster along with daughter
Jessica Bricker will very soon be embarking
on yet another mission trip to Guatemala
near the town of San Lucas. This will be
Martins 14th trek to Guatemala to do mission
work and Nancys 3rd.
When asked why they do this at such great
expense to themselves, Nancy explained
that for the missionaries that stay there and
live amongst the local people, having others
come from the outside world reinforces that
there is hope and people who care and we
indeed are a breath of fresh air.
In Guatemala City , many people live in the
dump, creating little shelters from tin and
cardboard. They scrounge for items that still
have some use left in them that they can sell
or barter for basic living necessities. It is too
dangerous for even police to go there, but
Nancy and Martin have a connection that will
allow them to go inside the compound and
help in ways that are needed from medicines
to a kind word.
They will bring prayers, and hope and shoes
and other donated supplies to an area that
needs it. In Guatemala City people there live
in the local dump, creating little shelters from
tin and cardboard. Nightly they scrounge for
bits of food or items that still have some use

left in them that they can sell or barter for
basic living necessities. Strangers or police
are not welcome there, but Nancy and Martin
have a connection that will allow them to go
inside the compound and see first hand
what is needed to help. The local missionary family from Canada who they partner
with is their contact there, has just found
yet another community of about 400 with
nothing, living in the forest and has asked
for toothpaste, toothbrushes and face cloths.
And candy. Because if they run out of supplies, they will pass out candy.
Martin and Nancy both agree that although
it may seem insignificant to donate a pair of
socks and feel you are changing the world,
what you are truly doing is building a bridge
and forming a relationship to a different
community. Imagine what your life would
be like if you did not have the resources to
access a toothbrush or shoes? Or glasses.
One time they brought along a pair of used
glasses and gave them to an elderly man!
For the first time in a long time he could see
a mountain in the distance again. Imagine
the joy in witnessing that moment? He was
also completely amazed at seeing Nancys
spikey hair --- and laughed after touching
it - a hedgehog !
But space is limited. They know that it is

easier to transfer or bring cash, but people
are more reluctant to part with their money
and would prefer to give items they no
longer need or can purchase cheaply. There
is a fear of corruption and the money not
going where it is needed most. There is a
huge cost to ship the items and each person
on board is only allowed 2 pieces of luggage, and the cost of bringing extra bags is
exorbitant. . They do bring what cash they
can and purchase things in the local town if
they are able.
But they feel it is worth all the bother. They
get to experience first hand the childrens
faces as they are given a colouring book or
cookie. They can see the tears of gratitude
when they help build a dwelling or share a
meal with those that have very little to eat.
Nancy, Jessica and Martin will also help at
the church prayer services that feeds everyone a meal after of mashed beans and rice.
And yet, they claim the biggest difference
between our culture and theirs is truly generosity. And not from our culture. We that have
so much, and no worries of where a meal is
going to come from, would be very reluctant
to give a stranger all the food in the house
with little expectations of replacing it any
time soon---and yet the people they meet
in Guatemala would. They will part with a
treasured orange-which may have been the
only meal for the day. They offer it because
they are truly are a giving people. They live
amongst a community that shares all that
there is, including food, shelter and care.
Children that are orphaned, will just be taken
in by a relative or neighbour. No one has
anything more than the other.
And yet according to a World Bank report entitled Guatemala Economic DNA,
released in November of 2014, in Ciudad de
Guatemala, the poorest 40 percent of the

countrys 15 million citizens lived on just
$1.50 per day (1.16 euro) in 2012 - down from
$1.60 in 2003. Its the only country in Latin
America where the poor have been getting
even poorer.
With so many needs it is a difficult decision
to choose with whom to give what little
they have. Fortunately Martin and Nancy
have a contact person there who works in
and amongst the local people that knows
firsthand who needs the most help. They distribute everything, even leaving behind most
of their own clothes when they leave. But it
is not always material possessions they give.
When they run out, a hug or baking cookies together is a way of outreach. It doesnt
always have to
be a material
possession. It
is about showing they care.
They bring
along many
more gifts in
their suitcase
than can be
carried . They
bring caring,
hope and love
and most of all
the gift of giving selflessly.
Something that
cannot have a
price put on it.
To the
barefoot man, happiness is a pair of shoes.
To the man with old shoes, its a pair of new
shoes. To the man with new shoes, its stylish shoes. And of course, the fellow with no
feet would be happy to be barefoot. Measure
your life by what you have not by what you
dont.
Michael Josephson
Hearts for the Children is a ministry located
in the mountains of Guatemala, reaching out
to children in the villages of the province of
Sacatepequez. They will be travelling with
Missionary Ventures Canada which is an
interdenominational Christian organization.
Socks for Smiles
page 55
page 54
page 57
by Suzie Hollihan
asked for and interestingly enough
you can be sure, that other sibling is
claiming the same thing.
We can swear at them, put them down
(with words, not physically, or maybe?)
or humiliate them and yet, if a kid in
the school yard makes the same claim
against them we want to punch them
out. Let someone come between us
and our family! Although I am not sure
how that would work now that we both
work in the same school as adults I
dont think I could punch out a student
if he gave her a hard time. I think she
is on her own here. But I am afraid of
her, so they might be too and wont
mess with her. So I guess that is now a
non-issue.
My brother once took my dead cat and

shook it on a rake outside my bedroom
window to get back at me for locking
him outside in the snow with no shoes
or coat. (The cat had died and we had it
stored in a box outside waiting for the
ground to unthaw for the sad burial).
And yet another time he had his friends
hold me down while he tied my toes to
the small generator inside an old fashioned wooden telephone. He then turned
the crank so my toes would get shocked,
thinking this was hilariously funny. One
of those same friends is now a commercial pilot--(still want to fly?)
My own children used to torture their
younger brother. Most things are too
awful to share, and I had no knowledge of
this until many years later, but they once
hung him on the back fence by the back
of his pants and the neighbour had to call
me to get him down. Another time they
tied him to a chair and he got all the way
downstairs by bouncing down each step.
Not to justify their behaviours, I have to
say he once bit my older sons friends
backside and his tooth came out and
stuck there. And more than one of his
friends still bears scars from items poked,
thrown or stabbed into their skin from
that same child. They all love him now,
he grew up and became a parent. Or did
he become a parent and then grow up..
not sure.
These sibling people we have, are the
only people in the world we could treat
like this and get away with it. I cant see
my brother shaking a dead cat outside
his bosses window because he was upset with him. And I cant see my son, who
hung his brother on a fence by his pants,
hanging his students on fence posts by
their snow pants when they annoy him in
class. And I have yet to have the urge to
run up to my own sisters friends and bite
them in their rearends when they bend
over. I actually know how much a dentist
would charge to replace that front tooth if
it stuck in!
Sibling love is strange. You grow up in
the same house with one or more of the
same parents. You eat the same meals,
watch the same television, go to the
same family events, and yet you end up
nothing like your sibling. Or so we think.
We can guess and claim they take after

one or the other parent, or a suspected
lover that invaded your family life. Or
they were adopted or found. We all
claim to not know one another at different periods in our lives and they are
the ones that can know how to get us
to do anything. THEY KNOW US. And
there is truly some comfort in knowing
there is someone else in the world that
gets us.
This is a love/hate relationship. We
clamour for the attention of a parent
and are always sure the other one is
the favourite. We feel that we were
always raised unjustly and that our
sibling was given the all of the advantages. They never were punished and
were always given everything they
I myself told my sister that our dad was

not hers and that was why he called
her Boo all her life. It wasnt after the
song, Me and You and a Dog Named
Boo as he claimed, but rather short
form for BOO BOO--a mistake. I told
her that her Godfather was really her
dad and that was why we had to call
him uncle. I even once recruited her
friend to ask her if she knew this man
as she had met him while getting her tv
fixed and that he looked like my sister.
It may seem cruel, but I did confess the
tale to my father during his last day. So
all is forgiven, even though I may have
carried this on for the last 40 years and
to the point that her daughter asked
my daughter if it was true? I am not
sure why she questions it, she looks
just like my dad--and I think he liked
her better anyhow. Or did he just feel
sorry for her?
Sibling Rivalry
page 56
page 59
where in the world?
page 58
Being married twenty five years deserves some

sort of celebration, so off we went to the travel
agent to find a suitable place to celebrate that
was in a warm climate, offered places to purchase
stock for our store and was also somewhere I
could distribute this magazine.
Shawn climbed this puppy to the top, I couldnt watch
In the white shirt, our Mayan tour guide Juan of course
Thankfully we had wonderful travel mates who

have much experience in travelling to this sort
of destination. We settled on this all-inclusive in
Playa Del Carmen which is in the Mayn Riviera
area of Mexico.
To tell you the truth, it was at least 30 years ago
that I had travelled to a southern destination and
that was Costa Rica. I was expecting Mexico to
be much more rustic than it was. On the way to
the hotel we saw a Home Depot, an Office Supply
store and numerous 7-11s and car dealerships. The
quaint illusions I had about seeing rural Mexico
were shattered.
mans blessing. Then our group gave some items

to the children of the village which were distributed fairly by our tour guide.
It was a bit like going to the Indian Reserve
in Brantford to me. We also were scooted out
of each area fairly hastily, making the whole
experience feel like we were being processed. My
friends had been to the same type of tour five
years prior, and it had been a completely different
and more intimate experience for them. Many
tourists we spoke with also said their experiences felt the same as ours.
Dining Hall
The quaint appeal to this area has all but vanished in my opinion: its a bit like Disneyland
but they speak Spanish. However, if you want to
breath easier because you have asthma or allergies and you have the money to be able to get
away in the winter, its quite adequate for such a
diversion from our nasty climate.
Our part of the beach
The spooky Senote staircase to the darkness below.
Water baby
There are actuallly people in this hole
Our hotel was lovely and in a gated area where

there were many other hotels, which we able to go
and see, but didnt do too much. We spent most of
our time at the beach, one day haggling for silver
on 5th Avenue in the Town and also one day on a
tour of the oldest Mayan Ruins in the area, Coba,
which was a 2-hour drive away.
During this outing to the ruins, our meal was provided by the restaraunt where the Ruins park was
located, and then we were taken to a private Senote, or underground lake, for a swim. It was a bit
freaky for me to go down those circular wooden
stairs into the abyss, but my husband was the first
one in. He and the others in our party loved it.
The most interesting part of that trip to me was the
people who were on it and where they came from.
We were all Canadians and our tour guide knew
more about Canada than some of us did.
A pair of ladies who were staying at another hotel
were from Paris Ontario. Small world, as they say.
The Tour Guide was himself Mayan and was very
knowledgable and entertaining. We then visited
a small village to see current Mayan descendants
living and doing their thing, complete with a Sha-
I was more interested in meeting people, but the

resort was so vast that it reminded me of being in
Toronto, where no one really talks to one another.
The staff were all polite and said hola every time
we pass them. The tourists, on the other hand,
seemed to want to stick to themselves, even
though they were a huge group of people, milling
about and bumping into one another. The best
way to meet others in my opinion, is through a
small tour, where you spend the day together.
There was much wildlife on our resort which I
loved to watch. Capaberas , Quatimundy, feral
cats (who sat in the same places each day and
time of the day to watch all the passers-by) ,
lizards, and very loud and smart birds who would
steal sugar packages from the restaraunts which
were all open air.
I enjoyed my stay, browned my skin nicely
and ate to my hearts desire. Its lovely to
be pampered and catered to, but I, being the
rebellious type, fed the animals. One even
bit me, which made my husband freak out.
No frothing at the mouth, all is well.
Our hotel lobby
Quatimundy. Sure theyre cute but they do bite.
Can you spot the Camouflaged Lizard?
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Easter Egg Hunt Locations

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Brampton
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Bingemans
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Malden Park Visitor Centre
Calaway Park

Ilml March To May 2015

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MARCH - APRIL - MAY 2015

I LOVE MY LIFE MAGAZINE

Living Life With Passion

Message from the founders:

- Love Lessons from Charlie................................................pg 4-5

Please send your comments for our new section:

With much Love

Suzie , Carol & Jane

Suzie Hollihan: 519-212-3771

ILML magazine March/April/May 2015

ILML magazine March/April/May 2015

As I began to love myself

As I began to love myself

As I began to love myself

As I began to love myself I quit

As I began to love myself

As I began to love myself

As I began to love myself

As I began to love myself

As I began to love myself

We no longer need to fear

ILML magazine March/April/May 2015

I Love My Life Magazine Contacts

I have learned to always be humble. I have listened to nature and to

dences that set her life moving forward in a new

And Lisa got back the life she designed.

too many rocks and not enough topsoil. The

No way would I abandon all hope of a

ramshackle structure, and put up something

memories, and increasing our attachment

Aha Moments - Cottage Connections

have finally arranged our lives so that we

tenants develop their own cottage connection

ILML magazine March/April/May 2015

We met a deadline - Butterflies & Cupcakes

page 10 Cottage Connections Continued

A Mothers Love, authored by Helen

alphabet letters and Ben, by the age of

our souls, at least that I what I believe.

Rainbow Day Camp at the University

Living Out Loud - A Moma Bears Love

Moms Great Uncle and

We had to take it away from her

strong tower to the broken. Broken

leave her for my own bed. I wanted out as soon as

her and what she endured and lived through. I

and she barged in on them many times to tell

as much time as was allowed in their presence,

ILML magazine March/April/May 2015

page 16 Nadia the Indian Princess Continued

A few years ago for my 50th birthday, my

towel clips or large clothes pins

things you might require. Dont forget

ing with agents at times. The agent is

there is a small amount left in a larger

Be careful with liquid in your carry-on:

with Carole Kitchenwitch

may have a chance to fix things. I

Advice for Life - Corole Cander

One Individual, One Dog, One Life at a Time

The entire process begins with

prepares clients and families to