Decluttering and Letting Go of Things - an Essential Part of Getting Older

Being able to help someone to declutter his/her house makes me happy! In our younger years, we seemed to have so many needs and we all have accumulated tons of things in our houses and our garages. As years go by and we are getting older, we realize that we don't really need all that stuff in our possession. It is time for us to start getting rid of these things while we still have the energy to do so and can decide for ourselves where should these things to - garbage, donations to various charities, loved ones etc. We can make these decisions about our belongings. It's a privileage indeed.

While visiting in Ottawa, I had so much fun sharing my experience with Mar. on decluttering and decorating. We moved things here and there, trying out the placement of different decorative items in the living and dining room. We tried to figure out the theme and colour of what Mar. liked and get rid of things that did not look so good. It worked. I was so proud of what we have accomplished together in the dining room and turning the wall hanging there into a piece of art.

Mar. started getting the hang of it and is on her way to declutter her house of the things she no longer needs/ wants and turning her place into a beautiful, relaxing and calm refuge for her and her other half. RT, Ottawa tue082024

The Repair Cafe, Ottawa - Preventing Fixable Things from Going to the Landfills

We spent a week in Ottawa with a few family members and had a fantastic time together! We visited many interesting places and learned a lot about the city, and how our government and citizens working together to make Canada a great country for Canadians. One special event I attended and was impressed by was the Repair Cafe sponsored by the Ottawa Tool Library. My sis introduced me to this meaningful organization and the good work they have been doing in the community.

The Repair Cafe encourages residents not to toss their things away where they will end up in landfills but instead bring them to be fixed at their special community events. At a Repair Café event these nice folks with expertise on repairing computers, electronics, small appliances, clothes, jewellery, books, toys as well as many other household items, voluteer their time to fix these items without any cost to the owners.

My sis brought us to the Repair Cafe on a Saturday and we each bought one item with us to be fixed. I asked why was it called a Repair Cafe? Would they serve coffee there? Yes they did! Coffee and cookies too, this amazing group of volunteers performing great services to their comunity!

The best part of the Repair Cafe? I met my long lost highschool friend volunteering there fixing my pair of pants! How about that! It was a wonderful experience and I loved it! I also found out that in Toronto, there are Repair Cafe events as well. I will definitely look them up and rescue my broken stuff from the landfills! RT, Ottawa sat082024

A Guided Tour of the House of Common in Ottawa - A Free and Educational Attraction

We were supposed to visit the parliament and senate buildings in Ottawa last Friday. But it was raining cats and dogs therefore we decided to stay home to rest a little instead. Though there was no admission charge to visit the Canadian Parliament buildings, visitors must reserve tickets to do so. We did our homework and reserved some tickets online almost a week ago for a guided tour to the House of Common last Friday. Due to the forecast of heavy rain, we changed our ticket reservation to the following Monday. When the day of the guided tour came, we were ready to go! While we were in downtown Ottawa, we went to visit Shirley at her café. But we found out that she sold her business sometime ago therefore no longer was working there. We were a little disappointed at not able to see her but were happy for her.

The House of Common tour started at 12:20pm but we needed to be there at least 20 minutes before for security clearance procedures. The Parliament buildings are currently under extensive renovation, therefore the Centre Block Building where the original House of Common was located has been closed to the public for some time. The government found a temporary location for the House of Common and some building work was done to accommodate the 338 elected government officials representing Canadians in the Lower House.

The House of Common guided tour was about 40 minutes long and our guide did an excellent job explaining briefly to us in a nutshell about the working of our government and the process of how our laws were made. It was an educational and interesting guided tour and we learned a lot about how our Canadian governement works. After the tour, We had some middle eastern food for lunch at a Mediterrean restaurant downtown. It was Andy and Ya's first time trying this food and they liked it! We were happy to introduce them to some new delicious food!

After lunch, S., Andy and Ya went on their way driving back to Toronto while Mar. came and picked me up as I decided to stay a couple more days in Ottawa! RT, Ottawa, Canada mon082024

Getting to Know Some Congregants Better at a Church Sunday Lunch in Ottawa

We were in Ottawa on a Sunday when it was a day for attending a church service. No matter when we are during our travel, we always worship at a local church. Being in Ottawa was no exception; we looked for a church close by and attended a Sunday Service at 10:30a.m. at the United Church. The congregation welcome us warmly and invited us for a potluck lunch afterwards. Though the church did not have a large number of worshippers, the congregation was very warm and welcoming. The potluck lunch took place in the basement of the church and there was a long table set up for all the dishes brought in by the congregants as well as a few tables and chairs. There were a lot of food! We sat with four members of the church at a round table and had some fellowship time with all of them while we enjoyed the delicious homemade dishes.

The church lunch was an excellent opportunity for the churchgoers to get to know each other better. We enjoyed our conversations so much that we even exchanged contact information with two of the people at our table - one lady with her son attending university of Toronto while a gentleman who used to look after the garden at 24 Sussex Drive, the Prime Minister’s residence. An interesting person and an artist, he talked a lot about gardening. We had a fun time talking about gardening with this gentleman full of knowledge about flowers and plants.

Since we were at downtown Ottawa already, we took the opportunity to visit Chinatown and did some shopping. The Ottawa Chinatown is not a big place, mainly on Somerset Street. With a few Chinese restaurants and some Asian supermarkets . We ordered some take out Chinese food for dinner to share with Dou and Mar. who were happy about the take out food. We had an early dinner. After dinner, we helped Mar. to reuphoster a couple of stools, she was very happy and so were we.

It was the last day of the 2024 Summer Olympics event in Paris. We watched the Olympics closing ceremony together in the living room. It was another frutitful and enjoyable day! RT, Ottawa, Canada sun082024

Enjoying Great Food in Merrickville, Ontario - Canada's Most Beautiful Village

Cooking is something I do out of necessity. However, last summer while staying at my sis' house, cooking became a communal activity and it was fun! With the six of us, we took turn to cook as well as preparing food together a few times. On a Saturday, we cooked together again and enjoyed a good breakfast in the garden under the morning sun. Cooking could be fun and enjoyable when you were with good company!

After breakfast, we drove to Merrickville, about an hour away from Ottawa. The day beofore it was pouring rain but we were fortunate that day as we had beautiful weather with a sunny blue sky. It made visiting and walking around this little town so much more pleasant.

We visited the Merrickville Museum, the brockhouse and the canal locks. At the Rideau Canal lock, we watched a number of boats coming in and the opening and closing of the canal locks. Most of the boats we saw passing through were small pleasure crafts, privately owned tour boats with two or three passengers onbaord.

We also visited the brockhouse which was built to defend the canal locks. Currently, the Merrickville brockhouse is used as a museum displaying historical items and housing an old school classroom teaching visitors about the way of living and the agricultural practices of the past.

We had a marvellous time in Merrickville! It is one of the best preserved 19th century villages in Ontario. Communities in Bloom called it ' Canada's Most Beautiful Village." It has more than 100 historic buildings designated as heritage sites." One of the highlights for us was strolling along the downtown streets visiting these historical buildings, the antique booths, some art studios and numerous quaint shops decorated beautifully with flowers and crafts items made by local artists.

The second highlight of our visit was sampling some of the local food. We found a nice restaurant with a patio open for diners to enjoy outdoor dining. We each ordered different food to try. My favourite was the roast beef sandwich made with blue cheese and some salad which was the most delicious sandwich I have ever tasted! It was lovely relaxing in a beautiful garden filled with colourful summer and wild flowers blooming and enjoying delicious food with your loved ones!

RT, Merrickville, Ont. Canada sat082024

Being a Child Again at the Children's Museum, Ottawa, Canada

It was a fine sunny morning! The birds were singing while the sun shinning brightly in the blue sky. We had breakfast in the backyard. I was grateful that both Dou. and Mar. welcome Andy and Ya. warmly into their home. We enjoyed the breakfast, the company, talking and laughing together. It was great being with family. Visiting Ottawa for a week, we planned to visit a few famous sites here. Being the capital city, Ottawa has much to offer to visitors as it boasts many manificent buildings with spectacular architecture as well as many intersting museums.

There is some good news for families travelling with a few members or people watching their travel budgets - tourists and residents are alike can get a break to see the many museums for free in Ottawa. EVery Thursday from 5pm to closing, the museums are open to the public with free admissions! We took advantage of this free offer and chose to see the Canadian Museum of History in Hull, Gatineau. From the downtown of Ottawa, we drove across a bridge and reached Hull, Quebec, on the other side of the river.

The Canadain Museum of History is located in Hull, Quebec which is the only French speaking province in Canada. The History Museum is a magnificent building with spectacular architecture depicting the natural landscape of Canada. It has a full floor of exhibits on the First People of Canada while it details the history of Canada on the third floor with lots of pictures and explanations from 1914 onward and up to the fairly current events. There is another floor with an exhibit called Hands on History which we didn't have time to see. Of all the exhibits to see and with which to interact in the History Museum, we enjoyed the Children's Museum the most. It brought out the child in us! The Children Museum has been laid out as a global village with colourful houses designed and furnished around the theme of different countries. Like kids in the Museum, we were going through as many little houses as possible trying to see what to do and what were inside of them.

We jumped on the big bus pretending we were the bus drivers; then going inside the Mexican village and stirring the pot. Then we climbed onbaord a sailing ship prentending we were sailors cruising around the world. After visiting Mexico, we went to Egypt to see the Pyrimad, then to Asia and the other countries. What a whirl wind tour of the world and a fun time we had pretending and taking pictures together with my family! The Children's Museum is located within the History Museum in Hull, Quebec. If you have kids or if you are a child at heart, the Children's Museum is a must see in Ottawa! RT, Canadian Museum of History Hull, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada thur08082024

Showing Love and Patience to a Senior with Dementia

Before heading to Ottawa, we made a stop and arrived to Bellville to visit H., my dear friend from my teaching days in Toronto. It was good to see my old friend again and talked a bit. Since we were tired, we went to bed right after dinner. After a good night of rest, we were ready for a breakfast with H. Ra. cooked up a storm and made some delicious French toasts for us using the apple bread we bought from the Big Apple. It was a delicious breakfast and we enjoyed it! I must try to make the apple bread French toast for our grown children when they are home next time. After breakfast, I took out my computer and sang some hymns with my best friend. R. told me that Heb was unable to do many things on his own as his memory has been deteriorating. I was prepared for H.'s silence and unresponsiveness. But to my pleasant surprise, my dear old friend was engaged, enjoyed the hymns and seemed to be immersed in the singing. Once again, I saw how powerful God’s words were. The hymns I chose had lyrics made up from the scripture. H. appeared to be genuinely touched by the lyrics of these songs.

Ya, my sister in law was kind and patient with H. too. Though this was the first time Ya and H. met, they were comfortable in each other’s presence. Ya was caring with Heb. as she held his hands, singing and dancing with him. What a delightful sight! After the singing, we took Heb out for a walk around the neighborhood. He was reluctant to leave the house initially and argumentative. He didn't want to put on his shoes and he didn't want to wear his coat. It was a struggle trying to get him out of the house. But after much encouragement, H. finally agreed for a short walk to get some fresh air and exercise. It was good for him going outside and meeting his neighblours who have not seen him for a while. Walking slowly on his walker and flanked by us, H. took his walk in stride as we guided him along the walkway in the neighborhood. Though initially he was irriated when we asked him to go for a walk, H. appeared enjoying his walk as he felt the fresh air on his face and started being interested in his environment. I was gald that with love and patience, H. was able to participate in an outdoor activity which he has not done in a little while. After the walk, H.'s personal support worker was arriving shortly to his house. We bid our farewell to them wondereding how my best friend would be the next time we see him at his home.

We continued our trip to Ottawa and stopped at Monitique, a quiet little town about an hour of drive from Ottawa. Arriving at the Miller's Museum late in the afternoon, we were too late for any tour as the museum closed at 4:45pm. Strolling along the main street area, we were pleasantly surprised to find a few restaurants offering a variety of ethnic dishes in this small town among which was a Vietnamese restaurant where we rested and had our dinner. We arrived at Marg‘s place well after 8 pm. After exchanging our greetings and hanging out in the front garden to admire D.’s beautiful flowers and got bitten a lot by bugs, we called it a night and went to bed. RT, Bellville/ Ottawa wed082024