Remedial Piling

By Shelly Sargent (From Family Matters Magazine - Spring/Summer 2012)

I’m seriously considering preparing and offering a course at a local community college.  Entitled “Remedial Piling 101″, this course will be an intensive, hands on foray into the mystical world of being able to have enough counter space to make a sandwich - even after clearing off the dinner table.

You guessed it… I’m knee-deep in the process of turning my two wonderful kids into responsible, functioning members of society.  This is a job that requires equal doses of the patience of Job and the wisdom of Solomon (and a healthy dose of the luck of the Irish).   In the process of getting my offspring raised, I’ve often been forced to grit my teeth and cheerfully (not) accept poorly folded towels and sort-of washed dishes as I wait for the requisite the skill set to be learned.  Usually, this “skill set learning” moves along relatively quickly – taking a mere 3-6 years for most lessons to sink in. But in our house, we have an “ISSUE”…. and that issue involves piling.  Not the inability to pile… in fact, quite the opposite. 

We have piles everywhere.  Piles of papers. Piles of books.  Piles of dishes.  Piles of games and videos.  They are everywhere… and there is a dark side to all this piling. You see, my children seem unable to grasp the concept that it is possible to pile things of a similar size together in an effort to save space.  Using a standard example, you should be able to stack all 10″ plates together, with all the saucers stacked nicely before adding them to the top of the pile of plates.  Then you could top it all off with several cereal bowls – nicely nestled inside each other.   Alternately, a large magazine, with a smaller one on top, followed by a Reader’s Digest.  When stacking is done in this manner – it’s almost poetic. 

But a typical pile in our house goes something like this:  Put a thimble on the table.  Now add a Sears’s catalogue, followed by a satin blouse, 3 barrettes, a water pistol, a dinner plate adorned with half a jam sandwich and a half-finished glass of milk. Now pile on 2 dead batteries and finish off with today’s mail, two sheets that need signed and sent back to school and your lunch bag (with today’s remnants still inside and the zipper open, of course).  Try to arrange the entire pile on a teeter-y table corner near a high traffic area.  And of course it is absolutely imperative that you then be loudly critical of the poor buffoon who inadvertently sets the whole pile akimbo by simply walking by on their way to another room.

This piling problem is a terrible affliction, to be sure but I’d be a lot more concerned about my own kids if I wasn’t hearing about similar situations taking place in other homes in the area.  And I have to be honest… it isn’t just offspring who suffer this malady. It’s come to my attention that many people have spouses, parents and grandparents who may also be in need of some pointers on piling. 

Now it needs to be said: I’m not much of a teacher.  But I feel somewhat duty-bound to offer a solution if I can.  So here I sit – working on my curriculum.  So far I’ve decided the course will need to feature a lecture series  (Proper Piling for Fun & Profit);  a hands on project (Make these 6 objects fit into less than 36 square feet);  and a four hour round table session in which we use “aversion therapy” techniques to work past possible psychological blocks that may be causing the piling problem. 

Can my specialized training and piling interventions work?  Is it possible we could change our errant pile-makers into responsible members of society? With the proper courses and enough time - I believe anyone could be reformed.  Mind you – I am an incurable optimist…  (And that’s a whole other topic, believe me!) 

As for my (imaginary) college for the pile-challenged among us - drop me a line if you want to enrol anyone you know.  The applications forms are in a pile here somewhere…

Can you feel it?

Editorial - The Regional, June 2012

Some people have a favourite month or season, to the exclusion of all others.  I never really have, though I’ve said “this is my favourite time of year!” at least once per season for many years now. The fact of the matter is I see beauty, feel hope and draw inspiration from all the seasons (though I could live quite nicely without quite so much snow, thank you very much).  And as each different time of year rolls around, I am inspired and hopeful all over again.

My mood when June arrives is a case in point.  Sometime early in the month, I inevitably start feeling a restless tug somewhere in the region of my solar plexus.  I can remember feeling this way when I was a child and always assumed it was caused by that long slow burn of anticipation caused by waiting for the interminably lengthy school year to come to an end.  But since I’m long past those school years and still succumb to the same sensation, I have come to wonder if I misunderstood its cause for all those years. 

Perhaps there’s something more elemental in this feeling… something that has more to do with nature’s slow creep from fresh-turned earth to lustrous green bounty.  All I know is that I welcome this lovely tingle each year, as I also welcome the lovely new growth on fields and trees and the restless energy I see building in all of our children as they start sensing their 10 month enforced slavery to book-bags and binders coming to a close for the summer.

And with June’s arrival, I’m drawn to spending time each day with my fingers in the earth, much to the chagrin of my manicurist, Lucie, whose unthinkable task it will be to beat my unruly cuticles back into submission and find a way to clean and soften this soil-stained skin once more. It’s been gently suggested that I wear gloves when gardening… but how do you garden if you can’t feel the soil’s warmth on your skin?  Inconceivable!   Lucie’s is a dirty job, to be sure, but vitally necessary since I love all the wonderful events our 6^th month brings to Caledon (Steak & Lobsterfest, Wines of the World, Caledon Fair, Caledon Day and the opening of the Farmers’ Markets to name just a few) and try not to go out and about looking like I just crawled in out of a ditch anymore than is absolutely necessary.

And that reminds me… speaking of necessity – there are a few things that we all need to be reminded of this time of year:

First, if you live in the country and plan to have any type of open fire this summer, you’ll need to purchase an open air burn permit.  After you’ve done that, don’t forget to call before you strike the match to the tinder.  For info on the permit and what it covers, call the Caledon Fire & Emergency Services Department (905) 584-2272. Ext 4303 for more information.

Second, if you haven’t done so already, make a circuit of your yard and look for sources of open water where mosquito’s breed.  Dumping all that standing water will vastly reduce the mosquito population in your yard.

And finally, it’s time to get back into the habit of protecting ourselves and our loved ones from sun and heat.  Use sunscreen on yourself and your kids, stay out of direct sun during the heat of the day and wear light loose clothing to protect your skin even more.  Carry water with you when you are outside and remember to check in often with elderly friends and relatives, making sure they are remembering to look after themselves as well. 

In our pages this month, Dr. Katie talks about sweeteners, Deb Robertson waxes poetic about gardening and David Mielke discusses “cookies” while Justin Popovic takes on doubt and Stan Cameron reminds us once again that Education Matters.  In addition to all that and the usual round of news, information and events, we also hear from the Caledon Public Library about all the wonderful events and activities they have planned for the summer.

With all that great content to look forward to, I hope you’ll take a moment to sink into a comfy lawn chair, slap on a straw hat and sit in the garden with this month’s issue of the Regional… enjoying the smells of summer and the drone of the honey bees at work as you read.

Milestones

Editorial - The Regional Newspaper: May 2012

Every birthday, I give myself a gift.  Sometimes, it’s a tangible item.  Sometimes it’s a day off. This time, I’ve given myself the gift of honesty.  In a world in which I often have to bite my tongue and say the expected, politically-correct thing, my gift to myself on this landmark year is to share my feelings.

As we wind our way through life, our experiences and the world around us shape us, bending the raw material into the person we eventually become. My personal journey has been one of growth, and I’ve often felt like the world’s oldest student – always driven to learn new skills, experience things I’d never tried.

Then, sometime around mid-life, things started to change.  In addition to learning and experiencing, I started to feel a certain dissatisfaction. Not with my lot in life, and certainly not with my family and friends – there, I’ve been blessed, and I know it.  No, this dissatisfaction stems more from a knowledge that so much is wrong and so little is being done.  It comes from knowing that so many speak of what should be done yet so few put the effort in to do it.  And it comes from the general knowledge that so many people will spend more time in endeavours designed to make others look foolish than they will to solve the problems in their own lives.

And what brings all this navel-gazing about?  In simple words, this is a milestone birthday for me and it has me examining myself and the world I live in.  It is a world where government and politics is more about posturing and personal gain than it is about the good of the people. It is also a world in which news is available in an instant, but is often suspect – fast becoming just one more thing that is manipulated to lead the average person around by the nose.  It’s a world in which even the food we are being sold is not real any more – filled with additives, genetically modified, covered in chemicals. 

And in all of this, I inevitably get to wondering… is this the world I wanted to help build as a legacy for my children?  Not so much.  I could be wrong, but I suspect many of us feel this way, in these turbulent, often troubling times. 

Am I depressed, disillusioned, down for the count?  I might have been when I was younger – might have felt weighed down by the sheer magnitude of what is wrong in the world and what is required to make it right.  But one thing I know. We may live in a world with many problems, but it is also a world of endless possibility.  And I’m a “glass-half-full” kinda gal. 

No – what I am is determined.  I’m determined to continue to make as much of a difference as often as I can.  I’m determined to try to seek out, experience and share as much good as I can.  And I’m determined to find ways to teach my children to make a difference too. 

Speaking of children… I’d like to take a moment to send a special Mother’s Day message my own Mom, Inez (whom we lost 16 years ago) and to my husband’s Mom, Lynda. Their unwavering support and love have helped shape all their children into strong, wonderful people.  I only hope I can do half as well with my own kids. 

This May issue sees return visits from all our favourite regular contributors, and shares a lot of great information about our little corner of the world.  I hope you enjoy reading it.

Shelly

Watch for wildlife

Editorial - The Regional: April 2012

Record setting temps in mid-March, robins in the yard, early blooms in the garden, swarms of mosquito lurking at dusk… it’s been a precedent setting few weeks where the weather is concerned! The early onset of warm temperatures has Mother Nature thoroughly confused this year.  Temperatures were record-breaking through much of March, cooling off and becoming more seasonal as we approached April and these rapid fluctuations have had a profound effect on nature all around us. 

Whether all the erratic weather of late is a sign of the “greenhouse effect” as we are hearing from some sources, or whether it is simply a one-time anomaly, one thing is certain… we can expect this winter’s early warm spell to have some effect on many things this coming year. 

For instance, an Eastern Pine Elfin butterfly was seen at the Visitor’s Centre in Algonquin Park in mid-March. The poor creature would have over-wintered as a pupae only to emerge much too early as an adult due to the warm weather. This is only one example of one of the types of early spring happenings the warm spell has caused.  In this case the results will be devastating, as the butterfly has emerged before his food source has become available. Experts say this could potentially wipe out an entire generation of Eastern Pine Elfin butterflies in the park.  It’s reasonable to assume that other butterfly and insect species - as well as flora and fauna - will suffer the same effect.

Maple Syrup is a local product that has been drastically affected by this spring’s warm temperatures.  Producers across the province are reporting that their 2012 season was short and sweet (pun intended) and sap collection was about 40% of what is typical. Jennifer Roberts of Duffy’s Lane Maple told us their tree’s stopped producing quite early - even before their usual tapping date. 

All this uncertainty means we should take a few things into consideration. Mosquito’s have already hatched, so we’ll need to be diligent about removing standing water from our properties starting now. We’ll all have to be watchful for turtles crossing the road in rural areas and for deer and other wildlife who may be more interested in a “early spring frolic” than they are in looking both ways before crossing the roads.

Gardens are also blooming much earlier than usual.  A word of caution to the novice gardener – don’t mistake the warm temperatures s for carte blanche to get an early start on pruning or to clear all your protective mulch and leaves from the flower beds just yet.  We could still be in for a return of the big chill, so it is probably wise to leave your beds protected until the date you would normally do your big spring yard opening.

Spring conditions can cause wet areas to be very dangerous.  A quick warning to parents – make sure the kids are warned to stay clear of ponds, streams and other sources of water.  Enjoy the early warm temperatures while they are here, but don’t let your guard down… as we all know, Mother Nature is unpredictable and winter conditions could still make a surprise return visit!

In the Regional this month: Did you ever wonder about what’s in a name?  Deb Robertson has and explores the topic this month.  David Mielke reviews OneNote, Justin Popovic invites us to claim our self-confidence and Stan Cameron brings us news about school happenings in the area. The Motts provide us with two views on how media coverage of sensational murder trials is handled, we learn a bit about nutrition for kids from Dr. Katie McKeown, and you can check out another great recipe in Granny’s Kitchen and find out what’s happening locally from Community Matters.  All this plus the usual area news and information waits inside our April issue. 

Happy Easter from all of us here at The Regional!

Time to hitch up the horse and buggy?

Editorial - The Regional: March 2012

There has been a fair bit of recent media hype about the possibility that gas prices could be set to rise as much as 20 cents between now and mid-summer 2012.  This is not good news for anyone, but is especially distressing for those of us who live in a rural area of Caledon, or who have to commute to get to work.  For us, a price hike of that magnitude would be potentially devastating.  It would affect every aspect of our lives, because not only would our travel costs increase, but so would the price of all goods that are not produced locally. In fact it is very likely that about the only thing that wouldn’t increase would be our earnings. 

Could our eventual increase really be that high?  It’s difficult to know, but my personal observation is that we typically get an annual warning of an enormous price increase, but usually end up with what the experts like to call more “modest increases.” My cynical side feels that this is done deliberately in an act designed to make us feel like our outrage over a ridiculous price increase has somehow had an effect and caused the powers that be to see the error of their ways and come up with a way to keep the increase from being too substantial.

At this point in time, the only thing we know for sure is that there will almost certainly be an increase, but the reality is that even a more “modest” hike of 10 cents per litre will cost the average car owner an additional 5 to 10 dollars per fill up.  If you fill up once per week, that eats up $250 - $500 per year.  To most of us that is a couple of week’s groceries.  Another way to look at it – it’s a big chunk of your Christmas shopping budget. 

These ridiculous increases have been happening regularly for decades now.  Every year, we’re hit by yet another price hike just as the summer travel season begins. Myriad numbers of experts spout sound bite after sound bite of technical sounding baffle-gab, outlining hosts of vague reasons for the increases:  crude prices rising, instability in eastern nations… even the weather gets blamed. In reality, it doesn’t really matter what the reasons are – we all know the increase will happen.

We also know there are really only a few options open to us when and if the increases take place; we can limit our travel as much as possible, making every trip count, we can buy as much locally produced material as possible and we can try to find ways to stop being as dependent on fuel.

Is it time to start looking into purchasing a horse and buggy?  I’ll let you be the judge of that.  I don’t think we’re there quite yet, and I certainly can’t imagine riding up to the Caledon Farmers’ Market that way.  But it is clear that something has to give. 

In The Regional this month, we have another visit from the Motts – this time talking about moving.  Deb Robertson gives us “the Road Less Graveled” view of Facebook,  Justin Popovic discusses “living by design” this month and David Mielke gives us some pointers on “search savvy”. Dr. Katie chimes in on the benefits of dietary cleanses and Granny’s Kitchen shares a recipe for Wacky Cake (an old family favourite of mine.)  And as if that isn’t enough, we have an im-PULSE-ive look at St. Patrick’s Day, info on what to do if you have a flat tire, a spring savings primer, our usual look at events and happenings in the area and much more.

We hope you enjoy the March 2012 issue of The Regional.  Have a great March Break!

The ‘Dol’ Drum is sounding

Editorial - The Regional: February 2012

The winter doldrums (or ‘dol’ drums, as I jokingly refer to them this time of year) are sounding again, their persistent, depressing beat dragging us down as only short daylight hours and cold temperatures can.  Pardon the depressing picture but as I’ve mentioned before, I am one of those people who “endures” winter, seeing it as part of the price I must pay for living in my beloved Canada. 

Although I could live without the cold weather personally, in recent years I’ve learned to enjoy the winter season through the eyes of people like my friend Dawn, who is genuinely heartbroken when there is less than a foot of snow on the ground to enjoy this time of year.  Learning to share in another’s joy is one of the wonderful things that happens’ when you start getting older – the ability to look at things through the eyes of others – seeing life as they see it. Having said that, I have to be honest… if I were given a “menu” and asked to choose the weather I preferred to experience, we’d definitely be feasting on some much warmer “entree” items.

A recent fall of snow has buoyed my spirits a bit, though… covering the ground in a blanket of clean white snow. But even though I’m trying my darndest to embrace the season by watching the sun sparkle off fresh snow or cuddling with hot chocolate and a blanket during a storm, I’m always glad to see February roll around.  As Groundhog Day passes and Valentine’s Day creeps towards us, I usually begin to feel the seasons start rounding that slow corner that leads towards spring, lightening my mood somewhat - even though I know it will be many weeks before the weather starts to warm appreciably.  And I have to confess, Family Day does inspire me to get out there and do some snowshoeing, which is one outdoor winter activity that I truly love to experience.  This year I plan to get my kids on snowshoes, so we can enjoy the fun together.

This month, The Regional is packed full of great information. Michael Long shares some great reasons to indulge in chocolate (just in time for Valentine’s Day!) and Stan Cameron proves once again that Education Matters. David Mielke shows us how to read with our eyes closed, Justin Popovic tells us to stop waiting for permission and we share a great tax tip from Liberty Tax. Im-PULSE-ive provides a list of ways to celebrate our love on a shoestring, Deb Robertson gives us her take on cosmetic augmentation and Paul Cookson explains why a consistent image is key when marketing your business. And once again, we drop in to Granny’s Kitchen for a simple but delicious recipe and – as always – we provide you with great information about community matters, news, events and happenings in the area.

We’d like to invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theregionalnewspaper or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRegional for regular news and information updates throughout the day. I also want to take a few moments to thank our wonderful community partners – those organizations and businesses that assist us by making The Regional available for our readers to pick up each month.  You can drop in and get your copy by visiting any branch of the Caledon Public Library, Caledon Community Services or the Town of Caledon.  You can also pick up the Regional at Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Garden Foods, Forster’s Book Garden and Wal-Mart (all in Bolton), Foodland, Berney’s Pro Hardware, Tom’s Restaurant & Trailside Café (Caledon East), Palgrave Café and In Studio Be (Palgrave) and at from the retail locations of many of our monthly advertiser’s.  Our list of locations is always growing, and you can check it out at our website: www.theregional.ca. 

We hope February is a great month for all of you!