Category: SHARE YOUR WORLD

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Mrs. Ball – One of a kind Teacher

‘A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops.’ –Henry Adams Education: The latin root of the word education means “to lead out” As you may know from other posts on my website I grew up on the little island of Grenada one of the Windward Islands in the West Indies. Mom home schooled myself and my brother for my early childhood but eventually when I was about 9 or 10 I think, I was enrolled in the primary school, Westmoreland. I was initially placed in 3rd form which I think was a year behind for my age. I guess overall I did well but my maths was a little behind. The school decided to move me into 4th form but I had to get tutoured after school by Mrs. Ball in Maths. I don’t remember much about the what I learned in the tutouring other than it being Algebra and that it involved me standing beside her desk as she instructed me. Imagine being new to a school, then new to a more advanced class and then learning that somehow letters have some mathematical meaning. Learning this from someone you are terrified of -well it was a do or die Maths experience for me. I wound up doing quite well in Maths overall after I got the hang of Algebra and Mrs. Ball really was instrumental in my understanding and appreciation of the subject. Every student of Mrs. Ball’s was affected for eternity. She may have terrified us in our youth but I think we all appreciated and respected her immensely as we have aged to adults. Mrs Ball was a teacher with an overload of personality and I doubt that there was a single student who wasn’t terrified of her and simply wanted to do...

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Living in the ‘now’

Living in the ‘now’ is living in the present. Think about it, ‘now’ is a ‘present’. I can’t do anything about yesterday or tomorrow but I can make the most of this moment in life now. For the last couple of years I have really been more conscious of the active decision to do my best to be true to living in the ‘now’ and being grateful for the fact that now is a present worth cherishing. This doesn’t mean that I don’t prepare for the future. I go to work to make a living to pay my rent and I tend to be the sort of person prepared for unexpected situations that may arise. This doesn’t mean I focus on the preparation it’s just that being prepared is a part of of my well-being.. I don’t worry about what could go wrong I just focus on making the most of now. A friend of mine gave some good advice to consider: “Worry is ingratitude in advnce” Advance worry – such a waste! Recently I had a situation. My vehicle was in the body shop and the work was done on a Friday. The shop owner convinced me that I should come Saturday even though he was only open a half day. He swore that he was open to noon every Saturday. I live 3 hours north of the body shop and in the back of my mind I was preferring the idea of going down on Monday not Saturday but I had told him I would come. I drove for 2 hours before I get any phone reception so I left before 9 am and called him as a soon as I got reception which put me about an hour away from his shop. There was no answer so...

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SHARE YOUR WORLD – 2015 WEEK #16

What are your favorite spices? Cinnamon & nutmeg.  Growing up on the island of Grenada these spices that are grown locally continue to be a staple in my life.  See my post here about Nutmeg & Grenada.   What object do you always have with you when traveling and why? My shepherd’s whistle.  I have it with me at all times because my dogs are trained to respond to it.  Mostly to come or come quickly.  I wear my whistle 24 hours a day because I don’t ever want to be without it when it is most needed as in dogs coming!   What is one thing you love about being an adult? I suppose tonight, watching parts of the White House Correspondent’s Dinner -I’m grateful to be able to understand the jokes and be able to laugh.  By the same token I sometimes wish I didn’t understand. What item, that you don’t have already, would you most like to own? I would like to own a home not to live in.  I love living on my boat but a home that could be rented out as a source of additional income for my retirement would be good.  

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Share Your World – 2015 Week #12

Cee’s Share your week challenge –  When was the last time you sat on a park or garden bench for more than ten minutes? Describe the occasion. Our marina has a couple of chairs on the end of the levy and I frequently sit there in the morning reading a book (via kindle) in the morning but more often I love watching the sunsets from this vantage point and it is no problem to spend 20-30 minutes minimum..so the occasion is, as frequently as possible!  I have noticed that as much as I love Day Light Savings time -I have been kind of missing the sunsets since they come later and before I know it!       Would you ever be interested in observing a surgery or do you turn away when the nurse brings out the needle?  I have assisted in some surgery stuff for my dog- but overall not interested.  I do watch if I’m getting an injection -I think more to convince myself that I can rather than wanting or liking to look.   Where’s your favorite place to take out-of-town guests? It used to be the Metreon in San Francisco.  There was a really cool virtual bowling alley.  Overall depending on the guests -if they are people who enjoy the outdoors then it is Muir Woods and Crissy Field / Golden Gate Bridge. If you had an unlimited shopping spree at only one store, which one would you choose? Why? Home Depot!  Always have a million projects -would probably just bring the store home :)  

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Share Your World – 2015 Week #11

Share Your World – 2015 Week #11 List 2 things you have to be happy about?     Two things to be happy about…hmm that’s not hard though I hardly consider them things…  Sky & Zulu the two pups who manage to control my unlimited devotion!!       Do you prefer ketchup or mustard or mayonnaise?   Mayonnaise is the only condiment I would consider of the three listed.  I don’t usually eat hamburgers or fries but when I do it’s Mayo as the condiment and it must be a cheeseburger. If you were to paint a picture of your childhood, what colors would you use? Blue for the sun and ocean and yellow and green for the sky and sun.  Growing up in the tropical paradise of Grenada was lush and beautiful and as memories go drowns out any potential negative memories. Do you prefer a bath or shower? Shower –absolutely.  A bath takes too long and wastes too much water.  There are occasions when I think a bath might be nice …but a fleeting thought.  Even soaking in a hot tub is a stretch for me .. hard to take that much time to relax!! Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?  I’m grateful to say I was finally able to enjoy taking my pups to the beach for the first time in three years.  I’ve been recovering from a tendon transfer surgery in my ankle which was to fix a problem I’ve had for 3 years.  Walking has been a challenge and slow to return to normal.  Walking barefoot on the sand was bearable and I am with the help of my pups again finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel!...

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Share Your World – 2015 Week #10

When you lose electricity in a storm, do you light the candles or turn on the flashlight? How many of each do you own?   I live on a boat I do have about 4-5 small teacup candles but they are as last resort!  We are in a  remote area and can lose power or be completely cutoff via the road for a days at a time even.  My first line of defense is to always have a flashlight ready and charged in the event of a need outside.   For example high winds and the need to tie down mine or others boats. I also have a small Honda Generator and the cable already run and ready at anytime.  My trusty Coleman battery lights….are always ready to go.  Able to give me enough lighting for reading etc.   ********** You are given $5,000 and the chance to exchange it for one of two envelopes. One envelope contains $50,000 and one contains $500. Do you make the trade? Why or why not?  I hate to be gready, but 50k seems a no-brainer.  I’m getting close to retirement I hope and my 401k is turning out to be pretty unreliable.  Hmm ..50k – I’d just figure out an investment that gets it growing!   ********** What’s your first memory? My first memory .. well the one that comes to mind first is when I was about 3 yrs old and wanting/needing to go up a couple of small stairs and there was a huge -seemed huge to me anyhow- cricket or grasshopper.  I didn’t know what it was and was just staring at it till my mom showed me it was alive and harmless.  I don’t recall ever being afraid of bugs since -except for maybe spiders!!   ********** What do you...

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Share Your World – 2015 Week 9

Share your world weekly prompt How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?  don’t feel young or old or a specific age.  I consider age and time to be a limiting thought.  I respect the young and the old especially.  The young for their innocence and fresh perspective, the older, for their experience and fresh perspective.  I hope to always carry with me the childhood inquisitiveness and age with the grace of those I know to be older than myself. Are you left or right handed?  I am right-handed for writing.  I can play pool with left or right hand and paint like (house painting) with either.   If you HAD to change your name, what would you change it to? When I was a kid I used to imagine that my name was Chris but I really like my name now so no desire to change it! Where do you hide junk when people come over? I live on a boat and I have two boats.  The second boat has become the scapegoat for hiding those clutter items.  I just emptied the other boat of the junk and did a big cleanup so -fresh starts to cluttering or hopefully remaining uncluttered. Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? I am perpetually grateful for my living situation, my pups and my great neighbours and environment.    

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