Month: September 2024

Crossing the finish line

/ edebock / 8 Comments

On Wednesday, while hiking the Holdsworth Trail in Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, I crossed the finish line of my self-imposed 300 km in 150 days walking challenge 10 days before the deadline! 

IMG_7436

I recently read a quote by French philosopher and author, Albert Camus that resonated with me. It describes perfectly why we love to camp and hike at Miquelon in the fall. 

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” 

IMG_7450

In fact, after completing the Holdsworth Trail on Wednesday, we hiked another 8.9 km on the park’s beautiful and very colourful backcountry trails the following day. 

IMG_7438

Although I’ve now accomplished my walking/hiking goal for this season, I’ll continue keeping track of my distance at least until my 72nd birthday on the 5th of October which was the deadline that I’d set for myself and then I’ll keep on walking and hiking until the snow flies, hopefully sometime in the distant future! 

Styling a denim military jacket

/ edebock / 4 Comments

logo-by-samThe last thing that the very helpful saleswoman at Cleo said to me as she packaged up my latest purchase was that she hoped I’d have fun styling it with different items from my closet and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. As soon as I saw the Denim Military Jacket, I knew that it would be a fun and versatile addition to my wardrobe; one that I could combine with old favourites to create many new looks, both dressy and casual.

Here’s how I wore it to celebrate hubby’s 50 year grad reunion at the University of Alberta last week. I’ve had the dress for many years and it’s appeared on the blog before, but the jacket seemed to give it new life.

IMG_7364 2

The denim is soft and not too heavy with lots of stretch which makes the jacket very comfortable. Here I’m wearing it with another dress that I’ve had for a long time. In fact, I haven’t worn this one in so long that I was delighted to find that it still fit!

IMG_7374 2

While the jacket looks great over dresses, it can also be worn more casually. Since we’ve been enjoying lots of lovely warm weather lately, I haven’t done my seasonal closet switch yet, but I dug into storage to try the jacket with my button front skinny cords. I think this combination might look better with tall winter boots, but I’m not bringing those out yet. I try to put winter off for as long as possible!

IMG_7386

Then, of course, there’s this season’s denim on denim trend. For the next photo, I changed out the cords for my favourite jeans. The key to looking good in double denim is to wear a top in a bright contrasting colour. I don’t have many of those in my closet, but I think this one works.

IMG_7409

These are just a few of the ways that I’ll be styling my new Denim Military Jacket this season, so don’t be surprised if it shows up on the blog again!

What elegance is not

/ edebock / Leave a comment

LogoFor the past year and probably longer, my most read blog post has been one that I wrote in September 2020 entitled 50 characteristics of an elegant woman. Every time I look at my stats and see it at the top of the list, I can’t help wondering why. I know that if you google “characteristics of an elegant woman” it’s one of the first items that pops up, but why are so many people looking for information about elegance? Is it something that’s lacking in our world today?  

The dictionary defines elegance as the “quality of being graceful and attractive in appearance or manner”. Elegance is so much more than what we look like or how we dress. It’s the whole package, inside and out. 

438342-Yves-Saint-Laurent-Quote-Without-elegance-of-the-heart-there-is-no

Since this is a topic that is obviously of interest, I thought I’d dive into it a bit deeper today and look at what elegance is not. I love the quote above, but it was also Yves Saint Laurent who said, “We must never confuse elegance with snobbery.” Elegance can’t be bought. A mean-spirited woman in expensive clothes and impeccable makeup isn’t elegant. She’s simply a well-dressed nasty person.

While elegance might sound like an old-fashioned concept, it isn’t only for the elderly or a practice from a bygone era. It’s something that every woman of any age can aspire to.

Perhaps you were brought up with the myth that elegance means conforming and keeping quiet. Not so! As I said in my previous post, an elegant woman isn’t loud or obnoxious, but she graciously and calmly stands up for what she believes in. She isn’t contentious, but at the same time, she isn’t a doormat. Elegance is not weakness! 

While I was writing this, 1 Corinthians, the “love chapter” from the Bible that’s often read at weddings, kept coming to mind, particularly verses 4 and 5. 

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Everything that is said about love could also be said about elegance! Elegance is patient, it doesn’t envy, it doesn’t boast, it isn’t proud, it doesn’t dishonour others, it’s not self-seeking, it’s not easily angered, and it doesn’t keep a record of wrongs. 

One of the areas where I see a distinct absence of elegance in today’s world is social media. An elegant woman puts her cell phone aside and gives her full attention to the people she’s with. When she’s alone, she doesn’t spend endless hours scrolling on Facebook and getting caught up in pointless debates. She’s careful about what she posts online and doesn’t use social media for self-promotion. 

Elegance isn’t about perfection. It’s about being comfortable with who you are, knowing your limitations, growing from past experiences, and not worrying about the things you can’t control. 

audrey-hepburn-quotes1

 

Exploring the University of Alberta Botanic Garden

/ edebock / 2 Comments

IMG_7305

As part of his 50th year university grad celebration, hubby received complementary tickets to the University of Alberta Botanic Garden (formerly called the Devonian Gardens) just outside Edmonton. It was a beautiful fall day; perfect for a peaceful stroll through the 80 acres of themed gardens and winding nature trails.

While the garden wasn’t the riot of colour that it might have been earlier in the season, there were still many beautiful flowers to be seen.

IMG_7282

IMG_7290

IMG_7313

With its geometric granite and limestone terraces, still reflective pools, and the soothing sound of moving water, the expansive Aga Khan Garden, a contemporary interpretation of Islamic landscape architecture, was a very peaceful place to stroll. The central focus is a waterfall tumbling over textured stone.

IMG_7284

IMG_7285 Recently renovated, Connie’s Secret Garden at the north end of the Alpine Garden is home to a more natural looking waterfall.

IMG_7298

Indoor showhouses feature plants from three very diverse climatic zones… tropical, temperate, and arid. Everywhere we went, we were surrounded by an abundance of plants of every description. Some of the most unique ones were the cacti in the Arid Showhouse. Just look at that amazing flower.

During the year that we lived in Japan, I fell in love with the beautiful strolling gardens, so we purposely saved the Kurimoto Japanese Garden for last today knowing that it would be my favourite part. With it’s lanterns, arched bridge, and pagoda, the design is authentically Japanese, but the garden utilizes plants that are hardy enough to survive our northern climate.

IMG_7327

IMG_7328

IMG_7331

IMG_7317

This is really just a sampling of what the Botanic Garden has to offer. We walked every pathway, some of them twice, covering a total of 6.21 km (3.86 miles) leaving me less than 10 km to go to complete my 300 km in 150 days goal!

The right hiking shoe

/ edebock / 2 Comments

screenshot-2024-05-09-at-7.40.11-pmWhile out on the trails earlier this summer, I began to notice that my hiking shoes, now several years old, weren’t as comfortable as they used to be. The shoes themselves were still in good shape, but the insoles no longer provided the cushioning that they once did.

One of the great features of Merrell hiking shoes is that the insoles are removable and can be replaced. Unfortunately, the insoles that I wanted were out of stock in Canada and I couldn’t find any information about if or when they might be available again. I could have ordered them out of the US, but by the time I figured out the exchange on our dollar and the cost of shipping, I decided that the total was more than I wanted to pay for a simple pair of insoles. Instead, I decided to order brand new hiking shoes and I knew exactly what I wanted!

MRLW-J036328-021621-S21-001 2

The Merrell Moab 3 was rated the #1 Best Overall Hiking Shoe for 2024 by Good Housekeeping and I’ve known for a long time that I wanted my next pair to be the boot style to provide extra ankle support. I wouldn’t normally order shoes online, but because these are my third pair of Merrells, I was quite confident that they would fit well.

IMG_7257

The Moab 3 comes in a variety of colours. You might think that I chose blue to coordinate with the Tensor knee wrap that I’ve been wearing on my arthritic left knee while hiking this summer, but I actually chose it because it was on sale for $50 less than the earth tone ones I might otherwise have chosen! 

I firmly believe that good quality shoes that fit properly shouldn’t need to be broken in and this pair was definitely proof of that! Straight out of the box, I gave them an excellent test run hiking three days in a row over a variety of terrain in Big Knife Provincial Park. The first two trails were easy ones, but the third one involved some very uneven ground and a couple of tricky climbs that required stability and surefootedness.

IMG_7236

IMG_7278

This turkey vulture and his buddies were hanging around, perhaps hoping that I wouldn’t make it up that very steep slope. The shoes didn’t let me down though and they were comfortable from the moment I put them on until I took them off again.  

IMG_7268

We actually left the trails and climbed up to the top of a bluff where we’d never been before. The view was well worth it! 

IMG_7272

I wonder where else these lightweight, waterproof hiking shoes are going to take me? I’m sure we’ll have many great adventures together!  

Please note that this is not a sponsored post. I’m simply a big fan of Merrell hiking shoes and wanted to share that with you.  

How to dress for an online meeting

/ edebock / 2 Comments

logo-by-samIn an era when online meetings have become the norm for many people, I’m about four years late to the party with this week’s topic, but as a retiree, it’s one that I haven’t had to deal with until quite recently. Of course, I was chatting online with family and friends long before Covid shut the world down and forced us to begin interacting virtually, but those were informal chats. I could have worn pyjamas and no one would have cared!

Now, however, since becoming more and more involved with patient advocacy, I’m beginning to find myself talking with professional people on a somewhat regular basis. As a patient representative, there’s no set dress code, but I’m convinced that what I say will be taken more seriously if I present myself well. I also know that I’ll feel more confident. At the same time, I want to look natural, not like I’m trying too hard. After all, I’m meeting from home, not in a formal boardroom.

Here are a few of the tips that I’ve learned:

  • choose solid colours or subtle prints – bold patterns and prints can be distracting and take attention away from your face
  • overly bright or extremely dark colours don’t look good on camera and solid white can make your face look washed out (it does that to mine in real life too)
  • choose uncomplicated necklines – a classic collar, crew neck or v-neck works well
  • wear clothes that fit well – not slouchy or loose fitting
  • avoid logos and graphics
  • choose simple accessories that won’t be a distraction
  • good grooming matters – make sure your hair and makeup (if applicable) are done
  • if you wear glasses, make sure they have non-reflective lenses
  • don’t wear sunglasses or hats
  • dress from head to toe, not head to waist – you never know when you might have to stand up!
  • keep comfort in mind – being at ease in your outfit will be a natural confidence booster

Even though I don’t have a professional wardrobe, I can easily follow these guidelines and pull items from my closet that will work well for the meetings I attend.

And finally, a couple of other pointers to improve your online appearance:

  • avoid fluorescent lights and overhead lights if possible – ideally, the light should come from behind the camera and shine on your face
  • position the camera at or slightly above eye level and situate yourself so that you fill most of the screen
  • keep the background uncluttered or blur it if the online tool you’re using allows

video-conference-5964262_1280

Image by Alexandra Koch from Pixabay

Book of the Month – August 2024

/ edebock / Leave a comment

Forgiveness: A Gift from My Grandparents

Mark Sakamoto

Screenshot 2024-08-30 at 12.24.18 PMIn this compelling family memoir, Canadian lawyer Mark Sakamoto writes about his grandparents’ harrowing experiences during World War II. In so doing, he shares with us one of the ugliest and most shameful parts of our country’s history, the forced evacuation of Japanese Canadians from the coastal areas of British Columbia.

The author’s paternal grandparents, Hideo and Mitsue Sakamoto, both Canadian citizens born in Canada, were living and working in Vancouver when the war broke out. They were forced from their home and relocated to a sugar beet farm in southern Alberta where they lived in a crudely converted chicken coop and worked like slaves. They lost their possessions, their community, and their freedom and when the war was over, the government of Canada reimbursed them $25.65, less than 2% of the value of their lost possessions and wages. 

While the Sakamotos were eking out an existence in southern Alberta, the author’s maternal grandfather, Ralph MacLean, experienced a very different war. A young soldier from eastern Canada’s Magdalen Islands, he was shipped out to Hong Kong where he was captured by the Japanese army. Spending the remainder of the war in prisoner of war camps, he enduring illness, abuse, and degradation at the hands of his captors. Barely surviving, he was released at the end of the war and returned to Canada where he found work in Medicine Hat, Alberta.  

A generation later, Ralph and his wife come face to face with Hideo and Mitsue when their daughter falls in love with the Sakamoto’s son. It is a testament to both sides when they are able to put aside the past, choose to forgive, and become friends. 

In the final third of the book, the author focuses on his own life’s story, particularly the trauma that he experienced after his parents’ marriage ends, his mother remarries a violent man, and her life descends into the depths of alcohol and drug addiction. The theme of forgiveness ties the story together, however; forgiveness learned from his grandparents. 

I would caution those who are interested in historical accuracy that the book does contain a few errors related to geography and timing that should have been caught by the editor, but keep in mind that the writer was depending on his grandparents’ memories and telling their story rather than basing his book on historical research. 

Forgiveness: A Gift from My Grandparents won the Canada Reads 2018 award and a stage adaptation by Hiroko Kanagawa played in live theatres across Canada in 2022-2023. I vaguely remember hearing about it then and now I wish that I had purchased tickets and made the effort to travel to the city for a performance.