Month: March 2025

Elbows up, Canada!

/ edebock / 7 Comments

“Elbows up!” has become a rallying cry for Canadians as we face looming threats from south of our border, but what does it mean? Where did it come from? The phrase actually had its origin in hockey which seems entirely appropriate for a nation so obsessed with the sport.

Canadian-born Gordie Howe, also known as Mr. Hockey, actually had a second nickname: Mr. Elbows. Humble, generous and gentlemanly off the ice, he was known for wielding his elbows like weapons when he was battling for the puck. It’s such an enduring part of the Gordie Howe legend that a bronze statue outside Saskatoon’s SaskTel Centre portrays the hometown hero with his left elbow held high, as if fending off an invisible opponent.

In these days of punishing tariffs on Canadian exports and repeated gibes from the American president about becoming the 51st state, Gordie Howe would seem to be a good example of what it means to be Canadian. We are known worldwide for our unfailing politeness. We open doors for strangers and if you bump into us, we apologize, but clearly, when we’re threatened from outside, we respond with elbows up!

At protests across the country, Canadians have chanted the phrase and held their placards high. #ElbowsUp has been appearing all over social media, as both a call to stand against the threats and a warning to our neighbours that although Canadians might be polite, we’re not pushovers. We’re a bit like siblings on the playground. We might squabble amongst ourselves, but let an outsider threaten one of us and we come together in solidarity!

Now that we are facing a federal election, my fear is that our polarized views on who should lead the country in this current battle will divide us again. More than ever, during these unprecedented times, we need to remain unified. We need to stand together shoulder to shoulder with our elbows up. I pray that regardless of which party comes out on top and which leader is chosen, we will do exactly that.

Elbows up, Canada! 

Strong and free!

Returning to the stage!

/ edebock / 4 Comments

For many years, community theatre was a big part of my life, but the last time I was on the stage was pre-COVID. By the time the pandemic restrictions were lifted and our local theatre group began working on another play, I had moved on to other pursuits. For their next two plays, I was a member of the audience which definitely felt weird! 

Then early last fall there was an audition call that I absolutely could not pass up. For twenty years or more, the group had been talking about doing a musical, but we just didn’t have the talent necessary to pull it off. That has changed, however, and Flagstaff Players had finally decided to tackle Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I didn’t even stop to think about whether or not I could fit this into my schedule. I had to do it!

I am not particularly musical, but I can carry a tune in a group and I’ll be singing in the women’s chorus. This is the largest cast we’ve ever had and I have the honour of being the oldest member! For me, one of the the greatest joys of acting in community theatre has been sharing the stage with some of my former students. This time, not only am I doing that, but the youngest member of the women’s chorus is the teenage daughter of a former student! Does that make me feel old? Not really! Being part of a production like this absolutely energizes me and I didn’t realize until this week that I’m probably old enough to be the mother or grandmother of every other member of the chorus! That’s okay; I’m sure there were older women in Canaan and Egypt. After all, Joseph lived to be 110 and his father, Jacob, died at 147!

There are a lot of superstitions connected with the theatre. Many stage actors swear that a bad dress rehearsal means that opening night will go well. Our final dress rehearsal on Wednesday wasn’t bad, but there were certainly some little glitches that we are keen to correct. Tonight is opening night and we are ready! We’ll be doing four shows in total; two this weekend and two next. If you’re local, I hope to see you there!  

Time for a change

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Although there’s been plenty of talk about doing away with daylight savings time here in Alberta, it hasn’t happened yet and I’m glad. Yes, we lost an hour of sleep last Saturday night, but I’m loving the extra hour of daylight every day!

Speaking of time and change, I’ve decided that it’s time for a change here on the blog. I’m finding it more and more difficult to come up with a fashion post every single week. When I introduced Fashion Friday in March 2016, I had no idea how long I’d be able to keep it going. I think 9 years and more than 400 posts has been a pretty good run! If you’re one who follows me for those Friday posts, please don’t panic though! I’m not quitting completely. I still plan to write about fashion, just not as often, and I still plan to publish a post every Friday. Some will be about fashion and some will explore other topics. I do hope you’ll continue to follow along.

So as not to be completely devoid of fashion news today, I do have a couple of things to share. Northern Reflections, one of Canada’s most recognizable fashion brands, has been acquired by Putman Investments, the same company that was responsible for revitalizing a number of other well-known retail brands including Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us Canada, Sunrise Records, and UK-based HMV. While customers may see a few changes over the coming months, the company is committed to maintaining approximately 105 stores across Canada. On a similar note, Ricki’s and Cleo, the two Canadian fashion retailers whose demise I previously wrote about here, have also been purchased out of creditor protection by Putman Investments. I definitely look forward to seeing what their revival looks like and I’m very happy that the rescuing company is Canadian!

On a more personal note, I’ll also share a change that took place in my life about a week ago. Considering the fact that I had never even once attended a patient support group meeting, it might seem a bit crazy, but I agreed to become co-lead of the CNETS patient support group here in Alberta! CNETS is the Canadian Neuroendocrine Tumour Society and neuroendocrine is the cancer that I’ve had for over 11 years. When I was first diagnosed back in 2013, support group meetings took place in person in Edmonton, over two hours from my home. Since I already had the support of family, friends, and prayer partners around the world, I really didn’t feel a need to get involved. Like so many other things, with the onset of COVID, the meetings went online and they’ve remained that way since except that there haven’t been very many of them in the past couple of years. The previous leader was feeling burned out and no one had stepped up to take his place. When a fellow member of the CNETS Advocacy Advisory Board who also lives in Alberta asked me to consider joining her as co-lead, I was very hesitant. I don’t need a patient support group, I told myself, but the answer I heard in my heart was “maybe the group needs you”. So here I am, jumping into something brand new. Oh well, just like Daylight Savings Time, change can be a good thing!

Image: Pixabay

Simple skin care

/ edebock / 2 Comments

What’s the one thing that every human being wears every single day? Their skin, of course! Unlike our clothing, we can’t buy a new skin when the old one starts to show signs of wear and tear. An effective skin care routine is the only way to protect this most important “garment” and keep it looking and feeling its best.

There are a myriad of products available, but skin care doesn’t have to be complicated. The important thing is to choose the right products for your skin type… oily, dry, or combination… and then use them consistently.

My daily routine involves just three products; a cleanser, a day lotion, and a night cream. Morning skin care should focus on prevention and protection, so I simply wash my face, neck, and decolletage with warm water and apply a moisturizing day lotion with SPF. Nighttime is about cleansing and repair, so that’s when I wash with the cleanser before applying my night cream. When I was younger my face was oilier and I also used a toner, but as skin tends to get drier with age, I eventually found that I didn’t need it anymore.

I’ve been using Olay products for years and have always been happy with them, but unfortunately they’re made in the United States. In light of the current president’s reprehensible behaviour toward my country, I felt the need to find an affordable made in Canada alternative. Yesterday I spent over an hour in a very informative free online consultation with a Beauty Advisor from Marcelle, a company that has been caring for Canadian skin for 150 years. While the products are available in most London Drugs and Shoppers Drug Marts as well as Walmart, I plan on placing an online order to take advantage of the International Women’s Day sale that’s on until March 16. Once I’ve used the products for awhile, I’ll let you know what I think.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention sunscreen. As much as I love sunshine, it isn’t friendly to our skin. In fact, in spite of the fact that I’ve always been diligent about using sunscreen when I spend time outdoors, I’m presently healing from a treatment of liquid nitrogen to a spot under my right eye where the rays of the sun, intensified by the lens of my glasses, did some damage. Unfortunately, I’m also going to have to search for a replacement for my favourite sunscreen as it, like so many other things, is produced in the States. I’d better do that soon before the last of the snow disappears from the golf course and the hiking trails!

Celebrating wellness

/ edebock / 14 Comments

In 2021, Alberta Blue Cross launched the Faces of Wellness program to celebrate Albertans who are champions of wellness in their communities whether by making positive lifestyle changes, promoting a health-related cause, making the most of life while living with a chronic condition, standing up for mental health, or being a role model for others. I was completely unaware of the program until early last fall when I saw a post about how to apply or nominate someone else for the 2024 award. The deadline to enter hadn’t passed yet, so I thought “why not?” It would be another opportunity to educate someone about neuroendocrine cancer even if it was only the contest judges.

The application process involved writing a detailed story outlining the individual’s wellness experience, how they embraced the courage to overcome, and examples of how they live a life of wellness and regularly encourage others to do the same. I wasn’t sure how I could accomplish all that in the limited space that was allowed, but after writing a longer version and then seriously editing it, this is what I came up with.

Eleven years ago, I was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer (NET), a disease that even my family doctor had never heard of. For several years, I had been experiencing symptoms similar to those of several more common conditions and my slow-growing cancer was initially misdiagnosed as gastritis.

My cancer isn’t curable, but ongoing treatment keeps it from growing and spreading. Since my NET diagnosis, routine scans detected 2 unrelated cancers which were removed surgically. More recently, I was also diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

In spite of all this, I am thriving! I’m not dying of cancer, I’m living with it. Wellness is about more than physical health. Spiritual, emotional, and social well-being are equally important. I have a strong faith and supportive family and friends who make the journey easier. A positive attitude won’t cure my cancer, but it certainly makes living with it easier.

Maintaining wellness involves actively practicing healthy habits. Eating well and being physically active are vital. I’m almost 72, but I exercise 5 days a week and love nothing more than paddling my kayak, going for a hike, or playing a round of golf.

From the beginning of my NET journey, it has been my mission to educate people in my community and elsewhere about the disease. I’m actively involved in patient advocacy as a member of the Advocacy Advisory Board to the Canadian Neuroendocrine Tumour Society. I’m involved in initiatives to try to make the patient experience better for all of us including those who have not yet been diagnosed. It’s not uncommon for people to experience symptoms for 5 to 7 years before receiving a correct diagnosis. That needs to change! Neuroendocrine cancer is the fastest growing class of cancer worldwide, but it’s not well-known in the medical world. That, too, needs to change! I’m passionate about making a difference by being a voice for change.

I sent off my submission and hardly gave it another thought until sometime in December when I received an email informing me that I had been chosen as a runner-up and would be receiving a $25 Atmosphere gift card in the mail once the Canadian postal strike came to an end. Apparently this is a face of wellness!

And so now, for those of you who have been following my wellness journey, an update. February was a month of tests, scans, and appointments. I was supposed to meet with my specialist on Wednesday to discuss the results of many of those tests including a CT scan that was done the week before. That appointment had to be postponed, however, because the scan results weren’t available yet and let me tell you, scanxiety (scan + anxiety) is real! I had already seen the results of the other tests online and most of them were good, but there was one that concerned me and made me wonder if the cancer was beginning to grow or spread again. Thankfully, the scan results finally showed up online at 10 o’clock last night! While I don’t understand all of the medical jargon and will have to wait for the specialist to interpret some of it, the final statement was clear, “No evidence of progressive disease from November.” In other words, nothing has changed since my last scan three months ago!

Over the past month, I’ve also learned that my A1C (3 month blood sugar level) continues to be stable (with medication), my blood pressure is excellent (also with medication), and my bone density has not deteriorated over the past two years. This is all very good news and, in spite of having cancer, I’m feeling pretty blessed to be a face of wellness!