Daylight Savings Time

Seasonal changes

/ edebock / 4 Comments

I love to hang onto summer for as long as I can, but after looking out my window at this for several days in a row, I knew that the time had come to do my semi annual closet switch. I decided that I would make the seasonal change as soon as we got home from spending the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend with our daughter and her family.

Then this happened while we were there and that definitely confirmed my decision!

This is the time of year when I put away my spring/summer wardrobe and bring out fall/winter, but it’s also a time to cull my wardrobe and get rid of things that should no longer take up space in my closet. That could be because they’re worn out, because they no longer fit as well as they once did, or simply because I no longer enjoy wearing them. If they don’t speak my style adjectives, classy, casual, comfortable, confident, and authentic, they need to go.

This year, in addition to putting several items into a donate pile, I had another option for some of the pieces that I no longer want to keep. I put them aside to take to the new consignment shop that opened in our area this summer.

As I put each new season’s clothes into the closet, I turn all the hangers around. Then, when I wear an item, I turn its hanger back the right way. At the end of the season, if an item is still hanging backwards, it’s a clear signal that I need to consider whether or not to keep it. Unlike some, however, who advise getting rid of anything that hasn’t been worn during the current season or in the past year, I sometimes hang onto pieces that I haven’t worn for quite awhile. Over the years, I’ve occasionally enjoyed resurrecting some of those items and have even shared a few of them here on the blog.

While a seasonal closet change is essential for most of us living in a northern climate, there is one change that won’t be happening here this year. Our clocks won’t be falling back an hour in late October or early November. Despite the fact that Albertans voted in favour of continuing the twice yearly time change in a so-called binding referendum in 2021, our provincial government has made the decision to eliminate seasonal time changes and adopt year-round daylight savings time. Although I like the idea of having sunlight for an extra hour during winter afternoons, many object to the fact that darkness will last later into the mornings. Needless to say, they’re unhappy that their vote appears not to have meant anything and it definitely makes me wonder whether or not our government will adhere to the outcome of next week’s referendum on whether or not there’s enough support to move ahead on the issue of Alberta separating from Canada. But, enough about politics! I have strong feeling about the topic of separation, but I’m not ready to air them here.

Although I never like letting go of summer, there are some things that I do like about this time of year. It’s bittersweet because we know that the long, cold winter is just around the corner, but the sunny, golden days when snow doesn’t fall are glorious. As I turn my closet, I look forward to wearing cozy sweaters and boots again and this fall I’m finally able to start wearing my new leather jacket. It’s also a time to return to routines and activities that were suspended over the summer months.

Do you live where there are four distinct seasons each year? What do you like or dislike about seasonal changes?

Time for a change

/ edebock / 4 Comments

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

It’s a matter of time

/ edebock / 5 Comments

Though China stretches almost as far from east to west as Canada does, it’s exactly the same time in every part of the country!

Canada spans six time zones. When it’s 4:00 o’clock on the BC coast, it’s already 8:30 in Newfoundland. China used to have five time zones but the Communist Party established the country’s present time system shortly after it founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Apparently it was supposed to streamline operations and make the country appear more unified.

Personally, I have a problem with this! Dalian is on the east coast where the sun rises earliest. This morning, it came up at 4:36 a.m! I’m not really a morning person but when daylight arrives, I wake up. I’ve done my best to darken our bedroom by taking curtains from the computer room to double the thickness of the ones in the bedroom. It helped a little but not enough and it did nothing to shut out the noise. As soon as it’s light out, vendors begin to set up the morning market below our windows and before long the sound of cars honking and people shouting does away with any chance we might have had of getting a few more moments of sleep.

Of course, the sun also sets earliest here. As Canadians, we’re accustomed to long hours of daylight at this time of year. Back home, the sun isn’t setting until almost 10:00 p.m. but here, it went down at 7:05 this evening.

Apparently China tried Daylight Savings Time from 1986 to 1991 but it was deemed inconvenient and was dropped. Inconvenient for who, I’m not sure. Since the warm weather arrived, we see lots of people out and about enjoying their evenings. Many families from the neighbourhood gather on the plaza in front of the university administration building. Parents and grandparents sit around the perimeter relaxing and visiting while laughing children play. I’m sure that lots of them would happily give up an hour of daylight at 4:30 in the morning in exchange for longer evening light. I know I sure would!