A Merry Heart

Since I just came back from my 50th St.Clement's School Reunion in Toronto, I am thinking about our principal, Miss Evelyn Waugh.

She was crippled very badly with arthritis. Her back was bent and her legs were bandy. Since I was a big girl, she would often summon me to come to the stage to assist her down at morning assembly. It was just one step and I was to put my hand on her elbow and let her arm rest on mine as she stepped down.

When I was in Grade 9 - Form I, Miss Waugh thought I should definitely go into Commerce and Finance at U of T (University of Toronto). So, when she first knew me, she thought I showed promise in mathematics. By Grade 12 she had almost given up on me. (I think she might be watching me now and be pretty happy I have turned my life around.)

Miss Waugh used to give a Merry Heart Award to students that had been noticed as being particularly cheerful.

The Quotation that Miss Waugh would have taken the name of that award from The King James Version of the Bible is:

A merry heart doeth like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Today, some of us use the New International Version of the Bible and it states Proverbs 17:22 a little differently:

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

If you have read my book, Bumpy Road To Texas, where I address how I was treated at home when I was young, then you know why I never won that Merry Heart award. Miss Waugh probably saw a broken or crushed spirit when she looked deep inside me. (My parents did not give me much in the way of encouragement to make me feel good about myself.)

Today, I see all the time people breaking or crushing other people's spirit. Not too many people can take a lot of criticism and/or rudeness and there is a lot of that in our society today.

There are lots of people - probably not very confident in themselves - who think nothing of casually making a smart or cruel remark to someone. Sometimes, it is someone they hardly even know. I believe a lot of people just do not stop to think before they speak!

Then, it gets worse: a person is spoken to harshly and they respond in kind. In other words, they toss out another ugly remark.

Today, I listened to Nickcole Byrd and Dr. Carolyn Clansy Miller on Blog Talk Radio (see bottom of today's blog or sidebar for link). Today's program was How To Develop A Spiritually Enriched Life. There was talk about how busy we are in today's world and how perhaps we do not walk with God was much as we should.

I do not even pretend to be a theologian, but I do know that if I am a true Christian believer, then I know that God is with me always.

. . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. - Matthew 28:20 NIV

Lots of times during the day, I know I can stop for a minute to say a little prayer. Life is not easy. Life is hard. Today, even more so, times are tough and it is harder and harder to be pleasant and forgiving, as we know we should be.

Every time I see someone hurt by someone else, it makes me wonder just how many people really do believe as they say they do? Or, is it simply that they do not stop and think before they make a comment?

You don't have to be a Christian believer to see just how our interactions with others work. It is straightforward and simple. Think about it!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/drcarolynmiller

Winding Down Our Texas - Toronto - Texas Trip

We have arrived in Bryant, Arkansas (just south of Little Rock, home of The Bill Clinton Museum & Library) nice and early. So, we have a little time to relax and we will have our dinner at Cracker Barrel.

If you have not eaten at Cracker Barrel, it is a marketing marvel with a huge gift shop on one side, restaurant on the other and wonderfully clean and tidy restrooms in the middle at the back. There are checkers to play, rocking chairs to sit in and puzzles on each table to strain your brain a little while waiting for your food. They have maps to pick up so you can find them as you travel.

They even sponsor some country music and if you read this blog all the time, you know we once met Aaron Tippin and his crew who had their bus parked out back. Cracker Barrel handles Aaron Tippin CDs as well.

The food is simply delicious no matter what you order and if you want it, you can order breakfast all day long.

We are so tired, and so happy to be - hopefully - just one day from home!

Here is a summary of what I still want to tell you. Also, if you have any queries, just ask. You can use the "comment" form below, as detailed on the sidebar.

I will definitely be telling you about our experience with our packing; our Ford Explorer which has been excellent, both to drive and to pack; and my eating. Yes, Monique and Richard, I have really done quite well but will know better when I check the scales at home! Yes, we did bring a little too much . . . mostly because we were expecting more cold weather and also because we might have needed some more formal clothes for some events. My back has done quite well but as we wind down these last few days, my right foot is not so good and I am using the cane more and more. I will be glad to be back and doing even more exercise.

Thank you to Dr. Carolyn Clansy Miller for her suggestion that I blog as I travelled and more, thank you for reading. Thank you to all the friends and relatives who treated us like royalty. Special thanks to my St.Clement's friends for the wonderful 50th Reunion!

Houston Astros - Hurricane Ike Relief Efforts

I told you last week about the Houston Astros having to go to Wisconsin to play two home games because of Hurricane Ike’s wrath in Houston. They didn’t do too well, but there is still a chance for them to get in the MLB Playoffs via wild card. Of course, players were thinking about their properties, their families and their beloved City of Houston. 

Well, tonight, the Astros come back home to Minute Maid Park to finish off the season. 

I’ve mentioned before how similar Minute Maid Park in Houston and Rogers Center (Sky Dome) in Toronto are. The roofs are both retractable and can be open or closed. Both have lots of information to keep the fans up with what is going on so that even newer fans can catch on really quickly. Both have Jumbotrons. 

Minute Maid Park is by Union Station and there is a train that goes out on elevated tracks with its whistle blowing each time an Astros home run is scored. There is a large gas pump where all the home runs are tabulated. The Landry Crawford Boxes, out to the left as you are hitting are kind of a special place for the home team to hit a run. 

Long story short, anyone from Toronto or Houston would feel very much at home in either ballpark. 

The Houston players are a close-knit group and are very community-oriented. 

This week, not only will Houston be trying to win that Wild Card Spot but they have a great effort to help victims of Hurricane Ike which, of course, did a lot of damage in Houston and the Gulf Coast. 

First off, Astros Chairman & C.E.O., Drayton McLane and the Team have donated One Million Dollars to Hurricane Relief efforts. 

This week there will be a Cash Collection Drive, Silent Auction, Food & Supplies Relief Drive (including Houston Humane Society), Autographed Ball Mystery Grab Bags for $50, Jerseys Off the Back Auction and a Blood Drive. 

The MLB Teams coming in this week are Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves. On Monday, Chicago Cubs will be in for a make-up game, if necessary. 

There is something special about major league sports teams who get this involved in the community where they play. 

Thank you, Houston Astros, for all you do! 

Houston Astros Website with schedules and details of events:

 http://houston.astros.mlb.com

Vanilla & Rocky Road

When I was young, I knew a chap (that’s Canadian or British for “man”) who had a motto and that motto was a credo for him. His name is Frank and his motto was, “What I say is my problem, how you interpret it is your problem!”

That was pretty strong for a person of 18! I still think that! One thing we really had in common was that we both loved to write!

Over the years I have done articles on purebred dogs, grief, prayer, manners, houses, family, scrapbooking – all pretty Vanilla stuff. He likes to tackle more contentious topics and so I’ll say his flavor would be Rocky Road!

I have thought long and hard about why I write about pleasant stuff and you know, it is probably because I do care how you feel about it. Right or wrong, I want you to like me. That of course, is a fault, but perhaps not a grievous one!

While I was reporting for the Uxbridge Times Journal and turning in a story on a car fire at a Tupperware Party up on Toronto Street, Frank was reporting from Capital Hill in Ottawa on national television. So, for me, writing has been an avocation and for Frank, a vocation.

Hubby and I read the newspaper first thing every morning. Now, we used to read two newspapers every morning, but Houston Chronicle decided it no longer wanted to deliver to our address in East Texas. We watch the local and national news. Our living room – and yours – is front and center. We can watch the Iraq war or catch the odd high-speed car chase in L.A. or Houston. No one forgets watching the horrors of 9-11.

So, I guess my feeling is that there is enough “rocky road” stuff and you might just like to read about what my neighbor’s child said when she got off the school bus today.

Probably because I now live in the Bible Belt, I have really good feelings about my church and all the friends I’ve made there. Perhaps you’d like to hear about our Fall Festival or Mardi Gras Party.

The only Mardi Gras I knew in Toronto was an Airedale Terrier who lived next door! Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” and in Canada, that would be Shrove or Pancake Tuesday. The big difference is that in Texas, we wear purple, yellow and green (with lots of beads). We serve red beans and rice with a gooey cake chaser.

When I first came here, I didn’t think I was any different from the people I was meeting. oddly enough, they thought I spoke a little funny, eh? I have been teased but not maliciously, and most people here want to know more about Canada. I have a few Canadian friends here and occasionally we compare our thoughts on life in such a casual area.

One thing I have never really developed is the taste for the spicy food and I still ask them to, “kick it down a notch and put the sauce on the side, please”.

Probably because I’m a vanilla person!

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If you enjoy reading my blog, please let me know! Leave a message by posting a comment. Do you like hearing about my memories of Toronto? Interested in a Canadian's life in Texas? Want to know more about East Texas? Want to hear more about scrapbooking, being a senior, a grandparent? Do let me know by posting a comment! Just click on "Comments".

Toronto - My Home Town!

When I heard there had been an explosion and fire that awakened people at 4:00 a.m. Sunday in Toronto, of course I went to YouTube and news sites on the internet. When I was describing to Hubby where the explosion was, the straight-forward way Toronto is laid out came to mind.

When getting directions where I live in East Texas, it always makes me smile that it is assumed you know where the ABC store is and you should just turn right there! People give directions like that because no one truly knows where North is! (The streets in many cities and towns do in fact follow the original Indian trails of the area.)

Well, Toronto is very much a city where most people know their directions. Toronto is on the North Shore of Lake Ontario, so everything is north from there. That’s a good start!

You now know that Yonge (pronounced “young”) Street is the main north-south street in the middle of Toronto. It is a very long street and if you follow it all the way north, you will be ‘way up in cottage country!

Since I became an American Citizen and live in Texas, “Yonge Street Texan” seemed rather natural for me to call my blog. (I should define for you that I now have dual citizenship: Canadian and American.)

Toronto is a real big city now but when I was a youngster, it was not the biggest or flashiest city in Canada. Toronto had a population of about 600,000 when I was going to school in the 50s and Montreal was the larger and more glamorous place to be.

The GTA (Great Toronto Area) now has over 5.5 million people and is a Mecca for jobs, finances, education, theater and fine dining. Because Toronto is “where the action is”, it is also very expensive!

I think everyone is attached to where they came from and that is the way it should be. Where you came from is a big part of who you are.

Hubby comes from Robinson, Illinois. If you drive there, you can find the house where he was born! Yes – born at home! This is a simple town where people grew up with decent values and everyone knew everyone else. (That is very valuable to parents because they know what a child has done before he reaches home!)

Growing up Canadian means essentially that I am just like my American-born friends, right? Well, almost. Even though I’ve been in Texas for almost twelve years, people still seem to know I came from elsewhere! There are still words I mispronounce, eh?

About the “eh” Canadians tack on the ends of sentences: I have given that a lot of thought. I think it is simply looking for affirmation that the other person is actually listening, or perhaps even agrees with what you said.

Large as it is, Toronto is still a very clean city. We had a mayor (David Crombie) who told a group of New Yorkers how you could identify a Torontonian.

“He’s the one with the gum wrappers in his pocket!”

(This has been verified by Hubby who once stopped to watch a man opening a stick of gum as he was crossing a street at the corner of Yonge. The man, sure enough, folded the wrapper and placed it in his pocket!)

You gotta love a city like that!

Let's Start at the Beginning!

In my beginning, there was Yonge Street. Yonge Street starts at the north shore of Lake Ontario and goes pretty straight north through "Toronto the Good". Keep driving and Yonge Street becomes Hwy. 11. Keep going and you will be in cottage country. Ontario folks tend to live near or on the water, so many had a house in town and a cottage up at Lake Simcoe or Lake Muskoka.

When I was young, I lived one block west of Avenue Road and two blocks north of Eglinton Avenue. Right on the corner. That's in North Toronto. Lower school was Havergal and High School was St.Clement's! TTC or bicycle was my transportation.

The last house I had in Toronto was actually in Thornhill, by the pond, on old Hwy. 7 West that takes you out to Woodbridge.

After I was widowed and met a Texan online at widownet.org, I married and moved to East Texas. That was almost 12 years ago! We are about 100 miles north of Houston and about another hundred to Louisianna.

Only one lake in Texas - Lake Caddo (near Marshall) - is a natural lake. All others are man-made.

I had to learn to pronounce Zee for Zed (the letter "Z"); say "Kakkis" not "Karkees" for beige trousers and Hubby used to accompany me to the supermarket to help me understand that all they were asking at the check-out was "Paper or Plastic?"

Was it a culture shock? You betcha! A dozen years later, I am one of them, but they never let me forget my roots, eh?

The biggest change in my life was church! Every Sunday! Lots of activities, some responsibilities, and bible study. I cherish my friends from church. We have an amazing Pastor and we are growing our numbers.

Oh, I went to church in Ontario, but not with the timetable I do now! And there was an amazing Minister there also! Could it be I wasn't really paying attention, or could it be that now I really do live in the "Bible Belt"?

If I leave you with one thought from this first entry, it would be that when you need a kind word, a smile, someone who's genuinely interested in how you are doing, my church is where you go! I wish for all people - all Christians - a close-knit church like ours!

There's a good start for my blog.