Thursday Tidbits

Posted on November 16, 2017 under Thursday Tidbits with 6 comments

Tickling the ivories at age one

Vitamin S.

Never heard of it before?

In my Monday post ( Read by hundreds of thousands of people around the globe. “ Would you believe 420?” Thanks, Maxwell Smart ), I talked about the importance of fellowship as a determinant of good health later in life. A friend of mine in the health care field told me that they now have a name for this. Vitamin S is “ Socialization.” Technology has created a new isolation. While we are connected in seconds with friends near and far, it’s not the same thing as a good old fashioned face to face encounter.

Along the same lines, I noticed that in Cape Breton, they are experimenting with something called a time bank. (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/cape-breton-north-shore-time-bank-1.4397035) . This is something that would work in Antigonish. But it’s kind of sad that it’s come to this because in the “ good old days,” neighbors always helped neighbors. They didn’t need an app for it.

I was in the kitchen yesterday morning merrily doing the dishes. For some bizarre reason, once the cool ( cold ) weather comes, my hands are freezing all the time and warm dish water is just the tonic. I heard fire truck sirens and was shocked to see them pull up in front of our apartment building. Somehow, our neighbor’s washing machine caught fire. Seems counter intuitive, doesn’t it?

That would not have happened in the days of the old wringer washer. Not only was it the way to wash clothes but it also made a great plaything when one of your siblings would push you around the living room while you sat in the tub! I tried to find a picture of the old ringer washer in one of the family photo albums but no such luck. I did , however find a picture of yours truly at the age of one trying out the ivories.

Of course, in many places in rural India ( including the convent where I lived ), we washed our clothes the old way… by hand, and then rinsed them by smashing them on a concrete platform.

We try our best not to be wasteful, especially when it comes to food. So, when I was making a few plates of sandwiches for the funeral reception on Monday, I saved the crusts in a bowl. Now here’s the million dollar question: How many crusts from egg salad sandwiches does it take to make a “ crust sandwich?” I sat down yesterday and ate the entire bowl. I chuckled to myself how insane this would look to most people. That is, until I thought about many of the places in the world where my lunch would have been a veritable feast.

I am having problems securing my Indian visa and won’t be leaving for India until after Christmas, if at all. I received two calls on Tuesday asking me to sing Christmas carols at seniors’ homes. How come my fan base is people over the age of 90?! I am hardly what one would call a “ teen idol.”

TAKE THE TEST. What if you could perform a short medical procedure in the privacy of your own home ( the bathroom to be precise ) and possibly save your life? I mentioned last week and wrote about colonoscopies. https://www.week45.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-it/  I have been a regular participant in Cancer Care Nova Scotia’s screening program for bowel cancer. When I received an abnormal result, I went and had the colonoscopy where they removed a small polyp. The biopsy was negative. I guess I can just continue to be a regular arsehole!!!

Have a great week.

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