Some happy thoughts, and Canada Day

(I would just like to edit here, and express sadness  for the people in the Eastern states, who are experiencing high temperatures, and storm conditions.I have just learned of this from the news.)

Our weather today is lovely, 23 Celsius - sunny with a good breeze. I am enjoying my first weekend after working for a full week.

The past three and a half months have been  difficult. I had been making a change in jobs just as I became sick with the C. difficle bug, and had to be in the hospital for abit, and stay off work til June.
Unfortunately for me, my new employer could not hold my job for me for that period of time. I applied for several other jobs, some in child care, and some in other fields.However I was also constrained because I was unsure when my doctor would give me the o.k. to return to work

I did accept a position working as a cashier at a drugstore, with a major chain, and had begun training, just last week, when a position was offered me at a daycare center. I was thrilled because my heart really prefers working with children, in a job which I know well.

I believed that the position in the drugstore was one I could be happy with, once I got a handle on the job. I will say that after a full day of standing on my feet at the drugstore, I was exhausted - but I enjoyed the customers, and the person who was training me was a kind woman. She told me at the end of my first day that she felt I was brave to try something new, after so many years in child care. I developed an understanding of what a difficult job it is to work in retail, and so I'm glad now I know how it feels to be on the other side of the till.  I do know that if I need to in the future, I can try it again.

I loved my first week back in daycare. I like learning new ways of doing things, and I think change can be good. I have found that early childhood educators are like a club of people with a similar language, based on childrens' songs, stories, and ways of doing things. The routines in a child's day are very basic, and it doesn't take long to feel at home in almost any daycare center

Today I went to the public library and borrowed childrens' books. Here are two Big Books, by favourite authors. I tried to get the cats into the picture to show how big the books are. Herbert didn't want to be in the picture, but I did finally catch him. :)

I also borrowed three books for myself, as I have found that some of the books I would like to read on Kindle can be more expensive than I want to pay. So, I think I will continue the Kindle with the free books, and some for more reasonably priced books, but use the library for the new books by authors I like.

Presently I am reading a well written book on Kindle called The Girl Who Came Home, by Hazel Gaynor (for the awsome price of .99), and I am loving it. It is a fiction based on an actual group of 14 passengers from Ireland, on the Titanic, and one young woman who survived.

I haven't watched movies lately, but might watch this one which I borrowed from the library. I love the comedies of Shakespeare and this one looks like a good version, with Helena Bonham Carter, and Ben Kingsley. The year my son went to Montreal for university was 1999, and as a project to help me with this transition, as well as to recognize the milleniuim, I chose to watch as many of the plays of Shakespeare that I could. So I borrowed the plays on  VHS  produced by The BBC, from our library. I thoroughly enjoyed everyone, including the histories. Recently I discovered that these BBC plays can now be found in DVD, so I'm happy about that.

I have a liking for the quirky in life, novels, and movies. Here is a small bit of quirkiness in my own kitchen.
We presently have two coffee makers. My son recently convocated from university with an education degree, and will be moving to Calgary to substitute teach. Being a substitute teacher requires one to wake up very early in order to answer calls to work, and it has been promised that he should get work almost every day.

So Paul mentioned he would be looking for a coffee pot for his new apartment.He would buy a programable one, and have it make him his coffee for 5:30 A.M. every day. I bought him this one for his graduation, and since then he has been enjoying programming it to brew his coffee when he wakes up. I still use mine (the white pot) to make my coffee when I wake up - so we have two in operation. It is so like my son, who since childhood has had a love of electronic gadgets and appliances. :)

Tomorrow is Canada Day, and it looks like our weather will be nice here for the celebrations which take palce at the park. There is a 21 gun salute at noon, boat races, food, childrens activities, and fireworks in the evening.

This video may seem to have nothing to do with Canada Day. However it is from a Vlog, by a young Canadian, who now lives in Thailand. I discovered his Vlog some time ago when looking for a childrens' song, and have enjoyed his versions of songs from the Rise Up Singing songbook. I think there is something very Canadian about a young bilingual man from Montreal, Canada who now lives in Thailand teaching English, and who travels about the world comfortably.

I also like his comfort with himself, and you will find if you listen to this video (which is a little long) that he is also comfortable with conflict. It is a good lesson.
As well the hymn is very lovely, as is the sunset.

Wishing you a good weekend, and to my American friends a Happy July 4th as well!
Hugs!