Here is What I Have to Say Today......

We Need to go Beyond Sponsoring Syrian Refugees I just want to clearly state I have no problem at all with Canada helping Syrian or any other refugees.   My heart breaks for all the families whose lives have been torn apart and changed forever by the violence in Syria and in other countries.   Living in a refugee camp is not really living at all.   But I believe that we need to go beyond sponsoring refugees in order to solve the refugee problem. First of all, we need to carefully look at our own government.   Are our own governments’ policies helping to cause the crisis?   Nations, like Canada, Great Britain, and the United States, must stop acting on our ethnocentric views and begin to act with integrity.   We must stop interfering in these countries national policies.   We must stop selling arms to countries such as Saudi Arabia who support terrorist groups.   Providing weapons and other supports enables these despots to start civi...

I have been thinking a lot about good manners lately and how important they are.   Manners tell us how we are supposed to conduct ourselves in social situations which in turn allows for the smooth functioning of society.     They train us to be aware, or mindful, of the social transactions that we are involved in by having us look for situations in which to express gratitude or be of service to others.   Consistently using our manners is good spiritual practice because consciously choosing to use our manners means that we are choosing to do the right thing. We become more mindful and reduce stress levels when using our manners.   For example, when going into a store good manners would dictate that you be aware of others and your surroundings. Because you are present and aware, you may notice that someone is following you into the store and instead of just opening the door and entering the store, good manners would dictate that you stop and hold the door o...

My husband and I have been camping at Provincial Parks for over 25 years now.   In fact, we have visited more than 25 different parks, some of them many times over.    We enjoy the Provincial Parks for the recreational opportunities and the natural environment they provide.   Their beaches, playgrounds, hiking trails, visitor centers, naturalist programs, and biking trails have made our summer vacations memorable and enjoyable.   But lately it has been harder to get reservations at our Park of choice, especially if it is in Southern Ontario, and especially if it is last minute.   Unfortunately, while we struggle with getting campsites in Southern Ontario, 7 Provincial Parks have been closed for camping in Northern Ontario in recent years.   Ontario has about 280 parks covering over 7 million hectares or approximately 10% of the surface area in Ontario and receives over 9 million visitors each year.   Approximately 65 parks are deemed “recrea...