cane

Classes were great tonight. Got to go over cane stuff which was incredibly helpful. Cane is something that I need to work on so it was nice to get the extra feedback. I've never really been drawn to the cane. It's always felt clumsy in my hands and I've never really had an affinity for it. Practice will change that though. It will get better with practice and eventually I'll feel confident with it. Just got to work on it is all.

Basic numbers: 101 crunches, 153 pushups, 156 kicks, 5 reps tai chi, 3 reps broadsword, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: visited someone, drove someone around, complimented someone, made Mike lunch

Today I consumed: a bowl of cheerios, a breakfast sandwich from tims with a hash brown, some chicken fingers with perigees and beans, 2 coffees, 6 glasses of water and 2 beer.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

When Movember Comes

Movember, the month that kind hearted men grow or attempt to grow moustaches in order to raise awareness for men's health. One can find out more on the official Movember website. This year Dennis decided to join a team from his work and grow a moustache. Here's the thing: Dennis doesn't grow a moustache, instead he has an escaped shoebrush take refuge under his nose. Put it this way, he was able to sneak into bars at age 16 because of his lip embellishment.

The whole event started on October 31 when the guys get pre Movember pictures taken. Of course Dennis has to shave 30 seconds before snapshot to ensure he's not cheating. Here's what he regularly looks like and one can see his shoebrush potential.

Dennis had pretty much a full stache at one week. Too bad I didn't take a picture then. Anyhow, here he is one month later with the full fledged mustache. I think he escaped from somewhere.

 Time to make some adjustments, bring back the guy I know. Well, the personality is still there, kind of.

After some research and tweaking, not bad. 

But alas, have to get the crowning glory, complete with essential props. I kind of like this look. 

Yes I know Charlie Chaplin's bowler was black,  however this hat is actually mine. Anyone with a black bowler to lend? For a good cause, of course.
Sherri Donohue
My Blog

Argggh….

Missed my blog day.

Not much to write about. One kid down this week with the stomach flu. Working evenings to cover. Missed the first Horse meeting. Dropped my iphone in the toilet. Totally disconnected.

Today is a new day. Moving forward.

http://sharidactyl.wordpress.com

procrastination

My numbers have been low this week. I find myself making excuses all of the time not to do stuff. I put it off until evening and then I try to cram in an hour or two of training. Laziness and procrastination...2 of my biggest enemies. I enjoy training at night the best. Years of night classes has instilled that in me. But between work, meetings, teaching and Julia, my evenings often aren't my own.
I feel like I've blogged about this before....probably many times. The age old problem I guess.

Basic numbers: 3 reps tai chi, 3 reps broadsword, 102 pushups, 101 crunches, 102 kicks, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: smiled at someone, made Mike lunch and breakfast, brought Mike a coffee

Today I consumed: a bowl of cheerios, some macaroni with tomatoes, a piece of bread, 2 oranges, some chicken strips with perigees and green beans. I drank 2 cups of coffee and 8 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

You Haven't Died!!!!

I see you Mr. Leung, you sneaky sneakerson! You poked your head up on kwoon talk! :) You should stop by and see us, or at least say hello.

Better, Stronger, Faster

I keep thinking of the 6 Million Dollar Man TV series where Col. Steve Austin, astronaut, was given bionic body parts that made him better, stronger, faster. Here's the series intro on YouTube. Okay fine, hokey now, but that was good TV back then. There was also the Bionic Woman but the intro is more sappy.

Last Friday during I Ho Chuan, I had a good conversation with Sifu Michael Playter regarding shoulder injury recovery. What stuck with me the most was: (at least) 6 months for healing and the same amount of time for rebuilding. Yeah, I forgot about the time frame for the last part. So now I am in the re-build and re-strengthen phase for my shoulder and no, I will not end up with bionic parts , but I do anticipate a better, stronger shoulder out of the deal.

The easy assumption is that I will be doing a million pushups as rehab. Well no. Pushups, in the form of tricep with my hands flared out and elbows right close in to my body, are part of the program but certainly do not dominate it. What I am doing is GSP Rushfit for rehab. Rushfit has a lot of shoulder strengthening exercises as well as a huge focus on core. There are pushups involved, but more so a lot of shoulder weight bearing and movement exercises that I have found very beneficial. Even though right now I cannot do the exercise as per video, I am doing a modification for me that works and yes, I can feel the work.

I mentioned the word "program" in regards to re-building. Exercise/strengthening is only a part of the rehab. What's even more important is adequate rest and sleep because that's when the re-building actually takes place. Acupuncture, clean diet, lots of water, and my Spiritual practices are also very much included in my re-building program.

I have learned through my injury who's really in charge and it's not me (aka ego). It wasn't easy to rest when I wanted to go, but I learned and it has paid off in spades. Step by step I will have a shoulder like I had before with the exception of being better, stronger, faster and I will have no issue going through the x-ray machines at the airport.
Sherri Donohue
My Blog

Pursed Lip Breathing (PLB)

Many people have noticed that I breathe funny when exercising, and I even had one Black Belt recommend that I breathe “normally” so it would not be a distraction during forms. I decided to write this blog to educate both those with normal breathing and anyone who has difficulty breathing on PLB. I have had some form of COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease all my life. Usually I have been able to score in the very low end of “normal” on any breathing related test, but a couple of years ago I dropped below even that threshold and was eventually referred to a lung specialist. I believe this was due to the brand of toothpaste I had switched to (Sensodyne, which has medically active ingredients to decrease sensation in teeth). I have since changed to homemade toothpaste, and am on two different drugs daily to help with breathing, and am now back up to “low Normal” for lung capacity. As part of the treatment, I was also coached on breathing while short of breath. This includes diaphragm breathing, or breathing with your Buddha Belly, as well as PLB. PLB is where you purse your lips together while exhaling, as if you were going to whistle, creating back pressure in your lungs. This helps the small passages in your lungs hold open longer, improving air exchange. One way to visualize this is to think of an old fashioned canvas fire hose lying on the grass. Once the water flow is shut off, the part right at the end has the water run out, and then the canvas collapses and traps from water further back from escaping, at least in the short term. If you held the sides of the hose up, more water can pour out. Longer exhales, about 4 seconds each, are the target. Inhalations can be either from the mouth or nose, with the mouth being preferred for sheer volume of air, but care must be taken that breaths are not stacked, or topped up (Hyperinflation) before an exhalation happens. Nose breathing limits the possibility of stacking breaths, but having smaller passages limits the total amount of air brought in.

According to COPD Canada, 750,000 Canadians are “diagnosed” with COPD, mostly from smoking (I have never smoked, but both parents did) and up to 3 million total may actually suffer from it. For those of you with normal breathing, here is an excerpt from COPD Canada’s website:

It is my belief, that anyone who deals in the care of COPD’ers in their later stages should try a little experiment as suggested by Dr. Rick Hodder, a noted Canadian respirologist, in his book, “Every Breath I Take – A guide to living with COPD”. Quote: “Take in a deep breath but don’t exhale. Take in another and another. You’re hyper inflated. Hold it! Now run upstairs. You’ll soon appreciate what it feels like to have COPD or asthma.”

One other point about this directly related to the Kwoon, is that in addition to needing the pursed lips for back pressure, a “sound focus” exhalation is entirely counterproductive to maintaining enough blood oxygen to continue efforts for more than a minute or so, as well as reliable brain function. As I become Hypoxic (low blood oxygen levels) I become clumsy and “forget” the next moves in forms, and any ability in sparring drops dramatically.  

Dennis Donohue

Opportunities

One of the hardest things I had to overcome in Kung Fu was doing warm-ups. Even harder was leading a class (and it was a kids class). I was planning the class for days and trying to memorize what I will do every moment I'm in front of the kids. I can still remember how nervous I was. I constantly felt that the kids are testing me. I also felt that the other instructors are judging me.

Now, one of the things I enjoy most in Kung Fu is teaching the kids class. I still prepare and feel the kids are testing me but I don't get as nervous and I welcome any feedback the other instructors have to offer. I really enjoy to see the progress in the kids and in the way we run the class and to know I had a part in that. This is a great feeling of accomplishment.

My point is - we all feel nervous and scared of new situations but if we don't try, we wouldn't know what we are missing. We might even like it...

http://csillag-stars.blogspot.ca/2013/11/opportunities.html

Aahh! The big mac is coming!

Had a bad dream last night.
I dreamt that I had a big mac meal from MacDonalds and I ate the whole thing before I realized what I was doing. After, I felt so disappointed and let down. I was also surprised. I woke up and was so thankful that it was only a dream. I didn't actually do it.
The funny thing is that I don't even crave it anymore. I haven't for a long time. I haven't even thought about it in a while. I wonder where the dream came from.
It's funny too that dreaming about eating MacDonalds would stress me out as if I was being chased by some monster or something. A black belt scared of a big mac...too funny.

Basic numbers: 152 crunches, 156 kicks, 153 pushups, 3 reps tai chi, 3 reps broadsword, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: let a car ahead of me in traffic, thanked someone, made Mike lunch and breakfast

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, half a bowl of cheerios, 2 oranges, 2 cupcakes, 3 pieces of pizza and a cheese and tomato sandwich. I drank 2 cups of coffee and 8 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Long day

Long day at work. Thankfully next week is the last week of working late.
So tired.
It was hard to do any practicing after I finally got home. But at least I got some in. It can be so hard to motivate yourself after a long day of work. I wonder how other people do it. I know lots of other people have way crazier schedules. I wonder what they do to push themselves.


Basic numbers: 3 reps tai chi, 3 reps broadsword, 51 pushups, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: let a car ahead of me in traffic, helped people in lab, let someone ahead of me in line

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, an apple, an orange, a turkey and cheese sandwich, a brownie, a chicken wrap, some poutine, 2 coffees, 7 glasses of water and half a glass of wine

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Peaks & Valleys

I'm going to ease myself back into training which means being at the Kwoon five days a week instead of six lol! This means that I am going to go to a couple San Shou classes per month instead of every week.  Right now I feel like I need that Tuesday off to rest (physically & mentally) while I work back into shape.  The more important reason that I'm not fully committing to this class is highs & lows.  One thing I have a habit of and want to avoid doing is the "big highs and big lows".  This is a facet of my character that I want to "smooth" out.  I have a habit of training like a mad man when I'm motivated and then when I'm not I don't train very much at all.

I really enjoy the class and see tons of benefits to my training.   However I want to be mindful of my training and approach it a bit differently this time. I need to reduce the high's and low's and try to find a consistent balance in not only my training but in life as well.


Mr. Repay

Student Of Silent River Kung Fu
ianrepay@blogspot.com

Review

I have been spending a lot of time reviewing what I have accomplished or have not accomplished during this years I Ho Chuan. I know what it means to sign up for a year in the I Ho Chuan and commit oneself to mastery; I have followed this path before, by being part of the UBBT in past years. This was not new to me. But this year seemed to be different. I seemed to have been bumped of the tracks and have been following along beside them since the very beginning of the year. And when I look back though out the year; I see missed opportunity upon missed opportunities.

http://whereamiwhatamidoing.blogspot.ca/

conquering fear

Had a good day training wise today. Tonight I was able to demonstrate shoulder rolls to my class which was cool. I've struggled with shoulder rolls in recent years do to injuries and then fear of injuries. But tonight, I didn't think I just did. It was awesome! I did them properly...although I do have a headache now, but whatever! One step closer to conquering a fear...a fear of injury.

Now to start doing the standing up ones again and the backwards ones. Tonight gave me some confidence to move forward. Take that shoulder rolls!

Basic numbers: 204 crunches/situps, 204 pushups, 208 kicks, 5 reps tai chi, 5 reps broadsword, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: made Mike lunch and breakfast, let a car ahead of me x2, gave the cat and dog extra loving, congratulated someone

Today I consumed: an apple, a bagel with cream cheese, a doughnut, half a turkey and cheese sandwich, an orange, 2 bananas, a few nachos with cheese and 3 chicken wings. I drank 3 cups of coffee and 7 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Managing Hypoxia

Now that I have clued in to the problems Hypoxia is causing myself, the next thing is what to do about it? I have just ordered an Oximeter, a small device that clips on your finger, and it looks at the colour of your blood. Oxygenated blood is bright red, and this little machine shines an LED light and measures the transmission/reflectance to figure out the percentage of Oxygen in the bloodstream. I expect to get it in about two weeks, and will have it at the Kwoon. I have used these devices at the lung clinic, and always thought that they were cool, so must be expensive. Then one day, I was reading an article about why US health care costs so much, and the example given was an oximeter that you could buy through your health insurance provider for $150, with a $30 co-pay, or just order a new one for $30 direct. So I did some research (Google) and sure enough, it was on sale for $27 cdn from a company in Honk Kong, air mail shipping included. I had previously bought LED lights through this same company, so I thought it is worth a try.

http://dx.com/p/1-1-oled-screen-spo2-heart-rate-monitor-fingertip-pulse-oximeter-blue-black-white-2-x-aaa-187708

The device my lung specialist uses clips on your finger and gives a reading in seconds, as well as pulse rate. If you want to try it once I get it, just ask. It will probably be with my water bottle at the back of the Kwoon, as it is not suitable to wear while actually exercising.

Dennis Donohue

How Can One Person Change the World?

I look at everything around me and ask myself "am I happy"? Not really, it saddens me what I see on a daily basis. I'm constantly being bombarded with photos of animal and child neglect and abuse. I'm constantly seeing people choosing money over ethics. I'm constantly watching my environment be destroyed. I see sadness and rage in so many people and I don't understand how people just accept this as normal. People need people, love, kindness, caring, affection, etc. Not money or things. We need to spend time with our families, we need clean air, we need clean water, so why are we ok with destroying all this? Where do I even start changing this? And who the heck is going to listen to me anyway? I guess I can only start one act of kindness at a time, until I figure this out.

Sore

Rested today. My body was pretty sore from Friday and Saturday.
It is very satisfying to be sore and stiff from training hard. Although it makes you want to take a couple of days off to rest. That's the down side.

Basic numbers: 2 miles

Acts of kindness: gave Julia a treat, gave the cat lovin', waved at someone in thanks while driving

Today I consumed: 4 pieces of toast with nuttella, some mini pizzas and some icecream. I drank 2 cups of coffee and 8 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

confusing post

hello everyone i do not know what to say right now my mind is filled with so much right now. i think about school, i think about kung fu, and i think about how i live my life. i feel like i want to say something but i can't. i feel right now that my mind can't focus right now. i think that maybe i am approaching my situations all wrong, because i know i am not the first to feel the way i do or go through what i am going through. others have done just fine, but yet i struggle. it's probably my own fault, and i should just get over it. i realize i am being super vague about what i am going through, but it is the safest way i think. i am really sorry for making such a confusing blog right now, but that is basically how i feel right now. i guess all i can do for now is buck up and keep moving forward, until the next one guys, stay extraordinary.


233 lbs


Sihing Langner

This is tougher than I thought.

When I set my sights on a earning a black belt in Kung Fu I never envisioned that it would be this difficult.  Don't get me wrong, I knew that it physically would be very difficult.  I just never thought about the mental side of the black belt much if at all. The mental side of anything (work, personal etc) is the toughest thing to keep focused.  We all struggle with this and I am no exception.  In fact these past four weeks I have been finding myself struggling with this more than I ever have before.  These past four weeks have been very difficult and I am struggling to grasp why?

I have always enjoyed my training and I have for the most part always looked forward to class and training.  So why have these four weeks since I have gotten back been so difficult?  I think it has a lot to do with getting settled back in to a new job, back to my old life and trying to catch up on the the months that I have missed.  Could it be the shorter days and less sunlight that is having an impact as well?  Could it be that I have I am extra tough on myself for letting myself slide while I was in South Carolina?  What about losing sight and perspective on how my Kung Fu serves me and not it?  I think it's all of these things rolled up into one and it has gotten me down.  So instead of going to class I avoided going and making excuses to myself of things I needed to do that were more important.  Once I made that first excuse for myself the next one became easier and easier.  The hardest thing to do was to convince myself that I shouldn't give up.  I made a commitment to my team and Master Brinker that even if I failed at achieving my goals the one thing we I couldn't do was quit.  Quitting is something that I am not accustomed to and that thought kept resonating in my mind.

I decided on Saturday to go back to class.  Square up what needed to be squared and renew my commitment to my team and my training.  I am very glad that I listened to my gut and went back.  It seems to have filled an empty void that has been gnawing at my very core.

Mr. Repay

Recharge

So I keep coming back to what I love about our group – not just our team but the whole school in general. Fun just hasn’t been a word I would associate with my job for quite some time and it always weighs on me. I take things personal with everything I do and so I keep coming back to the love for the Kwoon. It is my place to escape, forget and enjoy that moment with my other family. Take Friday as an example, after class we all laughed and joked with each other as we sweated and talked about how sparring went and what we did or didn’t do. I mean that is our idea of fun, and quite frankly it always brings our group together. All I can say is I’m so thankful to have such a great group to recharge me week after week. It’s these moments that make it all worthwhile, if you’re ever having a rough day or just need a boost I find the Kwoon is a great place to leave it all behind and just enjoy the now.
Sifu Bryant
My Blog

Cool Dragons

It was awesome doing the dragon dance practice with two dragons ... we have named them 'Smog' and 'Draco' and we have roughed in two teams although it may change as we need a good mix of small and big people on each team for some of the showy stuff that is being planned.  Its going to be spectacular I think doing this at the new venue where we have more room and integrated with the lion.   I sure hope somebody is planning to record the performance at the promotion/new years ceremony ... I will be buying the DVD.

So this has been a week of catching up ...  at work and on my numbers.  We were travelling and hotel rooms really don't have enough room for forms, especially not weapons but hey I did imaginary ones.  Meaning going through the moves without the actual weapon in hand,  it lacks the power but as I was fixing some stuff in the cane form that has to do with hand positions and I have a great imagination I think it worked okay. Both Stick and Part One and Two of the cane form go straight forward and back so I could even do the footwork for those however the third part 'points' or pokes as I think of it was a little cramped but worked. So I am not as far behind as I might have been if I had been trying to do mu long koon which is huge.

2 dragons

Dragon dance was really fun today. I think our dance this year is going to be great! The 2 dragons look so cool. We'll be able to do so many neat tricks. The chinese new year dance is always so much fun. Even though it is a lot of work. I have such great memories of lion dance practices. So many good times.

Basic numbers: 51 pushups, 3.5 miles

Acts of kindness: gave the cat a treat, played ball with Julia, gave the dog a belly rub

Today I consumed: a bowl of cheerios, some mini pizzas, some chicken sticks with perogies and some apple slices. I drank 2 cups of coffee, 8 glasses of water and a beer.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Sparring!

Had a great black belt class tonight. We sparred which was awesome. It's so cool to go against so many different black belts. Everyone has their own specialty and it's a great opportunity to learn. Got some awesome bruises and cut my face too which was great. So cool.

Basic numbers: 200 kicks, 202 crunches, 204 pushups, 5 reps broadsword, 5 reps tai chi, 30 minutes sparring and 3 miles

Acts of kindness: made Mike lunch and breakfast, made tea for us, wished someone a happy birthday, gave the cat and dog treats

Today I consumed: a bowl of cheerios, a yogurt cup, half a chocolate, some popcorn, some noodles with sausage and broccoli, some baked sausage with perogies and broccoli. I drank 2 cups of coffee, a cup of herbal tea and 9 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Giddy up

Things are getting geared up for the Horse Team now. I'm excited for them. I think they'll learn a lot and get a lot done. Part of me is sad that my year is almost done, but part of me is happy that the end is near. I think I've built some good habits though, so the end of this year isn't really the end of my I Ho Chuan as far as I see it. I'm going to keep on trying and working hard. The trick will be to keep motivated without the group atmosphere and accountability that goes along with that. But I have a few ideas.

Basic numbers: 5 reps tai chi, 5 reps broadsword, 202 crunches, 204 pushups, 208 kicks, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: gave the cat and dog treats, made Mike lunch and breakfast, did a favour for a friend

Today I consumed: a yogurt, a bagel with cream cheese, a bowl of cheerios, some macaroni with peas and some instant noodles with toast and 2 pieces of nuttella toast. I drank 2 cups of coffee and 8 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Busy Busy Busy

Well the snow is here and it has been a busy week of shoveling, working and trying to keep the kids feed and the house clean. Looking forward to the weekend, but it seems even busier than this week… my girls turned 7 today. Seems like just yesterday that I was welcoming them early into this world of ours. They have done amazing growing…

Doing well on pushups and running this week, although I didn’t make it out to the trails and sadly opted for the tread mill. Being outside for shoveling helped a bit to keep the cabin fever at bay, but I hope to hit the trails soon soon soon…

http://sharidactyl.wordpress.com

Introspection

This week I was put front and center with a pattern of mine that affects every aspect of my life: I don't validate and celebrate my accomplishments. I achieve something and it's like a blip and onto the next thing in less than a heartbeat. Not a healthy way to sustain one's self. This revealing came about during a coaching check-in about the results of a course I just finished. My coach asked me if I achieved my goal (no I didn't), what my results were, and then smacked me with a cosmic 2 x 4.

I'm a "shoot for the moon" type of girl, always striving for excellence. However, I don't take a look and see what I've done along the way, in fact, I'm more apt to pick up the whack-it bat and beat myself into last week.  In the course I didn't reach my goal (it was a high goal), but what I did do was get 10 times my return on investment, a fact that I never gave the time of day. Try finding a savings account, an RSP, an anything that will give a 10 times return. Talk about an eye-opener and a pattern that must be changed right now.

I thought about pushups. Right now I physically cannot do a proper plank pushup (elbows in, all the way down and up) something that I used-to-could. Heck, I can't even do a proper knee pushup and I refuse to do a "jackhammer" pushup . Does it bug me into oblivion? Sure does. Do I want to scream every time I hear anything about doing one's pushups? Sure do. Is it easy to go down the rabbit hole of despair? Sure is. And now a perspective check, validation, and celebration. On March 5, I would have been happy to be able to be sans sling and just be able to lift my arm let alone support any weight whatsoever. I can do that now and much more, but have I taken the time to soak that fact in? I am now. In fact yesterday while I was in the chiropractor's office I put my hands on the armrests, elbows in, and slowly raised my upper body up. In that moment I did a pushup and was (still am) over the moon about it. It's far from a proper plank, but it's a good start and I'm thrilled because not only did I do it, but I know how to continue to build strength. I celebrated by savoring the moment, happier than a clam. I even showed my chiropractor who was thrilled for me.

I will still set high goals, it's part of who I am, but what I will do is recognize and validate the million steps to achieving that goal regardless of whether the goal is in Kung Fu, my glass, kitchen wizardry, coaching, or in my personal life. It has been said, it's not the destination that counts, it's the journey along the way. I now comprehend that point on a deeper level thanks to my coaches who call it like it is. Love ya guys!
Sherri Donohue
My Blog

Thoughts from the deep

It's been very busy the last little while with the after math of a challenge and life. Spending three quarters of the year working everyday and trying to maintain all, has left behind a whole pile of items that need to be completed. Items that were set aside so I could take my Kung Fu and the discipline of mastery to a higher level in my career. I didn't choose a career to stay at the same level day after day. My focus has always been to excel, the sky's the limit only if you let it limit you. The same should follow suit for anything you are passionate about. If your ambitious and enjoy challenges and not scared to march to your own drum, this should never be an issue. If you don't, you become stagnant and in some cases resentful. A poor attitude develops and you tend to become judgemental and focus on finding fault in everyone and everything around you. You become an excuse master and accomplish absolutely nothing. Things around you are piling up and you are doing nothing but waiting for the perfect moment to get yourself together and have the perfect productive day. Guess what? The word perfect is a myth, from any angle, period. You steer your own ship and right now you are in the haul chipping away at what is the very thing keeping you a float. The very thing that is a complete composition of everything you are about. Everything you have respect for and gifts you were given by others to make you solid. Soon your journey will cease and you will go down with your ship. Then as you plunge to the bottom of an ocean of self pity, that you created, you sit. Looking up you see many hands reaching down to pull you back up. To help bring you up to heal and rebuild you and your ship. Instead of reaching up and accepting the help and being reminded of all the things you should be grateful for, you kick, punch, and bite. Pushing away the offering and isolating yourself further. You look up again and there are no hands there. Tolerance for the selfishness you have displayed is depleted. Trying to raise yourself to the surface is almost impossible because of the over bearing weight you decided to load your shoulders up with. These are your problems and your weight. You chose everything you decided to carry and now you must shed in order to surface. Some things are easily shaken off because you have come to the realization they are useless to you and you can't change what you can't control. As you throw those things off you begin to slowly rise to surface. Some things are not possible to shake off, they are in grown into your composition so you must find a place for it and continue to rise. Some things thrown off have many attachments that entangle themselves around whatever you leave vulnerable. Cut them off and get your point across in an aggressive matter if that what it takes. If things work out this way you should come to the surface and find all that you are made up of floating beside you and are completely salvageable, and what you don't is at the bottom where they belong. Looking further you see the same place you left off. The sea of anger and self pity has now turned to a sea of  peace and a goal driven charter. You see so much ahead that you should be grateful for and things that are going to make your journey fresh and fulfilling. Traveling with people that care about you and people that are willing to share what they can is all the back up you'll ever need. Don't make jerks out of them and isolate yourself. Embrace them and slap your ego and pride around a bit if that is also something you need to do. So fire up the drums and get back on the path where you belong. Most importantly ditch the self pity and the blame of others, you are the one doing the navigating. And if your not, talk to someone that's not afraid to tell you how it is and learn from them, instead of firing back with excuses.

One last thing to put out to those from the I Ho Chuan team that made it this far without scrolling ahead. I have an announcement to make to the team this Friday. It is something that is weighing heavily and must be mentioned face to face. I refuse to hide behind a computer screen and post it. Out of respect for the team and myself this must be done in person. See you at the Kwoon.

Sparring funness

Got a chance to spar tonight in the advanced class which was great. Those guys are developing great skills. I learned a lot. Got some wicked shin bruises too. Thanks guys!

Basic numbers: 5 reps tai chi, 5 reps, 202 crunches, 204 pushups, 208 kicks, 30 minutes sparring, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone, invited lab mates for coffee, helped someone organize and event.

Today I consumed: a bowl of cheerios, a turkey and cheese sandwich, some carrots, a brownie and some chinese food. I drank 2 cups of coffee and 8 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Healthier

It is so cold and so dark. I feel like I need to hibernate. Signing up to the Mud-Hero race made me feel so good. I'm starting to plan camping trips, kayaking, hiking. Just need to wait few more months and it will be summer again.

When I feel down at Kung Fu, I think of WHY. Why am I doing it. This always brings me into training mode. The reasons changed along the years but unlike the seasons, I don't need to wait for summer to enjoy the benefits of it.

One of my personal challenges this year was to become healthier. I stop drinking coke and ice-caps. I'm trying to eat better. I stopped going to fast food places. And of-course I exercise a lot. I've lost between 10-15lb (depending on the day - as our scale is not very reliable). It feels good to get back to my weight from 20 years ago...

http://csillag-stars.blogspot.ca/2013/11/healthier.html

Healing

I've been trying to take things easy lately to give my various aches and pains time to heal. I think its been helping, my ankle feels better. Still thought I've been really down about some of the recurring problems I've been having. Both legs from the knees down keep bothering me now and then. I never used to have these issues before, its like it started happening overnight. Now I'm always paranoid about making things worse. Maybe I need to start working on strengthening certain muscle groups.

On a positive note, my physiotherapist started a new laser treatment on my finger and it seems to be helping. Back in may I hurt the index finger on my right hand and its been giving me issues ever since. I think I badly bruised a ligament. It was a couple of months before I could even close it enough to make a fist and it hurt like the dickens making contact with anything. Even now I cant close it all the way and still have some pain punching things. Obviously not being able to hit anything solid with my right hand gets in the way of Kung Fu activities. The new laser treatment has made a noticeable difference. Today was my third session. I'm hoping that after a handful more sessions that the discomfort goes away permanently.

Sifu Jesse Wetter

http://liveforeverordieintheattempt.blogspot.ca/

Making some progress...but not enough

Long day....didn't get much practicing in.
At it again tomorrow. Gotta get it together. I still have so far to go.
On the up side, made some progress on a personal goal of mine today. One of my goals is to get a paper published and this last week I've started seriously working on it again which is good. Editing is just so tedious....

Basic numbers: 1 rep tai chi, 51 pushups, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: let a truck pull out ahead of me, held the door for someone, helped people in lab

Today I consumed: half a blueberry muffin, a turkey and cheese sandwich, a pastry, and apple, some pot roast with mashed potatoes and veggies. I drank 2 coffees and 7 glasses of water and a cup of tea.


http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Always Something to Learn

I truly do learn something from every age and every belt level.  In yesterday’s Black Dragons class I got the opportunity to strap on the sparring gear for a few rounds with the kids.  These gals and guys sure have spunk!  Their smaller size and quick reflexes is a strategy that works well.  I got to feel what being the ‘big person’ in a match feels like (doesn’t happen often).  It’s a different match that’s for sure.  Although I usually think of myself at a disadvantage in being smaller than those I normally spar with, I can see that size doesn’t always determine who has the advantage.  Larger person = larger targets.   I just need to learn how to move and find those targets.  I guess I also have to figure out what to do with the long arms and long legs, especially when the Tymchuk bonk is attachedJ

 

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

Solidarity

Every year in the I Ho Chuan has meant different things to me, given me different insights and different tools when it comes to my own training. This year has been no different. This past year has given me the strength to change my priorities even when those changes have led to hardships, but also lead to new opportunities and have empowered me to come a step closer to the person I want to be. Doors have been opened for me that I had never dreamt possible, never even knew existed. I've had the rare and unique chance to train with some of the most inspirational, motivational people out there, to watch others as they grow and strive for mastery. Even beyond my own marginal growth, the growth of those around me has given me the drive to continue my own journey when I was beginning to succumb to mediocrity once again.

This year I had set out with the goal to focus on my own training and growth, and focus less on other peoples journeys. But I've come to realize that although that may work for others, it does not work for me. I'm not the kind of person that is self driven, self motivational. Being a black belt does require one to become more independent in their training. In this aspect I've failed. But in that failing I've started to reflect on my successes, and my success has always come when I've become involved in anothers journey. Not so much that I'm such a help to them, but I gain motivation in my own training when I watch another.

So what have I learned? Believe it or not, for all my solitary beliefs I'm a social creature. I want to continue to surround myself with people like you. Its not so much the program that provides the tools, it is more that the program provides the people that give me motivation and inspiration to utilize the tools I already possess. I've learned the strength of solidarity.

http://dogsthinking.blogspot.ca

Not Really Sure What to Say

Well, my momentum has officially been lost. Missing out on so many classes has been really difficult, it's hard to motivate myself to practice when I'm not at the kwoon because I find a million other things that have to be done at home, that, or catch up on sleep. Plus, I seemed to have done something to my shoulder, it aches quite a bit to have to lift it up and I'm not sure what happened. It really bothers me to be so close to the next belt level and hit my winter slump. If I can't make it to classes, I should be practicing at home, darn it! I KNOW!

I do miss San Sou:(

I miss San Sou now that I can't go. I work Tues nights now (only for a couple more weeks though!) so I haven't been able to attend. I will be able to come again in December.
On the upside, my morning schedule has become more consistent again so I should be able to do some morning training once more.
Scheduling is such a constant struggle. It seems that I get a rhythm going and then something changes and I have to get things back on track. Just the way life is I guess. God's trying to keep me on my toes:)

Basic numbers: 153 pushups, 202 crunches, 3 reps tai chi, 4 miles

Acts of kindness: let someone ahead of me in traffic, helped people in the lab, encouraged someone

Today I consumed: a bagel with cream cheese, a big blueberry muffin, a turkey and cheese sandwich, a bowl of stew with bread, a cup of coffee, 8 glasses of water and some chocolate milk.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Movember & Oxygen

Movember , that time of year when men have an excuse to attempt to grow a mustache, all in support of a worthwhile charity. While not as much fun as the charity where you go around in your underwear, it is a lot warmer (important at this time of year). I am collecting on behalf of my team at work in case you would like to donate. One lucky person will get my secrets to growing an almost instant mustache.

Tonight I am going back to class for the first time in a while, my back is not perfect but is healed enough to gently start training. In discussions with my wife about my training, I have realized that my lung issues have been affecting my training in ways I did not think of originally. The main thing that happens is I get hypoxic, but I don’t realize that I am (my wife can see the indicators easily though). So what happens is that as my blood-oxygen levels drop, my coordination starts to go, and I get clumsy. Also, my memory doesn’t work as well either. So if I do several forms at full intensity, I have problems with lots of little things that if I am working with normal oxygen levels are not an issue. This is something I will have to watch for, and ask for breathers as required. If the warm up is actually a cardio workout, it can take 20 minutes or so before my mind is working properly again, and depending on the lesson I might be home before everything returns to normal. As there are a number of people in the Kwoon with asthma, I am probably not the only one that is affected this way

Dennis Donohuehttp://dennisdonohue.blogspot.ca/

Nov.18

I've been guilty of not blogging last week, my computer is disconnected because of renos in my house and I hate using my phone and the tiny keyboard. Still not connected so I'm going to keep this short. Thought a lot about the candidates running in all that snow this weekend, it's amazing how much snow we can get in one night. I got to say hi to our adopt a driveway person, Mrs. Chalifoux, what lovely lady. She always bakes us something and is so grateful for what we do. Makes those sore shovelling muscles feel worth it. All this snow is a great chance for acts of kindness, shovelling, pushing people's cars out of snowbanks and icy intersections.
Adrien was in Halifax all week so life was hectic and Fridays bad driving conditions from westlock kept me from classes, I hope that doesn't happen too often this winter.
Andrea Prince

And the week begins!

Had a rest day today. Tomorrow I go hard again. Gotta get those numbers up.
Hard work.....and discipline. Just got to get it done.

Basic numbers: 1.5 miles

Acts of kindness: drove my nieces home, made them breakfast and lunch, let Mike sleep in.

Today I consumed:  a pastry, some strawberries, half a bagel with cream cheese, some macaroni with veggies, a grilled cheese sandwich with mushroom soup and some bread with hummas. I drank 2 cups of coffee and 7 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Grading time

Post grading day, I remember mine like it was yesterday….got up in the morning like I had just climbed a mountain or maybe carried a mountain. Either way was a very slow moving day. All I can say about it was it’s a great experience to see what is in you, how far you can go when at times you feel like you have to be on empty but keep going forward. Adversity makes us all stronger; just have to have the right mind set and your well on your way. I was always fortunate to have gone through a few days like grading earlier in life which helped shape me leading up to the big day. Everyone can make it, no matter what the circumstance it is always doable. Last night I was out watching the fights with a friend and he asked what it was like at black belt grading, all I could do was smile and say you just have to do it yourself words never do it justice. What do you say, it’s a long day full of ups and downs and at the end all you can do is smile and know you have accomplished something extraordinary.
Sifu Bryant
My Blog

Reflection

     At first I was a little disappointed with my year but have since reflected on my accomplishments more and my failures less. Although I do not see them as actual failures but as learning experiences. Best way to learn, for me, is to do or fail trying. I do prefer to learn from others mistakes but sometimes that's not an option.

    Will I ever live up to my expectations of myself? Every hurdle I encounter doesn't necessarily stop or slow my progression, it does alter my direction. As I evolve I realize it's more about the path you've left behind                     than the place you end up. Getting to the top, turning around and seeing a trial of devastation that's left behind is not who I am or want to be.  The point I am seeing as I write this is , I am taking longer to get to where I see myself being at as little cost to others as possible. Is it the right way to be or should I leave a wake of turmoil in a race to get there?
Scott Fuhr

http://scottfuhr.blogspot.ca

Grading day!

Today was the black belt grading. I remember my grading. It was one of the longest, hardest days of my life. The only day that was more difficult was the day Julia was born.
But that day was also one of the best. That was the day I proved to myself that no matter what, I'm a tryer. Even if I failed my test, even if I tried my hardest and didn't make it, at least I had tried.
The moment I found out that I had passed....it was like a wave of relief washing over me. All the stress of the past 6 months had melted away and I just was.
Granted, after the grading is when the real work started. Getting ready for the Chinese new year banquet is no small feat. It's over that time that you transform from a Sihing to a black belt. But that was such an exciting time. That was one of the only time in my training that I received so much focused, personal feedback from the high-ups. It was hard, but great.

Anyway, I hope today proves to be as memorable for this years participants as it was for me.
Sleep well guys! This will be one of the soundest sleeps of your lives I'll bet:)

Basic numbers: 102 pushups, 51 situps, 2.5 miles

Acts of kindness: held the door for someone x4, shovelled the walk for someone, complimented someone's super awesome socks.

Today I consumed: half a breakfast sandwich, half a cheeseburger with fries and gravy, 2 pieces of pizza and a muffin. I drank 2 cups of coffee, a cup of tea and 7 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Things looking up

Good news!
The store called me today and someone had found my wallet! I'm so grateful! It was nice of them to phone. Thank you so much whoever you are!

We had really great black belt class tonight too. We did a bunch of shield work and it was a lot of fun. And I didn't feel sick at all after.....yahoo!

Also did some practicing....on my way back up.

Thanks for the comments everyone:)

Basic numbers: 5 reps broadsword, 2 reps tai chi, 204 pushups, 214 sit-ups/crunches, 258 kicks

Acts of kindness: made Mike lunch, danced with Julia, let someone ahead of me in traffic

Today I consumed: a large muffin, a bowl of cheerios, half an apple, some veggies, a tomato and cheese sandwich, half a sausage with perigees and veggies. I drank a cup of coffee, 8 glasses of water and a glass of wine.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Ugh

No luck finding my wallet so far:(

Spent the day going around getting new documentation.
Need to get back on the horse in regards to practicing. Since I got sick, my numbers have been crappy and my routine got all messed up. Tomorrow I got to get things sorted out.
Stupid illnesses!

At least I'm starting to feel better. I was a little nervous, I have to admit. I had to go get a physical the beginning of this week for my job and I told them about being sick the last week....dizzy, nauseous, etc. The doctor looked at me and said that if it doesn't clear up in a few weeks to go get checked for a brain tumour. The doc sees you for all of five minutes (without even examining you) and thinks she has a clue what's going on. Nice.
You get cancer and forever after everyone is always telling you whenever you are sick or have some sort of anything that it could be cancer. Hard on the nerves.
It's not like I don't worry about it enough already.

But, I'm not feeling dizzy anymore so I guess I must be in the clear.
Thanks doc.

Basic numbers: 3 miles

Acts of kindness: took Julia to the library, gave the dog a treat, made Mike lunch

Today I consumed: a piece of carrot cake, a Lara bar, some macaroni with veggies, a piece of chicken pot pie, a brownie and some french bread. I drank half a glass of wine, a cup of coffee and 8 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

maybe i am a little to worried

hello everyone i am feeling so sick right now. my head feels light and dizzy, and i feel thirsty, but when i drink i feel worse. i feel hungry, but when i eat i feel sick to my stomach. also i am getting a stuffy nose and a soar throat. i think i might of worried myself literally sick, or the weather did it. either way, i am still going for my black belt, no stupid sickness will stop me. now i am not super sick that i can't move. i am just feeling slightly sick and the those feeling i mention early, i can still function, just it is going to suck a little more. |So right now i am doing everything in my power to combat this little sickness of mine. I feel super overwhelmed right now with school and kung fu, but it is just something i have to deal with. also i know that i am defiantly not the first person to feel this way before a black belt testing. I just have to get my emotions under control, and start thinking about this more positively. I should be trying to look at this grading day a rare opportunity, because you have to do a lot of work just for them to even say yes you can grade for your black belt. i have to start looking at this as this is my epic journey, whatever happens, happens, but i know after that day i will come out of it a better martial artist and a person. So if i think about it that way it does not seem so bad after all. so remember stay extraordinary.


233 lbs


Sihing Langner

Yes SiFu!

This morning as I was asking my kids to do something, the littlest one screamed out, “Yes, SiFu!” and they all got busy doing. I was left with my jaw hanging open in amazement only able to blubber: “Mrs. Csillag, not Sifu”. They just laughed and said, “Yes Ima” (mother in Hebrew).

It made me think that we really have been immersing our entire family in Kung Fu to an extreme this year. Months of guilt over dragging them to practice after practice, late bedtimes, rushed suppers and missed family traditions, lifted. And I am left with 4 busy kids laughing over me asking them to call me Mrs. Csillag. They are okay. They still love me. And we are still family. Everything is going to be alright. This realization is my act of kindness to myself today – first one recorded in quite a few months.

http://sharidactyl.wordpress.com

Good Luck Sihings!

Good luck on Saturday Sihing Lagner and Sihing Csillag!!! I know you guys will do great! I'm in a serious debate with myself whether or not to sign up for the year of the horse. I have a couple major goals this year and I'm not sure if I can fully commit to everything and I don't like to commit unless I'm going to do what I've committed too. I see the benefits that this year has done for me and I'm nervous if I take this year off I'll have to start again at square one. But, I also have some personal things that really need to be attended too. What to do...What to do...

Crumby day

Frustrating day today.

Lost my wallet at a store and I spent tonight looking for it. No luck. Pretty sure it's gone. I wish that someone had done me an act of kindness and returned it. If I ever find someone else's wallet, I'm going to make the effort now for sure. 

Didn't practice either. 

Crumby.

Basic numbers: 3 miles

Acts of kindness: let a car ahead of me in traffic x2, gave the dog some pets, pointed out to someone that their backpack was open.

Today I consumed: a Lara bar (no I haven't tried Luna bars yet Sihing Donahue....I'll have to do that!), a piece of carrot cake, a turkey and cheese sandwich, some veggies, 2 pieces of chicken pot pie. I drank 2 coffees and 9 glasses of water. 

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

Excited

Everyone around me is sick. People coughing at work. Kids sick at home. There are sick people everywhere. I really hope I'm not going to get sick now. My body is still aching from the sickness I had 3 weeks ago.

In the last few days I've been eating cleaner. Actually, I've been eating better in the last year but still had a treat once in a while. This week I had only real food and fruits. It has been good so far. No major cravings.

Needless to say I'm nervous but in the last few days I'm also getting very excited. I was reviewing the whole curriculum and realized how much I have learned in the last few years and how much I've learned in the last few months. There were many light bulb moments and "that feels good" moments this year. I'm sure that for some people I might still look clumsy but it is a much better clumsy than what I was a year ago :-).

http://csillag-stars.blogspot.ca/2013/11/exited.html

Inspiring a blackbelt

How do you motivate people? I find this question especially hard and I've been thinking about it lately. It's easier to motivate colour belts I think if you can give them a good ideal to strive for, if you can impress them and inspire them with what it is to be a black belt. But for that to work, us black belts have to work harder than them. We can't just coast on our past successes. We need to constantly be working harder than the cue belts.
We can only inspire them if we can do things they can't do.

This is where I've been struggling. One of my goals this year has been to become a better kicker. I know what it takes to be good at kicking....I can describe the steps, talk someone through it and point out areas for improvement in others. But something I haven't been good at is demonstrating and that's the most important part. How are white belts going to believe that they have to achieve a certain position or kick height if I can't do it. That's what I want to fix.
That's what we all have to fix.
As black belts it's easy to ride the rank. Part of this stems from the fact that when you get your black belt, you are somewhat on your own when it comes to training. You get one class a week and, if your like me, most of your time at the kwoon is spent teaching, not training.
In order to maintain and exceed our currant level, we need to train outside of the kwoon on our own time. Just coming to class isn't enough.

It is easy to just sit back though and say, "I've achieved my black belt.....the student's should respect my rank." But they won't anymore if we all suck.

We need to take pride in what it is we do. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard and realize that what we do define's what a black belt is to the new generation of students. I know no one sits there and says, "I want to make the rank look like it's nothing special." But the truth is that we've been saying that anyway through our lack of action.
Student's can tell who trains hard and who doesn't, it doesn't take a genius to tell.

I guess what I'm trying to say is each of us needs to be someone who is physically inspiring. Being a great human being isn't enough if you want to inspire the students. The question we should be asking ourselves when we tell a student to do something is...can I do that?
If not....why not?.....and then fix it.


Basic numbers: 102 pushups, 101 crunches, 102 kicks, 5 reps tai chi, 5 reps broadsword, 3 miles

Acts of kindness: complimented someone, brought someone a drink, gave the dog some pets

Today I consumed: a bowl of cheerios, some vegetables, half a turkey and cheese sandwich, an orange, a Lara bar, a grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of soup, a beer, a cup of coffee, 2 cookies and 9 glasses of water.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

In need of repairs

Great long weekend with the family, just doesn’t want to end with a really sick boy tonight. Was a great time to reflect and be thankful for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. As for my training my shoulder is starting to act up again and makes me laugh – kind of; we always are going to have some injury at some point, some more than others. Will finally have it looked at again this week and see what the diagnosis is. Maybe a new shoulder or two would be great, hey throw in a pair of knee’s and I’m almost good as new…..Good to see some new faces added to the demo this week, keep on pushing and we should have everyone on the team ready to shine in a few months.

Sifu Bryant
My Blog

Black belt grading coming

I'm feeling better. I took it easy tonight though to ease myself back into the swing of things. I don't want to push it hard right off the bat and get sick again.

I wonder how the candidates are doing. The black belt grading is less than a week away. So much stress, so much pressure. But that day was one of the best of my life. I hope it is for them as well.

Basic numbers: 5 reps tai chi, 5 reps broadsword, 51 pushups, 51 situps, 52 kicks, 3 miles.

Acts of kindness: gave the cat and dog a treat, made small talk with a stranger, picked up a gift for someone

Today I consumed: 2 pieces of toast with jam, half a yogurt cup, a chicken wrap from tims, 2 pieces of pizza, a piece of candy, and some leftover pasta with toast. I drank a cup of coffee, a beer and a half and 9 glasses of water and a cup of neocitron.

http://tiffany-anotherday.blogspot.ca

The Next 10 Months

As part of  the Enwaken Coaching program that I have entered in, one of the first things that we have to do is to set our goal as to what we achieve by the end of the 10 months. During this period of time, we will be coached, supported, and held accountable by our peers, buddy, coaches, and teachers. The purpose of the program is to learn the techniques and tools so that we achieve our goals, but more importantly, that we transform into the person so that the goal can be achieved. The goal is to be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (have a time frame attached) plus have a component of being scary so one will launch from one's comfort zone. There can be a multitude of smaller goals along the way, but the program goal is to have the squirm factor.

My goal for the program and beyond is "to be the artist I am meant to be." In other words, time to step out and fully express with no censoring, use my intuition and the Universe as my guide, and be my lovable self that includes both the dragon and the squirrel. I see everyone else's unique magic, but can't see my own. Guess I'll start there.

For my glass art and fudge this means that I will manifest a full time income via my creativity. Steps include building my website, Etsy shop, and marketing as well as creating from a totally "I LOVE making this stuff" standpoint. When I'm fully in that creative zen moment, time stands still and I love what I do. Another point for me is to realize the service to others that I am providing by being the creative artist that I am. I still sense coaching will enter in the picture but unsure what/how. Trust the process.

For my martial arts, I will be using my martial arts to train for and run in the Canadian Death Race in August. I will be attending my Kung Fu classes, home training, and incorporating more grappling  and sparring to build my core and cardio strength. This year of training my way will aid in preparing me to grade for my black belt in Kung Fu the following year (maybe). Squirm factor: aaaaaaccckkkkk!!!

I think the biggest thing for me is being okay doing what I love to do mainly because it comes so darned easy for me and it's fun. When I create something, it's like a toy box for me.  I've heard too long in my life that one has to work hard for something that you want. Why?? What if the "work" was actually easy and fun, would it be any less significant or meaningful or rewarding? What if the word "work" is actually meant to mean "be diligent at what you do so do it well"? I don't know the ultimate answer for this but I do know the meaning that works for me. For anything to be sustainable with me, it has to be have a large component of fun and when there is, there is no distinction between work and play. Breathe.....
Sherri Donohue
My Blog

Taking Things For Granted

How easy it is to take things for granted without even realizing.  Take this past week.  Winter arrives, thermometer starts to dive, want heat – push button to turn up furnace.  To my surprise, nothing happens.  Depending on something that has always been available and in working order and have it suddenly taken away, means adjustments need to be made (especially if your furnace guy is going to be a day and a half later). 

I have so many people and things in my life that, without meaning to, I just assume that they are always going to be there; and be there in working order.  This is everything from family, friends, health, time, the country we live in… and the list goes on.  People and things we care about and rely on can be taken away in a heartbeat.  Take the time to tell those around you how much they mean.  Be grateful for what you have and take every opportunity to bless others around you with kindness, love and time.

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

Done for another year

Budget meetings are done for another year. The first night there was 9 people in the gallery, 5 the next night and only 4 on the final night where all the additions and subtractions were made to the budget.

After it was all the dust settled, it came to a 11.55% increase. It sounds like a big increase but it works out to be $18.55 per month for an average house ($400,000 is the average price in our area).  For the last six years Council have been slowing increasing tax rates to provide services for the community but it wasn't enough to offset the 9 consecutive years of 0% prior to 2008.

There is nothing wrong with that philosophy, it was the direction and vision of that Council. I wanted to address the issues that I've heard most often, the deterioration of service levels and policing and public safety.  I'm glad that the rest of Council have heard the same message and we were able to add personnel to address these issues.

My hope is that we continue to provide the services our residents expect and deserve. It takes a lot of planning and vision to set up a municipality that will be sustainable into the future. http://wchoy74.blogspot.ca/2013/11/done-for-another-year.html?m=1