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Issue #1072
Including:

From Lauren

From Nova Scotia Sus

From Russ

The Ontarion

Hey There,

    I guess I should do an update on how my recovery from surgery back on November 3rd is coming along. So, in short, its coming very well. A longer version would include that I only used a walker for about the first week. During the second week I went from using crutches to get around to only using then when going up or down the stairs. By the third week I found I was no longer using them at all for walking around in the house or for the stairs. I was however told by the physio therapist to continue using crutches when walking outdoors as a slip and fall would be very bad and should be avoided. So to that end I do take them outside with me but tend to simply carry them. It is winter now and the street can be a bit slippery so I do use them a little bit for stability in slippery conditions. Did run into one problem with that…the rubber tips on crutches are make for solid dry floor and slip easily on ice and snow. So, we went into the local medical supply place and picked up a set of spikes that fasten to the crutches and can be flipped up or down as needed. That solved that problem, but basically, I’m walking fairly well without any assistance at all. I do tend to tire easily but that may just be an excuse for taking a nap. There, you are up to date. Oh, I figured out how to set the car and truck driver’s seat so that I can now drive while still protecting the hip angle so everything is coming along quite nicely. The only real issue now is that I tend to over-do things and end up paying for a few days with hurting joints and muscles. Then I must take it easy again and behave myself.

    That’s all I’ve got for this week but that’s ok because there is lots of good writing here from several of you guys to entertain and inform us. So, enjoy.

doug

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Lauren

Kyra - recital

    Kyra has always loved singing, you can always hear her singing in the house, car or just about anywhere! Sometimes it seems as if my car is a karaoke bar because Kyra & Olivia are fighting about what music I have to play & then belting it out at the top of their lungs along to their current favorite song or band. This got me thinking, because Kyra actually has a very lovely, mature voice for her age, but needed to to improve her vocal range & skills, so why not enroll her in singing lessons!

    I had seen a music academy across from her old daycare years ago, & decided to contact them, but the one reply I got was not very informative & when I tried calling, I left a message on their voicemail, however, nobody even bothered to call me back...go figure! I then decided to go online & see if I could find any other singing lessons (they seem basically non-existent in Maple Ridge), & came across a website for a young lady with her own home studio who has been in the "biz" for quite some time, so we arranged an introductory Zoom meeting with her to see if this was something Kyra wanted to pursue, & she seemed somewhat keen, so we decided we would try it for a few months & go from there.

    Kyra has now been in singing lessons since early summer is absolutely loving it & thriving! She has improved so much since her first lesson & this past weekend, the studio held it first of many Recitals (it is quite a new studio) which was held at a local church. When we got there, we picked up a program & I immediately noticed that Kyra's name was right at the end... what did that mean?! After watching all of the kids sing or perform piano or both, it was nearly Kyra's turn. The girl just before her was quite a bit older & I was wondering how her performance would be, I thought she might be a really good singer because she was older than Kyra & had probably been singing for a while, but it was pretty mediocre & her voice was softer than the background music that was playing.

    It was now Kyra's turn & my heart was beating so hard in my chest, I thought it would jump out... I was so nervous for Kyra, I didn't want to look directly at her in case she froze because she has never done anything like this before, but boy, did she hit it out the park! I now know why she was scheduled last, because she was the strongest performer of the day! She had a really good voice & was only slightly off key in a few areas, but she didn't hesitate & sang her little heart out! I was so beyond proud of her! After the recital was over, she asked me if she was going to stay in singing lessons, I told her that it was her choice & she said yes, because they are fun!

    Doug has uploaded a video recording of her singing at the recital, & I found a video of her singing when she was only 3 years old along with Doug playing his guitar in Ryan's home studio just to show how much she has always loved singing & how far she has come!

Another talented Brubacher singer has joined the ranks!
Kyra sings ‘Breakaway’

Kyra at age 3, just for comparison (just a few seconds of this recording)
3yr old Krya singing

Lauren

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Nova Scotia Sus

    I also have a crow story. Years ago when we first moved to Nova Scotia we made friends with a crow. My Dad named him Sam and my brothers preferred Reb. After awhile my Dad got a job transfer to St Catherine's, Ontario. So we packed up the car with 6 kids 2 parents 2 cats a dog and a crow. Yes the crow moved too. We settled in a small house on a fruit farm near Niagara On The Lake Ontario. The crow settled in nicely. Mom used to have trouble hanging clothes on the line as Reb would be always a couple of clothespins ahead of her. Also Reb would hide shinny objects on the roof if anything was dropped on the ground such as cigarette lighters.

    Things started to go wrong when my brothers and I got jobs picking fruit on nearby farms. Reb would follow us and then take a peck out of the fruit. The farmer sent us home with a warning to fence up the crow. We did build a huge pen on the side of an old shed. Our neighbour also complained that when Reb was loose it would leave footprints all over his newly washed car. Sadly we weren't sure who did it but someone shot our crow. We all cried for days even Mom and Dad.

As far as covid goes we are all recovering and now testing negative. Thank goodness!

Sus

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Russ

Old home remedies (onward)

    The 'enema' : From time-to-time we kids were 'forced' to submit to the dreaded enema, usually because we were "bunged up". This story is about my 'second enema'. Mom had me pinned-down on her lap in the same position as a spanking - you know, bare bottom, 'sunny-side-up' - totally helpless, completely vulnerable! All's ready; the hot water bottle hanging upside-down from a hook way up on the top of the kitchen door, with a length of tubing extended down to a clamp held firmly in mom's strong hand. The hot water bottle is filled with salt-water (least irritating), or Epsom salt-water (more effective at relaxing bowel muscles - but who can relax?)

    The reason I'm writing about my 'second enema' is because my first one didn't take, and mom did me over again - it didn't soften the stool because I couldn't 'hold it' long enough. This one, my second enema, maybe a year later, (the retention mode), she's trying to make me hold it for 15minutes! (Like that's going to happen!)

Long before Engleberd Humperdink recorded his famous song;

    "Please release me, let me go,

    For I don't love you anymore,

    To waste our life would be a sin

    Release me and let me love again"

My plea to mom was;

    Please release me, let me go

    for I don't want this anymo',

    to waste our life would be a sin,

    release me, and let's be friends agin'

All of which was to no avail; the torture began; water too hot! Drop too great! Too much - too soon!

"STOP! STOP" I cried as she held me tight on her lap, holding my wee bum cheeks tightly closed.

"PLEASE release me!" again I pleaded. Finally, she let me 'hit the pot' nearby, and guess what? SUCCESS!

*

    Nowadays, one can purchase 'over-the- counter' Sodium phosphate for enemas. But, they all work the same as old home remedies like: soap suds; adding Castile soap, or other mild soap with minimal additives, to warm water, which irritates the bowel, encouraging the rapid release of stool. And, if you want to get real fancy, lemon juice mixed with warm water balances your PH while cleaning your colon. Even apple cider vinegar will do the trick, and may have antiviral healing effects on your digestive system. While on the subject of 'constipation', up until my wife died, we used to chew senna leaves, an herb that irritates the bowel lining. We stopped as it was too harsh (no, that's no what killed my wife) Now, I use prunes.

*

    Last week we wrote about the magic of the poultice, and Rose Mary forwarded my report to Judy Wiens who replied that Judy's grandmother Mary, applied an onion poultice to her daughter, Mable (Judy's mom) as a child, and then "ate the onions!". I've never tried it, but people also make a poultice from cabbage, carrot, clay, garlic, and potatoes.

    My mom (Emma), and her sisters, Irene, Mable, and Edna were "cut-ups" (always clowning around when they were young) That's why we loved them so, and have such fond memories of the 'girls'!

*

    Next week (God willing) it would be interesting to hear from you, our readers, about old home remedies you have tried, or are still using. Here are some topics: Salt-water gargle for a sore throat; raw ginger for nausea; tea bags (used/cooled) for bags under your eyes; Camphor oil to relieve respiratory congestion. (A fitting remedy during the present spike in respiratory ailments in children, and the shortage of 'children's medication); honey for coughs.

    Caution! Don't give honey to children under one year with a cough - it'll make them gassy and they'll FART!!

Uncle Russ.

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The Ontarion

Hello everyone!

    Well, the excitement keeps on a coming! This morning I was awakened by someone standing at the end of my bed and they appeared to be looking out of our bedroom window at something! As it turned out, I was right, it was someone, it was Carole! She had noticed in the dark of our bedroom that there were bright lights flashing across the room. She got out of bed and looked out the window at the plaza that’s up the side street at the corner of Westheights and Driftwood drives. So of course I had to get up and take a look as well. It turned out to be an ambulance and a couple of police cars and it was only 6am! We still don’t know what was going on but lately there have been group fights and break ins at that plaza so most likely there was another altercation of some kind and someone must have gotten injured! We’ll have to watch the local news this evening to see what was happening up at the corner.

    I’m telling you this city is turning into a mini Toronto with all the shootings and knifings lately! The police reported that they’ve had 15 knifings lately in the KW area. This area of Kitchener has become a hot bed for violent crimes lately. What with the police responding to assaults with weapons and even the odd murder! Most of the problems seem to be on the south side of Ottawa St where the housing is crammed into large town house developments! Sad to say that’s the sort of housing that attracts the lesser decent and troublesome sort of inhabitants! We’ve lived in this house for 24 years now and it’s just the past few years that we’ve seen an upsurge of this sort of activity around the neighbourhood! With easy access to the local expressway and also the 401, it makes it easy for the criminals from out of town to enter Kitchener to commit robberies etc and then leave town once their dirty deeds are done! The regional police are working with all of the other police forces between KW and Toronto trying to put a stop to these sorts of violent crimes and are having some success in solving them but they can’t get a handle on all of them! Unfortunately, this Region now seems to be an easy target for such activity! Hopefully it won’t get any worse in the future but with the huge growth of Waterloo Region and the influx of out of towners, we’re going to be subject to more and more of this sort of violent crime! I think it’s time to put the house up for sale and move to a slightly distant community from Kitchener! We’ll have to give that some thought and consideration in the near future!

I’m going to go down stairs to watch the local news now and see if they have a report on this mornings plaza goings on!

That’s about all for this week folks!

Thanks for tuning in and please stay safe!

I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next week in The Ontarion Report!

Bye for now…. Greg

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