I confess that I am an habitual "To Do Lister." I usually start my day, trying to organize my thoughts and the list gets me focused and ready to tackle the coming challenges. That and a cup of coffee has me energized and optimistic. Fast forward to the end of the day, however, and my mood is often much different. Checking that list at day's end frequently has me feeling ineffectual and annoyed with myself as I mark items to be transferred to tomorrow's list.

Well we really set ourselves up this time (no pun intended)! I mean who in their right mind would think that a topic so broad and so fraught with a multitude of possible interpretations could be dealt with in one measly monthly challenge? Apparently we did, and let me tell you, we suffered for it....of course there was no physical pain involved but the mental anguish was almost unspeakable. Okay, I exaggerate slightly but this challenge was really hard. And so it came to pass that after much discussion, we decided to focus on how we use our time in the morning

Several years ago while on a camping vacation, my world was "slightly jostled" when I realized I was the only family member who was rested, refreshed and ready for an active day. Everyone else it seemed was tired, grumpy and somewhat apathetic. What was the reason for this unfortunate situation, you ask? Well, I had experienced a deep and peaceful night's sleep while the other family members had been subjected to an overnight "cricket chorus" that apparently went on for some hours.

When my daughter was born, I was ready with what I considered to be the perfect name. It could be "massaged" to a shortened version suitable for a young girl (Lexy) and later morph into a mature sounding name indicative of a young adult (Alexa). I was so proud of myself for settling on such a versatile and unique name. In my opinion the Saras, Nicoles and Jennifers of the world couldn't hold a candle to my original, brilliant choice. Little did I know that 30 years later my bubble would burst....no, it would actually explode.

Mom wasn't a "whiz" in the kitchen. She tried hard but her failures outnumbered her successes on a regular basis. In that regard, she was a victim of circumstances. She had a brood of five to feed on a daily basis, a husband whose standards were beyond the pale and no social media to offer a plethora of recipes and ideas to make meals delicious and exciting. Each day of the week had its set menu. Saturday was Hockey Night in Canada and steaks, Sunday was a full roast beef dinner and Monday was left over beef and gravy miraculously morphing into roast beef hash. You get the picture.

Like many of our generation, reading the obituaries is a regular occurrence....a daily ritual of sorts. Doing so, offers inspiration and encourages self contemplation. It perhaps provides a template for writing the inevitable obituary for loved ones and it prompts us to consider the content of our own obituary when the time comes.

I recently celebrated a landmark birthday and I am now feeling “officially old.” Up until now, birthdays have never bothered me much, but this one stopped me cold. I can no longer deny to myself or others that I am “aging” and to say that I was shocked and depressed about the situation is a bit of an understatement! Once I had a glass of wine and thought things over, however, I came to the only possible conclusion: There was of course, nothing I could do about it. You can’t beat Mother Nature, so there was no recourse but to put on my big girl panties and try to make…