September 2021 Newsletter: Renewed Hope

My husband Steve and I had an amazing visit with our son Aaron last month. Aaron worked at Canfor paper mill in Prince George over the summer. The drive was beautiful, and it was relaxing to get away for a few days adventuring north.

It was lovely to meet his friends and fellow members of Generation Z/Zoomers. I was in awe over their excitement and positive outlook. They are passionate and their commitment for a better world made me feel good about the future.

I also had the opportunity to meet some of the UNBC Timber Wolves Women’s Soccer team. These talented women are fuelled with ambition and desire. It was exciting to hear their aspirations, dreams and goals of what they would like to do when they graduate.

It is imperative that we give them a better world; which means you and I must continue to care and preserve to make our world better for Generation Z, Generation Alpha and beyond.

I left Prince George with renewed hope that you and I can create a better world for our future generations to come.

While we were driving home from Prince George, my husband Steve and I were caught in a mudslide. Our Toyota FJ went airborne and it felt like we were in a washing machine.

When our vehicle finally came to a stop, we both stepped out of the car. Immediately, the knee-deep mud rushed around me as the fast flowing mud flow filled with rocks and logs. My left ankle was quickly buried in rocks and logs. I could not move. My husband, a transport truck driver and I began digging into the mud and pulling out rocks and small logs that had lodged my foot in the mud. After lots of digging, my leg was released and we all got out to the side of the road, behind the barrier. It was a harrowing experience and I was filled with fear and panic.

Traffic that day was exceptionally heavy as the Coquihalla Highway was closed due to the wildfires in British Columbia. Soon a long line of vehicles began forming. There was no available cell service and it was pouring rain in the dark. And we all waited. As the waiting game began, a huge sense of community and care began to grow.

Image via CTV News

Everyone was out of the vehicles and inquiring if everyone is ok, asking each other if they were ok and if they needed water to drink. One transport truck driver offered up the popcorn that his wife had packed for his snack.

Listening to the transport truckers, and everyone was trying to get on their phones for help. Doug, a transport driver, was on his phone trying to reach his wife to let her know what was going on. Doug was heading North and showed me a picture of his wife on his phone.

When we were chatting, Doug said to me that another transport truck beside us missed hitting us by inches and that driver was damn good, he could see him trying to avoid hitting our vehicle.

Doug shared stories from his years on the road. He has encountered avalanches, hazards and accidents. Other transport truckers were stressed due to the delay to their deliveries. I had renewed respect for all these drivers who clock all those miles carrying and delivering cargo, livestock, food, fruits and vegetables and goods.

I saw brotherhood amongst these drivers, they cared and supported each other throughout the night.

An off-duty RCMP officer, Kat Robinson, who was behind our truck, offered to let me sit in her car and out of the rain (despite being covered in mud). She offered me water, a clean sweatshirt and rain jacket. We waited out of the rain for a bit with her new puppy who could sense something was not right.

The kindness and care amongst the drivers and passengers who had all gathered was beautiful. A couple from a second mudslide further down the highway came by with a huge water jug to offer up water for anyone who needed it. Food, water, and care circulated among those of us waiting for help.

An hour later, the first RCMP on site told us that this would take days to clear. Cars and trucks that could turn around and map a different route or stay the night in Cache Creek did that, while most truckers decided to stay put with their trucks. Steve chose to stay with our car too.

Constable Kat offered to drive me to Cache Creek and get a room at the hotel for the night while Steve waited at the scene for a tow truck. Doug offered Steve the upper bunk for the night to get out of the rain and wait safely out of the slide area. Just as I was about to leave with Kat, the tow truck arrived within the next hour and our vehicle was pulled out of the slide.

The instant I met Constable Kat, I knew that she had my back. She promised to ensure I get a room that night. The city of Golden, BC is blessed with Constable Kat Robinson.

Everyone was safe that night. Doug told me that I will be telling this story to others for the rest of my days and as Aaron puts it: “Mom, it’s part of having an adventuresome life”!

Desks play a huge role in our work life, whether we go into the office, work from home or study. Our desks should allow for flexibility and ideally, give us the option to stand while at work. With some simple and easy adjustments, we can implement a healthier way of working.

Humans did not evolve to sit for long periods of time. Chairs only became part of the working lifestyle very recently in human history. In 1797, a Presbyterian Minister name Job Orton advised that:

“It must therefore be your resolute care to keep your body as upright as possible when you read and write; never stoop your head nor bend your breast. To prevent this, you should get a standing desk.”

Humans were made to move. Sitting for extended periods at your desk can considerably reduce some of the risks associated with it, obesity, weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes. Many studies have demonstrated that it considerably improves your work satisfaction as well.

Five Benefits of a Standing Desk

1. High Energy - Studies demonstrate that by standing, you can reduce workplace fatigue. This will improve your performance at work and keep your spirits high!
2. Cuts Cals - Standing burns more calories than sitting. Additionally, many choose to incorporate standing desk exercises into their daily routine.
3. Stop the Spike - A studies show that you can reduce the sugar spike after lunch by 43% by standing for three hours after the meal. This helps you lower your blood sugar levels.
4. Improved Circulation - When we stand we have a better blood flow compared to when you are sitting. Standing upright improves your circulation.
5. Pain Reduction - With a desk bound job, we sometimes get back and neck pain from forcing our body into awkward positions for long periods of time. Standing reduces neck and back pain.

I am in my tenth year of using a stand-up desk, both at the office and home. I stand approximately 10 hours a day. That’s 3,650 hours of standing per year, that I could have been sitting.

The ergonomic design of stand-up desks help improve your posture and puts you in a better mood and increases your energy. “Sitting is the New Smoking” according to medical journals due to the ill effects of too much sitting. Support your own health by making the transition.

We are always asked what is appropriate for sympathy gifts and what to say for the loss of a dear one.

In times of grief and death, the tradition of sending flowers is still the most popular practice. But what if you want to send something different to show your support, something meaningful that will last beyond the funeral?

Most people in grief are not interested in eating a proper meal. Show your thoughtfulness and care by sending them a hamper of fresh fruit or food items to keep them nourished and to provide much-needed energy. In Indian cultures, grieving families do not cook any meals in the home of the departed as it is believed to be disrespectful to light a stove before the cremation. So sending a food basket is a welcome idea.

If, as a close friend, you have many photos of the departed or you can gather more from friends and sites like Facebook, consider putting together an album or photo book. The family would surely be happy to have another beautiful keepsake to help during their time of loss.

Offer the gift of yourself by helping with the laundry and cleaning. Walk their pets, give rides to appointments or run errands, sometimes just stopping by to listen can help.

Children who may be affected directly by the death can often feel forgotten with all the attention around the preparations of a funeral. A small gift can remind them that you are thinking of them. Keep in mind the age and interest of the child when selecting a gift. A stuffed animal to cuddle for comfort, a journal for them to express their thoughts and feelings, colouring and activity books, music or DVDs to occupy themselves when everyone else is busy are all easy ideas that will let a child know they are being loved.

Here are some of our top-selling gifts:

Enjoy Autumn
All my very best,