Author: Laurie Swinton

Blogger, writer, interested in communications, social media, lakeside living
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Explore a National Park

acadia national park beach at sunset
Exploring the tide pools at sunset outside Seawall campground, Acadia National park

Yesterday we returned home from two weeks down east. We spent time in Quebec City, Halifax, Nova Scotia and Maine. By far, our favourite days were exploring our continent’s beautiful national parks.

In the United States, the National Park Service is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The first National Park in the United States was Yellowstone in Wyoming. In Canada, our national park system is even older—the first national park established in Canada was Banff National Park in 1885. Dave and I have been to both of these remarkable places and I encourage you to go.

On this trip, we explored three national parks—Kouchibougouac National Park in New Brunswick, Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia and Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island in Maine.

ocean inlet
Inlet at Kouchibougouac National Park in New Brunswick

On our last night camping in Acadia, we went to a talk given by the park ranger called “National Treasures: the story of our national parks”. The reasons why these unique places were preserved was because a select few people, visionaries, recognized the importance of preserving these important ecosystems while at the same time, making them accessible to people to enjoy for generations to come.

The park ranger asked an interesting question. What if one hundred years ago, these same people had designated Niagara Falls a national park? How different would that landscape and experience be? It was a theme Dave and I discussed several times this trip after visiting places like Peggy’s Cove, a quaint fishing village now overrun with tour buses and tourists.

This week’s #HappyAct is to explore a national park. Pitch a tent and gaze at the stars or just explore for a day. See why these incredible places have been designated national treasures and commune with nature.

Instead of trying to describe these magical places in words, I’ll share their beauty in pictures.

If you go with kids: both our national parks and the U.S. park service has a “junior rangers” program where kids are given a booklet and encouraged to answer questions about the park’s attractions. In Canada, Clare collected dog tags at each national park and historic site we visited—in the U.S. they give out badges for junior rangers who complete their booklets.

Ed. note: In the U.S., Niagara Falls was a state park but was designated by Congress in 2008 as a National Heritage Area. In Canada, the Niagara Parks Commission was formed to preserve Niagara’s beauty.

cabot trail view
Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Highlands National Park
ocean bluffs
The bluffs at White Point, Cape Breton, one of the most beautiful spots on earth
ocean views
On the road to White Point
mountain view
Panoramic from the top of Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park
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Lavish praise not criticism

flowers bloomingThe world needs more praise and less criticism.

If you’re a parent, you know the power of praise. Praise is like the warmth of the sun that nourishes and helps the petals of a flower unfold. Criticism will cause the flower to shrivel up and die.

This week’s Happy Act is to praise someone. Your child. Your partner. A co-worker. Tell them what a great job they’ve done then watch them blossom and grow.

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Write your own valedictory speech

Girl in grad dress with her grandfather
Grace with her grandfather at her graduation

A couple of weeks ago, I had the honour of hearing Grace deliver the valedictory address at her grade 8 graduation. I am so proud of the beautiful, smart funny person she has become. But I was especially proud because of what she shared that night and how brave she was.

Her words were insightful. She reflected on her classmate’s accomplishments, and spoke with hope and optimism about the future. I think we all need to take a moment for this kind of reflection especially at important milestones in our lives.

This week’s #HappyAct is to write your own valedictory address. Reflect on your accomplishments and look ahead and envision your future. Here’s Grace’s speech.

“Ladies and gentleman, fellow students. At this school, we come here for one reason and one reason only, and that is to learn. I have been at Prince Charles since I was in Junior Kindergarten and I’ve had my ups and downs, but overall, this school has helped me to find myself as well as my future.

Every person in this world is smart, whether it is sports, academics or leadership. Every person in this world is smart no matter how you describe it and I’m sure all the parents of the graduates are proud of what they have accomplished in life as a student as well as a person.

Tonight we are celebrating the first chapter in every graduate’s life. On our first day of high school next year we will be starting a new chapter, a new journey and a new way of life. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has made our first chapter incredible—parents, teachers, family, friends, principals, vice-principals and many more.

We have created so many memories in the first chapter. The one memory I’ll never forget is coming second in the girls basketball tournament a few years back. Even though we lost in the finals, we still worked together as a team and we had such a great day.

I can still remember when some of the graduates didn’t know how to tie their shoes and now they are maturing into adults. Even this year as a class, we have created so many memories, such as playing a good game of Dr. Dodgeball in class, our year-end field trip to Canada’s Wonderland or the St. Lawrence Cooking program that we participated in earlier this year. These are all memories that we will never forget.

We all have challenges that we need to face in life, but when we do face them, it makes us stronger, better people. When I was three, I was diagnosed with autism and I had a lot of trouble making friends when I was younger, but I dealt with it because we have to face our challenges in life.

Life is a path and we have to choose our own way. May you always choose the right path. Thank you.”

Copyright Grace Swinton 2016

 

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Wage war on summer’s tormentors

deer flies on hatI am Canadian. I live in the woods. But I have never, and will never make peace with bugs.

You’ve heard me say before it’s a cruel joke that when the weather gets nice, the bugs get brutal. First it’s blackflies, then mosquitoes, and then the scumbugs of the insect world, the dreaded deer fly.

When it comes to bugs, I choose to go on the offensive. Bug zappers are an effective weapon for mosquitoes, but not for deer and horse flies. No siree, when it comes deer flies, you have to unleash summer’s secret weapon: the deer fly patch.

If you’ve never used a deer fly patch before, let me educate you. It’s a sticky strip of tape that you attach to the back of your hat. When the deer fly lands on your hat, bam, you got him! He sticks to the strip like glue. You can even watch him trying to lift his spindly legs and see the look of panic in his beady little eyes when he knows his buzzing days are over.

On our nightly walks, we make it a contest—who can capture the most deer flies with one strip. I beat Clare this week with lucky thirteen, but there was one time when I came back with 23 deer flies on my hat after a long canoe trip. That’s my all-time record.

This week’s #HappyAct is to get a deer fly patch, or share your favourite weapon of bug destruction. I’m curious whether anyone has tried those high end bug zappers at Canadian Tire. Do they work? We need to stick together and share intelligence in the war against bugs. Leave a comment.

deer fly strip package

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Stand tall and sing our national anthem

 

This past week, the world watched in shock as Great Britain voted to exit the European Union. While I respect the right of Britons to decide their fate, I can’t help but feel the world has taken a giant step back. Back to the days of blind nationalism and isolationism, movements that in the past have sparked global conflicts.

Brexit coincided with two national holidays here in Canada—St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec and Canada Day. I am proud to be Canadian and on Canada Day, I will celebrate this great country and wear our cherished red and white with nationalistic pride.

But here’s the funny thing about nationalism. It has a dual meaning, a dark and a light side. In its most purest, good form, nationalism is a display of love—a patriotic love for your country. But its dark side evokes a very different meaning and emotion, the emotion of hate since it can also be defined as an extreme form of patriotism, often marked by a feeling of superiority over other countries.

I would like to think that in Canada, we are pure in our nationalism. But I’m not that naïve. Some day, and with the Brexit vote, that some day could be sooner than we think, the dark side of nationalism will rear its ugly head again in this country and the separatists in Quebec will resume the call for Quebec to separate. I hope when that day comes, we have more sense.

What is so very, very sad, is it doesn’t have to be a choice. You can be a nationalist while still forging unions and partnerships.

This week’s #HappyAct is to celebrate with purity in your heart this national holiday.

Stand tall and sing the national anthem. Wear red and white with pride. Drown your pancakes in maple syrup. Say eh?, and then beg someone’s pardon.

As Chris and Dave Hadfield wrote in their great anthem to Canada, we are, after all “politely Canadian”. Hopefully that will keep us together.

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Discover your Ultimate Attitude Adjuster

lillies at the lakeThere are some weeks when Friday can’t come fast enough. This was one of them.

That’s when you need to rely on your UAA: Ultimate Attitude Adjuster. I discovered mine 13 years ago when we moved to this house.

Mine goes something like this. I walk in the door around 6 p.m. The house is empty but I can hear squeals and laughter at the lake. I grab my bathing suit off the back deck railing, a bag of chips and a cold beer or cooler from the fridge. I head straight to the lake and after three or four sips, dive head first into the cold water. Within minutes, the stressors of the week wash off of me and dissipate in the ripples of the water, and life is good again.

Living on a lake has become a huge part of my work life balance. No matter how bad a work day we’ve had, Dave and I know we can always come home to our Ultimate Attitude Adjuster, a plunge into our beautiful spring-fed lake.

This week’s #HappyAct is to find or share your UAA. How do you destress after a busy week? Leave a comment.

Ed. note: Even though we live on a lake, I’ve discovered we have a sad lack of fish and dock pictures in our archive, so I’m sharing two shots I took at the lake this weekend that I like. The frog was cool–he was kind of a mutant and looked like he was half frog with green on the top and half toad, with brown on the bottom. I’ll save the snake videos for another week, just for you Jessica Schonewille!

frog

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Be a brand advocate–a love letter to TD bank

TD BankIn the past few years, I’ve become a huge brand advocate for TD Bank. The main reason is I love the people at my branch—they’re friendly, professional, always easy going and helpful, and it’s just a lovely place to do business.

I wasn’t always a fan. Ten years ago I bashed the big banks, but TD slowly won me over with their excellent service, friendly staff and convenient services.

I like they little things they do, like giving out doggie treats to dogs and free cake on customer appreciation days. I love my TD Travel VISA and the convenience of my chequing and VISA accounts and online banking. Whenever I’ve had to call any of their call centres, their people have been terrific.

I’m also impressed by how much TD supports small and big causes. They set up a table in my local branch for a local business to showcase their work each month, and they do great work to support the environment.

I’m such a brand advocate now that even when they do things I don’t like or make a mistake, I don’t mind. A few years ago, they jacked up the rates on safety deposit boxes. I know this isn’t the business they want to be in, and they gave me lots of notice so I was fine with that. I’m even OK with most service fees because I appreciate the services I’m getting and I know they have to make money.

This week’s Happy Act is to be a brand advocate for a product or service you love. Like their Facebook page or write a nice comment online, but make it personal, too. I tell the people who work at my TD branch all the time how great they are and how much I appreciate their service. It doesn’t have to be a big brand, it could be your local pizza joint (George and Mary at Bubba’s Pizza in Kingston—you’re the best!)

And TD, if you’re as good as I think you are, let’s see if you’re one of the first to comment on this post.

 

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Give the gift of happy and make someone’s day

mug, notebook, platterThis Mother’s Day, I received a very special present from Clare. It was the gift of Happy. A bright yellow mug with a smile on it, a yellow notepad that said “I’m so happy”, a pretty platter that said “Today I will make magic happen” and a cheery notebook with “Sunshine is instant happiness” on the cover. It made my day.

As parents, we hope we do right by our children. Teach them right from wrong. Be a good role model. Be kind. Lend a hand. But most times you wonder if your kids hear anything you say, let alone learn from you.

Case in point. For the past three months, I’ve been asking the kids to take their breakfast plate and cup and put it in the dishwasher instead of the sink. Have they listened to me and done it? No. But I know one day they will shock the h-e-double hockey sticks out of me and the dishes will miraculously start appearing in the dishwasher instead of the sink. That’s just how it works with kids.

My kids don’t read this blog. The odd time they’ll check it out when they know I’ve written something about them. Dave is a regular reader, but I think it’s more to check up on what I’m saying about our family than for his own pleasure. But when I got that beautiful gift of happy for Clare for Mother’s Day, it made me feel like maybe, just maybe a little part–the best part of me–was rubbing off on my daughters. It was a double dose of happiness.

This week’s #HappyAct is to give a happy gift. For all you Moms and kids out there wondering what to buy your child’s teacher for an end-of-school-year present, or Dad for Father’s Day, give the gift of happy.

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Pamper yourself

The magn
The magnificent stone fireplace at the Chateau Montebello

As I shared last week, lately my batteries have been running dangerously low. Luckily, after two Fridays off and some precious down time, I’m now feeling a bit more like my old self again.

This weekend, Dave and I splurged and went for an overnight getaway, sans kids to the Chateau Montebello, in Montebello, Quebec. The largest log lodge in North America, the glory days of the Chateau are clearly in its past, but it was still charming in all its grandeur and brimming with history.

Built in only three months in the 1930’s, the Chateau has hosted world leaders and celebrities. Adjacent to its grounds is the Manoir Papineau, home to Louis-Joseph Papineau, the leader of the rebellion in Lower Canada in 1837. Both the Chateau and the Manoir are on the banks of the Ottawa river, a quiet oasis from the hubbub of Montreal and Gatineau.

Chateau MontebelloWe NEVER do this, but for the first time ever, Dave and I booked spa treatments on a weekend getaway. I had a facial and a rice body polish. Dave had his first massage ever.

After 90 minutes of pure heaven, I sat on the balcony of the spa overlooking the river trying to remember the last time I felt this way. I was so relaxed, I literally couldn’t get up–it felt like my bum was glued to the seat. I pried my newly polished torso from the chair and headed back to our room to meet Dave for dinner.

It turned out being pampered was a family affair this weekend. When we arrived the next day to pick up the kids from Dave’s sisters in Westport, I found Clare on her massage table. Maryanne, a registered esthetician who runs The Pampered Ladybug out of her house, gave both the girls pedicures and Clare a manicure.

This week’s #HappyAct is to pamper yourself—get away for a night, book a massage (check your health insurance—if you go to a registered massage therapist, there’s a good chance your benefits might cover the cost) or treat yourself to something you normally never would do. You deserve it.

girl getting a pedicure
Clare getting a pedicure from The Pampered Ladybug
painted toenails
The final results
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8 things to do on the May two-four to recharge your batteries

pig roast
Make a day trip to The Day of the Pig in Parham–the hoppin’ place to be on Sunday

The May two-four. The first official long weekend of summer. Since our family rarely goes away in the winter months, I find the Victoria Day weekend a lifesaver. It’s the first real chance after a long winter with no vacation to recharge our batteries. And I don’t know about you, but my batteries were running dangerously low before this weekend.

Whether you’re camping, cottaging or just enjoying time at home, my happy act this weekend is for you to enjoy the weekend to the fullest.

Here are eight things you can do to recharge your batteries on the May two-four

  1. Drink alcohol. Alcohol is known to be a great stress reliever. My favourite bevies of choice on the long weekend are a cooler on the dock, beer—any beer, any time, or a nice glass of red wine before dinner with appetizers on the back deck
  2. Take a cat nap in a lawn chair
  3. Plant some flowers
  4. Sleep in every day. Don’t make any plans before 10 a.m.
  5. Get out on the water—go for a kayak, fish or take a Thousand Islands cruise and enjoy the sun shimmering on the water
  6. The best part about long weekends is they give you a bonus day. Use it to the fullest by planning a special outing. If you’re in the Kingston area, why not head up to Seed to Sausage and The Day of the Pig in Central Frontenac today—an old fashioned pig roast with live music and artisanal cheese and beer makers from across Eastern Ontario to tantalize your taste buds.
  7. Watch some fireworks
  8. Do nothing at all. Sit. Relax. Watch the world go by. Just enjoy being.

This week’s #HappyAct is to enjoy this first glorious long weekend of the summer to the fullest. Have a great long weekend everyone.