At Home in Hespeler

I apologize, but some times life and blogging are a bad pairing. Anything happen while I was away from my computer?

My mother came to the end of, as Ronald Reagan put it,  “the journey that will lead… into the sunset of my life.” Alzheimer’s is a nasty disease. It robs the memory first of friends, then of loved ones. It continues on to every aspect of your life, until you don’t know who you are. By journeys end your body relies on muscle memory to breathe and eat. Eventually, too, that gives way. Mom could no longer swallow, and passed away into the sunset a couple of weeks ago.

Respects may be paid with a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society, if any so chooses.

Sad news often is accompanied by some measure of it’s opposite number. So it is in this case that a band I have been working on putting together for the last year played it’s first show a couple of weeks ago. If you’ve never done it you have no way of knowing how much time is involved in getting something like this going. It’s taken a pile of my creative energy, especially the last few weeks before we played.

And finally, if this were a normal year I would be signing off for the month of July. I’m not sure I’ve done it every year, but it’s been close. Because things were so light in June, I may post the occasional thing this month, including some pictures I have ready in the hopper.  But otherwise I will be taking the usual July hiatus. Hey, if Mark Steyn can do it.

Regular blogging will resume in August.

Blog Administration alzheimer's, Mark Steyn, Mom, Ronald Reagan

You see it every summer, some person undergoing  a physical trial to raise money for a favourite charity. Terry Fox and Rick Hansen come to mind, Fox raising funds for cancer research, Hansen for Spinal Cord injury.  But beyond the celebrated cases, many ordinary engage in trial to raise funds for a good cause. Whether it’s baking cookies to send a deceased bakery employee’s brother to college, a motorcycle ride for big brothers and big sisters or a bike ride, sans motor, to raise money for African wells. In my own sphere of friends and family I know of somebody who did the ride to conquer cancer and another who did the relay for life.

When I read that Liberal Party executive director Rocco Rossi is kayaking the Rideau from Kingston to Ottawa to raise funds, my immediate reaction was good for him. So, who’s Rossi raising money for? Perhaps Breast Cancer (he could use a pink canoe)? Alzheimer’s research (a cause near and dear to my heart)? child amputees? No, no and no. Liberal Party executive director Rocco Rossi is Kayaking the Rideau canal from Kingston to Ottawa to raise money for… The Liberal Party.

Not Rocco Rossi

Starting July 23rd, follow me as I paddle from Kingston to Ottawa, raising funds to help make Michael Ignatieff Canada’s 23rd prime minister. If you can’t meet me along the way, you can still support the adventure by donating $23, multiples of $23, or asking 23 friends to donate, join the Party, or volunteer between now and the next election. Use your imagination, the sky is the limit! —Rocco

Pity Rocco couldn’t use his position to raise money for a real cause. Pity he doesn’t see that he’s officially competing for  funds with various charities around the Province. But we all know he believes electing his friend to a position of absolute power will cure cancer, and the rest of the worlds ills. All, and everybody, will be well, just so long as a Liberal is in charge.

Personally, I respect the physical act he’s performing, and think it’s worth something. Rocco Rossi wants $23 for his efforts, I am going to send $23 to the Alzheimers Society of Cambridge as soon as Rocco completes his journey.

Silly Liberals alzheimer's, Kayak, Liberal Party, relay for life, Ride to conquer cancer, Rideau Canal, Rocco Rossi