Your "Smart" House

Just when a person thinks technology has gone as far as it possibly can and there just cannot be anything new to develop and create, a trade show is held which proves us wrong.  There are many new things just around the corner, which we will find incredible at first and will be unable to live without six months later, just as we do with every new electronic gizmo and gadget that comes out.

               In a few short years, you will be brushing your teeth and decide to check your calendar to see what your day holds in store for you.  A tap on your mirror will bring up your calendar.  Sitting down at a laptop will be old-school.  As computers get smaller and screens more flexible, it will be possible to have alternative screens everywhere.  Almost any flat surface in your house will be inter-active.   Windows, wall and even appliances will have a computer brain with a connection to the internet and will be “smart” – much like our “smart” phones of today.  I’m not making this stuff up!  Steve Clayton is the editor of the “Next at Microsoft blog” and he assures readers that this and more is on its way into our homes.

               What else is Mr. Clayton talking about?  Well, how about a camera which is embedded in the door and has facial recognition?  This will make house keys a thing of the past.  This system will let you dog in and out, but not your neighbor’s pets.   If a family members brings someone home (ie. your daughter brings that “cute boy” home), the house will text a message to you and you can decide your next course of action.

               My favorite “coming soon item” is something which will replace bar codes used in stores now.  It is called RFID (radio frequency identification).  The tags will emit a radio signal and will be able to be read from a short distance.  So, you will be able to place items in a cart at your favorite store and simply walk out of the door.  A RFID scanner will read the tags as you leave and charge your credit card.  This technology will also be available for your home.  For example, by adding a scanner to your fridge, you can immediately know what is in inside.  In fact, medical labs already use this technology.   The tags are coming down in price very quickly and predictions are that we will soon be using RFID tags. 

               I remember watching the Jetsons on TV, those cartoon characters who lived in the future.  In their futuristic world they had many marvelous inventions, which we knew could never really be created in real life.  It turns out we were wrong and that  we are able to live like the Jetsons,  and maybe even better than they did.  

               So, bring on the future!  I can’t wait to try out all the new offerings.  I wonder, though, if they will ever invent a way for the dishes to empty themselves out of the dishwasher into the cupboard?   Looking forward to living like the Jetson Family  . . . it’s a good thing!

The River Lot

Nel and I have been friends for as long as I remember. Our families were friends before we were even born.  My mother’s family farm was next to Nel’s father’s.  My dad was friends with her uncle.  Although we lived on different sides of the river and went to school in different towns, somehow we became friends as young girls and the friendship has lasted all these years.  So it was that Nel and her husband asked me to be godmother to their son (admittedly, it was the fourth child, but they did finally get around to asking me).  They asked Nel’s brother, Terry, to be the godfather – and the gloves were off.  For over twenty years, we competed for the affection of our godson.

The competition began almost as soon as we accepted the honour of being godparents.  At his baptism, we fought over who would hold him during the ceremony– I did, for most of the ceremony, but then Terry insisted on holding him too.  We competed over who bought the most gifts – I did.  We fought over who visited him the most often – he did.  Terry accused me of trying to buy our godson’s affection with gifts.  I accused him of trying to turn our godson against me with all his visits. We had several discussions over which was more important: gifts or visits.  He insisted that gifts were an easy way out of taking the time to visit; I accused him of being cheap and getting free food and a bed by visiting without bearing gifts.   We kept careful track of how often our godson visited each of us.  It was a good-natured battle we both enjoyed over the years. 

That competition came to an end on February 7.  Terry lost a short battle with cancer.

When he wasn’t competing with me, Terry led a busy, full life and was an amazing man.  As a teen-ager, I watched Nel’s big brother become a married man and was in awe of how beautiful his wife was.  Shortly after they married, she was told she had MS and her condition quickly deteriorated.  I always quietly admired Terry for the way he stood by his wife through all her years of suffering.  In the final years of her life, she was mostly bedridden. Terry put his life on hold for her, although I suspect he would never have seen it that way.  He would have seen it as living his life with the woman he loved. 

After she passed away, Terry re-married and built a new life.  He was fortunate to have found another soul mate.  Then, twelve years ago, another woman came into his life: his beautiful daughter Kate was born.  Terry lived his life to the fullest.  He had a long career as a social worker.  He enjoyed being a pilot, gardening and golfing.  Terry took pride in his Métis background.  But likely the thing that Terry loved the most was the home he shared with his wife and daughter on a river lot by St. Laurent. It was situated very close to the home he had grown up in.  He loved that river and the serenity of living there.  In his obituary, it is written that he loved watching “the river flow and the St. Laurent ferry cross back and forth on lazy summer days”.  That is the way I will remember Terry: out on his long river lot, high above the river, the wind blowing through his hair as he took in the site he so loved – the Saskatchewan River and the St. Laurent Ferry.  

The next time I buy something for – or visit with - our godson, I will remember Terry and be thankful that our paths crossed and our lives touched.  Remembering a truly amazing man . . .  it's a good thing.
 

The Power of Touch

Did you know there is now scientific proof that touching someone or giving someone a hug will actually cause changes in your body which will make you happier, more relaxed and less stressed?  According to the Touch Research Institute in Florida, hugging and touching each other has more medical, psychological and emotional benefits than anyone ever dreamed of.

And, yes, there really is a Touch Research Institute.  It is located at the University Of Miami School Of Medicine.  It was established in 1992 and is the first center in the world to focus solely on the study of touch and its relevance in medicine and science.  Teams of researchers from the best universities in the world have come to TRI to gather information and gain a better understanding of the therapeutic value of touch.  Their findings have been amazing.

Dr. Tiffany Field has studied the power of touch for many years.  As the director of RTI since its inception, she has witnessed how touch, in many different forms, can reduce pain and anxiety, ease depression and aggressive behavior, and lower heart rate and blood pressure.  Dr. Fields states that touch can also promote immune function and healing. 

Touching, hugging and even a simple hand shake literally make you happier.  When you experience touch, your brain’s vagus nerve is signalled.  When this happens, cortisol is decreased in the body and your stress level is lowered. 

Studies are proving that touch can lead to changes in how people think and act.  For example, students who were given a touch on the back or arm from a teacher were twice as likely to volunteer in class compared to those students who had no contact with their teacher.  In another study, it was found that if a doctor gave his or her patient a sympathetic touch such a holding the patient’s hand even for a few seconds, the patient estimated that the visit had lasted twice as long as it actually had.  When patients who had not received physical contact from their doctor were asked to estimate the length of their visit, they guessed a shorter time.   

            In yet another study on touch, women with breast cancer and HIV patients had an increase in natural killer cells after receiving a massage, strengthening their immune system.  As well, their levels of anxiety and depression were decreased.  Studies have shown that premature babies in NICU who were touched often gained weight at a faster rate than babies who were not touched as often.  After receiving massages, adults completed math problems much quicker and more accurately than those who had not been given a massage.

            Touch is beneficial to both the giver and the receiver.  Dr. Field trained elderly volunteers to give massages to infants.  After three weeks, the infants were calmer and the seniors had less anxiety and depression, had an improved mood, had more social contacts and fewer doctor visits!

            Give someone a hug, or even a handshake – it just might improve the health of both of you! At the very least, it will make you both happier.   Hugging for the health of it . . .  it’s a good thing!

Pledge of Hope

One of my favorite “givers” is Bill Gates.  He is, of course, the co-founder of Microsoft.  I have always admired Gates for his spirit of giving. My first introduction to his generosity was in the 1990’s when he donated computers to every library in North America (including Prince Albert’s library). He continued to give to many different charities and organizations over the years.

 

By now most of us have heard of his latest and most generous project in which he has pledged to give away at least half of his fortune, and he is inspiring other billionaires to give away some of their money! In 2010, Gates, his wife Melinda Gates and his friend Warren Buffet created a new organization called "The Giving Pledge". This exclusive club consists of only billionaires and they must pledge to give away at least half of their total wealth to charity during their life or after their death. The extremely wealthy in the USA are impressed, and this organization has received an incredible response.  After only three years in existence, The Giving Pledge now includes almost ninety families of billionaires!  Last week, Sir Richard Branson signed up and he has pledged to give away at least half of his vast fortune.  All indications are that he actually plans to give more than half away.  In recent months, George Lucas, Mark Zuckerberg and Ted Turner have made similar pledges.   With so many struggling families in North America, it is admirable that Gates and friends would help out in this unique and generous manner. By being very public about their donations, members of the Giving Pledge hope to inspire others to share their good fortune. They believe that when people know what others are giving, they are more likely to also give.  This is true of other billionaires, but the Giving Pledge hopes to inspire us all to donate what we can.  Big or small, every donation and act of kindness impacts the lives of others.

 

Bill Gates could have chosen live in his own world of comfort and excess, and to turn a blind eye to the hardship of others. It is interesting to note that he has fallen from number one to two on the Forbes List of Billionaires even though he continues to generate incredible wealth.  The reason Gates is no longer number one is because he has given away so much of his wealth. Imagine: in 2011, he literally gave away his title as the World’s Richest Man.  How refreshing and wonderful that he not only helps by donating half of his incredible wealth, but inspires other wealthy families to do so as well.  Gates and Buffet are now contacting  billionaires from other countries in the hope of having them join the Giving Pledge.  It will be interesting and exciting to see which billionaire is the next to sign up.  Bill Gates is an intelligent man with billions of dollars and a heart of gold who can talk the super rich into a super pledge.  One on the richest men in the world, he chose to share his wealth to help others, beginning in his own back yard.  It doesn’t get any better than that!  Sharing the wealth . . . it's a good thing!

The "Filler" Month

 

February   bears the distinction of being the cold month which simply marks the time between the dead of winter and the first inkling of spring. There is no aftermath of holidays, which we experience in January. There is not yet the great expectation, as in March, of wonderful spring weather just around the corner. It seemingly just exits as a filler between the changing of seasons. However, there are two days of "love" in this otherwise boring month: Valentine's Day and Family Day.  

What woman doesn't love Valentine's Day? It is a day in which the norm is flowers, chocolate and plush stuffed animals. It is the one day of the year when men feel they can wear their hearts on their sleeves and proclaim their love.  Couples feel free to spoil each other and enjoy the silly and wonderful little things that makes this day so special. 
 
Children love this day too.  Walk into any elementary school class room this week and you will see pink and red hearts decorating hallways and bulletin boards.  Of course, there is the exchange of valentines at the class party which makes this day so special to children.  I always enjoyed this tradition as a child and kept my valentines in a special folder for many years.  I think I probably still have it tucked away somewhere. 

While Valentine’s Day has been celebrated for many years, Family Day is a relatively new holiday.  It was created in 2007 as a way to fill in the long stretch between the January 1 holiday and Easter, and to encourage families to spend the day enjoying activities together.   Since it was proclaimed five years ago, it has grown each year as families take time to appreciate being together and doing things together.  Whether families  simply spend the day watching movies and enjoying a meal together, or spend the day outside sledding and skating, the time spent together helps to create a bond.  Families are creating memories which might not have happened if there was not a special day in February for doing so. 

I’ve come to realize how important it is to tell loved ones how you feel and to make sure they know.  No one ever hears the words “I love you” too often!  We are all fortunate to have people in our lives that we love and who love us.

By the end of this week, Valentine’s Day and Family Day 2013 will have come and gone.  I hope you spent Valentine’s Day this year with a special person who makes you happy; and I hope that on Family Day, you took the time to be with your family and enjoyed your day.  And I hope you told all of them how much you love them.   Enjoying special days with special people . .  . it’s a good thing!

A Second Chance

In my last blog update, I wrote about how many of my friends and family members have become grandparents for the first time.  That got me to wondering:  when did we become old enough to be grandparents?  When did that happen and why didn’t I see it coming?  How is it possible that one day our children are babies and then they are having babies of their own? Where did the time go?   I guess life happened and, just as every generation of parents before us, we were busy too living life to notice the years marching on.  Maybe that’s the real reason we are given the opportunity of becoming grandparents:  it is a second chance to slow down and enjoy the children in our family and to see life through the eyes of a child.

At family events over the past few years, I have realized that I am witnessing generational passages. Our children are graduating from high school and university, finding the love of their lives, beginning their careers, and having babies.  How wonderful to witness it all and now to be a part of the lives of their children, the next generation.   It seems like it was only yesterday we were holding our own children in our arms and now we are holding their children. Families grow, husbands and wives are introduced into and become a part of the family circle and new babies begin to appear. The next generation is on the move.  

How fortunate for us that we are given that second opportunity to really enjoy the lives of the children we love; and children are fortunate to have that unconditional and total love.  There is an immense bond between grandparents and their grandchildren.  Children often lament that their parents never let them get away with or do the things that they let their grandchildren do.  Perhaps it is because we have “mellowed-out” a little.  Perhaps it is because we know that in the blink of an eye, these precious little people grow up and begin lives of their own.

We will, no doubt, tell our new mothers and fathers to slow down a little and to take the time to enjoy their children however they will – like every generation before them – live busy lives  and suddenly find themselves with grown children.  But it’s all right, in twenty or thirty years, they too will get a second chance - when they have grandchildren of their own. Enjoying our time with our special little ones . . . it’s a good thing!

The Next Step

 

Just before I sat down to update my blog, a friend called me to share her exciting news: she had just become a grandmother that morning.  She breathlessly described her new grand-daughter as being the most perfect, most beautiful, most special baby ever born – although she had yet to actually meet her.  And, of course, that is the way it should be.  A grandparent’s unconditional love is a child’s most precious gift.

Another good friend of mine will become a grandmother in July. My sister became a grandmother a few months ago.  My brother now has four grandchildren.  Another friend relishes her role as grandmother to twins.  So many other friends and family members are entering this new world of grandparent-hood and the transformation is nothing short of amazing.

It is almost magical to watch the change which occurs when one goes from simply being a parent of an adult child to suddenly holding that child’s newborn baby and out of the blue realizing that THIS is the moment you have been waiting for all your life.  Any grandparent will tell you how amazed they are at the strength of the love they feel for their grandchildren from the moment they are born.  How often I have heard grandparents say “I didn’t expect to feel this way”.   Almost every new grandparent I have known has said it is not possible to imagine that feeling of holding your first grandchild, or how it changes your world.

This new little life can do no wrong, is perfect in every way and is so very much loved.  There is a special relationship between grandchildren and their grandparents, and it is created the moment the child is born. New grandparents marvel at the instant bond they feel, a bond which lasts a lifetime.  This bond and unconditional love is shared by grandparents and grandchildren everywhere. It is unique and it is wonderful. Witnessing – or receiving - this love is incredible just by the sheer strength of it. 

How fortunate these little grandchildren are to have grandparents who give them unconditional love, have time to spend with them and who make them feel so special.  Grandparents can kiss hurts away, share secrets and see to it that their grandchildren bask in their unquestionable and undeniable love. Most importantly, children know that in the eyes of their grandparents, they are perfect.

I read once that becoming a grandparent is God’s reward for growing old.  As I watch friends and family blossom in their new role as grandparents, and take this next step in life,  I think that this is indeed true.  Embracing life’s next step . . . it’s a good thing!