A Person's Worth

Aging...by Julie Andrews

To commemorate her birthday (and turning 79 in 2016) Julie Andrews...actress/vocalist...made a rare appearance at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was “My Favourite Things” from the legendary movie, Sound of Music.

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting...Walkers and handrails & new dental fittings...Bundles of magazines tied up in string...These are a few of my favourite things!

Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses...Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses...Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings...These are a few of my favourite things!

When the pipes leak...When the bones creak...When the knees go bad...I simply remember my favourite things...And then, I don't feel so bad!

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions...No spicy food or food cooked with onions...Bath robes and heat pads and hot meals they bring...These are a few of my favourite things!

Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin'...Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin'...and we won't mention our short shrunken frames...When we remember our favourite things!

When the joints ache...When the hips break...When the eyes grow dim...Then I remember the great life I've had...And then, I don't feel so bad!

Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd

that lasted over four minutes and repeated encores.

A Senior and the Store Clerk

A little old lady went to the grocery store to buy cat food. She picked up 3 cans and took them to the check-out counter. The girl cashier stated, “I'm sorry, but we cannot sell cat food without proof that you have a cat. A lot of people buy cat food to eat...and the management wants proof that you are buying food for your cat.” The lady went home...picked up her white Persian cat...and brought her back to the store. They sold her the cat food.

The next day, she tried to buy 2 cans of dog food (Pedigree, it was called). Again, the cashier said, “I'm sorry, but we cannot sell you dog food without proof that you have a dog. A lot of people buy dog food to eat, but the management wants proof that you are buying the dog food for your dog.” So, she went home and brought in her large black and tan boxer. She was then able to buy the dog food.

The next day, she brought in a box with a hole in the lid. The little old lady asked the cashier to stick her finger in the hole. The cashier responded, “NO...you might have a snake in there!” The little old lady assured her that there was nothing in the box that would harm her. Trusting her, the cashier put her finger in the box...and quickly pulled it out. She said to the little old lady, “That smells like shit!” The little old lady replied, “It is! I wanted to buy a roll of toilet paper!!!”

DON'T MESS WITH US OLD PEOPLE!

A Teddy Bear's Worth

(with thanks to Jeanne)

Hours after his birth, Breeze was found stumbling around by the farmer. The new-born foal had been abandoned by his mother...so the farmer took him to the Devon-based-Mare and Foal Sanctuary where they cared for him. What happened next is heart-warming. One of the the staff put a 4-foot giant Teddy Bear called 'Buttons' into the stall with Breeze.

The foal was instantly attracted to him. He had found a comforting replacement for his mother. The two now are inseparable...Breeze cuddling and sleeping on the teddy bear's lap.

The care-givers expect Breeze to be fine...thanks to the farmer who rescued him and to those who cared enough to take in this little Cutie. Special thanks to Buttons.

Words of Wisdom

Every experience is a lesson...every loss a gain.

(Roman Catholic Nun)

It is said that 'Love is Blind'...but 'Friendship is Clairvoyant.'

(Author unknown)

Compiled by Merle Baird-Kerr...July 25, 2016

To Comment: inezkate@gmail.com or mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Province of Manitoba

Geographical Location: One of the three prairie provinces in Canada, Manitoba is bordered by Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west. Its landscape of lakes and rivers, mountains, forests and prairies...stretching from the northern Arctic tundra to Hudson Bay in the east and southern farmland. Much wilderness is protected in more than 80 Provincial Parks...where biking, hiking, canoeing, camping and fishing are all popular. Located in southern Manitoba, The University of Manitoba, located in Winnipeg, the capital city, is a research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. Founded in 1877, it was Western Canada's first university.

Nunavut and Hudson Bay are north and the United States are south.

“Manitoba” may come from the Cree words 'manitou bou' meaning “Strait of the Great Spirit”. It may also come from the Assiniboine words 'mini' and 'tobow' meaning “Lake of the Prairie.” About 60 percent of the Manitoba's people live in the capital city, Winnipeg, and its suburbs.

The People: Home to 1.2 million people in 2010, Manitoba is home to many native peoples: including Metis, Assinboine, Saulteaux, Northern, Woodland, Swampy Cree, Chipewyan and Inuit. Ethnic backgrounds include Scottish, English, German, Ukranian, French, Aboriginal, Dutch and Poles.

Climate: In the winter, there are often blizzards with strong winds and extreme cold temperatures. Polar air masses bring very cold air from the Arctic Ocean. Winnipeg has the coldest winters of any major city in Canada.

History: The first native peoples to live in Manitoba followed herds of bison and caribou.

Early explorers arrived through Hudson Bay in norther Manitoba.

Hudson Bay Company (created in 1670) set up fur-trading posts along the rivers.

The first settlers (British and French) homed along the Red River.

Louis Riel (1844-1885) was an influential Metis leader.

Riel and his Metis were concerned about the settlers taking over their land.

Manitoba became Canada's fifth province in 1870.

Red River cart trails were the first roads.

The railway brought thousands of settlers from eastern Canada and from all over the world.

Many setttlers came from Ukraine and Iceland.

Land and Water: Manitoba is known as the land of 100,000 lakes

Lake Winnipeg (the 3^rd largest in Canada), Lake Winnipegosis and Lake Manitoba are 3 large lakes.

The Churchill River, Nelson River and Red Rivers in southern Manitoba drain into Lake Winnipeg.

Forests of pine...hemlock...and birch cover northern Manitoba.

The Prairie Region is in the southern part of the province.

Resources and Industries: Manitoba lies in the area of Canada known as the Canadian Shield

Minerals and metals are found in the Canadian Shield...nickel, gold, copper, zinc, cobalt, gypsum)

Manitoba is a world leader in the production of nickel

The large lakes are home to many species of fresh water fish.

Fivty-seven percent of Manitoba is covered with forest and wooded areas.

Hydro-electric power is a very important industry...selling to other provinces and to U.S.

One-third of the farmland is used for growing wheat...also canola, sunflowers, oats, buckwheat, rye, flax and field peas.

Industries include manufacturing (farm equipment, buses, clothing, furniture), food processing, aerospace and transportation.

Places and People: The Royal Canadian Mint (where coins are made) is in Winnipeg.

The 'Viking' at Gimli is a giant statue honouring the ancestors of the Icelandic people.

Many festivals are held in Manitoba, including the Ukrainian Festival and Icelandic Festival in Gimli.

Churchill, in northern Manitoba is 'The Polar Bear capital of the world'.

Here they make dens near the town.

Wapusk National Park (Wapusk, meaning 'white bear') located in northern Manitoba,

protects one of the world's largest known polar bear denning areas.

Persons of Significance: Gabrielle Roy and Margaret Laurence (novelists)

Nellie McClung fought for the rights of women.

Jackson Beardy was a Cree artist.

Louis Riel, the Founding Father of Manitoba and leader of the Metis rebellions.

Bachaman-Turner Overdrive and the Guess Who...Canadian rock bands from Winnipeg.

Fred Penner...musician and children's entertainer.

Manitoba's Flag: Looks like Canada's former flag ~ the Canadian Red Ensign.

The Union Jack is in the upper left corner on a red background.

The Province's Shield is on the right side of the flag.

It became the official flag in 1966.

At the top of the Shield is the English Cross of St. George.

The lower part has a bison; there were thousands of bison roaming the prairies before settlers.

The Shield is at the centre of the 'coat of arms'.

Above its a gold helmet with a beaver holding a crocus (the Provincial Flower).

At the top is a crown...a unicorn and white horse on either side.

The Aboriginal 'Circle of Life' is on the horse's collar.

The bottom has grain fields...water...the provincial flower and tree.

The motto: Gloriosus liber ~ “Glorious and Free”.

Emblems: The Provincial Flower is the crocus...in various shades of purple, it is often the first flower appearing in early spring. School children in Manitoba chose it for the floral emblem in 1906. To protect it from the cold, the crocus has a furry covering.

The Provincial Bird is the Great Grey Owl...living year round in the forests of Manitoba...and is the largest owl in North America.

Manitoba's animal is the Bison...and Provincial tree is the White Spruce.

* * * * * * *

One summer, during my teaching days, Joyce (a high school teacher) and I drove to Winnipeg to visit her sister....then travelled 740 km north to visit her parents living in Flin Flon...a mining town of 5,592 population as stated in 2011. The Hudson Bay and Smelting Company (now known as Hud Bay Minerals Inc.) is still the major employer in the area. Flin Flon is located north of the 55^th parallel...and even has a Walmart Store!

Merle Baird-Kerr...compiled June 24, 2016

To comment: email inezkate@gmail.com or mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Erma Bombeck's Wishes

Honouring Women's History Month

and in memory of Erma Bombeck who lost her life with cancer.

“If I Had My Life to Live Over”

(written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick...instead of pretending

the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in hot storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good living room' and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn regardless of grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, guaranteed to last a lifetime or wouldn't show the soil.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle!

When my kids kissed me impetulously, I would never have said, “Later...now go, get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love yous and more I'm sorrys'.

But, mostly given another shot at life, I would seize every minute;

look at it and really see it; live it and never give it back.

Stop Sweating the Small Stuff!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you...who has more...or who's doing what.

Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us!

The foregoing article, sent to me by Jeanne, concludes with the symbols representing different cancers: Breast...Ovarian...Cervical...Pancreatic...Brain...Prostate...Lung...Melaloma...
Lymphoma...Kidney...Colon...Uterine...Leukemia...Childhood...Sarcoma...
and all other Cancers.

Quotes by Erma Bombeck

There is nothing more miserable in the world than entering Paradise

 looking like your Passport photo!

Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.

When your mother asks, “Do you want a piece of advice?, it is a formality. It doesn't matter if you answer Yes or No...you're going to get it anyway!

When I stand before God at the end of my life,I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left...and could say, “I used everything you gave me!”

Life's Defining Moments ~ Five Rights

(submitted to me by Dilu)

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortalities.

In a survey, every patient in palliative care, found their PEACE...before they departed from this life. The following are the 5 most common remarks made to care personnel:

I wish I had the courage to live a life 'true to myself'...
not the life others expected of me.

I wish I didn't work so hard...was given by several male patients.

I wish I had the courage to express my feelings...(after settling for a mediocre existence and failing to become the person they were capable of becoming).

I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. Many of my friends let golden friendships slip by.

I wish I had let myself by happier!

They had stayed 'stuck in old patterns and habits'.

Fear of change had them pretending to others and to themselves.

LIFE is a CHOICE. It is YOUR LIFE.

Choose consciously...Choose wisely...Choose honestly...Choose Happiness!

Contributed by Merle Baird-Kerr...June 17, 2016

Comments appreciated: inezkate@gmail.com or mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Medically Speaking...for Body, Mind and Soul

Important Medical Test

I want you to get checked out to make sure you're healthy and will be around longer; you require a cat and a dog, so if you are not blessed with both, find a friend or neighbour who does, to perform this test.

Picture a charcoal furry cat with gold eyes focused on you:

STARE INTO THE CAT'S EYES FOR 10 SECONDS...

Now, picture a black puppy with wide-open chocolate brown eyes staring at you:

STARE IN THE LABRADOR'S EYES 10 SECONDS...

Your CAT SCAN and LAB TESTS are now complete!

A black and gray tabby smilingly asks, “Do you feel like working today?” Answered by a black lab with head resting on front paws, while lying in blades of green grass, “No! I just want to dance and celebrate another day!!!” They watch their kittens dancing to music...both on their back feet with front paws outstretched. The last scene is a brown/light tan puppy floppy-eared, and with a lifted forepaw,

says, “Have a GREAT DAY!!! And Enjoy Your Daily Blessings!!!”

Measuring Our Health Through Our Eyes

“The Eyes are the Windows of the Soul,” it's said. We see tiny emotions flickering in the eyes we look at. But a doctor can see a lot more ~ warning signs possibly of high blood pressure, diabetes and more.

Roads and Paths are not just places to do a lot of walking on. They hold immense powers of symbolism in our culture, our literature and our art. They are the ones taking us to places we can only imagine. They symbolize the mysteries of other exotic locations, of hidden secrets and views we've never seen before. They are also a great place to walk and admire while we clear our heads and do some thinking.

Human Traits Symbolizing the Equation of Life

Once, all the villagers decided to pray for rain. On the Day of Prayer, all the people gathered, but only one little boy came with an umbrella. That's FAITH.

When you throw a baby in the air, she laughs because she knows you will catch her. That's TRUST.

Every night we go to bed without the assurance of being alive the next morning, but we still set the alarms to wake up. That's HOPE.

We plan great things for tomorrow, in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That's CONFIDENCE.

We see the world suffering, but still we get married and have children. That's LOVE.

On an old man's shirt was written a sentence...

I am sweet 16 with 64 years experience. That's ATTITUDE.

Why Parents Drink!

A father, passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see that everything was picked up and his bed was made. Then, he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the pillow, that was addressed ~ Dad!

With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter:

Dear Dad ~ it's with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you.

I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you. I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is also nice. But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercings, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But, it's not only the passion...Dad, she's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children. Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that 'marijuana' doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy.

In the meantime, we will pray that SCIENCE will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it. Don't worry, Dad, I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself.

Some day, I'm sure that we will be back to visit, so that you can get to know your grandchildren.

Love, Your son, John

P.S. Dad! None of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the Report Card that's in my center desk drawer.

I love you...call me when it's safe to come home.

(With grateful thanks to Jeanne, Dilu, Sydney and Tom

for the above 'life situations')

David Frost, an English television interviewer

who used to work a lot in the United States, said:

"He's turned his life around. He used to be depressed and miserable;

Now he's miserable and depressed."

Merle Baird-Kerr...written October 4, 2015

To comment: email...inezkate@gmail.com or mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Health Alert ~ To Food Additives!

The Food Additive MSG (Mono-Sodium Glutamate)is a slow poison.

MSG hides behind 25 or more names such as “Natural Flavouring”.

MSG is even in your favourite coffee from Tim Hortons and Starbucks coffee shops!

John Erb, a research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, spent years working for the government. He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called...The Slow Poisoning of America.

In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies. Not naturally obese, they made these creatures morbidly obese by injecting them with MSG when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese.

“When I heard this,” wrote John Erb, “I was shocked. I checked my refrigerator and kitchen cupboards. MSG was in everything...Campbell soups, Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavoured potato chips,

Better Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals and Kraft salad dressings, especially the 'healthy low-fat' ones. The items that didn't have MSG marked on the product label had something called 'Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein' which is just another name for Mono-sodium Glutamate! MSG is hidden under many different names in order to...fool those who read the ingredient list, so that they don't catch on. (Other names for MSG are Accent, Aginomoto, Natural Meat Tenderizer, etc.)

“When our family went out to eat, we started asking at the restaurants what menu items contained MSG. Many employees, even the managers, swore they didn't use MSG. But when we ask for the ingredient list, which they grudgingly provided, sure enough...MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were everywhere!” Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, every restaurant...even sit-down eateries like TGIF, Chili's, Applebee's and Denny's...use MSG in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be the WORST offender: MSG was in every chicken dish, salad dressing and gravy. No wonder I loved to eat that coating on the skin ~ their secret spice was MSG!

“Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby group supporting MSG explains that the reason they add it to food is to entice people to eat more. A study of the elderly showed that older people eat more of the foods that it is added to. The Glutamate Association lobbying group says eating more is...a benefit to the elderly...but what does it do to the rest of us? And we wonder why the nation is overweight???

“Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an 'addictive substance'. Since its inception into the American food supply fifty years ago MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the...pre-packaged meals, soups, snacks and fast foods we are tempted to eat every day. The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food. They claim it's safe to eat in any amount. But how can they claim it's safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies published about the adverse effects? Both the 'medical research community' and 'food manufacturers' have known about the side effects of MSG for decades!

Many more of the studies mentioned in John Erb's book link MSG to...seizures, chest pains, nausea, burning sensations, diabetes, migraines and headaches, autism, ADHD and even Alzheimer's.

Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his concerns to one of the highest government health officials in Canada. While he was sitting in the government office, the official told him, “Sure, I know how bad MSG is. I wouldn't touch the stuff.” But this top-level government official refuses to tell the public what he knows. The big media doesn't want to tell the public either...fearing issues with advertisers. It seems that the fallout on the fast food industry may hurt their profit margin. The food producers and restaurants have been addicting us to their products for years...and now, we are paying the price for it. Our children should not be cursed with obesity caused by addictive food additive!

The best way you can help to save yourself and your children from this 'drug-induced-epidemic' is to forward this article to everyone. With any luck, it will circle the globe before politicians can pass the legislation protecting those who are poisoning us.

(My gratitude to Dilu for the above submission)

Other Chemical Additives in the Food Industry

Aspartame: sweetener in snacks, sweets, alcohol, desserts, diet foods. Reports show good possibility of... headaches, blindness and seizures with long-term doses of these foods.

Benzoic Acid: active in many foods including drinks, cereals, meat products. Can temporarily inhibit production of digestive enzymes.

Sulphur Dioxide: these food insertions can cause bronchial problems and/or low blood pressure, flushing, tingling sensations or shock.

Nitrites/Nitrates: One of the most dangerous additives used in most processed meats to stabilize the colour of the product e,g, lunch meats, smoked fish, sausages, bacon and hot dogs. Any of these may cause cardiovascular collapse!

Note: the majority of the colouring additives being used

are derived from 'carcinogens' like coal tar.

Good Food in the World...but Many Are Choosing Poorly!

(submitted by Maria Cheng, The Associated Press)

London: There may be more fruit, vegetables and healthy options available than ever before, for much of the world...but it seems most people are mostly hungry for 'fast food'. In studies of eating habits in nearly 190 countries and diet surveys over 20 years, experts found that even though people are eating more healthy foods (including whole grains and fish), there has been a bigger jump in the amount of junk food eaten! Some of the Key Findings:

Older adults ate better than younger adults...and women ate better than men.

Some of the best nutritional improvements were seen in Mongolia,

Latin America and the Caribbean.

Westerners were among the biggest eaters of junk food...

China, Japan and India were catching up!

ADVICE: Since many people lack the will-power to improve eating habits,

Governments should step in!

Merle Baird-Kerr...written February 20, 2015

To comment, email to:

inezkate@gmail.com or mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Epitome of a Woman

Embracing 'New' in Life

On Monday evening, October 19, 2015 she received the Carolyn Clark Powers Lifetime Achievement Award. She still works when the mood strikes. The word 'retirement' is not in her vocabulary. With the onslaught of technology and the speed at which the world turns today, she said she enjoys embracing the 'new' in life. “You have to get accustomed to the new things that come about in order to cope and to understand the benefits enhancing one's life...from fashion styles, to books, to technical gadgets.”

She is Sophia Loren.

Living on a farm and furthering post-secondary education, I had no opportunity (or money) to view cinema movies. While in Toronto, one Saturday afternoon after work and walking the many blocks home along Yonge Street, I noticed a movie theatre advertising the showing of Oklahoma...and falling prey to temptation, splurged some lunch money to view this spectacular musical drama!

It was after my teaching career began in Hamilton, that I was introduced to Sophia Loren through her 1958 film THE KEY. Wow! She was stunningly beautiful..and her acting superb in this WWII drama:

English woman, Stella, is involved with Captain Ford (Trevor Howard)

who commands a military tugboat.

These tugboats (called salvage missions) picked up disabled ships. Not well-equipped with weaponry, the tugs were 'sitting ducks' for every foe. Captain Chris Ford shares his flat with a young beautiful Italian-Swiss woman who lives a recluse life there. While on missions, he leaves “The Key” with her and the promise that she'd find another Captain to share the flat, should anything happen to him. He is gunned down in action; Captain Ross (William Holden) replaces him.

TWO WOMEN: In this 1960 film, during WWII, 'Cesira' (Sophia Loren) must leave Rome with her daughter when the city comes under attack by the Allied Forces. The pair flee to a small village where they meet and both fall for the charming 'Michael' (Jean-Paul Belmondu). But the war uproots the life of the mother and daughter once again when soldiers attack the duo and subject them to sexual assault. Their bond is strained as they struggle to overcome the tragedy that changes them both forever. Sophia Loren won the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of 'Cesira' in this movie.

The Producer of this movie was Carlo Ponti whom Sophia married in later years.

Sophia Loren so impressed me that I longed to pattern my life after her.

To me, she was the Epitome of a Woman whom all admired for her beauty and elegance.

She was a person of great intellect and one who practised a positive outlook on life.

Since her movie days, I've followed her life: her marriage, her children, her humane activities to aid those in need. Her life dedication was to her husband and two sons Carlo Ponti Jr. and Edoarado Ponti. Their father is Carlo Ponti.

Sophia Loren was born as Sofia Scicolone in Rome, Italy on September 20, 1934. Growing up in the slums of Polluoli during the Second World War without any support from her father (he had refused to marry her mother), she experienced much sadness in her childhood. At age 14, she entered a beauty contest where she placed as one of the top finalists. It was there that Sophia caught the attention of Carlo Ponti (22 years her senior) whom she eventually married in 1966 (once he finally obtained a divorce from his first wife). Perhaps he was the only 'father figure' she ever had.

Under his guidance, Sophia was put 'under contract' and appeared as 'an extra' in movie films beginning in 1950...before working up to 'supporting roles'. By her late teens, she was playing 'lead roles' in many Italian film features. She remained a bonafide International movie star through to the 60's and 70's, making films on both sides of the Atlantic. From the 80's onward, she preferred to spend the majority of her time raising her sons born in 1969 and 1973. She starred in five television films beginning with Sophia Loren: Her Own Story in 1980...which I viewed a couple times on TV.

She mourned the loss of her husband, Carlo Ponti who died at the age of 94. These days, she divides her time between Switzerland and Los Angeles where she is close to her sons and four grandchildren.

With a career that has already spanned six decades and been honoured with 50 awards,

Sophia Loren remains 'one of the most beloved and recognizable figures

in the International film world'.

Her trademarks were: her natural brunette hair...her cat-like blue eyes...her voluptuous figure framed on a 5-foot 8 1/2 inch height body...and deep sultry voice.

PERSONAL QUOTES

Sex appeal is 50% what you've got and 50% of what people think you've got!

The two big advantages I had at birth from my beautiful mother were to have been born wise and to have been born in poverty.

A woman's dress should be like a barbed wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view.

A mother has to think twice: once for herself and once for her child.

The facts of life are that a child who has seen war, cannot be compared with a child who doesn't know what war is except from television.

I've never tried to block out the memories of the past, even though some are painful.

I don't understand people who hide from their past.

Everything you live through, helps to make you the person you are.

There IS A FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH:

It's in your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life

and the lives of people you love.

When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age!

Scripted by Merle Baird-Kerr...October 24, 2015

Comments appreciated: email inezkate@gmail.com or mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

An Australian's Definition of a Canadian

You probably missed it in the local news, but there was a report that someone in Pakistan had advertised in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed a Canadian...any Canadian! An Australian dentist wrote the following editorial to help define what and who a Canadian is, so they would know one...if and when they found one.

A Canadian can be French or English...or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Ukrainian, Swedish, Polish, Armenian, Russian or Greek. A Canadian can be Costa Rican, Honduran, Jamaican, Trinidadian, Haitian...African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese...Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani or Afghan. A Canadian may also be an Iroquois, Cree, Algonquin, Haida, Salish, Metis, Ojibiwa, Blackfoot, Abenaki, Sioux...or any one of the many other tribes known as “First Nation Canadians”.

A Canadian's religious beliefs range from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or none. In fact, there are more Muslims in Canada than in Afghanistan. The key difference is that in Canada, they are free to worship as each of them chooses. Whether they have a religion or no religion...each Canadian ultimately answers only to GOD...not to the government or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

A Canadian lives in one of the most prosperous lands in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which recognize the right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

A Canadian is generous and Canadians have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need...never asking anything in return.

Canadians welcome the best of everything: the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services and the best minds. But they also welcome the least ~ the oppressed, the outcast and the rejected. These are the people who built Canada!

You can try to kill a Canadian if you must...as other blood-thirsty-tyrants in the world have tried...but in doing so, you could just be killing a relative or neighbour or friend.

This is because Canadians are not a particular people from a particular place.

They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom.

Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, can be a Canadian!

(I extend gracious thanks to Dilu for the above article)

Merle Baird-Kerr...written November 12, 2014

Comments are welcome...email to:

inezkate@gmail.com or mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

I Am a Canadian ~ The New Version

The New Politically and Socially Incorrect Version

I am a Canadian!

I am in the minority in Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto

and in every casino in this country.

I was born in the forties, fifties or sixties,

yet I am somehow responsible for some of the First Nations people

being screwed out of their land in the 1700's!

I pay import tax on cars made in Ontario.

I am allowed to skydive and smoke, but not allowed to drive without a seat belt.

All the money I make until mid-July must go to paying taxes.

I live and work among people who believe

Americans and Canadians are ignorant.

Most Canadians cannot name their own country's new terriroty!

Although I am sometimes forced to live on hamburgers and don't have a pot to pee in,

I sleep well knowing that my taxes helped purchase a nice 6-figure home

in Vancouver for some unskilled refugee.

Although they are unpatriotic and constantly try to separate,

Quebec still provides most of my nation's prime ministers.

95% of my nation's international conflicts are over fish.

I”m supposed to call black people 'African-Canadian'

although I'm sure none of them have ever been to Africa, for that matter.

I am being told that paying a 200% tax on alcohol is fair.

I am also being told that the same tax on gasoline is also fair!

Even if I have no idea what happened to that old rifle

my grandfather gave me when I was 14,

I will be considered a criminal if I don't have it locked up.

I am being told that spending $15 billion to promote French language

in the rest of Canada is fair...when the province of Quebec

doesn't support or even recognize the ENGLISH language!

I am being told that spending $1 million for '3 Stripes'

('The Voice of Fire' painting in Ottawa) by the Art Gallery

was a good purchase...even though 99% of this country

didn't want it...or will ever see it.

I must bail out big corporations who drive their business into the ground

and say, “Yeah, that's ok.”

And when they move all their manufacturing plants and jobs

to a third-world country and say, “No problem!”

Canada is the highest taxed nation in North America...

the biggest Military buffer for the United States

and the 'Number One' destination for fleeing terrorists!

The Lord's Prayer is not allowed in our schools anymore

because of religions who chose to move here.

I am an angry white person!

I am one ticked-off taxpayer, who is broke!

I am a Canadian!

(Many thanks to Tom who sent me the foregoing)

Words of the Wise!

What Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier thought of the immigrants

wanting to become Canadians in 1907:

First of all, we must insist that the immigrant that comes here is willing to become a Canadian and is willing to assimilate our ways; he should be treated on equal grounds and it would be shameful to discriminate against such a person for reasons of thier beliefs or the place of birth or origin. But it is the responsibilty of that person to become a Canadian in all aspects of life...nothing else but a Canadian. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says that he is a Canadian, but tries to impose his customs and habits upon us, is not a Canadian. We have room for only one flag...the Canadian flag. There is room for only two languages here: English and French. And we have room for loyalty, but only one...loyalty to the Canadian people. We won't accept anyone...I'm saying 'anyone' who will try to impose his religion or his customs on us.

From her diary, Anais Lin wrote: When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma...we become automatons. We cease to grow.

Cornel West PhD (Academic and Activist) said it best:

There are too many Echoes...and not enough Voices.

Compiled by Merle Baird-Kerr...July 1, 2016

Comments welcome: email inezkate@gmail.com or mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca