As the 6th day of June arrives and goes each year, there seems to be little significance placed on the importance of this day and what it means to the freedom we enjoy here in North America. It was exactly 75 years ago when some of our brightest and bravest took on the task to…
The journey always begins and ends somewhere. It does not matter whether we board the train, embark the plane, or climb into our own vehicle. We are just energy in motion having a human experience. Our travels are like the bumper stickers of the ’70s, covering the back of a vehicle as an advertisement to…
A Lesson From the Three Little Pigs You know the one about the pigs that went to market. This about the other ones that decided to become homeowners. Each had the desire to have their own place and were weighing out their options relative to what was happening in their lives. Some were not ready…
We All Come From Away The dust is beginning to settle but there are no words to describe how the good folks on the Miramichi, put all their energy together and united in a common goal. Of course, I am talking about the little community of Renous being chosen as the recipient of Kraft’s Hockeyville.…
What is holding us back? The safety restraint in a vehicle is called a seatbelt and it is designed to prevent forward movement in the event of a crash or sudden stop. In the old days, no one wore them and they were almost an afterthought. After years of education and improvements in safety, the…
When should I take my Canada Pension entitlement??? The world as we know it is a complicated ball of wax with many moving parts. So many decisions that are not in our control influence the outcome of our journey through life. The good old days of working for the man, retiring with the gold watch…
Why Do I Need This? How will I ever use that seemingly useless information that I am bombarded with on a daily basis? Do you remember asking yourself that question as a student? I do. All I ever heard was that we live in the age of information and that someday it will come in…
Signs, Signs We live in an amazing world, where advancements in technology have taken away the need to think for ourselves. We rarely have to scratch our heads, when all we must do is just “Google It”. It can be as simple as a recipe or as complicated as planning a schedule for a 10-day…
Who You Gonna Call? The tax season is upon us and the insatiable appetite for more money will have CRA scouring our returns to ensure we all pay just a little bit more. This phrase burns right to the pit of my stomach and it has been coined by successive governments of the day. There…
I Don’t Want to be a Widow I attended a seminar this week and the speaker delivered an interesting address that was focused on women and the absence of financial planning geared to their specifics needs. I listened intently as she highlighted some of the deficient areas and how different the female population focuses on…
This Play Is Under Review I was catching the latest on my favourite sportscast when the highlights showed a tennis match that ended when one of the players stopped playing after the referee called his shot out. His opponent kept playing and returned the shot to an open court. Upon the review, the ball was…
Do You Want To Build a Snowman? Where have all of our traditions gone? What great pieces of our past have been lost. What is stored in the proverbial attic hidden away from our sight? The magic of our past can be unlocked and shared with a new generation simply by recapturing some of the…
The Lies We Are Told As our world continues to change, at a pace never seen before, it is easy to become confused and disillusioned. Many aspects of our lives, that were sure things, or that we take for granted, might not turn out the way we expect. The shift is dramatic. I met an…
The Estate Grinch When a person in Canada dies, it is necessary for their estate to pass through Probate. Probate is the procedure by which a will is approved by the Court as the valid and last will of a deceased testator (the person who made the will). When someone dies without a valid will,…
My Gift To You I am not only the happiest man in the world, but I also happen to be the luckiest. Today I have the pleasure of celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss to my best friend. We have shared these years of discovery and along the way, have left our insecurities and fears…
A little kindness goes a long way It happens at the most unexpected times yet, most often it comes at the time when we need a beacon of hope in our periods of darkness. Sometimes these happenings are purely accidental and there is no pre-meditation. In all cases, the next step in the journey of…
YOU ARE HOME Rest easy my son for this part of your journey is complete. No more pain, no more disappointment, no more fears, or regrets. Once again, your spirit will live large and the gifts of my love will shower you. Breathe the cool air that soothes, energizes and allows you to soar. Run through…
SITTING IN A HOTEL ROOM After a long day and close to1000 km’s, It is nice to finish the day with good conversation and a nice glass of wine. Unfortunately, some days finish on the road and when you are by yourself, it is hard to be motivated to do anything other than mulling your…
SO EASY TO FORGET As I watch the debate roll on with regards to the changes to the EI Act, I become perplexed as the focus gravitates to what some Canadians think and believe about Atlantic Canadians. They actually feel that our part of the world is looking for a hand out rather than the…
Man, smell those lilacs Last week was a tough week with the loss of a good buddy. As I exited the church, I was engulfed in anger and unfortunately for me, and some of the dearest people close to me, they bore the brunt of my angry words, actions, and thoughts. What set me off…
Today I lost a brother I hate days like today. It makes me not want to answer the telephone. Many can appreciate the type of call that I am talking about. It always seems to come when we least expect it and especially when we do not need the extra pain or agony. But these…
Great Article from Gordon Pape – RRSP Expert – “Last Minute RRSP thoughts“ We’re coming down to the wire for RRSP season so if you’re going to make a contribution, you’ll have to act soon. Before you do, however, here are some last-minute thoughts to consider. RRSPs and debt reduction There has been some debate…
Open Mouth Open Mind It has been quite a spell since I have written anything worth blogging about. It isn’t that there is a shortage of topics, rather a need to reflect. The social media forum is evolving before us and it truly is a greater evolution than the TV or radio. It is clearly…
Elvis has left the building As I watched Oprah Winfrey over the past couple of weeks, I guess I was forced to ask myself the question, should I have taken an interest in her show earlier in her career. After seeing some of the many transformations, that she was instrumental in orchestrating, I really had…
Living a dream I think that I am like most people on the planet who take so much for granted. I was reading a section of a textbook, for a course that I am taking, and at the end of the first chapter, there is an exercise is to list five things that I am…
Now that the playoffs are over I had a chance to reflect on my recent trip and the stress that I was under prior to leaving was enormous. I guess the thoughts of traveling to a third world country really made Dawn and I think about what happens “if”. This “if” that we refer too…
When Your World Changes I am sorry for the lapse in recent weeks but I was traveling in Asia. I could have written many different blogs, but I think that much of what I would have said, would not have really mattered. After a few good sleeps and a bit of reflection, I am now…
Bragging rights The urge to give ‘er is as famous on the Miramichi as rice is for supper in China. The passion and pursuit of life are in all of us but some are better examples of it than most. Letting other people know that you are happy with your lot in life and that…
What about tomorrow When bad things happen, we have a choice to make. Yes, it is easy to preach when it is not happening to you but human triumph has shaped our planet today. I get so sick of sensationalized TV media beating a story to death. They sure have every angle covered. But what…
Make this one count Having the time to travel with those that I love most, makes me yearn for all of those special moments on a more frequent basis. But as old cliches go “ya never miss it until it is too late”. Life is the greatest equalizer, and no matter who you are, and…
The boy in the bubble After attending my 3rd funeral in the last 10 days, I now have a greater sense of my mortality. It isn’t that I have any warped sense of my earthly state, rather it is the discovery that the little boy that society tells each of us to abandon, for some…
The empty chair in the waiting room This week came and went and I did not do not get my usual blog posting up and ready on Tuesday night but here goes. I had the opportunity to deal with two different situations this week, and on both occasions, I was forced to reflect on how…
Me and the boys I went to listen to one of my favorite musicians the other night and although it was from another time and place, the feelings, of listening to him live and up close, were priceless. As those who may follow my posts on Facebook or Twitter, it was indeed the great Matt…
Snowstorms in Dallas If you have never had the chance to see bad driving up close, then it will be hard for you to appreciate, the level of lunacy that I had the chance to witness in Texas, on Friday night after arriving in Dallas for the Super Bowl. It was the beginning of an…
Cereal Bowls and Super Bowls In just two more days I get to knock another item off of my bucket list. I am going to the Super Bowl in Dallas Texas, and although my beloved Patriots will not be participating, for football enthusiasts, this is the equivalent to Muslims making the pilgrimage to Mecca or…
Love to see the snow I arrived back in Canada after attending meetings all week in Mexico. Going from plus 31 to minus 27 is quite a stretch. The best part of coming back rested is having a positive and upbeat attitude. There is so much poverty in other countries and to arrive in New…
Footprints in the snow As I walked through the crusted snow, this Sunday morning, I was venturing to look for garland to finish some Christmas decorating that I had started the previous weekend. At that moment, a thought went through my head. I remember walking on similar snow, on this exact date 28 years earlier…
Joy to the World As I travel throughout the province these past few weeks, I see the landscape changing before my eyes. The dark and gloomy days, that are associated with fewer daylight hours, have been transformed by what we call Christmas light season. Thank goodness, most people actually waited until December before lighting up.…
Cats in the Cradle I had the opportunity tonight to have a client come to my office with his 17-month-old son and I watched in amazement as the little guy explored, laughed and finally had a # 2 which left a lasting impression. I remember those days so well and as we talked, we discussed…
Round is a shape You know, it just does not get any easier now does it. You get older and gravity takes over and you end up with junk in your trunk or a hump where there is not suppose to be one. Of course, I am talking about the struggle to stay healthy and…
Time for a change Although we gained an extra hour of sleep with the recent time change, this is one of the most difficult adjustments for me to make every single year. The thoughts of going to work when it is dark and returning home in darkness seem to set me into a bit of…
Try it for just one day Another year in my life begins today and it forces me to reflect on who I am and where I have been. We are living in a world of change and I myself, much like many other people have seen the world turn upside down before my eyes. Good…
Community at it’s finest As I sat and listened to the eulogy at a funeral for a classmate, neighbor, and friend, I looked around and saw a community that was held together by something stronger than the same postal code. These were middle class, blue collar people whose community had seen better days and today…
Sandbox Wisdom!!! Admitting that you have made a mistake is one of the hardest things that we as humans struggle with. It is too bad that we spend more time making excuses than working to repair the damage. We try and mask what we have done so that we can convince ourselves that we were…
An Hour From Now May Be Too Late!!!! This is my very first blog and it touches a subject close to my heart. I read this article on the weekend about a dad who lost his son and man does it pull at the heartstrings. The hardest part of being a father is learning that…