Author: sueatseventy

Technology Is Driving Us Crazy

A couple of months ago our insurance provider, Johnson, sold off their vehicle insurance branch to another company, Belair Direct. We had been very happy with Johnson and had no say in this sale.

Peter and I have been driving for over 60 years and both of us have pretty clean driving records: no accidents caused by either of us, and only a few parking tickets. Since moving to the city, we have switched our mode of travel to public transit and walking. Our cars sit in the garage getting dusty and waiting for for COSTCO visits, trips to family cottages, and the curling rink which is not on a subway line.

We were OK with this arrangement until Belair Direct sent Peter an email message telling him he could get 10% off the cost of our policy. Peter is highly motivated by a deal and immediately began filling out the attached form. Then he came to the spot where he had to fill in his cell phone number. You will be shocked to hear this – but Peter has no cell phone. So I was called in to help.

After studying the form, I realized that the company wanted to install a device on my car that would monitor my driving habits. I am not quite ready to let AI take over my life yet, so I said no. By this time, however, Belair had my cell phone number and the phone calls have been non-stop. I have hung up on them, I have answered with rude words, I have threatened, I have pleaded. As a matter of fact, excuse me while I answer my phone again RIGHT NOW! Aggghhh…

Meanwhile Peter got another message from Belair asking him to complete a “survey” for another 10% off the bill. When we read the message more closely, the request was hidden in the text. It was a chance to sign up for “autocoverage” which didn’t mean CAR coverage; it meant coverage by technology. In other words, all our coverage would be done online. Forms, photos, documents, everything. No nice person would be at the end of a phone to ask “May I Help you?” If we had an accident, we would have to download everything by ourselves; while we waited at an intersection, bleeding to death, our car in pieces. And I’d have to use MY phone to do it because Peter still wouldn’t have one!

Driving for older folks is hard enough these days as our bodies and minds age. I have to admit that some new technology features are a big help. My car cameras, (blind spot and back-up), can be helpful if my neck is stiff from arthritis. My front-end braking assist is useful if I happen to approach a car from behind while I’m searching in my purse for my grocery list. The GPS is handy if I get lost in a new neighbourhood.

However, technology could do a much better job of one thing – construction! Surely some tech person could figure out a way around all those orange cones and signs, without long detours. Or maybe find a way to install sewer pipes that didn’t involve big diggers and dump trucks. Or how about a way to solve the bike lane issue?

Sadly, I have run out of space in this post. My answer to bike lanes will have to wait till next week. If you have any ideas, send them along. But you’ll have to use technology to reply because the post office is on strike and the drive to our house is hampered by construction.

Sue

TAYLOR AND ME

With Taylor Swift in town, readers would expect me to write something about her. Wouldn’t you? After all she has pretty much taken over the city.

But I don’t really follow Taylor’s music, and this site has a limited budget which doesn’t allow for $1,000 per-person tickets to go to a concert. I was tempted to write about some other newsworthy item, like my teen-age rise to fame, but frankly I don’t remember it. My mind kept wandering back to this superstar. What is it about her that attracts so many millions of fans?

Even though she is only 35 years old, Taylor Swift (named after singer James Taylor), has a long performing history. As a child she sang at Montessori concerts and in school musicals. Then she started going to New York City for voice and acting lessons. By age 13 Swift won a deal with RCA records and began travelling to Nashville with her mother. Clearly her parents were well-off and could afford to support their daughter’s musical career, just like her namesake.

As a young teen, Swift learned the guitar and did commercials for Maybelline. She followed the music of Patsy Cline and Shania Twain. Most of my teen age friends and I followed Elvis, with never a thought of actually singing like him or even being in his back-up group. But Swift was determined to build a career in country music. So her parents did what she needed – they moved the family to Nashville. Wen I was 13, my family moved to a small town called Greece New York where there was definitely no music scene.

Along the way Swift began writing her own material: tunes and lyrics. For example she would write about what happened in school on a certain day, what boy winked at her, what girl called her names. Then she would design costumes and add dance moves too. She was, and still is, the whole package. Many of us wrote stuff like that in our diaries, and we made costumes out of old castoffs in the attic. But that’s as far as it went for our stardom.

Swift’s debut album, Taylor Swift, was released when she was just 17. Accolades poured in for this emerging star. For most of us, age 17 meant our first part-time job at a greasy spoon. and maybe singing along with the jukebox. I even had a tiny radio that ran on batteries!

At the American Music awards in 2019, Swift was named Artist of the DECADE. In 2020 she was the highest paid solo musician worldwide. Concerned about theft of her content, she began to re-release her albums in her own style. Fearless: Taylor’s Version was released in 2021. In 2023 Swift was the most streamed artist on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon.

Her fan base has grown to many millions, all across the globe, across age groups, and across genders. Her fans include musicians, as she has often advocated for them on issues of intellectual property rights and streaming policies. She has become a cult figure with her own logo – friendship bracelets. She supports women’s rights. Folks like you and I continue to watch in wonder.


Not surprising to learn that Swift is rich; in 2023 she became a billionaire. And she gives it away too. She had already donated millions to charitable causes: cities ravaged by storms and floods, schools for needy kids, food banks at every concert venue. So what else to do but create another tour? Meanwhile our thirties were spent raising kids and paying the mortgage. Sometimes we went to a bar and sang along with the band to “Sweet Caroline.”

Toronto has come alive in pink. The subway system has posters on every wall and pillar. Stores and malls have pop-up tables and kiosks full of Swift “merch.” Radio stations blast her hits. Downtown is filled with loving fans, cheering and trading bracelets, (except for one couple that has gone to court, fighting over a divorce and who gets the Swift concert tickets). Mostly it is all about adoration and happiness.

But I am wondering about one thing. Our generation all worked hard, gradually moving up the career ladder, and maybe striving for an upper rung before we retired. We left lots of goals unattained. For Taylor Swift, having reached the top of her game at age 35, what is she going to DO for the next 60 years?

Sue

Affordable Housing

Thanks to all you wonderful readers who contributed comments on my Election Day post. Your ideas were insightful and heartfelt. So very sorry they were in vain. It’s sadly ironic that yesterday we honoured millions of war heroes who paid with their lives to save democracy, when only last week millions of voters had given it away with a check mark on a ballot.

However, our life of relative stability goes on, for 2 more months at least. Our family has been focused on the real estate market. My son and his wife sold their townhouse and bought a condo, all in a couple of weeks. We went along for the ride, metaphorically, with lots of conversations. Did they need 3 bedrooms or could they manage with 2? Was the washing machine big enough? How would Venus (the dog) cope with the elevator? These are first-world problems, for sure.

Then the owners of the oddly-shaped house next door to us finally held an Open House. I marched in shamelessly. The home is beautiful: bright and airy and unique. There are big entertaining rooms, small private spots, and natural outdoor spaces. There are also: 6 bathrooms, 4 fireplaces, heated floors, a workout studio, 2 elevators, and an entire room devoted to the technology needed to run the building.

Does anybody really Need that much house?

Last year around this time the issue of affordable housing began to surface in Toronto. Our parks became tent cities. Our alleyways grew into drug dealers’ business outlets. Our refugees slept on subway grates. Our new mayor, Olivia Chow, wrang her hands in despair.

Government officials should have looked into the past for inspiration. They could have seen how architects dealt with the shortage of housing for soldiers returning from WW II in 1945. One enterprising architectural firm, Wartime Housing Corporation, came up with a home design, referred to as Simplified Cape Cod. It has a living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom on the main floor, with 2 more bedrooms upstairs under a pitched roof. Over 46,000 of these houses were built across Canada in the next 2 years.

One such neighbourhood still exists in Toronto. So we went to have a look. Called Queensway Park, it contains 200 homes built in 1945-46. Most of them have Not been renovated. They were built with quality materials and are well-cared-for by their owners. The neighbourhood has quiet cul-de-sacs, curving streets and plenty of green space; perfect for a family.

In recognition of the original military owners, many residents decorated their small homes for November 11th, with poppies and other memorabilia. In this neighbourhood, residents have Not forgotten.

Sue

Election Day In America

As I have said a couple of times before, this is not a political blog. But then today came along.

I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out a positive message for this morning. It has been years of chaos for America and its allies, beginning with Trump on that infamous escalator ride down and down and down, into a political abyss of failing to keep promises, taking bribes, making friends with enemies, offering deadly medical advice during a pandemic, planning ways to take control of women’s health, promising revenge on his enemies. To mention just a few.

Then Joe Biden rose to the occasion and governed with a steady hand and years of experience, helping his country to recover from Covid, guiding the economy forward, passing infrastructure bills, extending the ACA, and trying to resolve the illegal immigrant situation. What more could one person do in just 4 years? But Joe did one more thing – he stepped away from his office because his country mattered more.

Trump and his MAGA followers were enraged. How dare sleepy Joe give his spot to a smart, tough, charismatic vie-president, a Woman for heavens sake? The Republican campaign did a swift turnaround. Fine-tuned attack ads. Made up racist slogans. Told even bigger lies. Hired Elon Musk. Survived 2 assassination attempts. Called Puerto Ricans “garbage.” Called Harris names I wouldn’t repeat.

And that brings us to today. People around the world are shaking in their shoes. Whether wearing Republican cowboy boots, Democratic dress shoes, flip flops, or even going barefoot, everyone is looking at the path forward with fear. Never before in modern US history has the fork in the road led to such extreme ends. On the right – years of economic, environmental, and social chaos. On the left – policies, plans and programs for the good of the people.

Even if Harris is elected, there will be chaos. Already seeds of doubt about the election process are being sown. Court appeals have been submitted. The violence of January 6th 2021 is being reinvented. It would take a new government months or even years to create order from all the turmoil.

What can I say on this dark morning? I found something in a column by a writer I follow regularly. She points to Abraham Lincoln, a relatively unknown US lawyer who rose to prominence in the 1850’s with his belief that all men (sorry, he wasn’t perfect) are created equal, including slaves. The rich southern aristocracy ( as powerful as an oligarchy) fought back. But in 1860, VOTERS put Lincoln in the White House.

Yes there was a civil war. And many lives were lost. But by 1863 Lincoln was able to deliver the Gettysburg Address, firmly rooting the United States in the Declaration Of Independence, and stating that the “government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from this earth.”

Let’s hope he was right.

Sue

A Square To Be Proud Of

In 2021 the Canadian government voted to mark an official Day Of Truth and Reconciliation, on September 30. This September a new installation was opened in Nathan Phillis Square, Toronto. Last week we decided to investigate this new Spirit Garden.

We took the Yonge subway to Dundas and wandered through the Eaton Centre, stopping for lunch at the Food Court and remarking, as we headed through the shopping maze, that neither Peter nor I had been to Nathan Phillips Square in Ages. We have visited on a few occasions such as New Year’s Eve, but mostly we have used the square as a short-cut between Yonge St And University Ave.

This time we entered from the east side and had to weave through a lot of props, signage and equipment, as we made our way to the south-west corner of the square. Construction workers and event planners were setting up for the Diwali Festival Of Lights, happening on the weekend.

Then a series of new installations, the Spirit Garden, caught our eye. Attracting us first was a large turtle, symbolizing the First Mother. She is labouring up a hill, a look of determination on her face. She represents the Indigenous people struggling against land and cultural appropriation, evidenced by the residential school tragedy. The turtle is staring at the roadblock of listed schools in its path.

On one side of the turtle’s journey sits a large inuksuk, (a human-like figure guiding travellers and warning of danger ahead) and on the other side a shiny copper teaching lodge, built to be an Indigenous classroom. Nearby rests a canoe, symbolic of early travel from the north along Carrying Place, to the Great Lakes. Unlike practical vessels, this one is shimmering stainless steel with colourful patterns etched on its sides.

At one end of the Spirit Garden, a natural garden features crops of the 3 sisters: corn with its tall stalks planted at the back, beans next, using the corn stalks as support, and squash for groundcover to keep the weeds out and moisture in. These 3 vegetables are often cooked and served together in an Indigenous meal.

Satisfied with our tour of this new garden, we decided to explore the square a little further. Built in 1965, on land originally occupied by Chinese and Jewish immigrants, the square was named after former Mayor Nathan Phillips and placed adjacent to the new Toronto City Hall. In the northwest corner of the square a reflecting pool and eternal flame highlight a Peace Garden. A Henry Moore Sculpture has also resided here for over 60 years. A statue of Winston Churchill was added in 1977.

Around 2010 the city decided that a facelift was in order. A design concept, based on the ancient Greek “agora,” a large gathering place and market, led to the changes. A new restaurant with a rooftop patio replaced the old skate shack. Now it’s an updated eatery beside the skating rink, which features a colourful Toronto sigh, installed during the 2015 Pan Am Games. One of the Freedom Arches above the rink contains a piece of the Berlin wall at its base.

In the centre of the square a new stage was built to replace the temporary structures used for concerts and special events. This stage area, referred to as the Podium, has a “green” roof and feels very open and welcoming.

In fact, the entire area of Nathan Phillips Square feels welcoming. Whether you are a politician, a skater, a concert-goer, a Raptors fan, a shopper, a tourist, or an Indigenous person, there is a place for you there.

Sue

Your Tuesday Smile

Another Tuesday has rolled around. So yesterday I checked my calendar to see what exciting things Peter and I have been doing over the past week that I could tell you about. And possibly make you smile.

We have our grand dog Venus here all week as her parents put their house up for sale: cleaning carpets, staging furniture and having showings. So far there have been no offers. Venus follows me around, from kitchen to bathroom to laundry room, hinting that she wants to play ball outside. I throw the ball and she, a senior in dog years, catches it and then lies down for a nap.

Venus naps while I wait…

Meanwhile the house next door has been finished and gone on the real estate market for 5 million dollars. (Well it does have a car elevator, you know). There have been no showings that we have seen, but more important than that; there has been No Open House! How unfair is that for neighbours like us who have been watching this jagged structure grow into a behemoth for over 3 years? Now we don’t even get to see inside??

The house next door.. by appointment only.

The curling season began this past week and only 3 of my team members showed up. The 4th one had Covid. We sweated and struggled our way up and back on the ice for 6 ends, and lost by one point. My fitness classes also began and the new teacher is a tyrant. “Don’t walk, run! Jumping Jacks – Faster! Weights: only wimps use the 2-pound ones! No time to waste! Do you really Need a water break?”

The gardening season has come to an end and the only produce Peter brings me now are green tomatoes, bok choy with holey leaves from insect attacks, and squash with large mouthfuls missing. The begonias and geraniums have been bitten by frosty nights and the leaves are turning brown.

Green tomatoes and frost-bitten leaves

I had a dentist appointment for a rather large cavity, beginning with a painful anesthetic needle. Then I had to order a new mouth guard for grinding teeth. I had a doctor’s appointment to renew prescriptions. Her patient before me had a big issue and I waited quite a while, without the novel I was reading, which I had left in the car.

In the news: hurricanes and floods batter the winter holiday destination of Americans. The politics of our neighbours to the south continue to be surreal: Trump slurring his words, dancing on stage for 39 minutes, calling his opponent a cat lady, while she can’t seem to get an edge with the black population. Meanwhile, in our own country, several of Trudeau’s MP’s are anxious to dump him for… whom?

Was this a good week, all things considered? Honestly, when I look back at my week, and compare my situation to other places in the world, problems and issues pale in comparison. So I’m going to step outside, take in a breath of fresh fall air, have a look at the gorgeous trees. And smile! I hope you can do the same.

Sue

Leslie Lookout Park

I have had a crush on Claude Cormier ever since I visited Berczy Park and stumbled upon his whimsical dog fountain. What a clever idea he had: to construct parks that were more than just grass and trees; to make them a go-to destination.

Cormier died in 2023 from a rare genetic condition, at the young age of 63. What a loss for the environment and for the cities that benefitted from his genius. I was eager to visit this newest Toronto creation, Leslie Lookout Park, officially opened by Mayor Olivia Chow on September 14th of this year. The media reporting was full of praise for this park, crafted from a small piece of land near the Leslie Street Spit and the Portlands. Peter and I made our way there last Friday.

As usual, we took public transit – a subway and a bus – and then walked half a kilometer. And there, almost hidden between a huge postal station and a construction lot full of sand hills, was a tiny bit of magic. The park makes itself known through its lookout tower. No, this is not the CN Tower. But visitors can walk up the staircase to the second level and view the CN tower in the distance.

The beach, similar to Sugar Beach, (another Cormier creation), hosts about 25 Muskoka chairs looking out over Toronto’s Ship Channel. The sunsets are reported to be beautiful from this angle. The rest of the park is composed of small hills suitable for kids to roll down, and an area of porous asphalt which collects and disperses rain water. There are bike stands and water fountains. The entire park is planted with more than 5000 different kinds of greenery, including a mini-forest of bonsai.

After Peter and I had explored every inch of this clever creation, we still had some time so we wondered south the the entrance of Tommy Thompson Park. This park is a lot different from the Cormier design. It’s Vast. And Wild. Here the flowers, grasses and animals run free. In fact, there is a huge sign at the entrance, warning visitors not to bring dogs, not even on a leash. Wildlife is King.

We walked along for a while until we came to a sign indicating that the park continues for 10 kilometers. No wonder we had seen so many bike riders! A friend told us that, had we continued walking a bit farther, we would have come across public restrooms with ideal bird-nesting opportunities under the eaves. The restrooms are built according to current “green” standards, and the birds show off their flying skills there – much better for the environment than the Air Show.

Then it was time to go home. We walked back to the bus stop, past Leslie Lookout Park, grateful to have seen Claude Cormier’s final Toronto creation.

Sue

This dedication can be found on the inside of the lookout tower

In Search Of Lobster

In addition to enjoying the comfort of travelling by ship, Peter and I visited many interesting ports on our recent cruise. Peter wanted to see the ports. My main goal was to eat a lobster roll.

Our first stop was Saguenay, Quebec, where we were met on the dock by a welcoming committee of French-Quebec characters. They offered us self-sawed wood plaques, blueberry tea, maple syrup on ice, and Quebecois music. What? No lobster?

The port building displayed the town’s dedication to clean ocean water, with a variety of sculptures made from sea garbage. The little town boasted about its antique car museum and its ancient church, an icon we would see in almost every port we visited.

Peter sawing his own plaque

After a day at sea, we stopped at Charlottetown, a city we had both visited before, but a long time ago. It has a slightly larger church. And it has the famous building where the Fathers of Confederation developed 72 resolutions which became the foundation for the British North American Act. This constitutional act was signed into law by Queen Victoria in 1867, thereby creating the Dominion of Canada.

Confederation House, undergoing renovations

After we finished wandering Charlottetown’s city streets, I was craving my lobster roll and convinced Peter to visit a “Shellfish Festival” just outside of town. On our way we met a couple who told us the festival was not worth a visit. Then we discovered that there was a $10 admission charge. Peter said he didn’t really want to go and I, wearing a pouty face, finally gave in. A couple of days later, we heard on the news that over 550 people got seriously ill from the food at that festival. Sometimes, you know, Peter is right.

A couple of ports merit only a brief mention. Sydney Nova Scotia is known for its Fort Louisburg and the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, both of which we had previously visited. The next stop, Portland Maine, was our first American port and we spent most of our time waiting in line to pass through immigration. There’s not much else to say about those 2 stops.

In between, however, we strolled along the modern boardwalk in Halifax and visited Pier 21 where Peter and his mom first landed in Canada in 1958. We also climbed up to the Citadel, the high point of the city, and we do mean high. We rested in the beautiful city gardens which feature a bountiful variety of flowers and fountains.

Pier 21 where evidence of Peter’s arrival in Canada can be seen

Next up was Bar Harbour Maine, where we spent a lot of time browsing the stores, walking past the church, and picking up some souvenirs. But that lobster roll was nowhere in sight. Then we stopped at a slightly larger port city, Freeport, Rhode Island, famous for its mansions by the sea. The largest is The Breakers, owned by the Vanderbilt family and situated quite close to one of the best places for surfing on the entire eastern coast.

The Breakers

Our favourite stop was Boston. We were at a loss as to what to see first in our short stay of only a few hours. So we hopped on a trolley and hopped off at several stops. We were impressed by the variety of architectural styles on display, including the state building with its 23-karat gold roof, the 60-storey John Hancock building whose exterior reflects the other buildings around it, the antique merry-go-round, and the magnificent old church. As we headed back to the ship, there it was: a seafood restaurant! I finally got my lobster roll, and it was served without germs.

State House and restaurant in Boston

Our cruise ended in New York City where we were met by our son, Daniel. We spent the weekend with Dan, Jenny, Ben and Tobie. What better way to finish a holiday than a few days with family?

Sue

Poster from contemporary art show in New York City

PS Have a lovely Thanksgiving! If you don’t want to cook a turkey, you could always boil up some lobsters.

Shipping News

Peter and I spent the last 2 weeks on a vacation which included a cruise. We didn’t stop to think that a 10-day cruise in the fall would be limited to one particular group: old retired people like us.

We haven’t been on a trip of any kind in a couple of years so preparing for this trip was a little stressful. The weather in the Maritimes and New England is supposed to be mild and sunny but there can be occasional hurricanes along the coast. So we had to pack a lot of layers to accommodate all possibilities. Our pill consumption has increased, so (I have to admit) I bought one of those pill box organizers. Then the airline tickets we had booked to go to our departure city were threatened by a potential airline strike! But finally we were ready.

Pill box organizer saved the day..

Peter wanted to take public transit to the airport but we had packed a lot of stuff. Two suitcases plus 3 carry-ons seemed daunting for a subway and 2 bus rides plus walking, so we agreed on taking an Uber. But Ubers arrive quickly and, in our haste to leave, an important item was left behind and we had to coax the Uber guy to turn around.

The flight was short and the attendants served wine so by the time we got to Quebec City we were calmed down and ready to have fun. We had booked a hotel for one night before our cruise left. But when we arrived at our lovely boutique hotel, we found out it had no elevators and no bell hops. We had to lug our suitcases and carry-ons to the second floor.

Boutique hotel with no elevators

We were almost ready to give up and go home, but our hotel was just across from the Chateau Frontenac and a lovely boardwalk, so we soldiered on.

After a walk and a delicious French dinner, we slept well and were all set to hike to the ship the next morning. The hotel had advertised a 10-minute walk to the port but we were still trudging after half an hour. We could see the ship but it was located behind acres of shipyards. Eventually a disability shuttle took pity and picked us up. We tried to ignore the wheelchair sign in the windows as we took our seats.

Peter walking the port

We boarded the ship and looked around. We have never before seen so many canes, walkers and wheelchairs gathered together on a floating vessel. There were a lot of wrinkled faces, grey hair and bald heads too. But there were also a few heads with blue streaks and even a moustache dyed green. And those wrinkled faces were smiling. Would this be a nursing home experience or not?

The Norwegian Sky

The ship made accommodations for our collective age. The mealtimes were adjusted to include lunch starting at 11:30 and dinner beginning at 5:00. We chose “sharing tables’ in the dining room and met a lot of interesting older people. They were from all over the world; not just Quebec but also Georgia, Arizona, California, the UK, India, Germany, and Australia. We learned a lot about healthcare, housing, education, weather and grandchildren in other countries. And we all acknowledged that we might forget each other’s names if we met again the next day.

There were shows after dinner. A violinist wore sparkly dresses she had designed herself as she played a variety of music types that we recognized. A group of performers presented an evening of show tunes from the 60’s and up. A comedian, who was also in his 70’s like most of us, told our kind of jokes. The shows ended at 10 pm and the guests, including us, walked directly to our staterooms and put on our pajamas; the casino sat empty.

Next Tuesday I’ll give you an overview of the many interesting ports we visited. But all in all, Peter and I decided that cruising is a definite travel possibility for older people.

Sue

Chateau Frontenac hotel in Quebec City