00:52 - 05.09.07
Luminous
Today was good, dear diary. I managed to roll out of bed and be ready to catch that first bus out of the community in the am. Even though school started today, there wasn't that big a difference in ridership to the downtown. Too early for most of the students - at least until they get into extra curricular activities, such as band or sports, that demand several additional hours per week of dedication to learning. At the bus stop, all new people - not one of the "regulars" from last spring. One of the workmates I had several years ago was on the bus already, but didn't seem disposed to chat. First thing in the morning that isn't surprising. As we reached the train, daylight was breaking in earnest. That deep pink sky that is a hallmark of this time of year. It made me realize that the fall equinox is only a couple of weeks away as made evident by the autumnal shade of the leaves on the trees, as well as the drop in the depth and speed of the river. Downtown, everyone seemed to have dressed as though mourning the end of summer. Black and dark blue clothing was ubiquitous. Being that I needed to dress to comfortably play with my grand-daughter, I stuck out a bit from everyone else. Skort and white shirt, with a white sweater to take the chill out of the morning. My purse and shoes were autumn colours, as fits the "no white accessories" tradition that kicks in September first here. I think some of the fashionistas felt that I had betrayed the spirit of their rules anyway, given some of the looks I received from a couple. Probably just jealous they couldn't continue wearing shorts and T's to the office, I think.
All my transit connections were flawless this morning, so I made good time to my son's home - about an hour all together. As you might recall, travel time could be at least half as long again in the winter, depending on road conditions. A new train station is scheduled to open some time this month. That could mean I don't have to take that first bus out of the community. I can walk to the new station intead. A bit of a hike, but just a good enough distance so that it could be counted as that first round of exercise each day. That would mean I could catch earlier, pre-bus trains too, should the need arise.
All three of the family were waiting when I arrived, and all seemed happy to see me. My grand-daughter wanted to go for a ride with her Dad, but she wavered when her stroller was pulled out of the closet for me to use. She loves walks and park time during the day,you see. I think she was a bit confused about not having to go to daycare when her parents left for work together, but it seemed to make her happy rather than otherwise. Her parents were concerned that she would miss being around children her own age, but she seemed very content to just sit on my lap and cuddle for the first hour or so. Or maybe she sees me as an overgrown child - hard to say. She was also really pleased to reacquaint herself with some of her favorite television characters. She had learned the words or actions, or both, to a lot of the songs at daycare and belted them out as the actors on the tv sang them. She encouraged me to join her as she did so. That was a lot of fun. She brought all her new toys to me as though to introduce us. Then we proceeded to play with each in turn almost as part of an initiation. She has new favorites including Donald Duck and a little white duck, as well as two cows who were twins but for size. Her Dad is the one of my sons who stayed in drama throughout school and excelled at improv and voice acting. His Donald Duck imitation is probably why my grand-daughter showed such a strong preference for that particular stuffed toy. My son asked me to try and maintain the schedule she followed at the daycare, so that she can adapt more easily when she returns there mid-October. I wish I could have said that I would continue on caring for her, but you know all the reasons I can't dear diary.
It still is really frustrating me. It was obvious that my grand-daughter really enjoyed our one-on-one time together, as well as the lack of such a strictly regimented schedule. That was most apparent from the way she ate. There must be a very short time that the children at her playschool are allowed to try and eat their meals. I also wonder if there was a problem with the older or bigger children taking food from the small ones. In the spring, her attitude toward food was casual and secure. She knew it was always available for the asking. This morning, anytime I put food within reach of her she would grab as much as she could and stuff all of it in her mouth right away. Sometimes her mouth was so full that it was impossible for her to chew. It made me really sad to think that she would have been made to feel that insecure about getting enough to meet her nutritional needs in such a short period of time. Given all the hand-wringing about the amount of obesity among children, it might be that the amount of time children spend - because there is no other alternative offered - in institutionalized care settings is a factor in the problem. For as long as I have the privilege of spending time with her, I hope I can find a way to reconfirm in her mind the idea that there will be enough, so she doesn't have to feel as though she must stuff herself whenever any chance presents itself. Today I began by removing from sight a lot of the food I had brought out. Then I made certain there was always at least one "nibble" within her reach at all times. By the time she woke up from her nap, she seemed to feel more secure and was eating at a much slower, relaxed pace. In our wealthy society no child should feel as though famine is part of their lot in life. I suspect that a lot of the manifestations of greed and wasteful consumption are rooted in that cause of feeling deprived of necessities as a child in the midst of such great abundance.
Today in the news, it was all about the lies and deceptions that are surfacing in this country's political realms. There are municipal and provincial elections imminent across the country. Today our Prime Minister tossed the dice for a winter federal election by proroguing parliament. Instead of starting sittings next week, there will be no assembly of the House of Commons until after the key provincial elections at the beginning of October. I believe that the Prime Minister is using that as a means to divert public attention and debate to that non-issue of when parliament sits, while he engages is several acts of subterfuge and deception in the global negotiations he is currently undertaking. If there is no parliament sitting, then he can neither be questioned nor held to account for his actions. I hope the opposition parties don't get suckered into focussing on the political grandstanding, thus missing the chance to challenge the underhandedness being engaged in "for our own good". Sorry Steve, but agreeing to bury piles of decaying uranium and other radioacitve dross in more boreholes in the Canadian Shield is not in the best interest of any Canadian. I am equally certain that there are lots of global corporate entities in ecstasy that they can purchase Canada's raw materials very cheaply to manufacture in their countries at incredible mark-ups, then send the poison back to this country when they've made their profits.
I think I'll think about that tomorrow. My grandchildren deserve much better from the people elected to protect their best interests and to acts as stewards to their futures. The one good bit of news came from that research project of mine - the volunteer one. I had asked if I could be allowed on the health team. The response was "show me what you can do and be as creative as you can". I like being treated fairly. Whether I am accepted or not, at least I've been given the oppotunity to try. That's not a lot to ask now is it. Any way time for bed. Good night dear diary.
�
�
