Fun With Frugality

 Fun With Frugality

Tulip went shopping to one of her secret shops in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia to buy some reduced price but not yet past the due date, milk.

The parking lot was mostly empty at 11 a.m. She walked into the store with a sure feeling of optimism, especially when she saw that the clerk who down-prices the milk had just completed the task. 

Sadly when her eyes scanned the options, it was only the gallon jugs of zero percent marked down to $1.75. Zero percent is like drinking cloudy water and really not worth any amount of hard earned money. 

Then, just as Tulip was about to walk away, her eyes caught something called Almond Milk. It was a two litre carton marked down to $.75. The price alone caused her eyes to pop open very wide and her brain said “how bad can it be?”

She remembers the voice of an atypical friend who is slightly on the left side of mainstream when it comes to eating and drinking. Her decisions are not related to allergies or taste, but just a preference to support other options — healthier options, she would say. 

Tulip, being more of a middle of the spectrum mainstreamer, has never tried almond milk; in fact, it wasn’t too long ago that her reaction would been negative and she would have immediately left the bargain for someone else. 

This time things were different. She picked up the carton, read the nutritional table printed on the side, and realized it can’t possibly be all that bad. She placed it into her basket and went to the cashier feeling quite excited about the possibilities.

Once she got home, she googled “almond milk recipes” and up popped a number of interesting options — plus an article saying it can be an equal replacement for any recipe calling for regular milk. Oatmeal. Pudding. Cappuccino. Loafs. Smoothies. Crêpes. Pancakes. French toast. It was a definite steal of a deal!

First she made a mochachino then crêpes. Later she found her mother’s old Dutch raisin loaf recipe and doubled it. The next day she invited a friend over for morning cappuccinos complemented with applesauce crêpes topped with almond milk foam. She sliced up the loaf, wrapping each into a sealed freezer bag and looked forward to a slice a day until there was no more.

Although Tulip is pretty plain and ordinary when it comes to food and drink, every now and then someone or something nudges her out of her comfort zone, opening up a whole new world of adoptable experiences — it’s amazing what a price tag of $0.75 can do!

TROUBLESOME TRAVELLERS

As a senior and well-seasoned traveller, I can no longer keep track of the number of times I have travelled by air feeling flustered and unhappy with the boarding process. Quite frankly it has gone beyond believable.

Passengers generally arrive at the airport at the recommended time and that’s impressive. Those are the folks I am writing about today because the others, the ones that arrive at five minutes before boarding and needing attention or arriving as boarding is appearing to be complete, are a whole other kettle of fish.

Imagine what I see as I patiently wait a very long time at the boarding gate: travellers with oversized carry-on; passengers without their boarding pass and ID in hand; passengers unable to follow the pace of boarding when called; boarding passengers who don’t check their seat assignment until after they have passed their row; passengers who pack their reading glasses or iPods or water bottle or food  in the bag they’ve just put in the overhead bin. All of those types are the biggest reason planes are leaving late; they are the biggest reason why they get dirty looks; they are the most frustrating to all the rest of us who know better and who know they can do better too.

Even though their sometimes remorseful attitude is something like “sorry give me a sec”, their “sec” isn’t a second. They hold back the flow of traffic outside the plane, inside the jetway, and on board. They infuriate staff who are doing their best to clue people in about their oversized luggage, having their ID inhand, checking their zone number, checking their row and seat allocation, and staying out of the aisle when fussing around. Boarding time is also not the right time to need to use the washroom.

I sit back and watch all of this and see it as a comedy show of grown adults without a care in the world about how their lack of due diligence makes them look like fools. My mind cannot help but wonder who those people are, where they were brought up, how they were brought up and how they have made it this far in their lives.

At the same time, all of this makes me think of the classic sixties television show called Bewitched where Samantha wiggles her nose back and forth to rid the scene of anything and anyone problematic. I imagine myself being Samantha and the plane departing on time or early, but only 60 percent full.

Despite imagining enjoying having a full row of seats all to myself, I do look forward to the day I travel relaxed and happy, on a full plane, because ALL passengers were finally in tune with contributing to efficient and effective boarding practices.

Come on folks: boarding a plane is a group activity — leave your troubles behind and bring with you logical thinking and a state of preparedness we all hope for and deserve. Just saying!

CATCH AND RELEASE

                                                           

Life is flowing like the River Nile 

From south to north revealing the files

Each unfolds like the various waves

Some are easy while others do cave

In between the tides, the work is hard

Try to keep the inner self on guard

Saying no to malice and to pain

Never striving to hurt or defame 

Looking north to reach the wanted prize

A rainbow, a star, a new sunrise

As the occasional bite will smart

Putting undue stress onto the heart

There’s so much more in life to embrace

Best to unravel it face to face

Look in a mirror to see what’s there

Knowing someone is right there to care

That’s the person extending a hand

A best friend guide on how best to land.

Listen and hear the echoing voice

Weigh all the options and make a choice

Life is flowing with plenty of fish

It might be time to try a new dish.

Antoinetta DeWit

January 2024

CHIEF BILL CRANMER

 THANK YOU CHIEF BILL CRANMER

Someone I met once or twice passed away recently. Chief Bill Cranmer was a strong and effective voice for the preservation of  First Nation language and culture. He led the repatriation of indigenous cultural objects including masks, bentwood boxes, and regalia.

Chief Cranmer worked tirelessly to retrieve the appropriated pieces and raise awareness about the need to preserve and maintain language, history and culture. His message resonates in the minds of many indigenous and non indigenous peoples today as I think more and more of us are realizing the impact of the atrocities imposed on the original settlers of the lands upon which we now all reside, by the manipulation  of the curious explorers sent here to conquer conquer conquer at all costs.

Chief Cranmer also negotiated economic treaties to develop businesses for his Nation to prosper — that has been an inspiration to other Nations across BC. 

His efforts in encouraging the preservation of First Nations’ traditions have also gone a very long way towards fleshing out the objectives of reconciliation. I can remember him saying, a long time ago, something about ancestry, roots, and cultural preservation as the foundation of all peoples: “It’s important to know your past if you are going to fight for your future.”   — those words were powerful then, now and should forever be. 

RIP Chief Cranmer. Gilakas’la (meaning thank you)

AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

 REMARKABLE PEOPLE ACHIEVE REMARKABLE THINGS 

Currently, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean there are a bunch of rowing boats doing the most incredible of journeys known as « The World’s Toughest Row ».

The annual rowboat race across the Atlantic Ocean began in early December, with teams participating from around the world. The annual event starts in the village of San Sebastián in La Gomera, Canary Islands, ending in Antigua. The 3000 mile journey is most definitely an experience of a lifetime, a life changing achievement, for everyone involved. 

But, there are more than just the rowers, organizers and locals who feel the adrenaline and excitement. 

Recently I was at a friend’s annual Dutch Oliebollen New Year’s Eve brunch in Pitt Meadows. Many of the people there talked about a team of four marine scientists, one of which is known to them personally. They follow the journey daily online; they share in the excitement and marvel in the extremes of this incredible adventure. 

The four female teammates go by the team name of Salty Science. Their journey started about two years ago with intensive training, organizing and fundraising.  If I understood the daily routine accurately, two of them row while the other two rest in a semi covered spot at the front or back of the boat. They switch every two hours and they have learned how to sleep in a somewhat relaxed sitting slouch. They are united by a shared passion for marine conservation and striving to raise $500,000 to train the next generation of scientists who will develop solutions to global ocean challenges. So far they have reached half of their fundraising goal.

If you are interested in following this incredible journey, a true test of physical and mental endurance on the often wild and scary unpredictability of the mighty Atlantic Ocean, check out the team’s website at www.saltyscience.org .

Our world, the one that revolves around our everyday lives, is  filled with interesting experiences and people.

Getting out to meet new people or even engaging in conversations about things friends have experienced from day to day, often opens up a whole new world of intrigue and interests … this was one that happened to me this week.