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In the hashtag world of social media probably one of the most familiar is Throwback Thursday or TBT. The point is to wax nostalgic by posting old photos to stir memories and often just for your friends entertainment. Personally it's a favourite.  Having taken copious amounts of pictures over the years, particularly of family,  what a treat it can be to sit for hours with an album on my lap, leafing through page after page. I never tire of reliving the moments nor of seeing much loved faces.  Smiles so bright you can almost hear the laughter behind them brighten any day, while pictures of my sweet grandchildren are guaranteed spirit lifters. Another pleasure in searching through photographs, particularly old ones,   is in the glimpses of  those no longer with us, but always close to our heart.  Sitting on the lower shelf of my coffee table is an album of my mothers. It includes all black and whites, taken in her childhood, through her teens and Dad's courtship. There are

"In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired."  Unknown An expression I have paraphrased many times in recent years, as my husband and I joke about the way we feel upon waking each day.  Stiff and aching, still tired, we wonder why a night's sleep has failed to recharge mind and body. Admittedly, our lifestyle might be partly to blame. There's a lot of work, plenty of play, but very few hours dedicated to exercise. With the morning alarm startling us into reality already far too early, there's little time for much more than a few yoga poses before heading to the shower.  I bike my short jaunt to and from work, the same at lunch, and I walk on breaks. There's also a weekly yoga session. With bursts of energy in various forms, at select times throughout the workday, co-workers and I try to undo some of the damage that hours behind a desk will cause. Push-ups, a plank, squats and downward dog get the juices flowing. Sadly, i

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters." — George Herbert. Remembering what it was like growing up, my sister, brother and I often joke about how, when it came to discipline, Mom gave it her all. Dad on the other hand, could get results with a stern glance. I noticed the same thing happening after having children of my own. My "No's" were typically greeted with cajoling, whining, stomping, any manner of negative reaction.  Conversely, when my husband spoke,  obedience was immediate. They seemed to be under some delusion that there would be capitulation on my part if they kept trying to wear me down. Before that happened, however, I fell back, as millions of mothers before me, on the guaranteed method to obtain co-operation: "Fine, we'll wait until your father gets home." My dad worked long hours and our time with him was precious. Perhaps that's why he was called upon infrequently to put us in our place. Or why we listened

For many people these days, special occasions are given a more personal touch than in the past. Rather than going out and purchasing a card, they are able to create professional-quality home-made ones thanks to software programs and the superabundance of online images.  Quality card stock, the right graphics and a little creativity is all that's required. With Father's Day only a few days away, it's a good time to try your hand at this kind of project, if you haven't already. Whether you want to imbue humour or sentimentality in your project, the artwork is an important element in delivering the message. My father is no longer with us, bu there were many, many times that I was searching through racks of cards to find one that held special meaning. It often seemed that I liked the verse inside but didn't feel the fishing photo was appropriate for a golfer. Or the beautiful aesthetic of another would appeal to me, but the verse inside didn't speak accurately