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Towels and loungers dot the sandy beaches where bodies fry under the baking July sun, while others seek respite in warm waters. Humidity takes the breath away, so the pace of day-to-day has slowed. Like an old 78 record spinning at 33 rpms, routine actions, once spirited, are sluggish. Energy is expended outdoors in swimming pools and lakes, in shady hammocks or reading a good book under a backyard maple. Fashion has taken on a breezy vibe.  Whether decked in muscle shirts and camo shorts or flowing dresses, the trend has moved to minimalist,  feather light. The pace on clogged urban streets has a lethargy to it, despite the pressures of the working world. Clambering out of offices, faces lift to the sky for a brief sunlight kiss. Workdays end with lazy evenings of cool drinks on patios and decks. As we are deep in the dog days of summer, celebrating with  passion in our hearts and caution in our actions, it's difficult to believe that within a few short weeks it will be bac

"You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake." The late comedian Bob Hope perhaps wasn't being entirely hyperbolic here. After years of providing entertainment at home and abroad; his USO shows brought a little joy to troops fighting overseas; he passed away just a few months past his 100th birthday. He was a role model to many proving that it's the blessings attained over years of life to be celebrated, not the years themselves. I don't perhaps live with the same exuberance as Hope, but I've never been intimidated by the number of candles on the cake. I've always been a firm believer that regardless of age, birthdays are exalted events. This is, after all, the day when you began. And it's certainly not just ourselves we love to celebrate. The people close to us matter, so why wouldn't we want to pay extra attention in a thankful way to the day that they came into this world? I never missed my parent's bir

"When children are young, they are learning sponges. Every new experience, every word they learn, every behaviour they adopt, is an investment in a more fruitful future. You can never have a greater impression on a person than when they are in their early childhood years. " These words were written by Vicki Palmer, educator and founder of TicTacTeach.com, in discussing the key benefits of early childhood education.  In this particular blog she goes on to say that study after study has proven ECE has a tremendous impact on life outcomes. That certainly comes as no surprise to me. In my decades as mother and now grandmother I have seen first hand what education can mean to a child during their formative years. Trained early childhood educators unquestionably enrich the lives of little ones through learning. I have just returned back to work from a not especially restful, but very entertaining vacation. With my daughter and her husband taking a little mini-break, I was