It has memorably been moralized that death is a dreadful subject.  And indeed it is. Decidely not for the pusillanimous. Nor does it constitute, except for the blatantly curious or the morbidly inclined, an especially vivid literary turn. Nonetheless I find lately that the inescapable eventuality has preoccupied me more than I care to accede. Yet strangely, without endorsing the peril, it invokes a hitherto uncommon liberality, strangely freeing me from former prejudices surrounding the grim theme.

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Readers who take an interest in the progress of civilisation and of the useful arts will be grateful to the humble topographer who has recorded these facts, and will perhaps wish that historians of far higher pretensions had sometimes spared a few pages from military evolutions and political intrigues, for the purpose of letting us know how the parlours and bedchambers of our ancestors looked.

Excerpt From
Thomas Babington Macaulay
“The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 1”

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Happily there are few things I unreservedly regret. There were of course events which at the time I would rather have avoided. Yet in retrospect even those trying moments afforded me a profit, the complete beneficence of which it wasn’t until much later in life I fully appreciated. I speak of those ticks of universal application which at the time we consider either trifling or unbearable but which later prove altogether the opposite. Not the least of those fortuitous happenstances is the very reason I am sitting at this desk peering at the river beyond the meadow.

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Gone are the days of depending upon finding what you want by visiting one store afer another. The modern shopping mode is far less contingent upon either travel or luck and more dependent upon on-line research.  And in my limited experience with this new mode of shopping the results are not only impressive but in most instances preferable.  I have for example been able to locate clothing of the precise style and measurements required.  We have also found a modest storage case (which required assembly) that fit the bill perfectly (and it was assembled at the store and subsequently delivered to the front door of our residence). We’ve also ordered hardware, pharmaceuticals and cofffee on-line. Each of the orders arrived promptly. The latest delivery is a rebounder (mini trampoline) made in USA. It is a product which hasn’t any local agent so its discovery would otherwise have been impossible.

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Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied with historical contexts over time, it lacks a precise definition. The biological and physical aspects of sexuality largely concern the human reproductive functions, including the human sexual response cycle.

Someone’s sexual orientation is their pattern of sexual interest in the opposite and/or same sex. Physical and emotional aspects of sexuality include bonds between individuals that are expressed through profound feelings or physical manifestations of love, trust, and care. Social aspects deal with the effects of human society on one’s sexuality, while spirituality concerns an individual’s spiritual connection with others. Sexuality also affects and is affected by cultural, political, legal, philosophical, moral, ethical, and religious aspects of life.

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Though we ventured to the city first thing this morning to explore Lee Valley Tools in search of its celebrated garlic press; and afterwards stopped by the Canadian Co-Operative Wool Growers Limited, Carleton Place for two of its similarly renowned real woollen socks, the balance of the day (apart from a brief interlude for the collection of fancy meat products from the Almonte Butcher) was spent primarily (that is, nearly but not quite) off-the-grid. Which is to say the remainder of the day was steadfast to the country, specifically Renfew County along the glittering Madawaska River. Our objective was two-fold; namely, Neat Coffee Shop in the hamlet of Burnstown for lunch and MacLaren Orchards further northerly along the Burnstown Road for Empire apples.

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Excerpt From
Thomas Babington Macaulay
“The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 1”

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Thanksgiving is by definition occasion for the expression of gratitude especially to God.

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day (in North America) is an annual national holiday marked by religious observances and a traditional meal including turkey. The holiday commemorates a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621 and is held in the US on the fourth Thursday in November.  A similar holiday is held in Canada usually on the second Monday in October.

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The way in which these men lived was so ostentatious and voluptuous that, greedy as they were of gain, they seldom became rich. They dressed as if for a gala at Versailles, ate off plate, drank the richest wines, and kept harems on board, while hunger and scurvy raged among the crews, and while corpses were daily flung out of the portholes.

Excerpt From
Thomas Babington Macaulay Macaulay,
“The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 1.”

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While the weather for our Thanksgiving congregation doesn’t promise to be particularly favourable, we have nonetheless put ourselves in good stead for whatever transpires.  This evening for example we judiciously restricted our meal in anticipation of what is assured to be a bounteous festive board at the home of my sister and her husband tomorrow. Most of the day today was blustery and cold but in the late afternoon the sky suddenly brightened, showing the upriver view to advantage.

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