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On Sunday, Pearl died.

Almost 96 – and a feisty old ager at that!  She was a friend that  I will miss. 

I first met Pearl when she was overseeing the local seniors home back in the 1970’s.  She ran a tight ship – nothing seemed to escape her notice.  And the residents benefitted from her advocacy for them.

I returned to Kindersley in 2005 – Pearl was still around.  Advocating for a seniors complex for those not yet ready for full care, but wanting the amenities of meals and friends with the freedom to roam.

We would laugh over her dislike of my favourite hot drink – any tea with enough milk to cloud the tea taste!  And crumpets – don’t get her started on that.  At hymn sings she was always present and singing.  Chats at morning devotions were always lively. 

Pearl – a true treasure.

My brother-in-law provides weekly quotes in his sermon notes.  Here is the one from this past week – well worth considering:

I am beginning to realize that every point in one’s life at which one loses everything is far more a beginning than an end, for one has lost merely the past, and one has yet to gain the future, and eternity itself – Douglas Gresham

We are in the midst of trying to figure out our next project.

Renovation, building and design all come into play.

We could build a new garage – which would become a shop, vehicle storage and a storage area.

We could finish off our basement – which would become a recreation, rest and storage area.

We could purchase a house down the block – which would become a rental unit and possible storage area.

We could purchase a heritage building in a town nearby – which would become a research centre and storage area.

Ah ha!  Maybe I should explore this whole fetish I have for storage?

I’m not sure how to define censorship.

With the idea of fake news, misinformation, and even the polarization of media – we come up with what some call censorship and others call responsible tending of the public (the shepherds keeping the wolves away from the flock).

I joined a group called academia.edu a number of years ago.  Those involved in some way with the academy were invited to join.  I like research, I like to write, I like to continue my education.  The site has been a gold mine of research and articles.

To monetize this venture, the site began to summarize articles and provide special search services for the users.  If you wanted, you could move from a free membership into a price range to suit your needs.

The latest improvement – still on the way – is fact checking.  We used to call this peer review.  Without going into a total rant, fact checking is a scientific venture or a means of censorship.  Depends on which side of the “truth” you fall. 

Our current polarization is based on fact checking.  At least, that’s what I’m struggling to understand.

Are we really able to have a good dialogue if we can’t agree on the facts?  I would go one step further.  Can we dialogue if we can’t even agree on the rules for not only what we accept but also how we will construe what we accept? 

Just my thoughts after a day of reading Facebook rants has come to an end!