Blog

J​anuary
The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on Jan. 3 but is visible until around Jan. 12. At its height it can produce up to 120 meteors per hour. They’re typically easy to spot if conditions are right, but remember to bundle up for the cold.

Jan. 13 brings the year’s first full moon, dubbed the Wolf Moon. This one is special because it will pass over Mars in a phenomenon called occultation. Most people in the U.S. will have a chance to watch the red planet disappear behind the moon and then reappear.

By mid to late month, a parade of planets including Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn can be spotted with the naked eye. Neptune and Uranus will be visible via telescope.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/look-up-the-top-celestial-events-of-2025/ar-AA1wHWnA?ocid=widgetonlockscreen&cvid=5a61ab5c9fed41de8f41a7232916b276&ei=10

F​ebruary
The f​ull Snow Moon rises on Feb. 12.

M​arch
A total lunar eclipse will turn the full Worm Moon into a glowing red “blood moon” on March 14. This happens because of the lack of sunlight shining on the moon when the Earth passes between it and the sun in a lunar eclipse.

This month’s full moon name is inspired by earthworms emerging from warmer soil.

A partial solar eclipse on March 29 will block out part of the sun.  Eclipse

A​pril

The L​yrid meteor shower is visible from April 15 to April 30 but peaks right about in the middle of that window, on April 21 - 22.

The f​ull Pink Moon rises on April 23. Legend has it this moon was named after pink spring flowers.

M​ay

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks on May 3 - 4. 

The f​ull Flower Moon on May 23 is another lunar ode to spring.

J​une

The name of June’s full moon is familiar to anyone who looks forward to ripe summer berries. The f​ull Strawberry Moon peaks on June 11.

J​uly

The full Buck Moon, whose name is said to be inspired by antlers sprouting on the heads of deer, peaks on July 10.

Then come the peak of both the Southern Delta Aquarid and Alpha Capricornid meteor showers peak on July 29-30.

A​ugust

The August full moon is named after North America's largest freshwater fish. The full Sturgeon Moon peaks this year on Aug. 9.

This month’s real star is the Perseid meteor shower, widely considered one of the best and most popular meteor showers of the year. The Perseids peak with up to 75 meteors per hour on Aug. 12 - 13, at the same time as some of the warmest summer nights of the year.

S​eptember

The full Harvest Moon on Sept. 17 signifies the symbolic start of what for many is their favorite season.

O​ctober

The first official full moon of the fall, the Hunter’s Moon on Oct. 6, is named for the traditional start of hunting season in some cultures.

The Orionid meteor shower is visible from Oct. 2 to Nov. 12, but peaks on Oct. 22 - 23. 

N​ovember

The f​ull Beaver Moon, also known as the Frost Moon, rises on Nov. 5

D​ecember

Winter is one of the best times for stargazing because colder weather often brings clearer skies. That can make for great viewing of the Geminid meteor shower peak on Dec. 13-14. The Geminids are famous for bright, intense colors and come at a time when the sun sets earlier, making it a family friendly event.

The appropriately named f​ull Cold Moon rises on Dec. 4.

Signed up for daily brief's , incase I need a memory reminder along the way 

Cheers

Happy New Year !

TLR

The future looks bright

https://www.country-guide.ca/features/where-will-land-prices-be-in-10-years/

Received call from my oldest son tonight, his wife's water broke, so the count down for my new granddaughter is on. Looks like will be a 2025 New Years baby !

Jamie Lyn we await you :) 

Love Grandpa Ross

“There are no words to describe the happiness in holding your baby’s baby.”

https://www.sage.com/en-ca/blog/what-is-markup-percentage/

Check out the calculator in posting from sage.

What is markup?

Markup is the percentage increase over the cost price of an item.

You add the percentage to the cost price of a product to determine its selling price.

It’s the amount you’re “marking up” the price from what you paid for it.

Markup is calculated by dividing the profit (selling price minus cost) by the cost price and then multiplying by 100.

Markup formula

Markup = ((Selling price – Cost price) / Cost price) x 100

Example, if you sell a product for $100 that costs you $60 to produce, your markup would be:

Markup = ((100 − 60/60) × 100) = 66.67%

This means you’re selling the product for 66.67% more than it cost to produce.

In simple terms

Markup uses the cost price as the base and margin uses the selling price as the base.

Because of this, markup percentages will always be higher than margin percentages for the same item.

Margin Calculator

https://www.omnicalculator.com/finance/margin

https://www.advisor.ca/tax/tax-news/finance-extends-deadline-for-2024-charitable-donations/

The deadline for making charitable donations for the 2024 tax year will be extended to Feb. 28, 2025, the Department of Finance said in a release on Monday.

“This extension recognizes the impact that the Canada Post service disruption had on [charities’] fundraising campaigns, and will give charities additional time to receive and process donations so that they can continue their vital work,” Dominic LeBlanc, minister of finance and intergovernmental affairs, said in the release.

Inspired by a video documentary about the flow of H2O . 

I mixed the four flavours of our KiKi Sparkling Maple Beverage

Delightfully Sweet & Delicious!

Simply Refreshing 

Together again ! 

https://youtu.be/FpRap-zHZHY?feature=shared

https://stocks.apple.com/ANeuN6oX0Tp26RWibm3Z7UA

Amor Fati

https://whatisstoicism.com/stoicism-definition/what-is-amor-fati/

What Is Amor Fati? - What Is Stoicism?

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/11-fascinating-poinsettia-facts-you-should-know/ar-AA1svQvC?ocid=widgetonlockscreen&cvid=ff4aff83c8d3427cb6c3415b3e894256&ei=14

11 Fascinating Poinsettia Facts You Should Know

Poinsettia Day Celebrations, caught my eye this morning. Dec 12th what a great day to have such a day, soon enough to make a decision to get one and not too close to the big celebration day. 

The link hightlights a few cool facts. I did not know they came from Mexico and can grow 10 feet tall outside. I kinda thought they were poisonous, they are not super poisonous, very bitter, givn you a warning that slightly not a good idea, you still should not be putting them in your salad, there is better options.   

The Christmas Connection ...  "When Christianity was introduced by Europeans, poinsettias came to be associated Christmas almost immediately.

Legend tells of a poor young Mexican girl named Pepita who wished to give a present to baby Jesus at the Christmas service. Her cousin Pedro encouraged her, saying, “Even small gifts given with love make Jesus happy.”

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-poinsettia-day-december-12

#NationalPoinsettiaDay
In 16th-century Mexico, the connection between the poinsettia plant and the Christmas season begins. According to legend, a girl wanted desperately to celebrate Jesus's birthday. Worried, the girl feared she would have no gift to offer because she was so poor. An angel tells her to give any gift with love. After gathering weeds from alongside the road, the young girl placed them in the manger. Miraculously the weeds bloomed into beautiful red stars.

The date of December 12 marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the man responsible for bringing the plant to the United States.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cyndybolton_localbusiness-sustainability-communitysupport-activity-7272316652023697410-9_DV?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

 https://www.youtube.com/live/xBUvkcgYfYw?si=YhDPARl1R3gXHXGm&t=5436

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/parable-hot-dog-seller-mark-johnson/

Firness Tips Walking Into 2025

We all need to get better at fitness, even the olympic champions strive to do a little bit better to gain the prize. We will not be heading to the worlds olypics, but we do want to be the hero in our families. So besure and check out additional articles, resources in the comment section. ~ TLR

Will start this off with some exercises for us old folks that want to do better.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/take-the-old-out-of-old-age-6-excellent-exercises-to-perform-in-your-70s-5720535

6 Exercises to Keep You Fit Through Your 70s

1. Backward Walking

You’ve spent many decades walking forward and, presumably, did pretty well with it. At this age, though, we are more prone to falling when stepping back from something supportive, such as a counter or table. Such missteps can lead to bruises and soreness or, in the worst-case scenario, a fractured hip or pelvis. The exercise of walking backward can be challenging, but it works to improve stability and balance.

Note: Be sure to stay vigilant with this activity; always pace yourself and place safety first. If you have limited space, doing laps is fine—hallways are great places for that.
 

Step 1: Allow plenty of space for movement. You can either stand with your arms by your sides or hold them out from your body for better balance.

Step 2: Step straight back approximately 2 feet with your right foot. Then, take a backward step with your left foot. Take your time, and pay particular attention to your balance to avoid falls.

Step 3: Perform backward walking for 1 minute per set for 3 sets.

2. Stepping Jacks

3. Standing Single-Leg Knee Lifts

4. Chair Squats

5. Touch Toe/Touch Sky

6. Single-Leg Floor Touches

Heart of The Matter

I was colaborating on a mini research matter with my wife and I came across this blog that was profiling the heart, the condition of the heart and a bit of questions regarding the heart and why that symbol was of significance, and thus the title the "Heart of The Matter"  I decided to add Sand Box as i do not know where this will go. So as always please check out the comment section for additional information and future additions. 

https://www.h2hliving.ca/blog/2018/2/10/heartfelt-reflections

"Our culture has a thing about hearts, the universal symbol of love. To show our love, we have balloon hearts and candy hearts, stuffed hearts and necklace hearts. There’s even a heart hand-symbol that has gone viral. Yep, words are no longer necessary. If you want to tell that special someone how you feel about them, curl your fingers with thumbs together, and smile. But when you think about it, why would we choose the symbol of a heart to convey the message of love? Why not a brain? Or a kidney? Or a stomach? (the stomach would definitely work with the men in my family!). Just what is it with us human beings and the heart?"

As I work through this, turns out I need to do a update on my phone for the operating system, sounds simple enough, so I figure that can do its thing while I do this, so click , but it doesn't click. The memory is too full, too much data on the phone, needs 13 G's and I only hve 12 , so something has to go, now we have to do a purge, the heart of the matter. So I have to decide wht goes , what stays, what can be rehomed ?  For curiousity, I check out the updates, 4 pages of improvements. That is a lot of future reading. Off the printer that goes for future review or simply stack it on the blog post for posterity purposes. Where is the love , its a bit about being curious, how do things work, intereact , the heart of the matter. 

Curious, I went for the delete on the email file, millions of bits of data, alread stored on my computer at work. Poof, not needed on my phone. Will see if that makes a difference. Took some time to do. Refreshed. 

Still not enough, need 12 and I only have 8 GM available ,4  more to find. 

Baby time, will have to return to this mission. later

Fishing is a wonderful experience, catching food to eat, sport for entertainment, examples of wisdom and how one may conduct our life. Will filet this out going forward, tag Fishing, Fish, Thinking, Planning,Fun,Family

Be sure and check out comments for more info as it accumulates. 

Next question, is my licence current ? I think a renewal may be required, where did I put that card, the search begins !

8.8 Million Views, that is a well baited hook :)

Matthew 13:47-51 The Message (MSG)

“Or, God’s kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That’s how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won’t do any good.” Jesus asked, “Are you starting to get a handle on all this?” They answered, “Yes.”

Matthew 13:47-51 King James Version (KJV)

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

Happiness can be multiplied by sharing it with others without diminishing the original source. It is the one asset that increases when it is given away.
------------------------------------------------------------

With happiness, the more you give, the more you get. The greatest rewards in life do not come from the accumulation of financial assets; they result from the psychic gratification that accompanies helping others achieve happiness. Those who acquire the greatest riches in life have discovered how to link the two; they have learned how to provide a service that creates satisfaction for customers and generates profits for themselves.

When you approach your job with exuberance and a determination to make yur customers glad they chose to do business with you, great benefits will accrue to you. There are never enough happy people who share their joy with others.


** Basic Balance
------------------------------------------------------------

by Jim Stovall

Modern-day life here in the 21st century puts me in mind of a high-wire juggling act. It seems there are far too many things demanding our attention, and the consequences for missing a priority are very high.

Years ago, I heard a radio ad featuring a second-grade child leaving a voicemail for their father. I don’t remember what the ad was for, but I will never forget the voice of a seven-year-old saying, “Dad, it’s me. Today was my school play. I was a flower on stage and did a good job. Maybe the next time I’m in the second grade and am in my play, you can come.”

These words are haunting because we all know the second grade and the school play only happen once. Life balance is a matter of establishing and focusing on priorities. If we live lives of success and significance, there will inevitably be days, weeks, and even months when we are out of balance. In my business, I get involved with book, movie, or television projects requiring a great deal of focus and energy for several months. After those projects are concluded, I always strive to focus on other priorities in my life for several weeks or months.

Regardless of these seasons of intensity and focus, we’ve got to be prepared to create a parenthesis or an oasis for extreme priority events or activities in other areas of our lives. I’ve discovered that even the demands of a movie project involving hundreds of people and millions of dollars can be flexible enough to accommodate a wedding, a funeral, a graduation, a friend or colleague in need, or a second-grade play.

Anyone familiar with my work will likely know about me because of a bestselling book I wrote that was made into a movie entitled The Ultimate Gift. This story features a billionaire who, late in life, comes to understand that he and his money have negatively impacted his extended family. He discovers that even though we may go to extraordinary lengths to rectify the problem, we can never retrieve those magic moments in life that we’ve lost.

As a consultant, I get to interact with many high-level corporate leaders. Hopefully, I am able to impart some wisdom and knowledge to them, but each of them inevitably teaches me many things. One CEO of a direct sales group with forty-thousand distributors struggled with time management in order to hold various events across the country. When we went through her calendar, there were several days each month blacked out long before the year began. When I inquired about them, I learned that those were the priceless priority days she had dedicated to family, friends, and causes that matter to her. No amount of success or money could ever take their place.

As you go through your day today, establish your priorities and manage the rest of your days.

Today's the day!

from my Napoleon Hill Foundation email 

https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/caffeine/

As I contemp;ate education for my son, homeschooling is on my mind. This is a few years out there, however preparing for this educational adventure is a must. My youngest daughter homeshools her children and they are a bright bunch. I now a number of family's that home school and these kids are exceptional. 

Did a search of my blog and there was no homeschooling tags on file, so we have one know. Check out the comments for future articles. Will expand my thouights on this going forward. In the meantime here is a neat story to kick this off with.  

Note for spelling: Homeschooling and Homeschools is one word, not split in two

https://www.theepochtimes.com/bright/tennessee-family-homeschools-by-trekking-to-ancient-cities-amazing-places-they-read-about-5745984

Lots to think about in this report from Food Banks Canada

https://foodbankscanada.ca/hungercount/

sognifanct increases have happened recently, wild increase, inflation has made a huge impact on this

"In March 2024, there were over 2 million visits to food banks in Canada — the highest number in history — representing a 6 per cent increase compared to 2023, and a 90 per cent increase compared to 2019. In addition, there are signs that the food-banking system is reaching its absolute limit."

please review the policy recommendations, one may not  agree with everything recommended, however it was good to see solutions put forward 

https://foodbankscanada.ca/hungercount/policy-recommendations/