Santorini, Greece

Santorini, Greece looks absolutely beautiful. I've never been there, but it is definitely on my wish list.

Santorini is a volcanic island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland. It is what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion.

In 1956 a major earthquake and a volcanic eruption resulted in the demolishing of many buildings on the island, leading to the desertion of many of its villages. These days, due to tourism, the island has rebuilt and is prosperous.

From the reading I've done, I know that the island has small wineries that provide the fruit for the Kánava wineries. It also used to have pumice quarries. Because of the volcanic ash soil, this island has some lucious produce such as cherry tomatoes, white eggplants and a variety of large cucumbers called katsoúni that apparently have a sweet taste like a melon.
Houses on Santorini are often low and cubical. They are made from the local stone and are often whitewashed with volcanic ashes used as colours. The houses are built into the surrounding pumice, which also provides unique insulation because of its porous quality.

Yep, I'm putting this place on my wish list.

Miracles and Restoring our Faith in Humanity

The story of the Chilean miners and their rescue, with its happy ending has been fascinating. That 33 men could be trapped more than 700 meters below the earth's surface for 69 days, is absoultely frightening. That they were thought dead for the first 17 or so days is astounding.

They say on the news that safety rules need to be enforced and maintained. Will this event create better awareness and safe procedures?

I actually don't watch the news that often. I get tired of hearing bad news and stories of people who treat each other inhumanely. I knew the story of the miners, but I didn't follow it as closely as most people probably did.

Yesterday and today, as they brought the miners up the newly drilled shaft, I watched with admiration as the men stepped out of the rescue capsule. Watching the families wait with anxious anticipation for their loved ones to ascend from the depths has been so wonderful.

I remember watching the first man come up and one of his sons standing at the site, the boy's face showing such emotions as he waited to catch a glimpse of his father. Then his father emerged and hugs were exchanged and the love and relief were in their eyes. Each subsequent family showed the same concern, anticipation, love and emotion.



If only so many possible tragedies had such happy endings.

The next happy ending will happen if they learn from this experience and work toward safer conditions in the Chilean mines. These miners only earn $1.00/hour.

And other happy endings....

that people will rally around countries that have other disasters, such as the floods in Pakistan and the earthquakes in Haiti, and that those who provide support will stay involved during the long days and nights of relief work.

 More on CBC news

The Vinyl Cafe books, Stuart McLean

Stuart McLean has a weekly show, The Vinyl Cafe, on CBC radio. The show features Canadian music, some letters from viewers, and a story.


McLean mixes great stories with his incredible storytelling abilities. His stories usually feature Dave and his wife, Morley and the various adventures of their lives.


Dave owns a record store and he and Morley have two children: Sam and Stephanie.  Dave often fumbles his way through life and his own personal adventures/confusion create some pretty funny stories. I found a decent one on YouTube that you might enjoy.

There's also a story about Morley and the year Sam started hockey. As a mother, I found this story absolutely hillarious. Although the stories about Dave are traditionally the best, I needed to include this one, too.

I've attached both of the stories, below:

The Blood Pressure Chair:


The Jock Strap:


Maybe only a mom with a son can truly appreciate the Jock Strap story? I hope that even without a son you found some fun and humour in this one!

Laughter

Laughter:
Contagious, spectacular, uplifting, fun...

I'm sure you've seen the Old Spice commercial. I've put it here for a quick reference. What you need to do, is also watch the Sesame Street video...a cute parody of the commercial!


Old Spice



Sesame Street

Empathy

"To my mind, empathy is in itself a healing agent...because it releases, it confirms, it brings even the most frightened person into the human race. If a person is understood, he or she belongs." ~ Carl Rogers

Body Image

I'm sure you've seen this commercial from Dove. I think every little girl should see it.

Evolution - A Dove Commercial - Watch the top videos of the week here

Drive, Daniel Pink

Employee engagement is an interesting study. There are many thoughts out there about what makes us 'tick' in the workplace. Does the generation we belong to affect how we are engaged, or is it just our personality preference?

Daniel Pink has written an interesting book that looks at what motivates and engages employees. His book is a must read for those who are trying to understand what engages employees.

One thing that I have discovered through my own research, is that we all need to be valued and respected as individuals in order to feel engaged. Simple things like being greeted, being thanked, asked their opinion and having their ideas acknowledged are so important. Employee recognition isn't actually the big long service dinner or tea, or even merit awards. While they are nice, they mean little to employees who feel that their day to day accomplishments are ignored. No matter the age, 20 or 60, employees want to feel that they are valued as people.

The problem, is that even with this knowledge, many don't actually know how to value and appreciate their employees. Daniel Pink has a great book to get you thinking.