![]() Remembering John Braithwaite January 30, 1937 - February 13, 2023 The family of John Douglas Braithwaite is saddened to announce his peaceful passing in the early hours of Monday, February 13, 2023, at the age of 86. Beloved husband of Alice (nee Deep) for over 62 years. Cherished father of Janice Kominek (Bill) and the late Paul Braithwaite (2009) (Marilyn Fry O'Donnell). Proud grandfather of Dr. Alicia Kominek, Brandon Kominek (Heather Alp), Sarah Braithwaite, Emily Braithwaite, and GG Pops of Isabel Kominek. Predeceased by his parents Philip and Elmire "Kitty", his brothers Ken and Murray, and his sister Grace Melville. He will be missed by many in-laws, nieces, and nephews. John was an Industrial Engineer with Chrysler Canada and he retired in 1992 after 28 years of service. He enjoyed his hobbies of making stained glass lamps and creations, and playing Bridge, Backgammon, Crokinole, and other card and board games, especially with his family. He was a member of Riverside United Church and in his younger years was an active team manager with Riverside Minor Hockey. He enjoyed watching all sports and was especially a fan of the Detroit Red Wings and Lions. Special thanks to the staff of the Villages of Aspen Lake for their care and compassion over the past two years, and to Pastor Wendell Phipps for his comfort and guidance. John was father to my sister Mary’s first husband Paul. I got to know John a little. When I took Mum and Dad to church, he and (his wife) Alice always sat behind us. On one occasion John and I constructed frames for his granddaughters to hang their hockey equipment on as a Christmas present. I installed gutter filters on his house before they moved to the new one. For several years John played bridge once a week with Dad and two other retired gentlemen. He was a nice man, who never seemed to get flustered or lose his temper. RIP John. ![]() Telchac Puerto We arrived in Telchac Puerto from Campeche via Merida. As mentioned in my previous post, we were so glad we took an Uber from Merida because, in this small coastal town of 2,000, there are no cabs as such - just three-wheeled motorbikes. We would have had quite the time finding our Airbnb - it was not easy even with Uber. It says the population is 2,000, but we don’t know what that really means as most of the large modern homes along the ocean seem to be empty. We were told many people from Merida (population 1.2 million) head to the coast during the heat of summer when the average daily temperature is 94 F (in May it’s 99 F). Again we move through the process of situating ourselves - getting settled in the Airbnb, finding our food sources and banking options. As Telchac Puerto is so small there is no Scotiabank, but we did find a working ATM, otherwise, we would have to live off the credit card which might not be accepted at the small local shops. On Friday the 3rd, when we got back from a shopping trip, the pool man was here cleaning. He finished up the job and just as he was putting his pump away I noticed there was no power in the unit. He spoke no English and I no Spanish. I made it clear that there was no power and asked (in my way) if he knew where the fuses might be. Eventually, he made me aware that the entire town had lost power. I commented in English he was lucky he’d just finished. Somehow he knew what I’d said and laughed. The outrage lasted for about 45 minutes. The next day it rained, the first day in over two months we’d seen sustained rain. ![]() Something we’ve seen several times but I’ve not mentioned, is that when you cross a state line (like moving into a new province) the two-lane highway narrows to one lane and the speed bumps bring you to a crawl or even a stop. Then as you cross the line, there will be a dozen policemen (in dark blue pants and white shirts with official insignia) with machine guns at the ready. They can pull you over if they want - we have not been. It’s a bit unnerving. Saturday, Feb 10th - Meet the Neighbours A weather front was moving in and the winds off the gulf were increasing. A pool tube was blowing about the surface of the pool so I pulled it out and tossed it in the outdoor shower room. What I didn’t realise, it hit a tap in the shower and turned the spigot on. A bit later the automatic water pump came to fill the roof tank (everyone in Mexico has a roof tank) but the motor kept going, far too long. I checked the taps and there was no water in the house. Unsure what to do I walked across the street to the neighbour who was barbecuing chickens for sale and managed to communicate that we had no water. I thought this might be a common problem and everyone knew how to fix it. He went over to Erskin’s (the neighbour next door who keeps the key to our place) and told him the problem. Soon Erskin’s family - son, daughter, their baby, his wife (everyone but Erskine) was in the house contacting the Airbnb owner, walking around, and showing him things with their cell phones. They would turn to me and repeat “automatic”. It was not long after they arrived that the pump went off and water began flowing. Everyone smiled and congratulated ourselves. I guess I’d emptied the tank and the pump was slow. We had a good laugh. The gulf storm continued well into the evening with no rain but very high winds which tore at the palm trees. It was impressive. ![]() The Case of the Uncomfortable Bed When we arrived I sat on the bed and immediately said - this is not very comfortable. The next morning I was sure and started looking for a fix. There was a sleeping bunkie in the back of the lot and I could see a much better bed through the window. The door was locked but we asked the owner about it. He said the bunkie had moisture issues and did not recommend using the bed. I then found a large piece of very thin foam used for packing material, washed and dried it and cut it to fit, and placed it under the “topper” (which was not very good either). This did little. Next, I noticed a blanket on the beach and went and fetched it - I actually found two. Both were washed, dried, and placed under the topper. Not much improvement. Then I noticed the mattress had been turned - something you don’t do with modern mattresses. Over it went but still not much improvement. After two weeks we decided we had to consider something else regarding the uncomfortable bed. We let the owner know that we had issues with the mattress and he responded by letting us move the bed from the sleeping cabin into the main house. What a difference. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. This experience drove home the importance of a good mattress which is essential for a proper night's rest, which is all-important in maintaining health. A good mattress is one of your best investments. Link to Telchac Puerto images Where is Waldo? - or the Travelling Wilburys At one point during the month, my siblings were everywhere! Holly and Kim were off to Thailand and Vietnam for the month, Peter is in the Philippines for a month, Cathy and Norm were golfing in Florida, Mary, and her youngest daughter were on a Caribbean cruise and of course, we are in Mexico. ![]() Other Find thoughts that feel good, because it is inevitable that you are going to always be moving toward something. So why not be moving toward something that is pleasing? You can’t cease to vibrate, and the Law of Attraction will not stop responding to the vibration that you are offering. So, expansion is inevitable. You provide it, whether you know it or not. The only question is, what is the standard of joy you are demanding for yourself? From your Non-physical perspective, it’s a high standard. ~Abraham-Hicks On Contemplating Love A course correction can be done in an instant, no matter what has taken place in the past or why it has occurred. It is about a shifting more and more toward Love. Is that too simple for your taste? Yes, perhaps. If it was more complicated, you could begin to feel you earned your way. If it was more difficult, then perhaps you could believe it more easily. You could "do" something, like strive or compete or work harder. Yet there is no compromise to be made. There is only Love. Contemplate the nature of love in all its manifestations and let it grow in your experience. Sheila Reynolds and The Guides Returned to Source Burt Bacharach (94), Raquel Welch (82), Gordon Pinsent (92)
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AuthorI believe we are what we think. What we think depends on what we feed our brains. This is a partial record of what my brain has been eating. Archives
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