10 Movies to Watch this #MothersDay #WhatToWatch #What2Whatch

Ten Movies to Make You Laugh This Mother's Day

Looking for some ideas for what to watch on Mother's Day? Below you'll find my suggestions for What To Watch this Mother's Day, all of which are currently available to stream on Netflix Canada. Whether you're a mother or not you're sure to be entertained by these mothers trying to navigate the sometimes tricky, often underappreciated, but never dull job of being a mom.

1) Mother's Day (2016, 14A)

2) Prime (2005, PG-13)
3) Tyler Perry's: The Single Mom's Club (2014, PG-13)
4) Freaky Friday (2003, G)
5) Just Go With It (2011, PG)
6) The Family (2013, R)

7) Monster-In-Law (2005, PG)
8) All Relative (2014, NR)
9) Love, Wedding, Marriage (2011, PG)
10) Life As We Know It (2010, PG-13)

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms, and Happy Streaming to everyone!

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about what to watch on Mother's Day. 

Note: My What To Watch posts are not sponsored, and I do not receive compensation in any form for these. Their purpose is merely to share something I believe is of interest to my readers. Please also note these posts are separate and unrelated to my participation with the Netflix Streamteam. 
Image courtesy of Pixabey

12 Movies for #DadTime on #FathersDay @Netflix_CA #What2Watch

Father's Day:

One day a year we show our appreciation to our fathers for all they do. So Dad for making you want to scream 364 days a year, below are 12 movies for you to stream on your 1 special day a year!

Becoming a parent changes everything. This immediate tenured position is yours whether you're ready for it, accept it or embrace it. There is no manual, you simply have to learn as you go along and fake it till you make it. I've seen how being a dad often makes my husband laugh, occasionally cry, regularly shake his head in total bewilderment, but rarely do I hear him say it's boring. As one can clearly see in the movies below the father-child relationship doesn't really get easier, it just evolves and ... it's complicated. These movies are all currently available to stream on Netflix.

Becoming a Dad - Once upon a time:

• Nine Months
• Knocked Up
• Angel in the House
• Life As We Know It
• What to Expect When You're Expecting
• How to Make Love Like an Englishman

The Father-Child Relationship - The story continues:

• Playing for Keeps
• The Birder's Guide to Everything
• Jenny's Wedding
• Sex, Death and Bowling
• Mamma Mia
• ACOD - Adult Children of Divorce

Happy Father's Day to the dads out there and

Happy Streaming! 

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about Father's Day. 

Take a peak here for more recommendations on What To Watch.

Note: I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. The purpose of my W2WW posts are merely to share my recommendations with my readers who want to know what to watch. 

How do I love thee? A Love Letter to Mom for #MothersDay

Why a Love Letter to Mom is the Perfect Gift:

Parenting can be tough ...

Two years ago I wrote this post, but it's just as true today as it was two years ago. The day to day trials of parenting two now young adult boys is challenging, at least in my experience. On the really bad days, when I question myself and my parenting skills being able to put out and read something that reminds me that my efforts do not go completely unnoticed is a gift. A Love Letter to Mom is what I really need more than flowers, chocolates, jewellery or brunch. 

The importance of articulation and communication ...

The act of my sons thoughtfully articulating why they love me is a gift I'll cherished more than any they can buy. In some ways it's a gift to them as well; as it makes them examine their feelings, and even if just a little, become more comfortable being open about and sharing those feelings. I know the ability to articulate and communicate their feelings will impact their happiness and every relationship they have in life. But maybe more important, learning to share their feeling and reach out when they're unhappy or in crisis may actually save their life. If I can help my kids do this, it's a gift. 

Post from May 7th, 2014:
"Getting teenage boys to share their feelings is no easy task, but never being one to shy away from a challenge, I've decided to ask my two teenage boys to do just that. I'm asking them to focus 100% of their attention on the specific task of writing a two or three paragraph essay or letter, once a year, telling me why I am important, inspirational, or add value to their lives, including a few specific actions, activities or memories over the last year that are meaningful to them."
Read more...

To the Moms out there Happy Mother's Day, to those missing their Moms on Mother's Day I hope you have some happy memories you can cherish and hold on to, and to those dreaming about being Moms may your dreams come true.

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud and again about Love Letters to Mom for Mother's Day.

Mom's View: Conflicting Feelings About My Kid's 1st Solo Trip Abroad #travel

Mom's Perspective: My Teen Is About to Take His First Solo Trip Abroad

In just over a month my youngest and three of his friends will board a flight to Europe. 

Actually it's connecting flights in an airport I've never been in (and I've been in many) to a country I've never been to (and I've been to several). What if he gets hurt, or mugged or there is an emergency? It would take at least 24 hours to get to him. So I worry, because Moms do that. 

Weighing the Pros and Cons to Each Decision:
When he asked I had mixed feelings: Say No you're too young and hold on tight, or say Yes and let go so he has the chance to be part of this adventure with his friends and have his own life experiences.

It doesn't matter that my youngest child is legally an adult, all I see is a kid that's a work in progress on his way to adulthood. 

So what if at his age I had gone on two Spring Break trips to Fort Lauderdale with my friends. Like somehow I was more mature and Fort Lauderdale at spring break was in any way about mature activities or experiences. But Thing 2 has always been independent and strong willed. He's not easily dissuaded, persuaded or likely to listen to words of wisdom and parental advice. That kid seems determined to reinvent the wheel at every stage of his life, and that kinda worries me.

The perspective is very different from this side of the parent-child equation.

You may not be here yet, or maybe you've already gone through this and lived to tell the story. For me this trip my youngest child is about to take abroad without me there to guide, help and be the voice of sanity is a first and a big step for both of us.

My job is to love, teach and protect him. His job is to grow, learn and eventually pull away and be independent. So what do I do with all my concerns, or how do I deal with the things parents worry about when their teen goes abroad for the first time. How do I make him understand that the majority of the world did not grow up with the same privileges he has had, and he is not invincible. That sometimes caution and a clear head are good options in a world where some things are out of his control. How do I get him to understand the really important messages and life lessons I have to share with him without being a hover-mother? I tell you it's tough. But I opted for yes, pressed enter on "book ticket now", and his tickets are confirmed.

I'm hopeful that he'll have a wonderful time and make some incredible memories, without being arrested, maiming himself, or losing his money or passport. I'll keep you posted.

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about parenting Thing 2.

Tips to Manage Kid's Party Menu Hot-Dogma - My Kids Don't Eat Red Meat

Parenting Choices: Once You've Made Them How Do You Manage Them?

a la cart vs table d'hôte

For many years my family did not eat read meat or basically any meat that came from four-legged creatures. This wasn't because of cultural or religious beliefs or even over the treatment of animals (although I do support the ethical treatment of animals). It started with my husband living in England during the beginning of the Mad Cow scare. He cannot donate blood to this day because he spent more than 3 months in England between 1980 and 1996 and is considered to have had possible exposure to the human form of Mad Cow Disease or Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. 

I found the book Deadly Feast by Richard Rhodes to be an interesting read and further dampened our desire to eat red meat, so gradually we just stopped. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting in any way that eating beef, lamb, or pork is a bad thing. I'm simply saying we made a choice not to eat them. Around this time we also started to think the fewer people who touched or processed our food the better. I totally understand the appeal of the 100 mile diet, because it allows for so much more knowledge about your food, and knowledge is power. 

But I digress, this post is not about what food choices I make, or even why to make certain choices, it's about how to manage those choices once you've made them. 

It took awhile (and many raised eyebrows) for our families to wrap their heads around the fact we did not eat red meat. They debated whether lamb was in fact a red meat, or told us there was only a little bit in the dish, and so on (okay a lot more so ons). We simply said no thank you and ate the items served that did not contain red meat. Eventually they just started to serve meals we could eat as well. The truth is we were only talking about a couple meals a year.

Along come kids and we didn't feed them red meat either. Once again we had to justify our decision and endure all the arguments and debates over why other people thought we should eat this or that. With time and repeated instructions not to feed our kids red meat they finally accepted and complied (most of the time). We had no expectations that others fed our kids, but if they did red meat was not to be part of the meal.

Things were going along nicely until our kids reached the age of "the birthday party" and what I like to refer to as menu hot-dogma where hotdogs, hamburgers, and pepperoni pizza became the foods of choice. I can't say I blame parents, they are easy, convenient, most places that cater kids' birthday parties offer these options, and kids like them. While my kids were toddlers parents were often invited to stay at parties and I could help them with this food quandary. However, once the parties turned to drop-off only my kids needed the tools to manage the situation themselves.  

In general I found people to be understanding and accepting of allergies as a legitimate reason for food choices, but less understanding or oblivious to religious, cultural, or personal lifestyle choices. Reaction to our decision not to eat red meat ranged from "Aren't they silly, quirky or granola munchers", "She's a hover mother", to outright disagreement. I'd always provided multiple options at my kids' parties, and catered to diet restrictions whatever the reason, but maybe I was more sensitive to this because we had some of our own. 

When I RSVP'd to party invites I let the hosting parents know my kids do not eat red meat, not because I had expectations that our personal food choices be accommodated, although I greatly appreciated when someone did so, but so they were aware and not put on the spot at the party. The most common response from parents was "they can just pull the pepperoni off the pizza" (FYI that does not make it meat free) making it clear we needed to teach our kids how to gracefully deal with these situations. 

We opted for the following:

• We taught our kids to politely and discreetly say no thank you to the hotdogs or hamburgers, or just eat the bun.
• We taught our kids to smile and just say that is what my parents have decided when adults (more than once) would ask why or try to "discuss" the topic with a 6 or 8 year old at a kid's birthday party. Hint Adults-accept and move on please, and do not share your opinions on my parenting with my kids openly in front of others. Save that for me, I can take it...honest. Plus I have a keen interest to know about your reasons for a few of your choice parenting decisions. 
• We taught our kids it's okay to eat the pizza with the pepperoni pulled off if they are hungry and they want to. We don't serve it at home, but when they are not at home they need to do what seems right for them. 
• We fed our kids before a party so they were not starving if they had to pass on a meal.
• We made sure they had some cash in their pockets if the party was at a venue with a snack bar. I have no expectations that others should pay for alternative to what they are serving.
• If appropriate we send a nut-free snack with them to a party, especially if it was a long party.
• Indirectly we have taught our kids to think about food when deciding what they put into their bodies, whether that included red meat or not, and aim for a good mix of the food groups that will keep them strong and healthy.
• We taught them not to judge other people's choices, and that each of us has the right to make choices that are right for ourselves.

My kids are teens now, and they decide for themselves, if they want to eat red meat or not. We have started to incorporate some red meats back into our diets, and include some of the ones the kids like into what we serve at home. 

You might ask, what was the point if we are going to let them eat it now? 

The point was to feed our kids what we felt was the healthiest options we could afford when they were small and growing, and the impact was greatest. The point was to teach our children about the food they eat and that they have choices. Our hope was by showing them the options they would and will make the best and healthiest choices for themselves (at least most of the time); and in general they do.

So those of you who make parenting choices that don't always jibe with the majority I hope you stand strong. It sets an example for our kids about making choices and having the confidence to own them, and not feel they need to justify them.

Have you made parenting choices that have been questioned or not considered main stream? How have you taught your child to manage situations that arise from these decisions? 

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about parenting, and teaching out kids to manage those decisions and makes ones of their own.

This post was originally written by Cathy Canton on September 16, 2014 for PTPA Blog 

Overdraft Protection Is A Form Of Credit #FinancialLiteracy #ThingsYouNeedToKnow #FLM2015

Overdraft Protection is a Form of Credit. 

Credit made available to you, if used is debt and becomes part of your credit history.

This should be made very clear by a financial institution when offering Overdraft Protection on your account. 

I'm not talking about auto-transfers from another account that has funds available to cover a shortfall, which is also be called overdraft protection. I'm talking about approved lending to cover an overdraft up to a certain amount for a specific charge and rate of interest. 

A recent scenario: 

• Thing 1: (young adult in grade 12) goes into his bank and is offered over-draft protection on his account which is not overdrawn, nor ever been overdrawn. This service is verbally explained to him, after which a form is produced for him to sign, He signs for and accepts this offer with the enthusiasm of a youth who is feeling very grown up to be asked and seen as an adult. He does so without paying attention to the fine print since it has already been explained, or asking questions he probably doesn't even know to ask. 
• Thing 1 was not asked if he is a student, or employed, or told his account would changed from a student account to a regular account, thereby changing the fee structure of his account. He was not told this is a form of credit and as such would reflect on his credit rating and credit history.
• As a result overdraft protection of $300 is placed on his account, and it appears his student account is at this time switched to a regular account with all the service charges that go with that account. 
• In the past Thing 1's Debt Card transaction were declined if there were insufficient funds, but this is no longer the case and the account is overdrawn. Additionally there is an overdraft fee of $5 a day (according to the bank employee) which has been charged until we realize he is more than $200 overdrawn. 
• Thing 1 goes into the bank and uses his birthday money (his only source of income) to pay off his overdraft, and has this account switched back to a student account. 
• When Thing 1 goes to remove the overdraft protection he is told by the bank employee serving him if he takes off the overdraft protection, since he had an overdraft it will show and reflect poorly on his credit history. Overdraft protection is removed anyways.

We have raised our kids to be financially literate and make good choices about money. Their bank accounts were opened and their allowance auto-deposited bi-weekly like a pay-cheque specifically to help teach them about managing their money. We've clearly stated under no circumstances are they to apply for or accept credit before they are working and have a means in which to pay it off. It is not free money, it is debt, and there is a cost to debt beyond the amount of the loan. 

I acknowledge: Thing 1 is not without fault here, and this was a learning experience, and thankfully only a $200 life lesson. Thing 1 definitely should have paid attention to the details regarding overdraft protection before signing and entering into a contract AND to his account balance. 

He should have discussed it with us before signing on the dotted line, so we could explain this is a loan or form of credit. We would have asked to see a copy of what he signed, and about the charges involved, or changes to his account. We would have discussed the pros and cons of overdraft protection and when it is appropriate. We would have asked why a student with no means to pay off an overdraft needed overdraft protection. And how it would be used by someone with no auto-debits, payments or cheques written on his account: because in all other situations it is no longer protection against possible cash flow issues, but instead pre-approved authorization to spend more money than you have. 

What was the need for overdraft protection?

As an ex-banker and a parent I am appalled that this happened. He didn't ask for this product, a product he had no idea existed prior to being asked if  he wanted it. I suspect the employee requires better product training or was attempting to reach product and cross-sales targets or both.

I was a personal mortgage and loans manager and I assure you I would NEVER have approved this for an unemployed high school student with no means to pay off the overdraft. Even with pressure to cross-sell and promote products (and there was lots) I never suggested or offered products that weren't a good fit for the client. The only way to actually know that is to talk to the client, never make assumptions, and ask the right questions. You need to ask and answer the questions the client doesn't even know they need to ask, because you not the client are the expert. 

That makes for a happy, long-term and loyal customer. 

Now I was not there when the overdraft protection was put on Thing 1's account, nor was I there when it was removed. To complicate things further it was put on at one branch but had to be removed at the branch where the account was opened. 

Had I been there these are some of the questions I would have asked:

• Are there rules and policies about giving overdraft credit to someone and if so what are they? 
• Do they normally extend credit to a high school student with no job or means to pay off that credit (even if they are 18 years of age)?
• Is there a pamphlet given to the client when overdraft credit is put on their account explaining all the details and charges?
• Is the client required to sign something and initial beside specific details such as the account being changed, charges for the new account, and overdraft interest and charges.
• Is the client asked if they've ever had credit before, and the term credit fully explained.
• Is the client told overdraft protection is a form of credit and therefore part of their credit history. If the overdraft is not paid off or stays on the account for an extended time not only will it cost a fortune but also reflect poorly on their credit rating and history. 
• By changing the account from student to a regular account (with services charges) if the account is overdrawn due services charges does the same $5 a day overdraft fee still apply? Basically will the client end up in a vicious cycle of overdrafts due to fees causing more overdraft and so on ...?

At the end of all this I have two messages: 

Parents: talk to your kids about credit so they can avoid Thing 1's experience. You might want to include a conversation about cellphone service contracts as well.

Financial Institutions: You can do way better! I'm disappointed that instead of teaching a young adult about money management he was offered products that serve only the bank not the client. 

From a basic business stand point, you have no idea who or what he may become and this will not make him a long-term loyal customer. My husband and I have been with this same institution for 20 years (since just before Thing 1 was born) and should this bank check our portfolio it would be clear that we're clients worth keeping. You would never have pulled this nonsense on us, but in the end it was our birthday gift to our son that paid off the overdraft, so it feels personal to me. How you treat everyone, not just the "important people" matters to me, and this certainly doesn't make me want to recommend this financial institution to others. Just food for thought.

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about overdrafts, credit and financial institutions. 

Note: I was not compensated for this post. The purpose of this post to merely to share my experience and information with my readers. All opinions are my own. 

NEWS FLASH! Yours truly @CantonCathy is officially a @PTPA Blogaholic! #Parenting #Products #Conversation

NIFTY BUTTON

Yay me! but so what? There is the nifty button to put on my blog sidebar, but surely there needs to be more than just that to join a community of bloggers Right?! Why not stick to posting for my own blog Cathy Thinking Out Loud ? Excellent question! even if I was the one to ask it. Well, as you all know, I like to think of myself as a sharer, and a linker, so expanding the reach and community I share and link is a good reason. Being able to find and read interesting posts, and about products, I might not otherwise see, and for others to find mine is another good reason. Feeling like you are part of something, and a valued member of a community is pretty great too! 

I have spent many of my 18+ years of motherhood chatting with other parents, caregivers, and teachers about which products and techniques work. I have actively participated in that casual exchange of information between parents that happens at play groups, nursery schools, and school drop-off and pick-ups on a daily basis. Even dinners out to get a break from "the kids and Hubby" always involves some degree of sharing, and comparing our parenting successes and failures. Some conversations are of a serious nature, and some are funny (at least in retrospect), but all help us grow as parents, and give us perspective. These interactions not only make us to see we are not alone, but also provides us invaluable information about products, resources, and options for many of our parenting issues.

I'm honoured to be part of such a diverse, and fantastic group of bloggers. To me being part of the PTPA  Blogaholic community is just an expanded version of the drop-off and pick-up chats. It is a daily opportunity to share information, laugh together, and occasionally vent about how crazy life can get. I hope it is a two way conversation, and my posts encourage you to engage with me and keep the conversation going. 

So grab yourself a coffee, put your feet up, and lets start a conversation. I'll start (Chatty Cathy that I am) Show me the Grit! Parenting teens is hard work. via Cathy Canton - PTPA my first post as a PTPA Blogaholic.

Yep, just me Cathy thinking out loud about being a PTPA Blogaholic.

The Plan, Life Is A Funny Thing

I wish I had been the type to keep a journal, and had written down through the years what I thought I would be when I grew up, or as I entered university, and then the work place. I think looking at what I thought I would be, and what I thought would be important to me compared to what I actually become and what is actually is important to me would be quite comical. 

I have no memory as a child of wanting to get married and have kids, or of EVER considering being a stay at home Mom might be a choice I would make. Even after having kids, I never really grasped that the babies would grew up and I would be middle aged. SHOCKER! The idea that my parents and in-laws would age was very vague, until one day I looked and realise they are seniors and they have slowed down. They are not invincible and will not live forever. I have no idea how I ended up in retail banking, it was never on my list of career choices. I never considered that hard work couldn't always fix everything.

I do have memories of always fighting for the underdog, and a clear sense of right and wrong. I remember loving my English, History, and Politics classes in High School, and not surprisingly I have a Political Science Degree with a minor in Women's Studies. I have always loved animals and remember always wanting a horse. I thought I would work in policy dealing with women's issues, and considered law school to use that degree to support women. I thought climbing the corporate ladder was the goal. I always felt although a relationship is great, I did not need a man. I remember definitely NOT wanting to live in the suburbs. I wanted to live in the heart of a city or in the country and finally get that horse.

What ended up happening....

In University I met a guy. We did not start dating for several years after we met. For many reasons we are a good fit. To the outside world we may seem like an unlikely pair, and complete opposites. If you look closer we are similar in the core values, but our way of expressing them differs. Our parenting style is very different but the goal is the same. The way in which we work is very different but we both have a very good work ethic. He is a Math and Science guy; my strengths are in the softer skills, and creative process. As it turns out I do need a man. I need this man, my partner. We are a team. So we got married.

Then we buy a house in the suburbs. (In fairness we looked at least 20 houses in the country) so I would have a yard for the dog I wanted. Hubby is not a dog person; he had not grown up with dogs. On the first visit to the breeder a huge Golden Retriever jumps up into his lap like one of those toy sized dogs, tucks Hubby's arm into his mouth like a soother, and stays that way for the next 20 minutes. Hubby's facial expression was priceless. Six months later we brought our new puppy home (We used a very scientific method to choosing our pup; we picked the one that just kept coming back to us).

Next we have a child. WHAT! Can't believe I’m a mother! We arrange daycare as I prepare to go back to work, when Hubby quietly suggests I stay home. He is wondering who our child will tell about the frog he saw if I am not there to listen. I say yes since I am pregnant with our second WHAT! AGAIN! Clearly lost my mind! The feminist in me realises this is an opportunity to teach my sons to be kind and decent, and to respect women. 

I volunteer at the playgroup, was the registrar at the Nursery School, volunteer 25+ hours a week at my kids' school(s), was a Beaver Leader, and the list goes on. Each of these roles allowed me to impact kids in a positive way, and more often than not support other women. It was at playgroup a group of us started a campaign to the ban cosmetic use of pesticides. It dawns on me that maybe I did exactly what I thought I would do just in a different way. I tried to teach future generations to be tolerant, and girls to feel empowered. I supported women, and was active in my community. I sat on committees that changed policy and law. I stayed a strong independent woman in my role as partner and stay at home Mom in a house of males.

I have teens now. I am middle aged. My parents are slowing down and getting older, I can see it clearly now. Corporate life isn't going to happen, at least not in the way I envisioned. Planning for retirement is the goal. That's okay; I have no regrets, or feelings that I missed something by taking a route that was different than what I planned. I am happy that we were open to alternative options and paths in our lives. We have been married 21 years; our kids will finish high school soon and go off with their own ideas of what and who they will be. Lately I have been focusing on those things I can do or change in my life to make it the best it can be. I look forward to the next phases of our lives, understanding that it may not be exactly what we planned or expected.

Yep, Just Cathy Thinking Out Loud again.

Perspective: A Look Back at How "Normal" Changes.

Perspective On Then and Now: How my "normal" has changed over time. 

I have two kids. Two boys 21 months apart in age, and when they were babies and toddlers my husband travelled for work, making my life busy! If you were to add together the days he was away it totalled about 3 months a year. Sometimes it was a day or two  at a time, sometimes as much as 2 weeks. His travelling was our life, not an occasional thing, so as the one at home I needed to find ways to cope on my own. With no family in town to help out, (although both my parents and in-laws were great about coming to help if asked) it really was on me to manage day to day. It's amazing how fast this became our new normal. 

When your spouse travels, you get a schedule going and you stuck to it. In fact when my dear husband was home everything was much more chaotic because he would mess up "the schedule". 

I remember a time when he had a 16 hour stopover at home between getting off one flight and getting onto another. In this chaos that was our lives, I insisted that we always dropped him to and picked him up from the airport. It was very important to me that we say goodbye. He travelled before and after 911, in and out of the same airports the hijacked planes departed from. The truth is, it was important to me regardless of the mode of transportation he was using. I insisted he wake me up to say goodbye when he was driving to various destinations as well. 

Things happen, it's part of life and I wanted to say (and hear) I Love You and have him kiss his kids before he left. 

When my youngest was three he was asked "what does your Dad do?" his response was "he is a pilot" and given the number of trips we made to the airport I can understand the confusion. It got to the point that my husband would simply emailed me his itinerary so I know which city he was in and until when.

FAST FORWARD A DECADE: 

My husband no longer travels for work and hasn't for many years. My kids are now teens, and he is home for dinner every night. 

This week my Hubby left on a work trip to Japan. He is not gone for a month. His is only gone for a week. My kids are teens and can dress themselves, and (on most days) much more independent than when they were toddlers. So what's the big deal? I don't know, but it does seem like a big deal, and it's stressing me out. I don't like it when my Hubby is away. When he informed me he needed to stay an additional week, I was not pleased (apparently I don't transition well). I know if he travelled all the time that would be my normal and I wouldn't feel so out of sorts. I mean it's not like we are attached at the hip or spend every moment together, nor do I actually need him here every minute (other than to help the kids with Math, and Science homework - Not my realm. I do English, History and glue stick). And, the technology now makes communication SO much easier with texting, Skype. 

So what I realised is; He is my anchor day to day. 

After 21 years of marriage he is my normal. And yes I if it was necessary I could get used to him travelling again, but I like my normal the way it is, and lets face it, it's all about me! (Just joking - not really)

Yep, just Cathy Thinking Out Loud about then and now.