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My very favourite aunt (I had 8 blood aunts and 2 aunts by marriage) in her heyday. This picture is circa 1940. Her name was Daisy and she was beautiful, vibrant, talented and artistic and married well. I wrote about her descent into alcoholism in two parts here.
Here's another photo, taken around the same time:
The fog is rolling in again, it's been three days now. Can't tell you how much I love it and the sound of the foghorn warning the ships. This is a picture I took at my old house to give you an idea of how softly it drapes everything.
Random. I love this photo I took one November sunset with the tracery of the trees and the sleeping boat and the lackadaisical water of winter. This was well before the madness and destruction took place next door and hundreds of trees were felled.
Feel free to join me in Sunday Smatterings. No rules, just whatever takes your fancy in photos, song, memories, surroundings and link to your blog in comments.
I do enjoy your smatterings. Your aunt looks a vibrant and stylish woman which makes her descent into alcoholism even more poignant. My mother was another such woman.
ReplyDeleteI am also a fog fan.
Hiss and spit at those who destroy trees for their own convenience/greed.
I know, I had such a hard time dealing with the devastation next door (all without the courtesy of warning - he waited till I was on vacation)but choose to remember the loveliness of it all now in its prime.
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Sad story about your aunt. Such people are so often high achievers and you wonder how they get into such a mess.
ReplyDeleteFog is usually fun, unless it prevents your flight taking off. Sister lives near a lighthouse with a foghorn and wow, when that goes off, you don't want to be near it.
My local foghorn's at a distance, much more preferable! Soothing almost knowing all the ships at sea are safe. And we do have a lot of ships.
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Me too, I love the fog, as long as I'm not driving or traveling.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's not so good when one is driving, I agree, though out here I've been caught many times, I just crawl along.
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"...amounts donated as gifts from family and friends..." how rude to ask that! and it shouldn't be counted as income because it's such a random thing. You can't count on people giving you money in a regular amount on a regular basis! We don't have that question here, but if we did my answer would be $0.
ReplyDeleteI love the fog photos.
All I can wish for are donations from extraordinarily wealthy family members but there is zero from that quarter. I would gladly declare it. But total invasion of privacy and as you say unpredictable.
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It's considered part of your income, and in Canada, declared income is the basis for need-subsidized benefits, such as lower rent and healthcare. It's not an option to declare or not, just like with other income for tax purposes. And just like not declaring other income, not doing it in such an instance as described can result in penalties under Revenue Canada and tax law. I have declared the earnings from gleaning bottles and taking them to the bottle depot, house sitting for friends, and other unregulated, spontaneous one of a kind income sources. I still am not up to the poverty level income in a very expensive province. I pay 58 percent of my income to rent. Then, utilities and parking, gas and car repair, and I have little left. Good thing I can make soup out of stones. I'm not sure how it works in other jurisdictions, since healthcare in Canada is some federal and some provincial responsibility, but fortunately, you can make requests for extra coverage, as needed, which I did just this morning when a physio deemed three treatments not enough for my hip disability. Hurrah for some things.
DeleteYou are right, but then again, shouldn't the donor have a tax receipt as they have already paid tax on the income so donated? So many health expenses are not covered in Newfoundland, it makes my blood boil.
DeleteGlad to hear you got extra coverage. Any kind of therapy is not covered here, along with dental, eyecare, etc.
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Is this not coverage? "Who is eligible for coverage under the Adult Dental Program?
DeleteThe 65Plus Plan – Includes residents 65 years of age and older who are in receipt of Old Age Security benefits and the Guaranteed Income Support(GIS)."
Eyecare NFLD: "Seniors (over the age of 65) are covered for one eye exam every two years." That's all that's available here too, unless you have a medical condition like glaucoma, retinal damage, macular degeneration. But eye glasses? No. Not here either. It's like they think eyeglasses are a whim.
There is a lot available, by petition. And it changes so I'd check the websites and the NFLD seniors care dept. Whatever it's called.
I have spent days, weeks, on the computer trying to find out how to get what I need. Once upon a time, in a land are away, doctors did this for us, or at least their staff nurses did. That's gone. I have also spent HOURS on hold, "please be patient we want you to know your call is important to us". Hysterical laughter. And I don't have a speaker phone. It's all very obstructionist. But it's there. Sometimes, calling your MLA could help. At least they can give some young turk an assignment to help you. Let them stay on hold. I have also found out there is a dental program at some medical schools, where graduating dentists supervised by clinical professors will clean, fill, crown, repair bridges in your teeth. Over the years since I started asking, about 10 yrs ago, I have really had to work at it. And back to obstructionist, what about seniors who don't have a computer, or are not tech savvy? Here, some of the seniors centres have a social work 'dept' or component who will help, take it on for those who can't manage it themselves. I would ask.
DeleteSuch sweet memories caught in film. Too bad about your aunt becoming an alcoholic.
ReplyDeleteThank you Gigi, it was heart-breaking, I absolutely adored her.
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They seem to be very strict about money given as gifts where you are. They're much more casual here. I've had a few windfalls over the years and nobody has ever chased them. As suggested, I would just put $0.
ReplyDeleteExactly Nick, but like anon says above it is illegal in Canada.
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To be clear, declaration of gift income, work income, applies only if you are receiving 'welfare', seniors welfare (here called GIS), or social assistance. The more you have independently, the less welfare you can get.
DeleteSeems fair. Social assistance isn't a bottomless pit, and someone else may need that money more than I do. That's not to imply the money any of us gets is anything but adequate, at best.