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Your vote is very important for our future

Hammer discusses the need for votes during election period.

Your vote is very important for our future

In the heat of this much-hyped and expensive 2015 provincial election campaign, we will hear some people express the fact that they have been disgusted with the way that our government has performed in the past, can’t make up their mind who to vote for this time around and might not even be bothered to vote at all. If too many of us take that same attitude and don’t practise our freedom of choice on Tuesday, May 5 at polling stations throughout Alberta, there will be not be a very strong message sent from the constituents to the successful candidates and the party that will be chosen to lead us for the next four years.

If this is the case, it could very well end up being the ‘same old-same way’ lackadaisical style of government that we certainly do not want to take us into the future. It is okay and very important for us to complain about the current state of Alberta politics and politicians, it is great to go out to the forums and coffee shops to express our opinions, and it is really important for us to ask all the candidates about their future platforms and promises for OUR GOVERNMENT, but if we don’t get out and make OUR CHOICE for our next leaders and government, it is all for naught.. Many voters don’t realize that there are nine official political parties registered in Alberta and these include The Alberta Party, The Alberta First Party, The Progressive Conservative Party, The New Democratic Party, The Liberal Party, The Social Credit Party, The Green Party, The Wildrose Party and the Alberta Communist Party. Many enthusiastic men and women throughout Alberta have shown their willingness to represent their political parties in this vital 2015 election, and are ready and able to serve their constituencies as a member of the Legislative Assembly. As proud citizens of Alberta, we need only take a few moments on May 5 to mark the ballots that will decide our future government. Thank you for your participation.

We are in a ‘Selfie’ world.

While on holidays recently I have noticed that so many people of all ages are now out and about snapping all sorts of photos of themselves and their buddies with their ‘selfies’. I guess these new fancy cameras with the long handles produce great personal pictures, just as long as you don’t back off a cliff, into traffic or fall into a pond while trying to get a perfect shot.

This new digital phenomena has likely taken many of us, especially seniors, by surprise, and we may be just a little reluctant before we rush  out and buy one and have to retire our trusty old ‘Brownie’ and step into the flashy new world of electronics. My wife and I use our handy-dandy iPad (a gift from the kids) to take all sorts of photos and then send them off to all the relatives and friends on our e-mail hit list. My only problem is that I have a heavy ‘trigger finger’, and I usually end up taking way too many shots of the same subject, so thank goodness for the ‘delete’ button, where after we pick out the best shots you can send the rest to the magic ‘trash can.’

As an old newspaper guy, I love these new digital cameras, simply because I can take lots of shots and then check them out to suit the story. In the old days, on assignment with the Ponoka Herald, I started out with a ‘box camera’ and then graduated to a Kodak, but you still had only one or two chances to get a quick photo, and if your camera wasn’t working or the subject was out of focus, you never found out the bad news until you got into the dark room. Since the new photo and computer age has now taken complete control, I have been given strict instructions from my editor and my grand-children to stop and save all the stories and photos that I do, just in case I push the wrong button along the way.

Only a grandmother would know

A 2,5 years old granddaughter’s favourite story around the family ‘memory mill’ is when she was  being looked after by dear old grandpa while her mother and grandma were out Christmas shopping. Someone had just given her one of those fancy little ‘tea sets’ as a gift,  which had become one of her favourite toys of all time, hosting many delightful tea and cookie parties with anyone she could coax into taking part.

On this day grandpa was sitting in the living room in his favourite chair engrossed in the evening news when she burst into the room wearing her best apron and carefully carrying a little tray. With a huge smile, she presented him with a little cup of ‘tea’ (which of course was just water) and a plate full of cookies that her and her big brother had made in the ‘easy bake’ oven two weeks ago. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for the yummy lunch from her grandpa she heard the front door open.

He asked his wife to come into the living room and wait while the little girl went to get him another cup of tea, which the old gentleman explained was ‘just the cutest thing.’ After she came down the hall with the tea, she quietly watched him drink it, then expressed in wise word that only a grandma would know.......”Did it ever occur to you dear that the only place that our little sweetheart can reach to get water is in the toilet?”

Love your grandchildren with great patience, expect a few surprises along the way, and have a great week, all of you.