Tribute to Stuart McLean

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Jurgen Czechowsky

Stuart McLean

Yesterday’s news of Stuart McLean’s death came as a shock to me as I imagine to most of us who faithfully visited the Vinyl Café on radio.  I believe his passing has made such a profound impact on me because I thought of him as a friend (even though I didn’t know him in personally).  It was comforting to know I could sit down regularly with this delightful Canadian who knew us better at times than we knew ourselves.  He bridged our differences and brought us closer together.  He showed us that love, friendship and family are the important things of life.

Thank you, Stuart, for being you, for the many lives you touched and for the laughter and joy you brought into the world.

It was a true privilege to have journeyed with you.

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Showing you love someone the other 364 days a year

Posted on February 16, 2017 by

 

Well Valentine’s Day has come and gone. All the chocolates are now on sale; and for someof us, it is time to stock up on the discounted chocolates.  Valentine’s Day has got me thinking though.  It’s got me thinking about all the other days of the year.  Yes, it is wonderful that we have one specific day to demonstrate to our loved ones, just how much we love them. We get to shower them with jewels, flowers, notes of love and chocolate. That day is done but the opportunity to show our love is not gone. We have 364 other days in a year that we can show our love to our partner, children, family, and friends.  Here are some ideas how to spread your love throughout the year. Continue reading →

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#bellletstalk day

Posted on January 25, 2017 by

There is an important message here and it is “Let’s Talk”.  All too often people who are dealing with mental health issues keep it to themselves, struggling, hiding and not getting help. Some people feel that mental health issues are something that they cannot talk aboutbecause of the negative stigma that has historically been associated with it. However, you should never be ashamed to talk about the issues that you are dealing with.  Everyone is dealing with their own set of issues, and some of us deal with mental health, and that’s okay.  You do not need to struggle alone. “ Mental illness affects people of all ages, educational and income levels, and cultures” states the Canadian Mental Health Association. Continue reading →

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‘Tis the season for allergies.

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Jurgen Czechowsky

Well it’s that time of year when you see all those relatives that you haven’t seen since last year at this same time.  Why is that?  Hmmm, I’ll let you speculate on that.  Maybe for you it also brings a feeling of dread, especially when Aunt Sally never listens to you about your life threatening food allergy.  After all it’s just “in your head”! Why is it every time she sees you she tells you that you have crazy food preferences and it’s really just a bother to have to make something different for you?  Makes you feel kind of special, doesn’t it? Continue reading →

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Alcohol at Christmas…is it worth it?

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Janice Czechowsky

With the holiday season fast approaching, I thought I would raise a topic that many families struggle with, particularly if there is a family member who struggles with an alcohol addiction.  Gathering for a family meal together has become iconic over the Christmas season, whether that’s Christmas day itself or another day specified for a family gathering.  But, time and again the topic arises “what to do about ________’s drinking”?  This can be an all too often struggle for the family; however, the family is often not alone in that struggle.  For the individual with the issue, facing “another family meal” can be stressful, especially if they have not yet made the choice to stop using. Continue reading →

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How to take care of yourself after you lose your job.

Posted on November 22, 2016 by

This gallery contains 1 photo.

  Written by: Dr. Jurgen Czechowsky   D.Min, RMFT, CCAC Let’s be honest. The possibility of job loss right now is very real.  In the K-W area approximately 11,000 jobs were lost in manufacturing between 2006 and 2016 ¹.  For … Continue reading →

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Emergency Preparedness

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Janice Czechowsky

In the past few years we have all become increasingly aware of the different times when people have been evacuated from their homes and communities when there is a disaster.  The most recent disaster being the Fort McMurray fire, which touched the hearts of Canadians across the nation.  However, some disasters demand that we do not leave our homes at all.  It’s important that each one of us prepare ourselves ahead of time with a few simple plans and provisions for either scenario. Continue reading →

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Job Loss and Recovery (Part 2 of Things to do when you lose your Job)

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Jurgen Czechowsky

We can dislike what’s happening and wish for the past which we thought was secure and stable, but that reality is gone.  Many of us grew up with thinking there was such a thing as job security, life-time jobs, being financially secure and being able to retire at 65 or sooner (remember Freedom 55, well not so much).  We are in a world of globalization and whether we like it or not it’s here to stay.  Globalization has been around for a long time but has been accelerated due to ease of travel, new technologies, improved global communication, the internet, multi-national companies, trade agreements Continue reading →

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Things To Do Immediately When You Lose Your Job.

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Jurgen Czechowsky

 

choices                                                                                                                                                                        Job loss, what do those words conjure up for you?  Anger, relief, anxiety, uncertainty, grief, devastated, worthless, I am sure I could go on but you get the picture.  Job loss is one of those stressors that impact us, our families, our relationships and our finances.  Our world, as we knew it, has now been drastically altered and for most of us that is unnerving.

The world is changing, globalization is a reality, manual manufacturing jobs are decreasing, and technology is increasing and ever changing us and our world.  We can dislike what’s happening and wish for the past which we thought was secure and stable, but that reality is gone.  Continue reading →

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A new thought for Hallowe’en…

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Janice Czechowsky

Hallowe’en is on its way.  The stores are filled with candy, costumes and random bloody body parts.  Haunted houses and corn mazes which are hard to find your way out of, also pop up in unexpected places.  Hallowe’en images of torn or missing limbs can create unknowns for a child, resulting in their speculation of how that might have happened.  With the time change it is darker far sooner thanjust a few weeks earlier and being in the dark can also be scary.  All of this adds up to a recipe filled with fear for our children. Continue reading →

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