Tag Archives: Walmart

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#Scents and Scentsability

English: Liquid hand soap in a pump dispenser,...

English: Liquid hand soap in a pump dispenser, next to a larger refill-sized bottle of the same soap. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Six weeks today the party will be in full swing. That means the to-do list is long and pressing. One small detail is hand soap for the three bathrooms. Should be a simple thing to accomplish, shouldn’t it. Nope, can’t say that it is.

Despite the fact we are scattered around the globe, we are a family of allergies. Those no perfume rules were made for us. Do you know how hard it is to find scent free hand soap? Vegetables, flowers, combinations, even glacier scents were offered.

Lavender is my personal scentsativity. Picture postcards of a field of lavender in Provence are enough to make my throat swell shut. So I am supportive of the nieces and nephews who ask that we be a scent-free event.

The appreciation of scent is a cultural thing. Argentine men smell pretty, on purpose. The scents of the Middle East are heady and sensual. If Canada had a signature scent, it would be a combination of pine, ocean breeze and maple. I would be reaching for the antihistamine in seconds.

Scents are one more reason you should not leave home without a personal care kit that includes OTC allergy medicine.

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The Ancestors or The Descendants, A Cinematic Perspective

The Descendants (film)

The Descendants (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Three subjects of particular interest to me came together in The Descendants:

  1. Family History
  2. Cinema
  3. Antarctica

Family History: My Perspective

If  family history is viewed as an exploration of those who came before – ancestors, the weight of obligation is less than if one views family history from a descendant’s perspective. That is illustrated brilliantly in the film, as Matt King struggles with the responsibility of stewardship of land he and other descendants inherited. Matt King is a man who can recite his pedigree, passes it to his children and shares it with a gaggle of cousins. The past is present in their lives.

A Cinematic Perspective

This film is rife with cinematic cliches. Hawaii as paradise.  Workaholic father and distant husband. Dysfunctional family. Disloyal wife. Matrimonial implosion. Precocious tween. Teenage daughter acting out. Dull-witted teen beau. Eccentric supporting characters.

BUT

Every time I became impatient with the cliche, there was a situational twist; or a piece of dialogue that belied the cliche; or an unexpected insight into a character. That’s a really big but. The Descendants is a much, much better film than it appears in promos, reviews or on the DVD cover. There are human truths brilliantly depicted. I’ll let you pick the ones that resonate with you. My moments were the hospital scenes when the characters spoke to the comatose Elizabeth as if she could hear. Been there, done that.

Antarctica

My dream as a marketer of polar product was to see the Arctic and Antarctica become ubiquitous. Like Walmart – even if you never shopped there – you know the name. The Descendants confirmed that that dream of mine is now a reality. I won’t spoil how the film set in Hawaii manages to do that. Just watch it.

As a matter of fact that is the best piece of advice I can give you about this film – just watch it.

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What do Romance Novels and Walmart have in Common?

Hot Summer Day

Hot Summer Day

5:34 AM and I’m dripping. The muggy days of summer have arrived. I long for the polar regions, where my allergies don’t bother me and my metabolism is just right for the climate.

Rather prosaic reasons for enjoying a cruise of the Arctic, you may think. But stop for a moment, consider why people laze on beaches or do not stroll on golf courses. They enjoy the heat. Their allergies keep them at home.

After a steady diet of Andrew Lambert. I’m a huge fan! I turned to my secret vice – a romance novel. Picked one with a western setting. Didn’t expect to find a reference to Antarctica – but I did!

Wasn’t a postive one either, as the heroine couldn’t imagine why anyone would travel there. Makes me think my real life reads better than romantic fiction. Never thought I would live to say that!

What do romance novels and Walmart have in common? They are main stream! Travel to the polar regions is still something only a few do, because most travelers can’t image why anyone would travel there. Imagination is what sets polar travelers apart. We can readily imagine why one should participate in an Antarctic cruise or a high latitude northern adventure.