Almaguin

November 4, 2026

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On The Upside with Marley

Kindness Is Stronger Than Hate

It seems that everywhere we turn these days, someone is angry with someone else.

People are being judged for how they look, whom they love, what they believe, where they come from, or simply because they’re different. Social media amplifies the arguments, headlines highlight the divisions, and sometimes it feels as though kindness is becoming a rare commodity.

But here’s something worth remembering: we don’t have to participate.

We don’t have to allow the anger and hatred swirling around us to become part of who we are.

We can disagree with someone without disrespecting them. We can hold strong beliefs without insisting everyone else share them. And we can recognize that another person’s differences don’t diminish our own worth.

Think about the people we encounter every day. The cashier at the grocery store, the neighbour walking their dog, the stranger holding a door open. We rarely know their struggles, their beliefs, or the challenges they’ve faced. Yet a smile, a kind word, or a simple act of consideration can make their day a little brighter.

Inclusivity doesn’t mean we must all think alike. It means recognizing that everyone deserves dignity, respect, and the opportunity to live authentically without fear of being mistreated.

And kindness isn’t weakness. Sometimes, when the world seems determined to divide us, choosing compassion takes remarkable strength.

We may not be able to change the loudest voices or solve every disagreement, but we can influence the world immediately around us.

We can refuse to spread cruelty. We can stand beside someone being treated unfairly. We can make people feel welcome rather than excluded.

So this week, let’s remember that hatred may be loud, but kindness is something we can choose every single day. And those choices matter.

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Why November Is a Great Time to Get Organized

When the weather turns colder, we naturally spend more time indoors. That makes November an ideal opportunity to tackle a few household projects before the holiday season arrives.

Start small. Choose one cupboard, shelf, or drawer rather than an entire room. Sort what you find into things to keep, donate, recycle, or discard. A manageable project is far more likely to get finished than an ambitious one that takes over the living room.

This is also a useful time to check winter supplies. Locate the snow shovel, test flashlights, make sure you have batteries, and put the ice scraper back in the vehicle. A little preparation now can save a frantic search during the first serious snowfall.

The goal isn’t to create a picture-perfect home. It’s to make everyday life easier, one small improvement at a time.

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Add the “H”

(Submitted with thanks by Ruth Herrera)

On a Saturday in October, I went to the Bala Cranberry Festival. Muskoka was all rust and gold, the cranberries glowing red, the maples letting go of their leaves one by one. Driving home, the sunset was so breathtaking it invited me into silence.

The leaves fall without a sound. They don’t argue with the season. They just let go.

Our tongues aren’t like that. They want to explain, to defend, to have the last word.

That night, an idea came to me.

In the oldest story about temptation, a serpent speaks in a garden with a sound we all recognize: sss. It’s the sound of something sliding in quietly: a word, a suspicion, a judgment.

I grew up speaking Spanish, where the H is silent. It’s just breath. Put that silent H after the serpent’s S, and you get shh, the sound we make when we ask for quiet.

The hiss, given a little breath, turns into silence.

Hebrew holds a similar secret. Remove the silent first letter from emet, truth, and you’re left with met, dead. One silent letter changes everything.

So here is what I’m practicing: to every S, its H. Before I speak, a breath. Not to stay quiet forever, but to let the next word come out kinder and truer.

The tongue sits behind two walls, the teeth and the lips. Maybe they’re there to give us a moment, a breath, before our words come out.

This fall, I’m learning from the trees. They let go without a speech.

Next time you feel the sharp words rising, try it. Add the H. Take the breath.

Shh.

Ruth Herrera is a writer, a student of sacred wisdom traditions and a curious explorer of the invisible. She finds much of her inspiration in Muskoka.  We don’t often take in writing submissions just the odd joke, But Ruth is a kind and incredibly filled with spirit and it warranted a read 🙂 

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Five Surprising Things About Autumn

Autumn brings more than colourful leaves and cooler mornings. Here are five interesting things happening around us at this time of year:

• Leaves don’t really turn yellow. Yellow and orange pigments are often present all summer but become visible when green chlorophyll breaks down.
• Some birds navigate by the stars. Migrating songbirds can use celestial patterns to help find their way at night.
• Squirrels are accidental gardeners. Forgotten buried nuts sometimes sprout into new trees.
• Frost doesn’t always require freezing air. Surfaces can cool below the freezing point even when a nearby air thermometer reads slightly above it.
• Daylight changes fastest around the equinoxes. The rate at which day length changes varies through the year.

Even when the garden is winding down, the natural world is still full of activity worth noticing.

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The Job Interview

A man applied for a job at a busy office. The manager asked, “What’s your greatest strength?”

“I’m very persistent,” he replied.

“And your greatest weakness?”

“I don’t know when to quit.”

“Well, thank you for coming in. We’ll be in touch.”

“Wonderful,” said the applicant, pulling up a chair. “I’ll wait.”

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A Very Expensive Repair

A plumber arrived at a house, tapped a pipe twice with a wrench, and announced that the problem was fixed.

“That’ll be $150,” he said.

“A hundred and fifty dollars for two taps?” the homeowner protested. “I’d like an itemized bill!”

The plumber wrote one out:

Tapping the pipe: $2.

Knowing where to tap: $148.

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The Library Complaint

A man approached the librarian and whispered, “I’d like to complain about the book I borrowed. It had no plot, no characters, and the ending was terrible.”

The librarian looked relieved.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she said. “We’ve been looking everywhere for the telephone directory.”

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The Restaurant Special

A customer asked the waiter, “What’s today’s special?”

“We have a wonderful mushroom soup,” said the waiter.

“Is it fresh?”

“Absolutely. The chef only picked the mushrooms this morning.”

“Excellent! And how’s the chef?”

“We’re still waiting to hear from the hospital.”

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The Retirement Plan

Two friends were discussing retirement.

“I’ve decided to spend my retirement doing absolutely nothing,” said the first.

“You already do that,” replied his friend.

“Exactly,” he said. “But next year I’ll be doing it professionally.”

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Editor’s Quote Book

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

— Often attributed to Nelson Mandela; attribution unverified

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Trivia Quiz

(Click Question For Answer)

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Your Horoscope

For Amusement Only

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The Calendar

I bought a calendar that was missing all the dates.
It was completely useless, day after day.

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The Gardener

Why did the gardener quit?
His celery wasn’t high enough.

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On The Clock

Why did the clock get sent to the principal?
It kept tocking in class.

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The Elevator

I told my friend a joke about an elevator.
It worked on so many levels.

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The Music Teacher

Why did the music teacher need a ladder?
To reach the high notes.

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Marley’s Video Pick

How to Speak So That People Want to Listen

Whether you’re chatting with a neighbour, speaking at a meeting, or trying to get a point across at the dinner table, good communication makes life easier. In this engaging TED Talk, sound expert Julian Treasure shares practical ways to speak more clearly and connect with others. It’s a useful reminder that even small changes in how we communicate can make a big difference.

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The Last Word

“A new beginning doesn’t have to be big. It only has to begin.”

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