Pam Mozur Atkinson

 

PAMELA MOZUR ATKINSON
MURRAY ATKINSON
9096 E. Bella Vista Court
Floral City, Florida 34436

352-637-6016

murpam@atlantic.net

Retired

Hello, Classmates: Fifty years since our Gables High Graduation and I've lived in Floral City, FL for 24 of them! Murray and I continue to be in FL for 7 months while returning to our Ontario, Canada, cottage mid-May through mid-October. Five months a year in Ontario for over 30 years is equivalent to 13 years of Canading living. With 2 countries as a home base, I need a cultural adjustment once arriving at each place!

Here's a quick peek at some differences between these two North American countries: Canada officially adopted the metric system in the mid-1970's and today's school children are unfamiliar with pints and quarts. Ontario sells a large plastic bag labeled as 4 liters of milk with 3 sealed plastic bags of milk inside. This is the equivalent of our gallon of milk. Also, a pound of butter is 454 grams and comes in a rectangular, solid block, rather than wrapped quarters. Canada is an historically bilingual country. With the passage of the Official Languages Act in 1969, French and English were designated the country's official languages. The government provides services to the citizens in both languages, spoken and/or written. On the medical front, the health care system is publicly funded. It is guided by the provision of the Canada Health Act of 1984 with most services provided by private entities. Insured persons are the legal residents of Canada (we don't qualify), and coverage applies regardless of pre-existing conditions or ability to pay.

That's our lifestyle: a twice a year move, 1700 miles each way. We plan to continue as long as our health permits. There are lots of outdoor activities both places and hiking is a favorite one. We have 2 trails we maintain, one at each place.

Although I won't be at the Reunion in May, please don't hesitate to KIT. Have a good time this Memorial Day Weekend in Miami, and make some more memories. I'll look forward to seeing the pictures.

Pam