Tina Kowalski
Bio
Author of two books "Unlikely Righteousness" and "Awesomely Awkward Dating Tips for Beginners".
Quora creator since 2017 including several articles and the space "Daily Winning".
I love learning and exploring the world through experiences.
Stories (6/0)
St. Boniface Cathedral
On a previous trip to Winnipeg I went with my husband to one of the iconic tourist destinations of the city. Located across from "The Forks" along the banks of the Red River the St. Boniface Cathedral is a stone ruin with an intriguing past and a surprise located within. Gutted by a fire back in 1968 which completely destroyed the interior of the great cathedral, the place is beautiful and serene with shady walks and impressive stonework. Walking up to it from the river you see high walls and a large circular hole where there was once a stain glass window. As with all ruins, from a distance and in pictures the place intrigues you - your curiosity makes you want to get closer and see the details for yourself. As we walked around this place that I had come to many occasions before my attitude and insight began to change. It was my husband's first time there and it was a different experience for me being able to see it through his eyes.
By Tina Kowalski30 days ago in History
Spousal Pearls
Have you ever heard the phrase "the world is your oyster"? Often used to describe the numerous opportunities that are available to us in life this phrase came to mean something different to me several years ago when I was on vacation in French Polynesia. Like many tourists I went to a couple pearl farms, the Robert WAN Pearl Museum in Papeete, and several shops as part of my trip. In French Polynesia pearls are produced by the Pinctada margaritifera oyster or the "black-lip pearl oyster". Originally pearls were harvested from the wild and were produced naturally as a result of an irritant getting stuck in the oyster. This irritant causes harm to the oyster which protects itself by excreting nacre on it to soften the sharp edges. The result is a shiny, smooth bead which can be used for many purposes including decoration or jewelry. Highly valuable due their beauty and rarity natural pearls were prized by many for centuries. Today's pearls are cultivated using perfectly round nucleuses (aka seeds) inserted into the oyster. The nucleuses give the oyster a head start as they determine the minimum size of the pearl produced and influences its final shape.
By Tina Kowalski30 days ago in Families
Awesome Places to Film in Halifax
In 2012 and 2013 I had the opportunity to live in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Fresh off my job as a land use planner I was amazed at the way this city is able to honour its history while maintaining a rich cultural diversity and supporting a modern way of living. The moist climate leads to beautiful and dramatic landscapes where rock outcrops compete with lush forests and gardens are full of colour. Having never seen the Atlantic Ocean I finally understood Lee Ann Womack’s song “I Hope You Dance” about “feeling small when you stand beside the ocean.” Halifax will always hold a special place in my heart from all of the memories I made there.
By Tina Kowalski2 years ago in Wander
The Pros and Cons of Marrying a Handyman
My husband is a problem solver! Before we married I had no idea just how passionate about cars he is. Combine that with a hyper observant personality and he never misses something in need of fixing. Throughout our marriage he has tried, with little success, to help me see for myself how fascinating car maintenance can be. It’s not that I hate cars – I admire the engineering, artistry, and safety features that go into their creation – I just have other subjects I am interested in and have no desire to take this one on. After observing him for over 5 years now I have discovered the following pros and cons of marrying a handyman/mechanic.
By Tina Kowalski2 years ago in Humans
How to Use Costco to Pick Stocks
For many years Costco has had net sales of over $100 Billion with over 750 warehouses worldwide (http://investor.costco.com/). Anyone who has ever shopped at one of these warehouses knows that they are constantly packed with an efficient system of helping shoppers complete their purchases. The products offered both through their website and in their warehouses are high quality and adequately packaged for both consumer and wholesaler use. Although the warehouses feel like they go on forever they do have limited storage space requiring Costco to be selective in the products they offer. With this type of distribution power investors can look to Costco as an indicator of which stocks to buy.
By Tina Kowalski2 years ago in Trader
How to Emotionally Survive Cancer
My family history is riddled with cancer diagnoses. A decade before I was born my maternal grandfather died painfully after a long fight with bone cancer. When I was a teenager, I had one aunt diagnosed with breast cancer and my paternal grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer which eventually spread to his lungs. He died when I was 15 but my aunt was able to beat her cancer and has been in remission for over 20 years. After 40+ years as a smoker my father was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of lung cancer that resulted in a tumor that took over half of his one lung. Fortunately, through aggressive chemotherapy and radiation he beat his lung cancer diagnosis but sadly it had already spread to his lymphatic system and he is currently fighting a rare new type of cancer.
By Tina Kowalski2 years ago in Longevity
