Dear HGTV,

  Dear HGTV,

   You need to look at whoever is editing your House Hunters International shows.....and fire them. Almost every single person comes across as, I hate to say it, not very bright and very unrealistic. I find I spend most of the episode shaking my head in disbelief.

  These people have an opportunity to expand their horizons and experience new areas and cultures. Instead, they are comparing every single living space to what they had. As if they did no research or even a basic google search to know that living space in Europe is significantly smaller than in North America. It's strange to watch.

  Just this morning I watched a couple dismiss a place because it didn't have the same size refrigerator as they had in the United States. A man talked about the lack of a handle on the sliding bathroom door as if the world was about to collapse. The lack of a "spare" bedroom always comes up as a fault. Where are they ever going to put all the guests who will be coming to visit?? FYI no one is ever coming to visit you.

  The concept of the show is very appealing. A chance to see what housing is like in different areas of the world and how much it costs. Instead, we see whiny, entitled people who are an embarrassment to their country. Most of them should never leave as they are certainly not going to be open to the new experiences available in a foreign country.

  Not all of the clients are bad. Far from it but if you could take out the strange, almost idiotic comments they all seem to make perhaps the show would have a more positive outlook. For everyone involved.

  Just my opinion.....Ang

1.2 Million

  There are 117 elementary schools here in Ottawa. Most, if not all, could benefit from a breakfast program. Not a full sit down one but a piece of fruit, a muffin, and a milk or orange juice. Let's take oh I don't know....1.2 million dollars. Divide it equally amongst the schools and then by the ten months of school. That's $10,256.41 for each school or $1,025 each month. That is one hell of a lot of muffins and fruit!

  In the nation's capital, there are approximately 26 food banks and distribution centers. Using those same 1.2 million dollars, imagine an extra $46K per year for each one of them. Can you imagine how many families that could help? How many kids wouldn't go to bed hungry with those extra funds? That would be wonderful, wouldn't it?

  Nova Scotia is 55,000 square km with only two Veteran's Affairs offices. Some veterans, who are in their 90's, are 300 km away from an office. Going back to our dollar amount of 1.2 million, lets set up four part-time offices in various places to cut down the travel time for our heroes. Better yet let's hire ten people who go to the veteran's homes to see how we can help them. Between salary and expenses, each person would have a budget of $120K. 

  An autism center, an addiction counseling service, a nursing home, volunteer fire brigade, pick any underfunded organization, and there are too many to mention, and offer them 1.2 million in added funding and watch them go. Even as a one-shot deal they will make major improvements in people's lives. Guaranteed!

  By now you might be wondering what does any of this mean? Where is she going with this? The 1.2 million I keep referring to....well that is the projected cost the government might have to pay to protect Harry & Meghan if they move to Canada. Per year! As you can see it's not much money in the big federal government budget but it can make a huge difference in the lives of average Canadians when used properly. It is OUR tax dollars after all.

  I want this seemingly lovely couple to live in a country where they can thrive. I want then to be happy, healthy and productive. I want them to have the freedom to raise their family in private. Just not on my dime. 

  Ang

  

Separation...Harry Style

  You don't need to be a genius to know that when Prince Harry got married he and his wife would be paparazzi gold. Throw in the fact that Meghan Markle is an actress, not to mention from the US....they still remember the uproar over  Wallis Simpson...and anyone would assume that life outside the palace walls would be chaotic for them. Now we are hearing they weren't prepared for all of it. Then they are both naive and not very smart.

  Come on, Harry has spent his entire life in the spotlight. Every girlfriend he has ever had has gone through the same scrutiny as his wife has. Not to the same extent but enough to make him aware that an engagement ring would amp up the coverage. And that a wedding, not to mention a baby, would start a feeding frenzy that might never end. Surely history showed him that.

  He has been very vocal that he believes the paparazzi killed his mother. That he hates the flashing of cameras because he knows photographers took photos of Princess Diana when she was lying in the car dying instead of trying to help keep her alive. That is an almost impossible situation when you have been in the public eye your entire life. 

  So why exit now? And is it really all Meghan's fault? Maybe it is. Maybe she was able to give him the strength and courage to walk away. To put his own happiness and mental health above his "job" and family commitments. Isn't that what a supportive spouse would do? Maybe he finally opened his eyes and thought he didn't want his child to lead the public life he has had. We will never know exactly why now but there are a lot of common sense reasons why he should.

  However...every penny he has ever had has been at the taxpayer's expense. The inheritance from his mother, the money he gets from his father's trust, the "salary" the Queen gives him annually all came from British citizens. The security for his family, hotels, private planes, African resorts, Canadian estates....all paid by the government. Even the posh wedding was on the public dime. The only money that is rightfully his own is the salary he received while he was in the British army. So this talk about being financially independent is an oxymoron. She has some earned resources but honestly not enough to keep this lifestyle going long term. Check the price of a first-class ticket and then imagine what a private plane would cost.

  All of this brings me to the gossip that they are thinking about moving to Canada. My first question is who pays the security bill? I've read a few articles that seem to think the government of Canada would have to since we are part of the Commonwealth. Do they get special privileges? Invites to official functions? Stay at the Governor Generals residence?  Police escorts? We need every penny we can get to improve our education and healthcare systems. We sure as hell are not in any position to pay for their privacy.

  No matter where they go or what they do they will face a lifetime of scrutiny. But it's hard for me to feel sorry for two people who have every privilege known to man and could have drifted off into obscurity with little or no fuss had they kept their plans a family affair instead of telling the world. The only one I feel sorry for is the baby. He was born into this circus and has no say what-so-ever.

  Ang


     

Help Me...Maybe

  No matter what year it is or how far equality has come women still do more than men when it comes to children and home. Yeah yeah yeah there are exceptions we all know that. But I would bet my life that the ratio is nowhere close to 50/50 or even 75/25. I would probably go so far as to say 90/10. Or less.

  In a family with children, the workload isn't even. Not even when both parents work outside the home. Women are much more likely to get up during the night with sick kids and nightmares. Breakfast, school lunches both tend to fall in mom's lap too. As does making sure everyone gets to the bus or daycare on time. All that while still getting ourselves ready to hit the pavement seconds after the kiddies are where they are supposed to be. Moms are multi-tasking geniuses.

  Now five o'clock rolls around and we are on our way home. We stop at the grocery, pick up the dry cleaning, take money out of the bank and a host of about fifty other things during the course of a week. Once we kick off our shoes and let's be honest, take off our bras, dinner prep begins and homework gets started. We solve math problems while throwing the chicken in the oven and fold laundry while quizzing for that spelling test. 

  Once dinner is done chances are we are heading out the door to some activity or another. Some nights with one but normally with all. We haul soccer cleats and ballet slippers out of our purses and we always have a water bottle on the ready. There is a snack for the drive between places and while waiting for pickups. We do our banking and check emails while leaning against a wall as we pretend to watch every second of our children's progress.

  By the time eight rolls around we are exhausted but we still do baths, recheck homework, and read books. We pick up clothes, straighten desks and remake beds. After many kisses good night we bring a glass of water, tuck the blankets in for the twentieth time and check for monsters under the bed. After all that we sing the alphabet song while teeth are brushed and braces cleaned and then we fix those covers just one more time.

  Now we load dishwashers and throw in another load of laundry. Counters get cleaned and the fridge gets checked for milk and lunch foods for the morning. Dogs are walked and plants watered before we crawl into our own beds. If we are lucky we can stay awake long enough to catch up on the news or an episode on Netflix. Otherwise, we are asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow because that alarm is set pretty darn early to do the same things all over again.

  Let me say this again...not every family works this way. Maybe yours doesn't. Or if you really thought about it, if you have time to do nothing and just think, maybe this is your life you just don't want to admit it. Most of us can't or won't admit the fact that our spouse doesn't carry their weight when it comes to chores and kids. Saying your hubby parents instead of babysitting is not the same as being an equal partner in life. But do we really want them to be?

  Do they load the dishwasher properly? Are a bowl of cereal and a frozen waffle a healthy dinner for our kids? Did the towels get folded properly? Is a picture book just as good before bed as Dr. Seuss? These are all things I have heard my friends complain about when it comes to their husbands sharing the workload. They want the help but they want it done their way. Is that our way of saying we just want to complain about needing help but not actually wanting it? Maybe.

  Men's roles in the home and as parents have changed drastically since we were kids. While I doubt my Dad ever changed a diaper, most dads today are hands-on from day one. Fathers are participating in all aspects of their kid's lives. They just do it differently than we do and Moms don't like that. Not one little bit.

  If you are one of the lucky ones who has an equal partner in all aspects of life count your blessings. If your spouse takes out the trash and cleans the toilets count your lucky stars. The rest of us will keep on counting...to a hundred before we speak.

  Ang

Happy New Year...part 2

    January 1, 2020....can you believe it? I hope everyone celebrated the beginning of both a new year and a new decade or the throwing out of a crappy one. Either way, I hope your celebration was fun. Mine certainly was. While this is normally the day of resolutions and promises, not to mention new gym memberships, I have none to make. Instead, I will try.

  Try to be a better parent every day. And if I stumble or all-out fail I will get up, brush myself off and try again. 

  Try not to be too hard on myself. When I inevitably do wrong or fail on my first attempt I will try to remember that one error does not make the person.

  Try not to let negative people in my life. There really are some nasty people out there and no matter who they are I don't need to be around them. I will try to avoid them and surround myself with those who bring something to the table not take away from it.

  Try to stop biting my tongue with those who constantly spew ideals I don't agree with. It might seem like I never do but half of my tongue is bitten off. I will try to be courteous as I tell them though that might be more difficult than I can manage.

  Try to spend more time with those I care about. More evenings spent laughing and talking about nothing. Coffee dates that lead to new memories. I will try to make my nearest and dearest do the same thing.

  Seems like a good way to start the new year...doesn't it. Here's to a year and decade of trying. Cheers everyone. 🥂🥂

  Ang

  

  

Happy New Year....part 1

  Here we are...the final day of the year! This past year has whizzed by for me so now while the boys are still sleeping and I have the first coffee of the day in hand let's look back on the good, the bad and the ugly of 2019.

  We started the year in the Caribbean on a cruise ship. I think it is the perfect way to begin. All that sunshine and warmth. Much different than how it's ending with a snow and ice storm. We did survive the winter and even stuck to our guns and didn't book a second winter getaway. That is something we are very proud of because we aren't known for our vacation booking willpower. 

  Once spring rolled around we got busy outside enjoying the nice weather. We celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and just surviving another winter. The boys went to school and sports and jobs. We had a small family reunion on my Dad's side which was fun. Cousins I had never met. A great way to spend a fast weekend.

  John took Riley to France for the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Quite the experience for a 12-year-old. Not to mention his veteran father. Though both took different lessons from their travels it was time and money well spent. Riley learned all about the bravery of Canadian soldiers in WW2 and how the people of Europe have never forgotten their sacrifices. Evident in the upkeep of a small cemetery in Belgium he visited. And John learned there is no parking anywhere in France and their tickets can wrack up pretty darn fast.

  The summer was eventful and boring all at the same time. Alex visited his grandparents as soon as school ended and before summer school began. John and Riley took off again this time to Nova Scotia to visit family. A quick visit north to celebrate our nieces 2nd birthday signaled the end of the summer for us. It's never long enough.

  Fall started off with a bang. A huge change for Riley in a new school with Alex playing tour guide. Both seemed to thrive in school and Alex's new dream job working for a federal political party...not bad at 16! A role in the school musical was the highlight for one and endless political conversations were for the other. We still aren't sure they are really our kids.

  The year was pretty boring for me in comparison. Life seemed to flow along and while nothing amazing happened nothing bad did either. That's a win in my books. But I hope 2020 keeps me more on my toes.

  Happy New Year!!!

  Ang