George Floyd

  I can't breathe...

  Three small words heard around the globe. A plea from someone on the ground, in restraints. 

I can't breathe...

  Another black man, like too many before him, killed by the brutality of someone who enjoys inflicting pain and being in control. 

I can't breathe...

  A murderer hiding behind the shield and uniform of a police officer. Believing those things protect him from repercussions. Because that is what history has taught him.

I can't breathe...

  George Floyd's future taken away because of a suspected counterfeit bill. A child who no longer has their Dad. A mother who no longer has her son.

I can't breathe...

  For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, a knee was pressed down on George's throat. 2 minutes and 53 seconds of that time he was unresponsive. 

I can't breathe...

  Let George Floyd be the last. If his death can change a nation then his legacy would be one of hope. Not senseless violence.

I can't breathe...

  

Dear Donald Trump

  Dear Donald Trump,

  It seems to me, and the rest of the world, that you have missed the review of "How To Be A Leader During A Crisis" that the rest of the world leaders have taken. You may not have realized it would be necessary and thought oh I'll skip it. Well that was a mistake but not one you cannot overcome. Let me tell you how.

  Put on a mask! Citizens of a country rely on their leader to show them the proper way to handle a situation. Stop making fun of others who do. It's not a sign of weakness or herd-mentality. It is a sign of strength and caring for those who might be more susceptible than you. I'm sure you can find one or someone who will make one for you. It's not that hard. Tweet out your need. And while you are at it ask for a few extra for the rest of your unprotected staff.

  Show some compassion for those who have died. You are about to hit 100 thousand deaths and counting due to this virus and you have shown absolutely no concern for them or their families. I'm not saying cry at the podium but a "sorry for your loss" wouldn't go amiss.  If you can't do that small gesture then stop bragging about what a great job you think you have done. Give those families a little morsel at the very least. Think how your briefing ratings would go up!

  Stop contradicting the experts. We are all aware you are a stable genius but these folks are on the payroll so at least get your money's worth out of them. When they say bleach or hydroxychloroquine do not work just let them. We all know you are smarter so maybe just a wink or a roll of the eyes in the background is enough. 

  Now listen when it comes tweeting I know I know lots of followers, people waiting to hear from you blah blah blah, but is now really the time to be calling people names like sleepy, Pocahontas or lying? This is first-day stuff of that course you passed on. Take a break. Maybe don't take your phone to bed or the bathroom with you. Read a book instead. Or maybe the constitution? I've never read it, proudly Canadian, but I heard it's good.

  Look no one expects you to change overnight. That would be too much to ask. Especially of you. But maybe a baby step here or there wouldn't be too much to ask. Not that anyone is calling you a baby. Even though you've displayed more than one tantrum in the past week. I'm sure your constituents will forget about those. Unless of course those "fake news" agencies keep them in the headlines. They always try to make you look bad. Maybe you shouldn't give them so much ammunition.

  Honestly, there are only six short months till your job is over. We all know you didn't really want it in the first place. How about a vacation? Head to Florida and relax. Maybe get a checkup. Go hunting with Junior. Do whatever you used to do before the chaos began. Take golf lessons. 

  I'm sure VP Pence will keep your agenda going. He seems like a pretty loyal guy.

  Ang


  



  

What's A Little Dust Between Friends?

  When I think back to the plans I had during this time of self-isolation I cannot help but chuckle. I'm not sure where the organized cabinets are but they certainly are not here. Those closets that would only hold clothes I wore and loved? They have not materialized either. Freshly painted walls? Not here. So what happened to all those plans? Like most of us I set myself up to fail and that was the one thing I was successful at.

  I guess we didn't know how hard it would actually be. Not the cleaning and organizing but the focusing. When you have all the time in the world there is no incentive to get things done. So we did nothing. Or at least nothing extra. Except for Netflix...there were lots of extra binges. How could we focus on emptying drawers when the world was spiraling around us?

  Then it hit us. Just like that scene from How The Grinch Stole Christmas when the Grinch realized what Christmas was all about. Our clean, organized homes meant nothing when we couldn't hug our families or hang out with our friends. It is the people in our lives that we need to focus on. Their well-being. Their health, safety, and state of mind. That is what is truly important. We finally understood it and down Mt. Crumpet we went!

  Bottom line. There is dust in my house. On some furniture and a ceiling fan or two. The laundry isn't "caught up" and no closet has gotten the once over. But I'm proud of my home. It's where we've face-timed the grandparents and sang happy birthday to my Mom. The kids have sat in the recliners and talked to relatives and friends for hours on end. Sharing stories and laughs as best they can. Isn't that more important than a spotless house?

  We all handle this differently. My family tries to laugh as much as possible. Some days we are more successful than others. But when this is all over and we reemerge into the sunshine of life, not one of my friends or family will notice my dust or care if they do. And we certainly won't!

  Ang

  

Day 66

  Sixty-six days. 9.4 weeks. Two months and counting. That's a long time to be social distancing and basically never leaving your home. No parties. No movies. No family dinners. No school. No visiting. No doctor appointments. No sports. No...well I could just keep writing what we have been doing without but honestly that would be too depressing. We are all well aware of what we are missing out on. You don't need me to remind you.

  I think back to March 14. We had just arrived in Orlando and checked into our hotel. We had bought some groceries and were eating dinner with the news streaming in the background. That's when we heard Canada wanted everyone to start making their way home. This virus was now becoming a lot more serious than we thought and even though we had just arrived, it was time to go.

  We made it home in record time with no known contamination. Honestly we thought this would be short term. A few weeks. A month maybe. No longer though. Canada shut down? Couldn't happen. The entire world? Not a chance.  Yet here we are sixty-six days later with long greying hair just now starting to reopen. And we are all complaining it is too soon. Too fast. What made us all change our minds?

  Over 328 THOUSAND deaths world-wide are what did it. 6000 in Canada alone to date. People in hospitals for weeks on end hooked up to ventilators and fighting for every breath. Families unable to be with their loved ones in their final moments. We saw it on the news daily and it scared us. In our minds, we knew that the vast majority of us would make full recoveries. But our hearts told us to take no chances. So when we did have to go out, for essentials only, we wore a mask, avoided contact with everyone, and sanitized our hands till they were raw. And when we got home we washed everything and then sanitized our homes...just in case.

  So now, as we begin the slow process of reopening our great nation, it's important to remember all we have learned about what is important in life and what is not. Family and friends spending time together is the most important thing for almost every single person on the planet. All the other stuff is just filler. It's a valuable lesson and one we must not soon forget.

  On a final note...that hotel in Florida we left, Legacy Vacation Resort Orlando, very kindly gave us a credit for another 7-day stay at a future date. Even though they were in no way obligated to do so. Thanks!

  Ang

  

  

Buy Local...If You Can

  People have been talking almost nonstop about how the world is dependent on China and the goods they produce. Immediately followed with a "buy Canadian" or "buy local" rant. I've listened and while I agree, to a certain extent, I have a different slogan. Buy local...if you can.

  I love buying local produce from the small roadside market not far from my house. From mid-May till late November I buy almost all of my vegetables and as much fruit as I can from the locals. We head to farmers' markets on the weekend and buy cheese and the occasional cookie or pastry. The food tastes wonderful! But it comes at a steep cost.

  While I love the freshness and pesticide-free guarantee that comes with these foods I'm one of the lucky ones who can afford to pay the higher prices for it. The reality is that local means more expensive. A dozen eggs at the grocery costs $2.47 but the same sold locally is $5. Personally, I don't taste a difference and that is a big price difference to swallow. Multiply that by say forty items a week and that becomes a lot of money.

  Now before you say it yes farmers, beekeepers, bakers, etc need to earn a living. And yes they have a short period of time to make that. But perhaps a family of five cannot afford to buy ten locally made sausage at a cost of roughly $20 when Costco sells twenty-eight for $15. A fixed food budget doesn't allow for too many meals at that price. That's basic accounting. And that's just one item. 

  I had a conversation once with an artist who was insulted when someone tried to barter a lower price. It didn't end well and no sale was made. But it is hard sometimes to justify paying more for something just because it is locally made. Yes, we all agree local is better however we shouldn't belittle those who choose to go a different way. And when it comes to feeding our family we really shouldn't.

  This same conversation is taking place with organic food as well. Again if you want to and you can afford to...fill your boots. But not everyone can afford the extra cost. It doesn't mean they love their kids less, which I was told by a so-called friend of mine. It means we all have a certain amount of money and we all need to make personal decisions on the best way to spend it.

  Buy Canadian. Buy locally. Support your community. Do what your finances will allow. And don't make others feel less than because they make other choices. 

  Ang

  

Morning News

  This morning, like every other morning of the 57 days I've been social distancing/isolating, I checked the news online. And like every other day it didn't disappoint with its variety of topics. I decided to share a few that caught my eye just in case you didn't see them.

  Mitch McConnell said it was "classless" for Barack Obama to criticize the COVID-19 response of the Trump administration. He believes that the previous president shouldn't comment on the next one. Maybe he has a point. Afterall Bush Sr. didn't. Clinton didn't. Bush Jr didn't. But then again they did not constantly blame everything on their predecessor either like Trump does. Three and a half years later no matter what the issue it's the mess left from the Obama administration. How about this rule Mitch...they won't criticize your guy if he doesn't criticize the last one.

  Smog and air pollution have gone down significantly during this world-wide lockdown. Surely that isn't news to most of us? But the pictures! Wow. They show the devastation we are inflicting on this planet when placed side by side with today's pics. No one can ever look at the photos and then say there is no way to roll back some, or maybe even all, of the damage we have done. A picture may speak a thousand words but if you see the difference in Jakarta, Mumbai, or Milan air quality in just a few short months you will be speechless!

  Jerry Stiller has died of natural causes at the age of 92. He made old bones as the saying goes. He was hilarious in everything he did. I would say he probably is most famous for "Festivus for the rest of us" and "serenity now". Both classic lines from Seinfeld. Rest in peace Mr. Stiller and thank you for all the laughs over the years.

  An 18-year-old boy, yes boy, was charged when he was caught driving 308 km/h on a highway in Ontario. That's 191 miles per hour for those of you in the US...seriously why haven't you all moved to the metric system?? So there's more to this story that makes it even more shocking. He doesn't have his full license yet! And he had someone in the car with him! Sadly, though he is being criminally charged, he only loses his license for 7 days!! That's it. Do you think he will have learned his lesson?

  After only 274 years, Princeton University has its first black valedictorian! Not to brag but he is Canadian too. Personally, I cannot believe it's taken this long. Nicholas Johnson was taking financial engineering and is going on for his PhD in the fall. Congratulations Nicholas and keep breaking those barriers! You've made Canada very proud.

  That's just a few of the news articles catching my eye this morning. I left out the weird and absurd ones that always seem to make the headlines. You can find those yourself. Think of it as your own morning adventure!

  Ang

  

  

Mother's Day

  Like every other thing in our lives right now Mother's Day is different this year. No fancy brunches in restaurants with white table cloths and mimosas. Afternoon tea with tiny cucumber sandwiches and a view of the ocean is off. Dinner is takeout and no long walks afterward thru the tulips. But it's our day and we will take it in any form. Cause boy do we deserve it!

  This is the one day a year Moms are expected to put themselves first. We sleep late. Some get breakfast in bed...whether it is edible or not depends on the age of your children. Our kids are better behaved for the most part and someone orders our dinner or makes a reservation. Even the tv remote becomes ours alone. Name me one other day where that happens?

  Being a mom is, in the words of my friend Deb : "The hardest but most rewarding job on the planet."  Every stage of motherhood has its own challenges and rewards. It might not seem like it as we struggle thru tough times but there is. And speaking as the mom of two teenagers, enjoy whatever rewards you can see be they ever so small. 

  Growing up the "ideal" mother was Claire Huxtable. Smart kids who never talked back. Clean house. Never lost her temper. Stopped herself at one glass of wine. All the while knowing we were a lot more like Roseanne Connor. Smart-ass kids who struggled in school and who fought constantly with their siblings all while we yelled at them to stop. Yet we wanted to believe we could have the family life so enjoyed by this beloved tv character. Even though we know that life doesn't exist outside of television shows...and social media!

  Celebrate today however you can. It's not about the presents or the flowers or the food. It's about the little humans we have helped shape, or are helping to shape, into adults. It's taking one day out of the year and saying none of us are perfect but we are doing the best we can and we want absolutely nothing more than for you to know you are loved, you are special, you are wise. If you know that our job is done.

  Happy Mother's Day! 

  Ang

  

7 Weeks & Counting

  Like most of you, I have no interest in anything right now. I'm tired of watching Netflix and Prime. Tired of running the dishwasher three times a day and still waking up to dishes in the sink. The idea of going for yet another walk makes me tired and I have little or no interest in an evening drive to nowhere. I've cooked everything I know how to and more. I'm tired. Just plain tired. Aren't you?

  But like the vast majority of you, I will continue spending most of my day in these four walls and staying away from my friends and family. I'll don my mask to go into the grocery and will once again place an on-line order for renovation supplies. And sadly I will explain for the five hundredth time to my kids that I do not know if they will see their friends again this summer or whether we can travel to visit the grandparents. That conversation is the hardest.

  The highlight of my day will be watching the bluejays and cardinals come to the feeder and the bane in watching the squirrel devour their food. Our breakfast conversation will be about what we should eat for supper. I'll ask the kids what school work they have and ask them yet again to clean their rooms. 

  Days and weeks are now exactly the same. The news is depressing and should be avoided when children are around. Even adults should protect their mental health and steer clear as much as possible. But like the gluttons for punishment that we are, we watch it more than we should and kick ourselves for doing it. Tomorrow we will begin the cycle again.

  Life isn't all doom and gloom though. We still smile. Even laugh. But we are bored. And tired of the boredom. Of the monotony of this social distancing. Yet I am so thankful that my kids, family, and friends are all healthy, that I can get up every morning and see the light at the end of this very long tunnel. It's shining. Put your glasses on and you'll see it. Every day it is a little speck brighter.

  And if nothing else comes from this, most of us will learn there is such a thing as too much togetherness!

  Ang