Lemonade

  With the start of every new school year, I make a vow to get better organized. Every single year. At first, I gave myself a break because only one child was in school. It's impossible, for me anyway, to get much done with a toddler running around. Then they were both in school and I gave myself the first week back to relax and enjoy the quiet. Fast forward too many years, that went by waaaaay too quickly, one is in university and the other in grade 10 and I'm still making the vow and still not organized!

  I feel like I failed myself over the years. I had the opportunity to totally dismiss the chaos of clutter from our lives. An opportunity squandered. Now I sit here wondering why we kept a soother and unsure where the business taxes from last year are hiding! 

  Two of my favorite people on the planet are master organizers. They could teach a course on how to declutter and find a place for everything. One even has an entire system in place with labels and every receipt laminated. While I envy her skills I also want to mess the entire cabinet up. Jealousy is a horrible thing. Sorry Jen.

  In my head I know I can do it. Put things away as they come in. Print out my bank statements and bills. But knowing and doing are two very different things. I've even gone so far as to buy pretty things to put papers and files in...they sit empty on a bookcase. 

  I don't like clutter. Honest, I don't. I want to know that things are in their rightful places and everything has a rightful place. Even though I complain about it often I do absolutely nothing to fix it. Well unless you count buying those pretty organizers that are still empty and now covered in dust.  

  Maybe I need to be honest with myself and accept the fact that an organized life is not in the cards for me. Realize there is nothing wrong with writing important reminders on the backs of envelopes that go in the junk drawer. Understand that there is nothing to be ashamed of when I find a can of sunscreen that expired six years previous in my vanity. Or a Ziploc bag full of pens in the closet, none of which write. 

  And maybe, just maybe, I need to celebrate the fact that I can find the dog's medicine in under five minutes and discovering that yes indeed I do know where the spare car keys are. Not to mention that I remember where my phone charger is and where I hid the Christmas presents I bought in January.

  Lemonade my friends. Lemonade.

  Ang

  

The Kernick Life Reno Edition

  As some of you may have noticed I have not been writing much lately. I found I needed a break as my life seemed filled with more negativity than I was comfortable with. I had hoped that in sharing the daily turmoils I would be free of them. Well, at least free-er. But that didn't happen. In fact the opposite did. I dwelled. I ruminated. Like all things that don't work out, it's time to start fresh. With that in mind...

  Welcome to The Kernick Life Reno Edition. If you know me at all or read my blog for the past 5 years, you'll know we are in a constant stage of renovation. It never ends and won't for the foreseeable future. So why not combine my love of writing and my experiences renovating! I should warn you it's not going to be pretty. Doing all the work yourself on a very, very tight budget, with your spouse (!) is never easy. And while progress is slow there is progress.

  I'll begin the journey tomorrow. Right now I need to get this drywall dust off my clean sweater. Before you ask, no I wasn't sanding something, it's just everywhere.

  Ang

  

What Will It Take?

  Serious question...what will it take, what line will have to be crossed for you to stop supporting this "truckers convoy"? I ask because from my point of view it should have been a few weeks ago. Forget about the swastikas and confederate flags. Put aside the placards about trans people and LGTBQ. Which should have been enough on day one by the way. What is your line in the sand?

  Remember three months ago when everyone was talking about our veterans and the sacrifices they made for us and how much respect we have for them? Some of these same people used the National War Memorial as a public bathroom!! Is there anything more disrespectful? Maybe dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?? That's got to be close. Yet people within my own family and some friends continued to support these people. 

  Disrespecting the vets didn't do it what about arson? Two protesters went into an apartment building, started a fire close to a wall, and on their way out taped the door handles so no one could get in or out. Families, children, people with disabilities, the elderly all live there. These "freedom fighters" were okay with them all burning to death. What other conclusion could you draw from that? Don't believe me? There is video! They didn't even try to hide their faces. That isn't enough to change your mind?

  How about a woman walking home from work, and being threatened with sexual assault if she doesn't remove her mask? You must have a daughter, sister, cousin, friend, or niece. What would you think if that was her? Would that make you think twice? What if they just ripped it off her face without the verbal threat? Could you live with that? Apparently you can.

  The latest threat is protesting in front of schools. Horns blowing. People yelling. Children being confronted for wearing masks. How's that affecting your support? Terrorizing kids in a place they are supposed to be safe. You ok with that? It's already happened. Why? Because you continue to turn a blind eye to their terrorist tactics. 

  It's obvious these "freedom fighters" are emboldened. You have made them that way. Your unwavering support has given them the courage to do something even more reprehensible. Every time you post on social media a complimentary article you give them power. And they take that as permission to push boundaries even farther. Cause you told them you are ok with everything they have done so far. Congratulations you've made a difference in our country.

  I ask again...what is your breaking point? If the previous two weeks' events haven't changed your mind will anything?  If this gets violent, and it very well might, will someone dying be enough? 

  Ang

Occupational Musings

  Hey! I know I know I've been MIA for 7 months. Let me assure you it is NOT because I suddenly had nothing to say. Quite the opposite. I think I had too much. But the old "who will this anger" came up so often I knew I must take a break to remember why I started this little life memoir. If I was worried about who would be mad at my opinion instead of actually giving them then why bother. So I stopped. 

  But now I feel refreshed. Invigorated. Ready to anger the masses if need be. In later posts, I may catch you up on a few things that have happened but today I'm going to focus on the here & now. Lord knows there is enough going on to keep me busy. Let's begin...

  What started out as a protest of vaccine and mask mandates by some truck drivers, more on that lie later, is now occupation of the nation's capital! Do not let anyone fool you. It's an occupation. Citizens are terrorized, bullied, scared to leave their homes, threatened with physical and sexual violence if they do not do what the "protestors" want them to do. If it was in any other place in the world we would call it just that. An occupation. 

  Businesses are closed and will remain so in the foreseeable future. People will not be getting paid making rents harder to meet and less food in the fridge. Making life a little more difficult during this ongoing pandemic for those who have had it rough for almost two years. And the protesters say they will remain until the federal government does away with ALL restrictions. Yeah...that is never ever going to happen.

  Almost all of the restrictions and health measures put in place are done by the provincial governments. Not the feds. Ottawa is Canada's capital city, not Ontario's. Or Alberta's. Or Manitoba's. Why come here to have restrictions lifted? Don't you realize PM Trudeau doesn't have the authority to do it? Basic civics people.

  One of the few mandates the feds could change is the need for travelers to be vaccinated to return to Canada or isolate for 10 days. Now let's remember this "protest" is supposedly about vaccines for truck drivers carrying supplies from the US to Canada. Maybe the feds should remove that mandate. But wait. The United States have their own rules and one of them is that ALL people crossing the border be fully vaccinated. Including truck drivers! If PM Trudeau changed it this second Joe Biden sure as hell isn't going to! 

  Remember when I said this protest was started by truck drivers? According to the Trucker's Union, approximately 90% of all drivers are doubly vaccinated. And they are working right now keeping the supply chains open so you and I can eat, buy clothes, and renovate our basements. Wait a second, if the truckers are vaccinated and working who are these people disrupting the lives of downtown dwellers?

  We know that the Proud Boys, who are listed as a terrorist organization in Canada, are here. Confederate flags are flying and since that is a US symbol of racism we must assume those waving them are from a racist group of some sort. Swastikas have been seen on multiple occasions. That brings in the neo-nazi groups. Placards against the LGTBQTrans community are common. Are you seeing a trend? Yes, there may be a few truck drivers but they have been infiltrated by hate groups. Overtaken even. And whatever message they might have wanted you or the government to hear has been overshadowed by these hangers-on. 

  I am all for peaceful protests. It is part of living in a democracy. A necessary part. But holding a million people hostage till the government caves to your demands is not peaceful and certainly not Canadian. Sigh...apparently I am wrong on that last one.

Ang

  

Happy Graduation!!!

  We are now the proud parents of a high school graduate! Even though school was officially over on Monday the ceremony was yesterday. All 6 minutes of it! Because of COVID and the restrictions in place, it was one grad and their guests alone in the gym with a principal and a photographer. We got out of the car at 11:40 and back into it before noon. Not much pomp or circumstance for 14 years of work. But he got a cupcake!

  While we were excited, proud, and thrilled, our graduate not so much. He was over it. Already moving on to the next thing. High school was just a necessary evil for the real job coming up...life! Even university is just a hurdle to him. Not even a high one! Then on to changing the world.

  See this kid was born to do just that. For years we have known he thinks differently. Has bigger ideas than most. Figures out ways to implement changes that will help those who need it most. The only things keeping him from these successes are age and education. Both of which are quickly dissolving in front of his, and our, eyes.

  Congratulations Alex!! We are beyond proud. Beyond impressed. You are the future and it's very bright from where we are standing!!

  Mom

  

Harry & Meghan Again IMHO

  Every single day since the infamous Oprah interview I wake up to another opinion piece on Harry & Meghan. So I'm going to give mine this morning whether anyone asked for it or not. Which btw no one did but hey it's my blog specifically for that reason. 

  They have been married for over four years and Meghan is still talking about Kate making her cry before the wedding even though she says she "forgave her". It's obvious you have not. If the lead-up to the nuptials was so stressful, which I imagine it was, why didn't your closest girlfriends take the needed steps to shield you from it? That's what they are around for. And surely you had a wedding planner? Or a team of them! They should have been taking care of those final details, not you. Those of us on a budget might have to but not someone marrying into the British monarchy. It is time to move on or stop pretending to have forgiven her. Pick one.

  Harry is NOT a mental health expert. He can tell his own story. Explain his own way of dealing with things and what works for him. But he has no formal training in how to diagnose, treat or recover from any form of mental illness. That is important to remember. His story may help you deal with your own or give you ideas on how to cope which is wonderful. But we cannot pretend that he has any expertise beyond his own life and doing so is careless at best.

  They are elitists. Their home cost close to 20 million dollars. They are not sitting in coach or waiting for a table at any restaurant. I'm sure there are multiple nannies in the picture and a driver. Not to mention security details around the clock. And while "Meg" might be making the occasional waffle for Archie she is not scrubbing a toilet or cleaning the chicken coop! I would bet money her hubby has never done either in his life! I just wish they would stop trying to pretend they are just like us.

  I'm sorry they have both had to deal with mental illness. The idea that while pregnant Meghan thought about suicide is very sad. I hope she gets the help that she needs to heal and that they both are able to live healthy & happy lives with their children. 

  Harry's break-up with his family was in my opinion innevitable. He married someone who had only one family member at a wedding of 600. Meghan doesn't speak to most of her immediate relatives and most likely would not encourage her husband to do the hard work it takes to have a healthy and supportive extended family. In her experience it probably seems pointless. If they are like other couples I know in this situation, they will become abosrbed in their own little core unit with friends taking up the positions of aunts and uncles. 

  They stretch the truth. Why I don't call it lying is a Canadian niceness flaw I suppoose. Saying they got married before the actual wedding was a whopper. They didn't call it a symbolic wedding. They said they called the Archbishop of Canterbury, there is that elitist lifestyle I was mentioning previously, and got married in their backyard three days before the ceremony millions watched on television. Not true. Why would you lie about that? For what purpose?  Then my personal favorite...Harry saying he didn't realize their security would be taken away while in Canada after they stepped away from royal duties. Really? I knew about the IPP (International Protected Persons) list and who pays for security when they travel. How could he not? They were well aware that Canada was footing the bill for their 24/7 security costs and that once they left the IPP they would have to provide, and pay for, their own. That's why they left Canada as fast as they did. Yet they lied pretending it was a big shock to them. Not buying it.

  It goes without saying that racism should not exist and it is awful how Meghan was treated by the press and many people based soley on the color of her skin. While as an adult she could better deal with it, it's heartbreaking to think that someone could have hatred towards a child. They are the innocents and must be protected from any bigotry and hate though I imagine it won't be all sunshine in the United States for him either. 

  My final thought on all the hoopla...Stop talking to Oprah. Go to therapy. Raise your kids. Create your own life. Stop blaming others, even if it is their fault, and work on getting healthy. You have two small children focus on them.

  Until then, I'm going to adjust my filters so I can start the days off with some real news!

  Ang

  

Bye Bye Classrooms!

 The decision has been made...Ontario kids are not going back into the classroom till September. Whether you agree or disagree with this last-minute revelation it sure has sparked a conversation about what this will do to the mental health of children across the province. All the experts say it's going to be the next pandemic. Scary words.

 This means different things depending on the grade of the child. For example, my son in grade 12 wants to go back into a class about as much as I want to have a root canal. He is done with school entirely. Graduation isn't even necessary. Send that diploma in the mail in a tube and he will be happy. Grads are busy picking next year's courses, working, and sleeping. Getting up earlier and heading out the door before eight am has zero interest for most of them. Those who have struggled these past 18 months are focused entirely on getting the marks needed to move on. Other students would just be a distraction. 

  Now if you are in elementary school, at least the grades 1-6, are disappointed. They want their friends. Their games. Their fun days. June is the month of laughter and fun for those kids. Recesses get longer. Teachers find shady "outdoor classrooms" for the afternoon. You can't blame them for feeling sad. They aren't missing out on education in their minds. Just fun. 

  Still others are in limbo. Young enough to want to spend their days surrounded by their friends, yet knowing that falling behind will cause major problems in the years to come. Especially in the sciences. Grade 9 math started without a good foundation is the easiest way to fail...for even the smartest of kids. And can you imagine the kids going into grade 12 in September? Some who didn't do well online may not be able to get marks high enough to get into their program of choice. Penalized for something beyond their control.

  The big question I have is what happens in September? Other than being vaccinated what is going to be in place to protect my son? Has the ventilation system been upgraded? Are the class sizes smaller? What about cohorts? And are we back to 4 classes a day or still 2? When do we get the answers to those questions and many more? On the first day of school? To say that this is frustrating would be an understatement. Since the date for choosing whether our kids go back into the classroom or continue online has already passed, yes without getting any of our questions answered, we all must live with the decisions we made a few months ago.

  Let's hope we all made the right ones! 

  Ang