Eight Months Later

 Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Things have happened in the world since I last posted to this record of the COVID-19 attack on humanity. Starting close to home - the municipal election happened here on October 17 and we have a newish group in the hot seats at the county council (or rather on either Zoom or in a hall down in Cornwallis Park). Then we watched breathlessly as the folks to the south finally gave what that wretch had coming to him. I wore my RBG pearls to watch the results come in.

He can bluster all he wants but I'm sure Melania has her bags packed. Our Atlantic Bubble seems to have held until this past few days as a few more cases have appeared in this province.

I got my flu shot.

I actually got to see a few people in the "real"! Few being the operative word though. I have seen 1, 5, 1, 1, 2, 4 and a fleeting glimpse of 20-odd at our hall's Chili Takeout Lunch. I'm sure I greeted them all much more warmly than they expected! Masked and gloved I was. Money can have germs on it. Thanks to all who came.

I lost a good friend and neighbour this past month. Nancy was a warm, funny, caring person who was talented in the graphic arts area. She was generous beyond. I will miss her very much.

I had a lovely surprise from my librarian friend Danielle in Toronto (who cares for my parents' WWII story memorabilia at the University of Toronto) this past month. There's to be an article in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library's December edition of The Halcyon about my Mom and Dad. I am delighted!

And last but not least - I have a new gig! Who knew that someone would be interested enough to ask me to do a column (on anything I want) for our local weekly newspaper Annapolis Valley Register! 

Onwards!

Thanksgiving 2020 + One

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

My mother Elizabeth Ann (Rannie) Tripe would have been 100 today. She was a fan of L.M. Montgomery and named me for Anne of Green Gables – Anne with an “e”. I did have auburn hair when I was younger but not red hair like Anne.

My Mom was a woman of her time. She kind of spanned two generations of those women who worked outside the home and those who stayed home to look after the household. I remember her telling me once that she was very lucky not to have to go to work. She was smart. She read. She decided she would go to university when she was in her 60s and get a B.A. in English in North Bay.

She raised 5 children starting in England, a few more in Canada and the last one on a U.S. Air Force base in Germany. We all turned out pretty good! Some of us were a tad more difficult than the others but we made it in the end.

She had a good sense of fun. She was game for anything. She came to visit us in Rankin Inlet and rode on our three-wheel ATV around town with her purse on the handlebars. She met people easily. She went to a service at the Glad Tidings Pentecostal Church just behind us and had a great time.

She came to visit us in Inuvik and we flew to Tuktoyaktuk in a float plane. Here we are at the cemetery with the Beaufort Sea in the background. On the trip up we kept saying things like "Can you see that caribou down there?" And would answer "Oh Yes!" First of all it might have been a reindeer and second, she told us later that she was going to be having cataract surgery when she got back home!

She came to visit us at our “ranch” in southern Alberta when our house wasn’t quite finished and she spent Christmas with us one year.

She loved dogs and was a great friend to her own dog and our dog.

She would have loved coming to visit us here in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. She would have loved the history and the stories.

I am here and am able to tell her story and that counts for a lot.

Thankfully.

Onwards!

And on Top of COVID-19....

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Like many people in the world, I watched the TV last night for the first US Presidential Debate between President Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden. Like many people in the world, I was embarrassed by what I saw. I was embarrassed for the United States of America. This country had been a huge player on the world stage. It was rich, it was where people from all over the world went for refuge, for help, for a new lease on life and to be part of something quite new and special on the world stage. It was the home of Coca Cola and blue jeans, it was the popular music country, it was the movies, it was the TV shows, it was youthful and fun to watch.

I know some Americans. I have a friend who immigrated to the States, I have relatives who became US citizens because their work took them there, I have friends and relatives who used to go to the southern States in the winter and I have always paid attention to US politics because we are small Up Here and have to get along with whatever happens Down There.

My take-aways from last night’s debacle:

1. Can you imagine what it would be like to work for Trump? If he doesn’t respect the former Vice-President and calls him names, can you imagine how he treats generals and assistants and the file clerks in the White House?

2. I can see Putin this morning laughing and laughing and laughing over his coffee and as he watches the chaos descending on this sad country across the ocean.

3. There is no “moderator” in the world who could have controlled that disaster last night. I might have considered picking up my papers and walking out.

4. I learned that the President will ally himself with whatever and whoever he thinks can get him a win. He doesn’t care if those allies are racist, lowbrow, misogynistic, violent, gun bearing people. As long as they can help him win.

5. Joe Biden is a decent human being. I am surprised he didn’t just go over and punch that man in the nose. I am surprised that he didn’t just walk off that stage, pick up the moderator on the way by, hug his wife and go home.

6. The outrage expressed by the CNN commentators after “it” was over were restrained. But the rage was there. They were outraged on behalf of their country.

7. I was left speechless and breathless and very afraid for what will happen to our world and my country in November.

8. This terrible man has unleashed hatred and drips vitriol over his amazing country and I just hope for all our sakes that the voters see him for what he is and get him out of that White House.

9. I also hope that the Republican Party realizes the mistake it made and remakes itself into a reasonable political party after all this dreadfulness is over.

10. I also hope there won’t be any more presidential debates. I think we’ve seen enough and I think we know it would just be more of the same awfulness.

To all my relatives and friends out there – Remember the words from the CBC Radio program The Dead Dog Café 20 years ago - "Stay calm! Be brave! Wait for the signs!".

Onwards!

Half a Year Gone By!

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Here we are 6 months in! While I have been out of the house occasionally with my snazzy Dawn Oman artsy mask, it is still kind of odd to go out among real people other than my husband and our dog. I’ve been keeping in touch with relatives and friends via email, Facebook and now Zoom.

I have also been paying close attention to our municipal election slated for October 17. I will be the Deputy Returning Officer for 2 days of the Advance Poll and the Deputy Returning Officer on Election Day in one of the Districts. [I had to decline as my health made me unreliable.] This will be a new experience for us all here in Annapolis County. We’ll be voting electronically – phone or online. If you don’t know how to vote online, you can go to the poll in your district and there are people to help you out. No paper. No staying late to count ballots! I’ve done that a few times over time.

I had call from my sister to ask me (as the keeper of the family history and Matriarch now) for ancestor information for her grandchildren for a school project. I spent a lot of time filling in the Family Tree  and it sure is handy to have. I haven’t looked at it for a while and was surprised to see over 2,700 people on it. I may have gone a little overboard but it is for me and 2 husbands so that makes it interesting.

I belong to a small group called the Parker Mountain Wind Turbine Society. Once a year, the owners of the Parker Mountain turbine gives 1% of their annual earnings from the turbine back to the community. We were formed to disburse those funds. After 3 years, we have given out almost $40,000 to small non-profit groups in our area. This year, we delayed the disbursement because of the pandemic and finally were able to get together and make our decisions. It is hard because all are hurting and finding it difficult to do their regular fund-raising events. We had many applications but only so much to give out.

In this Time of COVID-19, I came across a piece in an interesting book I’m reading – PRESS ENTER TO CONTINUE: Scribes from Babylon to Silicon by Joan Francuz (2018). Ms. Francuz lives in Annapolis Royal and has written a most engaging account of “the history of our digital age through the words of the people who described things – the scribes and technical writers of their time.” Here is what struck me this morning –

“The people living during the period that we call the Renaissance didn’t use that word to describe their age. It wasn’t until the 1830s that the word Renaissance was even used. Their story begins in the aftermath of a plague, and covers a few hundred years when the very idea of the individual was born, and maps of the known world were expanded to include whole new continents.

“Ironically, it was death that made this change possible. During the Middle Ages, everyone was part of a community, and any individual yearnings a person might have were trumped by the goal of helping their community survive.”

I could go on quoting this delightful book kindly loaned to us by good friend Bob Maher.

I am keeping busy.

Onwards!

Five Months - Really?

 Monday, August 17, 2020

As I looked at today’s date, I realized it seemed familiar – vaguely. And then it struck me, March 17 was the first blog entry I did in this time of COVID-19. St. Patrick’s Day thought of in another time but not this year. Five months of being concerned that someone in my family or beloved circle of friends might be hit by this virus and taking all the precautions I can think of for this household – is a long time in the same mode.

Mom and me in Chester

And then I thought of what it must have been like for my mother during WWII in England with people she had never met before, with a baby and a husband off fighting the good fight. She did make some friends but I’m sure she was lonely there in Chester and she was there from May 1940 until June 1945. She went over with her father and came home with me.

So as I contemplate my 5 months of worry, I am now putting that up against my mother’s 5 years of dread. I can do this, She did it. I come from strong stock which I realize now after all these years.

While I’m not sure if it’s the virus outbreak or my age, I do find myself remembering the past and family stories and my own story much more. Maybe it’s a combination of the two.

On another topic, not quite as introspective, I am paying pretty close attention to the goings-on in the poor old US these days. It is easy to snipe and call folks bad names and although, it’s beyond me, be violent when the rage has boiled over. I fear for them. I don’t pretend to understand everything. I do know that a big change is needed. My biggest fear is that there will be civil war – not the same way, perhaps as the Civil War of April 12, 1861 – April 9, 1865 – but a war just the same. I watched part of a program on CNN last evening about the Electoral College. I will watch the whole thing today if I can. While I am not a constitutional expect, it seems to me that this part of the American government is well past its best-before-date. And my other small profundity for today is “Damn that Tea Party Bunch”!

Onwards!

29,211 Days!

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

The 80-candle birthday cake!

I have been on this Good Earth that many Days! Imagine! I have seen many places, I have lived in over 45 homes, I have met hundreds of people, I have made oodles of friends, I have some really excellent bosom buddies, I have loved and unloved (very few), and all-in-all I believe I have been very fortunate in my life.

I have a great family and great friends. I have a nice home in a beautiful part of the world. My children like me, as do my grandchildren and my great grandchildren. My husband loves me and puts up with me. Our dog seems to be fond of me.

There have been ups and downs, for sure. There have been worries and tears. But there have been hugs and and kisses and fantastic memories too.

Mom & Dad & me in
Chester, England in 1940

It is a time to take stock when one turns a number ending in Zero. I never, ever expected to be around this long. I am really amazed actually. And I'm really smiling as I write this.

I can still raise Cain, be critical, pay attention to worldly goings-on, get angry at stupidity, and be upset at governments.

I can still give advice at the drop of a hat even if it wasn't asked for.

But I can also laugh and chuckle and smile at my own foibles and mistakes. And I have made some mistakes.

In the Here and Now

So, to all the folks I have known over time, I thank you for giving me a glimpse into your life. I thank you for listening to me. Know that you made me laugh and made me care. 

Enough!

Onwards!

Day 70ty--Hundred

Monday, July 20, 2020

We drove to Annapolis Royal on Saturday. Although there was a purpose - taking a memory stick with over 6,800 files on it to a dear friend - it was mainly an outing for me. I really have to force myself to get out these days. It seems as if my life is in the ether with emails and Facebook and TV and the phone. This is not necessarily a good thing but it isn't horrible. I am retired, I don't have to work, I have enough money to meet my expenses which have greatly diminished as I've grown older for which I am very grateful. It's kind of an odd place to be in, I must say. I am doing "memory" things - checking on photos, seeing where old friends are these days, wishing friends Happy Birthday on Facebook, and reading the obits in the daily paper just in case there's someone I know gone.

I keep up with the news - here and abroad. I rage about Trump and how he has done such damage to the US reputation globally. I watch our own federal, provincial and municipal governments as well. Some are doing OK, some not so much.

And I keep in touch with my far-flung family. I have great in-laws. My own family is in Ontario, Manitoba, Maine, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. This part pains me the most. I can't travel now without causing major disruption on the other end what with quarantining. They can't travel here without the self-isolation business. And so here we are in our solitudes across the country. There are friends in other countries I would like to have seen and hugged. They are only in touch via the internet or by phone.

These are the things that were going through my mind as we went to Annapolis Royal on Saturday. I remarked on a house that had sat empty for a long time - once occupied by a remarkable woman who was extremely well educated - and how it is all spruced up now and looks fantastic; the trees are GREEN; the "ditch" lilies are blooming away; folks' gardens are beautiful; the market is going gangbusters - with limitations; the Historic Gardens are open; there have been concerts at the amphitheatre on the waterfront; King's Theatre is doing neat things; the pool is open; "my" Anne magnolia beside St. Luke's Church is looking very handsome; Queen Anne's Lace is open now; and overall - it is SUMMER. And we saw the Neowise comet on Saturday night. Pretty cool! And we are getting our house painted outside. It will look terrific up here on the hill.

And it's July and time for me to celebrate my 80th birthday. We are going to Founders House for dinner again this year. They had their opening on my birthday 2 years ago and we had a lovely time with Deborah and Philip. There was to have been a big party here this year but that had to be cancelled because of you-know-what. Maybe next year - one never knows.

A bit rambly here today but it's been a while and I am living in my mind a lot these days and thought it might be good to put it on the record.

Onwards!

Canada Day 2020

Friday, July 3, 2020

After much thought and consideration, I asked Bill if we could have another Canada Day party here. We did have some really good backyard celebrations for about 7 years in a row and then they just kind of petered out. Not quite sure why. 

I had to ask because I don't do any of the "heavy lifting" any more that is needed to put it all together. There's a lot of getting all the stuff together and up and down the stairs and putting up the awning, etc., etc. I do the planning and then the directing and getting the To Do list together. And the Invitations! They went out to Deborah and Philip; Bob and Heather; Kathy and Dave; Tracy and Keith; Janice and June; and Maggie. There were a few others who couldn't make it. I wanted it to be small enough for people to feel safe outside and big enough for it to be a party.

It was a potluck gathering. I must say that it's REALLY important to have excellent friends and it's even better if you pick ones who can REALLY cook. Everything was delicious and we were quite international - Moroccan chicken and curried rice; biryani, stir fried beef; potato salad, spinach salad; Waldorf salad; biscuits; peach crumble; strawberry poke cake and snacks. It was a feast!

We were outside. There was a breeze. But we were being careful. People moved around gingerly and watchfully. While it was soooo hot and humid, Bob and Heather brought 2 extra awnings so we were in shade.

After a couple of days of reflection - I find I am still thinking about the afternoon. It was small, it was wonderful to see my friends "in the flesh", we laughed the way we have done for years, we told stories and got caught up on those things we hadn't mentioned on the myriad of phone calls over the past months.  I am so grateful for the memory we created once again.

The bottom line came to me yesterday on a phone call - it was COMFY!

Onwards!

Many Weeks!

Saturday, June 20, 2020

One of the things that has changed quite dramatically for me is how I now deal with my health care folks. I have had phone calls and prescriptions renewed and appointments for blood work done on the phone. I even had my blood work requisitions emailed to me. It saves me the trip to town - not a big deal but I appreciate that with parking and waiting, etc. I will, of course, at some time actually see my Nurse Practitioner (who is great) but we both will know when that is necessary. I hope this continues. It means that the doctors and NPs can deal with more patients and the patients don't have to wait as long. Yay, all you guys - thanks.

In the meantime, we've had a lot of good takeout meals which I have appreciated. A couple of them are coming up and they are local community hall fundraisers. Always good and reasonably priced.

Happy Solstice! I have now been quarantined for a full season (and a bit). Spring has sprung, the grass rose, the hummers returned, the trees put on their leaves, the groundhog awoke, the squirrels are leaping and bounding on the woodpile, a raccoon has climbed the bird feeder, and the flowers started blooming - all viewed from inside. Amazing!

I think I am just about done with this blog. I have been out and about and I have had hugs from two people now. It was 107 days between hair trims (it happened on Thursday and it was wonderful to see my friend). I wouldn't want my readers out there to get tired of my ramblings. So, unless something unusual happens in the next while or we see a "second wave", that's it for now.

Be kind.

Onwards

Three Months Plus

Saturday, June 13, 2020

I have been thinking about how - or if - things will change after this pandemic. I find myself not having much faith that there will be improvements in how we act or how much we will be driving or how much stuff we'll be buying or how many trips to the stores or how much local buying there will be. 

There is a new bakery in Annapolis Royal that just opened up. I think folks are just so delighted to have something new - and delicious by all accounts - that they bought them out on Wednesday, Thursday Friday and today.

I see we are going to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Nova Scotia Charter next year. Here is some information on that historic event. In 1621, James 1 of England (VI of Scotland) granted Acadia to Sir William Alexander who renames it New Scotland (Nova Scotia). In 1625, the Baronet of Nova Scotia is founded. 

The hair is now getting a tad wild - like everyone else, I guess. I will be getting that looked after next week. My toes look fabulous! My feet look better than they have for months - literally. Darlene (one of my excellent friends) at Lite Touch Day Spa in Bridgetown also brought me up to date on the town's goings-on. I had to wear a mask but that's OK. I couldn't give any hugs - maybe next time in July!

I am happy to report that I have actually seen 6 real people this week! Our friends Sandy and Chris showed Bill their amazing gardens in Granville Beach while I had a cup of tea in Sandy's bakery; our friends Tracy and Keith dropped off our takeout dinner yesterday and we chatted in the backyard for a bit; and our friends Lillian and John dropped by today to give us some errant fondue forks from last year's Christmas party. We had a great chat about all kinds of things while hanging around in the backyard.

Lastly, I am reading THE END OF THE CBC? by David Taras and Christopher Waddell. This will be a cheery tale, I'm sure. Some of you know that I worked for the Mother Corp. for a number of years - mostly in radio and mostly in the hinterland. While inside the pale, we bitched and complained constantly about cutbacks, the Torontocracy, and the Ottawacracy. But all in all, I am proud of the work our colleagues did on behalf of our audiences. I know the staff in my last station in Inuvik which served the Western Arctic knew why they were there and did their very best. I am proud of them all and continue to keep in touch with some of them. When I first went there, we did 3 hours of radio programming in the morning and then 6 hours throughout the afternoon of English, Gwich'in, Slavey, and Inuvialuktun programming. I went back to Inuvik for a business visit in 2010 and was shocked to hear one hour of programming.

As far as television is concerned, I'd best say not much. I am a 1960s viewer when there was drama and other really interesting stuff on the CBC station. It's kind of really boring these day. And I won't even say anything about news. Ah well, the words of "why, in my day...." come to mind.

Onwards!

Day 84

Monday, June 8, 2020

The garden is taking shape these days. The pretty little poppies have started and there is one glorious yellow iris outside the kitchen window with oodles of blue ones to come in the next days. The little wild blue flags are starting to bloom in the bottom fields.

I may have mentioned that I really, really like the Governor of Maine Janet T. Mills. For those of my followers who aren't on Facebook - here is why I like her lots. I didn't know that Trump had escaped from Washington to go to a part of the US that sometimes feels kind of comfy for a Canadian - here's that AP story. Of course all this started in an atmosphere of fear and hope and anger in both at home for the US and the world. #BLM

It does feel like the blanket that has been covering us is beginning to be lifted a corner at a time. I continue to have great phone conversations with family and friends - there will be a couple today. One household haircut has already happened; a pedicure is on the calendar for this week AND an other haircut is slated for next week. The local restaurants are opening up more and more both for takeouts and for actual dining in! I have a bunch of excitements this week which started yesterday with a visit to my dear friend Kathy's for coffee. Tuesday it's Temple on Queen's takeout chicken dinner. Then on Thursday, if the weather is good, we are going to join the Tracy-Keith household just up the road for takeout Chinese food - socially distanced, of course! I tell you, the social calendar is just filling up! YAY!

By the way, it's now been 3 months since life was interrupted and shut down. I realise that I have now been inside one store in all that time and driven myself twice. I completed that month-long survey on how I was coping with COVID-19 for a university research project. And we are still being very, very careful around here.

Onwards!

Week 11 and Counting

June 2, 2020

Yesterday was hard on my mind and heart. It started with the notification of the death of a dear old friend - Silver Donald Cameron. I first met him when I worked at the weekly newspaper The 4th ESTATE in Halifax back in the late 60s and early 70s. He would breeze in saying Hi to everyone with the latest piece of brilliant writing clutched in his hand. I later worked as a researcher for him on a CBC-TV program on the opening of the oil refinery at Come By Chance in Newfoundland. That was a blast! I last saw him on July 8, 2014 at a reunion of some of the gang of those The 4th ESTATE days. He was smiling, charming, warm, caring and passionate about his endeavours - there were many of those. He was also very, very funny. I feel a great sense of loss this morning. My heart goes out to Marjorie.

And the day ended with that ridiculous used car salesman hawking his wares on the steps of a boarded up church by holding up "his" bible. And he did it by "removing" the protesters and clearing the path for his march. He really is despicable. And his country is going to continue to suffer for his behaviour. I was reminded of the 1960s in the US and the haunting song Black Day in July by Gordon Lightfoot. Give it a listen if you haven't heard it. And for those who have, have pity on the people who have to put up with this person in the White House.

And today I am reminded of another great songwriter. Thirty-seven years ago Stanley Allison "Stan" Rogers died. I was producing the CBC Radio morning show in Regina. He died in a fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797 on the ground at the Greater Cincinnati Airport at the age of 33. We played Fogarty's Cove that morning. But my favourite for years has been NORTHWEST PASSAGE.

Just to add to it all, today is the 31st anniversary of the day when 10,000 Chinese students were blocked by 100,000 citizens in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Those citizens were protecting students who were demonstrating for democracy.

I had some other bits and pieces I wanted to say today but the above chunks of sadness and bitterness overwhelmed whatever they were. And, of course, we are still dealing with COVID-19 and all that entails.

Be well, my friends.

Onwards!

Day 74

Friday, May 29, 2020

Since we have lots of time these days to wander through bits and pieces that one might skip over because it would take time away from other so-called "more important things", I give you this wonderful piece from Iceland. I thank my good friend Bob for this. There are bits that make you think, that make you laugh, that make you envy the ingenuity. And Iceland is itself an amazing place that was on my list of places to see but I doubt I'll get there now. It has had a fascination for me - it feels mysterious and a place which holds many secrets and strange creatures. But then, I am a big fan of fairy tales!

On a more mundane but joyous note - I have a hair and pedicure appointment! And Bill has a hair appointment! Thanks to Sue, Darlene and Sandra. Not only is the hair part kind of important (the pedicure is as much medical as anything else), the fact that we can see people and talk to people is an uplifting that is really desired. The rules are strict - wash your hair before you come, stay outside until one is called in, wear a mask, and sanitise hands on the way in. I can sure live with that and I am very grateful to see old friends again. It is also so important for them to get their businesses up and running. I think they miss their customers too.

I see the US is heading towards the abyss with racial tensions (a euphemism, I know) mounting by the day, overlapped by the COVID-19 crisis which is killing African-Americans disproportionately and being overtaken by a long hot summer shaping up. All this with an irresponsible person as the country's leader does not make for a calm time. I am old enough to remember the Watts Riots in 1965, the Chicago Riots in 1968 and the Los Angeles Riots in 1992. There have been others, of course but these are the ones that come to mind this morning. In our own history, there was the Winnipeg General Strike of 1918 and others. But I won't list them all. 

The tinderbox that is present in the country to our South feels very dangerous. Aside from all the people who are being affected by this atmosphere, I am concerned that it spills over to our country. For some reason, I remembered all the draft dodgers who came here during the Vietnam War. I wonder if there are people in the US that are thinking about that now.

In the meantime, stay in touch with your family and friends however you can. They sustain me through all this stuff. They have made me laugh and given me hope for a gathering and maybe even a hug or two.

Onwards!

Week 10

May 25, 2020

 I was thinking about all the folks who are now working home, plugging away on their keyboards and doing ZOOM conference calls with cats, dogs and kids in the background. I remembered one of the neat jobs I had for over 5 years starting in 2005 in Inuvik, Northwest Territories and ending here in Centrelea in 2010. I was the editor of PermaFrost Media, a news aggregator for the oil and gas industry which was making a pitch to run a pipeline along the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories. The reason I thought of this was the conversation going on about the internet services in rural Canada. When I started in Inuvik, the local cable/internet provider was my boss so I got the best service available - it was slow but manageable. When I moved back to rural Nova Scotia I had Bell (very slow and intermittent), then I had Xplornet (which didn't like the rain and cost a fortune), then I had Eastlink (which died periodically) and finally I have a small Nova Scotia company called NCS Network which works like a charm. Working from home suited me just fine. I did get to travel back up North a few times plus got to Alaska for a conference. I learned lots and "met" some really interesting folks. Thanks, Tom!

I watched PBS yesterday. I saw the last part of Yo Yo Ma performing J.S. Bach's six cello suites in the afternoon. It was quite wonderful. And then I tuned in to the Memorial Day Concert. I have mixed feelings about the militaristic nature of the day. However, in a rather odd way it was a glimpse into what the U.S. used to have a worldwide reputation for being - a people who were proud of their country and were almost childlike in their devotion to their military personnel. The patriotic music was stirring, as it was meant to be. In contrast, seeing the front page of The New York Times was journalism at its finest. It's hard to distinguish the different faces of this complicated country to our South. It's hard to distinguish between the way it was and the way it was imagined it was. Is the way it is now, the way it has always been and we just didn't want to see it?

On a lighter note, we have a clever raccoon raiding the bird feeder at night. S/he climbs up the so-called squirrel-proof metal-clad pole, flips out the plexiglass windows and eats all the black-hulled sunflower seeds. Nothing like feeding all the local creatures - squirrel, groundhog, skunk and now raccoon. Oh yes, then there are all the birds!

Onwards!

Day 66

Thursday, May 21, 2020

As many do, I'm pretty sure, I was up in the middle of the night (you know the drill) and looked out the window. Lo and behold, there was the Big Dipper, Ursa Major, Big Bear, The Wagon, Charles' Wain, The Plough among other wondrous names. It really was quite spectacular. Mind you, I was not all that awake but still...

I have had some really nice phone calls with family and friends over the past days. I did observe today that the calls are getting shorter and shorter as our lives are more and more limited these days.

As you know, Spring for me is when the humming birds return. They have arrived! There are 2 feeders by the back door so they can happily squabble and hum for the rest of the summer. They are usually gone by the end of the first week in September. Like the flowering pear trees, they are about 2 weeks late this year. Fortunately the weather seems to be co-operating and we are in for a good long spell of warmer weather.

I want to send my thanks out to 2 local businesses that we deal with regularly - Pharmasave and Graves Freshmart. I have mentioned the terrific service that Sarah at the grocery gives us. I picked our groceries up this morning. Today I would like to thank Kirk at Pharmasave. He got me a prescription that I didn't have to go to the doctor for - saving a spot for someone who really needed it. Not only that but he called me a few days later to see how I was doing! I was astounded and delighted.

I note that I am one month past my usual haircut date. I had forgotten how fast hair grows. I see many are saying the same thing so I won't go on about it but...

In the reading department, I am back reading Templar stories. I find the whole Templar truth and fiction quite fascinating. Mind you, I have been know to throw myself into Viking material as well. I'm sure this tells you all something about me but I'll leave it to you to decide that.

As for the pandemic - both viral and US political - I have been trying to limit myself to the amount I pay attention each day. I watch the federal and provincial daily COVID-19 briefings to make sure I am up to date on what I can do and what I can't. I am part of a study which I thought might be interesting. I fill in a questionnaire each day and I will be given my entries when the study ends or I decide to bow out. I think I've been doing this for about 3 weeks. As for the political pandemic, I keep informed just until my blood pressure starts rising and then I bow out.

Onwards!

Day 62

Sunday, May 17, 2020

I am a Royal Canadian Air Force brat. My Dad was stationed in many places in Canada, the US and Germany over time. I lived on two air bases with planes - Trenton, Ontario and St. Hubert, Quebec. 

The hammer that hit us here in Nova Scotia today was the latest blow with the loss of  Capt. Jennifer Casey, crew in the Snowbird that crashed in Kamloops, British Columbia today. The Captain was from Nova Scotia, She was a graduate of Kings College School of Journalism. Prior to joining up, she spent several years working in broadcast radio as a reporter, anchor and producer both in Halifax, NS and Belleville, ON. That's all I know as I write this. These pilots were going across Canada to entertain folks as we were all hunkering down during the pandemic.

The previous hammer blow was when Sub-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough, Capt. Brenden Ian MacDonald, Sub-Lt. Matthew Pyke (all from Nova Scotia), Capt. Kevin Hagen of Nanaimo, BC; Capt. Maxime Miron-Morin of Trois Rivieres, QC; and Master Cpl. Matthew Cousins of Guelph, ON went down in the Cyclone helicopter in the Ionian Sea.

There is still that missing little boy near Truro. He wandered away from his Grandma's place and after days of search and rescue folks looking for him, that search has now been declared a "recovery" operation.

And the blow before that here in this benighted province was the dreadful massacre of 22 people in the Portapique and area.

Then the dreaded COVID-19 has taken a reported 55 people in this province since March. There will be more. While we certainly hope not, I don't think this virus has finished with us yet.

I started by saying I was an Air Force brat. I love watching planes. My dad flew Spitfires in WWII. His story can be seen on this blog. It pains me, as I am sure it does others, to hear of a crash like this. I saw the original video when the Snowbird went in. My reaction was visceral and totally startled me with its intensity.

My heart goes out to all. I am grieving for all but somehow it feels like the grief is all wrapped up in the young woman pilot who died today.

Onwards!

PS - I debated posting this today. But I decided to do so. This blog is about my thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic and the above are my thoughts tonight.

Day 59

May 14, 2020

The other day, our excellent neighbour put our Summer Back-40 lawn ornaments out. They are lovely, gentle, giant Clydesdales and I look forward to seeing a few more as the months go along. Here is a photo taken a couple of years ago to give you the idea.

I subscribe to the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - just for fun. This amazing sentence cropped up today. I am in awe!

"The full bow of the crescent moon peeps above the plain and shoots its gleaming arrows far and wide, filling the earth with a faint refulgence, as the glow of a good man's deeds shines for a while upon his little world after his sun has set, lighting the fainthearted travellers who follow on towards a fuller dawn." So British author Sir Henry Rider Haggard described the light of the moon in King Solomon's Mines, published in 1885."

Aside from the fact that refulgence is a delicious word and I am a fan of King Solomon's Mines, the writing of that sentence blows me away! LOL

And just in case you thought I was losing interest in political shenanigans, I recommend a column written by Heather Cox Richardson. She is an American historian and Professor of History at Boston College. She previously taught at MIT and the University of Massachusetts. She was born in Maine which gives her a bit of a pass in my books. New England feels familiar to me. Check her out on Facebook and YouTube. 

Onwards!

Eight Weeks +

May 12, 2020

Holy Cow! It's been 8 weeks and one day since I imposed self-lockdown here on Mt. Crossman! I have been out of the house and off the property exactly 9 times since March 16.

I look out the window next to my desk where my computer is to see the changes of the season. The grass is a beautiful green now and I can see the buds on the Golden Linden tree, the pear trees, the crabapple tree, the lilacs and the various shrubs that were planted without too much thought given to formality. The plants have given their joy for many years now. 

While many of them have some kind of significance that I may have forgotten, my favourite is still that Linden. It was planted in 1999, the first summer we were here. I have taken photos of it almost every year to watch it grow. When it is in its brand new leaf gown and a zephyr comes by, it is like a dancer. I have to confess that I think of this tree as a beautiful girl so "it" is actually a "she" when I think of her. A few years ago, I discovered that when my mother used to take me to the Grosvenor Park in Chester, England for walks, there were lindens there. A bit coincidental, but lovely too!

I have been trying to figure out how the Ladies Who Do Lunch (all 5 of us) can go to a restaurant that does takeout and get together socially-distancing VERY SOON. I miss seeing their for-real faces! Hugs can come on National Hugging Day whenever that is declared - as soon as it's safe. I'll keep working on this.

I have had some lovely phone calls plus a video call (which surprised the heck out of me!) over the past days. The video one showed up on my cell and I actually made it work. All the way from Victoria, BC! I do find that the calls don't last as long as they used since most of us aren't doing anything worth blabbing about. At least, I'm not. 

Onwards!

Day 49

Friday, May 8, 2020

So the longer we are in isolation mode here on Mt. Crossman, the less I seem to have to say. Here is the content of an email I sent out yesterday to friends I haven't seen in a very long time - a couple of months anyway. These are folks I meet with on the occasional Friday at the local pub. They are really neat guys who always have something interesting to talk about.

I miss Fridays at End of the Line Pub! I miss hugs and real smiles! There, I said it out loud!

Bill was outside MOWING for the first time yesterday. The various lovely annuals are opening up. The grass is SO green. 

No hummers yet but the Map shows they are in Nova Scotia now.

Bill has all 4 cords of wood stacked. 

My son-in-law is stuck in Mali at the Syama Gold Mine. There is a long story that goes with this but needs a beer or something. My grandson-in-law is on paternity leave in Yellowknife – he’s a Mountie – while my granddaughter is taking an RN degree at home.

Sally

Sally (black Lab) turned 11.

The forsythia is in full blaze of yellow out there.

I ordered sunflower hearth-baked bread from Oakhaven at the Gardens Market this Saturday and will pick up some scones from Pension Pies as well.

Bill and I have been called to see if we would be Poll Clerks for the October Municipal Election – I cheered and said Yes, Bill reluctantly agreed. 😉

And that’s all I can think of.

Anne the Marooned

You can see what I mean! There is still the phone and I have had some good phone chats recently.

Onwards!

Day 43

May 1, 2020

Just a couple of short thoughts today.

Today is May Day and I remember a time many, many Mays ago when I was a teenaged Girl Guide in Luxembourg. We went off to the woods to cut some new branches with emerging green leaves and wove them into a wreath. The wreath was then attached to a pole and we marched through the town. Our leader started off with it but I seem to remember that I had to turn my belt buckle in such a way as to rest that banner and carried it too. We must have taken turns. It was very pagan and I just loved it. Here is some more information on some of the goings on about May Day.

After seeing an article about Dr. Deborah Birx in her role briefing the president of the US, I thought of how hard it must be for her to go to the White House every day. Dante's "Lasciate ogne speranza voi ch'intrate - all hope abandon ye who enter here" came to mind.

Onwards!

Day 45

April 30, 2020

I think my count is off on the days of isolation. I may have to go back and fix something or maybe I won't bother.

It's another sad day here in Nova Scotia. The layers of sadness just keep building up - the poor families who have lost members to COVID-19; all those families and community folks who lost friends and relatives to unspeakable and un-understandable violence and now the RCAF and RCN people who were killed in the helicopter accident in the Ionian Sea while on a training mission. While I understand people die in accidents and violence every day, these times just seem heavier and harder.

The hummingbird feeders went out today. The hummingbird map says that there were 3 sightings across the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick and one of them was yesterday. So, although they are usually here a little later, I thought it would be good to be ready.

I have joined a research group which is looking into how people are reacting to the COVID-19 isolation and so on. It was a pretty comprehensive questionnaire. I will be interested to see the results. I believe that if this study will help with any future pandemics, it's worth my time (as if I have anything else).

I leave you with a photo of pear tree blossoms. These are forced - the branches were brought inside and put in a vase. They are quite delicate and bring a smile. We can all use one of those these days.

Onwards!

Day 42

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

As we move through this time of isolation, I was thinking about the nursery rhyme "Ring around the rosie". That's the version I remember. There's a lot more to it than that. One more excursion into Wikipedia finds that there are many versions of where it comes from. The one I thought I knew is associated with the Black Death in 1665. But there is so much more. Here is the link to the other explanations.

          The Great Plague explanation of the mid-20th century

Since after the Second World War, the rhyme has often been associated with the Great Plague which happened in England in 1665, or with earlier outbreaks of the Black Death in England. Interpreters of the rhyme before World War II make no mention of this; by 1951, however, it seems to have become well established as an explanation for the form of the rhyme that had become standard in the United Kingdom. Peter and Iona Opie, the leading authorities on nursery rhymes, remarked:

The invariable sneezing and falling down in modern English versions have given would-be origin finders the opportunity to say that the rhyme dates back to the Great Plague. A rosy rash, they allege, was a symptom of the plague, and posies of herbs were carried as protection and to ward off the smell of the disease. Sneezing or coughing was a final fatal symptom, and "all fall down" was exactly what happened.

The line Ashes, Ashes in colonial versions of the rhyme is claimed to refer variously to cremation of the bodies, the burning of victims' houses, or blackening of their skin, and the theory has been adapted to be applied to other versions of the rhyme. In its various forms, the interpretation has entered into popular culture and has been used elsewhere to make oblique reference to the plague.

On a cheerier note, our weekly trip into Annapolis Royal on Saturday will now include some sunflower hearth baked bread from Oakhaven Bakery, a local baker. While the photo may not be the sunflower bread, it will be delicious.

Oh yes, Remember the Muumuu!

Onwards!

Day 39

Saturday, April 25, 2020

As this household heads into its 6th week of Nobody-but-Us, and we try to accommodate the new layer of awfulness in this province, I reach for the small things that bring a smile or remind me of other nicer times. This delicious-looking Key Lime Pie from Pension Pies was gratefully received this morning at the Annapolis Winter Market. And I got to actually talk to a friend while sitting in the car in the parking lot as she was standing yards away - a real person! It was quite exciting, I tell you. I would also like to thank all my phone buddies. While emails and Facebook are a good way to connect, it is nice to "talk" to someone.

As we were driving home, it was nice to see the green bits starting and the early daffodils that folks have planted along their property lines. There are dandelions out in the yard and our daffs are getting ready. Speaking of gardening, I heard the rototiller chugging across the backyard heading for the garden. I understand the strawberry plants are being replanted.

Like many others, we are getting a tad shaggy around here. It could be ponytails one of these days. And a pedicure is certainly in order for me.

On the Canadian political front, I must say that our provincial and federal politicians (at least the ones in power) are doing very well and have risen to the occasion, as they say. The opposition bunch is either being badgering just to be badgering or just being stupid. I don't pay them any mind, as my grandmother used to say.

As for the mess to the South, what in Gawd's name can they be thinking. I will only say (out loud anyway), that the reputation of that country is in tatters and will take years to repair. I leave you with a couple of items I saw online over the past days. There are lots more but these ones made me smile in a head-shaking kind of way.

"Just to clarify, the medical term for injecting disinfectants into the body is called embalming."

Onwards!

Day 37

Thursday, April 23, 2020

It's been a very rough few days for folks in my home province. I'm sure everyone is well aware of the events so I won't dwell on them today. It feels like it might be better if I keep me and mine calm and hugged - almost all of those have to be virtual ones though.

The hummingbird paraphernalia has been brought up from the basement. I have sugar left over from last year and I will be cleaning up the feeders this week. There is a wonderful Hummer Map that a most-appreciated person puts together each year telling us where they are. Today I see two sightings in Maine so they are on their way. In past years, they have arrived in our backyard around May 9-10. I remember Mary at Thexton's Greenhouses saying that the hummers arrive on May 10 so I have taken her word every year since. By the way, she will be "open" on April 30 this year with curbside orders.

The Erebus and Terror ships from John Franklin's expedition,
in the bay where they spent the winter of 1845-1846,
illustration by Le Breton from L'Illustration, Journal Universel,
No 529, Volume XXI, April 16, 1853.
(Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

I have been following the search for Sir John Franklin's ships over the years and was delighted when the Erebus and Terror were discovered a few years ago. I recently read Michael Palin's book about the Erebus - yes, that Michael Palin. He is an excellent writer and the story was quite amazing. Here is a story from Macleans magazine recently that I found very interesting. There is much more to discover.

I ordered groceries from Graves Freshmart in Bridgetown yesterday and the service was great again. And last, but not least, bread is in the machine!

Onwards!

Day 34

April 20, 2020

This is a hard blog post to write. I didn't want this one to be about me but it is. And it's about all my fellow Nova Scotians and Canadians who are shocked, overcome and bewildered about the terrible events in our province over the past few days in Portapique and area. As of this morning, we don't know the full extent of the damage done by this guy who went completely off the rails. Over the next days, this tragedy will continue to unfold. I have seen some family member comments posted, mourning the loss of their near and dear ones. But other than the brave RCMP member and a teacher, the other names are not officially released.

My grandson-in-law is in the RCMP. I know how close the membership is and that they know each other or know of each other. I'm not sure why this takes me a bit closer but it does. I grieve with them all. And I grieve for all the others.

As we are staying home with this blasted virus on the loose, I somehow feel there was another virus loose for a time here and it's after effects will reverberate for years now too.

I know that the word "love" gets thrown around like confetti these days and it may have lost some of its true meaning but when I say that there must be love here and compassion and tears to help wash this away, I think it's an appropriate thing to say. It is for me. I hope it is for you and yours.

Be well, be safe.

Onwards!

Day 31

April 17, 2020

Chaucer as a Pilgrim from the Ellesmere manuscript.

I am a fan of Today in History. It is interesting to see what happened (or purportedly happened) on this date many years ago. Today it is Chaucer. My sources below come from Wikipedia (which I support monetarily). I am a big fan. 

According to scholars, today in 1387, Chaucer's characters began their pilgrimage to Canterbury. It was a milestone in English literary history as it was written in the language of England at the time and not Latin, French or Italian.

I had a look at Google maps to see how long it would take to go from London to Canterbury on foot.

And here are a couple of films which were made based on Chaucer's work.

A Canterbury Tale film is a 1944 British film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger starring Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price and Sgt. John Sweet; Esmond Knight provided narration and played several small roles. For the postwar American release, Raymond Massey narrated and Kim Hunter was added to the film. The film was made in black and white, and was the first of two collaborations between Powell and Pressburger and cinematographer Erwin Hillier.

The Canterbury Tales film - The Canterbury Tales (Italian: I racconti di Canterbury) is a 1972 Italian film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini and based on the medieval narrative poem The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It is the second film in Pasolini's "Trilogy of Life", the others being The Decameron and Arabian Nights. I understand this one was - as we used to say - kind of raunchy.

I think the reason this one caught my eye was that our lives these days don't feel real. I have said to friends (on the phone) that it feels like we are living in a movie. Tales of the Virus that Ate the World or something.

Onwards!

Day 30

April 16, 2020

I think we are now in the business of crystal ball gazing. How long is this staying the blazes home going to last? I have now heard anywhere from 1 more week to 2-1/2 months. Maybe we could start a pool? My guess is 1 more month for us here in Nova Scotia.

These little flowers are known here as "those tough little pink things" and "those little blue things that got transplanted". There are some tulips leaves coming along as well. All flowering things are welcome here even if we don't know their names

Our 4 cords of wood - cut, split and delivered - has arrived. It is now ready to be stacked for next year's warmth. Thanks to CTL Forest Resources - Al and Sharon.

On the joyous front, the third loaf of bread worked! I may have the hang of it now and I won't have to report any more. I feel that I've reached the saturation point on that subject. By the way, it tasted really good as it was still warm when I cut it and put butter on it. Do I hear cries of "enough with the bread!"

Onwards!

Day 29

April 14, 2020

Yesterday became "Grump Day". Today is considerably better. I may even have another go at making bread. So far it's 1 for 2.

I was wondering the other day about the decline of the Roman Empire in light of the rather chaotic situation in the US these days. And while I realize they are not in as dire a situation, the paragraph below from Wikipedia caused me to see the present situation through a slightly different lens. Fanciful, I know. I think the parts that struck me the most were the underlined bits.

"The Roman Empire lost the strengths that had allowed it to exercise effective control over its Western provinces; modern historians posit factors including the effectiveness and numbers of the army, the health and numbers of the Roman population compared to its less urbanized and more epidemic-resistant neighbors, the strength of the economy, the competence of the Emperors, the internal struggles for power, the religious changes of the period, and the efficiency of the civil administration. Increasing pressure from invading barbarians outside Roman culture also contributed greatly to the collapse."

I watched the President of the United States of America go into a complete 8-year-old temper tantrum yesterday. He was rude, incoherent, all but swearing, using his favourite word "fake", getting very red/orange in the face (wonder what his blood pressure was), and lying. I have resisted, to a large extent, from making comments about what happens in the US these days. But this was just extraordinary. The various media will have put the timeline of COVID-19 reactions together so I don't need to do that. There were some mistakes made and when the reviews happen - probably next year - we'll know what could have/should have been done. Blaming everything on Obama and every other person in the world is asinine. There, that's off my chest!

On a far less vital item - I can't get my hair trimmed this week. It's not that I am hellbent on being stunningly beautiful but I miss my favourite hairdresser and getting caught up on her goings-on. She is a dear friend and neighbour. So I will get shaggier and live with it. And No, I'm not letting the resident handyman do a thing with scissors!

Onwards!

4 WEEKS TODAY!

April 13, 2020

I realized this morning that I have been "somewhere else" 4 times in the past weeks! Amazing! We are doing OK, how about you?

Here are a couple of those "colourized" photos I was telling you about a few days ago. It is keeping me busy and smiling with the remembrances.

About 1948 in Ottawa. Loved that pony!
A commercial guy came around with it.

1962 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.
I was attending some function or other in a houndstooth light
wool dress which I made.

I started watching a new TV series called Burden of Proof - a CBC production. Not bad but they'd better get this thing solved or I will start to lose interest.

I have been pretty good about not getting into politics recently. Those who know me realize how difficult that is for me. 😀 Here is an interesting item I read the other day. I may not entirely agree with everything but at least it is not a rabid and foaming at the mouth piece.

https://www.bedlamfarm.com/2020/04/02/the-cuomo-brothers-versus-the-president-what-a-show/

Further in the COVID-19 info department, I check this website every morning. I believe it is an accurate reflection of the numbers.

The bread experiment has been put on hold. The second loaf is now in the compost feeding whoever wants it. It was a tad heavy - as in doorstop heavy!

Onwards!