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!