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!