I learned today that people who have signed up for notices of new posts don’t get notified of anything when I edit. That is good if I go in to fix a spelling or grammatical error (yes I catch some of them) but not if I do as I have been doing and just hit edit and add on to the same blog. So every Sunday I will start a new one but know that in the prior ones I will have continued adding to it every day at the end of my day. So if you are interested in a read over your coffee or cuppa every morning – there you have it.
Today I got up and texted a friend or two to check-in which led to a lovely longish call with a newish friend whose life has been one challenge after another but I believe she hopped out of the womb with a smile on her face and a lets get it done attitude. I so enjoy being in her presence and look forward to it again soon. My youngest grandchild and only granddaughter turned 3 today. I dropped a present off for her by the front gate and filmed as she opened it but it felt very disconnected as I usually get to spend every Thursday evening with her while her mom is at choir practice. I miss that. She is a goofy, strong willed, intelligent young thing and I look forward to seeing the woman she will become. Her mom is doing a great job with her and I am sure it is a challenge to be isolated and working from home with a precocious, energetic child.
Filed some more tax returns, caught up on some email. I was actually quite shocked to know my screen time was down 64% from last week but I have been trying to monitor that as I already spend my weekdays on a computer. And I am proud to say I am now 22 days in a row well over my 10,000 steps. I normally just take Sunday off but I got on the treadmill and watched Onward on the Disney channel, a very cute movie.
The one I sat for this afternoon was the Queen’s address. I can’t help but be fascinated. It’s hard to explain but let me try… I grew up in New Westminster which is dubbed The Royal City, went to Queen Elizabeth Elementary School and every time we turned around we sang Oh Canada and God Save The Queen. Her portrait was(is) in every official office and on the money! Aside from that though, that whole royalty thing was so far removed from my real life it was an honest to God fairy tale to learn of as a child and then watch as marriages and births and divorces and deaths occured. I wonder how true to life “The Crown” is because I did binge it and some days can’t wrap my head around the fact I am watching something that is in my lifetime and most of them are still alive!
The most amazing thing I watched today though, that I was mesmerized and moved by was ‘Once Were Brothers : Robbie Robertson & The Band’ – if you love music, americana, folk, were alive in the 60s and 70s I’d say this is a must see.
Last time my eldest surprise dropped some groceries, there were perogies in the bag so when her sister asked if I needed anything the other day of course I said sour cream. Already had bacon so this Eastern European girl got her fix for dinner.
Day 16 another Monday rolls round
I did not want to wake up today. My lungs were reacting so I took a pill this morning and that didn’t help at all for waking me up although I did get lots of work done it was like walking through mud. Very relaxed….
I want to thank all my friends over time who have invited me to their home product parties of one type or another: Epicure, Pampered Cherf, Thrive. It seems I am completely stocked up on those, I will try to use these one day items and one day has arrived. I am experimenting and using off the cuff to good results. I think it’s easier to cook for oneself as I can do what I want and at the worst I would just eat fast until the hunger wears off and then toss it out. So far none of those fails though, yay! I know this must sound lame to many of you but I spent my 20’s being stay at home wife who cooke and cleaned and canned and grew and sewed and mommed etc while most of my friends were still in school. I am not sure I ever completely settled in to the creative food life again except that brief time I ran a restaurant. I loved that but it was ripped out from under me so I think since then food has been more of a chore, a necessity only. I am rediscovering that I really can and do enjoy cooking. Shame, really, that there is no one to share it with.
My dear dear friends in the UK shared a wonderfully long poem with me that they had written and performed about this pandemic. I was challenged to create one. I may have cheated…
2019 Gone
Covid-19 all Alone
2020 Done
Ah English language
Rhymes to the eyes not the ears
Two Haiku for you
-MB 2020
My phone needs a good clean out since the calendar keeps popping up reminders of events I was to volunteer for. Tonight would have been Shane Koyczan, sigh.
I am now trying to make a habit of starting my car remotely every other day as it didn’t start on Saturday and it took a boost…
I have Netflix, Amazon, Disney and cable and yet couldn’t figure out what to watch so this evening I spent time on my Netflix list. I searched Oscar and put all the movies from so many years ago to now that I haven’t seen on my list. There are so many good ones to look forward to that I am doing this early so I can head to my room and pick one to get on the treadmill to. I am strangely exhausted, it will be good to go to bed right after.
Sweet dreams xoxoxoxox
Day 17
Tuesday is weigh in day. Didn’t lose but didn’t gain so the steps are working. I’m ok with that. Made toast for the first time in a long time, forgot how fine it was
I worked, I ate, I chatted with my eldest and I started a new project
John Prine died from COVID-19 and I shall ever be grateful to have been working MusicFest in 2016 when he performed. We’ve lost one of the greatest singer/songwriters.
Aside from that I wondered if wars (aside from the one against Covid-19) had ceased. Are we finally experiencing peace on earth and can’t even get out and celebrate the ceasefires? I’d be okay with that but I know the reality is that there are too many places on the planet that have dictatorships that have not provided for health care or countries in bankruptcy that can’t. My heart goes out to them and I will try not to have first world problems. xo
Day 18 – I broke
I don’t know what it was but at 2:58am I woke up suddenly and completely and couldn’t just roll over and go back to sleep. I told google to play me some comedy for an hour, finally fell asleep again.
Woke up thinking about yesterday when our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau referred to ‘Moistly Speaking’ which lead right in to the morning news where our Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie grinned as she admitted she cut her own hair. And then our Premier Horgan gave an Essential Eggs-emption to the Easter Bunny on an official document. #HumansofCanada Proud to be one.
Had a great talk with my boss today about options when return to work should happen, whether I will want to work in the office or continue working from home. I really do think I will want to stay at home. I am good at being alone and look forward to my own schedule again. I was self employed for many years. The thing I always have to be careful of is working too much because I am scared it will dry up.
While I was working today I listened to Max and Josh Baca from Los Texmaniacs give a lunch time live stream performance from their home that also included Josh’s lovely young daughter singing at one point. This band has been one of the highlights of my Vancouver Island MusicFest experience, being repeat performers with amazing guests like Augie Meyers. It made my heart happy to see them again.
Had a lovely visit in the sun with my Ashlée today. She stood by my car and I on the porch in the gorgeous warmth of the Spring Day. We talked about why certain restrictions happen and to give an example she sneezed towards her elbow but turned toward my car as she did it. And there, now the germs were on my vehicle, just like that. That is why parks and rest stops etc are closed, why gatherings are bad unless you stay in your space only, period.
One of the new experiences I had today was my first Zoom session. It was the AGM for Vimf and I was happy to log in and go through the very quick mandated meeting. It was so good to see my friends faces. This is my 12th year working on the Festival, I’ve lost count how many it has been as the Backstage Manager. I hold my breath everytime we speak of it as I continue to recruit volunteers and plan shedules, etc. Within the next few weeks it is likely the government will decide for us that there will be no festival in July but for now we must be hopeful and keep moving forward. I have lost one volunteer so far who recognized that when this is over he will have no vacation time left to donate to the Festival. I suspect that number will grow exponentially as time draws us closer. I suddenly and overwhelmingly began to cry when the session was over. I had to face what was likely to be true. It is such a small thing in the great grand scheme of horrors in this crisis but I guess it was my breaking point for now. I will grieve it for now, hope it comes back if cancelled and look for a way to spend time with my friends from Vancouver Island that I miss so desperately.
I wonder if we will come out of this in the Roaring Twenties and the Dirty Thirties all at once?! Ready to party but drowning in debt. I am for the moment very grateful in spite of it all
Day 19 it’s my Friday!
Woke up and lay there listening to my place settle. It is proof of Spring, the permafrost is melting and everything creaks as my home settles back into the earth. It’s an odd sound, much like being on a boat but spooky, because you aren’t.
After yesterday’s fiasco of not getting my steps in after 24 in a row over 10K a day I decided to go back to my pre-iso regime of getting at least half my steps in before work and I did feel better for doing it (and did manage to finish them off by day’s end)
I had a client call today mostly just to say how much he appreciates me and our firm and how I take care of things for him. He had a GST audit recently and to my surprise the Auditor was quite rude to me on the phone. I gave her some time and then called her back with some answers and was sweet to her. I think she must have realized she was having a bad day earlier and came round to the light and all was well. He really wanted to thank me for handling that. I explained to him that back in the early 90s I worked for Revenue Canada in downtown Vancouver and my mother used to joke that her daughter worked on a street corner downtown rather than admit where I really worked. I get it, no one, just no one wants to call CRA, but also I never met anyone there who was actually out to get anyone, they are just working hard to follow the rules. And these days, sheesh, daily changing rules.
Today’s afternoon work music was Alan Doyle live, loves me some east coast music!!!
I generally loathe the litter of signs during an election and I saw similar ones all down the strip (highway). As there was no traffic, for the first time ever I just stopped in the curb lane and took a picture. Smart signs.
I have been catching up on my shows but know they will end soon as new episodes won’t be being filmed. Could be some interesting cliffhangers.
While I was at it I got a bunch more done on my new project.
Day 20 Good Friday
Slept late and then basically just sat on the couch watching TV and finishing Emmy’s birthday present. Her birthday was last Sunday but better late than never. When I was done I took a shower and intended to walk up there but realized that it was already 20 minutes to her bedtime so I drove. Took a quick video of her getting it and then drove back stopping at the front of two different friends homes to wish them a happy Easter. made some dinner, had some delicious sticky pudding that Diane made and watched The Duchess while I got my steps in. I also had a scotch and hid my chocolate eggs. I’m so tired I probably won’t even remember I did that.
triumphgal 