Are you up to the challenge of finding a ‘new normal’ as you cope with the changes brought by the pandemic? It’s a challenge for me! I relaxed a bit during the summer. I worried less. I enjoyed the occasional foray into the community that reminded me of life before March 2020. As colder weather […]
Lifestyle
The Two Little Voices and COVID Decisions
When I make decisions about interacting with the wider world during COVID, I hear two little voices. These voices alternate between encouraging me to go out to socialize and warning me to be careful as the coronavirus lurks everywhere. Before I go to an event, the voices in my head chatter about safety. The first voice […]
75 Years Old Today
I’m 75 years old today! It’s a milestone birthday. Last week, my sister-in-law sent a large box containing several albums of pictures of my family. I looked at many photos of my mother taken in her 70s and 80s. She smiled in almost every photo. What’s more, she looked radiant, vibrant, and engaged with […]
‘To have and to hold’ — Celebrating 54 years of marriage
54 years ago today my husband and I took our marriage vows. Using the traditional language of the church we attended, we pledged ‘to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according […]
What I’ve Learned About Myself During the Pandemic
There’s been oodles of time to learn about myself during the pandemic. Hours spent isolating at home and isolating at our cottage gave time for self-reflection. It’s more than 160 days since Canada issued the ‘stay-at-home’ recommendation/order that essentially put the population — except for essential workers — under house arrest. Initially, it was a […]
My Grandchildren Taught Life Lessons at the Beach
Last week my grandchildren, aged 2 and ½ and 7 years old, were at the cottage with our son. During COVID, they are in our ‘bubble’ of 10 people. Our daughter-in-law is also in the bubble but she was working from home and taking a break from two noisy active children. At breakfast every morning […]
My 2020 Pandemic Summer
It’s summer — but the 2020 pandemic has changed most things about how we enjoy this season. Knowing that the virus sneakily lurks and may pounce again keeps me sheltered with my husband in our ‘bubble’ at the cottage. Rates of infection in our part of Ontario are low but that doesn’t mean throwing precaution […]
What’s the New Normal Lifestyle?
I’m thinking about my new normal lifestyle after the pandemic restrictions are lifted. Earlier this month the Premier announced a regional re-opening of businesses and services in Ontario. Best of all, last Friday, June 12, Ontario announced that it would allow people to define a safe social circle of 10 people! I jumped for joy […]
Lessons in Uncertainty
Living through the COVID-19 pandemic is teaching me new lessons in uncertainty. Although the curve has flattened, and the numbers of people who are infected have dropped, the virus remains a concern. Instead of letting my guard down and becoming complacent, it remains important to continue to observe public health recommendations to stay safe. The […]
Pandemic Malaise
Has pandemic malaise hit you? It’s Day 83 of COVID-19 isolation for my husband and me. That’s almost 12 weeks without social contacts except for social media and virtual conversations on zoom! Readers — this post was written before the horror of news videos showing George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. I’m […]
