Well -- another year almost over. This marks the seventh year of this blog. Wow! I never thought it would continue when I began over 2500 posts ago. Who knew? <smile>
While there were some good moments during the past year, there seems to be a resignation that this year needs to end. My hope is that the new year will see us sustain the hope we have for something better in 2021. This will require supporting each other as needed to keep the hope front and center. Being kind and being brave will help us all through this transition.
A traditional song seems to fit the wishes and the night. I chose a version by a modern Scot <smile>. Wishing you all a wonderful New Year! See you here next year <smile>. Stay safe. Enjoy!
The penultimate day of the year brought colder temperatures with big fluffy flakes of snow in flurries this morning and again in the afternoon. Before sunset, I shoveled the light snow. The colder air kept it cold and dry so much easier and quick to move. We may have warmer days ahead with rain and rain-snow mixing. We'll see what transpires.
The dizziness has not left, but meds seem to be doing the job well today to hold it at bay. Luckily they work within 20 minutes of taking a dose. I suspect that taking it regularly will keep blood concentrations at a level where things don't get too bad.
A highlight of the day was chatting with two friends to catch up on the happenings over the past holiday week. These regular check-ins are fun to do and help to make things seem less alone. We are all in similar situations feeling separated and anxious. At present, there is hope with the new year arriving -- one that will see major mass vaccinations and hopefully the ability to travel a bit to see loved ones.
A song about the hope for better things to come is shared tonight. Stay safe. Enjoy!
It has been an odd day. I woke with a lot of dizziness so rested until our trip to the vet for an annual check. Much of the rest of the day was spent sleeping and resting. Meds help with the vertigo feelings, but add fatigue. So, very little thinking happened today <smile>.
A song about the main physical feeling of the day is shared. It does come from the Bubblegum era but used production by the Wrecking Crew. A silly song, but it fit the bill today. Stay safe. Enjoy!
This week an increase in saturation of ads that focus on usual resolutions has appeared -- diet, activity, self improvement products. Perhaps this is the year we should be kinder to ourselves and others and just accept that we have made it this far in the pandemic and will continue forward as a community. I guess this is a resolution to be kind to self and others. Many people have added weight during the past 9 months, and clothes don't fit like they used to. Putting the extra burden of weight loss on top of everything else may add to the negative emotions. Kindness could be a sustained change and may be a better goal than short term cosmetic changes. This doesn't mean that we should ignore overall healthy behaviours, but that we focus on the larger picture.So let's work on our inner selves instead of obsession on shape and size of our outer selves.
Many song lyrics deal with body image and being kind to ourselves. I chose one of these to share today. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Bright sunshine greeted my morning. Clouds had begun to arrive by early afternoon when I headed out for a walk, but blue skies still were visible between the clouds. I planned a quiet day catching up on household chores and cooking a dinner that will provide a couple of meals and then allow me to make another main dish from leftovers -- one that brings comfort in memories of childhood dinners, so a comfort food.
Holidays bring past memories along with newer traditions. This year, I made turnip puff, which has become a new tradition for me. I also made a new vegetable dish to try and it will be part of future holiday meals -- spinach Madeleine. Both are so yummy and colourful. Ornaments that go onto the tree at my house are from places I've visited in my travels and represent memories with friends and family. Some are older from trees of family members no longer here. While it may seem maudlin or sad to some, I find these bring smiles. Some years, like this year I don't put many ornaments on the tree other than the lights and the woven wheat angel. It is still a wonderful presence -- the lights bring feelings of peace and calm. As the years progress, the circles of celebrants has gotten smaller, but the celebrations are no less meaningful. Even this year, when separated from others with a distanced celebration, chatting in person or virtually made the days so very special. We are lucky to have each other for certain.
Finding a song lyric that mentions several holiday 'traditions' took some thinking, but this one seemed to fit my reflections today. This is one from the '50s sung by a fresh new voice of a 14 year old. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Boxing Day -- traditionally celebrated on December 26, this holiday began in Great Britain. It still is celebrated in the UK and some members of the Commonwealth. It is purported to have been a day when gifts were given to the poor and Christmas boxes were given to household servants, who had the day off to spend with family. This year, Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, so many shops are closed, but will be open Sunday or Monday. Government offices will be closed on Monday, since the statutory holiday falls on a weekend day. Sadly, in current times this tradition of gifting has descended into an adulation of commercialism. Sales abound in stores and online. Perhaps this does exemplify the more combative sound of the day's name. I tend to avoid both venues on this day and do my shopping in the days that follow.
I spent today cooking and watching a couple of movies. Housework will wait for tomorrow. Happily, I also had short visits with good friends. The day was warmer than normal again, though temperatures dropped a lot by early evening. Winds were vicious with major gusts most of the day, too. This major air movement heralds the colder air moving into our area for the next several days.
The song chosen for today has been used before on this day. Using it makes me smile. Stay safe. Enjoy!
The morning got off to an unexpected start. The green Christmas day was warm and lovely, yet I was outside waiting for the town bells to ring and heard nothing. I'm not sure what happened there, but even with cloud and wind, the air was pleasantly warm. They tell us we are far warmer than the southern US where temperatures have dropped dramatically and snow has fallen where snow rarely is seen.
After a yummy breakfast, I opened a couple of gifts. I tend to spread them across today and Boxing Day (tomorrow) just to have something fun to look forward to. <smile> I felt like a kid this morning and expect the squealing with delight at the gifts opened caused no end of concern with the furry one <grin>. I watched a Christmas episode of Father Knows Best (old time TV show <grin>). The family was stranded on the mountain when snow interrupted their quest for a tree. They found shelter in a cabin but were anxious to get back home or "we won't have any Christmas". Their host paused and replied, "Did you ever think that it is Christmas up here, too?" That struck me as a perfect way to look at the altered Christmas many are having this year. All the trappings don't really make it Christmas. Having a different celebrations is still a celebration. I hope people don't lose hold of that this year.
A Christmas wish for everyone in the form of a Celtic blessing
May you be blessed with
The spirit of the season, which is peace.
The gladness of the season, which is hope
and
The heart of the season, which is love.
Now, while I didn't hear the bells today, I chose a song about that very thing. The lyrics are a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (whom some of the family have jokingly called Uncle Hank <smile>). The story behind his writing this song is filled with family tragedy. It is worth a read if you Google it. Stay safe. Enjoy!
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day -- Frank Sinatra
Christmas eve is upon us. The day was sunny -- the first clear, sunny day in a very long time. The skies were clear into the evening, so the planets were visible in the sky, just not when they were the closest in centuries earlier this week. Final preparations for tomorrow were completed. Gifts wrapped. Vegetable dish cooked and delivered. A glass of wine with a good friend.
A theme of this time of year deals with peace -- both inner peace and freedom from conflict in the world around us. While introspection has been a major part of the past 9 months of semi-isolation, the struggle of acceptance makes inner peace less common. There are moments of great hope and peace, though. The year has not been all bad, though it has had more difficulty than usual. A favourite quote of mine about peace contains much hope, as well. It is from Anton Chekov's play Uncle Vanya. It is my wish for each of you.
We shall find peace.
We shall hear angels.
We shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.
When I think of peace, the Christmas truce of 1914 comes to mind. Along the Western Front, French, British and German soldiers left their trenches. In some areas this was only to retrieve bodies, while in others they sang Christmas carols, played soccer, chatted and exchanged souvenirs. This was not a sanctioned truce, as the Pope had hoped would occur, but rather a spontaneous and localized decision between soldiers on both sides of no man's land.
The song chosen for today deals with the break in fighting during World War I. Some of the phrasing is a bit overstated for the size of the truce, but the gist of the story is true. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Christmas eve eve seems to be a 'thing' now. Interesting. The theme of the day again has been flexibility -- physical and mental. I walked up to campus to collect the office mail. There was a bit of a breeze but stronger gusts coming from the north. These pushed me slightly on the way uphill but nipped at the exposed facial skin on the way back home. Sidewalks were wet in places, so I was skirting those areas in case they became slippery after sunset -- like dancing down the sidewalk <smile>. Some new information required nimble thinking to work around -- not the end of the world, just a different outcome than had been envisioned.
Nimble thinking hasn't been the easiest of late. The brain works differently these days. Focus seems difficult almost daily. Forgetting a thought or planned action seems common. Today I planned to be home earlier than when I actually arrived. I was 40 minutes late for an online call that I remembered as I walked in the front door. Adding something to the grocery list can be an exercise in frustration as I walk from wherever to the kitchen to write on the list, only to be unable to add anything. It all comes back-- just minutes later. This is common among many people during the social isolation of the pandemic. Working from home and having limited contacts outside the household reduce social contact. As humans are social animals, isolation can bring negative mental health impacts. It is used as punishment after all <sigh>.
Christmas has become quite commercialized and romanticized. For many it isn't the 'happiest time of the year' as we hear in music and advertisements from sometime in October. The song chosen for today notes the hollow promises or expectations but hangs onto the core of the holiday wishes -- fitting for this current year. Be resilient. Stay safe. Enjoy!
I had a long start to day -- 25 minute walk to hospital and realized during check in at the front door that requisition was sitting on the kitchen counter. I checked to be sure -- and yes, they needed that in hand or I had to get someone to fax it over. Now, as I'd stood waiting, the woman in front of me at the lab had forgotten her req, too, and she knew the admin person who called the MD office for a fax. I wasn't so lucky <sigh>, so I walked back home. I was ready to just cancel and re-book sometime three weeks from now. Keep in mind that I had been fasting for almost 14 hours by this point. No caffeine and lack of glucose for the brain -- together these likely affected forgetting the req and lacking the energy to do another set of 25 min walks up and back. When I finally checked in, the admin person told me that I didn't need to fast. I've not come across research to support this, so I asked the tech who noted that fasting was the right thing to do, but some MDs were now doing random blood collections for serum lipid levels and others still asked for fasting levels. Until convinced otherwise, I will continue to fast. thought I hope to be able to have breakfast before 1 PM like today (original appointment was for 11:30 AM).
Later in the day, I checked in on the order that was to be ready Monday morning 'or earlier' and by late afternoon today (Tuesday) I had not heard from the store. While out for an errand, I stopped in to ask why the 'same day' service had now gone 3 or 5 days (if you include weekends, which apparently they don't count <sigh>).When I politely challenged them, they completed the item while I waited! Happily, this was one more item to cross off the 'to do' list <grin>.
Pondering all of this today, patience came to mind. I'll admit that I didn't feel angry at either situation, just tired or weary of all the goofiness -- whether from my actions or those of others. Forgetfulness happens -- more during the pandemic perhaps -- and prioritization may be challenging during the holiday rush with product orders. The key to getting through today without major upset was kindness and forgiveness for those I encountered and for myself. There is enough stress and trauma swirling around this year that these small moments didn't amount to much. The song chosen for today deals with the need for kindness and love in our actions. Stay safe. Enjoy!
The shortest day of the year is now over -- well in terms of the shortened daylight hours. Here we had about 8 hours 20 minutes between sunrise and sunset. The day has been very cloudy so it felt like twilight all day, so not very bright. While the winter solstice marks the beginning of the winter season, it also marks the time of year when daylight time begins to expand. With that I find a positive in the impending cold and frozen precipitation. It brings hope.
Today also begins the ancient season of Yule -- the start of a new solar year. This year, for the first time in almost 400 years, the Great Conjunction appeared in the sky just after sunset. This is the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn that we see as a larger bright celestial body. The next time this will happen will be 60 years from now. Sadly, dense cloud covers the sky outside my windows today, so this event was not visible.
I chose a song that makes me smile and fits the day -- well, sort of <smile>. I recall meeting the singer-guitarist at a wedding years back. He is from Regina, Saskatchewan -- just and hour down the road from my home town. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Two major projects were completed today. A peer review was submitted to a professional journal. This happened once the cabbage rolls were simmering. The savoy cabbages at the store were enormous -- so much so that they had been cut in half for sale. When I say big, there were much larger than a basketball size! Having a halved cabbage to work with made some leaves only portions of their former selves. I had to try to combine two pieces often. We'll see tomorrow -- after they age in the fridge -- how well they held together. This food is traditional for a turkey dinner where I was born. We had German family members and German and Ukrainian friends, so this was a learned or borrowed tradition. <smile>
I chose to share a traditional song done in a non-traditional manner -- like my cabbage rolls. The video for this one is a fun claymation story <smile> Stay safe. Enjoy!
The day began with a plan. This went sideways slowly <smile>. I expected a workman to arrive to attend to two items. We had set Saturday as the day. Well, the person did not arrive and chose not to respond to a text asking when they expected to arrive here. I had rearranged some things so the day would not be too messed up. When no one showed up, a couple of larger projects did not happen today as planned. These will be pushed into tomorrow's already full schedule. What will need to be ignored tomorrow to make today's things fit are the fun things I had planned for some 'me' time. It happens.
I was surprised at my response to this situation. I felt quite frustrated. I do like to follow the schedule planned. I even felt energetic and ready to do things today. The thought that something likely came up at their end crossed my mind, but why I didn't get a quick text to say we'll try for another day? Being thoughtful of others seems important to me <smile>. I did go for a short walk. This exercise helps me to relax a bit with the rhythmic breathing and movement. I felt better by early evening and continued with some of the things on my list. The tree now has lights and an angel. More may come later but this looks great given the darkness of the cloudy days and the shortness of available light at this time of year. So, in the end the (in)action of another did not ruin my day. <smile>
The chorus of a song came to mind while reviewing the day. It came down to waiting <smile>. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Overnight snow fell, leaving 4-5 inches. By the time I got out to move the snow, temperatures had risen above freezing. Sporadic drizzle appeared in the afternoon. My snow moving involved heavy lifting since it had become slush during the day. Into the evening, light snow returned as the temperature dropped a bit. I expect pushing wet snow will create some residual muscle pain tomorrow. It will take time to break into this new seasonal routine. Inside the house, I did some deeper cleaning than usual. Again using muscles differently than usual. This will almost guarantee that lactic acid build up pain.
Changing routines requires adaptation. The plus to such situations comes in keeping mind and body nimble. Many people found the pandemic isolation led to reduced physical activity routines. Without my working at the office a few days each week, I replaced that uphill walk with many stairs with a routine brisk walk on more level ground. A steeper hill is included occasionally, but not as regularly as nine months ago. Many people also have reported weight gain over the same time period. The cause may be a combination of reduced activity levels and increased comfort food consumption. Some took up baking, which can be relaxing to do. Eating it, though, may bring added calories. Perhaps the changed routine to working from home may have affected how we eat. During work days, meals become more regimented or routine. Weekends often contain a more relaxed approach to food choice, with many 'treats' incorporated. Perhaps being at home more regularly led to more weekend style eating than the usual weekday eating routine. Just a thought. This may be answered by the many health and nutrition researchers currently looking at the impact the pandemic has had on diet, body weight and physical activity.
Thinking of routine brought to mind a song that was sung by an artist on Letterman for 29 consecutive years of the show -- 28 done live and one recorded due to the writer's strike of 2007. For many, this was part of the Christmas tradition. Stay safe. Enjoy!
The day began with me clearing snow off the car and heading to a store to straighten out an online order problem. The software didn't allow me to pay for the product, but a store employee managed to over-ride that. It did take them three different back door tries to get there, though. This made me feel better knowing that it wasn't me doing something incorrectly. The employee kept things light and ensured me it would all work out well. That helped me smile through the process. It seems online tech support is very busy at present, so they have stopped answering phone calls or doing live chat. If you e-mail them, they will get back to you within 48 hours -- not the service that the technical support terminology implies <sigh>. I appreciated the effort put forth by in store personnel yet again today. Later in the day I had two weekly visits with friends that help me remain centred and positive. I even made supper without reheating something from a batch cooking day! Gnocchi with balsamic veg -- YUM.
While thinking through the support received from the sales person today a song line repeated in my mind. The lyric dealt with problems and solutions recognizing the state of confusion that exists during such processes. Sta safe. Enjoy!
The day began with a major covering of white everywhere outside the window. Temperatures were the coldest so far this season. Even the house feels cooler than usual. I shoveled the snow for the first time this fall from the porches and made a path to the town sidewalk. When I came back inside, my hands were very cold. After a meeting and some phone calls, I headed back outside to move the snow piles from the town sidewalk plow at the end of the driveway. It is my hope that I can clear off the car and run a couple of errands tomorrow before the next nor'easter arrives in early afternoon. <fingers crossed>
Feeling cold outside and inside today ensures I understand that winter is almost here -- Monday next being the solstice. Windows seem to leak cool air into the house. This is the time of year that I especially enjoy a warming bath at the end of the day. I admit that the music we seem surrounded by at present is bound to convince me that the whiteness is a wonderland or that storms are in some way romantic. I've had to drive is such weather and it is flat out nasty. Here, we have a 50:50 chance of having a white Christmas. Those that were green have been fantastic. Travel -- even within town -- to dinner with friends or family becomes so much easier than when that romanticized covering of snow appears.
While shoveling a song came to mind. I may put too fine a point on my feelings but there's nothing I want to hide. So, here goes! Stay safe. Enjoy!
In 1984 on this date (December 15), the song "Do they know it's Christmas?" was released and hit the UK charts. This song was followed by two others by artists in Canada and the USA. What initiated this outpouring of charity? Earlier in Nov, CBC network news aired the first ever images of the famine in northern Ethiopia. This story was heart-wrenching. With the Marxist regime of Mengistu in place, reporting internal situations was forbidden. Journalists often had tourist visas. One of these men left the country with the tape strapped to his back. Luckily, he got through security and the story became part of history.
Advocacy and charitable work via music had begun a few years earlier with George Harrison's organizing of the Concert for Bangladesh. Others have followed this major outpouring of 1984-85. At the time, I was a grad student who worked on data analysis for a large national nutrition survey of Ethiopian households. I did this from Canada while my supervisor worked with a UN joint task force (joint between WHO and FAO) in Ethiopia. During the time before hard-drives we worked through letter mail where each outgoing or incoming letter had to go through government censors. It was a slow process, but it worked. <smile> The level of global donations from countries and individuals had never been seen before and were never greater until 20 years later with he Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. This global collaborative work seems to be happening to some degree now as the vaccines are being produced, transported and administered. Communications between nations have shared best practices throughout the pandemic to date. I find it heartening that we can come together in times of crisis.
Since much of the global response for Ethiopia began during the holiday season 36 years ago, I chose to share all three songs here today. The first of these may seem ethnocentric in current times, but I include the original here for historical reasons. The video quality on the second one is not great, but one can still recognize the singers. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Another grey day, but this had an upside <smile>. Today I had the annual eye appointment and pupils were dilated. Generally the day is sunny when this happens so the walk home carries vision issues <smile>. I found it interesting that I was hoping for a cloudy day. The long string of days with heavy cloud makes one wish for some sunshine to help boost spirits. But, today I hoped for cloud at least for a few hours this afternoon.
A conversation about the negative way of viewing the past year along with my wish for cloud made me think about perspective. A cloudy day can be good -- in moderation. A year cannot be entirely bad. Even those with an abundance of negative happenings do have some better moments and some outright good events. Painting everything with the same brush interferes with the happy moments we've experiences leading us to forget about them while we concentrate on the other pile of things. Often I've heard people who have been inconvenienced in a minor way -- in the grand scheme of the global situation -- complain the loudest. Many others have had much greater changes to their lives this past year. Now this doesn't mean I am promoting social comparison, but perhaps we each need to put things into a broader perspective. If we can't travel to be with family this year, technology exists that can help us to see and hear them. If we can't travel for vacation, maybe we can revisit past trips or narrow our list of where we will go when travel opens up a bit more. If we can't eat at our favourite restaurant, we might be able to support the business through takeout orders. How are our neighbours doing? Should we offer to help those who need decorations put up or leave a food gift on the porch for those whose families won't be with them this year. I guess these thoughts led me to look outside myself. If it had been sunny today, I would be fine and would enjoy the sun, just with heavy sunglasses and a ball cap pulled low. <grin>
Clouds are often used as metaphors for several negative emotive states. These lyrics do the same, but I chose the song due to its lyrics that encourage a change of perspective. Stay safe. Enjoy!
To perk up this grey and wet day, I shopped for a few things on the list and managed to find all of them. the warmer temperature today was not the only positive. I encountered great customer service people in all three places, who helped me find items, determine which option fit best, and manage through the checkout process -- all with a smile. On top of all that, Two items were deeply discounted by 50-70% <smile>. Rocking this!
The tree is up with lights and ornaments to follow soon. It brings many memories of past Christmas seasons with decorations from travels and those that mark happy events. Some items purchased today will be 'under' my tree -- things for the house or me that were on the 'get sometime' list. In some ways it reminds me of an incident from years past when a preschool-aged relative was concerned that nothing under the tree carried their name. To remedy this, they wrapped a favourite toy and placed it under the tree. While mine are not placed for fear of no gifts for me, it is nice to include a few things nonetheless.<smile>
A seasonal song that ran through my head today is shared here today. I like the rhythm and upbeat melody. Stay safe. Enjoy!
It's Christmas all over Again -- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Over the past week the winter clothes found their way to the closet -- sweatshirts, sweaters, hoodies (bunny hugs <smile>). These along with flannel sheets, scarves, mitts and winter weight pjs are all designed to help keep us warm inside and outside during the colder season. Sometimes these feel cozy while at other times the multiple layers can be suffocating and impair usual movement. Colder weather requires full winter gear just to take the garbage and recycling to the curb <sigh>. To be honest, I could deal with the cold if it didn't come with snow and ice, which further inhibit movement -- exception: when digging out after a snowfall <smile>.
Most clothes may not be worn much as I tend to stay at home most of the time at present. I suppose that dressing as if I was heading out for a casual chat over tea might boost spirits, but the bottom line is that jeans, sweatshirts and hoodies are the usual indoor garb these days. For the virtual meetings, gift exchanges or meals, getting dressed up a bit may be a good idea. Little things can mean a lot. Lyrics of a holiday song I heard today note the small things that we find important -- especially in this year when we aren't able to have those bits in place. This has the potential to change of perspective about what we miss the most -- being with those we love. While we may not be able to be with those people this year, we can still keep the spirit of the season going until we can all be together again. Stay safe. Enjoy!
The university chose to use a team bus to gather food bank donations using the tag line - "Stuff the Bus". What a very cool idea. The demand this year is far greater than usual due to the financial pressures of the pandemic. We often think of donating to food banks around the major holidays, when demand exists all year long. I'd love to live in a world where all food banks could be closed and the root poverty had been dealt with through policy on multiple levels. People would have far more dignified ways to feed themselves if this were the case. Happily the bus was fairly full when I stopped by with my bag of goodies.
While at grocery store later in the day, I found myself near tears as I heard the lyrics of an older holiday song -- heard in a very different way -- "through the years, we'll all be together, if the fates allow" -- made me think of this year and hope that next year will be together with friends and family in person rather than virtually. The lyrics have a strong 'next year' theme. it was written as a hopeful piece for the movie musical Meet me in St. Louis.
I've chosen to share two songs here. The first one from the movie, and the second a song that fits the idea of the pandemic Christmas. It will be different this year and one line said it all for me "we'll cherish all these simple things wherever we may be." This one also has a delightful video. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -- Michael Buble
Cold, cloudy and rainy were the words of the day. I puttered away most of the day picking at the 'to do' list. An online purchase took much longer than necessary with phone and live chat unavailable even with 30 minutes of waiting. The digital assistant could not even understand the question I asked regardless of how many times I rephrased so it might be clear to this poorly trained bot; no matter what I tried it couldn't be remotely helpful. I finally had to click on the 'never mind' button -- so very frustrating and not a great customer service experience. I was amazed that this large national company even used the dismissive phrase 'never mind'. That showed me that they obviously understand that the bot is semi-useless. Luckily, after that experience, I had a great weekly chat with a friend and then headed out for a short walk in the early darkness. Drizzle with the occasional snow flake fell from the sky. It was cold. I will need to move to heavier gloves or go with mitts in the near future. <sigh>
I chose an instrumental song today because I find it relaxing. Peaceful, in fact -- since I know the words as many people do. Stay safe. Enjoy!
News from today noted the first vaccine approval by Health Canada. Delivery is expected by Monday with first vaccinations occurring by mid-week. This brings some smiles and hope, but it will still be into the third or fourth quarter of 2021 or thereabouts before most of the nation will be vaccinated.
The push-pull continues between hope and trust -- when, who, how, what if...? vs. safety? what about allergy potential? keeping it cold, transporting across a huge nation and so on. Many questions deal with the "I want it now" and the mistrust of protocols and science -- all in the same breath. It seems the fear and hope are juxtaposed in the anxiety witnessed during question periods with persons in charge of COVID and vaccine management. We simply don't have all the answers. The age-old concern of public health presents itself here -- when is there enough information to act? We appear to be there for vaccines.
Listening to the excitement among media spokespeople today mixed with a heavy dose of skepticism pushed the anxiety buttons in my head. I do understand this is a potential turning point in the pandemic -- hopefully -- though it is not really a new beginning. We still will need to mask and distance for another year or more and some of this may stay with us beyond that, since there are people who will choose not to be vaccinated. This won't be the story of eradication of polio or smallpox, but it will be similar to the continued efforts to vaccinate for measles, mumps, hepatitis, tetanus, diphtheria, pneumococcal pneumonia and others. It is another weapon in the arsenal, but it isn't the bomb that will end the war. (that sentence is problematic for me since I truly dislike the war metaphor here <sigh>). So the next phase begins. We are not 'there' yet, but we are taking the next step in the journey.
While thinking of this next step in our new way of living, a song came to mind. I find the lyrics bring hope. This version, one of many covers, feels calming. Just sit back and listen. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Today bought cold and wet weather again -- still actually, with another similar system heading this way by the weekend. When I went out for milk, I took the long way around to get some exercise. The lights along Main Street and decorated trees in apartment windows and on balconies brought smiles.
On a heavier note, forty years ago today, John Lennon was killed outside his home. I've visited this area twice and walked the teardrop shaped piece of land in Central Park, NYC. The landscaping and maintenance come from an endowment fund donated by many nations with a large donation by Yoko Ono. A beautiful circular mosaic with the word 'Imagine' in the centre sits along the pathway near the entrance. It is a peaceful place -- very fitting as a memorial.
The song shared today was written as a tribute to Lennon. The singer-composer has chosen not to perform this in public due to his emotional response to the subject. Stay safe. Enjoy!
The day was rainy and much colder than it has been of late. I spent the day inside working on household chores and preparing my holiday cards for mailing. I send far fewer than I used to do. This is one way to keep in touch with people I don't see online. Electronic notes are sometimes sent, too. Around the house, I put out the Christmas linens and will get the tree up later this week. The handmade wreath has been up outside for over a week. So -- things are moving in the right direction. <smile> I'm not sure what might get baked this year, but a list of potential items is being considered. There won't be lots, just one or two favourites.
Lyrics of the song chosen for today sound somehow soothing -- using song as a way to perk up a bit. <smile> Stay safe. Enjoy!
I've been pondering the nature of trust for a few days. Last week Dr. Tam (national Medical Officer of Health) cited Dr. Rishi Manchanda during her daily COVID update -- "Public health moves at the speed of trust." Wow! That made so much sense. As a public health professional for many years, I have first hand experience in the slowness of behaviour change. Often this requires a change in beliefs or values, which take a very long time. Think of changes in smoking in public, wearing seat belts, using helmets for cycling, hockey and baseball. Each of these took one to two decades to alter public actions. We are now trying to alter social norms and mores to accept wearing masks, keeping 6 feet apart, using hand sanitizer, and washing hands often. The urgency of such behaviours cannot wait 20 years to develop a major change, but trust does need to happen.
Whether we are building trust in self or others, this generally needs removal of armour or brick walls built around our beliefs and values. This reminded me of another quotation by Marc Carney (former governor of the Bank of Canada) as cited in former Governor-General David Johnston's book -- "Trust arrives on foot and leaves in a Ferrari." I love this statement. It takes much time and effort to build trust, but can take mere seconds to destroy trust. At present, when the world is in a major state of flux, the confusion and fear get in the way of developing trust. It is not an impossible task, but it takes time and patience by all sides.
The song shared today came to mind when thinking of the second quote. It is a fun song. <smile>. Stay safe. Enjoy!
As I was reading tonight, I heard a voice from outside that seemed to be coming from a loud speaker. When I stopped to listen, I realized it was Santa! I could see him from my kitchen window as he drove down Main Street. The town and county organized a drive by visit from the man in the red suit. The caravan drove down Main Street in town and in the county by parking lots and areas where cars could gather to see him drive by -- not the usual parade, but a wonderful alternate for the current phase of the pandemic. A friend from away noted that other areas had a flipped parade layout. Floats and music were set up in a stationary display and cars could drive by to view them. That is similar to the annual televised parade from Toronto, which was located at a theme park this year with musical guest attending virtually. The light displays were fantastic. Santa and Mrs. Claus were masked on their floats. One news cast noted that Santa was immune to COVID-19 so would not be at risk or put others at risk during the annual trip around the world <smile>.
The usual events are not what the holiday is all about, though they have become traditions -- still not essentials. The changing format of such events shows that the spirit of the season can be maintained with alterations. Just as group gatherings may only occur virtually this year, parades and shopping trips to the big city turn into on screen activities, as well.
The song chosen for today
The Old Man's Back in Town -- Kenny Rogers, Garth Brooks & Trishs Yearwood
I realized today that background Christmas music at the grocery store began in early November. Holiday movies and commercial began a month before that. Commercialism of the holidays has always felt overdone. While the decorated store windows on Main Street bring a smile when I go for an evening walk, the crassness of accumulating things brings a frown. Giving for the sake of giving and not expecting to receive something seems lost in the cacophony of marketers telling people they deserve and need more stuff. Somehow the spirit of the season becomes lost in the noise. This part of the days leading up to the big days is something I'd like to avoid, though without fully unplugging from the world, this just isn't possible. There are moments of quiet, but that calmness is fleeting.
The first lines of the song chosen for today bring to mind the holiday season. While the story is more a love story gone wrong, the chorus visual of solitude feels peaceful -- the sentiment similar to the need to reduce the rampant commercialism <smile> The singer-songwriter is known for sadder songs and song of protest, but all are beautifully composed in her unique style. Stay safe. Enjoy!
It was a day of unexpected events. I headed to the post office outlet later than planned. It was nearly noon, so I was prepared for an hour wait in a long line to mail holiday parcels. When I arrived, not a single person was waiting for service. Processing my two parcels went smoothly and cost less than expected. After a quick lunch and dealing with emails, we headed to the vet to determine the cause of the current situation. The cause remains a guess. I have new food to try and some anti-inflammatory -- one that was very difficult to get into the furry one in the past. I will try both altered daily protocols and will need to keep a watch for an escalation of symptoms. Later in the evening, the shower failed to work as it should, which made washing my hair a challenge. One more thing to add to the 'must do' list tomorrow. <sigh> So -- unexpected events fell all along the continuum from good, to bad and to somewhere in between with a couple clearly tinged with some apprehension.
Moving things from the 'to do' list to the 'must do' list requires resetting priorities. All things on the 'to do' list generally need to be completed, though some lean towards aspiration -- well, until they're not. The 'must do' list carries with it major urgency -- like the plumbing issue encountered this evening. Items on this list require immediate attention and jump the queue of all the 'to do' list entries. In fact, these items begin a whole new list. For people, this new list can add a greater sense of anxiety as things must be done NOW. The challenges of such unexpected events are magnified during our current global situation.
Several songs with lists came to mind today, but I chose one that reminded me of the urgency of that 'must do' list. Stay safe. Enjoy!
A mid-week, rainy day, but with wind that greatly reduced to a light breeze by late afternoon. I put on the rain gear and walked up to the office to print a file and discovered that I couldn't access the internet by hardwire or wifi <sigh>. So, I walked back down the hill. It wasn't a total waste since it did get some exercise and this time only had 104 stairs and these were much closer together than the walk two days ago. The wood on the bridge I crossed today -- different from the larger one I use most days -- was wet and almost slimy. If it had been cold, I would have thought there was frost, but temps were into the mid-teens, so way above freezing mark. I did slip and managed to right myself but will have a bruise on the arm where it hit the barricade part of the bridge along the sidewalk. <sigh> Will need to let folks at town hall know about this situation.
I got some things ready to hit the mail tomorrow. I'm all prepared to be in a lengthy line of others with the same task on their to do lists. <smile> A couple more things have to be sent either electronically or by mail. Then decorating will commence. It won't be over the top, but a tree with lights and maybe a few ornaments added, and some holiday linens will be the minimum.
After a late supper tonight, I attended an incredible streaming holiday concert featuring a singer/cellist and a pianist. Their delightful jazz arrangements of holiday classics helped me to relax. Their banter brought laughter. A recording should be available so I will likely listen to this one often through the next month. Seeing the artists enjoying their art form felt almost normal -- but we weren't there in person. The singer noted that we needed more connections -- likely virtual -- and kindness -- "especially this year." She was so right. One comment from a viewer noted their tree went up October 1 and would remain up until the pandemic is over. I can understand this, since my tree stayed up until into April. The lights bring a feeling of peace and beauty -- something that one really has to search for at present. I look forward to seeing the lights again in a few more days.
The song that opened the concert tonight had a superb arrangement. Since that isn't available online, I will share a different jazz rendition of the same song. Stay safe. Enjoy!
Today marks the first day of a new month -- December. This year this falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the US, which has been dubbed 'Giving Tuesday' -- a day meant to counter the spending of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For 32 years, the first of this month has been designated World AIDS Day -- a day I have marked since having the privilege of working with so many superb people on a project directed to community based HIV/AIDS organizations in Botswana and Rwanda.
The philanthropic aspect of Giving Tuesday not only involves monetary donations to not-for-profit organizations, but volunteer time and assisting those in the neighbourhood fit the concepts espoused for this day. This may be particularly important this year with financial barriers arising where they may not have been before.
Since this blog ends with a musical selection each day, it seems apropos to note the many philanthropic ventures of those in the musical industry. The first of these efforts that hit my radar was in 1971 when George Harrison and Ravi Shankhar organized the concerts for Bangladesh -- to address poverty and famine. In 1985, Bob Geldof organized the Live Aid concert to alleviate famine in Ethiopia. This one is still very close to my heart. Canada broke the story to the world and led the international efforts to provide aid to the area. This was one of many international development fundraising concerts that involved Geldof. These concerts set the stage for musicians to donate their performances at concerts or proceeds from recordings to causes such as poverty reduction, farm crisis, and medical care and research. Lending their voices to the need for equity globally has resulted in many millions of dollars donated by fans.
It doesn't take much to search for songs or full concerts online that have been part of this collective giving. I waded through many great performances that support AIDS projects and found one that is a treasure -- four great artists together singing lyrics that speak well to the concept of the day. Stay safe. Enjoy!
That's What Friends are For -- Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight
After an early morning MD call for the annual lab work order, I was off to run errands before the storm descends on us overnight. This involved two stores for groceries, a stop to fill car with gas, and a visit to the MD office to pick up the hard copy of the lab requisition. That took longer than planned due to several delays along the way with lineups to pay. A chat with a friend was a nice break in the day. In late afternoon, I walked up to campus where I was able to check mail, drop off mail,, chat with friends (hadn't done this since beginning of October) and print a few files. Along the journey around campus, I climbed 178 stairs -- not all at once, mind you <grin> but along the way (27 + 44 +30 + 11 +12 + 54) --I expect to feel that tomorrow, but was pleased that I was able to do this. Shows that there has been some recuperation from the 3+ week head cold -- part of which is still hanging around, much to my displeasure.
The stair climbing done today is not out of ordinary when moving around a campus built on a hill. When I totaled the number of stairs, I felt a bit like a superhero -- well, aging superhero <ggg> This thought reminded me of a quote from a musician and philosopher.
"'Be a hero to yourself''. By that I mean, regard your life's story in the same light as those tales of Greek and Roman heroes, who were born to kings and queens and found their lives dashed down to humble circumstances, and who redeemed their lives through heroic deeds (with a lot of help). Those heroic stories, it turns out, are everybody's stories, and it's deeply useful, I am convinced, to regard ourselves as that kind of hero. Hang in there, and don't quit just before the miracle." -- Peter Tork, From Ask Peter Tork, April 2008
This quotation has always spoken to me about being kind to ourselves. It took on a different meaning in these strange and isolating times -- being heroic as we travel these untrodden paths BUT recognizing we need others to break trail together and complete this journey. While we can feel alone along the way, we aren't. We need to recognize that others around us are struggling on their paths. We can be heroes to others, but we need to treat ourselves in a similar kind manner. The words to a song -- whittled down from several great lyrics -- could speak to others, but becomes stronger when we speak those words to ourselves. Stay safe. Enjoy!
