|
|
COVID Contest for SLC Retirees
Whatever you accomplished, we encouraged each member to share your story, with the winner to receive a gift card from either the LCBO, Tim Hortons, or a grocery store (depending on your preference) The winner, and others who may receive honorable mention, will be determined by members of the executive who may also enter the contest but are not eligible to win.
Entries were received from:
Click on a name to go to that entry and click on the up arrow on the corner to return to the top of the page. You can also swipe down to read them.
______________________________________
Nancy Sudak, entry
As your Association President, I think about and reflect upon how we have survived the past few months. How we fill our days, given restrictions, isolation, masking, sanitizing. Staying focussed on the positive has been a challenge. Please share. What have you done differently to amuse yourself? I have a small list and look forward to seeing yours.
1) I’ve taken up the guitar and can actually sing and play at the same time!
2) I have housed a little caterpillar that will soon become a monarch butterfly!
3) I’ve listened more, read more, relaxed more, prayed more and have become more thankful and grateful for continued good health.
4) Social and family bonds have strengthened despite distancing.
5) I’ve walked more, gardened more, eaten more, wined more.
6) I had my kitchen painted, enjoyed a week by the water.
So what have you done? I’m covidly curious.
1) I’ve taken up the guitar and can actually sing and play at the same time!
2) I have housed a little caterpillar that will soon become a monarch butterfly!
3) I’ve listened more, read more, relaxed more, prayed more and have become more thankful and grateful for continued good health.
4) Social and family bonds have strengthened despite distancing.
5) I’ve walked more, gardened more, eaten more, wined more.
6) I had my kitchen painted, enjoyed a week by the water.
So what have you done? I’m covidly curious.
____________________________________
Terri McDade, entry
1. I have enjoyed life slowing down.
2. I have been kayaking on the St. Lawrence River from our new home on Howe Island and enjoying the beautiful 1000 Islands and island life.
3. I planted a vegetable garden for the first time and learned about the importance of spacing !
4. I am creating a scrapbook titled " When You Were Born" to give to my new grandson due to be born this month. It contains cultural events, costs of living (clothes, food, cars,rent,houses etc) popular music/ movies,current events, newspaper articles, and family photos depicting this moment in time when he is to arrive.
Terri
2. I have been kayaking on the St. Lawrence River from our new home on Howe Island and enjoying the beautiful 1000 Islands and island life.
3. I planted a vegetable garden for the first time and learned about the importance of spacing !
4. I am creating a scrapbook titled " When You Were Born" to give to my new grandson due to be born this month. It contains cultural events, costs of living (clothes, food, cars,rent,houses etc) popular music/ movies,current events, newspaper articles, and family photos depicting this moment in time when he is to arrive.
Terri
_______________________________________________
Dick Tindal, entry
My Life Has Gone to the Dogs (During the Pandemic)
But in a good way, I hasten to add. I have always been fond of dogs and one of the pleasures of life at 1066 King West is the number of them in our building. I once sponsored a “little white dog” contest through my 1066 newsletter, in which tenants were asked to name the dogs (from the photos provided) and the owners, for a top prize of two dog bones and a pat on the head.
With that background, I suppose that it is not entirely surprising that Susan would give me a box of Milk Bone small dog biscuits to take along on my daily walks through the little park behind our building. Initially my encounters with dogs were entirely random. I would frequently meet my little pal Mickey even before I left the building and most walks brought me in contact with a dog here and there – almost all of whom were delighted to sample some of the biscuits that I carried in a plastic bag.
Gradually, things became a little more formalized because several folks (most from the building next door to mine) gathered, with their dogs, under a shade tree part way into the park. I began to include a stop there on my way in to the park or on my way back from the waterfront end. Soon, these dogs (Otis, Bodhi, and Cooper) began to recognize me and await my arrival with eager anticipation. Cooper can spot me from at least 100 yards away, tugs on the leash until released, and then races across the park toward me.
While all this attention is gratifying, the result has also placed more pressure on me. One day I came upon the menagerie and realized that I had forgotten to bring dog biscuits. Upon learning this, one of the owners (who shall remain nameless) exclaimed “you only had one task to carry out Richard, and you blew that.” [Tough crowd.] Another time, I happily dispensed the dog bones and was almost back to my building when Otis and his mother suddenly appeared, on their way into the park. I apologized profusely and gave Otis my best hangdog look, but he was unconvinced and gave me two paws down.
The situation has escalated since then. Even though I bring a supply of dog biscuits on each foray into the park, more and more dogs now appear, and I have become acquainted with creatures named Bear, Hugo, Frank, Alex, and Benson (among others). Apparently there is some sort of dog communications network and word has gone around about the guy with the black Stetson who usually has a pocket full of dog biscuits. There are rumours that dogs may soon be bused in from other neighbourhoods and cities and I am beginning to worry about my walks in the park. Who knew life during the pandemic could be so doggone stressful!
But in a good way, I hasten to add. I have always been fond of dogs and one of the pleasures of life at 1066 King West is the number of them in our building. I once sponsored a “little white dog” contest through my 1066 newsletter, in which tenants were asked to name the dogs (from the photos provided) and the owners, for a top prize of two dog bones and a pat on the head.
With that background, I suppose that it is not entirely surprising that Susan would give me a box of Milk Bone small dog biscuits to take along on my daily walks through the little park behind our building. Initially my encounters with dogs were entirely random. I would frequently meet my little pal Mickey even before I left the building and most walks brought me in contact with a dog here and there – almost all of whom were delighted to sample some of the biscuits that I carried in a plastic bag.
Gradually, things became a little more formalized because several folks (most from the building next door to mine) gathered, with their dogs, under a shade tree part way into the park. I began to include a stop there on my way in to the park or on my way back from the waterfront end. Soon, these dogs (Otis, Bodhi, and Cooper) began to recognize me and await my arrival with eager anticipation. Cooper can spot me from at least 100 yards away, tugs on the leash until released, and then races across the park toward me.
While all this attention is gratifying, the result has also placed more pressure on me. One day I came upon the menagerie and realized that I had forgotten to bring dog biscuits. Upon learning this, one of the owners (who shall remain nameless) exclaimed “you only had one task to carry out Richard, and you blew that.” [Tough crowd.] Another time, I happily dispensed the dog bones and was almost back to my building when Otis and his mother suddenly appeared, on their way into the park. I apologized profusely and gave Otis my best hangdog look, but he was unconvinced and gave me two paws down.
The situation has escalated since then. Even though I bring a supply of dog biscuits on each foray into the park, more and more dogs now appear, and I have become acquainted with creatures named Bear, Hugo, Frank, Alex, and Benson (among others). Apparently there is some sort of dog communications network and word has gone around about the guy with the black Stetson who usually has a pocket full of dog biscuits. There are rumours that dogs may soon be bused in from other neighbourhoods and cities and I am beginning to worry about my walks in the park. Who knew life during the pandemic could be so doggone stressful!
___________________________________________
Clare Rayner, entry
It took me a few weeks to realize that my life was changing as a result of Covid-19. The activities that had given me pleasure in our building came to an abrupt halt. ...no more 7am swims, theatre, exercises yoga etc. Most of all I missed the social gatherings , coffee parties and card games. Oh well, what is a girl to do !
Here are a few things I did to occupy my time
.. a twice a week "health status " phone call to our son in Guelph
.. cleaned out drawers and tossed out bags of stuff
.. each Sunday from mid-March 'til now, hubby and I took short road trips to see the seasons change ( always following the rules of physical distancing )..imagine, we have gone through 3 seasons so far!
..planted a garden outside our building and one on our balcony....tons of tomatoes, herbs, swiss chard, and lettuce
..became friendly with the many dogs that live here....tea cup to small pony size. Maybe I should start to carry treats.
..arranged a weekly coffee party in my apt.for 4 ladies , all over 90. Not often am I the youngster in a crowd.
..along with friends, visited the DAFT beer patio.
..did some knitting, baking for my neighbours, made jam, marmalade and corn relish
..waiting patiently for my new pet to become a Monarch butterfly
..gave thanks every day that the virus has spared me, David, and the rest of the family
To all my friends in the Association I send my best wishes. May we meet again soon
Best....Clare
Here are a few things I did to occupy my time
.. a twice a week "health status " phone call to our son in Guelph
.. cleaned out drawers and tossed out bags of stuff
.. each Sunday from mid-March 'til now, hubby and I took short road trips to see the seasons change ( always following the rules of physical distancing )..imagine, we have gone through 3 seasons so far!
..planted a garden outside our building and one on our balcony....tons of tomatoes, herbs, swiss chard, and lettuce
..became friendly with the many dogs that live here....tea cup to small pony size. Maybe I should start to carry treats.
..arranged a weekly coffee party in my apt.for 4 ladies , all over 90. Not often am I the youngster in a crowd.
..along with friends, visited the DAFT beer patio.
..did some knitting, baking for my neighbours, made jam, marmalade and corn relish
..waiting patiently for my new pet to become a Monarch butterfly
..gave thanks every day that the virus has spared me, David, and the rest of the family
To all my friends in the Association I send my best wishes. May we meet again soon
Best....Clare
___________________________________________
Norm Hart, entry
I've been involved with the Toastmasters @ St. Lawrence College. We've had weekly Zoom meetings.
I host Zoom meetings of the very prestigious Kingston Scale Auto Model Car Club.
And more importantly, I'm renovating bicycles for free for a Foster Parent family who live close by. If I say "pro bono" it makes it sound ever so sophisticated and pretentious. Close by in the rural areas is anywhere between 5 to 10 kms. They host young boys sort of 8 to 16 yrs. old. At that age, young boys are death to bikes. I know, I was one. I'm actually on my way to become a certified bicycle mechanic. Who knew!!
Bye for now, Norm
And my parents thought I'd never amount to anything with degrees in Political Science? Hah
_________________________________
Brad Hill, entry
To:Whom it might (or maybe not) concern
Since last December until the present I have created something everyone will be able to use during the next pandemic to cure their insomnia—My Life Story.
Also I have just completed 172 days straight exercising every day.
If the above 2 items are not the winning entry then I will never play again!!!
Stay well,
Brad
Since last December until the present I have created something everyone will be able to use during the next pandemic to cure their insomnia—My Life Story.
Also I have just completed 172 days straight exercising every day.
If the above 2 items are not the winning entry then I will never play again!!!
Stay well,
Brad
_______________________________
Anne Breault, entry
-Walking more daily
-Participate in fitness classes offered virtually by a former instructor
-Doing extra gardening. I even planted some vegies, much to our bunny neighbours delight. Now I have no vegies.
-Got out my oils and paint brushes, finishing some projects.
-Like Nancy, family bonds have become stronger
-Did many driveway visits & birthday celebrations
-Am reading more
-Started sewing cloth face masks for family & friends before they became mandatory
-Shared monarch butterfly caterpillars with friends & family
-Housed our own caterpillar, "Snoopy". It is now in the chrysalis stage
-I have actually saved money.
-Participate in fitness classes offered virtually by a former instructor
-Doing extra gardening. I even planted some vegies, much to our bunny neighbours delight. Now I have no vegies.
-Got out my oils and paint brushes, finishing some projects.
-Like Nancy, family bonds have become stronger
-Did many driveway visits & birthday celebrations
-Am reading more
-Started sewing cloth face masks for family & friends before they became mandatory
-Shared monarch butterfly caterpillars with friends & family
-Housed our own caterpillar, "Snoopy". It is now in the chrysalis stage
-I have actually saved money.
__________________________________
Paul Van Nest, entry
COVID-19 actually worked in my favour to tackle and complete a couple of major projects.
For the Kingston Historical Society (I’m membership chair) I created an index amounting to 1600 entries for the monthly newsletters (8 pages) and 8 or 9 each year, going back to 1992. I scanned them all and uploaded them to the KHS webpage along with this index.
The second project was thrust on me thanks to a tour I took, led by Ted Barris, in October of Bomber Command in GB: York, Lincoln and London. My oldest cousin was killed as a rear gunner on 6/7 October 1944 Dortmund Raid (my 5th birthday) and we visited his last station, Linton on Ouse, 75 years less 3 days of that last flight. I also discovered from the family a collection of his roughly 50 letters written from late 1942 up to his death, and letters received from the family following his being declared missing in action. I not only scanned every letter but transcribed each. All this I have sent to the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln for their database. However, as I did the transcription, I realized that family would not understand some of his references and words he used, nor would they have any context, so I’m now writing a book(let) around his letters! I’m over 30,000 words so far.
And when that is ‘finished’, I’ll work on a paper I’m to give in February on Gettysburg: Culp’s Hill vs Little Round Top – which was the more significant or which could bear the most fruit for the Confederates? I’ll be pushing Culp’s Hill although tradition favours LRT.
So yes, I’m getting more done with fewer interruptions thanks to COVID-19. But I still do miss the in-person gatherings and travel.
For the Kingston Historical Society (I’m membership chair) I created an index amounting to 1600 entries for the monthly newsletters (8 pages) and 8 or 9 each year, going back to 1992. I scanned them all and uploaded them to the KHS webpage along with this index.
The second project was thrust on me thanks to a tour I took, led by Ted Barris, in October of Bomber Command in GB: York, Lincoln and London. My oldest cousin was killed as a rear gunner on 6/7 October 1944 Dortmund Raid (my 5th birthday) and we visited his last station, Linton on Ouse, 75 years less 3 days of that last flight. I also discovered from the family a collection of his roughly 50 letters written from late 1942 up to his death, and letters received from the family following his being declared missing in action. I not only scanned every letter but transcribed each. All this I have sent to the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln for their database. However, as I did the transcription, I realized that family would not understand some of his references and words he used, nor would they have any context, so I’m now writing a book(let) around his letters! I’m over 30,000 words so far.
And when that is ‘finished’, I’ll work on a paper I’m to give in February on Gettysburg: Culp’s Hill vs Little Round Top – which was the more significant or which could bear the most fruit for the Confederates? I’ll be pushing Culp’s Hill although tradition favours LRT.
So yes, I’m getting more done with fewer interruptions thanks to COVID-19. But I still do miss the in-person gatherings and travel.
__________________________________
Stephen Runions, entry
Well here is an account of how I’ve been coping with the solitude given the Covid-19 crisis.
I don’t waste my time shopping, we restock our pantry/freezer/fridge every 2 or 3 weeks, I miss travelling to see my son in Manitoba and miss the frequent in person visits with my daughter and parents.
Other than that, I’m getting a pile of shit done !
- Rebuilding a friends deck overlooking the St. Lawrence River.
- Completed my large backyard landscaping project with 17 tons of river rock to contour my 2400 sq ft interlock paving project I completed last year.
- rebuilt my Gazebo
- installed 100ft of mini rope lights in my red maple.
... and a few other fun things
- lots of things with my wife like walking, cooking from scratch, biking, swimming, kayaking and actually have had the boat in the water all summer.
- working on cataloguing all the family photos and videos to share with the kids. Also making several photo books to highlight some of the memorable family times.
Well that's a few things about how I enjoy spending my retirement. I feel sorry that so many are going through very difficult times as a result of this damn virus, we’ve lost a lot of great people !
P.S. A big thank you to the 1st Responders and others working to support the fight against COVID-19. Hope all my fellow retirees stay safe and keep focus on the better things in life.
I don’t waste my time shopping, we restock our pantry/freezer/fridge every 2 or 3 weeks, I miss travelling to see my son in Manitoba and miss the frequent in person visits with my daughter and parents.
Other than that, I’m getting a pile of shit done !
- Rebuilding a friends deck overlooking the St. Lawrence River.
- Completed my large backyard landscaping project with 17 tons of river rock to contour my 2400 sq ft interlock paving project I completed last year.
- rebuilt my Gazebo
- installed 100ft of mini rope lights in my red maple.
... and a few other fun things
- lots of things with my wife like walking, cooking from scratch, biking, swimming, kayaking and actually have had the boat in the water all summer.
- working on cataloguing all the family photos and videos to share with the kids. Also making several photo books to highlight some of the memorable family times.
Well that's a few things about how I enjoy spending my retirement. I feel sorry that so many are going through very difficult times as a result of this damn virus, we’ve lost a lot of great people !
P.S. A big thank you to the 1st Responders and others working to support the fight against COVID-19. Hope all my fellow retirees stay safe and keep focus on the better things in life.
________________________________
Larry Chouinard, entry
My time each day is spent doing 7 or 8 Sudokus and KenKens. [Editor’s Note: For those not familiar with either of these games, they are grid-based numerical puzzles. Larry has long been a Sudoku Savant, the objective of which is to fill a 9x9 grid with digits so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3x3 subgrids contain all of the digits from 1 to 9.]
The more given numbers are provided, the less time it takes to complete a Sudoku. I have learned three new strategies which have improved my completion times, which are outlined in the table below. I don’t record the times taken with given numbers fewer than 30.
The more given numbers are provided, the less time it takes to complete a Sudoku. I have learned three new strategies which have improved my completion times, which are outlined in the table below. I don’t record the times taken with given numbers fewer than 30.
|
Given numbers
|
Completion time
|
|
30 Numbers
|
12 minutes
|
|
31 Numbers
|
11 minutes
|
|
32 Numbers
|
9 minutes
|
|
33 Numbers
|
8 minutes
|
____________________________________
Rruth Tracy, entry
“Books, Cats, [wine and wildlife]. Life is Sweet.” Edward Gorey
Yes, several of Gorey’s books are on my bookshelf – he’s one of my favourite authors. I have a large private library to draw on – a godsend during our current lockdown! A few thousand books, shelved on a masterpiece of custom carpentry, built by Chris Chapman.
Not only did Gorey provide a home for many cats over his lifetime, but he is one of a number of writers who have honoured their felines. Beginning with Samuel Johnson, of dictionary fame, we’ll list Hodge – Johnson’s long-time favoured companion. Not only did Hodge spend most of his indoor time snoozing among the piles of paper on Johnson’s writing table, but Hodge got to enjoy a daily dish of oysters, purchased for him by his obliging human – who refused to ask his housekeeper to do that shopping errand, lest she take a dislike to the cat. There is now a bronze sculpture of Hodge outside Johnson’s home in London.
Then there is Edward Lear, youngest member of a family of 20 children (same mother), one of those prolific Victorian creators. Now known mainly for his collections of nonsense verse for children, his stub-tailed cat Foss (drawings of whom appeared hundreds of times in Lear’s letters) was the original for the poem ‘The Owl and the Pussy-cat’.
Moving to more recent times – if not fond of felines, you would have done well to be wary of an invitation to a dinner party with Pierre and Janet Berton. The food was reported to be fabulous, but kittens were handed out as door prizes. In 2002, Berton published a book CATS I Have Known and Loved, with both photos and self drawn illustrations of these individual cats.
T.S. Eliot did well from his collection of cat poems. The original musical was touching – but take a pass on the more recent movie version.
One of life’s wonders – where contributors of cat cartoons to the New Yorker get inspiration for new cat cartoon concepts... Already that magazine has published at least two thick volumes of cat cartoons, not to mention all the cards and boxes of notepaper they sell to cat fanciers. Another wonderful cat cartoon in last week’s issue....
Turning to wine and wildlife – one of the advantages of life in the country, living in a spacious, sprawling cottage – there is ample room for both books and wine storage. Fortunately, neither of my current cats, Ebony and Jett, show any desire to share my wine – but I have lived with one alcoholic cat, back in the 80s. She was old and arthritic – perhaps the scotch deadened her pain for a bit. It was never safe to put down a glass anywhere – she would try to finish it. She also had a passion for Stilton cheese – perhaps one of the few foods she could still taste, as she approached her twentieth year.
Local wildlife haven’t heard of ‘lock down’ – and visit regularly. I see deer several times a week, sometimes they will come right up to the house and look through my window. Living here, I’ve had close-up views of very young deer in the spring. But my rarest view so far was of a wild turkey chick (maybe a month old) walking by the house with its mother, a wild turkey hen. First time I’ve seen a chick....
“Life is sweet...” Cat contentment is contagious....Wine is wonderfully relaxing and books keep one engaged and alive...
Yes, several of Gorey’s books are on my bookshelf – he’s one of my favourite authors. I have a large private library to draw on – a godsend during our current lockdown! A few thousand books, shelved on a masterpiece of custom carpentry, built by Chris Chapman.
Not only did Gorey provide a home for many cats over his lifetime, but he is one of a number of writers who have honoured their felines. Beginning with Samuel Johnson, of dictionary fame, we’ll list Hodge – Johnson’s long-time favoured companion. Not only did Hodge spend most of his indoor time snoozing among the piles of paper on Johnson’s writing table, but Hodge got to enjoy a daily dish of oysters, purchased for him by his obliging human – who refused to ask his housekeeper to do that shopping errand, lest she take a dislike to the cat. There is now a bronze sculpture of Hodge outside Johnson’s home in London.
Then there is Edward Lear, youngest member of a family of 20 children (same mother), one of those prolific Victorian creators. Now known mainly for his collections of nonsense verse for children, his stub-tailed cat Foss (drawings of whom appeared hundreds of times in Lear’s letters) was the original for the poem ‘The Owl and the Pussy-cat’.
Moving to more recent times – if not fond of felines, you would have done well to be wary of an invitation to a dinner party with Pierre and Janet Berton. The food was reported to be fabulous, but kittens were handed out as door prizes. In 2002, Berton published a book CATS I Have Known and Loved, with both photos and self drawn illustrations of these individual cats.
T.S. Eliot did well from his collection of cat poems. The original musical was touching – but take a pass on the more recent movie version.
One of life’s wonders – where contributors of cat cartoons to the New Yorker get inspiration for new cat cartoon concepts... Already that magazine has published at least two thick volumes of cat cartoons, not to mention all the cards and boxes of notepaper they sell to cat fanciers. Another wonderful cat cartoon in last week’s issue....
Turning to wine and wildlife – one of the advantages of life in the country, living in a spacious, sprawling cottage – there is ample room for both books and wine storage. Fortunately, neither of my current cats, Ebony and Jett, show any desire to share my wine – but I have lived with one alcoholic cat, back in the 80s. She was old and arthritic – perhaps the scotch deadened her pain for a bit. It was never safe to put down a glass anywhere – she would try to finish it. She also had a passion for Stilton cheese – perhaps one of the few foods she could still taste, as she approached her twentieth year.
Local wildlife haven’t heard of ‘lock down’ – and visit regularly. I see deer several times a week, sometimes they will come right up to the house and look through my window. Living here, I’ve had close-up views of very young deer in the spring. But my rarest view so far was of a wild turkey chick (maybe a month old) walking by the house with its mother, a wild turkey hen. First time I’ve seen a chick....
“Life is sweet...” Cat contentment is contagious....Wine is wonderfully relaxing and books keep one engaged and alive...
_____________________________________
Betty MacFarlane, entry
THINGS I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE COVID-19 ISOLATION
- After eight decades, I now know how to wash my hands properly.
- “Online Banking”
- Planned meals for 10 days and ordered groceries ‘online’
- Zoom and Face Time family and friends.
- Attended Sunday Morning church service while at home in my housecoat and enjoyed my morning coffee.
- I became my own Hairdresser and saved money.
- Had my Annual Medical appointment over the telephone.
- Walking around the block was my new exercise program.
- Doing puzzles kept my mind off all the trips I usually took to the frig.
- Gained respect for Doug Ford which I didn’t have before.
- Playing Solitaire on my iPad gave me my fix for not playing Euchre and Bid Euchre with my friends.
- I found watching hockey, curling, baseball and Figure Skating reruns just as entertaining as the first time I watched them.
- Finally, I now know that 2 meters is equal to the length of the average hockey stick.
__________________________________
Cathy TeKamp, entry
My Covid story starts with the cancellation of my Theatre Guild play, entitled Sex Please We're Sixty on March 15. As producer, I had been busy night and day since November 2019 with auditions, set construction, set decor, costumes etc. and above all keeping the cast and crew happy and moving forward. The role of producer suits my personality control issues well.
When the production wound down, so did I.
My daughter considers me "high risk" for Covid so she and her husband immediately took over my grocery and LCBO shopping. This led to an elaborate game to minimize the amount of wine I actually consumed in one week, and to accusatory remarks like " Mother, I just got you a bottle last week "....Thankfully, there are many senior neighbours on my street, many with obnoxious children buying their booze, so we were able to conspire and outwit the Gen X kids re consumption.
It really was a lovely hot summer, so I spent most afternoons swimming in the mighty St Lawrence and enjoying Happy Hour on the dock.
If it weren't for Covid, it would have been a pretty nice existence.
Travel plans were disrupted greatly: Florida in March, Scotland in May and above all Nova Scotia in August to see my grandson. I had rented a cottage for our annual family reunion, only to have hopes dashed with NS's hard-line on germy Ontarians entering their province. Just yesterday, the NS premier extended the ban/ quarantine requirement to Sept 6, so I'm sad and annoyed.
On the positive side, my health is good, I'm reading a lot, and I will get to NS as soon as I can.
Have read the Bolton book The Room Where it Happened, and then the Trump expose Too Little Too Late, or something, written by his niece. The Harry/ Meghan book Finding Freedom was blah but the Lady Campbell book has more substance.
And of course lots of beach-reads for lazy afternoons by the water...we all need some light reading in these times.
I think the Covid months have flown by for me. I have slowed my pace and now appreciate a second cup of coffee in the morning in the backyard, with a red cardinal who visits...a bird, not a member of a Holy Order...
I have been working on a project to sort out all our vinyl records, but I don't feel any urgency to complete that. My immediate family is spending much more time together and I am keeping in touch with friends by phone calls—lots of phone calls—far more than BC ( before Covid ). And neighbourhood chats are way up as we participate in our pot banging ritual for front line workers each night at 7:00 PM.
I do a lot of shopping online (all those expensive Amazon books vs our library which is closed) and now I do a grocery pick up with an online order. Socializing is on the back deck, with proper distancing. No crowds, no restaurant dining. Nobody in my home or car.
It's probably a measure of my narcissistic nature that I attended a pedicure before I went into a grocery store. Vanity trumps food.
Hope all are well. it's been a good exercise to look at how I spend my time during Covid.
Pot banging time : seeya later.
Cathy
When the production wound down, so did I.
My daughter considers me "high risk" for Covid so she and her husband immediately took over my grocery and LCBO shopping. This led to an elaborate game to minimize the amount of wine I actually consumed in one week, and to accusatory remarks like " Mother, I just got you a bottle last week "....Thankfully, there are many senior neighbours on my street, many with obnoxious children buying their booze, so we were able to conspire and outwit the Gen X kids re consumption.
It really was a lovely hot summer, so I spent most afternoons swimming in the mighty St Lawrence and enjoying Happy Hour on the dock.
If it weren't for Covid, it would have been a pretty nice existence.
Travel plans were disrupted greatly: Florida in March, Scotland in May and above all Nova Scotia in August to see my grandson. I had rented a cottage for our annual family reunion, only to have hopes dashed with NS's hard-line on germy Ontarians entering their province. Just yesterday, the NS premier extended the ban/ quarantine requirement to Sept 6, so I'm sad and annoyed.
On the positive side, my health is good, I'm reading a lot, and I will get to NS as soon as I can.
Have read the Bolton book The Room Where it Happened, and then the Trump expose Too Little Too Late, or something, written by his niece. The Harry/ Meghan book Finding Freedom was blah but the Lady Campbell book has more substance.
And of course lots of beach-reads for lazy afternoons by the water...we all need some light reading in these times.
I think the Covid months have flown by for me. I have slowed my pace and now appreciate a second cup of coffee in the morning in the backyard, with a red cardinal who visits...a bird, not a member of a Holy Order...
I have been working on a project to sort out all our vinyl records, but I don't feel any urgency to complete that. My immediate family is spending much more time together and I am keeping in touch with friends by phone calls—lots of phone calls—far more than BC ( before Covid ). And neighbourhood chats are way up as we participate in our pot banging ritual for front line workers each night at 7:00 PM.
I do a lot of shopping online (all those expensive Amazon books vs our library which is closed) and now I do a grocery pick up with an online order. Socializing is on the back deck, with proper distancing. No crowds, no restaurant dining. Nobody in my home or car.
It's probably a measure of my narcissistic nature that I attended a pedicure before I went into a grocery store. Vanity trumps food.
Hope all are well. it's been a good exercise to look at how I spend my time during Covid.
Pot banging time : seeya later.
Cathy
________________________________
Ron Kelly, entry
Food—procurement, preparation and plating—has become a key component of my time since the onset of covid-19. Each Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. I’m first in line at Farm Boy for fruit, vegetables, fish, eggs and cheese. Occasionally some tender beef. Thirty minutes later I’m at Metro for further food needs and for other household necessities.
I’ve become adept at meals for one. A hearty breakfast that varies daily, an occasional lunch and a full dinner—entree, main course and dessert. With wine! Daily! For one! For me! At a table that is properly set.
I host friends and family on my deck when the weather permits. Summer warmth is welcome but I don’t look forward to winter.
And I have regular cocktail hours with friends on Facetime. Single Malt for me, of course!
I spend considerable time in my office when I’m not in my kitchen or harvesting herbs for my culinary creations. I maintain several websites including the SLC Retirees site but my greatest joy is my own website, www.printersdevil.ca, recognizing the print world of the 20th century—the fast disappearing world of letterpress, lithography and rotogravure printing. It’s gone! Most of my content is derived from advertisements that I find in my magazine collection dating back to 1890.
They say that doctors bury their mistakes but people in advertising and journalism publish theirs.
I hope you’ll take a few moments to visit my site. Comments are appreciated and old magazines lying around your home will be welcome in my collection.
Now it’s time to get out and walk the dog. Cheers.
I’ve become adept at meals for one. A hearty breakfast that varies daily, an occasional lunch and a full dinner—entree, main course and dessert. With wine! Daily! For one! For me! At a table that is properly set.
I host friends and family on my deck when the weather permits. Summer warmth is welcome but I don’t look forward to winter.
And I have regular cocktail hours with friends on Facetime. Single Malt for me, of course!
I spend considerable time in my office when I’m not in my kitchen or harvesting herbs for my culinary creations. I maintain several websites including the SLC Retirees site but my greatest joy is my own website, www.printersdevil.ca, recognizing the print world of the 20th century—the fast disappearing world of letterpress, lithography and rotogravure printing. It’s gone! Most of my content is derived from advertisements that I find in my magazine collection dating back to 1890.
They say that doctors bury their mistakes but people in advertising and journalism publish theirs.
I hope you’ll take a few moments to visit my site. Comments are appreciated and old magazines lying around your home will be welcome in my collection.
Now it’s time to get out and walk the dog. Cheers.
__________________________________
Barb Carr, entry
When COVID hit, a whole bunch of activities suddenly ceased for me: the Kingston Canadian Film Festival, the Kingston School of Art March Break Camp, Open Voices Community Choir, church choir, and of course regular dinners and lunches with friends and family. I must admit, though, I've really been enjoying the peace and quiet.
David and I are in the very lucky position, shared by most retirees, of having no jobs to worry about losing, no kids underfoot to suddenly start home schooling, and no real health concerns. For a while I was ordering groceries online and then picking them up, but that ultimately required too much planning, so I went back to shopping, with a mask of course. At first, I was disinfecting all the boxes of food coming into the house, but that only lasted a few weeks as well. We discovered wine in a box... not as bad as it sounds and it's very handy to fill your glass from the spigot! We've bravely had meals out at three patios: the Battery Bistro at Fort Henry, the Amadeus patio (behind the restaurant), and the Aquaterra patio (actually waterfront). So far so good.
So, here's what I've been doing:
David and I are in the very lucky position, shared by most retirees, of having no jobs to worry about losing, no kids underfoot to suddenly start home schooling, and no real health concerns. For a while I was ordering groceries online and then picking them up, but that ultimately required too much planning, so I went back to shopping, with a mask of course. At first, I was disinfecting all the boxes of food coming into the house, but that only lasted a few weeks as well. We discovered wine in a box... not as bad as it sounds and it's very handy to fill your glass from the spigot! We've bravely had meals out at three patios: the Battery Bistro at Fort Henry, the Amadeus patio (behind the restaurant), and the Aquaterra patio (actually waterfront). So far so good.
So, here's what I've been doing:
- a lot of gardening, mostly in May and June. Then it got too hot, or at least that was my excuse.
- some basement downsizing, with lots of trips to the recycling centre (good-bye to David's old course notes ?)
- learning how to Zoom, and using it to connect with friends I hadn't seen in quite a while.
- also using Zoom for Kingston School of Art board meetings. We've decided to keep doing them this way, even when we don't have to anymore. It's just so convenient.
- the big project was selecting, installing, and training on a new software program to run the KSOA. It was an advantage to have lots of uninterrupted time to get this all sorted. We were up and running at the end of May.
- also KSOA: keeping my fingers crossed anxiously that our summer art courses for adults and kids wouldn't be cursed by any COVID cases. They weren't. Whew.
- trying to keep on top of public health protocols relating to said courses.
___________________________________
Larry Gibbons, entry
AN INCONVENIENT VIRUS
I’ve noticed that there’s tons of humour to go around in spite of or because of COVID.
For example, I was in a line-up outside the NSLCB. The man in front of me, who was wearing a cloth mask, said, “The last time I wore a mask I spent three years in Dorchester.” Hardy har.
There have also been some positive environmental results because of COVID. Staring up at the sky and knowing that the blue was a little bluer was a wonderful feeling. A positive amongst the catastrophic negative effects of the pandemic.
We, unfortunately, experienced one of the negatives. It was an in-your-face-non-social-distancing-negative.
You see, after the national parks had re-opened, a friend and I went hiking. We were massively happy to be back in the park. One thing we noticed was how many wild-life signs we saw on the trails. Animal scat and prints all over the trodden upon earth. We felt a bit guilty. Us humans were back. Clomping and stomping up and down the trails. Hikers counting their steps, power walking, jogging, talking and shouting, a few banging pots and pans, ringing bells and jingling strange concoctions which hung around their necks so as to give warning of their approach to bears and of course, the noisy helicopter pest which would surely be buzzing back and forth over the solitudes like a fat intrusive drone.
The problem was, that when some of the virus restrictions were relaxed the animals didn’t get the memo. As a result traffic began to increase on the highways and byways.
One morning after Sue and I had our hair chopped, because our hair cutter could once again chop, we hit the road for the city and on the way hit a deer who stepped out in front of our truck. He was killed instantly. That was a blessing.
However, the truck was in the shop for almost a month. And, get this. Hard to believe, but the day before, Sue had given her vehicle away to her daughter.
Thank god for the two RCMP Officers. The one officer, after spraying us poor sods with bug spray and giving water to Buster drove us to the county line. The second officer met us at the county line took us right up to the front door of the car rental company. It was thrilling for Sue and Buster as they got to sit in the back seat behind bars, the whole one hundred K’s to Sydney. I got to sit next to the officers and got to stare into the eyes of a nervous motorcyclist who had been turbo booting it down the highway. The officer even put on his lights before he pulled the fella over.
“Don’t you go speeding again you bad motorcyclist,” I whispered to myself. What a sense of power.
The virus and the whole insurance-body-shop-killing-the-poor-deer accident was stressful, but, as I said, there’s always a positive with every negative.
Here’s an example of another convoluted positive. I remember listening to a psychologist give tips on how to deal with anxiety caused by the pandemic. He said that those who have lived a life with some anxiety have learned coping skills and may be able to use those skills to cope with the pandemic.
Thank god for small miracles because being a fish in so many wrong ponds has filled my tool box with CORONA anxiety crushers.
As my mother used to say, “The Lord works in mysterious ways.”
I’ve noticed that there’s tons of humour to go around in spite of or because of COVID.
For example, I was in a line-up outside the NSLCB. The man in front of me, who was wearing a cloth mask, said, “The last time I wore a mask I spent three years in Dorchester.” Hardy har.
There have also been some positive environmental results because of COVID. Staring up at the sky and knowing that the blue was a little bluer was a wonderful feeling. A positive amongst the catastrophic negative effects of the pandemic.
We, unfortunately, experienced one of the negatives. It was an in-your-face-non-social-distancing-negative.
You see, after the national parks had re-opened, a friend and I went hiking. We were massively happy to be back in the park. One thing we noticed was how many wild-life signs we saw on the trails. Animal scat and prints all over the trodden upon earth. We felt a bit guilty. Us humans were back. Clomping and stomping up and down the trails. Hikers counting their steps, power walking, jogging, talking and shouting, a few banging pots and pans, ringing bells and jingling strange concoctions which hung around their necks so as to give warning of their approach to bears and of course, the noisy helicopter pest which would surely be buzzing back and forth over the solitudes like a fat intrusive drone.
The problem was, that when some of the virus restrictions were relaxed the animals didn’t get the memo. As a result traffic began to increase on the highways and byways.
One morning after Sue and I had our hair chopped, because our hair cutter could once again chop, we hit the road for the city and on the way hit a deer who stepped out in front of our truck. He was killed instantly. That was a blessing.
However, the truck was in the shop for almost a month. And, get this. Hard to believe, but the day before, Sue had given her vehicle away to her daughter.
Thank god for the two RCMP Officers. The one officer, after spraying us poor sods with bug spray and giving water to Buster drove us to the county line. The second officer met us at the county line took us right up to the front door of the car rental company. It was thrilling for Sue and Buster as they got to sit in the back seat behind bars, the whole one hundred K’s to Sydney. I got to sit next to the officers and got to stare into the eyes of a nervous motorcyclist who had been turbo booting it down the highway. The officer even put on his lights before he pulled the fella over.
“Don’t you go speeding again you bad motorcyclist,” I whispered to myself. What a sense of power.
The virus and the whole insurance-body-shop-killing-the-poor-deer accident was stressful, but, as I said, there’s always a positive with every negative.
Here’s an example of another convoluted positive. I remember listening to a psychologist give tips on how to deal with anxiety caused by the pandemic. He said that those who have lived a life with some anxiety have learned coping skills and may be able to use those skills to cope with the pandemic.
Thank god for small miracles because being a fish in so many wrong ponds has filled my tool box with CORONA anxiety crushers.
As my mother used to say, “The Lord works in mysterious ways.”
____________________________________
