A Story of 2020

I started taking day trips around Eastern Ontario in the summer of 2017.  The goal was to go only two hrs out in any direction, so that we have time to enjoy where ever we end up.

Sometimes it's just to drive and stop when it feels right, to explore and sometimes it's a specific destination in mind. We've traveled to Smiths Falls, Perth, Almont, Halksbury, Carlton Place, Merricksville, Kingston, and more. So much fun. Looking forward to doing it all again.

It's been sadly missed the last 17 months.  Covid-19 has us all stuck in our homes and neighborhoods, changing our focus 180 degrees, making this the year to get to know them. Sooo many kids running around, riding their bikes on quiet streets, a new normal.  One young lad has the sound of a police siren almost perfect.

Sharing a glass of wine over the fence with a close neighbor and friend.  Sharing podcasts with another while watching my hubby and another neighbor fixing bikes.

One neighbor sitting on his front porch sharing stories with us. (have to get a chair out there too).

My son and his gf stopping by, they are part of our group of 10.  She just bought a beautiful new bike and my son is now sharing stories of working at FarmBoy.  My daughter, coping as best she can and taking care of her birds and enjoying the new little dog we adopted October, 2019 just before all of this hit us.(best thing we ever did). 

Work took on some major changes for me, a new and different position including time in the office and a whole new dynamic. Unfortunately one team member moved on to a new position and one passed away, making work extra hard but exhilarating at the same time.

I hope we see the end of this pandemic soon, but the scars left won't heal so quickly. These scars aren't just the physical ones we can see from having the disease and for other life threatening needs ignored by ourselves out of fear or the medical community as a need to triage, but also the mental scars. A lot of us started losing family members to conspiracy in 2016 when our neighbor country to the south elected a showman narcissist and they were just angry. The world has ignited into a hail of violence and protests racially and politically driven. Conspiracy and lies abound, truth is blurred, and all is not right with the world.  There is still the voice of reason, caring, love and support all over that has continued to be forefront and will not be silenced by greed and selfishness. 

It's where we are today. My hope is that we can recover and become more united.  The world needs peace and she needs to stop being ravaged for her resources to the point of killing us all. There's a lot of pain in the world today, but the voice of change is strong.

Peace!