Tag Archives: 2021

Feb10

Yesterday

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Yesterday

Yesterday was February 9th. My dad died on February 9th, 1977. That was forty- four years ago but sometimes it feels like it was only yesterday. I have learned to live without his physical presence and that is sometimes quite painful. After all, he never even met his grandchildren and has not been by my side throughout most of my life.

My dad had a heart condition. Back then there were no stints or even angioplasty. What gave us all more time together was that he was able to escape to a warmer climate in the winter. San Diego was far removed from the harsh winters on the Canadian prairies.

We are currently in the midst of a global pandemic. Travel is being strongly discouraged and in many cases is all but prohibitive. And I wonder what the quality of life would have been like in those final years if my dad were alive today.

From a mental health perspective, the suicide rate has skyrocketed during the past year. Quarantine and isolation are dangerous. Depression and anxiety have become more prevalent. Far too many people are living in fear while being sequestered in their homes. Isolation is detrimental to our health and well-being.

Domestic violence has escalated. While some families feel ties have been strengthened in their households, others have felt nothing but increased stress and faltering relationships. Zoom and other types of video calls lost their charm months ago when it comes to extended family relationships and keeping in contact with friends.

Some areas have more restrictions than others causing people to reevaluate whether the trip to the grocery store is really necessary. Standing outside in long lines in frigid temperatures just does not appeal. Nor does juggling fast food on our laps after going through a drive-thru when we’d much rather be sitting inside a restaurant with healthier food choices.

More than ever I cherish the memories of the freedom I once took for granted. As much as I miss my dad, I am thankful that he is not here now to experience the travesty of living during this pandemic.

Feb7

Sunday

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Sunday

It’s Sunday again. If I were in Aguascalientes I’d be going to the small church around the corner. But that was a year ago, before Covid. This year I do church online. And that’s okay too. Yesterday’s rain has now turned to snow.

I think back to Sundays of other years. I spent a fair amount of time in bowling alleys with my kids. When the kids were grown my ex and I often went out for brunch with friends. When my marriage ended I taught aquatic classes on Sunday mornings.

And then I moved to Culiacan. Sundays were non- teaching days so parks and museums were on the agenda. When I lived in Irapuato I went to church with friends. When I lived in Guadalajara Isaias and I traveled to numerous small towns in Jalisco on the weekends. When I lived in Mazatlan I went to church and out for brunch with friends. Then I often walked along the malecon. In San Ciro there was only a Catholic church so I did more touristy things.

For the past few months I’ve added a blog post on Sundays. I write about my life, my thoughts and feelings. I often include photos. And I never really have an agenda of what I should write about next.

I’ve taken a break from working on my book. My imaginary friends aren’t speaking to me very much. When they do, it’s just nothing I want to run with. Instead I have found other things to occupy my time. There has to be more to life than Netflix.

A 500 piece puzzle dominates the dining room table, a Christmas gift from my friend Joyce. It’s been years since I’ve done a puzzle. This one is a scene from England complete with double decker buses.

I learned how to bait rodent traps this week. My friend Steve has a pest control business and I helped him out one afternoon. Apparently rats, mice and voles are quite active in Washington state.

I had my hair cut the other day. No more long hair. It’s now in a short bob. Thank you to Lisa at Shears here in Leavenworth. No need to travel to Wenatchee for a style anymore.

I actually did go into Wenatchee yesterday with Ann. Walmart and Macy’s. I also had a lovely long walk. 50 degrees and sunshine in February. Very different from the brutal winters on the Canadian prairies.

Yes. I still play Candy Crush. But I play Candy Crush Friends now, not Candy Crush saga. I also play word games.

I still color. I’m enjoying the Thomas Kinkade coloring book. I’m learning how to blend colors with pencils and water now, although I still adore my gel pens.

Google Duo has become a good friend. Video calls with my grandkids are treasures, although I hope that someday virtual hugs and kisses will be replaced by in-person ones.

I read a lot too. It’s nice to have a library close by with books written in  English. Although the library is closed, curbside pickup is available for books reserved on-line.

Another good friend is Duolingo. I don’t want to forget my Spanish as I do intend to return to Mexico when it is safe to travel again. Oh how I miss traveling!

Time to tune in to Church of the Rock in Winnipeg.

Happy Sunday!

Feb3

Time To Vent

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Time To Vent

Is it just me or is anyone else having trouble remembering things BC? Before Covid is starting to feel like a far away dream.

Why can’t the children play nicely in the sandbox? Democrats and Republicans need to put the people of the USA first instead of merely themselves.

Back in 1968 the downfall of Canada began with the election of Trudeau as prime minister. And now in 2021 Trudeaumania continues with the next generation in the form of the mishandling of the Covid situation and the latest ridiculous cash grab re quarantine.

COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I expect that it will be around long after my lifetime comes to a close. It’s time to acknowledge this and learn to live with it.

Vaccines will not make Covid disappear. Travel is far from the leading cause of transmission of this virus. Rewarding people with more money to stay at home rather than work is disgusting.

Avoiding bankruptcies and lowering the suicide rate is where the focus should be.

That’s my rant for today.

Wear your mask, wash your hands often and do your best to maintain physical distance. Maybe then we stand a chance of opening up the world again. Maybe then we’ll be able to hug our kids and grandkids again instead of just blowing kisses on video calls.

Jan31

It Sure Likes To Snow Here

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It Sure Likes To Snow Here

Colder temperatures and less snow? Or milder temperatures and more snow? Winnipeg is the former and Leavenworth is the latter.

Today is Thursday and we’ve had over two feet of snow since Tuesday night when I moved back to Leavenworth from Wenatchee. The Washingtonians take it in their stride. But after eleven winters in Mexico I find it rather fascinating.

Here is the view from my front door with the 17th hole of the golf course in the background.

And here is Steve’s truck after the foot of snow we got last night.

It’s now Friday. Linda and I went out to Sleeping Lady and went for a walk. It was warm and the paths were primarily clear with slushy spots. I was warm in my ski jacket and toque. I even wore my Thinsulate gloves for the first time although a lighter pair would have been just fine.

This beautiful glass sculpture by Chihuly looks completely different with the snow in the background.

We also came across this quaint little bridge.

Here is one of the charming cabins at the resort.

Today is Saturday. Once again the sun is hiding. We had snow showers this morning instead of the heavy snowfall we had earlier in the week. This afternoon it changed to rain and then to snow. I’m hibernating and catching up on laundry.

I am quite enjoying my first winter in snow in eleven years. I know I will never tire of the spectacular view of the mountains, even when snow covered.

Today is Sunday with more snow in the forecast. And it’s time to post this.

Jan27

Again? Nomad Moved Again?

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Again? Nomad Moved Again?

YES.

Fourth move in four months.

I’m back in Leavenworth.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to unpack a suitcase. But I always do.

And I keep on moving. And this time I wound up back in Leavenworth.

It snowed all day yesterday and it’s still snowing this morning. It’s the first time I’ve ever moved on a snowy day. Usually it’s bright and sunny.

I also haven’t seen snow like this since 2009. It actually does look kind of pretty.

I was in Cashmere yesterday morning where it wasn’t snowing. I visited my tree, of course, and went to Spirit of America.

It’s a very different winter for me and I’m getting used to it. So far it’s been pretty mild. But it isn’t Mexico.

Jan24

The 50 Plus Club

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The 50 Plus Club

We’ve all had a lot of friends over the years. As we grow older our friendships become even more important. But how many of these friendships have lasted five decades or more?

I think back to friends I went to school with, played sports with, went to ballet and choir with, belonged to various organizations with, and more. There are so many friends I’ve lost touch with over the years. I do have more than a handful of friendships that have lasted well over twenty or thirty years. But fifty years is special.

I was talking to my friend Carole last week. We first met back in 1964. I lived in Winnipeg and she lived in Minneapolis. There was no internet back then so we became penpals. We don’t see each other often. I last visited Carole on the July 4th weekend in 2011. I think we’re long overdue for a visit.

Sheila and I met back in 1965 in junior high school. We lost touch for a while after high school as I was going to university and she was busy having babies. But we found each other again on Facebook and we get together when I come back to Winnipeg to visit.

Rochelle and I met in 1971 when we were taking a course at university. While I remained in Winnipeg, she moved to Los Angeles when she got married. I did visit her in L.A. a few years ago. She has since moved to Arizona and I hope to visit her there once things settle down with Covid.

These are three friends in my 50 plus club. We’ve gone through marriages and divorces. We’ve supported each other in times of crisis. We’ve laughed and we’ve cried together. We don’t see each other nearly often enough as we live in different countries but thanks to technology we are able to keep in touch.

Here’s to many more years of friendship ahead!

Jan20

Lake Chelan In Winter

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Lake Chelan In Winter

The last time I was in Lake Chelan was over a year ago. Ann and I had taken the ferry from there to Stehekin. Her son-in-law had also taken us for a boat ride out on the lake one day. While the lake has not frozen over, I was quite content to just gaze out at the water at this time of the year.

Winterfest began on Friday and ended on Monday, the day I was there. As I strolled through the downtown area, I enjoyed viewing the ice sculptures. With the unusually warm temperatures and the sunshine, the ice was actually beginning to melt.

I was also pleasantly surprised that there was no snow on the ground, although we had passed by snow along the highway on the way up. I guess Leavenworth has enough snow for all of us this year.

It was nice to venture out on a day trip again. I hope that the weather cooperates as I’m already contemplating another day trip, this time to Waterville.

Jan17

Things Look So Different Now

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Things Look So Different Now

I’m usually here in the summer, not in the winter. I haven’t spent a winter in snow since 2009, and even that year I escaped to Cuba for a while.

On Friday I went to my friend Ann’s home in Leavenworth. When I first got back in September I stayed in a cabin on her property. It sure looks different in the winter.

The view from the deck has changed as well. Too cold for rafting on the river although it has not frozen over.

Less than a half hour away I’m still walking around in track shoes, not boots. There is no snow on the ground yet.

I took a walk through downtown the other day and decided to take photos of sculptures rather than buildings.

I also got a shot of an old bridge I’ve walked across that connects the downtown area with the Walla Walla Point Park loop trail and the miniature railroad.

Winter has always been my least favorite season of the year. My memories of winter on the Canadian prairies are of getting up in the dark in the morning and returning home from school or work in the dark. And then there were the freezing temperatures and bitter windchills.

Although I much prefer my winters in Mexico, I really can’t complain too loudly about the weather in Wenatchee. I just pray that the mild temperatures continue and that there isn’t too much snow in the near future.

Jan12

My New Reality

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My New Reality

Yesterday I had planned to meet a friend in Cashmere. However when I got up in the morning, the previous night’s rain had frozen over. The sidewalks and streets were glass. It was too treacherous to venture out. We would have to reschedule.

I checked my Facebook groups from Wenatchee and Leavenworth. Blewett was closed due to spinouts. Stevens was closed for avalanche control. These are the two main passes through the mountains to get to Seattle.

Leavenworth got over a foot of snow. Here in Wenatchee we got less than one inch. There were power outages all over Chelan County but not here in Wenatchee. The highway between Wenatchee and Cashmere was icy with lots of spinouts. While freezing rain and snow continued to fall in Cashmere and Leavenworth, here in Wenatchee the sun actually came out and melted the little snow we did get, although more rain is in the forecast.

This is so completely different from the Winnipeg winters I experienced before moving away just over ten years ago. Plummeting temperatures and bitter windchills are just memories now. I think I chose a good place to spend the winter this year although I’d much rather be in Mexico. I miss the sunshine and warmer climate. And even though I don’t need boots yet here in Wenatchee, it isn’t exactly sandals weather either.

A year ago in January I was in Aguascalientes visiting museums and coloring in parks. I met friends for coffee or lunch. I took long walks and browsed through my neighborhood tienguis. I listened to rosters crow and watched children playing in the streets. I call this time the new “BC.” These two letters now stand for “Before Covid.”

Winter in Wenatchee is my new reality.

Jan10

Even The Geese Are Confused

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Even The Geese Are Confused

While my friends in Leavenworth are wearing boots, here in Wenatchee we have rain and need umbrellas. The geese are back. They haven’t headed south yet although they have left Canada behind. And it’s almost mid January.

In my quest to simplify my life, I eliminated two email addresses and removed What’s App. Only one email address to check now makes it easier. What’s App is useful when I’m in Mexico but not when I’m in the USA.

I was at Dollar Tree yesterday and in one aisle there was Christmas, Valentines Day and St. Patrick’s Day. I guess Easter is on the horizon. The garden tools and skipping ropes are already on the shelves.

I’m enjoying my new phone and getting used to the changes. I’m still discovering new features. Cell phones have come a long way since the cumbersome one in a suitcase that I had back in the early 90s.

Renewed my travel health insurance for another month. My body is still complaining that we should be in Mexico in the winter.

Time for Duolingo.

Que tengas un buen dia!