This Season's Greetings have a lot of mixed emotion, ranging from grief with what we have lost, frustration with dealing with the unknown and gratitude for the constants and new things we discovered.
2020 roared in like an expected cold Canadian winter storm but we weren't expecting this upending, nor for it to last so long. The Coronacoaster sure has some ups and down.
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| Overcoming obstacles 2020's theme |
Off to a great start with some great times with friends to carry us to warmer times.
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Fun skiing with Steve.  Apres ski and fun at Laura and Steve's chalet with the kids Even though I like travelling for work, going to Winnipeg in the winter would not have been a top destination. I was expecting it to be WINTERPEG- like but who knew this was going to be the last business trip for awhile. |
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| Winnipeg had more than deer to surprise me in the morning |
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| Surprise! I serendipitously met up with my dear friend Krista, also there for work! |
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| Hanging at the Museum of Human Rights |
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| Krista and I have been friends since junior high. Our friendship is enduring and special. I am so grateful we really made this trip count! |
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| Skating with Katherine and Bob on the canal |
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| Back in the days when we'd dress for more than the waist-up for real meetings! |
We're grateful Olaf and Laura were able to visit us at the end of February - and get to experience the real cold! They were the last guests we hosted in our house since the pandemic. Hope they can come back soon!
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So, should I ask about world angst and peace? |
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| Laura, me and former Prime Minister Jean Chretien I think this made Laura's weekend! |
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| The last wine tasting event probably for a longtime. Hope we meet up sooner, Marcel! |
What a Friday the 13th! We were skiing in Kelowna when the world started to shut down. See the entry peaked-at-sun-peaks
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| Things might have been closed but life wasn't The valleys of life are where growth happens - it is just really, really hard to have the patience to see it through |
If we're in this thing for the long haul we need coffee and chocolate, so why not combine them for a one-shot deal and get a head start?
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| Major renovations are not suggested while you're on lockdown and try to work from home This added "challenge" was not fun..at all. |
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| This was kinda the mood in the spring |
Trying to bring a little life to the party, E and I assembled a terrarium project.
While Adrian shopped for groceries...
The empty bread shelves inspired Adrian to adopt a new child. Well, actually she is a 'mother' named Oscar. Following in the pandemic trends, a sourdough starter became part of the family.
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| Welcome Oscar the sourdough starter |
We hit on all the Covid trends...
Old school sewing skills were put to use to make masks, an itty bitty polka dot bikini, chef's hat, tops, mending...
E has started a sweat shop in her bedroom and mask production is ramping up.
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| Then the baking started... |
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Perfectly matched with a lemon tart
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| We celebrated! |
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| Working from home has its perks when E makes cookies |
If we're going to be stuck in the house, we might as well eat and drink the good stuff like there is no tomorrow. You'll get the idea that food is the main pandemic theme here...
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| Escargots are just a vehicle to get garlic butter into you |
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| Paella for Easter! |
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| Roasted squash, arugula and cranberry salad. Made from a rogue butternut seed that grew from the compost. Getting into the gardening trend without the planning! |
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| Lobster risotto - what a treat Lobster brought back from NS |
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How many kinds of "bowl" food can we trend? |
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| How about the love/hate relationship with Marmite? |
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| A minor wine disaster... |
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| Time to break this baby out of the cellar |
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| This one too.... the return on investment with a wine cellar is paying off during Covid!! |
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| A couple of months into the pandemic, E said she needed more people, She named her globe Susan. She looks sad, but maybe if you were Australia with locked down borders til 2021, you'd be sad too. |
We were feeling lonely during lockdown and not having anyone over. Trying to bridge the social gap, we illegally invited some guests to dinner.
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| The movie star |
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| The support staff |
Played with our food....
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| What else can I sprout? |
You know you need more social contact when you start to see faces in your food, and they're plants.
There were clouds in my coffee...
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| or bears... |
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| Cat, chihuahua or ghoul? |
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| ...Chick, horned owl or Rorschach? |
Before gatherings were illegal, we had a socially distanced neighbourhood street party. It was a nice way to connect with our caring neighbours and know that when we needed that cup of sugar we could depend on them and for so much more support. We are blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people.
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| Thoughtful gesture by our wonderful neighbours, Catherine and Adrian |
Steve P giving up
his babies for a good home
Socializing took a deep pivot... we still managed to connect with people.
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A few neighbours on a summer's eve |
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Good wines, better friends! |
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Celebrating Catherine's birthday with a walk. Next year, Champagne!! |
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Angela's outdoor retirement party! |
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Walks in the park with Jill, A, Gus and Gabriel |
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More walks in the park, Adrian, E, Me, Don, A and Delisa |
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Campfire and friends |
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Donna singing in the rain! |
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Birthday celebrations al fresco! Surprise birthday cake delivered from Mom, Dad, Steve & Kelly |
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More al fresco - or el tornado outdoor dining |
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Covid hair gone too far |
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Its not a wig.... |
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Five months without a hair cut and highlights! The bonus was I could get both AM and FM with the foils |
Strange things happened during Covid... like
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...how did the missing socks get on top of the tall china cabinet...? |
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Busted.... the crazy things cats do during COVID. |
We taunted the cat...
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| The cat didn't knock a single cork over in the obstacle course!! |
But the indoor cat escaped and helped herself....
Make sure you watch the video!
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Really? |
We got outside a lot (and so did the cat). So grateful that we live in the beautiful city of Ottawa where the great outdoors is really at our doorstep with greenspace, rivers, parks and the canal.
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Biking along the Ottawa River |
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The sun still shone and the tulips still blossomed |
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No tour busses for this year's tulip festival. On the bright side, it wasn't crowded! |
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Paddling the Ottawa River... and the canal right in the city! |
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The first time we paddled the canal! |
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Woody Woodpecker |
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Rewards of nature walks |
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Sometimes the beauty is on your own street |
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Even the squirrels look like they've been on the Covid Couch too long |
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We worked out...in the back garden |
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...on the seashore |
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on the road...ouch! |
The Nova Scotia seashore and my family provided a much needed Coronacoaster break. See the full blog entry at The Sound of the Ocean
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E and Grampy |
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| Aunt Marilyn looking good at 82! Glad I have these genes! |
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| And the sun will come up tomorrow! |
Came home from the cottage and look at the final basement unveil!
All the noise and dust was worth the final basement renovation. Our contractor, Paul, who has done all of our renovations, toiled with humour and professionalism considering the crazy restrictions.
Now to finish off the decor!
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| Maybe not the light at the end of the tunnel, but a rainbow sure brightens spirits |
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| How many full moons now? I'm tracking time like I live by a sundial... |
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| Even without travel, I had my two favourite cities perched on my Haitian coaster. We can still hold on to great memories and dream of future travel to see our friends |
I am quoting my friend Marie once again this holiday season.
Sending you all patience, courage, resilience and always joy!
Merry Christmas and a Splendid New Year
May 2021 be a year to rejoice.
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