1st World Problems

 Remember last week when I said to look for the helpers? Turns out the people of Ukraine are the helpers.  As we are all aware good old Poutine himself decided that it was time to reannex Ukraine. He looked at President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and thought to himself that there would no way that the voice of the Ukrainian Paddington Bear, who once competed on a dancing reality TV show would be able to lead an effective defense strategy. I really think Putin thought that he would send in troops and the job would be done within a day or two.  Instead, the Ukrainian people and their leader are showing us what bravery really means.  If you're like me you've been watching the battle unfold mostly through social media. Which is a sentence I never thought I would type. Nor one I would have believed until quite recently. Now, as with all things social media, and all things where Russians are involved, everything you see and hear needs to be taken with a grain (or many) of salt....

 From the time our daughter was very young, we have (for the most part) let her make her own decisions.  This has led to a few different outcomes.  1. Very interesting outfits 2. A good sense of who she is 3. The occasional super stubborn streak. This may be more genetic-based than as a result of decision-making For the most part, she chooses what we would have for her, and I think that she is more confident because of it.  Then there are the other times. The times when she is incapable of making even the simplest decision. When she can't tell me where she wants to eat or go.  Right now she is on the precipice between junior high and high school. And with that change comes some serious choices that will impact the rest of her life. We have had her enrolled in a second language program since she was in kindergarten. We thought that she would be going all the way through school in that program just like her brother did. Then another plan was made by someone, I'm n...

 Has there ever been a time when politicians were trusted? And on top of that, shouldn't we always hold the people we chose to represent us to a higher level of responsibility? They are just as human as the rest of us and as we all know we are all capable of erring. Right now I think one of the main problems we are dealing with (as far as the division in political ideals) is how we look at our duly elected leaders.  The idolization of leaders leads to a larger problem. When you can no longer question what your leader is doing, nor allow others to question, you no longer have an elected leader. You have a cult leader. The problems begin.  In my opinion, the very root of democracy lies not only in choice but in the ability to action that choice. It seems that people have forgotten that part. Democracy is choosing a leader that will uphold the things that are important to you. When they no longer do that, it's time for them to go. Also, a part of democracy (that is my word o...

 I need you to stop what you are doing and really take in the next thing I am about to tell you.  Vladimir Putin's name translates to Vladimir Poutine in French.  I am not even making this up. Check this out:  Vladimir Poutine .  When I was a kid, I was a very anxiety-ridden worrier. Not a surprise, I know. I was convinced that at any moment the world was going to end. I couldn't point to a cause, or really elaborate on how I thought it would happen. I just had a lot of nightmares. As I got older I taught myself some coping mechanisms, and one of them is to distract myself with something funny.  This is a good one. I am sure all of us have been watching not only our own country but what is happening in Ukraine as well. I will not attempt to explain what is going on there. I just know that it's bad. History shows that Russia's record is mostly unbeaten when other countries square up against them.  There was a time that what happened in that part of the ...

 My kids actually addressed each other respectfully today. Then thirty seconds later the usual cacophony started. When they were smaller I can remember calling my mom to ask what I should do. She advised me to just let them have at it. As long as there were no serious physical incidents it was more theatre than action. Neither of the kids can be considered anything but good people. They like to help people, they volunteer with us, they enjoy being a part of a solution.  The royal rumbles are really only issues when it's just the four of us at home. Which I am almost grateful for. I wouldn't be able to go in public if they spoke to each other around people that they do here.  I think most outsiders would describe the kids as patient and warm. When they are alone, from what I hear, they get along as well. They even hung out together with his friends one night when my husband and I were elsewhere.  When our daughter was around 18 months old (making our son around five) ...

Is anyone else feeling a little unhinged lately? As though I am three steps away from either disappearing without a trace or never leaving my house again.  Outside feels unsafe right now. Not the fact that we got a fair amount of snow last night. But just the general energy that is out there.  Earlier today, I was in the grocery store and somehow wound up the witness to an almost altercation. I was turning into the cereal aisle and almost ran into a woman who was just standing there partially blocking the entrance. I said excuse me, nothing. So, I slid by barely making it through the small gap she had left. The only other person in the aisle was the gentleman that the aisle blocker watched closely. As I got closer to my target (honey nut Cheerios), I realized he was partially blocking the Cheerios.  I slowed my pace and he placed one of the boxes down. The other he walked back to the aisle blocker with. As he put the box into the cart she snorted and asked what the d...

 Do you know what your love language is? Did you even know that was a thing? Relationships take work, we all know that. As I was writing about Valentine's Day yesterday it got me thinking about the couples who come at things like that from completely different places. My husband and I decided early on that we would tell each other we love each other in little ways all year, that works for us.  What about the couple where one half goes hard on the gifts, and the other doesn't reciprocate. I guess they either make it work, or don't. Just one of the things that every relationship has to hurdle. I don't think any relationship is perfect. How can they be? The choice there is to know in yourself what you are willing to give and what you are willing to receive.  My husband and I decided to be married in a church. That part definitely wasn't for us necessarily, but we knew how much it meant to certain members of our families. As a part of getting married in the church, we c...

In case you haven't heard, today is Valentine's Day.  And because today is supposed to be a celebration of love and candy, I am not going to write about anything political.  My favorite part of Valentine's Day has always actually been the next day. When the chocolate is at least half off. That might be more about my love of chocolate over my love of this Hallmark holiday though.  I do think that people should be allowed to like things though. I know some people that love love. And this just gives them another reason to be happy. Unlike most holidays that Christians celebrate it doesn't seem like they are based on any pagan ceremonies.  There are a few different origin stories. Most of them involve Saint Valentine. Sometimes he is saving restoring the jailer's daughter's sight right before he is executed. Other times he is performing marriages for Roman soldiers who don't have permission to wed. No matter how it started it seems like different countries have ...

Every day I write about what is happening with covid and politics, and every day I say to myself that I won't do it the next day, and then every day something happens and I write about it again.  Today's development has made more of a physical reaction than I was prepared for.  It shouldn't take a genius to figure out that I think the convoys that are going on are BS. The stated goals have constantly changed and the real reason behind them has never been stated. But now it's gone too far.  Yesterday, in the blockade that is on the border, the convoy members had their children line up as a human shield to stop trucks from being able to cross into the states. THEIR CHILDREN.  When I first saw the pictures (which I will post below) I didn't believe that they were real. I couldn't believe that people could stoop so low as to their children in this position. What on earth could be done? Law enforcement had no choice but to let this happen. They haven't exactly be...

 Here I am again, lost in the feeling of being left behind by my government.  This may be an oversimplification but come along with me anyway. Politically this province is at a significant crossroads. We are stuck between the more rural areas and the urban areas. There are different morals and values. We are stuck between age groups. Everyone needs to feel represented. I have rarely felt represented in this province. I think many people of my age group feel the same way. Our political climate feels very much like an uncomfortable Christmas dinner at your Grandmother's house.  Your racist uncle is in the corner yelling something about immigration, your drunk aunt is getting a little handsy and dancy. You are keeping your eyes down so as not to encourage anyone in the room and then your grandfather drops some slur as though the times have never changed. Kenbabe (Kenney) is that cousin who gets there last, leaves early, and takes the best leftovers. He stokes up your uncle a...

 When you ask someone to describe the average Canadian, what adjectives do you think they would use? I am thinking some things along the lines of a lumberjack, or a hockey player would be the average response. Or some might refer to the Indigenous people of our country. Internationally, we are seen as harmless and outdoorsy. And white. Very wonder bread.  We can't help our reputation, but we can certainly do more when it comes to acknowledging the contributions that people of colour have made to the country as a whole. Seeing as it is Black History month here are a few people I would like to introduce you to.  1.  Artis Lane  nee Shreve is a black, female sculptor. She was born just outside of Chatham, Ontario in 1927. Her birthplace, North Buxton is known for being a community that was a final destination for the Underground Railroad. Her work is well known and has been featured at the Smithsonian. She designed Rosa Park's Congressional Medal of Honour in 1999....

 The truth is a slippery thing.  Two people can experience the exact same thing at the exact same time and come out of it with completely different recollections. Both will be telling their truth. And both will be coloured by past experiences. I have a tendency to be fairly insular. I try not to talk about things that can be considered controversial unless I am really close to the person I am speaking with.  We used to have something called "polite conversation". There were certain things you just didn't discuss with people. Religion and money being the top two major topics to be avoided. Conflict was avoided and conversations for the most part stayed fairly superficial, depending on the company you were keeping.  Then we stopped being so polite. Everyone was entitled to everyone else's opinion. You were going to hear it sometimes whether you wanted to or not. Newer generations have been raised thinking that their opinion is the only thing that matters. And older gen...

 I really wish that I could be positive every day.  I would rather write about stupid, funny things that don't really matter.  Instead, the hate just keeps coming.  I was not raised religiously. I don't think many of my generation were. Our parents were forced to attend church and all that came with it. By the time we came along religion was more nebulous. The almighty (if you believed in one) wasn't just an old guy who only listened when you were in a certain building. For the most part, I was given a basic tour of the highlights of this type of belief and left to figure out the rest for myself.  I was baptized into the Roman Catholic church, mostly because that was just what you did where I come from. Then, the church that I was baptized in burned down. Also, where I am from was one of the first places where survivors of sexual abuse by the church were officially recognized and reported on. So, there is less of a link to how great the church is, and more of a ...

 I think we all deserve something lighter today. Only good news stories today.  1. Social media helps out. This one sounds like a movie .  A guy in Vancouver happens to be scrolling the Facebook page for his farm community hometown in Saskatchewan. Around the same time, a lady is trying to drive through a terrible snowstorm with high winds and no visibility. She figures out that she is lost and has no idea where she is, and that the storm is so bad she needs somewhere safe to hang out.  So she takes picture of the only sign she can see and sends the location to herself. She looks up the sign and finds the Facebook page. She posts about her situation and this guy happens to recognize the sign because he is friends with the son of the guy who owns the farm. The son calls his dad (who happens to be 80) to let him know that this lady is trapped and lost at the end of his driveway. He walks down the driveway and leads her up to safety.  A short while later another p...

I don't really know what to talk about today. So I guess I will freestyle it.  It feels like we are on a precipice. The choices we make now will dictate the actions of many in the future.  Remember when you were a kid and started to notice the correlation between action and consequence? When you started to learn that maybe you shouldn't do that thing because it won't end well? The internet has a new term for it, f*** around and find out. I love it. I substitute the first word because swears. But the message is really there. It feels like there are a bunch of people right now that have forgotten how things go when you forget the difference between liberty and freedom. Liberty is when you have the freedom to participate in actions that are considered socially acceptable. The things we all do as a society to keep each other safe and happy. Some people have decided that freedom means that they get to do whatever they want whenever they want to. They don't care about other p...