From the April A-Z Blogging archives.
This was originally posted April 26th, 2016
We've just acquired more than 600 vintage vinyl records. It's going to be a GREAT summer! TAKEN: MARCH 26TH, 2016 |
We've just acquired more than 600 vintage vinyl records. It's going to be a GREAT summer! TAKEN: MARCH 26TH, 2016 |
Happy 10th Anniversary Mikey Mike! Taken: April 2017 |
My Sweetie and me... Never to focus on the past. It's not the direction we're going. TAKEN: MARCH 11th, 2012 |
My Sweetie and me enjoying a Cafe de Monde beignets in the French Quarter, NOLA. TAKEN: MAY 30th, 2019 |
Prince at the ACC. SECTION 107 ~ ROW 16 TAKEN: NOVEMBER 25th, 2011 |
My quest for a greater QUANTITY continues TAKEN: APRIL 17th, 2018 |
The beachfront at our rental home in Elbow Cay, Abocos, Bahamas. (Photo credit & rental heads up to my very good buddy JCW) TAKEN: FEBRUARY 2015 |
April 17th, 2014 - OPTIMISTIC |
April 16th, 2013 - NOSTALGIC Taken: June 2012 |
April 14th, 2013 - LAUGHTER Taken: April 2008 |
My son Jukebox, singing in the finals of Muskoka Voice! TAKEN: AUGUST 2018 |
You're only as old as you feel...! TAKEN: APRIL 9th, 2015 |
April 8th, 2013 - GIFTS Taken: Myrtle Beach SC (Xmas 1997) |
Just waiting for the right wave. TAKEN: APRIL 7th, 2016 |
Headed to New Orleans with my Timmies! TAKEN: APRIL 6th, 2017 |
Pretty Curls TAKEN: DECEMBER 1969 |
Lake Louise with my Mama TAKEN: JULY 1976 |
High School Daze TAKEN: MAY 1984 |
Tampa, Florida TAKEN: APRIL 1989 |
Labour Day Monday at Santa's Village TAKEN: SEPTEMBER 1996 |
The summer we lived at the cottage. TAKEN: JULY 2002 |
Sweetie & Me ~ Westin Harbour Castle TAKEN: MAY 2008 |
Top of El Arco - Mazatlan, Mexico TAKEN: NOVEMBER 2019 |
April 3rd, 2013 - CAMERA Taken: March 29th, 2013 |
Annie watching Puddie & Dot run the golf course. TAKEN: MARCH 15th, 2014 |
'JUST SHOW UP EACH AND EVERYDAY' ~ W.J. Schneider DOT's PIC TAKEN: March 31st, 2014 |
One of my teen year bullies snapped this pic! (Introducing my one time blog costar: Dusty) TAKEN: WINTER 1983 |
In this electronic offering, I would like to discuss something as simple as the fact that I was privileged enough to get my hair cut and coloured in Simcoe-Muskoka last week.
As proof of how truly grateful I am, I have attached before and after selfies illustrating my being provided a much needed personal service that I took completely for granted.
Before and After: With selfie photoshoots happening less than a month apart. TAKEN: FEBRUARY 2021 |
Before I begin my rant, I would like to insert a caveat. With all we have happening in the world right now, I wake up every morning making an honest effort to be politically diplomatic. Meaning... 'to say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy.’
I will acknowledge the fact that I’m sure you're perplexed out of the gate with the concept of my saying ‘nothing.’ My choice isn't because I have decided to shy away from the comfort of confrontation, more because in the last year I tend to gut check before I engage online with a person that is being irrational; to ensure that they are NOT going to be doing the same thing.
That said, though I have my own ideas on how we got to today, I was wondering if anyone else (specifically in Ontario) feel like the tail is now officially wagging the dog?
Why has cart sanitation and hazard pay at the local box stores disappeared, yet my amazing hairdresser with only one chair, obsessed to comply with every safety aspect thrown at her, expected struggle to generate honest revenue and pay bills?
It makes no sense.
The fact that the 'essential' weed shop in the sleepy little town where I live is an uber small business with a line up around the corner and down the lane, yet for months I couldn't get a haircut in a shop with a single chair. Even more baffling's that the elementary schools remain open here after cases are confirmed in students, and people still can't get a f*ucking haircut!
Look, I know I am scratching a scab that has been puss filled for a year. But we are locked down in Muskoka again thanks to a supposed 'UK variant' that has landed from Ireland. How did it get here?
At this point, because we aren't allowed to travel, my best guess makes me wonder if it landed on the lid of a can of Guinness sold at the local LCBO, that slipped into the store cooler after refusing to wear mask.
That said, did you hear? I got my hair done. We wore masks and everything!
Had it been 72 hours later? My gal would have lost her license!!
#rantcomplete #yagottalaughaboutit #totalbullshit #limitededition
For the last decade, Friday mornings in January had me check the weather to see how low the temperature was expected to dip within the coming 48 hours. This weekly tradition helped me understand how my weekend was going to be spent (-10C registered as balmy and -25C as housebound).
If I was lucky enough to be blessed with a mild winter, one of the two days had me strap on my snowshoes and head out with the pups. Nine times out of ten I would land at the cottage but if I did not have the luxury of half the day to myself, the golf course across the street was an excellent option for my weekly ritual.
A few years ago, when our beloved Dotti's hips began to be an issue, my biggest winter priority was ensuring she had a series of snowshoed paths for easy access around the lower level of our yard, so she would never struggle when out to do her stinky winter thing with nature.
With our Puddin’ entering her twilight years, it seemed my winter weekends were once again destine to be spent blazing trails with my showshoes. With her general lack of speed and muscle mass, I knew she would be appreciative to be able to navigate her turf with general freedom; and yours truly, grateful for the outdoor exercise.
That said, with my husband having his own personal health setback at Thanksgiving, he too is in search of whatever exercise he can easily accomplish.
You can tell by the picture I am sharing (which I snapped standing in my showshoes) that my trails are getting an updated facelift, and my longstanding pup efforts are being replaced.
Can't stop change, only manage it! #yagottalaughaboutit TAKEN: JANUARY 31st, 2021 |
I don't mind his initiative, I honestly don't. My girls will love their new trails that are wider and much easier for them to navigate.
I guess my wee issue is that this whole lockdown situation has NOT been my friend.
I may do my best to do my due diligence in the exercise department - only to come back into the house and enjoy a plethora of warm milk and cookies.
I know I have no one to blame but myself. But I will say, that not spending an hour every morning on my appearance to head into an office job, has enabled my keen ability to shroud myself in clothing that masks the number of calories being enjoyed at any given yummy juncture.
Wanting to embrace my glass half full, I have decided to shift my mindset to an uber positive outlook as my appearance changes.
My new mantra? I prefer not to think of myself as overweight...
Just substantially easier to see!!
#missionaccomplished
Over the holiday break, I decided to clean the crawlspace underneath our beautiful front entrance stairs. This 'out of sight out of mind' task can only be described as the long brewing perfect storm of general guilt, individual curiosity, and ultimate discovery.
Neatly tucked away, when you opened the door you were greeted by a gloomy space filled with decorations, old video game paraphernalia and the remains of what I decided to store when I disassembled my marketing firm after the banks fell back in 2008.
Around the corner and under the actual stairs, where the single light bulb couldn't reach, was a massive technical graveyard. A segregated area full of old laptops the kids killed, and any desktop towers I had been blessed to receive the blue screen of death on.
It was also where old printers, monitors, scanners, and ink cartridges from my digital press were also laid to rest. And it wasn’t until I began to haul everything into the downstairs living room that I came face with thousands of hard earned and impulse spent technologies dollars looking back at me.
My two office assistants completely ignoring my technology exorcism. TAKEN: DECEMBER 27th, 2020 |
Most Significant Moment: The arrival and living with COVID-19.
Everything from the toilet paper crisis (the centre pic was my rare cottage find when there was none left within the Province of Ontario), to the end of Donald Trump as the President of the United States.
I feel 2020 was the year of solitude; served with a side dish of hatred and divide!
TAKEN: Throughout 2020 |
January: I participated in a five weekend advanced digital marketing (in-class course) in downtown Toronto. An amazing and eye opening experience!
February: Jukebox and his band headlined a local event that was sold-out and attended by all, including my bestie @veronekak.
March: Our entire community rallied around our childhood friend as he battled a very debilitating illness. This event, held Saturday March 7th, 2020, was the last time I was out socially before the initial pandemic lockdown took effect.
April: The unexpected and very premature passing of my husbands step father from ALS. Rest in peace Ivy!
May: No longer able to live normally because of Covid-19, we moved full time to the cottage.
June: We planted and enjoyed tending to our very first cottage vegetable garden. (We have serious plans for expansion in 2021.)
July: We gave Stella, our floating picnic table, a serious facelift and added a trolling motor for speed. She became the talk of the lake.
August: My Sweetie and her sweetie. I captured this Kodak moment the first time JMrex visited the cottage to meet us.
September: I took a step back and made a plan to move forward!!
October: Our tiny bubble enjoyed a Thanksgiving pumpkin carving event. This was also the evening my husband suffered his life altering health issues.
November: The look of the last eight months as we prepare to hunker back in to yet another lockdown.
December: Totally locked back down and hoping this one word is what we all get to experience in 2021.