MAY AND ITS MANY ACTIVITIES

From home.

I love May and the unfolding of the green and flowers and warmer weather.

Being outside makes the physically distancing and staying home more bearable.

More walks.

Planting the veggies in pots. Flowers in the garden.

Working away at my jungle of a yard. Branches cut and getting at the overgrown paths once the forget me nots have finished their blooming.

Making masks for family. About 30 over the last few days.

Getting ready for June's webinar and OGS conference online. Starts tomorrow with some lectures.

Getting better at ZOOM. At least my camera is positioned better. Now to learn how to use my head phones and mic.

Getting thins organized for the Canada Day stuff for the grandkids.

Looking forward to June birthdays and distancing celebrations.

Sometimes we have to bulldoze on in life.

Talking with neighbours and newfound friends from my walk.

Connecting with as many people as possible by all means- phone, walks, social media and snail mail.

Life is challenging right now. But it is life and good.
How has your May been? Any challenges??
#mayanditschallenges#mayactivities#flowere#walks#plantingandweedingthegarden#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

COVID-19 AND WHAT I MISS

Mostly I miss the ordinary family events. A simple dinner or backyard barbecue together.

I miss the grandchildren sleeping over at my house. The noise. The questions. Just the simple things. Yelling at them to be quiet. No fighting!!

The planes. The red eyes at 6 am. The afternoon planes. The evening planes. I love watching them go over my house on the path to the airport. I miss hearing them.

Having the opportunity to eat out at a restaurant with family.

Getting together with friends for coffee or a dinner or lunch.

Going to favourite events. The Quilts at the Creek is cancelled this year.

2019 memories. Glad I obsess when I visit somewhere with tons of photos.

Going to the movie theatre with a daughter. Any movie would do right now. I do use Rogers On Demand to see current films. But not the same in one's family room.

Day trips.

Last year's visit to Niagara On The Lake and wineries.

A real sporting event like a Jays game. Walking around downtown and not worrying about physical distancing. Although the walk could be doable with a mask and distancing.

Real meetings. ZOOM works. Webinars work. But sitting and talking with colleagues or acquaintances works better. I joined social events to have some outings with real people.

I miss the little things the most. I am making the best of my world. I am a lucky one with a house and a yard and social connections. So my world is not so bad.

But it is okay to miss the little things.
How about you?What are you missing?
#missingthelittlethingsinlife#socialconnections#rememberingpastevents#lotsofphotoskeepthememoriesalive#physicaldistancingcanwork#wearamasktoenjoybeingout#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

NANA SAYS PARENTING THROUGH COVID-19 IS MORE THAN TOUGH

It is overwhelming.
Nana sees the lone person sitting in a car at the library.
Nana sees the mother walking alone almost catatonic.
Nana is aware the incidents of domestic violence are up.

So if feeling the pain of parenting which now has become amazing home cook, wonderful teacher, counsellor and entertainer.

No wonder you feel overwhelmed.

Online learning for young people is overwhelming.

This Nana helped a Grade Nine grandchild with some learning. The expectations to learn like this is well a bit much. The amount of information to peruse was like a university level without the class discussion and teacher . I let her know what she was doing was tough.

I try to be as supportive to my working daughters and sons-in-law  and letting them know it is tough.

The longer it goes on into the summer with the prediction of few if any summer camps, it will become worse.

No playgrounds.

No pools.

No real places to visit. Oh yeah the Toronto Zoo Safarai in your car. Maybe other places will have similar events too.

Walks. Bike rides. Playing on your lawn.

Too much!

If in a neighbourhood with nightly sing alongs or exercise classes or a concert it makes it easier.

But the isolation is huge.

Shopping can be a nightmare with people not wearing masks or giving proper physical distancing.

Roughing it out. Toughing it out. Easy to say.

Finding your groove is a route to take.

As our social bubbles will open a little, Nana wants to give some away time to my gang.

Reach out to family members, friends, colleagues. Have a good bitch session. Have a good laugh. Give each other stupid advice.

Know we have come down the road. It is a lot longer than we wanted it to be.

My advice- one foot in front of the other. Make each day count. Get through it. Have the children keep a scrapbook, journal- whatever works for them.

Discuss your feelings. Sing them. Draw them. Allow them.

Parents- hang in there. Nana says you are doing the best you can. Some days will be better than others.
#covid19istough#nanasays#supportingourchildrenduringthesetimesistough#familiesneedeachother#onlinelearningistough#makethebestofwhatyouhave#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro#covid-19

NANA SAYS SOME FAVOURITE PLACES TO VISIT ONLINE ARE WORTH THE EFFORT

I miss the whole idea of taking grandkids to favourite places over the summer.

So I checked out if there were any open.

Silly me, of course not. COVID19 changed everything.

But I love Black Creek Pioneer Village. No Quilt show this year.
There are many online virtual activities to do.
I printed up the toilet paper roll corking idea to use with my youngest granddaughter.
Black Creek Pioneer Village

It would be so much fun to be able to visit again.

Another fun place is the Ontario Science Centre.
Check out their virtual ideas.
Ontario Science Centre


If you miss art. Well the local Art Gallery- McMichael Collection has some events too.
There is a virtual art tour weekly that you must preregister as the class is limited.
McMichael Collection
There are beautiful grounds there but currently closed to the public. BOO HOO! It would be a wonderful walking tour.

Our Richmond Hill Heritage Centre can be accessed by walking down Church Street. The building is closed. So are the grounds. There is an online database of local artifacts that may be of interest to children and teens and their online projects.
Richmond Hill Heritage Centre

Even the local library has a weekly storytime for example for young children.
Richmond Hill Public Library

So Nana says if visiting with children and grandchildren, playing outside is still best right now. But lots of online fun from favourite sites too.
#ontariosciencecentre#blackcreekpioneervillage#mcmichaelcollection#richmondhilllibrary#lotsoffunactivitiesonlineforeveeryone#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#nanasays#barbaradimambro

COVID-19 FATIGUE

Who is tired of COVID-19?

Raise your hand!

Well everybody raised their hand.

It is almost the end of May. For many of us we have heard about this situation since last November in China.

Then declared COVID-19 in February. Could only get infected through travel.

Then March and the parade of shutdowns.

End of May- 5 months more or less. But it seems so much longer.

Every time we think we are flattening the curve, something stupid happens. Trinity Bellwood Park and the hoards of people on Saturday.

Crowds in the USA denying and defying that the virus is real! " I am young and healthy it won't hurt me" said by many. " Everybody has to die sometime!"

Is a trip to a crowded beach really so necessary!!

Our shame in Ontario of the situation in the Nursing Homes. So yes many old frail people are dying but those that have been sick and recovered at home said it was not easy.

Wear your mask. Wash your hands. Physical distance. I follow the rules but so many do not.

There is no more we are in this together. There is angry for others- FOLLOW THE BLOODY RULES!!

We have come so far. But we have a journey to go. I want to shop without out the stress of worrying about bringing it home to my hubbie.

Or me.

I am tired of seeing celebrities in their homes whining about being home. Poor them in their staffed environments with tons of money!!

I am tired of the superficial people complaining about how terrible their life has become because some superficial event could not occur. My daughter went to a physical distancing and masked chiropractor session in the same building as the cosmetic surgery. The lineup for botox!! So no botox for two months!! Really! That was the sacrifice.

I want to see live sports events and concerts and festivals and fun stuff too happening again.

My first boo hoo was the cancellation of the EX!! I know too many crowds.

A movie at the theatre with my daughters would be nice too.

Okay those ZOOM meetings!! I would like to go to my social events in person again and see the people in real time.

I want the option of being able to enjoy the things I enjoyed.

I live with the hope that they will come again but in modified forms I am sure.

Nice weather and outside helps. My walks help as there are few people around and I can physical distance carrying a mask on my wrist if needed quickly.

                                                                    Too crowded.

Not more than 5 and maybe soon 10.

But waking up every morning and saying oh yeah the bloody pandemic is still here starts to wear on the mood and conscience.

How about you? Are you tired of COVID-19? What are you missing? What would you do when life reopens a little?
#covid19andfatigue#stayinghome#practicesphysicaldistancing#wearamask#washyourhands#followtherules#majoreventscancelled#missingmajorevents#Iwanttogotoamovie#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro#cancellationoftheEX#cancellationofmajorevents#covid-19

TAKING LIFE ONE STEP AT A TIME

COVID19 has made many people slow down. Many are still working from home. Many have been laid off.

Some people are sick. Some are looking after sick people

Taking time to do what needs to be done can be challenging.

A simple shopping trip for groceries has become almost a nightmare. Many other shoppers not following the rules of physical distancing.

So calming our energy and stopping.

Taking one step at a time.

The going may be steep. But that one step approach and the top will be reached.
#onestepatatime#covid19anditschallenges#shoppinghasbecomeanightmare#calmone'senergyandonestepatatime#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

MAY AND ITS BEAUTY 2020

Focus can be on COVID19 for just so long.

Walks and sitting outside and watching sunsets are important to help keep our sanity.

Our gardens give us an array of colour. Depending on what is planted.

Lots of tulips.

 Pretty pink.

Lonely white.

Orange.

I call them grape flowers because I always forget the real name.

Pink bushes on front lawns covered with yellow dandelions.

Knitting and crocheting.

Mother's Day and flowers from loved ones. 

 A COVID craft.

 Morning routine for hubbie.

PC Insiders gift. Pizza flour, sauce and pickled eggplant. A cute rolling pin for future cooking endeavors.

Using My Heritage to colour black and white pictures. The above is prewar Cassino.

Beautiful white trees all in a row close to home.

Missing Niagara on the Lake and area in May. I have my memories.

Getting the veggie pot garden on the go.

No DOORS OPEN ONTARIO due to COVID19.

Where will we be headed??

Although the journey may be steep, May let's us take it one step at a time. Stopping and enjoying the beauty around us brings not only beauty but pleasure.
#COVID19#mayanditsbeauty#niagaraonthelakeandmemories#missingthoseoutingstoniagaraonthelake#tulips#spingflowers#whitetreesnearhome#colorizingmyblackandwhitephotos#handcrafting#crochetingandknittingprojects#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#barbaradimambro

COVID19 AND TREES OF HOPE IN RICHMOND HILL ONTARIO CANADA

I first noticed these trees by the hospital last weekend-Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital.

 Trees along Trench Street.

I quickly stopped to snap some pictures.

Put up by the Belviso Family as part of @abbeysgoal. #RainbowRevolution to bring some joy, hope and thanks to workers at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and to the community

So I did a walking tour May 21 2020 to snap pictures.

 Trees in front of Alexander Mackenzie High School.

 Along Trench Street.

I had wanted to get a photo of the COVID Assessment Centre at the hospital as well.

 Fence at Day Care with a thank u!!

Trees along Major Mackenzie.

House near Mill Pond with the rainbows.

People waiting outside Harding Medical Building to go to Life Labs.

Inspired to make my own tree of hope, I looked through all my plastic bags, old table clothes to find colours of the rainbow.

Since one of my neighbours thought it was about the LGBTQ community, I am making a sign for my tree to let others know it is about HOPE and the rainbow of hope.
So are you going to make a rainbow tree of hope??
#@abbeysgoal#RainbowRevolution#rainbowsforhope#MackenzieRichmondHillHospital#rainbowtreesatthehospital#barbdoesawalkingtourofarea#picturesoftherainbowtreesatthehospital#reflectivethoughtsbybarbara#treesofhopeforCOVID19#COVID19assessmentcentreatmackenzierichmondhillhospital#childrenmakerainbowsforhope