And It Begins....

 Hi!

Well, it's that time of year again!

Holiday season? Sure! But, the time of year I'm talking about is the minus double digit temperatures and snow!

We do have to admit, at least where I live, that having this kind of weather wait until the clock strikes December is a win!  But, somehow even when you know it's coming, even when you appreciate the reprieve of waiting, the cold still hits, especially for the first few days. 

It's kind of like having an old acquaintance to whom you manage to be civil, that you even kind of like, depending on the circumstances, show up at your your door. They appear sort of within the time frame they said they would, but they are kind of obnoxious, full of bluster, they make a bunch of extra work for you when they visit, and make a habit of overstaying their welcome. 

When I step outside and the familiar prickle of the air hitting my face makes me wince, I think for about a microsecond, why do I live where it hurts to breathe for way too much of the year?

And then I remember... because it's Canada.

Sometimes I receive comments on here and through other means that tell me I'm a hypocrite, that Canada is a mess, is horribly corrupt, and a garbage place to live. 

I can only assume these comments come from people who either have never experienced Canada, or have a tough time with the process of critical thinking, and/or are not incredibly discerning when it comes to distinguishing fact from fiction. 

So, this next bit is for you.

From World Atlas's list of most loved countries in the world right now, Canada ranks #1

From Reputation Labs' list of countries with the best reputations, Canada ranks #2, right behind Switzerland.

Fun fact: The United States was nowhere to be found on either list.

Our unemployment rate is down, our GDP is growing, as are our wages, although at a slower pace than we'd like, and our inflation has flatlined. 

I'm not making this up, you can google it. 

So, before you come for me because I make fun of your sleepy, creepy, Cheeto in charge, calling me names, and exposing your ignorance for all the world to see, please do some homework. 

Donnie dearest is sleeping in meetings and press conferences, but is up all night frantically exposing his senility in rants on social media.

He's old, his brain is mush, and he was never that bright to begin with, so the slide down is from a short hill. 

I can't imagine how frustrating it must be to watch your hero fall. To discover things about him and his buddy Epstein that you wish you could explain away. To have sooooo many truths come to the surface all at once, truths that aren't going away.

It was bound to happen. Truth always finds it's way from shadows into the light, exposed for all to see. The trick for some will be the willingness to finally accept the reality that follows. 

We tried to warn you that this is who he is. We tried over and over again, to no avail.

Yeah....

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One day You're Just Driving Along...

 

Hi!

Life, as you know, can, and usually is, completely unpredictable. It takes you to places you didn't plan on going. It nudges you toward and away from spaces. You plan, you agonize over what might happen ten years from now, assuming that you have some sort of control over what that may be.

We all do it. It gives us a sense of comfort to feel like we control what happens in our lives. I think it's natural to want to do so.

If you look back on your adult life, how much of it was under your control compared to responding to circumstances you had no hand in creating. You, then, found yourself relying on your gut instincts as to what the next move should be, making choices. We make choices for sure, but the reasons we are needing to make them are the result of life just... lifing. 

The good news is this. If we truly follow what the deepest parts of us guide us to do, we generally land just where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be there. We feel it when it happens. there is a sense of contentment, of belonging. Life becomes less stressful, peace becomes more than just a possibility.

It doesn't mean where you land is always going to be without challenges, because we need those to grow, but it makes the challenges more palatable, turning what would have felt like climbing a treacherous, ice-covered mountain into a nice hike up a hill with incredible scenery along the way. 

Lean into what lights you up, it will always get you closer to the kind of peace that feeds true contentment. 

One day you are just driving along, the next, there are dinosaurs dancing at a wedding! Embrace the dinosaurs! Unpredictability... embrace it.

****************************************************

This weekend, our neighbours to the south are celebrating Thanksgiving. They are doing so as some of their leadership sends out messages of well wishes for the holiday, while they, in the same breath say horrible things about immigrants.

Did they miss the part of history class that explains the reason there is a "thanksgiving?"

It's truly baffling, the lack of thought process. These are the people making the most important decisions in your government.

Anyway, happy Thanksgiving neighbour! I sincerely hope you and your families have a fabulous weekend!

Full Of Laughter And Light...

 Hi.

This week, it's personal.

When you come from a family, the size of which would fill a forest, not just a tree, the unwelcome heaviness of saying good-bye comes far too often.  

This is Debbie. 

Although a family the size of ours tends to spread out over time, the connections remain. Debbie was one of my cousins who grew up and lived in the same town as I. She was a few years older, but I spent a ton of time at their house growing up, and was privileged to spend some time in the same town as she and her husband lived when they were a new family finding their legs, and I was fresh from the nest. 

From what seemed like a mount Everest type adventure with Katimavik, right out of high school to the shenanigans of her country kitchen days, to becoming a wife and mom, and caring for people for a living, she lived a big life, though, not nearly long enough.

I will always remember Debbie as a kind, adventurous spirit, always full of life and laughter. Although we didn't see much of each other as full grown adults, she was such a bright light for so many, even when she was so young, I can't imagine that diminished in any capacity as she spread her wings, over time, further from home.

I know she was surrounded by love as her soul took flight from the confines of the body that could no longer support her. As there is some solace in that, because of that love, there will be far too many that will so deeply feel this loss.

It's a privilege to love deep enough to mourn someone once they've gone, and a privilege to be loved enough to be mourned. That privilege does little to ease the pain, especially in the moment, but is what helps us put one foot in front of the the other as we walk through the fog of it. 

When the memories begin to bring more smiles than tears, and the deepest, darkest heaviness begins to fade, and we, once again, can begin to take in full breaths, the privilege of that love is what encourages  us as we keep going, doing our best to live the life they would have wanted for us. 

*****************************************

Deb...

So full of mischief and light, laughter and love.

You will be sooooooo missed. 

This Is What A New Day Looks Like...

 

Hi!

Truth is tough. Truth is resilient. Truth can only be hidden for so long before it makes itself known. It finds its way to the surface... always... even when weighed down in the darkest deepest cesspool. 

Truth doesn't disappear because you want to pretend it isn't true, you pretend its a hoax. 

Truth is making its way to the surface, honing in on the Cheeto in Chief and is about to celebrate with the best come-back story ever. The truth has been beaten up, abused, ignored, trampled on, almost murdered in plain sight, and dismissed as non-existent by this horrible being and his minions for far too long. 

The survivors are not a hoax. 

When the most disgusting pedophile in modern history calls his buddy Donnie dirty... it makes you wonder what qualifies as dirty to a guy like that. What would he find "dirty." Obviously what he deemed acceptable was heinous in any decent human's mind, what does "dirty" even look like? I can't imagine, and, frankly, don't want to give it too much thought or I might throw up.

The disgusting squatter of the Whitehouse has openly admitted, repeatedly, while being recorded, to things that make our skin crawl. He's oblivious as to the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. He can't seem to comprehend that female humans are people with rights equal to his own. In his mind, these children were his play things for him to do with as he pleased. He wanted... so he took. 

The Truth is patient, but determined. It can't be avoided forever. 

I guess my question is this.

Once everything that has been hidden in the shadows finally comes irrefutably to light, will that finally be the line in the sand? Will that finally be a bridge too far? Will raping children be the final straw? Or is the kool-aid so potent that even this horrific truth can't penetrate the fog?

One can only hope those that are left worshipping this bag of crap will finally have the blinders lifted.

Let's hope. 

This is what a new day looks like. Truth always wins. 

The Skies...Ever Changing...

 

Hi!

The skies, ever changing, the winds ever shifting, the pendulum swings in perpetuity.

People who have never been hungry, giggle in delight at the thought of making those who already struggle, suffer more. They feast on decadent treats as they demand the courts allow them this cruelty. 

Lines form in record fashion, waiting for portions donated, not by those who feed on king crab and lobster, but those who are but a heartache away from being in the line themselves. 

They drink champagne in designer clothes, while fawning over million dollar cars as millions lose hope, for they will no longer be able to afford the medical treatment they so desperately need. 

This twisted distortion of humanity gloats as they bathe in their delusions of superiority, even as they suffer a multitude of losses across the country they are so determined to rip apart. 

Crimson red is weakening, becoming more purple in hue, purple is becoming more blue. The blue tent is getting bigger, stronger, is fired up and ready to take this fight from the streets into the ballot  box.

All of this on the eve of the day we honour our veterans. Those who have, and continue to sacrifice for our freedoms. I can't imagine the frustration and pain they feel in this moment of history. 

Thank you to those who voted for the return of sanity and humanity. Keep up the fight! 

You got this!

Sooooo... Let Them Eat Cake... I Guess?

 Hi!

So, the Idiot that is currently squatting in a house that belongs to the people for which he spends all of his time conjuring new ways of abuse, threw a party last night.

Ironically, like using Village People music at his homophobe jamborees, his party was Gatsby themed. So you think for one second, it dawned on a single person attending this grotesque 'let them eat cake' moment that the Great Gatsby was a story of indulgence, corruption, greed, and how, unchecked by integrity, it implodes?

Do you think any of them were thinking of the people who were in lines that went around city blocks, waiting for whatever might be available at their local food banks due to the fact that they've been furloughed because dinglenuts and his crew of incompetence can't govern, the very job they were put there to do by the people standing in said lines. 

They had dancing girls, can't help but wonder if they were over 18, entertaining in the most cringe-worthy fashion. It felt like burlesque under duress. 

Meanwhile, back at the house, he's 'remodeling', which in Trump-speech means, ripping out historically respectful decor and replacing it with his gaudy, dementia-riddled sense of taste. It's like one of those renovation TV shows, only there's only one participant and they keep him drunk, high, and sleep deprived for the entirety of the project. 

Can you imagine living in a house, rent free, through a temporary privilege, bulldozing a sizable portion of it to build something the owners didn't ask for, and absolutely didn't approve of? Can you imagine if you were handing an amazing privilege such as this and then gutting the integrity of the place without permission?

What would the repercussions of that would be?

Vandalism. Breach of contract. Public nuisance. Eviction. 

He's partying while millions of people are very likely not going to have their SNAP payments on time, if at all.

Indulgence, corruption and greed. Zero integrity to keep it in check. 

The world is watching, wondering how this is being allowed to happen.

You can stop him. You got this!

This Is Real Life...

 Hi,

I simply can't imagine what it must be like to wake up every day in a country where your supposed leader is a senile toddler with no ability to think decisions through to their fruition, nor the consequences that might be attached to his lack of impulse control.

He cancels trade deal negotiations over an ad that speaks the truth he doesn't want others to believe, or even acknowledge, 

I mean, he's tearing down the East Wing of the Whitehouse, for Christ sake! Does he really think his health, such as it is, will even let him be around for the completed reveal of his ode to bad taste? Because that is highly unlikely. 

He does realize this isn't his own personal property right? He understands that simple fact, doesn't he? I hope the next president turns this temu temple to the Orange Cheeto into an immigration centre, or a homeless shelter, or a research facility, or maybe a rehab centre for surviving women and girls who have suffered at the hands of predators. 

I can't imaging, yet this is real life. Masked men are attacking and ripping people from the streets with their only offence being "not white." They are throwing elderly women to the ground if they have the audacity to speak up. 

He's taking actions that signal he is wanting to start conflict around Venezuela, sending a bunch of military personnel down there for no good reason. Putting your love ones in harm's way for what?

Your senile toddler needs a time out, and not the kind that requires your entire government to shut down.

You have people being forced to work for no pay. There's a word for that.

The 'No Kings' rally tells the world you have had enough. Let the ballot boxes do the same with such authority, they can't cry foul play. 

You need to. The world needs you to. Do it. You got this. 

No Filter, No AI, No Edit...

 

Hi,

So, I'm writing this as I'm watching updates covering the 'no kings/no tyrants' protests around the world. It absolutely strengthens my faith in humanity to see the amazing crowds make it unequivocally clear to the Orange Biff that currently occupies a house that's way too good for him, and every single one of his idiot minions, that enough is enough.

It is without filters, without AI, and without edits, that we get to witness this magnificent example of  defending freedom and democracy. It's been peaceful, joyous but not without spice. Some of the signs/banners are incredible, showing simultaneously both what a clown show this presidency is, and how seriously dangerous it is. 

You know his idiots on parade will try to paint it as something that is never was. They will try to say it was full of hate and violence, but the inflatable unicorns and frogs would disagree wholeheartedly. Please don't fall for any of that crap. 

What this was, was a world standing up and yelling loud enough for the people in the back to understand, that the power belongs to the citizens of the world, not the stupidly wealthy, power-gluttons who are of the believe the rest of us are expendable and only exist to serve them. 

They are bullies, at some point they need to be put in check, and peaceful protests are the best way to make our voices heard.

Speak out, have boundaries. Supporting fascism is not an opinion, it tells you who they are, without doubt, believe them. 

***********************************************

Now, I have a favour to ask. I used to share these ramblings on Facebook, and a lot of readers found the link easily there. Well, long story short, my account was hacked and the hackers began to actually steal money from me. I tried everything to get Facebook to correct the issue, and the solution they came up with was to ban me from Facebook forever.

So, my favour is this, if you could, would you mind following me on here? After I was banned, my readership dropped dramatically. I'd appreciate the help.

Thanks. 

I appreciate you more than you know. 

Look Up, The Sky Is Yours Too...

 

Hi!

You know, sometimes it's hard to believe that the sky, this sky, the one that bathes us with its golden calm each and every night, even when clouds hinder the view, this show goes on behind the curtain... it's hard sometimes, to believe this sky is shared by everyone, those who appreciate it, and those who don't even notice.

It shares its beauty whether or not its appreciated. 

There will be those out there who try convince you that because the glow can't be seen by you all the time, because storms hide it at times, that it has ceased to exist. They try to tell you that only chaos, cruelty and destruction rain down. 

They will try to convince you violence is happening where harmless, inflated froggies dance and sing with their costumed woodland friends. Trying to use imaginary conflict to excuse brutality. Trying to convince themselves, and anyone who'll listen, that they deserve prizes for peace as they strip children from their families each and every day.

They want you to believe that science isn't real, but his AI memes are.

They want you to believe that his demented friendship with Epstein, with their dark, very special secrets, was so innocent they are going using extraordinary measures to keep records of their relationship from the public. 

They want you not to believe what you see and hear with your own eyes and ears. They want you to pretend that groceries and healthcare are affordable, that his tariff wars are working, they want you to believe that they aren't responsible for your government being closed for business, people being forced to work without pay. 

They don't want you to know that beyond their darkness lies the golden calm. The beauty the rest of us see. 

Don't let them convince you that you need to live in the dark. the world is a beautiful place, and not just for the rich. 

We all deserve to live in the joyful beauty, the world has to offer.

Look up. The sky is yours too. 

You Don't Have To Live This Way...

 

Hi! 

You know, every time I peek over the south fence to check in on the neighbours, it looks worse. The guy that runs the place gets more incoherent daily, babbling in front of the rolling eyes of the people who have sworn a sacred oath to their country, not any individual. He rambled on about stairs and was all but begging for applause. 

I guess I should correct my earlier claim, I said he runs the place, but does he though? They are shut down. The government. Shut. Down, Why? It's equivalent to a toddler holding their breath until they get their own way. Only, their own way is to make healthcare unattainable for a crap load of people, a bunch of whom were the ones who put him where he is right now. 

He, and those whose lips have taken up permanent residence firmly on his butt cheeks, are pissed because their plans to control who gets to be on tv, and what they say isn't going according to plan. Neither is their militant invasion of peaceful, beautiful cities. The latest judge, appointed by the Senile Simpleton, by the way, blocked the assault because the order given was "untethered to the facts."

Well, pretty much everything he says and does is untethered to the facts, this isn't news. what is new, is that it's finally being called out.

Look, guys, even if you love the guy, you admired his family values, you loved the way he ran his businesses, you think he made great choices in picking close friends.... even if...

How do you look at what he's doing now, saying now, I mean, he wants to put healthcare out of reach for millions of you, and he stands on the stage in front of your most decorated military members and talks about how he wants more gold on stiffer paper. How do you look at his present state, and think it's a good idea for him to keep running things.

He claims to have stopped wars that have never happened, for cryin' out loud! Your economy is going in the toilet, because of his crippling arrogance, miscalculating, and underestimating the strength and intelligence of other countries. He has alienated your allies to the point that the damage to those relationships may be absolutely permanent.

He, and his ilk, weaponize religion, stoke fear, and celebrate violence, as long as it's happening to whomever he deems an "enemy."

He's taking everything you used to stand for and twisting it into something the rest of the world, not only wants to stay clear of, but is finding increasingly hard to watch.  Masked, armed, wannabes ripping people from the street, shoving them into unmarked vans, then taking them to undisclosed concentration camps where their family and friends can't find them. Mass shootings, weekly, if not daily. 

You don't have to live this way. 

This dystopian version of what used to claim to be "the land of the free" and "the home of the brave" has become "the land of the afraid" and "the home of the people who handed over their democracy."

The world misses the real United States. Where are you?

Choose Pleasant...

 

Hi!

Storm clouds never present themselves in the exact same way more than once. Sometimes, they are dramatic and obvious, immediately ominous, intimidating, striking fear the second they come into view. Others are more subtle, moving slowly, not so dark at first, seemingly harmless, even kind of a help, providing a little break from the beating sun. They take their time, and by the time you realize they're capable of destroying everything you hold dear, it's too late to find shelter from the storm.  

The silver lining is this, in the end, every storm loses steam and always give way to the light.

That's how rainbows happen. 

If someone or something continually tries to cast shadows on your wellbeing, physically, mentally, emotionally, it, or they, are not worth keeping in your life in any meaningful way. Those you spend time with should always leave you feeling lifted. The anticipation of their presence should bring excitement and joy, never anxiety and dread. 

Time is really the only thing we have. It is precious. It is limited. How, and with whom we choose to spend it should be weighed carefully. Your life should never feel like it's draining the life out of you. Yes, we all have to do things we don't enjoy to make our lives work, as I have yet to meet anyone who loves taking out the garbage, or scrubbing toilets. I don't know of anyone who gets a thrill from figuring a way through life's flat tires.

The unpleasantries that life throws at us without consent are stressful, but necessary to deal with, but that is what makes choosing where, on what, and with whom, we spend the time for which we do consent that much more important. 

Choose pleasant.

We all need to make a living, that's a given, but what you do to make that happen is a choice.. Choose pleasant. 

None of us work 24/7, explore your talents. Maybe you are a painter, and simply haven't given your brushes permission to glide along the canvas. Maybe you're a rock star, and you simply haven't allowed yourself to shine. Maybe you're a jewellery designer, but you simply didn't know until time and opportunity presented itself. Maybe you're a sculptor whose medium simply hasn't found you yet. Maybe you're a writer who simply hasn't found the key that unlocks the imagination that fuses the words to the page. 

There are those out there that crave the unpleasant. They see everything as ominous. Escalators, prompters, jokes, different cultures, marginalized people becoming empowered... the list is really endless. The ones who feed off this negativity need and want others to join them in their misery. They are horribly unhappy people and can't stand that others choose not to be.

I choose pleasant. New people coming to our country to raise families, get jobs, create businesses, help build up the workforce here, where our population is aging and people are having fewer kids. We need new neighbours. A lot! 

I choose pleasant. If someone accidently hits an emergency stop button, and the only down side is having to walk up a flight of stairs, I will choose not to fill every platform with pathetic victimhood, and turn a simple mishap into "the world is out to get me."

I choose pleasant. I will make my living in a place filled with giggles, and sticky fingers. I will spend time unleashing my imagination, hurling words on to the page with fury... only to rewrite them again, and again, and again, and again... you get it. I will spend my time making sure people have a great time, doing my absolute level best to create the uncontrollable urge to sing and dance in as many people as possible. 

I choose pleasant. I will carry on every kind of conversation under the sun with everyone I hold dear, sometimes laughing until we cry, sometimes crying until we laugh, both equally valuable. I will cuddle in for movie marathons, hunker down for board games, have all-night heart-to-hearts accompanied by cocktails, music and scented candles.

I choose pleasant. I hope you do too.

***********************************************************************

P.S

Could you all do me a huge favour and hit follow on this page. It costs nothing, no one will send you annoying emails or messages, but it will do a lot to give me a hand. (I've had the misfortune of encountering a couple of flat tires, and this would go a long way in putting the air back where it belongs!)

Thanks!

Times, They Are A-Changin'....

 Hi!

Well, holy crap!

Who would have thought that along with the change of the seasons, with the change of the leaves from green to the majestic hues of crimson and gold, that the United States of America would be changing into a place where if you say things that merely fluff the dust of the Grand Cheeto, he will sic the licensing bodies, which apparently sit at his feet waiting for commands and approval like an abused rescue, on the rich who need official okays to become even richer?

The first and one of the most fundamental amendments of their very constitution, is getting stomped like a civil rights activist in the 60's. This is serious, and scary as hell. People shouldn't have to get stomped, arrested, thrown to the ground, or come under threat of the government to hang on to, or fight for, freedoms that are already, or should be by now, rightfully theirs.

What the hell is going on South of the 49th? It has gone from batshit crazy, senile, racist arrogance with hints of "wouldn't it be cool if I was king?" vibes to  "If you dare say anything that offends great Leader you will be silenced, or disappeared." 

They aren't just words anymore, and the institutions that are supposed to be protecting their constitution are actively participating in its demise. If not by working whole-heartedly toward authoritarianism, by silent compliance, and utterances of "concern."

I hate to break it to you, but thoughts and prayers aren't going to correct the trajectory of this insanity any more than it will fix your gun violence epidemic. 

Peaceful, civil defiance on a scale massive enough that it can NOT be threatened into extinction is the only way.

Ask yourself, what would John Lewis do? What would Rosa Parks do? What would Martin Luther King Jr. do? 

Authoritarianism has a playbook. It's evolved over the course of history to become more efficient, but the outcomes are the same. 

Successful activism also has a historical playbook, that has had a heavy hand in making huge strides in equality. Are any of us truly there yet, no, but none of us want to see anyone lose ground. Racial, gender, LBGTQ+, children, workspace, the rights, and the strides made toward them, rely first and foremost on the freedom to express truth to power without threat.

Without freedom of expression, nothing else moves forward, but everything slides backward.

Once freedoms are relinquished, the fight to get them back is long, arduous, and in some cases lost completely.

 

You can't let them slip away from you.

For those who worship the Grand Cheeto, and think this is awesome, think ahead. If one leader, your leader, can wield this hammer, so can the next, who may not share your point of view. Maybe fox news gets its license revoked in the next round, maybe they come after evangelical churches, maybe they throw Don Jr. in jail for his Paul Pelosi halloween costume. 

Don't ever forget that the pendulum swings both ways, and always gets to the other side. 

Guardrails are important.

The rules, or lack thereof, that are applied now to the person in the Whitehouse, will also be at the disposal of future residents whether, red, blue or purple. 

Back to the top and my original question...

Who would have thought all of this would be happening if Cankle Man got into office in 2024?

Absolutely everyone who isn't in the cult. Worldwide. We all saw it coming. 

This shock is no surprise. 

The surprise comes in the complicity. 

We are cheering for you, neighbour! Save what you've built! Don't let Jeff Epstein's bestest buddy do to you what he continues to try to do to the survivors of that disgusting horror. Don't let him continue to try and break you down, and destroy your spirit. Like those warrior women, fight back, be bold, be as loud as you need to be until justice is served. 

You got this.

I know Canada has its issues, and we are not perfect. I mean some of that MAGA koolaid has seeped north of the border, as we have some who want to ban books, and push hateful things, but, in our defense, we didn't elect that ideology into the office of Prime Minister.

I'm thankful every day that more of us see the MAGA mindset for what it is than not. 

Here's hoping it stays that way. Because, if not, all you have to do is look to the South to see where we would be heading. 

*********************************************************************

On the Horizon...

 

Hi! 

So, a few days ago, someone who incessantly spouted hateful ideas, perished, literally, while promoting the very thing that took his life.

I don't condone any kind of violence. I think the death penalty is barbaric. But, I also don't believe, no matter how someone passes, that their death, in any way, erases or changes the things they did while they walked this earth.

If you spew hate, bigotry, and misogyny over every platform you can find, influencing gullible, vulnerable people to believe in that garbage, the world need not pretend you were some sort of hero once you are gone.

My heart breaks for his children, they are just babies. But so were the kids cut down in yet another heartbreaking school shooting in Denver that very same afternoon. 

The fact that some want to turn this guy into some kind of martyr makes my stomach hurt. 

When thoughts and prayers are the only actions taken, nothing changes. 

This guy rode a horse so high, he couldn't see the ground. He carried religion and morality in the same hand, trying desperately to force them to meld. They don't, they can't.

If your religion fills you with the remotest sense of superiority toward others, in any way looks the other way while evil plays in the shadows, or encourages you to do anything short of fully embracing every person under the rainbow, it's not teaching morality or ethics, or empathy. 

No, it is, instead, teaching entitlement and self- righteousness. Training you so well, you'll be able to ride that high horse without thought, blindfolded. 

I come from a long line of people who have tied their souls to the pomp and circumstance of ceremony, fully believing that those who don't will be forever damned. So, I get it. I really do.

I believe everyone has the right to take part in religion, I just don't believe that any one religion is superior, or more correct than another. Of those I've studied, there are positives and negatives to all of them. 

Some lament that organized religions are losing members, followers, and want to say that it's because humanity is losing its morality. I argue that maybe it's because humanity is trying rediscover their morality, salvaging it from under all of the fire and brimstone. 

The world seems pretty morally bankrupt in certain spaces right now, but if you listen, you find its those who bathe themselves in Bible verses that are pushing for the unhoused to be discarded, for the LGBTQ+ community, both young and old, to cease to exist, or at the very least, have the decency to get their asses back in the closet. 

Look, I think we can all agree that murder is wrong. But violence is not JUST wrong when someone who has made a career out of stoking hate becomes the victim. It's JUST as wrong when you allow grown men to marry children. It's just as wrong when you swap covering basic needs of your most vulnerable for Presidential golf trips, some hideous patio, a gaudy ballroom, and a million spray-painted gold, dollar store appliques to make 'someone' feel like a king. It's definitely JUST as wrong when you scoop people off the street for no reason, other than they are varying shades of not-white, and throw them in your gulags, funded partly, I might add, by the tax dollars generated by the hard-working people being held in them. 

None of us see the world through the same lens. 

We are simply products of our personal experiences. 

Almost all of humanity is born with a sense morality, an instinct, an inner voice, something that guides us to be decent, empathetic people. 

How we internalize our personal experiences as we grow up, and as adults, can help that instinct to sharpen, grow, and evolve. How we internalize our personal experiences as we grow up, and as adults, can warp that inner voice, twisting it, molding it toward self-service. How we internalize our personal experiences as we grow up, and as adults, can numb that sense, almost into oblivion, turning empathy into apathy.

None of us see the world through the same lens. Our personal experiences as we grow up, and as adults, are a mosaic of beautifully broken pieces, as no one gets through life without scars. A myriad of accidents, both happy and not-so-happy, as nothing ever really goes according to plan. 

I guess my point is this...

Don't let the hard things in life twist your instinct, or make you not care. Don't let the hate and fear, disguised as righteousness, replace your empathy. 

I know my personal experiences continue to change the view through my lens. I'm constantly learning as I go. 

We'll get through this rough patch. Historically, hate has a hard time keeping grip on the upper hand. I see peace and progress on the horizon, it's in the distance, but it's definitely there...

We are, all of us, each of us, every single one of us, only here for such a short while. If we are very lucky, we might see more than eighty summers, experience love, create precious memories, have a family if we choose to, be who we authentically are, and laugh more than we cry. We should all have the right to these simple joys... equally. 

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So, What Did I Miss...

Hi!

So, I've been dipping back into the news, trying to get caught up with a few things... seeing what I've missed. 

I have some questions...

So, our neighbours to the West AKA, Alberta, are starting their own book banning club now? 

I know we have librarians and teachers in our schools that do a fabulous job introducing our kids to books, both new and classic, without scarring them in any way. I find it hard to believe that the books they were finding, like "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, were in the little kid section, and doubt even more that the sketchy ones they found were in the system at all. If they are, then that's a conversation to be had with the librarian, not a reason to start gatekeeping books. 

Books are such a fantastic way for little ones to learn about the world they are growing up in. They learn about different cultures, how different homes look, the different kinds of jobs that exist outside their family bubble. They get to read stories about overcoming all kinds of adversity, physical, emotional, cultural, historical. Through these stories they learn acceptance, empathy and resilience. 

Reading inclusive stories can't make a kid part of the LBGTQ+ community any more than reading true crime novels makes you a detective, or reading westerns makes you a cowboy, or Shakespeare makes you King Lear. They are simply stories to introduce people, young and old, to ideas that exist outside of their own lives. 

Next question...

I can't help but wonder why survivors of the Rich Boy Pedo Club, are made to feel like they have to hold a freakin' press conference because the king of the club wants to pretend that the horror they went through was a hoax? 

These warriors are expected to just bow their heads and accept this grotesque disrespect? These are women who have grown into the protectors they didn't have as young girls. You don't survive what they have without fierce resolve, and astronomical amounts of courage. This isn't going away.

One last question...

What the hell is going on with the health of the guy occupying the Whitehouse these days?

He doesn't look well.... at all. 

He doesn't sound well... at all.

No, seriously, it's getting weird. 

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Keep The Summer Vibes Alive!

Well guys, it's the final week of August, harvest is going full force, kids are heading back to school after Labour Day, the days are subtly, but definitely, getting shorter, and some of the leaves on the trees in my front yard are displaying the audacity of teasing their fall fashion colours.

The pumpkin spice ads haven't begun quite yet, but you know they're coming the minute the calendar flips on Monday. 

I don't know about you, but I'm going to do my level best to keep the summer vibes alive!

I mean, not all adventures can be road trips across the country, but they definitely can be taking grandbabies to see classic movies at the theater, bumming around with your baby sister, and catching up with life long friends!

Let's keep the fun of summer going...

Sneak in one more camping trip, a few more s'mores, a few more days filled with no plans whatsoever...

Fall doesn't have to be all work and no play...

Maybe it's learning to play an instrument, mastering a language you've never successfully spoken, taking up yoga, juggling, doing magic, or maybe it's a class that teaches some weird combination of all the above? Could be fun? 

Hey, there are actual classes to teach you how to take selfies, survive a zombie apocalypse, and ride a bike that goes nowhere like you are running from a rabid bear, just sayin...

I'm trying hard not to be in too much of a hurry to change gears into Autumn overdrive. Even better, I'm trying to fight my life-long training and not HAVE an Autumn overdrive. Instead, shift into Autumn easydrive. Soak up a bit more sun.

We do, after all, have a little while before the sun sets a few precious hours after the crack of dawn. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it can feel that way. But, we do have some time. With any luck, fall will last until December, or, at the very least, stretch out until after Halloween. 

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I didn't realize that taking our first-ever holiday would bring with it some lessons... 

Taking time to breathe and reflect is something I thought I was already doing... but I wasn't... not really.

Apparently, you don't always have to hit the ground running straight out of bed and stay that way. You also don't, I've discovered, constantly have to be busy knocking things off some arbitrary to-do list that never gets completed anyway. 

Showing yourself the same level of kindness and grace you show others without even thinking about it, takes effort.

Not everything is your responsibility.

If you don't share in the decision, you don't wear the weight of the consequence.

 

If the shit someone else threw hits the fan, it's not your job to clean it up. 

I'm still struggling to internalize these lessons, and I'm sure many more I haven't come across yet, at 59. I think I've got some of them down, and then catch myself falling into old habits. I share these "lessons" in hopes that someone else might benefit from them before they tend to pee a little if they get ravaged by a colossal sneeze for which they haven't had a chance to properly brace themselves... if you know, you know. 

So go forth into the fall, my friends. Get ready for your school routine, get the markers and the backpacks, organize, do what you gotta do. But, please, just remember to show yourself some kindness. Don't judge yourself more harshly than to do anyone else. Try to have fun in the midst of the chaos, the quiet comes before you know it. 

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Soooo...We Did A Thing....

 Hi,

If you've been reading these ramblings for the last couple of weeks, you know that I've been taking a bit of a news break.

Well, as it turns out, I'm not quite done yet.

Please indulge me...

So, we did a thing. I've mentioned that my hubby and I were doing a bit of road-tripping... well that was a bit of an understatement. 

We actually took our very first holiday... ever. We've been together forty years, so I think we were due. We've never been able to string together more than four days off in a row, but this summer, the opportunity presented itself, so we jumped.

We got in our car, pointed it east, and drove until we got to the Atlantic ocean. Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, to be precise. For those who may be a bit unfamiliar with Canadian geography, from where we live in Saskatchewan, that is a 9681.3 km round trip drive. Worth every single one.

Although we didn't have unlimited time, we didn't have to rush either. We wanted to experience our country along the way, not just drive through it. We spent four nights and five days getting there, with a couple of adventures along the way. For instance, one day involved a two hour detour, while one night was spent sleeping in our car in a truck stop parking lot. Apparently there was some sort of festival going on in this particular area of New Brunswick and there wasn't a room, nor campsite to be had! We even had a tent in the car just in case something like this would happen along the way.

You might ask why we didn't book ahead? Well, what it boiled down to was this, we didn't want to be married to a schedule. We drove until we were tired, making stops along the way, and when we were a couple of hours from being ready to call it a day, I went on my phone and found somewhere to hang our hats for the night. The only glitch was the New Brunswick portion of the trip on the way there.

Once we got to Yarmouth, we had every intention of exploring as much of the Province as we could, but we found that there was so much to see and do within fifteen minutes of our hotel, that we didn't find the need to go further. There were incredible beaches, a historic lighthouse, museums, harbours to explore, incredible restaurants, all of which, of course, served the most amazing seafood. There were cool little shops and pubs, all filled with incredible people full of warmth and ready laughter.

The air was thick with the scent of wild roses and sea air. The sea gulls' perpetual chatter harmonizing with the waves slapping the fishing boats as the tide rolled, became the soundtrack to our lingering morning coffees on the pier.

Then, at the end of each day, there were moments, as the sun was setting, the water and sky became so perfectly one, you couldn't distinguish one from the other. For a few moments, the horizon simply ceased to exist. 

Have you ever felt homesick for a place you've never lived? While there, in the unassuming, humble town of Yarmouth, I felt such a deep sense of belonging. It was altogether, completely, unexplainable, disconcerting, and more than a little heartbreaking in a way I simply can't explain. 

This was a once-in-a-life-time road trip, for which I will be forever grateful. We stayed in, and explored nine different cities and towns along the way. We've created memories in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Thunder Bay, Ontario (on the way there and on the way back), Cochrane, Ontario, Edmundston, New Brunswick, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, St. Andre, New Brunswick, Mont Laurier, Quebec, Kapuskasing, Ontario, and last, but not least, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Now, keep in mind, these are only the places we spent the nights, as we travelled. We made some shorter stops along the way, checking out attractions like good tourists do. 

The absolutely incredible changes in the landscape that can happen in one day of travel simply boggles the mind. We are so incredibly lucky to live in the country that we call home. I've always known it in my heart, but now, after crossing most of it, seeing it, experiencing it, meeting such incredible people along the way, I now know it in the deepest parts of my soul.

Oh, Canada! 

Buffering With Purpose…

 

Hi!

So, as you know, I’m doing a bit of a no news is good news kind of thing for a bit, but, apparently it’s pretty impossible to stay completely news free for very long. It seeps through the ether through conversations that happen in public, tv’s on in community spaces, etc. 

So this is my take on what's made it through…

The grand Cheeto called his idiot buddy in Texas and demanded he redraw districts for voting… like it was a map for tracking hurricanes, or something … but, before they could get a good start on their latest sharpie art project, people buggered off so they couldn’t hold the vote, and then a leader with a healthy brains/balls balance told him that there a is more than one marker in the box… seems there is a blue one too.

Oh…. and the Epstein thing is not going away…. at all. 

So, yeah… 

Anyway…

Other than those tidbits oozing in, we’re good, still here, living in a country where people aren’t getting swept off the streets by Temu gestapo, or living in dread, constantly wondering what their drunk, creepy, senile uncle will do next. Nope, we’re here, just chillin’, making new friends, building relationships, and setting boundaries.

I’m not entirely recharged quite yet, but I’m getting there…

I like to think of it as buffering with purpose.

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May you find your own way to recharge, then allow yourself to do so.

You can’t rule your world on empty. 

Recharging…

Hi!

You’ll have to forgive me if this is a bit short and sweet, but I am having to type this on my phone.

It’s a long, not-too-interesting story that I will relate at a later date.

Anyway…..

We’ve been doing some road tripping this week, these photos represent a small portion of the whole whack of pictures I’ve taken along the way. Odds are, you are going to be subjected to quite a few more over the next little while, whether you like it or not!😊

I’ve been taking a bit of a news holiday, I wholeheartedly recommend it! It’s good to give your heart, soul, and brain a rest from all the chaos. It’s not like the news is going away, it will be there for you when you get back. 

The asshats will continue asshatting, the trolls will troll, and those who care, will keep up the fight for what’s humane.

In the meantime, I’m going take an obscene amount of photos as I continue my no news is good news hiatus for just a little longer. 

I just need to recharge my faith in humanity…

Funny enough, it never seems to take very long.

Most… and I do say most… people are awesome!

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May you catch up with old friends, and make some new ones too.

May you be on the receiving end of some random acts of kindness, at least one or two.

May you have the best day you can remember, then top it again and again.

May you have the best of everything you find delightful, since you don’t know when. 

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Bye Bye July...

 

Hi!

So, tomorrow is August 1, a time where the powers that be, will start placing the 'back to school' ads front and center, reminding all of us, incessantly, that Summer is, by far, the shortest and fastest season. Yes, the weather will remain warm for a while, and the days will begin to shorten at a pace Mother Nature thinks is clever enough to trick our senses. Sleep-ins and long, leisurely bike rides will give way to school routines and homework.

But......

There is still a month of summer left! Make it count! 

Dip your toes in some water, hell, cannonball that baby! Drink something from a frosted glass, sleep in, at least a few times, play silly games, develop a month-long allergy to hurrying, and let yourself lose track of time. 

We only get so many summers, and for those of us who live in a climate that loves to show off the flipside with a vengeance, they are particularly precious. 

As much as you can...

Let the weather, instead of a calendar, dictate your itinerary.  

Have seat-of-your-pants days, where the only rule is you leave your house, the rest is dictated by mood and questionable decisions.

Start doing the things on your bucket list, it's meant for more than summer reading! 

Wear the things! Be fancy, be casual, be boho, hell, be naked, just don't get arrested!

Do something you've never done! Doesn't have to be big!

Go somewhere you've never been! Doesn't have to be far!

Adventures need not be EPIC to be epic!

Life is not meant to be survived, as none of us do.

It's meant to be lived and enjoyed, showing kindness without expectation along the way.

I'm ready.... you comin'?

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We'll have more serious things to talk about later, as, well, you know... the world...

But, for now, let's just take a breather from the serious, it'll be there when we get back...

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Files... Files... And More Files...

 

Hi!

Files, files, and more files..

Law suit files and filings, Child Predator Files, and hey, whatever happened to the boxes of files that were piled in the Tangerine Tyrant's shower a while back? They seemed important... valuable, even... did he sell them on the dark side of Ebay, or somewhere else people sell boxes of top secrets to the highest bidder... in bulk? He's the freakin' Costco of DIY Treason starter kits.

Let's chat now, about the files containing a bunch of damning info on a group of sub-humans so self-entitled they would prey upon children and women like it's their absolute right. They went to schools and hunted the most vulnerable, kids struggling to survive the worlds they were born into. They would get downwind of the desperation and breathe in every drop of the vulnerability. It was like catnip. They would offer jobs, a chance at a better life, everything these kids so perilously needed. Then, these evil, festering boils devoured and destroyed these young, precious souls like they were less than nothing.

Let's just state the obvious. Many of these girls... now women, have come forward and bravely stated what factually happened. 

Of course, these moldy mucous balls of humans created a paper trail of their horrific crimes so they could hold these disgusting acts over each other's heads. That's just how they roll. Now, even if these tangible receipts are never laid out for all the world to see, it changes nothing. We know what they did, and we know many of their names. 

How, you may ask? Let me say again for the people in the back...Because the survivors told us! In depositions, in court testimony, in interviews, in their own writings. They told us. That should be enough to put all of these innocence-destroyers in prison for as long as they breathe. 

The demented Cheeto sent a creepy as hell Birthday message to his favourite child sex trafficker with his wink wink nudge nudge about their precious "secrets." It made my skin crawl. Gross.

Now, before you come after me with all your "he says he didn't do it" bullshit... just don't.

Don't bother. If you haven't figured out who this asswipe is yet, that's on you and there is nothing I can do to help you. 

Before you start backing his "hoax" crap, think about it.

He says that Hillary, Obama, Biden, The tooth fairy, the easter bunny and Santa made up the whole Epstein files thing to, I don't know, discredit him? Like he doesn't do that at least ten times a day all by himself...

IF they would have gone through all of that work, all of that James Bond level meticulous planning and manipulation... executing it well enough to put both Epstein and his mud sucking bottom feeding girlfriend in prison, for a VERY long time, I might add, then why didn't they use it?

Like... ever. During the elections, plural. I mean Epstein was convicted and put in prison during the Cheeto's first term. If Biden and crew had access, and they would if they created it, why didn't they use it during the 2020 election, the 2022 midterms, or the 2024 election?

Why would they just sit on it? It makes absolutely no sense. If there was ever a time to pull out their biggest guns, guns that would have annihilated his MAGA runs... both of them... all of them. Why go through all that trouble to create the perfect political weapon and then never use it? 

Okay... next

The Bloated Bigot sues CBS and Paramount for some idiotic bull crap and wins a settlement... this in and of itself is batshit.

Then, in all of their wisdom, these bosses of the airwaves decide to CANCEL Stephen Colbert!

Why? And, spoiler alert, it's not the ridiculous "reason" they put out in a statement...

What it seems to boil down to is that Colbert had the audacity to point out facts and then make fun of those involved like it's his job... because it is.

The thin-skinned man-baby doesn't like it when the intelligent funny people accurately point out all of his moronic, delusional, dementia-driven "words" and "actions." He doesn't like it when they point out that he wears his racism, homophobia, and misogyny like the royal cloak of the king he so desperately wants to be. 

I wonder what's going to happen when he finds out about the first episode of the new season of South Park?

Haven't seen it? I would highly recommend. It streams on Paramount, by the way...

So, yeah, files...

Can't hide 'em, can't keep your name out of 'em, can't use 'em to sue away the truth. 

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Oh, by the way, do yourself the favour of looking up and listening to "Old Man Trump" by Woody Guthrie. It was released in 1954. He wrote it about the discriminatory practices of his, then landlord, Fred Trump.

Let's just say there's poison in that there DNA...