Sign the Pledge, Stand up for Canada

MP Charlie Angus is circulating a pledge for Canadians to sign showing support for our core values. Please read and consider signing if you agree.

 Pledge for Canada | Engagement pour le Canada

Where I've Been

Sorry I haven't posted for a while. I've been snowed under (sort of literally) with writing deadlines and medical appointments, but I've resurfaced now. I have noticed the light is returning, and I actually saw buds on the maple trees, so there's hope of spring at some point.

It's always in February-March that the gardening bug hits me hard, and I start pawing through seed catalogues and drawing up diagrams of what I'll plant in the garden. We have a lovely big space to the side of the church where I wanted to put a jillion raised beds, but the septic system took up most of the area, so now I have to rethink and figure out what's safe to grow there. And then I have to talk myself out of doing any of it, anyway, because there's still a ton of work to do indoors, and there simply isn't time to do both. Maybe if I do a blitz for the next month or so, I can get things indoors to a point where I can focus energy elsewhere...but I'm not holding my breath. I'm finding it's the little things---the trim, the doorframes, the flooring, the cupboards and shelving---that take the most time.

Snow! And some important messages for 2025

Yesterday was relatively mild and clear, so the hubby and I took a walk around Rattray Marsh for an hour, breathing in the chilly air and gazing "out to sea" over Lake Ontario and greeting everyone's dogs as they passed. I'm glad we got that last walk in, because this morning it's snowing horizontally, big fluffy flakes, with no sign of letting up. The delicious feeling of knowing you have nowhere you have to go and nothing you have to do. I'll likely spend today writing and playing mah jhong.

This morning I watched two YouTube videos made by courageous women that I think were a good, strong way to start off the new year, and I thought I'd share them here. My newly-met friend Erin Pocock talks about trying new, hard things and letting failure strengthen you. Beautiful Unschool Life And PoliticsGirl talks about keeping hold of who you are and what you believe in when facing challenges. PoliticsGirl

I think we'll need both of these concepts in 2025. It's going to be a hard year for a lot of people, we're going to be asked to do hard things we may not know how to do yet, and we'll need to cling to our values and our supportive community to get through it. We'll also need to believe in ourselves and our ability to do impossible things.