The Year that The World Will Remember...and Try to Forget

It's here.  Christmas has arrived after a turbulent year that seemed like it would never end.  One more week left of the dreadful year 2020.  It wasn't a good start to a new decade and I know I'm hoping that shaky start isn't a bad omen of what lies ahead for the future.  

I think it's safe to say that not one person on earth has escaped the year 2020 without being negatively impacted by it in some way.  For me, I can say that it has been a tremendously stressful year.  Mentally, physically, emotionally and financially.  On a personal level, I've experienced loss of work, loss of income, financial hardship and the loss of my beloved companion, my 16-year-old cat Captain Jack.  Local lockdowns in my area resulted in a very lonely period during the early months of Covid. I live alone so not having close contact with anyone for months took its toll.  On top of all that, I am missing some people this Holiday Season who won't be able to travel home.

So that's my experience on a personal level. On a geographic level, my home province of Nova Scotia (where I currently live) suffered tremendous loss this year.  I mourned along with the rest of my province and country after a madman went on a rampage and murdered 22 innocent people in what is now known as Canada's worse mass killings in history. A Canadian military helicopter crash in Greece that took the lives of six people including two from Nova Scotia and a Canada Snowbirds crash that took the life of a young woman from the province occurred around the same time, adding more pain to my already heartbroken province.  And just this month, another tragedy when a scallop dragger capsized in the Bay of Fundy, leaving six families and a province still recovering from the previous tragedies, to mourn the loss of six men lost at sea. 

 If I look at the past year on a global level, the impact of 2020 on the world paints an even clearer picture of the year's impact on humanity. Over one million people dead as Covid-19 sweeps across almost every continent on earth.  Hospitals overwhelmed by equipment and bed shortages, massive shutdowns of world economies and businesses struggling to keep afloat. Then we have widespread deadly protests and a tense presidential election in the United States.  Add a massive explosion in Beirut, catastrophic bush fires in Australia and the western United States  and countless celebrity deaths (Kobe Bryant, Alex Trebek, Van Halen to name a few) to the list and, yup, it was a pretty hard year for us all.  Almost apocalyptic you could say. Certainly, one that will go down in history!  

For me, one of the things that is really bothering me is the division I see happening in my own country.  West vs. east, conservative vs. liberal, pro-mask vs. anti-mask, black vs. white.  Why can't we all just get along!  

But there's been some good in 2020.  I think collectively, most people have realized how important the things they once took for granted are.  Lockdowns meant families got to spend more time together.  I witnessed more and more people spending time outdoors instead of sitting in front of their TV's.  Children started spending more time outdoors too.  Materialism took a backseat.  Because many of us are broke, we had no choice but to appreciate what we already have instead of focusing on what we want and can no longer have.  

Here in Cape Breton, we had our own historic municipal election that saw a woman elected as mayor for the first time.  I'm divided on whether the discovery of the vaccine is a good or bad thing at the moment but time will tell on that one.  Certainly it's a good thing if it will curb the virus. However, for me personally, I'm a little worried about potential side effects of a vaccine that was developed so quickly.  I'm also worried about forced vaccinations and the possibility that anyone who either refuses it or is unable to get it will lose some of the freedoms they are used to.  I'm not against vaccines.  I will likely get it down the road if it's available and has been proven to be safe.

As I write this, my town is not under lockdown but there are some restrictions on Christmas gatherings. Further west in the country, residents are not so lucky. The virus is still spreading like wildfire in some provinces and Christmas will be much different than what they're used to.  It is my hope that everyone will try to have the best Christmas they can.  

I'm hopeful for a better year ahead in 2021. If we beat this virus and get back to normal, imagine the celebrations we'll have this time next year.  We have a lot to make up for! 

We will get back to normal one day soon.  It'll take time and effort on everyone's part but we will get to that light at the end of the tunnel.  But we will also never forget the year that was 2020.  So with that said, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays....and wishes for a better year in 2021!   For everyone, for the whole world.  This is the first time in our lifetimes that an event has affected every single person on the planet.  We got in this together...now we have to get out of it together.

The Little Village on the Canal where the Ocean Meets the Bras d'Or Lakes

St. Peters is a pretty little village at a point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Bras d'or Lakes.  The town is home to little shops, restaurants, cafes and several museums, including the Nicholas Denys Museum and the Wallace MacAskill Museum.  A campground is also located in the town and there are many walking and hiking trails.  Nearby Dundee is home to a great golf course and there is even a Christmas Shop at the edge of town that is open eight months of the year.  Actually it closes on Christmas Eve so shoppers have right up to the last minute to find that special item to put on the tree.

The main attraction in St. Peters is the canal that joins the ocean with Cape Breton's inland sea, The Bras d'Or Lakes.  The National Historic Site and adjacent Battery Provincial Park are dedicated to the history and workings of the canal and within this park area you'll find picnic tables, trails and a swimming area.  

Another Christmas Has Come and Gone

The days following my return from hot and sunny Barbados to cold and snowy Canada weren't as bad I thought they would be. Years ago, there would already be snow on the ground and temperatures would be dipping below zero. The last few years, this year included, December temperatures are more like October and November temperatures, hovering just above zero with no snow to be seen. In fact, the temperature rose to a very warm and unseasonal 13 degrees on Christmas Day and it rained.

I love Christmas but the last few Christmases have not really felt like Christmas...at least not like the Christmases I experienced as a child. For one, I always remember having white Christmases growing up. My sisters and I would help dad build snow forts in the backyard during Christmas break and these were not just little holes in tiny snowbanks; these forts were intricate tunnels that we could stand up in and bring plastic furniture into. You need A LOT of snow to build a fort like that.

Obviously with my mom passed away and my sisters both living out west, along with most of my friends and extended family, Christmas is certainly a lot quieter than it once was. Growing up in the big house, there would be the five of us, both sets of grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends and neighbors piled in on any given day between the 23rd of December and New Years. At times, there would be more than twenty people. The adults would sit around the dining room table playing cards or gossiping and us kids would bein the living room watching holiday classics and pigging out on chips and candy. The best thing about Christmas now? Going back and reminiscing about the good ol' days. I feel so fortunate to have those memories - memories that, when recalled, have me remembering the people who were around and the events that transpired with loved ones, not the presents that were under the tree. It sounds cliche but Christmas HAS become way to commercialized. I suspect that many children today only focus on the mass amounts of material items they receive. And the material items that they get today are more geared towards keeping them inside on the couch being zombies. When I was a child, it was a new bike, a pair skates or a year pass to the ski hill that awaited me under the tree. No cell phones, laptops or video game consoles. Interactive items made to keep kids active and engaged!

Despite the lack of Christmas spirit that I've experienced the last couple of years, it has been a good few weeks. In the days following my trip, I cleaned out my room and parted ways with many items that I no longer have a use for and donated them to local charities. I finished some last minute Christmas shopping for my closest family and friends and put up a few decorations around the house. I long ago decided that I will no longer be sending cards out to every acquaintance I've met since grade school; not only is it a waste of time but its a waste of paper and the cards only get thrown out after they are read anyway! Although I told everyone there was nothing I needed or wanted for Christmas, my father still insisted on getting me something and threatened to pick it out himself if I didn't tell him what I wanted! Truthfully, there really wasn't anything I needed or wanted! The only thing I came up with was a new pair of skates. I often said I would like to take up my childhood passion again so a few days before Christmas, my father and I found ourselves at the local Canadian Tire store where I picked out a new pair of skates. I even had the opportunity to try them out on Saturday and get back on the ice after many years. I was a bit rusty on blades but I did manage to skate without holding onto the boards and didn't fall once. Now that I have no excuses, I will skating a lot more. Adult skating takes place at the local rink on Wednesdays and Fridays so that is where I will be on those afternoons!

Christmas Eve turned out quite well. I went about my usual daily tasks consisting of checking emails, walking a couple of miles at the track and doing my usual daily chores. The only difference with that day from any other day was I made sure to complete my daily tasks a little earlier than usual so I could relax and spend the rest of the day with family and friends. Turkey dinner was held at a friend's house this year. The dinner was absolutely delicious but what made it so special was the fact that there were young children there and watching them open their presents and squealing with delight at their new toys was so much fun! Toward the end of the night, caffeine withdrawal symptoms started to kick in with the coffee drinkers, me included. We came up with an excuse to persuade dad to take us for a drive so we could get coffee. We disguised the coffee run with a plea to drive to Glace Bay to see the house that was on the news earlier because it had Christmas lights all over it that blinked and "danced" to a soundtrack that was accessed on the radio dial in the car. This seemed to intrigue dad and we piled in the car in search of that house and grabbed our coffees along the way at the only gas station that we could find that was still open.

Christmas Day also went well except for the very disgusting weather that saw Cape Breton drenched in rain. I awoke, got ready and drove to dad's where I had a hearty breakfast before we exchanged gifts. The rest of the day was spent visiting and exchanging gifts with other close friends and family members followed by an evening in front of the TV watching an old family favorite, "A Christmas Story".

So, all in all, it's been a good holiday season so far. Hopefully New Years Eve will be good too!

Best wishes to all my readers and followers in 2015. May it be the best one yet :)

Back from another Wonderful Vacation...and now into the busy Holiday Season

Actually I've been back for almost a week but only now found the time to post a brief update. In other words, I have enough time to say I'm back, I had a great time, I have many stories to tell and many pictures to share but....it's less than a week from Christmas and my time for the next while will be devoted to finishing my last minute Christmas shopping, wrapping presents, decorating and spending time with family and friends. That being said, it will be an even quieter Christmas season than last year. Now both both of my sisters are moved out west so it's just me and dad from the immediate family left here in Cape Breton. But I'm ok with quiet. Christmas is mostly for the kids anyway and I have somewhere to have dinner on Christmas Day so it won't be totally quiet!

As for the my trip to Barbados? Amazing! But I will save the details for a later post...right now I have some gifts to wrap and last-minute shopping to tend to.

My Wish for Christmas and the Coming New Year

Well, it’s that time of year again; the time of year when everyone’s nerves are frazzled, we have so much to do that it stresses us out and our bank accounts are wiped out. Sounds like the Christmas season is upon us again; a time of year that was once reserved for celebrating the birth of Jesus with friends and family. Somewhere along the way, that meaning has been lost even though every die-hard Christian I know still maintains that that is the purpose of the season while they selfishly consume everything in sight and stress out over what they will buy everyone. Never mind the fact that there are many people in this world who will receive nothing for Christmas this year and they will probably be the ones with the less stress and be happier for it when it is all said and done.

The saddest, grumpiest, meanest people are at their saddest, meanest and grumpiest this time of year. I don’t mean to sound like the Grinch, but I always thought Christmas was a time of happiness and joy. I do not see that when I am out and about watching people cursing at one another, shoving each other in lineups at the mall and cutting one another off and intersections to get to a 50% percent off sale before everyone else. It wasn’t always this bad. I know it wasn’t this bad when I was a kid which was not that long ago. I barely remember a single Christmas present I received as a child but I remember times spent with family and friends, driving around looking at Christmas lights and drinking hot chocolate while watching those classic holiday TV specials. Today it is all about the “gimme” generation who can never have enough when it comes to material items.

The selfishness and meanness going around this time of year makes me want to cancel Christmas. Again, I’m not meaning to sound like a Grinch but I can think of better ways to spend this holiday season. Jesus would be proud if his loyal followers spent his birthday in a way that benefits all of mankind and allows people to come together in a positive way? I’m not religious but I am aware that Christmas is a day meant to celebrate His birthday and I don’t know any Christians who have boycotted the mall or sang Happy Birthday for the holiday’s namesake. That is why I might go on strike next December. That’s right! I just might strike against Christmas. I’m striking against the needless consumption of items we don’t need while millions of children starve to death. I’m striking against the mall. I’m striking against the greedy corporations who have decided to cash out on people and this holiday that once had nothing to do with emptying out bank accounts. I’m striking against greed. And no I will not be standing outside the mall with a picket sign or going on a hunger strike; I will be spending the season doing things that matter like spending time with family and friends instead of wasting precious time waiting in line at the mall. I will be donating money to trusted charities that disperse food and other necessary items to people in need. Isn’t this what Jesus would want us to do. I don’t follow any particular religion but even I understand what this holiday is all about. Many people make fun of me and think I have gone mad when I tell them these things but it is me who will be laughing at them in the future when they are standing in long lineups at the mall to spend all their money on trivial items.

I get weird looks and unwanted opinions about my choice to not follow any particular religion. In fact, I don’t follow any religion at all and I don’t believe in the things that the bible or any other religious publication says. That is my opinion. I don’t call myself an atheist but that is what others would call me. I prefer not to label myself so I just live my life the way I want to live it. I don’t live it by a book; I live it by my heart and mind. I wake up each day and do the things I love, pull my weight and help others when they are in need. I do not steal, I do not hurt others, I do not break any laws or cause any problems for anyone; I just live a good clean life without praying to god every night that the starving children will be fed and the evils of this world will be stopped. I do not go to church and spend an hour praying for the troubles that be – since when does that do any good! But yet I still get people, almost daily, telling me that I am destined to burn in hell for eternity if I don’t change my ways. These same people are the ones who are selfishly standing in line at the mall spending their money on things they do not need in order to spoil their children into thinking that there is no suffering in the world. And I don’t believe in Hell anyway…if there is a Hell, I certainly don’t fit the description of someone who deserves to burn in it forever…except for the fact that I don’t spend hours on my knees mumbling prayers and telling others how bad they are for not being religious.

I guess by now you are wondering why I am getting on with such a rant so close to what should be the happiest day of the year. Well, that’s the thing. It SHOULD be the happiest day of the year but judging by the crabby faces and irritated drivers and people going broke from spending money on all these things they don’t need, it doesn’t seem very happy and cheerful to me. I also feel kind of guilty buying and accepting all these things I don’t need while there are wars and conflict going on in so many places. So many people are suffering and all we think about in the free world is how many more Ipods and Ipads we can accumulate. That is where my rant and I come in; My wish for Christmas and the New Year is for people to just relax and let go of this meaningless BS that is encompassing their lives. I’m not just talking about Christmas, I’m talking about throughout the entire year. Who cares how big your home is? Who cares what kind of car you drive? Who cares if your set of dishes don’t match or have a few cracks in them? Who cares if you don’t wear designer clothing? Who cares how much money you make? And who cares how much money you drop on your Christmas shopping or how tall your Christmas tree is or how many presents are underneath it? No one should care. What we should care about is what kind of world we are creating for future generations. We should care about the millions of people who suffer needlessly every day over nonsense that just shouldn’t be. It is possible for us all to get along. It is possible for us to be at peace. It is possible for everyone to be happy and have everything they need to survive. After all, wouldn’t this be the best birthday gift Jesus could ever ask for? That his loyal followers, who seem to have lost their way and no longer know the true meaning of Christmas, would finally just put aside their differences and help their fellow man and be at peace with one another in the world. Me? I want these things anyway. It has nothing to do with Jesus. I do not follow the bible or any religion; I do good because I want to do good and I see a world of possibilities for mankind in the future…now if only everyone else would see things the way I see it right now; together, we could put our energy into making this world a better place for each and every one of us; we could do a lot of good and turn our seriously misdirected society in the right direction before there is nothing left to save.

Christmas Past, Christmas Present and a hope for a better future

Christmas Eve is almost here. That means I can now relax and focus on what the season is supposed to be about. For the last two weeks, I became more aware of how Christmas has become to so many. The time of year that has always been associated with peace and harmony has become a rushed and stressful time of year filled with shopping, cleaning, decorating and entertaining and ending with an empty wallet and maxed out credit cards. Not exactly my idea of peace on earth. But Christmas Eve is always different from those days leading up to it. All the shopping is done, the decorations are up, the house is clean and I am able to actually sit down and relax for more than five minutes. The only thing I have to worry about this Christmas Eve is whether Air Canada will get my mother here on time and with all her luggage intact. Considering the airlines track record, not bloody likely of both of those things happening simultaneously! In the meantime, work is done until after New Year’s, all my household duties are done and I have the house to myself for a few rare days. While waiting for Air Canada to deliver mom, I will sit back with a glass of wine and watch my two favorite movies; Shrek and Forrest Gump. Somehow, over the years since I have been on my own, watching these two movies has become a Christmas tradition. I’m not sure why, neither one of them have remotely anything to do with Christmas. Something else happened since I grew up and moved out on my own. Christmas started to loose it’s meaning for me. I think it all started in the year 1999, a couple of months before I moved away from home. My Grandfather passed away on Christmas Day of that year and a few days later on New Year’s Day, my Grandmother passed away. That’ll take the Christmas out of anyone. After spending two weeks at the funeral home, Christmas pretty much didn’t happen that year for us and for good reason and every year since, it has just not been the same as it was when I was a kid. My generation may very well have been the last to experience anything even remotely what Christmas is supposed to be about. Back than, it was not just about the gifts, it was about family, fighting over the turkey wishbone, piling too many people in a car too small to drive around looking at the Christmas lights around town, skating in the moonlight on the pond across the street and a little boy who shoots his eye out with the BB gun his parents bought him for Christmas. Ah, the good ‘ol days! Thinking about Christmas back in those days brings back happy memories of a time that will never be again except in those memories. I almost feel sad that the children of today and of the future will not experience Christmas the way their parents and Grandparents did back in the days when Christmas actually meant something more than what is under the tree. Of course there were gifts, there were decorations and there was a lot of food! But there was also that magical atmosphere that only came that time of year when family and friends from far and near stopped by for a visit, Boney M’s Christmas Album played on the record player, the smell or turkey filled the air and if we were extremely lucky, it snowed! A few weeks before Christmas, the preparations began. The 12-foot tree would go up in the Big Room. I still have my special ornament that always went at the front of the tree for all to see. It is of snoopy in a parachute and he spins around! Other decorations included pre-school arts and craft attempts and homemade decorations. Back than, it wasn’t about decorating according to a certain style or even making it look as good as can be. It was about displaying Christmas memories from the past for all to see. But no matter what we put on our tree or how not “in vogue” it was, I still have not seen a tree that comes close to any of the ones my family had when I was growing up. Once the decorations were up, we were ready for the stream of holiday visitors that would trickle in during the season. One of my fondest memories of Christmas was when my dad’s sister and her family would come over because her daughters were around the age as me and it was a break to be able to hang out with kids my own age instead of listening to the boring conversations the adults were having. If there was snow on the ground, we went sleighing in the front yard or at the apple orchard. If it was cold enough, we skated at the pond. Because it was a “special” time of year and school was out for a couple of weeks, I was allowed to stay up later than I usually would. The late evenings after dinner were spent watching the numerous Christmas specials on TV. A Christmas Story, it’s a Wonderful life, The Muppets Christmas and of course the cartoons like A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. On Christmas Eve, my grandparents came to our place for dinner. Early that evening, kids would line the roads of my rural community waiting for a fire engine with Santa Clause on the back. We waited for what seemed like forever to get a couple of candy canes. After dinner, we all piled in the car for our annual family drive to look at all the decorated houses. At 11:00, we got dressed in our Sunday best and headed to midnight mass at Mount Carmel. I was never one for church, but for some reason, the service on Christmas Eve was one I always enjoyed. Before bed, I was allowed to open one gift from under the tree than it was off to bed in anticipation for Santa’s visit and Christmas morning! My mom had an ongoing trick that she played on me until I was old enough to know better. She would put out a plate of cookies for Santa and instead of placing an empty plate on the table the next morning to make me think Santa had ate the cookies, she took the plate and hid it so I would think that Santa had also taken our plate. Of course this made sense to me because I never found any trace of the missing plate and year after year, the plate from the year before would pop up the next year! I caught on when I noticed that Mom’s writing was eerily the same as Santa’s! Christmas Day, I awoke early, woke up my parents and darted for the tree with breakfast in hand. The toys back than were so much simpler but, in my opinion ten times better than what the kids get today. The internet had not even been invented yet so Ipods and other assorted web-based electronics were things out of a science fiction movie. Clothing and necessities like socks and underwear were a given but I also got Barbie Dolls, VHS movies, Nintendo games and other classic toys that offered hours of fun unlike the toys of today that do all the work for you! After the presents were opened, we headed to my grandparent’s house for Christmas dinner. The evening was spent relaxing at home watching Christmas movies and recovering from the massive amounts of turkey we ingested! Those days are long gone now but they are cherished memories that I will never forget as long as I live. Now, on my own, Christmas does not stir up the same feelings in me anymore. The only thing that holds me close to the season is thinking back to those wonderful days of my childhood. I’m not sure if it is the times that are changing or me changing. I suspect it is probably a combination of both. When I was a child, I didn’t have the stress that adults associate with this time of year. I still carry on with some of the traditions I grew up and have developed some of my own but it just isn’t the same and every year, Christmas seems to be loosing more and more of it’s meaning. And more and more, I realize it is not just me who thinks this way. We have lost our way when it comes to the Holiday that was once meant to celebrate the birth of a king. Now it is about spending ridiculous amounts of money on gifts, trying to outdo each other when no one ever really likes what they get anyway. No one seems to know what Christmas is about anymore and the people who do know, just go with the flow. This year, my thoughts turned to more important things. I still bought gifts for the usual suspects that expect something every year but my mind was on something more important. Every glimpse of the news brought new violence, more war and more heartache and despair. Here I am in my developed war-free nation with plenty of food on my table, a roof over my head, a job that provides the security to pay for those things and freedom while so many are suffering due to lack of even the basic necessities of life. This Christmas I felt guilty when I thought about this and the little things I worry about on a daily basis and I wondered why it seemed no one else felt guilty as they went on with their holiday “cheer”. I do like some of the simpler things related to Christmas such as the decorations and the family dinners but the realization that some won’t even have that this season made me take a vow I promise to fulfill next year. Starting now, I will no longer be purchasing Christmas gifts for anyone, including the ones who expect it. It has nothing to do with money or the lack thereof, it’s the principal. Most of the people I buy presents for have jobs and can afford to buy their own stuff. If I spend any money by now on at Christmas, it will be on the ones who don’t have much and don’t have the means to get the things they need. Maybe I will make a generous donation to my favorite charity or volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen. If I change one person’s attitude towards Christmas with this post, than it was worth it. If I change many people’s minds, imagine the people who will benefit from the generosity. So next Christmas, instead of buying people superficial presents that they will only throw out or re-gift anyway, spread this message and remind everyone you know about the people who don’t have anything. If you must give gifts, make a donation in someone’s name or just sit back and enjoy the season in a peaceful way with the ones you love count and your blessings. Forget about the material things, they are getting us nowhere! When I look at Christmas when I was a child, I cannot remember any of the gifts I received. I do, however, remember the time I spent with loved ones and the fun we had during those times. How about you? What do you remember most about the holidays of your past. Is it the gifts you received or is it something else that you hold near and dear to your heart? Here are some links for some of those Christmas Classics you watched as a child to get you started with the family time! http://websearch.about.com/od/imagesearch/a/christmas-movie_3.htm http://emol.org/movies/christmascartoons/index.html And here are my two favorite Christmas songs of all time from the Classic Boney M Christmas Album....these two songs are always guaranteed to get me in the Holiday Spirit!

	Boney M. - Feliz Navidad .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

	Boney M. .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine