…thanks to Judy for hosting the Numbers Game https://judydykstrabrown.com/2024/06/02/the-numbers-game-24-june-3-2024-come-play-along/










…thanks to Judy for hosting the Numbers Game https://judydykstrabrown.com/2024/06/02/the-numbers-game-24-june-3-2024-come-play-along/










…they say it’s not ‘if’ you get COVID but ‘when’
Well my ‘when’ happened last week and while I’m testing positive I’m isolating in my house and backyard. I’m happy to report that my symptoms were those of a nasty cold and flu and for the first four days I had little energy. I am so thankful that I’ve had my shots and boosters. It could have been so much worse.
I did have to cancel my trip to see my family on the east coast but I’ve rebooked for the weekend. I have to say that I was perplexed by the new rules for flying because there aren’t any. You don’t need to be tested and masks are no longer required. When I said I ‘had to cancel’ it’s not because the airline needed me to but because I didn’t want to infect my family or others around me.
When I do travel I will be wearing a mask on the plane and in the airport, in taxis and in stores.



If you have any trios, whether natural or staged, why not share them with us. Just copy my link and paste it into your post and I’ll be sure to leave a comment.
….no kidding, it was a pop up clinic in the middle of a parking lot
Last Thursday I decided to go to one of the many pop-up clinics that are showing up in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario and try to get my booster shot a little earlier. I had managed to get an appointment for January 6th but with the kids coming over at Christmas I thought I’d try to get an earlier appointment.
When I got to the outdoor plaza at Dixie and Dundas, I wasn’t sure I was in the right place but I eventually saw the GO bus where the clinic was being held. After I parked the car I walked over to the line where people were masked and socially distanced. It was hard to tell how many people were ahead of me because the line snaked around rows of parked cars. Luckily it was a mild and sunny day.
Soon after I arrived someone came around handing out tickets to make sure they had enough doses and they announced that they had run out of the free testing kits. Half the line behind me left when they heard that. I quickly got to know the lady behind me and saved her place in line so that she could find a washroom. Most of the people in line were in their 60s and knowing where the closest washroom was was essential. We quickly got to know the couple in front of us and for the next five hours (I kid you not) we chatted up a storm. Not sure I would have stayed in line if I had known that the wait would be that long. When we got there they told us three hours, which was bad enough.
Did I mention that the sun was out and it was 15 degrees celsius when we got there? It was but it changed over the next five hours and it became cloudy and very windy. We prayed that the rain wouldn’t start because there was no shelter in the line. At about the 4 hour mark our legs were becoming quite numb and we started jumping up and down to keep the circulation going and warm up our feet. After five hours I finally I got my booster shot that took all of five minutes. I said good bye to my new found friends, Suzanne, Jackie and Warren and we all went our separate ways.
Am I glad that I got my booster shot? Maybe glad is the wrong word but I am relieved. It is one less thing to worry about for me and my family.


…with this unusually warm and sunny weather in the last weekend of November we were able to get together with family for an outdoor picnic
Every time I say that we’ve seen the end of the good weather for awhile we get these amazing days. So we decided to make the most of it and I organized a picnic lunch with my daughter and her family who live in Hamilton. They thought it was a great idea and they drove to Toronto to spend some time with me and my husband.
I quickly drove to the deli up the street and picked up fresh buns, cheese, coldcuts and a few jam filled Polish donuts. I made up sandwiches and packed our lunches in separate bags and with masks on we started to walk to Col. Sam Smith Park which is about a kilometre from the house. After awhile we took off our masks and stayed socially distant from each other.
It was a lovely walk and we found a bench to sit on and Gaelan’s family sat on the rocks so we could enjoy our lunch. It’s these small pleasures in life that make for memorable moments and help make the isolation of COVID bearable.