Can you believe that its been one year since we first “offically” heard that we had our first case in canada? Regardless of your feelings on the subject, its very safe to say that pretty much no matter where you live, you have felt the effects.

So STOP.. right here.. if you want homesteading, livestock, recipes, garden and so on.. THIS IS NOT THAT POST.. This post is about turning that one year mark living a world that has c-19 and its effects.. Ok.. see you tomorrow or read on..

Maybe you are very lucky and no one you know has gotten sick or worse sick and died from it. (they say here in canada, that 50 percent of us now know someone who has gotten it, as of the poll done in the second week of jan 2021)

I know peaple that have been given the formal notice of having had it.. and I have had both friends with mild cases ( a couple days of feeling off, loss of smell or taste), I have had three that were very sick and one that is being called a long hauler..

I have had so many peaple that have never had it but have spent weeks in “waiting” for results, I have had friends that have had to have themselves or their children tested 2, 3 or 5 times waiting out those days for test results to come in.. missing days of work, the last couple months of 2020.. the words.. I have no sick days left and have to take unpaid days off while waiting was something I was seeing far to often.

However I have had much fewer friends that had elderly loved ones that have passed on.. Sadly I have had 5 friends have family members or in the one case.. the social garden friend that took their own lives in the past six months.

This was related to the what has been happening in regards to loss of job, struggles with what has happened in regards to lock downs, and so much more. While clearly there is many layers to this, it has been very hard indeed to see the pain these choices have left in the loved ones.

Sadly, I have also had two peaple who where “covid” medical side death, this at least in our province is now listed in the thousands, these are peaple who have health issues that did not get the normal medical care and therefor passed faster due to lack of treatments, being sent home and so on.. This was seen here in the hardest hit provinces in ontario and Quebec when they were keeping everything as closed as possable in the first wave push.. I am beyond grateful that this did not effect some of my loved ones in alberta that ws able to get their needed cancer and other medical care.

The past year has pushed a number of relationships and marriages in ways that have proven to much for those in them.. I have seen this go both ways, some marragies are even stronger for it, but sadly others are ending..

I have watch the K happen within my own friends and family across canada and N.A. and outward.. While some folks are working from home and have more funds in their accounts, others have been laid off, others have taken pay cuts, hour cuts, small business’s have been pushed to the brink and in some cases lost. Other small businesss are booming and tell me that they have had their best year to date..

Across Canada at least we are seeing such a uneven spread of the pain in many ways but the ripples are never ending.. and I regret to say that many of the ripples will be felt this year in 2021 as they were softened by CERB and other programs that helped keep a number of peaple afloat in 2020..

We are all feeling the increase in pricing, with the reduction of availablity, I guess its possable that the .001 percent are not but I am pretty darn sure everyone from the low income to the middle to the higher are all feeling it.

The low interest rates are a double edged sword.. in some way its pushing bubbles, I mean honestly the housing bubble in my own area is going to “pop” the average house price has increased a min of a 100,000 int he past year..

It means that the other increases are being hidden a bit more but they are so there.. I guess I have to at least touch on the vaccine.. I know one person a PSW at a retirement home that now has her two shots done.. that’s it.. I guess by the end of year two, I will know more..

Its a very touchy subject to say the least and I know 8 peaple so far that have been offered and at this time declined.. (yes they all also work in health care) I know that others in their places of work have said yes..

I have had a few folks that have come to me in the past couple weeks to have a phone or video chat in regards to the coming year in 2021.. I will share the advice I gave them.. yes the varients will be a factor here.. no it will not evenly felt the K will be in full force

But we are not walking in blind, there should be NO one with their head on their shoulders saying.. o.. just a few weeks.. o this is the last lock down, o, the kids will be back to school in person by next week.. Life will be normal by sept 2021..

However there is NO POINT in have a AHHH moment ( yes you are allowed them.. of course you are, I had one myself on sunday.. it was a total blargh day for me) but as I said to my friends and family..

Keep on doing what you are doing.. take the lessions learned in the past year.. and put them actively in place this year and repeat..

I know, I know.. its not that easy for some.. I get it.. if you have been living on reduced income.. things will need to be figured out.. if you are part of the what they are calling the “she-cession” were we are seeing huge numbers of women under employed or even leaving the workforce to raise their kiddo’s at home, or home schooling and so forth.. I get it.. I do..

However, at this point, you should be looking as a unit/family/couple/support group at getting together and working monthly or quarterly and sorting out what you need to do next for the coming year..

Be flexable.. Be willing to think outside the box!

This one is really hard to hear..

we have had 20 or 30 years and whole generations of “you can be whoever you want to be” and “live your passions” focus on your “happiness first”

We need to ourselves have permisson to say..

Its hard

I am unhappy

I am not where I want to be

I have lost… I mourn… I am hurt.. I am angry..

I need help with this, I do not have this, I need to learn how to do this..

I need to make do..

and still get up every single day and slog it.. one foot in front of the other.. we need to reach down and grasp that we must live for the small things, the small moments and that its just going to be HARD..

2020 was one huge “WTF” learning curve.. and its done.. the future.. the future will have so many moments of beauty, moments of caring, moments of laughter.. but those will between plain old hardship.