Today I am celebrating one year of retirement from full-time work. What a year it has been with less responsibilities, less stress but less income, all while embracing the simple pleasures in life.
While following the international news about inhumane treatment of people in Gaza and the United States of America, I am proud of our Canadian politicians and our King fending off the demented challenges to our nation’s sovereignty and economy over the past few months.
In this beautiful but troubled world, I appreciate the flexibility and freedom of my weekly schedule to enjoy life and community service, using my skills in volunteer roles. I believe that acts of kindness and compassion can ripple throughout our population and across borders.
I suppose Canada Day is a good day to share my appreciation for our basic rights and freedoms.
Happy Canada Day. Please enjoy this interview with “elbows up” Mike Myers. There’s nothing wrong with peace, love and understanding. Being kind is not a sign of weakness.
Canada Day 2022 is approaching and celebrations in Ottawa may be tarnished by unwelcome participants.
After Ottawa residents were harassed for many weeks this winter by the “Freedom” Convoy occupiers, many of us cringe when we see someone with a large Canadian Flag draped over their shoulders, or flags fluttering from the back of pickup trucks parked on our residential streets.
Those people disrupted traffic, disrespected the national war memorial and infested downtown residential streets with their noisy, smelly trucks and menacing behaviour. Their financial backers and some western Conservative supporters tried to disrupt democracy and overthrow our fairly elected government while using the vaccine mandates as their focus for complaints.
They used offensive language and visual props encouraging personal attacks on our Prime Minister. They welcomed members of the right-wing Christian and white supremist fringe. They harassed politicians and doctors. They taunted residents who wore protective masks while walking on the streets. They used their own children as shields to thwart arrests and removals.
It was an occupation that was planned with military precision. It makes one think that there is a darker influence that still lurks in the background.
Thankfully, the OPS and reinforcements removed the protesters in a peaceful, methodical manner.
Tree stump after the May long weekend storm, graced by a small Canadian flag
Those occupiers are back in our fair city with plans to attend Canada Day celebrations and stick around all summer. What are they protesting now? Vaccine mandates have been lifted.
Local residents and politicians are not pleased with the antics of these unwelcome visitors with their menacing behaviour, anti-science rants, immature posters and flags. People of the Ottawa region are still recovering from massive storm damage and hydro outages. We don’t need this bullshit.
I haven’t been downtown for many years to celebrate in the hot sun or rain with thousands of other people. The COVID-19 pandemic distancing recommendations and Freedumb Convoy have sealed the deal on my personal preference for quiet, clean celebrations closer to home.
Deep Blonde Thoughts 