Happy Friday, Remember when we were so happy to kick 2020 to the curb? How was that nine months ago? Where did summer go, and how is it October already? How are you doing out there?
First, I wanted to say that I really enjoyed your article on smallpox and anti-vaxxers. It is somehow comforting to know that there is historical precedent for the stupidity we are seeing now. Although science has come a long way since then, so I think there is even less of an excuse for not being on board.
I can say that anxiety and stress are at all times highs in our household, even among our teenagers. The anti-vaxxers and evil being done by certain political groups and political parties are definitely contributing factors. We are working on proactively finding fun activities to improve our lives.
Thanks for your writing. I am a fan! I am also a writer and I know it is important to sometimes hear that people like what I do. Keep doing it!
Well, thank you twice. Once for the first paragraph and again for the last. I can't even imagine navigating covid with teens in the house. Books, movies and nature walks are getting me through. And writing, of course. I read about someone that did an outdoor movie night with their kids. Projected it on the garage after dark. That sounded fun, but my neighbors would hate me. Glad you enjoyed the smallpox article. It was fun to write. We humans can be so bizarre.
I’m doing okay. It’s going to be a summer and fall of healing between two hip surgeries. I’m in the seventh edit of my book. Maybe it’s the eighth— at this point, who knows. I’m keeping my head down and working hard between growing my platform and editing. I’m so ready for the next stage. I haven’t been on Medium these days. My email list has been growing faster on TikTok. The lead magnet works very well over there. Who knew? So overall, I’m good as can be expected in a long pandemic. Thanks so much for asking. —Kerry
OMG, Kerry -- TWO hip surgeries? Yikes. Hope you heal fast from those. Really glad to hear TikTok is working for you. Working hard isn't a bad thing when it gets results. Not so much when it doesn't. Medium continues to be a rollercoaster, but that's not news to anyone. lol
So sad to learn of suspended cancer treatments in Canada and volume of hospital beds dedicated to children with COVID.
Yes, the gym policy about masking is totally nonsensical (there must be relatives of both Republican Governors and US Congress members running the schools there).
I too am a gardener. I have 18 flower beds on our 1/4 acre property. Vegetables and herbs are grown in raised beds or in pots in the rear yard.
No potatoes in my garden; last year I tried growing beets but they were rather small (tasty, though). Didn’t try again this year.
This year’s vegetables included string beans, bell peppers and 4 different varieties of tomato (cherry, grape and two different varieties of slicing tomato). Those plants are still going strong, despite the cooler evenings (48-55 degrees F). I’ve given away tomatoes to several neighbors since July.
Last summer I bought two new rosemary plants in 3” pots (as the one I had died over the winter of 2020). I planted 1 of them in the rear garden in a relatively sunny location, per usual, and the other one in a front-yard flower bed. That flower bed has exposures from the East, South and West. It grew like topsy (even over the winter months here in Zone 6). The more I cut it back (to give sprigs away to lots of neighbors), the more it grows. It’s about 4 feet in diameter and 3 feet high; I guess I should call it a rosemary shrub. It’s encroaching on my flowers. The one in the rear garden looks like a dwarf compared with my “shrub.”
I’m well. Returned 3 days ago from a visit to San Diego to see 2 friends. Wonderful trip, especially since it was my first time west of Texas.
Your rosemary shrub must be glorious! I have a sage shrub that similarly went wild. My tomatoes got some heat damage, but were otherwise delicious. I like to grow all the stuff I can't buy at the farmer's market, so I grew chioggia beets (they have pink/white rings), blue pumpkins, heirloom white tomatoes. Plus black, white and purple carrots. lol.
It is very sad to see kids ending up in the hospital because they're not wearing masks in gym. So stupid. Some parts of Canada are as bad as Alabama for gosh sakes. Glad to know you're well. I have a friend in San Diego, too, but not venturing that far for a very long time I suspect. I'm a little jealous. lol
Hi. A gardener - who knew! ;) Good for you. I’m not great at it but what I grow I’m proud of. Lettuce is easy-peasy and delicious.
Here on the west coast of Canada (Nanaimo, Vancouver Island to be exact) we are doing pretty well with vaccination rates - over 80% for 12 and over. There are pockets of resistance, more rural areas.
We now have a vaccine ‘passport’ (double vaccinated) to get in to many places. My mom’s seniors residence has let go of 2 people because they won’t get vaccinated. There is another residence in the Southern Okanagan area of B.C. where TWENTY staff have been let go due to no vaccination. This is distressing - how can seniors who are already stuck inside have even less support? So sad.
This is life, hard to get workers in service industries, shorter opening hours for local biz, less shifts in manufacturing facilities, longer lead times for any type of manufacturing or distribution business.
The unvaccinated are unhappy with his things are going but they are the cause of life continuing to be so altered. Protests in front of schools and hospitals - unconscionable.
Protesters want maximum exposure, they don’t care or believe the danger they are causing to those IN the schools and hospitals.
Business - big, medium and sadly, small & local are being brought to their knees by lack of workers.
It IS right now, the pandemic of the unvaccinated, however they are allowing the door to be WIDE open to new, emerging variants, like delta, but that are not thwarted by a vaccine… hate to even think about that. so I don’t.
I love Autumn, October is welcome and the rain that halts the wildfires.
Hey Stephanie... not sure I'd tackle a garden alone (it's a ton of work) but my daughter helps. We grow crazy stuff - heirloom seeds and things we can't buy at the farmer's market. We are starting vaccine certificates soon too. Here, too, astounding how many places closed their doors. It makes me kind of mad - mostly because the duration was preventable.
You've had so many fires this year, hope you get a ton of rain to halt most of them. I'm in the prairies where we're apparently trying to be Alabama with our numbers. lol Still summer warm here, except with cooler nights, so that's nice. Have a great October, too.
Born & raised in Vancouver, moved to Calgary in ‘92. Back to BC (Island) in 2014.
I was a sales rep, spent all my time travelling rural AB. Inc. The BC Peace Country (fly to Gr. Pr. Rent a car) I know the hwys. & towns like the the back of my hand.
I was always grateful to be PAID to work & stay in the Kootenay’s and Banff.
My step-son & his wife are still in Calgary, not good in AB. All I’m gonna say :/
Having checked the news & your reference to Alabama .. I see you’re in Sask. YIKES! Chasing after Alberta - Rednecks! (I can say that, lived there long enough)
A quick clarification to you and all. While my wife did indeed die, it was seven years ago. The responses I'm getting leads me to believe that I may not have been clear, and some thought it was recent. Apologies if I misled you folks. Anon. Benjamin
My birthday is coming up soon... I am 99.9% done with the fourth draft of my novel-in-progress (revisions take forever and I'm really looking forward to putting down this manuscript for a while... I hope that future drafts won't be as exhausting but that hoped for that in all previous drafts and it didn't happen, by far the easiest draft was the first one, ha ha.)
I was pessimistic all along about this summer both in terms of how the pandemic would progress and climate-change-related disasters. I didn't want my pessimistic expectations to come true (and actually, my worst anticipated scenario didn't happen, nice). Basically, I didn't expect the pandemic to end or even go into major decline this summer (major decline = ,death rates no higher than seasonal flu + no reasonable chance the health care system will be overwhelmed again), and sadly I was right about that. The silver lining is that I'm less exhausted/shocked than a lot of people (and I'm lucky to be in a situation which allows me as an individual to avoid the worst of the pandemic).
Happy birthday in advance! The potatoes are pink fingerlings and I would have been so disappointed if they had heat damage, but they're great!! I am glad to know you get to avoid the worst of it. I work from home and feel the same way. I cannot even imagine people that have to expose themselves to risk every single day. Good luck with the drafts -- you'll have to let me know when it's finally all done!
And i quote: "Talk to me. How are you doing out there?
How are you coping and what’s new in your world?
Is everyone you love okay?"
Well, my wife has passed and everyone I know tzuh-tzuhs me. Tzuh-tzuh is the sound you make when you want to say tsk tsk. And then, when they think I'm out of earshot, I hear, "So? How about a move and then dinner?" I don't expect them to mourn. I don't expect anyone to mourn. It's just that I hate tzuh-tzuhs. However, if anyone wants to take me out for a steak dinner, ahh, now that's a tzuh-tzuh of a different color.
Oh Benjamin, I am so sorry to hear about your wife. People kind of suck at empathy for the most part. God, I have not gone out for a steak dinner since I don't know when. Years. Covid freaks me out too much to go to a restaurant now. Guess I should buy a grill. Thank you for replying. I promise not to tzuh-tzuh at you.
Hi and thanks for all your pieces, in this newsletter and on Medium.
Things are good here, considering everything, but time seems to vanish. I have never been so far behind in everything. Including reading my favorite writers, commenting, engaging…all of it. Distractions are everywhere as well as shrinking days.
Anxiety about the world we live in and where we are headed is a huge factor in daily life here and in most places. That, I think, explains the bulk of the issues. No wonder! ( did you hear my loud sigh just now?)
Anywho, I am determined to stay the course in doing what is needed and as best as I can, proceed onward and upward. Some days are better than others. It sure helps though, connecting with friends here on newsletters like yours, on Medium, on Vocal…lots of places.
Supporting one another, no matter how we do it, makes a huge difference. On that note I want to send a whole bunch of hugs out there, to you Linda and everyone in this space. And beyond.
Oh and P.S. Since you have so much material coming in your direction Linda, just a heads up that I sent you a note elsewhere.
Gah, time. I know, right? I love summer, but it sure eats up time. Gardening, yard work, mowing the lawn. I don't even want to say how long it takes to water all my plants every day. lol. Plus, wanting to just enjoy the warm weather walking by the river or in the forest. Add in work and reading and writing and wow. Thanks for the PS. I replied already. :)
Physically,I'm fine... On the other hand,. What was it that Brene Brown said? I'm either having a spiritual awakening, or a break- down! Lol. Jk . Kinda. With winter on the horizon, an the house waiting to be sold,I feel off in more ways than one.
I can relate to that feeling of just being "off" somehow. Winter coming and covid going stronger than ever here probably doesn't help. Good to hear from you Robin. Hang in there.
OK, since you asked. In the past 1 1/2 years I moved from Amsterdam back to the US, boat a sailboat, sailed it up and down the US east coast with one unplanned stop for open-heart surgery, and visited my new granddaughter in TX. I'm on the boat now preparing to sail for Bermuda then on to St. Maarten and I swear I will finish the novel I started 2 years ago once I get there! I'll try to write with the same passion and candor as you! I took reasonable precautions, i.e. got vaccinated, wore a mask, socially distanced, avoided indoor crowds, etc. Long story short, I lived my life to the fullest extent possible taking calculated risks on and offshore. Apparently, God wants me to stick around a little longer - hopefully, that will be revealed 'over the next horizon'. And I'd tell you I miss Canadian winters but I hate to lie!
Lol, Michael. Canadian winters are lovely for the first week. But then they go on for too many of them and it's too cold. I do remember your stop for open heart surgery and glad you recovered so quickly. Bermuda sounds like a small piece of heaven.
I try to "heart" you (this keeps you writing?) but the device wanted me to sign up for something. I hate that. Glad I can comment instead. I recognize your style from the "Medium" piece. Still wondering what on earth you are writing for the NY Times. I criticize it a lot. But I also read it, you know, because.... well, just because I guess so. And now, I STILL cannot post this, because the damn device demands all kinds of information from me. This is a very bad practice. I will try to put in all false info and see if THAT works. How can people communicate with you if you attach conditions? You do not see what I am saying ???
First, I wanted to say that I really enjoyed your article on smallpox and anti-vaxxers. It is somehow comforting to know that there is historical precedent for the stupidity we are seeing now. Although science has come a long way since then, so I think there is even less of an excuse for not being on board.
I can say that anxiety and stress are at all times highs in our household, even among our teenagers. The anti-vaxxers and evil being done by certain political groups and political parties are definitely contributing factors. We are working on proactively finding fun activities to improve our lives.
Thanks for your writing. I am a fan! I am also a writer and I know it is important to sometimes hear that people like what I do. Keep doing it!
Well, thank you twice. Once for the first paragraph and again for the last. I can't even imagine navigating covid with teens in the house. Books, movies and nature walks are getting me through. And writing, of course. I read about someone that did an outdoor movie night with their kids. Projected it on the garage after dark. That sounded fun, but my neighbors would hate me. Glad you enjoyed the smallpox article. It was fun to write. We humans can be so bizarre.
I’m doing okay. It’s going to be a summer and fall of healing between two hip surgeries. I’m in the seventh edit of my book. Maybe it’s the eighth— at this point, who knows. I’m keeping my head down and working hard between growing my platform and editing. I’m so ready for the next stage. I haven’t been on Medium these days. My email list has been growing faster on TikTok. The lead magnet works very well over there. Who knew? So overall, I’m good as can be expected in a long pandemic. Thanks so much for asking. —Kerry
OMG, Kerry -- TWO hip surgeries? Yikes. Hope you heal fast from those. Really glad to hear TikTok is working for you. Working hard isn't a bad thing when it gets results. Not so much when it doesn't. Medium continues to be a rollercoaster, but that's not news to anyone. lol
We’re all healthy here, physically anyway. Mentally, I’ve been better.
That I can sure relate to, Denise.
So sad to learn of suspended cancer treatments in Canada and volume of hospital beds dedicated to children with COVID.
Yes, the gym policy about masking is totally nonsensical (there must be relatives of both Republican Governors and US Congress members running the schools there).
I too am a gardener. I have 18 flower beds on our 1/4 acre property. Vegetables and herbs are grown in raised beds or in pots in the rear yard.
No potatoes in my garden; last year I tried growing beets but they were rather small (tasty, though). Didn’t try again this year.
This year’s vegetables included string beans, bell peppers and 4 different varieties of tomato (cherry, grape and two different varieties of slicing tomato). Those plants are still going strong, despite the cooler evenings (48-55 degrees F). I’ve given away tomatoes to several neighbors since July.
Last summer I bought two new rosemary plants in 3” pots (as the one I had died over the winter of 2020). I planted 1 of them in the rear garden in a relatively sunny location, per usual, and the other one in a front-yard flower bed. That flower bed has exposures from the East, South and West. It grew like topsy (even over the winter months here in Zone 6). The more I cut it back (to give sprigs away to lots of neighbors), the more it grows. It’s about 4 feet in diameter and 3 feet high; I guess I should call it a rosemary shrub. It’s encroaching on my flowers. The one in the rear garden looks like a dwarf compared with my “shrub.”
I’m well. Returned 3 days ago from a visit to San Diego to see 2 friends. Wonderful trip, especially since it was my first time west of Texas.
Thanks for asking!! Stay well, please.
Your rosemary shrub must be glorious! I have a sage shrub that similarly went wild. My tomatoes got some heat damage, but were otherwise delicious. I like to grow all the stuff I can't buy at the farmer's market, so I grew chioggia beets (they have pink/white rings), blue pumpkins, heirloom white tomatoes. Plus black, white and purple carrots. lol.
It is very sad to see kids ending up in the hospital because they're not wearing masks in gym. So stupid. Some parts of Canada are as bad as Alabama for gosh sakes. Glad to know you're well. I have a friend in San Diego, too, but not venturing that far for a very long time I suspect. I'm a little jealous. lol
Hi. A gardener - who knew! ;) Good for you. I’m not great at it but what I grow I’m proud of. Lettuce is easy-peasy and delicious.
Here on the west coast of Canada (Nanaimo, Vancouver Island to be exact) we are doing pretty well with vaccination rates - over 80% for 12 and over. There are pockets of resistance, more rural areas.
We now have a vaccine ‘passport’ (double vaccinated) to get in to many places. My mom’s seniors residence has let go of 2 people because they won’t get vaccinated. There is another residence in the Southern Okanagan area of B.C. where TWENTY staff have been let go due to no vaccination. This is distressing - how can seniors who are already stuck inside have even less support? So sad.
This is life, hard to get workers in service industries, shorter opening hours for local biz, less shifts in manufacturing facilities, longer lead times for any type of manufacturing or distribution business.
The unvaccinated are unhappy with his things are going but they are the cause of life continuing to be so altered. Protests in front of schools and hospitals - unconscionable.
Protesters want maximum exposure, they don’t care or believe the danger they are causing to those IN the schools and hospitals.
Business - big, medium and sadly, small & local are being brought to their knees by lack of workers.
It IS right now, the pandemic of the unvaccinated, however they are allowing the door to be WIDE open to new, emerging variants, like delta, but that are not thwarted by a vaccine… hate to even think about that. so I don’t.
I love Autumn, October is welcome and the rain that halts the wildfires.
Where do you live Linda?
Have a great day and great October.
Hey Stephanie... not sure I'd tackle a garden alone (it's a ton of work) but my daughter helps. We grow crazy stuff - heirloom seeds and things we can't buy at the farmer's market. We are starting vaccine certificates soon too. Here, too, astounding how many places closed their doors. It makes me kind of mad - mostly because the duration was preventable.
You've had so many fires this year, hope you get a ton of rain to halt most of them. I'm in the prairies where we're apparently trying to be Alabama with our numbers. lol Still summer warm here, except with cooler nights, so that's nice. Have a great October, too.
Born & raised in Vancouver, moved to Calgary in ‘92. Back to BC (Island) in 2014.
I was a sales rep, spent all my time travelling rural AB. Inc. The BC Peace Country (fly to Gr. Pr. Rent a car) I know the hwys. & towns like the the back of my hand.
I was always grateful to be PAID to work & stay in the Kootenay’s and Banff.
My step-son & his wife are still in Calgary, not good in AB. All I’m gonna say :/
Having checked the news & your reference to Alabama .. I see you’re in Sask. YIKES! Chasing after Alberta - Rednecks! (I can say that, lived there long enough)
All the best- stay & play safe
A quick clarification to you and all. While my wife did indeed die, it was seven years ago. The responses I'm getting leads me to believe that I may not have been clear, and some thought it was recent. Apologies if I misled you folks. Anon. Benjamin
No worries, but thanks for that. I was hoping it was not Covid but afraid to ask.
My birthday is coming up soon... I am 99.9% done with the fourth draft of my novel-in-progress (revisions take forever and I'm really looking forward to putting down this manuscript for a while... I hope that future drafts won't be as exhausting but that hoped for that in all previous drafts and it didn't happen, by far the easiest draft was the first one, ha ha.)
I was pessimistic all along about this summer both in terms of how the pandemic would progress and climate-change-related disasters. I didn't want my pessimistic expectations to come true (and actually, my worst anticipated scenario didn't happen, nice). Basically, I didn't expect the pandemic to end or even go into major decline this summer (major decline = ,death rates no higher than seasonal flu + no reasonable chance the health care system will be overwhelmed again), and sadly I was right about that. The silver lining is that I'm less exhausted/shocked than a lot of people (and I'm lucky to be in a situation which allows me as an individual to avoid the worst of the pandemic).
Congratulations on your potato harvest.
Happy birthday in advance! The potatoes are pink fingerlings and I would have been so disappointed if they had heat damage, but they're great!! I am glad to know you get to avoid the worst of it. I work from home and feel the same way. I cannot even imagine people that have to expose themselves to risk every single day. Good luck with the drafts -- you'll have to let me know when it's finally all done!
I just finished the fourth draft of the novel a few hours ago. Done. Wohoo! (I'm taking a break before I work on the next draft).
And i quote: "Talk to me. How are you doing out there?
How are you coping and what’s new in your world?
Is everyone you love okay?"
Well, my wife has passed and everyone I know tzuh-tzuhs me. Tzuh-tzuh is the sound you make when you want to say tsk tsk. And then, when they think I'm out of earshot, I hear, "So? How about a move and then dinner?" I don't expect them to mourn. I don't expect anyone to mourn. It's just that I hate tzuh-tzuhs. However, if anyone wants to take me out for a steak dinner, ahh, now that's a tzuh-tzuh of a different color.
Oh Benjamin, I am so sorry to hear about your wife. People kind of suck at empathy for the most part. God, I have not gone out for a steak dinner since I don't know when. Years. Covid freaks me out too much to go to a restaurant now. Guess I should buy a grill. Thank you for replying. I promise not to tzuh-tzuh at you.
My condolences.
Hi and thanks for all your pieces, in this newsletter and on Medium.
Things are good here, considering everything, but time seems to vanish. I have never been so far behind in everything. Including reading my favorite writers, commenting, engaging…all of it. Distractions are everywhere as well as shrinking days.
Anxiety about the world we live in and where we are headed is a huge factor in daily life here and in most places. That, I think, explains the bulk of the issues. No wonder! ( did you hear my loud sigh just now?)
Anywho, I am determined to stay the course in doing what is needed and as best as I can, proceed onward and upward. Some days are better than others. It sure helps though, connecting with friends here on newsletters like yours, on Medium, on Vocal…lots of places.
Supporting one another, no matter how we do it, makes a huge difference. On that note I want to send a whole bunch of hugs out there, to you Linda and everyone in this space. And beyond.
Oh and P.S. Since you have so much material coming in your direction Linda, just a heads up that I sent you a note elsewhere.
Gah, time. I know, right? I love summer, but it sure eats up time. Gardening, yard work, mowing the lawn. I don't even want to say how long it takes to water all my plants every day. lol. Plus, wanting to just enjoy the warm weather walking by the river or in the forest. Add in work and reading and writing and wow. Thanks for the PS. I replied already. :)
Physically,I'm fine... On the other hand,. What was it that Brene Brown said? I'm either having a spiritual awakening, or a break- down! Lol. Jk . Kinda. With winter on the horizon, an the house waiting to be sold,I feel off in more ways than one.
Loved this post Linda!!
I can relate to that feeling of just being "off" somehow. Winter coming and covid going stronger than ever here probably doesn't help. Good to hear from you Robin. Hang in there.
I always enjoy your newsletters and Medium posts.
Readership has taken a dive, from what I'm hearing. Wish Al would get with the rhythm and stop messin' around, ehhh?! Lol
OK, since you asked. In the past 1 1/2 years I moved from Amsterdam back to the US, boat a sailboat, sailed it up and down the US east coast with one unplanned stop for open-heart surgery, and visited my new granddaughter in TX. I'm on the boat now preparing to sail for Bermuda then on to St. Maarten and I swear I will finish the novel I started 2 years ago once I get there! I'll try to write with the same passion and candor as you! I took reasonable precautions, i.e. got vaccinated, wore a mask, socially distanced, avoided indoor crowds, etc. Long story short, I lived my life to the fullest extent possible taking calculated risks on and offshore. Apparently, God wants me to stick around a little longer - hopefully, that will be revealed 'over the next horizon'. And I'd tell you I miss Canadian winters but I hate to lie!
Lol, Michael. Canadian winters are lovely for the first week. But then they go on for too many of them and it's too cold. I do remember your stop for open heart surgery and glad you recovered so quickly. Bermuda sounds like a small piece of heaven.
Wow! Enjoy the Caribbean. One of my favorite places.
I try to "heart" you (this keeps you writing?) but the device wanted me to sign up for something. I hate that. Glad I can comment instead. I recognize your style from the "Medium" piece. Still wondering what on earth you are writing for the NY Times. I criticize it a lot. But I also read it, you know, because.... well, just because I guess so. And now, I STILL cannot post this, because the damn device demands all kinds of information from me. This is a very bad practice. I will try to put in all false info and see if THAT works. How can people communicate with you if you attach conditions? You do not see what I am saying ???