Merry Christmas Eve, lovelies! It’s time for a playlist, based on the Canadian Christmas song list I made for myself last year. I was inspired by a couple of relatively recent, unique holiday-themed songs I’d heard that I liked. Which sounds overly obvious, but let me tell you: I do not adopt new Christmas songs…
Author: dilovelyadmin
Giving Blood Might Be More Rewarding Than You Think
A couple of weeks ago, I made my 46th blood donation. That might sound like a lot if you’ve only given blood once or twice or never, but it’s not nearly as many as my younger sister has done (73 at last count). Or my mom, who has done 131 over the decades and was…
Dear “Anti-Woke” School Trustee Candidates: Lay Down Your Fear
Dear “anti-woke” school board trustee candidates, Congratulations, you’ve made the national news! That’s quite an accomplishment. (I’d say you should be proud, but I know “pride” might be a triggering concept for you.) When I read the things you say about your vision for our schools, whether through the news or social media, they tend…
Farewell to Queen Elizabeth II – and maybe British queens in general?
Here it is, one random Canadian’s take on the death of Queen Elizabeth. I have to admit, even having heard on the morning news yesterday that she was “under medical supervision,” I was shook when I found out that she had died. I mean, she was ninety-six. She had seventy years of being Queen. Didn’t it just…
“Mom Grief” Could Apply To Anyone
A couple of months ago, I was talking with two of my colleagues about something we dubbed “mom grief.” The three of us are at different stages of our parenting journeys, but we agreed that there is a not-often-discussed grief that applies to all involved parents. Just seeing your children grow is incredibly beautiful, but…
Election polls for Ontario’s government are making me scared.
The Ontario election is in just a couple of days, and the polls are predicting another majority win for the Conservatives. I’m honestly afraid of this result. Not just for the next four years, but for the future of Ontario in general. This is because children are the people who will populate this province in…
How can I be writing about this again?
It has been almost a decade since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Is that enough time between senseless mass killings of American children? How can we be here again? Being a human, and especially an elementary school teacher, I grieve every time this happens, anywhere. I’m sure these Grade 4 students in Texas are…
What is wrong with Putin? and other questions about the Ukraine war
This past month, as we’ve watched Russia – or rather, Vladimir Putin – do his best to crush Ukraine, I have struggled with writing. I’m not a political pundit and I’m no expert on Eastern European relations. I have too many thoughts, especially questions, and they’re all in a mess. But in the end, I think…
Truckers vs. Convoy-ers and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
It’s now been almost two weeks since the “Freedom Convoy” truckers and allies rolled into downtown Ottawa and started honking their horns, ostensibly to protest vaccine mandates. As Canadians know, many protesters left the area after that first weekend, but some are still there and still making noise. Well, not just noise, but according to…
Dilovely’s New Year Questionnaire for 2021
Here we are! The fresh (2-week-old) new year of 2022! Off to a roaring start with Omicron. A friend of mine on Facebook was reflecting this New Year’s that at the end of 2020, we were so happy to see the year finish, full of hope for an end to the pandemic. Then, 2021 crushed…