Discussions

With the pandemic going on to 2 years And another set of restrictions before Christmas how are you managing? What strategies have you found that helps you cope during this frustrating time?  
 
I can’t help but think back to major global events like WWI and WWII and how stressful those wars must have been with no end in sight.

and i have had many discussions on what we are going to do this season, Some ideas that we have come up with:  
 
she can get ahead in school/i can continue studying /getting ready for tax season  
ping pong (attaching net to any table)  
board games  
watching xmas movies  
watching tv shows (60's batman, mr bean, anything comedic)  
she can facetime with friends /family  
she goes to work/i go to work  
junior tournament that starts boxing day  
driving around looking at xmas lights  
cleaning house as she says "having a clean environment"  
xbox golf  
wii sports  
 
and to take each day one at a time  
remain positive  
 
Edited by md1, 2021-12-18 11:58:07

I feel like we are in one big movie. We are all in it and we don’t need to act cause it’s all to real. The plot just goes around and around and the only thing we can’t figure out is the ending. Or if there will even be one.

Haven’t seen my grandkids for almost two years..,they live in the States. So sick of this pandemic…I think it might become our new normal..learning to live with this virus and its mutations. I don’t see it going away any time soon.

Every week is a struggle. Sad for the diminished lives of our seniors. Seeing my dad be scared to see his grandchildren & limit his outings is heartbreaking. He’s losing energy & strength and will to exist. I can see that. My kids are not enjoying school, their friends or their activities. Everything is gated, abbreviated, modified. I work. I “pivot” constantly. I try to keep my head up and keep going. It’s hard. I want to be grateful, hopeful and strong but I don’t think I’m anything close right now. Smiling seems fake.

I am very comfortable. I don't gave to go out very often and that suits me very well. I shop online as much as possible-again, that suits me well. I have family close and shop for them, so have not been isolated from them. I can visit on the phone as well as in person. My only concern is the rising cost of food but am thankful that we have food to buy. Stress would be going to the store and finding most of the shelves empty.

I have 4 siblings living outside the Westman region. Have only seen one of them in the past 21/2 years and none of my nieces or nephews. Plus I am on my own. So can relate to the aloneness of this pandemic. I take advantage of outings to stores following fundamentals but making sure I connect with a smile and a hello to people I pass. Same when out for a walk. Your mindset is so key to coping for sure. I don’t see myself as cooped up alone in my house. Instead I see my home as my safe haven. I venture out on occasion to a store or to work. But always glad for the peace of home.  
 
Smiling with a mask on makes the smile more genuine as it has to reach your eyes.

I have good days and bad. The last few have been bad, as I was looking forward to seeing family for. Christmas and now that appears not to be happening.  
 
I feel bad for my kids. They have given up much. Our youngest is just turning 4 and this is all he knows. He was so excited to go to a grocery store a few weeks ago because he didn't remember them at all. He was in awe of all the food! My grandmother in the nursing home has limited contact with us because there are rules about visiting and at times we haven't been able to visit at all.  
 
I don't have a storage of things to do, but I miss certain things intensely. I miss my friends and family, and going to church and singing in choirs. I miss taking my kids to the Y and weekend getaways.

I am ready to whip off all my clothes and run thru the mall!  
 
Maskless also, but that may get me arrested.  
 
Edited by No Comment, 2021-12-18 19:23:53

I think most of us just want some answers from the people who are supposed to be our leaders. There seems to be no set standard on anything. Do the scientists know or have they been told to be quiet? Each province seems to have a different set of rules and conditions and the USA just does what it wants. Some parts of the world haven’t even received a vaccine shot and are still waiting for one. Then there’s the shady side of this where people are making a ton of money from this situation. Can you see why tensions are high? If your not willing to be part of the solution then you are part of the problem and thus it will only get worse and never end. We all have to be on the same page. Pretty soon the so called leaders will lose the room if that hasn’t already happened. Someone step up please!

I blame all the people that won't get vaccinated..they are the ones that are spreading it as far as I am concerned..if you think you God Almighty will help you, LOL LOL..

But this thread wasn’t really intended to be about blaming government or public health or people who remain unvaccinated. I find in this world it is too easy to blame others for our hardships. Instead we can look towards our own strengths, the supports we have and what strategies we have to manage difficult times.  
The purpose of this thread is about how are you doing personally and what helps you to get through? If we share what works for us then maybe our comments can help someone else.

Homemade poutine

Yup I definitely did waaaaay more cooking at home. It’s fun trying different recipes. Great activity for kids too.

Spades  
 
My daughter made this  
including the mocktail (Henry the VIII)

I am with you on that one.  
 
I am getting more dragged down every day.  
 
Christmas was looking possible and now maybe not.  
 
Pandemic (brain) fog is starting to happen way too often.  
 
I get my third shot next week.  
 
I stay almost entirely in my house. No more than maybe once a week I get out but can only do a couple of things.  
 
Stress and anxiety are high.  
 
My definition of a crowd was always on the small size but now almost counted on my fingers. I refuse to go anywhere there are unvaccinated people.  
 
Stores are possible exposure. I go early right when it opens get my stuff and get out.  
 
Pretty soon I won’t leave my house at all.  
 
Bad time and yes it is a world war against COVID-19. With no end in sight.  
 

My life hasn’t really changed much. So, I just do what I do and not worry about what anyone else is doing. The finger pointing from either side is what gets me the most.

Not sure how I missed this post earlier but it is fun and humor is so important to get through tough times

That’s the word that represents the feelings of so many, or maybe burnout.  
Guess I’ve spend too many years dealing with Mother Nature to get too stressed.  
In 99 it started raining and the window closed for getting a crop in, in 03 we had BSE and a drought, and the BSE nonsense went on for years, in 11 and 14 we had land flooded, and I listened to water running over a road every second I was in my yard, it was a constant reminder of not having pasture for our cattle. In 19 we shared the same problem as many producers, too wet to get all the crop off.  
All of these things affect a farm financially, and that financial stress certainly can have an impact on a person’s health, both mentally and physically, so what do you do?  
Covid is just another thing that Mother Nature has thrown at us.  
So all I do is work, and maybe spend a bit more time experimenting with food, and studying ways of surviving, and enjoying my puppies and nature.  
As mentioned above, the thing that stresses me the most is the division that is caused between people. There’s already a full slate there with race, religion, politics, ethnic divisions, financial inequality, and the list goes on. The sad thing is we have now added another reason to divide people, both sides have their reasons to fear, notice I didn’t say valid reasons, but they still promote their reasons. Even the science can’t seem to agree on certain topics, and information and details change daily, but I’m an optimist, and like war, it will eventually end.

Personally, i'm about ready for a career change.  
 
Working in grocery retail had an ironic peak in the early days when everyone couldn't get enough of their essential frontline workers. We even got a welcome wage bump in the process.  
 
But as things happen, the grocery gold rush went away but the expense of running an essential business didn't, so it was back to normal plus a bunch of new sanitation theatre to boot.  
If we wanted to be really serious about not helping the infection propagate, we could enforce proper mask etiquette. Enough with the cloth masks, enough with the masks that don't have a tight fit (if your glasses fog, THE MASK IS GARBAGE!). Enough with the below the nose stuff, or in some supermarkets, no masks at in in some cases.  
 
And now we're on the verge of the most transmissible varient yet during a time of peak crowding and public apathy towards ongoing measures.  
 
So, how am I doing?  
 
Last year I discovered a new passion that I never knew I had. In fact, I indulged in several creative endeavours I wouldn't have otherwise. All the while working normally.  
 
This year, I've really realized how much of a cog I am in terms of my career. And I think that 2022 is a great time to change that before I go insane.