90 Days to go - Playlist Shuffle

It's 90 days to July 20th; the official end to my Revive55 Project.

I am trying to focus on writing this post but the television is on near me. To try to drown it out, I put my headphones on and shuffled all my songs on Apple Music - I have 3000 songs on the playlist.

I think the playlist is also distracting me, but I am reminded of a quiz shuffle I used to play.

The rules were:

1. Put your music library on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. You must write that song title as the answer to the question, no matter how silly it sounds! Most of the time they seem to work though, strangely enough.

I used to post my lists on my blog because I loved them so much. Some of my favourite answers in the past were:

• What is your life's purpose? Wasted Little DJ's (love it!)
• What do you think of your best friend? Club Foot (we loved that one since my husband had broken his foot the year before) (posted in 2009)
• What would best describe your personality? Hot N Cold
• What will they play at your funeral? She's A Genius (hahaha)
• What is your biggest secret? Tears Dry On Their Own (😢)
• What do you think of your friends? Silence Is Talking 
• What will you post this as? Love, Love, Love
• If someone says "is this ok? you say?" You can do better than me
• What do you like in a guy/girl? Flowers and Football Tops
• How do you feel today? Lost? (yes, question mark is part of the song title)
• What is your biggest secret? Kaleidoscope Heart (my love of hearts isn't a secret)
• What do you think of your friends? All I Need
• How is today going to be? I'll Take Everything 
• What is in store for this weekend? Lazy Days 
• How is my life going? Writing to Reach You 
• How will I be remembered? Last Request 
• What is my signature song? Summer Sun 
• The next time I'm in front of a crowd I'll say: Turn Up The Sun
• My innermost desire is: You Love Us 
• Happiness is: Song 
• What makes you laugh? Shine On 
• What makes you cry? Don't Look Back In Anger 
• If I could go back in time, I would change: Mysterious Ways 

So while reminiscing of the song shuffle quiz, I'm going to write this blog post while listening to my shuffled playlist and seeing what catches my attention.

I love lyrics and since I started my first blog My Life Is Like A Song, lyrics have been a major theme.

When I put the playlist on, I wasn't wanting to listen to what was on TV, but now my husband has put SGN on (Some Good News by John Krasinski) that I am tempted to watch but I really want to get this blog post published today. If you haven't been watching SGN, click here. It's amazing!

I initially was going to write about my project while listening, but in some ways, the lyrics are speaking for themselves...
(lyrics are in italics)

Back from the dead of winter
Back from the dead and all our leaves are dry
But every seed dies before it grows
(Enough To Let Me Go by Switchfoot)

Perfect lyrics for spring time.

My father said never give up son...
Yeah, you could be someone special
You've got bright in your brains 
and lightning in your veins
You'll go higher than they've ever gone
In you, I see someone special 
You've got fire in your eyes and when you realize
You'll go further than we've ever gone
Miracles (Someone Special) by Coldplay

This is so perfect with our daughter receiving a university research grant today...well I guess it could be better if the lyrics were "never give up girl/daughter"...but that's okay.

My husband just interrupted to show me that Brad Pitt was on SGN. How am I supposed to focus with SGN playing?

Help me make up my mind

Should I blog or watch the show?

Tracing back the thread

This caught my attention because one of the quotes I heard on a podcast or read in a book was "follow the thread"...meaning that life takes you this way and that and although we don't understand the meaning, sometimes following the thread is the way we're meant to go. I have since adopted the quote "Follow Your Bliss" as one of my mantras. Following your bliss meant more to follow what you love than following this way or that...follow the way you love.

You have to swing the bat

Don't you wish the Blue Jays (or MLB) were playing right now? and NBA, NHL, EPL, MLS, Olympics, etc.

(above 3 lyrics from Save You by Matthew Perryman Jones)

Just you and me love, we are almost home
(Almost Home by Alex & Sierra)

Thoughts to travellers who were or are trying to get home.

With glowing hearts 
(O Canada by Daylight for Deadeyes)

Couldn't help but sing to the whole Canadian anthem.

I had a dream of my own
Just walking out of my home...
...And I would love it sometime
If you would walk at my side
(On The Road by Keane)

I'm all dressed for a party
And, man, I'd like to go
The streets are filled with echoes
And there's a half moon above
I don't feel much like talkin'...
...And maybe my skies are empty, 
maybe my birds have flown
And I'm scared as hell to walk out
through this door
I can't stay here anymore
(The Party by The Strumbellas)


She lives in daydreams with me
(She by Harry Styles)

If only in my dreams
(I'll Be Home for Christmas by She & Him)

I've blogged before about dream lyrics so they catch my attention. In my Grade 12 yearbook, they had questions we answered like ambition, probable destination and usually found. I answered that I was usually found "daydreaming". As a side note, my ambition was cruise director and my probable destination was Love Boat.

Bear with me man
I lost my train of thought
I fantasise, I call it quits...
...Oh just as the apocalypse
Finally gets prioritised
And you cry some of the 
hottest tears you ever cried...
...This stunning documentary
That no one else unfortunately saw
Such beautiful photography
It's worth it for the opening scene
I've been driving 'round
Listenin' to the score
Or maybe I just imagined it all
I've played to quiet rooms like this before
Bear with me man
I lost my train of thought
(One Point Perspective by Arctic Monkeys)

Arctic Monkeys lyrics are always so brilliant. This one was perfect for this blog post.

I'll give you my opinion
It's the only one I got
They'll turn you into something
Whether you are it or not
Through a microscope lens
Dissecting your whole life
But they'll never get you right
(Never Get You Right - by Brandon Flowers)

More science lyrics for my daughter (and I).

You're faking a smile with a coffee to go 

Wouldn't it be nice to have a coffee to go? Hoping our coffee shops and restaurants open up again soon.

Sometimes the system goes on the blink and the whole thing it turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know that you could be well all that strong
And I'm not wrong
So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
'Cause you had a bad day, you're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know, you tell me don't lie
You work on a smile and you go for a ride
(Bad Day by Daniel Powter)

These lyrics are giving me a new meaning these days.

Don't let your heart get hardened into stone
Or lose yourself in looking at your phone
So many so-called friends
And still you feel alone
You should spend more time with the do's 
than with the don'ts
Don't worry if you don't know what to do
I don't know what I'm doing
No one has a clue
But you'll figure it 
And I might too
(Don't Worry by Frank Turner)

At the start of the news day, the fires begin
In words and in pictures, but I'm not listening
I'm not taking it in
I'm going to go to the country, where nothing goes on
Going to bury my head, where I can't hear the sound of bombs
Playing along
I'm going to go to a bar, where the jukebox is on
Shut out the noise with a rock 'n roll song
Playing along
(Playing Along by Keane)

Walk out, into the sunburst street
Sing your heart out, sing my heart out
I've found grace inside a sound
I found grace, it's all that I found
And I can breathe
Breathe now
(Breathe by U2)

So many people going out and singing on balconies and on the street to thank and bring hope to people in these tought times. Locally, the Raptors anthem singer went out on his street to sing O Canada this week.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
(Let It Snow by Kacey Musgraves)

It snowed a few times today in Toronto. Not enough to stay on the ground but it was coming down quite heavily for a few minutes. This also makes me think of my parents in my hometown who still have lots of snow.

E equals MC squared till it's safe to come home
I'll come home
I'll be there when you make it worth my while
(I Guess...I Suppose by The Fratellis)

Holding my photograph up
To the window
Through the paper 
A refracted sun
(Better Than This by Keane)

I always love lyrics about photos; this reminds me of people putting drawings, rainbows and hearts on their windows and loved ones seeing each other through windows during social distancing.

Pictures framing up the past
(sounds promising)
eek...it doesn't stay happy (I don't want to write the lyrics)
This used to be a funhouse
(Funhouse by P!nk)

Maybe time to put an end to this blog post? Although that's not like me to leave it with a negative ending...have to wait for a happy ending, but I am actually sweating listening to this song. Can I skip? Normally it wouldn't affect me, but while being inspired by lyrics...I really need a happy song right now....

and here it comes...

Oh-ho, all the lights are shining so brightly everywhere
And the sound of children laughter fills the air
And everyone is singing, I hear those sleigh bells ringing
(All I want for Christmas Is You Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey)

This is the 4th Christmas song tonight...how many Christmas songs do I have in the 3000?

I just made a smart playlist with Christmas/Holiday as a genre to answer that question. I have 180 songs of the 3000 with a Christmas theme (6%) so from the 25 songs in this playlist, there should be 1.5 Christmas songs. I was thankful for that 4th one to end this post on a happy note.

If I had decided to write a blog post while choosing lyrics, I'm not sure that I could have done as well as shuffle did tonight. I used to write blog posts with themed lyrics, but it would take me much longer than this one did today. I wasn't that familiar with some of these songs so am thankful to shuffle for pointing them out to me.

Here's the full playlist. Not every song caught my attention, depending on what I was writing or doing while it was playing.

Full playlist:

1. Enough To Let Me Go by Switchfoot
2. Miracles (Someone Special) by Coldplay
3. Last Christmas by Taylor Swift
4. Heart Attack by Roz Bell
5. Save You by Matthew Perryman Jones
6. Almost Home by Alex & Sierra
7. Off I Go by Greg Laswell
8. O Canada by Daylight for Deadeyes
9. So Far Gone by James Blunt
10. On The Road by Keane
11. The Party by Strumbellas
12. She by Harry Styles
13. I'll be home for Christmas by She & Him
14. One Point Perspective by Arctic Monkeys
15. Never Get You Right  by Brandon Flowers
16. Bad Day by The Shady Ukulele Band (original by Daniel Powter)
17. Attention by Charlie Puth
18. Waste by  Foster The People
19. Don't Worry by Frank Turner
20. Playing Along by Keane
21. Breathe by U2
22. Let it Snow by Kacey Musgraves
23. I Guess..I Suppose by The Fratellis
24. Funhouse by P!nk
25. All I want for Christmas Is You by Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey

Bringing a Little Light and Love

I'd like to bring a little light

To shine a light on your life

To make you feel loved

(Hamburg Song by Keane)

I have struggled to write this post for the past couple of weeks and it was keeping me up last night wondering how to finish it.

I have looked at this pandemic as a before/after event.

I think that we will remember the year 2020 as the year things changed. The problem is that as I wrote a message of hope for the future, I thought of others who may not feel so hopeful.

I am lucky so far that this has not affected my family too negatively so I didn't want to downplay the seriousness of the situation. I know that some of you are working harder than you have ever worked or lost your jobs and that some are endangering your lives to help others.

My natural tendency is to look on the bright side of a situation which is what I have been writing about but I struggled to complete it while recognizing that not everyone can look on the bright side at the moment. Many people can not see the light at the end of the tunnel YET but hopefully will soon.

When I think back at these types of before/after events in my life, I am reminded of being laid off at work. At the time, I thought I was in the perfect position for me. I had been with the company five years then shockingly, we were all told that they were closing the Canadian subsidiary.

It was a sad and scary time for my colleagues and I. Thankfully I was given a generous severance. I was given time to reflect and plan for the future. What seemed like a low point in my life at the time turned out to be a blessing in disguise in hindsight.

I contributed part of my severance to an RRSP that would later be the down payment for our house. I spent a few months unemployed and learning about myself through the seminars and counselling I received through the outplacement service I received as part of my severance.

When I think about the COVID-19 pandemic being a before and after event, I initially am sad and think about the negative impact it may have on our future but then reflect on other difficult times. So many more positives come from some challenges.

As difficult as this time can be, there are things we can't control and there are things we can do to add a little light to our lives before it gets better.

One of those is to connect with others. I can't imagine going through physical distancing 30 years ago when we would have been writing letters or telephoning on landlines with expensive long distance plans. I am thankful that this pandemic is happening in 2020 when we can still connect with others with the help of technology.

I am thankful to those of you who reached out to me about my posts or project. It warms my heart to know that I have added a little light, inspiration or even a diversion for a moment. I am also inspired and getting ideas from my friends who are sharing their projects, stories and activities.

For those of us who are given extra time while we stay home, we can use the time to learn about ourselves and envision the future we want once life returns to the new normal. Some of us may have been going through the motions of life without recognizing that we were spending time on activities we no longer value.

Like I mentioned in a post last month, what do we really miss and can't wait to get back to? What are we indifferent to or don't miss that we can maybe let go of?

This pause gives us a chance for reflection. I have read that sometimes we have to let go of things (or activities) to make room for something better. The world may not be the same as it was and hopefully most of the changes will be for the better in the long run.

While reflecting on the past and dreaming of our future, let's not forget the present. It may be difficult to make happy memories at this time, but how can we make today better? I am inspired by a friend who is keeping an online photo journal. She takes a photo every day of something positive that happened and shares it on social media. I have since started to put photos in a folder to remind me of this time as well. I don't have one for every day, but it's still a good representation.

I was inspired by another friend to do an Easter dinner exchange with my sister while physically distancing. I love friends posting photos of new recipes or new hobbies they are trying or reviving.

I have had a line-a-day journal for the last 5 years and just started a new one in 2020.

I have been writing some quotes and happenings in that journal. I am rarely up to date but I catch up by looking at my calendar, photos, screenshots, social media posts and emails to remind me. I was going to take a photo of the April 17th page in my old journal, but it wasn't complete so I looked for another that "looked good".

The PJMixer quote in this photo was started on the previous page and comes from a blog post he wrote last year. I find it very interesting to read it today:

"If we were to time travel, what would we learn? Simple. From a trip to the past, we’d probably realize how great life is now. From a trip to the future, we wouldn’t have all we love today... 

Take a breath. Look around. Enjoy the taste and aromas. The touch of material matters. And the sound of music or laughter (or the witty dance of clever dialog)."

My husband wrote that before I began the Revive55 Project and is probably the biggest inspiration I have.

On the same page, I find the Downton Abbey quote also timely:

"War has a way of distinguishing between the things that matter and the things that don't."

I almost had happy tears finding this quote. It is exactly what I was trying to say in this blog post yet was struggling to find the words. We may not be in a war, but we are living in very challenging times giving us the opportunity to see what really matters to us and what really matters to the world.

I recently said that my husband is doing better at preserving memories than I am these days. He has been engrossed in our photos and videos during his #stayhome hours. One of his projects involved meshing a bunch of clips together to capture my excitement at the re-lighting of the Olympic cauldron in February. The work he is doing is really worth an extra post that I will write about another day. He is my perfect memory-keeping partner.



 
Sharing our stories and how we are coping gives us inspiration to make our days better.

COVID-19 timeline

I hope that you, your family and friends are doing well.

While catching up with friends recently, we were talking about how our families are dealing with COVID-19. While retelling my experience, I thought that I was starting to forget the progression of the pandemic.

As the days and weeks pass, how different things are and how quickly they changed. It is making me want to capture the timing of things and how it has impacted our lives. I hope that by capturing how these days have changed, in the future when I reflect back at this time period, I will be more grateful for every day and appreciative of the little things that we sometimes take for granted.

I hope to inspire you to do the same and capture the moments that are significant in your COVID-19 timeline. Are there some positives that you can take from it? Is your family spending more quality time together? Have you caught up on projects that you were procrastinating on? Have you embraced technology and connected online instead of in person?
 
I have highlighted some memorable moments in the post timeline to help you remember your personal moments. If you feel like my timeline is too generic, I have removed some personal stories for this public version to keep them private and not bore you too much with my details.

Although I normally focus on the positive, COVID-19 has impacted the world in a negative way. In 2001, I journaled about the impact of 9/11 on our lives. Although it was a sad time, I believe it's important to remember these impactful events. As I have heard countless times, these are unprecedented times. Hopefully the worst days of COVID-19 are behind us and I am writing as things will start to get better.

Canada had its first case of COVID-19 confirmed on January 27th. 

On February 7th, a plane landed in Trenton with Canadians who were repatriated from Wuhan. They were quarantined on the Canadian Forces Base.

My personal COVID-19 story started in early February when we bought hand sanitizer and wipes for our flight on February 11th to Vancouver. Although there is little stock of these items in the stores, I imagine that they are being saved for hospitals.

On flights, we were very careful to wipe the tray, screen, seat belt and other hard surfaces that we would touch. Once in Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria, we didn't think of COVID-19 on a personal level and didn't take any precautions.

We were in Whistler for Valentine's Day. I felt bad for having left our daughter alone at home so had left a card that I bought a couple of years ago. My original plan had been to send it to her when she was away for the summer working as a summer camp counsellor.

I recently saw the card I gave her and thought it was even more perfect for today. With us practicing social distancing, we can only send virtual hugs.

On February 21st, a flight with Canadians who were aboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess were brought to Trenton and quarantined. At this point, I still think that this is a problem from elsewhere and those coming back are being quarantined so we'll all be safe.

The Dow Jones goes down every day this week and "bottoms out" on February 28th at 25,400 from a high of 29,200. By March 23rd, it had fallen to 18,592, its lowest since the end of 2016.

We left for Hawaii on February 29th. We were again careful on the flights but didn't think much more about it until the next day. We had a dinner event on March 1st with 600 people from around the world. Although we were not supposed to be shaking hands, we were all sharing serving utensils at the various food stations. We were sharing tables and in close contact with everyone. I still wasn't worried.

We sat down at an empty part of a picnic table and introduced ourselves to those who were there.

We asked them "Where are you from?"
"Italy" they said.
We added "oh we love Italy, whereabouts?" (or some other friendly follow-up question)

They were surprised by our reaction as they said that many people wanted to keep their distance when they realized they were from italy. I didn't understand why. This is when I found out that there were over 1000 cases in Italy. How did it jump so high so fast I wondered? It seemed like yesterday, there were only a handful. One thousand cases seemed like SO much back then.

COVID-19 was not a worry when we were on our trip. It was a topic of discussion that seemed far away from where we were. We ate at restaurants and shopped without thinking of who was nearby or who was touching what.

While on holiday, I saw people on Facebook posting about empty shelves at grocery stores.

When we returned on March 8th, there were 67 cases in Canada.

March 9th, the first Canadian dies of complications related to COVID-19.

Canadians are being advised to avoid non-essential travel to Italy. They are nearing 10000 cases.

I went to the grocery store and LCBO on March 10th. Some shelves were bare but it was mostly normal. I am not worried about infecting someone or being infected.

On March 10th, the Prime Minister tweets:

"March Break is coming up and if you’re travelling, we recommend you check out travel advisories from @TravelGoC. We also encourage you to use the Registration of Canadians Abroad service to receive important updates before & during your travel."
On March 11th, the WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic.

On March 11th, Laurentian University is the first to announce that they will move their classes online the next day. Other universities would follow suit in the days to come.

On March 12th, our Prime Minister self-isolates as he announces that his wife tested positive for COVID-19 after coming back from London, England.

Friday the 13th starts with our premier giving the advice to Ontarians to go on March Break and "have fun" during a Q&A. That afternoon, he announces that schools will remain closed for two weeks after March Break. That makes sense I think, everyone comes back and self-isolate for two weeks so if there is someone with symptoms, they don't spread it in schools. I am still thinking that it would be the minority who would have COVID-19. I think life will be back to normal once they have self-isolated.

Bank of Canada lowers rate to 3/4%.

Later that day, the recommendation is that all travellers coming back should self-isolate so following our mayor's lead who returned from London two days prior, we self-isolate (family-isolate) for 9 days which would be 14 days from the day we returned.

The Prime Minister then announces that we should avoid non-essential travel. 

On Friday the 13th, Canada has 198 cases.

Major sporting events are cancelled. Tourist attractions close. Large crowd events are cancelled in the hopes of flattening the curve. We are advised to "social distance" and keep 6 feet from each other. Meetings and social hangouts move online with the help of zoom and other video chat apps. We are socially connecting while physically distancing.

On March 14th, Canadians are being told to "come home via commercial means while they remain available". Some countries are closing their borders. Airlines are cancelling flights.

On the 16th, Canada announces that it will close its borders to foreigners on the 18th. Only Canadians, residents, immediate families and U.S. citizens will be allowed to enter.

On St. Patrick's Day, gatherings of more than 50 people are banned. There are 598 cases.

Canada's case number climbs higher than 1000 on March 20th.

More than one million Canadians and residents returned to Canada from March 13th to 20th.

People start decorating their windows with hearts and rainbows and sharing photos on social media.

Our family isolation ends on March 22nd, but at this point, there's really no where to go. We are being told to only go out when it's essential. Our pantry and fridge are still stocked so no need to go to the grocery store.

Canada announces that they will not send athletes to the 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The Games would be postponed to 2021 a few days later.

March Break ends and classes would have resumed on the 23rd.

The price of gas is the lowest in 20 years. It was $0.75/L in Toronto.

Non-essential businesses in Ontario were ordered shut.

In the next week, more and more would close. Parks and playgrounds were closed. There were limited number of people allowed in stores at one time. Restaurants and cafes either closed or only offered take-out or delivery service. Grocery pick-up times were filled up for the next two weeks (as far in advance as we could order). No gatherings of 5 or more.

On March 31st, Ontario announced that schools would be closed until at least May 4th.

Friends circulate the message on Facebook that "April Fools Day is cancelled because no made up prank could match the unbelievable sh*t happening in the world right now".

When I started this post on April 2nd, Canada had more than 10,000 cases.

The two week self-isolation after March Break is to end on April 6th. Is this when we will see the curve start to flatten? I sure hope so.

Normally when we journal or preserve memories, they are of happy times. I wanted to preserve this timeline because it seems like yesterday that we were living carefree and yet it seems like forever.

It will be interesting to see when things go back to normal and what that normal will look like.

Stay healthy everyone!


Summary of numbers:
# cases - date
1 - January 27
3 - January 31
10 - February 23
20 - February 29
97 - March 10
198 - March 13 - last day of school before March Break
598 - March 17
1088 - March 20
1472 - March 22 - official end of March Break (Sunday)
2091 - March 23
6320 - March 29
11285 - April 2

After self-isolation, I can't wait to...

When 2020 began, I had such high hopes for the year and the decade. Twenty is my favourite number and I had been anticipating wonderful years ahead.

As the first quarter of 2020 comes to an end, maybe we could hit the restart button. Wouldn't that be nice?

If you're like me, you may have set goals and dreams at the start of the year. Now is a good time to revisit those lists, update them and hopefully you can check off some things you succeeded in achieving before our world changed with COVID-19.

How about we create an April Fools' goals list? Who could have imagined on New Year's Day where we would be today.

If only it was an April Fools' joke.

Being at home is actually helping with my goals for 2020. Looking at my list, there are things that were important to me that I had not started yet. As much as I don't enjoy being stuck indoors all day, I am thankful to have the time to focus on these indoor activities.

During this difficult time of self-isolation and staying at home as much as possible, I have decided to make another list (because I love lists).

The first part of the list are things that I miss now that I am staying home. Life isn't all hearts and rainbows so acknowledging what we miss can lead to being more conscious of what we love. What could I do or did I do in the past that I miss doing now?

On a side note, have you put rainbows, hearts or bears in your windows?

I have seen multiple movements where people decorate their windows to brighten the days of people walking by. I haven't seen anyone else mention this, but I have also put sports themed decorations in my window. Not everyone loves hearts and rainbows (and I had just taken decals off in our son's room so I took them out of the garbage to put in the window). This is what the windows look like from my perspective.

The heart painting that my daughter made for me when she was younger and the dog photo are normally facing the street. Above the heart painting is a Raptors locker room sign.

I love the chalk drawings that the kids who live next door have drawn on the sidewalk.

During difficult times, it helps to look at what we are grateful for. Although we are missing things, what are we grateful for today?

Looking forward to our world going back to normal, what are we dreaming of doing? What are some of the first things we'll do when it's safe to go out? What are things we took for granted that we will better appreciate in the future?

Answering these questions can help us to remember our past memories and plan to create new memories in the future.

Here are some of the things on my list (besides family and friends that is probably #1 on most people's lists)

1. Things I miss (or will miss):

• Going skiing (we bought skis during Black Friday sales and have only skied in Ontario once)
• High Park cherry blossoms (I imagine the park may still be closed when they bloom)
• Events (so far my Keane concert and Hamilton performance have been cancelled; I was hoping to see TerraLumina at the Toronto Zoo and we have other events scheduled for May)
• watching sports and my favourite teams (I am missing the postponed Olympics already)
• Walking over to the local shop to get fresh fruits and vegetables

2. Things I am grateful for:

• People and activities that flatten the curve
• Technology that allows us to connect with loved ones
• People who are still working providing essential services 
• Cookies my brother made and meals my family are preparing for me
• Books I am reading

3. Things I can't wait to do when it is safe to do so:

• go to a restaurant or bar
• hug and kiss
• attend a concert or sporting event
• get the shingles vaccine (or at least being able to go get it)
• travel and to travel vicariously when my friends and family can travel. I can't wait to see their photos and hear their stories!!

I'll keep my list handy to add to it whenever I think of something.

One of my goals for 2020 was to journal stories. This is a good time to write stories, look at photos and watch videos about things we have done that we can't do at the moment. Reminiscing about things we miss, reminds us of what we want to do once we can.

What do you miss, are grateful for and can't wait to do?

Leap Day Memories 2020

Tomorrow is February 29th. Leap Day!

Do you have memories on this day? I don't remember anything specific from my past leap days. I remember that a friend of a friend has her birthday on that day. I have watched the movie Leap Year but can't remember if I did on Leap Day.

I look forward to opening my TimeHop app tomorrow to see what photos I took and tweets or Facebook messages I posted on this day.

Special days give us the opportunity to make memories.

By chance I am flying to Hawaii on the 29th this year. Leap Days will have special meaning to me in the future, but only if I make a conscious choice to remember the date that I flew to Hawaii. I don't remember the date that I flew to many other destinations. It's not something that we remember if it's just another date.

To make a date memorable, we need to celebrate it. To mark it as a special day. We want to involve all our senses so I hope that it's true that the smells in Hawaii are unforgettable. I will hopefully have a Mai Tai (or other special cocktail) upon arrival rather than my regular glass of wine. I will see if I can download Leap Year to watch on the plane on the way there.

I will add an event in my calendar for the next Leap Year to have a Mai Tai, put on a flowery dress and celebrate the day we went to Hawaii for the first time.

Before I knew that I was going to Hawaii, I had planned to try to make February 29th memorable. As part of my Revive55 Project, I want to re-create past memories and create new ones. We don't have to go on holiday to create special memories.

If you have past Leap Day memories, are they worth repeating or re-creating?

If you don't have past Leap Day memories, create something new and special. Is there a place in your city or town where you are that you've always wanted to go but haven't? Make it a Leap Day tradition.

Is there a restaurant or activity you love but it's too extravagant to do every year? Do it every 4 years!

Is there a tourist attraction that going every year is too often for you? Because it's there and you could go anytime, maybe time passes and you don't go? I'm thinking of the CN Tower as an example. The majority of people in Toronto probably haven't been up the CN Tower in the last decade. It's a great idea as a Leap Year experience and since it's not very often, splurge by having a drink or meal. Order something different so that it's even more memorable.

If you'd rather enjoy the day at home, try a new recipe, use your good china and crystal, watch Leap Year if you like romantic comedies or do something else memorable.

According to an Irish legend, St. Brigid struck a deal with St. Patrick to allow women to propose to men on Leap Day. This is believed to have been to balance the traditional roles of men and women like how leap day balances the calendar.

As a new tradition, you could find a new Irish recipe or find an Irish pub to celebrate.

Whether you choose to celebrate Leap Day or not, I hope you enjoyed the second month of 2020.

2020 Memories of the 2010 Olympics

To help keep our memories alive, it helps to relive them by looking at photos and videos or retelling the stories of those times. Experiencing the moments again is another way to keep them alive.

At the end of the year when I was looking back at 2019 and the 2010's, I looked back at the end of 2009. What was my life like then? Could I have imagined everything that happened in the 2010's? This reminded me that in December 2009, I was about to have my experience of a lifetime attending the Opening Ceremony and Men's Moguls for the 2010 Olympics.

That experience was so magical that I enjoyed thinking back to the person who didn't know how great it was going to be.

That's when I had an aha moment. In two months, it would be the 10th anniversary of the Vancouver Games. I have been saying since then that I want to go to Whistler who co-hosted the Games. How has ten years passed already?

Before we had kids, my husband and I used to go skiing in Whistler every year. I loved it so much there. The skiing was incredible and the village was amazing. I would have loved to go to Whistler during the Olympics but it was not meant to be.

Since then, I have had many friends post on social media or send me photos of Olympic rings when they went to Whistler. I loved the photos and hoped that some day I would go back to Whistler, ski my favourite runs, enjoy the village and see the Olympic rings!!

That aha moment I had was to use the 10th anniversary of the Games and combine a Vancouver reminiscing stopover with a Whistler ski trip.

We booked our trip to arrive on the eve of the Opening Ceremony anniversary day. There have been times that the Olympic cauldron has been lit for special occasions in the last decade. I hoped they would light it for the 10th anniversary but was doubtful that they would on a Wednesday. With family day weekend a few days later, I thought they may do it then.

It didn't matter though. I wanted to go celebrate my personal 10th anniversary experience. I wanted to see the cauldron even without the flame. I had not seen it without the flame although friends had sent me photos of it when they visited it. I wanted to see the hotel where I stayed even if we decided to stay elsewhere. I wanted to go to Cypress Mountain where the moguls event had taken place.

A month before our trip, I saw news that they were having anniversary celebrations the weekend after family day weekend. I was initially a little disappointed but realized that even if I had known that before booking my trip, I wanted to be there the day of the Opening Ceremony on February 12th, not ten days later. It wouldn't have changed my plans.

A couple of days before our departure, I saw the news that they would light the cauldron the morning that we would be there. I screamed in that moment, running to my husband to tell him the news. I couldn't believe it. On a Wednesday morning, for two hours, the cauldron would be lit!!

We had a late night flight arriving at 10pm, so I was just hoping that there wouldn't be any delays and there weren't. Lucky us!!

The next morning, I was happy to just grab a quick bite, but my husband wanted a nicer breakfast. He googled places between our hotel and the cauldron and found one that he liked. As we walked closer, I see a sign for the hotel I stayed in after the men's moguls. What a view with the harbour in the background! I had not been to this side of the hotel so I didn't initially recognize it as my 2010 hotel.

My husband didn't realize it at the time, but he chose a restaurant that was inside that hotel. Afterwards, we walked through the lobby to the front desk where I pretended I was checking in like I did 10 years ago.

Walking through the hotel brought back such amazing memories.

There were two cauldrons in 2010. One inside the Opening Ceremony venue and one near the harbour where it is today. Wayne Gretzky left the ceremony and rode in a truck to get to the outdoor cauldron to light it. After the ceremony, I rushed to catch a bus to get to the midnight ferry to Victoria. I didn't see the outdoor cauldron until I saw it broadcast on the ferry.

When I returned to Vancouver a couple of days later for the Men's Moguls, I was ecstatic to see the cauldron lit even if we couldn't get close to it because of the fence that surrounded it.

I was still able to take amazing photos of it through the fence, just not with me in them.

Another memory from 10 years ago was my friend lending me his Olympic torch for the night. He had run in the relay a few days before and knowing how much I love the Olympics, lent it to me.

Someone said that I look like a kid in a candy store in this photo. At this moment in time, this is as close to my Olympic dream that I think I'm going to get. I didn't have Olympic tickets yet and no plans to go.

I'm sharing both photos to show the difference ten years makes. Back in Vancouver on the 10th anniversary, there were torch relay runners and volunteers who attended the lighting ceremony. One of the runners lent me his torch for a photo. I'm a lot closer to the cauldron this time. We could feel the heat from the flames as we stood nearby.

I had tears in my eyes as the song "I Believe" from 2010 played on the loud speakers before O Canada when they lit the cauldron. I am so happy that I went back and got to re-create past memories and create new ones with my husband who wasn't there in 2010.

Our reminiscing tour continued to Cypress Mountain where Alexandre Bilodeau won the first gold medal for Canada on home soil. And I was there!! I still have to pinch myself to believe my experience.

The moguls run looked quite different in 2020. The base of the run is a parking lot. The moguls, aerial jump, stands and lights are gone. 

I was still happy to see it and create new memories by posing by the first Olympic rings I would see on my trip and having a great lunch in the chalet that was reserved for athletes, coaches and entourage in 2010 and now display mementos from the Games.

If you want to read more about my 2010 Olympic experience, you can read my blog posts by clicking:

• here for Men's Moguls
• here for Opening Ceremony
• here for pre-Opening Ceremony

Thank you for reading.

Chasing dreams...capturing memories.

Passport Stamps Journal

I found this great travel journal that has passport stamps on the cover.

It gave me the idea to scan my old passports, cut out the stamps and tape them into the journal. I also want to write some details and memorable moments from our trips.

For years I had said that I had set foot in all Canadian provinces (not territories) but lately I had been doubting my story that we landed in Newfoundland when I was questioned once. Why would we land in Newfoundland? Where was I coming back from?

While looking at my passports, I got my answer. On our way back from England in 1995, we went through customs in St. John's, Newfoundland. I didn't dream it.

I love how some customs agents are meticulous in matching the outbound stamp with the inbound stamp like they did on the right side of this page, while others stamp over previous stamps.

What amazing memories to go back through the passports, even if it is just to look at them. I also like the idea of writing memories in the passport itself once they've expired.

I do have a few pages that are disorganized though so I'm happier with mine to separate the entries and scan a page twice when stamps overlap and are from different years.

Looking through, I'm also noticing that there are trips without stamps. I figured it was worth adding mention of them so that the travel journal was complete. I will hopefully find a little memento of the trip to include.

I am reflecting on the finished product before taping the scans in. Should I organize them chronologically or geographically or by type of trip (family, couple, business)? I have placed them chronologically to see how full it becomes. Even with skipping pages for missed stamps and leaving space for writing, the journal is less than half full. Continuing chronologically with future trips would be easy to add new stamps.

If I choose to organize them geographically, it would mean leaving pages blank for future trips after each geographic region. I'm not sure how I feel about empty pages between filled pages.

I like the geographic-themed journal if I had enough stamps to fill the journal but maybe I'll decide to go chronologically. If you have an idea or opinion, I'd love to hear it.

I bought the journal at The Papery at Yonge and St. Clair. It used to be my favourite store when I lived in the neighbourhood. We recently went back to this neighbourhood to reminisce and create new memories.