Good Morning. I trust that everyone had a good weekend.
Today's post is not what was originally planned. What I originally wrote Saturday morning, was a rant. A rant about COVID, a Shutdown moved to Lockdown & people still not getting it. But I decided no one wants to hear my rant because I certainly am tired of the COVID news. Anyway, Ontario went quickly from shutdown to lockdown-stay at home orders on April 8th for 28 days. It's our own fault. I hear my self quoting Argus Filch of the Harry Potter series, "I want to see some punishment".
SO instead today, I'll start with expressing my condolences to the Royal Family on the loss of Prince Philip. He died on the 99th day of 2021 at age 99 years.
One of my personal "contact" times with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was through the Canadian Pony Club. Every year the pony club organized the Prince Philip Mounted Games, which was a series of mounted equestrian games for the under 18 years of age & within each of those regional pony clubs, the winners joined the provincial team to play in the Canadian championships & then on to the Commonwealth Pony Club games. Prince Philip did attend one year in Ontario. Alas I was not part of the playing team that got to meet with him. I was one of those designated as a barn runner, stall mucker ... we were the unseen team. Still it was great fun.
Currently Celebrating: The dreams of many a little horse crazy girl; congratulations to Rachael Blackmore & her horse Minella Times for being the first woman jockey to win the Grand National. Elizabeth Taylor from the movie, National Velvet, looks from heaven with a smile.
Currently Watching: finishing up season 2 of Folye's War & beginning Wycliffe. Thank you Eileen for that referral. I do have a little rant; I wish the library system would list the individual DVDs in order of story.
Currently Disappointed: the package of pink & white daffodils that I purchased last year & potted up, are proving to be mis-labelled. Lovely none the less with their white petals & golden cups, although I feel disappointed there are not pink cups as promised.
Currently Surprised: by all these tiny blue flowers in my garden. I cannot remember the name of the flower (bulb) but I am grateful they have multiplied & help to ring in spring with their tiny blue bells. I am also surprised at the number of blooms appearing on my sole surviving Hellebore. It looks a little muddy from the Sunday rain showers.
Currently Crafting: I am trying to keep up with the 100 Day Project by scrapbooking ... using a new to me die that cuts out a mini clipboard for a journal spot.
I leave you with this quote, which made my chuckle, although I don't personally have any issues with Monday.
"Monday is like that person who showed up at your party, uninvited. You allow it, but honestly how rude."
Oh I can imagine exactly why you wanted a rant, it's so annoying that other people disregarding the rules has a knock on effect to those of us who sticking to them. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteIt was sad news about Prince Philip and I am sure that his family are grieving just the same as any other family would be at the loss. A queen will feel as bereft as any other wife. But to get to 99, what a great age.
I remember seeing your pink daffodils when you were planting them and thought how pretty they would be, what a shame they have not grown into anything resembling the picture on the packet! Still pretty though and a lovely sign that Mother Nature is gearing up to spring.
I want to rant but it is mostly through tears of despair today. Things that our medical staff are being asked to work through is beyond belief & we are at a point of shipping people out of province for treatment. It is beyond endurance. I feel for our Queen & watching Lady Louise's grief held in check yesterday, made me cry.
DeleteFun story about not meeting Prince Philip :) Mine is being in the Balmoral ballroom for the Ghillies Ball and ensuring that I remained at the opposite end of the room to the DofE and HM ... because I was terrified at the thought of ending up in the same Scottish dancing set as them! :)
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely cards - you've been very productive.
Oh I would have held up in the kitchen at the Ghillies Ball, but those reels look so fun. Yes we now bond over "not meeting" royals :) My card making now requires I send some!
DeleteFolye's War was pretty good although I preferred George Gently even more. I link the two because I watched them at around the same time. And they are both period pieces, Gently in the 60s if I recall. So, that is another suggestion for you if you haven't heard of it.
ReplyDeleteWe've also done Wycliffe. These days, we are watching Silent Witness. There are many seasons; the program just keeps going and going.
We have seen George Gently & liked. I think besides Vera, Inspector Lewis was a favourite series. Silent Witness is very popular as there is a long waiting list at the library.
DeleteI fully understand you need to rant. We all moaned when we were locked down again in January but it has worked. I'm looking forward to moving forwards now.
ReplyDeleteI thought the DoE was great. He said it like it was, even if it got him into trouble for not being totally PC :0)
Who can keep up with all the rules around PC - it's a minefield at the best of times. I'll say no more.
DeleteI don't think we have been out of some form of lockdown since March of 2020 - there's just so many excuses of why people won't follow the rules-it is beyond the pale.
99th day of the year! You're right! That might be the one and only fact about this event that I hadn't heard reported :) I wonder how similar or otherwise the Canadian coverage is or has been to ours.
ReplyDeleteCommiserations on the transition from shutdown into lockdown. Yes, until people modify their behaviour this will be the reality - or should be. Here Covid cases are rising in many areas, yet we are pressing ahead with opening up. It's a concern.
We get quite a lot of royal coverage (not gossip rags) at any time but as a royalist I have many feeds from official sources both on F/B & Insta & of course Canada is part of the Commonwealth. I will never trust my safety to the masses.
DeleteYes it was because of your Commonwealth membership that I wondered. Here, on Friday some BBC channels were taken off air and the remainder were devoted entirely to the news of the Duke's death; the vast majority of the other channels followed suit and radio scheduling was abandoned too. Viewing figures plummeted and the BBC specifically has received a record number of complaints. Even now, MPs, newsreaders and presenters are dressed in black.
DeleteJust to say there is no opinion or judgment in the above. Just mentioned because I found it interesting and really thought you would.
DeleteI also find it interesting how people react to change in TV plans to real life. Surprisely that our CBC (TV & Radio) did not receive many complaints about preempting scheduled shows. I was not surprised by the focus of American TV on the Duke's funeral, wasn't the Duke himself, but Harry & his mess. I'll say no more for now.
DeleteI hope you enjoy Wycliffe. Series 3 is being shown on TV so I am rewatching that.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by my own reaction to the death of Prince Philip. Although it was expected at 99, I was quite tearful when I first heard the news. He did a lot for our country and it really is the end of an era.
I feel for you with the frustration of the non-pink bulbs. The purple ones I've been looking forward to have turned out to be a very pale pink ... not even a hint of purple to be seen!
We are 3 in for Wycliffe. We do chuckle at things in this time period & it is interesting to see many stars of today in early roles. I like daffodils of the yellow varieties, it's just when promised pink ... well you get it. :)
DeleteI've seen a lot of these little blue flowers this week and even have a few that have travelled to my lawn from a neighbour's border! Your cards are beautiful. Have you been watching "Atlantic Crossing" on PBS on Sundays recently? It is very exciting and a part of WWII history I knew nothing about - the Nazi invasion of Norway.
ReplyDeleteI know I originally planted a few of these blue bell bulbs, I never thought they would multiply as they have, so I think it's a seed planting more than a bulb one. Yes watching Atlantic Crossing (liking). New mini series this Wednesday on CBC The Secret She Keeps, starring Laura Carmichael of Downton fame.
DeleteThe area around our patio is covered with those blue flowers. This year they've even grown up through the bricks in the walk. The park has areas that are covered with them as well. Saturday when we got home, we walked to the park, and I was surprised to see the magnolias at peak bloom. Very early spring here--and you'll get no complaint from me. Glad we went as the last two days of rain probably did them in. I hadn't heard the 99 days either--coincidences like that always amaze me. Covid rates here have shot up again as well, but the government (local or state) hasn't responded with any consequences. It's short-sighted as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm wondering if I did indeed plant these little blue bells because the flower I thought they were, is now blooming & it is a bulb (blue & white). I wonder if the birds brought these seeded flowers? COVID is far from being defeated & yet people are acting as though it is, vaccinated or not. It begs belief (on my part) :(
Delete"It's our own fault." Amen! And I'd actually love to hear your rant ;)
ReplyDeleteI loved Wycliffe! Great series. All of your flowers are so pretty. And I like your cards. You have a nice variety.
I have a rant brewing about people saying people should mind their own business regarding reporting non-household gatherings. Well it is my business, when non-emergency surgeries are cancelled, when hospital ICUs are so overcrowded with COVID patients, that other patients have to be "shipped" to out of town hospitals ... my blood boils over this. Deep breathe. Thank you for your kind comments about my crafting :)
DeleteRant all you want! I might even join in with you!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cards! Beautiful blue flowers, too. Too bad about the non-pink daffodils!
My ability & need to rant seem to rise daily - shall we both go to the garden to shout out our frustrations? My cards would never rival Halmark but I do enjoy making.
DeleteI'm catching up and late to your post, but empathising ... I like the mantra 'no-one is safe until everyone is safe' (thinking worldwide) and am astonished at how many seem not to understand or get on board with the need to work together on this. The cult of individualism has a lot to answer for. I'm going to stop now or I'll be ranting on your blog, which is really not on :). So sorry you didn't get the pink centres - that's very disappointing .. What a lovely range of cards you have made! I love those pink/apricot shades on the blues/greens.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alexa about no one is safe until all are safe - this is how the variants are taking hold. The world, all of it, is our neighbourhood.
DeleteThanks, I think I am finding my own card making style at last - Hallmark has nothing to fear from me! :)