Generations

 Ahhh..Winter! It is the season that tends to bring memories back to all of us, more than any other time of year. I am no different. For myself, this is the time of year I feel closest to my Mother. Her birthday was December 17th, and that is probably the day that losing her hits the most. I wonder, did she feel that way about her Mother? I never knew those things about her, I have truly come to know my Mom much more since she left. We never really think of our parents as people, when we are young, do we? 

  Any how, that is what brings me to the point of sitting and putting my thoughts out to the world. 

  Growing up, I had grandparents on both sides, as a child. Both sets, were very far from us, but I did have opportunities to spend a little time with them. Christmas was a given time that gifts would arrive from both. My Mom's mother would always send knitted slippers. To this day, although I have intentions of learning how to do this myself, I will pick up local craft fair knitted slippers, because they are high on my comfort list. My Dad's parents would send the ever special hankies with thistles embroidered on them, and candy from Scotland. I felt very special having candy no one else in town had..still remember them when I see Castle rock candy. However, as I said, they were not close, and my childhood was like most of the kids in our town, Grandparent free. I recall only a few kids had the pleasure of a close relationship with their parent's parents. We would make the routine Christmas calls to Ontario and Scotland, that was ever so exciting, but unlike most of my cousins, my extended family were just photos.

  Today, things are so very different. We have facetime, we have email, we have so many ways to connect far away. We are all a wee bit more technical than our own grandparents would have been. That is a good thing! My grandchildren are simply a click away, although they, like they should be, are seldom on my limited internet ability, I do not instagram..LOL. But if they wanted to speak to me, it would be within moments. 

  My grandchildren do not live close, but I really do not feel they are far away. I can follow their days through my daughter's calls and messages. I know what is happening in their worlds daily. I can offer advise, or commiserate immediately. That is something I did not have with my Grandmothers. Cripes I didn't even have it with my Mom when I lived away from her. So, today I thought of all the differences time has made in my life as a Grandparent, to that of my own Grandparents.

  This has been on my mind, because very soon, I will become a Great Grand parent. What a bizarre concept!! Also, I am in touch with all the other Great Grandparents. That was not the case with my childhood. I doubt my own Grandparents ever communicated, but times have changed, and circumstances are so different. We as a group are all close by, plus we are all connected by Facebook. 

  My Great Grandparents were long gone before my time. This little boy will have 3 extremely young sets of Greats, and a Great-Great alive and kicking.My 2 youngest children grew up without Grandmothers, and now we have a child who has a huge collection of "Elders" awaiting his arrival. We are all excited, and he will be very lucky to have so many of us to love and protect him. 

 As his arrival gets very close, I was surprised that my thoughts have been on my Mom. As I stand outside with my morning coffee and watch the birds who have become my new "passion", she is foremost in my mind. I wish she was here to welcome the 4th generation made possible because of her, and her Mother, and her Mother's mother. Nothing against Fathers, but this is the way..women are the ones who give birth, so they are the strongest link in the chain. Yes, we are special, without us, humanity would stop..well outside of science I suppose. But these women have created all of who we are. Because I have been bit by the ancestry bug, I can offer this child a list of generations before him, he will have the knowledge at least on one branch of this enormous tree. Until one starts into ancestry, there is really no concept of how incredibly huge this tree is. 

  I have added my branches to this tree, 3 times. My oldest has added 3 more. Now her oldest will be adding another. It is massive, and God willing, it will continue spreading branches long after I have passed, like my Mother. 

  As I mentioned, I had the ability to know 2 generations before me, but now we have a child who will know 3 even 4!! I hope he is ready for all of our knowledge, and advise, because now each and everyone of us alive, are the Matriarchs of our family. There are days I feel my age and my struggles and sadness and loss, but they have all been lessons. This is what it means to be an Elder, we have seen far more over the years than the younger ones, we have made mistakes, and our duty is to ensure those beginning, do not have to make the same, not that they, themselves, will make no mistakes, but they will not be the same ones. We have all been placed in the position of utmost importance, this is only because we have built our branches and must ensure the ability for others to grow strong on the tree. It is now, our most important job, and I am indeed looking forward to it. 

  I think my Mother has been standing close, because she knows I sometimes wonder if I am doing a good job in my esteemed position, and if I will do this with the newest twig on the branch. But, with her beside me, and the knowledge of what she gave me, if I follow her lead, this new generation will be strong, independant, and have a huge heart, just like his Great Great Grandmother!!

Northern Health Weight Limits

 Been awhile. Trust me, I have had a hundred thoughts that I should have blogged, but these are strange times, and I am finding it hard to adjust.

  However, strange times should not mean compromised health care. In fact, strange times should really mean increased health care, because, holy cow, folks are feeling this lock down crap physically, and mentally. Sadly, health care has gone down the toilet. At least in British Columbia, but I imagine the rest of the country is just as screwed. You no longer get to see your Dr. instead you have a phone call. You likely suffer with aliments hoping they go away, instead of darkening the hallways of ERs. You know those poor elderly folks who have nothing more than a visit to look forwards to break their monotony, have had those taken away, as precautions..although, clearly with the amount of elders passing because of COVID, this isn't making a lick of difference, they simply suffer alone.  

 Today, I went to the pharmacy. It is indeed winter. The snow was falling, it is cold, and I stood outside in a line up with others , some 15 years my senior (yep I am old) waiting for our turn to go inside and get our prescriptions. Hey, I can still handle the cold, but, my thoughts were with the elders, and although my heart told me to let them go ahead, my cold feet talked me out of it. That is so healthy, eh? Let them stand outside, maybe they won't get Covid, but they might get a cold?? 

  That aside, there has been a medical issue that has blown my mind. Now, Fort St John has a nice new hospital. Must have cost a fortune! The building is swell, the service, well..that is a different matter. I doubt anyone outside the area has a clue how shoddy Fort St John hospital is, and I for one am grateful for the hospital in my area, because although it isn't nearly as fancy, we are treated far better than those in Fort St John. I cringe when I read complaints about this hospital, people here are very lucky, check out FSJ and count your blessings. 

  My grand daughter is about to become a mother. She will give birth more than 40 years after I had my first child. Oh, she has all sorts of ultra sound pictures , knows the sex of the child, knows how much he weighs..all things that were not possible back when I had her mother. Technology is amazing, right? However, with the brand new hospital, and all the fancy equiptment, she is unable to give birth in FSJ. She must travel (9 months pregnant) in the middle of winter, to the neighbouring province of Alberta, to have her child!!! Not only that, she must try and get there 2 weeks before the possible due date, and stay in a hotel! One wonders how many folks during these times have a chunk of money set aside to pay for the costs..sure medical is "free" in B.C. but hotels and meals are not!! Oh and fuel is pricey, as well. Yep, some women can indeed give birth in FSJ, but..here it comes....not if they pass a weight limit requirement. Yep..you got it, she put on too much weight during pregnancy, so they refuse to allow her to have a child in their hospital!! 

  I listen to folks screech discrimination for race, creed and colour,disability, oh and financial standing, but...not very often does one hear "fat" shaming delivered by medical professionals. What was she suppose to do, go on a serious diet when she began to reach the magic weight? This is simply bizarre! 

  How the hell was it possible back in the dark ages for women to give birth in any hospital in the country? I doubt folks are aware that there are large amounts of hospitals that refuse child birth. Chetwynd is another, women must head off to Dawson Creek to have a baby. So it is not just little tiny hole in the wall places, it is places with decent populations. However, Chetwynd in certainly not the city sized FSJ, so..maybe there is a magic number for allowing births in localities? Any how, pregnancy is a stressful time, generally, but why not have the health authorities dump a shit ton more stress by sticking a weight limit on the process? Lets ensure full term women get in their vehicles and travel 4 hours down the icy highway to have their child born in a different province? What, in all of this, makes a lick of sense? Yes FSJ has an OBGYN. They ensured a lovely birthing center was part of the nice new hospital, but that is only for those who remain within the mandatory weight limits. New rules, only slim folks need reproduce..otherwise if you have not found your way to the next province and settled into a hotel, you will be flown there if you dare go into labour!!

  O.K. I know, I am not a medically knowledgeable person, but, if there are no underlying issues with a pregnant woman, besides passing the weight limit, why the heck should they not be able to stay locally? 

  One tidbit of reasoning given for this rule, was the fact that the anesthesiologist will not assist with fluffy females. So, if they do run into problems and perhaps a C-section is needed, he will not perform . O.K. folks, so..we are talking about child birth, is this his rule with any other medical procedures on larger humans? I am not sure of that answer, but..clearly if this professional is limited to specific weights . perhaps it is time to find another who can calculate the extra dose for the extra lbs.? 

  So, along with some exciting photos before my grandson makes his entrance, we have to keep our fingers and toes crossed that his mother does not go into early labour in the middle of a winter storm, causing a rushed drive to Alberta, putting them all in danger. No uunecessary travel with Covid, but, lets send folks out of B.C. to have a baby!! It just boggles my mind. We have come so far since the 80's with child birth, yet, clearly we have taken huge steps backwards, due to Northern Health and their insane regulations. 

  So..in case there is anyone out there considering getting a bun in their oven..best check your weight, and perhaps go on a diet before you take the plunge. You don't want to exceed the weight limits!

White Privilege, A Racist Term

Alrighty folks, I am here to stir the sh*t pot, and..truth is, I really don't care what you think of my personal opinion, because....I am still, sort of, allowed to have one!

  There have been a few terms in the past 5-6 years that have been strewn about willy nilly, without thought or consideration. Folks are branding others on the opposite side of the trending "band Wagon" and somehow it is acceptable. It is NOT acceptable, and should be held to the same standards as all these other so called, politically incorrect terms. 

  To bold face tell someone because they are born a specific race, they are privileged is...Racist. It is lumping every single person into one slot, simply because of Race, it is assuming because of their race, they are, smarter, dumber, meaner, nicer, better looking, ugly, rich or poor, etc etc..That is Racist, folks!! Racism is judging all by their genetic makeup, and sorry..that is NOT limited to White folks. But to tell a whole race, they are somehow privileged, is absolute racism. To have a government that spews muck against one race (of which the majority of Liberals are), stating we are all somehow privileged, and riling the whole country up against us/me, is insanity. To state it is O.K. to lump folks of a lighter shade of pale into one category, is causing hate, and that, as far as I understand, a crime. 

  I imagine most folks have heard the term..walk a mile in my shoes, and basically you may have some understanding of what my life is like. That might indeed bring some understanding, but then again, some folks are filled with so much anger, I am not sure if it would work. 

  Privilege is in all races. Most folks have far more privilege than myself. Privilege most often comes with wealth. If only White folks had the ability to create wealth, then perhaps this term would be acceptable, but they are not. Some White folks are the poorest of the poor, and have absolutely NO privileges. This does not mean other races are not as poor, but facts are, colour has diddly to do with privilege.  

  Maybe some companies do not hire many races beyond White, but..again, folks, facts are , we have rules that insist on hiring "minorities" (I have put the italics, because I am now unsure if white folks are indeed the majority), but we also have companies that still insist on hiring the folks best suited, if they are allowed. Do you want even steven numbers for a professional, or do you want the best? I , myself would pick the best, no matter what they looked like..because I believe a person's character is what is on the inside, not their outward appearance! To scream and shout because a business does not have a specific number of races or sexes, is , in my opinion CRAP! I do not believe a person can have a sense of pride in their job, if they were simply hired to reach a quota ..one , no matter what race, creed , colour,or sexuality should want to be hired because they are good, and the other candidates were not as qualified! 

  Some of those despot countries in Africa, are filled with folks who have nothing, children who starve and are sick, and these countries are ruled by Africans, yes, their own! So who is privileged there? Yep, those who are wealthy..they have the power! 

  Here is another fact, if Jane Doe applies for a job, as receptionist, in a business run by, lets just say, East Asians(just picking a race, not picking on them). She is white, she is a bit overweight, and has psoriasis, but boy she is incredibly qualified, and her competition is, a beautiful slender East Asian, with little qualification, who do you think will get the job. Will she be able to complain to the departments within government that she didn't get the job because she was White? Nope!! You know I am stating fact. So, this racism is allowed, right? But turn that around..and we would be watching this on the 6 o'Clock news. There may even be protests against the company..but hey, this is the new politically correct state we live in.

  I was raised to understand, there are others smarter than myself, and often, all I could offer an employee was a good work ethic, but little experience. I do NOT believe, I was ever hired for a job because of my race! Perhaps it is because I spent my growing years in an isolated community made up mostly of us horrid privileged, white folks, and a few First Nations folks. But guess what, some of the people I most admired, or thought were incredibly attractive, were the First Nations folks. My babysitter was a teenaged, part Native girl, who I thought was beautiful, and also a ton of fun. Her brother was the crush of most of the girls in town. So...maybe we were brought up in a time that no one gave a crap about genetics? Davy Gunanoot was one of the most respected elders in our community, and surprise, he was NOT white. I don't think the lot of us cared who our friends ancestors were, someone was either nice, or not nice. 

  Yes, I grew up as a bit of a chunky person, in my teen years. I was one of those picked last for games, because..I was never very athletic. But..fact is , it was usually my friends who picked the team, and...hard as it was to be the last or second to last chosen, I understood, they picked the better players first. So, after the games, we simply picked up our friendships are carried on. I admit, it was not easy, but again, I had less qualifications for the "Job".Reality often sucks, but that is how one develops a back bone.

  I think folks have forgotten how to build a back bone. They look for excuses for their lives in others. They mistake years of hard work to get somewhere in life, as privilege. 

  If one ,like Justin Trudeau, or Will Smith believe I, as a white person is privileged, they are talking smack. They, are in fact privileged. Yep..two completely different races, but both incredibly privileged. 

  I sometimes watch "bathroom" TV and have watched Shah's of Sunset. Iranians, in my country believe (thanks in most part to Government) that white people are privileged..Hah! I have never seen such privilege before, as on that show. So...again, who is privileged? 

  I find that term hurtful. I am sick and tired of sitting quietly while I am insulted. I cannot for the life of me,understand why I am suppose to accept this term. I see far more privilege within other races than in my little world. I come from a tree of very hard working people, all the way back to the 1500s, They struggled and trust me, they faced odds no one now could manage (yes, I am proud of my ancestry), and so far, I have not found a single ancestor who had any privilege because they were white. They were poor, hard working folks, with a great sense of pride in asking for nothing from others. Their only privilege was the understanding they survived. 

  So, I am standing up and screeching, I feel this term is hate directed at me..so what is the government going to do about it? I believe this term is far from Politically correct..it is mean and nasty, and if this is privilege, I would prefer to hand it over to another race!!! They are welcome to my privilege!!! 

Covid... Fact Fallacy or Experiment?

 If I were a highly intelligent, patient, or agreeable person, I am sure I would not be in the conundrum I am presently in. I am none of the above, however, because I do not ever, simply accept anything without questioning.I will do this until I have answers, and I can make sense of the who, what , when, where, and why. I spend large amounts of time pondering. 

  These recent events have me baffled. WTF is going on in this world with this Covid crap? I call it crap, because with all those folks who are apparently highly intelligent,  seem to be adding, and subtracting from what they are saying, every single day, and they don't appear to know their asses from a hole in the ground. So...that, in itself, has me asking questions. 

  I understand it is a virus. O.K. that I can accept. Stories, and fables concerning where it came from, run rampant. Bats, labs, China, not China, but clearly China...But don't say it came from China, because it is not politically correct...

 It is , as stated by our well renown Prime Minister, spread by speaking moistly, but can be killed by washing your hands! You don't need to wear as mask, unless you have it, masks do not help stop it..ooops, now we all must wear masks! Do not leave your community. Put up road blocks to stop outsiders from entering your area. But, hey, go out and about, mingling with all sorts of folks, because somehow when you step foot in your own area, you are washed clean. Keep seniors safe, use extra precautions with them..but..go ahead drive them on over to Wal-Mart so they can be surrounded by the unwashed society. 

  Do not leave your communities, but allow the one person who is apparently in charge of your country, and your safety,  to randomly holiday with his family all over hell's 1/2 acre. 

  Close the borders with our neighbour country, but keep those international flights humming. I am sorry, but common sense (yes, that is basically what I tend to favour) tells me, stop those freaking planes from picking up folks in other countries,  and likely predominantly, China...where this clearly started. What the heck is the matter with government. They shut down business all over the place, putting average working folks in economic defeat, yet let airlines spew out carriers without any proper checks. Ellis Island had better safety measures than modern day Canada. 

  And the biggest questionable part of it all..shut down Parliament!! When our whole country is going down the toilet, our fearful (not fearless) leader decides those in charge will just go home! Well he isn't home..he is everywhere but at work. Those who get paid, as well as loads of perks and benefits (like paid holidays to Africa) to keep things running, walk out the door, and then those with the keys to the vault, tear through our money shredding it like rodents on a rampage. 

  We hear about family friends getting barrel loads of money, student personal info handed over to other countries, free trips, extra money handed out to those on social assistance (who have not had to pay any extra money because of covid) students getting $2000 a month because they couldn't work at MacDonalds, but seniors not getting a single penny extra, although they have indeed had added expenses because of this virus.

  Dr, appointments are done by phone.Folks medication is limited, so many must pay extra dispensing fees, Yep..some of us have to do this. But although you can't go see your Dr. you can definitely protest in massive groups, this is condoned by our one and only Trudeau.

  Now we hear about having to accept this way of life until they find a vaccine. Sorry, that is just not acceptable to those of us who have questions.

  If washing one's hands is the simple way to keep safe (hey, this is what I was told) why not make that a basic requirement for all Canadians? Soap and water kill the virus..right? So if everyone washes their freaking hands, and we don't allow anyone else to sit around in a plane or airport , perhaps, we can stop it? Maybe closing the doors to the country, instead of closing doors to provinces, but keeping them open to international travel without safeguards, we might just bring this to a stop? 

  Basically all that has happened is, no one needs to answer for anything in Parliament, because of Covid. They simply spew out a Covid message, and then act covertly (yes this is intended) forgetting any rules, and quietly rewarding those they like, with our money.Before they would never even answer questions posed to them in Parliament..now they don't have to sit to even allow those questions to be spoken. 

  So, as I said, I have far too many questions to accept Covid as the be all, end all force in the world..or cripes, maybe it is, maybe we are all going to die and this is some fearsome experiment gone astray? I certainly accept there is a virus, but I question many of the "facts" officials have thrown out to us. I question the numbers, I question the lack of testing on society. I question that international travel continues (I have to wonder who the heck is coming here, and why?). I question the world , for average folks, coming to a stop, and suddenly we are not to come together for fear of dying. 

  I have not had my lifestyle change much. Fact be known I have not gone any farther than the 2 closest communities in almost 3 years, and I do not have a social life, so family is pretty much it. But just because I have not had to adjust much, I still question what is happening around me. 

  My personal opinion is, this is a fact, a fallacy, and an experiment. The first two are split even steven, it is the last I believe is most important. Go ahead..state why all the world is going along with it..Well Sweden for one isn't..so...jeepers creepers, yet another question. 

  I do not think we are getting the whole truth or even a smidgeon of truth..why? Is it going to scare us to death, or are we going to be pissed? Guess time will tell...someone is definitely benefiting by all of this, and it is not your average Canadian!