A Welcome Change of Pace…

In the fall of 2017, my husband and I sold our home in the city and moved to a much smaller community just north of Toronto.

We found a nice little half-acre property at the end of a quiet street. The house was definitely a fixer-upper, but it had such great potential that we couldn’t pass it up. After all, we thought, how bad could it be…

Turns out we got a lot more than we bargained for, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I don’t miss the city traffic, smog, or constant noise. Out here we can be anywhere in five minutes, enjoy a quiet afternoon in the garden and see the big dipper at night.

Then Along Came COVID…

Just as we were starting to believe we were finally on top of all our major problems – multiple water issues, wind damaged roof, falling trees and so on – COVID threw us another curveball.

I was fortunate to keep my job and work from home through the pandemic, but out here I felt truly isolated and alone.  The most exciting event in life was my weekly trip to Walmart, and if the cashier was feeling chatty that day, well that was a huge bonus!

As the months wore on, I began to realize my outlook on life was changing. Simple activities such as a morning of gardening, leisurely walking the dog, reading a good book and appreciating the sunset with a glass of wine became more pleasurable once I actually gave myself permission to enjoy them.

The Next Chapter…

With the vaccinated numbers increasing and the country starting to open back up, I’m not sure I’m ready for things to “go back to normal”.  I don’t want life to become so fast-paced again that I lose the ability to appreciate the small things like sunsets and roses and puppy snuggles.

Through this blog I will continue to evaluate the world around me and where/how I fit into it. Who or what cause do I want to serve and why. What’s important in my life and what’s simply superfluous “noise”.

And if I can help someone else sort things out for themselves along the way, well that would be an absolute honour.