SALLY BARNES

Damn this pandemic. It has made living harder for everyone----and it has made dying harder, too. In recent months we have lost several friends—not to COVID 19 but to other causes. All were fine people and we cherished their friendship and how they enriched our lives. In normal times, we would have gathered to support the grieving families, share memories and help provide the dead with the sendoff they deserved. We would cry but we would also laugh about the good times. COVID

What people really need to know about the pandemic is that it’s okay to lick your plate, wear the same clothes for days on end and eat the same thing for breakfast or lunch several days in a row. Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn for dinner? Go for it. You can even toss your underwear on the floor if you want. This is year two of the pandemic and weird is the new normal. You are not alone. Your relatives, friends and neighbours are also showing bizarre symptoms even if they won’t

I promised myself I would steer away from politics in this blog but that’s like my Mom trying to swear off sports at the age of 92 because she’d seen it all before and often didn’t like how the game was played and how it turned out. (Need I say she was a devoted Leafs fan.) I’ve been a political junkie all my life and it’s impossible for me to take my eye off the game. There’s a lot to love about this crazy, hard to govern country and lately there are so many days when I don’

We all look forward to the day when we can find the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and emerge to celebrate that it’s finally over. History tells us that after previous plagues and pandemics (the bubonic plague of the 14th century, the Spanish flu of 1918), there were public celebrations, orgies, drunkenness and dancing in the streets. I expect that our generation’s celebrations will be somewhat tamer with most people just praying for a return to the old normal. Spend