Covid Diaries Week 15

Socially distanced living continues... here's a recap of the week of June 20th - 26th.

Doing

It was a very busy weekend with my dad’s 65th bday on Saturday and Father’s Day on Sunday. The kids are always very happy for an occasion for a chocolate cake, and my dad barely had time to blow out his candles before they were digging into it.

I signed up for five "yoga in a bubble" sessions in Toronto this summer. I’m not sure why we need to be in a bubble… can’t we just space our mats out to be socially distanced? Anyway, even though I’ve been doing daily yoga for about six months now, this was my first full hour long class since early March, and I loved it. I really find it to be a big difference from practicing on my own at home. Don’t get me wrong, I’m super appreciative of all the quality, free, yoga sessions available on YouTube, but there is just something about practicing with other people. The bubble had the effect of feeling both with people and alone, which was kind of nice. I wasn’t distracted at all by other people yet I felt some sort of social connection.

My first session was in the evening so it was really cool to be in the bubble while the sun went down. Finishing in the dark with all the glowing lights was a very peaceful end to my day.

School's out for summer! On Wednesday Andy and I officially finished school. I didn’t really have any work to do on Monday or Tuesday, but Wednesday we had our end of year all staff meetings. Doing these through Microsoft Teams means we just listen in with the camera off. I could really get used to big staff meetings being run this way! Andy and I drove down to Oakville to get coffees from Kerr Street Cafe, and then walked along the lake listening in to our respective meetings on our phones. So much better than sitting in the school auditorium for a meeting.



In between meetings we got a second round of coffees and scones from Tribeca Coffee Co., and even sat down for a few minutes at their single outside table. What a novelty, to actually sit down and eat your food at a restaurant!

Thursday morning we all went for a hike, this time to Mount Nemo in Burlington. It is the only Halton Conservation park we hadn’t yet visited. The views were spectacular and we were lucky to spot vultures flying close by and landing in the trees below. We did a 3.5km loop with a few stops for snacks, and Ella walked pretty much the whole way, which I was quite impressed with. Ollie was less happy with all the walking and we had to take turns letting him ride on our shoulders, but he still really enjoyed checking out all the nature around him.

This is my attempt at getting Ollie to take a selfie with me. He's not super cooperative with this yet!

Cooking

We had big BBQ brunches on the weekend, complete with bacon, eggs and french toast, along with sparkling wine and OJ (minus the OJ for me and my mom!).

Having finished work I have a bit more time to do some cooking and baking which is fun. This week I tried a slow roasted sausage and pepper pasta, which was a huge hit with everyone. That is no mean feat in this household! Bonus points as the recipe makes a double batch which you can freeze for later (like when it is too hot to turn on your oven). 

I also made a charred broccoli and chickpea salad for dinner, from the cookbook Community by Hetty McKinnon. I really loved it but I’m not sure it was a favourite for my dad and Andy! 

I also made these AMAZING Almond Butter and Chocolate Chip cookies from Love and Lemons. I’m going to go ahead and say they are my favourite cookies. And they were SO easy to make. I’m sometimes put off by making cookies that require you to use a mixer to beat sugar and butter. But these can be made in one bowl with just a whisk. They were eaten in one day (16 cookies between 6 people does not go far), but they will be made again VERY soon.

Reading

I started The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fiona Valpy this week. I’ve had it on my kindle for ages, but it’s WWII historical fiction and I was avoiding tragic books for a while. 

I’m also reading a few non-fiction books that I dip in and out of when I’m in the mood. Sapiens (yep, still), How to be an Antiracist, and The Self-Driven Child. All are good, but require my full attention. 

Wearing

So I’m basically wearing the same two pairs of running shorts over and over, with about 3-4 different T-shirts. I think I need to invest in a few more pairs of these shorts as this looks like it will be my summer uniform. I put on this really cute flamingo romper one day, and everyone was like “ohhhh you’re dressed up”. I think I normally look like I’m headed for the gym.

Drinking

A lot of coffee. When I went to work everyday, I drank 2 - 3 cups in the morning max. Since working from home has begun, I’ve definitely upped that to 3 or 4. I have to be careful though, as if I have caffeine after noon I can't sleep at night. 

In the news

Mississauga officially entered “Phase 2” this week, hurray! This means that restaurant patios can open, along with outdoor pools and spash pads. You can also now do curbside pickup from the library. There are other things opening but those are the four that I’m the most happy about.

Worldwide Covid cases are still rising, and our neighbours to the south seem to be in denial about the viruses spread. The US/Canada border is still closed, which is sad news to my parents who have yet to meet their newest grandson.

This is my final "Covid Diary" entry. I started this series of posts to record what life was like under lockdown, and although we are still far from "normal" here in Canada, we are slowly adjusting to our new normal during the pandemic. Who knows what lies ahead for us, but for now we are just trying to enjoy what we can for the next two months of summer.