Easter weekend has come and gone and we survived isolation quite well.  Our daughter dropped by to bring her dad a mask that she had made.  She put the mask in a bag and hung it on the outside door handle.  We shouted our thanks and waved at her through the window.

What I did miss was the family tradition of an Easter basket hunt.   My dad hid Easter baskets every year for as long as I can remember.  They were hidden outside if weather permitted and if not they were hidden in the house.  He continued this tradition even after his daughters were married.  He then included baskets for the sons-in-law and for the grandchildren as they came along.  The baskets included chocolate, candies and a gift or two.  The gift was always something that he knew we really wanted.  To say I miss those times is an understatement.  However, the yearly Easter basket hunts have left me with wonderful memories.

The featured flowers on this page are crocuses, one of my mom’s favourite flowers.  Every spring we would drive out to the Sandilands Forest Reserve and look for the first crocuses that had managed to peek out of the ground.

This virus we are all dealing with has certainly changed many lives.  It has not been an issue for me to stay at home since I am practically a hermit.  My husband has driven away some of the boredom of staying in the house by walking the dogs or taking them for rides.  I just wish that everyone would abide by the guidelines set out by the government and stay home.  There are always idiots who think that they are special snowflakes and can, therefore, ignore the rules and guidelines.   The 1918 flu epidemic had a terrible toll on my dad’s family.  His oldest brother Joseph died at the age of 8 just a few days after my dad was born.  My grandfather had to build the casket and prepare the body of his dear boy without any help from family or friends.  They feared the consequences of the flu.  On the day of the funeral, my grandfather placed his son’s casket on the wagon, hitched up the horses and made his way to the village church about four miles away.  He was unable to enter the church and remained on the wagon with his son.  A church window had been left open so that he could listen to the funeral.   Once the funeral was over he buried his son in the church cemetery.

My daughter is truly an amazingly creative person.  She decided that she would help the health care workers in Winnipeg by sewing surgical hats and masks.  She has never had sewing lessons but through sheer determination to learn has managed to create quite a number of masks and hats.  Natasha is the drop-off point and coordinator for the Seven Oakes Area in Winnipeg.  She posted the following on her website:

Hello everyone, we simply did not anticipate the demand that we would be meeting when the sewing of surgical caps for healthcare workers took off.  I realized too late that there were a couple hundred workers in my area alone. Each person needs at least two to four caps.  I know that not everyone can do this, for a huge variety of reasons and there is NO shame if you choose not to participate.  We all have our own call to help in this pandemic. You do your best with what you feel you need to contribute.  I have been going non-stop for seven days and I am humbled by my limitations. I cannot function today. My body has literally shut down and I cannot make hats today.  It breaks my heart because I have people depending on me. I only have one other person to help sew. We cannot meet our quotas alone.  If you love to sew and you need a project, please consider helping us. You certainly do not need to make it a morning to night commitment. A few caps here and there by many more people would make an enormous difference.

Please pm me if you wish to contribute, even if it is a few caps. The nurses/healthcare workers are desperate for these items and every cap helps.  I am the drop-off point and coordinator for the Seven Oakes Area. I will respond as quickly as I can.  I may not be able to respond instantly.  If you would like to help contact me at widebertha@gmail.com. Thank you so much,  Natasha

Note her bossy bird Nemo is perched where he can be sure to voice detailed instructions and complaints as needed.

Stay safe and please stay home.

I would love to hear from you after you try the following called “How Smart Is Your Foot?”