A Year in Review

Anyone who knows me knows that I had a horrid few years from 2018 to 2020! And that was aside from the pandemic that's given all of us almost two awful years!

2021 brought more loss to my family but my sister and I remain well and got to spend time with each other, which means everything these days.

My year is ending the way it began - updating the electronic scheduling program  for one of our court locations. But I want to say a public thanks to my interim manager Jessica for all the opportunities she's given to me this year. In addition to learning the ESP, she offered me the chance to become our Zoom trainer, become the regional backup person for the trust management system, act as support on new staff orientation, proctor all interviews and testing for all job openings in our region, learning how to use ICON - aka the criminal records database (never mind Santa, I can find out if you've been naughty!), and now working on the scheduling for all Small Claims Court matters in our region.

*Whew*

Most people expect you to be winding down your career when you turn 60 - I feel like I might be getting started again!

My Nana has been in the hospital a few times this year - not for anything related to Covid - but she is still with us and will be turning 102 next month.

It has been crushingly lonely being home alone almost the entire time (and I will now be working from home again for the next 3 months), and Twitter has kept me company when I wasn't on Zoom for work. I know I haven't met most of you, and it doesn't matter. My trivia families make me smile all the time - especially Eugene from the HQ Fam! He is exactly the same every day as he was in his appearance on the game - enthusiastic, upbeat, charming.

My Jeopardy Family continues to grow - and they make me grow. These wonderfully diverse people talk about their wonderfully diverse interests and have introduced me all kinds of books, music, movies, TV, and hobbies that I never would have known about if not for them. And they are gracious and accepting of wannabes like me.

A few of my Tweeps are facing health challenges with grace and good humour (as much as they possibly can given the circumstances) and I would like to send love and strength to Jen, Jeniene, and Sam.

Two of my Tweeps have started amazing new chapters in their lives in 2021, and I wish Brandi and Rowan much joy in the coming years.

For my friends in Ontario and London, we have elections coming up in 2022 and I think the pandemic has shown us who we cannot trust to have our best interests at heart. Let's vote accordingly!

Vote Cedric!

My friend "Kevin" amazes me on a regular basis - he's walked through a few fires in his lifetime and has upended his world in order to support his family. We should all be so lucky to have someone like him in our life.

Here's to finding our way out of the darkness in 2022 - wear a mask, wash your hands, keep your distance and get the damn vaccine!

A Christmas Play Story

I grew up in a very small town in northern Ontario that had a dominantly Francophone population. While there were several French Catholic grade schools, there was only the one small English Catholic school.  And a few people ended up in classes being taught by a parent.

Such was the case for Michael Kuiack, who was in my class for all the years I spent at St. Patrick's School from grades one through six. Michael's mom, Rita, was our teacher in grade five.

Today is Teacher's Day, and I wanted to write this story down for a couple of reasons, chief of them being the fact that Michael died late last year, and I wanted to share this remembrance of my childhood friend with his family. And I want to highlight the impact that teachers have on our lives - it's 51 years later and I still remember this vividly.

Our small school had an annual Christmas pageant held in our gymnasium, the whole school attended and parents were invited. Each class prepared something to present, and in 1970, the grade 5 class would present a short skit.

Four students were required for the skit:  3 girls and 1 boy.

It was Michael's misfortune that his mother cast him in the only male role!

The skit was about a young widower whose wife died at Christmas and he had lost his faith and will to live. The story was told by the couple's maid to her friend (Miss Anybody). Susie Kosowan played the wife, Cathy Torok was the maid, I was the friend.

The play was about how the young man got over his wife's death and found his joy for life again. It ended with him arriving home to find his maid chatting with her friend. 

I still remember exactly what was supposed to happen; Michael was supposed to say to me "Too bad that isn't mistletoe, isn't it, Miss Anybody? Oh, well... " And he was to kiss me on the cheek.

We were 10 - Michael was refusing to cooperate. "I'm not kissing any girl" he declared during rehearsals.

Mrs. Kuiack wasn't having it. "Oh, he'll be fine during the performance," she said to me, "that's why I picked him; I'm his mother, he has to do as I say."

Come the day of the performance, a packed auditorium settled in to watch their children and classmates.

Our little skit went well, with Cathy and I doing most of the dialogue, and then Michael's character bursts through the door at the end. "Too bad that isn't mistletoe, isn't it, Miss Anybody?", he said, and then proceeded to shake hands with me vigorously, instead of kissing me on the cheek.

The girl cooties were thus successfully avoided!

😊

I remember Michael with a shock of blond hair, a shy, crooked smile, and kind brown eyes. The photographs that his sister Denise shared online following his passing indicate that he kept that smile.

This little play lit an acting bug in me that I spent years pursuing as an adult performing in musical theatre in Toronto in the late 80s and early 90s. You never know how a teacher will shape your life.

And I hope this reminiscence brings a smile to the faces of the Kuiack Family.