A Life, Lived

2018 - What a Year

I think it is pretty easy to summarize 2018 . . it sucked and it sent the stage for 2019 which is going to suck even worse.

Personally things were fine. We lived, laughed, traveled, had adventures. We end the year as well as we started it - well, except for the addition of a few more pounds than I should have (cue comment from my GP when I visit him next Wednesday).

Professionally things were profoundly busy. In fact so busy that at times it was a struggle to stay connected with the important things in life. So busy that I finally sat down and mapped out my planned retirement date; while I have a lot of fight left in me I also have some life I want to live while I can.

For the world things were pretty awful.

What made this year so awful? One could list many factors, including natural disasters, man-made atrocities, the utter depravity of international political discourse and the loss of Aretha Franklin.

We face a national election in Canada next year and it is already ugly. Canada's Conservatives seem willing to do and say anything to win in 2019, even if it means tearing the country apart; they have embraced the Trump playbook. The next 10 months will be challenging.

Around the world we have seen a return to tribalism. A world where everyone is more focused on what they personally want or need rather than the common god of humanity.

While I'd like to blame this on Trump as well the reality is that this dynamic has been at play for some time. I do believe he has given people free license to give into their inner caveperson.  If the leader of the free world (well, some might call him that) can say these things or do these things then anyone can!

The economy was frightening. We had trade wars based upon lies. The stock market went up and then it crashed down. Predictable patterns and projections were tossed asunder (not unlike the unfortunates who got in the way of similar weather patterns).

2018 saw some horrific crimes. We had a white van racing erratically down Yonge Street mowing pedestrians down . . . a gunman shooting innocent bystanders on the Danforth and the highest number of murders in Toronto's history. You try to not let such things affect you but it is impossible to some extent  . . . I know I watch my surroundings more carefully than I once did.

One bit of bright light - Cannabis was legalized in Canada this year. The bright light being that the world did not fall apart as many had predicted. Instead we Canadians did what we usually do - soldiered on and accepted these changes in stride.

It is getting harder and harder to accept that the big lump of a country to the south is being lead by an increasingly unstable lunatic who seems more apt to accept the things and criminals of the world as friends and allies over longtime friends. I think the most challenging part of this is that so many of the people who could put a stop to this lunacy just do not do so . . .more concerned about their own grasp on power or feathering their own nests I suppose.

We Canadians seem to have fewer and fewer friends around the world. While we continue to soldier on trying to do the right thing when it comes to combating tribalistic behaviour and hate, fewer leaders and nations are standing with us. And while we may be one of the most admired nations on the planet it is pretty tough to be standing alone against the onslaught.

2019 will be downright ugly. Ugly in a way that could change things forever. I just hope I find the energy to join with other like minded citizens to do the right thing.

The Temptation of Forgiveness

One of the many joys of the Christmas season is time. Our office shuts for two weeks and the daily flood of emails stop. I find that there are days on end where I have nothing at all to do - I own my time and get to determine what I will do with it. The other day I spent the entire day devouring the latest in the Commissario Brunetti series; reconnecting with a city I love for its unique fading grandeur and characters that I have come to appreciate over the years.

A Brunetti mystery, like Venice is never quite as it seems. Alleys lead to a dead end. A bridge over a canals ends in a wall. No sooner do you get the feeling that you are finally headed in the right direction but 30 seconds alter you are so badly turned around and you are lost. Things are never what they seem.

Yes, I'd read these books for the beautiful depiction of Venice alone but it is Leon's living, bleeding humanity of the characters that makes Donna Leon’s keeps me coming back. Tagging along after this sleuth is a wonderful way to see Venice like a native, especially since Leon takes care to give us precise directions for his routes. But Brunetti’s observations aren’t always pretty. The air pollution is beyond acceptable limits, and don’t even mention the pollution of the canals. Drugs are everywhere in the schools, even the private schools. Much of the “Venetian” glassware is made in China and the newspaper kiosks are full of junky trinkets. The once-bustling fruit and vegetable stalls of the outdoor markets are emptying out and half the fishmongers are gone. As Signora Crosera notes, “There’s nothing for Venetians to buy,” not when olive oil costs 15 euros for a half liter and the new shops are catering to tourists. “What Venetian wants a glass elephant or a plastic mask?”

The story starts with Brunetti being asked to investigate the leak of information from inside the Venetian Questura. But before Brunetti can begin his investigation, he is surprised by the appearance in his office of a friend of his wife’s, who is fearful that her son is using drugs. A few weeks later, Tullio Gasparini, the woman’s husband, is found unconscious with a serious head injury at the foot of a bridge, and Brunetti is drawn to pursue a possible connection to the boy’s behaviour. But the truth is not straightforward.

There is something joyful and comforting and bittersweet about reading the latest novel in a series from a favourite author. Such was the case with The Temptation of Forgiveness. I have read and loved all 26 of the previous novels in the series and a new Donna Leon novel is one of the highlights of my reading year. There is something welcoming and comforting about returning to characters you love. Then there is the bittersweet knowledge that once you’ve devoured it, there’s a long wait until the next one.

The characters are all as wonderfully drawn as ever. Brunetti seeks comfort in his family and his history books, reflecting that no matter how far the world has come there are still parallels to the past. His family adds to the story, Paola lending a humourous edge to the story, keeping Brunetti grounded as always. It is also always a pleasure to see more from his colleagues Vianello, Griffoni and the indomitable Signorina Elettra, whose conniving and often illegal ways, both impress and baffle Brunetti in equal measure.

The story itself was intriguing, driving the narrative along. As is the case with the other books in the series, the story is not one where the reader tries to guess the culprit, with red herrings and false leads strewn throughout. There aren’t big twists that can or can’t be anticipated. The reader finds out at the same time as Brunetti, clues and avenues that lead to the story’s conclusion.

I now have the long wait for the next Brunetti novel. I may just have to go back to the beginning and start the series again to pass that time away.

Three Spirits I'd not MInd Seeing . . .

The Only Thing Keeping Me Going These Days . . .

Yes, the pot on the bottom right!

Travel Tuesdays - Bologna

Another set of shots from Christmas in Italy . . .

Christmas Weight Gain

Lots of folks gain a bit of weight over the Christmas season. There is an important lesson in this meme.

Changing Parenting . . .

A Cat Proof Christmas Tree

and no . . . that is not Lucca!

Travel Tuesday - Rome

Shots from our Christmas in Rome . . .

Happy BIrthday Mom!

Someone turns 78 today!

Paul and I are taking her to Niagara-on-the-Lake for the weekend where she will have some great wine, good food, see a play, be pampered in a nice vintage hotel, and do a bit of shopping. Not a bad way to celebrate another milestone!