masks Archives - Valerie Moss

episode 99 season 2

Todays show is a collection of snippets from my year, which you’ll find out was full of downs and a few ups. Focussing on the home, my family and my small person. It’s my final show of the year and contains a story of ‘giving back’, falling pants and perspective. Enjoy the Episode

You know my year started like any other, same job, same schedule, same same..

Then, got laid off, got my car broken into, and ventured further into this audiobook world, well since I was homeschooling (can I add this to my resume?) I had some free time on my hands…I baked, I cooked, I made masks, further lock downs…I’ve always gardened but this year like many of you I really put the effort in and enjoyed my yard so much

Since I spent a tonne of time with London we discovered she is really good at British accents so we did many video of takes like this. {insert her clip here) She entered this type of video into her school talent show and it was a hit! She found a tree buddy – which the neighbour enjoyed – so we heard from the neighbours. We got our green belts in karate, that’s level 4. We played tonnes of battleship and tried not to watch the updates…

My Covid Birthday came a little early, just before the chaos ensured and I went bowling…weird to think I put my finger into these holes inside bowling balls that have likely not been cleaned for many, many uses…and then the official day came and went without much fuss or party or excitement…

We went camping sticking nice and close to Calgary, we have a trailer so we didn’t need to wager any risks with public facilities…I baked cupcakes in the trailer camper oven, we decorate inside this little home we have grown to love ‘olive’ This was for London’s bday another covid bday

My dad had a heart attack, earch…life stopped, sort of slow motion, I’ve been down this road a few times with family members…it’s weird and strange, they look fine but they aren’t fine, it’s sort of hard to take being the one on the outside.

Well my dad got better the corona virus continued to spread.

We did go and see him my dad, and took him fishing, London actually caught her first fish – we had a great time, he was slow to improve but today several months later he’s pretty much back to his old self…

I focussed into my audiobook world, and interviewing guests and recording and editing…cooking(pierogis and cabbage rolls) and baking (scones, breads, pretzels, cinnamon buns, cookies) and enjoying being home actually…it suits me.

My grooms grandma turned 97

We did the drive through ‘stampede’ adventure for the mini donuts, I fell in love with fishing, bought the gear, casted, casted and casted, bought more gear, and bait and casted, casted and still nothing but I love being out there, it feels so good on the sole and we will attempt again!

A couple of DIY projects one major one…we made London a loft bed – that I can sit totally upright on and walk completely under – her queen bed is now above her room, witch was an incredible feat and well worth the planning, my groom is very handy…

(Insert screwing sounds from the installation)

Planned and conquered London’s halloween costume this year, she was a witch complete with a book of spells…this spell book is actually an old book published in the 1800’s that we found at an old book store for $5.

My audiobook world is becoming something I’m very proud of, and I even host a ‘study group’ for audio narrators and audacity software – this group had almost 60 members, such a great way to be with like minded people in the realm that we are in and this too is isolated.

Two books went to retail most recently is

Limbo – description – check out the retail clips

Education of Hoot – description – check out this retail clip

Our Christmas Day was just us 3 – the 3 Moss’ enjoin our special time together, we had Christmas catered, it was wonderful, we had way to much food, so my groom had an idea to bring this to the homeless, we understood the rules around covid, but decided we would drop these meals (all heated from the oven) to street people down on their luck…what a way to end this Christmas Day.. here’s our adventures on this…the down on their luck souls we touched were very grateful…they needed more, water, socks, mitts a home but we gave what we could give, London saw something that have likely permeated her thoughts and her heart for years to come.

What was your year like? Like non other I’m sure…if you want to share you’re ups and downs with me I’d sure read them and respond to all of your stories and comments.

I wanted to share a little story about perspective, we’ve seen and heard things in 2020 that we cannot believe, don’t want to believe and yet seem so far fetched with this pandemic…I got this off Facebook from Terri Gleize, I took screen shots at the time March 14

For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in the 1900s, when you are 14, World War 1 starts and ends on your 18th birthday with 22 million people killed. Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until you are 20. 50 million people die from it in those two years, yes 50 million –

When you’re 29, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25% global DP crops 27% That runs until you are 33. The country newly collapsies along with the world economy. When you turn 39, world War 2 starts. You aren’t even over the hill yet.

When you’re 41, the US is fully pulled into WW2, between your 39th and 45th birthday 75 million people perish in the war – an d the holocaust kills 6 million. At 52 the Korean War starts and 5 million again perish.

At 64 the Vietnam War begins, and it doesn’t end for many years…Four million people die in that conflict. Approaching your 62 bday you have the cuban millets crisis, a tipping point in the cold war. Life on our plant, as we know it, could well have ended. Great Leaders have prevented that from happening.

As you turn 75, the Vietnam war finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How do you survive all of that? A kid in 1985 didn’t think their 85 year old grandparants understood how hard school was. Yet those grandparents and now great grandparents survived through everything listed above.

Perspective is an amazing art. Let’s try and keep things in perspective – let’s be smart and help each other out, and we will get through all of this, in the history of the world there has never been a story that has lasted. This too shall pass.

The picture to go along with this story is of 5 little kids, all malnourished, dirty, barely clothing to cover their little tiny bodies and souls, no smiles, bare footed and just with so mush ask on their faces.