lessons

Just Some Thoughts🤔: 🥄The Cup-Of-Soup, It’s Bigger Than Soup🍲🍵…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
I can’t help but notice the significant changes in the portions and amount of food in packages since the pandemic started.

I opened up my lipton cup – a – soup pack, poured it into my mug, and was unpleasantly surprised to see a lot less product. It looked sparse in the bottom of my mug. Considering most of the contents is powdered stock with a sprinkle of noodles anyways, I was very annoyed!
This is one of the only boxed food products that I purchase, but I really like it. I’m not sponsored by the company, nor am I trying to promote them, but I really like this non- perishable product in my pantry. It’s affordable fast, convenient, and very easy to make. It’s a nice hot snack, and it helps to hold my hunger, especially when I intermittently fast.
You can add anything you like to make it eat like a meal and it will taste great. I’m actually drinking a mug right now, with lots of walnuts added. The bitterness of the walnuts is masked by flavour. I usually add lemon, hot sauce spinach, fresh garlic, and onion, to boost my immune system.

This is bigger than soup though, and out of all the many, many problems that bombard us everyday we still have to pay attention to the significant yet subtle changes.
I searched online to and found this article called, “Shrinkflation“https://theconversation.com/shrinkflation-when-less-is-not-more-at-the-grocery-store-97240 (Click the link if you’d like to read it)

I will continue in another post.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,
~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Just Some Thoughts 🤔: This Semi-Quarantine💭💔⚡❤️🌍🙏🏼….

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
The new semi-quarantine has brought up feelings in me that I don’t want to acknowledge, but I must. There are times where I feel that I can fix all of the worlds problems, while simultaneously healing my myself. There are times where I feel that I have the power of a super hero, and super powers, that I can touch my wounds and they will heal on the spot. I feel I have the power and strength within, to never to quit until I’m where I need to be. I feel I can do it all on my own if need be. Then, I have days where I feel that nothing I do is enough. No matter how much I try, all of my efforts will never amount to the outcome that I’ve been working towards.

As we all continue on in these intense times, I can relate to everybody all around me. From the successful business owners who have been shut down permanently, to the single parents trying to balance their budget, to the “upper-middle” class folks eating fancy dinners on the sidewalk everyday. We all crave normalcy, in any way we possibly can. Eating out every night is normal to some, and getting a chance to eat out once a month is normal to others. Some folks have it financially harder than others, while others can not cope emotionally while their fridge is full.

I sit back quietly, trying not to take anything too personal, trying not to take anything on. I feel terrible every single time I walk past a homeless person on the street. I have always given money, even when I was down to my last dollar, but lately I have not, because I can’t. I was raised to “Always give to those who are less fortunate than you” words ingrained in me by my father.

It’s an inner “empath” battle, it does not stop. I am happy however, that I still feel, and have not been numbed or desensitized. I love that about me the most.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,
~Dawn Lovely

Follow me@:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

(PT 4)Do You Really Need It?🍫🍨🍪…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
Since my last chocolate post, I have managed to curb my cravings tremendously! I’m very proud of myself and I thought it would be more difficult than it actually was. To give a ball park figure, I’d say I curbed my cravings by ninety percent. Now, I can keep a box of Glosettes for a week or longer, only eating a small palmful at a time! I can keep a pack of mini-snickers for a month plus. I can control what time of day I eat certain snack and sweets.
I don’t need chocolate the way I did months ago, I don’t need to have that trusty hot chocolate on hand anymore. Not needing these extra sweet products in the house, helps save money for healthier alternatives.

Since cutting back, I’ve had some different cravings for sweets I have not had in a while. I had a craving for fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, the ones that come in dough form. I saw a few types in the grocery store, and was surprised to see one said on package, “Safe to eat raw”. I thought to myself, Wow! After all these years cookie dough has been deemed safe to eat raw??? Interesting…back in the day that would be cool.
I used to bake chocolate chip cookies from scratch with my siblings when I was a kid. I loved to scrape the bowl after. Now this company is promoting eating raw cookie dough, I guess cookie dough ice cream ain’t enough?
Don’t get me wrong, everybody has a guilty junk food pleasure, but keep in mind these companies are all about the DOUGH! No pun intended.
I’ll continue more on this sweet topic in another post.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,
~Dawn Lovely

Just Some Thoughts 🤔: The New Wave 🌊😷📰 …..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
So, the second wave announcement has come after we were just getting used to the new “NEW” norm. Restaurant hosts standing at their podium on the sidewalk, has been a very strange sight, but I’m happy to see them working. Swiveling around folks lined up at the open front restaurants, seems natural now. As tables began to be set up on the sidewalk, and the road, as local cafés changed their window signage, I knew the threat of another shutdown was looming. Back in March I thought I heard them say, that the virus could not survive in hot weather, so by summer the virus will fizzle out. Regardless of every theory  that we’ve heard, something obviously isn’t adding up. The protests and questions RE the new rules, will not let up because we’re receiving mixed messages.

It is very weird that the security in the store corridors is even stricter the mask rule is turning into law, and the social distancing floor markers are now in new places.

While all of the essential workers continue to provide us all with the services that we need, keep in mind some have lost their pandemic pay. I think that is completely unfair, considering we are ALL still going through it.
In the meantime, I’ve made sure to personally Thank the employees that help me, at least on a week. Especially if I frequent a store on a weekly basis. I
tell them that their service has been awesome dealing with this. I also fill out those online surveys that are on the receipt, and am sure to include the name of who helped me.
I try to fill out those surveys at least one out of three visits, and include the name of the employee who helped me in the comments. You can help lift their spirits, and remind them that their efforts MAKE these business run. Also, we need to send a message to these large corporations that their employees are what MAKE the business.

Try to do this, make somebody’s day, while we all navigate through these strange but unusually beautiful times of change.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,
~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely,
https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

(PT4)Police, Through The Eyes Of A Child🚨👮🏻‍♂️👧🏾💭…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

Continuing from where I left off…

I know the reason why we were forced to stay there and watch, an example was being set, it was done on purpose.

As I said in a previous blog, I never wanted to distrust the police. After this event, I was left with a negative impression, I viewed them as violent.

I was left with the impression that the police are violent for no reason. I witnessed it with my own two eyes, I didn’t need a rap song or a television show to give me that impression. I stopped trusting police and questioned their authority in my young innocent mind. At five years old, all you have is your parents and household environment to draw from. My parents were not violent in front of me, I had never seen them physically fight in front of me. I was not accustomed to seeing violence, except on television. I will reiterate that my parents were not anti-police and did not speak negatively of them or any athourity figures for that matter. I was taught you do not hit a person, male or female, without expecting them to hit you back. I was taught that you do NOT hit a person unprovoked.
If a person is NOT hitting you, yelling or screaming, threatening, acting aggressive, why would you hurt them??? Is violence necessary in a situation like that? And, if you are going to be violent, why do it in front of little children???Had my father been yelling, cursing, resisting arrest it would’ve made more sense.

I had to question, should I even trust police? They might do something terrible to me, they might hurt me the way I saw them hurt him. They are authority figures that I trusted. I would run to them if I didn’t have my parents and needed help. If I was ever in trouble outside, scared, lost or afraid, I would trust them practically equal to my parents.

During my childhood, I wondered what the police really thought of us. I imagined they probably thought we deserved to be exposed to them beating my daddy ‘s a***. Imagined  they thought:

Your daddy is a criminal, so we are going to treat YOU like a criminal. You and your family do not deserve respect. We think you’re trash, We think you are bad, your father is bad, your house is bad, and we are going to destroy it.

I did not even think of my skin color or my father’s skin color, or their skin color. I just thought they hated us, looked down on us. I thought they did care at all about us…..

Well I learned and understood as the years went by, that many factors came into play with that traumatizing situation. My mother shared some info with me, and most I picked up on my own.

I expected the worst when it came to police, yet I still had trust and faith in them to do their job, I was just an innocent child.
I have more to say, and I’ll continue in another blog.


Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.


Love and Respect,


~Dawn Lovely

Follow me@:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

(PT3)Police, Through The Eyes Of A Child👮🏻‍♂️👧🏾💭…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
Picking up from my last paragraph…


I’ll never forget hearing my mother pleading with them to let us go, let us leave the area, so we wouldn’t have to witness any violence. I always Thank God that my mother was a very calm and logical woman, because she properly addressed the police in a non-aggressive manner. She always spoke eloquently in any situation. I’ll never forget hearing her pleading with the police to please let us go! She didn’t want us to have to see any violence but her pleas fell on deaf ears. I did not understand why we were not allowed to leave the area and get away from the scene. We were not doing anything wrong.

The violence seemed to last forever, I forgot all about my house, my toys, the safe feeling that I had moments before they came. There were so many police, and none of them were listening, or helping us. We stood there frozen in time, that’s how it felt.
My mother was asking them to allow us to go away from the situation for a reason, she was trying to protect us.
Unfortunately, she had no control over the situation and the best she could do to protect us, was NOT ARGUING. Now that I’m older, I understand that, whole heartedly. Had she argued with the police, they may have tried to put their hands on HER, or arrest her too. We ended up leaving in a taxi and going to my Aunt’s place, and I never went back  for a long time. I did however see my house on the news at my Auntie’s place, but that’s another story.

I was meaning to complete this blog for weeks, but I had so many other thoughts to share. In wake of what’s been going on in the world regarding police, it’s been overwhelming taking it all in. I chose to share my most important encounter with police that unfortunately, happens to be negative. Regardless, I still respect the law and the police. I was taught by my intelligent mother, (RIP) how to speak to the police and she never encouraged us to act up. I understand that CORRUPTION is the problem, police who do not follow their oath to “Serve and Protect”. I do not blame the police for coming to arrest him, or even raiding our house. I do however, think that children should be removed from these type of situations. If not by the police, by CPS or in Toronto we call it “Children’s Aid”.
I know the reason why we were forced to stay there and watch, an example was being set, it was done on purpose.

As I said in a previous blog, I never wanted to distrust the police. After this event, I was left with a negative impression, I viewed them as violent.

I will continue in another blog.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,


~Dawn Lovely
Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Don’t Get Too Comfortable✋🏼💯…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
So, the rules have let up and everyone is finally outside taking in the hot weather. Toronto summers don’t last long, so soaking up the sun while it’s out, is a must. The thirty degree plus weather has been consistent which is pretty surprising, and folks are taking advantage.
The streets look practically back to normal, no longer deserted at two in the afternoon.

I love the summertime scenery in this part of mid-town and I never thought I’d experience seeing it in this state. As I walked home at night from running my errands, there was a lot going on outside. It was very festive and beautiful, with all of the restaurants lit up, and tables set up outside. It’s been a while since many shops or restaurants were open, and past seven o’clock for that matter. The majority of businesses are open, but now “they” are saying there’s a possibility of another shutdown…Again.

You may live in an area that may currently be shutdown already. The news is up and down everyday, it’s a rollercoaster of information we’re all riding on. So, I hope for the best, but expect the worst.
Up until now, there wasn’t a mandatory rule for wearing a face covering to enter the grocery store, now there is. I get it, and I’m okay with it, but I do have questions. I find it very odd that there are so many rules and regulation signs posted everywhere, in the tightest of spaces. You have to practically walk on the road with the cars to avoid walking into a dinnertable set up on the sidewalk. While folks eat their dinner, they are not wearing masks and neither are the folks waiting to eat. Of course. I was worried that I may trip up a waiter with my pullcart, so I went around a tree on a sliver of sidewalk. Navigating the streets is becoming more uncomfortable than when this pandemic first hit.
With all of the social unrest, extreme heat, simply trying to breathe with or without a mask, managing money, the next to  impossible social distancing rules, you have to keep your peace of mind in tact.

Am I fully prepared? No, and I’m not feeling as comfortable but I’m mentally preparing, and my intuition and common sense hasn’t let me down yet.

I will continue in my next blog, have a productive day.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,
~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

I Wonder About The Elderly (As We Keep Our Distance)👴🏼😷💭…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
Recently I had an encounter with a stranger in a fruit market that left an impression on me. An older gentleman approached me at the counter as I was paying for my items. It totally threw me off that he came up to the counter, since we are supposed to be “social distancing”. He was ranting, repeating, “Señora!! I am poor, I need help, no money! I am poor! I am poor!!! Please Señora!!!”
He caught me off guard, I turned my head to look at him. He was sweating and sounded out of breath. He looked as though he had ran for miles before coming in the store. I was annoyed and slightly agitated, because he was interrupting my transaction. I looked directly at the cashier expecting them to tell the man to leave, because he was very disruptive, but nope. His hyper, frantic loud energy really killed my peaceful vibe, and although I was annoyed, I cared to hear what he was trying to tell me. He had a hand full of change with a few loonies, and perched on the counter a carton of eggs. I guess he didn’t have enough to pay for the eggs, and I felt bad for him. Regardless of how annoying and rude I thought he was, I could see he was desperate, or maybe he had some sort of mental issue. You never know in the city, and I try not to judge a book by it’s cover.
As I completed my transaction, I looked in my wallet to see how much I was able to spare, as I spoke him. I dropped a loonie in his hand and he began to examine it. I realized that it didn’t have a graphics or writing on it and maybe he was wondering if it was real. He was quickly counting up his money, and he did not say Thank you. I usually would have commented on the lack of manners, but I was fixated on his actions. I felt compassion for him, he was simply trying to buy some eggs. The grocery prices are going up since this pandemic hit, and many can not afford the basics. The privately owned business are even more expensive than a franchise store, but the more intimidating to enter.
As I walked home I thought about how the elderly are adapting, considering how quickly everything is changing. I thought about the fact that overnight your local store may be too expensive. I imagined being elderly in this neighborhood. I thought about the fact that he may have been just dollar shy of the price, and freaked out. I thought how the government is not looking out for our elderly it should be. Everybody should be able to afford groceries, and at least the basics in this country, especially the retired elderly.

That encounter helped me realize that we must all look out for one another, especially the most vulnerable.
This has been a difficult time for everyone, and it’s not going to get any easier. I am out here trying to survive as well but giving a little can’t hurt. I am willing to go without  to be able to help another in need, especially the vulnerable. It makes me sad that I can not help more.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.


Love and Respect,


~Dawn Lovely Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Just Some Thoughts 🤔: Coping With Death And Social Media📱💻…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
I understand that in this age, social media is therapeutic for many to express their feelings. Maybe it’s just me, but posting on social media is not my first thought after hearing news of a loved ones passing. Devastating news takes more than a minute to sink in, and death is the hardest to process. I’ve expressed my opinion in the past, regarding what I consider irresponsible use of social media RE loved ones. I am naturally a reserved and shy person to a degree. It took me years to get used to posting daily, especially my actual current thoughts. I don’t mind sharing, but it’s important to process your thoughts, so you can understand them, before sharing. The problem with death, is that everyone process death differently, and folks may get you twisted, based upon what you do or don’t post. I’ve witnessed a few celebrities be attacked or trolled online for posting “too late” on the passing of a loved one. I find that completely insane. It astounds me how relatives of celebrities deal with the passing of their famous relatives while the world posts their face. I do understand it comes along with the territory, but imagine not knowing that they passed away, and that’s the first thing you see! That would be difficult to deal with, for me at least.I couldn’t imagine total strangers re-posting info and details that I didn’t know about, especially when the news is fresh. About a week ago, I found out a very close friend of the family that was like family to us had passed away in a fatal car accident. I had to contact a relative to confirm that the news was true. The feeling of not knowing frustrated and annoyed me. It’s wrong to find out about the passing of a friend or relative via social media because it you can’t trust that the info is true. It’s the same as seeing a post about a celebrity death on a blog site or social media. You don’t necessarily know if the news is true, it could all be hearsay. Folks don’t hesitate to post, or re-post a story without fact checking first.
It’s horrifying to unknowingly log into your social media account, instantly see a photo of a friend or relative, with a blown up photo on your screen with the caption “Rest In Peace”.
This is all my opinion of course, I don’t expect my friends and family to feel the same way however, there’s nothing better than direct contact when handling mourning. I love to celebrate what that person brought to my life, with the people who knew and loved them best. There’s nothing better than the real thing, and talking about the best they brought to our lives keeps their light alive.

I’ll leave it at that for now, this is never an easy topic to write about but I hope you find the logic in my thoughts.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,
~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W

Just Some Thoughts 🤔: Coping With Death, You Were More Than An📝 Article…

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

I always found the manner which news articles are written on people who passed away, very strange.
When I was a child, I would curiously read the daily paper wondering, why would they post this???

I did not understand why they would write an article about a person, with no first or last name, yet post their age. I didn’t understand the reason why the articles were seemingly unfinished, with only a few details. A short explanation about what the “alleged” story was behind what actually may or may not have happened to the person. The article would sometimes even say the story is not confirmed yet. If there was a photo included, sometimes the photo wouldn’t match the age description. They’d list their age as thirty- something, but a use a high school graduation photo with the article.

It simply didn’t make sense to me, and it saddened me. It seemed to reduce the person’s life/legacy. The world would be reading about a person, that was way more than the article. Your whole life and legacy reduced to a soulless, detail lacking news article, that reads as though it was drafted in five minutes…

When I grew up , I understood the reason behind why those articles are written in that manner. The details behind what actually happened may not have not been researched or confirmed, but they will publish!
It’s just an article for a newspaper, it’s business, and something must be published, whether it’s accurate or not. There’s more to say, but I will continue in another post.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.


Love and Respect,


~Dawn Lovely

Follow me @:https://twitter.com/iamdawnlovely, https://t.co/wfctLWHJ1W