#2020

What Should We Expect?🙄💭❓❄🍃

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

So, we’ll all be staying home…. for a while. Mentally prepare yourself to be as comfortable as you can, inside. The mainstream news constantly reminds us, what trouble we may get into, if we dare break these rules. So fresh air has become it’s own currency, that’s becoming out of reach. I hate to say that, but it’s true. The weather has been amazing for this time year, no ice, sleet or snow to trudge through. Almost fall-like, ironically my favourite season extended. Unnatural man-made, affected weather, but a blessing in disguise. Going outside to run errands, while filling my lungs with fresh air, is one of the highlights of my day. Unfortunately that has become much more of a privilege, than a basic human right. It’s crazy that we must “schedule” going outside and getting fresh air. I say all this, but I am not complaining. I’m simply sharing one aspect the “triple-double-down- shutdown”, what I named it. The fact that I can be censored for sharing what I see, is very disappointing but I’m not surprised.

I took this photo weeks ago, on my walk home. It’s very close to home. I’ve taken notice of this business since March, and it’s sad to see now it looks as though it’s been robbed. If I ever break my favourite gold chain, again, the one I wear everyday, the one I’ve lost and found, the one I bought as a gift to myself in 2014 for making it out of tough times, I won’t have any place to go to and get it fixed.

I have a lot more to share, but I have to go to sleep for work. See you in my next post.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely

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Those Holiday Expectations 🙄🎄⏳💭…

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

Christmas day was exactly what I expected it to be. I had worked the night before, and was exhausted the next, and slightly anxious. I wasn’t sure that I would see my family, even though my beastie cousin invited me to Christmas dinner. I assumed she would be doing the majority of the cooking, organizing the house, and dropping off/picking up family. I assumed that she would be too tired, or run out of time, by evening. I assumed she’d run out of steam, and not be able to trek all the way to midtown and pick me up. I was right. I wasn’t mad or upset about it, just a little disappointed. It was one of my only days off in a extremely grueling work week. I truly wanted to spend my off day with my extended family, I miss them more than ever.

My intuition told me that she was probably had burned out, and was exhausted. Come to find out, I was right. I went the whole day and didn’t address it, I was too tired. By night, I texted her to check in, and let her know that I wasn’t quite sure what the day would bring, because I didn’t hear from her all day. She promptly replied, in broken text, that she was out all day, didn’t sleep well, and wasn’t feeling well, but it was NOT the virus. She added “SMH” and that her “body said no mo”. I knew she was tired ASF. I hoped she would get some quality rest, and would feel better by the next time we talked.

So, Christmas was exactly what expected, but Thankfully, I don’t get caught up in holiday expectations. What are holiday expectations you ask? Well you didn’t ask, but in case you don’t know, I will explain. Holiday Expectations, are those elements that are associated with the holiday season: Putting up a Christmas tree, Christmas lights, purchasing and receiving gifts, buying fruit cake and or making rum cake, Christmas bun, gathering with all of my relatives, buying chocolate, buying candy, buying cookies, buying and/or receiving Christmas cards, time off of work/vacation time, kindness and or understanding from others, a big holiday budget…I don’t get caught up with Holiday Expectations. I stopped that way of thinking a loooong time ago.

Growing up I was blessed with having the most amazing Christmas’s, even at the worst of times. My mother (RIP)made sure to make our Christmas magical, and I truly enjoyed the time I spent with my five other siblings. I feel very, very blessed to have those memories. It’s good enough for me! I don’t need anything but food and a roof over my head, in order to enjoy my holidays. Some folks still don’t understand that about me.

This year has come with a whirlwind of unpleasant surprises, and making through is a blessing. I don’t need people to give me anything, spending money and energy they need to preserve. It always saddened me to hear about the stats of folks going through depression during winter and the holiday season. I told myself I would not allow myself to get caught up in that, regardless of what’s going on in my life.

I took this photo on my daily brisk walk home, weeks ago before the snow. I was surprised to see such a large artificial tree, put up in this little parking lot. It looked a little out of place to me. It’s cool that they put up this humongous tree in the parking lot. It’s cool they can afford the energy cost to keep it lighted, but, Aren’t we going through a pandemic??? Which business had this tree put here? Is it from the city? (Shrugs)

I will continue on this subject in another blog. In case I don’t post before then, Have a safe and blessed start to your New Year. Don’t sweat the extras, just appreciate that you made it through the holidays, to 2021.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely

Welcome🍃To December❄: Please Rid Yourself Of Unnecessary😟 Stress…..

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This goes out to all of the folks who celebrate or acknowledge Christmas and the holiday season. If you can not afford to deck your house with boughs of holly, don’t worry. If you can not access the Christmas merchandise that you would usually purchase, don’t worry. Please don’t worry about what you can not afford to buy at this time. Please don’t worry about keeping up with your usual start of December routine.

First off, majority of stores province wide do not consider Christmas decorations “essential needs” and those stores/sections in the store, have been yellow taped! You are not allowed to buy those things, in some of these stores, minus a handful of the franchise stores that you ARE allowed to. As a matter of fact, you can buy pretty much ANYTHING in those stores. The local and provincial news has been covering stories about “small business owners” speaking out about the unfair double standard. I have been following these stories religiously, and all of this blows me away.

I felt compelled to stop and take a photo of this local “non-essential” business in my neighborhood the other night. I don’t why, but something about this shop, closed down, abandoned , shutdown , yet still well lit. It truly touched my spirit…

It’s all beginning to feel like we’re trapped in a dark comedy movie. I truly feel that way. Day to day we are forced to watch the daily news, waiting for an insufferable press conference, for new updates.

The other day my friend texted saying that she’s really been feeling down, before I could respond, she said she felt bad for not being able to start putting up Xmas decorations. I had to tell her to not be too hard on herself, but allow her feelings to come through. I also reminded her that the second shutdown has thrown all of us OFF. Even me, who honestly saw it coming a mile away.

In the meantime, please do yourself not be hard on yourself, don’t add to the stress that by default, has being inflicted on us. Try to look out for your friends and family, especially the ones who are hip to the game.

I’ll leave it at that for now. Have a good night.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely

In The Meantime:🙄Prepare To💝 Share&👀Look Out…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been working on this blog for about a week, before my birthday that just passed on November 15th. I intended on posting some of my thoughts, but I was busy and my heart was too heavy on that day. So I will share about the significance of my 2020 birthday in another blog.

Let’s go back in time to before that week…..

“Have a good night buddy! And stay warm!”, I heard a dude tell another dude as I turned the corner to go home. They were sitting outside eating at the restaurant on the corner, the one with the lovely fire lamps. Hearing those words bothered me, because we had just come out of a 20 degree weather week! The unseasonably warm weather has reverted back to regular autumn weather. So now we’re in that borderline “winter-ish” part of autumn, the anticipation of real winter is kicking in. NOT Good. Folks are literally being left out OUT IN THE COLD. No more indoor dining allowed, and awkward lines on the streets again. More businesses closing, and the open ones have twice the restrictions. I was pleasantly surprised to see the larger local gym open last night, with a sprinkle of people in it. Now the second lock down has been announced, and it’s confirmed, for Monday.

There’s no more time to figure out what we should all already know. Conspiracy theories aside, as I’ve said before, a lot about this situation doesn’t make sense. My heart hurts for the locals who have been forced to shut down, yet again. They were following the rules perfectly and so were we. As annoying as this all has been since March, I felt more of a connection in the community since the first shutdown. People going out of their way to respect each other’s space, as much as possible, doubly distancing. Now, (allegedly) over one hundred restaurants have been forced to close, and it’s not even December. We are all shaking our heads and asking questions, while complying.

Last week, a gentleman and I had a five minute conversation, debating if we should go inside the restaurant and who should go first. As I saw him approach the door, I let him go first, but he stopped and told me to go first. There was about a line of five people inside and I thought that was way too many. I didn’t want to risk getting kicked out by an employee, so I decided to wait outside. I was not in a rush. As I waited outside the door, customers quickly exited, so the wait wasn’t that long. That same gentleman spoke kindly and made a few jokes with the employees behind the glass. He even made a joke about him being an “old man” and them being young, and not to worry about rushing his order. We all agreed that he was not at all an “old man”, and he chuckled and said, “That’s a good thing” about the mask. It hides my face/my age!

His lighthearted attitude was much appreciated. He was sure to Thank the employees, and even Thanked me, for allowing him to go first in the door. A little thing, simply Torontonian manners, but for some reason it meant more.

That was just a week or so ago, but now things have changed drastically…..again. We had our first major snow fall, one day after the second major shutdown was announced. I will continue in another blog.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely

Just Some Thoughts 🤔: It Just Doesn’t Make Sense 🔐⬇🚫❓…..

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A few weeks back…There was a dude sitting by himself drinking a beer, on a chilly, windy autumn night. He looked as out of place, as the tables that were set up in the road. It just doesn’t make sense, beyond the new rules, public drinking is against the law. That’s probably why it looks so odd to me, to see a person drinking a beer in the road. This is a sight that a year ago would be unheard of. Patrons are no more “social distanced” than they would be, if they were sitting inside the little bar. It just doesn’t make sense.

The waitstaff are forced to walk outside, in weather that’s a few degrees above zero, wiggling around the patrons AND pedestrians. It just doesn’t make sense. The chefs are wearing a mask for the majority of their shift, while slaving over an open fire. I can’t help but feel for them, I have worked in a tiny restaurant that was hot as hell before. I couldn’t imagine not being able to properly breathe through my mouth AND nose for 8 hours in the heat. It just doesn’t make sense.

So, the approved inside dining with extra restrictions, went back into affect, the day before yesterday, I think…I’m not quite sure, because overnight the rules have changed AGAIN. Apparently, we’re now in the new stage of “Red rules/restrictions”. Winter has not officially hit us, and we are already being fed some very bad news. The threat of another full lock down looms over us, and this time it’s even more confusing and weird. I understand that there is a lot of censorship being enforced all over the world wide web, so I am choosing to choose my words wisely.

I value this area for sentimental reasons, it’s a part of my childhood that nothing, and nobody can sully. The local pizza shop has not been open since the start of the shutdown and it’s very sad. I’m not a big pizza eater, but I liked their pizza, and amazing service with a personal touch. You could call them even 15 minutes to closing, and the owner would still take your order. It saddens me that the folks who make this neighborhood special, have to close down for good. Everything that they built, pretty much over, and in a matter of months.

The confusion and contradictory rules are the worst part. Even the mainstream news titles their stories, emphasizing this.

It all doesn’t make sense, but yet and still I follow the rules, follow protocol, and do my best to stay as healthy as possible. I have more to say, but I’ll save it for another post.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely

Just Some Thoughts 🤔: Just Seems A Little Off /☀/🏇🏿/❓….

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

The temperatures have shot up out of the blue, a pleasant surprise, but feels very unnatural. It seems a little off to me.

I had to take a double look and refresh my browser when I saw the weekly forecast. I was ready for the temperature to drop below zero within the next few weeks. Then again, I’ve learn to expect the unexpected in these strange times. The weather has BEEN tampered with, and this ain’t no conspiracy. If you grew up in Canada, and are over twenty, you would’ve definitely noticed the drastic change in the seasons. Mother earth is not well, and we all know why.

I tried to catch some of that warmth and sunlight, but by the time I reached outside 4:30ish, it was already dark. Did the sun go down a little earlier than usual? The streets were very active, many people dining out, trying to enjoy the warm fall evening. The sound of latin jazz bumping out of the local open-front, very well-lit restaurant. It looked and felt like a regular warm summer night! Folks sitting outside, many without masks. Talking, laughing, looking very happy, very “pre-covid19”. The vibe was nice, I almost forgot about the government restrictions. I almost daydreamed my way into a new reality…The old norm.

On my brisk walk home after completing my errands, I was very relaxed, and content. As I calmly walked home enyoying the warmth and chill vibes, I was completely caught off guard. I winced in the dark, thinking maybe my eyes were deceiving me. I saw a tall dark figure in the road, beside the curb, moving in my direction. As I moved closer, I realized it was a horse! An RCMP officer on a horse, Ooooh Okay! I’ve seen these officers many a time, just not in this side of the city, especially after dark. It was very out-of-place, and I thought something must be wrong. They usually only come out to help monitor crowds, large gatherings, like the “Caribana Festival”. My discernment told me perhaps they are preparing for something, for it was the day of USA elections….I dunno, it was just weird. So of course I quickly and awkwardly positioned my phone, and snapped a pic.

Lately I’ve been doing well, but some things in the outside world just seem a little off…

For now, that’s all I have to say. Have a productive day!

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely

That ☀ Sunset on 🌇 Nov 3rd…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment

This afternoon around the time of sunset, the sky looked extra beautiful, almost breathtaking. I stopped, just to gaze at it, as I waited at the stoplight. I thought to myself:

Why does the sky look so beautiful? More beautiful than it has in a long time? Maybe I’ve been missing this time of day, because I’m usually working, cooped up inside…I feel as though this is one of the last times I’ll ever see a sky like this. I gotta take a picture, but the sun is kinda in my eyes. I need a head better angle, a head on shot. I’ll just cross the street to the middle sidewalk stoplight, above the bridge. Oh damn! There’s already a dude there, And he’s taking photos too! How annoying! I guess I’ll stay over here and make due….That light better not change!

I awkwardly positioned my phone to take a photo, and I tried my very best, to get a proper shot. I awkwardly positioned my camera, hoping the light wouldn’t turn green. An elderly man was walking towards me, and I tried not to get him in the shot, I’m always cautious not to point cell phone directly at unsuspecting pedestrians. He looked directly at me, I could see he was wondering what I was doing, because of the manner in which I was moving. I was moving quickly, desperate to accomplish my task!

Here’s the photo…

It doesn’t depict the sunset the way I saw it, but I love the glow.

Have a safe and productive day:)

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,

~Dawn Lovely


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

Getting By😟VS Enjoying Life😊🎉…..

~ dawnlovely ~ 2 Comments

On a warmer night, I stopped to take a picture of this lovely, cozy, outside restaurant seating. This is the first evening, I have seen these seats empty. The beautiful lamp caught my eye, and it warmed my heart. This was before the “revised rules” were implemented, and folks chose to sit outside. As summer ended, it was nice to see folks enjoying the warmer weather, that was surely on it’s way out.

Spending my money weekly, eating out, having my dinner cooked by a stranger, but with a beautiful ambience, is not worth the money, to me. I consider it more of a treat, not an everyday thing, but I see it’s the norm for a lot of folks around here. Granted, this is an area popular for it’s restaurants.
I’d rather prepare my own food and create a beautiful ambience at home. All you really need is nice lighting and candles, to create that cozy mood. The temperature is slowly dropping, and It’s easy to pull off, and you decide what works for your budget.

I have learned a very valuable life lesson observing this neighborhood since the shutdown. Although a cloudy question mark looms over all of us, folks seem genuinely content. The majority of the population didn’t seem unhappy while adjusting to the changes. For the most part, folks were extremely polite in the stores and in the mile long social distanced-spaced lines.

After the first restrictions were lifted in the summer, folks looked very happy to finally be free to enjoy the sunshine and spend their money in the neighborhood.
The neighborhood felt energetic, and full of enjoyment.
It almost felt as though the virus didn’t exist, minus the masks, and gaps between us.

I noticed the difference in the sense of priorities, compared to mine. I was very happy that I survived, and got by to make it to the summer. I was simply happy to have some food stocked up, to have my basic needs met and to be able to be there for my family/friends.

I did not feel that much different than I did in March, except a little more blessed. Getting by was enough for me to feel happy and enjoy what I have. I have more to say on this topic but I’ll continue in my next post.
Have a safe and productive day:)


Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.


Love and Respect,


~Dawn Lovely


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

All Overnight☀️💭🙄⏳…..

~ dawnlovely ~ Leave a comment
I was meaning to post this blog earlier last month, it seems as though time is whipping by and we’re trapped in an hourglass…

I walked outside in the afternoon, to what felt like a different country. It was as if summer literally arrived overnight, the tempermental weather finally chose summer!
Overnight it seems as though the virus has disappeared, and is no longer crippling our lives. I walked outside in the afternoon, to what felt like a different country. Folks strolling by were wearing shorts  and t-shirts, and most definitely were not  wearing masks!
I was happy to see and feel the sun, not covered by clouds, pure sunshine, bright and warm! It’s about time that my body gets a nice dose of vitamin D, but it sucks that I’ll still need to wear a mask…I really need to breathe some fresh air, and soak up a little sun before it goes away!
Okay, so the majority of pedestrians are not wearing masks. I’m not one to follow the crowd, but I want to make sure before I walk any further, I am prepared. I want to make sure I am allowed to enter the businesses that I need to go to. I don’t know if the rules for masks have changed because there hasn’t been any new announcements.
The question is, to mask, or not to mask?
I need to breathe, so I’ll walk without wearing one, for once, and do my best to “social distance”. I’ll try my best to avoid crowds as usual. Thank God everyone is pretty polite around here, we’re all staying out of each other’s way. We’re all trying to take advantage of this beautiful weather. Look at how happy those children are riding their bikes! Some folks are even trying to catch a tan, as though the sun will never come back out again.

Collectively we’re over it, the news said the virus can survive in hot weather. I know I’m not the only one who is questioning what is really going on???
No conspiracy theories, just simple observations.
We only get about three months of summer out of the year, and we’ve had autumn-like temperatures in between. It doesn’t feel natural, there is no balance.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it hailed tomorrow, but I would be happy to see tomorrow.

Take Care, Stay safe, and Stay tuned.

Love and Respect,
~Dawn Lovely

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