Cheryl Girard

Ten books to inspire your life

When I was a child, a large cardboard parcel was delivered to the house one day. It was pretty unusual because it wasn’t anyone’s birthday, it wasn’t Christmas and we weren’t exactly rolling in money.

10 songs to comfort and inspire

Music has often helped me get through dark and difficult times, and the past almost three years of the COVID-19 pandemic and many health issues have definitely been hard for all of us. Hard and often tragic as, so many lives have been lost during this time.

Festive Christmas recipes

“Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat. Please put a penny in the old man’s hat.

June is MG month in Manitoba

The Winnipeg sign at The Forks will be lit up in teal on June 24 in honour of June being Myasthenia Gravis Awareness month across Canada and the United States.

Appeals to the mayor’s office resulted in Mayor Brian Bowman approving the request to illuminate the lights to help raise awareness of this rare and little known disease.

Manitoba health minister Audrey Gordon also just recently proclaimed June as Myasthenia Gravis Month in Manitoba. Ontario is possibly the only other province to have done so.

Myasthenia gravis, commonly referred to as MG, is a neuromuscular and autoimmune disease that can cause weakness in certain muscles.

Comfort food for uncomfortable times

I remember that when times were difficult my dad would show up at our door on a Saturday morning with offerings of bread, Ukrainian sausage and sometimes his homemade cabbage rolls (holubtsi).

The cabbage rolls always came in a round, black-and-white pot which I still have and cherish to this day as it is a reminder of my dad and his heart-warming, supportive ways. Dad would cover fill them with rice and bits of ground beef and cover the neat green rows of rolls with tomato sauce.

Today, we are again going through difficult times with COVID-19 and its variants being allowed to spread throughout the province. Many have been hospitalized or have passed away during COVID. Many, including me, are waiting for surgeries, other medical procedures and treatments

We are also going through terrible times because of Putin’s devastating invasion of Ukraine. There are no words to describe the extent of his brutality.

A voice for the immunocompromised

I recently watched a documentary on U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and how he inspired, gave hope to and led the people of the United States during the Great Depression.“Great power involves great responsibility,” he said. Somehow, I don’t feel like this responsibility is being taken seriously by many of those in power in our current government.As someone who is immunocompromised, taking three medications for an autoimmune disorder that involves daily respiratory issues I feel it profoundly necessary to speak out, as others have done, for the vulnerable in our province. It feels like we have been largely ignored. It feels like we are invisible. It feels like we don’t exist.We have apparently been told by the government that it can’t protect everybody. We have to look after ourselves. We are on our own.It feels like very little has been done regarding the latest surging numbers of the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19. Few restrictions have been put in place.Some say that this variant is milder — but milder for whom? Is it going to be milder for the elderly, those with health conditions, those who are undergoing chemotherapy, the immunocompromised?I, for one, feel extremely unprotected with the Omicron variant being allowed to spread like wildfire through the province. Though triple-vaccinated I get little protection. My husband has tried to protect me. We have had to sacrifice so much.Our kids have been sent back to school with the strong possibility that the numbers of COVID-19 will soar even higher. Contact tracing is not even being done with the result that teachers and students are even more anxious and weary.Many students recently walked out in protest, adding their voices to those calling to protect the most vulnerable in our community. These students stand out for their compassion and empathy.Hospitalizations, as I write this in late January, are higher than ever and positive case numbers are so high that the government  is not even trying to keep track anymore.We are told that hospitals and medical staff are overwhelmed. Yet there seem to few attempts to curb the virus. We are told everyone is going to get it and we have to learn to live with it.What about those who cannot “live” with it? People are still dying.Most of my family has contracted the virus. I feel surrounded and helpless.  For two years my life has been nothing but trying to keep myself and others safe. I know I am not alone.I have emailed polite letters of concern to the provincial Liberal, NDP and Progressive Conservatives. Guess which party I did not hear back from?Cheryl Girard is a community correspondent for West Kildonan. 

I recently watched a documentary on U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and how he inspired, gave hope to and led the people of the United States during the Great Depression.

“Great power involves great responsibility,” he said. Somehow, I don’t feel like this responsibility is being taken seriously by many of those in power in our current government.

As someone who is immunocompromised, taking three medications for an autoimmune disorder that involves daily respiratory issues I feel it profoundly necessary to speak out, as others have done, for the vulnerable in our province. 

Mmm, mmm… tourtière

This is going to be a difficult holiday season for us for many reasons. And I think it will be hard for many others.

So here is something different. A recipe from our home to yours. Even if you’re spending the holiday alone you can try to make this and hopefully enjoy the traditional aromas and flavours of this splendid dish.

My husband is French-Canadian and when he was growing up in rural Manitoba one of his family’s traditions was to have tourtière and bouillon at réveillon (the Christmas feast) on Christmas Eve after they went to midnight mass.

When the kids got home from mass, each was allowed to open one gift from Père Noël. There would also be Japanese oranges and all kinds of nuts that you would have to crack open with a nutcracker.

Aah… the soothing power of music

Music has always been an amazing comfort to me. I didn’t know that this would change so profoundly for me in later years.

I grew up listening to music played in the house often and when I was a teenager my parents bought me my own little round, white turntable shaped like a flying saucer. This was the ’60s, after all.

And so my collection started — Simon and Garfunkel, The Guess Who, Neil Diamond and so many others. I love many types of music.

I taught myself how to play the chord organ when I was little so that I could belt out tunes to my heart’s delight. I’m glad the neighbours didn’t move away… or my family.

Saturday breakfasts with Dad

My father used to make us a special breakfast on weekends. And when he did he used a secret ingredient that I did not discover until many years later.

Almost every Saturday morning, when we were kids, we’d rise to the sounds and smells of Dad clanging around in the kitchen with frying pans, pots and teapot. Usually, the oven fan would be roaring away in a feeble effort to vanquish the smoke and other odours which filled the house, pulling us from our beds.

At the time, I barely appreciated Dad’s magnificent efforts. Saturday’s breakfast did beat the porridge, however, we ate the rest of the week.

As we stumbled into the kitchen one at a time and sleepily sat down, I’d watch somewhat warily as Dad would begin frying. First he’d fry eggs, which always came out on the extremely crispy side.

A pleasant distraction in difficult times

It’s hard to believe we are still dealing with COVID-19 - 19 months after it first hit Winnipeg, in March 2020.

It has definitely been a rocky road with lockdowns, the resulting isolation and seeing the numbers of COVID cases go up and down through three waves.

It’s been reported that some surgeries and medical treatments have been cancelled. I have been waiting for a medical treatment for many months.

We lost a cousin along with her husband to COVID-19 and a good friend lost her brother. My husband recently lost a brother to an aggressive brain cancer - so it has been a rough time.

There’s still a long way to go — stay safe

this horrible COVID-19 pandemic. Here in Manitoba it’s been about 16 months that we’ve been on a rollercoaster of locking down and opening up repeatedly.

Recently we have opened up once again so that restaurants are partly open, patios are open and people are finally allowed to see other people outside. It is a huge relief to finally be able to see some of our family, even if it’s only outdoors.

However, not everyone is vaccinated and that is creating a huge problem and stress for a lot of people. There are warnings that the delta variant may surge in the fall and, according to many news reports, it is surging in other countries as I write this.

The delta variant, it is reported, is quickly becoming the dominant strain and has been found in at least 85 countries. Vaccination is reported to be the answer to stopping the surge of this more contagious variant.

Supporting our local restaurants

Last month I wrote about Santa Lucia Pizza on Main Street as a way of encouraging people to support restaurants in the area.

It’s so important to patronize local businesses, as we have all been struggling through this past year and need to help each other out. So, here are two more local restaurant recommendations you may want to check out.

(There are many more great options in the area, of course, but space limits me to just a couple.)

Salisbury House is a Winnipeg institution. Founded by Ralph Erwin in 1931, the tiny restaurant made it through the depression years, expanded to many locations and the rest, as they say, is history.

Coping during the pandemic

The lineup into the hospital is long but it moves quickly.

The people in line are wearing masks. The health care workers wear masks and gowns, too.

They ask me the usual questions. I sanitize my hands and am then allowed to go through to the ward where I will get my treatment.

This is where I go now. Twice a month for treatments. On top of immune-suppressing drugs and other medications.

Back to school during a pandemic

With the kids going back to school this fall during these difficult times many people are worried.

There are a lot of concerns. One major concern is that our numbers of COVID-19 cases have been rising in Manitoba.

Another major worry is that schools are opening up during what is the regular flu season in Manitoba. Add to that, the fact that the coronavirus symptoms are similar to regular flu symptoms and you have a host of other problems.

How are parents, many of whom are already anxious, going to tell the difference between a regular flu and the coronavirus should their child come down with symptoms?

Thinking of venturing out in the world?

Our recreation choices have been limited for months now, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, and many activities are still limited.

As I write this in late July, however, some restrictions have loosened up and there are now more options open to us. Things could change again, I imagine, if our numbers go up.

Everything depends on your own comfort level. If you have health issues you may only be comfortable with some of the suggestions listed below.

Here is just a tiny list of possible activities in, around and not too far from our northwest area of the city. It is by no means a complete list.