Odds & ends from the weekend

• Saturday was Katie's Day #23 -- i.e., the day I delivered her, the date that's on all the official paperwork (even though I had learned two days earlier that her heart had stopped beating).  I don't like to call it her birthday (although some people wished her "happy birthday" on Facebook) -- she was actually supposed to be born in mid-November -- and I don't know exactly when we actually lost her -- but I'm not sure what else to call it. So I've taken to just calling it "Katie's Day." 
• Some years, this day is better or harder to deal with than others. This one was sort of middle-of-the-pack. Early on, we had quite a few traditions/things we did to mark the day, many of which have fallen by the wayside over the years.  But we did take flowers to the cemetery and ordered takeout Chinese food for dinner, as we often have in the past, and I posted a few things on social media, and that was about it. 
• We didn't stay at the cemetery as long as I would have liked. When we got out of the car & started walking toward the columbarium where Katie's niche is, we noticed a middle-aged woman sitting on a bench nearby, her back to us... talking. LOUDLY. On her cellphone. (In a cemetery!)  We usually take a few photos while we're there, and as I stood beside the niche with my bouquet of roses while dh took my photo, the woman turned and stared at me as she continued to talk on her phone. I stared back. Dh howled with laughter when he saw the photo later, because I have one hand on my hip and am GLARING right into the camera, or rather at the woman a few yards behind him. Granted, it wasn't a smiley kind of occasion anyway, but I was definitely more than a little pissed off. The woman did finally get up after a few minutes and move further away... still talking. Oy.  
• Sadly, it appears that covid wave #4 is upon us... not to the same extent as in the U.S. (yet...)(our vaccination rates in Canada are much higher), but the numbers are trending in the wrong direction again. :(  Daily new cases here in Ontario were as low as 114 on July 12th (a level not seen since last Sept. 1st).  They stayed below 200 for 20 days straight -- and then went to 218 on July 29th, and stayed above 200 for several days. Dipped back below 200 for three days and then shot up to 340 new cases on Friday (Aug. 6th), 378 on Saturday (the most since mid-June), and 423 on Sunday, the most in two months. :(  Today was 325. 
• I am starting to think that we should have headed home to see my parents this month, even if my sister couldn't take time off while we were there. Hoping we haven't missed our opportunity, and crossing fingers and toes that we'll still be able to get there for (Canadian) Thanksgiving in October and/or Christmas...!  :(   Despite the presence of the Delta variant, the provincial government there allowed many sectors to fully reopen and abandon mask mandates this past weekend -- although my sister says she was pleasantly surprised/relieved to see that many people are still wearing them, regardless.  
• BIL called dh today to report that Little Great-Nephew started swimming lessons today with his mom! It was NOT a success... he threw a tantrum at the pool and she had to take him home, lol. (He IS almost two, i.e., the "Terrible Twos!")  He has not been around a lot of people outside his family, so I'm not surprised if he found the experience a little overwhelming. She'll try again next week.  We'll go to see him & his grandma on Wednesday, as usual.