Wonky Weather and Me

Posted on May 18, 2026 by hafong

May 18th. No rain or snow today. But there is a yellow advisory – frost from Environment Canada. How strange! Going to the site, it says severity is moderate. Possible threat to life or property. Freezing temperatures with frost are expected tonight. I would say it is a little over the top. I’ve uncovered the 2 raised beds this morning. I am not sure I have the energy to cover them up again. I will live precariously and take my chances. Right now at 4:20 pm it is sunny at 11℃. In the greenhouse, it is 26.3℃. The vents are opened. I will open the door. Ventilation is good.

It’s hard to go out and do just one thing. I opened the greenhouse door. Then I put the green cart out for curbside pick up in the morning. The rain had left a pile of elm seeds on the walk. I spent some time sweeping them up to put in the green bin. I didn’t think I had the energy so I’m feeling good that I did it and not feeling done in. On the other hand, I’m not feeling terrific either. I don’t feel quite right. I wonder if it is the topsy turvy weather we’re having. I wonder how it affects us physically and emotionally.

I ask Google the question of how does wonky weather affect us physically and emotionally. It answers back with:

“Wonky weather shifts your body and mind out of equilibrium by forcing your biology to constantly adapt to sudden environmental changes. When barometric pressure drops, temperatures skyrocket, or sunlight vanishes, your nervous system, hormone levels, and cardiovascular system react directly.”

So it is not my fault and I am not just weird. Sudden weather changes can trigger bodily symptoms like joint pain and stiffness, headaches and migraines, respiratory issues, fatigue and lethargy. I have the joint pain and stiffness, fatigue and lethargy. Emotionally it can cause irritability and aggression, anxiety and restlessness, depressed mood and SAD, disturbed sleep. I have all of that. Aren’t I lucky? It is good to have confirmation that weather can affect us in these ways. I don’t have to blame myself, feeling deficient and weird.

Rainy, Snowy May Day

Posted on May 17, 2026 by hafong

May 17th. I woke to another snowy morning which turned into a rainy day. It’s hard to feel any hope for anything these days. But the moisture is welcomed. The garlic is loving it. The windows are getting washed without me doing anything. So never say there’s no hope. There is always hope. We just have to work to make it happen.

This morning reading the 2 Heathers, I almost cried over what is happening down south in the USA. One Heather reported on Kash Patel taking a VIP snorkel at USSA Arizona, a Pearl Harbour military cemetry. Both writes of the Selma march for black voting rights. Heather Cox Richardson gives a very detailed history account of the fight for voting rights for the blacks. The fight still has to go on in 2026. This is the part that makes me cry. We are still defined by the colour of our skin.

This is where I am on this rainy/snowy day. I am sleepy and lethargic. I feel discouraged with my weight loss effort though it is barely a week. I almost gave up with the black tea/coffee. I longed for a cup with cream and honey. I said almost. I didn’t give in. I feel small, small results. I’m not feeling as bloated. I’m ok with 1/2 cup cooked rice with my meals and smaller meat portions. I’m doing the veggies. I will hang in for another week and then see.

I’m not making huge progress in other areas either. I’ve long abandoned #the100dayproject of sewing log cabin quilt blocks. My Bernina sewing machine sits idle on the table with my mess of fabric scraps. I’ve been meaning to tidy all that and more but somehow it hasn’t happen. That could be my 100dayproject. I will start it today. I am going to start it today.

I Hate Not Easy

Posted on May 16, 2026 by hafong

May 16 and snow on the ground. Our bed of garlic is beautiful in snow. I am frozen with inertia, not knowing how to start. I am still on my black tea and coffee kick so I am not even craving for another cuppa. For my almost a week of effort, I don’t have too much to show. The pound I lost, I got it back too soon enough. I haven’t given in. Now my plan is to cut back my rice portions. Being Chinese, I love my rice cooked in any style and in large portions. It’s not going to be easy.

I hate the not easy part but I will give it my best shot. I do want to lose the 10 pounds, get rid of my double chin and protuding tummy. Though I feel I’m not overeating, I am sure that my portions of everything are oversized. Researching portion sizes per meal, I found that meat should be 3-4 ounces, the size of the palm of my hand, cooked rice at 1/2 cup, 1/2 pound raw potato and 2.5 to 3 cups of vegetables a day. I guess I don’t have to worry about overdoing the veggies.

I’m back to starting my morings reading the two Heathers. I know. I’m poisoning my brain with all the corruption of Donald Trump and his merry men. I have to know what is going on. Yesterday at Freshco, cauliflower was $7.99 per head. There was no broccoli visible but was $4.99/lb. the day before. It is costing a considerably more to fill my car now than before Trump and his Iran war. All this makes it not easy to ignore the news, even if it is bad. Now that I got this off my chest, it’s time for me to move on to the next not so easy thing chore. But first I want to show off my garlic bed.

Throw Up Thursday

Posted on May 14, 2026 by hafong

Today I could not finish reading the two Heathers‘ posts. Trump and his merry men’s corruption are so corrupt, obvious and endless that it makes me want to throw up. However, I did read Oregon’s Bay’s Area’s post on his visit to Beijing. I’m happy to read that China did not clear the sky for the visit as they did in 2017. He did not get a big fat hug from Xijinping either. After trashing China and Xijinping for years, now Trump is courting both.

This is where I am – nauseated and discouraged at where we are today. The forecasted high winds did not come to much. It is a good thing. We have rain which is another good thing. Our rain catchers are getting replenished. I am a little excited about the garden greening up. The garlic bed is looking very good. I have 2 raised beds planted and a few potatoes planted in the beds overgrown by grass. I’m hoping they will crowd out the grass. Growing food is a good antiemetic. It is good for reviving a sagging spirit.

The greenhouse likes the rain also. All the greens are perking up. I’m hoping for lots of bitter melon this year. Never give up. Never throw in the towel. Use it to wipe up the sweat of a good fight for what you believe in.

On How to Lose Weight

Posted on May 13, 2026 by hafong

I’m packing an extra 10 pounds that I don’t need. Though I’m nowheres near obese, I feel the weight of it. It takes more effort to walk. I’m slower, not wanting to move at all. Then there’s my face. It’s rounder and fuller with a double chin. I look and feel glum. I don’t want to talk about my stomach. There’s no easy way to resolve this but I’m going to do it. There’s only 2 ways. I have to watch my diet and increase my movement.

I’m not good at dieting. Is anyone though? I’m starting slow by cutting back honey and cream for my tea and coffee. That is except for coffee with my father 3 or 4 times a week. it is a big cut back for I drink 4 to 5 big cups a day. This way I wouldn’t feel deprived. I’ve already lost a pound since Monday. I hope I don’t get it back when I weigh in Friday. I won’t work harder at the gym but concentrate on staying the course. Instead I will try to be more active in my daily living. How you may ask? There are many ways.

The first thing is not to sit so much and scroll. It’s easier said than done but warmer weather and gardening season makes it easier. I love the early morning to tour the greenhouse and the yard. I’m getting fresh air and the morning sun, natural mood boosters. While I was walking around the front yard this morning, I noticed there are so many broken branches everywhere. I thought I might as well pick them up and put them in the green bin. It’s an easy job that needed to be done. And I burnt a few more calories. I hope they will translate into ounces/pounds lost.

Well, this is a small start. I have to stay the coarse. I want to lose 10 pounds. That is my goal from now through to December. To get anywheres I have to have a goal and timeline. This gives me 7 months. I know I can do it.

Fly Me to the Moon

Posted on May 12, 2026 by hafong

The news can be detrimental to our health these days. It is to mine. It is disgusting to read of Trump’s daily tirades against everybody except himself. Benjamin Netanyahu is equally disgusting. What is happening in Gaza is heart breaking. It feels like the whole world is corrupt. Perhaps it would be wise for me to step back a little from the news if I can. What I would like is for you to Fly me to the moon, Let me play among the stars, Let me see what spring is like, On Jupiter and Mars.

That not being possible, I best smarten up, toughen up and bear up. Life goes on. There’s a yard to clean up, a garden or two or three to plant. There’s laundry and dishes to do. There’s groceries to get and meals to prepare. There’s family and friends to see. There’s paper to shred and floors to sweep and mop. In other words there’s a whole lot of things to do. Moping isn’t one of them.

The laundry and dishes are done. No yard cleanup but a little planting done. Had coffee with my father and friends at the mall. Bought some oranges and apples at a very good price. I shredded a bunch of old receipts. Why I hung on to them so long is mystifying. Perhaps they gave me a false sense of security. I’m slowly getting over it. I’m feeling better now at the end of the day having all these little things.

It’s Baking Time Again

Posted on May 11, 2026 by hafong

It’s an overcast May 11th. Though it is 20℃, it is not inviting nor enticing me out. I shall procrastinate, linger and grumble a bit before heading out to do some gardening chores. I am hard pressed for inspirations to lift me up and out of my malaise. I did come across Jim Hadfield’s baking story recently. It is pretty inspiring. He learned how to bake in retirement because it was difficult to find bread he could enjoy. Over time his baking menu grew and became a business out of his home in Milestone, Saskatchewan.

Surprisingly, I’ve never heard of Milestone. It is 50 55 km from Regina with a population of 672 – 682 residents. It is 321 km from Saskatoon, a 3 hour drive away. I find it remarkable that he has a thriving business. There’s quite a demand for his Christmas cake. He has orders from across Canada. He started out with 28 cakes the first year. It grew to 724 cakes for 2025 and his Christmas cakes are already sold out for 2026. I think he has an order of 1264 cakes this year! He will be turning 75 later this month. He has a Facebook page.

All this did sparked my brain and heart this morning. It made me think, Why don’t I do something like that? I’m thinking of doing the baking thing, too. Once upon a time, I tried out all kinds of things after I perfected the bread. I tried cinnamon buns, baguettes, Chinese steamed buns, sourdough bread, pie once. I bought 2 new pie pans and have not used them once. I still have a binder full of pastry recipes. Maybe it’s time to experiment and bake again. I can try to be a smaller version of Jim. I will not take any orders.

Mothers’ Day Thoughts

Posted on May 10, 2026 by hafong

I could easily become a hermit if left to my own devices. I have no energy and no ambition. So begins another Sunday morning and the second Mother’s Day without my mother. Mothers’ Day will always be a memorable day, not because of its name/label. It is because it is the day before Mothers’ Day in 2024 that my mother fell and broke her hip. I was just preparing to sit down at Pink Candillac restaurant with my friends when my phone rang. It was my father saying my mother fell. Can I come and see.

The rest is history as the saying goes. It’s not good when a senior falls and breaks a hip. My mother survived the surgery and the hip. She spent 6 weeks in the hospital. Her hip was not a problem but the rest of her couldn’t take the trauma. On a beautiful October day we bade her farewell. She saw the sunrise and the sunset as she wished. And so here I am, on the second anniversary of that fateful fall. And perhaps it was fate. She was tired and looking for a way out.

I am solemn and melancholic but also feeling grateful that my mother is not suffering any more. I am comforted that she is at ease in her forever home. I read this post written by Edward Curtin about his mother, Rita Rose: A Mother, an Artist and a Soul Still Speaking. I hope you will enjoy it.

A Glimmer and a Cup

Posted on May 7, 2026 by hafong

A cloudy May 7th morning and clouds expected for most of the day. At least it is a bit warmer. Things are not greening up fast indoors or out. My instinct not to rush with gardening was correct. I wonder how long. these up and down weather patterns of cool and heat will continue. It very much fits in with our present world political climate. I continue to read the two Heathers every morning. I continued to feel distress with their news. Most of all I am flabbergasted by the corruption and it is all right out in the open. And it is still happening, getting worse day by day.

I have been feeling distressed and flabbergasted by so many things now. I have grown and matured some to handle life better. I am not letting life overwhelmed me. I am not rendered helpless, angry and reactive. Instead I try to stay calm and respond. It’s taken a long time but it is possible to learn different and better ways of being. All my old triggers are still there. They still react but at the same instant I feel my brain clicking, blocking them and coming up with a better response. Our brain is an amazing organ. I love it.

The sun is struggling, trying to get through the clouds. I appreciate whatever light, no matter how small it may be, that can get through. A little can go a long ways in lighting my way through the dark. I need just a glimmer to start the day. That and a cup of tea.

Savouring the Day

Posted on May 5, 2026 by hafong

A sunny Tuesday morning. I’m surprised to find that it is -2℃ at 8 o’clock. I’ve had a good sleep. It’s remarkable how good that plus the sun can make me feel. I shall not let that goodness and the day go to waste. I will not haste though, but savour all the minutes at my own pace. I remember the saying, haste makes for waste. So how shall I proceed?

The day is almost over. I surely did not haste today. I enjoyed a leisurely 4 hour brunch with my two dear friends. One of them had just recently lost her mother. I shared my thought that I really had believed that we would never lose our mothers. We had them for so long. It’s really strange now to find ourselves without our mothers. But that is the way with nature. We are losing more people as time goes by. It is this stage in our lives.

After time spent with my two friends, it was time to take my father out to the mall for a walk and coffee with my mother’s friends. I don’t have any Chinese friends except these. I don’t have a lot of friends either. I am not a social butterfly. I cannot handle too many people but I am fortunate to have my little groups of caring loving individuals, at the mall, at the YWCA and my retired co-workers. It is enough.

After coffee at the mall, I still had a little time to do a bit of weeding, planting and watering in the greenhouse. My spinach and lettuce are ready for small pickings. I planted 2 sweet one million tomatoes. There’s 2 blossoms on the snow peas. Our days are still a frosty but it was toasty warm in the greenhouse in the afternoon. Now it is late and time for bed. It was a very good day.

onethousandandtwo

Looking at Infinity