Growing Pains

Posted on by
Reply

Now that we are not having rain or snow, we are having a yellow warning – heat! It’ll be 30℃ temperatures for the rest of the week. On Thursday it’ll be 34℃. We had snow only 9 days ago. Not much was growing for much of spring. Then all of a sudden things sprung up. I harvested asparagus and rhubarb last night. Some of them are already getting old. What a roller coaster of a spring.

Now we are on a mad dash to get things planted. Who knows what kind of a growing season we will have. With this teeter totter heat and cold, I am having alot of aches and pains. Getting the yard clean up and garden in is very challenging. Having an allotment garden adds to the challenge. I just have to keep pushing through everything. It takes quite a bit of pain to get any gain this year. Maybe I will appreciate everything more come fall and harvest time. For now I am grinning and bearing it.

I am happy to say that the greenhouse is doing well. Thankfully there are no aphids this year. I am paying more attention at not overcrowding and making sure there is good ventilation in there. The lettuce is thriving. The spinach is over as well as the baby bak choy. It is too warm in there for them now. The snow peas are starting to produce. I think I will have bitter melons and cucumbers this year though it is early to be 100% sure. I am trying eggplants again. They need heavy feeding and pruning. I am excited to see whether I will succeed. It’s good to be excited again.

There’s still alot of planting in the garden yet. The 5 raised beds are mostly planted. I have yet to do the 6th one. The peppers will go there. The squash will all be planted in the home garden rather than in the allotment. It will be interesting to see how they will do. Gardening is not an exact science, at least to me. I have always garden by the seat of my pants. It wouldn’t hurt for me to find and follow proper guidelines though. Well, maybe next year. It is too late now to get into all that.

My Raisin Sourdough Bread

Posted on by
Reply

It pays to rise early. It pays to have a plan. I can get a lot done by doing both and still have time to doodle, scroll and nod off. I was up by 6 this morning and had my sourdough folded and molded and in the fridge to chill by 6:30. I will bake it at 12:30. Sourdough bread is actually very easy to do. There’s no strenuous kneading and all the rest that goes with it. It takes me a good part of a day to make 6 loaves of bread. And I’m pooped at the end of it.

With sourdough the process takes 2 days but the steps takes little time. I am free to do other things in between. I’m not wiped out at the end. After breakfast, I finished trimming the grass in the front yard and worked at cutting out some of those hated creeping bellflowers. I’ve decided it’s a futile job to dig them out. I am sure their roots are deep and goes all the way to China. So it’s trimming and mulching to keep them at bay. There’s no point in killing myself over them. I will save my energy to plant some tomatoes later in the day.

It is almost the end of the day. I’ve taken my father out for coffee at the mall. We did a little shopping at the Dollar Store. I bought 2 plastic containers to store my log cabin quilt strips. It pays to be a little organized. One container for darks and the other one for lights. I’ve been just piling them on the table and digging, searching through them each time. It’s a bit time consuming. Let’s see if I can get my shit together. I haven’t sewn a quilt block for awhile now that planting time is here.

My raisin sourdough bread turned out pretty fine. After one small slice, I want another. Having little to no will power, I give in. Why not, eh? It’s fresh out of the oven. I might be paying the price when I weigh in tomorrow. I did lose 1.8 pounds this week. I’ve been doing some heavy duty gardening this week, burning alot of calories. All is good. I really, really enjoy the bread. Could eat another slice but I won’t.

A Good Day

Posted on by
Reply

A sun shiny May 19th. It’s 11:30 and 11℃ out. The greenhouse is 26.6℃ with vents and door opened. It goes to show how powerful the sun is. It has powered me to trim the grass in the back and part of the front yard by 10:00. The battery on the trimmer ran out so I must wait for it to recharge before I can finish. It might be tomorrow. I hope to plant the kohlrabi in the front raised bed later on in the day.

I could not bear to read the two Heathers posts this morning. The corruption that is coming from Trump and his merry men are too horrifying. You may wonder why I am so taken up with all this since the U.S. is not my country. I wonder myself. It took awhile for me to recognize that it reminds me of the times I’ve felt completely, devastatingly helpless. And this is not just a U.S. problem. It touches us all. We are all connected.

Helplessness does not serve me. Neither does anger. And so I tap on the keyboard, plant my kohlrabi and take my father out for coffee. Neither of those things are easy but I flex my fingers and move them across the keyboard. I dig 14 holes in the raised bed and plop a kohlrabi in each one and fill with dirt. Then collar each with a bottom cut out yogurt container. After that I loaded my father and his wheelchair in the car and headed out to the mall for our coffee. A friend joined us after and we shared a meaningful conversation.

It is a good day. There’s dark clouds overhead. Heaven is trying to rain again.

Wonky Weather and Me

Posted on by
Reply
Photo by Vika Glitter on Pexels.com

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 by
Reply

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 by
Reply
Photo by Alex Green on Pexels.com

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 by
Reply

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.

lettuce
spinach
snow peas & radish
bitter melons
Chinese greens

On How to Lose Weight

Posted on by
Reply

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 by
Reply
Photo by Afitab on Pexels.com

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 by
Reply

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.