Monthly Archives: August 2021

I CAN’T DO EVERYTHING/REMEMBERING SUCCESSES

Posted on by
9

It is the 9th day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I’ve missed a few days. The thing is I can’t make up or catch up. I recognized that I can’t do everything. Some things have to go. I will have to show up when I can. I can’t make up or catch up with the Daisy Yellow Index Card Challenge either. It is way over and I am short some 21 cards. I am rethinking and revamping my idea of success and commitment. It is not a do or die. It is about prioritizing and choosing what is more important and doing the best that I can. And this is my best. Instead of throwing in the towel, I will do a post when I am able.

There was a time when I did show up and completed both of these 2 challenges. It is good to remember my successes. I’m show casing some of my better index card paintings. The index cards are 6 inches by 4 inches. The guy made frames for them. Geishas are a favourite theme for me. Perhaps I was Japanese and a geisha in a previous life.

These three painting are still staying with the Japanese theme. The first one is of peasants hurrying home from work at the end of the day across the Meguro Drum Bridge, a copy of HIROSHIGE‘s famous painting. The next one is of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima. The 3rd is of the Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima. I was fortunate to have visited two famous landmarks in Japan many years ago.

The last collection of framed index card paintings are abstract studies. It is not my favourite form of art because I am not familiar and comfortable with uncertainty. It is something I have to work on.

THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOUR

Posted on by
Reply

It’s August 6 but day 5 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I’m running a day behind. I hope I can catch up and not fall further behind. It’s another hot day. Still no rain. I’m trying to work smarter and make life a little easier. It was tempting to skip my exercise class this morning. It wouldn’t be a smart thing to do so I tossed that idea. I need to keep healthy, fit and strong. I had a good workout and stopped at the community garden to water my brother’s and our plots. We share watering duties on alternate days. Our plots are side by side. It saves time and energy for both of us.

The day is hazy. The sun hidden by smoke from forest fires. The temperature is 31℃. The world looks uncertain and scary. Welcome to our new reality. Despite this, I am optimistic, putting my hope in my garden basket. Thanks to the river that runs through our city, we are able to water, water and water. We have such an abundance from all our gardening efforts in our greenhouse, outside garden at home, the community garden and the city allotments. Here are some of our harvest.

I can see I have my work cut out for me preserving and not letting things go to waste. My bowlful of Roma tomatoes are stewing on the stove. I’m doing the easy peasy. They will be jarred and frozen for spiced up tomato sauce when the need arises.

WHERE I LIVE

Posted on by
4

It’s day 4 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. It’s a good day for another show and tell. These summer days are so busy with our prolonged heat wave and drought. My days are filled with watering, watering and more watering. Now the crops are maturing and we are overflowing with harvest. There’s little time to sit, be thoughtful and write something intelligent. So let me show you a little of where I live.

The herb spiral is in the immediate area as I step down from the deck. It’s made out of urbanite – broken up concrete from our front walk two summers ago. It was an immediate success. The herbs took to it like they’ve been growing there for years. I found the little monk statue at a garden center. He was meant for it and he reminds me of my Sheba every time I see him. Sheba was with me for almost 14 years and went to doggy heaven last May. The herb spiral sits in the space where a cherry bush sat. Sheba liked to pick the cherries when they came in season. It was also a cool place for her to lay under in summer.

Beyond the spiral is our bicycle shed. On top of the shed is a living roof. It’s the first year for it so it has mostly Bachelor’s Buttons growing with some chives and sedum. It’s a very dry summer with no rain so not many native wild flower seeds germinated. Underneath there’s an old wood burning stove, all cleaned and polished up. Will be nice to cuddle up to for cool autumn days and evenings. Beyond the shed is a solar passive greenhouse which is not shown. It’s for another time.

These are my guardian protective angels in the corners of the garden. They are the spirits and eyes to watch over and guard where I live.

A SLOW BAKE TUESDAY

Posted on by
8

It’s day 3 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I’m feeling challenged to get the words onto the page. It has been overcast most of the day. It is cooler, but the house is still fairly warm from yesterday’s heat. The low during the night was 22℃. Still any temperature under 30℃ is a good day to bake bread.

It’s good that I’m an early bird since retirement. I’ve learned to get moving in the mornings during these hot, hot summer days. Seems like we are living under a heat dome. And there hasn’t been a break. This could be our NEW NORMAL. I better adjust and adapt. I can still live my best life. No need to cry Woe is me! That isn’t going to change anything. What is here is here. Does anyone hear any alarm bells besides me? No matter. I will proceed as best as I can.

This is turning out to be a laborious task. I’m toiling over my keyboard, pecking a letter at a time. The words, sentences and thoughts are difficult to organize. And dang! when I got a whole paragraph, I hit a wrong key and the whole thing disappeared. Pardon me while I cry ‘Woe is me!’ Baking bread is much easier. I know all the steps and measurements. I only messed up once and killed the yeast because the water was too hot. I ended up with unleavened dough for 6 loaves of bread. It wasn’t really a disaster. It made delicious flat bread and pizza dough. Most of the time I am overflowing with success.

Today was no exception. 6 beautiful golden loaves came out of the oven. The work doesn’t end there. It starts there with the clean up of endless washing of this, that and many other things. But apparently it is all worth the effort. I continue to do it as I continue to do the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Oh boy! what a struggle.

SEIZE THE DAY

Posted on by
10

It is day 2 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I better seize the momentum of this newness to get going. I was going to reward myself after writing this post, but I failed the delayed gratification test. I already had my bowl of frozen maple walnut yogurt. It’s hot and I’m sweaty from freezing peas, doing the lunch dishes and watering part of the garden with the grey water. It’s a bit of a chore but well worth my effort. I didn’t realize how much grey water we let go down the drain until I started collecting it. I collect mostly just from washing lunch dishes. It can get labour intensive. I don’t have enough energy and stamina to do more. I have to be prudent with my resources.

Morning seem to be my most energetic self this summer. I try not to squander it away by being slothful and grumpy. I got myself off to an early start by booking an 8 am swim. Life is easier with commitments. Without, I am lost and adrift in the sea of freedom. Today I am rewarded with the pool all to myself. My grumpiness and frown are smoothed away in the water of the pool. There’s no worry of being too slow and having my toes grabbed from behind. I luxuriated in the peace and aloneness of just me and the life guard.

I love these mornings when I can get off to a good start. I can have them every day. It’s really up to me to make it happen. I had time to reflect on how as I swam up and down the lengths of the pool. I can choose to do the things I love, think the thoughts that build me up, spend time with positive people and those who are truly friends. I do have choices and control of many things that affect my well being. Now that I am more cognizant I can do better. I know I am not as grumpy as I used to be. I must be heading in the right direction.

The time after my morning swim is also perfect for heading to our community garden to weed, harvest and water. I am cooled and relaxed, ready to withstand the summer heat. And mornings are generally a bit cooler. It is wonderful to see all the greens of our efforts in the bright summer sun. It is not work but therapy for a gardener’s soul. Since it is a community garden I am happy and honoured to help another gardener water her plot. To be of service to another also adds to my well being. In return she has given me seedlings and apple sauce. Relationships is about reciprocity. Here are some of our happy plots.

SHOW AND TELL

Posted on by
8

I have become sodden with the summer heat. I can’t remember when I have shown up here. I no longer feel familiar with the word. The only thing I can do these days is water the greenhouse and gardens and watch Poirot on YouTube. I believe I am addicted to the peculiar little detective. I had to force myself away to come to the keyboard. Thinking and creating is so hard to do. I gave up on the index-card-a-day challenge after 40 days. It’s over tomorrow. I’m short 21 days. That doesn’t mean I have to give up. I can still finish it on my own time schedule. Do I have it in me?

It’s been a tough summer. It’s been a tough year. It’s a tough time all around. Nothing is like it used to be. Hasn’t it always been that way? We’re more aware now because Covid-19 changed everything. We have to change our ways of living on this planet. Yes, change is exhausting and I am exhausted but grateful at the same time. No, I can’t cry, Woe is me! because we are all in this together. I’m learning to suck it up, bolster myself and move forward as best as I can.

I have signed up for the Ultimate Blog Challenge of writing a post a day for the month of August. A commitment is a good prod in the right direction. I do take these challenges seriously. Here’s hoping I have enough stick-with-it to show up here every day this month. If I don’t have the words, I can do show and tell on what and how things are showing up in the greenhouse and garden. My goal for this challenge is showing up each day. It is a given that content and presentation are still very important to me. I will strive to do my best but it is not a do or die.