Author Archives: hafong

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About hafong

Hello! My name is (Leung) Hafong alias Lily Leung. You always say the last name first….that is the Chinese way. That is my partner lurking behind me. Since this is my blog, I won’t mention his name. But this is a rather cool picture. You see me and yet you don’t…sort of the way I feel about myself most of my life. So this blog is a self-exploration, an archeology dig of some sort. My tools…..words of a thousand or so at a sitting. I will try for that.

All in Good Time

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Friday morning coming down and it’s a cool one. Though the greenhouse temperatures are good, staying above freezing on its own even at night, things are not taking off just yet. I guess I’m impatient, wanting now, now, now! The snowpeas are growing tendrils. The seeded lettuce are poking their heads above the soil. The spinach is still skinny but the radish leaves are getting fatter as are the Gai Lan. They will burst forth all in good time.

The seedlings are doing well also. They are robust, thriving in the greenhouse. They get plenty of light in the day. The cool nights keep them from bolting and getting leggy. I can repot some while waiting for the other seeds to germinate. I can get swamp if I’m not careful. Even after all these years of gardening and starting my own seeds, I still have many doubts. It is still a miracle when I see them germinate and poke their heads above the soil. I do not take anything for granted. I tend to over seed – just in case.

This year I am being a little more bold and confident. I cut back a little. Prices have gone up and you get fewer seeds in a pack. I label the pots with the number of seeds I sow. That way I would know the germination rate. It would help for next year’s sowing. So far I’m pretty happy that it’s almost 100%. There are those seeds that’s too small to count. I’ve also started to date my seed packs so I know how old the seeds are. 3 years is supposed to be the best before date. But nothing is set in stone. Here is an interesting video about a seed grower in Saskatchewan. It’s inspiring me.

Quirky Thursday

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I hope I can crank out a post today. I’m feeling a bit quirky and restless, thinking about my paper clutter and that income tax thing. I’ve been procrastinating about them for months now. What a waste in energy, eh? You think knowing that I would buckle down and do something about it. No, it doesn’t work that way. It has to be that deadline that will do the trick. So I should stop feeling the guilt and the weight of putting off. Just forget about it till then.

It’s better if I put my energy into doing something useful. Wish I could dance away my quirkiness like Tom Hanks in Big. That would be so cool. Hey, it works just watching that clip. Now I am settled and more at ease. I can evaluate my progress since I’ve learned about Jim Kwik, watching his videos and reading his book. I’ve memorized 3 phone numbers and my social insurance number. I understand how easy it is to remember names by linking it to another person. It’s not a huge gain but it’s a step. I’m not so worried about senior moments now.

Well, this is it for another day of the UBC. It’s all I can handle today. It’s enough.

Seedy Wednesday

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It’s another Wordless Wednesday in the blog world. Wish I have some fantastic photos. It would save labouring to get the words out. Alas! My yen for photo shots disappeared sometimes this year. Where it went I do not know. I hope it comes back. I miss the pleasure it gave me. The most recent pleasure that registered with me was getting my new Cosori electric kettle. I love getting a fast cup of hot water for my tea.

I’m not in any bad way or mood. The day is rather overcast and windy. The greenhouse vents hardly opened at all today. The guy had the automatic openers installed yesterday. They save me from trotting back and forth to open and close the vents. I hadn’t minded the exercise but I don’t miss it either. I used the saved energy in sorting out my seed piles. I hang on to everything, very old, old and not so old. The mess was making my head crazy. I had to sit down to sort and discard. Still have alot to sort but making some progress. My head doesn’t feel quite hairy.

I found some seeds I ordered last year but haven’t opened. They are now and seeded. I’m looking forward to some catnip and sesame. I hope I won’t attract all the neighbourhood cats. My sister says that her cat and the neighbour’s cat really love her catnip. She has it in a planter on her deck. Her cat rolls her head in it and the neighbour’s cat tried to rip it out of the pot. Cat pot! I guess they get high on it.

I registered another pleasure just now. I see that the comfrey has germinated. Well, I see one green head poking through the soil. While comfrey has many uses, I am growing it to use as mulch for the garden and to make compost tea to enhance the health of the soil. I’ve learned all this from watching all those gardening videos on Youtube. You can learn just about anything on Youtube. Well, that is it, that is all for this 10th day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

The Eclipse

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Morning and I have risen. I had such high hopes that I could sit down and whip out a post for today’s Ultimate Blog Challenge. But no such luck. I’m stuck in the eclipse of my mind and yesterday. We didn’t see much of the eclipse here in Saskatchewan. It reached 41% at maximum and was gone in an hour.

Not having the proper eyewear, we did not look at the sun. We experienced the clouds. Because I’m such a weather vane, I was paying attention to see how the eclipse would affect me. I felt no noticeable effects most of the day until the sun came out full force in late afternoon. I was hit with a headache accompanied by a chill. A tylenol and glass of wine at supper eased my discomfort. I had a good night’s sleep.

Now it is 2 in the afternoon. In my stuck-for-words time, I had soaked 4 more kinds squash seeds. Time is getting away on me. I got too relaxed in my seeding planning. Now trying to catch up before it’s too late. I cannot afford to nor do I not want to waste time in being stuck. I try to do something else in the meantime. So in the meantime I’ve also painted my little creation for today’s #the100dayproject. I wasn’t super motivated but it required little effort in moving muddles of paint around. And voila – a picture. Looks like I painted mysel or how I felt!

Pausing

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It’s day 8 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and I got day 48 of #the100dayproject under my belt. These challenges are working for me. Putting my commitments in writing and making them visible make me more accountable. It’s strengthing my perseverance muscle. When I feel myself reverting to my old ways or thinking of doing it, something inside gives me pause. In my mind’s eye, I see my written words. And I am saved from falling into the same hole again.

I need not to paint a master piece or write a great piece that will go viral. Something small will do just as well in keeping me moving along. I’ve been going into the greenhouse daily in the mornings. Sometimes I just want to have a look around. Other mornings I plant a few seedlings before the call for breakfast. In a few days a whole bed is planted with snowpeas, spinach, radish and Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli). The overcast sky this morning was perfect for transplanting. The young seedlings will take better without a hot sun.

Pausing works for turning around my bad attitude. I hear my whine and grump. It doesn’t sound so nice. It’s voiced but it doesn’t have to continue. I can stop and say I’ll be better the next time.

Possibilities and Change

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Photo by Hatice Nou011fman on Pexels.com

It’s taken my whole dang life to get my shit together. It’s okay. It is a worthwhile life long project and I love learning. I’ve just spent 2 hours cleaning house. I’m sitting down with my cup of tea. It is a sunny morning. I’ve planted a few Chinese broccoli seedlings in the greenhouse. The radishes planted yesterday are looking good. The tulips by the front of the house are up. Amazon just delivered my electric kettle. I’m feeling pretty chipper.

I’ve realized now that I have given too much attention to my moods in the past. Everyone has them and I am no worse for them. I function very well, no matter which mood I am in. I’ve learned that I can choose how to feel. Some days it is harder than others. It is through living with it all that I grow and gain experience. It’s what gives my life flavour. So I shall try to whine less about my usual stuff, relax a little and try to have more fun if I can. Being a serious person, I’m really not a fan of fun. But I can learn to change.

I am always surprised at how much I can change once I open myself to that possibility. I can be a fast learner once I make up my mind.

Against the Flow

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Photo by Jacob Colvin on Pexels.com

It’s day 6 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Only 24 more days to go and 54 more days for #the100dayproject. I’m experiencing a malaise and a dip in my spirit. In these moments I wonder why I put these commitments upon myself. It would be so much easier if I go with the flow. It would be but I do know where that could lead – stagnation. And it is just not me – to go with the flow. I’m prickly, sometimes known as an eccentric person.

What I need when malaise hits is action. Though I don’t advocate shopping on Amazon as a solution, that’s what I did. I bought an electric kettle and Lyn Slater’s book on How to Be Old. I was waiting for the paperback version but I decided I need to read it now. So ping! Now it’s on my Kindle. Not sure how useful it will be. Not alot of super reviews on Goodreads.What triggered my dippy mood is reminders of aging and what that could mean. I had a visit with my 92 year old mother yesterday. The conversation was largely about aging, declining strength, vitality and meaning of life. It left me feeling blue and deflated, wondering on how to age well. That’s when I remembered Lyn Slater, the accidental icon.

It’s good that the morning was sunny. I’ve started my daily early morning visits to the greenhouse before breakfast. Today I transplanted my radishes into the bed. After I thought I better do my stretches before I lose my oomph. It’s the first time in many months that I have no pain in my left foot. I had plantar fasciitis since before Christmas. Just as it was finally resolving, I stubbed my little toe on the same foot. Took 5 weeks for it to heal. I am motivated to keep pain away by doing my daily stretches.

Now it is almost 4 in the afternoon. We took a little drive out of the city to Crossmount to look at some paintings and pottery on display. We had some dessert at the restaurant and walked around outside after. There was quite a few people out enjoying the sunshine and the cider house. I’m feeling refreshed and renewed.

Bad Paint Days

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Now we’ve all had bad days of one sort or another. I’ve had from bad hair days to bad write days to just really all-bad days. Now I’m having bad paint days. So I decided that I was maybe choosing too difficult subjects for #the100dayproject. Having painted quite a few geishas in the past with no problems, I thought they would make a good subject for a few days. But alas, no such luck. I’m laying on layers and layers of paint, correcting, revising. She’s admonishing me with her critical eyes. Good thing I haven’t given her mouth. She can’t give me no sass.

Perhaps I can leave her thus. Things get worse when I try too hard. I’m on day 46, not quite halfway. Day 45 was bad – Henry and Kate from On Golden Pond. Henry looked too young and not grumpy enough. My colours looked muddy. Day 44 of Mugs and More Art started the bad paint days streak. It like the domino effect.

mugs and more art
Henry and Kate – On Golden Pond

I just have to accept that in life there are good and bad days. Sometimes we have to give things a rest and do the best we can. Tomorrow is another day.

Inspiration, Perspiration

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Photo by yves renan on Pexels.com

My wish for rain came true. It’s cloudy as can be with rain coming down. It’s as if the whole world is weeping. There is that much sadness in the world but I must not give into that sadness. I must use it to inspire myself into better. I must pull myself up by the bootstraps. When inspiration does not work, there’s the perspiration of hard work. It works. It’s in the mindset.

I’m off on a better start today. It helps to know and accept oneself. I have. Knowing that I feels things deeply and have the propensity for melancholia, I’ve always have had to work hard to maintain a positive outlook. Good cheer and energy does not come naturally to me. I have learned to compensate for the lack. Perhaps it’s not such a bad thing. Having to work for it have built good habits and resilience in me. I do worry about maintaining it as I age.

My saving graces are my love of learning and self-improvement. I have this thirst for knowledge and how to do better. I’ve been reading Jim Kwik’s Limitless and Stan Goldberg’s Preventing Senior Moments: How to Stay Alert into Your 90s and Beyond. Both emphasize what a miracle our brain is. Did you know that the world’s fastest supercomputer requires 24 million watts of power to operate, but our brain only requires 20 and is a hundred thousand times faster than a computer? I wonder why we are dumbing ourselves by our dependence on the computer for everything. Why don’t we upgrade our own softwares by actively using our brain more?

Feeling Lazy

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Photo by Creative Workshop on Pexels.com

It is only day 3 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I’m feeling lazy and sluggish with nary a thought or idea in my head. It is Wordless Wednesday -a day to share an image or images that speak for themselves. That should make an easy post, but I can’t even come up with any of interest. I did snap some photos of going through the carwash. I thought I could call it The Tunnel of Love. It would be perfect. We’re locked in and soaped up. Nobody could see in. But the photos were soapy and boring. The tunnel short – maybe all of 5 minutes.

Then I have my #the100dayproject wherein I paint a picture a day for 100 days. I’m sagging there, too, on day 44. I’m feeling lackadaisical, not in the mood. What to do? There’s no point in pouting. Nobody cares. I won’t give up. So I’ve prepped a small piece of watercolour paper with gesso. Waiting for it to dry. I am a wee bit motivated, having seen Paul Trottier’s art exhibit, Joy and Sorrow at St. Thomas More Gallery. I was quite moved by all his paintings. I hope it is enough to carry me through this slump.

I grasp at anything, however small, when malaise knocks me off my feet. A cup of coffee and a piece of toast is calling me. And I have to go and close the vents in the greenhouse. The temperature is going down. It has been a warm day with a high of 19℃. Most of the snow are gone. I had the shade cloth down and 5 vents opened. It’s been above 30℃ most of the afternoon. Now it is 24℃. Time to raise the cloth and close up.