Author Archives: hafong

Unknown's avatar

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.

SUNDAYS

Posted on by
4

Well, I’m late to the keyboard. Hope I can dash off a few paragraphs without a hitch. Sundays used to be a day of rest. Used to. Even though I am retired I don’t have too many rest days. Even though I like to be sloth it is hard to stay put. Life seems full. That is a good thing so I should not complain too much. It’s just that I am tired and achy these days. The old body doesn’t want to cooperate with my wants.

Since I’ve read Atomic Habits not so long ago, I should practice what I’ve learned. I have this bad habit of just collecting information but not putting them to use. Now is a good time to start. It is obvious I’m tired. It is hard to move and I don’t want to. I can go easy on myself and let go of the shoulds today. It doesn’t matter if my table is all cluttered up again. I have space to do what I need to. The mess can wait another day. I haven’t got the sourdough bread started either. That can wait till tomorrow. No skiing today either. It’s not worth it to aggravate my foot problems when the tracks are poor.

But I did take time to do my mobility exercises. I’m making progress with my plantar fasciitis. It is wise to keep going and not lapse. Sundays I visit with my parents and do their vacuuming. It’s a good get away from my own mess. I always enjoy a snack and conversation with my mother. Today I listened to her conversation with a friend on the telephone. It was a good education on how to get old 101. I could hear just her end. It was on family, health, what and how to cook when you’re in your 90’s with small appetite and sparse teeth. My mother is still very resourceful at 92. She’s still sharp as a tack. I come from good genes. Thank the Lord.

Day 21 – the Ultimate Blog Challenge

OF LETTUCE & THINGS

Posted on by
7

The day is broken. The sun is out. It took awhile but it is worth the wait. It is a balmy -9℃ outside and 0.7℃ in the greenhouse. It did reached a high of 4.5℃ about an hour ago. I can still dream of having lettuce growing soon. My seedlings are still alive and well. One must have dreams to get through the winter.

Now I have had my first ski of the season. It was in our local north and south parks. The tracks were not great. They were blown over and the snow not deep to set properly. We have to take what we can get. I got some exercise and fresh air. I’m hoping we will get more snow but I shall not hold my breath. It looks like a very short ski season this year but it’s good to be hopeful and optimistic. One could drown in tears.

So I’m having my cuppa with my feet up. My plantar fasciitis is going away. I have longer periods when my left heel doesn’t hurt. I have to be diligent doing my exercises. Pain is a great motivator. Healing is slow and takes its own sweet time.

Day 20 – the Ultimate Blog Challenge

I AM A SLOTH

Posted on by
8

Photo by Roxanne Minnish on Pexels.com

This morning the jukebox in my head was playing I am a sloth, I am a tortoise so I thought it was ok to skip the gym. My body felt like hell. It brought back fresh memories of my work days, especially 12 hour day shifts when I couldn’t say no, I don’t feel like going to work. So now, when I could, why wouldn’t I?

Mornings can be my best and worst of times. Best when the sun is shining and I am full of vim and vinegar. Those days seem rare. I am more like a happy tortoise, inching my way through life. Somehow I do get things done though. And then there are days like today when I feel like hiding and languishing away. I cannot as I start my acrylic painting class today.

I say to myself, Why the hell am I doing this in January? It’s cold and I have this heavy bag to lug around. I must love it for this is the 3rd January of art classes. Now I am back from class. While I can’t say I had fun, it was ok. Learning always exhaust me but I am revived by a cuppa and some raisin sourdough toast. Landscape is not my forte. I could not understand why the instructor chose the reference photos that she did. They did nothing to excite me. But when we got done, some of our paintings did excite me. They came alive.

I have lots to learn and to experiment. Being an in-person class, I learn from the other students as well as the instructor. I was fascinated by the young woman next to me. She fills her page with lots of paint. At first glance it looks like a hell of a mess. But when she is done, the painting looked like a Van gogh. It reminded me of Starry, Starry Night. I on the other hand, paints sparingly. Mine paintings look a bit naked. Well, it is the first class. I can learn to be more heavy handed and daring in time.

first painting on wood
unfinished on watercolour paper

Day 19 – the Ultimate Blog Challenge

NO IDEAS, NO PLANS

Posted on by
7

Photo by JESHOOTS.com on Pexels.com

Egads! it’s another day but no dollars. I’ve come to the keyboard late with nary an idea. It’s another day of no plans and no laying foundations from which to build upon. I really shouldn’t say no plans. It’s not totally true. My acrylic art class starts tomorrow. My head is such that I can’t find my way out of a wet paper bag. I knew I should get an early start organizing and packing all my supplies. And so I have and it is done. My bag is all packed. I don’t have to run around like a headless chicken at the last minute.

This morning I had high hopes of doing things and writing excellent posts. But it was just fluff in my head. Nothing came of it. What excited me was finding something I have saved awhile back. And it is on how to be an explorer of the world.

  1. Always be LOOKING (Notice the ground beneath your feet.)
  2. Consider everything alive and animate.
  3. EVERYTHING is interesting. Look closer.
  4. Alter your course often.
  5. Observe for long durations and short ones.
  6. Notice the stories going on around you.
  7. Notice PATTERNS. Make CONNECTIONS.
  8. DOCUMENT your findings (field notes) in a variety of ways.
  9. Incorporate indeterminancy.
  10. Observe movement.
  11. Create a personal DIALOGUE with your environment. Talk to it.
  12. Trace tings back to their ORIGINS.
  13. Use ALL the senses in your investigations.

This is the best I can do on day 18 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Posted on by
10

It’s wordless Wednesday and day 17 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I can’t be completely wordless but I can be less wordy. Here are a few photographs of how we took down our 2 spruce trees to make room for our greenhouse. We had lost Sheba in May 2020. We were mourning our loss and it stirred us into action. I planted the spruce trees as saplings. I did not hesitate with the decision of removing them for a greenhouse. However, after, I did mourn their loss as well. It is only natural. They were my babies as well.

Perhaps for next Wordless Wednesday I will post photos of the building of the greenhouse.

NO SUCH THING AS FAILURE

Posted on by
10

Guess what I did this morning? Last week I started making sourdough bread again. It was so successful I’m making Tuesdays a sourdough bake day. Not to waste a hot oven I decided to do my regular whole wheat loaves, too. I made the dough the day before so it would be ready this morning. My idea was to bag the dough and put it in the fridge overnight. I had previous experience of knowing that the dough still rises in the fridge. I thought putting it in a ziplock bag plus fastening it with elastic should contain it. Wrong! The expanding dough broke the elastic and was trying to ooze out of the bag. So I squished it down and tied it up and put it in the freezer overnight.

Nature calling at 3:30 am got me out of bed. I remembered my dough and got it out on the counter. It was thawed when I got up at 7. I did give it some time proofing in the oven. And then some time on the counter. But it was a BIG ball of dough, slow to warm. I decided to put them into 6 loaf pans. They sat for an hour while the sourdough was baking. My raisin sourdough came out just perfect. It slid out without a hitch onto the rack.

I can’t say the same for the whole wheat loaves. They are smaller and denser than normal. But they are not terrible. We usually toast them anyways. They will be equally filling. It was not a failure either. I am learning about chilling and freezing dough. I shall try some different tactics next time. It’s nice to be able to make bread over a couple of days.

This sourdough was half white and half whole wheat flour. It stands up better. The white was wetter and looser, harder to handle. I will try some spelt flour next time. There’s much to experiment and learn. So ends day 16 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I missed yesterday. I was tired. It’s good to take a rest. It’s not I must, only I must not miss two days in a row.

NO TURNING ON A DIME

Posted on by
4

Photo by Creative Workshop on Pexels.com

It’s a balmy -26℃ outside now at almost 6 pm. The temperature is slowly warming up though this morning Environment Canada still recorded -36℃ and with wind chill, it was -50℃. It was no wonder I couldn’t turn on a dime today. I couldn’t quite get with it and wasted the morning away. I never got lunch made till 1 pm. Now I am sweating the small stuff and writing for day 14 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

I just have to listen to my body sometimes. When it doesn’t want to listen to my mind, there’s no pushing. Am I making excuses? Possibly. Some days are like that. More days than I like. I haven’t been totally idle. Sunday is when I go over to my parent’s and do the vacuuming and whatever they let me do. I was suppose to supervise my mother’s bathing, too, to minimize risk of accidents. That lasted only a couple of times. Then she would do it before I got there. Now she’s bathing the day before. Well, what can I do? She is spunky with a mind of her own.

I got another sourdough bread in the making. This time half white flour and half whole wheat with raisins. I will have to pull the dough a few more times and let it sit in the cold oven overnight. Then tomorrow I will prep it to sit in the fridge will Tuesday. Then it will be bake day.

I start my acrylic painting class Friday. I am a little frazzled looking at my material list and gathering everything together. I am not excited yet. Just thinking, Why the hell am I doing this?

IN THE WORLD, OF THE WORLD

Posted on by
7

So it is -34℃, feeling like -42℃ with the wind chill. I’m pretty warm and snug. It’s the supper hour. I’m just starting to tackle day 13 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I’m thinking it could be a struggle but Mary Oliver’s words are inspiring me . I’m starting right away. I am in the world. I am of the world. I belong.

In this moment, I’m finding life very sweet. There’s so many interesting things to learn, so many things to do, so many souls to know and befriend. I have to get right on it. I don’t have a moment to spare. I have to be like Keats – to be of purpose and focus.

I know, you never intended to be in this world.
But you’re in it all the same.
So why not get started immediately.
I mean, belonging to it.
There is so much to admire, to weep over.
And to write music or poems about.
Bless the feet that take you to and fro.
Bless the eyes and the listening ears.
Bless the tongue, the marvel of taste.
Bless touching.
You could live a hundred years, it’s happened.
Or not.
I am speaking from the fortunate platform
of many years,
none of which, I think, I ever wasted.
Do you need a prod?
Do you need a little darkness to get you going?
Let me be as urgent as a knife, then,
and remind you of Keats,
so single of purpose and thinking, for a while,
he had a lifetime.
— Mary Oliver, Blue Horses

BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

Posted on by
7

It’s is a very cold, cold day here in Saskatoon. This morning Environment Canada posted a temperature of -40℃. The wind chill made it feel like -53℃. Double and triple burrrrr! Made me think of the winters of 2009 and 2010 when Sheba and I did daily walks down by the river at the Sutherland dog park. The river was frozen over. We could walk on it. Sheba ran, of course. Steam rose from the river. I had icicles hanging in my nostrils.

The cold brought back these wonderful memories of our times down by the river. Tomorrow promises equally cold temperatures. I do love these times when I can just hunker down and just be. Feeling grateful I have shelter, heat and food. Day 12 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge in the bag!

5 MINUTES

Posted on by
4

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It is day 11 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I’m still here. It’s remarkable since I’m finding 5 minutes of doing nothing a hell of a long time. I’m trying to rehab my left plantar fasciitis. I’ve discovered that the root cause is my body alignment is out of whack – for many years. I’ve been clenching my whole left side forever and a day. I have left sided discomfort from my face down to my foot. I’ve been like that so long I kind of gotten used to that until my left heel pain was so excruciating that it was hard to walk even a few steps. It stopped me in my tracks. I had to give it some consideration.

I bought a few pair of shoes and different gizmos to put inside them. They didn’t really worked. I looked online for a fix and a body shop and found the pain academy. Or rather it found me. In this case social media was very helpful. When I googled heel pain, all kinds of things pop up in my Instagram feed, including Vinny from the Pain Academy. He shared many exercises that I thought would help me. After doing them, I realized that they were similar to the ones from my mobility class at the YWCA.

The first exercise was to rest the body for 5 minutes to get it in a neutral state. It is really restful but 5 minutes is a long time to stay put on the floor with your legs up on a chair at 90° angle. I started fiddling and squirming within seconds. And my mind went crazy, darting all over kingdom come. I’m doing a little better now with some practice. It’s a good exercise to do to let go of the tension in your body. I never realized how much till now.

Well, this is more than 5 minutes now. I have to stop. I’ll be back tomorrow with more. But hey, I think my heel pain is going!