MY LEFT FOOT

Posted on January 25, 2024 by hafong

Well, I’m stumped about what to write about today. So I’m going to grump about my aches and pains. I’m at an age when that’s legal and my right. You’ve heard me talking about my plantar fasciitis on and off all this month. It didn’t just happen in January. It has been an ongoing thing for a long, long time.

I’ve had problem with my left foot for so long, I can’t remember where the pain started – heel or ankle. I know that I couldn’t do a lot of walking or running. I don’t do the treadmill at the gym. I got a tricycle to run Sheba with when she was a puppy. I couldn’t walk to work regularly without developing pain. I must have done ok walking as a nurse. It wasn’t walking continuously. It was go, stop, go, etc. I don’t remember experiencing any feet discomfort. That is except for the time someone ran over my foot with a stretcher with a patient on it. My little toe was broken. It hurt for months.

This time my foot pain started in the fall in my left heel. It got so bad that it was painful to walk from Fresco to the Dollar Store in Market Mall and even to my parents house which is only half a block away. I bought a couple pairs of new shoes, insoles and wedges. All to no avail. I was already doing stretches, heel raises, etc. Also to no avail. Then it popped into my mind that my problem could be due to poor body alignment. Social media and YouTube are wonderful sources of helpful exercises.

So after a month of doing some hip, arm and feet exercise, I’m getting relief longer than a moment. I had a wonderful ski out at Wildwood Golf Course. I did the whole outside perimeter. I was feeling it in my foot by the end. It was a little stiff and achy first thing this morning but with a round of exercises, it went away. It was not only a left foot thing. It was a left body thing.

Day 25 – the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY – The Greenhouse

Posted on January 24, 2024 by hafong

I’ve come to the keyboard late again for wordless Wednesday. This is the building of our greenhouse in the autumn of 2020. It was the worse of times. It was the best of times. It was how it was. Looking forward to our 4th season growing in the greenhouse. It will begin in March.

Day 24 – the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

TUESDAY MORNINGS

Posted on January 23, 2024 by hafong

I’ve come to love my winter Tuesday mornings. I look forward to playing Wordle and Spelling Bee each morning. On Tuesdays I have an added bonus of an online class on Canadian history. Contrary to my previous belief that Canadian history is boring, it is very exciting and interesting. Tuesday mornings I also do my sourdough bread. It wasn’t ready for the oven today but it was still wonderful to feel and shape the dough. It was soft and alive in my hands. It sits chilling in the fridge, waiting for the morrow.

Now I’m basking in sunshine, tapping out my words on the keyboard. What makes a good day is having something to look forward to – anything that tickles our fancy. It tickles away those early morning aches and pains. If not, it makes them bearable so that we can get on with the day. It is still January. The forecast is for above temperatures of 4 – 6℃ above 0 next week. I’ve detached myself from much skiing this winter. There’s not much snow. The tracks are not good. I’m very happy to say that my plantar fasciitis is almost gone but it would be wise not to over tax my feet and ankles. So I’m cool.

It looks like we might have an early spring. It is not too early to think about starting peppers and eggplants. They take a long time to mature. I can think about germinating some snow peas. They like it cool. So do radishes. It is almost February. Soon I can take my lettuce into the greenhouse. I can device a little greenhouse in the greenhouse for them. There’s so many things to experiment with. We are only limited by our imaginations.

Here’s my effort in reworking my tree painting. Not sure I like it but I understood the rational in using the reference photo and I grew to love the photo. It taught me the rule of thirds, to paint background first and then the tree trunks and branches. I might rework it again. I can do that. It is acrylics.

Day 23 – the Ultimate Blog Challenge

QUAGMIRES AND DIPS

Posted on January 22, 2024 by hafong

It’s hard to keep up the momentum of inspiration. There are many quagmires and dips along the way. In those times I have to dig my heels in and work hard to get over them. That’s where I am now. I am almost within sight of finishing the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I’m not quite there yet though. 9 days left. My plantar fasciitis is almost resolved but not quite. I can’t give up on them. I’ve worked hard to get here. I have to work a little longer to reach ultimate satisfaction.

Our weather is a roller coaster of highs and lows. It takes me up and then drops me like a brick. It’s not optimal conditions for the body or mind. I have to reset my mental and physical thermostat to cope. However, it is our reality so I mustn’t whine. I don’t have to smile the while either. I just have to keep moving. If I do, maybe I can skim over the quagmires and dips to the other side.

Working on my paintings from my Friday class will transport me. I worked on this painting over the weekend. I got over my disappointment with my performance in class. I felt maybe I can paint after all.

I will try to bring some magic to this painting next. Working on a problem chases the blahs and whatnots away.

Day 22 – the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

SUNDAYS

Posted on January 21, 2024 by hafong

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 January 20, 2024 by hafong

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 January 19, 2024 by hafong

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.

Day 19 – the Ultimate Blog Challenge

NO IDEAS, NO PLANS

Posted on January 18, 2024 by hafong

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.

Always be LOOKING (Notice the ground beneath your feet.)
Consider everything alive and animate.
EVERYTHING is interesting. Look closer.
Alter your course often.
Observe for long durations and short ones.
Notice the stories going on around you.
Notice PATTERNS. Make CONNECTIONS.
DOCUMENT your findings (field notes) in a variety of ways.
Incorporate indeterminancy.
Observe movement.
Create a personal DIALOGUE with your environment. Talk to it.
Trace tings back to their ORIGINS.
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 January 17, 2024 by hafong

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 January 16, 2024 by hafong

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.

onethousandandtwo

Looking at Infinity