Tag Archives: life

SOMETHING BETTER

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Something Better

I’ve been feeling somewhat unsettled the last few days with the rising number of Covid cases in our province. There are 164 new cases today. The government have issued more restrictions, though not nearly strict enough. Bars, restaurants, churches and other non essential businesses, including bingo halls are still opened. I have been feeling quite safe going to exercise and swim at the YWCA. Now, I am uncertain if I should continue. I was happy the ‘Y cancelled all group exercises. The decision was taken out of our hands. Though I could still swim and use the gym, I will forgo it, too until a better time.

The ‘Y offers virtual classes. I think there is something every day of the week. I’ve done them before. I am flexible. I can also exercise on my own. I will do qigong and perhaps yoga instead of swimming. I have my hula hoop for strength and aerobic training. Then there’s cross country skiing that I’m trying to learn. I really do enjoy the challenge of it. I got the falling part down pat. Now I have to learn the getting up and gliding. I have all winter. It’s a very good alternative to my daily walks. I look forward to posting about my daily skis.

I think we/ I need to think of these times in different terms. There’s no denial that we have a pandemic on our hands, but I don’t need to use/think of this time as ‘locked down’. It’s quite distressing to my psyche. I can see/feel the bars coming down. I can the locks clanking. We are restricted in some areas of our lives, but we are not locked up. In my neck of the woods, we can move about quite freely in safe areas. If there’s a traffic accident with a huge pile-up, they would put up barriers. You wouldn’t want to go that route, would you? 

Now I’ve decided that I’m not locked up or down. I could still go to the gym or swim, but I’m not. I’m being responsible and am feeling much better. I can just settle and enjoy this time learning more about new and old stuff. I can bake to my heart’s content. I have lots of flour, yeast and eggs. Someone asked me to share some of my recipes. So Martha here’s the recipe for my bread from allrecipes.com 

SOMETHING GOOD

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Something Good

Though our new cases of Covid-19 for today is lower at 175, our provincial government is doing a lousy job at containing it according to Steven Lewis. He is a Saskatchewanian healthy policy consultant currently living in Australia. Pretty depressing! Let me move on to something good. Jill Salahub of a Thousand Shades of Grey writes a post each week on Something Good and Gratitude Friday. I find lots of good stuff from her posts.

The sun did not peep out even once today. I thought hard on how to navigate these so cloudy days. What could I do to give myself and my brain a boost. Finding some good stuff like Jill is not a bad idea. It would help me and others like me. The library is always a good place for me. Now they, in collabration with Open Door Society and the Saskatoon Council on Aging, are offering to be phone buddy service for lonely shut ins. What a wonderful idea! It is good news. We are looking out for each other.

Other good news is after Saturday, there are going to be a bunch of sunny days. Meanwhile, I will have to plod along as best as I can. I have nothing that I have to do and nowhere that I have to be. I can be as fast or slow as I am. I have done none too bad today. I’ve baked 6 loaves of bread and a dozen plus pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. The aromas of baking bread and chocolate chips is always something good.

It is way later than usual. I still have the muffins to put away. I must say good night.

YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE

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You Light Up My Life

I am so porous to the prevailing moods around me. It is not an advantage. I am one of those people who can feel your pain. It is not a good thing. I’m feeling a little under the weather, mood wise. It is, of course, a very cloudy day. If not for the snow, my world would be very dark. Therefore, I do love the white stuff. It lights up my life.

The Covid-19 numbers in Saskatchewan today are 4 deaths and 235 new cases. I am still tracking the numbers. I should stop but it is better to be informed. It is depressing and difficult to understand why we aren’t all compliant with what we need to do. Why are some so defiant about wearing masks and having large gatherings? Why do some still believe it’s not real? I guess the answers are blown in the wind. I best get on with what I can do and not sink deeper into the rabbit hole.

Talking about rabbits, I met up with one on my walk. It was all white except for the tips of his ears. I’m sure if Sheba was still here, she’ll be lunging and straining on her leash. I have her to thank for my daily walks. It’s hard to give them up after 14 years. My body knows when it is time to get up and get walking. Sheba is with me in spirit. We go down the streets and alleys as before. And it is all good – for my body and spirit. Being out in nature, even if it’s in the city, is something good I can do for myself.

Gardening is another good thing I can do. I know it is almost December but spring in the greenhouse won’t be that far away. I’m excited to get seeds ordered,organized and started. We had the greenhouse built in record time. It’s hard waiting. Here’s the guy’s video of its construction to take me out of here. The greenhouse is a very good thing.

SKIS AND PICKLES

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SKIS AND PICKLES

Gosh, I’ve gone past my magic hour of 5 pm! I’m staring down 5:45. Good thing we are late diners. Supper won’t be ready for a while. So what should I talk about today? Our province’s new Covid cases for today is 236. It’s no small potatoes. It’s not that there’s nothing we can do about it. There are! We can wear our mask when we go out. We can avoid crowded and hot spots like bars. We don’t have to wait for the gov’t to close them down. We can choose to be responsible without a government order, can’t we? Some businesses have. All of us need to step up.

Enough ranting already, eh? Let’s get on with the show even though I don’t have much to show. The morning went, just like that. I did a bit of chopping and throwing things into the Instant Pot for lunch. I thought I would deal with my Jerusalem artichokes pickling down in the basement for awhile now. Then I would have a sit down with my cup of tea. As it turned out, it took longer than I thought. A lot longer. Isn’t that how it is always?

The pickles were in a bit of a pickle. It’s not a complete disaster, but I could have done better. It was my first time so I have to be easy on myself. I should have done a smaller batch. I should have used dried pepper flakes instead of a whole fresh chili pepper. The chili insides sort of melted into a white slime. It didn’t make the brine look delicious. Some of the sunchokes were a bit soft and mushy because they bobbed out of the brine. I took everything out and threw out the soft mushies. I discarded the brine and rinsed off the chokes. I put them back in a clean jar and filled it with a new 3% brine solution. I covered them with cabbage leaves. A teacup on top of that to weigh everything down. It was a bit of work leaving me not much time for sipping tea. Then it was lunch time.

My day seem so short, filled with messing around and cleaning up. But I did have a short ski up and down our back alley a few times. After many, many years, I’ve finally got out those long ago skis I got at the Ski Swap. I’ve only tried them out twice ever, if that. It was a bit of a challenge getting everything snapped on. I fell down immediately. Had a hell of a time getting up. So I just laid there and the guy finally had to pull me up. I got better with the second fall, though my foot came out of the boot. That made it easier. I felt pretty good after a few more times up and down the alley. I think we’ll try the park next time. I’m sure the falling downs will have softer landings.

RELAX YOUR SHOULDERS

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Relax Your Shoulders

Not to dwell on things, there are 439 new cases of Covid-19 in Saskatchewan today. It is not time to relax yet. One cannot be too careful. For those who defy mandatory masks, think again. You can be careful and keep the social distancing, but you can’t count on other people to do the same. I was in Superstore this morning getting a few things. I was in an express checkout when a woman stepped right in my face. I was none too happy but I was grateful for my and her masks. What she wanted to do was to go before me as she had only ‘1’ item. A car was waiting for her. What she had was 3 items. I had 6. I was super ticked, held it in and allowed her to go ahead. What ticked me off more was her ‘God bless you.’ I wonder how often she used God to cover her unattractive behaviour.

There, I got my rant out! Holding it in makes me boil inside and out. I’m grateful to my fellow Instagramer and gardener for writing this post.

Be good, do good, feel good 🌸. If you want anything to be better, add goodness to it. Goodness makes things better.

We can’t add negative to a situation without making it more negative. It does not matter how right we are. Evil can only be overcome by goodness.

So, relax your shoulders, take a deep breath and smile. There is nothing better to do in any situation.

I’ve relaxed my shoulders, taken a deep breath and turned the corners of my lips upward. I’m also sipping a glass of red wine. Life is good. I’ve had my morning swim. I’m grateful I’m still allowed that and that the YWCA is still opened. I’m grateful to have my physical and mental health. True, I still grump now and again. I have to allow myself that. It’s being kind to myself. My arm from my shingle vaccine has just a mild ache. I haven’t had to take a tylenol today.

So here’s my adding goodness to the day. I bought some ginger and tumeric to pot up and grow indoors. I know it is cold outside and in the greenhouse but I can still grow things inside. It might not amount to much, but I won’t know till I try. I like experimenting and trying to grow new things. I was aiming for lettuce in the greenhouse but failing that, I’ve sprouted some in the sunroom. They’ve gotten leggy so I did some transplanting this afternoon. There are so many things we can do to help and boost our spirits and immune systems. What better way than to grow things? And if you are looking for some inspiration and information on gardening, check out this young man, Huw Richards and his videos on Youtube. He’ll make you smile.

FOR BODY AND SPIRIT

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For Body and Spirit

It’s almost that bewitching hour again. But it is not quite 5 pm. I’m 20 minutes earlier today. The sun is gone. It was lovely while it shone. I basked in its warmth this morning. I walked in its brightness this afternoon. I couldn’t waste all my minutes to Covid distress. The daily numbers of positives remain high. Today it is 153 in a population of a million and some. I try to do all the positives to remain healthy, vibrant and strong in body and spirit.

Sometimes it is a hard call as to what is the proper thing to do. For instance, this morning I wasn’t feeling my best. I had trouble laying down to sleep last night because of a cough. Most likely it was due to a post nasal drip as I have seasonal allergy and sinus problems. And I just had my 2nd shingles vaccine yesterday. But how do I know for sure? I had to get up and use my nasonex spray. It did helped and I was able to get back to sleep. However, I didn’t feel really super in the morning.

I attributed it to my shingles vaccine. I could have flu like symptons. My arm ached though not as bad as from my first shot in September. I still wanted to go to my gym class but should I? I don’t want put others at risk. I thought about taking a tylenol but then it would mask a fever if I had one. I decided that I have been well all along. I would go to the gym. My temperature would be taken. I could decide then. I no longer have a cough.

To make a long story short, I did go to my exercise class. My temperature was 36.5, pretty non-feverish. I will keep my swim date in the morning if I still feel ok from the vaccine. I feel better if I can keep my exercise routines. If I can’t do much, I can do less. 30 minutes will suffice. The water will be soothing. Moving my arms will help. My arm is aching now, so I will take that tylenol.

COMMITTED – MUST DELIVER

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Comitted – Must Deliver

Today is one of those days. I don’t have too much to say or show. Another sun-less day. It snowed quite a bit though. It made everything harder to do, psychologically if not physically. But I did my list. Well, I had an appointment to get my second shingles shot. I had to show up. I had phoned my mother that I would be out and about today. Does she need any groceries? And I told her that I would pick up some dim sim for lunch. I was committed. I had to deliver. That’s the way to get things done.

Decisions or indecisions can be so exhausting, too. I had wavered back and forth about everything. Should I go for my vaccine before it gets too Covid crazy? Was today a good day? Maybe I shouldn’t have asked my mother if she needed groceries or about dim sim. Maybe it was too much for one day. Then there’s the difficulty of picking from the menu. Of course, I worried too much about everything. I was tired before the day started. It will probably happen again. But I will be ok again.

I’m happy the day is over. I can let everything go. I don’t have to knock myself out. Like Scarlet said, Tomorrow is another day. Let it snow!

CHRISTMAS IN NOVEMBER

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Christmas in November

Gosh, it is already 5 o’clock in the afternoon. I did not go for my afternoon walk. No sun today. It’s been foggy and dreary – like a cup of weak tepid tea. I did get my exercise this morning at the YWCA. My enthusiasm was a little dampened by the rising numbers of Covid positives in our province. It’s difficult not to be affected by bad news. But I’m still doing well considering. I once thought I reigned supreme among the depressives. I was always reading books and taking workships on beating the damn thing. My shelves are full of self-help books. Maybe that is the reason I’m still standing. They have helped after all.

I’ve just gave myself a Christmas present – a year’s subscription to Permaculture Magazine U.K. I’ve been watching alot of gardening videos on YouTube by Huw Richards. I was a little put off by his accent at first but then I got charmed by his good manners and looks. He’s very informative and a good presenter. I can’t wait to get my first copy in the mail. On top of that, I have digital access to their past 28 issues. This is Christmas in November.

We finally got a remote temperature/humidity sensor for the greenhouse. Now I don’t have to trot out to check every time. We can see what the temperature is over the 24 hours of the day. I can see that it is 0 degrees now (5:30) in the greenhouse. I have given up on growing anything there till end of February. But who knows? It’s our first year and the weather now is unpredictable. Meanwhile, I can observe the temperature and weather patterns. I can study what other gardeners are doing elsewhere. There’ll be seeds to order soon.

I do still have a little viable garden inside my sunroom. My herbs are doing very well. The lettuce has germinated in just a few days. I might have to transplant them into other pots as they are a little leggy. I wish the sun would come out but it looks like we’re having more snow tomorrow. That’s November for you. It’s a dreary month. But I have a room full of colourful blooms to cheer me.

WHAT’S SO HARD ABOUT IT

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What’s So Hard About It

I wish that I could come to my keyboard at an earlier time in the day. But then I haven’t lived my day yet, so how can I write about it? So I continue to struggle on. It will make a better woman out of me. I get thrown off by the least little thing. I was going to do dim sim takeout and have it with my parents for lunch today. I even had phoned them last night about it. This morning I remembered that the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays. It was such a good plan. The guy was out of town. It was a good reason to have lunch with my parents. My mother does not give me many opportunities to do something for them. I will try again on Thursday when I will be out and about. I have their grocery list. She will let me do that.

I’m a little miffed to be thrown off by such a little thing. But it does throw a monkey wrench in my brain chemistry. Obviously I am not handling change in plans well. I dither here and there through the morning, not getting much done. I wonder if I’ve been like this all my life or has my brain been changed by technology. I decided not to fight against my nature too much and to proceed as best as I can. I drank more tea and watched a bunch of videos on gardening. They were quite useful. I am learning more about extending the growing season, succession planting, crops to sow in August, etc. Do you know that you can make tea from the avocado pit? The pit is supposed to be full of goodness.

It’s after 6 pm, waiting for supper. The day is gone – just like that! But I did get out and did a 4 block walk. The day has been cloudy and fogging, not adding to my serotonin uptake. It’s been a very slow uphill climb. But I still did all those difficult hard jobs – taking out the garbage, sorted out my box of seeds, matched my receipts to my latest credit card bill. The dishes were very hard today. I closed my eyes but they didn’t go away. I do wonder why things are hard to do. I haven’t discovered the reasons yet. Some days I just have to grin and do them because it’s hard to bear them, too.

I try to be satisfied with being in the moment. I try not to think about accomplishing things. I do try to follow through once I start something. There’s a beginning, a middle and an end to everything. I’m good at beginning but not so at finishing. I’m working at it though. I’m one row of stitches closer to finishing my cross stitch of Jesus. I started it over 10 years ago. It has no expiratory date on it. One row a day will get me there soon, I hope.

HOW SWEET/SWEAT IT IS

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How Sweet/Sweat It Is

This morning I was folding laundry and noticed the Calvin Klein label on the guy’s undershirt. It reminds me of Christmas shopping my sister and I did with my mother years ago. How sweet the memory of when things were more carefree and my mother was younger and stronger. In those days, I still believe in some of the Christmas story. I believed in the warmth, kindness, giving and generosity of the season, if not the birth in the manger. I still believe in those sentiments but I’ve lost the warmth that came with it all. Humbug! is what I feel.

I am not really happy with the way I am. I feel hard and brittle like peanut brittle instead of marshmallows. Illusions once lost are gone forever. They are not what I really want. The God up in the sky no longer works. So why should Christmas still be the same. I didn’t start out in life with the Christ story. It was adopted when we immigrated to Canada. I have never been quite comfortable with it. Now is a logical time to give up all my pretense and come out of the closet. There, I’ve done it! I’ve said it. And what I really want for Christmas is good physical and mental health. They can come as they are. No need for a ribbon or bow.

Gifts don’t come free. I’ve been working on both. I’m still frequenting the gym using good hygience and social distancing practices. Our classes are small. I trust the staff and other members. I figure the exercise and socializing in small groups beneficial to my mental health. It feels exhilarating to work up a sweat. It carries me through part of the day. I hope the Covid numbers will come down. Otherwise, the gyms might get closed down. In that event, I still have my daily walks. Having walked daily, rain, snow or shine for 14 years with Sheba, it stays with me. Sheba would be proud of me. She’s probably walking with me in spirit.

It is almost the end of another day. I’ve kept up with doing at least one difficult thing a day. It helps lift my mood and gives me more energy. It’s cloudy all day today. No sun at all. The highest temperature in the greenhouse was 0 Celsius. While I’m waiting for the sun and spring, I’ve been researching on how to grow ginger and tumeric. It’s pretty interesting and exciting. There’s numerous videos on YouTube on how to grow both using roots from grocery stores. I might pot some up as soon as I get some ginger and tumeric. Why wait for spring? I can do it now.