Tag Archives: the UBC

Summer Time When Living not so Easy

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It’s the 5th day of the UBC and July. I’m counting the days. I used to hate July when I was a child. July meant no school, nothing to do. In small town Saskatchewan, everyone seems to go away to the lake for the summer. Everyone, except us, the Chinese families who have a cafe. Now, in the big city of Saskatoon, everyone still seems to be away at the lake. That is except me and the guy. It’s by choice though.

We did the lake thing for a few years. It was new to me. It’s not that I didn’t like it BUT. We even had our own lake lot and trailer. Though I didn’t hate it, I was not enamoured with lake life. For one thing, it was a bit lonely. I didn’t fit in with the lake community, being a newbie to the scene. There was not a lot outdoor activity. You can only walk so much a day. Besides, the only people walking was me and my dog, Sheba. I didn’t see anyone biking. In fact, I didn’t see many people out and about. Where were they – in their powerful boats and big 4 season cabins?

I guess I’m a city girl even though I was born in a village in China. I remember a time of no electricity, no running water and outdoor toilets. How time flies and how we change. And how I digress. This is not at all what I mean to talk about! I meander and now it is July the 6th. I ran out of energy and failed to finish and post.

8 o’clock Sunday morning and the sun is shining bright. I look up and out the window. Two little birds are perched on the deck railing and one in the hanging basket – a lovely and cheery sight to start the day. My deck is another sight to behold. That was my big project yesterday. I was tired of the dust and dirt, all my seeding trays, containers, potting soil and what have you on it. Then there are our shoes that we never put away/rid off. I set my mind to at least cleaning it. So by gosh and darn, I did it. It is not perfect. I haven’t thrown out anything and it’s not all put away. But it is ordered enough there’s room to sit and to walk around. The big carpet is hosed off and drying a covered raised bed. The sky just clouded over. Oh, summer time when the living is not so easy.

energy

Snowy Wednesday

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The snow came as promised. Along with it wind. It feels wintery except that it’s not cold. The snow is wet and heavy, weighing down the branches of the neighbour’s spruce trees, but not my spirit. I feel just fine, thank you very much. I’m happy we’re getting this moisture to quench the earth’s thirst. I’m getting used to the unpredictableness of the weather and life. It’s a rocky ride. I’m hanging on.

Everything is cool, meaning ok in the greenhouse. We have a little heater that turns on when it gets below 7℃. There’s the rockwall and buckets of water that hold in the heat during the day and give off heat at night. So the heater seldom runs unless we have a long stretch of cloudy cold days. Seeing that the snow was piled up by the greenhouse door, I filled 2 buckets to melt inside for watering. I see that 2 of the photos are a bit blurry. Drat! They will have to do. They’re good enough. So ends day 17 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Waiting for the Snow

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Photo by KoolShooters on Pexels.com

It’s a cool overcast morning. I felt the weather in my left hip when I woke this morning. There’s 50% chance of shower today and 70% chance of snow tomorrow. I see it as all good. It’s moisture for our thirsty earth. While I’m waiting for all this, I want to keep moving on down the line. I have been sitting and pondering too much in the past. I have not yet acquired the skill of letting go. I sit and think too much about the mystery of everything. Now I see that most of the time there are no mysteries. I have given people and things too much credit. They just are what they are. There are no hidden depth or meaning.

So on with the show – day 16 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge. I like to live by #46 of Regina Brett’s 50 life lessons from God Never Blinks. It has been my motto for many years. And I have gotten up, dressed up and shown up, no matter my mood.

  1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
  2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
  3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
  4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
  5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
  6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
  7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
  8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
  9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
  10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
  11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
  12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
  13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
  15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
  16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
  17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
  18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
  19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
  20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
  21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
  22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
  23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
  24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
  25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
  26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
  27. Always choose life.
  28. Forgive everyone everything.
  29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
  30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
  31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
  32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
  33. Believe in miracles.
  34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
  35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
  36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
  37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
  38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
  39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
  40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
  41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
  42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
  43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
  44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
  45. The best is yet to come.
  46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
  48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
  49. Yield.
  50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

While I’m waiting for the rain and snow, I have prepped the paper for another painting for my 100dayproject. I’m a litle over the halfway mark. It is not always easy and fulfilling. Sometimes it is a drudgery. That’s the nature of a commitment. I have to work through those days. Next – I have potted up the bitter melon, zucchini and pumpkin seedlings. I have many more seedlings to repot. I can easily get overwhelmed if I think of it all. I don’t. I have to take one bunch and one day at a time. I can’t affort to look at the whole picture. It will deplete all my energy.

Things I Don’t Have to Do Anymore

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Photo by Tatiana Syrikova on Pexels.com

A windy and cloudy April Monday in Saskatchewan. Snow in the forecast for Wednesday. The weather, like life, is turbulant. The word turbulant started the jukebox in my head. The Everly Brothers are singing Ebony Eyes. The wind sounds like someone weeping. I imagine heaven is crying for the sorrows of the world.

It is a good day to lunch and be surrounded with friends, have a nice meal and share the good and bad times. It’s a good day to relax and let go some. It’s not a day to pick the cobwebs out of my head or do tricky math. Someone else can figure out to save the world today. I don’t think I mind shirking my duties. I am dang tired of doing the proper thing all the time. I found a list of 15 things I don’t have to do anymore on Tiny Buddha. Too bad I didn’t come up with them on my own.

  • You don’t have to wait for change.
  • You don’t have to accept anything you’re not comfortable with in your relationships.
  • You don’t have to ask for permission to do what’s best for you.
  • You don’t have to follow anyone else’s advice or rule book.
  • You don’t have to be afraid of failing.
  • You don’t have to be the same as you were a year ago, a month ago, or even a day ago.
  • You don’t have to continue doing anything that no longer feels right for you.
  • You don’t have to feel guilty about saying no or accomplishing less.
  • You don’t have to ignore or suppress your feelings and instincts.
  • You don’t have to hide your pain to make other people feel comfortable.
  • You don’t have to go it alone.
  • You don’t have to fix anyone else or make them happy.
  • You don’t have to be ashamed of your past. .
  • You don’t have to worry about what’s coming in the future.
  • You don’t have to stress about doing something big to change the world.

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.