One Saturday in Early November

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Today I'm sharing a few photos from the neighbourhood.  It was one of the rare days in the week when it didn't rain!  Although you can see it was a pretty cloudy day.

I hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you are in the world.  Thank you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post. Have a great weekend!

This and That ~ November 11, 2025

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope you are well and keeping warm or cool depending on where you live in the world. We've had 2 dry and sunny days here for which I'm grateful. Every year it seems to rain on Remembrance Day and I always feel for the elderly veterans that have to sit outside in the cold and rain in order to participate in Remembrance Day Services. On the news today they were saying how few veterans are left of those that fought in World War 11. Sad to know they will soon no longer be with us.

True to form, each year at this time of year I'm delayed in getting a flu shot due to getting a bad cold. When I was working I always got a flu early in the season. Now that I'm retired, I always get a very bad cold or bronchitis and seldom get a flu. Again, the illness prevents me from getting a vaccine.

I'm keeping steadily busy. There is always something that needs to be done both inside and outside of the home.  I've had to reorganize a few appointments until I'm feeling a bit better.  I don't really like to do that because then it makes for a busy time trying to catch up later but sometimes it must be done.

I haven't made much headway yet on the latest book I'm reading but I'm really enjoying it so far.

I've almost finished the small, red beaded dress pin in honour of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW). I still have to sew the front and back together and create a border.

I've been craving Butternut Squash soup for awhile and finally made some today. It was delicious. Even better, it's healthy.  I made the soup in my new Dutch oven. 

Someone came to pick up my old Dutch oven today. It was large one and very heavy.  I gave it away on my local Freecycle site.  Someone responded to my ad within an hour of posting and came to pick up the pot this afternoon.  I'm glad I didn't have to throw it away. It doesn't look that pretty and the enamel had started chipping away from the cast iron but it's still perfectly usable if you can handle the size and weight.

The new pot is not as heavy and the capacity is about 2 litres less. I can tell it isn't as well made as the old one I have but I'm sure it will be fine for my needs.

In other news, we finally managed to get the home phone, internet and television services all working at the same time. It's the first time since late August. Hopefully that will be the end of the issues and the billing issues I've had to sort out with Telus. It had become a real nightmare.  We don't know for sure but the problems seem to have stemmed from using the old (reconditioned) set top box that we were given when we signed on to Pure Fibre (high speed internet).  Once we used the small, new set top box, everything started working as they should have and so far everything is still working.

Thanks for stopping by. If you missed my submission to Tuesday 4. You can find it here. 

November Musings ~ Tuesday 4

It's time again for Tuesday 4 held in memory of Toni Taddeo it's founder and previous host.   Thank you so much for joining in and helping to keep this alive. It is much appreciated.

It's Autumn and temperatures in many places will be going down, days will be shorter and leaves are tumbling down. 

1. What kind of weather and temperatures make you feel most comfortable, most healthy?

I feel most comfortable and healthy when the sun is shining and the air is slightly bracing. It's good walking weather and I can wear a lighter jacket without getting overly hot or cold.

2.  Do you like the colors associated with Autumn. Clothing wise do they look good on you?

Yes! I love autumn colours like golds, browns and oranges.  I don't usually wear these colours but this year I'm trying to expand the wardrobe colour pallet with more gold, brown and green.  Orange is not my colour. I've also got my eye open for items in a deep red but no success so far. 

3. Would you rather:… 

•   …get lost in a corn maze or go on a hayride? Hayride
• … visit an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch ? Pumpkin Patch
•  … eat a caramel apple or  a candy apple?  Caramel Apple
•  … have some cinnamon buns or Pumpkin muffins? Cinnamon Buns

4. There are 7,500 varieties  of apple.  What is your favorite and do you regularly eat apples?   What fruits do you keep on hand?

I'm not a huge fan of eating apples unless they are crispy. I used to love green apples but these days I find the skins too tough and hard on my gums. Instead I buy Honey Crisp, Pink Lady or Fuji for snacking on. 

We always have apples on hand but we also have bananas, oranges, avocados & lemons/limes on a regular basis.  Less frequently, we have pears.  In summer we have fresh peaches or nectarines and gooseberries.  Except for the apples, I find it very hard to keep most of the fruits in adequate stock however if I buy too many they will go bad.   I also buy a variety of fruits to keep in the fridge. Normally we have one or two of the following fresh berries & frozen berries (for the freezer to be used in smoothies):  strawberries, raspberries, blueberries & blackberries. Less frequently and usually in late summer, we have green or red grapes and melons such as watermelon or cantaloupe. 

Thank you for stopping by!

Late to the Party ~ Skywatch Friday, November 7, 2025

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I'm late to the skywatch party today. It was a busy day for me because I've been sick for well over a week. Today I wanted to get out for a bit of a walk and though I was out and about for several hours I didn't walk far. I was not only trying to get some fresh air but wanted to do some errands before the rain started up again.  It's been pouring quite hard here these days. 

In the last shot you can't see the sky as such but I thought the colour of the leaves and of the neon banner colours made for a lovely shot.

The colours also match the cover design for the latest library book I picked up. Ken Follett is one of my favourite authors and I'm looking forward to reading this new book.

Thank you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post. Wishing you a fabulous weekend.

Music and You ~ Tuesday 4

Tuesday 4 is hosted  in memory of Toni Taddeo who started it a few years ago and I (Annie) hope you will join in with us each week. It is a great way to visit new bloggers, make friends and discover new and interesting things about your friends. The topic for this week's Tuesday 4 meme is Music.  

1. Do you play a musical instrument? 

I used to play the guitar to accompany myself in singing but haven't played in ages.

2. Have you taken music lessons? What kind. If not, is there one you might enjoy learning. It is never too late to start.  You might be surprised at how accomplished it will make you feel.

I haven't taken any music lessons but I always wanted to take piano lessons especially as a child. Perhaps I still will one day.

3. Is there music in your home as background to your day's activities or do you have music playing in your car, etc.? If so, what kind of music do you enjoy hearing?

Though I love music I seldom listen to it as background to whatever I'm doing. When I'm on the road there is usually music playing to pass the time.

What kind of music do you NOT like?

I don't like most heavy metal or rap music.

4.  Do you have a favorite composer or genre of music that you like most? Maybe you like several. Please share with us your thoughts?

My favourite genres of music are classical and Christian.  Favourite classical composers include Mozart, Bach, Handel & more.  Favourite Christian contemporary composers are Chris Tomlin,  Don Moen, Jenn Johnson & many more.  Favourite hymnal composers are Fanny Crosby, John Newton & more. 

I also like rock and roll from the 70s the era in which I grew up.  My favourite singers and songwriters include John Fogerty, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger & many more. 

Click the links on the names above if you'd like to hear some music samples.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

A Wild Sky ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my Skywatch Friday post.   We've been getting an awful lot of rain so I really haven't gone out much to take photos.

I took the photos in this post earlier this week.  The sky to the north was heavy with dark and ominous looking clouds.  However the sky was bright and sunny on the other side with a smattering of light clouds.

Look how dark and foreboding the sky looked.

However on the other side the sky was so lovely.

A few moments later, I noticed the sky to the north started changing and attempting to clear.  I thought it looked very interesting.

I don't know if you can tell from the next photo but I was trying to capture the light as it hit the trees. located to the north of me. The light was coming from the clearer and brighter skies behind me.  It was altogether a lovely few moments of sky watching.  These are the kind of moments that make my day.

Thank you for taking time to visit and comment. Have a wonderful weekend.

Weathering the Storm ~ Tuesday 4

It's time for Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.  After Toni passed into Paradise, Annie of Cottage by the Sea wanted to keep her memory and her meme alive.  Now on to the questions.

When thunder and lightning happen, cats, dogs, squirrels like to be in a small, safe , enclosure. Inside animals will hide under beds, outside they are appreciative of a box or little house to hide in. People are no different it seems.  

1. Do storms frighten you or make you cautious?

Yes, storms make me a bit frightened due to how powerful they can be, especially when it's loud thunder accompanied huge flashes of lightning.

2. What is the worst weather you can remember?

Whenever I think of a bad storm, I think back to several decades ago when I lived in the City of Saskatoon for a summer. I was working a short term contract at the university. When it storms on the prairies it gets super loud with ear shattering thunder and huge flashes of lightning and the rain coming down in buckets. When you are indoors, the lightning will light up the entire house or apartment you happen to be in.

3. Are you in a personal storm right now and do you need our prayers to help you through it?  I think many bloggers are prayer warriors indeed.

I'm not in a storm as such but I am dealing with several large matters concerning my family and my own personal needs. If you can join me in prayers for God's answers and provision that would be appreciated.  The Lord has been super good to me and when I'm going through the hardships of life, He is always there to support me. I am ever so grateful that I can turn to him at any time.  Night or day, he is always there.

4.  What is the best advice you can give to others about weathering storms of any kind.  

I often deal with others who are going through storms.  I seem to have a manner about me that makes others feel safe and comfortable to confide. I always try to give them comfort and let them know I'm praying for them. If the situation requires or it is requested, I might also give advice or counsel. It's always warmly received even by people who aren't Christian. I find that when people are going through hardships they tend to be more open to hearing about the spiritual side of things. More than that, they take comfort in hearing about God and having someone pray for them.

Scenes from Friday ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello everyone, 

Welcome to rainy Vancouver on a Friday afternoon. The weather has well and truly changed and we had a huge deluge of rain today (Friday).

The sky was rather interesting.  There were even a few flowers hanging in there, not ready to say 'goodbye'.  Flowers always give me joy.

Enjoy your weekend and thank you for stopping by

my Skywatch Friday post.