A Week of Beauty - Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

This is just a short note to wish you a fantastic weekend whatever your plans.

Today I'm sharing a week of skies here in beautiful Vancouver. 

I've enjoyed  looking above. I hope you have too.

Thank you for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post today.

Bookish Questions ~ Tuesday 4

White washing the fence, Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer

Welcome to Tuesday 4 kept up in honor of it's founder Toni Taddeo.

   

Over 12,000 books, many once required reading in schools and including children's books have been banned.  Even Jane Eyre finds itself under scrutiny.

1.Do you think any book or series has  helped form your view on things...life, love, etc?

Many will say the Bible but how about more secular books that you feel have taught or influenced you?

I can't say that any book or series has influenced my view of things. I've had a good upbringing with what I feel was appropriate moral guidance on the key things in life. Whatever was taught at home was confirmed and enhanced at church. 

Books and the values they exemplify, often provide guidance too but a different type than what I got at home but I like to challenge my thinking and my knowledge beyond what is comfortable or immediately accessible through reading, film, travel, friends.  In terms of reading specifically, I would say that my most read genre is historical fiction.  Through these types of books I get interesting in further researching historical events rather than just reading the fictional version.

I also enjoy authors that focus on family relationships, love and forgiveness.  They give me a warm cosy feeling and a sense of comfort.  I also like books that teach me about other cultures. This interest dovetails well with my love of travel and learning about the people of other lands through their food, clothing, views on land and so on.  All these interests are confirmed through the reading of books.  The interests didn't originate with the reading of books. I hope that makes sense.

2.  What is your favorite book or book series and why is it a favorite?

I have too many favourite books and they are favourites for different reasons. Some of my most favourite books  are simply because the stories were so well written.  The authors evoked an emotional response with their masterful way with words.  Some that come to mind A Fine Balance & Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry, Tara Road by Maeve Binchy, The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Vergese & The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini but these are by no means the only books I thoroughly enjoyed.

3. If your favorite book or book series was being cast for a TV/Movie series, who would play the main characters?

I have no idea.  Most of the books I like books are set in other countries with other nationalities as characters. To be believable, the movie or television series would need to hire some actors from those ethnicities and countries. The Binchy and Pilcher books are set in Ireland and Scotland respectively.  Both books were made into movies but I don't think they did the books justice.

4.  Are there any books you have read many times?

I tend not to read a book more than once.  I have so many books yet to read on my 'to read' list. However I have accidentally read a book more than once. One I re-read recently is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. Surprisingly I didn't enjoy it that much on the 2nd reading though I did enjoy it the first time around. 

I had a similar experience with one book I read in university many years ago.  It is called The Invention of the World by Jack Hodgins, a writer from Vancouver Island. I made a point of reading it again many years later just because I enjoyed it so much the first time. Again, surprisingly, I was disappointed in the 2nd reading and I didn't finish it. I wondered why I had enjoyed it so much when I read it the first time?  Believe it or not, I want to try reading it for a 3rd time just to make sure whether I like it or not. If I don't, I guess it means my tastes have changed and I'm okay with that.

Mid-October Skies - Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers, 

Happy Friday & Happy Weekend ahead to you all.

As we get farther away from summer, we begin to experience wetter days and cooler weather in my part of the world.

These photos were taken earlier this week just before a day of rain.  It only lasted a day.  At least this time around.

The last 3 photos above show the roads and sidewalks at the corner of Main Street & Broadway that have finally been repaired.  They were in a state of chaos while the subway was being built.  The only remaining item to fix on this corner is the completion of the new subway station on the corner.

The current state of the new station.

The new subway along the Broadway Corridor (east-west direction or west-east) is scheduled to open for passenger service in the autumn of 2027. For now it only stretched from Arbutus in the west to Clark Drive at Vancouver Community College (VCC) in the east. It really should have extended to the most westerly part of the city where the University of British Columbia (UBC) is located. I'm sure it will eventually be extended.

Thank you for visiting my Skywatch Friday post.

Ideals ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome to Toni's Tuesday 4... all about ideal situations.

1. What's your ideal road trip/vacation? 

Travelling a long distance by car, stopping here and there at key places.   This allows me to see as much beautiful scenery as possible.  If I'm on a road trip in my own country, I like to visit family and friends along the way too. 

If I'm in another country, I want to see as much of the scenery and sites as possible. I don't tend to spend too much time inside, such as in museums.  Instead, I usually tire myself out by walking about and seeing the natural beauty of a place, and trying to figure out how the locals live. I'll also spend some time in the shops to see what is being sold and compare prices. I do actually visit museums too.  I don't like to be inside one all day long but one does need to spend adequate time in a museum to see it properly.

I've discovered I like to be on the move when I go somewhere. My husband noticed that about me many years ago when I hadn't even noticed it about myself. He observed that I want to go, go, go and not stay in one place and he was right. I am happier that way. 

Long ago when I travelled, I'd always bring back souvenirs and trinkets for myself and for others but I don't do that anymore. It usually ends up being clutter. If I'm buying anything it tends to be something practical such as an item of clothing I'll wear while on holiday and maybe some jewellery.  Usually the jewellery is earrings that are made with materials from the place I'm visiting (examples, silver earrings from Taxco, Mexico and Bohemian Garnet earrings from Prague, Czech Republic). 

Besides seeing the natural beauty of a place, I like to relax in a good coffee shop or to change the pace, I love to spend an afternoon in a spa being pampered with a facial, a massage or a pedicure. I might have all three if the price is right. It's an indulgence that I often allow myself when on vacation.

I've been fortunate enough to travel a fair bit and I would love to go back to several places (Australia, Germany and Kenya) to experience the beautiful scenery and lovely people. But since I've travelled extensively in these places already, I'd like to experience new places, possibly Egypt, China, Japan, Great Britain and/or Southeastern Europe, specifically the Balkans.  I'm at the age where travel is getting physically difficult so the trip would have to be easier yet still allow me to see a lot. I've been searching on line for all of these places at the right price and time.  So far I haven't hit on quite the right ingredients for a trip.

2. What is your ideal evening out? 

Attending a live theatre event, concert or movie with a friend and stopping for coffee/snack/meal beforehand.

3. What is your ideal way to handle criticism? Brush it off? Take it personally? Reflect on it?

Probably reflect on it. Usually for a little too long analyzing what was said, whether it was warranted and how to action anything I might need to do.  I'm also getting much better at brushing off anything that doesn't warrant attention. I think that comes with age.  To be honest, I don't usually have to deal with criticism. Perhaps it's because I tend to avoid negative people.

4. What is your ideal day off?  

My ideal day off is spent enjoying a warm, sunny or even slightly breezy day by the waterfront taking a leisurely stroll to enjoy the sights, taking photos and indulging in a few snacks. If I'm alone, I'll have a book to enjoy reading while I sip some delicious coffee.  If I'm with a friend or a family member, we like to chat and catch up as well as enjoy taking photos and having some snacks while enjoying the scenery together. 

A Beautiful Autumn Day ~ Skywatch Friday October 9, 2026

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Welcome to another Friday and start to the weekend and sharing beautiful skies on Skywatch Friday.

We've had some spectacular weather this week and the temperatures have reached warmer temperatures on one or two days.  I took the occasion to walk to various errands in the neighbourhood and to share a few photos of the neighbourhood. The autumn colours are in full display and one can really enjoy the colours when the sun shines. I find the light so beautiful at this time of year.

     

 

Thank you for stopping by and sharing a part of your day with me. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Routines ~ Tuesday 4

 Howdy! 

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.  They say having routines in your life keeps you mentally healthier than living a disorganized or haphazard life. Schedules have a profound effect on our well being. Belonging to clubs, organizations is good for us.  

According to research from UCLA  Health, "  a predictable daily routine supports mental health by reducing stress, lowering cognitive load, and creating a steady sense of personal control. "

It keeps sickness away too. People with good daily routines and habits live longer and decidedly healthier lives.  It promotes a feeling of productiveness and purpose.

Boredom contributes to sickness and cognitive decline in the elderly.

1. Do you have a daily routine for yourself and for your home?

Yes I do.  There are routine things to do every day and on a weekly basis which revolve around housekeeping and shopping.  I try to keep up with it all and I loosely follow the Fly Lady System in this regard which helps with having a schedule that works without being overly onerous.

2. What is your morning routine? How about your bedtime routine?

The morning routine includes washing my face, brushing teeth and sometimes doing the facial care after I've put the coffee pot on.  It takes me a long while to ease into the day and begin to feel that I can tackle whatever is on the list for the day.  I go out for appointments or errands several times a week.  In between having coffee, and perhaps a bite to eat, I will do any number of things before I shower, make the bed and get on with the day.  

After dinner and dishes are done it's time to wind down, pray, read, check email and socials & watch a variety of YT videos and other things on television before going to sleep.

3. Do you have a routine get together for a family meal or game/movie or pizza night?

No we don't have any of those routines for a variety of reasons. We go with the flow but each evening DH and I watch the late news together and share about our days.  Sometimes we watch You Tube videos about things of interest, including current happenings in Kenya.  He has very little free time at the moment so it's special to share this time together.

4. Any TV programs, clubs, organizational routines you never want to miss? Do you attend town meetings, choir practice?

We are not in any clubs. I'm only watching Y & R on a regular basis as I've done for several decades. If I don't watch it one day I go back and watch it within the 24 hour limit. If I miss more than one day I don't fret. It's easy enough to get back in the flow of the show once you have more time.  These days when I do watch movies or news shows they tend to be on You Tube or one of the streaming services.

I'm not sure what is meant by organizational routines and I don't attend any town halls or choir practice. In any case, I don't think we have many town halls here.

To be honest, I don't have a lot of free time or energy for activities that require attendance on specific dates and times on a weekly basis.  I already keep more than busy with all the things I currently do. Lest it sound like I don't do anything of interest, I'll share that my city always has something of interest on offer and I participate in as much of it as I can.  There are free things and paid things and I keep on a regular look out for all of it.  

The things I like to participate in include special events, library talks, classes at the local community centre and so on.  The kinds of things I enjoy and have participated in include talks by authors at the local library, special presentations at various community centers, festivals featuring different ethnic groups, free classes on cooking healthy, beading class, soap making class, gardening seminars, attending Christmas events like the annual Van Dusen Garden Light Display and so on. There is a lot that I've participated in over the years.  I've participated in an older ladies group where we did a great variety of things. Ladies would host an event and members would sign up. It was difficult to attend a lot of things because of overwhelming interest by others. Eventually I got 'booted' from the group for lack of attendance, lol.

I've also participated in the church Missions group from time to time because missions is a special interest of mine.  My specific interest is Africa but few of the churches here seem to focus on Africa,  instead they tend to focus on work in Asia because my city is considered a gateway to the Pacific and Asian countries.

We've been having some spectacular weather the last couple of days and the autumn light has been wonderful.

I captured these scenes on my walk to the local hospital for a visit to the ER.

All ended well. I'm being treated with ear drops and daily IV antibiotics for an ear infection. I haven't had one in years and years but all of a sudden I've had two of them a week apart. Not sure what that's all about but will follow up with the ENT specialist soon.

How is it October Already? ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Welcome to my blog post.  I can't believe we're already into the month of October. Summer's warmth and sunshine are pretty much history and we've had some cooler temperatures and rain.  But we've also had some sunny days with an autumn chill and some beautiful skies.

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for visiting my Skywatch Friday post.

The Cozy Pastime of Reading ~ Tuesday 4

 Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we give you 4 questions to think about each week.People make reading lists for the various seasons and many mention how cozy it can be to cuddle up in a favorite spot to read.

1. Do you have a list of books you'd like to read? 

Yes, I keep a list of books I might want to read in future. It's very long so I'll never run out of books in my lifetime.

2. Where do you get ideas for books you want to read?  What kind of books catch your interest?

I get ideas everywhere. When I read blogs or watch vlogs, I keep a note of what people are reading if it sounds of interest to me. I also get ideas from television, social media, library websites, bookstores, people I know and so on. If I've read a book by an author and really loved it, I will start reading other books they've written.

3. What have you read lately?

Currently on my reading list is a Jane Austen book, Mansfield Park which I've read before. I'm also reading The Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly. Prior to that I read Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See and The Paris Daughter by Kristen Harmel. I've read other Jane Austen books before and enjoy them as well as movies based on her books. I've also read all of Lisa See's book which I love and I'm working my way through the novels written by Kristen Harmel, some of which are better than others.

4. How do you find time to read and where do you make yourself cozy and comfy to read?

I read several days a week unless I'm really sick. When I was struck this year with Shingles, I found I couldn't read anything for several months until I started feeling well again.  I cannot read in bed like many people seem to. Some days I read only for a short time.  Other days I'll read for a few hours. I like to sit in a corner of the sofa under a wall lamp with my tea and snack and read.  My issue isn't finding the time to read.  It's stopping to do other things, including sleep once I'm settled and enjoying a book.

Saturday Relaxation

I've been wanting to go to the movies for several months but couldn't land on a movie I wanted to see.  But at last, there are a few releases I now want to see.

Today was the day.  I almost didn't make it because everyone and his dog was out and about.  It was a sunny day after a few days of rain and I don't think anyone wanted to miss out on it.  City traffic was heavy and buses were very slow with people getting on and off at every stop.  What adds to the time is strollers and wheelchairs because they take more time to enter and exit the bus. But hey, everyone needs to get somewhere.

I didn't buy a movie ticket in advance.  Besides the price of the movie ticket they also charge you a service fee when you buy on line. I knew the movie wasn't going to be too busy because I previewd the available seating in advance.  I also wanted to make sure I didn't miss too much of the movie before buying my ticket given how slow the traffic was moving.  Fortunately I only missed about 5 minutes of the movie when I checked in.  But by the time I ordered a coffee it was a longer delay.  Unbeknownst to me they made a fresh pot of coffee which added to the delay in getting into my seat.  On the other hand it was lovely to get a nice, fresh cup of Starbucks coffee.

The movie I went to is called Heart of the Beast. It's an adventure survival movie with Brad Pitt and a beautiful German Shepard who goes by the name Odin in the movie. The story is sad and poignant.  I won't say more as I don't want to spoil it for you.  But in case you'd like to know more,  here the official trailer if you want to check it out.

~~~

I stopped at Winners after the movie. I spent a lot of time browsing before finally purchasing 3 small items including a rechargeable lamp for the entryway.  The lamp is meant for  a small cabinet but there's no available outlet nearby so a rechargeable lamp is a good option. 

Even though I made an early dinner before I left the house, I didn't have time to eat it.  By the time I'd finished at Winners it was 7:45 p.m. and I was famished. T & T Supermarket was nearby so I headed there for a few grocery items and some ready to eat snacks.

My snack/light dinner consisted of some unknown to me version of Vietnamese Salad rolls. The filling was mostly vermicelli noodles.  Whatever they added to the lettuce was quite tasty even though there wasn't much of it. I also had a small seaweed salad and a Strawberry Milk Tea with Pearls. It was all good.  I bought a few vegetables and some strawberries at the supermarket before heading home.

I mentioned that it rained for several days.  The temperature also really dropped and now I'm fighting a cold. Thankfully my little garden is still blooming and I am still going outside to smell the beautiful fragrance of the roses.  I don't have to go far so it's not a hardship.

I've spent a lot of time this month researching and buying supplies and items for some DIY renovations we're doing. It's taken a lot more time than I thought it would so I really needed a break from it.  Renovations will be ongoing for awhile by the look of things but I'm pleased with how things are going so far.  Despite the very small spaces being renovated they come with a large amount of challenges most of which were created by the workers who did the previous work. Maybe the solutions would be more evident for a skilled and experienced construction worker but we're first time DIYers so we have to carefully think about each challenge.  Of course, budget also comes into play.

What has occupied your time in September?

Skywatch in Late September (2026) ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends  and fellow bloggers,

Skywatch Friday is here again & it's time to share and see more beautiful skies from around the world.

Our week has been very busy with running to and from the home improvement stores looking for this and that.  We're making changes to both the primary and master bathrooms and there sure seems to be an enormous amount of supplies and tools required to do the various improvements.  

Anyway, time was getting on when we made a recent visit visit to the home improvement store, Home Depot.  While I was making my way back to the car, the birds were making their flight to their nightly resting spot.  It's always a thrill to see so many birds at one time and I quickly snapped a few photos to share in this space.

So many birds

An airplane even got in on the flight action

We've been spending a lot of time here

Thank you for your visit! Enjoy your weekend.