Monday, February 24, 2014

A Relaxing Week

I've spent the week simplifying my life a bit so I can have more rest.  I cancelled a number of my appointments for the next two weeks and eliminated a lot of email and spent a good deal of time just relaxing and taking things easy. I didn't realize I was quite as tired as I was and I'm sure this bit of quiet time will do me a world of good.

Cancelling my appointments was simple. It not only bought me a bit of time this week but also eliminated expenditures of approximately $65.00 (Canadian) on herbs and travel.

Unwanted or no longer needed email was easy to deal with too. I tend to sign up for a lot of email alerts for a variety of things.  This week I spent a little time to unsubscribe from numerous email alerts I've been getting daily for years.  I do read almost every email I receive because it only takes a moment to scan and/or read it. I decided that I don't need most of this email anymore if I haven't found enough use for them in years. I can better use all the minutes I spend weekly on other more useful or constructive things. So "unsubscribe", "unsubscribe", "unsubscribe" ...was the order of the day, rather than "delete", "delete", "delete", lol.

It's been a steady week and I've needed the time to rest and make some progress on chores around the house.  When I'm resting I can never just lounge around and do nothing.  So resting is also a time when I read or do some crafting to use my time wisely.

This week I made good headway on the first of  Ken Follett's Century Trilogy.  In an earlier post I said that I had been too distracted to get into the book, The Fall of Giants.  It isn't so much that I don't  find it interesting.  Rather, I did not have the time to properly get into the book.  Given it is 985 pages long, it is difficult to keep track of the characters or follow the story, unless  one can read it for a few hours at a stretch.  Especially at the beginning.  This week I  was able to read for uninterrupted periods of time and finished the book. Yeah! I now look forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy.


Experimenting in the kitchen was another fun activity this week. First up was a "new to me" recipe for scalloped potatoes.  Next was a beef & squash stew on another day.  Both of these hearty dishes were a hit and I'll have to try them again some time. I'm thinking of baking some no knead bread soon; or perhaps I should make a small amount of bread pudding to use up some stale bread I have in the fridge.

It continues to be quite cold here.  It started snowing big flakes on Saturday and hasn't really let up.  Even so there is only a small amount of snow on the ground.  A lot of it melts before it has time to solidify. The cloud cover is definitely here and one can't see the mountains.

You can see the snowflakes are very big. You can't even see the mountains.

When it is this kind of weather I don't tend to venture too far.

Early in the week I had an opportunity to spend time separately with two different friends.  We met up for coffee at local Starbucks in my neighbourhood.  One friend gave me a number of books she thought I might like.  She is older than my mom but she and her husband are still active and live in their own home.  They had an elevator installed about 5 years ago and so this is likely where they will live out the rest of their days.

My other friend is also quite elderly and has a number of health issues.  It has been getting harder and harder for her to climb the stairs to the attic apartment she has in an old house.  She is trying to declutter so she can move into an apartment with elevator access.  In a few weeks she has to go to the hospital for a special test for her heart.  I plan to accompany her and bring her home for an overnight stay while she recovers since she is not allowed to return home to stay alone.

Saturday I stayed in a did a few loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen and swept the floors.  I also managed to colour my own hair using henna powder I mixed. 

Sunday a friend I travelled with last October contacted me about a trip we hope to make together in early May.  We are planning to stay at the same lodge but this time have booked a cabin right on the water front.  I'm excited about that because I just love the sound of waves lapping against the shore.  My last visit there was very relaxing.  There are no distractions like television, radio, telephone or internet.  You have to read, walk, participate in activities or rest!

Our World Tuesday Graphic

I hope you are keeping warm and happy. 
Have a wonderful week ahead.

Our World Tuesday

16 comments:

Fun60 said...

An interesting post. Seems like a time for you to clear out the unwanted bits and pieces that can clog up our daily lives.

eileeninmd said...

Sounds like a relaxing week, the reading is something I need to catch up on.. I like trying new recipes. The trip in May will be fun. A cabin on the waterfront sounds awesome. Enjoy your new week ahead!

Carole M. said...

a nice little insight into your world and it is good to restructure when the need is there; it's such a relief to just DO IT. Your upcoming journey with friend sounds good too; I'm also planning a trip in May that I'm looking forward to also

jabbott said...

Glad your having some "YOU" time you deserve some enjoy x

carol l mckenna said...

Wonderful post and photo and is exactly what I have been doing in my life, simplifying ~ emails, demands I put on myself, time spent more doing what I want ~ I am 'waltzing' with life ~ glad you are doing the same ~ Happy Week to you ~ carol

artmusedog and carol
www.acreativeharbor.com

Al said...

Simplifying is good - there's an amazing amount of clutter in our lives. PS - I don't travel that much (just a couple of trips a year), but I make the most of it when I do, and the photos last for months of blogging :)

Elisabeth said...

Hi Penny, I've been missing your posts...it's always such a pleasure to see what you've been up to, and now I got to see your awesome comforting scalloped potatoes, the beef stew with the squash...and oh, that gorgeous hunk of HAM...yumm! Your landscape photos are always so beautiful, even though you have snow and cold in your area, so does just about every state here in the U.S. except where I live, in Florida!

Thank you for your kind and caring words on my blog. Losing my beloved kitty was not easy, but time will heal. Pets become a part of the family, and especially 16 yrs of every day joy a pet can bring is such a 'blessing'!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Good for you for taking a little time off. More of us should do this more often.

Terra said...

How good to relax, and I like your idea of unsubscribe from some email newsletters and alerts. I recall the vacation you took and it sounded so relaxing to be in natural surroundings without tv etc. Right on the water will be great.

Linda said...

Ah, I need to do the unsubscribe thing again. It does help!

Jo said...

Your posts are always interesting and encouraging, Penny. I need to get back into "life as an expat" but still lolling around not doing much. I'm off to pottery; this is one activity I seem to pick up and enjoy immediately I return to Tanzania. Blessings Jo

Joanne Noragon said...

Staying warm is the challenge! Spring is closer, but not here.

Meredith said...

You still sound pretty busy even though you are supposed to be resting. I need to work on all those emails too.
hugs,
Meredith

orchid0324 said...

Dearest Joyful;
Oh I couldn't agree more "relaxing and taking things easy". Taking care of retired husband takes time p;)
Have a lovely week!

Love and Hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako

Unknown said...

You are smart for taking it easy. Everyone needs some slow time every now and again.

clairz said...

I enjoyed every bit of this post. I always come away with an idea or two--I think I will de-clutter my inbox as well. And I love your plan for some more time at that lodge. Perhaps we should be thinking about a plan to spend some time by some water--not easy to come by in dry New Mexico!

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