Monday, February 28, 2022

March Weather or Not!

 Welcome back to another Tuesday 4 in honor of Toni Taddeo it's founder.

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Sometimes it is the reverse.  March has a lot of happenings like March 1st the start of Mardi Gras, the 13th is Daylight Savings Time, the Ides of March on the 15th, St Patrick's Day on the 17th, the first day of  Spring on the 20th this year   March 29-31 are the "borrowing days" when weather is traditionally rough or stormy.

1.  Do you celebrate Mardi Gras or St. Patrick's Day and how do you celebrate them?

I do not celebrate Mardi Gras or St. Patrick's Day. These two days were never a part of the celebrations in the town and the region where I grew up.

2. Do you decorate for the spring in any way at all?

I do not decorate for spring. When spring arrives that is all the decoration I need.  There are beautiful cherry blossoms aplenty and many early blossoming plants all around. (Photos ~ blossoms from March 2021)


3. Daylight savings time doesn't make the day longer.  Experts say it puts kids heath at risk  as well as contribute to heart problems for adults.  Arizona and Hawaii don't change times.  It began as "war time" so war workers in WW2 could come home in the light. What about you though? Are you happy to see it return or not?   

I do not like to see the time change in spring or in fall. I have a hard time adjusting to even a small time change.  Many feel the same way such that our provincial government has passed legislation to keep the same time all year long. It hasn't been implemented yet. I guess we are waiting for our  neighbours to the south (Washington, Oregon and California) and our neighbour to the north (Yukon Territory), to do the same thing so we can all be in the same time zone. Our government enacted the change a few years ago. It looks like we could be waiting a very long time for our neighbours. I have no idea why the government needs to wait. Other Canadian provinces have already made the change permanent.

4. How has the weather been in your neck of the woods as March approaches.  What would be your ideal for weather?

The weather here has been a little of this and a little of that and a lot of rain. We had snow just a few days ago too though it's a bit late for that.  The very short video below shows how fast the snow was flying.  It looked quite pretty.

 


The last of the snow was washed away by the rain on Friday.

My ideal weather is spring weather or early summer with temperatures anywhere from 18C to 25C and the sun shining. I love moderate weather in any season but the ideal weather for me allows me to get out and enjoy a walk, enjoy the spring blossoms or early summer colour and not get too warm while outside.


I'm ending with a few sunflowers that I grew some time back.  Apparently sunflowers are associated with the Ukraine so I share them to represent solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

 




Ukrainian Flag



 


Wednesday, February 23, 2022

The Temperature Has Dropped

It's been a very busy week and it isn't over yet. At least it's been a productive week so far. I've been doing a lot of catch up to paperwork, appointments, old tasks and a little cooking, cleaning, knitting and reading in between. 

I completed a few books this past week or so and started on a number of new ones. All of the books are very interesting.I'm still reading An Arctic Man.  It isn't such a long book but it is chock full of information and new place names so I only read a bit at a time.

The late Andre Leon Talley is someone I used to see interviewed on television quite a lot so when I heard he had passed, I wanted to read some of the books he wrote in the latter years of his life. The Chiffon Trenches is quite an information packed book and shows me how widely this man was travelled and how many people he knew in not just the fashion world but the world of high society. He tells it like it is about certain people and some have called him catty for doing so. Honestly I don't know how you can write a truthful book and not come across as somewhat catty if the people you are mentioning were not so nice.  Apart from all of that I enjoyed the book a  lot and I personally didn't find anything in it that was so badly maligning anyone. In fact, I think he tried very hard to speak to the positive things about everyone he knew. 

(As always you can click on photos for an enlarged view).

Very interesting & informative and all about those in the fashion/society world.
 
I've started the middle book and the end book, Burke's Law, all very good.

I am constantly uncovering new to me stories about Jewish experiences during WW 2. The book The Dressmakers of Auschwitz was very eye opening. I had no idea that there were Jewish women whose skills as seamstresses were in much demand during the war and at internment camps no less.  This particular book is not a novel but is based on real life experiences of several women whose skills were in demand and their heart breaking stories.

Opened my eyes to a new to me story about the Jewish women who sewed for the Nazis.

A few dishes made recently.

Beef stir fry and a lot of vegetables over steamed noodles

Roast chicken,Caesar salad, mixed mushrooms/onions/asparagus

Taco Soup

Baked salmon, quinoa, mixed veggies (mushroom,/bell pepper/broccoli/onion)
 

Late at night while it's cold I make a hot cup of tea and do a little knitting. I am always in need of new dishcloths and I also gift them to friends near and far.

 


Earlier this week I heard the weather report of possible snow in Vancouver. It didn't happen as anticipated but the temperature did drop two nights ago. The first few photos show the fresh snow on the mountains and a fairly clear sky with beautiful patches of blue.

Fresh snow on the mountains on Tuesday night

It was a clear day to see the mountains in the distance.


I love the snow covered mountain tops.

Then tonight, the snow really started to fly. I snapped this photo as I was returning from a quick grocery shopping expedition. I tried to capture the snow in video but my short films are poorly done.

Wednesday night the snow was flying as I ran an errand to the grocers.

I'll end here and wish you a fantastic rest of your week.

Monday, February 21, 2022

Tuesday 4: Pondering Odds & Ends

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 kept up in her memory.
 
 
There are 4 questions to ponder and consider each week.  Here are this week's questions and my answers.
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Do you have a favorite gem stone? Why is it a favorite.
 
I have two favourite gemstones. My first love is the deep, blue sapphire. I have always liked jewel coloured stones and blue is my favourite among them.
 
 
In later years, I also developed a great fondness for turquoise stones set in silver because I love the Native American jewellery of the South West. This stone is not as readily available in Canada and it doesn't really suit my style of dressing so I admire it from far.
 
2. Do you know and  understand the doctrines of your religious faith?  If you are not religious, do you have a personal doctrine you believe and live?  
 

 
I grew up in the Pentecostal faith and am pretty well acquainted with the doctrines. Actually my childhood church identified as non-denominational but it belonged to the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.  The fundamental belief is that one must be saved to get to Heaven and that salvation is not through any good works but by belief in Jesus Christ, Son of God,  who died on the cross for the sins of mankind. Other things follow but this is the essential belief. As a side note, the things I experienced as a young Christian are seldom experienced in the church today; such as speaking in tongues and the interpretation immediately following, for the edification of the corporate church body. It can also be a bit tricky for me personally to distinguish between the different arms of Pentecostals because they do not all believe exactly the same things.  But I do believe they all have the same belief about salvation and Jesus' death and resurrection.
  
 
If this question is too personal, tell us about your pet or favorite pastime.
I'll use this as a bonus question. I don't have a  favourite pet. I like all kinds of animals including exotic ones. However I don't think people should have exotic animals as pets. For pets I love both dogs and cats. I grew up primarily with large dogs that acted not only as pets but also as guard dogs.  They were usually German Shepard dogs and they were always very playful with us and I loved them a lot.  We only had one dog at a time and it would have its own house to sleep in outside.  When we kids were not in school we spent a lot of time playing chase with the dog outside. I'm not able to own a dog in the city so I've grown to love cats which are often accepted, but not always,  in apartments and condos.  I've come to learn that cats are unique and special too and they have the added advantage of not needing to be taken for a walk.

My favourite cat breed is Turkish Angora

3. Do you have a favorite decor style... as in classical, traditional, modern, mid century, colonial, etc?  What do you like about it?
 
Tuscan Living Room

My favourite decor style is traditional English, French or Tuscan country. I like the rusticity and comfort as well as the colours.  Nothing is too precious and has a "lived in" look.  I'm not good at consistency in decorating.  My taste for furnishings and decor pieces is very eclectic and it can also be hard and expensive to find the item you want when you want.  It's easier to stick to a bohemian or ethnic/tribal style because I've collected a lot of pieces that fit this style and I'm comfortable with it.  The main idea I like in a home is comfort.  Two words people have used to describe my home when they visit are "comfort" and "peace". That makes me happy because it's what I aim for and my style is definitely  not fancy.

Elements and colour of bohemian tribal. I use more red/orange and less black.
 
 
4. Are  there any books or movies you want to see this summer?
 
I don't have any burning desire to read particular books or see particular movies. I have a long list of books I would like to read and I just pick one or two up at the library when I'm ready for a new one. As for movies, I've completely lost track of what movies are being released. The only big screen movie I've seen since the pandemic began is the 007 movie, "No Time to Die" with  Daniel Craig. It is his last James Bond movie and I'm in anticipation to see who will play the next 007. In case you haven't seen the movie yet and you love James Bond, I highly recommend this movie. You might be able to catch it on television or borrow the DVD from your local library.

 

Thank you for stopping by and spending some of your day with me. I appreciate it.

Sunday, February 20, 2022

Food & Other Things

I'm still trying to shop frugally and buy healthy things but I do still eat snacks that aren't quite good for me.  I don't usually do my main grocery shopping on Saturdays but didn't feel like going out earlier this week so today it was. It was time because I'm out of bananas and berries and most vegetables.

I bought most of the fruits, vegetables, milk and bread at a local grocery store call Nester's Market. The price was just over $40. Canadian dollars. I forgot to purchase the milk I originally went there to buy.

 

So I stopped at the pharmacy on my way home and bought berries, frozen dinners, milk, fabric sheets, snacks and a health supplement.  The cost was about $88. with the supplement taking up almost a third of the cost.

I didn't have my receipts handy when posting these photos but I will post them soon.

I was craving something for dessert the other night so I made this blueberry loaf. It's actually a muffin recipe to which I added a fraction of the sugar in the recipe.  I baked it in a  silicone loaf pan. I don't know why I did that. I really don't like the texture of muffins or sweet breads that are baked in a silicone pan. I find the silicone is good for bread baking though. I'm not sure why that is. This loaf was made with a mixture of spelt and white flour. I am not so good at figuring out the healthiest flours to use and I restrain myself from buying alternative flours until I figure out what works best and what I can bake. Do any of you have a healthier flour to recommend where one can bake and use the flour in the same quantities as if you are using white or whole wheat?


Blueberry loaf baked in silicone loaf pan.

I didn't eat today so by the time I went out to do the grocery shopping I ate at McDonald's. I didn't eat most of the fries and today the bun was super sloppy. They were having a deal on Big Macs. Long ago when McDonald's first opened in my town in the north, the Big Macs were the thing to get. Personally I found them sloppily made from the beginning so never ate them until recently. This one was not good at all though the ones I've had in the last year have all been quite fine. The drink was good. Some kind of mango - pineapple smoothie. 

Knitting is one way I try and relax while also doing something constructive. I enjoy knitting but haven't branched out too much. I have made slippers in the past but I think they are too slippery to wear, pardon the pun.  So I stick to dishcloths.

This is one of the newer books I picked up at the library. It's very interesting and well written. I'm reading it very slowly.

I'm still working on the Fly Lady system. I never did get into the zone cleaning but I do the other routines quick regularly. I've started the kitchen clear out on Wednesday's to try and help me keep the refrigerator cleaner than it usually is. I tend to buy too much and have to cram everything inside. Then food goes to waste. These days I'm shopping less frequently, buying less and trying to meal plan so I can reduce what I need to buy. I'm in early days with this. Gosh, in the old days I sure didn't need to keep on such a schedule and everything was cleaner and tidier than I'm able to keep things nowadays. I think it's a combination of getting older and not caring quite as much.  But now I want to get everything in order for a multiple of reasons.

 

 

In addition to Wednesday's refrigerator clean out, I usually wash and change bedding on the weekend.


It's nearing the end of February and it's still chilly outside at night. The mink sheets are getting good use and are nice and cosy against the skin.  It's supposed to be sunny later this week. I'm certainly hoping so because I've been trying to get to the beach for photos. It will make a change from indoor activities no matter the weather but I would rather go on a warmer, sunny day.

I'm making changes to the blog and haven't hit on an agreeable combination of fonts and colours. Please bear with me as I try to figure it all out.

I'll be very busy this coming week with a few appointments so it may take awhile. How are you keeping yourself busy during these pandemic times? Where I live people many conditions have now been lifted as we try to navigate through a different way of living with the threat of world wide diseases.  Earlier this week the majority of pandemic restrictions were lifted. People are getting ready to return to their work places if they haven't already.  People are still pretty disciplined about not getting together socially, especially with those that have underlying health conditions,  Public activities like sporting events, concerts, weddings and funerals are now open. Masks and vaccine passports are still required in my province though not in every Canadian province.



Friday, February 18, 2022

February's Changing Sky

The sky is always changing and giving us lots of enjoyment. The month of February is no exception. Though it is our winter season and the skies are often a dull, grey blanket, there is always some colour and variation to be found if one looks up every day.

February 2, 2022

February 11, 2022
February 12, 2022

February 15, 2022

February 18, 2022

 

 

Joining in with Skywatch Friday.

Thank you for stopping by!


Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Tuesday 4 ~ Memories of Days Gone By

This is Tuesday 4 in memory of Toni Taddeo.

 

1. What was life like for you as a child of elementary school age? Friends, games, TV, music, food, interests?  Tell us about it won't you?

Life was active for me as a child.

I had a few close friends but in those days we didn't play together at one another's houses so often. I lived the farthest from school and sometimes my friends would ask me to stop at their houses on the way home from school.  I don't remember a lot of what we did except we usually had a snack and would then retreat to the bedroom where we would gab as girls like to do. 

On the occasions my friends would come to my home, my mother would often invite my friends to join us for a meal and then she would chat them up too. I remember one Italian girlfriend in particular. My mother made spaghetti just or my friend and I and served us on a table outside on a lovely summer day.  She gave us water to drink and while we ate she convinced my friend that she was part-Italian by speaking a few words of Italian. It was funny because my friend really bought into her prank and on the sidelines I was splitting a gut laughing.  It was all in good fun and mother eventually told my friend the truth. 

At home my siblings and I played together outside a lot and we also played games with the neighbourhood kids most of whom were younger than I. Reading and learning was always an interest of mine and I would pretend to play 'teacher' with the smaller children.  I mostly liked reading so I could continue learning new things and that interest continues to this day. I have a lot of memories of friends and I spending a lot of time together after school, often we were doing homework. in those days we had to be home by a certain time after school, before dinner and certainly well before dark.  At night after the evening meal, I would tie up the phone line for hours doing homework with my best friend. My parents didn't mind me tying up the phone because I was doing something constructive.  In the daylight hours at home we also played a lot of action games like tag, dodgeball, hide and seek and tether ball.  My dad put up a tether ball post in the yard and when I was at school, I loved to play tether ball at recess and lunch.  My younger brother and I also played a lot of ping pong with two of the local teachers who taught ping pong to the youth.  We didn't have our own ping pong table at home and we did this at a local community organization.

I believe we got a television when I about 6 or 7 years of age and we only had two channels. I remember western shows like The High Chaparral and Davey Crockett. The main television shows for kids were on Sunday night though. I loved Ed Sullivan and the Wonderful World of Disney. I learned a lot about the culture, the popular music and so on by watching Ed Sullivan though I think my favourite segment was when Ed Sullivan would talk to the puppet Topo Gigio. My heart would melt. I thought Topo Gigio was so sweet. Of course Ed Sullivan show is where I heard about all the singers of those days including: Mahalia Jackson, The Supremes, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Janis Joplin and The Rolling Stones as well as many others.

 

I used to love the Topo Gigio segment on Ed Sullivan
 

Food was anything my mother made. She was an excellent cook and we were never bored with the menu.  She didn't make fancy dishes, just good home cooking with substantial stick to your ribs kind of food.

2. Moving along to the teen years would you mind sharing some of the same things with us? What were you interested in?  What did you watch on TV or listen to on the radio?  Tell us all about you as a teenager.

I got saved in my early tween years and church took up a lot of the week. By this time I was going to church about 4 times a week which is the norm in Pentecostal circles (Sunday morning and evening, Wednesday and Friday night). I also was part of our small church choir so we had practise on one of those nights and of course there was always the Christmas and sometimes Easter plays at church and school. I didn't really enjoy being in the plays and I still don't. But I did love singing in the small choir. In summer we went to a wonderful Bible camp. It was always such fun; the food was great, sermons were motivating and friends and activities were plenty. 

My siblings and I were basically well behaved kids.  If anyone did get into mischief we were made to be accountable for it and make things right.  It was mostly my younger brother who got into a bit of mischief here and there. We were all kept very busy babysitting and with required daily chores around the house.  After we completed our chores we were free to do homework or play.  We were in great demand as babysitters but when I think about it now I shudder. We were just children looking after children and in those days people usually had several children at home. But the times were very different then.  Rules around child care were not as stringent as they are today and thankfully nothing bad happened.

I never did like radio much though I listened to it every morning before setting of for school.  We would have to get up very early for school. Once we woke up we would wash and get dressed, make and eat breakfast and gather our school books, bags and lunches . All the while the radio would be on so we could listen closely to the weather report and be alert to any school closure announcements due to inclement weather. At times it would be so very cold.  I can still remember being so annoyed when the DJ played certain hits songs over and over again.  One of the songs was by the late BJ Thomas entitled, "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head".  Meanwhile, it was in the dead of winter with enormous amounts of snow and freezing temperatures.  This experience led me to dislike that song forever though I did come to enjoy BJ Thomas' other hits. 

More my style in the later teen years were the Rolling Stones and Janice Joplin. By this time I was no longer in church quite as often.  My world and tastes were expanding somewhat though I never really strayed too far into the 'world'. I remember I had an 8 track player and 2 'albums' and I played them again and again at top volume.  I cannot believe that my mother and father never once complained.  They just let me listen to the same songs over and over again. I think if the shoe were on the other foot I would not be so understanding. 

My siblings and I were very sheltered from the bad things in the world.  There were a lot of opportunities for kids to get into bad habits but my parents made sure they kept a watchful eye over us and protected us as much as possible.  I thank God for that because mother and father did not go to church themselves yet both of them believed in God and in a decent way of living. They also tried to be understanding and supportive of whatever we wanted to do as long as it was reasonable and lawful.  They supported my musical tastes at the time too.  I had absolutely no idea about the kind of lifestyle that rock n rollers were living when I was in my rock n roll phase.  When Janis Joplin died at such a young age I am not even sure if I knew why or how she died. I just remember being shocked and saddened. My mother was also saddened on my behalf. We had both liked the song "Bobby McGee"by Ms. Joplin. In fact, mother and I had started playing acoustic guitar and singing together for fun at home and we learned that song. We never sang for an audience unless it was a visitor or two. I was simply too shy for that. But my mother had a wonderful voice and her own singing style. She grew up singing country or country gospel songs at public events like rodeos. She and I began to sing many songs together all for fun and for a hobby.  Though she sang a lot in her youth she didn't want to sing for the public anymore as she had not kept her voice muscles in good condition.  Other hobbies I started during these years were crochet and beadwork.  Mother and I liked to bead together and we made earrings and necklaces which we sold here and there.

I still remember hearing about the death of Janis Joplin. So young but she had made a mark.

 3. Would you share your college or young working years with us?  Did your interests change or grow in your late teens or early 20s?  Did your friend come or go?  Did you live at school or home or have a place of your own?  So many questions only you can answer.

As I grew up and started university, I was still very studious and still did a lot of babysitting.  By this time my entire family had moved far away from where we all grew up.  We moved because I was going to go to university.  My father had recently died in a vehicle accident and my mother wanted a complete change and new start too and my need to go away for study coincided with the family's needs. I lived at home for the first two years of study before moving south to Vancouver to complete studies.  At this time my musical tastes changed from rock n roll toward folk music and I also began listening to more classical music. I had also returned to church life and many of my family members came to know the Lord during this period as well. Country music and country gospel were popular in the household and I kept on singing and playing guitar in private for fun. In act my brother did the same. My sister was left handed and found it hard to play the guitar but she loved to sing too.  Playing an instrument and singing were just things that so many people did back in those days.  Though many of us were never that talented we all enjoyed it immensely.

I kept in touch with a few friends through letter for awhile but gradually we all drifted apart as we all got busy with our own lives and new friends.  This was in the days before Facebook or social media and cell phones. I still retain fond memories of all my childhood friendships.  From time to time, I do wonder whatever became of 'so and so'.  Now and then I have tried to locate one or two old friends but haven't had much success in that regard.

After completing university I moved east to begin my career but after a few years returned to Vancouver and have been there ever since.  During all these years I had great work opportunities but worked too hard.  I didn't have any time for a personal life or for cultivating hobbies. I love working and when I work, I tend to over do it.  I had no idea about work life balance as I'd been trained to always do an excellent job. When you are working and there aren't enough staff or resources to do an excellent job it means you yourself have to put in the time and energy. I'm also a "recovering" perfectionist and have been very hard on myself and others who don't give their best efforts at all times.  In retrospect I wish I had learned about the need to pace oneself and take care of the body, the mind, the emotions and spirit at the same time as earning a living.  All the emphasis on work took a toll on my health and since those years, I've been in a  process of learning to be content with my physical limitations as much as I try to improve the physical body.  I am learning firsthand the meaning of 2 Corinthians 12:9 and God has been faithful. I've also learned that not everything needs to be done to a very high standard. Some things can be done to an okay standard.


4. And lately... what are the topics occupying your mind right now?   How have things changed in your life in the not to distant past. Are you okay with the changes?

The topics occupying my mind right now primarily relate to health, family and faith. Of course the broader things going on in the world are never far from my thoughts and prayers.

Books picked up at the library on February 15, 2022

 

Now that I am no longer working and we've all had to stay home for a few years, I have lost touch with so many people.  I try to look on the bright side of things and do what I can to keep in touch with people through technology.  If one cannot get together with others in real life we are so fortunate to have technologies that help us meet others and stay connected. It isn't quite the same thing but it is a good thing.

Last, but not least, I always have the Kenyan missions needs on my mind. As time goes on I wonder how much I will continue to be able to do  to help the grassroots people in Kenya. God knows and I try to leave it all with him. I also try to look for small ways to save funds to send to the mission field or small ways to earn funds for that purpose. Along that vein, I have recently added advertisements to the blog in case you are wondering.

My post is a very long one and I was late to preparing it.  In the next day or so I may change it up a bit as I review for errors or things that aren't clear. Thanks so much for your visit today. I appreciate it!

Joining in with Tuesday 4 here.


Thursday, February 10, 2022

Thursday - Errand Day

Thursday is usually errand day for me and I often run several errands on this day.  However, today I only ran one and that was to do some grocery shopping.  I don't want to be running major errands this weekend unless it's to the library.

I really didn't want to go out today but I finally did and I closed out the store because I went out so late.  It means I didn't shop as carefully as I normally would but at least it's all done! Go me 👍🎉🎈. I intended to buy a few items needed to make taco soup. Would you believe I completely missed out on buying 2 of the items I need? I can probably get by without buying sour cream because I have plain Greek yogurt. I may need to go out and buy taco seasoning and cream cheese but there is a possibility I have both in my cupboards and refrigerator. I'll have to check more closely before buying more.

I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. I didn't mention that Friday and Saturday's menu consists of roasted chicken with red potatoes and veggies/salad. Another night is taco soup topped with avocado, shredded cheese and a dollop of cream. 

Once I got to the store I saw that a 2 pack of whole chickens, a "family pack" of steak and roast beef were on sale. I picked them up and also picked up a round of Kolbassa sausage. Though I haven't exactly planned the week's menu I have certain basic things that I do with the meat and fowl and I have been experimenting of late just to keep things interesting.  I find the cost of beef, pork and chicken have gone through the roof.  For awhile the store wasn't selling the 2 pack of chicken which had always been a staple of mine. I'm craving chicken souvlaki with rice pilaf and lemon-garlic potatoes. Maybe now I can make some.  I would buy more chickens but I have no available freezer space. (Please click on all photos to enlarge).

I got a good selection of vegetables, herbs and greens.

I don't often buy beef steaks or roasts anymore.

2 pack chicken, fruits, choc bars and other treats.

If you're like me you like to see how much other people pay for their groceries. I know that some places like England and parts of the USA, do not pay the same high prices we pay in Canada. Within Canada too the prices vary a lot.  It is much cheaper to buy groceries in places like Edmonton, Alberta or Toronto, Ontario, than it is in Vancouver, BC.  For what reason, I do not know and I find it rather annoying.

Today's haul cost me just over $100 (see receipt) and I paid for the pack of chicken with points, not cash. This food will last about 10 -14 days, perhaps longer if we have meatless days.  But I will need to supplement the haul with other things like more veggies, milk, eggs,yogurt and possibly bread/baked goods; all as needed. Considering prices here, I think the overall total was a good deal.


I haven't mentioned Kenya for awhile and I wanted to let people know that I'm still looking for a helper for Janet, the lady who started a hair business after being chased from her family home. My assistance will come to an end in March and I would like to find someone who could help her and her 4 daughters for a few months. It would mean $40 - 60 Canadian per month.  This is just enough to pay rent and a few food items. It would help her get a surer footing. If you cannot afford that but want to help her, please send any amount.

Rose, the mature woman who recently had a baby by C-Section is now in the town of Kericho with her friend. She has developed a bit of an infection in her wound and the doctor wanted her to visit the hospital more than once this week so she could be treated. She returns Friday (it's already Friday in Kenya) then hopefully she will be released to home. It costs approximately $35 - $40. Canadian for each visit. Almost two thirds of this amount is for private transport since Rose cannot ride the crowded vans they call matatu with her baby.  It isn't safe, especially during this time of Covid and it also isn't good for her wound. This past week was more expensive than $35 - $40 because the baby's umbilical cord area also required a bit of medical attention and Rose's wound needed treatment. 

In Kenya you can either pay the hospital to provide all medicines or you can buy it yourself at a less expensive pharmacy. In all cases we do what we can to save costs and buy medical supplies and even medicines at the pharmacy.  One needs to shop around to find the best pharmacy prices because costs vary a lot. Then the doctors will administer the medicine or use the supplies on your behalf when y\uou visit at the hospital or in their office. This is quite acceptable in Kenya but would never "fly" in Canada or in most western nations. 

By the way, Rose named her baby boy Kipkoech. I hope I am spelling it properly. It means 'new beginnings' or 'blessings of a new day' and is given to boy children who are born in the morning.  I thought the name was very fitting.

Anyway friends, if you are able to help either Janet and her 4 daughters or Rose and her baby boy please be in touch. You can find the Pay Pal link on the right hand side of this blog. Thank you for your consideration.

 ~~~~

Valentine's Day is coming soon.  Whether you do anything special or are with loved ones or by yourself, please be kind to yourself and enjoy the day.  Thank you so much for your visit.


~~~~~



Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Wednesday - Hump Day

Hi everyone, It's been another busy day. After a very slow start and being behind on everything I managed to end the day with a satisfactory amount of work accomplished.

After dinner the dishes were done and sink shined.

I ran some vinegar through the coffee maker. It's been clogging a lot.

I washed the inside of the stove's glass door. Cleaning of the oven will happen in spring.

Roast pork tenderloin was the star of Wednesday's dinner.

I always love a medley of roast veggies tossed in oil and herbs.

I finally made some spicy, roasted chick peas.


It's Anti-Procrastination Day in Fly Lady Land. I didn't actually plan the tasks I completed today because I was feeling very sore from a bit of exercise I did this week. I'm so out of shape because all I have been doing for awhile is walking. I just added some strength training back to my regime. I hope I can sustain it for awhile. I've also added this 'pink' drink to my daily intake. Does anyone know what it's called? I started a few days ago primarily to help balance my blood sugar. It seems to be working. Of course for most people low carb eating works too but my low carb eating is not consistent so I need other strategies.


All in all, it's been a busy week so far and I've decided to take the day off from cooking tomorrow. There is enough left over chili from yesterday to feed us.  There is also sandwich and salad fixings ready for use if need be. 

Last but not least, I'm on the last one third of the book, Arctic Man recommended by Red at the blog Hiawatha House. At first I wasn't 'feeling' the book but I'm really enjoying it now.  It is fascinating insight into early 'white' contact with Eskimo people, now called Inuit.  I'm also enjoying learning about the early economy of Canada's far north, the activity of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and the mode and manner of travel between very remote and distant, not to mention cold, places I will likely never get to see. The simple map provided at the beginning of the book was very useful and I made good use of it. I think I almost wore the book out flipping back and forth to the beginning. I wish everyone could read this book especially those that are enamored of the writer Farley Mowatt. Ernie Lyall, the writer of  Arctic Man wrote this book in part because he wanted to set the record straight about a number of incorrect statements made by Farley Mowatt in his writings about the north country. I'm glad he did because his writings are also an important contribution to Canada's history.



Friday Skies

Hello friends and fellow bloggers, I hope you had an awesome week and are looking forward to an even better weekend. I had a decent week and...