Snippets of Time

 A few photos from the past few days.

Enjoying very early morning

I've been making and eating unusual meals.

Boiled pork hocks with root vegetables

Enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce 

Meatloaf & roasted vegetables 

I've also done a bit of crochet.

A gift of dishcloths to go with the cushion covers I made for the birthday girl.

...and of course, food shopping is always on the agenda.

Shopping at the Dollar Tree

I buy a few things at the dollar store now and then. I'd actually gone to a store close by where they sell organic flours and so on.  I went to buy wheat germ and bran but couldn't find the bran (or wheat berries). 

I'm planning to make my own whole meal flour for bread making. I'll check out a place up the street. I'm pretty sure they'll have it and I don't know why I didn't go there first.

Sometimes I like to make posts like this to remind myself of some of the ways I'm using my time beyond cleaning and household routines. Otherwise I might think I'm doing nothing when I look back on the time. Can any one relate?

Thanks for stopping by.

Stopping to Smell the Roses and the Flowers

Hello dear friends,

In my walks each week I try to spot the beauty in the small places and to literally stop and smell the roses, and the other flowers.

These beauties were what I stopped to enjoy earlier this week.

What about you dear reader? 

Do you stop and smell the roses too? 

Or perhaps there are other ways you like to enjoy the simple things in life. 

Let me know in the comments.

So Much Beauty ~ Skywatch Friday

I started the day with clear blue skies as in the first photo.

Before night fell, I went to the community garden and was there for a short after doing this and that around the home. Most of the people in the park were dog owners;  taking Fido out for their evening business. Other patrons were clearly reluctant to leave and lingered on to talk or play the guitar and sing.  I enjoyed a mini conference while relaxing nearby to the songstress.

I'd gone to the garden for a bit of weeding and came home with a nice amount of strawberries. Unbeknownst to me my DH had already weeded so I was relieved of my responsibility.  The strawberries were definitely a lot tastier than most purchased at the stores but they were also a lot dirtier. You know you can't really wash berries because they spoil more quickly once moisture gets on them..  I washed and used about half of them right away in a smoothie right away and froze the other half.

Earlier in the day I was doing a whole lot of small jobs that just never seem to get done when there are a mountain of daily, larger chores to do.  I always feel accomplished when I manage to clear away some of the smaller tasks.

I wound all the large skeins of yarn into balls

I also got rid of a lot of packaging materials.

Earlier in the week I captured these beautiful skies.

Thanks so much for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post for this week. Have a wonderful weekend.

A Cosy Home ~ Tuesday 4

Hi Friends!   It's another Toni Taddeo Tuesday 4. 

Here it is a temperature breaking Monday afternoon.  The meme today is all about warm and cozy homes.

What’s one feature in your home that makes it feel especially cozy or comfortable for you?

Lighting, especially in winter. I use fairy lights, candles, wall scones, lamps and the fireplace to create that hyggle-lieg feeling.

How do you like to personalize your living space to reflect your style or personality?

I'm not much of a decorator but I do like cosy. I try and create cosiness with cushions, area rugs, throw blankets, and lights. The reflection of my personality is in the colour choices. I've always loved jewel tones, especially rich reds. But of late I'm more inclined towards the use beige, ivory, light grey & yellow to create a more mellow, peaceful feeling. Since I love reading and crafts you will also find a lot of books and handmade items in my home. Last but not least, I love art. Not expensive art but pieces that are nonetheless meaningful to me.

I no longer have this sofa or most of the cushions. 

New lights for living room

The above photo is an old photo and most of the decor has changed including some of the art work and lighting. As time moves forward I've made some long needed changes and more will come as I endeavour to make things function better for our needs.

Are there any home maintenance tasks you find particularly important for keeping your space comfortable year-round.

Not really. I live in a condo and we pay someone to take care of all the maintenance tasks of which there are many. Indoors I just try to keep everything in working order and make small improvements here and there. My main goal is to downsize possessions and eliminate clutter.

What's your go to way to unwind or create a relaxing atmosphere at home after a long day?

When I arrive home after a long day and taking off my shoes, etc. I usually spend some time on the home computer and delete unnecessary email. I then think about making dinner if I haven't eaten out.  After clean up I can sit in the living room, make a caffeine free drink like tea or coffee.  If it's hot outside, I will have a cold drink like diluted pomegranate or other juice. I sit with my feet elevated and enjoy some You Tube on the smart television, some other programming or I read one of the many books I usually have going.

Enjoying the Moody Sky During Weekly Produce Shopping ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Welcome to my Skywatch Friday post.  I hope you are having a great week and wish you all a fabulous weekend.

I took these photos on a recent run to buy vegetables up the street (a short bus ride away).

In the first photo I was trying to capture the wind because the trees were blowing around a lot and they were leaning to the left of the photo. My photo doesn't capture it well.

 

I love the cloud formations in the next two photos.

I took this photo before I left my home. This is how the day started. I really love how the mist envelops part of the mountains and the seagull flying near the church steeple.

I always appreciate the gardens other people plant. This beautiful flower captured my attention close to where I went shopping for vegetables and fruits.

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your visit.

What's on My Mind & In My Basket

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Happy mid-week to you.  I hope you are all well and good.

I cannot believe how fast May flew by and now we are almost through a full week of June. How did that happen? I seem to say that the time flies by so fast but lately I hear everyone else saying it too! I guess it means we are all getting older.

In sad news there are so many wildfires burning across Canada. It is devastating for many smaller communities and for the people who live in them.  Not only does it affect Canadians but Americans have been saying how their air quality is being affected in various parts of the USA. Unfortunately it isn't even the official beginning of summer yet and the meteorologists are forecasting a hot, dry summer ahead. Hold on to your hats.  If you're the praying type, please keep in prayer for moderate temperatures and more rain.

Here at home in southern British Columbia, we are okay but in the northern part of the province wildfires are burning.  Here in Vancouver, I've found it quite cool.  Despite the local meteorologists forecasting hot weather for several. days I've only felt very warm temperatures on one day and that didn't last all day long.  If I had to choose though, I would far rather it stay on the slightly cool side.

While the weather has been cool, I've been keeping super busy and trying to get as many things done before hotter temperatures arrive.  When it gets too hot I really am not up to doing much except trying to stay cool.  Sometimes I wonder how come I'm always so busy and never seem to catch up to things.

I think it's a combination of getting older and having too many hobbies. When a person gets older, they tend to have more medical appointments and medical related appointments, especially if they have a medical condition. There is always a test to do, medicines to pick up, a specialist or doctor to meet. Then there are also the dental visits and eye doctors which most people have. I seem to have lost my eye doctor and have to find another one because I haven't had an eye examination for quite some.  In my case, busyness is also greater this year.  After several years identification cards need renewal including, government ID, driver's license and my passport.  Two gardens needed to be planted and 2 tax returns needed to be be prepared and filed.  All of it within the same month or two. On top of that, the building where I live always has major projects going on.  While these impact  all residents. My particular apartment has had 2 leaks from upstairs which needed investigation and repair. In fact, the 2nd one is not yet completed.  It's a good thing I don't have to go out to work every day or this would be a difficult situation to manage.

Last, but not least, I always find more work for myself.  For example, the decluttering and cleaning project I started long ago.  Related activities include the purchase of several new furnishings (patio conversation set, storage sofa and adjustable bed and mattress) all of which took time to research and compare options before buying, and the organization of delivery and haul away services. 

Honestly, there is never enough time in a day and I also don't want to waste time.  Time is going by so fast and it's such a precious commodity.  Does anyone else have the same issue with time and too many things to do?

Despite the busyness, I'm happy that I've kept up with some reading and I've also started making more time for hobbies. 

Here are the current books I'm reading or about to read.

An Ocean of Minutes was a of a genre I don't normally read, a dystopian, fantasy novel.  The books revolves around the relationship between Polly and Frank. Frank becomes sick during a pandemic and the medical care he needs is cost prohibitive.  Polly decides to help him by signing on as a bonded labourer into the future. The company she is employed  by will pay for Frank's medical treatment.  Frank and Polly promise to meet one another in Galveston, Texas in 12 years time but Polly ends up being re-routed an additional 5 years into the future.  When she arrives she can't find Frank and the city has changed enormously.  Polly must learn to survive in a totally changed America.  She has with no money, no friends or family and no status in the country.  This begins her search for Frank and the heartbreak that goes along with the search.

Reading this book, at this time, seemed very appropriate to this time and place with all the radical changes taking place right now.

Meet me at the Lake is the second book I've recently picked up by Canadian author Carley Fortune.  I picked it up quite randomly and didn't realize that the author is quite a popular author. 

T he book is about a young woman named Fern who lives and works in the big city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her mother dies and leaves her a Muskoka lakeside resort.  Unfortunately, the resort is in a tight financial situation.  Before her mother dies, she hires a consultant named Will to help get things on a more even keel.  Fern doesn't find out until Will arrives at the resort to begin his work. Will is a former boyfriend bof Ferns, one who ghosted her so there are lots of unresolved feelings.  Will doesn't know that Fern's  mother has died when he checks in to begin his consultancy.

I enjoyed several things about the book such as the settings for the book (Toronto, Muskoka Lakes, Vancouver) and the general story arc.  However, the writing  is a bit too graphic for me when it comes to the intimate situations between the characters.  It's probably quite tame for some people.  But for me, it's a little too much. 

In A House for Alice, Alice Pitt has been living in England for over 50 years. After her husband dies she yearns to return to Nigeria to live out her last years on earth. Her daughters however, are torn over whether their mother should return to Nigeria or remain in London.  Her youngest daughter Melissa, is not only coping with the loss of her father and her mother's departure for Nigeria but her marriage is also breaking down.  I haven't gotten too far into the book but it seems to be about how significant life events can have negative impacts on one's family foundations.

I haven't started the next two books but they look interesting.  I just picked them off the shelves because I was short of reading material at the time. Now I've got too much to read.

The Paris Express is based on a real life event, a French railway disaster of 1895. It's ready for pick up at the local library.

Some of you may know that I started a major decluttering & reorganizing project quite some time ago.  In between these tasks, there have been many interruptions so it's taken forever to make progress.  The main purpose of the project is to create time and space to for work on a number of hobbies. One of those hobbies is crochet.  

In May, I started making some crocheted dishcloths as gifts for friends. I also made an oversized cardigan for a friend who has a birthday coming up later this summer. Earlier in the year, I made a few cushions for a cousin's birthday. I haven't given them to her yet because she is supposed to visit this summer from a city about 1200 km from me. I will give them to her during her visit. I also made a few knitted dishcloths. Before the year ends I hope to work on other hobbies as well. If the weather remains moderate, I may be able to do some of my work outdoors on the patio. That would be ideal as I could play some nice music while I work. Not too loudly though as I don't want neighbours complaining. I suppose I could also just use my phone and wear earphones.

The Dishcloths

The Oversize Cardigan

The Cushions

The Best Part of Waking Up ~ Tuesday 4, 2025

Hello again.  Here are today 4 questions for  Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

We are asked 4 questions each week to get us blogging, thinking, discussing and visiting with other bloggers.

The commercial song said "the best part of waking up in Folger's in your cup".  

1. What is in your cup in the morning?

I remember that jingle but I have Maxwell House in my cup.

2. What brand of coffee or tea is the best in your opinion and why do you think so?

Maxwell House is the brand I like best for home brewing. When I go to the coffee shop I generally pick a medium roast brew. The coffees I like best are medium roasts from Guatemala, Sumatra, Kenya and of course, Columbia. The reason I like these coffees is they pack enough of a punch without being too strong or bitter. By the way, I am not a coffee snob though I probably was at the introduction of Starbucks and all the many specialty coffee shops that popped up after that. These days I seldom go to the high end coffee shops including Starbucks. I'd probably go more often but they close so early these days (mostly by 7. p.m.).  Nowadays I find that as long as the coffee is medium roasted, freshly brewed cup, it is just right for my tastes. 

3. Where do you drink your cuppa in the morning? Do you have a nice view?

I always drink my coffee while sitting on my sofa.  When the weather warms up enough I will like to try going outside on the patio, however it sounds like the weather is going to go from coolish to very hot, no transition.

On the sofa, I can also watch something on television or answer the phone if it should ring. I still have the old fashioned land line for my home and I prefer it to the cell phone.  

I always used to say the cell phone was for my convenience only and I didn't want personal calls on it. However, over time, more and more calls come in on my cell phone and a lot of it is scam related.  These days I usually ignore the cell phone which makes my friends very annoyed with me but I just get so fatigued with all the scams.  When a number appears on the screen with no name, as it often does, I am afraid to answer if I don't recognize the number. I suppose the lack of a name could mean that the caller is using a different service provider but I am leery of answering.  I receive far more scam phone calls on my cell phone than legitimate ones and that is incredibly annoying. Sorry for the rant. Does anyone else have this problem? 

4. Besides the morning, do you take little tea or coffee breaks during the day?    If you are out and about where is your favorite place to get some tea or coffee?

Once I have my 2 cups of coffee to start the day, I do not have any more unless it's the weekend and I'm running late errands.  Often, though not always,  I have a cup of tea at to warm up especially in the colder months.  I have to drink caffeine free or I'll be awake all night.  In the hot months, I omit the tea and have a cold drink instead. 

If I'm out and about, I'll stop at McDonalds, J.J. Bean or Blenz, all of which have many branches.  I like to read a book after running errands and relax with a drink.  Generally though I find it easier to read a book at McDonalds over coffee than anywhere else. The exception is on Friday or Saturday nights when typically the place is overrun with teenagers who are enjoying their 'night out'.  They can get very loud and the way McDonald's is built, the sound is amplified and just bounces off the walls.

May 29, 2025 - Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Happy weekend ahead to you all.

Today I'm sharing photos from a recent walk to a small local park. I was able to capture the sun going down.

It was a beautiful evening.  The next day it rained heavily.

Thanks for visiting my Skywatch Friday post.