I hope December is going well for you and your loved ones. Things have been rather hectic for me in this month as I prepare for Christmas and try to get a lot of other business out of the way as well. I'm sure most of you can relate. Soon the big day will be here and until then I am trying to get together with as many friends and family as I can before Christmas arrives. The actual Christmas Day will be a quiet affair with me making some kind of dinner, probably our traditional turkey dinner since we just had ham earlier this week. Jonah is working a lot this month and only has Christmas Day off so our first Christmas together will be rather limited. My local brother will be able to join us for dinner. My nephew will host in-laws from Europe so I won't see him for awhile. We made a point of getting together a week or so ago and we had a nice visit out at the university.
Today I want to share the beautiful light display from the Festival of Lights held annually at the Van Dusen Gardens. I don't think there was a light display for the past 3 years and I had been wanting to go all that time. I finally had the chance on Tuesday night and it was more spectacular than I had anticipated. I shared some photos with a friend who said she had gone a few years ago and it wasn't as nice so she and her family will go again this year and enjoy the lights anew.
Since I published my last post I have switched computers to a Mac Mini and am in the process of having to relearn how to do everything. I've been used to Android devices for so long and having both Android and Apple products means extra steps and frustrations to do what used to be done more easily, especially where photos are concerned. I also discovered I can no longer make comments on blogs. I get sent around in circles whenever I try yo log in, get asked to sign in again , then start the process all over again. I have finally figured out that if I use another browser I can make comments on blogs without all the rigamarole but it's a nuisance. It's an annoyance to have to find so many work arounds but that is what I get for making the switch. The big plus in making the switch to the Mac Mini is that I no longer have a huge desktop tower with which to contend. Well it is still there on my desk but only temporarily.
I'm super excited to have such a small computer. It's fantastic. I'm too lazy to read instructions so I've just been finding my way around the IOS intuitively. The first thing to trip me up was just figuring out how to close a screen. Also I'm so used to using all things Google that it will take time to retrain myself and adjust to something different. I'm not sure how far I will go with Apple products. It might just stick with the Mac Mini or I might succumb to temptation and get an iPhone. These days phones have replaced using a heavy camera and you need a good phone for crisp, clear photos. I'd prefer having a Google Pixel but that might create more steps and possibly frustrations in working with Google photos on an Apple computer. Anyway, time will tell and costs and device availability will dictate my final decision.
If any of you have experience with the transition from Android to Apple and can share your experiences and lessons learned I'd love to hear from you!
Time passes so quickly by. I know I say that a lot and I hear it a lot from my friends too. But honestly, where does the time go? Hey I think there is a song by that name.
Let me digress a moment and check out that song. My mind does like to wander.
Okay I found "Where Does the Time Go" by Barry Manilow. But that isn't the song I'm thinking of. I thought there was a song from a few decades back.
There is another song by Sandy Denny & the Strawberries called "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" That's the one I remember. I really only remember the very last refrain.
I prefer a slower version of this song as sung by the last Sandy Denny (died 1978) in the band, the Fairport Convention. Here is a video of this lovely folk song in case you'd like to listen to it. It isn't really a video because there are no moving pictures but there is good audio.
It's vibe captures how I feel about the passing of time (sad). There is just so much to do. I want time to slow down.
Here is another lovely version done by the late, beautiful Nina Simone (died 2003). I love her introduction to the song and she does a moving rendition of it in case you have time to listen.
Isn't it funny how when we are children, a week is an eternity? But when we are older, we want time to slow down a bit?
Anyway I hope you didn't mind the digression.
Where I live the very hot summer we've had is winding down and Fall is on the way. The days are still quite hot but not as blistering as it was even 2 weeks ago. Once the dinner hour arrives you can feel the distinct change in the air. The change in air temperature started about a week ago. It is always amazing to me just how summer changes to Fall immediately at the end of August here. It is like clock work. Once our last long weekend of the summer is finished, you will know it is Fall. Fall is my very favourite season though I think it is too short of a season before Winter rolls around. Don't I just sound like I could better organize the seasons of the year, lol.
I am grateful to have 4 distinct seasons where I live though it does make it more challenging and expensive to prepare for all the different seasons: heating wise, cooking wise, clothing wise and garden wise. Even the car needs special treatment for the different seasons. But the beauty you get in the changing scenery and the respite you get from the heat, cold or rain, is rather special. My friends who live in the tropics probably don't believe that. *wink (Frugal tip: Make sure to get your car serviced and oil changed at the right time. It will save wear and tear on your car and make it run better using less fuel. If you are on a tight budget it can be very tempting to put off the oil change).
This past week has been very busy. The highlight of the week was hearing that little Baby Fidelis made it to Toronto, Canada with her mom. For awhile it looked a bit bleak that she would ever make it to Canada but she made it! I'm so happy she will get the opportunity to have facial reconstruction surgery. Monday she was supposed to have surgery and I'm hoping and praying it went well.
Baby & Mom with host family at Toronto Int'l Airport.
The rest of the week I was busy catching up with things. There is a lot of shopping and clothes preparation to do before I visit mom for her birthday very soon. I only have a few days to get everything ready so will be busy with that.
For the coming seasonal transition, I've purchased a few warm sweaters, some cotton jersey nightgowns and a few bits and pieces. I have to label them all. If I have time I will also try to make a top for her out of this fabric in the photo. Pardon the purple items beneath the fabric. They are two new nightgowns which I have to modify before she can wear (I have placed everything on my ironing board so I can start the labelling process). (Frugal tips: If you are a caregiver for an elderly person and need to buy them a lot of things like I do, it pays to really shop around. I purchased 2 sweaters for less than the price of one sweater I was originally going to buy. With the savings, I was able to purchase the fabric at 50% off. Altogether I think the fabric cost $14.20 which I think is good value. I could get fabric which is less expensive but it wouldn't stand up to the washing in super hot water).
The fabric pattern looks a bit wild and busy but I think it will sew up nicely into a long sleeved jersey pullover. It will coordinate with the plum skirt I made awhile back and another burgundy skirt she has. Apparently the two dresses I made and gave her on my last visit were big hits and she has worn them a lot already .
Polyester knit fabric for top
Most of the rest of my week has been busy just catching up to house cleaning and various appointments and errands like shopping for my eye wear. It seems I'm behind on everything! (Frugal tip: Save all your receipts and be sure to submit them quickly to your insurer if you expect any funds to be reimbursed. Currently I have just over $200 owing to me. I will be submitting receipts today).
I did make some great progress this week, especially with the housekeeping. Though that may not sound too exciting, those of you who keep the household know how good it feels to be caught up for a few moments on housework. I am not quite caught up but made some very good progress.
Hopefully I can continue making progress next week too because next up I have plans to do some major closet and drawer decluttering. I haven't done a really large decluttering in a long while and it is definitely time. (Frugal tip: If you have time, energy and patience you can sell a lot of your clothing. I understand there are groups on Facebook for this and of course there is also Craigslist though one has to be a bit careful who you let into your home. There is always the old fashioned way of a garage sale outside if you happen to have a yard on ground level. Even a few dollars back can really help the pocket book. I usually just give my things away though I might put a few things on consignment now and then).
I'm also slowly catching up on my reading goals for the year. Right now I am finishing up the book in the photo below. It's an interesting story about a Jewish immigrant who leads a life of twists and turns and how she comes to make her livelihood making ice-cream. It's fascinating how a writer can take a subject like ice cream and right a compelling story around it. I admire that.
Once I'm finished, I will return to the biography of Charles Dickens and some health related books that are specific to women's issues. These are always quick reads and I learn a little more each time I read a new one. (Frugal tip: Borrowing from the library is better value than buying a book and you don't have the problem of where to store the book once you've finished reading it.)
Here are a few photos I took while out and about this week.
The last photo I'm sharing was taken at the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens earlier this summer. Can you spot the bee having a feast? There were a large number of bees in the garden that day. (Frugal tip: Where I live I signed up for the Inspiration Pass at my local library. It enables a person to visit multiple sights in the city over a 2 week period and to take a bunch of people with you as guests; all for free. You might have something similar where you live.)
Unfortunately the water restrictions this summer means that all the
plants in the Van Dusen Gardens (and other parks) are in jeopardy. It
is sad but what can be done?
Weather changes around the world impact us
all. Hopefully the gardens can recover but I've been hearing that weather patterns and climate change is such that we can no longer expect what used to be normal weather. We should now expect the unexpected. I guess we all have to learn to adapt.
