'Tis the Season

Welcome to December! May it be a good one.

The busyness of November is carrying into December with many different things going on.  I started my Aqua size class and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is only going to be 6 sessions long.  The class is really just to get you used to the type of exercise you could do in the pool so you can decide whether you want to continue on your own at a public pool.  The pool is heated and not too deep and the exercises are much different than what I’ve seen in most of the Aqua size classes organized by the community centers. Perfect for me.  So I’ll enjoy it while I can.

I’ve also been busy shopping for gifts for Christmas, graduation gifts, winter boots and a few casual and dressy clothes for the holidays. I’ve already been able to use much of what I bought and so that is great as I know the money has been well spent. 

I was invited to a friend’s convocation ceremony and spent almost a full day with him and his family at the convocation, taking photos afterward and joining at the Alumni Centre for cake and coffee.  Later we went to their home for tea and snacks, then they invited me (and a few others) to dinner at a fabulous African restaurant downtown called Simba's.  Some of you long time readers may remember that I took members of the Kenyan Boys Choir there several years ago when they were in town.  There are several African restaurants in town but I think the one downtown is best for consistency and the owner is very nice too.  The food was delicious as always.

My friend has been looking for a job the past weeks now that he has his Ph.D. in Linguistics. I was very pleased to hear he already has an interview lined up and pray it all works out for him. I've become very close to he and his family over the years that they've been in Canada and his wife and I try and get together as often as we can.  She is a wonderful woman who amazes me with her phenomenal energy.  She has a very kind heart and looks after her family and work, participates in community events, church and related activities and so on.  She is always looking to fulfill a need when people don't have family or friends here.  She will see a need and do something special for them like organize a bridal shower or a baby shower.  She is a darling and I don't know how she does it all.  In the new year she will be even busier as she will return to school part-time while continuing to work.

It’s also been busy with the missions in Kenya. My friend Eunice is still in hospital and has her ups and downs health wise. I thank God she is still with us and that her son watches over her and oversees every aspect related to her care.  We are still looking for a donor to help Ernest (the guy who was run down by a motor bike taxi) to start a small barber business and/or repair his humble home. We are also still investigating Alcohol Rehabilitation Programs to see if we can afford to sponsor a man named Charles to get treatment. The Alcohol Rehabilitation programs are very expensive especially as he needs at least 3 months in residence and another 6 months or so of follow up. If we cannot find an affordable program we will have to wait until we have the funds or until we can get someone who would step up to help him.  The Go Fund Me campaign link remains on the side bar for those who would like to contribute to any of these needs. I also continue to help Alvin with all aspects of finances (budgeting, budget forecasting, tracking spending, problem solving for needs) and some investigation into programs on offer here at the university. I do some preliminary research and he does the detail research in regards to graduate school here in Vancouver.

I have a lot of appointments coming up in the next while so I’m not sure how much I will be blogging for the rest of this month.  However I always make time to read and comment on other blogs as most of you will know.  My schedule is full up to the middle of December though mostly with things that have nothing to do with Christmas.  Then in mid-December a friend and I will attend Chantez Noel at one of the church's in the city.  We are both looking forward to it. We've already decided that next year if we are able we would like to splurge and go and see the concert called Winter Harp.  If you like you can google it on You Tube and see what it is all about. 

Yesterday I decided to pare back the schedule a bit in favour of getting more rest and to finish the year strong.  One of the things I want to do this week is to put up the Christmas tree and a few lights. My decorating is not over the top.  There will be just enough to add some sparkle and glow to my living space. In the meantime, I've got a  lot of gifts to prepare as I take them with me to dinner at a friend's house next weekend.  I can give out several gifts to various people I know will be there.  Otherwise it will be very difficult to deliver gifts before Christmas.  I also need to alter some of the clothing I purchased for my niece because she usually need sleeves and leg hems lifted.  I may actually deliver the gifts in person after Christmas which requires a short trip out of town. How I deliver will be decided based on time and energy after Christmas.

We are expecting snow. It may even arrive tonight and it has been super cold all this past week.  I'm well prepared this year with the addition of comfortable winter boots and my long faux fur coat.  I've had the coat for several years but seldom have a chance to wear it. It  only comes out on the very cold days when it isn't raining and I know I'm going to spend time outside.  It keeps me toasty warm.  I find it chilly indoors too.  I've got the heating on 24/7 which I never, ever do because of the very high cost of heating and electricity in general.  The rates have increased twice in the last 2 years and I'm keeping a very keen eye on things due to the significant increases in other costs (car insurance, strata fees, condo insurance and property taxes).  I also wear socks, slippers, puffer vest indoors or sit with the heating pad on. As the years go by I think more and more of moving to a warmer apartment or out of the city altogether. For now I am here because it is not only a lot of work to move but my city has the best access to medical services in the entire province and I would hate to lose that.  So far, I haven't seriously thought about a move but it comes to my mind every so often. Don't get me wrong.  I am grateful to have indoor heating. I just have to manage it properly to make it affordable.

For relaxation I'm reading books number 51 and 52 or watching recorded television programs (Dancing with the Stars, The Marylin Dennis Show, Y & R, New Amsterdam and whatever new and interesting series may be on) .  I have another few books in my reading pile but doubt I will finish them all before 2020 arrives.

Last night, in between running errands, I stopped at a new to me restaurant called Cafe D'Afrique, an Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant. Since I had not been there before I decided on a combination dish in order to be able to sample as much variety as possible.  The main part of the dish (as you can see in the photo below) is beef  stew surrounded by rice, spinach and beet salad on far left and lentil stew on the far right. It is all served on a plate of injera bread and the small dish of rolled up things is more injera bread (a type of fermented bread).  I've been to Ethiopian restaurants before but this is the first time I had the food delivered on a regular plate.  It is also the first time I've had the beef stew.  Usually I order something called tibs which can be ordered in goat, beef and other meats. The beef stew and side dishes were very tasty.

Wishing you all a very beautiful season as you prepare for Christmas however humble or spectacular. 

May you have moments to pause and reflect on the reason for the season. 

I have been reminded so many times in the last few months to give thanks for all the many blessings I have and not to take even the simplest of things for granted. One of the many blessings I have is faithful blog readers who have become like friends.

I wish each you of you good health, love and happiness.

♥♥♥

This and That Kind of Week

 Hi friends,




It continues to be a busy time around here.  One thing that keeps me very busy most weeks is my "secret" activity which I hinted at in earlier posts.  It deserves a post of it's own as it keeps me fairly busy.  That post will likely come in the new year after I've had enough time to assess the full benefits.

I've also been catching up to household chores (dish washing by hand, sweeping and mopping floors, laundry and general tidying). In between I am running errands and/or reading a good book.It's been awhile since I've shared what new books I've read. I've put photos on this page showing you my current reading.

Another thing that keep me busy is looking for savings every week. This week I've been looking for savings on staples for the house and kitchen. I got a great deal on liquid laundry soap for high efficiency washers at Safeway.  On top of the financial savings, I got some great bonus Air-miles points. I wanted 4 big jugs of laundry detergent which the store didn't have but they gave me a rain check and will honor the bonus Air-miles.

I also kept my eyes open for other deals. This week the best deal has to be on Honey Bunches of Oats cereal (439 grams per box) at $1.98 each.  A savings of $4.00 per box!!  I also bought 4 cans of milk at 99 cents a can. The price of evaporated milk has soared in the recent years to well over $2.00 per can.  That means the sale price is more than 50% off. It is rare to find evaporated milk at 99 cents a can these days. My other great deals of the week are: 10 kg. of Robin Hood Flour @ $9.98 and Folgers Coffee for $7.98. I usually buy Maxwell House at $6.99 per can but I haven't seen it on sale for a few months.

I also bought a bag of small eggplant (6-7 in the bag) for $1.00. They were used right away in a stir fry. Romaine lettuce, spinach and English cucumbers were this week's purchases on sale (all prices in Canadian dollars). I used the greens in smoothies. The cucumbers are for salad.

I don't have to buy any meat right now.  My eldest nephew gave me some elk meat (prepared by the butcher into ground meat, sausages, garlic coil and steaks). He also gave me some wild salmon which he caught and vacuum packed. Originally I was to get this in August but just brought it home the week before last.

I didn't mean to turn this post into "what I bought this week on sale", lol.  But as I was typing this post I realized that I spend a good deal of my time researching sale prices on each and everything I buy. Food and household shopping takes up the bulk of this time.

I try to time my purchases to get store points or Air-miles (reward miles) whenever I can so that adds more time to the planning aspect of shopping.  I kind of enjoy this aspect because it seems to multiple my savings so much.  Next I will likely buy paper towels and toilet paper at Safeway.  There is a sale on these items for a few days starting Friday.  An added incentive is that they are having another bonus Air-miles promotion.  John of John's Island asked what I will use the Air-miles for but at this moment I am not sure. It takes quite a awhile to build up points to anything of value. But I did manage to get two nights at a hotel in New York (actually New Jersey a short train ride away) last summer.

Another activity I spend a lot of time on each week is trying to improve my health.  I'm trying out this new to me powdered herb blend called Daily Turmeric. It is supposed to help with inflammation. I thought I would try one month of this blended turmeric and see if I notice anything different. I know turmeric is supposed to be good for arthritis. I do have turmeric I use in my curries and soups but this blend appealed to me.

It is quite a strong tasting blend. I tried it at the health food store where they put it in juice but I seldom drink store bought juice.  Instead I put a serving in my romaine-strawberry-orange smoothie today. I could probably just use my own turmeric powder but I don't have the black cherry to add to it in powdered form. I also do use turmeric spice in my cooking. Once I run out of the Daily Turmeric I will try just adding regular turmeric spice to my smoothies. It will be a lot less expensive.

Tonight, I have to get out my sewing machine and make an adjustment to a robe my nephew wants to wear tomorrow when he and his girlfriend go out for Halloween. He will be dressing as a judge and has his white wig ready to go.  On the news today I heard that Halloween is now 2nd only to Christmas in terms of retail sales profits.

I don't celebrate Halloween because of my faith. It's made a bit easier by the fact I never get children coming to my door for treats. My nephew says he wouldn't celebrate either but for his girlfriend who wants to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of their meeting. He is a good boyfriend; always very considerate of his lovely girlfriend. I could pass on helping with his costume but he relies on me and I love him so I will do this small favor (of course he also gets my opinions, lol).

If any of you are going out with children or friends on Halloween, please take care and stay warm and safe.