I'm Home and a New Chapter Begins

Hello friends,

I've been away for almost two weeks in the interior of the province. I've been visiting mom at the hospital, packing up and clearing out my mom's apartment, readying things for her move to the nursing home and making  her a "welcome home' quilt. (If you like you can see the finished quilt here).

She is now in the home and her personal things are with her. Photos are on the wall (I forgot to take a picture of them) and her bookshelf is set up with her TV, small stereo system, a few books and even more CDs. Her other mobility aids are with her. They are still settling her in and she hasn't really gotten into the routine yet. Everything is done very systematically there and it takes time.

Mom is chomping at the bit to get up and around. She also misses her telephone which unfortunately took a few days to connect. She should be able to make phone calls to her heart's content after today.  I think it is hard to make the adjustments in the transition as everything is so completely different. She is now on someone else's schedule and not really in charge of herself. Someone else will decide what she can eat and a whole lot of other things but overall I think the changes will be beneficial. They already have her blood sugar at normal level. I am confident that once mom is able to get around and explore, she will be very happy there and she is looking forward to be able to get around.

As for me, I got home last night and I now have a lot of mom's things to sort through and organize to put away in my own home. Some of it will replace things I have which will go to the thrift store. I also have my own major decluttering project I am working on so this project has expanded.  As I won't have to travel to visit mom on such a strict schedule, I will have more ability to get things done at home and my visits to mom will be real visits as opposed to trips to get things done for her. I will likely also need an adjustment period but an adjustment of a different kind. I am relieved that mom is now in a place where they can monitor her and help her though to be honest it hasn't really sunk in yet as I've been far too busy.

I have been extremely tired over the past week and I can't believe I didn't go to sleep very early last night. I didn't even sleep in this morning. I'm now getting ready to go out and get my hair done as it is in dire need of a refreshing.

I want to thank all of you who stopped by to comment on my blog posts over the past two weeks. It means a lot to me. Please accept my apologies for not being able to respond to the comments or spend as much time looking at your blogs. Now that I am home and have much more bandwidth to use, I can review and comment on blogs again. I will also be uploading more photos and resuming my series on Kenya.

In the meantime I leave you with these beautiful photos of spring blossoms which will soon appear here in  my city.  I also want to wish you all an awesome and refreshing weekend.

Beautiful Blue

It is amazing how many people I've found on the who love the colour blue. I happened across these people as I was browsing blogs not as a result of searching for them. It warms my heart because I too love blue and I love that I can look at what other people find in the colour blue.

This weekend was initially supposed to be a lovely, dry weekend, then Friday night I learned that it was expected to rain. It has been doing a lot of that this spring so I still don't have my garden in.  When I woke up this morning it was quite gray but progressively the sun came out and the sky turned blue and it became quite lovely.

My tentative plans to go to knitting class didn't pan out so instead I enjoyed the day lounging, grazing (eating food here and there rather than eating a meal), telephoning family and friends and answering telephone calls. Normally I do not enjoy talking on the phone. Long calls often interfere with plans to run errands or watch a favourite program. (I am a bit of a quiet freak though some of my friends likely won't believe it, lol). Don't you know it but phone calls always seem to be timed for the worst possible time when you're right in the middle of something. So thank goodness for the voice messaging service because I usually end up having to return phone calls.

Earlier in the week I had gone out to purchase potting soil for the 7 or so pots I have. This year I will plant some herbs in the containers. If I have containers left over I will plant some geraniums and pansies as well. I've always loved both types of flowers and these are usually what I plant in the containers.

I got a small start on the container gardening by putting new soil in the pots. I also potted one container of rosemary and one container of lemon balm. Here is my lemon balm in a blue ceramic pot.

I still  have much more to do in planting the containers and in putting in the garden. I hope to get a start this week if the weather will cooperate.

And guess what? Though I missed out on the knitting class, I have made arrangements for private lessons which is actually turning out to be better since it is on my own schedule, close by and also no more expensive. Even better I will have individualized attention. I learn best this way. I can't wait to get started!

To cap off my day, I'm having some wonderful Kenyan tea with fresh mint in a beautiful blue Chinese tea cup. Won't you join me in a cup?

And how did you spend your weekend?

(Click on the blue bird at the top of this entry to see other Blue Monday participants.)

Spring is Joy

Oh how I love SPRING!

Taking a lovely walk in the neighbourhood on a sunny day fills me with immense JOY. Spectacular scenery abounds.

I love Spring 

when the BLOSSOMS are coming out on the trees.

 when the SNOW stays on the mountain top

 when you see the nannies out with the CHILDREN in the playground

 when I feel like experimenting with a new THAI influenced. dish.  This was called Crunchy Munchy Salad.

It came with these EGG ROLLS. 

when even the COLOUR of the houses can make you smile

when the fully bloomed TREE shares it's beauty

 

What do I See?

What do I see when I look at you?
Beauty

What do I feel when I look at you?

Wonder

What do I know when I look at you?
Power & Majesty

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalms 19:1

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness;
but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

From John Keats' epic poem, Endymion, 1818

Scenes of beauty from my walk today reminded me of the poem by John Keats. I hope you find something of beauty today in your meanderings. Blessings xoxox