Inquiring Minds Want to Know ~ Tuesday 4

Hello!  You are so welcome here at Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.  

Let's inquire about stuff....

1. What gets your blood to boiling?

Hmm, not much makes my blood boil but I would have to say injustice and dishonesty together or apart are 2 things that can get me going.  Actually I was just thinking about this the other day when I was reminiscing about being so angry with an aunt of mine through marriage my uncle (mother's brother). 

I was very young at the time, a young teenager still in high school.  My aunt had taken advantage of my younger siblings and significantly underpaid them for babysitting.  My siblings were very hurt and I was livid over it.  Since my aunt and uncle lived very close, I  went to their home just across the way and had it out with her and laid down the law that there would be no more babysitting. I was a bit hot headed and actually usurped my parent's role. I had always jumped in to save my younger brother or my younger sister whenever they had issues with others treating them poorly so it was just an instinct to do the same in the baby sitting situation.  My siblings and I never did babysit for my aunt again. We were too busy babysitting for everyone else so it wasn't an issue of lack of opportunities.

Fortunately I never had to intervene in the same way again.  I didn't feel good about what happened to my siblings on that day but I also did not feel good about losing my cool or how I handled the situation. Nonetheless I'm still bothered by injustice and dishonesty more than other things. 

2. What does a really good day look like for you? What makes you say, "That was a great day"?

It doesn't take a lot to make me have a great day.  For example, I like it when I go out in the ordinary course of business and run into nice people and chit chat with strangers along the way. 

Just the other day I went to the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE).  I wasn't sure I wanted to go but decided to go because I had a bit of 'free' time and the entrance fee was reduced by about 60% for everyone on that day.  The weather was also not too hot and just the perfect kind of day for walking around.

I zoomed into this woman's hair because of the colour.

The fair wasn't terribly busy that day and everywhere I went people were friendly and wanted to chat. I was alone so I was quite up for the chatting. I enjoyed several lengthy chats with different people throughout the few hours I was at the fair. It made my time very pleasant. 

I also spent a bit of time checking out the farm animals but I didn't get too many photos.

I love this bison

Isn't the baby llama so cute?

3. Are you continuing to grow mentally, spiritually, talent wise or are you  just marking time?

Yes, I'm growing in all ways.  I'm always studying something though I don't spend so long on any one thing. I am constantly researching and reading both for pleasure and also for learning, every day things, things on the news, new developments in the world & spiritual matters. I love YouTube because you get access to so many people that you wouldn't ever have a chance to listen to live and in person.  You can also research people and topics on line in a jiffy.

I also continue to learn new things concerning household projects and hobbies.  Over the past year I completed many simple DIYs like painting, changing door knobs, putting up shelving, etc. I also like to keep busy with my hands by doing arts and crafts.  Though I don't have patience for tackling complicated crafting projects, I do try to learn a new aspect of a craft now and then.  My newest crafting projects relate to beaded embroidery.  I made beaded jewellery as a teenager but never did beaded embroidery.  It's more difficult than thread embroidery so it will take me more practice to make something I'm happy with.  I also want to learn to do some simple weaving projects and continue with knitting, crochet and sewing, possibly quilting.

4. Have you changed your hair style since high school?   Why or why not?

I always had long, shoulder length straight hair.  In my 2nd year of university I cut it much shorter and had it permed. I spent much of my adult and working life with alternating lengths of hair from very, very short (like about 1 inch long) to mid length hair (about chin length or a bit longer). 

I'm back to wearing long straight hair like I did in my late teens.  I like this length and will likely keep it  unless it becomes too difficult to manage.  I prefer to get a colour job at the salon.  That way I can get the highlighted strips such as in the photo below that I like.  But that is a splurge and I no longer have a dedicated stylist like I used to prior to the pandemic.

If you read this far, thank you so much for taking the time to visit. I hope you will come back again soon!

Scenes from Saturday

 I had a long tiring day on Friday so I stayed home on Saturday.

It was a spectacular bright and sunny day.

I bought a skein of yarn yesterday. I didn't know what to make with it but the colours are nice and soft for summer.  I've now decided on what to do with it and will likely need a few more skeins.  Here is the start to the project. It will take considerably more time than the dishcloths I've made recently. I'm making good on my intention of the year to be more creative (mainly with crafting).

I watched an old black & white classic movie which I've seen once before. It's called Portrait of Jenny starring Jennifer Jones and Edward Cotton. I enjoyed it but it's a bit sad as far as love stories go.  It's also in the realm of fantasy.  Here is a link to the full movie.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Jones in multiple roles. I believe the first movie I ever saw of hers was with William Holden, entitled "Love is a Many Splendid Thing".  I also enjoyed her in "The Song of Bernadette" for which she won an academy award.  Edward Cotton was in so many movies I saw as a young person. He was good in all of them. Have you seen any of these movies? Did you enjoy them?

Today,  I made chicken rice soup and dumplings. I put in too much rice so it's more like chicken rice stew (congee consistency).

The stew was very filling!

While I was cooking and crocheting I did a few loads of laundry. Now I'm set for tomorrow when I plan to go out.

Enjoy your evening and the rest of your week. Thanks for visiting!

Skywatch Friday ~ May 16, 2025

Hello everyone,

After some sunny but not yet quite hot weather, we are now getting more spring showers. You know the old saying?  April showers, brings May flowers. But it feels much colder than usual at this time of year and though I know there are flowers elsewhere, mine aren't yet at that stage.

Anyway, I take the rain as it comes. I don't mind it as long it isn't raining heavily for weeks on end as it can sometimes do.  We west coasters get out and about no matter the weather.  Today I had to get out for a walk and do some errands.  I don't carry an umbrella anymore and since it was more than drizzling, I stopped to buy a plastic rain poncho at the dollar store.

After running errands I stopped for a Japanese Bento Box of Chicken Teriyaki and tea to warm up.  It was delicious.  

Once I got home, I finished crocheting a set of dishcloths. This is the first time I've made this pattern and actually the first time I've made a crocheted dishcloth. Normally I make a simple knitted version.  I picked the pattern from a YouTube video. The pattern is called Berry Pattern.

I hope you are enjoying the weather and the skies where ever you are. Thanks for stopping by my post for this week's Skywatch Friday.

What I'm Doing During the Cold

 Hi friends,

As I mentioned in my last post, it's been very cold where I live. Actually it seems to be very cold everywhere but we aren't used to these low temperatures in my city and I can't get it warm enough inside. 

So during the cold days of winter, I usually don't do a lot besides sit under warm blankets with a hot drink and read.

I hope to reduce my reading this year soI can work on projects.  But having a good book handy when you need one is a wonderful thing.

I just completed Barbra Streisand's very long autobiography, My Name is Barbra. It's a very detailed account of her life in theatres, movies and in song. She tells us everything we might want to know. She intersperses these details with snippets about her family and personal life, her activism and her love relationships and marriages.

Having finished the autobiography, I am now reading this debut novel A Grandmother Begins the Story by Métis author, Michelle Porter. I haven't gotten too far but don't you just love the cover design? It's beautiful Métis beadwork.

The next book I'll read is called The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese.  I read his novel, Cutting for Stone a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with his story telling. I'm very much looking forward to starting it in a few days once the hold arrives at the local library.

In an earlier post I mentioned that my theme word for 2024 is "Create". I hope to make or bring new things into existence more frequently this year. It can mean new dishes in cooking but more likely in my case, it will mean new things I've sewed or crafted. I've been giving some thought to a few projects I'd like to make and have collected a few supplies. Some of what I hope to create is new to me so I'm just learning what I'll need. It seems I'm not quite ready to get started on one of my projects because I need more materials. It's okay because it's too cold for me to sit and make things right at this moment.  I have time to collect what I need.  Here are some of the materials I've been collecting.

I've already sewn these strips of fabric together.

I bought the fabric strips (bubble bees, daisies and solid yellow fabric) at the dollar store just before Christmas and sewed them together before the new year.  There isn't a lot of fabric but I have an idea for what I'll make with it.  The Star Wars fabric will likely be for a cushion or two for my niece.  I'm always looking for items for here with a theme I know she will enjoy. The items in the top photo are for surprise projects which I'll unveil along the way. I've got lots more I want to make but these are some of the projects I have in the top of my mind.

Speaking of cooking, I did in fact make one new to me dish during these cold days. It's my version of a a rice noodle and prawn soup with broccoli. It was quite good and warming but the noodles took forever to cook and soften. Next time I'll probably use a different brand of rice noodles.

These are just some of the activities I'm trying to keep myself busy during the cold days. I've been reading on line about how cold it is elsewhere and I  hope you are keeping warm enough wherever you live. 

My "baby" brother has been away in Thailand and Japan. I'm looking forward to him returning tomorrow. When my loved ones travel, it's hard for me to relax until they are safely home even though I do pray for them. On this journey there was the large earthquake off the west coast of northern Japan just before my brother was expected to arrive there. Of course I was praying a lot and all has gone well with his journey this far. He seems to really be enjoying his time in Tokyo despite the fact it is winter there too.

Summary of What's Keeping me Busy & Why I Haven't Been on Line Much

I started projects way back in August 2022 and kept a record then (see the link) for my own interest and review.  I don't actually enjoy doing many of these projects and I don't go about it very methodically.  It often takes me many weeks, even months to do a small project.  It's taking me forever to do all the little jobs I have on my list. I find that it takes much longer in a smaller home to do the work because there is no where to put anything when you are trying to do a project and you constantly have to move and remove things.  It can be quite a challenge at times and also physically tiring because a lot of the items are heavy.  There were also many weeks where I was very tired, or in pain, or both, due to several long term health issues.  

But at long last I'm starting to see and feel, the positive results of the changes I've been making and I'm happy with them.  I still have a ways to go before I'm finished.  There are projects in several rooms: living room (put up curtain rods), dining room (install the light fixture), main bathroom (do something about the toilet). I've decluttered a lot and I've got lots of items in bags which need to be dropped off at a charity.  I'm collecting as much as possible so it can be dropped off at one time rather than here and there.  I also still have a lot of paper to shred though it's mostly sorted and put in different piles. These are the main outstanding jobs. I have other job ideas in my August 2022 list but they could be considered 'nice to complete' rather than strictly necessary.

I plan to look into getting the master bathroom tub replaced with a walk in shower once I've completed the above items.  The tub replacement would have to be done by the professionals.  I also plan to undertake 2 reupholstery projects myself.  It will be my first time doing this type of work and I've studied one of the jobs on Youtube before deciding to tackle it.  The other job I can figure out myself and I've starting collecting what I need for it. 

Here is a list of projects I've completed so far in 2023.

DIYs & Household Improvements 

• Painted kitchen backsplash (May 2023)
• Installed 2 shelves in kitchen (May 2023)
• Cleaned and reorganized under kitchen sink, food cabinet & standing shelf unit where dried goods are stored (April, May & June 2023)
• Cleaned tile grout in kitchen and both bathrooms (June 2023)
• Repaired and painted walls and cabinets in 2 bathrooms (April/May/June 2023)
• New shower curtain in master bathroom (May 2023)
• Installed new cabinet knobs in master bathroom (June 2023)
• Replaced toilet fill valve and flapper in master bathroom (May 2023)
• Replaced towels in master bathroom (May 2023)
• Replaced shower curtain liners in both bathrooms (April & July 2023)
• Replaced laundry baskets in master bathroom (July 2023)
• Installed towel shelf in master bathroom (July 2023)
• Replaced door knob in master bedroom (June 2023) still need to replace 2nd bedroom knob
• Installed new wall sconces in living room (March 2023) and master bedroom (April 2023)
• New floor lamp for living room (July 2023)
• Decluttered hundreds of small items (Jan - ongoing)
• Decluttered hundreds of papers (Jan - ongoing)
• Decluttered most of the cracked pots and other items from patio
• Replaced wall clocks in dining room (February 2023) and master bedroom (January 2023)
• Decluttered dozens of items from patio and garden (May - ongoing)

Other

• Lots of paperwork relating to income taxes, property taxes, city government forms completion requirements, retirement requirements, banking etc.
• Lots of medical tests, management of blood glucose, sleep & body work (physio, massage, reflexology, exercise), dental crowns and cleanings
• Participated in several webinars relating to health and exercise

When I get tired of projects I read, watch a good movie, get together with a friend or make something.

Once my 'to do's are nearing completion I hope to spend more time on creative things. 

Some of the makes & alterations this year include:

• Crocheted a blanket (February 2023)
• Crocheted a Pineapple doily (June 2023)
• Sewed a summer top out of double gauze cotton (July 2023). I'm hoping to make another one in white soon along with pull on trousers or a dress.
• Sewed a navy light knit summer top (July 2023)
• Shortened a wide leg pair of trousers  I bought in 2022 (July 2023)
• Sewed pillowcases with Star Wars theme for my niece (July 2023)
• Hemmed various trousers (July 2023).  I've got lots more to do, mostly trousers requiring hemming and other items requiring small repairs.

Read 36 books or 13,158 pages (Jan - July 2023). The goal is 50 books or 20,000 pages, whichever comes first.

Planted small community plot (DH does the weekly watering) (April 2023)

This post summarizes my projects so I can look back later and see what I've done and when I did them. It also serves to show why I haven't been on line very much. 

I'm sorry I haven't had the time or energy to keep up with blogs but now and then I try to read your posts.  I don't seem to be able to do my work and blog at the same time.  The projects weigh me down and interfere with other plans. If I go ahead with other plans, the projects don't get done. 

I think once I've cleared away the 'stuff' and finished a few of the next projects, I'll feel a sense of 'freedom' and a weight lifted off my shoulders. There are lots of things I want to do besides decluttering, reorganizing and DIYs and I'm looking forward to the day....hopefully sooner rather than later if my energy holds.  

If you have time, I'd love to hear how you cope with DIYs and projects and whether you too find they interfere with your social media activities, and blogging in particular.

Something New

I found a new way to while away a bit of time and relax.

These drawings and colours are painted by number using an app. It's a lot of fun. Once I've had enough of this colouring activity, I'm hoping to move on to another activity a friend told me about.  It's called Diamond Painting and it uses beads.

Have any of you hear of either this paint by number (app) or diamond painting?

When I was a lot younger, paint by numbers sets (physical ones) were a popular item for children. I believe they also came in black velvet sets. I googled 'black velvet paint by number' and was amazed at the variety and sophistication of the sets on offer these days.

I love learning new things and it's been a long time since I've picked up a new hobby. This Winter I'll have several hobby options to work with when I've got some time in the dark of Winter.

So far I've coloured many different drawings and saved them digitally.  There are too many to share individually so I've made a few collages for posting purposes.

These gazelles remind me of the wildlife in Kenya.  One also sees birds riding on hippos and rhinos where they provide a tick and other insect picking service.

Joining with Our World Tuesday