A Glorious Sunny Day

 It was such a beautiful day on Thursday and I was able to get out a bit earlier and get some photos of the blossoms. These ones were in my neighbourhood. I would still like to go further afield and get more photos on another sunny day.

I have been busy working on a digital project that has taken a tremendous amount of time. I'm finally making progress on it and hope to finalize it in the next few weeks.  Then I can work on organizing all my digital and paper files as well as my closets. Things just seem to take me much longer these days.

I've also had a bit of time to read here and there and have returned the several decorating books I borrowed to the library. I also picked up two new books.  One is called Greenlights, a memoir by actor, Matthew McConaughey.  The other is a novel called The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristen Harmel.  The novel is one of several I've read by the same author.  All the novels I've read deal with the horrors that befell the Jewish people during WW2.  In every book the author presents a lot of  new to me historical information and I've learned a lot (her books are based on historical facts).  I find the characters and story lines very interesting too though they are set against the horrible backdrop of the  Holocaust.

 

I've mentioned in other posts that I've been doing some minor renos and small decorating projects since before Christmas. I seem to have an endless array of things that need to be done, one of which is finding a better way to store items like throw blankets, large shawls, blankets, sheets and blow up mattresses.  A storage sofa might work but my sofa is still in decent condition so I won't be buying a new one soon. Instead,  I stored one of my blow up mattresses underneath the existing sofa.  It was a tight fit so I may put some bed risers under the feet of the sofa to gain a few inches. 

The ladder is made of pine and lightly coated in clear finish. I took this photo on my walk home with the ladder.

I also ordered a blanket ladder to hang all the throw blankets and large shawls I have in my living room.  It gets pretty chilly for half of the year at night even with the heat on. I still need to find a way to store extra sheets and blankets which are larger. Again, I'm thinking of lifting my bed with bed risers and storing extra blankets there.  I do have a cedar chest for storing linens but it isn't large enough for everything. I think I've also stashed some large blankets in suitcases which are in my closet.  I also recently gave away a few sets of sheets I haven't used for several years and a few throw blankets so that I don't need quite as much storage as before.

I didn't work on my patio garden yet.  It's just as well because my plans have to change.  The strata council is bringing in new bylaws to be voted on in another week or so at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).  I have no doubt the new changes will be approved by the majority of owners. The changes that affect me more directly will be the new rule that we can only plant flowers, not vegetables.  The other rule is we cannot put out any bird seed in feeders.  I'm assuming it's because vegetables attract rodents and bird seed attracts birds and bird droppings.  My neighbours on the top floor have been dealing with the messes left by birds for some time and the strata had to approve an expensive solution of installing wires around the perimeter of the roof to dissuade birds from roosting.  Even though I've never been bothered by bird droppings, I know that the rules have to apply to everyone. I hope to grow some herbs however.  I may simply grow them indoors and take them outside to get some sunshine now and then.

In Covid news, the province has ramped up it's efforts to vaccinate people well in advance of it's original schedule.  It's because they are going to give everyone a chance for early vaccination by delaying the time between the first and second doses of the vaccine.  This means most of us will be vaccinated 4-5 months than earlier thought and I will likely get mine before the end of the month. Other loved ones have already got vaccine one and yet others will get one in April.

Last, but not least,  I want to mention one matter related to the Missions of Hope in Kenya.  I'm looking for a donor who would be willing to help Ernest every month with food and medicine needs.  It is very hard to find a job in Kenya evening during pre-Covid times. But due to his diabetes and Covid concerns the doctor doesn't want him to venture from the village to the town to look for work. I'm looking for a regular donor to support him monthly ($100 US dollars 85 Euros, $125 Canadian, 11k  JYen, $130 AUD).  If you cannot contribute monthly but want to help, kindly let me know at  kerichojoy[at] gmail] dot [com] (eliminate square brackets).

This is a photo collage of Ernest when he was in hospital in 2019. He was hit by a truck while he was walking to hospital to get his monthly medications. He has recovered from surgery with the help of one kind blogger friend who helped with medical costs for surgery and food during his recovery period.

 

Galatians 6:9

 

 

Thanks so much for reading. Enjoy your weekend.

 

 

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

The Weekend Was Fruitful

 Hi friends,

I hope you've all had a beautiful and productive or relaxing weekend.

I have certainly been busy with this and that. 

First up is some sad news. Pastor Jonah lost another family member earlier in the week to pneumonia. Please keep a kind thought for him and the family. Also the court hearing for the land grant is scheduled for Wednesday. Hopefully this will be the last item of business before the court rules on the issue.

Friday I spent trying to get my young relative situated for getting the community garden plot weeded and compost added. Surprisingly it took a fair bit of time because I wasn't meeting her at the plot and she needed orientation with everything.  Fortunately I showed her the plot last summer so basically she just needed a refresher. I also spent some time repackaging seeds (I have too many for my small balcony garden) to share with her.

Friday I also went to the library and picked up a few novels and decorating books. I'm really looking forward to reading all of these.  I made a small start today (Sunday). I was going to stop at the grocery store for a few items but had forgotten my phone at home so I decided to wait for the next day. I have a few apps on the phone and I accumulate points based on buying certain things. 

Later that night I had a call from a friend I haven't seen or heard from since the pandemic. It was good to catch up with her. I also binge watched Netflix catching up on the most recent season of  The Crown. I watched so many episodes and by the time I finished I was very sleepy.

Saturday I found myself running more errands. This time I had my phone so I did a small bit of grocery shopping and stopped for coffee afterwards and began reading one of my books. I also stopped in at the pharmacy. Fortunately the owner was in and I was able to discuss various issues related to my latest prescription refill.  He had left me a voice message and I didn't want to call back and talk to one of his staff. It's just easier to question and explain things in person and I'm glad we did since I had misunderstood his voice message. We managed to sort everything out satisfactorily.

One of my brother's called and we had a nice long catch up. He gave me some wonderful person news about his children and a great report about his own health update. It made me realize how much I've been missing hearing good news! 

Afterward I spent a lot of time scouring various websites looking for some home decor items, pricing them and seeing what might work for my needs.  I find this kind of research very time consuming and very tiring.  I didn't make any final decisions about anything. I want to take my time and make the fewest purchases possible to deal with the different areas I want to deal with in my home.  I also watched the movie, The Pianist with Adrian Brody on Netflix. I didn't see the movie when it was released in 2002. It was very well done and heart wrenching.  If you haven't seen it and have Netflix, I would highly recommend it.

It's now Sunday and again it was a busy day. The dishes are done, the kitchen, bathroom and entry way floors are vacuumed and washed, the living room and dining room are vacuumed and all the recycling has been taken to the recycling bins. It feels good to get excess stuff out of the way.  I also managed to get rid of 6 items of clothing (2 old tops and 2 sets of pajamas) that have seen better days. I have a lot more to do but will get to it all in due time.

In the evening I did a few loads of laundry and steam refreshed my pillows. Now I have clean bedding on the bed and ready for a good night's sleep. This will be likely (and hopefully) be the last time I wash and return the blue mink sheets to my bed because the weather has warmed up and the sheets will be too heavy soon.  I'm glad it's finally warming up. I love this time of year when the sun returns on a regular basis, the weather warms up and it is not too hot to get out and enjoy a walk or an outing.

 

In  between cleaning and getting ready for the week ahead, I watched the Oprah interview with Megan and Harry. I was shocked by what I heard from the both of them and my heart went out to them for what they have endured.  I must say, before I heard the interview I was in the camp of thinking they were privileged and spoiled.   I felt they were honest in the interview and tried hard not to say anything negative about the Royals.  However they also tried to speak truth and I cannot understand how Prince Harry could be denied security for himself and I cannot understand how his own father could cut him out of communications. I am honestly stunned because you do not expect a parent to stop talking to you. It must hurt so much after having lost his mother when he was so young. I am glad those two are out of the Royal Family and making their own way in the world. I think they are better off for it and the public can stop complaining about having to pay more members of the Royal Firm. At least their mental health should be much better now that they are 'free'.

I hope all of you have a wonderful week ahead and that you too enjoy better mental health as we seem to be getting closer to having restrictions lifted off of us all with the mass vaccinations now taking place.

Tomorrow, Monday, March 8 is International Women's Day. To all the women reading this, may you have a positive day where you feel loved, supported and respected not just on this one day but in each and every day.

This and That

 Hi friends,

It's been a busy week and I've been fighting a cold. It is something I fight every year in October when the weather transitions from warm autumn to cooler autumn. It's a bummer but it is what it is.

This October I have been busy decluttering and I've written about it in this space from time to time, not just in October but over the past long while. Some weeks and months I do much more in terms of decluttering than other weeks and months.  This  month the kitchen seems to be getting a lot of attention and so far I've gotten rid of many items from my small cupboards.  Metal bake ware, plastics and Tupperware which are long past their prime and lots and lots of glass jars, plastic and metal coffee containers, papers, cardboard and so on have been recycled.  I also got rid of lots of small items from the bathroom and many items from the closet, dresser drawers and shoes I no longer fit or need, have been given away. Several items were taken to the storage unit in the building and one standing fan had to be taken to the recycling center. I also have 2 large metal patio chairs which are past their better days. If they fit in the car they too can go to the recycling center.  Otherwise I'm not sure when I can take them.

In between decluttering jobs, I clean the cobwebs from the corners. Literally.  I did this less than 6 months ago but the cobwebs seem to accumulate very quickly as does the dust. I've been trying to keep on top of it all.  There is still a lot to recycle and to get rid of but I'm starting to see a real difference in the spaces in my home. I will keep at it and when I am all done with the tasks I will see what I can do to free up actual floor space.  I am not aiming for a minimalist home as such. But I am aiming to pare down the items I use and keep only what I actually use.  I intend to keep doing my hobbies too and hobbies tend to take up a lot of space.  I am trying to find a happy balance for daily living and for hobbies, some of which may be more sporadic.

I'm still doing Flylady routines almost every day.  It seems to help everything run more smoothly even though I haven't implemented the full Flylady system. Once I get started on doing things and cleaning things I just keep on going.  It means much more is getting done every week.

The weather here has been beautifully sunny this past week with the exception of Friday when it poured rain.  But it has also been very cold. I took some garden photos on Saturday. I'm sharing what might be the last of my garden photos for this year.

 

It has now been about 2 months since I did any work in the garden so I'm amazed at how well the plants have done though many of them are way past their prime.  This week I noticed that the pansies and the petunias are pretty much done. I think it was simply too cold for them as our temperatures went down to 4 at night. The geraniums are still producing a lot of new blooms but I'm not sure how long that will continue. 

Something was eating the leaves in  my garden this year but they didn't touch the leaves of most of the flowers. This is the first time I've had this happen and I'm not certain whether it is pests, rodents, or my neighbour's cat.

 

In any case, I am hoping that I will put the garden to rest by the end of October and wash and cover the patio chair cushions. I don't have storage for the patio things but I do try to keep the cushions out of the rain over the winter and I move the table umbrella and the table and chairs so they are no so directly impacted by the winter elements. As a side note, I read that the Farmer's Almanac forecast is for a mild November and a very cold winter.  The other day, our local meteorologist said that this year we are experiencing La Niña.  La Niña refers to the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific and is the colder counterpart of El Niño.

The Black Eyed Susans have now lost all their yellow petals.

But the zinnias have new buds! I can't believe it. But they were very late to bloom this year and maybe they are confused.  The photo shows evidence of my neglect of the garden over the past 2 months since summer ended.

When it gets cold outside I usually start baking.  I saw this cinnamon loaf at Mari's Blog called My Little Corner of the World.  Check it out if you like cinnamon and sweets. I misread the recipe and ended up making two loaves but I only put frosting on one of them.  After trying both, I think it is better with frosting.  Overall though, the recipe is to sweet for me and I have to be careful about that due to blood sugar issues.

On Friday I went to the hospital to have a colonoscopy. I had one just under a year ago but the doctor couldn't find the one small cyst she thought she saw during that exam so I had to return in 6 months.  The follow up appointment was delayed due to Covid 19 and I also put off the appointment as long as I could.  But I had to get it over with or forfeit my spot in the GI follow up care and Friday was the day.  This time the doctor had a good look around she discovered I didn't have a cyst after all.  What she saw last time was actually a part of the colon itself. That was good news. 

She did find something, but it wasn't quite a cyst. I'm not sure what it is called but she said they are common and are often left intact. I suggested she cut it out anyway and she agreed. It will be biopsied as per the usual practice. 

The good news is I don't need to have another procedure for 5 years and I'm very happy about that.  Not only do I dislike the preparation but I get very nervous about the procedure itself. They sedate me but I am wide awake as per my preference. Due to the light sedation I didn't even need 10 minute recovery afterward.  They let me go but not before making sure my ride was there as stated.  I took a few photos but haven't posted any with people due to privacy issues.

Photo of the nursing station

Photo of the recovery room before they start bringing the patients in for recovery.

We had snow in the north and at higher elevations (none in the city) for the past two weekends. The record snowfall  created havoc on the highways and some serious accidents as well.

 

 

 

On Saturday we also had a provincial election. I voted by mail in ballot along with almost 700,000 other people.  Approximately 500,000 people returned their mail in ballots on time to be counted but the counting doesn't start until November 2nd.  Even without the mail in ballots, the election was handily won by our incumbent Premier John Horgan.  He now has a majority government by which to rule.  That was his goal when he took a gamble and called an election a year earlier than required. His win is historic in that it is the very first time that the New Democratic Party (NDP) has won 2 consecutive elections in the province.

 

In other big political news, the Opposition Party of Canada,  brought a "No Confidence" motion against the Prime Minister of Canada on October 21.  They wanted to create a special committee to probe the government's ethics and spending in response to the pandemic and a scandal related to the WE Charity.  Members of Parliament (MPs) voted 180-146 to defeat the opposition motion, with the NDP, Greens and Independent MPs voting with the Liberals.  It means we will not have a snap federal election this fall.

I hope things can settle down for awhile with all the politics here.  People want and stable governments to help steer the nation while we recover from the pandemic.

Thanks for reading my post today. Stay safe everyone and do what you can to stay happy and high in spirits. May you be blessed today and each day hereafter. May you and your loved ones have continued health or improving health. May you have the material things and the finances you need and last but not least, may you have the strength and confidence to handle whatever comes in your path. 

 

A Beautiful Day After All

 Hi friends, 

I awoke today to a beautiful day.  That was a very pleasant surprise as I thought we were going to have another gray, overcast day.

I didn't go anywhere but having a beautiful day always makes me feel like doing more work inside.

While I'm busy this weekend doing the usual routines of cleaning, cooking and laundry, I am also trying to rest, relax and enjoy life.

I've been feeling a little more tired lately so I am trying to take it easy a bit but still keep busy if that make sense.

I didn't do the Fly Lady routines in order or keep on top of it all but I did do the routines as best I could. I also did some other "projects" such as decluttering my closet and one dresser drawer. I gave all the clothing items to one young woman who wanted them for her mother and grandmother. I am always pleased when someone will take and use the clothing because to be honest, I didn't even wear half of the items. The other half were worn once or twice. As I've lost weight my sizing changes and also I no longer need most of those items so off they go.

Other projects included:

• cleaning the cupboard where I keep plastic items and some bake ware. I got rid of a lot of it that was no longer usable.
• purchasing some new bake ware on line which I expect will arrive in a week or two. It will be nice to have something pretty to cook and present Christmas dinner in. The bake ware is from the Temptations line which many of you may be familiar with.
• sorting through my cedar chest where I keep duvets and sheets. I thought I had items in there to give away but I must have cleaned it out last year. I did notice though that the fitted sheet in the only set of white sheets I have, was terribly yellowed. I have only used them once and they are kept in a cedar chest so I'm not sure how they got so discoloured. I thought to give them away but decided I would try to get rid of the stains. After much effort on my part, the sheet is almost fully white again.  In a week or two I will clean it again and it should be perfect. At the same time I cleaned my sheets I cleaned a white, cotton safari jacket I have had for years.  In the last several years it was starting to yellow and discolour at the collar, sleeves and cuffs.  I also had a few pillow case protectors that started to yellow and I was able to get all of these items nice and clean. I still have a lace tablecloth that has a few yellow spots.  The next time I do the sheets, I will also trwat and wash the table cloth.
• making a loaf of French bread for the first time. It turned out well though I have to work on shaping. The outside was nice and crusty and the inside was nice and soft.
  

 

• making Cream of Broccoli soup for Sunday lunch.  A few days ago I found a bag of broccoli crowns on clearance sale for  $1. This is a photo of the soup before it was blended.
  

 

•  making a French Apple Cake. I had no plans to make an apple cake but someone posted a photo of the apple cake they made and I thought I had better use up the apples that were slowly going too soft. I've made apple cake before but this is the first time I've made French Apple Cake. I didn't have ice cream with it but it was really nice and I think I will make it again one day soon. Here is a link to the recipe I used in case you are interested.

 

Beyond cooking, cleaning, a few errands and household projects, I also watched a few movies and read some books. On Netflix I watched a few movies. One is called "The Inheritance" (not to be confused with the play of the same name) recommended by a friend of mine. It is a thriller/mystery and was good in a creepy kind of way, though not a horror movie as such. I also watched a cute movie called "Carrie Pilby", an American comedy/drama.  Book wise I'm making my way through "The Minimalist Home" which sets out yet another method of decluttering your home, and "The Convenience Store Woman", a quirky book about an unmarried Japanese woman who works at a convenience store and has to contend with the judgements of her family and co-workers.

Monday is Thanksgiving Day here so I will likely take the day off from reading blogs.  I have to prepare dinner and I want to enjoy a slow day of cooking and relaxing in the process. 

I wish you all a happy rest of your weekend and a pleasant week ahead.

Farm Animals at the PNE & A Few Other Things

These are not the best photos due to low lighting and use of a poor phone camera but I took these several years ago and don't believe I ever posted them. They are photos of the farm animals I took when my niece and I went to the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE). She really enjoyed all the animals. I did take photos of other animals and will probably share them at a later date. Today I am showing the pigs.  I love little piglets and always think of the movie Babe whenever I see them.

 

Sadly, my niece and I couldn't have a visit at Christmas or this summer for her birthday like we usually do. Both of us have underlying conditions so it isn't worth the risk. 

We have been going to the PNE every year for years with her late mom and grandma but of course this year the PNE was not open for business as usual.

The spider I photographed last week is still on it's web in the same spot. It was difficult to get a good shot today.  Please check this post if you would like to see better photos of the spider and it's web.

Tonight's news reported that the air quality advisory for Vancouver and area has been lifted. That's such a relief.  The sky is full of rain clouds and we are expecting rain for several days this coming week.  I took the photo below on Saturday early evening.  There was a flock of birds flying around (click the photo to enlarge and you will see the black spots near the church steeple).  The birds were flying too fast and were too far away to capture them clearly.

I captured a few geranium shots using a lens borrowed from my brother who is a more serious photographer.  He is letting me try 4 different lens and I'm experimenting here and there.  They are all prime lenses not a zoom like I usually use.  I eventually want to move beyond my zoom lens.

I'm currently reading these two digital books and have a notice to pick up 5 paper books at the library.

 

I've made a new header for my blog.  I was looking for some Fall photos which I know i have somewhere but my digital files are not well organized. I have been decluttering digital files here and there and there is much more to do. The last step will be organizing what I have left,  be it digital assets or physical ones. Anyway the photo I've selected instead is of the Pokot children who come from the northern part of Kenya. 

It was taken on a mission we undertook some years back to bring a bit of food relief to the Pokot people who go hungry whenever there is a drought. We have undertaken several food missions to the Pokot people as they are often overlooked given their location in the far north and dusty parts of Kenya.  There are little to no amenities where they live.  The Pokot are largely pastoralists and when there is a drought their cattle die off. 

In the photo the children are eating bread and juice and I believe they also got some fruit that day.  Watermelon if I remember correctly. Many Kenyans love white bread and it is a treat as it isn't something they get very often.  The food stuffs we gave to the households consisted mainly of rice, maize flour and oil. There is a button on the right side bar for anyone who would like to help the people of Kenya. That button will be there for the foreseeable future and there are other links to different aspects of the needs and work in Kenya.

Last,  but not least,  I'm on Day 19 of the 31 Fly Lady Baby Steps (click the highlighted words if you would like to read more about Fly Lady's Baby Steps). If  you already follow the Fly Lady, let me know how what you think of her system.  As for me, I'm working hard at it even though I don't like routines.  For clarity, I do much more than the Baby Steps during the course each day but gradually I am hoping to replace my various quasi routines with a system that seems to work for so many women around the world.  (Note:  I am not buying Fly Lady books or  merch to undertake any routines. I use what I have or get something local if needed).  I'm working toward better routines so that I can keep a household running smoothly, keep up with all my responsibilities and have more time for reading, hobbies and most importantly Bible studies and devotions as well as the  Missions of Hope Kenya.

Enjoy your weekend and stay safe.

I'm linking up with Saturday's Critters.

What Have I Been Doing?

Hello friends,

I pray you are all safe and well during these tumultuous times.

In my little corner of the world I am super busy. I am catching up with many jobs and tasks that should have been done earlier but I lacked motivation and energy so other more immediate priorities took precedence. Like the seagull in the photo above, I would rather soar high away from the mundane things in life, ha ha. Now I have to roost for a bit and get caught up.
 

I can tell you I am so glad to be moving forward and getting things organized once again. In my former life I was a super organized person.  Over the past many years though I have done a lot of travelling.  Mostly to look after my dear late mom and also to undertake the missions in Kenya so it gave me less time to keep things well organized.

I hadn't really realized just how behind I was because I managed to keep everything moving along fairly well.  But now that I no longer spend so much time in care giving and I've been travelling less, it hit me that I have too much stuff and not enough space for it all. I don't want to simply organize it anymore. I want to get rid of of a lot of it.  Those of you who declutter on a regular basis would take the view that it is a never ending process to be clutter free. I still have some work to do before I get into the maintenance mode. I will be very satisfied when that time comes.

I've been doing this decluttering project for some time now and I've reached the stage of dealing with paperwork and files.  I've made a lot of progress over the past few days.  I'm excited that this task is well in hand especially since it is one of my least favourite things to do.

Some of you may be at the point in your own life where you need to get rid of things. Others of you still like your collections and sentimental items and you don't mind the extra time it takes to maintain  them.  Some people I know have far more paper than I do and others have virtually none.  We are all different.  I  just want to pare everything right down to the essence so that there is little left for someone else to have to deal with when I am no longer here. While I'm still here, I want to be able to easily access information and not have to dig here and there.

Anyway as you can imagine the week went by rather quickly with all this work.

Kenyan Missions of Hope Update:

The Kenyan Missions of Hope also occupies a good portion of my time.  On a regular basis I communicate with various Kenyans, do a lot of financial number crunching to figure out how to meet the needs and try to keep abreast of the many changes that regularly occur in Kenya in the political, economic and health areas.

The specific mission activities included:

• follow up on the application for Eunice's pension and hire someone to do the leg work (the elderly widow who has been in hospital all year).
• preliminary investigation as to whether Eunice can be moved to her home town and what will be required.  This initiative will take considerable communications with multiple levels of medical personnel and government politicos.  It will also take a lot of prayer and wisdom.
• sourcing and buying food, medicine, vitamins for Ernest (the diabetic man who broke his leg last year)
• assisting Alvin (the young university graduate who is looking for work in Kenya).
• researching work ideas to assist Alvin and others in Kenya where the unemployment rate is staggering
• preliminary investigation on land transfer issues relating to gifted property in Kenya.
• communicating with a Kenyan doctor friend about his plans to seek employment in the UK or Canada and helping him identify the English requirement examination (process and costs available in Kenya).
• considerable research and review about Kenyan political and economic developments.
• assisting with burial costs for the widow Esther who was laid to rest a week ago Saturday. You can read more about that here. Though no one from Esther's home area would step forward to help with burial plans and costs, many of them did arrive to pay their last respects when she was laid to rest. We thank God for that. I did what I could to ensure Pastor Jonah stays safe with social distancing and face masks while he undertook the organization of the funeral arrangements.

Of concern is that people in the villages do not tend to wear masks.  I see that some at least tried to keep social distance.

On Monday July 6, 2020, the President of Kenya lifted movement restrictions (effective Tuesday, July 7th) that have been in place in Nairobi, Mombasa and and Mandera.  These restrictions were put in place to try and contain the spread of the Coronavirus. However curfew restrictions are extended for another 30 days as are public gatherings.  Masks must be worn in public and social distancing maintained.  Schools will gradually be opened as of September, bars remain closed and churches can meet for no more than one hour with a maximum of 100 people in attendance with appropriate social distancing measures.  Domestic flights will resume July 15th and international flights as of August 1st.  As of Monday, July 6, Kenya has recorded 8,067 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 164 associated deaths.

Covid 19 Update in Canada
 
Most provinces and territories in Canada are returning to business since the Covid 19 pandemic was announced.  Today. July 6, 2020, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Medical Officer issued the following statement 

There have been 105,536 cases of COVID-19 in Canada, including 8,684 deaths. 66% of people have now recovered. Labs across Canada have tested over 2,940,000 people for COVID-19 to date. Over the past week, an average of 39,000 people were tested daily, with 1% testing positive.

I live in the province of British Columbia (BC) on Canada's west coast.

• There have been 31 new cases across B.C. since Friday.
• 6 people died from COVID-19 between Friday and Monday (all at long-term care homes).
• There have been 2,978 positive cases in B.C. since the pandemic started.
• There are 166 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
• 16 people are being treated in hospitals, including 4 in ICU.
• 183 British Columbians have died because of COVID-19 as of July 6.
• Benefits have been extended for low-income seniors and those on disability and income assistance.
• Over the weekend, Providence Health Care announced three new deaths at one of the hospitals.

One emerging issue is that there are American tourists who have been founding touring in Canada despite being told that the country and the province of BC is not open for tourists. In BC, Americans have been given the courtesy of travelling home through the province up to Alaska. However some of them have been found off the beaten paths in areas that are clearly not on the way to Alaska. This has been going on in several Canadian provinces and sadly due to lack of compliance some Americans have now been fined.  If you have any American friends who want to travel to Canada please let them know that it is not advisable at this time.

In reading goals I finished reading  The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. It was quite enjoyable and I learned something I did not know before about the Korean Island of Jeju where women were fishers and divers and the men stayed at home.  The novel is based on actual events and was very interesting as it is set in wartime when the Koreans had to contend first with the Japanese then with the American soldiers.  I am still reading The Power of Praise and Worship by Terry Law, Book of Signs by Dr. David Jeremiah and have started a new book called The Miracle of the Scarlett Thread by Dr. Richard Booker.  


I started watching a Netflix series called "Dead to Me" which is rather quirky kind of story about a woman named Jen whose husband dies in a hit and run and she wants to solve the crime.  I also picked up where I left off in watching Season 3 of "The Crown", a series about the British Royal Family through the decades.  Soon I hope to  begin watching Season 2 of a series called "Hanna";part thriller and coming of age drama about a young girl raised in the deep forest by her father who trained her to be a perfect assasin.  She is dispatched to Europe and pursued by an intelligence operative.

 

 I've been longing for a cat companion. I told one of my blogging friends that it has been difficult to find a cat to adopt. I just read in the news today that shelters are struggling to keep up with adoption requests and a single puppy can get up to 200 requests to adopt, similarily with other pet friends.  I submitted two adoption applications last week. I was told by one agency that I am on a back up list (they don't give you any idea who is ahead of you on the list.  I think most adoptions go through so that one probably isn't going to work out). I had another agency call and want to schedule an interview.  I've responded and am now waiting to hear back. Apparently this province often gets adoptable pets from USA and Mexico but with the borders restricted this has created a lack of adoptable pets. More news on this front as time goes by.

Last but not least, I am still taking early morning photos off the balcony. I cannot believe that it starts getting bright (like the light you get at twilight) anywhere from 4:45 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. I'm not sure how long this will last as summer solstice usually means the days get shorter by a few minutes each day.

That concludes another post for now. It is quite long as I am not posting very frequently these days. That might change in future but for now I want to focus on getting things organized however long it may take. Once the weather turns hot, if it ever does, I will not want to be dealing with decluttering.

Take care until I see you again. 

Joining in with Our World Tuesday

 

A Productive July Ends

It's been a busy week so far. Nothing terribly exciting happening but all is satisfying.

First up I delivered half of my personal library to a local care home. The recreational advisor saw my advertisement on the local Freecycle and said he would take all the books. So that was a God send since most takers just want a fictional book or two. A great many of the books I donated history books and reference books of all kinds (cooking, gardening, travel, self help and health books, how to books and cookbooks and a great many other topics).  The recreational person I dealt with told me they will sell books to benefit the seniors in their care. I do hope that they will have good success with the sales.

Reading continues with a few good books in my pile each week. My recent reads were The Paris Seamstress, Rebel Queen and The Next Person You Meet in Heaven.  They were all good books and I've listed them in the order of enjoyment in case you are interested.  Right now I'm reading a few books on fashion: Gok Wan's Work Your Wardrobe  and The Way She Wears It  by Dallas Shaw.  I'm relearning a lot of what I once knew and it is good to have a refresher.  Most of my newer reads are borrowed from the library so that I'm not spending the money and adding to my clutter at home.

One of my errands on Monday was to go the beautiful Granville Island. This is a very popular spot with tourists and locals alike but I wasn't there to stroll around and enjoy. I stopped at a store called Ten Thousand Villages to pick up a parcel of small items I ordered on line and asked to be delivered to the store front. It saved about $ 10.00 Canadian on shipping charges which is a lot considering the parcel was very small. If I had heavier things or larger things on order, then paying the shipping charges would be a good idea.  In fact, in my previous order with this company I had the parcel shipped to my local post office.

I'm very pleased with the quality of the products I've purchased from this place so far. I also like that the products are purchased from various countries abroad at fair trade prices. If you'd like to check it out please do because you would be benefiting artisans from developing nations.   If you want to check out the store, please check here.

Some of you might wonder why I am buying things when I am doing major decluttering.  One reason is I like to shop for gift ideas for Christmas and birthdays throughout the year.  This helps spread the cost over many months.

The other reason is that though I have too much stuff, one area where I am lacking is accessories, especially necklaces and earrings which help to stretch one's wardrobe into numerous outfits.

I keep an eye out for things I can purchase at a good price and that will coordinate with my wardrobe, current and planned.  Since I've already donated many clothing items  I will need to supplement my wardrobe in future.  But I don't need anything for awhile and can make do with what I have.  I also have plans to sew some things with the fabric I purchased in Kenya earlier in the year.  I will buy some coordinating fabric here in town to try and extend my wardrobe options that way too. So I can hold off buying new clothing until I know for sure what I really need.  

Last time I wrote about my knees I mentioned that I need to get updated x-rays.  I finally made it early in the week for the x-rays on both knees.  I expect soon to be referred to the center that educates arthritis patients to better manage their symptoms and assess them as to whether they need surgery.

Other than that I've been busy with the usual household things and a bit of shopping for a new wall clock,  yarn and food for the house.

While relaxing in the evening I'm knitting dishcloths for Christmas gifts. It's really the main that I knit and I have built up a little stash.  I enjoy knitting these simple cloths and it helps me feel like I'm doing something constructive while I relax.

I went to the community garden and snipped off some beautiful sunflowers to place at home. I noticed there were some ants in them so I had to get those out before I brought the flowers indoors.

I also snipped some salad greens and brought home. I made a simple green salad tonight with hamburgers on buns for dinner.


The container garden is holding up well. The rest of the garden doesn't look so great and I'm not really sure why. Probably a combination of over watering at times and under watering at other times.

Right now though there are workers out there and so they don't take care how they throw things around. After their work of power washing and painting walls is done I think my garden will be largely finished for this summer. If I have time I may plant some thing from seed just to see if it comes up and blossoms before we get too far into Fall weather.

Geraniums are a favourite in my garden.

I'll continue being busy at home for a few weeks with plans to see a movie or two with a friend and visit with an out of town friend who should be arriving soon.  My house guests won't start arriving until the end the month. Until then I have a lot to keep me busy. That's my update for now. I hope you are all enjoying yourselves wherever you are in the world.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday.