Saturday Relaxation

I've been wanting to go to the movies for several months but couldn't land on a movie I wanted to see.  But at last, there are a few releases I now want to see.

Today was the day.  I almost didn't make it because everyone and his dog was out and about.  It was a sunny day after a few days of rain and I don't think anyone wanted to miss out on it.  City traffic was heavy and buses were very slow with people getting on and off at every stop.  What adds to the time is strollers and wheelchairs because they take more time to enter and exit the bus. But hey, everyone needs to get somewhere.

I didn't buy a movie ticket in advance.  Besides the price of the movie ticket they also charge you a service fee when you buy on line. I knew the movie wasn't going to be too busy because I previewd the available seating in advance.  I also wanted to make sure I didn't miss too much of the movie before buying my ticket given how slow the traffic was moving.  Fortunately I only missed about 5 minutes of the movie when I checked in.  But by the time I ordered a coffee it was a longer delay.  Unbeknownst to me they made a fresh pot of coffee which added to the delay in getting into my seat.  On the other hand it was lovely to get a nice, fresh cup of Starbucks coffee.

The movie I went to is called Heart of the Beast. It's an adventure survival movie with Brad Pitt and a beautiful German Shepard who goes by the name Odin in the movie. The story is sad and poignant.  I won't say more as I don't want to spoil it for you.  But in case you'd like to know more,  here the official trailer if you want to check it out.

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I stopped at Winners after the movie. I spent a lot of time browsing before finally purchasing 3 small items including a rechargeable lamp for the entryway.  The lamp is meant for  a small cabinet but there's no available outlet nearby so a rechargeable lamp is a good option. 

Even though I made an early dinner before I left the house, I didn't have time to eat it.  By the time I'd finished at Winners it was 7:45 p.m. and I was famished. T & T Supermarket was nearby so I headed there for a few grocery items and some ready to eat snacks.

My snack/light dinner consisted of some unknown to me version of Vietnamese Salad rolls. The filling was mostly vermicelli noodles.  Whatever they added to the lettuce was quite tasty even though there wasn't much of it. I also had a small seaweed salad and a Strawberry Milk Tea with Pearls. It was all good.  I bought a few vegetables and some strawberries at the supermarket before heading home.

I mentioned that it rained for several days.  The temperature also really dropped and now I'm fighting a cold. Thankfully my little garden is still blooming and I am still going outside to smell the beautiful fragrance of the roses.  I don't have to go far so it's not a hardship.

I've spent a lot of time this month researching and buying supplies and items for some DIY renovations we're doing. It's taken a lot more time than I thought it would so I really needed a break from it.  Renovations will be ongoing for awhile by the look of things but I'm pleased with how things are going so far.  Despite the very small spaces being renovated they come with a large amount of challenges most of which were created by the workers who did the previous work. Maybe the solutions would be more evident for a skilled and experienced construction worker but we're first time DIYers so we have to carefully think about each challenge.  Of course, budget also comes into play.

What has occupied your time in September?

A Painted Sky

I feel happy looking out my patio balcony every day. Each day gives me something different to look at and on this evening the sky looks like a beautiful painting (click on photos to enlarge).

My niece made the heart for me several years ago.

All these zinnias and marigolds are the beautiful colours of autumn.

The echinacea is winding down for this season. I haven't grown them for years.

The petunias were taken out of the pots and put into the garden.

Most of the plants in the garden were in pots first. They were taken out and put into the garden when we thought scaffolding was going to be installed in order to repair balconies on the upper levels. It turns out the scaffolding may or may not be erected. If it does go up it won't be until the end of summer.

I get to enjoy breathtaking skies on a regular basis.

I hope you enjoyed them too.

 

The Garden

Time seems to go by so fast.  Seasons come and go like the wind.  This summer was no exception. 

I've noticed a difference in the air over the past week. The heat of summer isn't as intense and I've needed a covering once or twice.  Normally I don't feel a distinct  change in the air until September 1st.

Here are a few photos at the community garden. I always enjoy the plants in spring and summer.  I'm already missing them though autumn hasn't arrived yet.

I still have a few things I want to enjoy before summer ends. I hope you do too.  Have a great week ahead!

So Much Beauty ~ Skywatch Friday

I started the day with clear blue skies as in the first photo.

Before night fell, I went to the community garden and was there for a short after doing this and that around the home. Most of the people in the park were dog owners;  taking Fido out for their evening business. Other patrons were clearly reluctant to leave and lingered on to talk or play the guitar and sing.  I enjoyed a mini conference while relaxing nearby to the songstress.

I'd gone to the garden for a bit of weeding and came home with a nice amount of strawberries. Unbeknownst to me my DH had already weeded so I was relieved of my responsibility.  The strawberries were definitely a lot tastier than most purchased at the stores but they were also a lot dirtier. You know you can't really wash berries because they spoil more quickly once moisture gets on them..  I washed and used about half of them right away in a smoothie right away and froze the other half.

Earlier in the day I was doing a whole lot of small jobs that just never seem to get done when there are a mountain of daily, larger chores to do.  I always feel accomplished when I manage to clear away some of the smaller tasks.

I wound all the large skeins of yarn into balls

I also got rid of a lot of packaging materials.

Earlier in the week I captured these beautiful skies.

Thanks so much for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post for this week. Have a wonderful weekend.

Renewal & Keeping Busy

Hello friends,

It's been a very busy few weeks. I've been in the process of renewing and refreshing my home and garden.  This has involved researching various large household items for purchase and going to brick and mortar stores where possible.

One thing I wanted was a storage bed.  But once I got to the brick & mortar store to check out mattresses, for a storage bed I got sidetracked.  Instead of finding a mattress, I found an adjustable base and have made a tentative decision to buy it if I can organize a new mattress.  Earlier, I spent an enormous amount of time looking for a storage bed and an appropriate mattress before I switched tracks. I've got a few weeks to find a suitable mattress.  My DH was not sold on the idea of a storage bed.  But he does like the idea of an adjustable bed.  So when I was at the store trying out mattresses and bed bases, I came to see the health and comfort benefits of a bed we can adjust for comfort.

As you likely already know there are just so many mattress options available at a variety of price points.  But it's not that easy to find one you (and your partner) like and at the right price point.  Now that I found an adjustable bed base (and DH approves), I have to find a compatible mattress.  A lot of mattresses these days are just not that deep.  Combined with an adjustable bed base that isn't very high because it doesn't require a box spring, it's a bit more challenging to get the bed height one would like.  I don't like sitting on chairs, or sleeping on beds, that are too low to the ground.  I'm actually surprised that most of the mattresses I've looked at aren't even 10 inches deep.  The last time I went mattress shopping which was many, many years ago, I recall that mattresses were very deep and pillow top mattresses were all the rage. Do you remember when 14 inch sheets were all the rage because the mattresses were so deep?  I wonder when all that went out of fashion?

If I find the right mattress in the next week or two, I'll know for sure about the bed base.  I've paid a refundable deposit and the store is holding the bed base for me. After searching and searching for a mattress with no luck as of yet, I thought maybe we should just keep what we have. But DH and I would both be more comfortable in a larger bed, which by the way brings up another purchase need.  A larger bed requires larger sheets. Thankfully the bed spreads and comforters I have will still work. I'll have to donate several sets of sheets but will keep 1 or 2 to use on the sofa bed.

Another thing that's taking time is the new garden and patio set up.  The entire patio was rebuilt in 2024 and the garden has had to be planted from scratch.  I really wasn't up to figuring out what to plant and doing the work of planting in time for it to be patio ready by warmer weather.  So for now, I've planted a variety of colourful flowers, mostly annuals, all from seed. I've also planted 3 bushes.  Over time, I hope to have a better idea of what I'd like in the garden and more time to work in the garden as well.  I had hoped to have the community garden planted by now too but there has been so much rain. I'm hoping to be able to finish the planting there by the end of Easter weekend. So far, I've done a little garden planning and purchased the seeds. I'll also have to buy some nursery plants.

We already have a patio table and chairs. I think we'll be spending more time relaxing outdoors this summer so DH and I agreed to purchase an outdoor sofa and armchairs. They'll be delivered on Wednesday. We haven't actually seen these items in person but they look to be gray in colour or greige (greyish beige). Once we see them we'll know how they go with the current patio umbrella (beige) and patio chair cushions (red) purchased just last summer. 

Unfortunately, there seems to be little choice in colours and patterns when it comes to outdoor furniture.   They are either dark and gloomy looking, wild with patterns or wild with colour.  Our primary concerns are comfort in the cushions and comfort in the height of the seats.  I have sat on similar cushions at the store to the ones I've purchased and they are very comfortable.  The seats are also 30 inches from the ground.  Other options I saw on line were mostly 22 inches off the ground. Thirty inches should be quite comfortable for most guests and for us as well. 

Chairs

I posted here about buying a new storage sofa and I'm loving it so far.  DH was quite happy with the leather sofa we're recycling. I told him the sofa is not doing its job when we need so many cushions to prop us up.  His main issue is the quality and durability of the furniture. The old sofa set was quite durable.  I could have refilled and stuffed it, but it would not solve the storage issue.  The set had more than paid for itself in terms of use, so it was time to let it go.  

The new sofa is firm and comfortable and the storage option has really made a huge difference in my daily life.  To date, I've been storing things to get them out of the way.  When I have a little time here and there, I sort and recycle the stored items. The leather armchair we had has been taken apart and the frame recycled.  I saved all the leather pieces which I'll either use or giveaway.  The leather sofa is still sitting in the living area.  We'll be renting a truck this week and moving it and 2 other pieces of furniture to the city dump.

Sofa, wooden bench & Pilates chair

In preparation for new furniture deliveries, the different corners of the house have to be cleaned.  Bags have been filled with clothes, books and other odds and ends which will eventually be donated to the Salvation Army.  Ideally, I'd like to have as many things as possible gathered for donation before they are delivered to cut down on the back and forth trips.  On the other hand, I don't like storing them for too long because visual clutter is overly stimulating and not in a good way.

Spring is here and with it I feel a sense of renewal and progress. My theme word for 2025 is 'renew'.  So far the word is working for me.  In 2024, the master bedroom and the patio were completely rebuilt.  It's appropriate that those spaces are being refreshed and renewed in 2025.  

What about you dear reader? Did you choose a theme word for the year 2025.  If so, what is it and how is it working out so far?

Take care until next time.

Enjoying the Colour

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the last of the current season wherever you may be in the world.

We've had a long run of beautiful skies and warm, sometimes very hot temperatures but we are now going into a cooling period and some rain is expected within the next few days.

I wanted to share the beautiful sunflowers growing in our community garden and the beautiful, blue sky as the back drop.

We also have a few ears of corn ready for harvest.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday today.

Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

The Weekend Happenings So Far

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I finally made it to the community garden plot to do some weeding and some harvesting.  But I only made it there very late in the day and it was cloudy, a bit cold and threatening rain so I didn't stay long. 

Sadly, I didn't get any photos at the park. I'd forgotten my phone when I left the house. It's the second time I've done that in as many weeks.  I always feel a bit lost when I've forgotten the phone because I rely on it for all kinds of things like checking store hours and locations, testing my blood glucose, checking the transit schedules and taking photos of my outings to name a few tasks.

At the garden I plucked out quite a lot of weeds and harvested a bit of purple Kale and Swiss Chard. I hope to make juice later on and add it to some ginger and lemons.  I'm hoping to get back to the garden soon to finish the weeding and harvest more Kale and Swiss Chard since that is mostly what I'm growing. Last time I picked some strawberries, chives and sweet peas but the chives are well past their best and the sweet pea plants withered and died. I'm not sure why. DH is in charge of the watering and I think the soil seems a bit too sandy. The compost we were provided at the beginning of the season seemed like it was mostly sand.

Anyway, I'm glad I made it to the garden because I've been trying to get there all week.  I only did about half of the weeding that needs to be done. Hopefully I can make it to the garden again before Tuesday to continue the work.

I need to be home on Tuesday for various reasons, mainly because I'm expecting an Amazon delivery of a replacement bathroom fan.  I think mine stopped working when we had the water leak a few weeks ago. So much water came down and I heard that moisture can affect the fan. It only makes sense. I can see all the rust in different areas of the fan and box from the different leaks coming from upstairs over the years.

It might have been cheaper to go to Home Depot and get a fan but then I need to expend the energy to get there and back,  find the time to actually go there and then find someone to help me once there.  I've got too many things to do this week.  I've saved myself some time if it fits.  If it doesn't I'll send it back and go to Home Depot next weekend.

Bathroom exhaust needs replacing.

I also have a parcel to pick up at the post office.  If the Amazon delivery gets here early, I'd like to pick up my parcel.  I'm hoping that something I ordered fits and is comfortable enough to wear to the  Rolling Stones concert on Friday.  Otherwise I'll have to dig in my suitcases and see what I have.  I'm still camped out in the living room and most of my clothing is not accessible as it's in storage.

The decluttering continues this weekend. I've got most of one big box from the master bedroom cleared out and I have one more to sort.  In the meantime, I decluttered a few more items from the bathroom counter.  Every little bit helps.

Last, but not least, I completed the novel, The Victory Garden. It's about a young woman from a posh family who decides to volunteer for the war effort during WW1. Her fiance dies in battle but she discovers she's with child. She decides not to tell her parents and sets out to find a way to survive. In the end, she is reunited with her parents.  The story by Rhys Bowen is poignant and sensitively written. I recommend it.

Well that's my weekend so far. How is your weekend going?

Happy New Month of June

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope you're well. I don't know about you but I feel as if the month of may went by in a flash. I've been kept on my toes so that usually makes the time fly by.

Let's hope the month of June is a good one for all of us and that it doesn't get too hot or too cold where you live.  In Canada, wildfires started a few weeks ago in the far north of British Columbia and northern Alberta.  Several communities in both provinces had to be evacuated. Fortunately, they got the green light to return to their homes just a few short days ago. Sadly some people did lose their homes but I think the damage might have been less than originally expected. Thank God for small mercies. It's never fun having to move out of your home unexpectedly and especially not knowing what you might be returning to at the end of the ordeal.

Where I live the weather has been beautiful for much of the month of May but in the last week it turned quite cold.

The small community plot that I planted is doing 'so so'.  It was very cold in April and the garden rules are that the gardens must be fully planted by May 1st.  In April, there weren't a lot of starter or nursery plants available in my neighbourhood but I bought what I could and also sowed sunflower seeds directly into the soil.

They are green items growing in the foreground.  I probably planted too many because they didn't do so well when I tried to start them indoors so I wasn't sure how they would do being sown as seeds into the garden plot.  I've been to the garden plot a few times to check on them.  They seem to be growing a bit slowly but perhaps that is normal since they have a longer growing season than many vegetables.

Various invasive plants have planted themselves in the garden plot as well. I just let them grow.  It doesn't bother me but it does bother other gardeners.  I plucked out most of the mint but I left the strawberries and some poppy plants.  The cherry tomatoes haven't grown very much since planted but this seems to be normal.

We are growing kale, swiss chard, lettuce and tomatoes, sweet peas and corn.  The other plants have sown themselves or they come back yearly.  Soon I have to return to do some weeding and also harvest some chives.  They grow so well no matter what the weather and it seems like they don't really need any maintenance.

I picked a few strawberries and ate them after washing. It was a nice little treat.

I'm joining in with Skywatch Friday today.  Thank you for stopping by! Please come again soon.