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.

A Little of Everything

Hello friends,

I hope you are all doing well.

I am basically fine and have been keeping myself busy.  I've been gainfully occupied with homely things like cooking, cleaning, gardening, a bit of knitting and reading.  I'm sure most of you are all doing much the same.  Some people are probably exercising of which I am only doing a bit of indoor exercise.  Unless you count a little bit of outdoor gardening though most of the strenuous work is finished.

Fern on May 19/20. I'm really pleased with how lush it looks after how it looked at the beginning of May.

Same fern on May 1/20.  After the winter I removed most leaves which were dead.  It has really come back to life and more fronds are unfurling (the round knobs you see near the soil).

Cosmos. I wish I had some dirt in the ground to plant these in rather than in the container.

Catmint. This plant has several medicinal benefits and is easy to grow.

Hostas. I am going to transplant some of these are they are too crowded in the cedar box.

Red petunias. I need some new terracotta planters but it will have to wait for another time.

Red petunias. I love how petunias spread out and take up space with their luscious blossoms.

I recently started knitting some cloths again. I'm using up my yarn stash and replenishing the cloths I made in the Fall to give as gifts

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I haven't been using the time of quarantine for much reading except for Bible reading.

It's mainly because I enjoy reading paper books and our library is closed except for digital books.

Recently I took the plunge to borrow some digital books and read Sapiens and The Colour Purple.

 It started well but I ended up only giving it 3/5 stars.

I gave this classic 4/5 stars.

This will be my next read.

I still enjoy taking photos of the sky, especially if there is colour in it when I am still up at dawn. It's been raining for going on 3 of the past 4 weeks but there are dry periods in each day and I believe the photos below were taken in our dry week.

Early morning, May 11, 2020

Early morning May 11, 2020

Early morning May 8, 2020

Joining in with Skywatch Friday.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend ahead.

My World Tuesday

Hi friends,

I hope you are all doing well and finding ways to keep happily occupied.  What follows is a general summary of  how I'm coping with the lock down and how the province as a whole is coping.  It is  not a pity party or a complaint, just the reality of things at the moment. It probably looks and sounds quite similar to what is going on in your part of the world.

Since we've been told to only go out for essentials I really try to stay home. I don't even go for a walk. In the beginning I went shopping once a week and went to 2-3 places to try and buy everything I wanted.  Now I don't bother with that.  If I don't find something at one place, chances are it isn't at the 2nd or 3rd place and I don't want to expose myself to too many people.  These days I am going out about once every 8-10 days to one grocery store.  I also go to the pharmacy every other week for eggs, milk and some small things I may need.

Just before Easter weekend I noticed that we had to queue at all the shops and pharmacies. I thought it was due to larger numbers of people out on a sunny, long weekend.  But I've learned that it seems to be the new normal for grocery shopping.  It helps with social distancing inside the store when they limit people who can go inside at one time.  They also mark where to stand in the line outside and that helps too because no matter what there are always those that just don't do the right thing.  For some reason this seems to make most people behave better and do the right thing.  I've been fortunate that the lines I've been in have been short and fast moving.

According to our head doctor who along with our Health Minister, gives a daily update on Covid 19, we have been flattening the curve in British Columbia over the past few days. She thinks that some restrictions can begin to be lifted by mid-May.  Even so she has been cautioning us that things will not go back to the way they used to be and there won't be any larger gatherings of probably more than 50 people throughout the summer (concerts, fairs, festivals, sporting events, weddings).  Our Prime Minister has also been saying that things won't be going back to normal until there is a vaccine available.

Right now all schools and universities are either closed or carrying out activities on line as best they can.  Governments are mulling over how to return children back to school but say that it won't be back to regular classroom sizes. More information to come in future for those parents who wonder.  Sadly many businesses are probably bankrupt. Though the government did provide assistance to many individuals and for many different purposes, I'm not sure exactly what happened as far as places like restaurants and small retailers go. Those are the ones that struggled almost immediately.  Then in the last few days we've been hearing about drastic reduction in public transit services (buses, sky trains/subway, sea bus and trains). There are also layoffs in many places. I'm sure this is a similar situation the world over so things will look very different in our communities in months to come.

I came across what I thought was an interesting short video about what Vancouver, British Columbia looks like during this time of quarantining. It may look like a ghost town and though most people are staying home there are people on the streets each time I go out.  I know there are people walking on the beaches where permitted.  The provincial parks were closed until further notice just before the long weekend to prevent people from crowding at the parks.  The large downtown park, Stanley Park is not open to the public at this time either though I think the smaller city parks remain open for the most part.  The community gardens in a park near me remain open for gardeners though I haven't been to mine yet.

My nephew who is doing his Ph.D. here has said his life is actually busier with all the teaching and other requirements that now have to be done on line. The university is even planning for graduation ceremonies on line.  I'm not sure what will happen to admissions for foreign students.  I  have a young friend in Kenya waiting to hear if he will be accepted to study at University of British Columbia. Sadly he did not receive an offer from the Vancouver based program.  He is waiting to hear about the program at the Kelowna campus of the university.  Kelowna is a resort town located about 5 hours north east of Vancouver.  If he gets an offer I think there will be other challenges that did not exist before Covid 19. But we take one step at a time.

The quarantine has brought out a lot of creativity in the way Canadians try to stay connected.  Have a look at this short video.

On Sunday I waiting for a cousin to come by with her friend and pick up 6 dining chairs which I've been holding for her for many weeks.  She lives about an hour and a half away and  I haven't seen her since my dear mom's funeral.  We couldn't even hug and so we just did our business at a distance and she left.  I am so glad that she took the chairs though.  The chairs were a gift from my mom and I really didn't want to get rid of them.  But after years of hanging on to them and not using them I just wanted to find a new home for them.  My cousin absolutely loves antique furniture and items with sentimental value so I know she will appreciate them.  Moreover she lives in a small town where people appreciate old time things antique furniture and decor items and quilts made with fabrics and yarns. She also says she knows someone who can do the minor repairs that the chairs need.

Sunday was the day I also started working in my patio garden. There is so much work to be done to clean all the debris from the garden and the many containers I have. Everything also needs to be washed, the patio tables and chairs as well as all the cushions and tablecloths. I do not bother washing the container pots since they quickly get dirty if it rains even once.  The furniture and containers have to be moved around and some of them are very heavy.  Then of course the 40L bags of soil amendment material is also heavy.  Even 20L weights quite enough.  The next day I could barely move or get up and down without a lot of pain. The past weeks of inactivity resulted in more impact on my slack muscles than usual but this too shall pass.  I did only a very little work on Monday and need to do a lot more before the patio garden can be considered ready.  I like using starter plants in the container pots but I was only able to buy 5 pots when I went out on Friday.  They were too expensive and the variety was just not there. Much of what was on offer was in baskets (lots of hanging baskets) and big tomato plants in buckets at a steep price.

I am not sure what I will find when I try to go out later this week. I do have some seeds but have basically run out of time to start the seeds. I bought them before the Covid 19 pandemic was announced and I just didn't have the get up and go to get started before now.   In fact I don't really have the get up and go now or even all the tools and materials but I have to get rolling or just forget about it all for this year.  Hopefully I can get everything planted soon.  I think I'll be spending a lot of the summer sitting on the patio. It it will be a good place to have my coffee, read my Bible and listen (quietly) to music.

Today I made some turkey rice soup with dumplings. I used the leftover turkey chunks and turkey bones from the Easter dinner. I didn't try to pretty it up so you can see some tendon or sinewy chunks in the soup.  I fish them out and throw them out after cooking.  This is only the 2nd time I've made dumplings in the pressure cooker. The first time I added the dumplings  at the beginning of the cooking process.  That didn't work.  The cooking time was too long and the dumplings fell apart.  This time I added the the dumpling at the end on the soup settings but without putting it under pressure.  The dumplings turned out well enough but next time they should be even better.  I read that you should let the batter rest before putting them on the soup. It is supposed to give time to the baking powder to work and make the dough fluffier.

I made big dumplings. The photo shows the soup after 2 dumplings were removed.

I used this recipe for a guide and added some herbs.

The recipe doesn't use butter but I saw a variation of this recipe using butter.

Take care and have a wonderful week ahead.
Stay safe. 

Joining with Our World Tuesday today.

This and That

In my last post I mentioned the long delay in planting my garden due to inclement weather. While I was waiting to plant  I've been catching up on other things like reading.

Here is a photo display of the books I've read so far. I've mentioned before that I have a modest goal of 20 books but with current books I'm reading I will soon surpass the goal.  Once I achieve it I don't have ambitious plans to set a higher goal. Instead I'll spend time doing other things like arts & crafts, sewing, gardening, decluttering and simply enjoying life as much as possible this summer. It seems there is never enough time to do everything but stopping to enjoy life is very important especially enjoying time with family and friends while you can.

I'm in the process of building a new life as it's been 2 years since my late mom passed, 1 year since my sister in law passed, 1 year since a dear old friend passed, almost 1 year since we lost Grandma Sally and 2 months since a young cousin passed.  The last while has been a time of many losses.  Though I do believe I will see all of them again one day it has still taken it's toll on me. I miss them and the losses leave a void in my life.  I've had to try and rebuild my life without them, with some it is a bit easier to do than others simply because of distance or time spent with them but they were all a big part of my life and now they are are no longer here.

I've kept super busy over these past two years trying to move forward and clear out a lot of things that are no longer needed.   I've also spent time trying to catch up to my own personal needs and business.  Some of that will continue.

A while back I mentioned I wanted to change financial advisors. In serendipitous timing my current advisor called me late last week to let me know he is moving on to a different company. It will cost me money if I follow him to wherever he is going.  Though he is willing to split the cost with me I think the time has come to move on though I'm still mulling it over.

This week I met with a possible new advisor.  We had a good first meeting but I'm still exploring options, pros and cons and so on. In my next meeting with the new advisor I will see what he has to say about my current investments and what he might recommend. I also want to learn more about him personally. I don't know about you but when you see a financial advisor you basically lay your whole life bare because your whole life is tied up in your finances, your spending, future spending, income, investments, retirement, wills and so on. So I think it's only fair that you learn something about them personally.  Also, there are many people out there who call themselves financial advisors or planners but they have no real credentials or experience. Canada is thinking of regulating this area (you would think this would have happened before now). It pays to do your homework.

If any of you have experience of changing financial planners and/or investment advisors please let me know in the comment section how you went about it and whether you were satisfied with the outcome.

I've also been trying to carve out more time for personal prayer and study. I'm currently participating in a forty day (40) prayer and Bible study.  This is a huge commitment because it adds hours a day to my already busy schedule.  I have 18 days left in the commitment. Once it is done, I'm hoping to be able to establish the right balance and daily and weekly routines. At least I'll try.

But right now I'm enjoying this intensive time of prayer, Bible study and fasting (from meat and poultry).  As you can imagine, something has to give in the schedule so it means I'm spending less time chatting with friends abroad as well as less time blogging and on entertainment activities.

To be honest, I'm also feeling quite tired. On top of that my knees have gradually begun to bother me again to the point where they are almost constantly in pain.  I've been needing to take pain relief nightly which I've never done before.  I'm not certain how much fatigue is health related, pain related, or even related to the fast and change of diet (I've increased my supplementation with Omega 3, broad based vitamins and turmeric or perhaps more accurately I've started being more consistent in taking them).  Thankfully I haven't really been craving meat or fowl that much but I'm not used to going long periods without meat protein and I'm finding I just don't feel good so I'm trying to go easy on myself.  Today I managed to make a more nutritious and filling meal (vegetarian curry  made with onions, carrots, potatoes, spinach and peas over rice). It was nice and of course there will be left overs which is always helpful.

Finally, I was pleased to get the community garden plot in yesterday. I was so happy and blessed to have the help of the young woman who has the garden plot right next to mine. My knees were so bad and though I didn't share that with her she just pitched right in and volunteered to turn my soil, recommended where to plant my various seeds for best results and dug out a huge rosemary bush which I asked if she wanted.  She was very happy to accept the rosemary bush as she said she had been admiring it for awhile.

Night descends on the community garden at a small, well used park near my home.

Now I just have to make sure to visit the plot often enough to keep it well watered.  The young lady offered to water the plot today because she was visiting her plot anyway.  I will make sure I get over there tomorrow since I still want to plant a few carrots and some kale. I need to buy the seeds tomorrow.  One thing I'd like to learn more about before next year is companion planting. I don't tend to plan my garden too much because I usually use starter plants.  I have to go with whatever plants are available when I shop in the stores.  Often they don't have what I want. With the veggie garden I'm mainly using seeds.  It provides more options and ability to do some companion planting.

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What's Up?

Hi friends,

I hope you are all doing great and enjoying whatever season you are currently experiencing. It is spring in my part of the world. It came late and as usual the best part for me, the cherry and apple blossoms, were so very fleeting and I hardly got a chance to appreciate and enjoy them.

I seem to get a shorter chance each season to enjoy them so I'm always grateful for the photos I manage to take of them each year and for the photos others share on their blogs. If you missed some beautiful blossoms you can enjoy a few here.

Much of our spring so far has been cold and rainy. From time to time I hear the weather person saying the temperatures have been seasonal or normal for this time of year with the exception of a few days here and there but in my own recollection it has seemed colder. We had warmer temperatures in January (unseasonably warm) than we did in much of the following months. That should be changing this week as we are supposed to get dry, sunny days with increasing temperatures to the end of the week.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I spent a bit of time in the patio garden because it was sunny as expected. Each day the temperature increased slightly over the day previous.

I'm including the photo below to show you how clear the sky was early Tuesday evening. I also wanted to share the painting on the side of the building. I always stop to admire it from across the street.

I look forward to the sunshine we are having.  But I'll be happier if the temperatures don't soar to high in the coming days and weeks. Today, Wednesday, it already felt very hot.  We have wildfire issues almost every year and so it's best the temperatures do not soar too high too early. Wildfires have become a concern each and every year for some time now. Not only is it devastating to our beautiful forests and private properties,  it is dangerous work to fight the fires and expensive for the governments and taxpayers. The budget for fire fighting is increasing each year as wild fires unfortunately become the norm. I think most of us attribute this state of affairs to climate change.  However I also heard on the news that almost 50% of the fires are caused by humans being careless. In this day and age one would think that people would be more careful.

I'm sharing the photo below because some of you might remember that the high rise (with the tree on the roof top) can be seen from my balcony or patio. It seems like it has been going up for a very long time but at least the past half a year seems to have been spent on the finishing touches. It looks like they are getting very close to occupancy.

Starbucks is on the street level and has been open for a few months already.  Recently, a friend of mine who visited from Toronto, Canada spent every day there studying for the legal bar examinations to qualify as a lawyer in BC. I met him there a few times for coffee.  The second floor of the building will house a grocery market called Nester's. When I look at it from across the street I can see the shelving going in but I'm not sure when they plan to open for business.

On the other side of the Chevron gas station is a new and very popular pub/restaurant. It has replaced a Japanese restaurant which I frequented.  One day it was open and the next day unbeknownst to me it closed it's business. Just beyond the restaurant, a few doors away (at the street corner) a popular produce place has closed. I used to enjoy stopping there for fresh fruit, vegetables and organic products.

I think the taxes for small business are simply too high. Recently the city council raised property taxes twice in 2019 (my property taxes increased first to 4.5 to 6.0 percent this year even though property prices have dropped).  The additional 1.5 percent increase was supposedly to lessen the tax burden on small businesses but some business owners have told me that their landlords had already increased their rents.  This means the tax increase did not achieve it's stated purpose.  It only makes the tax burden heavier on individual owners IMHO.

I feel I am so far behind in various tasks I'd like to do that really need to be done in a timely manner. For example, I haven't planted yet at the community plot. I was hoping to do it earlier this week with the nicer weather we are having but have been tired and also busy with other priorities. I am hoping to get there tomorrow or Friday. I prepared the soil over a month ago and have been waiting for just the right day to plant both gardens.  I see the date on my photo below is almost 2 months ago when I cleaned the garden debris and added fertilizer. But honestly the weather has been either cold or wet since to feel like doing much more. I'm probably the last gardener to get my garden planted at the community plot.

In the patio garden I've put out the furniture (minus the cushions until the rain stops) and covered the outdoor tables with tablecloths.  I've been visited almost every day by my neighbour's new cat. The cat is only a year old and is very pretty, friendly and mostly fearless.  I'm of two minds about her coming to my patio garden so often.  I caught her digging in my garden the other day and I became concerned when I  saw one of the recently planted bulbs laying exposed on the surface of the soil. Not only might she destroy what I've planted but she might also start doing her business in the garden. My neighbour assures me she won't but I suggested she try to train her cat to stay on her side of the patio.  On the other hand, she is very sweet cat and I enjoy seeing her so it is hard to get angry over her visits.  I can tell my neighbour is anxious and wants me to like her new kitty cat so that I won't raise a fuss about it. But I know she is also concerned that her cat might start jumping over the partition to the neighbours beyond. That might prove more problematic.

Back to planting matters.  This year I wasn't able to plant many pansies.  Though I purchased enough of them the delay in planting means that at least half of them died off.  The other half don't look that great but I've planted them anyway and am hoping they will revive with some tender loving care.  This will be the first year I haven't planted many pansies since I first started gardening.  I've also planted fewer petunias this year but they tend to grow quickly so it should be fine.  I love all the colour petunias bring to the garden and the happy faces of pansies in full bloom.  To make up for the lack of pansies and petunias I've planted a lot of red geraniums.  Their brilliant colourful blooms always cheer me when I see them flowering in the garden.  The garden will look much better soon when the flowers and other plants start to mature.  I spotted a pretty little hummingbird last night. Hopefully I will see a lot more of them this summer. Maybe I'll finally be able to catch a photo of one this year if I can spend more time outside relaxing.

As we head into warmer weather it is also a time for better grooming with the hair and nails. I got the hair coloured, highlighted and trimmed. It wasn't the best job my hairdresser did this time around but it is more than adequate. This week or next week I'm hoping to get a massage and foot reflexology session using coupons I purchased 2 months ago already. They will expire in another few weeks so I must make sure to use them.  The nails will have to wait since my fingernails are damaged from the last person who did them. I cannot believe it but they need time to regrow.

This post was longer so I cut out several paragraphs.
I've got lots to keep me busy from now to at least the end of summer and I'm also expecting visitors.
It means I will hopefully spend more time relaxing and enjoying my mornings and evenings out on the patio rather than simply doing things out in the community or indoors.


 I'm determined to sit outdoors this summer and read, enjoy my coffee, crochet or work on my laptop.  Last year I spent little time relaxing in the garden enjoying the fruits of my labour so I'd like to change that.

What about you dear reader?  Do you have some restful summer plans or active and adventurous plans?

Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for stopping by.
Before I go let me wish all the mothers a
Happy Mother's Day.
 Many of us, like me, have lost our mothers and so it is a time to remember them fondly with love and joy for all they did for us.

Joining in with 

Skywatch Friday

I was going to post this week to

Friday Foto Friends
but Debbie says she will not be keeping this linky party going.


It's been fun while it lasted and I've met some wonderful lady bloggers through her efforts. All the best dear Debbie.

Spring Activities Continue

Hi friends,


It's been raining a lot here this week so I didn't get to plant my 2 gardens plot yet. I am happy about that because it gave me time to shift to doing a few other things. I'm still in Spring cleaning and spruce it up mode.  I'm making notes here for my own record and for future reference.

 I'm constantly in the process of decluttering and getting rid of things some of which has piled up for over a decade.  Things piled up when I spent years looking after my late sister's children then looking after my late mom.  I couldn't spend time to properly deal with my business while others in the family were in great need. The declutter project I'm doing will still take a lot more time.  I don't easily get rid of things and like to take time going through everything meticulously.

Sometimes I go through things 3 or 4 times before making final decisions and over the years, needs and wants change and things come into clearer focus as to what is needed or can be let go. I am no hoarder though and over the years have gotten rid of a lot of things mostly through giving to the thrift store or posting things on the local Freecycle website.  For now while I'm still in declutter mode I'm trying to spruce things up a bit.

Spring Cleaning

• A new bathroom shower curtain. I just changed it a year ago and felt the colours (navy on white) needed toning down. My new curtain is mostly white and has small designs in navy and gray). I intend to paint the bathroom (something I never seem to get to) and install a train rack for extra towel storage.
• Purchased some command hooks for the laundry closet on which to hang my mop and broom. I've had metal ones for many years but never got around to nailing them in the wall. So at last I have some stick on ones. I've purchased extra command strips if needed. One of the shelf units in the laundry closet came out of the wall so rather than put it back up I purchased some narrower plastic shelves from Wal-mart a year or two ago. I am happy with the new arrangement because I don't have a laundry room as such and have to make do with a very small laundry closet.
• I emptied and cleaned the vacuum cleaner, vacuumed the living room/dining room and moved the area rug from the front room into the master bedroom. I'm looking for another one or two larger area rugs for the living room and dining area. I've been looking for a very long time. I am not in a big rush because of all the other things I have to do and because I hope to live with my purchases for many years to come.
• I bought a new larger entry hall rug to replace the temporary one I bought last year.  I went back and forth to the store 3 times to buy and exchange the rugs. In the end I got a different colour than I wanted.  That's okay because the entry hall rug and the kitchen rug are now the same design (different colours) and can be interchanged if I want to change the colour scheme in the kitchen.
• I bought a new tablecloth (narrow brick red and tan stripes on natural background) and natural coloured napkins.  I've got a number of tablecloths I bought many years ago but wanted something to freshen things up. I think I can get rid of at least one or two tablecloths that have seen better days.
• New (slightly larger) kitchen rug, dish rack, draining mat and oven mitts. I've decided I'd rather have a dish tray under the Umbra dish rack but have been having problems finding just the right one. Maybe I'll change my mind as time goes on and stick with the draining mat. I will donate the well used teak dish rack and several drying mats. If no one wants them I'll be fine with putting them in the trash because all of the items have been used for quite a long time.
• I bought an under the sink shelf. I'm not sure if I'll use it in my kitchen or in the master bathroom. If I like it I may buy another one later. Right now I use plastic containers under the kitchen and master bath sink to keep things organized. Right now though the  master bathroom stuff is out of control and needs to be reined in again (I'm working on not buying more products and using up what I have. It takes discipline).
• I used some white wood putty to fill in some cracks on my kitchen cabinets. I'm not sure yet but I may paint out the lower cabinets some time in future or I may reface the kitchen cabinets.  It will depend on whether I can make a small repair to one of the cabinet hinges and also on overall costs. This is just one of so many projects that need to be done.  For now I am focussing on the smaller projects to try and make the household flow a bit better.  It seems to be a never ending process.
• I purchased a can of Scott's Liquid Gold to shine up the kitchen cabinets after washing. I only buy this stuff about once every decade and mainly use it on my laundry closet shutter doors to shine them up a bit. I got this tip from an Executive Assistant to a former boss.  We would share a few decorating ideas from time to time. I was surprised to learn that this product is multi-functional and can even be used on kitchen pots to shine them up.
• Notes: Most of my new purchases were done at HomeSense so the items were all at a discount.  Of course the stock changes daily.  If you waffle a bit and return another day you take a risk that it might not be in stock when you return.  Imagine my surprise when I returned the very next day for a red & beige rug for the entry hall (there were 3 of them less than 24 hours earlier) and they were all gone! Since I visited the store daily for 3 days in a row it was clear to me that stock turnover happens very quickly.  Overall though I've been very pleased with what I found there. I'd been wanting to stop at this store for years. I didn't realize it's location was convenient to me.

There is a lot more work to do in the coming weeks to continue spring cleaning and decluttering though I won't likely write about all of it in this space (lucky you).

Gardening

I bought some pansies to plant in the containers on the balcony. I should have time later this week to undertake this task. Pansies are one of my favourite little flowers and each year it is hard to find the starter plants here. When I saw a few earlier this week I snapped up 10 pots because the store didn't have much stock and very little of the purple colour I love so much.  I have to plant them soon and hopefully the weather will cooperate later this week.

Frugal Cooking

I've baked bread every week for the past 3 weeks. We haven't eaten it all up so I made bread pudding with some of the slices. I forgot to take a photo. It was good but I'm still looking for a good recipe. I find most of the recipes I've tried result in what I consider to be a dry pudding.

I want a pudding that is much creamier and similar to what my late mom used to make. Too bad I didn't learn her recipe but back then I really didn't enjoy cooking at all and had no interest in learning much about it.  In the version I made today I added more milk (find it here) and used less sugar. It was a decent outcome as in tasty but lacked the creamy texture I'm after.  I think the trick might be more eggs and milk though that might make a bread omelette, lol.  If you are a cook and have a creamy bread pudding recipe that you wouldn't mind sharing please let me know.

Right now I'm cooking from my food stock and only buying the barest minimum of foods, like a bit of fruit or eggs and milk to supplement what I have on hand.  I've got a lot of dried and canned goods as well as stuff in the freezer that I want to use up before I do any more grocery shopping.

So for today we had garlic mashed potatoes, fried pork chops and canned cream corn. I have salad fixings but I didn't make any salad.  Once I eat salad I tend to be too full for the main course. Dessert was bread pudding.

Yesterday we had baked chicken breasts (bone in) with canned browned mushrooms and mushroom soup "sauce" over steamed rice with steamed asparagus on the side. We had oranges for dessert.  I think Monday I'll make breakfast for dinner (bacon, eggs and hash browns or bacon with an omelette so I can put some veggies in there).  The goal is to use as much of my stock of food as possible so I can clean the freezer and the inside spaces of the cabinets.


If I run out of meat or fowl I will make vegetarian meals with chick peas, lentils and so on. In fact I hope to intersperse some of the meat and chicken dishes with vegetarian ones. I was inspired by browsing through the book by Mary McCartney (daughter to Paul and Linda McCartney). I didn't buy the book. I just sat down for awhile and thumbed through it (and a few other books) enough to be motivated once again to eat more vegetarian meals. One thing I want to make (which I saw in Mary McCartney's cookbook) is a corn meal bread with jalapeno peppers and corn niblets. I have several bags of cornmeal that a friend gave me and I need to use it up soon. In fact, I'm not sure what the expiry date is (it's in sealed plastic bags with no markings).  Perhaps I should open one bag and smell it first.

Creativity

The crochet afghan I am making is going to be large enough to comfortably cover a twin sized bed so it is much larger than the throws I've been making to cosy up while sitting on the sofa. I think I'll be gifting it to my uncle who is now in long term care but first I'll call his wife and see if this is okay with them because my idea is rather last minute.  I'll take some photos of the finished product and share them when I'm done.

Television/Movies

I started watching a new series called "Hanna" on Amazon Prime.  I'm on episode 4 and find it very interesting. Are any of you watching it? I wanted to go and see the movie Dumbo but haven't got around to it yet. Have any of you seen it and do you recommend it for adults?


Reading

I am also reading a bit here and there. I am slowly working my way through the book Beyond Expectations which  I  picked up during my recent travels to Kenya.

It is quite interesting and chock full of information about the early days of Kenya's independence and the power brokers of the day.

I also picked up 3 more books at the library.

The Piano Teacher,  set in the 40s and 50s in Hong Kong. It's a fictional story which is primarily about two separate but intertwined love stories set in the period before and after Japanese occupation.  I've just finished the book and I would probably give it a 3 or 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I'm about to start on the next two books.

On Island is a book of fictional short stories written by a former Canadian Member of Parliament. The stories revolve around island living.

We're Going to Need More Wine is a memoir by actor Gabrielle Union. Her essays are true stories about power, color, gender, feminism and fame.

Other

I was hoping to see an old friend for lunch but she's had some family issues come up as well as some health issues so our get together is temporarily on hold.  I have another friend who I hope to see early in the week. I've suggested we go and see the Monet to Matisse exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery. I thought we were going on "cheap night" but I now see it may still cost quite a lot so I'll have to reconfirm with her tomorrow. Next up I have to meet with a new financial advisor. I've been wanting to change up advisors for some time now but never have time to do the research. I've been called by a new to me advisor at one of the banks I deal with so am hoping to have a meet and get to know you session before any decisions are made. There have also been a number of dental and medical related appointments on the agenda this month and some family matters of my own (all is well) and the ongoing charitable work in Kenya. I didn't expect April to be so busy.

 ~~~~~

I hope you are well and busy and that you

 have a wonderful week ahead wherever you may be in the world.

Joining

Our World Tuesday

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Spring is Here

Hi friends,

I hope you are all doing well as the new week begins.

I had a pleasant surprise as the last week came to a close.  Debbie over at the blog She Graces Her Home in God's Grace touched me when she gifted me with a beautiful book and journal. It is perfect for me at this time because I've been thinking of journalling during my prayer time and this beautiful book and journal will get me going in the right direction. Take a wander over to Debbie's blog and you will see what a gracious woman she is.  The black, gray and white afghan the books are on is my latest project, a crocheted afghan. I think this will be my first make (not my last) of 2019.

I've been super busy trying to get everything organized for spring.

I know some people no longer believe in Spring cleaning. They say if you clean all through the year there is no need for Spring cleaning. I'm not sure I believe that because I do daily cleaning and larger clear outs and clean ups in between.  But I always find that come Spring I can see dirt, dust and grime that accumulates over months and as the light improves I can see things that need a good cleaning.  Plus I find that living in a smaller home one tends not to move things around too often because it is a lot of work.  So some things need a good spruce up every now and then.

This past week I've been washing down a number of things:

1) bathroom doors and walls
2) bathroom fixtures and installed new shower curtain
3) kitchen cabinets (outside only, insides will come later as time permits)
4) a few pieces of Royal Doulton china (Old Country Roses pattern).

I don't have a china cabinet, nor do I want one. These days my few pieces of china sit on a shelf atop the microwave.

It's also time to get the patio cleaned up and I've made a good start by

1) plucking all the dead growth and leaves
2) piling all the garbage in bags readying them  to take to the garbage room
3) washing all the garden gloves to make sure they are clean and ready for the gardening season (I probably should have done this last year. I had good intentions but never got to it.)
4) scrubbed down the large patio table and put up the patio umbrella(this is where I sit with family and friends)
5) scrubbed down the smaller, round patio table (this is where I do my planting).

Photo taken before I washed down the tables. The pavers need a good wash too.

Last year I purchased plastic table cloths from Dollarama for both patio tables. It helped to keep the tables clean of grit and grime. I know it's not that great for the environment to use all that plastic but it was labour saving for me and with some of my health challenges this is important.  I was going to wash and save the ones from last year but by the end of season they didn't look like they would last through a good wash.

I also made it to my new community allotment to clear out the debris and put in the fertilizer. I will return this week to see if there is any more fertilizer I can add before I plant.

The plot before cleaning.

I need to think about what I want to plant here at home and at the community allotment and see what I have on hand before making a trip to the stores for seeds, fertilizer and so forth.

This past week has been all about baking and cooking from scratch for make ahead meals. I've made home made bread and lots of lasagna for freezing ahead. Lasagna is something I seldom make but I felt like having some so I made enough to last awhile. It will help me during the busy week ahead to have something on hand to take out of the freezer and eat with a green salad.

Dough is rising.

I've finished a book that I received from a woman who also has a community garden plot. I found the book quite entertaining as it is an account of one woman's effort to grow food and raise animals for food while living in Oakland, California and the interesting and sometimes funny situations that arose.

I leave you with some signs of Spring in my part of the world.  Like many people, Spring is one of my favourite seasons

I'm hoping for more time to resume my posts about my recent travels abroad once I've finished the planting and gotten a few appointments out of the way. 

I have so many photos that it takes so much time to load them, decide which ones to use and then resize them before posting.

 Our World Tuesday

Enjoy your week 