Time for Planting & Refreshing

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Late spring is always a busy time of planting both indoors and outdoors. Since my patio is not ready for summer enjoyment (the timeline for completion is end of June though I have my doubts given the pace of progress) I just have the community plot at the park and I'm doing a bit of indoor planting.

All these plants were purchased on clearance so they weren't in the best of health. Usually when I find plants on clearance they are quite root bound and in need of larger pots. So I went in search of plastic pots that would be large enough and also have some drainage trays. I put some stones at the bottom to help with water drainage as well.

These plants were on my mantle when they were in smaller pots now they are too large for that. I really can't buy anymore unless and until I have more shelves because the flat surface space here is extremely limited.

Once the indoor and outdoor renovations are done and more decluttering is done, I may consider getting a plant stand where several plants can be housed together. Time will tell whether these plants will even live long enough because so many have died once winter draughts begin.  I enjoy them while they're alive though and I'm hoping the ones I put in the hanging baskets will last longer because they should be out of the pathway of any draughts that come through the windows.

More hanging baskets

In addition to buying pots and planters, I found a few things I need at the thrift store. I wasn't expecting to find these but these items have been on a wish list for some time. First is a set of bed risers.  These come in handy when you want to store things under the bed. 

The price I paid was $6.99 Canadian

I've been using bed risers for a few years already but these new ones should work much better since they are higher than the ones I have.  They also appear to be unused and came in the original box though the photo on the box looks old fashioned so the items may be older but still new and sturdy.

New risers (L), old risers (R)

I also found these double hook shower curtains for the main bathroom. The current ones are getting quite rusted after many years of use.  The original price was $14.99 and they have not been used.

I still have no word on when the repairs will be done in the master bedroom but it will be lovely to have the walls freshly painted and the carpets freshly cleaned.  Everything has been moved out so it will be much easier for the work to be done. It will be wonderful to have a refresh of the master bedroom and some updates to freshen the bathroom such as new door handles and new faucets. I'm thinking to update the toilet handle and perhaps a new sink. I do need to also plan for converting my bathtub into a shower rather than a combined shower/tub.  It has been too difficult to lift my legs into the bathtub every time I want to shower. We never use a tub anyway. DH and I always shower.  The main bathroom will remain with a tub. I do have a faucet and a new shower head for the main bathroom which need to be installed. The door knob has already been changed & the light fixture has been well cleaned. I'm thinking of adding a towel shelf in the main bathroom. Slowly changes are happening.

Thanks for stopping by! Please come again soon. Leave a comment and let me know you were here and it will help me to go and visit your blog too.

A Bit of Hygge

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Some of you will have read my story here about the lost and found item I picked up late Saturday night. I tried to go to the local police station on Sunday but it was closed by the time I arrived. I went again on Monday and thankfully made it before closing. I left the wallet with an explanation of where I found it and my name. Now it's in the hands of the police and hopefully the person who lost it will find their way to the police station or maybe the police will somehow locate him/her. I don't even know if the person is a male or female because I'm not familiar with the names.

I got a long-ish walk in over the span of several days going on errands and going to and from the police station over 2 different days.

To be honest, my body is really suffering from aches and pains and inflammation in the neck, back and hips. I wanted to get a body massage or a get in a foot reflexology session but the timing didn't work out. So instead, I have been trying to have moments of hygge by relaxing and revelling in some of life's quieter pleasures.

Like reading good books.

I was able to complete Crow Mary (favourite) The Paris Assignment (2nd favourite), and Miss Morgan's Book Brigade (3rd favourite)  I enjoyed all of them and would recommend them all.

I spent some time caring for my plants, watering them, removing dead leaves and transplanting one of them into a larger pot.  I also purchased a new plant. I think it's called a Kangaroo Fern but I'm not 100 percent certain since I've never seen one before. All of these plants were purchased on clearance over the past month or so and were in rough shape when I bought them. I'm trying to bring them back to life but they need more sunshine. I'd like to take them out to the patio but need to wait until the workers are gone.

I have this one in a hanging basket.

I just transplanted this one.

The fern on the left is new

I'm going to buy another hanging basket for the new plant on the left in the photo above. I can also see that the aloe vera needs dividing as it's gotten too big for the pot it's in.

I always enjoy seeing pockets of beauty when I'm out and about. I found this cute gem of a restaurant on Sunday and hope to return one day when it's open and when I have more time. It has a cute little patio on the other side.

I did a bit of shopping. I've been thinking about changing the bathroom sink faucets and saw these ones when I was browsing in the stores.  I think they'll do for now.  I purchased two sets, one for each bathroom.  I'll only open one until I see how it looks after installation.

When I'm out I like to dine by myself.  It allows me to rest my feet and catch my breath since walking and shopping takes a lot out of me. I also like to read while I wait for my dinner. This Bento Box is called a Nigiri Bento box for the raw fish (salmon, tuna and prawn) but it also had tempura, beef teriyaki and a dynamite roll. It came with the customary Miso soup which I love so much.

All in all I enjoyed my outings. Thanks for stopping by!

How Is Your Week Going?

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope the week is going well for you.

It's been busy here at the homestead.

It rained heavily on the weekend an a bit on Monday and Tuesday but otherwise it's expected to get quite warm for the rest of the week.  Possibly longer.

Monday started with a bang.  The workmen delivered a few pallets of cement blocks to the patio using a small crane. It was interesting to watch. These cement blocks will be used to build the garden wall which will then be filled with soil and ready for planting.

I had to make several phone calls. It's the season of birthdays and graduations in my world so I was on the phone making plans or confirming plans for both occasions. Everyone is busy these days so it's hard to find the mutually free time to get together but it works when everyone makes an effort.

I don't have too many indoor plants these days since I now have 2 large artificial trees. However I like to have live plants around me whenever  possible. Though the conditions in my home are not the best for plants (I have too little direct sunlight light and it's too cold for much of the year),  I still like to try to grow them. I purchased a fern that was on clearance and have just recently hung it up after looking for a wire chain and pot to use. I'll need to find another pot as I'm using the blue one as a liner. I'll look for a slightly smaller pot to repot the fern which is root bound. Hopefully I can put it outside in the sunshine even while the work outside is ongoing outdoors. Of course I'll have to do it when the workers  aren't working 

I continue to try and make healthier meals for the dinner hour. Stir frys are a favourite because they are quick and you can add so many different veggies to the noodles, rice or meat.

I'd love to know what is your favourite healthy meal to make?

That's all for today. Thank you for stopping by!

Spring Plans

Hi friends, 

Are you all looking forward to spring?  The community gardeners are gearing up and plans must be made because there is a contractual obligation to plant the garden by May 1st.  My nephew's girlfriend is still interested in gardening and so we're trying to get her a plot of her own. We should know soon enough. If she doesn't get one this year she can continue sharing mine. My DH Jonah also loves the garden and takes a walk to the garden and park every day in summer. This year he might also share a roundabout plot with another gardener so we can plant some veggies there.  

I didn't do much in my patio garden last year.  Largely because I heard the strata management was investigating the garden membranes and awaiting a report about whether they need replacement. It seems they do need replacement and one of options for strata members to consider is to do away with the gardens altogether with the exception of what you plant in a container.  Not everyone in the building has a garden that has a retaining walls, dirt and trees like I do. Some people have much smaller patios and no gardens, some have large patios and no gardens, some have enclosed sunrooms and no gardens and some have large patios and a decent sized garden. Over the years it seems like there are more and more rules to follow largely due to critters in the city. We can't even feed the birds or grow vegetables. We can still plant flowers.  I think most people with no garden will not support the idea of replacing everything for those that do because of the cost and also the cost of living increases. I'm okay with this outcome to be honest. I too don't want to be shelling out extra money for a garden I don't really enjoy with the unpredictable climate we've been having year after years for many years now. The decision about the garden will be made soon. In fact I'm surprised I haven't received notice of the Annual General Meeting though it should be delivered any day now.

I loved my garden when it's done well.  But I'm at the point where I really don't want the responsibility of the garden any more.  Not only is the weather very unpredictable but I'm not a natural gardener and I don't keep to a gardener's schedule very well.  I have one bush that has such extensive roots that it's very difficult to grow anything in the rest of the garden. I have another tree, my favourite Dogwood. It died last year after hanging on for several years. I'm not actually sure what happened to it because my neighbours Dogwood has done very well compared to mine but that corner of my garden isn't very good in general for growing as the sun very seldom reaches it and it remains cold a lot of the time. On my neighbour's side, the sun's rays reach her Dogwood tree a good deal of the time.  Perhaps that is why her tree is much healthier. 

There is also the building's structural issues to consider. I understand there are some concerns about the weight of the gardens and the impact on the structure. To be honest, I wondered about that when I first moved in.  Not only is the dirt very heavy, but some gardens like mine have bushes and trees planted in them. When you add the weight of all the watering, it can all get very heavy indeed.  So I've come to appreciate there are lots of good reasons for eliminating the buildings 'planted' gardens.

Indoors there are plans underway for gardening too.  I started buying plant soil so I can replant my succulents and tropical plants. I  got started on the planting but before I can finished I to find some of pots which I stored outdoors.  For now I've cleaned off the mantle. My it sure collected a lot of spilled dirt from the plants over the winter .  I've made do with the pots I had indoors but I may need to repot the one in the terra cotta planter.  I love terra cotta pots and largely use them outdoors.  The colour doesn't go well with the gray, white and black theme on the mantle.

I'm loving my new flameless LED candles.

Tuesday 4

 Hi and welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 kept alive in her memory by Annie from Cottage by the Sea.

This week's questions come from Pamela Steiner from Florida and the Open Doors and Closed Windows.

Here are this week's questions and my answers. I hope you will participate too.

1. In what part of the country is your current home located? North, South, East, West, Mid West,
coastal, rural, city, mountains or plains?

 

I live on the edge of the Pacific Ocean in the very far west of Canada. I don't literally live on the edge of the ocean but my city is located adjacent to the ocean.

 

 2. Why did you choose your present home, and how long have you lived there?

 

I chose my present home for many reasons, primarily location, size and view. My home is located in the centre of the city making it handy to get to downtown, the airport, the train station and the Greyhound bus, the latter of which is no longer servicing most of Canada.  It is also situated very handy to public transportation and unlike many who live in condos or in high rises, I have a spectacular view outside my window.  My home, though small, is not nearly as small as many other condos in the city and it came with a larger than normal patio, storage unit and parking spot. I thought all of these features would be great advantages for livability and for resale value. I moved in just before Y2K.

 

3. What do you like the most about your present home?

 

There are so many things to love about my home which is an apartment in a condo building.  I love that I do not have to shovel driveways when it snows or take care of all the exterior maintenance issues or common area issues.  The other things I love most about my home are the location,the big patio garden and the fact that virtually everything I need is within walking distance or a short drive away.

4. If money were no object, is there anything you would change about your present home, or would you keep it just the way it is?

 

There are so many things I love about my home but over the years I've come to feel it is a bit too small for my liking or my needs. I don't want to move out of the city to a find a larger space and I don't want the upkeep of a stand alone home. 

 

The thing I would like most is one more room for crafts and sewing and for overnight guests to sleep when they visit.  An addition to my home is out of the question given I live in a condo building.  If money were no object I would like to replace all the flooring which have mostly been replaced once already during my time here. I would also like to put in radiant heating in the common areas and update the kitchen and bathrooms.  

 

One thing I also miss is having a lot of space for plants.  I love plants of all kinds but one needs floor or shelf space. I'm doing some decluttering, reorganizing and so on to make more space for house plants.  My apartment is too cold and drafty for house plants but I will do my best to keep them alive. Here are some recent plant additions to my home.

 

 

 

Currently I am undertaking very small improvements to make things flow better and make the living spaces more enjoyable.

A view to downtown Vancouver from Spanish Banks.

 

 

 

I'm linking up with Tuesday 4.

A Bit of Sunshine

We've broken records for rainfall in 2020 and I haven't felt much like taking photos.  When we get a few days of sunshine like we have over the past several days, it is a pure joy.

There were multiple signs of spring on a recent outing.  I don't think I've ever noticed these pussy willows in previous years.

I hurriedly snapped a few photos with my phone's camera of both the pussy willows and the croci.

Croci coming up

Indoors I'm babying these small Fiddle Leaf Fig plants purchased in December.  I've managed to keep them alive through the cold winter months and they will be ready to be repotted in a few weeks time.

Two new leaves have come out since mid-December (the small ones at the top).

When I purchased the two plants this one in the top photo didn't look like it would survive.  The large leaf at the top had some holes in it. I'm not sure what causes the problem but it doesn't seem to have gotten any worse. I've called her Mary.

The other plant looked healthier but was very slow to grow a new leaf. One has come out and a second one has been looking to sprout over the past week or more. It might take awhile longer.  I've called this one Harry and he is a big brother to Mary. 

I've heard it said that one should talk to their plants.  This idea has been around since the late 1800s and has actually been a subject of a small study. You can read more about it here.  I've never been one for talking to plants but I try it now and then. Truth be told, long ago when my late mom started growing indoor plants, she talked to them because she heard from someone that talking to them helped them grow.  She had tremendous success with her plants.

The smaller, lighter green leaf in front is the new one. Can you see the little green shoot coming out?

I'll be linking up with Skywatch Friday this week.

 Thank you for stopping by.