What's on My Mind & In My Basket

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Happy mid-week to you.  I hope you are all well and good.

I cannot believe how fast May flew by and now we are almost through a full week of June. How did that happen? I seem to say that the time flies by so fast but lately I hear everyone else saying it too! I guess it means we are all getting older.

In sad news there are so many wildfires burning across Canada. It is devastating for many smaller communities and for the people who live in them.  Not only does it affect Canadians but Americans have been saying how their air quality is being affected in various parts of the USA. Unfortunately it isn't even the official beginning of summer yet and the meteorologists are forecasting a hot, dry summer ahead. Hold on to your hats.  If you're the praying type, please keep in prayer for moderate temperatures and more rain.

Here at home in southern British Columbia, we are okay but in the northern part of the province wildfires are burning.  Here in Vancouver, I've found it quite cool.  Despite the local meteorologists forecasting hot weather for several. days I've only felt very warm temperatures on one day and that didn't last all day long.  If I had to choose though, I would far rather it stay on the slightly cool side.

While the weather has been cool, I've been keeping super busy and trying to get as many things done before hotter temperatures arrive.  When it gets too hot I really am not up to doing much except trying to stay cool.  Sometimes I wonder how come I'm always so busy and never seem to catch up to things.

I think it's a combination of getting older and having too many hobbies. When a person gets older, they tend to have more medical appointments and medical related appointments, especially if they have a medical condition. There is always a test to do, medicines to pick up, a specialist or doctor to meet. Then there are also the dental visits and eye doctors which most people have. I seem to have lost my eye doctor and have to find another one because I haven't had an eye examination for quite some.  In my case, busyness is also greater this year.  After several years identification cards need renewal including, government ID, driver's license and my passport.  Two gardens needed to be planted and 2 tax returns needed to be be prepared and filed.  All of it within the same month or two. On top of that, the building where I live always has major projects going on.  While these impact  all residents. My particular apartment has had 2 leaks from upstairs which needed investigation and repair. In fact, the 2nd one is not yet completed.  It's a good thing I don't have to go out to work every day or this would be a difficult situation to manage.

Last, but not least, I always find more work for myself.  For example, the decluttering and cleaning project I started long ago.  Related activities include the purchase of several new furnishings (patio conversation set, storage sofa and adjustable bed and mattress) all of which took time to research and compare options before buying, and the organization of delivery and haul away services. 

Honestly, there is never enough time in a day and I also don't want to waste time.  Time is going by so fast and it's such a precious commodity.  Does anyone else have the same issue with time and too many things to do?

Despite the busyness, I'm happy that I've kept up with some reading and I've also started making more time for hobbies. 

Here are the current books I'm reading or about to read.

An Ocean of Minutes was a of a genre I don't normally read, a dystopian, fantasy novel.  The books revolves around the relationship between Polly and Frank. Frank becomes sick during a pandemic and the medical care he needs is cost prohibitive.  Polly decides to help him by signing on as a bonded labourer into the future. The company she is employed  by will pay for Frank's medical treatment.  Frank and Polly promise to meet one another in Galveston, Texas in 12 years time but Polly ends up being re-routed an additional 5 years into the future.  When she arrives she can't find Frank and the city has changed enormously.  Polly must learn to survive in a totally changed America.  She has with no money, no friends or family and no status in the country.  This begins her search for Frank and the heartbreak that goes along with the search.

Reading this book, at this time, seemed very appropriate to this time and place with all the radical changes taking place right now.

Meet me at the Lake is the second book I've recently picked up by Canadian author Carley Fortune.  I picked it up quite randomly and didn't realize that the author is quite a popular author. 

T he book is about a young woman named Fern who lives and works in the big city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her mother dies and leaves her a Muskoka lakeside resort.  Unfortunately, the resort is in a tight financial situation.  Before her mother dies, she hires a consultant named Will to help get things on a more even keel.  Fern doesn't find out until Will arrives at the resort to begin his work. Will is a former boyfriend bof Ferns, one who ghosted her so there are lots of unresolved feelings.  Will doesn't know that Fern's  mother has died when he checks in to begin his consultancy.

I enjoyed several things about the book such as the settings for the book (Toronto, Muskoka Lakes, Vancouver) and the general story arc.  However, the writing  is a bit too graphic for me when it comes to the intimate situations between the characters.  It's probably quite tame for some people.  But for me, it's a little too much. 

In A House for Alice, Alice Pitt has been living in England for over 50 years. After her husband dies she yearns to return to Nigeria to live out her last years on earth. Her daughters however, are torn over whether their mother should return to Nigeria or remain in London.  Her youngest daughter Melissa, is not only coping with the loss of her father and her mother's departure for Nigeria but her marriage is also breaking down.  I haven't gotten too far into the book but it seems to be about how significant life events can have negative impacts on one's family foundations.

I haven't started the next two books but they look interesting.  I just picked them off the shelves because I was short of reading material at the time. Now I've got too much to read.

The Paris Express is based on a real life event, a French railway disaster of 1895. It's ready for pick up at the local library.

Some of you may know that I started a major decluttering & reorganizing project quite some time ago.  In between these tasks, there have been many interruptions so it's taken forever to make progress.  The main purpose of the project is to create time and space to for work on a number of hobbies. One of those hobbies is crochet.  

In May, I started making some crocheted dishcloths as gifts for friends. I also made an oversized cardigan for a friend who has a birthday coming up later this summer. Earlier in the year, I made a few cushions for a cousin's birthday. I haven't given them to her yet because she is supposed to visit this summer from a city about 1200 km from me. I will give them to her during her visit. I also made a few knitted dishcloths. Before the year ends I hope to work on other hobbies as well. If the weather remains moderate, I may be able to do some of my work outdoors on the patio. That would be ideal as I could play some nice music while I work. Not too loudly though as I don't want neighbours complaining. I suppose I could also just use my phone and wear earphones.

The Dishcloths

The Oversize Cardigan

The Cushions

How I Spend Some Rainy Days

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

How is the weather in your world today?

Weather here has mostly been like in the first photo below. Alternatively it's been raining and a bit cold. But we've had a few warmer days and in the next few days the forecast is for considerably warmer weather. We'll see if that comes to pass.

I've been quite busy but when I am at home I've been keeping busy crocheting these two sets of dishcloths. I made them for gifts for 2 different friends.  One can always use a dishcloth because they need to be replaced every 6 months or so though I know some people use them for much longer.

I've also picked up the pace with my reading once again.  But I feel I want to make more time for doing new crafts.  I have several projects around the home in order to get ready for summer guests so I'm not sure I'll be able to work in new crafts until the Fall and Winter though I'd dearly love to do so.

In the meantime, I read more books, make more dishcloths or do more cooking and baking when I want to do something creative but don't quite have the time to do something 'new'. I have some plans for new hobbies, or old hobbies that need to be picked up again. At some point I'll feature them in this space.

I'm still working on reading the books in the first photo above. I completed The Family Upstairs, the first book in a series.  I found it well written and it kept me guessing until the very end.  I recommend it if you like mystery thrillers.  

I also really liked Pamela Anderson's collection of recipes.  There are a number I'd like to try but there is now a long waiting list for this book at the library so we'll see if I get a chance.

What about you? Are you working on any crafts or projects or are you already into summer relaxation? I'd love to hear in the comments section below.

Thanks for stopping by!

One Friday in March

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I went to town on Friday. I had some business to take care of right in the heart of the city. Afterward, I walked through town all the way to Chinatown and took some photos along the way.

Each year I plant pansies.  I think they are a happy and hardy plant.  I haven't planted any yet but I saw these cute little pansies downtown.

I always like the 'lacy' effect of the bare branches against the sky.
 

The iconic Fairmont Hotel Vancouver 

The stained glass steeple caught my eye

A front view of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

The Vancouver Art Galley through the trees

The Holy Rosary Cathedral downtown

View to the North Shore mountains. It snowed overnight.

The Salvation Army Shelter downtown.

I was on my way to see the film "A Complete Unknown", a movie about Bob Dylan. It did not disappoint.

One of my recent reads. This book is set over 3 days in a Dublin maternity/fever hospital ward during the 1918 Flu Pandemic.  It's a very graphic book and quite gripping. I recommend it.

As always, I enjoy a bit of quiet time knitting these simple dishcloths.  The top one was made with 'good' cotton yarn. The bottom one was made with inexpensive cotton/polyester yarn purchased at the dollar store.

I hope you're enjoying your weekend so far. Thanks for visiting.

Reading

Bookshelf: read

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

The end of 2024 is fast approaching and I still have several books I'd like to complete before the year is ended. I met my modest reading goal of 30 books for 2024 some months ago but I'm trying to see how many more books I can complete this year.

I set my goal very modestly due to my intention to focus on 'creating' through various hobbies. I'll have more to say on that at the end of the year.

I keep track of most of my reading material on the Goodreads platform but they don't have a good widget for copying books as I've done above. Consequently there are a few errors. I did not read Shadows over the Zambezi (read in 2018) or Nothing but the Truth (read in 2022) this year.

It's hard to pick a favourite from these books but my top picks would include: The Armor of Light by Ken Follett,  The Venice Sketchbook by Rys Bowen, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese and A Path Through the Highlands:  A Missionary Memoir From Papua New Guinea, by Jessica Cormier (presently a missionary to Kenya). I also enjoyed My Name is Barbra, by Barbra Streisand.  

Typically I like books that are written in a 'cosy' style, as in a conversational type of style. It helps me stay focussed on the information and it is more enjoyable late at night while reading. I also like books that present information in a straight forward manner (non-fiction) or one that gives personal details as in a memoir. Having said that, the Barbra Streisand memoir was very informative but almost overwhelming in terms of its details and facts. 

What about you dear reader? Do you like to read paper books or ebooks? Which do you prefer?  Do you also keep track of your reading?

I've put a link to each of the books in case you'd like to learn more and read one or two of them yourself. Happy reading!