Enjoying Spring

Hello friends and fellow bloggers, 

This is a late (and quick) submission to Skywatch Friday.

We've been having fabulously sunny and warm days. It's been a real treat and I'm enjoying what is remaining of the cherry blossoms.

Wishing you all a blessed Easter weekend. 

Thank you for making time to visit with me.

Live for Today (and Tomorrow)

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I trust that this new season is going well for you. Or at least as well as can be expected given the current turbulence in the world.

Canada and Canadians are of course impacted by what is going on south of the border.  However life does go on and each of us moves forward as best we can.  Our federal election is happening on April 29, 2025 but I plan to participate in advance polls this weekend. It's also Easter weekend so I've been busy planning a simple menu. This year I'll be making a dinner based on salmon rather than our usual ham or turkey. I'm looking forward to it.

Photo credit:  Southern Living website (february 2023)

I planted the patio garden and I can see the seeds are starting to germinate. They haven't fully sprouted yet and I can't wait until they get tall and have some blooms to enjoy. I've planted so many flowers so there should be a riot of colours. I haven't had time yet to plant the containers or to plant at the community garden. Hopefully I can get to some of these tasks over the long weekend.

Much of my effort in April has been focussed on getting the patio ready.  In addition to planting, I've been trying to make the space more comfortable. I purchased a new patio conversation set, a small table on which to place beverages and I'm waiting for the rug which I ordered on line. It should be here next week. I also bought a new trunk in which to store all the patio cushions.  I've unboxed it but haven't put it together yet. It will be very handy at the end of the season. I still need to get one or two furniture covers for the sofa and chairs.

Part of the spring 'to do's' includes spring cleaning. Is that a thing anymore? It is for me because even though I try to keep up to the cobwebs and dust over the winter months, things tend to look dirty and drab once the spring light arrives.

Something that will help me clean and do the washing are eco friendly cleaning products made and sold right here in the Greater Vancouver area by Live for Tomorrow.  I ordered a large quantity of product to reach the free shipping offer.  If you live in Canada or the USA, you might want to have a look at their products and place your own order. There is free shipping once you reach a certain spend threshold ($100 Canadian or $150 USD).  Here is the link in case you're interested. https://lftbrands.com/collections/shop-all.

The goods should arrive tomorrow.  I can't wait to try the cleaner for the washer.  Based on reviews, it's supposed to work very well.  I'm hoping to get rid of the mildew smell in the washer.

Even though I'm working hard, I'm enjoying the month.   It's my favourite time of year. I love when the sun comes out, the trees start blooming and the gardens start growing. It's still a bit chilly here but soon it will be quite warm.

Take care and enjoy your day.

The Windy Month ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 where we try to have fun answering questions about various subjects.

March, they say, comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.  It is called the windy month like Chicago is called the windy city!

1.  Has March come in like a lion or a lamb in your neck of the woods? 

I can barely remember back to the beginning of March and I didn't take any outdoor photos at the time. After thinking about it for a while, I recall the temperature was feeling a bit warmer but the night hours were quite chilly.  So the month came in like a lamb.

2. There have been some awful storms of late.  Have you suffered through them or have you ever suffered through a very bad storm in your life? (if so we wish you well).

The last bad storm I was in was about 3 or 4 years ago. The city traffic came to a grinding halt due to a snowstorm.  It snowed for hours and hours non-stop.  There was so much snow and it was very slippery. I still remember walking down the street to get home when the buses were not operating. There were a lot of other people walking and we saw so many cars and buses just abandoned in the middle of the streets. I took photos but I guess I never uploaded them so unfortunately I can't share them with you.

3. Spring begins March 20th and ends with summer on June 20th this year.  Any plans for Spring in general? How about the spring holidays? 

I'm looking forward to spring.  I have no plans to go away for spring break which starts today (Monday, March 17, 2025).  Spring is always a busy time as I have a lot of jobs that accumulate around the house over the winter and I have the patio to organize and plant.  Last, but not least, I have to do the planting at the community garden plot. 

4.  What are your favorite springtime flowers?  Trees or shrubs?

How about a song with a springtime theme to it that you enjoy?  

I don't have favourite spring time flowers. I love them all, lol. I usually plant a lot of geraniums and petunias as well as pansies and Black Eyed Susans.  I've also tried to plant many other taller flowers like snapdragons and others which haven't tended to do well in my garden.  Perhaps I'll try again because the soil has been completely changed out. 

Fall 2024, the new garden, not quite finished

As for trees, I like Dogwood Trees, Maple Trees and Weeping Willows best but love almost all trees too.   My patio garden area has been completely rebuilt and I now have to replant it.  Large trees with big root systems are no longer allowed.  I'll plant some shorter bushes instead.  I've chosen some Azalea Japonicas and a Pieres Japonica or a Lily of the Valley shrub.  Both types of shrubs grow quite slowly.

Pieres Japonica, Red Head (not mine)

The only springtime song that comes to mind is "When it's Springtime in Alaska" by Johnny Horton. I'm a northern gal so country songs and songs about the north are appealing. This song should make all the southerners be grateful for their warmer temperatures *smile.

Welcome to My Awesome Day

I took a walk along the waterfront on Wednesday this week.  It was one the best weather days so far since winter began.  Wednesday was the first day of Spring and everyone was out at the waterfront enjoying the sunshine.

Though I do like to people watch I usually stick to photos of the scenery. 

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday today.

Thank you for stopping by.

Happy Spring 2024!

Happy Spring to you.

 Enjoy this short video from the waterfront where I spent part of Spring season's first day.

This and That on a Mid-March Day

Wednesday was a spectacular day with glorious sunshine and fluffy white clouds. The sun came out after several rainy days but the temperature was still quite chilly.

On my walk I captured some beautiful flowers outside one of the local grocery stores. I just love the flowers in the foreground and the large store window capturing a reflection of the clouds and blue sky. You can see the leaves haven't come out on the deciduous trees yet.

By mid afternoon it turned mostly cloudy again though we expect sunshine and much warmer temperatures for the next week or so.

I've been keep very busy this month with a lot of small things including sewing alterations,  reading, decluttering, cooking, appointments and so on.  

A small containers of buttons broke open and the buttons scattered all over the larger container they were in.  It spurred me on to do a little bit of a tidy up of some of the most often used sewing supplies.  This will help me as I work on other projects.

3 small containers of sewing supplies sorted and organized

I've been decluttering a bit here and there. Nothing major but it all adds up. I'm also still trying to use up old toiletries. Some of them seem to have a bottomless supply. I'm adding everything to some large recycling bags and will do a count later.

In my reading, I finished reading the 5 fictional books in the photos below and one book on style. I enjoyed all of the books. My favourite pick was Ken Follet's Armour of Light followed by The Nightingale, The Venice Sketchbook, The Cafe by the Sea and the House of Fortune in that order. The Style for Everybody Guide was a very straightforward and well written, simplified guide to clothing and style. I've read a lot of them and I liked this one a lot because it is not so overwhelming in the information it presented.

Also completed in the last few weeks.

I've started reading a few books with a spiritual theme.  Usually this kind of book requires more time for reading, reflection and retention.  I'll probably pick up another novel to read in between study.

That's all in my world for now. 

Thank you for your visit.

It's March ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome to Tuesday 4 begun by Toni Taddeo.

It's March and it might be nice to talk a bit about it.

The year is going by quickly.

1. March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion.  How has it made it's debut in your area?

March 1st was a cold and it rained very heavily at times.  I stayed indoors.

2. Is St Patrick's Day something you observe?

I don't observe St. Patrick's Day. Where I live I've only ever seen it as a day for people to wear green and many go to an Irish pub for 'green' bear.  No one I know observes a special dinner on that day. In more recent years there has been a St. Patrick's Day parade and there seems to be a bit more happening each year.  There is a Ceilidh on March 15th and a concert of the Welsh Choir the next day.  There is also a Celtic Festival that weekend.  I've looked at the festival program and it seems like a lot of it is focussed on drinking so I don't participate.  Besides which the weather is usually not very nice on St. Patrick's Day.

3. Do you observe Easter? 

I do observe Easter. 

4. What will those holidays see you doing this year? 

It's usually a quiet time of reflection and gratitude for Christ's death and resurrection.  Church's here like everywhere also focus on this message.  It's also time for a holiday meal with one or two loved ones. Long ago, a much larger group of family and friends would gather together for Easter dinner but those days are long gone as are many of the people. 

This time of year most of us in the western hemisphere are anticipating the arrival of the Spring season.  So I've planted up some seeds in readiness for the garden season. Hopefully they won't sprout up too stringy and straggly.

Saturday night I took a walk to the garden to return a book called The Venice Sketchbook. It was a poignant read set in Venice, Italy during WW2. Once I got home I realized I had another book I needed to return.  It had fallen to the side of the sofa and I didn't notice it until the next day when I was vacuuming.

 

I wanted to do more 'creating' in 2024 but haven't really gotten in the groove yet. I did make a few dishcloths. I was surprised to find a skein of cotton yarn at my local dollar store. I thought it would make 2 cloths but it only made 1.5. I returned to the store to buy another skein but there were none left. I tried another store location but they had none. I'm thinking that this was a one time offering so I don't hold out hope of finding more.

Some of you who've followed me for years may know that I love plants especially tropical ones for indoors. However it has proven impossible for me to grow them indoors. It just too cold with drafts in all the wrong places and lack of natural light is also a problem. As a result, I purchased a artificial bush last year and put some fairy lights on it. When I was out for a walk the other day I found this abandoned tree sitting on a bench outside a store. It didn't look like it belonged to anyone but to make sure I enquired inside the store. They told me that it had been sitting on the bench for three days and to please take it if I wanted. So I did. It now sits beside me on the sofa and I'm very happy with it as it is just the right height without being too wide in diameter.

I took this patio photo last week. Today the workers started laying the new foundation. I think they will make a lot of progress this week.

This is how I spent the first few days in March. I'm feeling happy and content and looking forward to Spring.

Joining in with Tuesday 4 this week. Thanks for stopping by!

March Weather or Not!

 Welcome back to another Tuesday 4 in honor of Toni Taddeo it's founder.

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Sometimes it is the reverse.  March has a lot of happenings like March 1st the start of Mardi Gras, the 13th is Daylight Savings Time, the Ides of March on the 15th, St Patrick's Day on the 17th, the first day of  Spring on the 20th this year   March 29-31 are the "borrowing days" when weather is traditionally rough or stormy.

1.  Do you celebrate Mardi Gras or St. Patrick's Day and how do you celebrate them?

I do not celebrate Mardi Gras or St. Patrick's Day. These two days were never a part of the celebrations in the town and the region where I grew up.

2. Do you decorate for the spring in any way at all?

I do not decorate for spring. When spring arrives that is all the decoration I need.  There are beautiful cherry blossoms aplenty and many early blossoming plants all around. (Photos ~ blossoms from March 2021)

3. Daylight savings time doesn't make the day longer.  Experts say it puts kids heath at risk  as well as contribute to heart problems for adults.  Arizona and Hawaii don't change times.  It began as "war time" so war workers in WW2 could come home in the light. What about you though? Are you happy to see it return or not?   

I do not like to see the time change in spring or in fall. I have a hard time adjusting to even a small time change.  Many feel the same way such that our provincial government has passed legislation to keep the same time all year long. It hasn't been implemented yet. I guess we are waiting for our  neighbours to the south (Washington, Oregon and California) and our neighbour to the north (Yukon Territory), to do the same thing so we can all be in the same time zone. Our government enacted the change a few years ago. It looks like we could be waiting a very long time for our neighbours. I have no idea why the government needs to wait. Other Canadian provinces have already made the change permanent.

4. How has the weather been in your neck of the woods as March approaches.  What would be your ideal for weather?

The weather here has been a little of this and a little of that and a lot of rain. We had snow just a few days ago too though it's a bit late for that.  The very short video below shows how fast the snow was flying.  It looked quite pretty.

 

The last of the snow was washed away by the rain on Friday.

My ideal weather is spring weather or early summer with temperatures anywhere from 18C to 25C and the sun shining. I love moderate weather in any season but the ideal weather for me allows me to get out and enjoy a walk, enjoy the spring blossoms or early summer colour and not get too warm while outside.

I'm ending with a few sunflowers that I grew some time back.  Apparently sunflowers are associated with the Ukraine so I share them to represent solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

 

Ukrainian Flag

 

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.

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 