So Hot, Trying to Keep Cool and Carry On

Hi friends,

It's been incredibly hot here. Yesterday on the news they said it was the hottest day of the summer so far. But I went out yesterday (Wednesday) and today (Thursday) and I think today may have been even hotter.

When I went out to appointments and errands, I was so concerned about a homeless man in a wheelchair and a little pup on the patio of a restaurant I had to stop and make sure they both had water.

I know the man had been drinking beer as I passed him in the morning. I asked him to please try to refrain from drinking beer otherwise  they won't let him stay at the shelter where I learned he will have a bed for the night for the next two weeks. I gave him a bottle of water and a small bit of money (not enough to buy booze) and kept encouraging him to drink water. I sat and chatted with him a bit and grew even more concerned when I realized that he is a schizophrenic and also suffers from depression but hasn't been on his medications for a few weeks. I know he just got out of hospital and I'm surprised they let him go like that since he is also old. Thankfully he told me that the shelter where he will sleep for two weeks is going to help him get into an apartment.  He also had several bags on his wheelchair which I noticed had some food in it so at least he isn't hungry.  What I was most concerned about was sitting outside all day long in the heat and not having any H20.

Completed book #41 of 42

As for the cute little puppy, her owner's friend told me the little doggie had a big bowl of water just before I dropped by. The little dog was absolutely sweet and so friendly which I find is often not the case with the small lapdogs. I wanted to pick her up and bring her home. I didn't get a photo though as my camera battery was already kaput for the day and I had to get home to charge it up.

Book #42 of 42 in progress

Waiting for book #43

When I got home I put a wet washcloth in the freezer, got on some more comfortable clothing and took a little rest with the fans going before I got up to put together a salad, sweet potato and some of the BBQ chicken I had prepared last weekend. I'm so glad I did the batch cooking because it means I don't have to put on the oven or use my pressure cooker during this heat. The heat makes me lethargic and cooking is the last thing I want to do in the intense heat.  We are supposed to get some rain on the weekend right in time for my niece's visit. I hope it does rain because we really need it.  My niece and I can use those times to get cosy and watch movies. She loves nothing better than a funny or scary movie (think the Hobbit movies) and a big bag of popcorn.


I finished the book about Denys Finch Hatton. I have to say I quite enjoyed it and am amazed at what the author was able to research and put together since there are no remaining relatives of Finch Hatton and very little exists of him in history books.  I picked up another book  I'd placed on hold about Prince by his ex-wife Mayte Garcia.  I am waiting for a book called The Bookshop.  This one came on recommendation from one of the many blogs I read though now I cannot remember which one. If you happen to be reading this post, let me know it was you (please).

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If you read my last post here

you will know I've been doing some batch cooking and want to continue.

Since then I've ordered some proper containers from Amazon and

they arrived today.

 

There were 20 containers in the package. I think that will be enough.

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The heat of the last few days has taken it's toll on my little garden.

I'm hoping I can keep it going another few weeks. The forecasted rain this weekend would help a lot but last weekend rain was in the forecast and it never arrived.

I was happy to see the Black-eyed Susan flowers bloom. For awhile I wasn't sure they were going to bloom this year but they did come about just over a week or two ago.  They are not quite as healthy looking or as plentiful as in previous years.

The strawberries are nice and juicy but I only have one pot so not much of a harvest but I'm enjoying them.  Seeing strawberries growing "in the yard" brings back happy childhood memories of finding the odd strawberry when playing with siblings.  Those were in the days when we were not able to buy strawberries so readily in the supermarket.

The other morning I went out to take a photo of the sunrise. 

I was a bit late as the sun was already up.

Imagine my surprise when I captured this

 drone hovering a few feet from me. 

I hope I don't appear in the "movie" as I wasn't dressed for my cameo role, lol.

A shot of the garden after watering. I hose down the patio floor to cool it off.

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 Keep well everyone.

Enjoy the weekend ahead where ever you may be.

I'm joining in with

Skywatch Friday

and

Friday Foto Friends

Memories

Patio Make Over Unveiled

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, 

food and medicine for the soul. 

~ Luther Burbank 

The garden is not fully planted but these container pots will remain more or less the same. The blue pot is a newer addition to the grouping. I've planted some colourful geraniums in them. I can't wait for the proliferation of blooms.

 The repainting of the patio table and chairs was completed during this week of sunshine and warmer weather.  Just in time too as it is supposed to rain tonight and for much of the week.  The metal parts of the set used to be hunter green. Now they are a dark milk chocolate.The patio cushions won't be left out in the rain for at least this first year of wear. They last a little longer that way even if I have to remember to bring them in out of the rain. I purchased a chair cover for the winter months when we get even more rain. I've never used one before. I hope it works!

I will try to post more photos later if my garden "takes".
It would be nice to be surrounded by healthy gardens this summer if we ever get the right balance of sun and rain. I need all the help I can get ;-)


I also have some wonderfully awesome news.  A friend of mine in NC has been dealing with cancer for over a year and has tumours in various parts of her body.  The prognosis didn't look too encouraging but just yesterday she wrote and told  me that the tumours in her kidneys and liver which were to be removed surgically are now gone!!! That's just the most awesome news I've heard in awhile. God is good and I continue to pray for others who need a healing touch. May God bless you and encourage you if you are reading this and are in need of healing.  Keep on praying and believing.


I also found this awesome daily audio bible podcast which makes it easier to get into the word. If you'd like to try it, please go to dailyaudiobible.com

Happy week ahead to all of you.

Remembering

Welcome to my newest followers, Nancy from A Gardener's Cottage in Michigan and Jose Ramon Santana Vazquez from Spain. Thank you both.

It was almost two years ago that we had a fire in the condo and had to move to a hotel suite for a few months. My room mate had one suite in the hotel and I had another. It was nice having this because daily someone would clean my bathroom and vacuum and my roommate would cook dinners and bring them to me down the hall. All I had to do was get ready each morning and wash my dirty dishes as well as do my laundry. There was a washer dryer in the apartment so that was handy.

This was my kitchen area.

This was my living room area and the small built in desk at which I did my blogging. You can see through the open blinds that there was a small patio.

I enjoyed living in the hotel but by the end of my time there (about 4 months), I was ready to go home. Lately though I find myself missing the hotel. What I really miss is the ready access to downtown and the well known English Bay area. 

Off of my patio I can see the waters of English Bay just beyond the high rises.

It was hard to get a good shot of the water due to that one building, lol. But you can see the big "ship" in the background.

Here is a night time shot of the sunset and the busy strip called Davie Street. I enjoyed the busyness and it wasn't too noisy to sleep at night.

What I miss most though is the wonderful and colourful sunsets which I could readily see and photograph from my patio.

I also miss my Saturday walks to nearby places like this farmer's market

... along "secret" winding paths like this

 

... and lovely, unexpected places to sit

...and being able to buy big bunches of flowers like this :-)

and fireworks displays like this....

Even crowds like this rushing  back from the fireworks show.

All in all, I enjoyed my stay at the hotel.  But I am glad that my home is repaired and I can stay there once again. It was just nice to remember the "good times" at my temporary home.

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Summer?

So far my summer has been taken up with non summer activities. It seems I have been busy with all kinds of things related to the Type 2 diabetes diagnosis (pharmacist training on food guide and basic information, training on glucose meter, dietician's workshop on various rices and how to cook them, blood work and blood pressure testing, exercise class, swimming lessons).

At the same time, I have been negotiating a new mortgage and I'm happy to report I got a good deal on the interest rate. I have also been undertaking modest activities (knitting) and discussing plans with my Kenyan partners on the mission field. I am hoping by the late Fall to bring jiko stoves to more of the village women in Chepkerbet.  If any of you would like to know more,  please read here. If you would like to help please contact me.

On a personal front I have been busy as well. My cousin was here just over a week ago for weekend visit. It was also my niece's birthday and though I wasn't there for the party I did have to arrange for a small gift and a card to get to her on time.  I have also been travelling back and forth to visit and help my elderly mom. I will be leaving again in about 1 and half weeks to assist with financial activities like banking and bills, as well as do the shopping, cooking and cleaning. The annual Kamloops Pow-Wow is something we hope to get to for at least one day also if it isn't too hot for mom.  She enjoys this cultural event immensely and if it weren't for her I'd probably stay home with the comfort of the air conditioning as much as I do enjoy the cultural event.

I am also excited to finally get to Bard on the Beach. We will be seeing Much Ado About Nothing.

Celebrating its 21st Season in 2010, Bard on the Beach is one of Canada's largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare Festivals. Presented in a magnificent setting on the waterfront in Vancouver's Vanier Park, the Festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas, and several special events in two performance tents from June through September.

I'm looking forward to this because I've lived in Vancouver for many years and never have gone to this event though I do love plays. It is just the like amazing Folk Festival we have here every year in the 3rd week of July (just passed) which I never get to either and the growing Jazz Festival which I also miss each year, largely due to the fact that I am away up country.

My friend from Calgary is coming for her annual summer vacation to her childhood home and she arrives tomorrow. We have agreed to forego a "coffee date" on Saturday and instead have a play, dinner on the beach, concluded by fireworks which are part of the annual Celebration of Lights. How awesome is that?!! You can read all about the fireworks I was able to capture last year  here and here.

I feel blessed that this year I am able to squeeze in a few things to savour the summer. I am ENJOYING my summer as I've long wanted to take the swimming lessons, I am getting my diabetes under control and I'm taking an exercise class. I am also getting a chance to take in some the summer festivals which is for me a great summer activity though I don't always get to the ones I've been thinking I'd like to see. Too many logistical issues but in time it will happen. Yeah. I hope your summer is also going well too!

Keeping Busy

Hi friends,

I have been very busy the past few weeks and lately have slowed down with blogging as a result. I see that a number of you have slowed down with your blogging also. I guess this is all part of the lazy, hazy days of summer, lol.

Last weekend I had a great surprise. A cousin of mine whom I haven't seen for years was here to visit me. This was totally unexpected and she came from very far away with other relatives on a long road trip. Her other relatives were visiting close by to where I live so it was very convenient for her and I to get together and I invited her to stay for a few days. Unfortunately her ride left a day earlier than expected so we didn't get to do everything we wanted but we did get to visit a lot. In fact, we were up to the wee hours of the morning both nights and we were both very tired as result but eager to get caught up on years of living.

In one of our outings we spent a good deal of time watching the small birds and pigeons, and of course, feeding them. One thing that fascinated me is watching the little birds take a bird bath in the dust after they had eaten. Here is a little bird in the hole he/she dug to play around in. You can see the two birds better if you click on the photo to enlarge it.

Another thing we did was hang up some of my pictures and souvenirs that I hadn't had a chance to get around to since moving back into my condo. Now holding pride of place in the front room is the Maasai wedding necklace from Narok, Kenya; an African mask from Mombasa, Kenya and Kisii soapstone bowls from Kisii, Kenya.

I am sorry about the lighting and the resolution for the photos but I guess it is really too dark in my front room at this hour of the night to take good photographs. Hopefully you can see them well enough.

I also had a chance to re-hang my Aboriginal art in the front room. The small piece that is hanging under the wooden carving (on the right of the photo below) is a very unique piece created by Woodlands Cree elder (scroll down to the third biography on the page link), Angelique Merasty, who has now passed. It is called a birch bark biting and I have had it framed. It is a very special piece to me because it is an almost extinct art. You can't see the biting design but I will post a close up of it sometime. For now I simply wanted to show the grouping of pictures. Each of these pieces has it's own story which I may tell sometime. (There are actually two Angelique Merasty's and both of them do birch bark biting. I don't know for sure but I think the younger woman is related to the one who has passed on. In any case they have the same name and the younger one is quite prolific in her work towards cultural preservation.)

In addition to having company, I have enrolled in an Osteofit class for those with joint problems. The first class was a real work out but manageable. Yesterday and today however we are having a heat wave so I opted to stay home from exercise class today. I will return on Monday next week. In the meantime, I have my 3rd swimming lesson tomorrow.

In between these activities I have been super busy with the mortgage renewal process. I use a mortgage broker to shop around for the best deal for me. Due to the fact I am now retired, I have to provide numerous documents to confirm my income so gathering and sending them has been rather time consuming. With the global recession and banking problems in several countries, our banks are now more stringent in all forms of lending. So this time around, I need to get a real estate appraisal done as well. The appraisal was done today and the report should be submitted to the broker tomorrow. I expect to hear about my loan options on Tuesday of next week. This process works so nice and fast and that suits me perfectly!

Once I decide on the lender, I want to get all the legal work completed by the end of the third week of July. This is a little challenging given the classes I'm taking, personal appointments and a diabetes group I will attend that same week. But I push on as I want to get everything done before I visit mom again at the end of the month.

In reviewing the documents required by the broker and the potential lenders, I came across some issues and discrepancies in the mortgage statements provided by my current lender. I spent some time on the phone with them today and they are opening an investigation into my queries. It seems that they may have been applying less of my bi-weekly payments to the principal than I had thought. It also seems that my municipality has taken more in real property taxes than they should have as I am entitled to a homeowner grant on a portion of the taxes. I need to follow up with the City Hall in the next day or two and get this straightened out. Normally, this has never been an issue but I'm finding that it very much depends on the lender. The very first mortgage lender I engaged with was simply the best and they were on top of all their paperwork and in turn, their reporting to me and making sure I was completely in the loop.

Now you may wonder why I didn't find out about these issues earlier. In fact I did, but never had time for everything to "gel" and become clear to me, or the time and motivation to really get to the bottom of it all. It seems the time is now. I am confident it will all be sorted out before I travel again. The travel really does cut into my ability to get things done here at home but I am thankful I can still visit  mom and help her with her daily needs also.

I realize my list of summer activities thus far is probably much different than yours. I tend not to lie on the beach or go camping or picnicking unless I go with a larger group,  visit relatives or go on holiday.  What activities are keeping you busy this summer dear reader? I would love to hear from you!

Summer Comes

[Caption: Palm tree & sand in front of local restaurant]

Summer Poem

Summer brings us nice warm sun
For swimming, fishing, and lots of fun
For finding seashells in the sand
For sunbathing to get a tan
To do all these things and more
At the beach and seashore

Author unknown

I was surprised to go out yesterday and see these scenes of palm trees, sand and Muskoka chairs set out on the street. It is a clear sign that spring is almost gone and summer is just around the corner.

It has been rather hot here already with little rain so far in the month of June and record breaking temperatures. With temperatures this high one doesn't have to go and seek heat elsewhere.

I'm so glad to have air conditioning, and patio windows in my hotel suite. I can get fresh air or cool air and enjoy putting my feet up while I look out over the evening sunsets.

[Caption: Put your feet up and relax]

The sunsets are spectacular every evening.

~ I am blessed ~