What I'm Working on in August

I've slowed down in the month of August from a lot of blog postings, IG and FB posts though I'm still visiting a lot of blogs and leaving comments.

Slowing down is enabling me to survive the heat and focus on my goals for the month of August.  I also have small house repairs that I simply haven't had time to complete. Over late spring season, I was working furiously to declutter  and get organized before Jonah's arrival. While I made good progress, I ran out of time to complete what I wanted to accomplish.  Now that Jonah is working and more or less acclimated, I want to make some progress on these outstanding tasks before the summer ends and the days grow darker.  I'm also still very busy with physio and massage therapy appointments and in between we are trying to enjoy the last days of summer while getting things organized for fall season.  Before you know it summer will be gone. I don't look forward to it but it happens every year.

Some time ago I repaired and painted one wall in my living area and intended to put up curtain rods and black out curtains in the living room. In all the time I've been living in the condo I've only had blinds, no curtains.  To be honest the framing of the windows doesn't make it ideal for putting up curtain rods but I find it quite cool in winter and thought the curtains would be a good way keep out drafts. I also intended to paint the master bathroom.

Instead I made a mess in the living room and left everything undone because I ran into issues when drilling into the concrete or steel wall.  So I left it all aside while I focussed on decluttering.  Jonah has helped by pulling out some of the anchors I'd put in the partially drilled holes.  Monday night I filled all the holes in both the living room and the master bathroom walls in readiness for sanding and painting.  It feels good to finally have these tasks done.

In another project, I'm getting rid of more clothes. I managed to put together a few large bags of clothing which hopefully will be picked up on Tuesday.  I've been inspired by a few women on You Tube who create 10 piece wardrobe for each season.  There is no way I will get down to 10 pieces per season but I can whittle down the number of items I keep.  I'm going to try to keep things that I really wear often and see what I can let go. I get rid of a few bags every now and then and will keep on going with that approach.  Of course Jonah also needs space for his clothing and personal items and this is another incentive for me to reduce mine. 

One bag of summer knit tops and PJs

A few scatter rugs also went out the door today. It didn't take long for people to respond to my adverts for giveaway. I'm always pleased when someone else will make use of what I no longer want. Tuesday update: Someone came to pick up all the clothing and another person picked up the scatter rugs. I'm so happy to get them out the door. I'm now going through the kitchen trying to get rid of excess mugs and water bottles.

Two rugs, one red/cream, one blue/cream

The rest of this month I plan to get rid of the remaining papers I didn't shred in April  2022 and a few small tubs or old journals and planners.  Once this is done I will tackle the entryway closet and the bookshelves again. I've already done a big clear out of books I'd collected for decades so I won't have quite as many to sort through this time. I also think it's time to offload my music CDs and instructional DVDs.  I haven't listened or watched any of them for at least a decade.  That means they are just taking up precious space. These days I learn 'how tos' on line and listen to music on You Tube.

In case you are curious about my current reads, these are the books I've recently right.  Right now I'm reading The Soviet Sisters:  A Novel of the Cold War by Anika Scott.

Mission Possible: Go Create a Life That Counts

by Tim Tebow

A good motivational book for anyone who needs/wants a pep talk about finding your purpose in life.

Run Rose Run

by Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is such a powerhouse with all the different activities she engages in and in her philanthropic work. She has co-authored this book with best seller author, James Patterson and writes about things she knows best, female count...

The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free

by Paulina Bren

A fascinating look at the NYC hotel that primarily housed young women headed to the big city to experience a bit of an independent life at a time when independence for women was not readily attainable. The book focuses on the stays of a ...

French Braid

by Anne Tyler

The Distant Shores

by Santa Montefiore

Thanks for visiting. Have a wonderful rest of the month!

Books and Reading

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.   Today we are talking about books and reading. Those that don't read might  consider substituting movies and TV programs. I'm posting a little early this week. (I see there is an issue with the font size in some of my answers. I hope to correct it soon).

 

1.  What book brought out your emotions and why?

A book that regularly brings out my emotions is The Holy Bible, the inspired word of God. It really touches me when I learn and see the way God spoke to his people throughout the Bible, the hardships and tribulations they went through and the miracles that many experienced. I also love the teachings as to how to live as a believer and follower of Christ. Despite the different times we live in today there is still so much relevance in the scriptures for these contemporary times.

As for secular books that brought out my emotions I'm sure there have been many over the years but the ones that come to my mind are: The Kite Runner by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini and A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. These were two masterfully told stories that really brought out my emotions as I read what all the characters went through. I've since read several books by both authors and I've enjoyed most of them.

2.  How has reading changed your life both for good or for bad? What you get out of it?  All in all, I would say that reading has changed my life for the good especially since I was introduced to Jesus and the Bible (reading) in my youth. Reading and learning from scriptures has been an amazing journey throughout my life and my hope and prayer is that more people would come to experience it for themselves. I've also really enjoyed reading books in general throughout my school years though I only really started reading more avidly once I started setting reading goals.  I like reading books of substance.  Books that are more weighty and take time to read rather than lightweight books that take only 2 hours to breeze through.  This preference obviously impacts on how many books I can read in a year and I have to remind myself of that. Sometimes I do feel like a slacker when it comes to the quantity of books I read because some people literally read hundreds of books in a year. I try to challenge myself a bit in how much I read but I'm also very mindful of the need for time to do many other things so my annual reading goals are on the modest side.  Since I've been keeping a record of the type of books I read, I've discovered that I have a preference for historical fiction but I also like to intersperse this kind of reading with reading to learn new things.  For example, I borrow cookbooks to get new recipe ideas, self-help books for the latest information on women's health issues, craft books for new patterns and so on.  I get a lot out of reading books and supplement my learning with a lot of on-line reading. I can scan through or read hundreds of articles in any given week. This kind of reading helps me keep current on a lot of things of interest.

3.   What character(s) do you love and which do you hate and why?

I'm not sure I really hate or love characters from books. My feelings don't usually go to particular characters but rather, to particular stories. I love historical fiction books best as the stories often unfold through hours of reading and give time for better development of the story line and the characters in them. Though my feelings about particular characters don't often surface, I do recall feeling great emotion about Anna Karenina in the book of the same name. I remember watching this story long before reading it.  The film was an old black and white movie with the titular role played by Greta Garbo. The film made a huge impact on my young mind because I saw that in certain countries and at certain times in history, the lives and options available to women were very limited.  So much so that dear Anna throws herself in front of an oncoming train to escape her situation. I was deeply saddened by this. There is a lot more to this story that I can recount here but the story has many issues to unpack and Leo Tolstoy is/was a masterful story teller. Of course, the lives of women in many countries continues to be limited or restrained today and I feel  very blessed to have been born in Canada where I've had the freedom to pursue my life as I've wished. I don't take it for granted.

When it comes to the Bible, I have one 'character' I love and that is the Apostle Paul. I never get tired of learning from the books he authored and I have learned so much from them.  A particular favourite passage is Galatians 9 and the listing of the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit.  When I was a young child, I learned a song about the fruits of the spirit and I often love to sing it to myself  as a meditation.  It helps and guides me and makes me glad that I have access to the wonderful and loving guidance of the Holy Spirit and through the scriptures.

4.    What book or books  do you think everyone should read once in their life time?

The Bible and as many of the classics written by authors such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickinson, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy etc. There are too many wonderful writers of the classics to list.  I also think it's a good idea to read a few authors from other countries to be exposed to other ideas and cultures in the hopes of bringing broader awareness and understanding of one another.  Books are a good way to learn and become aware of new things.

Those are all my thoughts for today. Thank you for stopping by!

First Friday in August

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Happy August to everyone. May it be a good month for us all. 

These few photos were taken around 5:50 a.m. this morning (Friday). I had a difficult time getting decent photos today so these ones will have to do. Perhaps I am still too tired.

I noticed the sun is coming up a bit later now.  I'll miss the summer light when it's over but I won't miss the very hot temperatures we had time this year. Thankfully the heat wave didn't last as long as last summer and it wasn't quite as intense.

I'm joining in with Skywatch Friday today. 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Last Friday in July

A few photos taken just after 5 am on Friday (today).

Joining in with Skywatch Friday. Thank you for stopping by!

Tuesday 4 ~ Light

We are experiencing a heat wave this week and Tuesday will be very hot. After that it will cool a bit each day. I'm not sure what the rest of the summer holds since our warm weather came very late this year unlike last year where we battled constant heat and wildfires or smoke from wildfires. It seems that kind of weather has moved on to central an eastern Canada, parts of USA and Europe. Please stay safe and cool wherever you are.

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 Welcome to another Tuesday 4 by Toni Taddeo.

 

Let's talk about light, okay? You light up my life.. shine a light in the darkness, Miller Light. All kinds of light but how about at home?

1. Are you afraid of the dark? Is night or day your favorite time?

I'm not afraid of the dark in general; only if I am alone walking in the dark anywhere. Late at night or very early in the morning are my favourite times because it tends to be cooler and quiet. 

 2. Do you have night lights in your home?

I have a night light that plugs into the socket in my bathroom. When I use it I don't have to turn the hallway lights on if I get up in the middle of the night. I don't always use it though because light keeps me awake.

3. How low do you set your air conditioning?  Do you adjust it through the day?

I don't have any air conditioning though I wish I did. I do have a few fans and I turn them on and off all day long during hot summer days or when the air is stagnant.

4. Do you keep any outdoor or indoor lights on all night?

I don't keep lights on outside all night. In fact, it is forbidden by the strata by-laws to have light bulbs outside. I pretend I don't know that and I have a few solar lights in the garden to enjoy at night when I look out. Inside I only have the bathroom light which only throws light once it's dark. I don't use it all the time as light tends to keep me awake when it filters through the cracks around the door.  

Late at night I read or knit and sometimes watch TV. It seems I concentrate better when virtually everyone else is sleeping. (The photo shows 3 books I'm currently reading).  Thanks for stopping by!

A Hot Day in July

Thanks for stopping by. I'm a bit late for Skywatch Friday but here we go. It was a rather hot day and the sky had nary a cloud.

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On Friday, dear hubby and I took a far flung city tour on several different train routes of the sky train system.  I'd never been on these routes and I thought it would be a great way for Jonah to get an overview of the city and for me to get an idea of where I can get to on these routes. 

We set out on our city safari after fortifying ourselves with a large breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.  Have a look at our intended routes by viewing the map of the city's train system. 

We started our journey on the Expo line shown in dark blue on the map.  It's the oldest line of the Sky Train rapid transit system and is called the Expo Line after the 1986 World Exposition held in Vancouver. It was built to help move people around the city during the World Fair. Several other train lines have been added to the city's transit system since then and I have used the Expo line to the downtown and the train to the airport.  I've never taken the train out to the suburbs of Surrey or to Coquitlam.  I've never had a reason to go out to these suburbs but recently a good friend moved out to Coquitlam and she would like me to visit her. 

 

 

We decided to go as far as the train will take us so we followed the Expo Line (blue) out to King George station.  We didn't get off there just looked around and I was pleasantly surprised to see that a college and a satellite office of the Simon Fraser University are located just steps from the station. That's good to know.  It was a rather hot day and the train we were on for the first leg of the journey to King George Station in Surrey took about 1 hour. With the rocking motion Jonah fell asleep. On our return journey he stood up so he could view everything out the windows.

After that we got back onto the Expo Line and travelled north then west to Columbia station.  There we transferred to go east and north to Production Way-University.  Once there we transferred to the Millennium Line (yellow) and went all the way to Lafarge Lake-Douglas.  This is the last stop on this train route.  I enjoyed seeing the  fountain and the pretty flowers after making the short walk from the train stop.

 

This man was walking 5 dogs at once.

I've been wanting to go to this man made lake for awhile now. At Christmas they have a light display and so maybe next Christmas I will get there. It also seems to be a place where more and more festivals are happening too.  DH and I enjoyed the quiet and the scenery and made loose plans to pack a lunch and refreshments and head out there to spend the day enjoying the tranquility one day. I was wondering what all the tents are for just beyond the water. Apparently a Caribbean Festival starts on Saturday for the weekend. I'm sure it will be a much busier place this weekend.

Thanks for dropping by!

Inquiring Minds Want to Know - Tuesday 4

 Hello!  Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 in memory of Toni Taddeo.

Let's inquire about stuff....

1. What gets your blood to boiling?

Injustice and mistreatment of people through any form (examples, government corruption, police brutality, unfair legislation, policies or court practices, the mean way some people treat others and so on).

2.What does a really good day look like for you? What makes you say, "That was a great day"?

 

It doesn't take a lot to make me happy. I love a beautiful, sunny or slightly rainy; not too hot or cold. I enjoy going for a short stroll and looking at the natural beauty around me. Then I would end my outing by reading a good book over a cup of fresh coffee.  Preferably at a coffee shop since I usually have only morning coffee at home. This is how I love to spend days alone. But I also enjoy going to a movie or a coffee outing with friends or having a dinner in or out with family and spending time talking to them.

3. Are you continuing to grow mentally, spiritually, talent wise or are you  just marking time?

 

I definitely continue to grow mentally and spiritually and there are still new talents I'd like to learn as long as I'm alive and able.  The internet is a big help these days with learning and staying on top of all kinds of things. You can even learn new skills and a variety of other things from watching You Tube videos. It is very helpful especially as one grows older or becomes less mobile. One of the things that make me sad is that time is flying by and I have so much I still want to do and learn and see.  There is far more on  my list than I will ever actually get to do. I try not to get too stressed about it because there is only so much time we all have. I am blessed to have had the time I have had and I pray I get to have more awesome times ahead.

 

4. Have you changed your hair style since high school?   Why or why not?

Oh yes, I had long straight hair in high school. During the ensuing years I've had all kinds of hair styles.  Some of them were super short, some were curly, some straight, some were 'big', some styles had bangs, some did not. Nowadays I have gone back to straight hair with no bangs. I colour it myself and now and then I go to the stylist. I prefer straight, longish hair that I can simply pull back during the day. The photo is of me getting my hair done in the salon in March after a long period of no appointments due to the pandemic.