Hello friends and fellow bloggers,
Happy March to you all!
A few days ago I shared some early cherry blossoms but since then it's turned colder. We're expecting very unsettled weather for the next week or so. I'm hoping consistently warmer temperatures arrive in a week or so. In the meantime, I'm preparing to plant some seeds so I have something to plant in the garden.
These sky photos were taken today around dinner time. The sky looks menacing but the temperature was much warmer than it was on Tuesday night when we had a bit of snow.
I baked a bit of bread last night. There's nothing nicer than freshly baked bread with jam and butter and tea on a cold night.
Happy New Week to you friends and fellow bloggers. This week we face the end of February and the beginning of March. I'm wondering if it will be a cold one or a warmer one. Right now the forecast seems to be for a cold one with possible snow once or twice this week but we will see. I guess I'm skeptical but anything can happen.
It's actually been somewhat warm here recently as evidenced by what I found yesterday (Saturday) in my neighbourhood. Today, although I don't have a photo, there were far more blossoms on the tree than there were yesterday. But later on Sunday the temperature plummeted.
Tonight when I went for a walk and a few errands, I had to wear my gloves to keep my fingertips warm. I hope the sudden cold won't harm the cherry blossoms. Although there have been some periods of great cold snaps around the province, even in Vancouver, there has not been enough snowfall overall. In fact, many ski hills were not able to open for their usual ski seasons due to lack of snow. All this is not good for the summer when it's predicted to be very hot once again.
In home news, I found this recipe in a magazine dedicated to one pot dinners. It's called Pecan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Apples. I made it Saturday night and I omitted the pecans because I didn't have any. I also omitted the sugar because the balsamic vinegar and apples was enough to sweeten the dish. It turned out delicious. Now I have a new chicken dish to add to my repertoire when I need a quick and tasty meal. The other one pot chicken dish I like a lot is Creamy Tuscan Chicken. But I don't always have sun dried tomatoes on hand and I also don't always want to have a creamy dish.
This year I hope to do a lot more things creatively but I'm not off to a rousing start. I'm still reading a bit more than I'd planned but soon the garden/s need planting so we'll see how I make out. It's also tax time again and that always keeps me busy as I do the taxes for DH and I jointly. It means, I have to corral all the receipts for the both of us which is hard enough to do with one of us. I'm sure some of you understand what I mean.
Besides keeping busy in various ways, I'm still trying to be a bit creative. A friend in England sent me this adult colouring book. I see that I need better lighting to colour within the lines and since I like felt tip pens I think I need to work on pressure of ink application. Either that or buy some wooden crayons. How about you dear reader? Do you do any colouring? Do you have any tips for me? If you don't do any colouring, do you have any favourite hobbies?
We've had a few days of beautiful weather though now we are back to rain. I think Spring is just around the corner and I'm beginning to plan for what to plant at the community garden. My patio is being renovated and I'm not quite sure when it will be ready for planting.
I hope you are enjoying the season wherever you are in the world.
Joining in with Skywatch Friday this week. Have a wonderful week ahead.
I hope this month of February is going well for you.
Time is passing so quickly and I didn't have a chance to join in with Skywatch last Friday so here I am today.
We've been having mild and warmer weather for a few days but it is turning cold again. It was nice having a few days of unseasonably warm temperatures. Though I know that isn't the best for our water supply and our forest, my bones need a good warming and rest from the draftiness of winter.
I hope you're keeping warm enough or cool enough wherever you live.
It's the last Friday of the month! I hope it been a good month for you.
As for me, it's taken me awhile to hit my stride but that is not out of the ordinary for me. Each year it takes me a while to really get going no matter how organized I may be.
We've had heavy rainfall for a few days and thankfully it's melted all the snow. Today (Friday), the sky cleared for a bit and enabled us to clear the patio deck for the renovations that start next week. The preparations have taken long to get to this point. I'll be glad when it's all over and done and I look forward to a new patio and garden.
I'm joining in with Tuesday 4 meme where we are sharing about books and reading this week.
1. Do you have a favourite place to read? Maybe you can post a photo of it or describe it for us?
I can't really say I have a favourite place to read. I do tend to read in one corner of my sofa because I have a wall sconce above which helps illuminate my book while reading.
The photo is the most recent photo of my sofa but the look today is completely different. Gone is the black lamp. Instead I have a wall sconce on either side and changed out pillows, art and tchotchkes. If you look at the photo, I tend to sit on what you would see as the right side of the sofa. It's actually the left side of the sofa and I sit there because it's further from the window tp avoid drafts and it's closer to answer the phone if it rings.
I've also tried creating a reading nook in the bedroom. But that idea no longer works because we need room for DH's clothes, shoes and other things.
2. Some say reading makes a person more educated, more informed. Do you think novels do this in any way? Do you learn things from novels? Would you tell us what you have learned?
Yes, I think novels can make a person better educated or informed. Firstly, they can improve one's vocabulary if you choose novels that are a little more complex. I read a lot of novels many of which are historical fiction and many are stories set in other countries. I've been exposed to different cultures, been inspired to learn more about various historical events and learned how people lived and survived at various times in history.
3. Are there any books on your list to read right now?
My 'to read' list is always very long and I don't keep a comprehensive list of books I want to read. I've downloaded many free books on both Kindle and Kobo for a time when I may not be able to find a book to read at the library, lol. I also recently asked my library to curate a list of books for me to read based on my preferences and desires. I'm hoping to start on that reading list sometime this year. The book I'm reading at the moment is called The Covenant of Water, a book of my own choosing (and is pictured below).
4. Which books did you like the most and which did you dislike most?
Like many people do, I track my reading on the Goodreads website. I've discovered that historical fiction is the genre I read and enjoy most. I've read and loved so many books over the years but I've also read a lot of books that are barely satisfactory. Some of my favourite authors to date are: Ken Follett & Edward Rutherfurd both of whom write historical fiction. I've also enjoyed Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner), Abraham Verghese (Cutting Stones & Covenant of Water) and Rohintin Mistry is another fantastic writer (Family Matters, A Fine Balance).
Female writers also feature prominently in my reading. Over the years I've really enjoyed Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher, both of whom write novels set in the more recent history in Ireland and Scotland/England respectively. I also really like Lisa See who writes a combination of historical and contemporary stories set in different parts of Asia. All of her books are very interesting and keep me riveted. Here is the author talking about her book, Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane which is the first novel of hers I read.
An American-Canadian author I love is Sandra Gulland who wrote the Josephine B. (Bonaparte) trilogy. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian author, is another great writer whose stories captivate me and teach me more about Nigeria and racial issues from an African perspective. I've read her books, Half a Yellow Sun and Americanah, the latter is about race issues in the UK and USA.
Here is a link to the movie based on the book Half a Yellow Sun. I only just found it on line today. I haven't watched it except for the first 15 minutes or so and I enjoyed it.
There are a handful of books I didn't like but I'm not going to create a list of them because that would be a waste of time. Just top of mind though I do remember two books I didn't like much. One I read recently, and completed, is a popular book with excellent reviews. It's called, A Grandmother Begins The Story. I've linked it for you if you'd like to read more. I really wanted to like the book but sometimes things don't work out. The other book is Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope. I just remember being bored and I never completed it. Perhaps I will try again another day but there are so many other books to read. I did read an earlier book of his called, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, which I enjoyed very much.
