Thursday, May 30, 2013

Sensory Good Things

I'm going to be offline for a few days. Tomorrow I fly south to kayak, drink wine, talk about books and enjoy some great friends.  Trust that I'll have a long list of Good Things to share with you next week.

Tonight a little girl in the library checked out my toenail polish. I couldn't figure out if she liked green toes or not. Her dad studied them for a moment then decided she was actually checking out my shoes.  She's three but she does love her shoes. For some reason that really made me smile.

DNe and I had a great talk. Put the two of us in a car together and we communicate really well.  We brainstormed about art, marketing and his upcoming talk at the NXNE art festival.  There are lots of great opportunities in his future. I love hearing the passion in his voice.

 The bird seed smells like bubble gum. Balooka. Instead of a comic, we have Yoda.

Have a great weekend. Take note of the Good Things

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Fashionable Good Things

I'm the least fashionable person I know. Is it comfy? A colour that suits my mood? Does the skirt swirl? These are my measuring sticks for a good outfit.

Today I wore a top that I last wore in September when a friend was in town and several of us met up with him for drinks and nachos.  It's yellow, with lots of blue and orange and red on it. Sounds awful but the cut is actually flattering and the material swishes when I move. Plus, it's loaded with fun memories. I smiled all morning because when the top caught my eye, I remembered something else from that night.  It was a good night. Even if I did end up with a parking ticket. 

This afternoon, Mom and I went to Fabricland and bought material to make Regency dresses for the Laura Secord Walk.  I bought a pattern online that is historically accurate. It said the ball gown could be made from organza. This is similar, lightweight and going to be interesting to sew.  It's not plain as was suggested but hey, we have to want to wear it.





It's kinda me, don't you think?

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Wet Good Things.

One Good Thing about the rain is it lulled me back to sleep this morning. I had a wonderful dream that kept me on the edge of happiness all day. It's irrelevant that it was just a dream, an illusion. It fired some endorphins.

I don't have to water any of the plants, top up the pond or worry about the level in the rain barrel. Mother Nature took care of all of it for me. That was very thoughtful of her.

I took all the soft apples and made a delicious apple crumble. DNe and his new girl devoured it.  There's just enough left for me to have for breakfast. What? It's got oatmeal, brown sugar and apples in it.  Quaker doesn't do it as well as I do.

It rained so hard that we could hear it beating on the roof of the library. I like watching the drops slam into puddles with enough force to displace the water.  It reminds me of Gene Kelly and I usually end up dancing. In the rain.


Monday, May 27, 2013

Good Book

One Good Thing about the battery dying on my tablet this evening is that I was forced to put down the book I fell into and get some chores done.  The critters needed food, so did the humans, a cloak needs to be finished, emails written - none of that mattered. The book piqued my interest when it came into the library. The cover was pretty. It had an endorsement from Joshilyn Jackson whose The Girl who stopped Swimming mesmerized me in much the same way this book - The Memory Thief by Emily Colin has enthralled.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

Other Good Things happened today, but it took the battery dying for me to get outside and discover them. Not all of the plants froze to death the other day. The peppers, two tomatoes and a cucumber survived.  The bicycle pump had a slice in the hose so I couldn't use it to pump up the front tire on my bike, but I was oddly amused by the motion of using the old-fashioned pump, accompanied by the foof ffoof ffoof sound of air pushing into the dirt on the garage floor. 

Oh, look. The battery has recharged. Yay.  Who needs sleep? I need to know how Colin rewards her characters for their relentless devotion, determination and courage.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

The Open Road Project.

One Good Thing about walking 15km this morning was the fascinating conversation I overheard between two volunteers. They had a mutual friend who'd mentioned the great deeds the one woman's son has undertaken as part of his life's work.  Apparently, he travels with his friends engaging in random acts of kindness. They are often viewed with suspicion but they genuine enthusiasm overcomes most skeptics.  In this day of horrible news and hatred, it's refreshing to read their adventures.  There are more good people in the world than bad. Strangers continue to help each other. The world is a good place.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Contrasting Good Things

Been awake since 4am. No good reason. Can't really find a good thing in any of that. Well, except for all the mental things I accomplished.  I wish I'd actually written down some of it, particularly the end of part one of the horror story.  The good news on that front is that I actually remember how I was getting to the end of that scene.

One Good Thing about being sick the last week is how loose my skirt is on me.  I hope my appetite doesn't come back with a vengeance. I can manage cravings better this way. 

One Good Thing about matching 10,000 years of evolution in the last 100 years is the invention of painkillers. 

The advent of television and the Internet are pretty good, too.  Right now, I'm combining Old World (crochet) with New World(Live Free and Die Hard).  Given I just spent three hours scanning and editing photos taken over a hundred years ago, the contrast of tradition and technology appeals to me.

What was your Good Thing for today?

Friday, May 24, 2013

Flora good things

One week from today I will basking by the Bay, the beautiful Bay. Chesapeake, that is.  I know it's getting close because last night I stayed awake mentally packing.

Fingers crossed that the roots on my tender plants were strong. They all looked like the cold temps last night did them in. It's supposed to be summer again tomorrow.  One Good Thing about the cooler temperature is the effect on my hives. They're disappearing. About time.

One Good Thing about working at the oldest library in Ontario is the history. We live in a region that takes its history seriously and the library is the receptacle for much of it. Yet, they're very progressive when it comes to technology. I learned a few new skills today.

I also spent part of my lunch hour inhaling the glorious fragrance from this beauty


I know wisteria is considered a weed in some places but to me it's an elegant lady.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Thursday Good Things

It is sleeting and windy outside. I can still smell the lilies of the valley on my coffee table. I'll take balance however I can get it.

Milo is snuggled down on my lap while I type. He's one of the most affectionate cats I've ever known. I'm so grateful to still have the pleasure of his company after seventeen years.

One Good Thing about the cooler weather is that all of my seedlings (what are they called when they are the plant equivalents of teenagers?) are now in pots and  tucked up against the house.  If they survive tonight, they'll be sturdy plants - tomatoes, cucumbers, beets and spinach. 

I was far more productive than I'd expected to be today.  Paid bills, wrote web content, got yard work done and played with the zoo. 

What made me smile today? The silly poems we wrote for the coworker who is leaving us to head to the Big City and a new career.  We've watched him grow from a shy youngster to a confident and talented young man. End of an era but the beginning of Great Things for him.

The season finale of Grimm the other night ended To Be Continued then added Oh c'mon, you knew this was coming.  I enjoy it when shows acknowledge the audience.


I saw a photo of an older man in a kilt. That made me smile. Kilts, like duster coats, make every man attractive. I'm sure there are exceptions, please don't harsh my vibe by sharing them.

What made you smile today?


Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Memories and tributes

My day started out beautifully.  I had fabric from Kate that I wanted to make a bag out of it. It sat in my living room pinned in place for months.  It was never quite right.

Then I saw bags at a craft show a couple of weeks ago. I was in love.  Batavia by Sil makes her bags from re-purposed fabric.  We were a perfect fit.

Here's the back of the bag




but the front brought tears to my eyes. 


I've pet it repeatedly throughout the day.  This is the best blend of Kate and I that I could ever envision.  Yes, it evokes thoughts of Elen and Theresa and our tree blog but it will be a daily wander with Kate. She loved the outdoors.

Then I went for a hike with my volunteers along the trail.  We heard a Baltimore Oriole but couldn't see him.  It was a stinking hot day, our walk was fairly short and we were all pleased to have survived. Then one of the lovely ladies gifted me with this beautiful bouquet from her garden.

Lilies of the valley grew in my great-grandmother's garden, along the sidewalk beside her house and in cracks in the pavement.  I cannot smell them without thinking of her.

It was a good day.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Summery Good Things

One Good Thing about driving to Toronto and back today was Stashaholic sent me home with sock yarn.  And I got to see her garden planted and growing.  I drove through three distinct seasons - Spring, Fall and holy freakin SUMMER. 

One Good Thing about driving to work because it was too darn hot to walk or ride my bicycle meant I had more time to spend at home with Mom. She was having a rough day. Holding her hand, literally, made us both feel better.  Never underestimate the power of touch.

One Good Thing about being home earlier due to driving was being home in time to have a teleconference. We're in better shape on the walk than I'd thought and that felt great.  I'll be walking again tomorrow. This time I'm relying on the sun hat to protect my face. I still have hives from the sunscreen.

One Good Thing about wearing a lot of colour today was it distracted everyone from the red blotchy face. One co-worker thought I'd just gotten a lot of sun.  Good. 

Oddly, I'm having a really good body-image day.  I'm wider than I'd like to be but can feel my chest bones and clavicle without sinking into layers of fat.  That was a happy moment. Little things, people. 

How's your day?

Monday, May 20, 2013

Recovering Good Things

Yesterday was fun - we went to Jordan, ate a yummy lunch at the Jordan House, bought fudge at the Heritage Gift Shop, too much yarn ( is that even possible?) at The Fibre Garden and wine at DiProfio Wines. The latter was of particular note as we met the winemaker himself.  We tasted everything they carry.  Delicious.  They've added a nice cab/merlot to the shelves.  Despite the fact that I don't like icewine in the slightest, their Select Late Harvest Vidal is amazing.  Stashaholic bought some to add to her canning this Fall.  I can't wait to taste it.


We came home, had dinner with the family then I was sick and konked out. It turns out the sunscreen hives are worse than I originally thought. It's taken its toll. Poor Ky was quivering from the fireworks.  I was too miserable to be of much help to him.

Today was a bit more low-key.  One Good Thing about having a friend who really likes lemons is that I keep buying books about lemons for him. One Good Thing about never getting around to mailing them is they are still here for me to reference.  Lemons are good anti-inflammatories.  Despite being acidic they are good at balancing alkaline in your body.  And when rubbed on hives, they reduce swelling and itch. Mine aren't itchy per se but they are swollen enough to be painful. No, there will not be before and after photos.

We did venture out to a couple of garden centers. I bought some plants for the pond - lots of oxygenators and some marsh plants and a water lily.  The latter is going to be gorgeous when it blooms. There will be pictures of that.

The rest of the day was spent carding the Polwarth fleece while watching an Indiana Jones marathon.  Lots of Good Things in there.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Things I never thought would be Good Things

One Good Thing about having a cold this week was I had a hard time breathing on our walk this morning.  Because of that, I dropped to the back to hang with another walker who was having difficulty breathing. If I'd tried to stay up with the front group, I likely wouldn't have been able to make it through the walk at all.  I was working hard on breathing in and out - repeat.

Because we kept dropping further back, we were able to see the deer run across in front of us. The other group flushed it from the thicket.  It was great. We saw rabbits and snakes - and these friendly guys.


Scratching an itch


Hi, can I follow you home?
 I'm no bigger than Ky.  See? Let me climb up into your lap...


One Good Thing about trying out a new sunscreen is how easy it was to figure out what gave me hives.  Because I had hives, we took our time at home instead of running off to a couple of parties.

My DNi came over and helped us card my gorgeous Polworth fleece.

Then we washed up a bucket of Ky's fur so we can blend it tomorrow.

Despite feeling sick most of the day, Stashaholic and DNi made the day enjoyable.  Oddly, neither one of them wants to spend the day tomorrow on a Die Hard marathon. Sigh.  I guess we'll go out and enjoy the world.

Friday, May 17, 2013

It's Friday!

For the first time in months, I have three consecutive days off work.  WooHoo.

In one of those weird coincidences of life, I rode my bike to work today. Guess what? It was National Ride your bike to work Day.

I drove to Toronto tonight to pick up Stashaholic.  That was the least amount of traffic I've ever seen on the highway between here and there. Unbelievable. We were home in the amount of time it often takes to go one way.

Tea.  Yummy healthy cold fix tea. It has juniper berries in it so I'm going to wait til tomorrow in case it gives me hives.  Several years ago, I made incense powder by crushing cedar, juniper, pine and fir. I had hives inside my nose from inhaling the wonderful aroma.  I can't touch any of them to this day without breaking out. So you can understand why I hesitate to drink it. Yet, I do like gin so perhaps ingestation is safe. 

Milo is curled up in his little bed beside me, chirping in his sleep. That makes me ridiculously happy.

Have a wonderful weekend and take time to notice the good things in every day. Savour the moments.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

So many good things, mostly people

Scent of lilacs is strong in our yard. Even I, who can barely breathe, can smell them. Lovely.
The Japanese maple is green.
An acquaintance helped a young teen out of a crisis and didn't consider his actions noteworthy.  He's a good man who doesn't see it.  In this day and age of mistrust and scandal, he went out of his way to help a stranger, one who had the potential to ruin his life if it was a scam.  It wasn't, it didn't. He helped her. People are good.
My young friend took huge steps today in becoming a grown-up. I'm proud and happy for him. I will miss him when he moves away and starts his new life.

A book came into my life today. It was printed in 1884 and gifted to my great-grandmother when she was 16 years old.  It made me very happy to hold it in my hands and know that it`s made it all the way down the line to me.  Once I can do so safely, I`m going to read it.
I had a great long distance chat with a friend I`m going to see in two weeks. We talked about how society teaches us that we should all think the same when in fact all of our brains work differently from each other. We don`t learn the same way, at the same speed with the incentives.  We are unique.
The world is so  much smaller now thanks to technology. Then I look at photographs of my great-aunt's life and think how little it's changed in the ways that are important. Family and friends.  Love.
I am blessed to have all of these.
How was your day?


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Spring cold

One Good Thing about having a cold bad enough to keep me on the couch is catching up on tv shows I've missed because I was out gallivanting all week.

It also meant I was home when the wind was so high it blew the pond liner into the pond. We hadn't gotten around to putting the rocks back on top of the liner. I went out and tucked it behind the rock wall.  Then I took advantage of the sunshine and fresh air by planting the Spring-blooming heather. I watered the Icelandic poppy and scoped out a couple of places to plant it.

One Good Thing about crochet is you can add on anywhere. No need to tear it out and start fresh from the beginning. Unless of course you were distracted by Mad Men and ended up adding too many stitches. In that case, out it comes. 

Another Good Thing about the cold was the coughing fit meant people didn't keep me on the phone. My brain isn't as sharp as normal so engaging me in a discussion about logistics right now is not the best time.  I've kept a low profile on the email front as well.  It's nice to have a holiday.

I've taken all the best cold remedies, including the ever effective, and foul-tasting, oil of oregano.  The jug of citrus soaking in water was tastier.

There are hundreds of good things in a day. Little things, like the dog's head in my lap while he gazes up at me with adoration in his eyes, the scent of the lilacs, the neighbour's new grandson smiling up at her, the squirrel running across the fence and startling the dog, friends goofing around on FB, other friends goofing around on the Internet, sharing recipes, sharing ideas, good books, time to read a good book, joking with DNe, texts from DNi, Mom's smile first thing in the morning, Dad's quickly smothered chuckle when Casey marked me as his territory, a nostalgic song on the radio, a great new song that gets me moving, the splash of ginger ale against the back of my throat, the bite of spice in the sausage, the smell of fleece soaking in the tub. 

Enjoy the little things.  Savour the moment.  See all the Good Things.  There are more than you realize.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Impulsive Good Things

Yesterday was a crazy day. My foot hurt, my meeting went long, two co-workers had some quality hospital time for kidney issues. I had a long list of chores waiting for me when I got home.

Instead, I responded yes to the text that invited me to go down to Maple Leaf Square in Toronto to watch game seven on the giant screen surrounded by 25,000 screaming fans.  It was insane down there.  We parked a few blocks away and followed all the blue and white jerseys.  People were laughing and joking around with strangers.  All I could smell was cinnamon, coffee and beer. We dared to eat street meat (little hot dog and sausage stands that do a mean business during hockey season).  We started out in the middle of the crowd, shoved up against a sapling that hadn't leafed yet. As the crowd started pushing in on us, we moved back. Then back again and again until we were standing on the street corner.  We decided to bail and head for a bar but once we crossed the street we could actually see over all those blue heads, helmets and wigs to the giant screen so we stayed. 

I cannot describe the energy, the cheers, the bodies jumping up and down. Riot police were out in full force.  The street was closed to traffic and the crowd flowed out and over onto our side of the street.  Flags waved. Toilet paper was tossed.  The game took a hard turn away from jubilation.  People were so tense they barely breathed. Then it was over and everyone filed away from the scene of the crime.  Most people just wanted to put it behind them.  One guy threw a sign and people told him to grow up.  The guy who tossed firecrackers was encouraged, strongly, not to do that again. 

I don't like crowds, I don't like to be surrounded by riot police. We kept backing up so the police were in front of us, so that we were behind the action. Underdressed in our Leaf jerseys, we were freezing on the street corner when the sun went down. Yet, for all that, I'm glad I experienced it.  People were well-behaved.  Civilized even, in their disappointment. 

I woke up this morning with my throat raw from all that screaming. My foot feels worse but that's from driving as I did all my jumping up and down on one foot.

It was a tough day, both on the news and at home.  But going to Toronto last night was fun and it helped me to deal with today's tragedies and sadness.   It reminded me to seize opportunities, to laugh whenever possible, to spend time with people whose company you enjoy, to play even when you might fall and scrape your knee. 

Yesterday was full of Good Things in a blue and white package of comaraderie, disappointment and friendship.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Hmmm

One Good Thing about hockey playoffs is the amount of calories I expend through nervous energy.  I hope our team goes all the way so I can lose 20 pounds. 

One Good Thing about being too tired to get a ride to work so that I could walk to my brother's for dinner (approximately 6km) was I didn't end up walking during a hail storm. That would have been miserable.

One Good Thing about being a kid magnet is that I was able to distract the littlest one at the extended family Mother's Day dinner. She was on the verge of tears so I told her I needed a snuggle.  She climbed over her sister to oblige me. 

I really did need the snuggle. One Good Thing about it being our last Sunday to offer library service is the opportunity to have two consecutive days off during the summer. It was bittersweet as neither of today's coworkers will be back in the Fall.  The one girl made a lovely bracelet for me.

There was a robin pecking at the window to be let inside when I arrived at work so early.  I think it knew what was coming weather-wise and wanted shelter.  I saw it fly past in the worst of the hail. I have no idea why it wasn't huddled in a tree. 

I was at work so early because I popped back to the craft show this morning. I picked up a couple of hostess gifts for my upcoming trip.  I also gave the purse lady some fabric to make a tree bag for me. I'll post pictures when it arrives early next week.  I was so thrilled she agreed. I didn't want to offend her by suggesting my material was better than hers. She was thrilled that I'd thought about her creations all night. 

One last good thing before I turn in for the night.  It was Mother's Day today. It's a bittersweet day for so many people.  I posted this on FB earlier today but in case you didn't see it.  Read The Bloggess's take on Mother's Day.  I can't thank her enough for acknowledging my worth despite the lack of childbirth on my part.  And to all those people who constantly tell me to appreciate my mother, you have no idea how much I do.  And always will.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Visiting Good Things

I was offline all day yesterday. My one friend came from Oakland and my other from Detroit so the three of us met in Toronto.  We had a delicious lunch at a lovely little bistro. Just inhaling the scent of baked cinnamon pastries was enough to satisfy my craving. We spent the day shopping through and for windows. Whenever it rained, we dashed into a store. We may have bought a few items on those occasions. It was rent payment for keeping us dry. 

We found this amazing dress with lots of buckles that was more like an overdress. It wouldn't have looked out of place on Firefly. Four of us tried it on and it was completely different on each of us. We were/are varying sizes so the hem landed at various lengths changing look entirely. 

The shop owner gave me all the pennies in her till to add to my charity pile I amassed for my birthday. That was very nice.

Up and down the street we went, back and forth, criss and cross.  We laughed at so many things I can't even remember any of them just the sheer joy of spending time with imaginary friends I met on the Internet.

My only requirement was that we be somewhere in front of a television in time to watch the puck drop. We all agreed I'm a horrible friend but they enjoyed the game too - especially when Toronto won.

I got up early this morning and went for a hike. One Good Thing about only my committee partner in crime showing up was we were able to explore the trail in detail. There are a couple of tricky spots that we had hoped to reroute. There's a reason we're using the tricky spots. We both suffered minor injuries. My poor foot has had enough.  The slide down the mud to jam against a rock was too much.

Yet, the trilliums were beautiful.  The red-tail hawk flew over us a couple of times in the woods.  The squirrels flicked their tails and chattered at us before darting off into the leaves.

Instead of going home and putting my foot up, I showered, picked up Mom and my friend then headed out to a craft show.  All of the vendors were local, the wine was yummy and I could spent all of my savings as well as the mortgage payment.  Messenger bags made from repurposed fabrics and exquisite ceramic buttons, savoury shortbread, hats, hats and more hats, handcreams, dry shampoo and soap, jewelry made from classic books and Hawaiian coffee. 

We finished the night off with wine, chocolate and NASCAR. 

This ad made me laugh til I cried.


Thursday, May 09, 2013

Lemonade

One Good Thing about mushy too-ripe bananas - banana bread.

Drinking water fills me up. I eat less when hydrated.  Adding lemons to the water adds flavour.

One Good Thing about finding two ticks in my hair - they were both dead. I credit the lemon in my water - and the 1/2C of homemade bug spray I doused myself in yesterday.  Lemon, peppermint, lavender, geranium essential oils.  I keep my hair braided from now til the Deep Freeze and that's why.  The ticks were at the end of my braid.  My clothes were all bug free.  Ten years ago, I'd never seen a tick. Now they're commonplace. Yuck.

One Good Thing about all the walking I've been doing is the sprint to the corner store barely winded me. I caught up with the person I was chasing and we had a good chat.

One Good Thing about dropping the olive oil on the floor is how shiny it made the floor. I've since washed it. So another good thing. My kitchen is clean.  Really clean.

I've yet to make lemonade out of all the lemons in the fruit bowl but my life is benefiting.

How are things with you?

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Hockey, hiking and words

One Good Thing about hockey playoffs - the bonding. I spent most of the night texting back and forth with one of my die-hard Leaf fans.  I thought she was going to have heart failure.  It was lots of back-and-forth, end-to-end hockey.  Another Good Thing is that I got to rest my foot. Another 7km walk today that just destroyed my injured foot.  Ice and good boots are my best friends.

One Good Thing about getting to the trail early was running into a guy who had just hiked the closed trail.  We learned a lot from him - and he signed up for the walk on June 22.  It poured rain but the leaves kept the bulk of water off us. Then the sun came out and we dried off. I met four new volunteers which was great.  It was a good walk.

We saw lots of trilliums.


One more Good Thing - I wrote all morning. I haven't done that for awhile. Other things (read the last month's worth of blogs) have taken up a lot of my time.  I'm not complaining but I needed to get back on track. Being so productive in other areas of my life has helped me cut to the chase on the blank page. I'm pleased with all that I accomplished.  Even if it is creepy.

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Exhausting good things

The day started with a hike just under 15km.  I'm really pleased with it. I think my hiking boots need to be exchanged for a different pair of hiking boots. I'll try the blue ones out tomorrow.  For some reason my baby toe seems to have changed shape. It's weird.  Regardless, the walk was incredible. A lot of work has been done to the trail, the weather was perfect and it smelled so good along the whole route.



Then I came home and DNe helped me put the new repaired liner into the pond. The two of us literally stood there and watched it fill.  Being a boy, he had to play with the hose a bit.  The water level hasn't changed in ten hours so we went ahead and put the plants and fish back.  Tomorrow we'll put the stones around the outside.



One Good Thing about the neighbours taking down their huge linden tree is that we now have two wooden benches. The ability to identify that tree scored me two bottles of wine the year we moved into the neighbourhood. It was a bittersweet memory as that neighbour died the following year. I still miss him. Bob was quite the character.

Last night's fleece is dry and ready to be bagged up but I'm going to leave it for another day. Tomorrow, I'll clean another batch. I love the smell of wet wool. Honestly. It smells like sheep in the spare room. 

One Good Thing about having a friend who really really likes lemons is the book I bought for him had some great tips about lemons repelling insects.

I may be exhausted, I smell lemony but I'm not covered in ticks.  Good day.

Monday, May 06, 2013

Chores can be Good

One Good Thing about riding my bike to work is the satisfaction of actually getting up the hill. It's steep enough that I usually have to walk the bike but today I got up halfway.  Of course, I couldn't breathe but I was pretty pleased with myself regardless.  I'm looking forward to the day I ride all the way. 

Another day in the pond.  This time I consulted an expert.  Fish were caught. Plants moved to buckets. 


Water bailed.  Now we wait for the repair to cure.


One Good Thing about crochet is how quickly it makes up.  Apparently, the cloak is too short so I pulled the hood apart and made it bi-colour.  I can take the leftover main colour and add it to the bottom without any trauma.  The trim will tie it all in together.  I'm anxious to see it finished.

I also spent some time tonight washing my birthday fleece. Isn't it pretty?


I love the smell of wet wool, very sheepy. Ky is in puppy heaven.  If only it would jump off the drying rack and race around the house.


Sunday, May 05, 2013

Bittersweet Sunday

One Good Thing about this being my penultimate Sunday shift is that I won't miss NASCAR any more.  Although, today's race was red-flagged for rain so even though I went to a birthday party after work, I still saw the incredible finish.  It will be sad not to see my coworkers, or the Sunday patrons.  So many changes for all of us, some temporary and some permanent.

My goddaughter's 18th birthday party was today.  Where did the time go?  She's a poised beautiful young woman who knows where she's going to college in the Fall, and what she's going to study, because she has a passion to help children with special needs. Her momma raised her well.  All of her parents did.  It seems like she was three years old just last week.

I lay in bed this morning and listened to the birds sing. Yoda sang back.  He has no interest in going outdoors, not after the time he freaked out and got stuck on the roof for three hours.  He's a funny little bird.  DNe is his playmate while I'm his love. He's very affectionate with me, coos and snuggles into my hand. 

I realized today that I view my social life as a chore. Hmmm, need an attitude adjustment. Or maybe it's all the people all the time. I love my friends. I love my job and all the people I meet through work.  I even adore all these walks and the people I've met as part of the Legacy Trail but it's the relentless interaction that's wearing me down.  Perhaps, if I curtail activities so that I can recharge in between all those exchanges of energy...

Tonight I will finish a cloak for a friend's birthday.  This is the last of the gifts I've been making since last summer. I'll be able to work on a couple of pieces for myself, not to mention learn to sew so that I can make a Regency dress for the end of June.  It's strange not to have a project where I think of the recipient while I make it. 

Bittersweet I am.

How about you?

Busy Good Things

One Good Things about such a busy social life is the number of good friends enticing me out into the world.  We have birthdays and bonfires, cake and hotdogs, guacamole and wine.  I'm exhausted and cranky for it but oddly in a good way.

The weather has been fantastic - sunny, warm with a slight breeze.  I've walked, ridden my bicycle and worked on the pond.  I have brutal sunburn - but excellent lotion that soothes it.

The animals continue to amuse me.  Yoda and I wrestled over the food dish last night while watching the hockey game. He likes to do that sometimes, unhook the dish so the food spills to the floor.  I grabbed it so it was hanging on by the one side.  When I righted it, he jumped so that he landed inside the dish. Then looked at me with great amusement.  How does such a tiny body hold that large a personality?

Between work and meetings and social engagements, I'm home long enough to change clothes, feed everyone, catch the first period of the game. It's not long. Ky twists himself inside out to show his appreciation for my return.  I rub him down from nose to tail then play with his ears.  Milo launches himself onto my lap as if he can weigh me down and hold me in place longer than ten minutes.  Just as I start to get irritated because they are furry and warm and I'm already hot from exertion, I thank the gods that they love me that much.  It's mutual. 

Honestly, they are the ones most likely to break through my crankiness and remind me why I do half that I do, that life is good and love surrounds us if we take a moment to feel it. 


Thursday, May 02, 2013

Gratitude

I was thinking today that I have such a wide variety of friends.  Many different demographics, cultures, beliefs, careers and even humour.  I'm truly blessed in that department.

Standing thigh deep in the pond while I repaired it - again - I tipped my head back and breathed deep.  I love all the smells at this time of year.  I can't even begin to describe them.

My head is full of many things today. Mostly, I'm grateful for the people I love. Nothing prompted that awareness. Just woke up aware of the amazing people who share my life.

Thank you

Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Colourful things

I walked 13 km today.  I'm building my endurance so that I can participate in the Laura Secord commemorative walk. I'm at the spot where Ky can no longer join me and apparently he's faster than I am.  According to the app on my phone, walks without Ky are 1km/hr slower.  You'd think he'd hold me back as he stops to sniff.  It was quite warm and as far out as I go, I have to turn and walk home.  It was beautiful.


A few hours later, I drove to work at the other end of Niagara.  I cannot believe how many different shades of green were interspersed with pink, white, cream, red blossoms, yellow dandelions, grape hyacinths.  The windows were down so I could smell the LIFE.  It was incredible.

As many stressful, scary work-related moments as we've had in the last couple of days, it was so calming to just experience so many good things in wonderful weather, good friends and the reminder that life evolves.