Several good things

I spent a significant portion of the day tracing The Dress (Regency gown that I need for Monday) pattern onto tracing paper so that I could use it to cut out the fabric for the dress.  This has caused me fits of anxiety because 1)I don't sew 2)I need it for Monday 3)there's a certain level of authenticity required 4)I don't sew.  Tackling that part of the job has given me the confidence to take the next step - tomorrow. My nerves are shot today.

Just as we were preparing to close up shop for the night, one of our regular patrons suffered a heart attack.  One very good thing is that we all just completed CPR and defibrillator training two weeks ago. All of it was still fresh in our minds. We quietly and calmly went about the tasks required to keep the man alive until the paramedics arrived.  We stayed calm. He stayed calm and when he left he said he'd see us again soon.  I sincerely hope so.

Afterward, one of our other regular patrons joked that we really do provide a variety of services. I told him we were well-trained but I'd appreciate it if he didn't utilize all of our skill and knowledge.

I do tend to laugh the more serious a situation.  Humour has a way of uniting us, lowering blood pressure and cutting through formality.  But standing there watching this man gasp for breath, I was incredibly grateful for all of the experiences I've had over the years that keep me on an even keel in a crisis.

I am surrounded by smart people. By funny people. Compassionate people. Talented people. Loving people.

Thank you for being one of them.

Rainy good things

The rain barrel is overflowing and so is the pond. Ky and I went out to bail the latter and were both soaked to the bone. I have no idea why I found that so funny but I did.  We were also covered in rose petals so we smelled pretty.

There was enough of a break in the rain for me to pop over to DeCew House and take some photos from multiple angles for DNe.  There are several different colours of stone that I'd never noticed. It was kind of cool to look at the old building through an artist's eye.

I can hear the steady strike of rain against the roof next door and the ground below my living room window. It's a soothing sound. Yes, we're soggy outside but warm and toasty inside. I'm going to dig up a good book, curl up on the couch and ignore all the tasks that are frustrating me.  Frustration makes it less likely to accomplish those chores. 

Tomorrow is another day.  Today was a good one.  All that water made for some interesting perspective shifts.

One Good Thing about getting up with the sun is beating the heat on the trail.  Traffic is light, no one else is on the trail and the air is fresh. 

We walked from Queenston to Niagara College and marked the trail with tape. This will make it much easier to place the signs when they come in next week. We also measured and marked the spots that require rope.  Not only was it a good walk but I felt so productive. We had to stop and buy more tape before we finished up at DeCou House.  That's the longest I've walked in one day. It was fantastic.

One of the volunteers told me about a house that has the same floor plan as DeCou House so we drove by it.  I'm going to take DNe over there tomorrow so that he can envision it for the painting he's doing as part of the Battle of Beaverdams festivities.

One Good Thing about all of the rain we've had lately is my pond is filled to the brim. I guess the repair held.  I had to bail it this evening to make room for the rain that's coming over the next two days.  As this time last year was dangerously dry,  I'll work my abs and upper body bailing and watering.

I'm tired but it's a good, used-lots-of-different-muscle-groups kind of way.

100 years well lived

This is my great-aunt, Jeannette Ethel in June, 1913

And on her wedding day a few years later with her handsome groom, George Sutherland

Yesterday was her 100th birthday.  Today, we threw a party to celebrate

She is a treasure, a joy and sharp as a tack.  I adore her completely and am incredibly grateful to still have her a vibrant part of my life.

One more good thing about today, besides seeing family I haven't spent time with for awhile, is that Mom was given a day pass from the hospital to join us in the celebrations.

Home sweet home

One Good Thing about the end of a wonderful vacation is being home.  My stuff, my people, my routines, my furry friends. Ky shot out the door last night, past me and halfway down the porch steps when he wheeled around and ran back in. I guess it took him a moment to realize I was the one that opened the door to let him outside.  He wasn't too happy I went to work this morning (and running on four hours sleep, I wasn't exactly thrilled myself) but I came home tonight so all is right in his world.

Sure there were chores to be done, laundry to wash, groceries to purchase, a bird bed to repair as Yoda chewed his in a fit of pique while I was away, but overall, it's nice to be home.

I put up my Secretariat photo.  He looks like he belongs there. 

I do have other photos to share from my trip south. It wasn't all horses.  Once I get completely unpacked, I'll share more.  I may have thought of one or two of you while I was away. 

Tomorrow is my great-aunt's birthday party. She turned 100 years old today.  That's a milestone worth celebrating.  The best part - apart from things wearing out, she's in great shape.  I have fantastic genes.

Traveling Good Things

A dear friend drove up from North Carolina yesterday to visit me in Virginia. I cannot tell you how special that makes me feel.  The three of us spent the afternoon sitting on the porch, talking, laughing, forgetting to pick young man-child up from school. To add insult to injury, he had to feed himself dinner as we never got around to eating it ourselves.

I can't tell you what we talked about, partly because I don't remember most of it. They were the conversations three people have about the people they care about, places they wish to see, how they want to travel and every other topic that crosses their minds.  By the time we realized the time,  it was far too late for the return drive to North Carolina.

This morning dawned cloudy and beset by Tropical Storm Andrea. We shared coffee, tea, toast and the last of the fresh berries from the weekend. RSS offered to make french toast but we declined.

A fun trip to local shops for some last minute souvenirs led to some infamous stores, unique gifts and an amazing find - a full color photo of Secretariat in a frame made from part of Meadow Farm's fence. What an incredible gift from my two friends. It's traveling carry-on with me as I head home. Let's home the storm let's us all safely pass.

Lunch was a lovely meal with tomato orange soup that had a light refreshing taste. I spent most of the afternoon enticing my friends to kidnap their husbands for a relaxing vacation north of the border.

The last few days have been full. Too many Good Things to recount. While I've enjoyed the locations, it was the people who made the travel worthwhile. I am truly blessed.

Avian good things

Taking vacation-dog, Zeke, who showed up on the porch one night several years ago, is a joy. He has lots of energy and enthusiasm, not to mention he likes to look up at trees while we walk. The goats down the road amuse me more than him. He's busy sniffing flowers or watching for squirrels.

Sitting on the beautiful wraparound porch in the late afternoon sun means we're serenaded by downy woodpeckers, cedar waxwings, bluebirds, cardinals, nuthatches and the buzz of hummingbirds. I've never seen the latter sit still til one settled on a bare branch this evening. By far, my favorite was the four newly hatched chicks in the nest in the hat of the snowman wind chime. As soon as one of the parents landed on the nest, it was like a pressure plate activated the babies. Four fuzzy heads popped up, mouths open wide.

We had a lazy day walking downtown past old shops and houses that fronted the main street rail line. It boggled my mind that trains cut right through the middle of the street. At least five went past while we were wandering.

Lots of fresh air, walking and some good conversations, not to mention Irish cream over ice, have zapped all my energy. I actually had a much-needed nap this afternoon. Vacations can be exhausting.

How are you doing?

Equine good things

My mom has always been a big fan of horse racing. I was in my twenties before I stopped scheduling my Spring around the Kentucky Derby. I was the right age during Secretariat's reign to fall completely in love. I wore racing colours, chewed Big Red gum and debated the greatness of Man o' War vs Secretariat.

You can imagine, therefore, how thrilled I was to discover that I'd be staying two minutes away from his birthplace. We spent a good portion of yesterday wandering around the boundaries of the old farm, discussing the lost history and shame of losing the old manor home. When we got up behind the old ponds, through the trees, I saw a big bay horse racing game across a field. For an instant, I was transported back in time.  Such joy, exhilaration flew from the horse's hooves. He slowed and turned and as we came up to the fence, he tossed his mane then posed for pictures. (I can't upload from my camera to my tablet but I will share them all later)

It felt incredible, not only to see a place that is an iconic part of my growing up, but for a brief moment experience the essence of what it represented to me - flight.

Vacation Good Things

Friday morning started early. My plane did not crash, explode or kill me in any way. As I had been concerned about that for the first time in my life, I was greatly relieved. The rest of the weekend was amazing. The osprey fished right in front of the cottage, the heron flew past the windows, the little cat raced up and down the stairs. I walked into town, grabbed Tums for one of my friends, headed back and made my 14k for the day. We kayaked every day. I tried two different sunscreens and didn't get hives.  We ate well, laughed often and slept little. I took pictures while out on the Bay, mostly of the sky and my toes but I know what they're supposed to be and sleep they work well as a reminder that life is good.

How are things with you?

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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 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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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

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.

Pond things

It was another beautiful Spring day - which was great because I spent four hours working on the pond leak.  Last night, I noticed the water level was unbelievably low so I went and bought a new pond liner. I used an online calculator to determine how much liner I needed. About five feet more than the calculator told me.  I laid the new liner over the old liner, then used garbage bags to cover the small area that didn't overlap.  So far, it looks good. No leak. Fingers crossed. I thought I'd fixed it the other day.  The fish are in a tub in my car right now.  It was too stressful to catch them so I'll leave them be until I'm confident all is well. I poured every single bucket of pond water through the fish net so that I didn't lose anyone in the muck.  I need more pond plants. Only three pieces survived. 

The important thing is the fish are alright. And it was soothing to be outdoors working so hard.  Soothing shouldn't be the right word but my mind did settle into a pattern of contentment. Plus, my skin feels great after the mud bath.

The good thing is I'm tired enough to sleep tonight. Yay.

Sorry I didn't take before pictures. I'll take an "after" picture tomorrow.

How was your day?

Blooming good things

One good thing about living around here is the beauty of Spring.  This tulip blooms in the library's garden.

 I've been busy busy the last couple of days. Hiking the Laura Secord Trail, work, Mom's actual party, work, hockey, racing, soccer, puppy belly rubs, committee planning, LIFE.

After today's meeting, I drove home via the orchard route.  Remember last week's lunch surrounded by apple trees?  This is what it looked like today.  Everyone, breathe deep.

Springly good things

It's a beautiful day outside. I rode my bike to work. I sat on the low stone wall by the museum for my break. It was too lovely to stay indoors. We weren't that busy for some strange reason.

It is my mom's birthday. Every day we have to spend with her is a gift.  I bought some gerbera daisies, a carrot cake and gorgeous glass pendant and earrings. They're white shot through with copper and a pale blue. I should take a photo of her wearing them. Holy smokes, I just remembered while writing this that I made socks for her weeks ago.  Sheesh.  At least I'll have something to give her at my brother's tomorrow.

I can hear cars racing at the local dirt track a few miles away.  There are a few fields between us and the low roar makes me think of summer. 

I ordered patterns for my Laura Secord costume.  Next week, I'll go look at fabric.  Then I'll learn to sew. 

How are things with you?

Active Good Things

One Good Thing about walking 10k this morning?  Both Ky and I are exhausted. We didn't see deer this time out but we did run into three dogs off-leash. Ky was not amused as he was leashed for the entire walk. There are a couple of places that he could have run free but I'm more comfortable having him attached to my waist.  I love my SPORN harness and hands-free leash.  So does Ky

After lunch, I went out and cleaned the garage. I also fixed (fingers crossed) the leak in the pond. It was so great to see Phin and his plethora of progeny swimming about.  I saw a vole scurry out from beneath the lining where it overlaps the rocks. That was the only rodent I saw.  The garage didn't reveal any large rodent habitation either.  Phew. That's why I was cleaning out there. I also set the rain barrel back up. I think we're good for deep freeze for a few months.

I haven't planted it yet but I bought myself a Spring blooming heather. Isn't it lovely?

Varied good things

Spring blooming heather, belly rubs for the dogs, lots of seedlings reaching for the sun, the smell of Spring rain(there's nothing quite like it)a lovely visit with my Great Aunt Jean, pretty jewelry box filled with memories, sweet green grapes and firm blackberries, hummus, laughing as my friends tease each other, Merry's quick wit, joking with my parents, pride in DNe's art, new hand soap that reminds me of my great-grandmother, a no-longer leaking shower.

Life is good.  For you also?

Frustrating good things

Our practice walk was canceled due to weather.  That worked out alright as we ended up addressing the leaking tub. Again. 

I got a few things removed from my to-do list. I accomplished a bunch of things that weren't on there. 

The bananas were too ripe for smoothies so I made gluten free, sugar free banana nut bread.  I learned how to make it vegan so I'll give that a whirl next time. It was delicious and very filling.

I'm working on a birthday present and don't have quite enough yarn. Fortunately, I have the wrapper and saw many many balls when I originally purchased yarn several weeks ago.  It's going to be a toasty warm gift though.

Tomorrow's to-do list is very long. 

The best thing about today was watching hockey with my dad. Mom was engrossed in a movie so he came up to my apartment to watch the first period. It reminded me so much of when we'd watch the Leafs with Grandpa.  My kid is a seven year old parrot who was cheering for a NASCAR driver while we watched the game. On Sunday, he will likely cheer for the Leafs. He knows which sport is which. He just likes to mess with us.

I'm going to read for a bit. Books make me happy. 

How about you?

Catching up

The last few days have actually been full of good things but I've spent so much time on the computer I keep forgetting to check in.  By the time I'm done my work, I just shut the sucker down and walk away. My apologies for not letting you know that the last few days have actually been pretty good.

Saturday was the party.
Sunday was recovery.  Reminiscing with a friend, finishing off open bottles of wine and laughing about character tweets for Vikings.  Looking at myself in photos from the night before I realized I am deep as well as wide, pretty much round all the way.  For some reason that kept us in giggles all day, the fact that I am deep. 
Monday was a good day at work followed by lots of paperwork then time in the yard. I filled the pond, moved old tree branches, planted freeshia bulbs.  DNe and I went to see Revolution to celebrate Earth Day.  To be honest, I was a bit overwhelmed by all that needs to be done on that front.  Without a planet to sustain us, it doesn't matter how healthy our bank accounts, relationships, bodies.  It's a mindset that still causes a lot of consternation to contemplate.  To me, it's a no-brainer.  I came home and researched a few other things we could do to lessen our impact. 
I rode my bicycle to work today.  The weather was perfect. Neither too hot nor too cold, it was a Baby Bear kind of day.  Apparently, all the walk I've done lately hasn't prepared me in the slightest to ride 2km.  That will improve with more practice.
A patron told me that shade of purple, almost fuchsia, is a great colour for me to wear.  Good thing as I really like it and have several outfits in that colour.
After my meeting this afternoon, I stopped at the market and bought a salad which I ate in the orchard.  Yes, I took the plastic home, washed and recycled it.

Great Things

Yesterday was amazing.  Up early and out the door to climb the escarpment as we scoped out another section of the legacy trail. It was a workout. The weather was ever-changing. Spring in the valley, winter snow on top of the trail.  The views were incredible. The idea that a lone woman made that part of her walk in the dark, fifteen hours after she'd left her home.

This is Laura's rock not far from where she would have crossed 12 mile creek

The evening was all about friendship.  Our house was full of laughter, cheering (Toronto's hard luck Leafs made the playoffs for the first time in nine years) and mingling all the different aspects of my life.  I am so blessed.  Blessed in all aspects of my life, and overwhelmed with appreciation for every single person who has shared themselves with me.

We had water in margarita glasses, kids jumping Wii over our heads, pennies for local and global charities, memories of hot tubs, chicken wings and newborn pups, Icelandic knits, Guinness exploding over walls, hipping the water tap, melting in the kitchen, one lone rock concert lighter standing in for candles, Boston jerseys, admiring art, planning writer retreats, discussing Aunt Jean's hundredth birthday party, and poignant moment with Casey tapping his brace against a friend's prosthetic leg.

I'm tired today but full.  Work was good, one friend is still visiting, more wine was purchased. We're spending the evening finishing all the open bottles, admiring her new hats, opening the cards that were neglected last night and appreciating all the fun we had last night.

Someone wished I would have something wonderful happen to make me remember the day. It did indeed. 

Lots of good things this week

No doubt it's been horrible but if nothing else it's been a week that's made me more aware than usual how blessed we are.  DNi and I were bitching our way through chores tonight when I interrupted that things could be so much worse. She started to list them when I interrupted again.  Things are good.  People are good. And we listed all the ways we thought that while the future looks different than we expected it to, it's definitely worth sticking around to see.

We have each other. We have family and friends. Two words that encompass both a feeling and individuals.  We love and are loved in return. We have roofs over our head, food in our bellies, jobs to keep us all going and good company.  We entertain and are entertained.

When bad things happen, we gather together to shelter and protect one another but also to share what we have - including faith that we'll make it through. We take turns carrying each other to safety. And on those tragic days when not all of us survive, we unite to ensure no one is forgotten.

We are blessed.

Fresh good things

One good thing about hosting a party in two days is the way the house is getting scrubbed. DNe has been a godsend - painting, cleaning, scrubbing, sweeping. I washed the floors and walls with the lemon/vinegar solution from the recipe Stashaholic gave me.

I had a great lunch with two writer friends.  Much was accomplished, birthday cake consumed.  I love how often we've been connecting with each other. It makes such a difference in staying creative.

One Good Thing about it being middle-of-the-summer hot was being able to wear a cute dress to work.  It was fun to see one of my favourite young patrons dance in wearing bright pink sunglasses, off-center braids and ponytails and a frilly pink skirt.  Her dad looked pretty good too.  It's the time of year we can see what people look like. Cold weather will make a reappearance, which doesn't bother me in the least. 

I do like how the air smells 

Busy day

One Good Thing about morning tea with my friend is we always have deep conversations.  Today's topic, as it is for most North Americans, was the state of humanity.  My friend suggested we need to get back to the sense that we are each of us connected to all of life. We cannot continue to think of ourselves as separate. Yes, we are individual and unique, but our actions affect so many more than ourselves.  It was a conversation worth skipping breakfast for.

Then I ran around doing errands. By the time I reached the grocery store, I was hungry.  All of my purchases were healthy.  I shocked myself.  I found peppermint in a pot and a hardened tomato plant so that I could have fresh produce in my lunch. 

A good portion of my list was crossed off with good results. Rooms were painted, phone calls made, bird cage scrubbed, chapters finished.

I was going to bail on my walk toDeCew House but it was such a lovely day out that I wanted to take advantage of it.  I knew Casey wasn't up to the challenge so my dad shocked all of us by taking his dog on his own walk. Ky and I sprinted the 8km distance between the historic house and our home. We heard frogs, followed a robin who never let more than half a dozen feet get between us and him, and admired a deer in the field beside the highway. Ky made me laugh when crossing the bridge. He kept popping his head up so he could see over the cement railing. He's a curious dog.

Here he is in front of one of the fireplaces at DeCew House.

2 Good things

I was outside this morning and noticed the water level on the pond was low. When I put the hose in to top it up, who swam past but Phin (named after a Jennifer Crusie character in Welcome to Temptation, not because he's a fish.  It took three years for me to notice the pun). The heater had failed this winter, freezing the water so I assumed the fish were all lost.  Phin is a red and white comet goldfish from the feeder bin at Petsmart. He's not alone in the pond.  Shubunkins and moors have joined him over the years, and bred, but he's the oldest at ten years.  I was so happy to see him today.

The other thing that made my day was this post from Patton Oswalt about the aftermath of the Boston Marathon. I truly believe that man is inherently good. I believe that good will always triumph over evil.  I'm heartened by how quickly that post went viral.  "The good outnumber you - and we always will".  Truer words...

A little perspective

I was having a really good day.  I dealt with a bunch of annoying little things at work, some of which I'd stuffed on the shelf two weeks ago.

My meeting was a huge success. The event is so much bigger than I'd realized. The team is full of great ideas, contacts and experience. We're going to pull this off and it will be amazing. It's had the added bonus of inspiring all types of creativity in my life.

On the way home, I stopped at the lavender farm. There's an antique store there. No luck on the cabinet door front but lavender shortbread eased the disappointment.

Then I came home, saw the horrible footage out of Boston.  I'm grateful to be home with those I love all accounted for. 

Morning walk

One Good Thing about getting up so early on my day off is that I got to stand at my kitchen window and watch the baby doves have breakfast while I ate mine.  Usually, the nest is higher in the tree, on level with my second storey window. This year, it's down a few branches, right about where I had planned to prune.  No I can see right inside the nest. The chicks are big enough, and feathered enough, to be two weeks old. I'm not sure how I missed them. They're about the same age as the starling chicks in the garage. They were impossible to miss.

The second leg of the Laura Secord Legacy Walk was incredible.  The weather was sunny, cool and dry - much better than the forecast of mixed rain and snow.  We did ford a stream or two but my boots kept my feet dry.  Here are a couple of quick pics I snapped with my phone. The backpack I'd taken didn't make the cut.  It was uncomfortable and difficult to shrug in and out of so I ended up leaving it on my back, camera stowed safely inside.

Progress

It seems like a million years ago that I dragged my lazy ass out of bed and walked to work. I can still remember the dream that was interrupted by my alarm. Friends had put an addition on their house that was an artist's dream workshop. It was huge and 2/3 of the way across they'd created a wall out of blown/rolled glass that looked like barn boards to create a sitting room off the workshop.  It was beautiful. My friend's DH insisted it drop two feet from the vaulted ceiling to allow for airflow to keep the room from becoming an oven. I'll have to ask him about that when I see them next week.  It's the kind of thing they would do.

The weather was brisk and gloomy today but the ground is greening up, weeds have already shoved their way through the cold earth.  I'm always impressed with nature and its regeneration. Baby birds are cheeping in the garage.

My body hasn't started to reflect the choices I've been making this week but I can feel the difference.  I'm back to walking regularly. Yesterday, I walked out of the store without purchasing any chocolate.  That's a first in a very long time. Today, I turned down a Tim Horton's run.  I ate a couple of homemade oatmeal cookies but that's not a big deal. They're oatmeal/coconut/hemp hearts/olive oil/palm sugar/egg/vanilla and chocolate chips.  Easy to make, low on glycemic index.  I have no idea on the calorie count.

My idiot neighbour shot off fireworks tonight. One Good Thing - and nothing to be minimized given the trauma in the past - Ky's eyes rolled towards the window but that was the extent of his reaction. When the fireworks stopped, he went back to bed.  Progress!

Warm good things

I really like my jobs. That's a good thing considering I don't have a day off for another week. My last day off was Easter Monday.  I am blessed in that at least one thing a day happens to make me laugh, I help at least one person per shift and I usually make someone smile.  Books, movies, people - I'm a matchmaker at least half of the time.

My coworkers took me out for dinner to celebrate my birthday.  It was fun, and generous to spend their evening that way.  A retired coworker joined us for the evening and shared pictures of her grandbabies. They've grown so much and it was great to joke around with her.

I've got some stuff rolling around in my head but it's all good stuff.  I will share details and/or photos when the stuff makes sense to anyone other than myself.

As the wind tears at the eaves, I am very grateful for a sturdy house that isn't phased by rough weather. We're all warm and snug indoors watching racing.  Life is good.

I hope yours is as well.

Silver Linings

I was driving home a different route this afternoon. I wanted to scout out the second leg of our practice walk on Sunday.  I thought all the trees were blossoming, I was passing an orchard. When I pulled over to take a picture, I realized it was freezing rain.  There are no buds on this tree.

That impromptu photo shoot saved the dogs from being pelted by hail.  Had I arrived home on time, we would have been out walking when the hail hit.  It was pelting down when I pulled into the driveway so the walk was cancelled. The dogs got extra belly rubs as consolation.

One good thing about wearing pants to work was that it was far more modest for climbing beneath the desk to reattach computer cords.

DNe is flipping back and forth between a show about fraud and one about hand transplants. I'm typing this up and wondered how the hell some guy stole a woman's hands.   Glad I was mistaken.  And now we're watching hockey.  Phew, at least I looked up this time to realize there was a switch.  I love that kid. Really I do.  He enriches my life every single day.

Variety of good things

It was a monsoon when Ky and I headed out for our walk this morning. I had no idea how much Casey was slowing us down. Or perhaps Ky was motivated to get the exercise over with and back home to a dry house. Regardless, it took us slightly over half the time to walk further today just the two of us, drenched to the bone, than three of us managed yesterday.

After a warming shower, I went to meet my friend for tea and run some errands.  I forgot my wallet at home. We wandered around looking at stuff so my list was much longer when I went back after work.

One good thing about the delay was I took rubber boots off the list. Mine leaked this morning but I realized I can use the same stuff we use to repair Casey's brace to make them waterproof again.  

I didn't buy lunch out. I went home and made something yummy and halfway healthy (garlic pizza with red peppers dipped in hummus).  Work flew by for some odd reason. It was good.

I did so much transplanting yesterday that I had to take a picture off the top of the shelf to put cucumber seeds in that window. I found a lovely frame today so I can hang that sheep picture from Scotland on the wall.

Here's the Icelandic sheep photo being crowded by seedlings.  Milo is off to the right, confident that will never happen to him

More walking, less eating

I hauled my lazy ass off for a  mile long walk with the dogs. Casey was exhausted but a trooper.  Ky could have kept going despite being five years older than Casey.  I did notice that as we got closer to the lake both dogs picked up the pace. I went further today than we did last week and when we stopped by the willow at the water's edge, they both surged forward to take a dip. Fortunately, I still had leashes firmly in hand. That is not our usual swim spot, nor is it a good choice.  It did make me rethink the walking agenda.  Ky and I will do the Laura Secord training.  Both dogs will swim once a week to get Casey's shoulder back into shape. He walks so much on that foot without the brace but he's packed on way too many pounds over the last year and a half.  I want both of us back down to fighting weight.

I had planned to ride my bike to work. Good thing I didn't. The sky opened up and the rain hasn't stopped.  The storm drains can't keep up with it all.

The good news is that all the exercise today meant I wasn't all that hungry.  I didn't stress eat tonight at all. So maybe there's a correlation.  I just want to feel healthy again.

How was your day?

Walking good things

On my walk into work this morning, I passed a blooming hyacinth. It made me happy to see it. The temperature was a bit cooler than I'd anticipated but I'm happy to be back into skirts.  Spring is definitely on its way.

I also walked all over several used furniture stores looking for cabinet doors. Still nothing. I did see some frames that are the right size but I'd have to buy four. I think we could build doors for that price. BUT, I scored canvases for my DNe. He helped me empty the car and showed off the piece he'd worked on while I was running errands. It's beautiful, bright and cheery.  I love that shade of yellow, almost an orange.  I'll share photo if he lets me.

I didn't get out for a walk with the dogs before the rain came tumbling down. Tomorrow will be better. Rain or shine those puppies are getting some exercise.  It's good for all of us.

How was your day?

Alright in the end kinda day

Blergh.  Mixups at work.  Everything turned out alright in the end but it was frustrating. 

Bacon appeared on my sandwich despite the fact that I stressed three different times that bacon was not wanted.  It makes me sick. Literally. The poor girl who dealt with my complaint handled it very well but what a waste, throwing that sandwich in the garbage.

It was so windy everyone was out of sorts.  I hope tomorrow we're all back in sorts.  It was all petty stuff.  Everything turned out alright in the end.

I'm home, the critters are well. I just watched a great movie with my very darling nephew.  Searching for Sugar Manis thought-provoking documentary about searching for an obscure American artist who is bigger than Elvis in South Africa. His music inspired a nation during the Apartheid era.  Do yourself a favour and see it.

In the end, everything was alright.

Tired good things

Lots of overtime and no days off for another two weeks putting me just shy of three consecutive weeks at work.  My bank account is pleased. I'm a bit tired so I opted to stay in bed an extra hour this morning. It was disappointing to miss out on a great walk in such lovely weather but sometimes you have to take care of your body.  The timing was off anyway.

Work was crazy busy but I learned how to do some new tasks today. I always like that.  We're abandoning Dewey this summer and there's a lot of prep. It's taken me a few months to accept the possibility that the Dewey Decimal system is out-dated and not User Friendly. I grew up with it but other than hard core readers and librarians does anyone really know where to poetry, quantum physics or Canadian prime ministers?*

We returned the pine bookshelf to its rightful owner tonight. I'm still on a quest to find glass cabinet doors so the yarn is in a giant recycle bag, several rubbermaid containers and a hamper.  I suspect this project will take awhile.

I took my camera with me on the drive and snapped some orchards with the barest hint of buds.  It will be interesting to watch them unfurl.  We're due for a week's worth of rain.  You know what they say, "April showers..."  I'll share photographic progress as it happens.


*811, 530.12 and 971.0643092

Misplaced good things

Have you ever tried to find a bamboo knitting needle on a wooden floor?  I had no luck either - because it was in my knapsack.  The good thing is I didn't drop it somewhere between home and my friend's house.

Dinner and a movie with good friends. We all turned down wine. You know we're either 1)old, 2)exhausted 3) out of our minds to turn down wine.  I suspect it was all three.

Humour is a life-saver. Sure, it won't jump into the ocean and pull you safe to shore or beat off creepy crawlies with your best shoe but it will definitely keep you sane.  Fortunately, everyone's humour is different.  My friends were howling over some television show they all agreed was in poor taste. I wasn't amused by the discussion BUT the sound of their laughter made me giggle too.

Giggling. Not just for six year old girls any more.

Today, I was adding a title to the collection. The real title is Pirates, Ho!.  I put the comma in as an apostrophe.  Fortunately, I caught the mistake immediately.  It's a children's book. 

I hope your day had some humour in it as well.