Hello February!

I like the month of February. I know it's usually the worst winter month with loads and loads of snow and blowing and icy cold temperatures. (Although this winter, global warming has brought western NL very little snow and a fair amount of rain. I can see green (well brown) out there today!) 

But February is also the shortest month. AND I've always enjoyed Valentine's Day because regardless of people or life, I treat myself that day ('cause most of the time, I love me.)

Wading through Covid can be pretty disheartening and boring. So I'm really thankful that for the second time during this pandemic, Best in the West have begun another competition to raise monies for local charities and non-profits. November 2020 was a burger competition. February 2021 is a sandwich competition. 

Being a good upstanding member of the community, I must do my best to support them! 

On Monday, my co-workers and I tried Newfoundland-Comfort-Food's sandwich: a hickory-smoked, pulled pork-rib sandwich with lettuce, tomato, tangy sauce, mozzarella and  coleslaw. It was very delicious!

Today we tried the pulled buffalo-chicken sandwich from Aromas-Plus. The chicken had just enough spice to warm the inside of your mouth; it was served on a brioche bun with mozzarella and lime slaw. The 2 deep fried pickles were divine! The kettle chips were homemade and so good ..... but I just sampled those and had an almond/mandarin orange salad instead.

There are 24 sandwiches to choose from in my local area (and 30 in total). And while I know it's for a good cause, I especially like the competition because it adds a little bit of extra and much needed lightness to this Covid lifestyle. Lord knows we all need that.

I hope your weekend is a good one and that you're eating well too!

Solitary Saturday

Sometimes I intentionally take a day to unplug and decompress. Saturday past was one such day. While Xmas was lovely, life is stressful for everyone, and I think we must all be feeling the strain.

I took an early morning walk on my favorite trail. We've some snow, but the trails are packed nicely from walkers and snowmobilers so it's easy walking. I almost had the trail to myself, passing just one other couple and a guy with his friendly pup. I stopped at the trickling brook just to hear the water; and I had a small conversation with the snow people about how lovely the weather was and isn't it nice to be surrounded by such beauty.

Back home I stretched and yawned and made myself a hot chocolate (with just a splash of Carolans Irish liquor) and did some coloring. I gifted myself a can of gourmet chocolate at Xmas, so it was a most delicious cup!  

I read a little, listened to lots of quiet, folky/type music, made a tuna melt and tried to ignore  Willow howling for a share. I poured the liquid over some kibble and served it to her on a clean dish. It was nap time for both of us after all that!

A rather large piece of Naan served as the crust for a great pizza at supper time. And as I ate, I got all hep up because I was going to rewatch "Cold Mountain" that evening (an essential annual event). But I could NOT find my DVD!(I shouldn't have donated all those DVDs to the SPCA before Xmas! Oops!) So, "Forest Gump" did the trick and made me laugh and cry and almost believe that there are more good people in the world than I come into contact with.

Don't forget to take care of yourself, friends.

Chill, breathe and remember, you are worth it!

(Today I went to my local SPCA and bought back my copy of "Cold Mountain"! Yay! ) 

Hello December!

Look at this sunrise! It's so difficult to dress for work when you just want to drink coffee and look at the sky. We are experiencing very mild weather; while there's a sprinkling of snow on the mountains, the ground remains bare (hurrah!) and the forecast today calls for 14 deg C (58 deg F). Wow! I am totally up for wearing street shoes as opposed to heavy boots! 

Because of our strict adherence to self-isolation and mask wearing, the Atlantic provinces have had few Covid cases; 35 province wide and 8 locally, all self-isolating. We remain cautious and (mostly) courteous with each other. We can shop and eat in restaurants (6 ft apart), and gather in groups of 20. 

One of our biggest local Xmas fundraisers 12Months12Miracles/ had to be altered this year, and someone came up with the brilliant idea of having a burger month competition. Fourteen restaurants got onboard for Best in the West Burger. There were regular cheeseburgers, greek burgers, spicy, mushroomy, eggy, messy and even a moose burger. And instead of the usual $2,500 raised to help bring Xmas to needy people, over $10,000 was raised! Being an upstanding member of society, I did my best and tried 7 burgers (1 burger 3X). I tempered all that delicious red meat and cheese with lots of salads and walks.

As well, my middle daughter moved here from NS on the 11th with her sister. I have now become a cat mom as her sister has 2 dogs and that just wouldn't go well. Willow is a lovely tempered cat, short-haired so there's very little hair, and other than the 2 feathered birds (which were quickly moved to the top), she's not too bothered with the Xmas tree. Poor little thing was abandoned when Molly found her and has huge issues with food insecurity. Sometimes I actually get 2 hours between demands; scheesch! So, I now have to plan my visits to the kitchen in the evenings in order to minimize the 'dancing round the cat' routine. Hahaha!

Contrary to what I thought about living the slow, calm life of a senior, life is a constant state of flux. But ya know, that's not all bad. Christmas should be just a little more jolly this year with one more daughter at the table.

I hope you are all safe and well.

Well Done

Congratulations USA. Well done!

 

How I Spent my Covid Vacation!

It's been 7 months since I posted. When Covid hit, my office closed (mid-March) and with no computer at home, it meant no connection with the blogging world. But now I'm back. HELLO!

I'm one of the very fortunate people who spent most of COVID at home with little to no loss of wages. For many months, our office ran on 2 hr a week per employee; then to 4 hr 3X a week; and finally a return to full time hours. 

NL has few cases of Covid-19, mainly due to our provincial government not allowing visitors to our island and to the many Newfoundlanders who have been wearing their masks and social distancing. Even with cases skyrocketing again, we remain very steady with little to no cases. But that doesn't mean we haven't been affected.

The supply of food stocks is sometimes low; for at least 2 weeks during jam/pickling season, it was difficult to find a bottle of vinegar! Our shops are open (with mandatory mask wearing), but there's lots of empty shelves. But, we are able to meet in our "bubbles" (small groups); and our hospitals aren't overrun any longer.

How did I spent my Covid 'vacation'? Well, I had a very clean, organized apartment, so I had lots of free time.  I subscribed to BritBox and watched all the old classic Doctor Who programs. I watched a lot sci-fi! And once restrictions began to lift and the weather improved, I was able to get outside to walk .... and garden! The flowers were beautiful this summer.  Although I didn't get to vacation off the Island, I did a 'staycation' and went east to the Burin Peninsula where I'd never been. My cousin joined me; then we both went to her home in St John's for shopping and lovely, lovely, lovely eating!

I'm glad to be back and to catch up with my blogging friends. 

I'm thinking of my U.S. blogging buddies who are entering into a nightmare election during a nightmare pandemnic:  I wish you love, peace and calm. Shalom!

I disagree with the Romans ......

Hibernia, the Land of Eternal Winter,  

was the name given to Ireland by the ancient Romans. But they had obviously never been to western Newfoundland!

Boy oh boy! It's hard work staying on top of one's mental health when all around is cold and snow. And I'm not talking about small stuff! The temperatures for the past 3 weeks have averaged -17 Celcius (approx 1 degree Fahrenheit). Today is -15 with a windchill factor which brings the temperature down to -31 C (-23 F). In these temperatures, even road salt doesn't always do its job; the roads are greasy-feeling beneath one's studded tires (law here in NL). 
As well, here on the west coast of Newfoundland, the snow doesn't stop falling:  I mean really! It snows every single day! It's not always a lot of snow; and we get days with periods of beautiful sunshine (but never a full day of sun). And those periods of sun are usually followed by periods of grey skies and blowing snow. And then there are the snow squalls which can be pretty terrifying as they blow up unexpectedly. My 10-12 min journey home at the end of the day can contain a snow squall sandwiched between sunshine! Sure makes life interesting!

And while the rest of the world is talking daffodils and mud, we will still be talking snow for at least another month and a half. Oh dear! It's around this time of year that life becomes particularly difficult for me (and others, I presume). Cabin fever can be a reality even in the middle of a city!

So, how does one keep up one's spirit? 

Artwork by Mark Sheetey

For me, it involves lots of determination, perseverance and some encouragement -- be it friends, uplifting quotes, meditation and/or prayer, music, or even the occasional tipple or toke (legal here in Canada). Whatever way one can, one crawls doggedly towards the light!

(Other than the dark hair, this picture could totally be my doughy-white arse crawling towards what I hope is a travel agent with a ticket to a hot country with free bar and room service!)

As I always mention, self-care is a huge part of how I get through these long winters. Even in the coldest of temperatures, I try to get outside each day, even if it's only to stand in the driveway for 5-10 minutes. I try to open my windows for a little every day to let in some fresh air:  Mother Nature is so important. I remind myself of the blessings and advantages I have; I try to eat well; I have successful methods to de-stress. But it's almost always a decision I have to make daily to do what I can to keep my head above it all. And my living and spending most of my time alone with another 2 months of winter still ahead means I have to work extra hard. It can be exhausting. 

But isn't it worth it? I mean, if the alternative is crying in the corner, rending my garments and gnashing my teeth, I'll choose laughter and dance every time.  

So, here's to my fellow 'winter workers' who like me are fighting daily to be positive and optimistic .... or to just hang onto your branch .... but are doggedly crawling towards the light. 

Hang in there, Babies. WE ARE WORTH IT!

Wading through Winter

January in my neck of the woods has been cold with a whole lot of snow without the added bonus of storm days off through the week.  Sigh! We've not had a good sunny day on the weekend so I can go snowshoeing. So, how have I spent my time off?

Well, first there's shopping for important, much-needed items like a new mattress. Then there's the shopping for no-so-much-needed items like the following:

Who doesn't love a soft, comfy pair of 'shoo-boots' in a dusty rose color for $11.00 freekin' dollars! Thank you Winners!

And who can resist discounted gourmet chocolate with descriptions like  elderberry apple Elderflower. I eat them small amounts, slowly letting them melt on my tongue. Yum!


There's also been a happy increase in my reading in 2020. I've spent many happy hours on my couch with a good book and a cup of something delicious. 

(And contrary to what the cup says, there's Inka coffee substitute in there and not prosecco.)


I've indulged in lots of Netflix as well, but I've also spent many happy hours (1/2 hours?) in my bathtub, fragrant with my homemade eucalyptus epsom salts soak, soft lighting and some folky/dreamy music. My sister gave me this battery operated mini-terrarium light at Xmas, and it sure looks pretty when you're lying back in your bath chillaxing. I find it's so important to my self-care to decompress in this way.

My music tastes will vary depending on the season and my frame of mind, of course. The music I've been listening to most lately has been Celtic: Loreena McKennitt, Capercallie and Altan. There's something about those grass-roots instruments and the soothing, lilting vocals; they make a deep connection in my spirit. 

Here's a little sample of Altan. Don't you just love the male vocals! 




The ice and snow is just starting outside my office window, so it's off home in a little while before this weekends storm hits. 

 Happy weekend y'all. I wish you peace and calm in the midst of whatever storm you may encounter.