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.

Fly Your Autumn Freak Flag!

 When I think of the perfect autumn day, it involves crisp cold air, lots of color, and warm, soothing, comfort food. My weekend involved all of these and more.

It was Pride week here in CB. So, in anticipation of the Parade on Saturday, I painted my hair several colors. (It washes out after half a dozen shampoos.) This was met by lots of positive comments by co-workers and other like-minded people. Unfortunately, most of Saturday was pretty heavy rain, so I didn't venture out to walk; instead I cleaned house and cooked. I made granola bars and my favorite energy balls; and I used the leftover melted chocolate to coat some pretzels. Then I made a delicious pot of beef stew with a thick, aromatic broth. 

The secret to my delicious broth is that I add a single cube of Japanese curry/ flavor stock. These cubes make an amazing, dark, rich, sweet curry. But .... if you just want to add a touch of rich flavor and color, tossing in just a single cube (or even  half) does just that. Perfect for fall and winter meals.

 Sunday morning I woke early, and at about 10 am, the sun came out. So, before Mother Nature had a chance to change her mind, I took myself on a long rambling walk on the trail behind my house. The brooks were overflowing after all the heavy rain; I stopped twice to take in the mini waterfalls. 

The trees were so thick that at times it was like walking through a golden bower interspersed with shades of green, orange, rust and the occasional red. Near the park bench where I usually stop, I found these little treasures atop a boulder. 

And in spite of Mother Nature preparing for her long, barren hibernation period, she still presented me with a wealth of beauty; so at this time of year, whenever I walk I pick myself a bouquet to brighten my own home. People in rural Newfoundland tend to be pretty conservative and certainly set in their ways. Most walkers will greet each other as they pass; and although we exchange hellos, I've gotten quite a few 'interesting' looks from others. 

After it happened twice yesterday (dressed in my bright teal hiking sneakers, black and white polka dot leggings, burgundy jacket, red headband, tri-color hair and carrying a mixture of dying leaves and flowers), I laughed to myself and thought "I guess I'm going to be 'that weird old lady' that lives down the road!" Doesn't every small community have one of those?  

But ya know what? 

I really don't mind if that's what people are thinking! 

This is me! Sometimes I'm weird! 

And fortunately, at this age, I have enough self-confidence to be comfortable in being who I am and to embrace my own wonderful weirdness.  

Sunny Weekend Wanderings

Although I haven't posted for a long time, I'm alive and finally well again. I had a terrible head cold and a minor family emergency that kept me away from the keyboard, but I'm back with a spring in my step! But that's also because the sun is shining.

The weather has been quite cold, and we've had a lot of rain. Central NL had 30 cm of snow last Wednesday; and we're not out of the woods weather-wise yet! That's what happens when you're this far north and surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. It had been 2 weeks since I'd last walked in the sunshine, and my body spoke loud and clear:  my mood changed; my sleep patterns went off-course again; and I had more aches. 

Yesterday both health and weather were aligned; so I took a walk around Glenmill Inn Pond Trail with my youngest and her 2 dogs. Jack and Olive. 

Jack is 5 years old; he loves to walk and will happily move to the side and trot ahead of you. Olive is not quite a year old, so she was zig zagging in front of our legs (as she feels the need to physically touch her brother Jack from time to time), stopping to look up at us with love and gratitude, and bounding at the rustle of every bush. She also needs to explore every nook and cranny and is positively beside herself when she meets a new friend. The 3 km return trip had the puppies panting, tired and very happy at the end. Great! Now we can go sit outside with delicious foamy lattes while the puppies happily cuddle at our feet, right?

We brought our drinks to the table and took the dogs out of the car; but settle, they did not! Jack was determined to go inside the cafe. (He's a glutton for attention!) And Olive was overwhelmed with all the traffic noise, chattering people walking by and skateboarders. She bolted out of Libby's arms AND her harness and lead into the street! Thank goodness there was nothing coming and we were able to get her back to safety. Poor little mite was afraid.

When I took the dirty cups back inside, I indulged Jack and took him with me where he was met with lots of petting and chucks on the head. He was a happy dachshund! And I was an equally happy woman! 

(PS - Heavy rain and possibility of snow has been forcast for the next couple of days. Egad! You'll find me under the heat lamp thinking sunny thoughts.)

Spring has Sprung ..... Finally!

I knew that spring has sprung for sure here when I began hearing birdsong a couple of weeks ago. But those surprise snow storms made me scratch my head, especially last Friday nights fall. Although the roads may have been clear, it added to the huge mounds along every street and parking area. 

I'm happy to report that those mounds are almost entirely melted! We've had warming temperatures this week and a day of rain. Hurrah! I can actually walk up to the scrubs and trees and see the buds. It's ever so exciting.

I've one of those backs that goes out every now and then (without even asking permission). It happened last week; I've been nursing it with extra rest, but because I sit at a computer all day long, it takes longer to heal. I've not been walking, but thankfully I think I can resume this weekend. I become giddy with the thought of walks along the Bay in the sunshine!

But I also become giddy at the thought of spring cleaning, washing my windows and changing out the sofa pillows and throw with more spring-like colors and patterns. I look around my little abode and think "What can I do to bring in the light? Where can I move this piece of furniture? What color can I incorporate in my decor?" It's all part of my celebration of spring.

But it's been such a long, harsh winter, I feel quite justified in my giddiness!

Weekend Wanderings

Although spring is very slow coming to western Newfoundland, the snow is melting. Friday night, my sister and I had one of our sleepovers -- a wonderful bonding experience that involves reminiscing, a few brewskies, lots of laughing and, if I'm lucky, a little girl-dancing. 

Imagine our surprise when several hours after our evening began we noticed this scene outside! Yes, that's a brand new blanket of white on trees and ground! It was very pretty but thankfully was gone again by mid morning Saturday. That's when Linda and I set off for an adventure day!

We drove to nearby Deer Lake and visited their wonderful Sally Ann. I found a really cute pair of black polka dotted pants ($4) and a  green depression glass plate ($2). (Not sure of the pattern though. Help!) We window shopped at a couple of other small shops; and then she took me out for supper before heading home again. 

Sunday was a bit of a cold day; so after making chicken veg soup and moose meatballs for this week's dinner, I spent the late afternoon reacquainting myself with "Westworld" because that evening was the season premier. It's an intriguing program!

And I had another day off yesterday because it was St. George's Day? (I don't argue with my ED when she says we have obscure days off.) The sun was shining and it was all of 11 deg C (51 F); so I headed uptown to another one of my favorite shops, the Bulk Food Store. 

Living alone means I use smaller amounts of everything. Instead of using the bags above the bins, I love using the wee spice bags and filling them with spoonfuls of chopped pecans, dried cranberries and the like. I hadn't been there for a while, so I had lots of fun walking up and down aisles and looking at new stuff. Look at these adorable colored bow-tie pasta! And yes, I eat a LOT of rolled oats. 

I was home by 3 pm; and at that time of day, the sun is around the side of my house and streams into my kitchen and living areas. I get rainbows on my floor and lovely shadows on my walls. After cooking, I lit the tea light under my patchouli scented oil and it was so tranquil and serene. 

Ahhhhhh! T'was a good weekend. Hope yours was as well.

Spring Cleaning is in the Air!

Yes, it's only March 6th; and here in western Newfoundland, signs of spring are not easy to find. We did have a lovely weekend with warmer cold temperatures than usual. And joy of joy, nothing has been falling from the sky for almost 5 days. If I hadn't lived her before, I'd be certain that spring was on it's way. But alas, we have many more snowfalls in our near future, I'm sure.

Still, I had Friday off work so spring cleaning began in my house first with a thorough clean of the spare room as well as a cleaning and organization of my 3 bookshelves and my jelly cupboard (good dishes cupboard). Then on Saturday when I visited my Dad, his bi-weekly clean from me turned into a spring clean of the open-plan living/dining/kitchen. 

Doesn't it feel wonderful to have those big jobs out of the way. I love sitting back on my couch surveying the neat, clean space I currently inhabit. Ahhhhh!

My dad had previously given me a bottle of his homemade wine. Upon opening it, I realized that he was right -- this batch was not a good one and the wine was very, very tart! But I'm a frugal gal and not one to discard something just like that. So, I poured it into a glass jug, added 1/2 cup of sugar, an ounce of brandy, the juice of a lemon, lime and 3 oranges and then tossed in the cut up fruit. SANGRIA -- Nectar of the Gods! I took some up to my dad's house and he was most suitably impressed. (It was a good Sangria!)

At 63, I now realize that I cannot deep clean for 2 days in a row. Kneeling on floors to wash them and getting up and down on chairs and ladders to reach the high places! ..... I might have gotten away with one day but not two. My legs and tootsies were aching so much  Sunday morning. As I was preparing breakfast and every time I went to the bathroom I kept hearing my lower extremities cry out "NOOOO! Get off me!" So, a day of Netflix 'n' Chill with just a short walk in the sunshine was the sum total of my plan (which I executed well, I might add!).  I began Season 2 of "Broadchurch" (even better than Season 1) and 2 other new shows called "The OA" and "Glitch", both sci-fi type programs. 

BONUS: If you hold your phone above your head and click
 ... you look ever so much slimmer!

I'm also trying to spring clean my life with good food, extra care on my body and positive imaging of my mind. It's much harder to do than any living room, but hopefully the effects are more lasting! 

Gotta keep the positive vibes flowing, so I'd better be sure to "clean" all the pipes and pistons! 

Hope your week is full of sunshine, even if it's only in your imagination! Caio, bellas!

Church in the Woods

Contrary to what even I believed before I moved back to NL, most Newfoundlanders hate winter! Won't move out of the house because "It's too cold". "Well, it's winter!" I reply! So, in my attempt to Vitamin D myself as much as possible, I do my weekend wanderings alone.

Starting on Friday, I did a visit to my local Salvation Army store to buy more stuff that I don't need (but make me happy): like these great black flats for $5 and two new scarves at $1 each. 

My "steal of a deal" was this Le Creuset butter dish for $1. (If it hadn't been red, I would have left it on the shelf. But I do love red accents!) 

The next day as I was window-shopping at Winners, I came across the same butter dish for $24.95. Good deal, Sandy!



 I spent lots of time watching Netflix - a Xmas gift from my daughter and fiance. So much fun! Oh the joys of "Stranger Things", "The Crown" and "Hinterland"! I had a bottle of sparkling wine in my refrigerator since Xmas that was waiting for my sister to visit. It actually travelled across the Gulf with me from Nova Scotia. So, I reasoned that as it was early Saturday afternoon and I'd be home cleaning and puttering, I could certainly manage to drink the bottle over the course of the day. 

It was a most delicious bottle of wine! I can't wait to enjoy it again sometime. It had a delicious deep, rich, raspberry flavor to it. And as I wrote in my Instagram post, it was "sparkling, full-bodied and slightly bitter ..... not unlike the person drinking it!" 

Went down a treat as they say across the pond.

But my favorite part of the whole weekend was my sunny Sunday walk at Margaret Bowater Park again. I reversed my loop round Glenmill Inn Pond this time. It had snowed Saturday and the path was not as well trodden as the week before. But it was still very passable. I found this very patriotic boot print on one section of the path. Yay Canada! 

Then as I just passed the half-way point, I stopped to rest on a park bench. On my left side was the sound of the Corner Brook stream and the birds (so lovely). And on the right side of me, I could hear organ music from First United Church (even more lovely). I sang along with the hymn and communed with God there in the woods, thanking him for the beautiful day, my legs and lungs, and the latte waiting for me at the end.

Ciao!

Hibernation Weekend!

Feeling a little world weary and worn from my illness, I decided to spend my weekend focusing on self care. This required a little preparation. So the first thing I did was to call any of my peeps who might worry if they didn't hear from me.

You can see where my interests lie!

The second bit of prep work was more enjoyable. I took Friday  afternoon off because the sun was shining: I'm extremely fortunate to be  able to do that occasionally. I really needed to walk, so I parked the car at one end of West Street and walked to the library in the cold, crisp air. After loading up on magazines and cookbooks, I walked to one of my favorite cafes where I ate a delicious falafel wrap and sipped my latte while sitting at the window with the sun pouring in. I felt like a lazy cat! 

Back at home, my self-enforced hibernation began with couch time. Soft music was playing, I had a cup of lemon ginger tea and I took my time going through a few of my library finds. A not-too-far-in-the-past Zoomer magazine featured these talented ladies from "Alias Grace". (If you haven't seen this series, I encourage you to watch it. It was wonderful!) And look at the way Margaret Atwood stands her own in that amazing jacket. I want to have that kind of confidence and presence when I grow up!

Saturday was National Cheese Day; so brunch was baked brie with cranberry marmalade. Yummy! I spent the whole day zig-zagging from yoga to reading cookbooks; shovelling a path to the car and sitting on a snowy bench with my face to the sky catching snowflakes; and arranging and pasting to bring my journal up to date. That evening I re-watched one of my kid's favourite movies, Totoro. How great it was to revisit that after so many years:  such a gentle sweet movie. 

Sunday I decided I really needed to get out of the house and walk again. So, in spite of the weather, I dug out my snow pants, dressed warmly and walked until my legs ached from trudging through the deep snow on the road's edge. I stopped and sat on these steps, looking down at the icy water in the bay and listening to the surf. It was very calming.


The walk back home was a little more difficult because I was walking directly into the wind and it was a fair trek back! But I wrapped my scarf around my mouth, and focused on deeply breathing in the wonderful fresh air, on the feel of my arms swinging back and forth as I walked, and how warm my body felt in spite of the cold all around me. Back in the warmth of my little cave, I felt so glad I'd done the walk. 

I cooked a pork shoulder with apples and cranberries and roasted potatoes for my dinner. And that evening as I watched Star Trek Discovery and Victoria, I slowly ate one of the gourmet chocolate bars my daughter had sent me for Xmas.



OMG! This bar was wonderful. The quality of the chocolate was sublime. And no one flavour was overpowering but they were perfectly melded: the raspberry being the first flavour to hit you, then the subtle hint of rose water, and finally those delicious chewy fennel seeds at the end. Pure luxury!


In terms of rejuvenation and peace, the weekend was a complete success. I feel so much better this morning, more able to face the work week and the challenges that often come my way.

How do you recharge? Do you sometimes feel the need to "hibernate"? 

Whatever you do, I hope you got to practice a little "Hygie" this past weekend.


  

Smiling from the Deep Freeze

It seems that we're all experiencing terribly cold temperatures this winter. The news is full of stories about this. We should be used to it here in Newfoundland; but although we're used to lots of snow, it doesn't usually get this cold this early in the season.These are February temperatures! This morning it's -9 C (15.8 deg F).  My car was parked at the bottom of my hill, so I dressed with extra layers and care to make the short walk down.

I'm healing from my bronchitis. But try as I did, the side effects from my daily asthma medication were too harsh. I was unable to function yesterday afternoon --  in such pain and even my eyesight was affected! So, after checking with a local nurse, I stopped taking them last night. It's so hard to be positive and optimistic when you've been ill for so long and the meds are making things worse. But I tried my best.

In spite of the cold weather and my ailments, I went outside both Saturday and Sunday to get some fresh air and natural light. The sun even came out for 20 min which was wonderful! The snow was light and powdery, making it easy to clean off the car and easy to walk in. I stood in the driveway and turned my face to the sky and just luxuriated in the chill in my cheeks and the wonderful feeling of warmth in the rest of my body. I so want to enjoy this season. (And I'm pretty sure there's still time to do that! Egad!)


When I went back inside, I put on my new purple fairy-slippers and ate soup and hot buttered toast. Yummy! Saturday I spent the afternoon watching cooking shows on Public Television. And Sunday afternoon, I took a much needed 2 hour nap. I feel very fortunate to be able to do these things. Living alone has many perks!

Today my focus is on continued healing. I'm looking for pockets of sunshine and positivity. I often find these when I read your blogs. So, I'd like to share this one from MA at "On the Bright Side" (http://goodmorningsmiles.blogspot.ca/). This is a good one practice any day of the week! 

Decide to be happy today, to live with what is yours – your family, your business, your job, your luck. If you can’t have what you like, maybe you can like what you have.

Just for today, be kind, cheerful, agreeable, responsive, caring, and understanding. Be your best, dress your best, talk softly, and look for thebright side of things. Praise people for what they do and do not criticize them for what they cannot do. If someone does something stupid, forgive and forget. After all, it’s just for one day.

Who knows, it might turn out to be a nice day.

Cheers! And keep smiling!

Just Breathe!

Yes. It's important to work at taking care of one's self, especially if you are an aging woman such as myself and no longer enjoy the resiliency and vigor of youth.

But it's equally important to not do it all; to stop sometimes and make a conscious effort to hear what your body and your mind are really saying.

These are the times we need to actively rest. (Is that an oxymoron?)  Times when we need to block out the rest of the world - the news media, social media, TV, even friends and family - and find a quiet place of sanctuary -- rest, read, whatever relaxes you and feeds your soul -- and just breathe. 

Stay there as long as is necessary. Treat yourself well. Allow yourself to "be" without criticism or negativity of any kind.

PS - I shall be breathing all weekend! 
        And cleaning my home because that brings a sense of calm 
        and order to my sometimes overwhelming life.
        But mostly breathing!

Terrific Tuesday

What an influence the sun has on a person's outlook, huh! We've been enjoying lots of the hot, bright orb lately; and I feel so energetic and hopeful when this happens, especially given Newfoundland's harsh winter and the spring (or lack thereof) we've had. 

The way I dress also both reflects how I feel and/or how I want to feel. Today, it's a reflection of the gorgeous weather.

Comfortable and cool (cotton, don't ya know); bright, cheerful, and (best of all) cheap! I purchased it last spring from a thrift store in Halifax for all of $7.  And as I haven't quite fully developed my turkey-wattle upper arms yet, I can wear it with ease of mind. (The clock is ticking though!)

Other things that are making this Tuesday terrific are:

• The green jello and fruit I had for dessert after my sandwich. Mine was not quite as cute and cheerful as this pic, but the taste was terrific; memories of childhood.

• Quiet time at work is pretty terrific as well, especially when you're in the middle of a good book ..... like this one.  Have you ever read Louise Penny? She's a Canadian author who has written a series of detective novels centered around Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and the perfectly picturesque fictional little village of Three Pines, Quebec. I find her writing very easy to read and highly entertaining. Wonderful characters. 

• The knowledge that dinner is all ready for me when I get home. The remains of my homemade mac 'n' cheese and a pre-packaged salad will be great outside on my lounger.

Ahhhhh!We Newfies really do need to soak up the sunshine when it comes our way. And the weatherman says that Terrific Tuesday will probably turn into Wonderful Wednesday and Tremendous Thursday.