Autumn in CB

Autumn comes swiftly to Newfoundland; there is no gentle easing from summer to fall -- it's more like wading in the water and suddenly coming to a ledge where you fall into the depths. It's cold out there! All those dressy capris I'd been saving to wear for work only got about a week's use as then it was just too cold to go bare legged!

Last weekend, I exchanged most of my summer clothes for fall, welcoming my 'old friends' back into action (and those surprise, forgotten thrift store and garage sale purchases made over the summer). I've lost 16+ pounds since I last saw most of them, so they either fit perfectly once again or need to be replaced. But that's okay: I'm sure I'll find what I need at tomorrow's big yard sale and the Sally Ann shops when they re-open with their winter stock. 


What I miss most about wearing a summer wardrobe is sandals: my feet rebel dramatically about wearing shoes. Poor tootsies! But now I get to wear my red Converse, my silver, sparkly Ugg sneakers and my lovely fall boots. And it is ever so nice to put on my warm fleece hoodies and soft leggings and walk in the cold, crisp air. I'm ready for this change of seasons.

The leaves have only begun to change color here. And I'm hoping to get in at least one more big hike before the snow flies. 

In the meantime, I'm enjoying this season where life slows, food is richer and TV viewing picks up again. 

Ciao! It's time for a chai latte!

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!

Boring is Nice Sometimes, Right?

I've spent so many weekends doing day trips and taking the girls for Farm Market drives that I welcomed last Saturday's turn in the weather and a chance for a simple, boring weekend. 

Beautiful boring! 

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhh.  

For most people (especially younger people), boring is thought of as negative. It can bring up dreary images or thoughts of dull tasks -- things like regular fall or spring cleaning. (Hahaha! I say that as if this is something I do every spring or fall when, in fact, the only thing regular in my house is me ..... if I eat my salad and yogurt every day! Oops! Sorry! TMI!)


But the experts say that there's nothing wrong with kids becoming bored. For me personally, boring is necessary to my mental health. I can get bored; but I can also be willingly "beautifully bored". 

Beautiful boring fills me with contentment and feelings of satisfaction. For me, it means having the time to hang and home and do little things:  things like changing out my wardrobe, tidying the linen closet; cleaning & purging the china cabinets. It means that I now know how many bottles of face cleanser I have (4 --- and see, that's info I NEED to know before I save more money by buying yet another sale item!); I know how many bars of goat's milk soap I have (6 --- and ditto on the saving money again). Beautiful boring means that tears of joy and self-satisfaction come to my eyes when I see my basement full of bags and boxes to be taken to the thrift stores in the city (because then I can use that 30% off coupon to buy more unnecessary items that in turn bring me joy).

Beautiful boring is ALL about the joy, people!

And what makes these beautiful boring tasks even more beautiful is that they are interspersed with tea breaks ..... or an hour in front of the telly just resting in between tasks ...... or a chance to have yet another look at the Saturday crossword puzzle. Beautiful boring is the luxury of having much needed chill-time while doing mundane tasks. JOY!

Last weekend's beautiful boring also meant vacuuming and dusting the living room and putting out a little Autumn decor. (Although the multi-colored leaves that seem to be constantly in the entrance-way should count, don't you think?)


What have you been doing with your Autumn?
Do you have times of beautiful boring?
Or perhaps you just consider mundane tasks plain boring?

How to lose 40+ lb instantly!

In my never ending search for simplicity and clarity, I spent the weekend power purging the "wreck" room -- a roughly 20' x 24' room. I moved every piece of furniture, opened every drawer, box and suitcase; rearranged, dusted, washed, boxed and bagged.  I worked in increments of 2 hours with a 20-30 min break (for old tired bones and feet, ya know). I ate healthy snacks (Is caramel corn healthy?) and drank lots of water.  And then I treated myself to a healthy yet instant meal from the supermarket after which I indulged in a much deserved epsom salts bath complete with Corona 'n' lime, relaxing music and candle light. I was almost looking like my old self by the time the girls got home from the city. 

Looking at what needed to be done down there was extremely overwhelming. It's something I've been contemplating and procrastinating about for almost a year. I thought about yard sales ...... but I can't carry those boxes up and down stairs alone.  I thought about at least trying to sell some of my Xmas goods at a local sale .... but the tables were gone when I called one.  I'd tried to get my daughters to give a list of what they want .... but nothing has materialized to date.  And then I realized that as I age, my energy and health keeps deteriorating; so it was never going to get any easier. 

This weekend, I had 2 full days, some energy and the willpower to tackle the job. And I'm so glad I did it. Saying goodbye to new and/or nearly new Xmas goods (that would have brought good money at a yard sale) was the hardest things to let go of. Parting with the books was kinda hard. But finally letting go of the clothes "that will fit me when I lose 20 lb" ..... that was easy. It's just NOT going to happen.

What a sense of accomplishment! In total, 4 bags of Christmas, 4 boxes of books and 16 --- yes 16 --- black garbage bags of clothing and knick-knacks have left the building, Elvis! 

(Psst: A lot of them are actually lining my upstairs hallway waiting their turn to get packed into the trunk of the car and brought to some happy local thrift shop.)

Ahhhh!  I feel lighter already -- mentally as well as physically. 

And I can find stuff. 

And my body didn't fare too badly given all the ups and downs on the stepladder and the climbing stairs.  

Except for my poor tootsies.  About 2-3 years ago, the fat pads from my feet migrated to my waist and hips. I'm not into crocs and support hose yet (the future looms big!), but a foot soak and some soft slippers are my best friends. Next to that Corona and caramel corn, that is!

Tuesday Musings

It's a grey and gloomy day in LaHave; lentil soup and chewy, nutty brown rice are just the treat for work lunch.

I spent last Sunday decluttering my bedroom and doing the weekly dinner prep.  It sure is hard work at this age and with my back and shoulder issues.  But my body recouperates through the week by nights relaxing in front of the TV with a heating pad and a cuppa.

I visited a different farm market this past weekend; and I swear -- I really did forget about my no-wheat plan (it was the excitement) and purchased an absolutely worth it, delicious brioche from Julian's French Bakery. (If you've been reading my blog for a while, you may remember my love affairs with Julian's.)  And if you buy it, well you've gotta eat it, right. And although my sugar intake has also lessened, I did indulge in some of the delicious chocolate that arrived at the office yesterday. Keep on tryin', that's all I can do.

My experimentation with cooking this weekend took me to Thailand and India.  Last night's dinner was a Thai pork dish made with a spicy red chili paste, coconut cream, tomatoes and sliced zucchini.  I find I'm not a big fan of coconut cream; I'd prefer coconut milk. (It was the texture.)  But still, it was quite good and had enough heat to slightly warm my mouth and lips. (More chili paste next time!) It's on my "Cook Again" list.

As I finish my lunch, I'm musing over the next step in my de-clutter for this weekend:  the basement "wreck" room.  That will take a few weekends, I'm sure.  But behind all that furniture and boxes and books and stuff, there's actually a nice looking room in there wanting to be inhabited by my kids this Christmas.  And there's a new homeless shelter opening in town that will appreciate the surplus bedding and pillows.