Another Year ...

Well Say Howdy!

A whole year has passed and a couple of comments came in jogging me into action.  So, I'll try and recap the year.

This winter we have had a bumper crop of snow ... probably the most snow I have seen since living here ...



... and the winter isn't over yet.  My neighbour took the above picture on her iPhone so hopefully it is clear enough.

Mingus and I get out pretty much daily for our walks.  Today the snow was quite smooshy (like walking in sand) and so we had a real work out.  I usually go walking with my neighbour and her dog Zak.  A dog from the next street comes racing over as soon as she hears Mingus bark and joins us on our walks.  Mingus is always most jubilant about announcing the start of a walk.  Bark, bark, bark, bark, bark ... the whole neighbourhood knows we are on our way.  Ha!

I rarely make the trip to the coast since Mither died and have become a real home body.  I love home very much with all the comforts of the familiar.

This last summer was a little discombobulating because we were evacuated due to forest fires.  I tell you, when I locked the house and drove off I didn't think I'd have a house to come back too.  I even had a plan ... to buy a van and live in it until I could resettle.  Thankfully, I didn't have to do that, as our settlement was saved (change of wind direction in, literally, the nick of time) ... and as you can see from my comment above, I really do like my home!  That is why I'm not complaining about all the snow.  We really need the moisture to bring up our water table.  Too many years of drought.  We were ordered out for just over two weeks.  A long time to be hunkering down with friends in the Fraser Valley.



The above picture was taken the morning (late morning) that the fire started.  The wind was blowing it straight my way (I could see the flames leaping up as it crested that hill).  By the next day noon we were ordered out.  Friends of mine lost both home and business.  Devastating.  Not an experience I'd care to have to go through again any time soon!  Fire was human caused.

I am still doing Bible studies in my home, two days a week but same study (two different groups of ladies).  We are currently working our way through Psalm 119.  I usually do a fall study and then one or two studies in the winter/spring.  Six years I've done that now and as of January, am starting on the 7th year.  Keeps me busy socially, and spiritually and mentally involved.

I'm still eating plant based and am doing so well (It will be two years in May).  My back is good and I can walk and shovel.  So chuffed.  I recently was experiencing tooth pain ... well actually was experiencing pain off and on for several months.  Finally, thinking I had a cracked root, I made an appointment.  The morning I headed out for the dentist (who is a 55 minute drive away) I prayed that he wouldn't find anything because I really didn't want to lose that tooth, which is what would have happened if the root was cracked.  Guess what?!  He couldn't find anything wrong.  Possibly a bit of infection at the base of a root canal that we would keep monitoring.  I did a yippee skippee dance in my head.  I had been treating it with little charcoal plasters (charcoal draws out infection) and oregano oil mouth rinses and now, no more pain and I would bet no more infection.  He did file down a couple of teeth that might have been a bit high.

And that is about my year in a nutshell!  My friend and her husband came for a wee overnight visit Sunday afternoon.  It was lovely to have company to break up the wintery days ... the visit just wasn't long enough.  I was sad for a couple hours after they left.

I am sorry I haven't been keeping abreast of the blogging world.  My days seem to fly by.  Now that my aunts are gone, who used to love reading my blog, I'm just not as motivated to write.  That, and I've just not been taking any pictures and what is a blog without pictures to make it interesting?!

So I'll bid thee adieu once again.  I always remain hopeful that I'll pop onto the computer again, a little more frequently, but I hardly come to the computer ... just use the iPod on the run.

Resurfacing Continued

Hmmmm ... wouldn't let me add any more to my prior post - some glitch I guess ... or maybe it is my iPad.

Further on the diet, I have been having fun experimenting with lots of new recipes.  The latest one was a chickpea curry made with the individual spices. (Yes I ordered in a small box full of spices). Yum!

I'm still doing two groups of ladies' Bible studies Thursday and Friday mornings. This winter we are doing the Book of James. Some very good discussions so far.

I've had a fire on all day as we woke to -16C this morning and I'm trying to keep my electric bill down. The last bill was the highest ever!!!  Yikes. The upshot - I'm sweltering here in my corner as I type.

I've now wearied you and me with my long winded-ness coupled with my fighting unsuccessfully with this machine to get everything on one post!  So I'll bid thee a belated happy New Year and a good night.  May your dreams be pleasant and your sleep uninterrupted!!

Resurfacing

Well, well, I'm sufacing after almost a complete year's absence.  I wonder if anyone has noticed my absence or will notice the bob up?

My friend (the one that lives a couple of hours notrth of me, whom I have known since grade 8) was just visiting for a few days and we got talking about blogging.

I revisited my blog as a result and, you know, it is kind off neat to look back on. Hence, I'm popping in with another entry.

The big news of this year past, me Mither up and died in early June, exactly one month before her 102nd birthday and two days before D.

She went downhill very fast and sadly, was just skin and bone when she passed. I talked with the care aide that found her. She said she looked so peaceful she thought she was sleeping and started to clean her to get her ready for the day but then realized she had gone. So now I'm an orphan as well as a widow!  I told the Lord He had double duty now,  where I'm concerned.  Smile.

So my trips to the coast have basically ceased and I've become more stay-at-home than ever. I love my home and being able to head out the door on walks with little Mingus is enough adventure for me at present.

Speaking of Mingus, his birthday is coming up March 7th!  He'll be eight years old - already! He has already received a birthday present - a giraffe we named Gerry the Giraffe whom he desqueeked in short order, almost decapitated within two days and has since diligently but unsuccessfully worked at disembowling (ie getting the squeaker removed). Gerry was from another of his Aunties as she was grateful we looked after her dog, Kaylee, for a couple of days. She wanted to appease Mingus for having to share his space and his Momma..

Another Aunt, who I will greatly miss, sadly also passed ...

She was a real sweetie!

I got new glasses and a new hair cut just before Christmas ...

Early last May I went to a whole food, plant based diet and gradually lost the 30 pounds I had put on since menopause. My back also healed. This winter I have been able to shovel and walk in the snow like the good old days. No more creaking out of chairs half bent over until I could straighten up or laid up because of shovelling snow ... and we got a goodly amount of snow this winter.

March Sunshine

Hey!  March came in like a lion but today is a beautiful, sunny, springlike day.  Ahhhh.  We were just over having coffee on Zak's deck ... because they are on the sunny side of the street.  One need's to soak in that early, spring sun ... rejuvenate, regenerate!

Zak peeking in the corner with Indy, the evil cat, in the background.

Mingus has just left on a two hour hike with his buddy Zak.  Mingus will be 7 on March 7th.  Yes, he is really growing up.  He is ever alert, ever vigilant in surveying the territory.  There just might be SOMETHING to bark at or chase ... any moment now.

Spring came early with the geese arriving mid February, at least a few then and MANY more now.  A very mild winter, especially since Christmas.

I had Flat Stanley come to visit in the mail last month and had fun writing up and sending off info to his classmates, back in Barrie, Ontario, about the area we live in.  I have since sent Stanley on to a friend in Powell River to learn all about Island life.  Stanley was very well behaved and a pleasure to host ... so if you ever get a chance to host him, be sure you'll enjoy the opportunity.

Ladies' studies are over for now, I have a month off before starting something new for the spring.  Thursday and Friday we did bread making followed by potlucks for the winter wrap-up.

Mither has had a couple of falls lately (unhurt) and is not eating much any more.  I will soon head down to check on her.  She sure has sturdy, strong bones.  I got her income tax off in the mail but must do mine soon.

Roo-B had a major overhaul, getting ready for spring.  Sigh.  These cars do suck up the money.  Too bad they are such a necessity.

If you wonder why I don't post, well as you can see, there really isn't a whole lot to post about! Already I must bid thee adieu ... leaving you with not much in the way of news or entertainment!  Sigh.  Trust all is well in your worlds ... uneventful is safe if nothing else.  Smile.

Once Again, a New Year Has Begun

Belated Happy New Year

New Year's Day was beautiful and sunny.  Loved the snow squiggles in the crab apple trees.

Saw the New Year in with the neighbour's across the road.  There were five of us.  One couple brought Ukrainian dinner:  cabbage rolls and pirogies.  Yum.  Plus there were appies before hand.  I was SO full.  We ladies played scrabble and the two fellows watched a game and whatever else.  Mingus and Zak circled around vying for as much attention as they could garner.  Around 11:30 another neighbour joined us and we toasted in the New Year.  I haven't stayed up until midnight in years.

Mingus was very happy with all his Christmas goodies and promptly destroyed all of them except one, the one from his nephew, who takes much care to find him an indestructible toy.  

While this toy created much excitement at first, after a time, when it was discovered as not readily destructible, interest waned and it lays abandoned on the floor.  Seems there is no winning.

The neighbour who walks Mingus, (whose house we were at for New Year's Eve) her husband made us this great present for Christmas ...

Christmas day another of my Dad's sisters made her departure at the age of 92.  It is so sad to see all the old dolls moving on ... but great for them, getting to graduate to higher ground.

Just this last weekend I was off to my Aunt Helen's memorial in a town a couple of hours away.  It was great to see so many cousins and second cousins and even third cousins and to make some reconnections!!!  Some I hadn't seen in YEARS.  We made quite a group.  It was such a blessing because the weather was such that the roads remained good for travel.   Yay, says I who isn't fond of driving at the best of times ... but winter driving ugh.  The added hazzard in winter: one can get peppered with gravel by the passing speedos!  I am trying to be so careful and not get chips in my new windshield. 

Today, it has snowed all day.  So glad to be back in my cozy home with a fire glowing and emanating that nice wood heat.  Aaaaah.   I have shovelled twice already today and will have to get out there first thing in the morning.  More snow tomorrow too ... or so they say ... and the next day and the next.  Yes, it is that time of year.

And that about covers any news from my world ... at least the news that comes to mind.

I bid thee ta ta for now ....

Anticipation!

Mingus is geared up for Christmas now after getting to open a present at "Aunty's" house on Sunday (he has MANY aunties).  He spied his sock in the back room and thinks I'm a real cheat not giving it to him.  Sunday night he gave me no rest - kept trying to lead me into that room - as if I didn't KNOW it was there!!  I've had to hide the sock in another spot now as he is on to my first hiding place, until the unveiling Christmas morn!  Ha ...

Mingus LOVES presents ... thinks they are ALL for him.  We are going to visit another Aunty, in a wee bit, and there just might be another present ....

ttfn

Ten Years in the Cariboo

Merry Christmas!

My friend sent a Christmas card showing them haul in their first Christmas tree for their first Christmas in the north country 25 years ago.  (They live in a town a couple of hours or so north of where I live).  We got to reminiscing on the phone and I said, you know, on the 16th of this month I will have been here for 10 years!  Wow!  Where has the time gone?  It doesn't seem that long, I think because D died at the half way mark.  My whole life sort of recalibrated itself to that date ... so it feels more like five years!!!  Here is a little video of how we came to live here ten years ago ...




I love my house and the countryside BUT I do not like shovelling snow.  Sigh.  So thankful for a neighbour who helps me out.

Anyway, I thought it was blog worthy as it is a milestone.

Can you take it?  Two posts after nothing for a year.  Crazy I know.  But the fact that four people actually commented after all this time inspired me.

Hope your time with family and friends over the Christmas season is extra special and that the New Year brings personal growth, health and joy.

ttfn .....

(Who knows, perhaps I am on a roll?)

A Whole Year in a Post

So almost a year has passed since I last posted.  Wowsers!  Hard to catch up yet not hard at all because I can't say as I have done very much that is exciting.  Still, every now and again I think I should keep writing.  I used to write first thing I got up but now I've taken up other activities that rob that time.  Then there is always the problem of subject matter.  I seem to lack that.  Anyway, on to the update ...

Me Mither is still trundling along at 101.  I still go to see her regularly.  She has slowed up an awful lot now.  Sleeps a lot.  I don't have a recent picture that would do her justice, just one taken on the iPod which is all grainy.

We had an amazing summer with NO  BUGS  !!  Yay, my kinda year.  Loved it.  Could sit out and not be "bugged".  One day I was sitting out on the deck along with Mingus and thought, I'll just pop  my coffee cup in and check the time.  No sooner set the coffee cup down and I heard wild barking which lead to high pitched yelping.  I raced out and called Mingus who I could see was out on the road.  He started running toward me and from around the corner came loping after him, this big sleek, beautiful looking black bear.  I started screaming so the bear headed for the neighbour's yard.  Mingus looked over his shoulder, saw the bear was no longer after him so the dickens gave chase to the bear.  More screaming on my behalf.  (My throat hurt afterwards)  Finally Mingus reluctantly came to the house.  Such a cheeky little rascal.  Anyway, I am VERY sad to report that they killed a lot of bears around here.  So sad.  I won't tell how many ... you'd cry.  Here is the cheeky rascal himself ....



We were spared forest fires in our area for which I thank the Lord.  Late spring we got a goodly rain and then another rain a little later that spared us drying out completely.  The coast and lower mainland were really dry but we actually remained green ... because of those rains.  I live among trees so fire is always a concern.

This fall, almost winter, has remained quit mild.  We have only dropped once to -16C whereas we can go to -20 to -30 by now.  Here was a web taken this fall, dotted with frost ...



and another picture of the first snow ...



and Mingus in that snow ...



We are to get more snow today that is to fall until tomorrow noonish.  Sigh.  More shovelling.  My back is holding up for which I give credit to the taking of elk velvet for a couple of years now.  Plus, my neighbour helps me out every now and again ... for which I am very thankful.

Another neighbour has the nerve to be moving!  She sold her place just this last weekend and will be gone before next month's end.  Whew.  Sad for me but glad for her.  Mingus has claimed her yard as his own and defends it accordingly but I fear that will have to change now.  He loves his aunty neighbour.  Actually, Mingus loves just about everyone and greets most enthusiastically.  When the ladies come for Bible study, he races out to greet the first comers with wild abandon and then races back to the house, grabs a ball or whatever and races back to them and then escorts them to the door with exuberant barking.  (The first ones usually park out on the street - hence the time for all this).  He is too funny.  My greeter extraordinaire!!  He makes up for his blah Mom.

We are between Bible studies at the moment, pondering when exactly to start up again.  This fall I had two going ... Thursday AND Friday mornings.  Too many ladies to fit all on one day.  Kept me busy.

I bake bread every Friday morning so am up and 6:00 on those mornings.  Love my bread.  They go on and on about how bad bread is but phooey ... I love it.  I even bought a hand grain grinder ... which takes a LOT more muscle than I thought (gets the heart rate up) but I add a good cup of this hand ground flour to the mix.  I think it adds a nice flavour.  I use a mixture of Hard Red Wheat and Spelt for that.

I haven't done much for decorating this year.  A wreath o the door and the Chanukah candles (I love watching them flicker in the window) ... enough.  I don't get company this month and am happy with my meagre contributions to the season.



One of my Aunts died in November, the one who spent 50+ years in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa.  It was kind of cool because this summer one of the "boys" she took in hand, sort of adopted over there and encouraged and helped over the years was able, through a speaking engagement in Montreal (presenting a paper), to come and see her and thank her for all she had done for him.  It had been a prayer of his that he could do this in person.  Then another aunt and uncle were able to spend three months this summer visiting her almost every day ... kind of a closure for her and a send off.

.

As a young woman she took a boat from South America, during war time, landed in Liberia and walked into Cote d'Ivoire.  Quite the gal and quite the story.

Well that should do, after so long a time.  I seem bent on giving you all eye strain.  If anyone even reads this now after all of this time.  LOL  (D would say, you write for you and if anyone reads it, okay)

ttfn ....

It's a New Year!

Much time has passed since the last post!  We had a signifcant amount of snow pack the end of November beginning of December, I tootled off to the coast for three nights four days during which time a pineapple express blew through, and when I got home ... no snow!  Wow.

I always like the look of these trees ... they are imports ... not native to the area.  Love how the sun shining on them brings out the red branches.

For a couple of weeks Mingus and I could wander the bare golf course as though it were early spring.  SO nice.  We have snow again though, but not so much as to make walking difficult, BUT, enough to have to do a significant shovel.  We are supposed to get more snow over the next couple of days.  Mingus and I were on the golf course today, following a course where the wind had blown the snow thinner!

Speaking of Mingus, here is a recent picture of the little trooper ...

He is ALWAYS on the alert ... he does not want anything to get past his eagle eye, or sensitive ear, or sniffy sniffer!  It is his job to guard and protect ... at least alert!  

Did I tell you that the neighbour and her friend took this little guy on a 5 1/2 hour walk one day this fall?  No problem for this hardy little guy.  Wanted to play chase me later, when home.  He was also able to set those ladies right when they started to take a wrong turn!  He held his ground and kept pointing his head in the right direction.  He is no dummy.  (He does the same when he loses a ball under the couch ... points me to it until duh, I clue in.  Humans can be SO thick sometimes.  Here he is with Zak and Kaylee ...

Mingus is the closest one - the one licking his lips.  They DO love their treats.

Back on the subject of shoveling, the neighbour has a quad with a blade this year and he takes 4-5 sweeps down my driveway for me.  Big help!  Now all I have to do is the back and side and Mingus' trail to the back trail.  It is still a significant amount of shoveling ... enough to poop me out by the time I reach the driveway.

Hmmm, just looked out the window and two wee flies ... on the inside!  Now where did they come from?  On closer inspection, moths not flies.  Oh, oh.  Probably came in on the wood.  In any event, they are no more.  I have too much wool clothing.

I quite like this picture so I'll add it in as well ....

I've used it as my winter header on my Facebook page.  Poor old aspen.  These probably won't last much longer.

Mither is doing well.  I went to see her earlier in December and will need to head down once again in the not too distant future.  The home did call this last Monday to say she had fallen but that she was up and walking again, seemingly none the worse for wear.  She has such sturdy bones.

Christmas was relatively quiet this year.  Mingus had a blast with the goodies he got and he was royally spoiled.  I got him a stuffy, salmon treats and a new squeaky ball, Zak (his buddy) got him a Hedgehog squeaky/stuffy and the next door neighbour got him a stuffy/squeaker bone and another squeaky toy (which he promptly de-squeaked).  I did pretty well too.  Four new tichel scarves amongst other things.  Whooo-hooo.  I'm sorry, I've tried taking selfies wearing my scarves but they are DISASTROUS!   Ugh!  Every line, every bulge in your face every bag is MAGNIFIED.   People tell me, "you look way better in real life".  Doesn't make for much confidence in putting up selfies let me tell you.  Ah well, I'm not the young thing I once was! ... or that I see myself as in my mind's eye ... hence the shock when I actually look in the mirror or see a selfie ... not at all like I imagine myself to look ... imagination is better ... LOL.  So you can be thankful I have spared you.  I have never been much for standing in front of a mirror.  Sometimes, on Mingus' first morning constitutional, we are half way down the street and I think, "did I remember to comb my hair?" (on O.A. question) then flip my hood up just in case.  Good thing I rarely see anyone, LOL.

And that brings us up to ... Happy New Year!  Yes, a new year lies before us.  It will be interesting to see what it brings.  Hopefully good things to you and to me!!!

On that note ... ta ta for now!

P.S. ... Mingus and I got invited to Zak's house for homemade Chinese food N.Y.'s eve.  Yum.  We got home before midnight but when Mingus heard fireworks, he barked and barked.  So he and I ran around the house ... Mingus barking and me yelling "Yay, it's a new year!"  We spurred one another on.  So we are crazy.

November Cold Snap

Hey, just a quick update.

There was no snow in the forecast but we got this white stuff drift down all morning (mist, they said but it sure resembled snow) ... only enough to just dust the ground and the tips of the trees ...

Last year this same scene looked like this on November 4th, 9 days earlier ...

.... okay, a slightly different angle.

... and another picture from today (13th Nov) ...

We are in a bit of a cold snap at the moment, our first of the season so it feels colder.  Hopefully I have enough leaves piled on the garlic etc as there is no insulating blanket of snow before such cold.  I have a lovely fire on all day.  Cozy.

I have been dehydrating dog treats of late.  The neighbour gave me two turkey legs left over from a recent dinner so I ground them up with a cooked yam and dehydrated them.  Mingus thinks they are pretty good ... but I think he thinks ALL treats are pretty good ... and there are never enough of them!

Naught else for news so I'll say ta ta for now ...