I apologize for being MIA for so long: now resolved family issues, health and a new job made for a busy, somewhat stressful month or so. But I'm happy that life has levelled out and I have more ME time. Time to enjoy this beautiful season, a season that's quickly disappearing here in NL; the leaves are dropping with increasing frequency and the temperatures are in the single digits at night. And I've yet to change out the coat closet and bring out the hats and gloves! One of today's chores. We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving and my 69th birthday a few weeks ago. Turkey 'n' stuffing, baked ..read more

  For those of us in western Newfoundland, August has brought with it cooler temperatures and a few rainy days. The garden has been beautiful all summer; the roses are almost gone now, but that little bush has had so many blooms and has been beautifully fragrant!  And after living with the newly painted 'Persian Cat' white walls in my cottage for over a month, I have come to the conclusion that I don't care for just white. I need some colour! The committee had given me half a can of blue paint so I could paint the closets; but there was enough to also paint 2 of the walls in my be ..read more

What a month! Like the majority of Newfoundlanders, I don't have an air conditioner as there usually isn't much need: our summer temperatures normally sit around 20-24℃ (70-75℉) with perhaps 2-3 days of high heat. But like the rest of the world, we are experiencing extremely high temperatures (30sC / high 80sF). And as I'm mostly made of sugar, jelly, BS & asthma), I can't function in hot weather. I have at least 1 fan for every room. But most of the time, I'm just sitting on my couch with 3 fans pointed at me. Two are fairly new. But the one that does the best job is a old yellow metal 1 ..read more

My apartment is painted, and just about everything has been put back in place.  I did some fun tweaking and added some summery cushions and a throw. (Now my area rug doesn't quite 'go' with everything ..... so do I need a summer carpet?) Hmmm! I shall be scouring the thrift stores and FB marketplace. The weather has been what I consider perfect with temperatures mostly in the mid 20's (80's). I've finished working on the community garden, and it looks so lovely! The Peonies are in full blossom, and the Roses, Lillies and Foxglove are ready to open any day. Summer has finally re ..read more

Sorry for my absence but my body hasn't been functioning as it should. An x-ray showed no arthritis in my hand ?; so the next step is to see a neurologist. But after a 3 week head cold along with debilitating pain in my right hand and arm (to the point where I couldn't use it), I'm now beginning to feel better. Aging sucks! I've eaten boring food and watched boring TV, so I've nothing exciting to share on that end. We've had 2 days of sunshine sandwiched by 16 days of cold and rain. Still I've gotten out for my brookside walks a number of times. It's fascinating to watch spring wake the earth ..read more

Thank you for your kind words and advice. My arthritis pain is getting a little better each day, and I have found a couple of ways to deal with the pain. The weather has been also getting better each day which does so much to help a body! Here are the highs from my week: The yummiest, gluten-free banana bread! It's made with oat flour (which you zip up yourself in the food processor). I added 1/2 cup of chopped mixed nuts and seeds as well as a few chopped chocolate chunks.  It has a light banana flavor with a slight crumbly/nutty texture. It's sweetened with maple syrup (& honey ..read more

Spring has finally come to western Newfoundland! The snow has melted around town and is slowly leaving the forest and mountains. With any luck, I can actually walk my favorite brookside path today. The other morning, I bundled up and sat outside with my coffee, and I had some new visitors from a nearby house. (One must now be more careful where one walks!) For the past two weeks, I've been dealing with debilitating arthritis pain in my right hand, arm and shoulder. (It seems as if now that I've retired, my body thinks it should break down and point out all my ailments immediately! Scheesch ..read more

 When I lived in areas where I could get into the woods in winter, on Ash Wednesday, I would cut a branch of an alder tree, sit it in a jug of water, and by Easter weekend, the leaves would be budding, bringing joy and live-greenery into my home. Alas, the snow is much too deep here to venture into the forest, so I simply picked up a tree branch that I found while walking. No greenery, but still a good prop for my homemade Easter decorations. I only have a couple left that were made by my children (20+ years old); but my Asian students enjoyed the craft, and it makes me so happy to have t ..read more

My muscle pain is finally on the mend. But Wednesday morning, I awoke with a head cold (compliments of my darling little grandson whom I'd visited last Thursday). Thank goodness for containers of frozen soup, oranges, and daughters who drop off emergency tissues! One of the soups that I most enjoyed is Moroccan chicken soup: it's thick, rich and filling and has just enough heat to clear your stuffy nose.  While resting, I began watching Anne with an E on Netflix. I've watched and loved many renditions of the  "Anne of Green Gables" books by Lucy Maud Mongomery. But be ..read more

Tomorrow is St Paddy's Day, but the only green in my diet will be my tea and the greenhouse Chard I purchased this week, steamed with a splash of vinegar and lashings of melted butter! Life has been pretty slow for me here. I still haven't recovered from the side effects of that medication -- still waking each day with excruciating back and left leg pain as well as tummy ache. But one must soldier on. I still walk daily and stretch. So, fingers crossed! NL Jam-jams! Because of this discomfort, going out for IWD on March 8th proved very taxing: I was so glad to spend the next day ..read more