Sorry! I thought I could return to a normal schedule. But my sense of 'normal' has changed. After the past 5 years of various ailments, they have all added up to a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. I'm in my 3rd week of a flare-up.  Besides all the symptoms shown on the photo to the right, my sleep is disrupted by pain so that after only an hour or 2 of being awake, I feel like I need a nap! It's not fun! There's a sense of relief in that I finally know what I'm dealing with and, therefore, what I should do about it. (The fact that there is no cure and no warning of flare-ups and this is ..read more

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

Summer is coming to an end in western Newfoundland; cooler nights and changing leaves are as sure a sign as the calendar. And while I love Autumn, I am reticent to say goodbye to summer. It's never quite long enough for me because I know fall will come and go in the blink of an eye and then long winter will arrive. But before that beauty sets in, let's stay focused on the beauty of this dying season.  I took my daily walk one early evening last week just after two days of rain had finally stopped and the blessed sun came out blazing. It was at the perfect angle when I reached 'the prom ..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

I spent my past week moving furniture from room to room just ahead of the painter; one more day (for the painter) to completion! ? My aching body has been glad of a few days off to take my time with the aftermath and prepare for Tuesday when painting resumes. So, I decided that today would be a day of total rest; just a lazy day of indulgence. I began with an 8 am brookside walk.  The 1st part of the path is now covered with beautiful ferns on both sides. If I looked at them too long, everything went fuzzy ..... like looking for the hidden image in one of those maze-type pictures that c ..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

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