Dreaming...

I recently came across an interesting quote, attributed to Gloria Steinem...

"Dreaming is, after all, a form of planning."

I had never thought of it that way...

I'm thankful that, as a child, I had time to dream and to do my own thing. There were very few planned activities in the villages where I spent my earliest childhood years. Our family attended church and I probably attended Sunday school, but my only memory of either was a candlelight Christmas service when I sat with  older kids in the dimly lit church. (So exciting being with the "big kids.")

Later, living in the larger town of Red Deer, Alberta, my best friend Jean and I regularly attended Friday night movies.

My most vivid movie memories were of war-time Europe and exotic tropical places ("Island in the Sun"). Novels I read also made me curious about the world.

So it's probably no surprise that I headed overseas when I was 19 - to discover what was over there - and later moved across the continent to live and work in Montreal, where I hoped to become fluent in French.

Childhood dreams prepared me for the path I eventually took. Those dreams unknowingly became my plans.

Indomitable Love of Learning

In her retirement, my mother looked for ways to stay mentally sharp. 

While still living in Kelowna, she took computer classes at the public library. She did not want to fall technologically behind! 

She also joined the Seniors' Centre, where she took other courses. Somewhere in the house, I have two paintings she made in an art class. I also found a story she wrote in a course on writing about your life. I wish she had written more, but I'm thankful to have her account of the excitement that erupted in the Village of Hay Lakes when news arrived that the Second World War was over. 

Even in her 80's and 90's - after moving here to Ottawa - she stayed socially and mentally alert, forming a Scrabble group that met in her apartment several afternoons a week to play Scrabble.

Did she also form a trivia game group? I don't know - but I recently came across a thick folder containing pages of trivia questions... 

It would be something she would have done!

What Kind of Car?!

Irecently noticed this car in a mall parking lot.

The four wheels were't straight up and down. They were on an angle - though that's not as noticeable on these pictures.

No hood over the engine?! A pink engine part open to the air?!

A racing car?! That's what is written on the windshield... 

I've never seen anything quite like it!

Re-construction Begins

On July 1, a few days of heavy rain caused our basement to flood.

Here is the TV / computer room with about 8 inches of water all over the floor.

We ran three pumps day and night for several days to take the water away.

Then the drenched carpets were removed and thrown out...

Furniture was thrown out...

Then the bottom 2' of drywall was removed from every wall - to allow the walls to dry inside and out - to avoid mould forming. Industrial-sized dehumidifiers ran day and night for several days.

Now the basement looks like this. 

BUT HOPEFULLY!! HOPEFULLY!!... that will soon change! This week and next carpenters and plumbers are set to arrive to restore everything to the shape it was in before the flood.

I really can't wait!

Pink!

The air feels cooler in the morning these days.

So I'm pleased to still be surrounded by flowers, especially bright pink ones..

August was my "pink flower month" - they seemed to last the whole month through!

And - added to that - I appreciated the occasional pink sky!

What will the colour of September be? Will the pink linger on for a while - before fall colours arrive?!

Kite Weather!!

Kites can be so much fun!!

On some windy days, everything is perfect!

It helps if you can run!! (I know I couldn't...!)

Hope they have a few more perfect kiting days...

Great exercise for all!

Plum Dumplings

I bought a frozen package of Hungarian plum dumplings.

The instructions seemed straightforward: Drop frozen dumplings into boiling salted water. When they rise to the top, let them boil for a few minutes before removing them with a slotted spoon.

I checked out a few recipes online to see how to serve them... 

Apparently one rolls the boiled dumplings in bread crumbs fried in butter and sprinkles them with icing sugar (castor sugar)... Another recipe suggests sugar snd cinnamon. 

That probably would have been interesting - but (trying to save time) I just sprinkled them with sugar.

Maple syrup might have been a nice addition, as well!