Blue Quilt Finished!

One of my goals this past month was to finish two quilts that I started a while back, one is pale blue; the other is dark blue and red.

I did actually get the pale blue one done!

Daily perseverance is the key!

These shades of blue remind me of the beach.

I didn't have a pattern for this quilt - just a pile of  scraps left over from the pale blue quilt I made last year.

Here it is, folded up on the floor.

The designs are different, but both have used up fabric that I have on hand.

Even the green backing is from fabric in my stash.

It's such a good feeling to use fabric up!

Now on to the dark blue and red one... !

When that one is finished, I have yet another idea for a quilt to use up my seemingly endless supply of leftover strips of cloth. I saw this quilt on "Pinterest."

Improvising designs by sewing different colors of fabric together like this is fun - and of course, one never knows what it will look like in the end!

If I really don't like it, it can always become the backing for a different quilt!

Phlox in Bloom

One of the prettiest mid-summer flowers to bloom in our yard are the phlox.

I remember admiring them in a neighbor's yard years ago.

She had taken a course in creating an "English country garden." Her garden was an inspiration - always lovely - with different perennials blooming all summer long.

I have her to thank for introducing me to the therapeutic value of flowers as mood-boosters.

Inspired by her garden, I started on my long journey of creating flower beds. I've made a lot of mistakes along the way and would do it differently if I were to begin again. But I guess it's the same with anything...

In those years, I'd wander over every few weeks to see what was in bloom in her yard.

I remember admiring her phlox, then going out to buy plants in several shades of pink and purple.

Over the years, they have grown into robust bunches, so I have divided them, moving some to different parts of the yard, where they bloom brightly, surrounded by other flowers.

Memory of Our Older Son Traveling to Russia

Sorting through old photos a while back, I came across some taken by our older son when he traveled to Moscow 17 years ago today, on July 29, 2003. He was traveling with two friends, one of whom was born in Russia and spoke Russian fluently.

It was an adventure for all of us - for Terry and me as well as for him... Terry and I were very anxious - knowing that he'd be in a country where neither Terry nor I (or he, for that matter) spoke the language. For the first week, he would be staying by himself at a hotel in downtown Moscow, while Roman,  his Russian friend, together with Roman's girlfriend, would stay at his grandparents' home. After that, the three of them would stay together at the home of a different relative of Roman's.

It was a time of "firsts" for us all: First time he was traveling outside of North America. First time he was going to a country where he didn't speak the language. For me, first time making a hotel reservation online - entering my credit card info with great trepidation...


I purchased his ticket over the phone from a travel agent in Toronto - the same travel agent his friends had used. They specialized in travel to Russia - which came in handy when I couldn't get anyone to answer the phone at the Russian embassy in Ottawa. My son needed a visa to go there. Fortunately, when time was running out, the travel agency stepped in to help.

I don't remember how many emails - if any - went back and forth between us while he was away... But he had an unforgettable experience and returned, a month later, with dozens of stories to tell.

Terry was all smiles when he returned.

I was amazed that - during his first week in Moscow - when he had been on his own - he had taken the subway to see different sights.

How did you know where to get off?! I asked.

The subway stops are written on the walls, just like in Canada, he replied.

 But they have a different alphabet than ours...

They announced the subway stops on the PA system, and I memorized the graphic that was the hotel stop...

Age 19... You think they still need you for everything... Then they prove that they really don't!! (Is that cause for relief - or more panic?! What will come next?!!)

Loving the Flowers!

One of my favorite aspects of summer is enjoying a wide array of flowers that bloom all season long.

Outdoors, in my front yard...

In my backyard...

Indoors, too!

They all give me so much joy!

Every Walk - a Discovery!

Every walk around the neighborhood involves discovery: Construction changes everything!

How far have they come on the new gym? Terry wonders as we walk through Algonquin College...

I don't think there will be classes here this September because of the pandemic, he adds.

Maybe the gym will be completed before classes resume!

Maybe! But having no students at the college for one semester - or more?! - was definitely not part of the original plan!

Summer Reading: Learning About the Jesuits

One of my goals, since retiring, is to learn as much as I can about the 2000 years of Christian history. I initially wanted to know how much had changed over the years. Not a lot, I've discovered - which is pretty amazing!

Along the way, I've read about some of the the giants in the faith... Madame Guyon, Benedict of Nursia...

A year ago, in Toronto, while taking a course on Greek-Orthodox iconography, I met a young woman who was planning to study at a Jesuit community in France.

A pretty, dynamic young woman, she was, by profession, an accountant.

I told her I had bought the book of "spiritual exercises" of Ignatius, founder of the Jesuits. But I hadn't started reading it yet.

Try the "at home" retreat version, she suggested. It's easier to do on your own.

So I bought the book she mentioned - and it has sat - untouched - on my bookshelf ever since...

I recently came across another Jesuit book - less intimidating than the "spiritual exercises." A modern "best seller" by a young American priest, it's an enjoyable summer read -  The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything.

Interesting, informative - and written in a humorous way.

Once I finish it, I may finally dig into the famous "Spiritual Exercises" - probably the "at-home" version!

The Other Side of the Ottawa River...

Terry and I often drive to the Ottawa River where we admire views on the Quebec side.

One street we often look at sometimes floods in spring... This is what it looked like in spring 2019 when it was flooded...

Why not cross over to the Quebec side of the river and drive on that street? I recently suggested to Terry when we were both in need of a little adventure... We've never gone there...

So we crossed the bridge into Quebec.

But when we got to the street we wanted to visit, the road was closed to cars - a special biking event was being held.

So we drove farther. Eventually we got to a golf course near the river...

There we saw a view of the Ottawa side!

Downtown Ottawa was in the distance...

So glad we went!

There are always new things to see, if you want to - sometimes without even going far!

Our Changing Reality

This spring and summer have been like no other that I can remember...

March 2020 was a learning curve: learning to stay two meters away from people, even our friends; to stay home and avoid shopping unless absolutely necessary; to keep hand sanitizers within reach; to wear cloth masks in enclosed public spaces... Life is definitely different than it was before mid-March.

I'm not complaining! I'm glad there are ways we can stay safer during these pandemic times... And, like some people, I've actually enjoyed spending more time at home. There's lots to do... In spring, there was gardening. Now, in the summer heat, I have lots to do indoors...

Terry and I started a new morning tradition of having coffee together at home. We've never done that before. Over the past few years, since retiring, he's headed to our local McDonald's for his morning coffee, his excuse to get out!

Extroverts who enjoy hanging out with friends probably have a more difficult time staying put. But personally, I'm enjoying spending more time at home.

But now - again - things are changing here in Ontario... To quote my mother, "Life is a constant change..." After several months of consulting doctors online (much easier than going to a clinic), in-person medical appointments are back... My gym is planning to re-open... One of my sons, whose workplace shut down in early April, expects to be back at work at the end of this month...

All these changes are unnerving me a bit... How confident will I feel going back to the gym?! (Don't do it, Mom, my adult kids tell me.)

Going back to the old normal may prove harder for me than developing a new normal back in March!

Mid-Summer Gardening Reflection

The flowers in my garden aren't as abundant this year as I'd like to see.

Was it the hot weather and lack of rain from mid-June to mid-July?

The hostas are fine - at least most of them are. This large one in the shade of our backyard needs to be divided.

To the right of the hosta, the clematis on the trellis had very few flowers... The ones that were there disintegrated in a windy rain storm.

What's the answer?

Does the whole garden need to be fertilized?

Or was the meager growth simply due to a lack of water - in part because our outdoor water tap was broken...?

Thankfully, it has now been fixed...!

In any event, I'm disappointed that some plants have few blooms...

Perhaps it's time to add several inches of compost... and hope for more rain next summer.

Garden Envy

There are many lovely gardens in our neighborhood. This one is right across the street!

Gardens like this don't come without a lot of effort. Even details - like the lovely cement stepping stones - take a lot of work. I remember watching my neighbors, Earl and Mary, make them by mixing a bag of cement powder by hand, then pouring the mix into rubber molds.











Chickadees love this fountain. I tried to take a picture of one drinking - but he darted away too fast.

While I was there, one had to be removed from inside the garage!















I've tried to create different garden "rooms" - as I've heard them called in gardening magazines.

But lovely gardens come at a cost: a professional gardener on site or a lot of effort.














I guess we all have to balance the time we're willing to put into gardening - and our personal vision of what our "ideal garden" would look like...

It's always nice to get ideas by looking at inspiring gardens in magazines and around us...

And if my garden isn't as nice this year as I'd like it to be - and it isn't ... (I blame the lack of rain!)

There's always next year to dream about and plan for!

Inspired to Organize My Sewing Space

This magazine article - with pictures - inspired me to organize the upstairs bedroom that I use as a sewing room.

Before that bedroom became vacant, the dining room doubled as my sewing area. A chair stored my sewing things when I needed to clear the table at mealtime.

How did I ever manage?!

Now even a sewing room isn't big enough! Is it a matter of organization?!

Instead of cupboards, I use clear plastic bins that allow me to see what is stored in them... I have stacks of these all over the room!

My sewing room will never look good - but I've discovered that as I tidy, I'm inspired to sew again...

Maybe that's really what organizing is all about!

Family Birthday!

Our youngest son is celebrating a birthday today...

This is him as a baby...

This photo was taken two years ago, when he had only one child... Now he has two - so life is busy!

Best wishes for a wonderful year ahead!

Eating Out

For months now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been no indoor dining in Ontario restaurants. But a few days ago that changed. Last Friday, Ontario started to permit indoor dining - as long as tables are two-meters apart and masks are worn while moving around in the restaurant - though not, of course, when eating!

Many restaurants and patrons are excited to go back to indoor dining - but others, like Terry and me, have decided we're not ready for that yet!

We will continue to do take-out orders - or eat in outdoor patios, like we did recently in Almonte.

















This food truck in a parking lot serves delicious Cuban-style food. And under the fringed umbrella, we feel almost as if we're on some Caribbean island!

We are slow to change: After the pandemic began, it took us a while to be comfortable eating restaurant food prepared by other hands. But eventually we even started using restaurant delivery, like Uber Eats...

We have been looking for ways to support local restaurants we used to frequent. One vegetarian buffet has been selling prepackaged foods from their menu.

Their fritters are my favorites - but I couldn't resist the opportunity to taste avocado brownies! Don't they sound so healthy you could  eat a whole lot without feeling guilty?!

I haven't had them before - but they are really delicious!! A new favorite!

My Calcium Dilemma

I'm supposed to take calcium supplements to prevent thinning bones... but nothing is as easy as it sounds!

Rule number one with calcium supplements is to not take calcium with prescription medication, as it can alter the effects of the medication... So I don't take calcium in the morning, as that's when my two prescription meds are taken.

Rule number two is to take calcium with food... I've discovered that, to avoid stomach upset, I should take the supplement at the beginning of the meal, so that it digests completely with the food I eat.

Rule number three is to not take more than 500 mg of calcium at a time... I have been given two reasons for that: A nurse at the cancer center told me that studies have shown that taking more than 500 mg of calcium supplement is bad for the heart. (Here is a link to the what the Mayo Clinic online says about that...)

When I mentioned this to the osteoporosis specialist, she didn't comment to confirm or deny it. Instead she said that the body can't absorb more than 500 mg of calcium at a time.

To complicate matters, I've discovered (online) that elemental calcium is what the body absorbs - and with some calcium supplements only a small percentage of total calcium is elemental. Here's a quote from the Mayo Clinic website:

Amount of calcium

Elemental calcium is key because it's the actual amount of calcium in the supplement. It's what your body absorbs for bone growth and other health benefits. The Supplement Facts label on calcium supplements is helpful in determining how much calcium is in one serving. As an example, calcium carbonate is 40 percent elemental calcium, so 1,250 milligrams (mg) of calcium carbonate contains 500 mg of elemental calcium. Be sure to note the serving size (number of tablets) when determining how much calcium is in one serving.

(So... how much elemental calcium am I really getting when I take my 333 mg. calcium carbonate pill? 40% of 333 mg?!)

A final concern for me at the moment is an adverse reaction I seem to be having to my current calcium tablets (the container on the left in the photo...) 

My doctor told me to take two a day, with different meals, but I often develop a stomach ache after taking the second pill, with my evening meal... The discomfort sometimes persists through the night...

Until I see the specialist again in September, I've decided to try another form of calcium for my second dose - one that looks and tastes like chocolate candy... Delicious! But the label tells me that just one candy tablet has way more elemental calcium in it than I should take in one dose. So I've decided to cut the toffee-like candy in half, and take only half at a time... So far I've had no stomach problems with this form of calcium.

But I do have more questions: My doctor indicated that TUMS can also be used as a calcium supplement. But it is mostly calcium carbonate... so again only perhaps 40% is absorbed by the bones. But I notice that the latest container I purchased, for acid indigestion, contains a lot more calcium carbonate that I want to take at once... Should I be using TUMS that contain less calcium? 

What harm am I doing if I'm consuming too much calcium in supplement form?? 

In case you're wondering, my doctor said that I should be eating four servings of calcium rich food a day (milk, yogurt, cheese) plus two 333 mg calcium tablets, if that is the supplement I choose to take.)

Day Trip to Smiths Falls

Terry recently suggested a drive to Smiths Falls via the back roads.

We stopped at the canal locks, where I had spent a night aboard a small cruise boat in 2016, when I took 5-day cruise down the Rideau Canal.

I looked around to  find the spot where we had moored at that time - but couldn't place it.

Was it where these smaller boats were now moored?

While Terry chatted with some people we met, I wandered around photographing interesting sights...

Hopefully nobody was hurt when this massive branch fall! It looks dangerous!

Families were swimming in the river..

Ducks and geese had settled in at a different beach.

Swans were fishing for food nearby...

Terry enjoyed watching them.

I asked one of the lock-keepers about the cruise boat I had been on in 2016 - the Kawartha Voyageur...

Have they been doing canal cruises this year?

The boat wasn't all that large... It would be hard to socially distance, especially at mealtime...

I haven't seen them this year, she said. Last year they had problems. Sometimes the water in the canal was too low. At other times it was too high...

Hmmm. I didn't realize that there were so many variables in boating on the canal...