Building a More Positive Outlook

I recently came across an article on developing a more positive attitude - something I could definitely use now that winter is here.

I jotted down a few tips:

One was: celebrate small joys ... 

So true! I derive so much joy from watching a beautiful sunset... even if it’s through the window from indoors!

My daily blogging helps me celebrate my hobbies and interests. Remembering, writing - then re-reading what I’ve written - all bring me joy.

Another idea that jumped out at me was to establish an enjoyable routine...

My working - and parenting - days were so busy! I felt stressed... life was too rushed to fully enjoy. 

That’s why I now get up early - have coffee and read... I rarely plan to do anything before 10 AM. I like to quietly EASE into my day!

Before winter ends, I’m sure Terry will have to remind me to count my blessings - another of the happiness tips I wrote down!

Yes, Things Have Changed!

I recently came across this on Facebook...

So true!... Though I don’t remember eating that many popsicles!

Playing Updated Tetris

My two sons loved playing video games when they were young and, to my surprise, they still play - just less frequently.

One game I actually played with them was called “Tetris” - a game of organizing shapes as they fall with ever increasing speed.

Mom, you should try Tetris on my new system, my younger son recently suggested. With this game, we can actually play against each other.

So we did... on the TV, using controllers...

The following day I felt a bit dizzy… (I wonder if there’s a correlation!)

New Knitting Inspiration

A few days ago, I noticed this knitting pattern online...

It looks difficult - with knit cables - but claims the level of difficulty is “beginner“... so I can surely manage that...

So I purchased the pattern online, downloaded it and printed it up, all in a matter of minutes! 

Now to get yarn...

It would be perfect if - somewhere upstairs in my yarn bins - I could find the perfect amount in the perfect colour... But I suspect I won’t.

To go yarn shopping? Or wait until COVID  numbers fall?! That’s a tough one!

In the meantime, there’s no lack of unfinished knitting projects for me to work on... though this one looks like a lot of fun!

Happy Kiddos

It’s always fun to see kiddos get the toys of their dreams at Christmas… For our family, this Christmas was exceptionally memorable…

Our granddaughter was very excited to get a large Barbie doll house…

Our grandson, who loves to pull pots and pans out of kitchen cupboards, now has a kitchen of his own - with “real (pretend) food.”

And - thanks to our younger son and his wife - our older son has the video game system he has been wanting for a very long time! From what I gather, a shortage of microchips makes this system very hard to find.

FaceTime Visits

I taught English to immigrants and foreign students for many years. Whenever I saw articles in the newspaper that would generate conversation and excitement - I’d photocopy the article and bring it to class to read and discuss.

Not all that many years ago - or so it seems to me - I brought to class an article on personal cordless phones... that you would carry around with you wherever you went...

I remember us scratching our heads, trying to imagine what it would be like to get a phone call while shopping in the mall... (Would those phone waves even make it through the wall??!!)

Another article that generated laughter and incredulousness was the idea of a video phone chat - where you would call someone and actually SEE the person as you talked. 

We laughed at the idea! And now - here it is! (Though I sometimes wonder what my grandson thinks when he sees “gamma” on the phone. At his age, I remember examining the back of a radio, looking for the tiny musicians playing the music I could hear...)

  

Not  that many years after sharing these articles with my students, I no longer feel safe driving or walking any distance without my cell phone. And there’s no time like Christmas to appreciate Skype and FaceTime - that allow me to actually SEE my grandchildren and check out their gifts, even though we’re far away. 

Yesterday we were all together - if not in person, at least via FaceTime!

In fact, at times we were DOUBLE FaceTime-ing!

Who would have ever believed that what we then referred to as “video phoning” would soon become part of “normal” life!

Early Christmas Visitors

Christmas arrived early for me this year - when our son from Toronto, together with his 5 year old daughter came to spend a few days with us a week before Christmas.

Terry and I weren’t sure we’d see any family members in person this year at Christmas.

Our Ottawa son wondered if he should visit after being informed that a “contact of a contact” had been exposed to COVID-19. He was awaiting the test results of the original contact.

So we were delighted to have visitors!

They did COVID rapid tests for several days before leaving home. A snowstorm followed them - which they fortunately avoided. But there was snow to shovel the following day.

I pulled out boxes of favorite family toys... And we all had a wonderful time!

Even the Barbies in the Barbie bus (in the second photo above) had fun in the snow!And our granddaughter experienced some neighborhood sledding.

Bethlehem Shepherds... and Angels

My first teaching job was at an international school in Jerusalem, Israel, where I taught for seven years. Jerusalem is about 15 minutes by car from Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born that first Christmas Eve.

I haven’t been in Bethlehem for a long time - ever since I lived in Jerusalem, in fact, when I was in my twenties. So I don’t know how traffic is these days. But when I lived there, a person could quickly get to Jerusalem by bus or car from Bethlehem. 

From time to time, I had students who lived in or near Bethlehem. 

One year, I received a very interesting composition from a girl whose parents worked at an orphanage on the outskirts of Bethlehem ... It was her take on what happened that first Christmas Eve... when angels appeared to a group of shepherds not far from where she lived. 

I was really taken by what she wrote - and her accompanying photos - so I asked her if I could keep it... 

Here’s what she wrote:

“Shepherds’ Field has been left more or less like it was when the angels came and sang on Christmas night. A Catholic Church and a YMCA summer camp are where the shepherds used to graze their sheep. 

I think that the angels picked a perfect place to sing. The valley makes a perfect giant natural amphitheater. I live at the place where the pictures are taken from. All day we can hear the boys, sheep and donkeys all the way across the valley. The angels must have sounded very beautiful on that Christmas night. 

I do not think that the book Ben Hur places the fields in the right place. The book says that people in the town did not hear any of the noise from the angels, but I think they would have heard the angels. As you can see from the picture, the place where the stable was, was not  far from the Shepherds’ Field and near the top of the amphitheater.”

When I first read this, and looked at the accompanying pictures, I was totally blown away! The town of Bethlehem is at the top right. How many times must she have sat overlooking the valley and thought about that first Christmas Eve.

It was such a personal, insightful explanation!

Appreciating Winter Beauty

These colourful flowers jumped out at me as I  walked down a street in Manotick. 

I was adding steps to my pedometer, while Terry was indoors picking up the frozen food we had ordered from the Miller’s Oven Tea House: tortiere (Quebec-style meat pie) and frozen soup. 

During the summer, when outdoor flowers are in bloom, the mural may be less noticeable.

Walking further, there were Christmas decorations...

Then back down the street to the old mill.

And next to it, the river - not yet frozen...

Manotick- a beautiful place to walk, any time of the year!

Early Christmas Gift

One of my best gifts came the week before Christmas!

Appointments for COVID booster shots for Terry and me! So thankful that one of our sons saw this announcement on twitter and signed us up!

Shortest Day

Today - December 21 - is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. I remember learning that oh, so many years ago when I was a child. But it really didn’t mean  much to me.

My father, on the other hand, always counted down the shortening days, and happily informed us when days started lengthening again! 

I remember thinking: Really?! What’s the big deal?!

Now that I’m older, I share my father’s joy!

 

Last December I decided to keep track of sunrise and sunset times here in Ottawa - to see how things change day by day. I did this with the help of the weather app on my phone. These are my tracking sheets. 

For me, it was an exercise in awareness... I  discovered that - here in Ottawa - the longest days had 15 hours and 41 minutes of daylight. I say days because there was a period of about 2 weeks when sunrise and sunset changed very little, hovering between 15 hours 41 minutes and 15 hours 39 minutes, between June 15 and 28.

Now in mid-December, we have about 8 hours and 44 minutes of daylight. That’s not much different from last December 23 when I started tracking - and there was 8 hours and 43 minutes of daylight.

The difference between our longest in June and shortest days in December is about 8 hours. For a sun lover like me, that’s a big difference! 

I also became aware - when visiting our daughter who lives a 6 hour drive southwest of us, that the sun rises and sets about half an hour later where she lives.

Should I continue tracking for another year...? I may. There’s a certain satisfaction in just being aware.

Good Reads

At the entrance to the bookstore was a table of books recommended by the owner.

I paused, then realized that I already owned two... no, three of them!

I was surprised because I don’t usually read best sellers! I’m a slow reader: If the book is informative, I sometimes take notes.

Which of these books do you think I have?

Hint: I’ve started taking notes on two of the three but I haven’t finished any!

That doesn’t sound like  a great recommendation! But the two I’m taking notes on are interesting - based on research.

Favourite Family Salad

I have been trying to eat more vegetables. A while back I started experimenting with salads, trying to find one that was delicious and EASY...

After a lot of trial and error, I now make one that my older son and I both love - though Terry is not be as enamoured with it as we are. Our son often requests that I have one waiting for him when he comes over - which is why I refer to it as a “family favourite”!

The salad is made in individual bowls. 

I start with pre-washed spinach - I load each individual bowl with it. On top of that I toss 5 or 6 cherry tomatoes and some thinly sliced raw onion. 

Then I add crumbled feta cheese - if I’m making it for my son - or, for me, pieces of halloumi cheese, fried until brown. Sometimes I add small pieces of meat, such as cooked chicken. (As in the picture.) Then I sprinkle a few dried cherries or craisins on top of that.

But the clincher is the dressing... So easy! Equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Nothing else!

We never tire of it! But you probably have to be a fan of balsamic vinegar to enjoy it as much as we do!

Adam’s Ale and Silver Tea

Back in my teaching days, I remember telling a student that I loved coffee - and I probably drank too much of it. She replied that her favourite drink was “Adam’s Ale.”

Never heard of it, I told her. Where do you get it?

From the kitchen tap, she said with a smile. 

***

My mother had a friend who always drank a hot cup of “silver tea” before going to bed. 

My mother thought it was a healthy habit, so she started drinking it, too... And, like her friend, she didn’t call it hot water. She called it “silver tea”!

***

Trying to develop healthier food habits, I do now drink a glass of cold water (Adam’s Ale) before my first cup of coffee in the morning. 

I haven’t started drinking “silver tea” yet - though I do occasionally think about it, especially now that cooler weather is here.

Peanut Butter Tip

Terry loves to shop for groceries - and I’m happy to let him do it. He’s much more thorough than I am - checking cans for dents and “best before“ dates, reading labels, remembering prices...

How do you like the “all natural” peanut butter I bought? He asked recently.

It’s good - but it separates, leaving oil on the top, which I have to mix in every time I use it. So I prefer the stuff that doesn’t separate.

Do you store it upside down in the fridge like the label says? He asked.

Upside down?! Does it really say that?! I’ve never heard of that, but I’ll give it a try. 

So that’s what I now do: I mix the peanut butter a bit when I first open a jar, then store it in the fridge, lid side down (in a bowl, in case there’s leakage).

And it comes out perfect every time!

(Glad he reads labels!)

Winter Light

One of the amazing things about winter is how snow in the air - and on the ground - magnifies light.

I woke up at 3 AM and quickly realized that it must be snowing outdoors because there was a soft glow of light in the house. How snow OUTDOORS affects the light INDOORS is a mystery to me!

Was I right? To check, I opened the curtain and saw how the snow was lighting up our entire street… at 3 AM on a day when the sun doesn’t rise until around 7:30 AM…

The night was all the brighter  because of a nearby streetlight - and lights on houses across the street. 

My Latest Read

I don’t read a lot of novels these days… I remember, as a child, heading to the library every few weeks to get at least six books - or whatever they’d let us take out in those days. I loved adventure and mystery stories - with happy endings, of course! No violence or gore.

My reading taste hasn’t changed that much over the years, I’ve discovered! I still like happy endings… and no violence!

My latest read is a novel called Where the Forest Meets the Stars.

The book was recommended by a woman about my age and I was able to find it in the public library. 

A charming page-turner… that actually had me reading till 11 pm one night! As my kids will attest - that in itself is a miracle!

“Millennial” Meal?!

“Millennials” are the kids who reached adulthood in the early 21st century... so, by that definition, all three of my kids are “Millennnials” - though it’s a term that none of them like - I  don’t know why.

My daughter has a different eating style than me. She used to be vegetarian - but no longer is... She often eats avocado on toast - with an egg on top - poached or fried. Sometimes a poached egg on a bed of kale...

Recently I had some avocado on hand, so I  made this breakfast for myself. It’s something I used to eat from time to time... poached egg on toast... but with avocado added.

A healthy breakfast...

When I shared a photograph of my effort, my daughter suggested I add a dash of nutritional yeast - give it a cheesy flavour. So I did...

I also sent this photo to my son. 

What are you? A Millennial? he replied.

So now I’m confused: Why is this breakfast “millennial“? Is it the avocado? (You can’t see the nutritional yeast...)

Daybreak

Daybreak, these days, is around 7 AM... This is what the sky looked like one morning last week when daylight was appearing. In my working days, I often left home around 7!

Sunrise is just after 7:30.

Days are still getting shorter... That should change in about a week...  I can’t wait!

Brown Bag Cookie Set

When my daughter was six, we received these Brown Bag cookie moulds as a Christmas gift from a relative in Texas.

We immediately tried them out… and - over the years - used them from time to time. 

They make lovely LARGE cookies - but, because they are large, each recipe doesn’t make all that many.

My daughter recently mentioned the set - and I looked for it. I don’t know if she wants me to bring it next time we visit. If not, I’d like to make cookies with my granddaughter sometime.

Some Christmas cookie memories - like my daughter’s - last for decades!

Yikes! So much to do!

The recent arrival of a few Christmas cards has put me in a panic!

I haven’t sent any cards yet!

We may also have a few visitors the week before Christmas... (though it’s hard to plan much these days, with COVID changing the situation from day to day!)

I think I’d better make a to-do list!

Christmas is only 2 weeks away! It always creeps up on me!

Fire or …?!

Fire or…  sunrise?!

SUNRISE, thankfully! Always different. Often stunning!

My favourite time of the day.

Unfinished Project

On our last trip to Guelph, Terry and I did NOT drive to Paris, Ontario - so I did NOT buy yarn for a new knitting project!

Instead, I’m looking at finishing some projects I started a while back. I have quite a few that I started with enthusiasm - but ended up abandoning.

Each unfinished project has a story - a reason why I stopped working on it...

Like this abandoned poncho, similar to a red-striped one I made a few years ago, which I wear a lot.

Why did I stop working on it? I remember thinking that the muted blues were less inspiring to work with than the bright reds. Bright colours energize me! I also wondered  if I’d run out of variegated yarn before I was done. So I started to knit a plain dark blue stripe with different yarn. I didn’t really like it, so I put the project away, to think about it.

Now, my new plan is to work on it until I run out of the original variegated yarn. Then I’ll decide what to do... Hunt for the same brand of yarn in the same colour?  Add a contrasting colour? If I run into problems I may be tempted to put it away again - but I hope not. I hope to finish it this time. I have so many other unfinished projects to tackle!

Media Star! 🌠

The tiny Yorkshire terrier who lives up the street made front page news on our local SPCA magazine.

So happy she had the surgery when her broken leg wouldn’t heal. Hope this tiny bundle of energy enjoys the winter snow! Little Miss Personality-plus!

Snow Shovelling

Those who have never shovelled snow may think it’s a simple task, but it isn’t!

After you push all that snow off the driveway and walkway, you may think you’re done - but you’re not... 

When the city snowplough plows the street, it usually leaves a ridge, which also needs to be removed before it hardens.

And - if you’re like Terry - you’re still not done! Now you take a second shovel - one used to remove snow from the roof! 

It’s all part of the fun of WINTER!

Is this winter?!

Yesterday we woke up to see thick fluffy snow on the ground - more than last time it snowed, in mid-November…

Is this the beginning of winter?!

I quickly checked the forecast for the coming week...

Six days above the freezing mark! So this may all melt... 

I, for one, would be DELIGHTED if we DIDN’T HAVE a white Christmas!