Amaryllis Update

January is drawing to an end. Adding colour and life to the scenes of wintery snow outdoors, the amaryllis plants next to the window are continuing to bloom.

When one flower dies, another begins to bloom - or so it seems. Often I cut the dead blooms off. New shoots are also coming out of the waxed bulbs, so I'm hoping to have flowers throughout February.

The bulb that bloomed a year ago (and spent the summer outdoors) is beginning to split open.

All this growth and change...

... is so amazing to watch!

Reflecting on Covid

We've been living with Covid around us for almost three years now. It has definitely changed the way we spend our time. Because Terry has chronic leukaemia, we are both very cautious. We're both had all our shots (5)... and we wear masks when we're out and about.

And ... just in case... we have a few boxes of rapid tests near at hand.

But - when I see headlines like this, from Time Magazine (above) - I wonder if we're being too cautious. Doesn't that continue to be the big question: How cautious do we need to be?

Recently our daughter was surprised to discover she had Covid. She thought it was a cold... Working from home, she only leaves her apartment to go for a walk or a run - or to buy groceries. Like us, she wears a mask when she goes out. She felt under the weather for a few days - spent 2 days in bed. She almost didn't test herself... it felt so much like a cold - even though she did lose her sense of taste. But she tested positive for Covid. Fortunately, after a week, she was feeling better.

Hearing about her Covid experience could make it seem as if the virus has evolved to be less harmful. But friends of ours - about our age - headed off to visit family and friends out of province. They were gone for two weeks - and returned with Covid. 

Was it like a cold? I asked. 

It was an awful experience, my friend replied. Like lying on a bed of needles.The pain would disappear suddenly, then reappear between my ears, sawing sharply! It took 2 weeks for me to test negative.

Her husband, who - like Terry - has a pre-existing medical condition, was sick for 4 weeks. Twice he needed antibiotics for a lung infection…

Hearing my friend’s story, I realize it’s not quite time for us to ease up our efforts. The virus hasn’t disappeared. It's still wrecking havoc!

Blue Skies!

It’s been a snowy week… 

City workers were even out checking that fire hydrants weren’t buried in snow!

Now Terry tells me more snow is predicted for today and tomorrow.

So yesterday’s pink and blue skies were a welcome reprieve.

They’re the only colour we see in our white, white world.

What Animal Track is This?!

One interesting aspect of winter is puzzling over tracks I see in the snow.

What animal made that?

Which one was prowling here?

I hope that that this visitor was a dog - not a coyote...

These telltale signs preserved in the snow remind me that we have (large-ish) nighttime prowlers - a somewhat disconcerting thought!

Snow Shovelling Season

Two weeks ago we had a big snowstorm...

Now another one has dumped more snow on the city.

It's starting to pile up!

Terry always says he'll shovel the snow bit by bit - since he's getting older...

But once he starts, he finds it hard to quit till it's all done!

(I hope - at least - he's having fun!)

Cute Crochet Project!

This cute crocheted pillow caught my eye on Pinterest. A perfect way to use up scraps ...

Perfect for a cat lover... (I have several in my family!)

Hmmm... With so many unfinished projects on hand, should I really start another ?!!

Unfortunately, inspiration has a logic of its own!

Ingenious Pottery Idea

I recently saw a pottery idea that I'd like to try sometime...

Clay rolled to look like a long loaf of bread - with slits cut into it.  (I wonder what she's rolling the clay on... I've never seen a pad like that before...)

The slits make three serving dishes...

But the big surprise is that the ceramic loaf comes apart - revealing a platter below! Such a cute idea!

Yarn Basket... for 🧶

I finally finished my crocheted basket.

The sides were stiffer when I used two strands of yarn together... (Lesson learned!)

It looks oblong in one direction, and more like a beach basket in the other.

Not perfect... but usable! Glad it's done!

Back at the "Miller's Oven"

Recently Terry and I headed over to the Miller's Oven, a cafe run by seniors in Manotick. We were planning to stock up on some of their homemade takeout dinners.

And if it didn't look too busy, we could have lunch there, too.

It was busier than I expected... but tables were spaced apart....

So we had lunch...

Before heading home with a box with dinners to go.

Daring to Use My Air Fryer!

I asked "Santa" for an air fryer for Christmas - after one of my sons kept raving about his. I'm trying to remember what he mentioned making in it... Fish and French fries? Warmed up pizza? Leftovers? I don't remember. (I should have been paying more attention!)

In any event, it sounded like the perfect kitchen appliance to make leftovers taste amazing...

My other son got it for me. I was delighted! Then panic! What do I do now?!

It took me a week to take it out of the box, another week to prepare it for use... Then two more weeks to get up the nerve to plug it in.

It occurred to me, as I plugged it in, that someone could make a bit of money going to people's houses to teach them how to use new appliances. (I still don't really know how to get the full benefit of my washer and dryer, after years of having them. I realized that when an overnight guest did cycles I didn't know existed!)

Anyway, when I asked my son to help me figure out the air fryer, he said; Just go to Youtube... which I finally did. 

After listening to several videos by "Fabulessly Frugal" I got up the nerve to plug the machine in, slice up a potato and a sweet potato - and make two kinds of fries!

They were good!

Now I think I'm ready to try fried chicken...

Amaryllis Update

It's been interesting to watch my four amaryllis bulbs grow and develop.

Currently, one of the waxed bulbs keeps falling over. 

I removed a dead shoot off another one, as it was becoming unbalanced, as well, without being rooted in soil. A second shoot has bent down and may need to be removed.

The one that is potted in soil - the one that bloomed last year - is still growing tall. No sign of flower buds yet.

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

I tried a new recipe for apple oatmeal muffins.

The recipe is actually for apple CAKE - and it could be made in a loaf pan, but I chose to bake them as muffins. 

The main feature of the recipe that made me want to try it was that the batter contains no flour - just oatmeal. I added two smallish apples rather than one large one.

They were easy to mix up. I baked them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.

I enjoyed them. Terry enjoyed them too, though he said he prefers the texture of oatmeal muffins that also contain flour.

One comment on the Pinterest recipe said that they taste better on the second day. That may be... I'm not sure ours will last that long!

Ginormous Snow Pile

It's not uncommon to see snow piled up at one end of a parking lot after a snowfall.

But as we approached this one, Terry and I were both astounded...

How did they ever build it up that high - higher than the light poles!? There's no way a snowplow could push it up that high.

I'd guess a snow plow brought the snow over to one side of the parking lot and a snow blower blew it up that high, Terry said. 

We'll have to make a point of driving over here after a snowstorm - just to see how they do it!

Pumpkin... to Lower Blood Sugar?!

I recently came across an article on foods that help control blood sugar.

It wasn't surprising to find broccoli, salmon, nuts, citrus fruit, sauerkraut and oats on the list... 

But I was surprised to see pumpkin?!

Now, I'd guess that they didn't mean pumpkin pie - with its added sugar... But knowing that this vegetable is good for me was enough to make me treat myself to a generous slice!

(A can of pumpkin should probably be a regular item on my weekly grocery list - but what would I make with it?! Everything I enjoy has added sugar!)

Latest Little Project

Strange how inspiration strikes!

This picture of a handmade basket arrived in a Mary Maxim email.  I considered ordering the kit - but with so much yarn in my "stash", why bother?! Surely I have enough to make a crocheted basket.

So I started ro wrap some white fabric cord with yarn and crochet the base... then the sides. Hmmm... It doesn't look as solid as the one in the picture! Maybe it will hold its shape better once the sides go up...

Eventually I finished a skein and switched to a new colour - and a slightly finer yarn, which tightened the sides up a bit. Not sure if that was a good idea. I'm learning a lot as I go - through trial and error. As it got taller, my basket continued to be "floppy." What was I doing wrong?!

Checking out some fibre baskets at the mall, I realized that the ones with firm sides also had a firm base. Not sure how to fix that!

(Maybe I should have bought the kit!?!)

Oh, here's a floppy one…

Not sure what mine will look like in the end or how tall it will be. But once I run out of cord, I guess it will be done!