A few days ago, I woke up at 3 am. Unable to sleep, I got up to read for a while. Then I went back to bed.
When I woke up again at 8 am, sunlight was streaming in through the windows. How wonderful! A sunny day!
But when I tried to lift myself up to get out of bed, I could barely move. My neck was stiff and hurt every time I turned my head!
What to do?! First I looked online for some exercises to ease the pain. It was there that I found these two lists of injuries - childhood and adult.
There it was, on the top of the list of adult injuries: Slept wrong!
Day one: I attempted to live my normal life. Did my normal hour-long walk at the mall - at a slightly slower pace - but tried to keep moving. I read somewhere that it's better to keep the body moving than to sit still.
The next day, the pain was worse. I decided to do the exact opposite: just move a little, wrapped up in my warmest indoor clothing. From time to time, I'd do a few neck stretches - slowly turn my head left or right and try to look at my armpit.
Day three: a slight improvement. Maybe rest is a better way to heal. Maybe naps - with a hot water bottle warming my sore spots - is what I need.
Day four: Happily back to normal again.
I recently came across this lovely example of an embroidered "needle book" - for holding pins and needles - on the "Love Crafts" website. There is a beautiful cross-stitched butterfly sewn onto the felt cover.
It reminded me of the "needle book" that I made when I was young - and I still use all the time to store a few pins and needles. When I travel I often take it with me.
Both have the same "blanket stitch" around the edges of the cover.
Both covers have an embroidered design.
I wonder if it was a "classic" project to make - in the sense that all girls made one... from way-back-when...
I can't remember how old it is. Did I make it in "Brownies"?! Home economics class?! Summer camp?!
But I'm so glad someone - somewhere - bothered to teach me those basic needlework skills - and that the craft project I made ended up being so useful!
I recently read an interesting book entitled "Make Your Bed."
I was drawn to the book because I wondered how the act of making one's bed was so mysteriously powerful that it became a book title!
I should add that I do regularly make my bed. I started years ago - not because of any philosophical purpose - but because I once found a daddy-long-legs spider sitting on the pillow of my unmade bed. It left me so traumatized, wondering what I'd have done had I discovered him later, in the crevice of a sheet!
I immediately began making my bed, so as not to leave crevices for spiders!
But this book was interesting, not because of bed making, but because it reminded me how different we all are! Written by a successful US Navy SEAL, it highlights the life lessons he learned in the navy.
As I read about him sitting, shivering, in a cold muddy swamp for five hours - just to prove that he was tough enough to do it. Or diving under a ship in the dark of night to remove a (practice) explosive - and LOVING the challenge, I thought: There is NO WAY I would ever choose to do any of that!
But when I had finished the book, it did leave me wondering: What daily challenges should I set for myself to give me a sense of accomplishment every day.
Walking in the mall, I noticed this border print skirt in a store.
I loved it - until butterflies started chasing me!
There's a scam out there targeting grandparents. Someone calls, claiming to be the person's grandchild, in need of money for lawyer's fees or bail - or maybe even medical treatment. Sometimes the person says they're a lawyer calling on behalf of the grandchild who's in trouble with the law.
I read in the local news that one couple lost $8000, another $9000 in the scam. How can people be so gullible...? I wondered.
But I was caught off guard when the call also happened to me!
I was looking after my grandson J when a phone call - with a blocked number - came through. I couldn't see who was calling.
Hi Grandma, said a mature female voice. How are you?
I quickly assumed that my daughter-in-law was checking to see how her 3-year-old was doing. Otherwise why would she call me "grandma"?
Do you want to talk to J? I asked.
No. I want to talk to you. I have a big problem.
What? I asked.
I'm not feeling well, she replied.
I'm not feeling great either, I said. In fact, I did a Covid test this morning before J arrived.
I made an appointment to see the doctor, she said. As I was driving over, my phone kept dinging. I quickly looked down to check it and I ran into a little old lady...
WHAT?!!
I rear-ended her car. I stopped and called the police. When they arrived , they arrested me for distracted driving. Now I'm in jail.
At this point, I became suspicious. That just wouldn't happen...
I have to go now, I said quickly. I'll call you right back.
I immediately called my daughter-in-law, the person I thought I had been talking to.
Are you okay? I asked.
Yes, I'm working from home today. Why?
Someone just called - I thought it was you. They said they'd had a car accident and were in jail. I'm relieved you're okay.
Later I kept thinking about how easily and smoothly that stranger - that thief - had made me believe her.
I had been gullible, too!
A few weeks ago, I started my first mosaic crochet blanket. After reading, here and there online, how "surprisingly easy" it was, I started out, not knowing what I was doing... until I watched several YouTube tutorials for beginners.
At that point, I started over.
But, as usually happens when learning something new, I made a lot of mistakes, (which I only realized later)...
So I started over again!
Now I've gone this far on my third try. But I'm running low on purple yarn! I purchased some, but the colours don't match perfectly... What to do?!
Should I tear my earlier attempt apart, to use that yarn... even it won't be enough?? At best it will be enough for one section...
(Decisions!!)
That's my latest dilemma!
Today is the first official day of spring...
(Years ago, we'd buy large ones - now, the smallest size is plenty!)
Is it too early to think about gardening?
I haven't bought garden vegetable seeds in a very long time.
When my kids were young, we did have a vegetable patch in our side yard, right next to the fence. I wanted them to know how food is grown.
One memorable year, we had a prolific harvest of yellow pole beans - so prolific, in fact, that our neighbour Bill, who lived across the street, came over to check them out. Bill himself had a large garden. He had enough tomatoes, zucchinis and cucumbers to share.
Earlier this year, I bought a few packets of seeds. In her book, The Light We Carry - which I read recently - Michelle Obama mentions the "three sisters " garden they planted in the White House grounds. Following a traditional native gardening style, they planted pole beans, corn and squash together in a mound of soil. The "three sister" plants help each other. The beans climb up the corn stocks, and the squash plants spread their leaves around on the ground, keeping out weeds.
This gardening style worked in Washington, DC. I wonder if it will work this far north in Canada. I plan to give it a try.
I remember - as s child living in Hay Lakes, Alberta - being confused when someone once commented to my mother that spring was "just around the corner."
I remember running quickly to the corner to check. But no - everything looked the same there. No spring that I could see... What did that woman mean?!
All these years later, I'm still looking around the corner for spring - this time, around the corner of my driveway!
No ice that I can see on the street - that's encouraging.
But still lots of snow on my flower beds.. I expect that it will be a while for the first spring flower to appear.
But I'll keep looking! One of these days, the snow will all be gone And I'll walk through the park again.
A week ago, the whole family painted pottery at a studio called "Color Me Mine."
Yesterday I picked up our finished creations.
Here are the mermaid statue; the ice cream bowl (just waiting for a generous scoop of chocolate ice cream); and the ice cream (jar) - with its base (cone) and lid (soft serve look alike).
Mug and wine goblet....
And my sunflower plate.
Can't wait to go back and do it again!
Today - not March 21 - is equinox here in Ottawa…
According to my weather app, sunrise and sunset both occur at 7:11 (AM and PM).
I wonder where the March 21 date originated…
It’s forecast to be a snowy - then rainy - day here in Ottawa today. A bit of winter… followed by spring showers?! Sounds about right!
I recently celebrated a birthday...
I wanted to celebrate by doing something fun - and different - with the whole family.
So last weekend, our whole family (except Terry) shared a pottery painting experience in the mall where I often go to walk.
I didn't know what to expect - but it was easy - and fun!. Step 1: Choose an unfinished pottery piece to paint...
Step 2: Choose the colours you want to use.
Step 3: pour some paint onto the palate - and paint!
We were told that three coats of paint were needed to bring out a dark hue when fired in the kiln.
Ivy worked on a mermaid statue. Jericho (with support from his mom) painted a container with a lid - that looks like an ice cream cone.
One of our sons chose to paint a wine goblet...
The other, a bowl.
I painted a sunflower on a plate.
Now we have to wait a week for the pieces to be fired in a kiln before taking them home.
It was really such fun!
Jericho thought his ice cream looked good enough to eat! I agree!
I could see myself doing this again and again, even on my own. It's a relaxing, meditative way to spend a few hours.
She was coming to grandma's house for a sleepover.
When the car approached the last intersection, she told her parents: "Let me out here. You can go now. I know the way. I can get there by myself."
So they did. Not wanting to thwart her independent spirit, they let her walk the last block on her own... as they watched. At the same time, they messaged me to say she was coming down the street by herself... and they sent me this picture:
"Act surprised!"
I quickly unlocked the door, so that she could get in on her own. Then I watched for her through the window. A few minutes later, she bounded in, smiling. And all was well.
But the picture! It almost brought me to tears!
Why?!
A tiny figure in a big (cold) world...
Because she's growing up so fast? (And I'm not ready?!)
Because I see myself in her independent spirit?
Or because - in spite of wanting them to grow into independence, as a mother (and now, a grandmother) I want to hold onto them forever!
I have a hard time letting go.
Last year, I discovered that March 14 is Pie Day (or rather, PI day)!
In math, PI = 3.14… So someone - probably a math person - decided that the fourteenth day of the third month should be a celebration of PI …
In celebration, all should eat PIE!!
Enjoy!
We also picked up a few frozen meals to go.
I noticed that they have a luncheon special for seniors on Tuesdays... something to remember!
Also a few special meals throughout the month of March.
Now that snow is melting, we may get out to Manotick more often!
Turn the egg and bread over to fry the other side, while adding cheese and tomato slices. I've also seen versions where sliced avocado and sliced meat were added.
Fold over to make a sandwich, tucking the overflowing omelette inside the sandwich.
And enjoy!
Mine didn't turn out as beautifully as the videos, partly because I tried to make a smaller version using only one slice of bread.
When I added spinach, sliced cherry tomatoes and Swiss cheese, I couldn't see exactly where the bread was! I should have cut it in half before adding the veggies.
Not as attractive... (I had to eat it with a knife and fork.)
But still delicious and surprisingly filling!
