Happy Halloween!

I rarely buy chocolate - except for Halloween, when it's a "must-have" in the house...

Last year, we had to renew our "stash" TWICE ...  BEFORE Halloween even arrived!! 

Yup! I'll have to do the same thing this year!

(I should have hidden it all when I bought it!)

I never learn!

My Mother's Healthy Habits

Looking back eight years today, to October 30, 2016, the day my mother left us, after a very brief illness (one weekend) ... at the ripe age of 97. 

Thinking about my mother's long life, I have been reflecting on some of her habits - her "rules of life" - though she didn't call them that. Perhaps I should put more effort into emulating some of them. They led to her good health - and happiness - to the end. 

Here are some that stand out in my mind:

1. "Drink 8 glasses of water a day" was part of her regular routine. According to doctors in the nursing home, this habit definitely enhanced her health. 
2. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," was another of her rules for healthy living. When she could no longer bite down on a crunchy apple, she switched to apple sauce! I recently read that apples are one of the best fruits to lower high blood sugar.
3. She tried to walk 10,000 steps a day - in a nearby mall - or back and forth in the hall of her apartment building, during inclement weather.

She also cultivated attitudes that gave her a sense of peace:

1. "Life is a constant change," she'd often say. Did reminding herself of this make changes easier to accept?
2. She rarely talked about the past. I can't remember her ever saying how much better life USED TO be. Instead, she faced each day with enthusiasm about what the day had in store.
3. She enjoyed learning new things and was up for challenges - gathering friends together for in her apartment for games of scrabble; later, in the nursing home never missing a game of BINGO.
4. "One day at a time" was a mantra she'd often repeat - when tempted to worry.
5. Going to church was always an important part of her life. Her strong Christian faith and prayers became part of the fabric of her everyday. Her father (who died when she was 2) had been the church choir master. Although she had no memories of him, she inherited his love of music. Even in her latter years in the nursing home, she looked forward to music programs and worship services.  Singing hymns and participating in sing-alongs filled her with optimism and joy.

Decked out for Halloween 🎃

Last Saturday, Terry and I were in Montreal, visiting a friend in TMR (the Town of Mount Royal).

After lunch, we visited a nearby park.

... where they had a large pumpkin display...

... and interesting garden art.

Also discovered that there used to be a popular locally-grown fruit called the Montreal Muskmelon. 

I wonder if it's still available today - or maybe it has a different name now.

It's always fun to learn something new... Glad the weather permitted us to be outdoors and walk around.

Until next time! Au Revoir!

New Season of Learning

Cooler weather is arriving... A "new season" of interests is upon us... 

Is it time to learn something new?

My granddaughter is taking curling lessons - a new winter sport for her. A new generation of curlers is in the making... I wonder if she'll like the sport.

My parents both curled when we lived in the village of Hay Lakes, Alberta. It was a social activity that both women and men could participate in together.

I must have been 5 or 6 but I still remember hanging out at the curling rink when they were curling. Was there a concession stand? Or did I just run around and play outside the boards?

I do remember that their curling rock must have moved to Red Deer - then to Kelowna - with us, though I don't remember my parents curling then.

The last time I saw their heavy marble curling rock was at my grandparents' house in Kelowna. My mother was offering it to my grandfather as a heavy object to put on top of a large crock of fermenting homemade sauerkraut. Did he need something heavy to squeeze out the juices?!

That's the impression I had. But I'm not sure. I never learned to curl - and I never learned the art of making homemade sauerkraut either!

Our Colourful World

Everything is so beautiful outdoors these days! I'm trying to capture the colours before a strong wind suddenly sweeps the leaves off the trees. It can happen SO quickly!

This month - October - is the most beautiful time of the year in our part of Canada...

The leaves - yellow, orange and red - are so beautiful next to each other.

Then slowly - or sometimes quickly - the wind blows, and we are crunching them under our feet.

Living with Squirrels!

I never gave much thought to squirrels till I moved to our Ottawa neighborhood. But now we live among them!

From these pictures posted online on Ottawa "Reddit" - I see that I'm not the only one - at times amused - at times annoyed! - by their antics.

Squirrels don't miss much - and they're always ready to make our stuff their own... as this Reddit contributor shows! (Maybe that's the law of nature!)

I've had tomatoes picked from vines, bitten into, then left to lie on the ground. I've had tulip flowets bitten into. I assume it was a squirrel.

One summer, in my early years in the neighborhood, I (foolishly) left a steaming hot cake on an outdoor table to cool - because I didn't want to heat up the house.

I returned a minute or two later to find a squirrel sitting IN THE CAKE - undeterred by the steam rising all around him as he gobbled the cake up as fast as he could!

I learned my lesson that day: Leave NO food unattended outdoors!

Painting Update

I go to Almonte once a week to paint in a "painting circle" - one of several of  "creative circles" they have there... Photography, fabric art and writing are three others.

If I lived closer, I'd attend their fabric art session, as well - for inspiration. For me, practicing fabric art - knitting and quilting - on my own is much easier than painting for fun by myself.

Last week,  I worked on these three paintings in watercolour.

Am I improving?! I really don't know - or care, really! But I am having fun!

And right now, this is the only time in my week that I take the time to pull out my paints and just let go!

Leaves Slow Changing

The leaves are changing colour around us.

We had a lot of rain this summer. It was also very warm.

Does the temperature affect the timing of the leaves turning red, orange or yellow?

Or is the shortening hours of sunlight?

These are questions we talk about every year - as we survey the magesty of the colors.

End of "Food Truck Season"

A few days ago, we joined our son's family as they went to their favorite local food truck for supper.

With a chill in the air, "Food Truck Season" would soon be ending and they wanted to eat there one last time. 

I'd never been there before.

I loved my "smash" burger - a cheeseburger with mushrooms.

Then we went to "Hummingbird" to top our supper off with yummy gelato.

New Knitting Project

Terry and I recently visited a yarn store in Kingston - in our way home from Toronto.

Looking around the shop, I noticed a shawl with an interesting design and texture... 

So I bought the pattern!

Made with 6 different colors of yarn, it looks like a perfect project to use up skeins I have left over from other projects!

I can't wait to start! ... But I think I should finish my current project first!

Knitting Adventure

When I flew to Kelowna last May, I started to talk to a woman sitting near me who was knitting on the flight.

I mentioned that wrist pain was limiting my knitting.

She told me about the Kollage Square "square" knitting needles, which some people found ergonomically easier on the wrists.

(I later bought several sizes at the factory store in nearby Brockville. I've been using them ever since.)

Now I wanted some smaller ones for knitting socks.

On our way home from Toronto, I  suggested stopping in at the knitting store where my new knitting friend told me she worked part-time... Maybe they would have some. They did!

Glad we had time to visit this beautiful store with lots of hand-dyed yarn: Purlin'J's Yarn Emporium.

Now housed in a building, the store started out as this cheerfully-painted travelling bus!

A Stunning View!

Last weekend, we met up with my son and his wife - at our daughters's downtown apartment. 

We all wanted to see the view from the top floor. So up we went...

In one directions, modern high-rises - and more being built.

In anothet direction, the island airport and a lineup of planes waiting to take off.

And, of course... in every direction - ever-changing, awesome clouds!

Hunter's Moon

We noticed the large full moon as we were driving home at 6:45 PM.

In October, the full moon is called the Hunter's Moon because October is traditionally hunting season. 

It was especially bright in the cloudless night sky. It will be a cool night for hunting!

First Frost

Two nights ago, we had our first frost.

I'll have to deal with these outdoor potted plants soon. I'd like to take some cuttings to propagate for next year.

With all the outdoor flowers gone, I'm turning my attention to the ones indoors.

The African violets are still in bloom...

And I'm looking forward to the blooming of not one - but THREE - Peace Lilies... soon! (Each plant has one pointy flower bud. Can you see them?!)

Festive!

A few days ago, we were in Toronto... 

... visiting our daughter for the weekend.

Driving to her downtown apartment...

... we are suddenly surrounded by tall buildings... (And more under construction.)

But when evening comes, the view changes.

With all the lights on, everything looks so festive! The CN Tower changes colors daily. Even the construction cranes are lit up!