Did We Have Fun?

Regret is, in some ways, a wasted emotion. I remember my mother - in her 80s - saying how she regretted leaving my three-year-old brother with our grandmother (her mother) in another city for a few months  when my mother (a teacher), couldn't find a babysitter in our neighborhood. Every weekend we would drive the 100 miles to Grandma's home to visit him. And every Sunday evening my brother would scream as we were leaving. Once we were gone, he reportedly reverted to his normal cheerful self. But the memory of those traumatic partings haunted my mother for many years.

Well you can't change it now, a much-younger-me told her as she shook her head regretfully. Now an older-me would add: You can't change it. But sometimes you have to make peace with it. And making peace involves remembering.

In the book Wisdom Distilled From the Daily, Joan Chittister comments on her early years as a nun, saying how the daily sharing of work by all, young and old, had a profound effect on her: "It is the sight of everyone taking a turn at table-waiting... and everyone at choir practice and everyone doing dishes... and everyone setting up the dining room tables for great feast days... that most makes me realize that we are all in this together... I realize with new insight that there are basics in life more important than a business schedule... those basics are love of God and fun and companionship on the long dark roads of life..."

My thoughts linger on her words "fun and companionship on the long dark roads of life." My "dark days" have been comparatively few. But her recollection makes me wonder: Did I convey a sense of  fun and togetherness in my community - the family I live in?

I often felt tired and impatient during the years when my children were young. I regret that. But there are other memories, too: My desire to involve the children in baking. So all three were given dough to roll out so that they could create their own fancy cinnamon buns and gingerbread men whenever I baked.

The family "cafe" when the three prepared dinner, set the table, then dressed up as waiters (tea towels over their arms) to serve the meal.












Many family vacations. (I'm thankful for the family photo album that reminds me of some of the things we did!)

Life was often busy - sometimes I was grumpy and tired. But we did have times of fun!

Pottery Tongue Test

Pottery is an ancient craft... And some techniques have trickled down through the ages.

For example, when I asked an experienced potter whether she thought my fish platter had been bisque fired or not, she replied: Stick your tongue on it.

Stick my tongue on it? Was she serious?! Was it even safe to lick it?! 

Seeing my disbelief, she quickly explained: After bisque firing, your tongue should stick to it.

Really?!


Unless it has been fired at a very high temperature, another long-time potter added. Another test is to put your cheek against it. If it feels cold, it hasn't been fired yet.

So much to learn!!

My tongue did stick to it - and it felt rough, not cold against my cheek.

It must be ready for glazing.

I dipped it in liquid glaze. You'd never know it from its colors now, but half should come out turquoise; the other half blue!

Hoarder? Or Archivist?

I'm always trying to tidy up my little study. Organizing it has been on the top of my "TO-DO" list for years!

It was a useful work space when I had several part-time teaching jobs. But nowadays it tends to be a catch-all: Whenever I don't know what to do with books or papers, I put them in there.

I recently came across one of my mother's boxes of papers - which I was storing in the study. I opened it, planning to sort and toss.

Bundled together were letters written to relatives long past away... Do I read them? Do I toss them? File them away? Or do I hunt for someone in the family who could use them in a genealogical search?




(This doesn't make organizing my study any easier!)

So I put them aside (in the study, of course)! As I walk away, I wonder, at the back of my mind: Am I an archivist? Or a hoarder simply looking for an excuse not to toss?!

Yes, We Have Snow... Again...

Our first snowfall melted a few weeks ago. After putting up with icy roads, it was a treat to walk and drive on bare pavement again.

But a few nights ago snow fell overnight, brightening the darkness indoors and out.

I couldn't sleep, so I stood at the window watching the dark world outside transform to white. Suddenly an animal ran by, silhouetted against the snow. A dog? A fox, perhaps?

A moment later, the animal was followed by a person bundled up in black.

Wow! I didn't realize that people walk their dogs at 2 am!

The things you see when the world is white!

A New Eating "Plan"

Over the summer, I developed a new eating "plan" - I won't call it a diet, as there are no menus or foods to avoid.

I was becoming concerned about my slow - but steady - weight gain that was also causing my blood sugar readings to go up. (I test my blood sugar every morning.) I didn't want to begin taking medication for diabetes if I could prevent it by making changes to my diet.


My doctor recommended I read a book called "The Diet Fix." It advocates eating 5 or 6 times a day, whether you are hungry or not. Three meals a day are essential, with two or three snacks in between. The key is that every meal must have at least 20 grams of protein, and every snack at least 10 grams. These will stave off hunger cravings. And the meals and snacks should be about 2 1/2 hours apart... hungry or not!

I didn't know what a gram of protein looked like. By using an online food diary called "My Fitness Pal" (which has thousands of foods in its data base) I became more aware of the calories and nutrients in what I was eating. I soon discovered that a 58-gram chicken breast, for example, has 17 grams of protein. A Baby Bell mini cheese ball has 5 grams. A quarter cup of nuts has about 5 as well.

Since July I have been tracking my food intake, trying to consume no more than 1600 calories a day - though I sometimes go over. (My body consumes 1600 calories at rest.)

I haven't made any great strides in weight loss. But I have managed not to gain weight - and in fact, since July, I have lost about a pound a month. It isn't much - but it really beats gaining weight, especially if you are prediabetic!

Interestingly, I have lost a lot of my food cravings. Best of all, I feel more in control of my weight and more aware of what makes me gain. (For example, exercising makes me hungry, so I have to eat more calories when I'm more active.)

Weight management is still a mystery in many ways - but for the first time, I feel I have a sense of why my body feels hungry, what makes it feel full - and how not to let cravings get out of control.

Wandering Around Manotick

Last Saturday, Terry and I headed to nearby Manotick, for breakfast.

This nearby village, a 15-minute drive away, became part of Ottawa about 20 years ago, to the chagrin of most residents.

(In fact, Ottawa encompasses a number of former "villages" - like the "village" of Westboro - which is closer to downtown than our own neighborhood of City View is!)

The Miller's Oven Tea House was decorated for the holiday season.

After a leisurely brunch, we headed over to the local grist mill to see what was happening there.








 

A craft sale was taking place at the mill, Manotick's landmark.

(I felt sorry for the vendors, bundled up, sitting in the unheated space!)  But they were dressed for it!

It reminded me that workplaces like this mill wouldn't have been heated in the winter several hundred years ago.







Perhaps it wouldn't have been open at all, as it depends on water power - which would stop once the river freezes over.











After a short walk around the area (as the air was nippy), we headed home - thankful that there are cute, interesting historic places like this to visit, that are so close to home.

Breakfast at Aunties and Uncles in Toronto

I usually go out for breakfast when I'm in Toronto.

Let's go to Aunties and Uncles, my daughter suggested (when I was there a few weekends ago). I've never gone, but a friend says it reminds him of New York City.

So off we went... (It's popular for breakfast, so we had to sit outside and wait.)














I don't know about New York - but it reminded me of the 1950s - with its chrome tables and chairs, and walls plastered with posters from my childhood! It felt like we were stepping back in time!

The food was good! I'm sure we'll be back.