I often borrow books at our local public library.
The last time I was there, I paused to look at the musical instruments that one can borrow...
And free COVID tests and face masks one can take. (Now l know where to go if I run out!)
Public libraries aren't just for borrowing books anymore!
Yesterday I took my 4 amaryllis bulbs out of the dark and repotted them in fresh soil.
A website I consulted said not to water them until they begin to grow green shoots.
For the last 8 weeks, they've been wrapped in brown paper and stored in the dark in a large metal box. I hope they didn't need to sit in freezing temperatures as well. Our house is cool in winter - but not that cold!
Now let's see if they come to life and bloom!
My daughter, who lives downtown, likes to go running several times a week.
What are your running paths like these days with all the snow? I recently asked her.
Well, not all paths are maintained in winter, she said. So I've had to change my route.
But one bridge that's closed to cars - because they're doing repairs - is still open to pedestrians and cyclists, so there are still places to run.
But it's different... It's dark by 5 pm, so I don't go out running as often as I'd like. By the time I finish work, it's usually dark!
She then sent me a few pictures to show me some of her paths.
She didn't mention ice - or puddles, on warmer days! The fear of encountering those is enough to keep me walking indoors!
I think you have to be very determined to keep running in Canada in winter.
I recently brought home the "poured" paintings I made a few weeks ago.
They took a while to dry.
Terry likes this one best.
(But it looks different whichever direction you point up!)
I'm not sure which of the four I like best. But I do know that I'd really like to try poured painting again - next time using a different color palette.
I recently bought a Christmas cactus to add to my indoor winter garden.
I'll be planting my 4 amaryllis bulbs soon - but I don't expect any flowers to appear until the New Year. The cactus is already blooming. Hope it keeps going for a while longer!
I just finished up my fourth virtual walk - a 300-km loop around Nova Scotia's Cabot Trail.
Many years ago, Terry and I drove this same road on vacation, when we visited Cape Breton Island..
The scenery was so beautiful!
Now on to my next walk - a triangular route between 3 cities in eastern India, starting at Delhi. It's about the same distance as the Camino de Santiago route I took over the summer. I expect this new route to take me most of the winter to complete.
These virtual walks have increased my average daily walking, motivating me to walk a little bit further...
One day recently, I logged 10 km by mall walking, then shopping at Costco and Canadian Tire. It all adds up!
And the scenery is always interesting, too!
My mother was a great collector of souvenirs.
As I (slowly) leaf through papers I've accumulated over the years - both hers and mine, hoping to throw some out, I've come across a page that dates back to 1964.
It's a poem my brother wrote that appeared in a school poetry collection.
I'll send a copy to my brother - to remind him... (I wonder if he'll remember!)
He excelled in many things - golf, baseball, math - to name a few. But I don't think he was known for writing poems!
