Update

Hello my friends. Thank you for the enquiries regarding my daughter. We hit a bit of a low point over the past couple of months and it's been hard to put pen to paper...so to speak. But we are very hopeful that the recent procedure she had done will put paid to pesky abnormal cells and she'll be enjoying full health soon. Well, soonish.

The procedure she had done is called LEEP which can be googled if you want the gory details. The doctor told her after it was performed that it had a 90% success rate so that is where the hopefulness comes in. She still has a year of continuous pap tests to go through before she will be declared free and clear. Every 3 months she'll have a pap test until such time as she has 4 clear tests in a row. Then she'll go to once a year.

Kazi is also doing battle with anxiety and depression resulting in going on short term disability. This has been a difficult struggle as resources around here, such as seeing qualified psychologists and therapists, are in such high demand these days as a whole generation of millennials try to get by on low-paying multiple jobs, many part-time and without benefits and without a hope in hell of ever owning a home or building up savings.

In other, happier news.... SPRING is on its way and we are enjoying a few warm and sunny days with lots of rain and a few snowflakes mixed in. I am doing a minimum of 20 minutes daily in nature to keep my own mood positive. This is my favourite time of year with the ospreys and other birds returning to my favourite spot, Kilally Meadows, along with many wildflowers and flowering trees. Just to keep my feet firmly planted I've started spring cleaning :) just for fun! I started with my dining room as it's an easy room to clean and hopefully by next spring I will have made it through the whole house!

I hope you are all doing well! My plan is to return soon to more frequent posting. Volleyball ends April 26 and I am looking forward to having more time on my hands for writing, genealogy and of course CYCLING!

Thanks for always being there, I appreciate it so much.

Not the Best News...

Since it has been 3 weeks since Kazi had the colposcopy treatment and we'd heard nothing back we felt that she was in the clear. However, she had a call from the hospital on Friday telling her she'd have to have another procedure on April 1st. More waiting...

As if that wasn't enough Kazi has also been suffering with anxiety and panic attacks for the past 3 weeks and is on short-term disability. Well, she's applied for short-term disability - we're waiting for the results of that application too. The saying "hurry up and wait" comes to mind.

So I haven't felt much like writing recently but thought I'd at least tell you why. My motivation for things that require "thinking" has evaporated for now. I think some good news would help me get my mojo back. Fingers crossed...

All is Well

My brochure said if I didn't hear back in seven to ten days I was to call my primary caregiver, so I did. I was told the results of my tests were good but I would have to have a yearly mammogram instead of every two years.

One of my sisters said I might want to look into thermograms instead of mammograms to reduce my exposure to radiation. Both procedures have their own substantial list of pros and cons so I find it all pretty confusing.

Do you have any knowledge about thermograms? I would appreciate any and all input.

Next up is Kazi's test on Feb 11. Hoping for good results for her as well.

We are finally having some wild and wooly winter weather - extreme cold thanks to the polar vortex and intense bands of snow due to an Alberta Clipper. Weather always comes from somewhere else! I don't really mind - the hard-working furnace is going to affect my heating bill but so far we haven't had a heat bill MORE THAN $57.00 so we're overdue And we've had maybe 8" of snow in total this year so I can't complain. I have a warm purring kitty on my lap and  at least two dozen books to read - I don't think the snow will last THAT long though :) I've also made a breakthrough in my genealogy research so that will keep me busy while the snow flies this afternoon.

I bought some groceries yesterday knowing the snow was coming and have no need to leave the house. Usually when I'm all prepared like this the storm will pass to the north or south of us...time will tell....
Last time I was at Kilally it was -7c which was crispy but beautiful!

Who is that little guy - the Pillsbury Doughboy? 

This tree may have toppled over since I was last there!

Geese huddling for warmth on a tiny wee island.

A perfect day!

Still Spending...

I certainly made the right decision to travel less this year - the money saved is going to lots of other things like two pairs of glasses (received today!), vet bill, federal/provincial gov'ts in the form of more taxes because I just haven't paid ENOUGH!, Petsmart, ancestry.ca renewal, Amazon Prime renewal, Red Cross monthly donation etc etc BUT on the bright side my brother and I booked our flights yesterday to Glasgow hip hip hoorah!! It's official now - we leave on Sept. 12 and return Oct. 4th.
We were able to get non-stop over night flights and will take a train to Stirling where we will have a rental car waiting for us. Having a car will give us access to a wider range of accommodations as we can stay out in the country instead of just in city centres. I've been looking at air bnbs, bnbs, guest houses and the like and they are expensive and getting all booked up already! Out in more rural areas the going rates are somewhat lower.

That's the good news...

The other good news is that Lily is all better and back to racing around the house like a demon cat.

Well, not in this photo obviously - you can't let the sunshine go to waste!!

Then Kazi came down with the flu and I spent a week nursing her back to health and I didn't catch it from her thank goodness. The flu around here has been sooooo bad this year so we took it pretty seriously. Since she already had the flu she couldn't get the flu shot but we had to get this other Tamiflu medication (pill form) which was supposed to help with symptoms and reduce the length of time she would be sick. Since the flu shot was based on last year's virus it really wouldn't have helped her anyway but with the other meds she was only sick from Sunday to Thursday, went back to work half days on Friday and Saturday. Then Monday was Family Day so she had Sunday and Monday for further resting.

Between the -25c to -30c temperatures and major snow storms in January and illnesses in February I'd say 2018 hasn't got off to the greatest start. The really BIG NEWS right now is that the Thames River has flooded its banks here in London as we had steady rain for 60 hours straight and the mild temperatures caused all the snow to melt. Kilally Meadows where I go to walk is completely submerged.

This is a photo taken from a police drone video. You can see police cars blocking access to the Kilally Meadows parking lot which is way down to the right. The large building to the left of the police cars is The Waltzing Weasel pub where I stop for a cold one after a long summer hike. Beyond the other grey building, dead centre, is where the mini-golf course is and the driving range just beyond the trees. On the far right of the photo is where the baseball diamonds are and where I watch the ospreys. Beyond the top edge of the photo is where the forests, meadows and trails are. I won't be walking in there any time soon!

The photo below shows Gibbons Park where I ride my bike in the summer. 

We usually have a little bit of flooding in the spring but I've never seen it like this before and I've lived here since 1981. Scary stuff. Yesterday we had a bright sunny day but we've had more rain today and more is in the forecast. I can't wait for a stretch of nice weather! I could be waiting for awhile yet!

What's the BIG NEWS in your area??

1301

Over 1300 days of retirement as of today - how bloody marvellous! I appreciate more than I can say the freedom that retirement provides. Instead of spending the weekend racing around in preparing for the next week every day is Saturday! Don't worry; if you're not there yet you will be eventually.

Little ghosties

I spent Saturday walking and taking photos in Kilally Meadows - the sun was shining and the ice was glistening and melting. And then I met a friend coming from the other direction who I haven't seen in months! That was pretty cool so we headed to Tim Horton's to catch up.

What big teeth you have!

Other highlights of the day included my daily yoga practise and visiting with my daughter (SHE AND HER BOYFRIEND ARE LOOKING AT HOUSES!!!!) So we sat with my laptop looking at what's for sale and there isn't much. It's a seller's market right now and it isn't going to be easy finding something affordable. In London Ontario anything under $300,000 is an old wreck or a condo - not a single detached house with a yard. They will have to make some compromises. But STILL! That's a huge step! Am I a bad mother because I started to think of the extra savings in my budget? 😆  I just hope there's an extra bedroom for me!!

All kidding aside, I hope they can find a place they're happy with and I'll be first in line to slap some paint on the walls! Fortunately there's no urgency so they can take their time looking. Holy moly it's FOGGY outside! Mother Nature is digging deep into her bag of tricks this winter! My heating bill is going to be a big one this month after several weeks of -25c so I don't mind the current thaw.

Oh, before I go, I wanted to remind you to "check your spam" once in awhile. I did yesterday looking for something I had deleted and found half a dozen of your comments in my spam folder. I was quite surprised and changed them to "not spam". 

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Baby, it's Cold Outside!

It bloomed just in time!

I spent part of Christmas Day in the forest. I'm glad I did - it made the rest of the day and all the hubbub seem more serene.

The snow came at me horizontally for awhile.

It was so quiet, I encountered a couple of dog walkers and one
cross country skier.

There was a lot of snow but it was light and fluffy. Walking
was fairly easy.

I was hoping to see a deer or two but I didn't even see any
hoof prints so they must have been hunkered down
deep in the thickets.

Looking back - there were a few trails that hadn't been walked on yet -
good thing I wore my waterproof pants!

Love this gnarled tree.

This tree gets decorated every year.

As I left the forest and started to clear the snow off my car once again, my dear daughter tore into the parking lot in her Jeep. She was worried I was going to get lost in the forest as it was snowing so hard. She's just a little dramatic lol! There may have been whiteout conditions in parts of the city but amongst the trees it was easy to find my way. Nice to know she cares though....

After several days spent with family and friends I am now relishing a couple of days with nothing to do except read and watch hockey. I'm reading a Wally Lamb book that's been sitting on my shelf for quite some time called "The Hour I First Believed" which is a fictional story about two people whose lives were affected by the Columbine mass shooting. He is such a good writer. But in about 30 minutes it'll be time to watch the Canadian Junior hockey team play the U.S. on an outdoor rink! Wish I could be there in the action and -12c temps (not really) but I'll have to just watch from my warm living room with a hot mug of tea,  boo hoo! Quite the rivalry between these two teams as Canada lost to the U.S. last year as the result of an overtime shootout! Very exciting, though I get so anxious! As I recall I couldn't watch the shootout last year, I just listened to it.

So I'll go for now. Hope you had a great holiday and have wild and crazy plans for New Years! Hah - I'm staying in with a friend and snacks and wine and movies! My favourite!

November Crunch is On...

Apparently a snow squall warning is in effect for these parts- meanwhile the sun is shining. I am not complaining!

I am considering this photo of Lily and her Christmas mouse for Christmas cards this year...

Cheery....no?

My chili stretcher week was a success (chili with buns; chili on top of a baked potato with sour cream and taco salad - romaine, scoop of chili, grated cheddar and crushed tortilla chips) but there are still 9 more days of eating before the next budget takes over. I grocery-shopped on Monday and used $20 of PC points in addition to the $70 that was left in the food budget. Not to worry (though no doubt I will anyways) as I have put a meal plan into place. After reading all of your posts the past 10 years or so I don't know why I wasn't meal planning sooner!!

Upcoming yummy dinners include Tuna Melts, Chicken Fajitas, Salmon Patties, and/or Salmon Steaks, Stuffed Peppers, Jerk Chicken and Breakfast for Dinner. 

That's not quite 9 dinners but I get two meals out of some of these recipes and sometimes more if Kazi eats at her boyfriend's house or goes out with friends like she did last night. So I'm pretty confident that I'll make it to the end of the month before the end of the contents of the fridge :)

My Snowflake Box (extra savings squeezed weekly out of my misc budget) currently holds $620 with about the equal amount being added in December. Christmas is paid for - hurrah! And my PC points will cover extra food, what I need for baking and stocking stuffers. Yes, I still do a stocking for Kazi although she is 27 years young. She says it's her favourite gift. All I do is go to the Superstore and purchase lotions, facial masks, hot chocolate, toothpaste and other drugstore type items and then wrap each one with the odds and ends of leftover Christmas wrapping paper. Covered by points it costs me nothing but time. So why mess with tradition?

I don't usually do a lot ahead of time though I do have a turkey frozen since the Thanksgiving sales. I have gifts for one of my brothers (he's so easy to buy for) - I bought him a book by an author we both love about the "WILD" parts of Scotland, a CD called "The Secret Path" written by Canadian superstar rock god Gord Downie of the band "The Tragically Hip" who recently passed away from a brain tumour. The CD is about a young indigenous boy who ran away from a residential school in winter and was found frozen to death. True story. My brother makes his living as an oil painter and told me the last time I visited that he wants to explore stories of Canada's First Nations people for inspiration for his paintings. Whenever he tells me these things I tuck them away in my mind as gift ideas :) The other thing I got for him is sheet music for Mendelssohn's song about Fingal's Cave on the Isle of Staffa. My brother plays piano and we plan to see the Isle of Staffa next year if all goes well! 
I'll post the song by Mendelssohn in a separate post.

Now if only the rest of my family was so easy to buy for! My great-nephew is 10 and I have not a clue about what 10 year old boys are into these days - his Thomas the Tank Engine days are over unfortunately!

Suggestions??? Anyone???

Wow, What a Week....

......in American history!! And that's all I've got to say about THAT!!

Because my life is much more interesting...NOT!! But it has been a busy and productive week here in little old London, Ontario. 

Transportation Update:  after walking with me around my neighbourhood in my last post (thanks for tagging along :) I realized I had forgotten a few things...important things...other places I get to by walking or cycling. 

Such as... our dentist is a block west of the library - very handy - but my doctor is a 20-30 minute bike ride away which is ok in the summer but not so much in the winter. I only go a couple times a year so it shouldn't be too onerous - that trip will be a CAR SHARE trip. (There are two medical walk-in clinics near by that I could use in a pinch but regular appointments will remain with my family doctor.)

My best friend is a 30 minute bike ride away but we have other ways of getting together, like meeting halfway, sharing a car rental or Car Share. I'll be seeing her tomorrow at a craft sale which I will bike to. 

Thursday (the day before yesterday) was my weekly get together with my brother, Kim. However, it rained all day and there was a Severe Storm Watch in effect so I had to cancel. That was disappointing and I'm not sure how I can get around in bad weather when it's "at the last minute" type of thing. 

I am waiting til after my trip in September to sign up with Car Share. I can use that when the weather is bad. Or use Uber, whichever would work out to be the cheapest. I haven't mentioned taking the city bus - I'm not fond of taking the bus and am not really familiar with the routes near me. I'd rather not go down that road (haha) if I can help it. 

I also forgot to mention that I'm only 1km from London's system of bike trails. I certainly cannot go without forest bathing at least a couple times per week. It takes me about 5 minutes to get to scenes like below, which calm my nerves and make me feel whole once again!

Okay, this is a bit random but I am thrilled that a vegan restaurant - Globally Local - has opened up near me. It is only a block and a half away and I rode my bike there last night for vegan tacos and fries. Soooooooo good!!

Also random - on Tuesday I rode my bike to the final protest and laying to rest of our Hydro One action that I've been involved in for almost two years. Here we are all gathered one last time at our local MP's office after the gov't sold a company that belonged to the people of Ontario to raise a little short term cash. BOO!!!

 Then on Wed. I rented a car to take Julie and I to the beach - it was a perfect weather day! Booking the car through Kazi I paid only $20 for a 24 hour period!!! Less than the cost of gas if we had gone in Dougie the Dodge!

 And, in other news, Luna kept a close eye on me while I made up 10 bags of trail mix and other energizing snacks for my upcoming trip to Scotland. Isn't she helpful?

Overall I am happy with how "transportation" is going but there are definitely some kinks to work out. I don't know if I can do this forever; time will tell. It's difficult to be spontaneous and hard to work around bad weather.

On the other hand it's wonderful to not have to worry about costly repair bills, insurance and the price of gas :)

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood...

Two weeks ago today I sold dear old Dougie the Dodge. How has it been going? So far, so good.  As I may have mentioned before my neighbourhood has almost everything I need within

 a block or two radius.

Come and walk with me. 

There's my condo with the crabapple tree out front - hence "Crabapple Landing". 

 As we leave the condo complex we are walking east towards Northland Mall - I can see it from the end of the condo road. If you squint really hard you might be able to see a yellow shopping cart that someone has abandoned in the mall parking lot - it's just beyond the No Parking sign and sitting between two cars. We'll see it again later. For now we're going to turn left.

 About 150 steps from my front door, but invisible due to many trees, is a plaza called Huron Market Place. There used to be a movie theatre where the World Gym is now. I took Kazi there many times - her first movie theatre experience there was "Lion King" when she was four. She found out that life isn't always fair and sobbed her little heart out.

 I do my own taxes so I don't use Liberty Tax Service but further down is Dollarama which is very handy - I was just there yesterday buying trail mix and nuts to pack for my hike in Scotland.

Across the street from Dollarama is my local library. Most of my library interactions take place on my iPad as I download books to read but lots goes on there - bookclubs, lectures, movies, a knitting group, English Second Language classes, crafts and so on.

There's the Huron Market Place sign - another

store I go to frequently is Giant Tiger. I get good bargains on produce and it carries

pretty decent brands of clothing and household products.

Here's one spot I won't be going to for awhile! My local gas station! 

That price is per litre, not gallon.

 A bit further down from the library is another plaza which I use once in a while. It has a pet valu store along with an LA Fitness, several restaurants, a bank, a used sports equipment store (it's where I purchased cleats for slo-pitch). 

Across the other street from the gas station is yet another plaza with my favourite thrift store -

 Talize  :)

There are three coffee shops nearby - Williams, Tim Hortons and Starbucks. I don't

often go to Williams though I do like their food better than the other places.

Further down from Talize is my pharmacy - Shoppers Drugmart - 

We're not heading in that direction today. Just past Shoppers is the

Bank of Nova Scotia which is where I go.

Right now we're on the other side of Northland Mall - we haven't crossed 

any roads or walked on any streets - we've just walked through parking lots.

Ummmm....I guess one Dollarama store isn't enough!!

My favourite restaurant is in this mall. It used to be several blocks to the east but when

the mall was refurbished it changed location which makes

it even closer to me. Sweet!

Further down the front of the mall is my favourite grocery

store - No Frills. It has really improved over the past couple of years - also being

refurbished. The best thing is the increasing variety of foods due to serving a large ethnic community.

Here we are inside the mall - you can see the Wine Rack :) and the Health Food store, both used frequently! There is a nice area for socializing.

Here is that shopping cart again, we are seeing it from the other direction.

We are now heading back to my condo complex, the entrance of which is past those

apartment buildings. We are still walking through parking lots.

The apartments are kept up nicely - they have access to a swimming pool which is

just beyond that atrocity of public art. I read an article yesterday about so-called

"public art". It stated that public art should be ART first and PUBLIC second. I have

to say that in this hideous example PUBLIC came first and ART second!!

 Here is the entrance back into my condo complex. The mall and apartments are 

behind us now. All of the trees in the complex

have grown very tall in the 23 years we've lived here.

These condo owners used to be able to see their neighbours on the other side

of the cedars, not any more. The street light is being

swallowed up by the trees!

 There's my place below. To the left of the crabapple tree you can see some branches

 from a maple tree. It was just a sapling when we moved in and now is 40+ feet tall. 

There is another one shading

the back side of the house. I had to change all of my perennials from sun-loving to shade-loving 

over the years but I don't mind. When it's 30c outside it's 24c inside. I rarely have to turn on the A/C.  

 Home sweet home.

I didn't even show you all of the many many restaurants/fast food places. Within a couple of blocks there is: a Macdonalds, A&W, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Harvey's, Fireside Subs, two pizza, no three pizza places, Dairy Queen, a place that sells greek food (can't remember the name), Fast Eddies etc.

Most I haven't been to as I cook 99% of our meals at home. 

BUT - I am excited to say that a "Globally Local" restaurant has just opened in the old Harvey's location and is open 24/7!! 

VEGAN FAST FOOD!

 Kazi and I have already eaten there and it is fantastic! And affordable!! 

So there you have it - what the heck do I need a car for? 

I rode my bike to my optometrist app't in less time than it takes to drive there.

Yesterday I went grocery shopping with my cart. The last time I used

my cart for groceries I was a student at university without a car. I'm glad

I never got rid of it! (the cart, not the car!)

On Wed. I'm renting a car for 24 hours to go to the beach. It will cost less than putting gas into Dougie for the same trip.

I went to Bracebridge in my brother's car and I gave him $$ for gas.

I know that once we start getting cold weather and snow travel will be more difficult. 

Hopefully I can figure out ways to make life easier.