Trying hard to post more often

And now that I've typed in that title, MY MIND IS BLANK!  Maybe my mind is still in work mode ... and it was a busy work day ... or maybe it's just blank!

What do YOU blog about when your mind is blank?  Or do you wait until you have something brilliant to share?

I have absolutely nothing brilliant to share other than it rained a bit today, my potato is outgrowing my Norfolk pine and my tomatoes are sizing up nicely on my patio.  Miss Boots hasn't done anything remarkable yet today -- no horked up hairballs or unexpected claw swipes -- and I'm not reading anything in particular at the moment.  I'm not even knitting anything in particular at the moment -- am between projects.

Perhaps this is the MOST BORING POST EVER? 

Perhaps this is a sign that I should get rid of my home Internet service and thereby put an end to blank minds and boring posts?

I should post more regularly.

I should.  But I don't.  My bad!  I find I'm not terribly interested in computer time at home because so much of my work day is at my desk and computer.  In fact, I'm even seriously thinking about giving up my Internet service at home.  I use it so infrequently and it's gradually climbing up in price.  I could use those $ for more fun things (like more wool ... or dinner out ... or ...)  But when I start thinking like that, I remind myself that I don't own a television (by choice), and I don't subscribe to a newspaper (by choice) ... so if I discontinue my Internet service, am I turning into some kind of weird recluse?

Thoughts, anyone?

Speaking about computers, THIS is my current work computer desktop ...

NO, that's not Miss Boots ... but it certainly looks a lot like her, and I can totally "hear" her making the above comment!  (Thanks for the pic, Natalie!)

End of June

Our province has been experiencing sporadic but significant rain and spring run-off at the same time, so there are floods and danger of floods all over the place.  My heart goes out to anyone who is negatively impacted by rising waters.  I remember catfish swimming in the ditch beside our driveway when I was a little girl, and that was scary enough!  (Later, we found dead catfish in our alfalfa field ... my Dad figured they tried to take an overland route back to the river cuz our alfalfa field wasn't ever under water.)

Although there have been homes evacuated around our city, Miss Boots and I are safe and dry as we live well uphill of any running water.  The rain combined with some great sunshine has contributed to blooms on my balcony!

Planter boxes on the balcony railings.
(Yes, I know ... that date stamp thing is wrong
... yet again!)

These little geraniums are the MOST VIViD
and brilliant happy SCARLET!

 Other stuff is growing well too ...

Thanks to my 'kitty deflectors', the Sweet
Peas are finally prospering!

The Parsley and Thyme is finally producing
enough to contribute to my kitchen.

Even the Sunflowers are starting
to shoot up!

 Yes, I overplanted ... that's way too many Sunflowers for one plant pot.  But there was a reason ...

... a very good reason like "WHERE DID ALL THE LETTUCE SPROUTS GO?"

Hmmm ... wreckage ...

"Whaddya mean 'DID I DIG UP THE LETTUCE AGAIN'?
I'm GARDENING here ... don't you get that, hu-mum?"

"Now PUSS OFF!  Cuz I'm going to have a NAP
in my garden!"

 Life with La Feline is sure never dull!

So I've been having fun planning my innovative European vacation.  Departure date is Friday July 6!

I had a tough time decided exactly where to start, and finally settled on SPAIN.  I've been brushing up on my Espanol in preparation ... ¿Dónde está el baño?  Cuánto cuestan estas agujas de tejer?  ... I'll be blogging as I travel, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, I have a CRAZY work week happening ... 2 staff members away on holidays at the same time (who was IDJIT that allowed THAT to happen?!?!?!), a Board meeting, a monthly newsletter to get out, and so on.  If i didn't already, now I REALLY NEED A VACATION!

Happy July Long Weekend, y'all!

Fish Sticks and Counted Cross-Stitch

I had a weird experience last week.  I had a 'fish sticks' moment.  I don't quite understand it ... so perhaps you can help me?  Let me explain ...

The last three weeks (well, all year, but especially the last three weeks) have been extra long and busy at work.  On the May 5 / 6 weekend, I facilitated a 'Retreat and Refresh' weekend for some of our volunteers (senior peer counsellors) ... which I really enjoyed preparing for and doing, BUT it was two very full and mentally-intense days on top of three long weeks without a proper weekend break in sight.  I was so tired by the end of that Sunday, I couldn't sleep.  The little hamster in my head just kept running and running on its little wheel ... all the while screaming 'I need to sleep!  I need to sleep!'.  This is not normally a problem for me.  It has been said (by insomniac partners) that I could easily be sold with a 100% guarantee for my ability to sleep on demand.  Did you know it starts to get light outside around 4 am now?  No, I didn't wake up early ... I WAS STILL AWAKE!

Consequently, Monday May 7, I was seriously dragging and even contemplated 'pulling a sicky' ... but had yet another busy week ahead, so went to work as usual.  By 2 pm that day, I suddenly realized I could see and hear people talking to me, but their words were not making sense.  I suspect I wasn't making sense myself at that point.  We lock up our office at 3 pm (although that is 3 or 4 hours away from my usual day's end), so I decided to pack it in and go home early.  My receptionist offered to give me a ride home, but Mondays after work are my usual grocery shopping time.  I debated on whether to stop at the grocery store ... needed necessities like cat food and toilet paper ... or just go straight home.  And I truly couldn't decide!  My brain was totally incapable of making such a decision at that time!

So my (wise and kind) receptionist made the decision for me, packed me into her car, and drove me to the grocery store where I promised to pick up the small handful of important things that couldn't wait and then catch the #55 bus home.  Which I did.  Once home, I put away my groceries, fed the cat, and thought to myself, 'I'll have fish sticks for dinner tonight'.  So I put the frying pan on and looked in the fridge and then in the fridge's freezer for the fish sticks.

No fish sticks.

I had no recollection of buying fish sticks.

Which ... if I had been able to think about it ... was not really a surprise because I NEVER BUY FISH STICKS!!!  Sometimes I make my own fish cakes, but I do not buy nor do I eat prepared/frozen fish sticks.  I can't even remember the last time I ate fish sticks ... probably childhood.  My partner used to say they were made with fish factory floor sweepings ... not a very appetizing concept.  I often remember him saying that when I walk past the frozen fish in the frozen foods section at the grocery store.

Anyway, there I was, looking for fish sticks cuz I had it in my head that I was going to have them for supper.  I could not shake the idea, and since I couldn't reconcile that idea with the apparent lack of fish sticks, I found myself so frustrated that I started to cry.  And when I realized I was crying over non-existent fish sticks, turned off the frying pan and went to bed.

Over-tired?  Exhausted?  Yup.  But WHERE DID THE FISH STICKS IDEA COME FROM?????

I still didn't sleep well that night, but managed to sleep over 12 uninterrupted hours the next night, made it through the rest of my workweek, and enjoyed a lazy 3 day weekend last weekend.  And now I have a 4 day weekend ahead of me. 

I'll be fine now.  I promise!

I should have been crocheting last weekend as I have an outstanding order for a crocheted bunny, but I had a serious urge to do some counted cross-stitch.  It's hard for me to do counted cross-stitch ... it's an eyesight thing.  Or rather, the LACK OF good eyesight thing.  I need really good light and lots of concentration, and even at that, I'm largely stitching by feel ... thank goodness Aida cloth has all those nice little holes you can actually feel with the tip of your sewing needle!  You wouldn't think it's a good thing to take on when my brain was clearly suffering overloadimminentshutdown, but I find counted cross-stitch the exact opposite.  Focusing on making all those tiny little stitches neat and orderly is actually RELAXING!  Why do you suppose that is???

The cross-stitch project is a 'Winged Lion' adapted from the ancient Book of Kells and in a needlepoint pattern in the book 'CELTIC NEEDLEPOINT' by Alice Starmore.  (I'm a BIG fan of Alice Starmore!)  I'd share a picture, but Blogger is being a Bitch at the moment and I don't have the patience to make it play nice today!  Sorry.

So ... am I weird????

Have a great long weekend, all you Canadians!  (Sorry, all you Americans, you'll have to wait another week.)

PS:  I just looked out my window, and IT'S SNOWING!!!  I love the North!

February 1, 2012

In case y'all haven't noticed, I have taken a wee blogging break.  Just couldn't think of anything to write ... actually sat and stared at an empty "New Post" screen several times over the past month and nothing happened.  So why is today different?  Who knows!  Maybe the weather has improved -- it was minus 40 for a while there -- and thus the creative juices are flowing better?  Maybe I was just recovering from our December Christmas hampers for low-income seniors rush at work?

About 160 hampers this past Christmas! 
Our office was WALL TO WALL hampers!

So how was your January?  Mine was very busy! 

At work, I'm adjusting to new work hours -- 4 days per week but longer days so no change in overall hours -- as well as supervising 2 practicum students.  I heart practicum students -- but bless their little pee-picking practicum souls, they do take up a big whack of my days!  However, both are incredibly gifted and both have fit in with our existing staff and routines really well. 

At home, I'm adjusting to new work hours -- that means I now have permanent 3 day weekends as I'm off Fridays.  I heart 3 day weekends -- although the first couple of weekends, I wasted the extra day at home by lounging about in my jammies!  My goal was to have one day per week to work on my Aromatherapy course.  I've only succeeded on using my Friday for that purpose once so far, so I had better pull up socks in that department!

I've been knitting like mad -- photos of my current project, a reversible wrap, coming soon (as soon as I break down and buy a new battery for my digital camera).  Miss Boots HEARTS the reversible wrap project big time as it's large enough to create a cozy napping place when on my lap. 

Yup, that lump under my knitting is kontented kitty.  She has NOT been impressed with our winter weather as both the cold and snow have kept her indoors and unable to survey/control her Queendom from our balcony. 

Did you know Miss Boots has very HAIRY feet? 


Is this normal???

I have to get my current knitting project finished real soon cuz I ordered myself a kit to knit this:

http://www.knitpicks.com/cfpatterns/pattern_display.cfm?ID=50455222

Twenty-two colours!  Yum!  The finished product might not look THAT curvaceous on moi, though.  You know what the interesting thing will be about this new project?  It's SEAMLESS ... that means it's knitted in one tubular piece without front or armhole openings ... that means there are STEEKS in my future!  Yikes -- taking a pair of scissors to my knitting!  I'll keep you posted -- hopefully with photos of all the gory details.

Laters!

Back to Work

It was a fast and furious trip 'down south' (more on that in a moment), but I'm back home and was back at work today.  How come it felt like I'd been away from my office for WEEKS?  I was only away 2 work days!  Yet the backlog of emails and messages was incredible.  Yuck!  If I ever actually took a genuine holiday, I'd never get caught up again!

It was a very quick visit into Vancouver, then over to Vancouver Island for meetings. For those of you who aren't familiar with that part of the world ...

Sidney is just north of Victoria British Columbia on Vancouver Island.

Sidney is a pretty little community, although I didn't get to see too much of it ...

Beacon Park ... the salty breeze off the water was DELICIOUS!

... a quick walk one evening and again the next morning.

Sidney had lots of blooms!
We still have snow banks in shady places ... no bulbs yet.

I didn't even do any shopping, although I would have like to ...

I always bring back some little things when I go away ...
This little sign would have been PERFECT for one of my staff,
but the shop wasn't open.
(I brought her this photo instead!0

This little sign would have been perfect for another one of my staff.
Yep, she got a photo too.

Much to my delight, I found THIS ...

Circular patterns in the lawn ... any ideas???

... a LABYRINTH!

Instructions for walking the Labyrinth

I've often wished for a garden with a labyrinth.  It was located on the grounds of St Andrew's Anglican Church, Sidney BC ... a lovely shady spot under some very large cedars.  I managed a few solitary minutes there before joining my meeting.  Very soul-satisfying.

Meetings were hot and hectic.  I'm the "Shit Disturber from The North" cuz I say what I think ... and often say what I know other people are thinking but are either too polite or too scared to say.  I don't believe in pretending everything is swimming along wonderfully in an organization when it clearly is not.

Same meetings were also a bit fun.  Folks down in the southern part of British Columbia think I'm from The Far and Distant North.  Actually, I'm from the geographical centre of BC.  So if they think I'm a SD from The North, wouldn't they all be surprised to deal with someone from ... oh, say the YUKON?  Or ALASKA?  That's NORTH ... although not necessarily the FAR north.  The geographical centre of BC is many many miles away from NORTH!  This is one of my favourite amusements (can you tell?)  when I'm 'down south'.

Purple dot = centre of province ...
LOTS of miles away from THE FAR NORTH!

I usually tuck a book in my bag to read during my travels.  I would certainly rather read whilst on an airplane than sit there doing nothing.  Somehow, I managed to come away without a book, so had to pick up something in the Vancouver Airport to fill the gap.  I found this ...

... a rib-tickling tale of a travels on foot in Northern Ireland.  If you have any appreciation for genuine Irish humor, you'll love this!  However, the person sitting next to you on the airplane might give you odd looks when you snort and chortle aloud!

Friends came to my place to take care of The Boots while I was away, and she seemed to weather temporary abandonment okay.  However, I woke up COVERED with kitty toys and treasures this morning.  I take that to mean Miz Bootsy did not get enough kitty/human play time while I was away!  Oh well ... long weekend coming, so we'll have an extra day to enjoy each others' company.

Cheers, y'all!

Stanley

 Wow, it's Friday already!  Sometimes the work week drags on and on and on and other times the work week just ZIPS by.  I know our office was extra busy this past week.

Away from work, I finished knitting the little sweater I was knitting, and got out Stanley the Button Jar to find appropriate buttons.







Stanley the Button jar is nearly full ...
a collection of 'this and that' buttons over many years.



Stanley the Button jar started life as a peanut butter jar.
He earned his name because he is holding a small Stanley Cup.
Yes, I am a part-time hockey fan!
Of course, I'm CANADJUN (eh?)!



Stanley did indeed contain several possible adequate sets of buttons ...

... 2 different yellows ...

... little pink hearts ...

... 2 different sizes and shades of plain pink ...



It was nice and bright and sunny when I made the button choice, so went with nice and bright and sunny yellow ...

Finished sweater for the Littlest Milk Maid (if #6 is a girl)!

The Boots thinks that's about enough knitting already.  Time to get back to quilting where she is actually allowed to "help"!

Let's use this seam marker and mark some 1/4 inch quilting seams ... I can help!
(Yes, I know it's not 2058/02/20 ...
I just haven't remembered to re-set the date on my camera yet!)

It's been absolutely BEAUTIFUL today, bright and sunny!  The bus driver told me this morning that we can expect 22 degrees C on Sunday!  Sure ... I'll be on a plane heading south and into the rain (provincial conference and AGM thing).  I really hope it's not one of those "yep, we had spring/summer one Sunday last May" events cuz I would really like to set up my balcony garden over the long weekend ahead.

Sunshine!  The backyard is greening up!
Those dead brown things in the foreground are the remains of last year's balcony flowers.
Ugh!

Miz Boots surveying the sunny backyard from the balcony.
She is very particular about WHO and WHAT trespasses in our backyard ...
Especially bears and moose!

So I passed another very important annual milestone this past week ...



Look, Ma!  Bare tootsies!
Monday May 8, 2011

... Annual Free The Tootsies Day!  Of course, Tuesday morning we had frost, and it rained both Wednesday and Thursday.  However, my not so little feet bravely and happily faced rain and frost in sandals.  I reach a point each spring when my feet SCREAM the need to be nekkid, and I.  Must.  Oblige.  We will not consider boots, socks or stockings again until October 1st.  Or 6 inches of snow.  Whichever comes first!

I'll be away from my computer for a few days, but back later next week with "tales from the Big City".  Have a great week y'all! 

Another weekend

I had to be downtown first crack Saturday morning to do a presentation at a provincial conference about our Senior Peer Support Program.  Not the way I LIKE to start my Saturdays, but it's always worthwhile getting out and promoting this valuable program.  I was rewarded with a new pen and pencil set for my efforts.

One can never have too many pen and pencil sets.  At least, I can't!  Once that task was out of the way, I treated myself to coffee and a homemade cinnamon bun, then set off with camera in hand looking for signs of SPRING.

There were plenty of swelling buds on various bushes, and even a few tentative green leaves wherever the bushes were protected by buildings, but not much in the way of spring blooms.  I even checked out my favourite little rockery garden (in front of the All Nations Pentecostal Church) ...

... and all I could find was this one lonely and shivering little Winter pansy ...

However, THESE were quite abundant ...

I'm thinking dandelions are kind of like cockroaches ... humanity will be destroyed and long gone but dandelions and cockroaches will still be thriving! 

Did your gramma make you eat Dandelion greens in the spring?  Mine did.  It was supposed to be a tonic for the blood. 

Since my search for photographic evidence of Spring didn't prove too fruitful, I headed off to the grocery store to replenish some important staples.  Along the way, I noticed this very colourful tree ...

... and this sign under the tree ...

Well!  Handbags, jewelry and scarves in a delightful little shop that also sells flowers and chocolates?  Naturally, that had to be explored further!  Explore I did, and with appropriate restraint.  I only bought this ...

... and this ...

... for myself!  Do you wear beads and scarves?  My "work" clothes are pretty boring ... usually just plain teeshirts or blouses with plain skirts ... and I've taken to throwing on a necklace or a scarf to brighten things up.  (And sometimes to hide the stain on the front of my shirt ...)

THEN off to the grocery store and home to hoover and do laundry and the usual Saturday chores.

Sunday didn't require rushing downtown, so I indulged in my absolute most favourite Sunday morning breakfast ...

... your good old-fashioned English fry up!  Bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, beans and eggs.  Good for the arteries (not), but I love this now and then.  No, that's not wine on the right ... it's blueberry juice.

After breakfast, I did a little knitting ...

... one sleeve finished, and ...

... button-hole band finished, and ...

... second sleeve underway.  Miss Boots checked over my collection of circular knitting needles ...

... obviously contemplating starting her OWN knitting project, but changed her mind in favour of a wee lie-down on my loom bench ...

(that's a piece of "girly/pink" fabric drying across the loom behind her ... potential quilting material.)  Boots found this spot very comfy ...

... and very relaxing ...

... and soon settled in for a nice Sunday nap. 

The human on the sofa did likewise.

And how was YOUR weekend?