Coronation Street Detour

 For any other Coronation Street watchers, are you also fast- forwarding through great chunks of your recorded episodes? Ughh! Give me the old episodes. Is it new writers? Is it what they think what the public wants? Just curious.

Contentment

 Today, as I was sitting on my porch, bird song in the air, the faint hum of a lawnmower in the distance, the air not too cool, but not too hot moving the leaves around, I realized I was in a state of pure contentment. I was just "being" and it felt wonderful. 

This is not a usual state for me. I'm usually not in the moment, often thinking of what I should be doing, or planning on what to do later, going over something in my head, bugged about something, or chastising myself for something I should have done differently. But today, in that moment, I was content. It would be nice to be in that state more frequently. I'll have to work on that (yes, I realize the irony).

June is just nice. I've always liked June. From a work perspective, June was that last month of school, things were wrapping up, the weather was nicer, kids were excited at the prospect of summer holidays, colleagues were hanging in there, some by the skin of their teeth. 

But a June flower garden just can't be ignored. It is a garden of gorgeous colours, soft textures, emerging texture and scent. June vegetable gardens in my area aren't all that exciting. Seeds are in the ground, just a few are germinating, small garden centre plants have been put in the soil in the hopes that "last frost dates for your area" are accurate. 

This year I decided to plant in plots, or rectangles like I did last year. I seem to be able to cram more in a small space and if planned properly, I can reach beds from different sides while staying on the path(s), thereby not compressing the soil too much and using space wisely. I planned it out with string and my wooden tomato stakes. 

As you can see, it is mostly "ground" right now. The plants you can see are those which I started from seed, or purchased from a garden centre. There are tiny cages over and around my zucchini (trying to Murphy-proof them). The rectangular wooden things you see are bunny protection. There is chicken wire on top. I lay these on top of things I plant from seed which take a little longer to grow and which are enticing to the MANY rabbits in the area. I try to keep the covers on until the plants are big enough so they wouldn't be completely decimated if a wascally wabbit tried to have a midnight snack. 

We have had this engraved rock for more than twenty-five years from days long ago when we actually had a store that featured garden accessories. This year I decided to make it true. 

In one section of my vegetable garden, I have decided I wanted a little herb garden. I bought a couple of individual herbs from a garden centre, and then when I was walking up to a Giant Tiger (a store here in Canada), I saw they had collections of herbs planted in one large round pot. They was on sale, so I bought one, then pried everything apart individually and ended up with a nice collection of herbs. I have basil, chives, parsley, oregano, and thyme. 

Yesterday I planted all of my containers (pots, urns, and window boxes). In an effort to be more economical in these times of absolutely ridiculous prices, I purchased three cheap hanging plants from Food Basics: ivy geraniums, standard geraniums and licorice plant. They looked a little sad and unkempt, but I knew I could bring them back to life. I then took the hangers off, took the plants out of their pots and divided them, putting them in a variety of my containers. I also bought some wave petunias and "spikes" from Walmart, as well as some impatiens and coleus for shady spots. I dug out some creeping jenny vine that had starting growing where I used to pile cuttings and spent plants by the chicken coop to use for trailing plants.

This is what we refer to as "the shed" but it's more like a garage. I spent a lot of time edging and digging out grass and weeds underneath the window boxes. I think it looks much neater that way.

I'm looking forward to when everything fills in and trails nicely. 

A June flower garden just can't be ignored. It is a garden of gorgeous colours, soft textures, emerging texture and scent. Next, I'll show you some of the same perennials and flowering shrubs I've no doubt shown you every other June since I started this blog, but they always make me contented, so hopefully they'll do the same for you.

Enjoy your upcoming week, everyone.

Taking an Idea from Diana - Answering some Questions just in case There are Enquiring Minds!

I see that Nana Diana is taking a well-deserved summer break. In her second last blog post, she did a fun activity, answering some questions about herself and invited others to do the same. So I shall give it a go. 

 1.  Where do you like to vacation? 

My favourite places (and I haven't been to a lot of different places in the world) have been Prince Edward Island, here in Canada, and the Cotswolds area of England. Both are beyond quaint and beautiful in their own ways. 

2.  Do you have pets?

Yes, we currently have two cats: Scooter-the-cat-with-no-tail who is a black and white long haired cat, and Murphy the crazy decision during yet another Covid lockdown in Canada kitten/ now cat who is a tabby with white feet. We have never had a dog because we knew it wouldn't be fair to have it be on its own so much when we were at work. Both son and daughter have had a fish or two when they were little (Goldie and Army, I seem to recall).

3.  What is your favorite color?

See now, this one is pretty much impossible because it isn't about individual colour, it's about combinations of colours. For example, the iridescent combination of red and green in a stem of rhubarb is without comparison. Gold and green or gold and deep red makes me heart swoon at Christmas time. Spring green and pink makes me want to have poofy upholstered furniture in a feminine bedroom setting. The list goes on and on...

4.  How many are in your family?

In our own family, we have my husband and I, our daughter and our son who are now 26 and 22. In my own family growing up, there was my father, mother, two older brothers and an older sister. 

5.  What is your least favorite thing to do?

Mmmm, again, how to narrow this down? Waiting at an airport, shopping for presents (I'm terrible at it!), having to drive in a city with crazy traffic and not knowing where I'm going, dusting the house, dealing with confrontation...

6.  What is your most favorite thing to do?

Gardening without back ache, being around furry animals or seeing interesting birds at the bird feeder, having solitude in the house to read, watch what I want, eat what I want..., seeing beautiful sights, beautiful nature... I'm pretty low maintenance and a home body.

7.  If money were no object what would you like to do when you retire?

I have a hard time imagining a life in which money was no object, honestly. I suppose I would want to have enough things to do or see to keep me occupied. I'm not good with down  time. I would mostly love to have a life where my children can visit and be comfortable and happy, or be able to take wonderful  hassle-free trips to beautiful places and take family with me.

8.   What is your favorite season?

I always said it was Fall because I loved the "feel" in the air and the colours. But I'm thinking summer is now a close second.

9.   What book are you currently reading?

Believe it or not, I'm not currently reading anything! My library card ran out at the library in a town close by and I'm just ticked off enough about having to pay for a library card (it should be free according to the township I live in) that I decided not to renew. There is another library system I can go to in a different town, but I just haven't made the time to go investigate yet. If I was reading, it would likely be a murder mystery, probably set in England.

10. What time do you go to bed, get up in the morning?

If I am scheduled to teach at a school, I get up somewhere in the vacinity of 6:20 in the morning. If I'm not teaching, I sleep until I feel like getting up, but I don't like when I sleep in too late. It feels like wasting the day. I go to bed by 11:00 but often stay up reading or watching things on the computer. 

11. How long have you been blogging?

I had to go view my blog to get the answer for this one, but apparently I've been blogging since 2014 which feels like last week for me, but is in fact now about eight years! Holy cow! When did that happen??

At the end of Diana's Q and A, she included fun facts about herself. I don't think I have any fun facts, but I'll try for a few.

- I drove "half way across" Canada in a tiny three cylinder car to attend teacher's college by myself.

-I like brussel sprouts and hate salmon.

-I am extremely scent sensitive and no longer wear perfume or have anything scented in my house and have been known to breath through my hair as a filter when having to be close to students whose clothing smelled of strong fabric softener.

-My super power was being able to find things. I think it has faded a bit these last few years. I wish my super power was being able to teleport to anywhere.

-I would love to have a little hobby farm (oh, maybe that's what I should have said about the retirement / money no object question).

-I was morbidly embarrassed by my parents growing up and just wanted "normal" fun parents like other people's.

-I can't drive a standard (stick shift).

-The rules surrounding spelling, grammar, and punctuation are not too difficult for me and seeing errors in news articles drives me nuts.

-I'm often afraid of dogs I don't know.

-I love Dairy Queen Smarties Blizzards!

Oh To Be Five Again - The Best of Both Worlds in Kindergarten

 When I accept occasional teaching jobs (substitute teaching), I often choose kindergarten classes. Here in Ontario, if it is a JK/SK (junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten in one class), there is an ECE person (early childhood education) who is basically like a second teacher, who knows the routine and is a great partner to work with in a class you are not familiar with. There are also SK / 1 classes (senior kindergarten and grade one in one class), but they don't qualify for an ECE. 

One class that I go to fairly often is at my previous school and it is a JK / SK class. Often it is only for a half day (a teacher may have an appointment, for example and only requires part of a day off). I am familiar with the students in that room and I have experienced it when I was masked and they had to sit in separate desks and play individually, rather than together (a wholly unnatural thing for little ones), to how it is now, where they can be seated in little groups and can interact with each other. 

Students in JK must be four years old by the end of December of their school year (which means some are only three years old when they begin in September), so at this time of the year the students in that class would be four, or five, or even six, depending on when their birthdays are. 

When I say that this class is the best of both worlds, they have traditional in class learning combined with "play" where they learn those all important social skills and fine motor skills, but they also have a wonderful opportunity to be immersed in nature for part of every day. 

 The school used to be a high school, then morphed into an elementary school. It is located in a small town, but in a very rural setting. In fact, the high school had a wonderful programme where grade 11 or 12 students could learn about agriculture combined with science. There is a small barn (which would have animals like cattle, pigs, chickens, and rabbits starting in the spring), a greenhouse, and a garden, and a small "forest" where they tapped maple trees and made syrup. In addition to the "maple forest", there is also a mixed small woodlot that can be accessed via a gate from the main playground. The kindergarten classes, as well as the grade one class, use both of these wooded areas. Wonderful rough trails have been created, bird feeders are hung, logs are strategically placed, picnic tables have been set in clearings, water runs through in a small stream, and it is a most wonderful programme. The parents are requested to provide good outdoor clothing and rubber boots for their children, as they go out to the "forest" in all kinds of weather. In the winter time, they have even managed to get to the point where students hold very still and quiet with bird feed in their hands and chickadees land to feed on their hands!

I had the chance to be with this class for the afternoon, just the other day and we spent some time in the maple "forest". The students are good bunch, who know the rules, know where they can and cannot go (for example, beyond the trees to a parking area), and play and create and use their imaginations freely. They take basic toys with them like plastic rakes, big tin cans, some little toy vehicles, etc., things that won't be damaged by water or dirt or snow. They mix up pretend soup in their cans using wood chips, water from the stream and a stick for stirring. They play tag in amongst the trees. They play the regular imaginary games that all children play, but in a wonderful setting. There are paths laid with wood chips, logs and boards to sit on, slopes to climb up and down. 

I took some pictures to give you an idea of what it looks like. It was a little tough making sure none of the students were captured in the shots.

I know that I would have loved something like this when I was that age. I spent a lot of time outside anyway, sitting in a willow tree, watching animals, collecting chestnuts, or just playing. I think absolutely every child would benefit from an outdoor classroom, but I know it's simply not possible everywhere. When I attended it was only one year of kindergarten, no junior and senior business. My older sister, who is five years older than me didn't even have the option of kindergarten. School began at grade one. What was your kindergarten like, if indeed you even had kindergarten?

Catching Up - Mon. May 16

 Things have been quite busy lately. I did a lot of supply (substitute) teaching these past couple of weeks - all good experiences. The rip-apart-the-house-and-live-once-again-in-a-state-of-chaos insulation project continues. 

When I retired last year, my co-workers gave me a much appreciated gift certificate to a local green house / garden centre. I decided on Mother's Day to go with my two offspring and purchase two fruit trees. I bought a pear tree and an apple tree. They are both a decent size and already budding out into little leaves. Son helped me plant both of them this weekend. One hole with "easy" to dig (that was for the pear), and the other hole with not so fun. The ground was very hard and dry, so we put the hose to it and let it soak for a while so it would be easier to dig out. Son encountered many stones (anywhere from bigger than your head to bigger than your fist). I put lots of lovely compost in the hole and the apple tree got planted. It isn't staked yet, but we will do that later today, hopefully. Both trees have had a steady rain falling on them since last night.

I had cleaned out the chicken coop and spread the contents over my vegetable garden. I rototilled in two different directions, pulled out the loosened weeds, then sprinkled granular fertilizer over the whole lot and raked that in. I want a productive garden this summer. The price of groceries is ridiculous.

On Friday, I drove to a city about 2 1/2 hours away, same one where my siblings all live now, and attended a funeral for a cousin of mine. All my cousins are older than me. She was ill with cancer and made the decision to have an assisted death when the time was right for her. I was able to see three of her four siblings, cousins I haven't seen in about three years or more (we don't regularly get together). Everyone has aged tremendously and are in various states of turmoil in their lives. I came away from the day feeling very normal. 

Husband is in the process of just starting the proceedings of "opening up the pool" in addition to continuing the insulation project. We will be cleaning out our old yucky basement (our house is about 120 years old so perhaps you can imagine) this week so that those proceedings (part of the insulation project) can also begin. 

This week I will be taking our Scooter cat to a pet place to get him "groomed". If Joanne is reading this, she may be able to relate. Scooter is a long-haired cat and this year, for some reason, he has become incredibly matted about his hind quarters. He's never been like this before. He's a skittish, squirmy fellow and I hope / pray that the lady is able to perform the task of an over all trim and then a severe buzzing down to the skin on his matted areas. He is going to look atrocious but at least the weather is warm now, so I don't have to worry about him being too cold without all his long fur. If I can take a picture, I'll post is later. Poor guy.

Murphy continues to be himself, hanging out with the hens (I think they have deemed him an honorary chicken), leaning against things, and lord help me, bringing a small snake into the house which I had to transport outside, as I was the only one home at the time. 

The rain is falling outside still this morning, giving me and my back a reprieve from gardening and yard tasks for now. I hope you all have a contented week this week. It is the "long weekend" in May here in Canada coming up (also known as the Victoria Day weekend, and for some of a certain age, the "May Two-Four Weekend). We will be having a giant outdoor / car port sale of husband's various British car parts. He has decided that he is done with that side hustle and has advertised the sale for a couple of weeks now. I hope many people show up and take as many things away with them as possible!

Junk drawer overload

 Today one task on my list was to do a deep purge of the all mighty junk drawer in the kitchen. I threw out the multiples of restaurant menus, tested every single one of the double A batteries that were floating around without a home, threw out the handful of various screws, nails, and other fasteners ( trust me when I say there are plenty more in the garage), and gathered all the tape in one location. 

But then there were these:

Can anyone else relate???

Monday, April 25, 2022

 Time marches on. The temperature yesterday was 24 degrees celsius. Glorious. However, as I was doing some yard work, I realized my body is not used to this. I changed into lighter clothing and still had to take multiple sit down breaks. Not to worry, it's going to snow on Wednesday, so I won't have to concern myself with over heating. 

Husband continues to plug away at the "insulation / reduce the bleeding of money to heat this old house" project. Here is a new picture to show the next stage:

Framing and insulation has occurred. (Ceiling and floor will also be happening, this is a multi-multi-multi-step endevour).

Regarding the foxes, I have not seen mom or babies for a few days now. I read that mother foxes sometimes move their young two or three times, so perhaps that is what has happened. 

I went for my first bone density scan the other day. My previous, now retired doctor never ordered one for me, regardless of my lower back issues and diagnosis of osteoarthritis in my lower back. When the nurse practitioner took over patients for a six month period, she ordered a whole bunch of routine tests, including this bone scan (for which I waited four months, I think). I got my results this morning. Yes indeed I have osteoarthritis in my lower back and also in the "neck" of my femur (looked it up, it's at the top, where it connects to the hip). Well, that would explain all of my pain and problems. So now I increase my calcium and vitamin D intake, even though I've always been a regular consumer of calcium and have taken vitamin D pretty consistently over the last several years. Also, this is hereditary and I recall my mother taking calcium in her later years. Menopausal women also basically leach calcium as estrogen subsides. Yay, us!!

Our daughter finally, finally, finally gets to walk across a stage at university and celebrate her well earned graduation with a degree in Communications. She's already been employed full time in her field for over a year now, but of course with the whole pandemic thing, she, along with many others, never got to graduate in person with her course mates. She only gets to have two extra guests. Her long time boyfriend is writing an exam for a course he has been taking this same day, so husband and I get to go and watch this event. 

Son is now done his college course and we will be helping him move home this coming weekend. He has a big pickup truck and we have an SUV, so hopefully we will manage this all in one trip, as it is about three hours away. It will be odd having a "child" at home again, but I'm happy that he will be able to save some money and try to do some earning before striking out on his own. He's twenty-two years old. When I was that age, I was still in university. Of course, I had grade 13, which doesn't exist now. As well, I and most of my peers thought getting a university degree was the necessary next step after high school. I did a four year combined honours BA, followed by a year of teacher's college to get my B. Ed. But that was thirty years ago. Our son saw how many people were going to university only to not get jobs, or to then turn around and go to college AFTER university to get some sort of employable skill. He had no desire to become a doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc. which all require degrees, but instead wanted to get out there and make money. We have a huge nuclear power plant relatively close by and he found out what he needed to do to get a future job there and did it. He still has some steps to take in order to fulfill his final career choice, but he's on his way. And if he is successful, he may earn more than husband or I ever could have imagined as teachers. I wish him all the success and he's never been one to be afraid of hard work, so I have a lot of confidence that he will be fine in this world.

On a final note, our strange little cat Murphy has decided that he enjoys hanging out with the chickens from time to time. They don't even seem to care! 

Oh, also, has anyone noticed that things look different when you try to leave a comment on someone's blog? Ughhh, Blogger, just leave things alone. Anyway, have a lovely day. Let me know how your bone density is and if you are also having sun / snow /sun / snow.