Sylvia's Simple Shots

The Canada Geese are back.  

I found this couple at the 127 Street pond.  There is still ice but at least some open water.

The sun was shining and I walked the whole track around the pond this time.

May as well get my steps in while out with my camera.

Still at the pond I found this creature sitting on a branch in the water.

I could not see the tail but I think this is a muskrat rather than a beaver.  Not sure.

Love the gold color on its fur in the later afternoon sun.

I had a visit with my aunt this afternoon.

Adventures of the Yorkshire Shepherdess by Amanda Owen. 

The life in the very rural areas of England are challenging at best to downright dangerous at worse.

Amanda shows deep commitment to her family and her animals in the book.  One needs to be a problem solver and adaptive in this kind of environment.

Some of the situations stressed me out and I was not living them out.

A family of 9 children provides a rich life with the interactions between parents and kids.  The children are learning, becoming adults and finding their strengths in this family.  

Interesting book.

The bugs are back.

I captured this flying insect while trying to capture the pussy willows at the Heritage Hills Wetlands in Sherwood Park.

I'm not sure what it is, and of course I only found out it was there when I got home and downloaded the pics.

A dreamy shot of the pussy willow without bugs in the way.

I have been working hard to have the place ready for listing.

It has been a lot of work to move things back into their place from being stored in the living room and dining room during  the renovations.

It was suggested that I make the room look bigger and I moved the table to under the window and now I can dance in the space.

I can see the TV from this room and so sometimes I do my exercise videos here so I am not in full view to the parking lot.

Lately there have been a lot of vehicles back there.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

This is a series I have been watching on Roku.  

It follows night sky photographers or astrophotographers from across the world as they photograph the stars, planets and other sky phenomenon.

Armed with hi-tech cameras, telescopes and camping equipment, these intrepid astrophotographers travel to the ends of the earth, braving the elements, extreme climates, and dangers both natural and man-made. They are determined to help all of us experience the magic of the night sky, gathering spectacular images of sparkling constellations, blazing comets, shadowy eclipses, and shooting stars. 

There was an episode which captured the solar eclipse in Indonesia where the photographer educated the people, provided glasses to residents so they could safely watch the event.

Beautiful content with educational component.

I finally found myself a new purse.  I had been carrying my old one in a reusable bag since the strap broke back in early February. 

This one was found at the thrift store but it was a brand new condition.  Wonderful soft leather for more than I was wanting to pay but it was definitely worth it. It was big enough with enough zippers to keep things secure.

I had looked at others in the last month where the store wanted around $20 for a visibly used purse so considering I had the cash I just bit the bullet and took it home. Very happy with this purchase.

I had been looking for a funnel with a large opening so I could transfer my ground flaxseed from the blender to my storage jar each week.

I buy whole flax seed because it lasts longer than buying it already ground.  It deteriorates fast once ground.

I freeze the bags of whole seeds which allows me to buy it on sale and have a supply on hand for several months ahead.

Works well.

Another great book by Josephine Cox - Cradle of Thorns.

Nell Reese lost her mother early and her father's guilt about his wife has kept him cowed for years. They live with his sister who rules their world.  She is manipulative, abusive, and just mean spirited.

Nell has maintained her spirit and sense of self these many years living under these circumstances. Her father facilitates her escape from this tyranny now that she is expecting his grandchild.

Nell meets Kit along her travels, a ten year old orphan who has lived on the streets all his life. She takes him under her wing when she does not have much.  As the delivery grows near Nell depends on Kit and he rises to the occasion on the day of the delivery.

She returns to her father and the man she has been in love with for years. The obstacles to their union have been cleard and she now can live in peace with her new husband, baby girl and of course, Kit.

I have been released by the physiotherapist once the results of my MRI were discussed.

I have made excellent progress and I now have to move forward with the exercises assigned into my new life of mobility and health.

This is leg lifts with movements to the front, side and back with an elastic band.  It is a progression from my side lifts before.  It gives me options for a bit a variety in my routine.

This is a new balance exercise - Standing on one foot I move a ball from hand to hand

It is amazing how it changes things just to involve my hands.

I will use my massage ball.

I have been doing step ups since visit 4 but I had not documented them before so I have added them here.

I have a small stool that I use which is just high enough for me to maintain proper form when doing these.

I do have my areobics step which I can graduate to once I get stronger.  It has 2 more adjustments I can make to taller than the stool.

I am sure that will work out well

I visited my sister for Fish Fry on Friday supper meal. On Saturday we worked on a sewing project of a casserole carrier we designed and sewed together. Keep an eye out for that project in the next few days.

I delivered the quilting fabric I picked up at the ReUse Ctr and the cotton fabric donated at quilting to my sister.  

We had a brain storming session about this beautiful linen fabric I got from the ReUse Ctr a while back and it will become a table runner.  I will use the embroidery part with maybe a strip of navy in the center. We separated the embroidery from the rest and thought we might dye the remainder denim blue but after reading the instructions more carefully it suggested fixative as well so we headed to the city to pick that up since my regular store in my city did not have it in stock.  She has a sink in the basement which we can use without danger of dyeing something precious.  This project will have to wait.  

I was visiting one sister when the other returned from her trip to Belize. 

We had a really good catch up visit with her and her husband.

Great meals and sharing.

With Mom and Dad both gone we have to make new routines to ensure we stay connected.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I found another piece of Robert Held Art Glass at the thrift store the other day for under $2.

It is a candle holder with a pulled feather design in the base with blues, greens and purples.

I have placed a tealight on top as I don't have taper candles.

I just love this art glass and it is a good thing I don't live close to his studio in British Columbia.  I do follow him on Instagram @robertheldartglass so I look forward to seeing his new stuff as it comes out.

I have found the pieces I have in thrift stores.  I have a heart and a small vase in my collection.

It is signed on the bottom as usual.

We continue to add to my list of exercises to rehab my right knee and loosen my mid back.  I noticed yesterday after about 3 hours of sewing that it was very tight so I did my stretches before going to bed.

My knee is doing well and I added step ups last week and I am starting to use the stairs again.  It goes better going up than down.

It will come.

I have an MRI on it next week so we will see what it looks like on the inside there.

It's been cold again this week. Everyday the low's are in the -18C to -20C without the wind chill.

I had to take the bus to medical appts this week very early in the morning so it was cold!

On Wednesday the wind was very strong and standing waiting for a bus is no fun.

Two days of heart tests this week.   This is an investigation of a period of dizziness in January.  It cleared up once the tension in back was released so I don't expect anything significant coming out of these tests.  Interesting what life sends my way.

I bought a tiny bottle with a drip lid so I can carry essential oil in my car.  I chose the bergamot grapefruit combo for this time around.

Essential oils should not freeze so I can leave it in the car.

It was a hassle to bring the diffuser up, then remember to add drops just before I was headed out, then hang it back on the rear view mirror.  

Now I can do it whenever I feel the need.

I hosted lunch for 2 of my aunts after our visit to Muttart Conservatory on Friday.  My first time back since the pandemic.  I will include my pics in a separate post.

We had a great time and with time after for a good visit.

I made yellow split pea soup and whole wheat tea biscuits with yogurt with blueberries for dessert.

I soaked the peas overnight so I could cook the soup that morning.  Once the soup was simmering I made the biscuits.  They turned out well this time because I left the dough thick enough.  I usually roll them out too thin.

I have a basket of ReUsable Bags ready to donate to GrammaLink  Africa fundraiser later this year.

I made 17 bags since February 4th.  It was a learning experience and I am happy with the results. I kept one for myself so 16 are being donated.

Most of them are microfiber so they will last a long time.

I hope it puts a few dollars into the hands of grandmothers in Africa who stepped up to care for their grandchildren when the parents died of AIDS.

Feels good to give back.

I did visit the Muttart Conservatory this week with 2 of my aunts (my Mom's sisters).

I bought a yearly membership which will allow me to go anytime I want and also visit the Zoo regularly.

The spring flowers were all in bloom in the feature pyramid.

I chose the Amaryllis because it reminds me of my Mom who I miss every day.  She was such a great lady.

This is the variety Minerva and it so reminds me of Christmas.  They can appear on seasonal greeting cards.  Classic combination of red, green and white.

Looking forward to more visits once life settles a bit.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I've been waiting for this happiness since I returned the Sunrise Stained Glass Art piece of mine to the window in the dining room.

One day this week the sun was shining brightly despite the temperatures this week.

This is the image on the wall in the living room being created by the stained glass piece in the dining room window.  This is exactly what I was hoping to achieve with this piece of art.  Blissfully happy with this.

The dried flower arrangement are the left overs from the bouquet for Mom's passing in January.  The leaves have dried very nicely, the baby's breath is good, the freesias are slowly falling off but that is okay.

I am back to my regular areobics routine along with the exercises from the physiotherapist.  I expect had I got back into my regular routine this fall I would not had the problems I experienced with my knee but such is life.

What I have learned is that you can not store up fitness.  It is something you have to do regularly or you just lose it.  

I am grateful the lesson was not more painful than it was.  From January 6th to February 25 I am back to about 95% on both the knee and the back.  I spend 1 hour a day between areobics and strength building exercises.

It is good to being feeling myself again.

Yes, it was a cold one again this week.  It has to end sometime.

I have stayed in most of the week. I did have a few commitments I had to do but in little sprints it was okay.

This little and mighty machine came to live at my house this week.  I picked it up from its service on Thursday.

I will be doing an in depth post on this machine later.

I had a conversation with my niece a while back who is a bargain hunter and thrift store shopper.  She had purchased this one and as she had 2 others this one was up for grabs.

With my recent sewing projects one of these will come in very handy for my unPaperTowel project.

I want to make some reusable make up remover pads as well.

I have to get new thread into it before I can use it so that is the next thing.

Bring Her Home by David Bell is a book I finished early in the week. 

This was quite a thriller of a story with a few tense moments and a couple of turns which one is not expecting.

The 2 teenage girls Summer and Haley are missing.  The search finds one girl severely beaten and just barely alive and one dead.  They had been looking for 2 girls and 2 appeared so it was assumed they were the ones being sought.  

Later, we discover another girl was involved and parents grieving received a shock and now there is still one girl missing.

Bill Price, a recent widower, is looking for his daughter Summer.  Tiny clues start adding up to behaviors he could not have anticipated his daughter would have engaged in.  Summer is grieving the loss of her mother.   It was a very good book.

I made a trip to the ReUse Center on Friday and found some goodies.

Some quilted fabric for my sister who has been making casserole carriers. 

This tiny blown glass snowman is just the cutest. No chips at all.

From the plastic I collected I want to make toggles for the bags to wash make up remover pads in.  They need to be plastic because they will go in the laundry.  They are small pieces so it was recommended that they be washed in a laundry bag.  

The cardboard rolls are for the UnPaperTowel project. 

The piece of embroidery is a huge piece of linen.  Yes I checked with a burn test.  I would like to make use of the stitched segment in some what but not sure yet what.  Can it be incorporated into a blanket?  Maybe. There is 2 meters so the other half from the stitch segment would make nice dish towels.  We shall see. 

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks follows the tried and true formula for another successful story. His male are really good guys.

Logon Thibault find a photograph while he is on tour in Iraq.  The photo is a beautiful girl with a ferris wheel, 3 large pines and 3 marines in the background.  He experiences getting out of some pretty tight situations alive during his time with the marines. His best friend Victor believes the photo is a good luck charm that is keeping him alive.  After their tour is over and they are back in the USA they get together after a few years of trying to piece their lives back together after seeing combat. Victor suggests that Logan try to find the girl and thank her for keeping him safe. 

Logan finds the girl after a very long walk but does not disclose the reason he has arrived in Hampton.  He gets a job, they fall in love and then disaster strikes and the things he hid come to light.  It does not go well with the girls and he gets ready to head out of town once again.  Through a difficult situation he redeems himself in her eyes.  And as always they live happily ever after. 

Sylvia's Simple Shots

 As women we need to pay attention how our body is feeling.  Symptoms are often ignored or not considered as heart symptoms.  Back pain is common in women having a heart attack.  I wore red to our first meeting in 3 years of the quilting group.

I finished this book recently Kinsey and Me by Sue Grafton.  It is a collection of short stories with her famous female investigator - Kinsey Millhone.  

As the author puts it - it is a challenge to set up the characters, the crime and solve it in a short story.

A Little Missionary Work was my favorite of these short stories.

There is some autobiography information on Sue Grafton's early growing up years which was difficult with alcoholic parents and all the comes with that.

It was a nice change of pace with Kinsey and enjoyed the stories.

If you are a fan of Kinsey it is definitely worth a read.

I headed out to the north end drugstore because my local one did not have any inventory of these bands. With the increase in the amount of leg and arm exercises I have been doing I needed some bands in different tension strength.  I am using the blue one for some leg exercises.

I was lucky to have decaf tea on sale - 2 boxes for $10.00 which a savings of $6 so I picked a couple of those as well.  I have not been able to get this tea at my regular grocery store since before Christmas. 

I finally did a Google search and my drugstore carries it.  I am there regularly so I will just keep an eye for the sale again.

I underwent a vertigo assessment by my physiotherapist this week.   I had about 10 days of bad dizziness around mid January. It started right after my big pain in my knee. I felt it was musculoskeletal and it was related to extreme tension between my shoulders.  There was a spot on the right hand side that I just could not release the pressure in that spot.  I passed the vertigo assessment.

I had a deep muscle massage which addressed the knot in the middle of my back.  That is exactly what I needed.  The pain is gone and I feel so much better.

I was also given cupping massage which felt great.

Back exercises were added to the leg ones to address the tight back muscles.

The Cat Cow yoga pose works well then I was given a deep stretch for that area which feels better now that the knot in the muscle has relaxed.

The shoulder rotation is very good.  I used pillows for my head and my knee.  

The back squeeze feels good as well.  I wrap my elastic exercise band around the door handle, wrap the two ends over and above the latch and shut the door.  Now I can pull really hard on the band and it will not let go.

I bought myself another African Violet at the garden center last week.  I am hoping to keep this one alive.  The last one was just too close to the window during the deep freeze and it succumbed to the cold.

I used to grow these in my twenties when I did not even have to try.  They sat in a large north window and bloomed and flourished.

I have set this one on the shelf near the window and hopefully just a little less light and much less cold will be the magic formula.  

I will keep an eye on it and always water it from the bottom and keep  my fingers and toes crossed.

Nice to have a bit of life in the house until spring returns.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

The first Sunday of Advent. The season of waiting, preparing, anticipating.

This is my Advent Wreath set up with purple glass beads below the 4 candles with white under the candle in the center which is lit on Christmas Day.

I love glass and this is a sparkly wreath that helps me to have a happy heart while I wait.

 

The first candle is represents hope. The promise of the coming of Jesus through the many years before He arrived.

So many people waited, hoped for the light to come to the world.

Fervently anticipated the coming of the one who would bring salvation to the world.

This is my go to book for the Advent Season.  It is written by a Canadian author Ann Voskamp who is well known for her books.

As I read for the first few days of Advent here are some of the points that stand out.

He begs us to spend the the attention of Advent on 

     the little,  

            the least, 

                   the lonely,

                         the lost.

Do you fit into the adjectives?

             Do you have someone close who does?

                          Do you see someone in your daily life who does?

Pay attention to those who have been placed in your sphere of awareness and influence.

You alone were formed by a huddle of hearts: Lets make human beings.

The Three Persons of the Trinity - Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit gathered close together to imagine you and me.

And God in three persons, uncontainable affection, knelt down and kissed warm life into you with the breath of His love.

Amazing to me which fills me with gratitude of my life despite the uncontrollable circumstances that living on this earth brings with it. 

Lakeside Cottage by Susan Wiggs is a book I finished recently.

The main character Kate Livingstone return's to her family's lakeside cottage, a place of simple living and happy times. She hopes that her shy son Aaron will blossom here with the quiet life at the lake. No TV, no internet, warm weather and plenty of fresh water in this remote part of the Northwest.

The neighbor JD has escape to the remote place to find peace from the media frenzy following his actions preventing a terrible tragedy in Washington, DC.  He wants his life back where he can work, play and enjoy life without cameras, reporters and curious strangers.

Callie is a teenager who has been in the foster system for too long an wants out.  She is "adopted" for the summer by Kate who gives her a glimpse into life with a family. with Aaron a younger brother, Kate a substitute mom and JD as a father figure she grows into her teenage years supported, loved and respected. 

Of course, they all have been living in an idyllic world which healed wounds then the end of the summer brings reality but they are all able to handle it better.

My wheat bag sprung a leak.  It's not surprising as I have touched most winter days for years. 

When I have sore muscles, aches and pains, the heat brings comfort and healing.  

Sometimes I just need a bit of warmth to fall asleep.

It had been repaired many times and now the inside bag just needed to be replaced.  It had to be 100% cotton but I found a white pillow case that would do the job.  The thread has to be 100% cotton as well. The seam in the middle was a change I made during one of my repairs but I decide to keep it.

It is back in service!

I decided recently that I needed a scrap bowl on  my kitchen counter as I prepared my meals.  With the garbage under the sink I was always opening and closing the cupboard door and it was a hassle.

This way all scraps go into the bowl then I can empty it into the garbage pail once.

I like the idea.

For now I have relegated one of my medium bowls to this use.  We shall see if something else comes along which would work better either color wise or size wise.

Another good idea.

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani is another book I wrapped up last week.

This was a great book.  Not the boy meets girl, fall in love and a happy ending type of simple romance stories.

This story is starts in the Italian Alps at the turn of the twentieth century when Enza (girl) and Ciro (boy) meet in her tiny village on the occasion of her youngest sisters funeral. Ciro was hired to dig the grave. They have an immediate connection but life gets in the way.

There are trips to America for both of them before they meet again. He comes to America to apprentice as a shoemaker. He learns his trade well, innovates ways to increase the income of the business but sees no benefit as his mentor's wife pockets the profits. He goes to war and meets his future business partner.

Meanwhile, on the mountain things become difficult for Enza's family and she convinces her father to travel to America so they can earn good money to build a house on the small piece of land they own.  She works as a seamstress in a factory in Hoboken for a while, then she meets a girl Laura at the factory who will be her best friend for ever.  After a scary incident at the factory they decide to take the leap to New York to find better jobs and better accommodations. Just in time they are invited to join the team at the Metropolitan Opera House.  They do well. 

When Ciro returns from World War I he finds Enza waiting outside a church on her wedding day.  He speaks to her and pleads his case, fortunately for him, he has always had her heart and she says yes.

They move to Minnesota to set up a shoe making business with his army buddy Luigi.  The set up 2 shops a few miles apart.  Life moves on, children are born, Christmases are celebrated, wonderful summers are enjoyed. Visits from Laura and Enza's father take place.

Life changes again, some return to Italy, some stay in Minnesota, children graduate from college and then a big trip is planned to visit the house house in Italy which was built by the hard earned money Enza and her father sent home for years.

A truly wonderful story and it read very easily.  I was up late into the night a couple of times.

I finally bought an audio player so that I can play my music while watching my exercise video on the TV.

It plays CDs and music on USB which is great. It also will record from the CD to the USB.  I spent a morning a few days ago organizing all my CDs into categories and boxes.  They have all been labeled so it will be easy to find what I want.

I decided to buy a USB stick which will be dedicated to music on this machine.  My exercise music for 30 minute, 40 minute and 60 minute routines has been copied to the USB.  I am working on my favorite Christmas music at the moment. 

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I captured this Nuthatch near the bird feeder which is along the stairs that lead to the river valley.

As you can see in the photo there was a bit of snow coming down.

I have been busy with family commitments that last few weeks and it was so cold I was hibernating.

It has warmed up amazingly in the last week and I have been able to have a couple of outside visits with folks I have not seen in months.

I finished this book a couple weeks ago. Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan.

It is a story of reinvention of one's self after what as thought to be permanent is not.  She handled the challenges with grace and poise and won out in the end.

I found it encouraging that we can all turn a corner and see what is up ahead if we don't get too bogged down in the stuff of today.

I'm changing up my exercise routine a little bit to ensure I don't get too bored.  I have an MP3 player that I have used for pace when I walked on the thread mill.  I chose music with good rhythm and that I loved. 

I have started using that music instead of the music on the DVD.  I just mute the TV and do the movements which I have pretty much memorized the last few months.  I have been able to push myself into more than 1 mile with this music! 

The CD that I used are under the MP3 player.

I visited my sister this week.  We cooked hotdogs outside on the fire.  Love those!

She shared a cool find with me in these cones of polyester thread.  She found them second hand for a wonderful price.  I have been using cones with the holder I got for Christmas and it makes it less tedious to always be changing thread from spools. It ensures you have enough to finish a project.

This is the book I finished most recently.  Another reinventing your life book - Rise and Shine - Anna Quindlen. 

An early morning TV show host says something after an interview but is not aware that her mike is still live.   This ruins her career and she escaped to a hot tropical clime to recharge and make plans to move forward. 

Her sister is worried about her, her son is wondering where she is but he is away at college so a bit out of touch, and her husband told her that he is leaving her. 

With a break from the rat race pace of life in New York she finds a way to recover.  She is called back to New York when her son suffers an injury and she needs to step in to heal the relationship and the wrong that has been done.

 

A few goodies for the car.
 

 The USB stick holds all my favorite music which I can play in the car.

I added a wrap to the car blanket so it stays small and contained. 

I got some floor liners to protect the carpet in my car.  The are nice plastic and easily cleaned.

It was late last night when I was photographing my entry for Flickr Macro Monday.  The challenge is "Motion Blur" which means capturing movement during a long exposure.  You can see in the image on the right that I was able to capture the movement of the second hand. You can find my submission on my Flickr Photostream (SMDPics). 

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #121 and

Mersad who hosts Through Me Lens #280.

Have a good week!