Memo, Mail & Me: It's Monday Feb. 27th

Giving a Monday wave to all & linking in with our hostess Sian at:   From High In The Sky

Well that was a quick week & I am back to write about adventures from the patio, to write about what I received in the mail & what's news. I am adding a little something extra this Monday morning.

New from the patio, by late Friday afternoon with the very mild temperatures, all the snow was gone from front & back gardens.  On my walks I couldn't see any snow anywhere, even on the shady side of the streets.  Then Sunday morning a dusting of snow to remind us all, it is still winter.

Still on the new front; I had lunch with a friend on Friday.  She gave me my Christmas present, a lovely horse shoe tree ornament. This particular friend baffles me to no end in the gift & card department.  For my birthday this year (& most) she handed me my birthday card two months late with the exclamation that it keeps the celebrations going!  Friday she gave me my Christmas gift two months after the fact with the same justification.  My gifts & cards to her are always the day of or just before - I just don't know what to make of it.  For now, I say thank you & will enjoy seeing the ornament on the tree in 10 months. 


From the mail box, my most exciting piece of mail was the Costco Connection magazine sharing with me all the special buys & what's coming to a warehouse near me.  On the Canadian front cover is a couple who host several D.I.Y. shows.  I know one of his brothers.  Mr Man & myself, use to be regular viewers of most of his shows, but like so many reality shows, someone is made to look the fool & someone the hero & usually it's her that is made to look foolish & for us it grew boring really quickly.

My little something extra today is; What's New From The Shopping Cart!  

I have mentioned before, this July 1st, Canada celebrates 150 years of confederation; the merging & creating the formal Canada as we know it today.  150 years ago not all provinces were part of confederation but today we boast 10 provinces & 3 territories.

Anyway, back to the shopping cart  ... This weekend I found several seed packages advertising blooms in Canada's colours of red & white. These packages of seeds are all annuals.  I cannot wait to get planting, which will be indoors later this month.  Traditionally in this part of Canada (Ontario) we usually don't set out annuals until after the Victoria Day weekend (this year May 22nd).  Starting indoors gives them a head start & means blooms earlier than if set straight out in the garden.  I am very excited about all my celebration garden ideas.  Last fall, in the front gardens I planted about 50 specialty created Canada tulips, along with planting a white with a red centre, Rose of Sharon.  During the Boxing Day sales we bought several strands of red & white outdoor Christmas lights to string out for July 1st.  

There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate.  Robert Brault

Take Three Thursday

As I am missing many of the memes/reasons to get out there & take photos, to notice the beautiful natural & abundant nature around me, I am trying on my own meme - Take Three Thursday.  

My idea is very similar to Helena's SNAP; take 3 photos that are linked some how, by theme, by colour, by date, by moment, points of view.  These three are linked by theme.

Not sure where this is going to go or take me.  Please feel free to join in - for now there will be no link & maybe there never will be ... but never say never.

So my first Take Three Thursday:

Can't See The Forest For The Trees

 

Advice From A Tree:  Stand Tall & Proud.  Go Out On A Limb.  Remember Your Roots. Drink Plenty of Water.  Be Content With Your Natural Beauty.  Enjoy the View.

Memos, Mail & Me: It's Monday Feb 20th

Giving a Monday wave to all & linking in with our hostess Sian at:   From High In The Sky
 

On the new front;

Today is Family Day in Ontario, Alberta & Saskatchewan, which is a holiday on the third Monday of February. In British Columbia, Family Day falls on the second Monday of February.  You would think we could get it on the same day.  This day is celebrating the importance of family & community, so I don't understand why it is not being celebrated across Canada & on the same day.  And yes Happy President's Day to my American family & friends.

Also on the sort of new front; sunshine & lots of it over this holiday weekend with accompanying milder temperatures.  Smokey Puss certainly knew how to make the most of the sunshine.  She had a wonderful bath & snooze in the sunshine.  

Sooty Paws was busy running from window to window watching all the squirrel & bird activity.  Love is definitely in the air for the squirrels. I will say no more.

On Sunday we had a trip out in search of the last few items I needed for the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt - success.  We traveled on a few back roads that we had not previously ventured on, so another new!  This is one of the reasons I like the PSHs & miss Snap,  as it gets us motivated to go out.  As introverts we have far too easy a time in finding reasons to stay inside.

On Friday,  Mr Man experienced for the first time having the person in front of him in the drive thru line pay for his coffee - he was so excited for this. Bonus is that it's Tim Horton's Roll Up The Rim time - he won a free coffee! Score. Bonus. Pay It Forward.

It is beginning to look a lot like tax time - the mail box has had several pieces of mail all to do with T this  & T that - Canadian tax forms have a T in front of the number to signify that it is for the tax form.  I also think the  form number corresponds to the line on the master tax form submitted to the government.  I will say no more about taxes.

Source

I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead.

"Life is the art of drawing without an eraser."  John W. Gardener

 

WPSH - A Few More

Here are a few more  for the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt.  Linking in with Eileen at:  WPSH

I still have a few to capture, but I hope to have the list completed by the end of the month.  So far finding a market stall is the biggest challenge but who knows - I have asked The Universe so who knows what she might present to me!

2. Raindrops (taken from the bathroom window)

 
6. River or canal

9. Diamond(s)

10. Winter Weather (so many to choose from)

11. Photo Taken At Night

15. Hands (mine tightly gripping the steering wheel on drive to Toronto)

16. A Memory of Your Childhood (from my Breyer horse collection; I named her Crown Jewel)

17. A Church with a tower or spire

 
20. Cold

Repeat of #5 Feather or Fur (my first was of a Blue Jay, this handsome Cardinal was singing his little heart out to his Mrs)

Sunshine & Snowmen

Today the sun shone very brightly, something we haven't seen in weeks.  I bundled up & took myself for a stroll throughout the neighbourhood.  Lots of snowmen built from the weekend's snow, which was just damp enough to make it perfect for building snowmen & throwing snowballs.  Today it is quite cold so these guys will be around for at least another week 

... a few of the gentlemen I found on my walk.

 

I am hopeful that the sunshine remains so I can re-try a couple of my WPSH photos.  I will definitely be able to get the shadow photo!

Memos, Mail & Me:It's Monday Feb 13th,

Giving a Monday wave to all & linking in with our hostess Sian at:   From High In The Sky


I got real mail this week!   It was so exciting.  I received this beautiful hand made card from Sian.  I leaked only happiness.  Grateful.

 
New from the patio - it has been a very snowy few days.  Friday we got about 5cm of snow, Saturday was clear but Sunday another 15cm arrived throughout the day.  Sunday evening was freezing rain with very high winds.  Monday is now contributing to the accumulation of more snow.  It is pretty to look at.  Difficult to drive or walk through.

For Sunday's walk it was the middle of the road for me because neither the road or sidewalk plows had been around.  The snow was wet & slushy from the cars driving through it & I got a soaker!

I am always thankful that all the neighbours with fire hydrants in front of their homes are quickly cleared of snow & easily accessible just in case.   

If February give much snow, A fine summer it doth foreshow.         .... then bring it on I say!

Memos, Mail, Me: It's Monday February 6th

Giving a Monday greeting to all & linking in with our hostess Sian at:   From High In The Sky

 

Source: Internet

 
New mail this week included something I like to think as delivered by The Universe.  

I found these two photocopied sheets in a book I borrowed from the library.  They were not copies made from this particular book. The  last person that borrowed the book was in 2013 & it shows the date information on one sheet is 4/3/2013 9:12AM.  One sheet is about Authenticity is a daily practice & a list of the authenticity daily practices from Dr Brene Brown (who is an author I greatly admired).  The other sheet does not indicate from which book it is photocopied from, just shows pages 182 & 183, but it too is about being authentic within friendships.  What I take from the overall messages are that being yourself brings connection, grace, joy & gratitude into our lives.  Thanks Universe for this mail.

Other mail on Friday included flyers about body well being.  Several of the local grocery stores now offer in store dietitian counseling & the Eat How You Want To Feel is their publication.
Several levels of government are getting involved in the diet of the people.  Not sure how I am feeling about this, but it seems (& I cannot argue with the logic) the obesity levels are still on the rise.
So all fast food places must list the calorie intake of each food item & already there is a drop in the purchase of upsized drinks, fries & other treats, so maybe government intervention is a positive thing. 

On the happy news front, Mr Man received an all healed & the OK to return to work from the eye surgeon at his Friday appointment.  Mr Man does need to take some drops twice a day for 2 weeks & follow up with our local eye specialist.  NO MORE TORONTO VISITS!

 

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Over the last year we drove to this Toronto hospital 19 times, 2 visits were surgeries. Every appointment was between 7:00am & 8:00am. Each drive was 174 kilometers roundtrip; each time we drove on 7 major highways & one of those highways, The Gardiner Expressway at some points were 7 lanes across in one direction (14 to/fro lanes). I drove 9 of those times.  I think we consumed about 36 cups of hospital tea, 10 raisin tea biscuits; 4 donuts.  Thankfully the hospital waiting areas had very current magazines & I was able to glean at least 4 new recipes.  Thankful for such good medical care & great doctors & hospital staff, but SO thankful the end results are good & that we do not have to go back!  Now this is the way to start a Monday.

Five In Five On The 5th - February, 2017

Linking in with Sandie & the other Fivers at : Itchifingers  The idea is to take five photos in five minutes on the 5th of the month. 

We are in the middle of a freezing ice pellet storm system so lighting is less than ideal inside & out.  I quickly took my 5 while outside filling up the bird feeders.

"Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle ... a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl.  And the anticipation nurtures our dream."
-  Barbara Winkler

Shadows

Today is Groundhog Day.  Not a national or provincial holiday but still a day to celebrate, especially if the forecast is one you hope for. 


Reports are that in this part of the world, Ontario's Wiarton Willy did NOT see his shadow, which means an early spring.  In eastern Canada, Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam also did NOT see his shadow, but in western Canada, Alberta's Balzac Bill did see his shadow which means for them, 6 more weeks of winter.
 

Source

I did not see my shadow this morning while refilling the bird feeders.  But with the biting cold wind & snow on the ground it is hard for me to believe anything other than winter is still around & for sometime yet.  All hail groundhogs but I do not think their forecasting abilities are anything to count on.

 
But to encourage me, I found this circulating on F/B this morning & I like it for various reasons.

Source

The local theatre is screening the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray.  Mr Man suggested we have a dinner of greens to celebrate - oh a big tossed fresh salad sounds good ...& something a groundhog might feast upon after an early morning of forecasting.

"If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight.
But if Candlemas Day be clouds and rain
Winter is gone and will not come again."

- Old English Rhyme