Goodbye April.

Goodbye April. You were a great month. Not

enough rain for May flowers but still lovely!

~ Chy

Love in a Box.

We are so loved at our hospice. Our work is heart centred and difficult at times, but the moments with our residents and their families make it worth the time and the tears. Today when I went in to support our staff and our residents and family members, I picked up my "Love in a Box" gift that was curated by one of our donors. Such a neat idea and one that I'll always remember as a sweet way to show how much our work is appreciated. With cookies and salty snacks, gummies and popcorn, I am looking forward to indulge in this special treat. A little "love in a box!"

Namaste.

~ Chy

Piano Lamps.

Since moving in to our little cottage, I have dreamed of tall lamps on either side of the piano that is in our dining room. For a while, I had a tall, but small lamp on one side, but I truly didn't like the lopsided look. The lamps we recently found via FB Marketplace ended up in our bedroom as the shades were too wide for the narrow piano top. We did move the tiny lamps that did sit on our bedside table to the piano but the scale wasn't right. I knew at some point, just the right ones would come along. And they did! I saw a pop up the other day, likely because I had been looking at lamps, and contacted the seller right away. They were available and I made arrangements to pick them up. I was so excited when I got them out to my car, realizing from her conversation and the condition that they had never been used. She was moving and needed to downsize and for $30 (for both), I was happy to help her out. We replaced the original bulbs, which were quite bright, to a softer glow and got the look I was hoping for. Now we have to get the curtains back up, once I find the right lace to add to them. It's all coming together, slowly. One little step at a time. 

My full moon woes day got better as the day wore on. And today is going to be great! A quieter morning, then a meeting with my team, a larger meeting with all the staff, a counselling session with a great client and then tonight, I have a couple of lines to complete on a grant that is due on Friday. I love pushing "submit" and am hopeful we'll receive the funds. To have our upcoming workshops paid for in full means we can offer them to the parenting community at no charge. With Covid, this is one way to support our local parents and I'm looking forward to this new collaboration with another organization. Win, win! After the grant is submitted, I'll watch the final episodes of "The Secrets She Keeps" and then it's off to sleep. Not super exciting but things I look forward to, especially after a couple of tough days. Rain is in the forecast for the next little bit, which we so need. Not only will it keep grass fires at bay but green everything up. Our little seedlings are starting to pop up in our cups and I can't wait to get them in to the garden boxes in the veggie patch this year. Already dreaming of fresh peas from the pod and crunchy sweet carrots. And lavender in the flower beds and along the garden paths. Big dreams.

It's time to say goodbye for now. 

Have a great day! Namaste.

~ Chy

Full Moon Woes.

 

Yesterday started out nicely but turned rough rather quickly. It wasn't until the end of the day when someone mentioned that it was a full moon day and suddenly the entire day made sense! Great work out, lovely shower, early to my meeting and a few laughs to get the day going. But then we learned of a few deaths and how we'd be operating during the outbreak we're currently in. And then I shared that one of my families experienced the unexpected death of their loved one late Saturday night. Many small children involved and so that was hard news to share. Our team is so compassionate and any death is difficult to absorb. I spoke of the impending death of my other family's mom and how the boys I'm working with are doing. Found out an hour after the meeting that mom had just died. Such sad news. I sent out a link to a meeting I hosted last night and one of my volunteers quit, with no reason given, in a very curt message to me. My heart sank. The phone rang and it was our old dealership for the vehicle my dh just sold on Friday privately, with a great deal and the transaction to the new owners went very well. But the dealership wanted to buy the vehicle from us and though they do not know what we sold it for, implied they would have made the deal "sweeter" ~ this just made me mad as we gave them the opportunity last week to consider a deal and they ignored us. My meeting last night went well but I ended it feeling quite overwhelmed with the info shared to me from my volunteers about some of their experiences. Now I've got some extra work to do to get this program back to the original vision. Finding the extra time is going to be hard. The last harsh blow of the day was finding out that one of my amazing volunteers from a few years ago is now needing our support as her dh is dying. Too much sad in one day. Full moons are something I usually track and then plan for as I'm quite affected. But missed this one. At least now I know why it was such a heavy day. And know I was in good company as everyone around me struggled too. The day after is always better.

At the end of days like this, I always try to find the good in any of it. Here's all I came up with: it was sunny, though super windy. Was able to chat with a friend, in person, distanced, for a few moments. Time with dh. A beautiful dinner. New lightbulbs for the lamps we bought off FB Marketplace last week for the dining room, making the room feel finished. And though I had many worries, I did sleep all night last night. Today, I'll finish up my work and then start to work on the extra I have now. And I'll be meeting with the one family today, virtually, and though I know it will be tough, I'm thankful we can be here for them. I am excited we have 1 of 4 landscapers coming out to give us a quote on doing some of our landscaping for us this Summer. Something to look forward to and dream about. Hoping the quotes come in within the budget we've set aside. We'll still be doing work ourselves but there are a few "dream" ideas we have that we'll price out now and see if they will fit. Looking forward to getting this last stretch done. One day, it will be complete and we'll sit back to enjoy.

I'm off to work out and shower to get this new day

started. Wishing you a beautiful day. Namaste.

~ Chy

Right Here. Right Now.

 

What I'm wearing .... teal pants, with a grey tank top and a teal loose and longer tank over top, my teal socks and my teal slippers. Hair in a messy bun and sunglasses.

What I'm reading .... sat outside this afternoon after our work was done to take in the warm sun and read 20 more chapters of "No Ordinary Life." There are 104 chapters altogether in this book, so I'm getting a good start on it.

What's happening in my kitchen .... Sunday dinner is cooking ~ pork roast the AGA, veggies cut up for roasting, salad and fresh buns. My Mike's Hard Lime is chilling in the fridge.

What's outside my window .... sunshine with blue skyand a warm breeze. Lots of little birds flitting from tree to tree and singing. Tree buds are getting ready to bloom.

What I'm thankful for .... our sweet little family and our sweet little cottage. Good health and good care for my mom.

What I'm smelling .... fresh air and the remnants of a fire from down the lane. Our neighbors are all burning old branches at this time of year. Love the smell. Reminds me of Fall, though I'm definitely NOT ready to go there just yet. 

What I'm hearing .... the 3 littles laughing down the lane (truly our best neighbors ever), though its quite faint. And Fleetwood Macs "Rumours" is on our little outdoor speaker.

What I'm crafting .... same project as last week ~ "Tiny Houses" by Jennifer Chamberlin. It was a great class and super cheap ($20). And the links for the video that was live are available to me for an entire year so I can go back over and over if I need to see it again. Love this concept. 

What's on my mind .... worries that I have "parked" for now. 

Words to live by .... my quote for the week is above. A quote from the hit production "Hamilton" ~ we were set to see it last Summer, but Covid .... so now it's reset for the Summer of 2022. Love the music. Can't wait to see it in person. Enjoy!

Happy Sunday, my blogging

buddies. Namaste to all.

~ Chy

Suntanning.

Look at my sweet babies enjoying the sun and working on their tans! Yesterday was sunny at times and then cloudy, so when the sun was out, these guys must have been singing inside. We have another couple of great sunny days and then, thankfully and finally, we're supposed to have 3 days of rain starting on Friday. It's quite dry right now and fires have started popping up around the region. A good soak will calm the threat down I'm sure. And turn everything green again. Our trees are full of buds that are just about to open. We've been poking around a bit to see what plants will be back this year (so far, so good) but we haven't moved anything as the recommendation is to let the little critters who nest in the leaves, compost, etc. have a few more weeks of cover. Our seedlings we've started inside are doing well and once the nights are warmer, we'll move those out to the greenhouse. I so hope this all works this year for us. 

Our neighbor popped over yesterday to look at our ideas for placing our new shed, which is currently in 2 boxes in our garage, waiting to be put together. We had 4 options and I think we have it down to 2 now. He has a tractor that can level where we want to put it and then we can build the base. Bought the wood last week so we're ready to go. It'll be nice to have more space in the garage as we'll use the shed to store big items like the wood for the rink, the snowblower, the wood chipper, etc. So thankful that our neighbor can do this for us and that we have a couple of good spots to consider. Then it's on to more landscaping this Summer. We now have a plan for where the rink sits in the Winter so it's lovely in the Summer. Won't share that just yet as it does involve finding the right contractors to carry it out. A bit beyond a DIY project for us! Updates to come.

On the agenda today: after we listen to our grandson's radio show at 9:30, then I'm doing my workout, showering and I have some tidying to do. A quick vacuum, a load of laundry in to the washer, lunch, some writing, outside work if we feel like doing more (did lots yesterday) or just chilling on the deck, then our board meeting for our music festival at 4, dinner together, tidy up, then a relaxing evening of watching a few of our favorite shows. Nothing too pressing this week other than I have a grant to finish up that is due on Friday, and paperwork for my hospice position. We hope to hear back from the landscaping companies we've contacted so we can get our project started. Would be nice to have this big chunk done this year. Next weekend when it rains, I'll work on some of our indoor projects. We have painted the board and batten in the lower level but now we have to start up the stairs. Good rainy day projects. Bring on the rain!

All for today. Have an amazing

day my blogging buddies. Namaste.

~ Chy

Little Houses.

I love little houses. Even as a child, I would draw them in my notebooks and in all my artwork. All our married life, we've had tiny houses, though our last one was a good size as we had many small children. Though this house is not tiny, we still call it our "cottage" and love to decorate in a cottage style. I picked up these sweet little houses at a store one day, where I had ducked in to for a few minutes to get out of the pouring rain. I searched for my warm lunch, then came around the corner of an aisle and they had these on the shelf, for 85% off. Such a deal! So I bought 5 of them. Each is different and I love the details. Tiny, cozy and colorful.

I've often shown favorite corners in our cottage but I love this one a lot. I'm not looking for some pretty fabric to create curtains that I can see in my head, blowing in the breeze. And to cover a window seat cushion, once I have that made too. Sweet now but will even be better in the future. The shelf I've talked about before. It was an awful dark color but much brighter now. Plants do well here and my tiny wreath hanging from the shutters gives a warm feeling of home. The highchair was gifted to us and is now a spot for a little pillow that says "I'm in the Garden" and another little plant in a vintage pot that is doing well here. The quilted pillow was a great find in a charity shop, as was the bunny who rests beside it. And you can see my one hat that I sometimes wear in the garden. Special treasures in the shelf, including a vintage tea pot someone gave me, some prints, glass birds and on top, one of my favorite lanterns. 

Enjoy the weekend, my sweet

blogging buddies! Namaste.

~ Chy

My Favorites.

I have a love hate relationship with food. You may have heard me say this before. Born with undiagnosed reflux (discovered when I was in my 40's), an undiagnosed hiatal hernia (same time line) and severe life threatening food allergies, eating became painful and scary, and for decades, something I dreaded. I battled anorexia and it still blows my mind to this day that we were able to carry 4 good sized babies to term, though we've lost 8 precious little ones and now I often wonder if being too underweight was part of the problem. Over time, once I was diagnosed, we began to experiment with food to get me to a point of being able to eat without pain, and to achieve a healthier weight. Now, most of the time, I enjoy eating. And have some favorite foods that I could eat every day .... and sometimes do! 

My favorites included soft pasta with alfredo sauce, baked ham with coleslaw and roasted veggies, soups, yogurt with berries, grilled cheese sandwiches (with pickles), chicken stir fry and anything that is easy to chew and swallow that I'm not allergic to. Love casseroles with chicken, broccoli, cheese and rice. Mmmm. And lobster. Who knew all those years ago that lobster would be a food I can tolerate. Do you have favorite foods you love to eat? Share away if you wish.

Namaste on this sunny Friday morning.

~ Chy

Earth Day 2021.

Today is Earth Day. And just because Mother Nature sometimes has a sense of humor, instead of a lovely day filled with sun, blue skies and warm air, we have snow! Blowing and cold. It won't last but it seems quite ironic for the year we're all experiencing. I hope where ever you are today, that Earth Day is warm and wonderful!

Give some extra love to our sweet Earth today.

Namaste my blogging friends. Be well ....

~ Chy

Hodge Podge ....

 

It's Wednesday and time to join in on the Hodge Podge link from Joyce's blog "From This Side of the Pond." Here are the questions for today:

1. Find a penny. Look at the date and tell us something about your life or what you were doing that year? I live in Canada and in 2013, the Royal Canadian Mint stopped making pennies. It's rare to find one now as they were taken out of circulation. I looked today but nope, none in the house. 

2. Were you given an allowance as a child? Did you have to earn it in some way? Did you learn to save money when you were a child or is that something you figured out as an adult? Yes I recall being paid $10 per month for chores and I would save a good chunk of it. Ended up between my first job, babysitting money and the allowance I saved as a kid, plus dh's savings, buying our first house at the age of 20 ~ we were actually 19 years, 11 months old when we made our first real estate purchase. We're great savers but I had to teach dh how as he truthfully would spend all his paycheque as that was how he was raised. Took some time but he finally got it! Now he loves to save and it shows.

3. April 23rd is National Take A Chance Day .... what's a chance you need or want to take? To move forward on a few initiatives that are sitting because I'm worried about the outcomes. Need to just move boldly forward! Risky, but we only live once .... could create some heartache though.

4. What's some outdated slang you seem to use a little too often? I actually couldn't think of anything.

5. It's National Poetry month and I always like to make us work our brains a little .... Roses are red, Violets are blue .... I'm super short but I'm not super port! 

6. Insert your own random thought here. Snow is on its way. We went from blue skies with sun all day and a high of 20 degrees C, to a huge drop in temperature, dark skies and strong winds. Ugh .... I just want a year without storms.

~ Chy

Vintage Home.

I love my Country Living magazine, the U.K. edition that I have to search for each month but always find. It's often a month behind and yesterday, we stumbled upon the March edition. Such a good read and I love how some of the little character styles we incorporated into our cottage show up in homes featured in the magazine. Love the articles, the artwork and the inspiration. Recently we discovered that Country Living has created a new version called "Country Living Vintage Home" and I'm in love again! It's a huge edition as you can see by the first photo. I'm not sure and will have to check later if it's going to be a monthly offer or periodically. I'm going thru it slowly and enjoying each and every page. When we were at Indigo yesterday, they still had copies of this first one, so it could be a quarterly.

It was a busy day yesterday, between work and connecting with my staff virtually for resident rounds in the morning, driving our car in to town for a new windshield and then running back to pick it up again later in the day, and then a board meeting last night. All good stuff but I was tired last night. Expected to sleep through the night but actually had a crappy night. So now I've woken up exhausted. However, once I'm done my post, I'm off for my workout and then a nice shower. Then I'll be good to go. A quieter morning today, which is perfect, so I can catch up. Then a counselling session @ 11, lunch, then my team and I meet each Wednesday @ 1. I love this meeting as we talk about our clients and dream about new projects! I have to check if I have another session @ 4. Can't recall if last week we decided to book again, but it will be in my case notes for that client. In between, I plan to drive in to hospice, get dressed up in PPE and check in quickly with a new resident who I've been chatting with on the phone, pick up a few items I need (files and my laptop) so I can keep working from home as directed by our ED, and water my plant. Then home for a quiet night. Not a super exciting day but I am looking forward to connecting with my clients, my team and to be outside as much as possible ~ it's a blue sky day with a 20 degree C prediction. And then, can you guess what? Yup! Snow tomorrow! Photos to follow ....

Namaste my dear bloggers. 

Enjoy your beautiful day!

~ Chy

Foody Books.

Yesterday was a crazy, busy work day. And today is the same. I don't think I have a quiet day this week until Thursday when it's a bit calmer. New programs this week starting up, new referrals for counselling, deadlines, etc. I'm starting to get super tired but working out each morning and the weather is helping. Pushing through and getting it all done. Feels good once I get to the other side and the to do list is smaller. The rest of Spring should be a slower pace for work. Not life, as we have some grand landscaping plans this year but work will be quieter. I am thankful each day that we both still have our jobs through this Pandemic and that we enjoy what we do. When it's super busy, it's very tiring. 

Our kitchen island looking all forlorn. No food being prepared. No one sitting on a stool working on a project. Just an empty island, waiting patiently for the next user to come along. Do you collect cookbooks? I started with one given to me at one of my bridal showers. And over the years, I've collected a few. I have a stand to hold the book when its in use but sometimes find using my laptop works well too. Those are all my sweet "foody books" on the bottom shelf. Just enough to give us inspiration for trying new things. 

All for now, my blogging buddies.

Wishing you a peaceful day. Namaste!

~ Chy

Right Here. Right Now.

 A short recap of the Royal Funeral for Prince
Philip on Saturday. We were up @ 6 am to watch.

The siblings and grandchildren walking together
to remember their sweet papa and grandfather.

The saddest photo ever. Queen Elizabeth had to

sit all alone. I hope she knows we all had her in

our hearts and our minds on this very difficult day.

I hope she knows though she is alone, she is loved.

Then the best thing ever happened. Princess Kate,

Prince William and Prince Harry emerged together.

And then they proceeded to walk together, the 3 of

them, like old times. They chatted and there were

smiles. Could this be the beginning of new healing?

I so hope they can mend their differences and move

forward, for the Queen, for their children, and most

of all, for themselves. I can hold this hope in my heart.

What I'm wearing .... my grey snow leggings, a while Summer dress and my grey slouchy sweater. Grey socks and my light pink running shoes ~ I wear these indoors only.

What I'm reading .... just starting a new book called "No Ordinary Life" by Suzanne Redfearn.

What's happening in my kitchen .... Sunday dinner is cooking ~ roasted ham, roasted veggies and coleslaw.

What's outside my window .... surprise, surprise .... it's snowing again! Just lightly. Will melt.

What I'm thankful for .... receiving the vaccine on Friday, talking with my mom virtually today as it's her birthday (another outbreak so no visiting in person this week) and talking with my brother on the phone, as it's also his birthday today. Thankful they are in our lives.

What I'm smelling .... dinner cooking ~ smells so good.

What I'm hearing .... the tv and our dgs laughing downstairs.

What I'm crafting .... working on the art project from a class I took. Will post once I have it all done.

What's on my mind .... Dh sold his Honda Pilot this week. Typically, he takes back his leases, just under the km's and with no damage. He leases as he gets to write off the entire payment each month, plus gas, repairs, insurance, registration and service against his taxes. But his boss asked if he's sell it instead and he's making just under $4,000 profit. He's happy, I'm happy but we did agree to get the windshield replaced and that's a bit stressful. Not getting it done but having someone sit in our car during this virus. The glass shop has a protocol but we'll take along our wipes and do a quick clean as well. We'll only have my car for a while but right now, with both of us working from home, 2 cars are not needed. In time, we'll figure out what to get for his next car. A new adventure!

Words to live by .... "Make every day your Masterpiece."

I should have and had planned to post this last

night but got busy. Namaste my blogging buddies!

~ Chy

Vaccine Report.

We were privileged to be able to book in to have our vaccines done on Friday and here's my little report. I felt fine all day, not nervous but hopeful. Slightly worried that I'd have a reaction but we took along my epiPens and the Pharmacist was amazing. She did mine first so I could be observed for a longer time and no reaction. That was a great relief. The shot itself was a tiny prick! No pain. Next was my daughter and then dh. All had similar reactions ~ no pain. We took a few photos to capture this moment we've all waited so long for over the last year. I thought I might cry but I think I was more relieved to be finally here and so much gratitude filled my mind and my heart. The team at the pharmacy was amazing and we are looking forward to going back in when it's time for the 2nd dose. We did have a short trip to another community but in our hamlet, the earliest available appointments weren't until mid May. We lucked out and grabbed these slots and it worked out well. On our way home, we stopped to celebrate with a DQ Blizzard. The first of the season and very well deserved.

The Pharmacist was very clear we would likely feel just fine the first day but by the next day, we would be cursing her name as our arms would be super sore. Dh and dd both had super sore arms. Mine was just a bit achy right on the site but no where else. However, we did do some work later when we got home outside and then yesterday we trekked in to town and bought lumber to create a deck for the shed we bought. Lots of moving and lifting. I do recall my Naturopath saying after the shots she gives me (4 month flu shots and B12's) to move my arm around a lot after the injections so that may have helped. Today, no ache. So we've passed the first hurdle and are hopeful the second injection will be fine as well. Once we finished up a few tasks, we settled in to relax for the night. I had bought the latest editions of "The English Garden" and "Bliss Victoria" to read the other day. It was hard not to peek but I wanted to have something to look forward to at the end of the day. Always fun to have something to work towards. A personal present.

All for now but will be back later today with my "Right Here.

Right Now" post. Namaste my blogging buddies!

~ Chy

Excited. Nervous.

 

Today is Vaccine Day. I'm both excited and nervous. I was very teary yesterday for a number of reasons and beyond exhausted. Everything and anything was setting me off, with big tears and by the end of the day, a puffy face. Dh was sweet and just let me cry in his arms. Late last night, I realized it was likely my apprehension about having the vaccine today. I'm not in favor of injecting chemicals in to my body and have always been "vaccine aware" and cautious. To be clear, I am NOT an "anti~vaxxer" just cautious and sensible. But this one is scary. I carry an epiPen (I actually have 4 in my possession) so the idea that a few people have experienced an allergic reaction is unnerving. But I'll be in the presence of medical personnel and will have all 4 of my epi's with me. I'm sure it will be just fine. Wish me luck today.

A corner of our kitchen nook. I love this sweet shelf we bought and then painted and stained when we were still in our other house. It sat in our studio for the first few years we were here. And then one day I realized I hadn't hung anything in this spot as we hadn't found something that fit well. Was up in the studio one afternoon and turned around to grab something, and I spotted this sitting in the corner, just waiting to be loved again. So down it came and within an hour, it was securely hung on the wall. I have fun changing out the "treasures" that grace the shelves. Love it.

Hope you have an amazing Friday. 

Namaste my blogging buddies.

~ Chy

Gardening Plans.

Thinking about gardening today and as I was searching for compost, this popped up in images. A sweet earth rammed cottage print. Wouldn't this be the loveliest get away? If it was only real. Reminds me of our little island cottage.

Plans for the gardens this year:

1. Empty out the potting shed and paint it white inside

2. Find wood shelving for the greenhouse and paint sage

3. Fill the raised garden beds with dirt, cocopeat and compost

4. Increase the flower beds and fill with perennials/bushes

5. Move the fir trees we planted over to the front gardens

6. Repaint the decks as we have skate marks from the rink

7. Add stone to the front veranda skirting OR wooden lattice

8. Re~gravel the driveway as its' starting to have some ruts

9. Re~create our front path/add in paths in the woods

10. Figure out how to create a gate to keep the bad guys out ~ no bad guys around but it would be lovely when we can travel again to not have anyone drive in to our property while we're away ~ always a worry when we're not here

It's going to a lovely warm day and I don't have to work the entire day as I've done 2 almost 12 hour days in the last 2 days. Shorter day today so we'll be outside later and then tomorrow is our official day off and the only thing we have planned is our vaccines, so hoping to start getting some work done outside. Looking forward to having time for gardening again this year and hope we can get a lot of it done. No meetings tonight and I'm looking forward to a bit of down time after such a busy few weeks. The weekend is supposed to be warm and sunny on Saturday but cool and cloudy on Sunday. Today we'll wash down the rink liner and set it out to dry, then fold it away. We'll also wash down the deck furniture. Even though it was stored for the Winter, I like to give it a good wash before we put the cushions on. We've had a couple of bbq's already, but need to make a list of food to buy as we need some groceries. Window washing will begin as well to get the dust and water marks off all our glass. We may use the cooler day to straighten out the garage and decide what will go in to the shed once we have that built. Also have to do an inventory of the wood we have tucked away to see if we have enough to build the base next week or if we need to head in to town to buy more. Lumber has increased 500% in price in the last year so hoping we don't have to buy more. Good to have a stash tucked away.

I'm off to do my workout, shower, then a staff meeting about social media, a break, then 2 back to back counselling sessions and I'll be done by 2 today. Excited for a slower pace and time to enjoy the blue sky and warm weather. Hope you have an amazing day planned out and get to enjoy all of it. 

Namaste my blogging buddies.

~ Chy

Short but Sweet.

This will be a short but sweet post today. I slept through the entire night last night for the first time in a long time. And I'm sure it's because yesterday we received confirmation that we're booked in for our vaccines on Friday afternoon. It means missing our presenting our live radio show (we can tape today and replay it), and driving to another community as the earliest we could get it in our little hamlet was May 2nd. But so very worth the change in schedule and the short drive. This means 5 out of 6 of us in our family will be protected. Our eldest son doesn't fit in to the categories just yet but he will be eligible next month in his province. I was pretty teary when we talked with the pharmacist. Lovely man who we haven't even met yet but I'm so thankful for his kindness for this quick request ~ we only called on Monday! The best part is we are getting the vaccine we hoped would be available. We will still continue to be super diligent but now we now even if Covid were to come in our path, our risk will be minimized. I'm not a big fan of vaccinated kids as newborns and have always been a vaccine aware consumer. But this one is different and we will be eternally grateful for the fast worldwide response to creating something to protect all of us. I don't wish away days ever BUT Friday can't come soon enough! I have lots to keep me busy until then and we're doing some extra prep to make sure we can come home and just relax. If we get any side effects we have the rest of Friday and the weekend to just chill. Our daughter had her first vaccine about 2 weeks ago and her only side effect was a bit of a sore arm. My boss said her arm felt like she had been punched super hard but others have said no arm pain at all. I'm not worried as we get a series of 4 shots over the Winter from our Naturopath and my arm aches for a day or 2 after so I'm anticipating the same. I welcome a sore arm over this virus!

Today I have a quieter morning. A quick workout, shower, then laundry, catch up on my work tasks from yesterday, a counselling session for a sweet client at 11, a short break for lunch, then I'm teaching volunteer training via Zoom at 1. It's set for 2 hours but the last few we've done it's been maybe an hour at the most. A break again and then a counselling session at 4. Dinner, a little break and then a 2nd round of volunteer training from 6 until 8. Tomorrow is busy too but thankfully nothing in the evening. Friday is our typical day off and I'll clean the house in the morning, make sure laundry is done and we'll figure out meals for the next few days, just in case we're not feeling the best. Supposed to be a nice weekend so I'd like to get the rest of the deck furniture in place so we can sit out in the sun comfortably. We have to plan out where the new shed we're putting together will go. I've got a new book to start too. Just envisioning sitting in the sun reading and dreaming and letting the vaccine settle in our bodies. So worth the wait.

Wishing you a beautiful day!

Namaste to my blogging buddies.

~ Chy

Melting Away.

 

After our surprise snowstorm on Sunday, we expected to see all the snow melt away yesterday. But it has actually hung around, with a bit disappearing through the day. Last night, it was warmer and we started to hear drips coming off the roof. The next few days are double digits, so I'm sure this mess will soon be melted all away. Then we start planning our new shed build. Another adventure to tackle!

Meetings and calls, emails and conversations yesterday. Dh was taken back by how many times my phone rang or beeped if a voice mail or text or email was left. I'm usually working away upstairs while he uses our kitchen island as his "office" so he doesn't always see or hear how busy it really is. I had to do some calculations yesterday to show our grant writer what that looks like and I came up with handling over 1,500 calls in a year and over 2,500 emails. Yup, it's busy! Today is Resident Rounds for the hospice (virtual), then a phone meeting, then lunch, then 4 little boys at school will have a virtual counselling session with me, then I'll go pick up dd from school and come home for dinner, then a grief meeting tonight. I woke up super tired and sore so no workout for the moment but in between tasks I am going to try and do some yoga today. Back to the treadmill tomorrow and weights after. Doing well but today I'm just not up to it. My colleague who has shared her health journey with me only does the tread 4 days a week so I'm not going to fuss if I miss a session after 2 weeks of daily workouts. 

We had a lovely meeting with a breeder yesterday who has purebred Corgi's. I'm in love with these sweet pups but they do shed a lot! So figuring out now if I'd be allergic or just have a new task of vacuuming and mopping every day. We're ready for a pup but the wait will be 18 months to 24 months, so no rush. Looking forward to a sweet little pup in our arms to love and nurture. It's been over 6 years now since our Celti died so we're more than ready. So excited.

I'm off to shower and get this day going. Hope you have an amazing one! Enjoy the sun if it's shining in your neck of the woods. Be well. Stay safe. Namaste my blogging buddies.

~ Chy

Hope Finally.

We were able to get on wait lists today for our

first Covid vaccines. Hope is here, finally ....

~ Chy

Surprise Snow.

 

 

  

We woke up to pretty blue skies yesterday that lasted a good part of the day. There was a weather prediction, with a low probability of rain late in the day. But what took place was totally unexpected. We had a surprise snowstorm! The clouds moved in and they were black, like a rainstorm. Next there were some flakes, thunder, lightening, some areas received hail and then suddenly, the sky opened up and from about 4 until early this morning, the wind howled and the snow fell. You can see the progress in my pictures above. It was crazy that we were outside without coats in the morning and last night we were turning the furnace back on and making tea! We made the best of our Hygge day.

Today, we are working on the board and batten, I have some art to finish up and then we have a board meeting at 4. Our girls have driven in to town to feed the ducks at our preschool and should be home soon. This afternoon the warmth will begin to return and I'm sure by tomorrow our snow will be but a memory. I'm off to sand and paint. 

Namaste my friends!

~ Chy