What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

From a distance I can hear a familiar summertime drone; a neighbour is mowing his lawn. This is the good neighbour to us as he often mows our section of the front lawn on the street to save Hubby having to go all the way out there with our mower. We are so sorry they are leaving. They sold their house quickly having discussed for ages and finally made the decision to downsize. The fact that they are much younger than us is not lost on us.  And some days we do question us living here and trying hard to ...

Don't know how you folks in warmer climates do it!  I guess it's because I'm originally an east coast Canadian that the humidity really really gets to me. I find it isn't at all pleasant to walk, jog or garden in. I can't shake the idea that even breathing air like that is not good for you. 

But I'm all set up with overhead fans whirring and this in front of me.

I'm listening to Anne Tyler's Red Haired Girl By the Side of the Road.  I think I read it before ...

 I had to dig out my old brown winter coat for my early morning walk last Friday. 2 c when I got up at 6:45 but Ned didn't care. He is a great walker and only needs the allure of a stick to keep him moving fast. We have proceeded to have very hot weather in between but no rain all week till today and it is pouring buckets as I write this. The garden needed this. 

Daughter is off to a cottage for a few days and I am minding the chickens.  

 I have to mention how lovely the weather has been finally and how great it is to be outside digging in the dirt. The least bit of raking up the old leaves and debris makes a big difference to how neat and tidy the flower beds look. And enable me to spy this fellow returning to what might have been his winter lodging under the tree right in front of my kitchen window. 

I have cleared the beds in the front and to the side of the house. So nice to see all the green shoots poking up. Lots of ...

Our spring started with a bang warm enough to wear shorts for the shorts wearing crowd. Then it fizzled into these late weeks of weak almost nonexistent sun, low temperatures and chill bearing winds. It is just weather, though sad for us that it doesn't help to brighten our gloomy news on that other front. It seems our strict lockdown might have to continue into June. 

One morning the mallard on the pond was feeling the cold and kept tucking his neck in. From my great distance, I couldn't tell exactly what this was.

 Can you spy her?

All this week down at the pond I've been serenaded by several cardinals singing their beautiful songs. I had to think how blessed I am to not only live where this is a morning greeting but also to have my hearing to hear them. With hubby being hard of hearing, I'm conscious of that too. 

I had a marvelous treat last week when the barred owl suddenly alighted on a tree in the marshy area as I was sitting on the skating shack steps. I was using binoculars and caught the movement of something quite chunky looking. Because ...

Sure sign of spring. Happy to spy this lone dandelion down by the pond...first food for the bees.

Snow yesterday and very cold today but spring is trying its best to take over. Robins are all over the place.

 

 Hello all. A sincere thank you for the emails we are still receiving. All read, all appreciated and put a smile on my face.

I've been walking a lot to try to cure this sad head of mine. Fresh air and time passing is working its magic I would have to say. Witnessing the change in nature from winter to spring is also wonderful. 

 I've spent a good amount of time outside lately. The temperatures were so warm and especially welcomed because it is still March. Feels like a bonus to have lovely weather during this month usually known for late snowstorms and the dreaded freezing rain. Bits of green are poking through the dried grass and we wondered was it survival growth under the snow or brand new. It doesn't matter...these tiny spring signs are welcome to my eyes.

The hint of red on the head there identifies this wee one as a redpoll, I think. He was sure enjoying ...

 You'd think my 69th March would hold no surprises for me. But the suddenly melting snow, emerging sidewalks, sun feeling so hot on my back I had to unzip my coat and remove my woolen toque, all took me by surprise. This happened in just the last three days but so wonderful. Temperatures above zero and even into double digits one day like what spring is meant to be. Now if only the snow can stay away and a hex on freezing rain too. 

And the birds started chirping just like that. I've heard the male cardinals now ...

 I think we all know what we like and need to make our days feel productive and enjoyable. Here are six of the many things that make me feel satisfied and content with my life even in a continuing lockdown state.

１...Good Food

I love how my appetite is still strong for good food. I love finding a new way of cooking something that I've been eating all my life.  Take eggs for instance.  Lately I've been making scrambled eggs alongside rice and veggies with a little sauce of balsamic vinegar, dash of soya sauce and honey ...

It has snowed; I've been shoveling. There has been sun and brilliant blue skies. There have also been frigid temperatures with wind chills in the minus twenties celsius.  Yes all since I last wrote to you. 

All in all, a normal February for us...actually perhaps warmer than usual because we haven't dipped to the minus thirties which is normal too for here. On the warmer days, daughter and Robbie have been here riding the little ski doos around the property. 

We had a wolf moon last week- the first full moon of a new year. Early morning stepping onto the front veranda for wood I was surprised by how it looked so brilliant and illuminated the landscape.  This photo taken around 7:30 am. and look at those colours...cobalt? purples?  What colour(s) do you see|?

I said yesterday can we really keep doing this. This being just the two of us here day in, day out with only a far wave or a shouted hello very occasionally to other people. Of course, we can and I know we can; after all we have no alternative even though it is feeling like this pandemic is dragging on far too long. Almost a year now we remind each other and we've made it this far, still safe and healthy which is the main thing. So good then. Then we go about our activities, watch our shows ...

One of my Christmas gifts was a fitbit. I was especially curious about my sleeping patterns which this records nightly.  You may remember me complaining about insomnia and the general feeling I have that I don't sleep well.  

I've discovered with Ms Fitbit that my amount of sleep averages 7 hours most nights, an occasional night it is 8 and also occasionally it is as few as 6.  So it seems, overall, I'm doing okay in the sleep department but it could be improved. The fitbit clocks the restful sleep too and that is what I've ...