Yes, believe it or not, I don’t buy one box of tissues, I buy them by the crate load. Just as well I do, given my current head cold and going through nearly a box of these a day at the moment …
Musings
I’m walking round like a lost zombie with a box of puff tissues wedged beneath my arm like that might save me from my headcold woes …
Somehow I managed to acquire a head cold (no I’m not looking at you, Richard, in Scotland.) I think maybe the OH brought it home last week when they had a BIG boss meeting with several head honchos in attendance where they had to go into the meeting unmasked (as advised by the DG).
I woke up this morning with the mother of all headaches and popped a couple of Tylenol, not me usually. But with the scratchy sore throat, and congested nose, whatelse could this be? Hopefully, nothing more series.
I’m off to the couch for the rest of the day with the hot water bottle and a round of tennis.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Snow Day
Friday, January 30, 2026 • 2 min read
I live in the land of snow and ice.
It’s a fact.
Winter’s last almost 7 months here in the Frozen North. Let that sink in: SEVEN months. It usually starts in October, with snow falling usually about 2 weeks before Halloween. We’ve had a full on snow storm prior to Halloween that has meant kids going out in the snow to trick or treat. And yet, we don’t live that far north, not really, but we are on a huge continent that sits just beneath the Artic circle.
That means, most of Canada experiences long draw out winters, with the joke here being there are, in fact, only 2 seasons: winter and July. You get the picture. And it’s true, I’ve experienced it for over 25 years. Spring and autumn last approximately 2 weeks when we slip from winter to July and back again. Those two short transition periods being mild and benign and amazingly transformative.
All this to explain just how many words we have up here for snow and snow conditions. I can’t remember if I was told this or read it somewhere, but the number was 50+. And, you know what, I can believe it. It’s snowing now. But it’s a crystalline snow. Ice crystals that form in the air from what little moisture there is because the temperature at a certain level create the perfect conditions.
I’m currrently watching these teeny tiny snowflakes right now being buffeted around on the wind. Dancing a crazy dance out there. I don’t know how long they will last knowing they won’t stick. Too fragile and not enough of them. But it is fascinating to watch them and even more so, to catch them in a gloved hand and watch them melt.
Tiny perfect snow crystals each one different and distinct. And, just like that, they’re gone.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
I’m waiting on Maintenance arriving to fix the thermostat in our home office. It’s stuck on at 30 degrees and no amount of twirling the dial will make it switch off. Which is fine when no one is working in said office like, the OH, but yesterday they sat on a 2 hour conference call wearing a summer tee shirt and shorts. Though it’s true, no one saw the shorts.
Of course, office hours for Maintenance is 8am to 1pm. So yeah, of course they’ll turn up at 2 minutes to 1, stay exactly long enough to say, “Oh, I need x, y, z, part…” and then, vanish for another hour or three or turn up tomorrow with said part that doesn’t fit..
At least it’s not cold in the apartment!
What is it with tennis players these dyas that they have to grunt on every play regardless of whether they’re male or female. They all sound like they’re trying to give birth to a cow!
#tennispetpeeves
Hollie was talking this morning about using Apple’s TextEdit to write all her notes in and it reminded me that one February, when the weather was particular horrendous, I sat at my Mac and wrote an entire 80,000 word novel in less than 6 weeks.
Yes, in text edit. It was a very liberating exercise in just writing. Pounding away on the keys without thinking about style or editing. Literally letting the words pour out of me. Of course, I later imported the edited text into Scrivener to make it look more like a novel. But only after. It’s such a clean way of writing.
#TextEditforever!
The reason I had such a wonderful meal out yesterday evening was the fact I had a doctors appointment. It was a follow up after my blood tests to discuss the result and then, what to do next.
Me and mine were celebrating, of sorts, as the news was nothing but good news from said doctor. He’d asked for a full panal of tests all of which came back really good. Well, all except my cholesterol. Which is no surprise, though it’s still the same it’s been for over a decade. I have no idea what the numbers mean, but am not too worried given everything else was healthy and normal.
And yes, while I will have another follow up blood test at the end of February, the doctor seems confident the numbers will hold steady based on my current exercise routine and the new adjustments to my diet.
All except us eating out last night, that is. I went with the restaurant’s version of a Philly steak sandwich with jus, housemade mayo and fries. Oh, and because I’m me, a Shirley Temple. I felt giddy enough to feel 8 years old again. Even for just a minute.
Let’s hope this year is going to be a better year.
Happy Cat has come over all pink …
Mortality
Thursday, January 8, 2026 • 3 min read
It’s not that I’ve been thinking about death, even though, last year, I had another brush with death — waving at Him on the sidelines of my own personal battlefield. But Death has a way of following us around once we reach (a) a certain age or (b) have that close encounter with Him. He’s just there over our left shoulder, lurking.
For now, He’s mildly passive but, we all know, who know, that this state of being can change, and change in a fraction of a second. A mere heartbeat, and it can all be over. Death being there to catch us as the light winks out.
What started me thinking about Him, again, is talk of wills and notaries and the Other Half having had a fright of their own: the possible loss of me. And here we are, talking about what we want to happen to what’s left of us when we pass to that other realm, that supposed realm of Darkness. Though I prefer to think of it as the realm of light. But of course, we’ll never know till we arrive which state it will be and then, given no one on the other side has ever let us know, we are, as they say, in the dark till that final moment of seeing the light.
But all jesting aside, the OH has been talking almost nonstop about us getting our affairs organised. Not that I own anything of great value. But needs must, as they say. And so, the OH has set up an appointment with a Notary to start the process which, I understand, will take a couple of visits at least, to get said affairs in order.
The thing is, all this talk of wills has me looking over my shoulder to check out if Death is still hanging around (of course He is) but you know what I mean.
It’s not like any of us get out of this alive to live another day. Death and taxes. Isn’t that the axiom?
Am I rambling? Probably. To be honest, all this talk of notaries and wills has me twitchy. I told myself after surgery to live in the moment, the here and now, and not think or worry about the future and things beyond my limited control. But here we are. Sometimes we have to plan for a future we don’t particularly want to think about, our own demise.
All joking aside, sometimes we have no choice but to step outside of the here and now, and make decisions for our future. So if ever there were a moment of Memento Mori, it’s the writing of a will. And that time to have that last say in the land of the living of what happens to you when Death finally does come.
I would like my last will and testament will simply read: Bury me under a sapling oak.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
I'm All Booked Out
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 • 2 min read
Let’s face it, I really did poorly last year with my reads averaging one book per month with a long dry spell over the summer (as I was otherwise occupied). Ending with nothing read in November and December or, I should say, nothing finished. I did start THE LOST by Sarah Beth Durst in (I think) November but, sad to say, DNFd it to the TBR pile on the coffee table. And then, excited to get Len Deighton’s reissued BERLIN GAME, started reading that and, well, got sidetracked.
It’s still sitting on the side of the coffee table next to three stacks of unread or partially read books. I got a couple of chapters in and wasn’t feeling it. Though I do love me a good spy thriller set in 60s-70s pre smart phones when Gooks still had to do a lot of leg work. When it was all about connections and spy craft rather than tech. But, all that aside, I’m struggling to focus.
Cue my third read in as many months. A DROP OF CORRUPTION, a fantasy and the second in a series by Robert Jackson Bennett. I raced through book one earlier this year, pre-op, and loved the characters and world building, which was so different to the usual books I read, murder-mysteries and thrillers. I’m hoping as I’m familiar with the world and characters that I’ll find the same magic as I did in book one.
Wish me luck, I’m starting it this afternoon after lunch.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
On this day, Donald Trump inspired a riot of the capital.
While John F. Kennedy inspired a generation.
Just another face in the crowd
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 • 2 min read
I’m nondescript. Of average female height, do not stand out in a crowd as such, and am probably considered average to look at with short semi blond mousy hair, petaled blue eyes 1 and an unmemorable face unless, you are paying attention. Then, you might see the small scar to one side of my nose, and then remark on the odd shaped nose sat above somewhat thin lips.
Definitely not pretty and nothing to write home about. Sometimes this to my advantage if I want to disappear into a crowd and not be noticed. But mostly it means I get served last at the deli counter when I go in for sliced meat and potato salad.
Does that matter in the long run? Probably not. When you look at the big picture being average is okay, most of the time. I can’t say I enjoy it when I want prompt service, but hey, it’s something I’ve adapted to however much I wish otherwise. This is it, this is my life and, at my age, it’s a little late to complain or, worse, try to change.
I am who I am. I look how I do thanks to my parents and a random set of genes shaken not stirred to perfection. Thanks, I’m use to the face that stares back at me from out of the mirror (hi, Alex).
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
-
Though it’s true, one eye has a large brown spot in it which, according to my mother is inherited from her side of the family. She had it but not her sister. I have it but not my sister. My mum’s mum had it but not her sister. You see what I mean. Also, my gran was told by a traveller it was the mark of a witch, an Irish thing apparently. ↩︎
Gameshow Sunday
Sunday, January 4, 2026 • 2 min read
We decided to set to a do a deep clean on the apartment today given we hadn’t touched it in over two weeks. So we dismantled the tree and stowed everything holiday related back down in our lockup, in the basement. Then we set too and vacuumed, dusted, washed, and stripped the bed.
Strangely enough, it only took us just over a couple of hours to do all that, which surprised me. Talk about working like a team, or clockwork. It was cathartic. And I’m thankful the OH did most of the heavy lifting. I’m still on no lifting anything over 20 lbs till the next doctors appointment in March. So I’m behaving myself till then.
After a much needed shower and a very light lunch we collapsed on the couch and watched a couple of episodes of Neil Patrick Harris in his new Netflix gameshow (yes, I watched a gameshow can you believe that?) What’s In The Box. What you need to know is I don’t normally watch that much TV, and definitely not a gameshow, but there we were laughing and thoroughly enjoying this one for what it was worth.
To be honest, after everything, I think it was just what the doctor ordered, something silly, fun, and mindless to watch and distract us after a morning’s workout cleaning.
Now, excuse me while I go make a brew and watch another episode and see who’s going to Paris.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Notes from the couch
Friday, January 2, 2026 • 2 min read
From Boxing Day to New Years Day, I survived my two visits to various inlaws, and the onslaught of food followed by food, followed by yet more food. Yesterday my nephew and his girlfriend came by and picked us up, early, too early for my liking, to go to my mother in law’s for brunch. We drove through a horizontal snowstorm on icy roads driving between 45- 50km and yet … the sun kept trying it’s best to break through.
My mother in law put on a big spread, but I think she though there would be 10 more people there than there actually was. There were only 7 of us this year, but mothers always over prepare the amount of food anyone one person might need to eat. I did my best to politely refuse all the extras and just ate what I knew I’d enjoy and left it to the boys to vacuum up the surplice. I really don’t need jello, cream and ice cream with my teeny slice of pie.
I’m just glad the two kids wanted to go home early while it was still daylight, given the snowy conditions. So we escaped mid afternoon, and drove safely home enjoying the winter weather without incident. Thankfully, the ploughs were out, four-deep, doing the roads both journeys. I for one was so thankful for their due diligence.
Today? Today in stark contrast, the sun is shining in a clear vivid blue sky but, with the wind chill, it’s a brisk minus 21 at the moment. It looks enticing enough to want to go for an afternoon walk but, on reflection, and the need to get dressed in one too many layers of clothing, I think I’ll just watch the afternoon pass twatching hrough the window, safely on the couch, reading a good book.
Happy new year everyone!
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Boxing Day Epic
Saturday, December 27, 2025 • 2 min read
Yesterday was our busiest and noisiest day yet of the Christmas holidays in that we were at my sister in law, Valerie’s place, for the family dinner — which is normally on Christmas Eve but, because of work and other commitments by the young’uns, everything was moved.
It also meant my sister in law was the one on driving duties. She had to come all the way from to Beaupre coast to pick us up, and then, head out of town into the sticks to collect my nephew, Cedrik. Before taking us all back up the coast to collect the mother in law. This journey, on a good day, would normally take about 45 minutes (with clear roads) but, due to it being early morning, Boxing Day, the plan went out the window, as it were, and the journey, due to traffic snarls at all the major intersections, took us an twice as long: 95 minutes to be exact.
Truely I have never seen so much traffic on the road. Everyone, and I mean half the population of the city, were in their cars determined to go to the Boxing Day sales at one mall or another.
It. Was. Insane. Out. There!
Crazies aside. Being late back to Valerie’s meant all hands on deck to start peeling veggies and getting various things ready and or cooked; except the turkey, thank god, which Valerie had cooked Christmas Eve. Throw in two LARGE excitable Newfoundland dogs demanding attention and belly rubs, and it was none stop chaos.
All the rushing was for naught as my nephews partner was working and got off work late, and then, had to drive out of town just as everyone else were leaving the malls for home. So, of course, it took her twice as long to get to us. I guess a late dinner is better than no dinner, right?
Anyway, in the end, all was well, we ate, we drank, and we made merry as if it were Christmas Eve, and enjoyed ourselves. Oh, and what did I get for Christmas from everyone?
Well, the time draws near for Santa to be out on his sleigh so I’d just like to say to one and all (old and new) a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming New Year!
Been a crazy ass morning running around like a headless chicken doing errands and, of course, I had to go see the nurse this morning for more blood tests.
And I’m only now sitting down to my fav tea in my fav mug.
It’s a gloriously sunny day out there today. Problem is … it’s also minus 15 degrees.
It’s snowing … again … get use to it … I’m going to be saying this a lot … it’s winter!
I turned the heating down earlier, I may have made a grave error in judgement.
So. Damn. Funny!
We’re enjoying one of those weird wintery days were despite the fact the sun is shining and the clouds are high and light, it’s snowing. It happens when the temperature at a certain level turns any moisture in the air into snowflakes.
Just enough to dust the grass but not heavy enough to coat the trees, yet!
It's That Time of Year!
Thursday, November 27, 2025 • 2 min read
Are you a big spender at Christmas or, like me, are you a frugal re-user of wrapping paper, bows and ribbon, and a repurposer of unwanted gifts?
I take great delight in salvaging Christmas paper, gift bags, bow and ribbons, and why not? If they are still useable and in good nick, I will set them aside and if deemed useable again, will keep them. I’ve even got the OH doing this. Especially with our own Christmas presents, i.e. the gifts we give each other on Christmas morning.
I’m also big on going to the Dollar store to buy their bargain holiday items. And I love their crafting section to make homemade gifts. Nice glass jars get filled with candy, candles, or other silly items. And I love to make stocking stuffers with found or repurposed items. And no, I’m not ashamed to admit regifting presents to someone else who might appreciate them more. I don’t do baths, so what use is an expensive bath-bomb to me?
I like to spend my money on one or two important gifts for the people I love, and wrapping isn’t one area I waste time and money on. I can make a gift look like it came from Harrods with the right addition of bows and ribbon. It’s not about costs, it’s about presentation.
And you, what do you do? Come on, fess up your own secrets. Did you home make those scented bath salts for granny and put them in a $2 jar from the Dollar store? Yeah, I know you did.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 →
Sadly, all too true …
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 →
Well, we went from minus five on Monday and wintery weather to an almost balmy plus 4 and rain here, this morning.
Rain now for the rest of the week right on through till Monday, they say. Bah humbug!
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Time
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 • 1 min read
If you want to understand time — which is how you come to befriend life — turn to stone.
Climb a mountain and listen to the conversation between eons encoded in each stripe of rock.
Walk a beach and comb your fingers through the golden dust that was once a mountain.
Pick up a perfect oval pebble and feel its mute assurance that time can grind down even the heaviest boulder, and smooth even the sharpest edge.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
What is it with shopping regulations that says you cannot buy a perfectly useable stick of dynamite on a Sunday to blow up your ailing/aging washing machine that takes this moment in time to suddenly spew some gunk and turn your nearly brand new crisp white bedding set into a murder scene, as if a mouse got drowned and mangled in the tub!
It’s sacrilege, that’s what it is, sacrilege I tell you.
Does anyone know a plumber?
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
To quote a line from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest …
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 →
