Attila and I are regaining our balance after the fraught first days of the new regime under President Donald Trump. We restrict our exposure to the madness to a few hours a day, to stay current, and alert as to how things are playing out in the world around us. I mention it here only as an acknowledgement in my memoirs, that we are indeed aware and concerned about the current state of affairs in North America. I won’t be engaging in any discussion about it here, and restrict interaction about these current events to my Facebook timeline, and even there I don’t participate in discussions about politics.
I will not be responding to political comments here.
Attila and I had a quiet weekend. We caught up on cooking. Attila made a large pot of split pea soup. I made oatmeal bread, which tastes heavenly, but the crumb is not right, it is so crumbly that it has to be sliced thick, and so it is not good for the sandwiches Attila takes in his lunch. I baked banana pineapple muffins. We made croutons for our luxurious daily green salads. We read, we talked, we went for a walk.
The sun is shining this morning, and yet there are fine snowflakes falling from the sky. Yesterday the sun shone brightly all day long, and I did get out for a walk. I had to make myself go for the walk though, internally I was very, very resistant. Once out under the trees, staring into the blue sky, I was glad I had forced myself out the door.
Recently I purchased two used books as gifts to myself. The first was the book On the Night You Were Born, by Nancy Tillman, 1st Edition (October 17, 2006). It was only in good condition, but it was being sold at a price I could afford. It will arrive before the end of February. I want to read this to each of my Grandbabies, because I think it provides a feeling that life is a gift, and that the arrival of each of my Grandbabies was a gift to the world, not just to their own family. All babies are gifts of life.
The second book I purchased was again a book I would like to read to my Grandbabies. The book was the Flower Fairies Of The Wayside, by Cicely Mary Barker, Hardcover. It is a book of flowers, with a poem for each and an illustration for each that features children interacting with the flower. In an ideal world I would be able to spend time with my Grandbabies going for walks, and exploring some of the plants that are featured. I doubt that will happen, we do not see them often, and do not get to go on outings of our choosing with them. I hope to be able to read these books to them though, that will probably happen. If not, perhaps someday they will read this journal, find the books for themselves, and read with my memory and love beside them.
The winter has been very mild, until yesterday, which was comparatively cold. It seems like winter weather is just beginning. Tomorrow it will be February, 47 days until spring. Attila and I saw dozens of robins flitting about in the trees, when we were out for a walk on Sunday. I saw them again yesterday. They look fat and happy. This is unusual, as we they usually return to this area only in the spring, or at least that is what they used to do. Something has changed.
I would like to finish my book by spring, but I fear I will not achieve this, my motivation to sit sorting through pictures is so very low. I try to make myself do it, but alas, I succeed for only a few hours each week.
Another project that I should, oh how that word should annoys me, get to this winter is to sew bias tape over the cuffs of my old winter parka. The cuff edges are fraying, the coat has been worn every winter since 1992/3, and this is the first sign of aging it has experienced. I bought the bias tape yesterday at the local Walmart, but getting the sewing machine out from under the piles of stuff, finding a flat surface to set it up on, and getting the job done, is something I fear I may not get around to. So many small impediments to the project. Really, I need to take it in stages, get the sewing machine out from under one day. Rearrange the kitchen table (the only table) the next day. Setup the sewing machine and sew the next day. Eventually I will do it, because I love that parka. Getting started is the challenge.
Getting started with bread making took me quite a while as well. I am eating the second loaf now, and will be baking my sodium-free bread for the foreseeable future. I really could have enjoyed sodium-free bread last fall when I first adopted this low-sodium diet, but it has taken me this long to get going on it.
Right now my routines include baking muffins for daily consumption, bread for my daily consumption, and all meals from scratch for both Attila and I. I try to go for a walk each day.
Now, if I could only motivate myself to get to my “should do” list!
Worldly Distractions
Weather
-4°C
Date: 3:00 PM EST Tuesday 31 January 2017
Condition: Light Snow
Pressure: 100.7 kPa
Tendency: Falling
Temperature: -3.9°C
Dew point: -10.6°C
Humidity: 60%
Wind: E 22 km/h
Wind Chill: -11
Visibility: 16 km
Quote
“Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.”
Henry David Thoreau
1817 – 1862
I also detest the word ‘should’, Maggie. It puts such pressure on us—not something we retireds want! I’m impressed with your dedication to baking. It seems that as I cut back entertaining, that is the first thing that went. Enjoy those 47 days before spring…once that season gets here, it will be full speed ahead!
Diane, you are right, retirement is not about pressure! Ah, the baking. I love a sandwich, it makes a quick, healthy meal, and the only way I can have a sandwich without experiencing distress is to use sodium free bread, and the only way I can have sodium free bread is to make it. We also make croutons for our daily green salad, and it is better to make them with sodium free bread, although I haven’t actually started doing that yet, but soon. The muffins Attila takes in his lunches, and I enjoy one for a snack during the day. I think if I could buy reasonably priced sodium free bread, I would probably buy it.
Oh to sit on the back porch on a sunny morning! And get out to the Camp to sit in the bush! Once we don’t have to wear overcoats it is whole new world!
I like the way you plan special things for the grandbabies. I’m sure every time you’re with them or talk to them they know how much you love them.
Makes me smile that you lament things you’re not getting to, but look how much you are doing. Each week you do put a lot of time into special work for you and Attila. I think that it’s not unusual to lose focus on projects at this time of year. Maybe it’s the subtle version of cabin fever.
So you have robins, too! Obviously, they think this will be an early spring. I can definitely handle that.
Teri, I do hope the robins are harbingers of an early spring! It hasn’t been a bad winter, but it has been a gray and dreary one. There haven’t been very many sunny days, and the weather forecaste doesn’t look promising.
I am always surprised that the Grandbabies remember us, as we see them so seldom. I remember when Imp was an infant, I played with her toes the first time we visited. After that, even though it was months later, when I held her she would put her foot in my hand, waiting for the game. It is the little things that capture your heart forever.
I hope you are feeling better these days!
We actually had sunshine, today. It was so bright, after our weeks of dull gray, it gave me a headache and I had to close the door to that room. Fortunately, a good deal of the light – and the beautiful skies – still came through from other areas.
I’m still coming back slowly from surgery. I had 2 staples that didn’t take and so the incision didn’t close fully, but it’s being looked after and is slowly closing. Makes for a lot of trips to the clinic though, with having to change dressing every few days.
Teri, glad to hear you are on the mend! I hope the clinic is close by, too bad about those staples. It sounds like if the weather gets better you will need sunglasses.
We had a wee bit of sun today, but it snowed last night so there were icy patches on the road, not good for walking.