Dear Neighbor . . .

(source)

 3 ESTATE LANE, NS
-8*C feels like -18*C
(19*F feels like 0.4*F)

Dear Neighbor,

There is a definite chill in the air. We are enjoying some of the coldest days so far of the winter. We have had snow off and on for the past week, which I really don't mind all that much.  Big goose down flakes at times. Those are the ones I love most of all.  I have ventured out a few times, but mostly I have been contented to just stay at home.  That is one of the benefits of keeping a good store cupboard of food, etc. If I don't need to go out, I don't have to go out. I can just stay here, warm and cozy. What a great blessing that is. I do not take my home for granted. I recognize it as one of the tender mercies of the Lord.

The pipe to my shower broke the other day. Snapped right off. Can you believe that it was made from plastic?  I know!  How shoddy.  I called the maintenance guy, and he came right over, went out and got a replacement pipe (metal this time) and everything was in working order in less than a couple of hours. Another tender mercy. My life is filled with them.

 

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This was me, most of the day, yesterday. I was so very tired. I did get some work done, and I got the vacuuming done, but most of the day I only wanted to sleep.  I found myself sitting down to have a short nap in the afternoon and then I ended up spending 2 hours in the chair dozing off and waking up and dozing off again.  This, after having slept in until 7 a.m.  Last night I slept again, and woke up about 1 a.m. just perspiring, with a very dry mouth. It took me quite some time to get back to sleep, but I did eventually and woke up again at 7 a.m. I have had a medication change this week and I do not think it was for the best. 

I have been taking one metformin pill a day since about 2016, without any problems at all. My sugars stay static, etc. This new Doctor of mine says that that is the dose they start people on and that it is meant to be more and so he not only doubled it but quadrupled it to four a day.  I have only taken 2 a day for two days and am not liking the results.  I do not like to question a doctor's authority, but I do think that an increase was not really required.  What to do, what to do . . . 

It is hard to know what the right thing is. I am going to try only taking one today and see if that makes a difference.

 

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I had hoped to do a video yesterday but was too tired.  Perhaps I will get one done today.  I have not been as consistent in doing them as I had planned to be.  I had originally planned on doing one to two a week, but that hasn't happened. I do enjoy making them.  I just struggle sometimes with coming up with ideas.  I do wish I knew how to splice more than one video together as that would change up the things I could do for them. It is hard to come up with things you can just get done within a certain time frame, without making people wait for ages for whatever you have cooked to finish cooking.  And how to fill in the waiting time. That is hard also. 

I watch other people's videos, and they all seem to be so seamless. I know comparison is the thief of joy and I try hard not to compare with others. I do have my own unique qualities. I will just have to keep practicing.

My friend from church Elizabeth wants me to make some British pancakes, which I could certainly do.  They don't come without a modicum of risk however.  The first few can always be quite difficult. They are more like crepes than pancakes.  Another friend wants me to make soda bread, but then there is the waiting period for it to be done. Of course I could have one already prepared. But then I end up with two soda breads. I can give one to my next-door neighbor I know, but having to make two of things is not practical, not expense wise, etc.

I will work something out.  I usually do.

 

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I would like to begin another embroidery project. I do so enjoy embroidery.  I also want to make doll clothes and dolls, and I want to paint. There are so many things I would like to do.  My time just seems to disappear into thin air. One day no sooner starts and it is finishing. Of course, not getting up until 7 a.m. is not helping, ha-ha. It was not so long ago that I was getting up at 5 a.m.

I have books that I want to read as well.  I took Linda's advice and sent for a trial copy of The Senior Paper. I am really enjoying it.  So much so that I have subscribed to it for a year. I am sure that Sheila will enjoy reading my copy of it after I have finished as well, or maybe even Cindy.  I will have to ask her first.

One thing which I enjoy about it is that the articles and stories in it are not overly long. If I have a few minutes, I can just sit down and have a quick read. And they are making me smile. A lot of them are reminisces that people send it of things which have happened in their lives, childhoods, etc. Canadian as well, so I can relate to a lot of them. 

It is a great little form of escapism and pleasure. Thank you, Linda, for suggesting it!

 

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We have had some more snow fall during the night. Everything is covered with a fresh new dusting. I don't mind.  The first winter I was in this house we had so much snow that I could not see across the road. They were bringing in a snow blower to clear the driveways. This year they are just using two guys with shovels and a truck does up the street.

Yesterday Sheila came knocking on my door. She always picks up the mail for the man across the way.  He had a key for a parcel box, and she couldn't get it to work.  She wondered if I could help her. I was happy to.  They were slightly frozen shut, but I managed to get it open for her.  I needed to check my own mail anyways, and it really wasn't any trouble to help her out.

I would have been happy to help her out anyways.  That is what a good neighbor does.  I fear she is very lonely.  Nobody on the street, except for myself and Glenna have much to do with her.  I think it might be because she can be a bit of a negative Nelly.  Always complaining about how different things are these days compared to the old days.  I just take it all with a grain of salt.

She watches the news a lot and that would scare anyone.  I avoid the news as much as possible. If that makes me un-informed, then I am happy to be so. I do keep up with the headlines, but I choose not to dwell on any of it, if possible. 

 

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I have always been a great lover of the classics.  I believe this goes back to my childhood. One thing which our parents purchased early on in our home was an encyclopedia. It came with extra volumes of books. There was a set of Geography books, which I thoroughly enjoyed and there was a set of abridgements of many great novels. I got my first introduction to classic literature through them. This was where I first read Lewis Carol's "Alice in Wonderland" and Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." There were a great many others as well. Of course, they were abridgements and not the full novels, but I did enjoy them.  Moby Dick. Great Expectations, etc. They were a wonderful introduction to great literature.

I still love the classics.  I need to make a more pro-active choice to revisit some of them again. I think of all of them I did enjoy Jane Eyre the most.  And next to that Sense and Sensibility.  Or course we have films today that we can watch in their place. I have my favorite versions of them as well.

I will forever love the Little Women film which came out in the 1990's with Winona Ryder as Jo. To me that is a must watch every holiday season. My favorite Jane Eyre is the one made in 2011 with Mia Wasikowska & Michael Fassbender.

 

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Are you a fan of the messy hair?  I like to see it . . .  on other people . . . but when it comes to me, I don't like it and can't stand it.  And I have messy hair anyways. I have tried to do messy buns, but they never feel okay with me.  I always feel messy and unkempt. It is the same with the messy braid.

I find as I have gotten older, I have all of these fly away hairs at the front and sides of my head that drive me crazy. They stick out all over the place and I cannot tame them, but neither do I want really short hair, so I have learned to live with them. 

I notice a big thing with younger women, especially women who are black or middle eastern, are these very sculpted edges on the forehead.  That looks exceptionally nice on them. It would look ridiculous on me.  The very thought of it makes me laugh.

I am afraid I am just stuck with what I have and who I am.  Oh, I admire women like Diane Schiffer who can style themselves retro. That is something I would love to be able to do, but I am sure it takes a lot of time to get that natural retro-look and that is something which I do not have a lot of.

And speaking of time I need to bring this missive to a close now. It is gone past 9:30 and I have miles to walk before I sleep. Getting up at 7 a.m. has made a profound difference it seems. I am an hour later in doing everything!

A thought to carry with you . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

 *.˛.°What is done in love
is done well.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
~Vincent Van Gogh° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ 

I will probably hear about these not being very healthy, but the recipe I am sharing in the English Kitchen today is for Hot Dogs and Sauerkraut. Healthy nor not, it is delicious. I enjoyed with a bit of raw onion and some honey mustard.  I was a very happy camper.  (All beef hot dogs.)

I hope that you have a wonderful day ahead of you. I hope that you are warm and happy, healthy and content.  Blessed.  Whatever you get up to, don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too!