Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

 

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Brrr... its a very chilly -10*C/14*F out there this morning. The roof's across the way are covered in a thick frost, but the sun is shining and its going to be a lovely dry day.  You can't beat a sunny day for lifting the spirits.

I was up and out bright and early this morning to go to the local hospital for blood tests. I had to be there for 10 past 7.  There was a beautiful crescent moon in the sky.  I wish I had had my camera with me. It was so lovely and clear. I could still see the shadow of it when I came out from the hospital afterwards to get in my frosty car.

We are lucky so far to have a local hospital which still does lab tests, x-rays, etc. I wonder how long we will have it for though. Most of the time the ER is closed and when it is open, it is only open from 7:30 AM until 12:30 PM.  If you have an emergency outside of that time you need to drive all the way to Kentville which is about 45 minutes to an hour away (depending on traffic), which is not ideal.

We have been fighting as a community (and an area in general) to keep our ER open.  The problem is not enough Doctors and Nurses. With well over 110,000 in the province without a family Doctor to begin with, this is a nightmare.  Our healthcare system needs a serious overhaul.  I know it is the same in many provinces. The Canadian Government needs to find a way to encourage more young people to become Doctors and Nurses and they need to pay them MORE! 

With all of us baby-boomers becoming elderly now, this is a problem which is not going to get any better any time soon!!

 

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My heat pump is working overtime this morning.  I am so grateful to have one to heat my little home.  The cost of electric baseboard heating is huge.  My mother used to spend in excess of $1000 a month for her heating in the winter months.  A heat pump really helps to cut this down a lot. I am grateful to have electric baseboard heating as a back up, but thank goodness I only ever very rarely have to use it.

I tend to keep my lights off during the day, only turning them on when it starts to get dark, and even then I only turn on one.  I do keep my little twinkle light tree on all day, but it cheers me up so much to see it. We have to have our little indulgences and treats that help to spark joy in us. Especially in the Winter which can seem to be so long and depressing at times.

 

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My heart aches for the people of Turkey and Syria at the moment. It is absolutely devastating to see what is going on there with the earthquake.  What a desperate, desperate situation. I was trying to find a way to do what I could to help and I read that donating money to the Red Cross expressly for relief in Turkey was the best way to do that, so yesterday I did so. I know it is only a small amount compared to how much they need, but every little bit helps, and Red Cross is a great organization. It behooves us to do what we can. There, but for the Grace of God, go I.

I wish that I could do more. I know we all do. Any problems I might have are nothing compared to what those poor people are going through.

 

Beatrix Potter's Cottage

One of the places that I really wanted to go to when I lived in the U.K. was Hilltop Farm.  We started to go many times, but they were always full up when we went and you-know-who didn't want to  hang around and wait for an opening.  I did get to go to her museum though and that was fascinating, but to be in her home would have been so wonderful.   

To have done what she did throughout her lifetime in an age when women really weren't taken seriously is such an inspiration to me, and of course I love her darling little artworks and stories.  I did not know them as  a child, but came to know them when I had children of my own. 

My children loved her stories and also the stories of Allison Uttley (Little Grey Rabbit and Sam Pig).  I read a lot to my children. A good half hour or so every evening was devoted to this exercise. I hope to inspire a love of reading and books in them like I had had instilled in me. Reading opens up so many new worlds and adventures.

I confess that nowadays more often than not I will read on my Kindle.  I even have the Kindle App on my phone. That way when I have an appointment of some sort and am kept waiting, I always have the latest book I am reading with me to keep me company.

I do enjoy real books too however.  There is no substitute for the smell and feel of a real book.

 

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I have seen signs of someone moving into the end unit across the way, so we will all be filled again now. That is good.  I do confess that while those two units were empty I felt a bit anxious about that. So long as people were in them, I knew that there would be someone to keep an eye out and notice if anything was amiss. Not that they could have done much, but they did have telephones and could have called the Police, Ambulance, etc.

I think it is a woman.  I am not sure if she is on her own or not.

Jake

Here is my little debater. Well I guess he is not so little anymore. He is 13. This is him all ready for the big debate. He was really nervous but he and Max won the debate. The teacher also loved the outfit. The debate was on what is better, brain smarts or physical fitness. 

 Come on Canada "close your windows and open your doors, because there is never a downside to being outside, don't be a couch potato when you can be a jumping bean". 

I am so proud of him. It is not an easy thing to do, face up to your fears and do something which is outside of your comfort zone. Way to go Jake!

Speaking of comfort zones, this was a photograph I snapped of Nutmeg as he lay next to me on the sofa the other night. He was having such a good sleep. I wish I could sleep at the drop of a hat and so comfortably like that. 

He is a bit of a rascal and keeps me on my toes, as does Cinnamon. His latest trick to get my attention is to sit on top of the electric fireplace and try to pull out the electronics I have in the cubbyholes beneath the top.   It is quite annoying sometimes as I am afraid he will actually manage to pull one out and break it.  Not quite as annoying As Cinnamon's antics however. She likes to scratch the television screen. The number of times I have to jump up and chase her off is nobody's business!  I should have a spring attached to my bottom!  I have a squirt bottle but it still requires me to jump up because she won't actually stop and get out of Dodge unless I get up!  Little monkey.

Washing your tail is a "risqué" business!  He doesn't half make me laugh.

And in the meantime Cinnamon is busy guarding all the mice in the box.

What would I do without them!

=^..^=

A thought to carry with you . . . 

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

*Joy seems to me a step beyond happiness --

happiness is a sort of atmosphere 

you can live in sometimes when you're lucky.

Joy is a light that fills you with hope and faith and love.

~Adela Rogers St. Johns•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Sour Cream Applesauce Muffins. A small batch. These are quite simply lovely.

I hope that you have a great day!  Off with my sister to take dad to his eye appointment this afternoon and then its the regular Wednesday night supper tonight!  Stay safe and warm and be happy!  Don't forget! 

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And I do too!