Dear Neighbor . . .

 

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 Friday, March 28th
3 ESTATE LANE, Nova Scotia
-1*C/30*F feels like -4*C
Clear and cold

Dear Neighbor,

Here I am with another note to you.  I hope this finds you well and happy.  It feels quite cool here this morning. March is on the wane, but Winter isn't really to let go of us just yet.  Yesterday was a crazy mix of rain and snow, but nothing we could not handle.  That is the weather this time of year. It can vary wildly from one day to the next. You go out in the morning dressed for Winter but by the afternoon, you are wanting to strip off. You just never know.  As Forest Gump would say the weather is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you are going to get at this time of year.

Didn't you just love that film?  I did.

 

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It started out a bit different than we had anticipated. As you know we, Cindy and I, had plans to go up the Valley to Cambridge on a bit of a road trip. We were going to take my car. I went to get in the car to go pick her up and I could not get the garage door to open.  I must have pushed the button a bazillion times.  Nothing happened. The light in the garage would come on and then it would go off, but the door just would not open. I tried everything.  I finally had to call Cindy up and tell her I couldn't get my car out. Not a problem, she just came and picked me up in hers. I determined I would call the landlord when we got back from our trip.  

I was not too bothered. These things happen. It is a new garage door opening unit though, so I was a bit perplexed.

 

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I always enjoy these little jaunts of ours. It is just nice to spend the time together with each other. We talk about everything under the sun and then some. We get along very well together, always have done for the most part. I am so grateful for this sweet sister of mine. Life has not been an easy one for either of us, when all is said and done. But it is really easy for anyone?  I think not. We all have our struggles, and it is how we cope with them that matters more than the struggle itself. 

Although in all honesty there are some I could have done without, truth be told.  Life is what it is and most of the time it's been very good to me. 

Focus on the light, not the dark.

You cannot let one negative in a sea of positives

hold sway over you.

That is the way to deal with it, and is an attitude which has served me well through the years.

 

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Sunflowers, can't wait.  Should I get some dwarf ones and

plant them?  They would sure put a smile

on the face and the birds would

love them.

We got to the Convenience store. It is in Cambridge, and they carry a lot of Costco products, plus you can call them on Tuesday, and they will pick stuff up for you at Costco on Wednesday for a minimal fee, which is always worth it. I know I have spoken of this before, but it never hurts to be reminded.  We each got a big bottle of extra virgin olive oil for $14.49, a real bargain for a full liter.  It cost less than the maple syrup I also picked up. Just the Kirkland brand of Maple syrup and I also got a bag of mixed unsalted nuts for my granola, some pink salt and of course you need a treat. 

I like these ChocXO chocolate cups. You can get them in peanut butter, almond butter, coconut, lemon, etc.  They are low in sugar and delicious. They had a new flavor this time and I picked up a bag to try. Passionfruit.  Oh, my word, I think they are my most favorite ones yet! So delicious. I should have gotten two bags. Dark chocolate and low in sugar, they are the perfect indulgent treat for when you just have to have something that feels a bit like a treat, and these do. They are a new favorite.

After that we came back to Jonny's and had lunch. A last hurrah before we both knuckle down and try to do better at healthy eating.  Why oh why is it so hard!  

Anyways, the fish and chips were really nice and we both enjoyed them a lot. They use a tempura batter on the fish so it is light and crisp, also perfectly cooked. The chips are chips.  They are not as good as the ones that you get from a chippy in the U.K. or as tasty as the ones we used to get at the 400 Flea Market from the chip van. (Those were always amazing!)

 

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We didn't have much else to do at that point and came home.  The potholes on the highways are mind boggling. You have to be so aware of them. This truly is what they call "pothole season" and they are in abundance. Its crazy.  You try your best to avoid them but it is just impossible.

We got back to mine, and I got out of the car and Cindy helped me to carry my really heavy bag into the house.  Amazon had been and delivered my cat food. I get three boxes of the small tubs every two weeks.  They put it in a huge box which is crazy, so much cardboard. Last time one of the boxes had burst open and they were all scattered through the larger box.  Its nuts.

I was dragging that big box into the house when a truck stopped at the end of my lawn and I heard a voice asking me for directions.  At first, I didn't know who it was, but it was my ex-brother-in-law and sister-in-law!  They had seen us turning in and recognized me and popped by to say hello. I was so surprised and so pleased. I had not seen them since last year.  I had not been able to get in touch with them either. I guess their answer machine is broken.  Lots of hugs and tears of happiness to see each other and Cindy got to see them as well, which was nice.

We had been supposed to get together before Christmas but it didn't happen.  I had thought perhaps that (after what my youngest son did to me) that they had been unduly influenced by my ex's wife as well, and had resigned myself to thinking that I probably wouldn't be seeing them again.  I am so happy I was wrong. This was such a lovely surprise and we have made plans (she, Cindy and myself) to get together for a paint day, hopefully some day soon.  Apparently my sister-in-law had picked up paper and everything for it before Christmas. We just had such lousy weather and it hadn't worked out.

This was a real bonus to what had already been quite a nice day.

 

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After everyone left, I thought I better call about the garage door. I don't really like to bother people if I can help it, but I do need to be able to get my car out of the garage. I do have to say that they are always very quick to respond to a problem with the place when I have one and the maintenance guy was here within fifteen minutes and checking it out.

Color me embarrassed.

I had been pushing the wrong button to open the door.  You know the light that kept coming on and going off.  I was pushing the garage light button.  DUH! I felt so stupid. How did I do that?  I don't know if I should be worried now about my addled brain or what.

Thankfully nothing serious or broken, but . . . I have to wonder about what is going on in my head.  Perhaps I need to go and have a cognitive reasoning test done. I really felt stupid.

I think I pushed that light button a bazillion times trying to open the door. My neighbor across the way would have seen it through the garage windows and must have thought I was sending a message in code, LOL

Nope, no message. Just my addled brain. 

 

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I called my friend Jacqueline before I hopped into the shower yesterday. I wanted to see how she was doing. They had told us at church no visits and so I have not gone to visit. She sounded so much better than she had the last time I had called her.  I could hear a huge difference in her voice. 

Jacqueline has been a friend of mine since the late 1990's. Her husband Tom baptized me. Mom didn't like her very much, but that's because they both have strong personalities.  People with strong personalities often don't get along well with each other.  

Jacqueline has never ever been anything but kind to me. When I was living all alone in that rented bedroom the first months after my second marriage broke up Jacqueline and Tom were a great support to me. I will always be most grateful to her for that.

In any case it was so lovely to speak to her and hearing her sound so much stronger than she had done the last time I spoke to her.

 

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Be gentle with yourself on the days

you are feeling everything.

Be gentle with yourself on the days

you are feeling nothing.

Be gentle with yourself

though whatever it is 

you are feeling

right now.

~Charlotte Freeman

I have been trying to be gentler with myself and not judge myself so harshly all the time.  We are often so much kinder to others than we are to ourselves.  We should know better. This is always something I have struggled with. Being kind to myself.  I have always been my own worst critic and have always felt a bit guilty when indulging myself, as if I did not deserve the good things.  I have vowed to do better and to recognize that I am not perfect. I am as human as the next person and when I mess up (like turning the light on and off in the garage) I need to be just as understanding of my own foibles and weaknesses as I am of someone else's.  I have been through a lot over these past few years, and I have come out the other end not half badly.  I need to give myself a pat on the back every now and then and treat myself with the same amount of kindness that I would do to anyone.  To recognize that I am just as deserving.  Can I do it?  I hope so.  

To not be so self-deprecating. Can you do this and still be humble?  I am going to try.

And with that I will end this missive for today and bid you farewell with a thought to carry with you.

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

 *.What keeps life fascinating is

the constant creativity of the soul.

~Deepak Chopra  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today, Cindy's Meatloaf.  My sister makes the best meatloaf. I am sharing her recipe with you today along with her secret ingredient. It makes the best lightest and most delicious meatloaf ever.  A bit of comfort food on a cold early Spring day.

I hope that you have a lovely day today. I am just going to be puttering around the house here. I need to finish getting my stuff gathered together for my taxes. There is no putting it off!  Whatever you get up to, be safe and be happy. Don't forget!

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And I do too!