One Of Those Nights

It would be nice after a full day to be able to close your eyes and drift into a peaceful sleep.  Most nights that is the way it goes.  Tonight….not so much.  As I laid in bed, I began to hear the night sounds.  The birds have quieted and the frogs have picked up the chorus.  In the distance, the coyotes begin to sing their mournful song.  It seems that the group harmonizes with their eerie but somewhat peaceful tune.  Soon, they quiet down.  They must have been able to find rest.

I begin all the practiced techniques of falling asleep.  I start with praying…there are a lot of people to pray for…some sick, some grieving, some trying to sell a house.  With my round of prayers completed, my mind still rolls.  Next, I try to concentrate on relaxing.  I think about each part of my body, trying to make sure that I am totally relaxed.  Nope, my brain is not relaxing!

I listen to Ron’s breathing and try to mimic it.  By now, I know that nothing is going to work.  I slowly slide out from under the covers, grab a blanket and a pillow and head to the couch. Perhaps…just maybe, I can journal a blog and after putting some thoughts in print, I can fall asleep.  It’s worth a try.

I guess some nights sleep is just overrated.  Thankfully, I don’t have any plans in the morning.  

HaPpY bIrThDaY to Me!

Birthdays seem to roll around faster every year.  They certainly don’t hold the same excitement that they did when I was young. 

• Remember the excitement of turning 10…woo hoo, double digits!  
• Then, the thrilling age of 13…officially a teenager.  
• Nothing quite compares to that 16th birthday when you can start your driving career.

When I turned 20, it felt like adult life was real especially since I was now a wife.  At 26, I became a mom and then I began to count my children’s birthdays and then eventually my grandchildren.  

Today, I turned 61.  Wow!  

It was a good day.  Ron and I went to Denny’s for lunch.  Birthday people get a free meal.  I ordered off the 55+ menu even though that was so six years ago.

I received birthday greetings through cards, video chats, phone calls and in person.  Jenn sent me a beautiful fall flower arrangement.

I got a free blizzard just for turning a year older!

We went to Roxann and Philip’s for supper.  Cousin Philip and I share the same birthday and we have never celebrated together.  Roxann wanted to change that.  They made a Newfoundland Jiggs Dinner.  So much food and so good.

Ron was in charge of the cake and that was tasty too.

So turning older may not be as exciting as it once was but it’s still fun to celebrate, you can find freebies on your special day and get discounts.  

Just think only four more years until the government will pay me!

A Full Friday

We loaded our canoe last night and made plans to get on a lake this morning.  

We put in at Gull Lake and paddled into Little Gull.  

The lakes were quite small so we went around the perimeter until we found where the portage was to get into Puzzle Lake.  The “puzzle” is how could we ever carry the canoe?  The portage is short but not a smooth path.  We decided walking the portage was good enough.

We loaded the canoe and drove home and switched vehicles.  We took the scenic route to Westport and on to Charleston Lake.  

We had our lunch there and Ron went for a swim.

 I was getting pretty tired on the way home and then I got a text, “6:00 at the Black Cat.”  

After a short turn around and perhaps a little nap on the couch, we headed to the Black Cat.  It’s fun connecting with cousins.  Gary was itching to get the instruments out and so it became a two hour night of music on the front porch of the old hotel.  

Time for bed…

Meet & Greet

Our small community had a tragedy happen earlier this week.  A death is always hard but when it happens in a small village it touches a lot of people in a deeper way. We are new here and didn’t know this individual but our hearts go out to the family and friends that are affected by this loss.

A community “Meet and Greet” had been in the works for several months.  It was organized by some local business men and clubs to help newcomers connect to the locals.  

The question was asked, “should the event still continue after a community has suffered?” The organizers felt that they needed to follow through with their plans to show that as a community, we stand together.

We walked to the area and could feel the grief.  People were talking in hushed voices, voicing their sadness.  The barbeques were hot and the table was laid out with treats and drinks.  

New and old members visited on this beautiful afternoon and into the evening.  There was a sense of strength as those that grieved were able to share memories with others.  The conversation floated to questions about new connections.

I chatted with an older man who had gone out west with my dad when they were in their teens.  Ron and a local realtor reminisced about connections from 40 years ago.  I met a young couple that had just moved from British Columbia.  He was a local guy moving back and she was a BC girl.  Their dogs drew me to them and their personalities kept me talking.

When we thanked our hosts and said our goodbyes, we had a little more sense that we have come home.

My Favourite Season

As the summer months come to a close, there is a bit of sadness for some.  The bathing suit, shorts and cool tops will soon be packed away.  The sweaters are on standby for those cool evenings that are sure to come.  The dreaded season wardrobe change is a bit of a wonder…what will fit me from when I put my summer clothes away?  And, then I remember… my fall clothes are mostly stretchy tights and long sweaters…BRING on the cold!

Fall is actually my favourite season.  When I was younger, much younger, it was because my birthday fell right at the start of the season and that was always exciting.  Birthdays don’t thrill me like they use to but watching God paint the trees to such brilliance makes me smile.  First the colours slowly change until eventually the woods become a masterpiece.  It is just starting!

Today, we did the fall thing.  We went for a walk along the river.

We biked down a road that we call the “canopy road.”  We are anxious to see this is full colour.

We then went for a drive to an orchard and picked apples and bought a couple of pie pumpkins.  We stopped at a nursery and added fall mums to our Fall finds.

When we got home we peeled, sliced and cooked.  We put apple sauce in the fridge and freezer and enjoyed a warm apple crisp.

There is so much to enjoy in the fall and we are experiencing an Ontario fall season once again…new and old adventures to find.  Harvest treats to make me thankful for stretchy waistbands.

It’s Been A Minute

Life can be so busy even as a retiree.  It’s a different kind of busy these days.  The work schedule is replaced by more of a social schedule.  When you start to think there is nothing going on, that is when the calendar appears to have a conflict.

We are enjoying the times that we can meet for a coffee with someone or be able to attend special celebrations.  I have also been relearning some of the hobbies that I had put aside…like knitting, reading and discovering new recipes.  

Recently a cousin-in-law (is that an actual term?) and I decided one week to take a western trip the next week.  It was very spontaneous and proved to be a lot of fun.

While we were away, because this “cousin” chooses to be more private than I do about adventures, I wrote a little journal each day and sent it to our family chat room and to a special cousin.  She is an in-law too!  When I returned home and got to meet up with Denise, she told me how much they enjoyed our adventures through my writing.  

She told me that I should be writing a blog and so I resurrected my old one.

I’m hoping that I can find some interesting things to write in here.  

So here we go….another hobby resurrected.   This is for you, Denise!!

It’s Here

It’s only 8:30 and I have already crawled into bed.  Ron and I have spent this week getting ready for what is about to happen.  We have signed papers to sell our house and had a zoom meeting to docusign to purchase one.  We have cancelled utilities in Alberta and arranged for hookups in Ontario.  We have our suitcases packed and hopefully they are hidden enough from the real packers AND tomorrow it begins.  The packers will arrive and get to work while we sit and watch.

I think we will have the weekend to live amongst boxes and they will return on Monday to finish it up.  Tuesday, our house will be loaded into a transport.  That thought always blows my mind.  How can it fit?  I then find out that actually three household items are going to be in one truck and transported to Ontario.

So, good night from me.  It seem to take along time but now we are here.