Gaelic/English sign at the Gaelic College, St. Ann’s.
Departure: Dundee, Richmond County 9:00am
Destination: Indian Brook, Victoria County
I decided to take Mom on a day trip today. We both mind the heat and humidity so much, and although I work in air conditioning during the week, Mom doesn’t get much relief. I thought it would be nice to at least spend some time in the car in cooler conditions.
Our destination was Indian Brook, Victoria County. Why you ask? Through my workplace, I had been communicating, via phone and email, with a lady named Judy Brown. Judy operates a business called ‘The Other Cupboard Emporium’ in Indian Brook and I wanted to check it out.
Our first stop was the gift shop at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s. I hadn’t been there in many years, but I remembered it always had some lovely items. I found a CD I had been looking for “Home” by Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen. (It’s a cork’er. I’ve already listened to it twice.)
Gift Shop, Gaelic College, St. Ann’s.
From St. Ann’s to Indian Brook is about 30-35 minutes. It’s a pretty drive following along St. Ann’s Bay (I think) and North River. There was a bit of traffic but everyone seemed to be just taking their time and enjoying the surroundings.
Our next stop was Cabotto Chocolates. Oh my. This is not a safe place for me to be.
Cabotto Chocolates and Colouratura Art Gallery
The shop and gallery are in an old church.
Photo called “Waiting for Spring”, on the outside wall. Oh how we wish it was spring.
Gorgeous display of chocolates.
We sampled both dark and mild chocolate and pistachio/orange fudge. All VERY delicious. Of course we came home with a bar each.
Mom chose the Seaweed Dark Bar and I chose the Mint Dark Bar.
I thought this was a cute barrier in the parking lot.
A few steps but very easy to navigate with the handrails. Mom isn’t fond of steps but she found them great.
I introduced myself to Judy and I was very happy to finally put a face with a voice. She is every bit as lovely as I expected too. She really has a wonderful shop filled with EVERYTHING! “At The Other Cupboard we believe in offering healthier, local and affordable options to fuel your mind, body and soul. ” This quote is taken from their website. Check out their website for the many items they stock. I came away with a bottle of haskap juice.
We had planned to turn around at this point, but Judy encouraged us to continue on for just a couple of kilometres as there were a glass blowing shop, woodsmith shop and The Clucking Hen Cafe and Bakery. We took her advice and had lunch at the Clucking Hen.
The Clucking Hen Cafe & Bakery
The cafe was quite busy but there were still several empty tables. A lovely waitress came with menus, utensils and water. She was so nice and accommodating. We debated between the lobster sandwich and the lobster roll. The waitress said the lobster sandwich on oatmeal porridge bread was the best. As we took a few more minutes to decide, she returned with a full loaf of bread to show us what it looked like. We both decided to have the lobster roll. It was a grilled bun with a lining of lettuce and stuffed with delicious lobster. But we did ask to purchase a loaf of the bread and two cinnamon buns to go. All in all, a great place to eat and so many hen things to look at around the dining area.
A felted fiddle playing hen hanging on the wall.
In the yard at the Clucking Hen Cafe & Bakery. I was tempted to run around it three times hoping for rain or snow, or at least cooler temps.
The glass blower demonstrating and working today was Mervi Haapakoski. She grew up in a rural area not far from Helsinki, Finland. She lived in Ontario for several years, and then came to visit Cape Breton in 2015 and moved here in 2016. She was very nice and also hilarious.
Mervi beginning the process. She was making a starfish.
We watched Mervi for a while and then went into the gift shop. WOW! What a collection of gorgeous glass works. Tumblers, vases, pitchers, birds, tiny animals, pendants, brooches, buoys, balls, etc. I loved going through and looking at the different artists works.
Buoys
Lots of pretty balls.
Glass and metal sculpture in the front yard.
Glass tube amongst the hostas.
Another glass and metal structure.
I bought a starfish made by Mervi. It wasn’t made today as it would not have cooled enough. It’s about 4″ wide or so. I love it.
The Woodsmiths Studio was next. Oh the lovely scent of wood when we walked in the door. I didn’t get his name but a very pleasant fellow who shared some of his travel experiences. I had asked him if he was open year round and he said no, that he travels for about 3 months each winter. He has beautiful cutting boards, interesting bandsaw boxes, business card holders, pencil boxes, pen holders and lots more.
The Woodsmiths Studio
We were heading back but still checking out some more shops and still in Indian Brook. What a great place with so many artisan shops to visit. Our next stop was the Leather Works.
Another distinctive scent when we opened the door. The lovely scent of leather. I had remembered visiting the business many years ago but I remembered it being high up on a hill. I asked if they used to be located where the Other Cupboard Emporium was and that’s exactly where they were until 6 years ago. Lots of purses, belts, wallets, change purses, bracelets and much more. I bought a leather pony tail holder which I hope will work with my thick hair.
Our last shop was Piper Pewter. I have a couple of Piper Pewter Christmas ornaments but I had no idea they were a Cape Breton company until today. I have no idea why I didn’t know this.
Piper Pewter shop
This isn’t a big shop, but it is well displayed and a wonderful place to visit. They have Christmas ornaments, Clan Crest brooches, bookmarks, earrings, pendants, keychains and kilt pins. I’m sure I’ve missed some products.
At this point we were both getting tired, so we decided we’d make Baddeck our next stop. We managed to get a place to park not far from the Flying Kite Artisan Shop where I found the other CD I was looking for today. This one is “The River She Knows” by Rose Morrison. We played this one on the way home and we both enjoyed it very much. We also had Death By Chocolate ice cream in a cup. Yummy. A quick stop for potatoes at The Baddeck Co-op since they were sold out when we picked up groceries in Port Hawkesbury last night. Another quick stop at The Farmer’s Daughter for a turkey pie which we’ll have for dinner tomorrow.
Although I’ve been hearing tourism is down in Cape Breton, all the places I asked said they thought it had been much busier. We saw lots of tourists and plates from many places; Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and that was without really looking.
Mom asked to go back home through Orangedale and Marble Mountain so I accommodated. That’s a nice drive, but a bad road in places.
We had an awesome day. Thankfully everywhere we visited had air conditioning. It was hot and humid with the temperature steady at 32C. We blasted the A/C in the car too. We did some Christmas shopping, visited lots of shops, had a great lunch, met some nice people, everyone we encountered at every business was so very lovely, but most of all Mom just thanked me for taking her on this day trip and keeping her cool.
I hope you enjoyed my day with Mom, as much as I did. As always, leave a comment if you wish.
I suppose it was in late February when Mike Hunter asked me again if I wanted to share some of my writings with the literary event he was organizing in May. Mike organizes two literary events a year, in West Bay, and usually has 4 readers sharing their work. Some people are published authors, while others are just people who enjoy writing. I am the latter, someone who just plays with words. The evenings are always wonderful and often there is a musical entertainer as well. I have gone to all of them and come away wishing I had the nerve to get up and share my work. I leave the event feeling I could but usually within a day or so and certainly by the time the next events rolls around, I’ve lost the nerve. For whatever reason, I agreed this time.
I had lots of prep time and couldn’t wait to go through my poems and decide what I’d read. But the weeks flew by and about 10 days before the event I got serious and chose four to present. I really questioned myself as to why I said yes. I’m not a public speaker and putting myself in front of anymore than 2 or 3 people, and I’m out of my comfort zone. I’m not a presenter. I went to school before heritage fairs and science fairs were a thing. No way I could ever stand in front of people and speak. My speaking was done on the ball diamond, the soccer pitch, the basketball court and later on the hocky rink. Whatever was I thinking? So yes, there were nerves during the final few days but thankfully I was busy enough not to pay much attention to the nerves. I did practice reading them aloud and even had a small audience the weekend before the event. The audience was just family though, not quite the same as friends or strangers.
I would be sharing the stage, (it wasn’t really a stage, but there was a podium and a microphone) with Janet Burbidge, Jeff Townsend, Lewis MacKinnon and Jennifer Klotz (accordion player). I was looking forward to meeting Lewis MacKinnon. He is an aquaintance of my brother, Sandy, and Sandy has high praise for Lewis. Any friend of Sandy’s is a good person.
The big day arrived. I rushed home from work, quickly ate my supper and then read through my choices again and again. I arrived at the hall about 20 minutes beforehand. I had this strange feeling that although nervous, I was calm. I had asked to go first so I could enjoy the rest of the evening and was granted that request. Thank you Mike. I did not feel like mingling, as I didn’t want anyone asking me if I was nervous, so just sat down and waited. A copule of people came over and gave me a hug and told me they were looking forward to hearing me share my writings. And then I turned and saw two friends coming in the hall from Creignish; Karen MacDonald and Tracy MacIsaac. WOW, I was moved to see them come out for me. I suddenly felt like everything would be fine. I have no idea why I felt this, but I did. It was just a very warm, comforting feeling. I met Tracy and Karen through playing hockey. We have a core group of friends from those days that have become close and to see them come out to support me was touching. Another friend, Monica MacKenzie was there as well. I read a poem about a friend who had passed that we all knew well. Knowing they were there to hear it meant so much.
It was go time. I will share what I said to introduce each poem, and the poems, further on. There was a nice round of applause after each poem. I think I was a bit nervous at the start, but grew more comfortable as I moved along. When I finished I went back to my seat. A lady in front of me turned back and had tears rolling down her cheeks. The last poem was difficult to get through and immediately after seeing her tears, I know I choked up and my eyes became watery. At intermission I went to check out the offerings that were for sale; books, CD’s and things. I was quite amazed at the number of people who came up to me and complimented me on not just my writings but on the presentation and that I had done so well. It wasn’t just people I knew, but total strangers. I was overwhelmed. I’m not used to that at all. I really don’t like attention but to have people relate to things I had written was powerful. I was blown away. Perhaps they were just being nice. But would complete strangers have approached me to say nice things ‘just to be nice’ or did they really relate and admire my stuff? It’s not something I had ever expreienced before. Simply mind blowing.
I’m glad I did this. Yes, I was out of my comfort zone, but sometimes it is good to push ourselves. It’s something I’m pleased I was able to do. Will I do it again? I’m not too sure. It might be a once in a lifetime event for me. And I met Lewis MacKinnon and he is every bit as nice as my brother said, and he speaks as highly of Sandy, as Sandy does of him. That made a great night even better.
(I have inserted a few pictures that have no meaning but since the topics are on the darker side, I thought I’d include some pictures to lighten the mood.)
Dandelion fluff
Thanks Mike for the introduction and continuing to have these literary events. Thanks to everyone for coming out tonight. I am honored to share this event with Janet, Lewis, Jeff and Jennifer.
He Didn’t Know Her Name – In early March, several years ago, on my drive home from work on a Friday evening, I realized I only had one headlight. I debated all evening whether to go to Port Hawkesbury the following morning to have it replaced. I finally decided it could wait until Monday. When I woke up on Saturday I decided that I had to have it replaced immediately. I was planning to attend a concert in Boisdale that evening and thought it was best to be able to see as much as possible while driving on back roads. As I was getting ready to leave, my Mom asked me to pick up batteries as the time change was happening in a few weeks, and we MUST have batteries well in advance. I explained that we had weeks to get the batteries and I wanted to get in and back quickly. I put on a burgundy coat but once I went outdoors, I realized it was much too warm for the coat and replaced it with a navy vest. I went to town and managed to have my headlight replaced in a matter of minutes. It was still early, so I decided to go to Walmart and pick up the batteries. As I got out of my car, a genteman in a nearby vehicle also got out and started to approach me. I was a bit taken aback as he made his way directly towards me. He then said ‘can you help me? My wife is gone. I saw her walking that way’ as he pointed to the opposite end of the mall. I talked talked to him, trying to calm him down as he was very agitated. I asked him what her name was and he said Mildred. I asked what she was wearing and he hesitated and then reached out to my vest and said ‘a coat in this colour’. I managed to get him to his vehicle and assured him I would look in Walmart as nothing else was open. I walked very aisle but saw no one that I thought might be his wife. As it was early there wern’t many people in the store yet. I picked up the batteries but before leaving I checked once more. Finally I saw someone I thought might be her. This is a poem I wrote when I arrived back home.
3 keys – I decided to go to town, I changed my burgundy coat to a navy vest and I decided to stop for the batteries.
He Didn’t Know Her Name
“Can you help me, please? I’ve lost my wife.
I saw her walking, she’s my whole life.
Bring her back, I’ll wait right here.
She’s wearing a black coat, I know she’s there.
Her name is Mildred, I love her so
Why did she leave me? Where did she go?”
I strolled the aisles, no one to find
I searched and searched, she must be kind.
I saw a lady, in my view
But she wore a coat of navy blue.
This could be her, I have a task
“Is your name Mildred?”, I have to ask.
“No it’s not”, her smile so warm
“My name is Jean”, she did inform.
I said “a husband has lost his wife
He’s in the parking lot, she’s his life.
Her face was stricken, I read the fear
“Is he in a red car? I parked so near.”
I said he was, it might be him
She said his mind is growing dim.
She thanked me so and rushed outside.
I felt her pain, I could have cried.
Such a pity, no one to blame
How sad he didn’t know her name.
Yellow Swallowtail on a Lilac.
I Remember – I have taken several writing workshops from Marjroie Simmins and for a couple of years I was a member of her online monthly writing group; Coast to Coast to Coast. One of her prompts was to write a story with “I remeber” as the first words.
I Remember
I remember when penny candy was a penny
when chocolate bars were a dime
when a bottle of pop was a quarter.
I remember running barefoot all summer
swimming daily in the lake
jumping the wake on water skis.
I remember ashtrays everywhere
juke boxes on diner tables
checkered tablecloths.
I remember full sized spares
seatbelts never in use
a dimmer switch on the floor.
I remember black and white tv’s
crank telephones
single speed bicycles.
I remember softball tournaments
game winning hits
championships lost.
I remember yesterday’s supper
last week’s appointment
last month’s concert.
I remember good and bad
happy and sad
truth and fiction.
I remember family and friends
faces and names
births and deaths.
I remember.
I’m lucky.
Many can no longer.
Tulips
Abe’s Way – Another writing prompt from Marjorie Simmins was ‘write about a man walking down the road carrying a birdcage and a suitcase’. I had no idea where this poem was going when I started, so I just let Abe take me on his walk.
Abe’s Way
As Abe began his journey
Along the lush and brilliant lane
He clutched a birdcage and a suitcase
But he left behind his cane.
He shuffled along in slippers
His memories growing dim
His eyes were tired and teary
His dentures were not in.
He soon met a young lad running
With hair like Abe’s so fair
A bat, with glove dangling from it
A ball he tossed in the air.
“Hey there boy. Where are you going?”
He called out to the lad
But he didn’t hear the old man’s voice
To the field he ran like mad.
Abe’s memory started to come back
How he ran the bases four
As homer after home he hit
The ball he could make soar.
He carried on along the road
The road to who knows where
When to his delight he saw a man
A man he knew did care.
As the distance started to diminish
Abe saw the young man’s dress
His uniform pressed so precise
With medals on his chest.
He carefully placed his belongings
Upon the lush and soft green grass
Abe stood up tall and so erect
As he saluted with military class.
Much to Abe’s surprise again
The serviceman marched on by
To fight the enemy and keep us safe
Until peace was restored on high.
He picked up his possessions
As he scuffed along the lane
Up the steep hill he did climb
His breathing causing strain.
And then he saw a beautiful lady
Someone he thought he knew
He called out ‘Mary, there you are’
But she just walked on through.
Trailing her were four young children
A boy and three girls of blond
Just like his own so long ago
Before young Annie was gone.
This journey made him grow so tired
A bench he stopped to rest
He opened up his old valise
To see what he had left.
He pulled out an old ball glove
Tarnished medals and a beret
A family portrait torn and tattered
His family. Where are they?
He touched the face of little Annie
Her blond curls were so dear
A tear rolled down his weathered face
He knew his time was near.
A nurse came in his room at eight
His needs she would have tended
But he has passed away that night
His journey now had ended.
She noticed one lone tear he shed
His cheek showed a faint stain
But a smile slight she could detect
He was no longer in pain.
They opened up his suitcase
“What’s in it?” said the staff
And there they found his dentures
Abe gave them a final laugh.
He never liked to wear them
They never seemed to fit
He hid them daily on the crew
Always trying to outwit.
The empty bird cage is a mystery
Whatever could it mean
Underneath they found a letter
He wanted it to be seen.
Set your goals with enthusiasm
Live your life, be free
See and do all that you want
Soar high above the sea,
Don’t cage your dreams and close the door
And not experience life’s beauty
Go forth and spread your wings so wide
Abe says that is your duty.
Wild Rose
The Beauty of Alayne – If we are lucky we are blessed to have very special people come into our lives. I was lucky when I met Alayne Martell. She became a great friend. Someone who was there for me when I needed a helping hand, or a kick in the butt. She was the absolute funniest person I ever met. Sadly Alayne lost her battle with leukemia in 2020, after a year long fight. I remember a truly amazing person with this poem, the Beauty of Alayne. This is a tough one. Hopefully I can get through it.
The Beauty of Alayne
You are the puffy white clouds, on a bright and sunny day
You are the gentle warm breeze, and the sweet smell of mown hay
You are the brilliant rainbow, your colours seem to glow
You are the valleys lush and green, and the mountains topped with snow
You are the angel on the tree top, elegant in your beauty
You are the eagle in the pine, majestic while on duty
You are the beach, the sand, the rocks, and the white cap on a wave
You are the beacon in the dark, reaching out to save
You are the sunrise and sunset, the beginning and the end
You are the alpha and omega, a true and forever friend
You are a piece of red sea glass, rare and held so dear
I’ll forever cherish our friendship, for you are always near
You are a special greeting card, tucked away in a drawer
“Thinking of you”, I often read, when my heart is oh so sore
You touched so many people, more than you could ever know
You are the wind upon our sails, to carry us as we grow
I’ll carry on and focus upon, the air, the land, and the sea
You may be gone, but you live on, in the beauty that surrounds me.
Eagle
Thank you for reading. I love comments, so please leave one if you wish.
Recently I had a couple of people come up to me and say how much they love my Facebook posts. They love the positivity and the pictures I post. They both said they had had some difficult times in the past year, but always found my posts gave them something to think about and it helped them work through their issues. I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve had people comment on my posts and pictures many times, but to have people tell me this in person means a lot.
I haven’t posted on my blog since my Ireland trip, so I thought I’d post one before the New Year. I’ll try to share a picture or two, in case I can’t choose just one, from each month and perhaps include a few words about what they mean to me.
I hope you will find some enjoyment, or inspiration, from them, as I do. Going forward, I will try to post more blogs in the coming year. And I will try to remain positive in a world that has much too much negativity.
Here we go…..I thought choosing the pictures would be easy, but not so. I struggled and spent hours looking through the whole year. Some months will have two, while others will have three.
JANUARY
What is prettier than an Amaryllis? Love the rich red colour of this one. They are fun to watch, as they grow so high and quite quickly. And they come in a variety of reds, pinks, whites and combinations.
Amaryllis
My Happy Place – is a location in my yard that I can sit and look towards the upper end of Black River, the river that borders my property. It’s a gorgeous view no matter the weather or the season. It’s a place I can go and meditate, think, knit, read, sip coffee or just sit and admire the view, the wildlife, and nature.
My Happy Place
FEBRUARY
I am blessed to see so much wildlife in my own yard. There is an abundance of eagles, which thrill me, and I see them almost every day. I’m happy to say there is a nest being built very close to where I live. I’ve been watching the progress and I plan to do a blog on just eagles and their behaviour soon.
Eagle
This is MacRae’s Island just after a snowfall. It’s a short walk from my home and I think it is stunning with the trees covered in snow and the water so blue. There is actually an eagle in the tree second from the right. This island is shaped like a heart.
MacRae’s Island
MARCH
Look at this face. Is that not cute? Love the Highland cattle and my friend Robert Pringle has a few. They are adorable, but I’d not want to have one turn on me. We are blessed to have some local farms around that provide us with fresh meat and eggs. I’m not sure I could eat this cutie.
Highland Cattle
I love sheep. This picture is from Katherine Farms where I got to go in the pen and see all the baby lambs. So so so cute. Some of them were tame enough to pet. Such a cute face. (PS…I don’t eat lamb.)
Lamb
APRIL
Crocuses make me happy. They are so hardy, sometimes popping through a late snowfall. And their colour is so vibrant. They give hope of spring arriving and bringing sun and warmth. I know….I’m in Cape Breton and spring is rarely sunny or warm. But they still make one hopeful. One of the first colours in the spring.
Crocus
One thing I love is sitting around a table, with friends and family, sharing food and drink, and conversation. This was our Easter dinner table at my brother’s. Such a nice time. Sandy and Greg did the cooking and it was so delicious.
Easter Dinner Table
MAY
I travelled to Ireland in May and the next two pictures are from my trip. It was so so hard to pick only two pictures this month. The first is a stained glass window at St. Mary’s Church of Ireland in Killarney. I am not really religious, but perhaps more spiritual. I do love going into churches to see the stained glass windows, the architecture, the pipes if there is a pipe organ, and many other aspects of the church. I also enjoyed roaming about on my own, when time permitted on this trip.
Stained Glass – love the rich colours and the black background.
I think the Laburnum tree, sometimes called Golden Chain or Golden Rain, is gorgeous. How can something this gorgeous be so poisonous? As I understand it, every aspect of this tree is poisonous from blossom, leaf, bark, trunk and root. It contains cytisine which is toxic to both humans and pets. Mind you I had no desire to try a taste of any part of the tree.
Laburnum Tree (Golden Chain, Golden Rain)
JUNE
Dandelions are one of the first flowers that bees use in the spring. I don’t mind seeing them take over my yard when they are in bloom. They provide colour and I love watching the bees fly from blossom to blossom. However once they start to go by, and they lay down when the mower arrives and refuse to be cut, they do become annoying.
Dandelion
Dandelion Seeds – I do love the symmetry of the seed tufts though.
Bleeding hearts were never my favourite flower but they are growing on me. I bought two at an end of season sale several years ago, one of which has survived. I have since bought another one and had a white one given to me. They seem slow to grow, so I might have to look at moving them to give them more of whatever they need. I’m thinking they are too shaded. I’ll have to research what conditions are best for them. I think it is more of the name of the flower that I don’t like than the actual flower.
Bleeding Heart
JULY
I started growing Bearded Iris a few years ago. They are gorgeous. I love some of the names they have and their construction is interesting. The three main parts of the iris are the “standards” which are the three upright petals, the “falls” which are the three lower petals that either fall down or flare out and the “beard” which is the fuzzy catipillar from which the bearded iris gets its name. The following iris has peach standards, purple falls and orange beard.
Coup de Soleil (translation is Sunburn) Bearded Iris
I love what this picture doesn’t show. Simply this is just a platform for diving or jumping into the water. Beyond this is the Bras d’Or Lake, MacRae’s Island, and further across the lake is West Bay and Lime Hill. However the fog was heavy and I saw nothing but the platform and its reflection. Simplicity.
Platform for diving and jumping into the water.
AUGUST
I love planting my garden. I embrace weeding, finding it a time to just unwind and relax while pulling weeds and making the garden look nice. This picture shows a cucumber maturing and giving me hope for a successful garden. It was not to be. The deer finally found out that they can jump the rather low 3′ fence I had been using for years. Why it took them so long is beyond me, but this was the first year. They basically decimated the garden. We had very few peas and beans in our freezer for the winter and they are long gone. They tried most of the zucchini and realized they didn’t like them. I found many that had been bitten off and spit out. I did get a few cucumbers and tomatoes but very few. The deer were so bold that even yelling at them did nothing. I had to actually run after them to get them to leave the garden. I love wildlife and enjoy seeing the deer in my yard, but it did become very frustrating this year. I haven’t decided if I will bother with a garden next year.
Cucumber
I still miss my dear friend, Alayne Martell. Although her presence is no longer, it is comforting to know her memory lives on in Harbour Wars, Alayne’s Legacy. This is a fun competition, which was started by Alayne, between fisherman/fisherwoman, that raises funds for the Tom MacNeil Cancer Centre in Sydney. It is run by a passionate group of volunteers. This year they raised close to $50,000. Mind blowing from a small fishing community, but the local support is tremendous. She would be so proud.
Harbour Wars Alayne’s Legacy
We may find ourselves surrounded by larger than life people, or by intimidators, or we may feel inferior by others actions, or we may just be uncomfortable at times. But we are all beautiful in our own way. My Hibiscus thrived out on my back deck this summer. It is dwarfed by the Canna Lilies which grew to enormous heights. The foliage on the Canna Lilies is beautiful, but once again they didn’t bloom. But the wee Hibiscus brought me so much joy with its beauty. We can find beauty in most anything, but we just have to look. Like the foliage in the canna’s or the blossom in the tiny Hibiscus. Like the plants, we all have something to offer.
Hibiscus dwarfed by the Canna Lilies
SEPTEMBER
I love to go for walks with my camera. Sometimes I take no pictures and wonder why I brought it. Other times I see so much and take tons of pictures. This image is simply birds on a wire. All too often I find myself looking down or off to the sides when walking but rarely looking up. When I did look up, I saw this and thought it was cool. Nothing particularly special, but it appealed to me.
Birds on a wire
One of my Mom’s and my passions is doing jigsaw puzzles. We usually do only 1000 pieces or more. They are relaxing and fun. They can be frustrating too if they are hard but so satisfying when we complete the more difficult ones. We have a few friends that we trade with, or just pass them along too. It’s a great pastime, particularly during the winter. We started early this year, in September, and we are working on puzzle 22 now. Since writing this we have completed #22.
One of our favourite pastimes, jigsaw puzzles.
OCTOBER
I’m lucky to have my Mom living with me. We get along, most of the time. We share many of the same interests and enjoy doing things together. Mom loves to play cards and although I’m not as keen to play as she is, I do usually play 45’s with her before I go to work in the morning and one game of crib in the evening. She would play for hours on end if given the opportunity. She’s a competitor too. We played crib on the deck early in the month on a rather warm gorgeous weekend. It was a close game, but she won. Special times for sure.
Crib on the deck with Mom.
Another one of nature’s beauties is a rainbow. No words to express the beauty of this one and the picture really doesn’t do it justice. Spectacular to say the least. It was one of the most vibrant rainbows I had ever seen. This is looking down our driveway.
Rainbow
NOVEMBER
I couldn’t get through the year without sharing pictures of my foster kitties. They are owned by my next door neighbours and I look after them when their humans go away. I love them so much. I can be feeling down when I go to visit them and they just lift my spirits. Miella is very friendly. She has learned that as soon as I go inside and take off my Crocs she is supposed to roll on them, turn her belly upwards for belly rubs and she will be fed quickly. It took a few visits but she gets it now. Gus is a bit more standoffish. He likes belly and armpit rubs on his terms only. He also learned that if he lets Miella get the rubs first, they get fed much faster. He does like to play bird on a string sometimes and really goes berserk at times. He’s fun. They are both the best kitties. So cute.
Miella Angus
The moon. I tend to take lots of pictures of the moon. Why? Who knows. It’s just cool. Sliver moon, quarter moon, half moon, full moon, it doesn’t matter, I just like to photograph the moon.
The Moon
DECEMBER
I love to knit. Knitting relaxes me and takes me to a happy place. I love the clickety click rhythm of the needles, and the feel of the fibres moving through my fingers. I love the end product. While I knit, I usually know who the recipient is going to be. I think of that person and I like to think I’m putting love in each stitch, or a happy memory, or a hug, or a wish for well being, for that special person. Knitting is my passion. I have always loved knitting but more so in recent times, as it had become coping mechanism for me. When things are upsetting me, knitting lets me drift to a place of contentment. It might not fix the situation but it calms me allowing me to perhaps reassess and carry on. The following picture shows works socks I gifted for Christmas.
Work Socks made with Briggs and Little Wool
Family are our most precious gifts. I’m lucky to have a wonderful Mom who is my best friend, who has been my support, my confidant, my advisor, my teacher and my mentor. She puts up with my quirkiness, my messy cooking adventures, my attempt at making music, and my stubbornness. I’m also lucky to have an amazing brother, Sandy, who has many of the same attributes of my Mom. He is level headed and makes me see more than one side of any issue. He’s kind, caring and compassionate. He put up with my endless teasing and pestering when we were growing up. He must be a saint. I love him more than he will ever know. I’m also lucky to have Greg, Sandy’s partner, who is like a second brother to me. I know I can lean on him and I have, and ask for advice and he will offer, as he has in the past. I know I can trust him unconditionally. I’m so glad to know he is in the family. This picture was taken by Mary, Greg’s Mom, at Christmas. These are my most important people.
Greg, Sandy, Hughena, Enid (Mom)
You’ll see that I tend to enjoy flowers, wildlife, nature, knitting, jigsaw puzzles, spending time with those important to me, and the simple things life has to offer. No drama for me. This is just a bit of what I love to do and see.
Friends are also so important to me. I have many friends who have been and continue to be very supportive of me. I’m very lucky to have such wonderful people in my life. You know who you are and I thank you for being my friend.
I also love music and attend concerts when the opportunity arises. Music is also a relaxing environment that makes me slow down and appreciate the talent. I would have posted pictures of concerts, but I didn’t have permission from any of the musicians, and didn’t want to reach out and ask at this time of year, as everyone is so busy. I also play music and have many instruments. Am I any good? No, but I love to try and when something works it is rewarding. It’s just fun to experiment.
I enjoy writing, which you are reading a sample of right now. I tend to write poetry, more than prose. I’ve participated in an online writing group for a couple of years, and I enjoyed an incredible writing session with Newfoundland author Donna Morrissey this past November.
There is never enough time to do everything, but we must make time to do the things that bring us happiness, and that we are passionate about. We need to slow down and count our blessings. We need to be grateful for the people in our lives and let them know what they mean to us. And we need to appreciate the little things as well.
In closing I want to wish you the very best for 2024.
&
If you like what you read, leave a comment. If you didn’t like what you read, leave a comment as well.
All photos taken by myself unless otherwise noted.
Meet Hastings, compliments of Europa Hotel, Belfast, Ireland. Even rubber ducks like to float.
I was gifted a float session by my foster kitties, Miella and Gus, last year. Although I had heard of floats, I wasn’t really aware of just what the purpose was or how they worked. And I wasn’t sure this is something I’d ever want to try, but I recently did. I’ll attempt to give you a bit of background information and describe my first float experience in this blog.
Miella
Gus
I had lots of questions prior to my first float; what is a float, what do I wear, what do I bring, is it hygienic, what if I can’t do it, or don’t like it, etc. I generally ask a lot of questions, especially if I am trying something I’ve never done before. However, every float is different, and everyone has different expectations and experiences.
What is a salt water float?
A salt water float generally takes place in a sensory deprivation chamber, aka float tank or pod. There is approximately one foot of warm water, (temperature is approximately that of the human body; 33-36C), and a thousand pounds of epsom salts. The high concentration of salt automatically makes one very buoyant. Floating in a pod eliminates as much outside distractions as possible. Floats are sometimes referred to as REST – restricted/reduced environmental sensory therapy.
What is a pod?
A pod is an enclosed tank. The pod I floated in had a large door. Once in the pod, you kneel and pull the handle down to close the door. The whole idea is to have the least amount of distractions as possible. The tank is sound proof, dark (although you can leave the light on but again, less stimulation the better), and warm. If you are claustrophobic you may not be able to float in a tank, although even with the door closed, there is still lots of room to sit up and I didn’t feel the least bit uncomfortable as there was plenty of space. There are also float rooms that have an open pool/float space that is an option for those not feeling comfortable in an enclosure.
Float Pod – look at those eyes.
In this picture the door is open and the light is on. Once you, you kneel, close the door and float with your head at the far end, although if you are more comfortable with your head at the door end, float your boat, or your body.
Is the pod hygienic?
I asked this question and was told that the filtration system uses a UV light, an ozonator, along with several filters, and the water is constantly being circulated. They are much cleanlier than a public pool.
What do you wear for a float?
It’s best to wear just your birthday suit, although you can wear a bathing suit, but again the less stimulation, the better the float.
What is the purpose of a float?
The idea is to be in a totally relaxed environment, with no outside stimulation, so your mind can drift between wakefulness, meditative state or sleep and your muscles can relax to a natural state. The buoyancy is similar to a zero gravity experience.
Reaching the theta state is the optimal state. This is a very positive mind set state, meditative state or daydream state. This is the state when tasks are so automated that you mentally disconnect from them. Also, the state just before deep sleep and the state just as you are waking up.
If I fall sleep, might I roll over and drown?
Not likely. The buoyancy makes it nearly impossible to unintentionally roll over.
Will I get water in my ears?
Oddly this was never a concern for me, although I have no idea why. I used to get water in my ears whenever I went swimming, and be in discomfort for hours/days. The floatation centre will provide you with ear plugs, so you shouldn’t’ get water in your ears.
What are the benefits of a float?
The benefits are endless but not limited to; alleviating insomnia, migraines, mental anxiety, muscle tension, joint pain, depression, decrease blood pressure, stress relief, processing emotional trauma, detoxification, improved athletic performance, improved creativity and many more.
It is said that floating for one hour is equal to sleeping for six hours.
Are there people who shouldn’t float?
These are some reasons, but not limited to, why you may not be able to, or shouldn’t float.If you have open wounds, it is best to wait til they heal before you float. It is not recommended if you have contagious diseases, untreated epilepsy, low blood pressure, kidney diseases, claustrophobia (open float room is a recommended or leave the door open in a pod), recent tattoo’s or piercings, undergoing chemo or radiation, or incontinence. If you have any questions, it would be best to talk to your health care professional before booking a float.
This is the Douglas Room at Nepsis Floatation in Antigonish. If you would be uncomfortable in an enclosed pod you may want to dry the open float room.
My friend, Krista Crane, booked our floats about a week in advance. Once I knew we were booked I became anxious, nervous, excited and apprehensive. I really wasn’t sure I wanted to try this, but since I had a gift certificate, why not. I peppered Krista with questions, as she is an old pro when it comes to floats. I’m sure she was ready to tell me to knock it off with the questions, but I’m grateful for Krista for encouraging me, answering my questions, and knowing I needed to do this float when we did.
Krista, who recently turned 50.
What do I need to bring? Towels, soap, shampoo, brush, bathing suit, and on and on. Krista said all I needed was a brush for my hair, deodorant and a water bottle. You may get thirsty after floating. I was.
Will there be light or music? You have the choice to leave the light on, or off. You can have music on or off. Again, less stimulation the better the float.
Do I shower before or after? Both. Shower before so you are clean and after to get rid of the salt.
Poor Krista, it went on and on.
Our float was scheduled for 2pm, for 45 minutes. Krista picked me up at 11. (I have to admit my state of mind wasn’t great and I almost cancelled prior to pickup.) She had a plan prior to the float. I was not aware, so it would be a surprise. We went to the Front Porch in Mulgrave, for a snack prior to our float. It is recommended to have something light to eat, prior to floating. You don’t want your tummy rumbling from hunger while floating. I had a most delicious scone. I had never been to the Front Porch before, but believe me I’ll be going back. A quaint, interesting, lovely place on the water in Mulgrave. Very relaxing and homey feeling. For some reason I want to call it The Open Door.
Quaint decor. This is a tabletop of wood and coffee beans.
I love this table and swings for seats. Mini lights add a nice touch.
We then took some back roads, very back roads at one point, making our way to Antigonish to Nepsis Floatation. It was a nice drive and we passed through some very pretty areas. I think this led to a relaxed state prior to the float.
We spotted an eagle’s nest and once I loaded the picture I noticed an eagle in the nest.
And as per our usual drives, we found some cows. We stopped to say Hi, I mean moooooooo.
Upon arrival at Nepsis Floatation, we were greeted by Amanda Maginley, owner of the business. The setting is quiet, soothing, and relaxing. There is a room, with dim lighting, the chill room, where Amanda met with Krista and I. She explained the process and we had time to ask any questions we may have. Amanda is patient and answered everything in detail.
Amanda led us to our pod rooms. Of course we had separate rooms, with our own pods. Since this was my first time, Amanda took me to the pod and explained what to do and offered some information I’d not thought about. The room has a shower, the pod, benches and hooks for convenience, a chair and all the amenities needed; towels, washcloths, bathrobe, ear plugs, halo (for placing under you head in the pod), short float noodle (in case you want more floatation under your back, legs, shoulders, etc), shampoo, conditioner, soap and vaseline. Tubes of vaseline are supplied to apply to hangnails, small scratches/scraps, and some people have sensitive hoo hoo’s. Yes, you read that correctly. I asked Amanda how I would know the float is over. She said music would play. If I didn’t hear it the first time, she would play it again, a bit louder. If I still didn’t hear it, she would knock on the door and come in, but would not open the pod.
You are required to use the washroom (located across from your pod room, hence the bathrobe) prior to floating.
I’m now left alone in my float room. OMG! I undress and insert my earplugs prior to showering. It is recommended to insert the earplugs prior to getting wet. The first shower is to cleanse your body. You don’t wash your hair in the first shower. Once you are finished you make your way to the pod. I bring a washcloth with me, in case I end up with the salt water in or around my eyes. Thank you Krista. Amanda has also placed a spray bottle of regular water in the pod to spray my face in case of the salt water coming in contact in or around my eyes, nose or mouth. I carefully step into the pod and immediately feel the warmth and soothing feeling of the water. I lower the lid/door, but of course I didn’t pay attention to Amanda saying ‘make sure you are kneeling or sitting when you lower the lid’. Of course, I plunked myself on the head with the lid. Once the lid is closed. I take the halo and small noodle and lay down with my head away from the lid opening. The light is still on at this point, but I decide I don’t want any light and I turn it off. Total darkness. I lay there observing nothing. No light. No sound. I’m floating. It is bizarre really. The water is so comforting. I take note that only my toes, chest, face and a small part of the back of my hand are out of the water. I position the halo to provide extra buoyancy for my head, but I soon realize I don’t need it or want it. At some point my halo leaves me. initially my arms are down by my sides. But I try different positions and raise them up by my shoulders.
I take note that I feel like I am not connected to my body. WHAT? Yes, I am aware of the parts of my body out of the water, but not the parts under water. I know my toes are there, but there feels like nothing connected to my toes. I also notice that the discomfort in my knees is nonexistent. My joints are not aching. Oh my, this is heavenly. However, I do notice that I’m getting soreness at the base of my head, my neck and across my shoulders. I try the noodle and I relocate the halo, and although I get some comfort, before long the discomfort returns. I just let it be and try to ignore it.
There is no concept of time. I try not to think about not thinking. I’ve never been one to truly relax. The past few months have been stressful and I try to forget about all of that. But the more I try to not think about it, the more things come to mind. I focus on my breathing and just the sensation of floating. I begin to twitch; toes, feet, hands. At one point I have this ridiculous thought ‘what if the building catches fire and they forget I’m in here’. And the next thought is ‘I’m in water, I’ll be fine’ which is ridiculous, but as quick as the thought came, it went. A good sign that this thought came and went so fast, I assume. I know at times I thought about ‘time’ wondering how much more time I had to float. I had no idea. I wondered if I’d hear the music. Every time I thought of something, I found my mind going back to the sensation of the float, the water temperature, the soothing feeling, etc. I hear a strange sound. What was that? Nothing I assume, but then I continue to hear it. It’s music. My float is over already? Seriously. I jump up, opening my lid, thankfully not banging my head, and find I’m rushing. I also have a sense that I am leaning forward and have to concentrate on not losing my balance. Perhaps this is because of the near zero gravity experience of the float.
It’s shower time again. Shower number two is shampoo, conditioner (if you wish) and a good body cleansing to eliminate the salt. I dress and proceed to another room to comb my hair and use any of the hair care products provided. There is time to sit in the chill room and discuss the experience with Amanda, relax, be in the moment and absorb what your float was like, and/or have a cup of tea. I know I didn’t get to the theta state, but Amanda assures me that is normal for the first float. I explained that part way through I had a very bitter taste in my mouth, which is probably from the salt and its presence in the air in the pod. I mentioned the discomfort in my neck/shoulders and Amanda explained this is due to holding onto stress and given the past while, that is no surprise. I also said that I was twitching which Amanda said is a good sign as I was releasing cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Believe me, I’m sure I have a lot of that stored up. Not a good thing.
Overall this was a tremendous experience. I’m going to go back again very soon for another float. I want to go while this first float is still fresh and see if I can get closer to the theta state. The first float is a ‘what’ float. All the initial questions and concerns are answered. I felt relaxed and rejuvenated. I had an overwhelming feeling of having done something good for myself, which I rarely do. I also realized I need to work on quieting my mind and lessening the stress. I’ve done well over the past three years, or so, of appreciating the little things and getting outdoors and being in the moment and enjoying nature. I need to do more of this and work on my breathing and meditating. I need to make time for me and realize that it is okay to do that. I need to let go of the guilt when I do things for myself.
If anyone has any questions or concerns about floatation therapy, ask and I’ll answer based on my one and only experience. Better yet, contact a floatation therapy location near you. I highly recommend trying it.
Nepsis Floatation offers several intro and membership packages. They are the only float therapy business east of HRM.
Whale motif in the pod room.
Thank you Krista for taking me to my first float, for getting me out of my comfort zone and doing something for ME. You recognized, more than I did, that I needed to do this. Hugs my friend.
In closing, a huge thank you to my foster kitties, Miella and Gus. Thank you my dear fur kids, for gifting me this float experience. Signed, Foster Mom, aka Two Treats.
Miella
Gus
If you liked what your read, or have any questions that I might be able to answer, feel free to leave a comment. As always, all pictures were taken by yours truly.
March 8/22 – I am so blessed to live where I do. I get to see wildlife each and every day. There is no shortage to the goings on; eagles, deer, mink, otter, bobcat/lynx, beaver, songbirds, crows, etc. Today I watched an otter play on a clamper. It would dive in the water and then climb back onto the clamper, before diving back in again. It was fishing and came up with a small fish to munch on after a couple of dives. How lucky am I to witness so much?
Otter
Deer
March 9/22 – Laughing. Yes, simply laughing. There is really no better feeling than having a gut laugh, or laughing until tears roll down your face. I don’t laugh enough but I’m laughing more than I did for many years. (I need to start laughing more again.)
Mom and Cousin It – Christmas 2022
March 10/22 – The moon was beautiful tonight. And no matter where you are in the world, we all look at the same moon. The moon takes on many views. It can be huge and orangey, a crescent shape, a half moon, full moon and anything in between. There are many different names for the full moon. It can take on an eerie look or be vibrant and clear. But regardless there is only one moon and everyone sees the same one.
Crescent moon
Full moon
March 11/22 – I love Friday’s because this is when all three knitting blogs, that I have registered for, arrive in my inbox. The three that I receive are from Darn Yarn, Galt House of Yarn and Les Laines Biscotte. I love to see the new yarn, colours, patterns, notions and ideas each week.
I love yarn. It allows me to be creative.
Knitting relieves stress for me.
March 12/22 – Gaelic – I attended a Gaelic class today. What fun!! I took Gaelic many years ago for a few weeks and I loved it. I’ll never been a speaker but for 1-2 hours weekly, for the next few weeks, I’ll be attending. My teacher is Robert Pringle. I had his grandfather, Will Pringle, as my teacher in grades 4-6. I thought that was cool. (Unfortunately I can no longer attend as classes are during my work day, but I’m still very interested.)
100,000 welcomes – Scots Gaelic
Irish Language (Cross stitch I did in 1995).
March 13/22 – I love a warm shower. The feeling of water cascading over my body is amazing. I once read that it was one of the things Christopher Reeve really missed, after he became paralyzed, was the feeling of water flowing over his body in the shower. It’s such a heavenly feeling to me. (I will spare you a photo of me in the shower.)
An eagle drying its wings. I wonder if birds like showers?
March 14/22 – I love to read and I love getting lost in a good book that reels you in and makes you feel like you are in the story. I read every night before I go to sleep. I go to bed at 9 and I read until at least 9:20-9:30. It relaxes me before going to sleep.
Two books by friends and local authors that I recently read.
March 15/22 – Wordle, Canuckle (no longer available), Quordle, Wordle 2 and Crosswords. I love word puzzles. Wordle has taken social media by storm. It’s just a fun puzzle that I like to do each morning. Canuckle is the Canadian version and this one gives a fun fact after you solve the puzzle which is interesting. I always do the newspaper crossword puzzle while on the exercise bike after supper. (Thankfully I have dozens saved from last summer as the newspaper is no longer delivered.) I’ll post a picture of another kind of puzzle I love to do, jigsaw puzzles.
Wooden butterfly jigsaw puzzle
March 16/22 – Covid Rapid Test. Well, I’m not sure this is a pleasure really, but the fact one can test for Covid at home is kind of pleasurable. I did my first rapid test today. The throat swab was first, obviously. The directions said ‘you might gag’. I only have read the word ‘gag’ and my gag reflex is activated. Rubbing the swab back and forth at the back of the throat certainly had me gagging. Then the nose swab, both sides. Instructions said ‘your eye may water’. By the time I was finished and waiting the 15 minutes for results I was gagging, sneezing, my eyes were watery and my nose was overflowing with snots. Sorry to be so descriptive. I was a mess. I needed a shower. Oh, did I tell you how much I love a shower? Yup, made me feel all better. And by the way, the test was negative. Always a relief to get a negative test, but I think I’d sooner have someone else drive the swab up my nose.
I used a couple of these last weekend. I was negative. One of the few tests where a negative means a pass.
March 17/22 – On the drive home from work this evening, I met a car with a bright yellow vanity plate that said “BE HAPPY”. Yes, let’s all be happy and grateful. We have a choice to see the negative in things, or to find the positives in everything. So go forth and be happy, and see the glass half full, or maybe even full, or overflowing. This was a fun challenge.
A smiling eagle.
Be happy, be grateful always.
How is your list of simple pleasures coming along? If you enjoyed this three part blog, leave a comment. Let me know what simple pleasures you enjoy.
Thank you for reading. Once again all pictures were taken my me.
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