Celebrating Little Things

Category: Life (Page 2 of 3)

30 Days of Simple Pleasures

Part 2

Egypt Falls
  • February 26/22 – I went to Port Hawkesbury early this morning. I had to pick up water softener salt. The bags are 18kgs; large and heavy. Once I load them in the cart, I navigate to the checkout and the cashier just waves the scanner over one and counts the bags I have. This morning the cashier said ‘you’ll have to put all those up on the counter’. OMG! At first I didn’t realize she was joking. Once I did, we had a good laugh. She was a riot. We kept up the banter until I left. On the way out the person working the customer service counter said ‘Have a great day’ and then the young man at the exit said ‘enjoy the rest of your day’. I’m not a fan of Walmart, as a rule, but I have to say I was very impressed with these three people and their friendliness.  Of course no picture, so something that makes me laugh sometimes.
Squirrel
  • February 27/22 – A visit from friends. Covid has made everyone realize how important friends are. It was nice to gather with Sarah, her Mom (Martha) and her sister, Fiona, (who was on an extended stay in Cape Breton, from her home in New Zealand). Sarah was looking for Lopi sweater knitting patterns and I was happy to provide her with a large file folder of many patterns for her perusal. We sweets and coffee. We chatted and just enjoyed our time together. Martha gifted us with quince/rosemary jelly and Sarah brought us a dozen fresh eggs. Sarah’s eggs are awesome too. Sarah is a teacher and a farmer (sheep and hens) and her farm is called Rock Loaf Farm. 
Lamb
  • February 28 – I wake up every morning and look at amazing artwork I have on the walls of my bedroom. They are just pieces I’ve picked up, or have been given to me, that I just like. 
“One of these things is not like the other” – my own creation
Natasha Miller whose work I love. (https://nrmiller.com)
  • March 1 – Nova Scotia Health Authority Colon Cancer Prevention Program letter. Yup, when you turn 50 (and every 2 years after that) in NS you get the big yellow envelope from the NS Health Authority for testing your stool. Happy 50th. Ick. No one likes to talk about this, however it’s important to complete the test. Then the letter arrives some weeks later. Today, the letter arrived. Do I tear it open and read it immediately? Or do I pay not attention to it? Or do I slowly open it while surfing Facebook, pretending not to be overly interested? The latter. NORMAL! Yeah. Now for something not so crappy.
Yellow Swallowtail on a lilac.
  • March 2 – Music. Music has been a huge part of my life forever. I was first exposed to music while still in the womb. Live concerts began when I was only 3 years old. The turntable was constantly used for nap time as a toddler. Piano lessons began when I was very young and I have no recollection of actually learning to read music. Over the years I’ve dabbled in, and collected, many instruments; fiddle, mandolin, concertina, whistles, flute, and bodhran. Tonight Kevin Evans entertained us for 90 minutes or so, via live stream. Over the past two years, with Covid being present, live music is one thing I have missed so much. I have managed to get out to a few shows, when restrictions permitted, but not on a regular basis. The live streams are what kept me going. I’m so thankful for the efforts which some of my favourite musician friends have done. They have been so uplifting during these odd times we are experiencing. 
Two instruments I like to play; concertina and fiddle.
Livestream by one of the best songwriters, singers, musicians, and entertainers, Kevin Evans.
  • March 3 – Today would have been Margaret MacIntosh’s birthday. Who was she you ask? She would have been my teacher in grades 1-3. She was an amazing person who I loved. She had more patience than anyone I knew and if there was ever a perfect teacher, it was Margaret. She was like family as my uncle was her step-father. She was a gem of a person and I always remember her on her special day. I don’t have a picture of Margaret, (I wish I did), but I will post the flower for March; a daffodil.
Daffodil
  • March 4 – I am thankful to have wonderful new neighbours living next door; Krista and Mike. Today was Krista’s birthday and she held an open house in the wee pub they built behind their house. Although I’ve been in some small pubs in Ireland, this one is likely the smallest. And to have it within walking distance is wonderful. It was a nice celebration with libations, snacks, and friends. 
  • March 5 – Today we celebrated Christmas as we were not able to be together in December. Mom made her traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings; stuffing, potatoes, turnip, asparagus, gravy, cranberry sauce, pickles, olives, apple pie and chocolate cake. Today was all about the three F’s: food, fun and family . 
Christmas dinner – March 2022
Christmas March 2022
  • March 6 – Nap time. Yes, I nap. No, I’m not embarrassed to say I do. It can be as short as 20 minutes or perhaps as long as 2 hours. I love to have a nap. 
Wild Rose
  • March 7 – I had a skein of yarn that needed to be wound into a ball. Sometimes I use the arm of a chair but today Mom offered up her arms so I could wind. I love winding a ball of yarn with Mom helping. A few short minutes but a special time.
Using Mom’s arms to wind yarn. Special times.

How are you coming along with your daily simple pleasures? It’s not easy picking out just one, is it? Part three will follow in a few days. I hope you are enjoying these posts. Leave a comment.

All pictures taken by Hughena MacDougall

30 Days of Simple Pleasures

PART 1

Center of a sunflower.

Almost a year ago I too up a challenge that I saw on social media. Each day, for 30 days, I would record a simple pleasure. It really wasn’t hard. The hardest part was choosing which simple pleasure I would record each day. I will break this blog into 3 parts, of 10 days each. 

As mentioned, this is almost a year old. It has been fun and interesting to reflect back on the simple pleasures. I will add pictures throughout that may or may not have anything to do with the daily pleasure, but just something that makes me smile.

  • February 16/22 – a surprise greeting card arrived in the mail for Mom and me. It was a Valentine’s Day card, from our dear friends who live year round in Florida. They used to live near us in Cape Breton, and we spent many an evening sharing food, and playing cards and dominoes. We enjoyed one another’s company and conversations very much. We miss them and love them dearly. Their card was beautiful in more ways than one.
Gorgeous card
Such a beautiful verse.
  • February 17/22 – I’m a creature of habit. I get up at 5:41 Monday to Friday. I put the coffee on, set the table, get my breakfast, walk to the road for the paper (unfortunately this no longer happens as the paper is no longer delivered) , spend 20 minutes or so online catching up on the latest sports and overnight goings on in the world. At 6:30 I turn on Sports Centre and see the highlights from the night before and knit. I spend the next 36 minutes knitting, as relaxation, before going to work. This is my morning ME time and I love it. A quiet time spent on one of my favourite pastimes. At 7:06, after the local news update, I put my knitting away and get ready for work. 
A blanket I often work on in the morning. I’m using left over sock yarn.
  • February 18/22 – As I put on a lighter weight jacket, due to temperatures being warmer than usual, I put my hand in my pocket and found a toonie. I know. It’s just a toonie, but it was a pleasant surprise. I hadn’t worn the jacket since last fall. 
A toonie.
  • February 19/22 – Farm fresh eggs. We have not purchased store bought eggs in years. The past couple of years we have purchased our eggs from The Lilac Farm which is a local family run farm. In the early days of Covid, the three little girls at the farm put happy messages in the egg cartons. Messages like “we are all in this together”, “you got this”, “be happy”, etc. often accompanied by cute drawings. There is nothing better than farm fresh eggs from a local farm. The three girls are growing up so fast.
Farm fresh eggs. So many shades and so yummy.
  • February 20/22 – Today is “RE” day for me. It is a special day that I have celebrated for the past two years. RE stands for refocus, rebuild, readjust, reset, reinvent, recover and most of all RELIEF. Today I made a chocolate macaroon cake and lemon brownies. And the best part is I shared them with special friends and neighbours who supported me through a rather difficult time. 
Not chocolate macaroon cake but a chocolate marble cake that is also delicious.
  • February 21/22 – Coffee….yup, a cup of coffee. I used to be able to drink copious cups of coffee daily. About two years ago I lost my taste for coffee. I didn’t totally lose it but very rarely do I have more than one cup of coffee a day. But I love that one cup each morning. I enjoy each and every sip until it is gone. And I especially love it when it is in one of my many favourite mugs.
Ahhh….coffee in a favourite mug. It’s a pottery mug I bought on Martha’s Vineyard.
  • February 22/22 – A surprise parcel arrived in the mail today. Inside was an amazing jigsaw puzzle and a scarf/shawl. It was sent by a friend as a thank you for something I had done. It was certainly not expected, but it was fun to receive. Mom and I enjoyed the puzzle , as puzzles are one of our favourite pastimes. I enjoy wrapping the shawl over my shoulders while knitting. It’s always within reach. There isn’t a lot of mail anymore, so it is fun getting special mail.
Soft, pretty shawl and puzzle gifted to me.
  • February 23/22 – I had to take Mom to an eye appointment in Antigonish. I met up with an acquaintance I hadn’t seen in a few years. We spent a few minutes catching up and wishing one another well. I don’t have a picture of her, so I’ll post something that makes me happy.
The star on my ceramic Christmas tree as the evening sky was darkening outside.
  • February 24/22 – A friend called me at work to ask if she could drop off a couple of jars of jelly. She arrived with more than a couple of jars. There were several jars of jams, jellies, sauces and a side of cinnamon buns. I have a weakness for cinnamon buns. Absolutely one of my favourite treats. We give this friend our quince in the fall and she returns the quince as jelly other treats too. 
Quince jelly, black currant jelly, elderberry jelly and cranberry sauce.
  • February 25/22 – There was a bit of weather that arrived during the afternoon. When it was time to go home, our vehicles were covered in a few inches of snow. One of my co-workers offered to clean off my car. Just a simple, nice gesture that was appreciated. No picture for this, so again, something that makes me happy.
Rain chain covered in ice.

I hope you enjoyed part 1. Part 2 will follow in a short time. Now, I challenge you to start your own 30 day challenge of recording one simple pleasure a day. Enjoy! I have continued this recording a pleasure a day as the last thing I do before falling asleep. Comments are always appreciated. Share your simple pleasure after reading if you wish.

All photos were taken by yours truly.

My Experience With Covid Part 5

At the Tree for Boston, Balmoral, Cape Breton 2020.

Day 6 Monday April 18/22 – It’s Patriots Day and Boston Marathon Day. It’s also a day of reflection for Nova Scotia, on the anniversary of the horrific tragedy that was taking place 2 years ago. Mom and I chose to wear our Boston Strong tee shirts today. They were given to us by my cousin Norma, who’s birthday would have been yesterday and who passed away two years ago tomorrow. I spent a lot of time reflecting on people and events today. The above picture is taken a couple of years ago. 

I’m feeling good. I slept quite late for me, almost 9am. I stripped my bed and made it up fresh, exchanged much of my winter/summer clothes, put away hats, mitts, scarves, etc. and brought out my summer head attire. I went for a walk this morning and found pussy willows and a CD (not my genre). I puttered about in the house, but I did not have a rest. I’m weaning myself off for my return to work on Wednesday. 

Pussy willows
Tim McGraw CD

On a downer, as of 4pm this afternoon Mom tested positive. My worst fear came true. I was so in hopes she would avoid it, but it’s hard, even though we kept our distance. I’m angry, upset, concerned, worried, and of course, I feel responsible. Now my next hope is that her symptoms will be mild. I hope she doesn’t get all that I had. She’s tough, and stubborn, and she continued to say ‘I feel fine’. She sounded nasally to me today and she finally agreed to do a rapid test, only if I helped her. Let me tell you, thank goodness I’m not administering these tests. She didn’t want to do the throat swab herself, because she feared she would vomit, so she asked me to do it. ME!!! OMG!!! I couldn’t get her to keep her tongue out of the way and I was scared to death to hurt her. Thankfully she did her nostrils herself. Ick. We actually laughed through the process, between her fits of gagging and sneezing. Like my rapid test, hers instantly showed two lines. She is now in isolation until next Monday afternoon. On a positive note, we don’t have to isolate anymore. I have to find the positive amongst the negative.

I put a sign on the door. 

This will be my last report for My Experience With Covid. There isn’t much more to report. I hope you enjoyed reading it, and if you find yourself with Covid, and similar symptoms, maybe it will help you. Everyone responds differently, so I suppose no one will have the same experience I had. If anyone is positive and would like to reach out to ask questions, feel free, but I can only answer based on my situation. 

Be well, be safe and for goodness sake, keep masking

My Experience With Covid Part 4

Chocolate eggs in my Island Crystal bowl

Day 5 Sunday April 17/22 – Feeling better this morning. My throat is still a bit sore, but it seems to be going away. I had two coughing fits through the night, one lasting almost an hour. That damn feather was back, tickling my throat, and I could not get it to go away. My goal today was to have a shower and I succeeded. I had it immediately after getting up, fearing my energy would suddenly leave. Then I did a couple of chores and broke out into a sweat. I decided it was time for breakfast, so I had some toast and coffee. My plan is not to have a nap. 


It is dreary and dark, with possible showers to come. I’ll have to put some bright pictures in this post to cheer it up a bit. 

Cousin Norma’s Daffodils. Her birthday would be today. Missing and thinking of her, a lot, all day.

So much for not napping. Around 10am I decided to just rest my eyes for a few minutes. The next thing I knew Mom was calling me for lunch at noontime. I was sound asleep. I had a large bowl of her delicious homemade beef soup. It just hit the spot today. After lunch I went back to my bed to play some word games on my iPad. After a half hour or so, I just laid there and again fell sleep for another hour. It’s ridiculous. But as my great friend Judy says ‘when you are sleeping, your body is resting and healing’. So true. 

Cedar Waxwing

As I was eating my lunch, the skies began to clear, after heavy showers this morning. Soon there was much more blue sky than grey, and the sun came out. It turned out to be a lovely day, with higher than expected temperatures, which I should have taken advantage of by spending some time outside. But I stayed indoors. My goal for tomorrow, providing it is dry, will be to take an extended walk around the yard. Baby steps.

Hope springs eternal.

I spent some time perusing through these two books this afternoon. They have been on the bookshelf forever. I re-read such classics as A E Housman’s “When I Was One and Twenty”, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” and John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields”. I’ll have to spend more time with these, as there are lots of great works in them.

Prose and Poetry books

All in all, a positive day. This post is shorter, so I’m feeling I’m on the better side of this virus, as there isn’t quite as much to report. I’m still receiving messages and phone calls which is so amazing. Thank you to all. Two more days to freedom. 

Damsel Fly – love the intricacy of their wings

Be well, be safe and don’t let your guard/mask down.

Sunflowers for Urkaine
From Cape Breton, Canada with love.

My Experience With Covid Part 3

Happy Place today, April 16, 2022

Day 4 Saturday April 16/22 – I’m not going to be fooled today, into thinking I might be better, because I’m not. I had hoped for some improvement this morning, but now I’m getting discouraged. However, it is only day 4. I have 4 days left before FREEDOM and I feel I have a long way to go. I know, I have to be symptom free, with no fever, for 24 hours prior. 

I know I’ve been running a fever the past few days as I’ve had chills from time to time. During the night I woke up drenched, so I’m hoping that is a good sign that maybe my fever broke. My throat is still terribly sore. It’s a weird soreness too. I’ve had strep throat many times in the past, but not for about 4 years. With strep throat it feels like knives scraping down the sides of your throat every time you swallow, often much worse at night. The sore throat I have with this is so different. I can only describe it as an arc at the back of the throat from side to side. Yup, that sounds crazy but that’s how it feels. I can literally feel the arc shape when I swallow. Very weird. My core remains sore but I’m sure that is from coughing. I still don’t seem to have much congestion in my chest, so I’m thankful for that. However, the crap coming out of my nose is grotesque and I won’t go into details. 

I’ve been up since 7am, and it is now 9am, and still don’t feel like I need a nap. Considering I was in bed at 8:30 last night, I shouldn’t need a nap. But will lie down, just to rest. The sun is shining and there is a slight breeze. The temperatures are due to soar, possibly reaching 15C. I might even venture out on the deck for a few minutes of fresh air. Something to look forward to. 

I’ve been thinking of all the people who had the early virus. It must have been terrible, before vaccines were rolled out. I’m thankful to have had my two shots and booster. 

On a happier note, no pun intended, I picked up my fiddle and played a couple of tunes this morning. That made me feel good. But I soon found myself lying down again. As I laid there I wished I wrote music, but I don’t. If I did, I thought how I would write a tune about having Covid. It couldn’t be a jig or a reel, as they are happier tunes, dancing tunes, and believe me one does not feel much like dancing with Covid. I don’t think a waltz would be a fit either. A waltz is a close dance, with another person, and one needs to keep their distance. A strathspey wouldn’t work as that is a short-long, accented, Scottish snap type tune, and just wouldn’t work. A march? Possibly. Perhaps a title could be March to My Death Bed or March to My Recovery, depending on what the final outcome would be. But I’m leaning more towards a lament. Niel Gow was the lament king, so something along those lines. I could call it simply Lament for My Journey with Covid. But I don’t write music, so there it ends, but it passed the time for a while.

I did spend 45 minutes outside on the deck. Initially there was cloud cover, but when the sun burst through the clouds the warmth was very welcoming on my face. I sipped my coffee and ate a piece of Mom’s delicious banana loaf, while listening to the wind chimes tinkling, chickadees and juncos chirping, the trees rustling, the flag flapping and the leaves blowing across the driveway. I took a ton of deep breaths, filling my lungs with beautiful fresh air. I walked over to Happy Place because, well, it just makes me happy. And I enjoyed seeing some of the crocus’s in bloom. 

I am now past the half way point of isolation, which was between 1-2pm this afternoon. I hope I have reached the peak of symptoms and will start to feel better. I do feel I’m making some progress, but I’m afraid to get my hopes up. No fever today, so that is a good sign. I think my throat is better, but far from good. I was hoping to have a shower today, but didn’t really have the energy. That’s my goal for tomorrow.

Oddly, after one of my vaccines, I remember having an enhanced sense of smell. This morning while I was resting upstairs, I could smell the soup bone Mom was cooking. When I came down for lunch I asked her what was in with the soup bone and she said just onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper. It was just an amazingly pleasant aroma, one I have smelled many times before but seemed so strong today. I had the same experience yesterday when she made banana loaf. I know…another weird observation. 

Happy Easter, from Camp Covid, too all who read this. Be well, be safe. 

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