Musings on a Small Life

I popped downtown at lunch time on a futile effort to pick up some melatonin (natural sleep aid). Who'd have guessed that the drug store would be sold out of all three brands? Guess sleep deprivation is a widespread issue. Anyway. Given that I wasted my time there, I walked down to the waterfront park and took a few snapshots of yet more grey. Grey sky, grey water, fog. It's like still living in Halifax, minus the scent of salt water, of course. Looking across the water to the murney tower on RMC grounds (Royal Military College of Canada) Murney tower and marina on the city side City Hall in the background, Confederation Park and marina in the foreground RMC grounds barely visible through the fog Murney tower on the city side again Murney Tower from the park

Yeah, okay, I had to cook this afternoon. I need leftovers for lunches this week. God's teeth, I hate cooking! But honestly, this is simple, so simple even I can manage it. The recipe came from a Campbell's booklet I've had for a few years. Or so. Chicken Pot Pie 1 can (10 oz/284 ml) condensed cream of chicken soup (I used the half-fat, of course) 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken 1 cup fresh* or frozen (thawed) veggies, whatever you want (personally, I gag on cooked carrots) 1 medium potato, diced, cooked without salt 1 9-inch frozen uncooked pastry shell (thawed for 15 minutes before use) *Note: If using fresh veggies, either pre-cook them or add extra cooking time for the pot pie 1. Mix soup, chicken, veggies, and potato; spread in pie plate (the directions say "empty" pie plate...like you'd put this an already-full pie plate?). 2. Top with pastry shell (remember to thaw it), and press pastry against the rim of the pie plate (duh). Pierce the crust a few times w...

So I'm taking a taxi home from the grocery store earlier this morning, and the driver stops to let a dad with a toddler cross in front of the car. The driver waves at the little girl (cutie pie all dressed up in snow gear), then turns to me and says he hopes the older woman also crossing didn't think he was waving at her, because she looked at him oddly. Then he adds that she doesn't look like a cougar.... I chime in with a bit of my dad's mom's story--how she and my grandfather divorced when they were about 60, that she got a face lift and then hit the bars in downtown Montreal, picking up all the young guys. Go Grandma! Grandma was a "cougar" before the popular meaning of the word. Pretty cool Grandma, actually. (She really was, though I was too young to know about adult stuff. I just thought she was a great Grandma because of course she spoiled me rotten.) Then, once I'm back at the house and my groceries are unloaded onto the step, the driver calls...

Okay, I'm thrilled it's 2C right now. Yes, that's PLUS 2C out. But it's grey, grey, grey. Grey, dreary and dismal. (You got that it's grey out, right?) So I thought I'd post some snapshots from spring 2007, the first spring I had the camera. Most of the pics I took are pretty crappy, looking back, but a few are okay. Not art--I'm not aiming for art. I'm just aiming for good snapshots! Enjoy the colour.

There's a park on the Lake just a few minutes from the office, so I went at lunch time, camera in hand. Bad day to go--it's "mild" out, but the wind is raw and it was so cold by the water that I could barely feel my fingers. I also couldn't see what I was shooting very well, it was so bright with the glare on the snow. As usual, I just aimed and clicked and hoped for the best. By the way...In 10 days the third anniversary of Chumley's death will be here. It's been weighing on my mind a lot this month and I have shied away from any walks down by the water, because the day he died I had been out at the same place, taking ice snapshots. All normal and happy. So to walk there today gave me a sick-at-heart feeling, like I am tempting the Fates and that one of my fur companions is going to die a horrible death again. Possibly tonight. I can understand only too well how humans have developed superstitions! Of course, the reality is that yes, my cats will sicken ...

You'd have to be living under a rock not to know by now of the utter devastation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from yesterday's 7.0 earthquake. If you are in Canada and would like to make a donation, small or large, to aid in the relief effort, CBC on-line has a page with charities accepting donations. I'm sure there are many more, but here's the link to their page: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/01/13/f-emergency-contacts-haiti-relief-aid.html By the way, you actually can donate on-line to the Canadian Red Cross using your bank debit card, if you are with a major lender (they have a list in a pop-up window). This is new to me, as the last time I donated for disaster relief it was via credit card. So there are many ways to help out, and even if it's only a few dollars, please considering doing so. I can't even conceive of the utter chaos and despair that survivors are experiencing, and selfish as it is, I never want to experience it first hand. But were I in th...

It's cold and grey here, so today I thought I'd post a few floral snapshots from last March. Some of you have already seen these, but that's just too bad. ;-) These snapshots were taken one Sunday afternoon at our city's greenhouse. They host an open house for a few weekends each March, so people can come and get a glimpse of the flowers being grown to plant in spring, in city parks. I remember I was desperate to set foot inside, desperate for colour and warmth--and the greenhouse had both in abundance. Along with hoards of people, all with the same need.

Just a few more snapshots from yesterday's lunch time jaunt around campus. No, I don't work in any of these buildings. I didn't bother with the camera today, though, so no snow pics this afternoon. I never can remember which building this is, even though it's right across the street. Ontario Hall, maybe? Summerhill, looking distinctly un-summer-like. The "fuzzy" spire caught my eye -- all the dead ivy clinging to it.

I took a lunch time break from the office and trudged out in full snow gear, saw a bit of colour in an otherwise white and grey world. Hydrants don't usually catch my eye, but this one certainly did! Someone has decorated a couple of the trees in a nearby park. The second tree had many ornaments hanging from it, blowing in the chilling breeze.

The next time I think it would be "fun" to don layers and snow pants and go out for a few snow pics, just smack me upside the head, okay?

This is from an in-store recipe card I picked up a couple of years ago. Okay, maybe it was more than 2 years. Whatever. Mushroom Casserole 1 and 1/2 pounds fresh white mushrooms (750 g), cleaned and sliced. I saved time by buying 3 packages of already-sliced mushrooms 6 TBSP grated Parmesan 4 TBSP bredcrumbs 4 TBSP parsley 2 tsp fresh thyme 1 clove garlic, chopped salt and pepper to taste olive oil for drizzling over the mushrooms Note: I had fresh parsley and dried thyme instead, used those, tasted just fine to me. But remember I can't smell, so much of my sense of taste is affected! 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Clean mushrooms, trim and slice. 2. Spray a 2-litre casserole dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. 3. Place mushrooms in casserole. Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture and drizzle generously with olive oil. 4. Bake uncovered until mushrooms are golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. What I found was that in my ...

I'm starting off the new year by baking and eating something high in fat, of course. Scottish Oat Cakes 2 cups oatmeal 1 cup white flour 1 cup brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup of brown sugar Splenda) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup oil or margarine 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup boiling water Mix dry ingredients, add oil. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and add to mix. Add more water if necessary. (I did need a bit more.) Shape into a long wedge, score, and bake at 400F for 10 to 12 minutes.

It seems to be the "thing" to do, to take a personal look back at the past year and in this case, the past decade. Do I really want to join the fray? Uh, no. But I guess I will, anyway. Most of this time was spent battling clinical depression, and it certainly feels good to have been off meds now for the better part of a year and still be okay. For how long is a flip of a coin, but at least I have a MUCH better understanding of mental illness (versus perceived character flaw or weakness) and will deal with whatever comes in the future. Things that stand out? 2000: The Putz and I split; I was hired at my current job, a HUGE blessing, especially with a super laid-back boss and fabulous co-workers. 2001: I adopted Chumley in April, my first cat, and then Annie in August--the best and brightest events in 2001. I kept the townhouse (in retrospect, not such a good idea, financially), and I got involved in a brief but very stupid rebound fling. 2002: I hit bottom in terms ...

I was out for a 2-hour walk earlier, rambling from the "big" shopping centre down to the graveyard and then past the swamp and home. After 3 days shut up in the house, I really needed to get out! It's been a lovely day, with the fog finally having burned off and the sun having come out. Mild too, about +4C. Our one day of decent weather for our holiday. In the graveyard. Detail of old grave enclosure. Still in the graveyard. Walking home. The only green is the moss on the tree trunk. The swamp is entirely flooded from yesterday's downpour.