Hello dear ones,

As time goes by it seems this blog has once again become silent, not because I haven't thought about it but really because I have been writing in my personal journal. Private thoughts. Yet here we are at the end of May, summer is starting and I think it's okay for me to share a bit of my journey with you all.

Covid-19 became a pandemic is early March and life turned itself upside down. I  have continued working through this time and have definitely had my ups and downs. Initially the fear of covid/the unknown for me was quite overwhelming. Mr P was away, I was home alone, isolated from family and friends, just like you. Yet as a healthcare worker, I was still going to go to work feeling a little lost and let's be honest, I was downright scared, petrified, freaked the f* out. Some days it was all I could do to get up and get my sorry butt to work. Looking back, I see that there were lots of things that played into my discombobulation. Daily changes at work, lack of information at times, lack of sleep, stress to name a few. Mr P was laid off and came home after months of being away and life shifted again. I had a rock in the midst of crazy waves of chaos. I clung on tight and he helped me navigate. I hadn't seen the kids or grandkids in months, except for a few visits through the window at their house, facetime, and a few phone calls. Everyone was doing what they needed to do too to keep themselves safe, sane and still living life.  And that is perfectly okay even if it didn't feel okay.

We are all still just doing our best to live our best life. In fact, in some ways life is better. It's certainly given me an opportunity to look at the life I am leading and what I want to do differently. I feel softer, yet stronger if that makes sense.

And it was interesting to see how other people handled their stress and managed their lives as well. What comes to my mind most often is how we all handle stress, chaos, fear in totally different ways.We all are just different and that's okay, no judgement. We have to find ways to feel safe and loved and we need to be kind. The world has been turned upside down now and we don't know what it will look like when we come out the other side. I really hope we can find a way to be kinder, be respectful of others, to appreciate what we have, who we share our lives with, and to LIVE OUR BEST LIFE. 

If you have taken then time to read all this, thank you for listening. 

wrong answer, hmm, and birthdays are fun

1 The groundhog came and said that it was going to be an early spring but he was mistaken. We have had two days of snow and it's certainly looking like a winter wonderland again.

2 Some people really make us think.

3 We celebrated Chris's 34th birthday!! Love my family, xo.

steps, storms, and sweetness

1 Little Finn is walking!

2 Thunderstorms are my thing! The sounds, the smells, the rain and last night even hail pounding on the deck, watering the plants and bringing out the colours of nature are just THE best.

3 When your breakfast includes pumpkin spice latte with decaf coffee and coconut milk, you just gotta smile and be thankful for the sweet daughter in law that brought it you.

quote, impromptu, and feeling thankful

1 She says, "It's the perfect temp out there!"

2 The kids are getting construction done in their neighborhood which left them with no water services yesterday. They spent the day in the hot tub and playing at our house, then returned later for dinner together. Only one game of UNO and Daddy-Doo won!

3 And the rain comes. Sweet smelling and welcome. Thank you Mother Earth. 

time together, prepped, and more visiting

1 Nick and I spent some time together this week. We hit the gym, went for Mexican food, then to his house to putter and sort out a few things before his house inspection. End result, all excellent! Plus we had more than a few laughs and uh huh moments.

2 We get him ready for the coming work week by making pre-made frozen dinners. 7 ribs, 4 chicken and a couple of batches of gravy, 9 dozen cookies and a double batch of granola. I sure hope this holds him for a few days at least.

3 A visit from dear friends, visit with my cousin and aunt who's here for medical reasons, and a quick ride at the gym with Nick.

I did it, window washer, and yellow bit

1 When you have 2 days off and a lovely woman from your FB garden group offers you FREE irises!! What would any proper gardener do? You called it...I made a new garden bed. 20 x 3 ft !! I dug out the sod myself, and planted a few other lovelies besides irises.
Having a flower bed in the backyard started a few years ago. We had an extremely steep backyard and Mr P brought in 100 hydraulic dump trailers of fill, then a few more of topsoil. This dirt had one blub and 3 rocks!! The rest was beautiful black rich soil to which I added 3 bags of garden soil for good measure. Fingers crossed this garden likes it new space and fills in quickly.

2 When you polish the windows and can see outside. Oh it's not smokey after all. 

3 A lovely new echinacea that I recently planted. I think the yellow is rather striking. I can't wait for more buds to open.

snuggles, plants, and meal planning

1 When you have an early start to the day and your sweet cat comes and snuggles you.

2 The gardens need some new plants. What are your favourites?

3 Mr P has found permanent accommodation where he is working. That sure makes life easier for him. Time for me to make some frozen meals!!