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Hodgepodge - February 18

Linking up with Joyce At From This Side of the Pond for another edition of Hodgepodge.

1. The Hodgepodge lands on Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. Do you mark this season in some way? Will you be giving something up or adding something to your life in this Lenten season? 

Ash Wednesday and Lent were not part of the faith tradition I followed for most of my life. Now, in the Anglican Church, the season has rich meaning. We may go to church this evening, but a winter storm that’s raging may cause us to rethink that. I’m following along with Lectio 365 for the season and still debating about giving something in particular up for the duration of Lent.

2. Pancakes...are you a fan? Syrup or no syrup? Plain, blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, or some other add in? Are pancakes on your menu this week? 

I’m a purist: butter and maple syrup. Enjoyed them last night for supper with some Canadian bacon!

3. Tell us about a time recently when you felt 'spread too thin'. 

I felt like I was spread too thin in a couple of ways for most of 2025 and am paying for it now as I try to find my balance again.

4. What's your favorite jewel or gemstone? In terms of your wardrobe would we find more gem tones, pastels, black and white, or primary colors? 

Diamonds and blue sapphire are my favourites. My wardrobe has lots of black—every pair of pants and capris, and a few of black shirts—complimented by assorted gem-coloured (teal, royal blue, purple) t-shirts and sweaters. I buy all of my clothes from the same place so mixing and matching is easy. 

5. What responsibility do you think is hardest about being in charge? 

I was a manager in my working years and have been a ministry lead in a couple of areas at church over the years. People management is the most challenging and can also be the most rewarding. We’re a complicated species! I’ve decided that my “being in charge” years are behind me.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I just finished reading The Life Impossible by Matt Haig. It was a bit of a different read for me, but I enjoyed it immensely. Thought I’d share some parts I highlighted that made me pause and think.

“We are never at the finish line of understanding.”

“I suppose that is one of the purposes of reading. It helps you live lives beyond the one you are inside. It turns your single-room mental shack into a mansion.”

“The one good thing about having regrets is that I no longer judge others too harshly. Every single person on this planet is a contextual and the circumstances of that context can never be seen fully,”

“This is the challenge of life, isn’t it? Moving forward without annihilating what has gone before. Knowing what to clasp onto and what to release without destroying yourself, trying not to be the meteor and the dinosaur at once.”

The Calm Before

Yesterday was a holiday—Family Day—and many people were off work. When we lived in a larger centre, I wouldn’t go to the shops for love nor money on a weekend or holiday, but it’s different living in our small city now.

We went to the store to pick a couple of things (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese) in anticipation of a winter storm forecast to blow in this afternoon and, after lunch and chess, took a drive. 

The prairie always soothes me and, as I’ve been wrestling a low-grade depression for weeks, it was good medicine. A bit surreal to see the fields void of snow in mid-February, but, if the weather prognosticators are to be believed, that’s about to change.

I’m planning a day at home today while Gerry takes in a few classes at the fitness centre. One thing I’m going to do is cook, mash, and freeze the potatoes left in the pantry. I watched a woman on YouTube the other day who does them in the Instant Pot, and am going to try her method. Here’s a link to her channel, myBIGtinyhouselife. She’s a Canadian woman living in a tiny house on Vancouver Island. Her channel is interesting and she shares vegan recipes. I’m not vegan at this time, but her tips and recipes are good for anyone.

It appears our pseudo-spring is about to give way to more seasonal winter weather. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m kind of looking forward to the change.

Sunday Stealing - February 15

Popping on for quick Sunday Stealing post, just because it looks like a fun one.

Seven Things I Love Beginning with the letter S.

1. Sushi.

2. Spaghetti.

3. Spring. (Are we there yet?)

4. Survivor. Looking forward to season 50.

Spouse and sushi!

5. My spouse. 😉

6. Sixty-seven. My age. Both of my moms died in their fifties, so sometimes I’m surprised I’ve made it this far. 

7. Saskatchewan. I love my beautiful home province and am grateful to have returned..

And now . . . seven. Because that's what time it is and I'm heading off to get lost in a book. See you again soon.

Friday’s Fave Five - February 13

Having recovered from the travel trauma (with a titch of crankiness along the way), it seems good to look back at the past week, that whizzed by in a blur since I arrived home in the wee hours on Monday, with a Friday’s Fave Five post focusing on sparks of joy and gratitude.

A short prairie drive. We headed to the grocery store one afternoon so I could get some things in preparation for making meals for the freezer. Hubby, knowing the stress I’ve felt, chose a circuitous route to give me what we call “my prairie fix.” It was just what I needed.

Leftover birthday cheesecake. I had a birthday at the end of January and tucked the remainder of my birthday cheesecake in the freezer. We enjoyed a slice each one evening this week. 

A good night’s sleep. Seriously. Is there anything better? 

Zoom. I meet with four other women via Zoom every Thursday for a time of Examen in which we reflect on the past week. I’m grateful for each one and the wisdom they impart and for the technology that allows us to do gather.

A good book. When I was away, my girls and I spent a pleasant hour or so browsing in the bookstore. I found this one, and devoured it. It’s my favourite read in a good long while.

That’s it for today! I’m off to read about your fave fives now.

Thursday Thirteen - February 12

Okay, I'll play. Linking up with Thursday Thirteen where we make a list of thirteen things of our choosing. 

What's on my mind these days is harm done by spending too much time online, either reading the news or doom scrolling (I'm speaking about myself, personally. We all have different thresholds.) 

Here's a list of thirteen things I could be doing offline instead.

1. Reading a book. I'm currently enjoying this one:

2. Writing in my journal.

3. Crafting a poem. I enjoy the dance with words. Here's something I wrote last fall (and a photo to accommpany it.)

Car Ride

He proposes a picnic

on the pretense of one last drive in the Model A

before putting it in the garage for winter.

I boil eggs (the idea birthed, in part,

because we have an abundance;

I brought home a dozen; he outdid me with a flat)

and make sandwiches

with Miracle Whip on white bread,

wrap, and put them in the fridge.

At lunchtime, he suggests an alternative:

lunch and a chess game at the dining table,

followed by a drive in the Ford.

It’s late-season, and the car has no heat.

It’s a reasonable compromise. At the appointed hour, 

I pull a black felt cloche hat onto my head,

and (the 1931 car, inviting manners of the era)

wait for him to open the passenger-side door

so I can climb in. He takes us for a 

bumpy ride

on a prairie road.

Shifting 

and smiling

the entire time.

4. Going for a walk. (When it's a bit warmer. I'm fussy that way.)

5. Just sitting and pondering. Best done on the back deck in the sunshine, but certainly dooable in the wing chair in my office—or anywhere, really.

6. Making a list for what I need to make meals for the freezer. This is something I've been intending to do for a while.

7. Making those meals. This too. 

8. Tidying up my downstairs art area. That's a task that's long overdue and definitely needed. No photo shown. Ha ha!

9. Planning this year's garden and, soon, starting seeds. I'm starting to get the itch, but it's still early. All gardeners know, though, that it begins in the winter with the planning and dreaming.

10.  Cleaning out a closet. There's always a closet in need of sorting and tidying.

11. Painting with watercolour. I had fun doing this one recently.

12. Dusting. (Ugh). Or not.

13. Writing a blog post! I'll pop online for a couple of minutes to post this and maybe pop around the blog-o-sphere to visit some of you. Visiting blogs is usually a positive way to spend a few minutes in the middle of the day—so thank you!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - February 11

Delighted to link up with Jackie at From This Side of the Pond for another edition of Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What's something recent that had you 'tickled pink'? 

I took my 17-year-old granddaughter out for some “Grandma and Makiya” time when I was in Kamloops, and was delighted when she said she feels like no time has passed at all whenever we get together. The two of us have always had a special connection, and now that we live farther away from one another, it warms my heart that we fall so easily into sync when we get together.

2. A bed of roses, everything's coming up roses, every rose has it's thorn, stop and smell the roses, rose-colored glasses, a rose among thorns...which rosy expression might currently be applied to your life in some way? 

“The bloom is off the rose” in terms of traveling anywhere anytime soon. (See yesterday’s post.)

3. What makes you feel loved and appreciated? 

Good conversation. Being heard.

4. A box of chocolates or a bouquet of fresh flowers-what's your pleasure? Any special plans for Valentine's Day? 

I’m a curmudgeon when it comes to Valentine’s Day, so neither, and we have no special plans. I always appreciate a bunch of fresh flowers when hubby brings them home out of the blue, though. 

5. Share a favourite quote, scripture, or song lyric relating to love. 

“Love is a verb. Love – the feeling – is the fruit of love the verb or our loving actions.” ~ Stephen R. Covey

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I searched in my Google Photos for “heart” to find images for this post. It was fun to look back at memories and my photography. Also remembered that I wrote a book with the word in the title! Two Hearts: An Adoptee’s Journey Through Grief to Gratitude.

I’m rebooting this blog that I left for parts known and unknown in 2010 when I combined three blogs into one on my website. I look forward to reconnecting here and making new connections. You can also find me on my website and Substack.

Travel Woes

I arrived home in the wee hours of Monday morning after another long and unpredictable travel day. At this point, I’m beyond done with traveling. 

My flight out of Kamloops on Sunday was delayed for eight hours, initially because of early morning fog preventing an incoming flight from landing, setting dominoes of flight mayhem into motion. 

My connecting flight in Calgary was rescheduled, of course, and the gate moved to the farthest possible location near the international terminal. I was a walking zombie by the time i got there.

Finally arrived in Regina at almost 2 a.m. yesterday, after a flight with turbulence like I’ve never experienced in all my years of flying. 

Gerry’s alarm didn’t go off so, I had to wait for about 45 minutes him to pick me up (as he was coming from the city where we live). 

While I waited, I filed a missing luggage report.

Finally made it home and to bed around 3:30 a.m., which is pretty darn close to the time I usually get up in the morning. 

Needless to say, yesterday was a wash. 

Oh, and while I was eating a sandwich yesterday afternoon, one of my veneers came off. 

I’ve got an early appointment with the dentist this morning, and received notification that my luggage has been found and is with a courier for delivery.

I feel as if I need a vacation after my little vacation, but there’s no way I’m going anywhere anytime soon!

I enjoyed a lovely few days with daughter and granddaughter, which made the travel woes worth all the trouble. Mostly. 😉

I’m rebooting this blog that I left for parts known and unknown in 2010 when I combined three blogs into one on my website. I look forward to reconnecting here and making new connections. You.can also find me on my website and Substack.

Friday’s Fave Five - February 6, 2026

It’s been a while since I participated in Friday’s Fave Five, and I appreciate the opportunity to pick up a habit that helps maintain a focus on gratitude and good things. 

Fresh flowers. I got out of the habit of keeping fresh flowers on the dining table, in part, because our chess board claimed the centre spot since we play most days. It’s not a big deal to put the board away and set it up at lunchtime when we usually play, so it’s been banished in favour of a vase of flowers. This week, it’s tulips. 

February 4, 2025

February 4, 2026

The weather. Things looked a little different around here last year at this time when we were in the middle of, what seemed like, a neverending winter. Today, there's barely any snow in our front yard and the temperatures are above freezing. Not sure what the lack of precipitation will mean for the farmers this year, but, at this point, I'm not complaining.

Family, and a trip away. I arrived in Kamloops late (so, so, very late) yesterday to visit our daughter and granddaughter for a few days. What a joy. I’m staying in a hotel, as they don’t have room for an overnight guest at this time, so it’s also a bit of a retreat time for me. Double the blessing. I’m sure the events of the next few days will make it onto next weeks fave five list. 😊 (The trip itself with a late first flight, resulting in a missed connection, and 10 1/2 hour layover in Calgary was something of a nightmare, but all’s well that ends well.)

A good night’s sleep. Call it seasonal depression, an overactive mind, or succumbing to the stresses of life, I’ve spent too many nights laying awake with my mind racing lately. I think I’ve turned the corner, at least I enjoyed sleeping through the night enough times this week that it’s no longer a surprise when I wake up in the morning.

DIY skincare. I’ve used a face moisturizing product I order from the U.S. for quite some time. It lasts a long time—I purchased the container of product that’s about to run out in April 2024. It’s 100% natural, but expensive and not available to purchase in Canada (and we’re all about spending our money at home these days). Shipping and the exchange rate would add to the cost, too. I did some investigating and found I can make something with most of the same ingredients (shea butter, beeswax, jojoba oil, vitamin E oil) for a fraction of what I would pay for this product. I made a batch, and think it’ll do the trick!

I’m rebooting this blog that I left for parts known and unknown in 2010 when I combined three blogs into one on my website. I look forward to reconnecting here and making new connections. You.can also find me on my website and Substack.

Throwback Thursday - Fourteen Years Ago

I’m spending less time on Facebook these days, but I do like to pop in and check out my memories now and then. February 4, 2012 in Washington State felt like spring! Here’s what I posted to go with these photos.

What a wonderful day! Sunshine, time weeding the flowerbeds. Yes, weeding. It's been such a mild winter (well except for that crazy ice storm) that weeds have been growing. Bulbs are up, bees are buzzing, life is good.

We were both still working and life was busy. February 4 must have fallen on a weekend for us to be out puttering in the yard, because there was no time during the week. Thinking back on this day makes me remember the simple joy of caring for our yard and home, and serves as a reminder to be grateful for the slower-paced life we have now in retirement. It also makes me long for spring, but that will come in good time. In fact, when I got up this morning it was 5C outside! 

I’m rebooting this blog that I left for parts known and unknown in 2010, and look forward to reconnecting with bloggers I lost track of and making new connections. These days, you can also find me on my website and Substack.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Fun to be back and participating in linkups again. Thanks to Joyce at From This Side Of the Pond for hosting the Wednesday Hodgepodge questions. 

1. The Winter Olympics kick off on Friday, February 6th...on a scale of 1-10 how excited are you? (1= eh and 10=watching every event all day every day). What's your favorite Winter Olympic sporting event? 

It's a 1 for me. Hubby might tune in for some events and I might catch a tiny bit of the bug from him, but sports in general really aren’t my thing. Except the World Series when the Jays are in it or some Canadian hockey. 

2. In other sporting news, the Superbowl (American football's championship game) will be played on Sunday, February 8th. So tell us...what's your superpower?

I’m a die-hard introvert and unapologetic homebody. My superpower is the ability to remain content and creative at home for days upon days. I never get bored—there's always something to write or read or paint or create or, in a different season, to putter with in the garden. 

3. Are you a romantic? 

I wouldn't say so. As a rule, I’m far more practical. That said, when it comes to the glasses through which I view the world, I tend to don a rose-coloured most often. It’s still a beautiful world. 

4. Blue cheese-yay or nay? How about feta? If you said yes to one or both, what's a dish you like that calls for one of these? 

Yes and yes! I haven't had blue cheese for ages, but I'd enjoy it on a charcuterie board. We like feta on our salads and, I know it sounds strange, but a bit crumbled on top of a plate of spaghetti is delicious too.

5. What's more important-doing what you love or loving what you do? 

Hmmm....good question. Loving what you do can be largely a choice, don't you think? We choose our mindset and all that, right? So, I think my answer is that it's more important to do what you love when you have the opportunity. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'll just say that I've enjoyed hopping around blog land and visiting some nice folks lately, so thank you to all who write and share snippets of your day in these spaces.

Sunday Stealing - Old School

Stealing? On Sunday, of all days? Well, I never! 

It’s a great name for a link up and the questions are fun, so I’ll play. 😊 Linking up with Sunday Stealing on Tuesday, because why not?

I am passionate about:

1. Being a grandma. My granddaughter is the light of my life.

2. Coffee.

3. Words. Writing them. Reading them. Wrangling them into something creative.

4. Getting enough "alone time."

5. Minimizing clutter.

I’d like to learn:

1. To let things go.

2. To draw.

3. To paint what’s in my imagination.

4. To arrange art on my walls in a pleasing manner.

5. To be more comfortable in social situations. (Hmmm....maybe not really. There's something to be said for being content with you you are.)

Things I say a lot:

1. “It is what it is.”

2. “Lunch and a game?” Hubby and I play chess most days at lunchtime.

3. "What time is it?" Translation: is it too early to go to bed?

4. "I'll order it on Amazon."

5.  "I love you."

Places I’d like to travel to: (There’s a definite theme. We visited Great Britain many years ago, but I’d like to return for an extended time and immerse myself in the day-to-day.)

1. Scotland.

2. England.

3. Wales.

4. Ireland.

5. I traveled during my work years. These days, I'm mostly content to stay at home.

This was fun! I'm off to pop around the blog-o-sphere for a bit now.

I’m rebooting this blog that I left for parts known and unknown in 2010. (These days, you can also find me on my website and Substack.) Many of the bloggers I followed back then have left the blogosphere (waving at the ones who are still here). I look forward to reconnecting and making new connections.

Catching Up. Or An Introduction.

So, it's been a while. 

I've been tweaking the appearance of this space over the past few days. Here's what my bio in the sidebar looked like when I left in 2010.

A few things have changed. 

I retired from my corporate career in 2014 and my husband and I returned to the city we left in B.C., Canada when we moved to Washington state. At the end of 2022, we moved to the small city in Saskatchewan where I spent my childhood. 

I finally finished writing that adoptee memoir and since it came out have written and published two additional books. I'll put links to them somewhere here.

So, why here and why now? 

It's all become a bit much. Everything, really. The noise is deafening at times and I'm weary. Maybe you too? Enough about that.

I love the blog-o-sphere and have remained active in different spaces since I vacated My Own Velvet Room in 2010 for Wordpress, my own website and, recently, Substack. All good in their time and still serve a purpose but I'm returning here for something different. 

A space for informal no-pressure posts, connection, and a sanctuary from all that is "out there". This style of blogging has been that for me in the past and I trust it can be again. I'm looking forward to reconnecting and connecting and feasting on online spaces where life happens and sometimes it's hard, but we look past headlines to hearts, appreciate poets more than politicians, and still believe it's a beautiful world. 

Oh, and the name? Here's a link to the very first post I shared here in 2008 that explains it. I've since reread The Velvet Room before giving it to my granddaughter and loved it just as much as I did when I was a kid. 

Thank you for stopping by and joining me in this reboot.

With gratitude,

Linda