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!