All’s Well…

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January is half gone. Today is very blustery and sunshiny. I love the sound of the wind in the trees. Another quiet day here at Mist Cottage. I waited patiently for 11:00 a.m. to roll around, so that I could bake a batch of muffins for Attila’s lunches. I dislike the time-of-use hydro billing system, as during the week, when I would like to do things like bake and cook, the hydro is more expensive during the day. By evening I am feeling too tired to be starting long food projects, like pressure canning, or baking bread; but I would love to spend my mornings and early afternoons on this type of activity. I wondered if a Tesla wall would be practical, as it could be charged during the night when the rates are low, and used during the day when the rates are high. But it isn’t a solution for those of us on a budget, it is very expensive, costing farm more than the high priced hydro I would be using on the grid. So far, I haven’t found a viable solution to the time-of-use hydro conundrum. I had a colonoscopy in early December. A colonoscopy is a … Continue reading →

Be The Butterfly

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Our Christmas Tree stays up until the last week of January. We like the lights, the scent of pine, the colours, the sparkle of tinsel. Once Christmas itself has passed, the tree takes on a completely different feel. The branches and needles become a natural presence in the room. Our Christmas Tree, after it moves from the house to the back yard at the end of the month, will become base material for a hugelkulture raised garden bed in the spring. My crocheted blanket is coming along again. With the wintry weather the house feels cooler, so that it is possible to comfortably sit with the blanket draped across my lap as I work on it. The book I am reading is a slow read. Kristen Lavransdatter is a very intense book. It describes medieval Norway, and during that period of time the Church was a dominant force on the social and physical landscape. I find organized religion a plodding affair, so that the philosophical challenges faced by some of the characters are shrouded by the paradigms of the times. I learn new things as I lumber from page to page, so I continue to find it interesting. Over the … Continue reading →

Sunshine

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The sun is shining bright this afternoon! The price for bright is cold. Not only is it much colder today than it was yesterday, tonight it is going to get a lot colder. The low, the weather people say, will be -18C on the thermometer, and -26C with wind chill. Not a good night to lie under the stars enjoying the heavens. My Mom recently sent me some old school class photos. I did not know she kept them, I thought they had perished. I am surprised at how many of the names I remember, and that all but one or two faces are familiar. The teachers are interesting. I had three outstanding teachers during my primary public school years, grades one through eight. The first was my Grade One teacher, she was an older woman who loved kids, and we loved her right back. The second was my Grade Six teacher, who had escaped the Holocaust in a coal car with her parents during the Second World War. She was a lovely, compassionate, insightful teacher. I even had the sense to appreciate her at the time. The third was my Grade Eight teacher, who was also the principal of … Continue reading →

The Web

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The network of human interaction has been altered. It has been altered by the species itself. There was a day, not so long ago, when humans formed healthy communities, communities that sustained all but a few. Technology is fast altering human connections to other humans. We are teaching our babies and children to talk to machines that mimic human responses. Our species has successfully anthropomorphized devices. It has yet to be seen how this will affect the future of the species. I miss shelling garden peas and talking with my Granny on the porch. Worldly Weather 1°C Date: 6:45 AM EST Wednesday 9 January 2019 Condition: Light Rain and Snow Pressure: 100.1 kPa Tendency: Rising Temperature: 0.8°C Dew point: 0.8°C Humidity: 100% Wind: WNW 12 km/h Visibility: 13 km Quote “Walking is man’s best medicine.” Hippocrates 460 BC – 377 BC

Wintry

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Monday, January 7, 2019 It was cold last night with a -23C wind chill. I didn’t notice, for which I am truly grateful. I did add an extra comforter on the the bed though, and spent the night quite comfortably; it was needed, or I would have been too hot. Tomorrow we are expecting rain. Weather has a logic of its own. Attila worked in the garage until bedtime last night. Now that his projects are not dominated by a deadline, he enthusiastically works away until the goal is reached. He finished his new workbench, using only wood that had been collected free of charge, or purchased at incredibly low prices when he worked in the lumber industry. The new work bench has a lot of storage, so once he organizes his tools and such, I should be able to find anything I need to tackle the small projects that interest me. What I will notice most though, is how bare the basement will feel when he moves his tools and building supplies out into the garage! Tuesday, January 8, 2019 It is much warmer today. Freezing rain fell over the course of the night and collected in a thick … Continue reading →