I actually pondered crossing this makeshift bridge on a recent walk in the woods. Me, a 60 year-old woman with a badly sprained, still-healing ankle, and her mobile phone and camera in her pockets. Thankfully I took a moment to ask myself “What is the worst that could happen?” and that stopped me. For now. If I’d had my hiking poles with me, I think I would have chanced it.
I thought I’d better hammer out a quick post on Ye Olde Blogge before people start wondering if I am still alive and kicking. Which I am, at least at much as my sprained ankle will let me. So here goes – some of my pandemic ponderings and…drumroll please…some moving news! I mean moving as in physically moving, not emotionally moving although there are plenty of emotions happening, believe me!
Pandemic Ponderings by The Widow Badass
Why did it take a pandemic for:
people to realize that there is a problem with how we care for our elderly and infirm in nursing homes?
people to realize that the most essential jobs are often the least valued, in terms of pay and respect?
people to realize how spoiled we all are (especially in North America) by our full grocery stores, daily conveniences, and luxuries? And (on a more personal note), why did it take a pandemic for:
me to get into a daily yoga practice?
me to get into a daily exercise class (Body Groove)?
me to take up knitting again?
me to start regularly using technology to connect with friends and family?
In other news and ponderings, after weeks of wondering about my upcoming move to Vancouver Island – things like…
Will I be able to move to another province during a pandemic? (I initially feared provincial borders being closed)
Is it responsible for me to move house during a pandemic?
How will I look for an apartment during a pandemic?
Etc.
…I have decided ultimately that I can and will move according to my pre-pandemic schedule, but with a change. There is a family issue in play now as well, that adds urgency to my move to British Columbia such that I feel I must get there sooner than later. Moving is considered an essential service and I have been assured that safety protocols are in place for the workers involved so I am forging ahead.
Instead of my original plan of driving west to BC (a multi-day trip), I am going to ship my car and fly to my new home instead. My flight is booked for May 28.
And…another drumroll please… I have an apartment in Nanaimo waiting for me, for June 1! Thanks to the wonders of technology (and my dear daughter and her man), I was able to locate and virtually tour my new digs and meet the building manager, all from my kitchen counter.
All this to say, fellow Badassians, that if I am absent from or even more sporadic in blogging and commenting on other blogs in the weeks ahead, it is because SHIT HAS GOTTEN VERY REAL (as the kids say). I am now in full-on MOVE MODE and the clock is ticking!
Feel free to share your pandemic ponderings in the Comments, below. I’d love to know what thoughts and revelations this crisis has brought about for you.
Apricot Oatmeal muffins with Earl Grey tea. Last cup with my good china, as it has since been packed up for my move to Vancouver Island.
I’m joining Su and Del, in participating in this month’s virtual tea party. My first attempt at this party is an oldie but goodie – Apricot Oatmeal muffins, from my much beloved recipe book: Muffin Mania, by Cathy Prange and Joan Pauli (who I believe are sisters, and were – are still? – local to my area. Don’t quote me.) I haven’t made this recipe in years. The last time I made it I could easily source apricot baby food (required ingredient) but I can’t seem to find it any more in my local grocery stores. Only mixtures of fruits these days, it seems…
So what’s a gal to do? I had to get creative and figure out how to make a puree from dried apricots. Behold:
Cooking the dried apricots to make the puree. In water, with a little added honey and sugar, and orange zest. Fresh out of my beloved Nutribullet blender: finished apricot puree! Worked like a charm in the recipe, and the leftovers were delicious stirred into plain yogurt or oatmeal.
My homemade apricot “baby food” worked wonderfully, and now my freezer is stocked with these delicious beauties. These muffins taste more like dessert than anything else. Perfect for Tea Time!
Much beloved muffin cookbook with (most of) the finished product.
The Muffin Mania cookbook came out in the 1980s and was an immediate success, selling out and going into reprint after reprint. My copy is the 7th printing, from 1982. I just did a cursory search on the Interwebs and it doesn’t appear to be in print any longer.
Yes, this cookbook and the recipes within have seen a lot of use and better days! I made sure to rate this recipe as “the best!” so I’d remember which one was my favourite. Handy, now that I am in my dotage. 😉
What is your favourite tea time treat recipe? Is it an oldie yet a goodie, as well? Feel free to join in the tea time festivities, as we enjoy a cuppa and a treat, alone yet together!
Something happened to me this past week. An inner mental shift happened. I think it had to do with our Prime Minister mentioning that THIS (pandemic situation and all its necessary restrictions) could go on until November or beyond. There was a “click’ (and it wasn’t my still-swollen wonky ankle, either), and just like that, I stopped spending hours agonizing over Twitter et al, and started doing THINGS. Positive things, besides spritzing myself with my favourite scents after every shower… no need to worry about running into the scent-sensitive or -averse, after all!
What’s in rotation…I wish you could smell me this. I smell fabulous. Yes, that is a men’s cologne in the upper right corner. It smells good and I like it on me.
This weekend of all weekends so far, I have every right to be depressed and feeling sorry for myself. My BC daughter was supposed to be here, spending a week with her ol’ Mom. And one of my sisters was supposed to come down for a weekend visit as well. And I was supposed to have a house full of family and friends over for supper today. Instead, I am at home alone. Of course. However, I am not depressed OR feeling sorry for myself. I am surprisingly light-hearted and full of creative energy, instead. Whodathunkit?
I am following Joanne’s lead – and heading back into art. So much for all my neatly boxed up stuff. See here for the Before Picture.
Yup. Every damn box opened up. An explosion of the arty things.
I’m inspired to make “happy” paintings, bursting with flowers. This is my first attempt – inspired by British artist, Yvonne Coomber:
No name yet, although I was thinking of the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, when I painted this: The earth laughs in flowers.
I’ve been gesso-ing up old canvases and already have another painting in progress.
Background done. Going to do some beach grasses and flowers in the foreground.
I’m also excited to report that I tested my ankle out with a yoga session this past week, and it passed the test! Somewhat crankily, and demanding wrapping and other types of baby-ing…but that’s OK. That led me to exploring other types of workouts and I found a new love: Body Groove. I always loved dance-type workouts – a class called DanceFit and belly dancing were some of my favourites, in days past. You’d think then, that Zumba would be right up my alley too, but I never really cottoned to that one.
I’d been seeing the Body Groove “commercials” on Facebook for some time now but just scrolled on by. This week I decided to check it out. And then I signed up for the 30 day trial. I already know I will be getting a year’s subscription.
Usually the ho-hum “muzak” that accompanies most workout videos is my least favourite part, but so far I’ve found all the Body Groove music to be diverse, uplifting, and amazing.
YOU BETTA WERK! If this doesn’t put a smile on your face, check your pulse. You may be dead.
I wish I knew the secret to my change in attitude/behaviour/outlook. My brain probably just got tired of wandering around my place in a lethargic daze, just going through the motions of life. And realizing finally that this is going to be going on for a loooooong time – much longer than any of us want it to – so my brain might as well come up with a more positive, more productive fun, new normal.
Don’t get me wrong. Like everyone else, I still have an undercurrent of stress and worry as my constant companion. But I am now also making it a habit to do stuff that puts a big smile on my face and in my heart every day. Like connecting with friends and family (Virtual happy hour, anyone? I have my favourite cocktail ingredients and wine in good supply, still!). Like daily yoga and dance. Like playing with paint. I even started knitting again.
The start of a sock. Knitting keeps my hands busy so they are not busy bringing snackies to my mouth while watching TV. Win-win!
How about you? Are you managing OK? Have you turned the corner? If so, how and why? Tell all!
Me and my friends watching us some Netflix/Crave/Amazon Prime while staying in, out of trouble, at home. Currently loving Unorthodox on Netflix, a show Jonathan recommended.
Good day, my fellow Social Distancers! I hope this post finds you all hale and hearty, and ready to be entertained at my expense! Yes! That’s what I said. You’d think that being stuck in Chez Badass all by my lonesome (Seashell Jesus, Placeholder the Dog, and Honey Valentine the Bear’s presences notwithstanding), I would have almost no opportunity to bring mortification upon myself.
Well, you would be wrong.
As some of you know, I live upstairs in a building that once housed a Post Office, and I rent the main floor out to a museum – the Fashion History Museum (FHM). The FHM is of course closed currently, but my tenants still come in every day to do the work necessary to maintain this high-calibre museum. Over the years I have become very fond of Kenn and Jonathan (Chair and Curator of the FHM respectively, and a lovely couple as well) and we have developed a friendship far outside the landlord/tenant paradigm.
We’ve talked a lot about the pandemic lately, as you can imagine (from a safe social distance, of course). Last week I joked with Kenn and Jonathan that I was rationing my favourite red wine, just in case it became impossible to keep “in stock” at Chez Badass as things progressed.
Imagine my glee and surprise then, when I ventured downstairs to check the mail and saw 2 bottles of the same placed by the stairs going up to my apartment.
I saw through the frosted glass doors that the lights were on in the museum, so I stuck my head in and excitedly sang out:
“Well, well! Looks like the Wine Fairy has been by and left me something!!!”
Jonathan (he of the quick wit) laughed easily and pretended to be offended, and only then did the full import of what I had just uttered hit me: I HAD JUST USED A WORD ALSO USED AS A GAY SLUR IN FRONT OF – AND IN RELATION TO – A GAY MAN.
Shit, shit, shit! How could I be so thoughtless!?! I immediately apologized while dying a little inside. And spent the rest of the day beating myself up for being such a dumbass.
I can laugh about this NOW – days later – especially since I know my innocent comment was received as just that.
Sigh. Only I could manage to commit such a faux pas – a social gaffe – of this magnitude, while distancing and isolating myself. It’s a gift; what can I say? 😉
How about you? Care to share a faux pas in the Comments section?
Rock on,
The WB
A cute little song parody that Jonathan posted (and I immediately stole), to end this post…I hope you enjoy!
Seashell Jesus is my Wilson in these Trying Times of self-isolation. My steadfast companion as I catch up on the news. Read the Seashell Jesus story, here.Closeup of the SJ. Blue-eyed, blond-haired hipster Jesus. Your typical middle-Eastern man of the period, obvs… 😉 I don’t mean to offend anyone. Seriously, I don’t think of this thing as a religious item. It’s just something I found in my building that makes me laugh because of how kitschy it is.
Greetings, fellow Social Distancers! I hope everyone is doing well in this new world of ours – staying safe, hydrated, and healthy – with enough toilet paper or alternatives on hand? I’ve had a week of mostly ups, with one big down since I last posted. Sunday was a bad day for me, when I became overwhelmed by all the goings on, and the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, I had some dear friends and family to speak with (safely, from a large distance) and that helped immensely.
I am not usually down in the dumps and I am afraid I don’t handle it very well due to lack of practice with this state, at least lately. But when Sunday happened, and after I was brought back to the present (where me and my loved ones are safe, warm, fed, and so far healthy), I remembered a “trick” I used in a very dark period of my life. Behold the Happiness Box:
Filled to bursting such that the lid no longer closes properly, this is my original Happiness Box. I have a second one as well, also filled to bursting. Inside the Happiness Box is a collection of cards with loving inscriptions inside, assorted notes, ticket stubs, etc. To “break open in case of emergency”, and review until the desired effect is achieved! The Happiness Box is a proven performer.
I decided that now more than ever is the time to continue with this Happiness Box tradition of mine. Only I don’t want to collect any more physical representations (since I will be moving AT SOME POINT WHO KNOWS WHEN ANYMORE) so here are some things going into my digital Happiness Box for this week:
Rainbow captured on my chalkboard. This must happen every sunny day at my place but I have never caught it until now. A silver lining to being stuck at home, in self-isolation.Enjoying a cup of tea and recalling the friend who thoughtfully gifted me with this beautiful mug. I had always kept it at work (where I felt I needed to reflect on its messages more…LOL) and now I get to enjoy at home. That’s my “rubber ducky” tea infuser in the background – another item that brings a smile to my face.Finding a battery-powered drill in my closet (from when I gave myself gel manicures at home) and using it to shorten my dip powder nails, since I can’t go to the salon. And it still works!!!! What a relief, to be able to quickly shorten my growing-out nails! I was thrilled I tell you. THRILLED!The most delicious loaf of bread I have ever tasted. Crisp on the outside and delightfully chewy on the inside. A gift from a friend, who is also going to give me the recipe! Wheeeeee!Seeing people social distancing at the drug store while waiting in line to pick up prescriptions. Good job, people! WAY TO GO.
Other “Happiness” moments from this week (no less important, just no photos to share):
daily video/phone chats with friends and family
laughing out loud watching Derry Girls, on Netflix (who knew Northern Ireland in the 90s could be so funny?)
Maintaining social distance via the pointy end of a hiking pole. Photo taken by Joanne via the self-timer function on the camera. When I still had 2 fully functioning ankles…Stay back, woman! Trail selfie in the time of COVID-19
How the hell is everyone doing in this strange time? Part of me is just riveted to the news and finding this pandemic so intensely interesting. And then part of me is horrified at how some people are behaving (badly, very badly). And lastly, a big part of me is so cheered by how some other people are revealing their best, most humorous, most altruistic selves during this crisis.
I’m also chuffed at how our Canadian government is handling COVID-19. Maybe not perfectly, but certainly doing the best they can with this novel virus and situation. Kudos to PM Justin Trudeau and (NEVER thought I would say this) Premier Doug Ford, and their teams for science-based and compassionate leadership and for keeping us well informed. What a time to be living through!
Joanne and I are endeavouring to still meet – safely – for our weekly hiking adventure. Now we don’t hug or even get close. And no lunch out afterwards either (restaurants all closed, anyways). But we are still having fun…or at least we were until I took a tumble right at the end of our hike (thankfully!), and strained my ankle. I have every confidence on being back on the trail with her by next week, barring Ontario being put into total lockdown that is!
I hobbled to the grocery store this morning for some staples and perishables and was faced with an unreal scenario. I mean, of course I have seen pictures of other stores throughout North America, but naively, I thought the people of my little community would keep their heads. Yeah. Right.
Not a single egg to be had. And signs everywhere telling people “We have limited supplies in stock. In an effort to ensure all customers have access products will be a limit of 2 per customer. This includes meat, breads, milk and eggs.” So sad we need these signs.The last, lonely package of arborio rice made it into my cart. I anticipate a comforting risotto in my (near) future. I’d invite you over to join me but well, you know…And of course, the paper products aisle. Sigh!
Grocery store workers must be having their faith in humanity severely challenged at this time. And to add injury to insult, they must come to work, no matter what. Grocery store workers (and those of you in health care), you have my utmost respect.
Up until yesterday when I injured myself, I have been keeping busy at home alone, and only venturing out for a daily walks in nature. I find getting out in the woods essential for walking off stress and for taking care of my mental (and physical) health right now. I had planned on a much needed visit to my local nail salon this week to refresh my dip nails but – as much as I want to support this business in a difficult time – I have to listen to our leadership, whose message is loud and clear: STAY HOME.
I’m calling these my 10 Social Distancing Badges of Honour. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. And imagine the trouble getting an appointment once we can go out again!
I’ll end this post with a song I heard playing over the grocery store’s PA system when I was shopping this morning. Made me laugh out loud…and get some stares.
Rock on safely and healthily, in these Trying Times…
(Apologies to the late Gabriel Garcia Marquez for riffing on his book title…)
My goodness, what a year this week has been, eh? Kudos to whoever came up with this witticism first; it wasn’t me. When I haven’t been glued to my tablet, obsessed with watching responses to the pandemic unfold, I have been keeping myself busy (and away from others – way to social distance, right?) by making more progress towards my relocation later this year, to Vancouver Island.
This past week I have bundled up my art supplies, an action that practically guarantees I will be imbued with the urge to create from here on out. I did this for a couple of reasons. First, no sorting required. It’s all coming with me. Second, I haven’t been doing much “arting” lately, and probably shouldn’t, as I have a household+ to sort through and dispose of/pack.
I already know I will be fishing a sketchbook out of one of these boxes soon. As predicted, I am now flooded with ideas of things I wish to draw and paint.
To elaborate on “household+”, last week I also went through the last remaining boxes of my mom’s stuff – mostly paperwork. In one of the boxes I found a manila envelope containing handmade cards my sisters and I had created and given to our parents over the years. Oh my, what a find and what a trip down memory lane! At least it would be, if I could even remember creating these childhood “masterpieces”. Many are unsigned, and all are undated unfortunately. So it’s hard in some cases to tell which sister did a particular card. And for privacy reasons, I won’t blog about any that aren’t mine. But let me tell you that some of these cards that my sisters made are quite funny. Here are some photos of one that is definitely my creation:
Front of card. So far, so good.Apparently I was a pioneer in the adult colouring book craze! Who knew!?! Based on the clothing I drew I would say early ’70s. I would have been 11-12 years old.I was also clearly a fan of how Archie Comics were drawn at that time, as you can see by the girls’ faces. Well, in the words of Picasso: Good artists borrow; great artists steal. HAH!
Also in terms of “household+”, I have to sort through the items of my late husband that survived The Great Purge Part 1. (I am now fully into Part 2). These things are all deep in the bowels of my building, in the room off of the furnace room affectionately referred to as the “Freddy Krueger Room”. Because it used to be so scary, being dark and dingy and filled to the ceiling with tottering piles of mouldering crap. Come to think of it, just about the whole building was like that a few short years ago. We’ve come a long way, baby! And I am making good progress there too, with weekly trips to Value Village as well as salvaging some old items in good shape to sell at a local antiques market.
Last week I reserved my container – to hold all my wordly goods that need to be sent to my new home. Which I don’t have yet. I also don’t have a firm moving date yet. (I can’t believe that I – the planning machine – am so fine with all this, but I am.) The company I am using – Cubeit – has been wonderful to deal with so far. We have a tentative date for drop-off of the container at my building, which I can move up or down as needed. And I can keep the container at their yard in Nanaimo, for as long as required. Nathan from Cubeit told me they understand how stressful moving can be, and are committed to make their part of the process as easy as possible on their clients. Perfect!
This is how I am keeping out of trouble while I am social distancing these days, doing my part to try to flatten the curve and protect the vulnerable. Truth be told, it is not all that different from my normal day-to-day. I tend to avoid large gatherings of people (live performances of my favourite bands excepted) at any given time. I shop when I know think the stores are least busy. I don’t go out to bars or nightclubs. I exercise at home or out in nature. As a card-carrying introvert, the bulk of my social interaction needs can be happily fulfilled without having to be in the physical presence of another human being. 😉
Thank you, Interwebs!
One thing that kinda worries me in this pandemic time is my cough. Thanks to a medication I take, I have a bit of a dry cough even on my best days. I don’t even notice it anymore, usually. On Friday morning (Early! And it was crowded already!) I was in the grocery store and I must have coughed because all of a sudden it seemed like everybody stopped to look at me. I need to wear a sign, maybe?
As much as I like being home, I do need to get out once in a wee whilefor some perishables.
So, that’s it for me for this week. How are you managing these interesting times we are living in?
All this talk about the coronavirus COVID-19 has led to a lot of talk and memes and blogging…and a lot of us are just now figuring out that many people need to reminded of basic daily hygiene habits like washing your hands. With soap. And suddenly I am faced with a memory from way back in the early days of work life when I was astounded by a home I visited.
A colleague and I had been invited to a bridal shower for another worker and we were happy to attend. Well, OK happy might be too strong a word but we wanted to go and support this other woman at this special time in her life so off we went, together.
The house was in a nice neighbourhood and well kept, inside and out. Clean and tidy looking. Once we were settled in the charming sunroom where the shower was being held, I asked to use the washroom and was directed to it. Hey, it was a bit of a drive to get there, OK? When I finished peeing, I approached the sink and was confused by the lack of a bar or container of hand soap. Then I checked the cabinet under the sink. Nada. I even pulled back the shower curtain to see if there was a bar of soap, shampoo…ANYTHING…to use to wash my hands with. Nope.
This was pre-purse-sized hand sanitizer, too. We’re talking the 1980s.
OK, I said to myself after rinsing the best I could with plain water, they forgot to put back the hand soap after cleaning up. I’ll head to the kitchen – they have to have hand soap there, right? Says she who has hand soap AND hand lotion at every damn sink. Gentle Badassians, I think you know already that there was no hand soap there either. I ran into the hostess in the kitchen and, still naively believing at this point that it was all some crazy oversight, told her I couldn’t find any soap to wash my hands with and where could I find some?
I got a blank look and was then told there is no soap. Not even dish soap, apparently (I asked). Who lives like this?!?!?!?! No apology. No embarrassment at being caught with no soap. Nothing. There was an awkward silence. I kept waiting for her to go “Psych!!! Oh my gawd! You should have seen your face when I told you there was no soap! Here you go – all the soap you need!” I ended the silence finally, by muttering “Oh, OK.” And got the hell out of that kitchen.
I returned to the sun room feeling most uncomfortable (in no small part because I hadn’t washed my hands with soap) and sat again beside my friend, who was also a microbiologist – I knew she would grasp the gravity of the situation immediately. I leaned in to her and sotto voce, explained that there was no soap in this house, meaning at the very least no one washed their hands properly therefore don’t ingest anything and let’s find a way to get out of here ASAP.
I forget how we got out of there or even if we did get out of there early. This was also pre-cell phones so we couldn’t suddenly get a call or text that meant we just HAD TO LEAVE. But I do remember not eating or drinking a damn thing and feeling oh-so-dirty the whole time. It was an experience I will never forget.
I do believe that people should not live sterile, spotless lives, and they should let their kids run barefoot and play in the dirt and snuggle puppies and cute baby farm animals, and so on. Our immune systems need to be challenged and exposed to natural flora and fauna. But I am also a firm believer in proper hygiene and immunization. You may be tough as nails because you aren’t very clean, and expose yourself to human pathogens on the regular. But what about the rest of us, and those of us whose immune systems are not up to snuff, for whatever reason? Just wash your damn hands. With soap. Especially if you are preparing food for a crowd attending an event such as a bridal shower. Really, people!
Have you ever gone to someone’s home and not been able to wash your hands properly? Please reaffirm to me that this was a very isolated experience. I once went to a house where there was no toilet paper to be had (oh, brother – another story!) but at least there was soap in the bathroom.
Ugh. I continue to crawl back towards good health. I actually got outside yesterday (only 3rd time since I got home 11 days ago from Barbados) and was able to reach (and exceed) 10,000 steps for the first time since…uh, let’s see (checks journal)…FEBRUARY 22?! You know, getting ill every once in a while does have its advantage…you realize how amazing good health and full energy really is, and it reinforces how important it is to do the daily “maintenance” on your corporeal being to ensure more healthy days than not, going forward. Not that good health is ever guaranteed mind you (shit happens despite what WE want), but there is still plenty we CAN do to give us a fighting chance by making sure our bodies are fueled properly, rested adequately, and moved daily – all in the name of health. Good health is like a good relationship – it takes constant work and should not be taken for granted, especially as we age. Just some of the thoughts I’ve been having while being prostrated by this cold/flu thingy. Anywho…
I started drafting this post with the aim of publishing late January, but here we are. And not much has changed.
I’ve always leaned towards minimizing my environmental footprint. It’s just something that is important to me. Like working at keeping my personal good health, I want (in my own tiny way) to work towards the health of the planet. At the least: not damaging it by daily living anymore than I have to.
I have solar panels on my roof. I drive a plug-in hybrid car (my 3rd hybrid!) as minimally as possible. I support local business whenever I can and I walk to do errands most days. Recycling has been a passion project with me, from the beginning of it being offered in my community. I want to be buried au naturel in a biodegradable shroud in the ground, to nourish the vegetation growing above me. Etc.
Not exactly an eco-warrior but trying to do my bit…by bit.
My recycling centre. Organized according to my region’s specifics for recycling. Bins from IKEA.Drone photo taken by the talented Mario Dabek, including a view of the snow-covered solar panels on the roof of my building (the corner one, with the clock).
Now that I’m retired though, I have the time and energy (OK – not right now for the energy, but soon!) to kick it up a notch. To come more into ALIGNMENT – my Word of the Year (WOTY) – with my values.
As I need to replace cleaning and personal care products, I am experimenting with more “natural”, less harmful and wasteful products. Actually, I have been using these types of options for years already: Before my 2003 hysterectomy I used a Diva cup. I use olive oil to cleanse my face at night (been doing this for 10+ years). I’ve been making my own body wash for the shower for at least 5 years. [Recipe: 1 part castile soap; 1 part liquid honey; 1 part olive oil. Mix together. That’s it!]
I’ve used Dr. Bronner’s castile soap for years but Sal Suds is new to me. So far, I love it!
Last month I made my own bathroom (with tea tree essential oil) and kitchen (with orange essential oil) cleaning sprays with Sal Suds and I am so impressed. I just now realized that my commercial bathroom cleaner was leaving a film that attracted dirt to my sink. I would clean my sink and by next use it was dull and spotted again. Not so with my Sal Suds mixture. Shiny, shiny! Even days later. And my black glass stove top? Gleaming! At pennies per liter spray bottle, I’m saving money too. WIN! I plan on using Sal Suds for more things as I run out of my current products. Supposed to be good for laundry too. Speaking of…
As I ran out of fabric softener, I replaced it with wool dryer balls instead (thank you Jeanette and Red Maple Homestead!). And they are working just fine! I don’t put a lot of wash in the dryer – I prefer to hang up to dry, whenever possible – but for what I do, it comes out nice and soft.
I’m out of plastic and foil wrap, and I have a replacement (along with the beeswax wraps I got from Red Maple). Behold:
Trying out these silicone lids, from Indigo.Silicone lid in action. So far, so good!
I also found this cute little cup for car travel, while browsing at Indigo. I have numerous metal containers but I find them a bit awkward while driving. This one has a straw, making it easier for me to sip water from it while on the move.
Silicone cup for car and travel
And if you read my last post, you know by now that I have a mania for packing minimally and light. So the collapsible aspect of this cup delighted me thoroughly.
Collapsed silicone cup
And, to wrap up this post, I am rethinking how I purchase clothing. Being retired now, my wardrobe needs are changing along with everything else. “Business casual” is now my “dressy”…hah! During a walk to do errands, I made a stop at Sail, an outdoor gear store near me. Just to browse, ya know? Well…
Last year I had picked up this t-shirt that I had just fallen in love with, at Sail.
The shirt that started it all. Change IS good, yeah! And purple, with a dragonfly image to boot. How could it not come home with me? 😉
It was $35, which is pretty pricey for a t-shirt, IMHO. I am used to picking up plain t-shirts for $10 at Joe Fresh. But then I got to thinking. Does my Joe Fresh t-shirt really cost only $10? I doubt I could sew one for $10. Hmmmm. And I don’t take as good care of my $10 t-shirts as I do my Life Is Good one, let me tell you that! At $10, if one gets stained, out it goes (or gets relegated to the chore/paint drawer) and I buy a replacement. My $35 shirt though? I willingly invest hours applying Oxi-clean (made into a paste) to get that damn stain out.
Anywho, I found 2 more Life Is Good shirts while browsing on this trip, and it got me to thinking about my clothing choices, the real cost of things, and so on and so on, down the rabbit hole of consumerism. After some mulling, I did end up buying them. My thinking is that I would rather have less clothes that I value more, and to take care of them better. And Life Is Good seems like a good company to support.
New Life Is Good t-shirts. Yes, I hang my t-shirts in the closet. Less wrinkly that way.
Going forward in 2020 and my new, retired life, these are some of the ways I am coming more into alignment with, and expressing my values. I’m going to explore this further. I would like to break my paper towel addiction for one, and start using cloth alternatives instead.
After my recent illness though, I don’t see me eliminating tissues and replacing them with hankies. There are not enough hankies in the world to keep up with the snot factory I have been of late. 😉
Baby steps.
How about you? Are you making changes in your life in alignment with your values? Do tell.
Well, I’m still feeling tough with this cold. A full week after coming back to Canada and about 10 days in since I started feeling symptoms. Enough already! I am becoming so weak from inactivity that I am forcing myself now to log more steps and do more things, no matter how tired I get. Yesterday I pushed myself hit to 5,000 steps (usual for me is 10-15K per day), and I finally started doing my vacation laundry. Those 2 things exhausted me. I have decided that tomorrow I resume my normal life no matter what. This is my last “sick day”. Wish me luck. Anyway…
People are mostly surprised when I tell them I only take carry-on luggage for my annual 2 week vacation in the tropics. I don’t get it because really, how many clothes do you need when it’s 28 degrees Celsius and you’re on the beach for 6-8 hrs/day?
When I worked, I only took a carry-on bag when I had to fly anywhere for business. Work travel was stressful enough without having to wait at the luggage carousel, hoping that your bag shows up.
But I am also a go-with-the-flow kinda person, so if my travel buddy is checking luggage, I’ll probably do the same.
My first trip with CJ to Barbados, I assumed she would be checking a bag as most people do. I will never underestimate her again! Imagine my shock when she showed me the tiny pink bag that she shoved under the seat ahead of her, that contained all her worldly goods for our vacay. Mind blown! She was definitely the Badass Boss of that trip. Meanwhile, I had actually checked my bag for a change, figuring “might as well – no doubt she will.” WRONG. I did not like keeping her waiting as I was impatiently scanning the carousel for my bag to show up. And wouldn’t you know, my bag was the absolute last to be off-loaded after we arrived on the island! I confess I had visions of having to buy myself everything due to my luggage being lost.Never again.
I have been using the typical carry-on size luggage for this vacation ever since – the type that gets stowed in the overhead bin. However, these winter get-away flights are typically very full and sometimes it’s hard to find room above your seat due to inconsiderate souls putting more stuff than their regulation-size carry-on in those compartments. Like their winter gear. So I started looking for something even smaller. And because I love the challenge of seeing how little I can actually pack and still have a great vacation. Enter the underseat carry-on bag.
Left: my regulation-size carry-on bag. Which looks ginormous compared to… Right: my new underseat carry-on bag. CJ was so tickled by it that she bought the same one as me, but in a different colour. This Travelon bag comes with a matching small duffel bag. Did not use the duffel on this trip to Barbados but did use it on my last trip to Vancouver Island. Because I needed to pack more and bulkier clothes, natch.Arriving in our room at the hotel with all of my luggage 🙂 Including the travel mascot (Spot!) and new luggage tag (with attitude!) as part of the retirement gift package from my work buddies.What was inside my little purple bag, clockwise left to right: hat, bag containing cotton swabs, clothes pins and towel clips, snorkel and mask, bar of laundry soap, water socks, pink bag containing cables and chargers for electronics, liquids, non-liquid toiletries, beach bag, iPad Pro, sunglasses, spare plastic storage bags, GoPro camera, cell phone, assorted toiletries and meds, compression sacks full of clothes, sandals. Still in bag: wipes for electronics and cameras, some tea bags. Ignore the cell phone – was not in the carry-on.
What did I pack for clothes, you may be wondering? Here’s a list:
1 quick dry underwear (I was wearing the only other pair)
2 two-piece bathing suits
1 Eddie Bauer travel skort
1 tank top
1 beach cover-up (Land’s End) that can also double as a housecoat or even a dress
1 bikini top that also did double duty as a bra
1 pair summer-weight pajamas
For the flight down (and back) I wore a pair of light-weight travel pants from Eddie Bauer that could be rolled up and fixed to become capri-length (thanks again to my Badass Boss travel buddy for twigging me onto this and the Eddie Bauer travel skort!), my only other tank top over a stick-on bra, a rash guard that doubles as a full-zip hoodie/jacket, a scarf, my Sash bag (containing all my $$, cell phone, air pods, Canon G7X camera and ID), and a light puffy jacket. With a pair of Vans on my feet. That outfit kept me comfortable enough in either of the climates I was travelling in.
While I was in Barbados I fell in love with a simple dress I saw in the hotel gift shop. I tried it on and couldn’t resist it.
My $16USD wonder of a dress. So floaty and comfortable!
Now I not only had to fit everything I brought to Barbados back into my bag but also this dress. What was I thinking?
How am I going to manage to get all of this stuff back into the bag?Done! Thank you compression sacks!
Things to note: I did hand-wash some items every day during the trip (hence the laundry soap and the clothes pins). If that takes away from your vacation experience, this type of travel is not for you. It doesn’t bother us. We buy a tube of body lotion to share once we are at our destination (along with some grocery items for our room). I tried solid shampoo and conditioner bars this trip. They were OK, but I think going forward I am fine with whatever toiletries the room provides.
Other things I learned this trip: I much preferred one bathing outfit to the other and wore it almost exclusively. It was one I put together from a swim top I picked up at WalMart, paired with a “swimshort” from Land’s End. I bought a pair of these to test drive on the vacation and I am a convert! I put them on first thing in the morning with a tank top (and bikini top as bra) for my morning walks, and then swapped the tank/bikini top out for the swim top after breakfast, and I was set for the day – until it was time to shower and dress for evening. Easy peasy. Clothes that do double duty make this kind of ultra-light packing work! Another eye-opener: I could blog easily from my new iPad Pro, meaning I could leave the bigger laptop at home. This is old news to some of you, I know – but it was my first-time using an iPad this way, and I was chuffed.
I hope this post was entertaining at least, if not helpful. For me the best vacation is the one with less hassle. And less stuff to lug around = less hassle in my books.
Rock on,
The WB
P.S. I did find room in the overheard compartment for my bag, during this trip. But I knew I could stuff it under the seat ahead of me if I had to – and that, my friends, is EVERYTHING.
