Because You Asked: How I Journal

On February 27, 2022 By Widow BadassIn Because You Asked, Home Improvement, Retirement, WOTY54 Comments

In my post on my WOTY (Limber – in case you were wondering and didn’t have time to click on the link), I posted a photo of the January habit tracker page I created in my 2022 journal. This sparked a few comments as to the process I use when I journal. I use a dotted journal because ~~I can’t stay between the lines~~ ~~my handwriting is abysmal~~ I find it more freeing. I use a very simple method of journalling, based very loosely on a system called Bullet Journalling, created by a designer named Ryder Carroll. So many people love this system and you can go down a YouTube rabbit hole for days watching how people create and personalize their BuJos, not that I would know anything about that. 😉 It is supposed to be a very good system for personal productivity. I am so damn relieved and happy to be able to put personal productivity in the rear-view mirror of my current life so I don’t use my BuJo for that purpose but instead for habit-tracking and as a diary.

Prior to my current way of journalling, I was using a very fancy (to me, anyways) Japanese journal system – called a Hobonichi – that I really loved. But once I retired I found the format and size a bit limiting, and wanted something I could customize.

Last entries in my beloved 2021 Hobonichi journal…

Some people turn their bullet journals into literal works of art. They are gorgeous but I would never be able to maintain something like that. My journal is so basic, I don’t even use a ruler to create my lines. I freehand it. And I use purchased silicone stamps for the dates because ~~my life span is too short to write out the days of the month over and over again~~ it looks better that way.

It’s almost March 2022 as I write this, so it is time to create my March spread. I create only a month at a time, because ~~I am fickle~~ I am constantly refining my process. Follow along, if you like!

Step 1 – gather the goods.

Assemble the tools: journal, pens, highlighters, stamps, ink pad.

Step 2 – pick a highlighter pen colour for the month.

Green is very spring-like and perfect for March.

Step 3 – Pick a stamp for the month. (Snap-together set ordered from Amazon)

Step 4 – start the spread.

Open the journal to a fresh 2 page spread and stamp the month. I then freehand a line at the top of the page.

Step 5 – put together the date stamp for the month.

I purchased this set from Michaels; also available on Amazon.

Affix the silicone stamps to an acrylic block, and you are ready to stamp your heart out. Pro tip: practice on scrap paper to get the technique perfect before you attempt it in your journal.

Step 6 – continue to fill in the spread for March with whatever you feel like tracking that month.

You will see that I added a couple of extra *days of the month* stamps, in case I dream up other stuff I want to track as I progress throughout the month.

The system I am using now is to have the left hand side of the spread for noting things like when I last watered the plants, flipped the mattress, vaccuumed underneath the sofa cushions, etc. In other words, my haus-frauing. I live alone and stuff doesn’t get dirty very fast so I like to keep track of when it was last done ~~because my memory is faulty especially for stuff that doesn’t really interest me like housework~~. My mom had a rigid daily routine for housekeeping that my rebel heart has just never accepted as the way to do things. I like to work my cleaning schedule around the phases of the moon and when I damn well am in the mood to do so or I can’t stand the dust anymore or it’s raining or company is coming, whatever comes first. Take that, all my Dutch female forebears!

The right hand side of the spread is for the fun stuff I want to keep track of, and good habits I want to keep going or to build on. Under my habit tracker for this month, I am checking off (approximately) how many steps I have logged on my Apple watch, had I eaten at least 3 fruits and vegetables that day (F/V), and did I do my oil-pulling mouth hygiene routine (O/P). I am also including a space to record my occasional blood pressure readings because my nurse practitioner ALWAYS asks for this info. (I haven’t had a mini-stroke since 2016 – hoorah!!!!) On the calendar side, I mark off with highlighter the days that I have achieved those particular activities as I work towards certain goals.

As for birthdays, special events, appointments, etc., I keep those on my electronic calendar (Google) so that they are always in the palm on my hand (i.e. in my phone).

Step 7 – start of daily journal pages.

After I have completed the March spread, I turn the page and line the top and add the words “Daily Journal”. I make a journal entry for each day of the month, noting all the banalities, rants and musings of my day…sometimes it is only a few lines…sometimes it is more than half a page. Sometimes I dress the pages up with stickers, washi tape or To-Do lists, and sometimes not. It is my journal and there are no real rules (rebel heart-approved). Towards the end of the month, I guesstimate how many blank pages are yet required for daily journal entries, and flip the next page over and start to work on the following month’s spread of things I want to keep track of. And so on, and so forth…

That is my journalling method…at least what it looks like for March of 2022. Next month – who knows where my rebel heart will take me… 🙂

Do you journal? Do you track habits? Do tell please, in the comments. I would love to know what others do.

Rock (and record) on,

The WB

Too Much Information?: A Bidet Story

On October 25, 2021October 25, 2021 By Widow BadassIn Hmmm?, Home Improvement63 Comments

WARNING: Please click away if your nerves are far too delicate to read about bathrooms and associated functions.

Remember back at the beginning of the pandemic when everyone was losing their minds and all sorts of craziness was happening? We were all so scared and unsure of what was going to happen next. And some scoundrels tried to buy up all the essentials, leading to shortages of everything and the people were going on Facebook to beg for toilet paper AS THERE WAS NONE TO BE HAD IN ALL THE LAND? Yeah, thanks a lot hoarders! Gone through your stockpile(s) yet, jerkwads?

Scene at my local grocery store in March 2020.

Well, around that time I began chatting regularly online with a bunch of blogger friends via Zoom and the topic of bidets came up during one session, and how great they were to use and – especially – how you didn’t need all that much toilet paper if you used one. I remember researching bidets at that time – along with the rest of the universe, apparently – and although I could find information on them, there were none to be had as demand has far outstripped supply. Go figure. Sigh. Turns out I had just enough TP to get me through until the shelves were restocked, so I promptly forgot all about bidets once the GREAT TP SHORTAGE OF 2020 was over.

Fast forward to present day: I somehow severely ~~fucked up~~ strained my back muscles last week. I could hardly move and when I absolutely had to move it was groan-out-loud painful (sorry, neighbours!). We are talking A STRUGGLE to put on socks and underwear, and to get from lying down to sitting to standing and vice versa.

And did you know how much you need to involve your back muscles in order to thoroughly wipe your nether regions clean after using the toilet? Let me elucidate you, in case you didn’t already know: IT’S A LOT, ACTUALLY. IT’S QUITE A LOT.

I was ~~bitching~~ ~~complaining~~ chatting about this very thing with my massage therapist this past week when she said those 3 magic words that sent me running back to Amazon: GET A BIDET.

This baby arrived yesterday. Amazon’s Choice, with thousands of great ratings. *Thousands upon thousands of happy butts!*

I bravely started to do the install after reading the instructions and putting my talented son-in-law on speed dial, just in case.

And then, dear Badassians, it all went ~~to shit~~ wrong. Trying to affix the t-valve to the toilet tank….water leaking everywhere once I turned it back on! So I undid everything and tried to put the toilet back together as it was before I started messing with it. No good. Still spraying water everywhere. I shut the water valve off yet again and frantically called the SIL, who came right over and diagnosed the problem!

First – as I suspected – it was partly the blame of the shitty plastic wrench included in the kit. Although I thought I was behaving like a pretty poor workman blaming the tool and all that, but whatevs. Second – and completely related to the first – when I was tightening the t-valve I was loosening the fitting coming from the toilet at the same time. Thankfully SIL came prepared with a REAL wrench and his big man hands and a less sore back than mine, and soon there was this:

After thanking SIL profusely and seeing him out the door, it was time to take Ye Olde Bidet for its (and my) maiden voyage. I want to say it was a dry run, as I didn’t actually need to use the facilities, but “dry” is not the right word when describing how a bidet is supposed to work.

With great trepidation, I reached down to the dial at my side.

Note to self: be careful not to dial it up too fast, lest it get downright invasive!

It has taken some finessing (one must develop a technique; some skill, as it were), but overall I am quite happy with this upgrade to Ye Olde Water Closet. In the succinct ~~words~~ word of someone named Brad (see quote on box, above), this bidet addition is:

“FANTASSTIC!’

Rock on,

The WB

What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – Cinco de Mayo Edition

On May 5, 2021May 3, 2021 By Widow BadassIn Good Times, Home Improvement, What's On Your Plate80 Comments

Way back in April, I had an entirely different post planned out for the May “What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge”. Last week however, it dawned on me that this month’s challenge falls on Cinco de Mayo (click on link to see what May 5 is all about and how to celebrate), so I decided my initial idea could keep. This month I am bringing you a Mexican-themed dish instead.

I was hoping to make it something to do with tacos….I do love me some tacos. I even ordered a tortilla press, so I could make my own from scratch (and gluten-free). However, it was not to be as my tortilla press did not come in on time. Es muy malo!

Instead, let me bring you my version of a deconstructed burrito…aka a burrito bowl.

It all started with a pork shoulder that had been taking up valuable freezer real estate for far too long, and now needed to be turned into something, STAT. When I bought it, I had been thinking of pulled pork but that obviously hadn’t happened. I came across this recipe, for carnitas…and with that, I was off to the races.

Finished carnitas, fresh out of the broiler

I wanted to make some of those tasty pickled onions to go with it, and that led me to this recipe. (And you better believe I will return to it for the Barbacoa 😉 ).

Well worth the walk to The Bulk Barn to pick up coriander seed and whole allspice, to make these pickled red onions.

And lastly, I had to find a recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice (my fave!). Here it is, and it turned out wonderfully. This is how it all came together on the plate:

My burrito bowl! With black beans, salsa, sour cream and guacamole added too.

Alas, no frosty margarita to accompany it, only a glass of white wine. This dish was delicious!

You may have noticed in the above photos that my balcony spruce-up for 2021 is now complete. My privacy screen is now up.

And my comfier cushions arrived too! Now all we need is a few more degrees of heat for optimal balcony enjoyment to commence. In the meantime, I just grab a sweater and a comforter. And splash hot sauce all over my burrito bowl. 🙂

Thanks so much to everyone who enjoyed and/or participated in last month’s inaugural blog challenge! My, that was fun! Hope you had as much fun as Donna and I did. Check out Donna’s post for this month, here!

As with last month, please let us know what’s on your plate at your house, in the Comments of either Donna’s or my post. And remember if you decide to blog or Facebook or Instagram about it, to use the tag #whatsonyourplateblogchallenge so we can find you out on ye olde interwebbs!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, from my hammock in the woods of Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park!

Rock on, and ¡Salud!

The WB

Tea Party on the Patio! #virtualteaparty2021

On April 15, 2021April 15, 2021 By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, COVID-19, Home Improvement63 Comments

Okay, okay…technically I don’t have a patio. I have a balcony. But I have it tricked out like the fiercest patio you can imagine…or at least it WILL BE once Jeff Bezos sends me a coupla more items. I came close last year but due to my arrival time on the island and pandemic-induced scarcities, last summer’s effort was lacking a few items that I had deemed necessary for peak enjoyment. And I know it’s only April, but we are very very close, people! Already! (If you’d like to see last year’s balcony, click here.)

I managed to get my hands on a couple of baskets of fuchsia this year…and I got some really great lights, to replace last year’s ~~misguided~~ valiant attempt at solar lighting for my north-facing space. So excited for my new patio lanterns!

I’m still waiting on a privacy screen for the railing, and comfier cushions for my benches, and some plants (impatiens, maybe…) for my railing planter box and then I’ll be done…uh, I think.

Here’s Balcony 2021 so far, with improved lighting! “Those patio lanterns, they were the stars in the sky….”

By the time I got to Vancouver Island and was settled enough to go plant shopping (early June of last year), all the hanging baskets of this shade-loving plant were completely GONZO. I was SOL, for 2020. So I leapt at the chance to pick up these beauties at Ye Olde Superstore this week.

There’s a problem though, with these baskets. Can you see it?

It only took me a day to realize that when it came to watering these babies (I have 2 of them), I would also be watering my bench cushions. EVERY. DAMN. TIME. What to do, what to do? Surely there was a ready made solution out there? Yes gentle readers, there was. In glorious see-through plastic, and in Jeff Bezo’s garage…otherwise known as Amazon. Hmmmm. I thought I might be able to MacGyver something mahself instead. So that is just what I did.

Is it still technically MacGyver-ing if you picked up some ~~shit~~ stuff at Ye Olde Dollarama? Asking for a friend. Astute, long-time readers will notice that I remembered to pack my dick pillows, when I moved to Vancouver Island. Once seen, never to be unseen…

Not too shabby, eh? Cheaper AND prettier!

Actually it only took the galvanized tins and the large S hooks to create these drip catchers, so I have the other ~~shit~~ stuff handy for any future MacGyver-ing I might be inspired to do.

By now – if you are still reading – you are probably wondering what all this has to do with a tea party so I’ll get to the point. THIS. It’s this:

My first cuppa of 2021 on the ~~patio~~ balcony! Accompanied by a warm banana oatmeal muffin.

I decided that overripe bananas were taking over my limited freezer space so that means only 1 thing around Chez Badass: time to dig out my tattered copy of Muffin Mania and make me some muffins! I used this recipe:

GOOD? Wow. I really waxed rhapsodic over this one, didn’t I? After almost 40 years, this recipe still is GOOD. Oh, and I used butter instead of margarine. And gluten-free flour instead of wheat flour. And quick oats instead of rolled oats. And I forgot to add the baking soda.
AND. THEY. WERE. STILL. GOOD.

It was only when I started filling the muffin cups that I vaguely remembered that this particular recipe makes way more than a dozen muffins. Eighteen, in fact. You’d think I could have written that down at some point, next to “good”.

The final half-dozen, fresh out of the oven.

The thing is, banana is not my favourite flavour in baked goods. But somehow this recipe works for me. I think the oatmeal ~~tones down~~ balances the banana flavour a bit. And using gluten-free flour gave these muffins a delicious cake-like texture that I don’t remember from when I made them with regular flour.

So if you came to my house in April we’d be sitting out on my balcony under the new patio lanterns, drinking tea and eating banana oatmeal muffins. And singing this song:

Yes, I would make you sing it along with me. Start practicing, because I got my first dose of Covid-19 vaccine this week. (Whoop whoop!)

Rock on,

The WB

P.S. Thanking the lovely hostess of the Virtual Tea Party, Su…go check out her blog and see what she is serving this month!

A Move During a Pandemic, Part 2 of 2

On July 21, 2020July 21, 2020 By Widow BadassIn Good Times, Home Improvement, Move to Vancouver Island, See the Beauty71 Comments

Capturing how I feel about my move in one photo…@ Helliwell Provincial Park on Hornby Island

Hoo boy! It’s hard to sit down to ye olde blogge when there is so much to do and see but here I am, finally. I could write at least 5 separate posts on what’s been going on but dammit, the weather is too beautiful! I am understanding how a lot of bloggers take July and August “off” from their regular posting and resume blogging once again in September. If I was back in Ontario I’d be hunkered down in my air-conditioned place and only venturing out in the wee hours of the morning or after dark due to the extreme heat, giving me plenty of time to blog. But here on Vancouver Island, the more temperate climate begs one to spend as much time outdoors as possible!

Anyhoo, here’s an update on what’s been going on:

It took me a few weeks, but I was able to unpack all my stuff and make some sense of my new space. I am LOVING it here. Sure there are minor inconveniences to apartment living, like the heavy-footed upstairs neighbours, but overall I am very happy with, and comfortable in, my new home.

Balcony facing west. One of my favourite places to read a book, relax, enjoy a glass of wine…

Coming in off the balcony, into the living/dining area

Spare/guest/art room – I’ve cleaned it up a bit since this picture was taken, at the final stages of getting unpacked/organized.

As of now, my hands are almost completely healed (from the bashing they took in assembling all the furniture I purchased to replace the stuff I left behind in Ontario), I have recovered somewhat from the exhaustion induced by the whole moving ordeal, and I am starting to really settle into AND enjoy my new life and all its perks.

Some of which, can be seen below!

Ann (The Unretired Life) at Helliwell Provincial Park, Hornby

I got to meet Ann, a fellow blogger, in real life (finally) at her beloved island of Hornby. Which is amazingly beautiful, by the way (as is Ann!).

And I was able to have another IRL meeting (again, finally) with yet another beautiful Vancouver Island blogger just yesterday – Jude – (Dr. Sock Writes Here) for a delightful walk around the lake at Westwood Lake Park.

Meeting people during these pandemic times can be a little unsettling, but we are all respectful of the need to maintain social distancing. Which means hugs are off the table, for now! Feels weird not to hug these ladies who I’ve known (virtually) for a few years now, but we do as we must.

Jude and I, thankful for the shady path around the lake

Of course, I am able to hang out (and hug) with members of my little “bubble”, my daughter and her family.

Saturday’s crabbing (and kayaking) adventures off the Nanaimo pier, at Maffeo Sutton Park

Life is definitely good. And I get to wake up every morning to this:

Yes, life is definitely good. And summer life on Vancouver Island is absolutely the best.

Rock on,

The WB

March Update on WOTY – Alignment

On March 2, 2020March 2, 2020 By Widow BadassIn Goals & Dreams, Hmmm?, Home Improvement, Retirement, WOTY50 Comments

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.

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.

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.

Rock your crunchy-granola self on,

The WB

The View From My Window…

On January 25, 2020January 25, 2020 By Widow BadassIn Bruce Trail Adventure, Home Improvement, Retirement, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors35 Comments

…is pretty bleak, or should I say pretty YET bleak today.

Pardon the weirdness caused by my window screen but the journal prompt did say view from the window, which I didn’t feel like opening and removing said screen. Anywho, you get the general idea…

If I was still working, I’d be very unhappy with January in Southern Ontario, thus far in 2020. For the past 3 weekends, every Saturday has been some kind of weather event – ice storm, snow storm, rain/freezing rain, more snow – it’s like someone has a hate on for Saturdays!

However, I am not working (and still giddy about this!) – which means every day is Saturday and I can get out for a walk or hike just about any time I want. Except for actual Saturday, according to the January weather gods.

My blogging and IRL friend Joanne and I have come up with a schedule of Wednesday hikes and so far the weather has cooperated. Two hump day hikes under our belts so far, and hopefully 2 more before we fly off to our separate adventures in February. Here’s some views I wish I had from my window, taken from this past Hump Day Hike:

Winter sun peeking through the bare trees at Limehouse Conservation Area.

See more pretty views at Joanne’s blog – Following a Bold Plan.

When not gazing out my window or getting outside for a walk or hike, I find myself doing a lot of puttering around the house. Which is lovely. I am a huge fan of puttering. However it can seem like I am not getting much done because I flit from task to task, leaving most things in a state of progress rather than working any particular task to completion (like I was more inclined to do when I was still working). I think this is because I am revelling in all of my newfound time. And truth be told, it’s kinda bugging me. So I came up with a game plan for today, to see if I can account for my time a bit better. Behold the task list:

To Do list in my journal for today: to keep me on track: focused on certain tasks, and with less flitting about. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing but you know…in moderation!

So far I have shredded some papers in what used to be my office, worked on ye olde blogge, yoga-ed, and did 3 loads of laundry. My slow-cooked chicken carcass broth will be done soon and it will become the base for both a soup and a curry later on today. I also ~~flitted~~ departed from my task list to make my own less toxic household cleaner and used it to clean up my toilet and sink (more about this on another post!).

What’s left? I plan on playing with my GoPro, to relearn how to use it before I leave for Barbados in a couple of weeks. And since the January weather gods have relented and it seems not too terrible today, I am going to venture out for a walk to stretch my legs.

Bleak or not, the view from my window is calling to me.

Hope your Saturday is going well! How productive are you inclined to be today?

Rock on,

The WB

My First Year Driving My Prius Prime – Edward III; Long May He Reign!

On June 5, 2019June 5, 2019 By Widow BadassIn Home Improvement, Roadtripping44 Comments

On May 25th, 2018 I picked up my 3rd version of “Edward the Sparkly Prius“. This one is a plug-in Hybrid, meaning it can be charged via an electrical outlet and also uses gas as fuel.

The shiny new Edward the Third. Long may He reign.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise then, that I love Priuses (Priuii?) and the (non) colour Blizzard White, and Toyota products in general. (Before my current Prius phase, I was a Matrix gal). I already benefited from good gas mileage with my other Edwards (I and II). With Edward II, I was refueling about every 10 days or so at an average cost of $90 per month (Canadian fuel prices were higher then: 2017/2018). Not bad, right?

Well, I hadn’t seen anything yet! My perception of “not bad” changed with Edward III (long may he reign!). Eddie came to me in May 2018 with a full tank of gas. My first fill up was at the end of July (!). Then the one after that wasn’t until November (!!!). Then I filled up again in December, then in February; and the most recent time I had cause to visit the pumps was back on March 30, over 8 weeks ago. I still have just over 1/2 tank of that fill. For a grand total of $155.47 for a year’s worth of fuel purchases. I drove a little over 13.5 thousand kilometres in that time span.

I couldn’t tell anyone what gas costs right now. I’m only aware of gas prices going up/down when I see long line-ups at the pumps. When Edward is down to 1/4 tank, I just go fill him up. The price of gas no longer holds sway over me.

I had to install an outdoor electrical outlet (just a regular one, not the more expensive, faster “charging station”), to feed Edward. That set me back a few hundred bucks, for an electrician. I haven’t seen a discernible difference in my electrical bills, although I was told at the dealership each full charge could cost $1. I program Eddie to only charge when the electricity is cheapest, so I can plug him in at 5 pm and know he won’t start drawing power until after 7 pm on a weekday. It takes 5.5 hours to fully charge Edward using the regular outlet.

My range, using electricity only, varies depending on the temperature. In the winter the lowest it dipped down to was 35 km on a full charge. As of this morning (June 5), I am up to 54 km per charge. Most days in the warm weather I can do all the running around to work and back, and any daily errands on a single overnight charge. In the winter I did find the gas engine had to kick in for the last few kilometres, in order to get me home every day. (I know; cue the world’s smallest, saddest violin…) I use the gas engine mostly only on extended, weekend drives.

Edward, in his royal benevolence, is teaching me to be a ~~better~~ more fuel efficient driver. Through positive reinforcement such as this;

And this:

Edward approves of not blasting the A/C in the summer time.

I am very happy with my new Edward. I do have to remember that he makes about as much noise as an electric golf cart when in EV (electric vehicle) mode (which is all the time, most days), and that pedestrians and cyclists won’t necessarily hear his approach. Or departure.

Last summer, at the KW Bluesfest, I surprised the slightly inebriated woman leaning on the vehicle parked beside me when Edward began to silently pull out of the parking spot. Her disorientation, double-take, and clutching of the vehicle behind her for support was priceless.

I think this type of vehicle (hybrid or all-electric) is the future. Until we can teleport ourselves à la Star Trek, that is. 😉

Would you/do you drive an electric car?

Rock on,

The WB

And that was August #TheChangingSeasons

On August 31, 2018 By Widow BadassIn Good Times, Home Improvement, Music20 Comments

The first weekend of August was reserved for the Mill Race Festival of Traditional Music.

I enjoyed listening to the world music brought to this festival. This year, I listened to an artist from Afghanistan:

Qais Essar getting ready to play a 2500 year old instrument – the rabab

And one originally from West Africa, now based out of Montreal:

Zal Sissokho playing the kora – an African harp. It was magical.

The second weekend of August was KW Bluesfest, starting on Thursday night with Rik Emmett (formerly of Triumph):

And then it was Jonny Lang’s turn:

Saturday afternoon, I watched Magic Dick (of J.Geils Band) work his harmonica magic:

Saturday night it was the Ghost Town Blues Band – highly enjoyable – so much so that I forgot to take any pictures!

Sunday morning it was gospel for breakfast:

Then my daughter and her guy left for BC and I fell apart, and into a frenzy of cleaning:

Washed and resealed the slate floor in my bathroom. On my hands and knees. Ouch.

The third weekend of August was set aside for Riverfest Elora.

Friday night, July Talk hit the stage:

Riverfest has gained popularity. It was quite crowded this year. Grrr.

Dear Rouge – another great Canadian band I was privileged to see.

The final weekend of August was for connecting with friends and recovering from all the festival action.

Then a few days ago, I took some time during the week to go to Stratford with Joanne of My Life Lived Full, to catch Rocky Horror at the Avon Theatre:

Waiting for Rocky: Let’s make silly faces, she said. OK, I said.

The next day we got even sillier on the Speed River. Not really, although I did get baptized in the river when my kayak entry went awry (first time, ever!). Thankfully no undignified pictures were snapped because Joanne is a FRIEND first and blogger second. 🙂 Check out her kayaking photos here.

And that pretty much wraps up the month for me.

The Changing Seasons is a monthly blog challenge hosted by Su Leslie of Zimmerbitch.

Rock on,

The WB

My Mother’s Day Vision, Realized

On May 13, 2018May 13, 2018 By Widow BadassIn Good Times, Home Improvement25 Comments

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

Everyone mothers someone, amiright? And everyone has a mother. So it’s a great day for everybody – enjoy!

This is my 3rd motherless mother’s day. I wrote about my first one here.

Mom, if you’re reading, I miss you and hope you are in a better place.

You’d be happy to see what I’ve done with my rooftop patio – I know you loved sitting out here, and now I’ve given it (with help) the spruce-up I’ve been imagining for weeks already. Behold: