Category: Move to Vancouver Island

Pandemic Ponderings and a Move Update

On By Widow BadassIn COVID-19, Move to Vancouver Island61 Comments
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.

Stay safe, and rock on!

The WB

Joining the Blogosphere’s Virtual Tea Party

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, COVID-19, Move to Vancouver Island53 Comments
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!

Rock on,

The WB

My Digital Happiness Box

On By Widow BadassIn COVID-19, Good Times, Hmmm?, Move to Vancouver Island74 Comments
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?)

And, finally:

How about you? How are you doing? How are you managing to keep spirits up in these uncertain times?

Or are you?

It’s OK to be down. These are scary, uncertain times.

Let’s help each other.

Rock on,

The WB

Packing in the Time of COVID-19

On By Widow BadassIn Artistic Endeavours, COVID-19, Hmmm?, Move to Vancouver Island54 Comments

(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 while for some perishables.

So, that’s it for me for this week. How are you managing these interesting times we are living in?

Rock on,

The WB

Vancouver Island October 2019

On By Widow BadassIn Good Times, Move to Vancouver Island, Roadtripping, See the Beauty42 Comments

After a spring and summer filled with shenanigans (hehehe!), I had 4 vacation days left to use before my end of year retirement and it only seemed right to use them for a quick trip back to Vancouver Island to see my daughter and her boyfriend, in their new abode in Ladysmith.

I’ve been back home for over a week already, and only getting around to this post now – apologies, especially to Donna and Erica (two lovely bloggers I went hiking with during my recent visit) who were able to post already on the fun time we shared here and here.

Sleep deprivation, staff vacations, Elton John (more about this later!), and my sister coming for a visit all contributed to lack of blogging, and after catching up on rest this past weekend I feel mostly human again, and capable of stringing a few words together.

However, I think I’ll let my photos (and captions) do most of the talking. Behold:

Spotted this rascal on a walk along the Nanaimo waterfront on my first day back on the Island. I still can’t believe how close he/she let us get. Herons in Ontario are less bold.
Sunday found us doing some exploring via island hopping, since our planned whale-watching excursion got cancelled last minute due to “rough seas”. Uh huh. This photo was taken on Hornby Island – looking out towards Denman Island (with Vancouver Island in the distance). Note rough seas.
Waiting for the ferry to Denman Island. I still can’t believe we dared to take all those ferries in these rough seas.
View from the ferry, approaching Vancouver Island. Wait, are those actual waves?
Went to do some forest-bathing with these two rascals. The wonderful Donna and Erica. It’s always a great day for a hike when you have such lovely ladies for company. We talked about all the important things like we’d known each other for years. Even blogging!
Donna in her cute yellow rain jacket – being used here for scale!
Beautiful Holland Creek Trail
On my last full day, we went to Victoria to do some exploring in the capitol of BC. Chinatown was fun (and delicious!), as always.
This fine fellow greeted us as we entered Chinatown.
Of course we had to shoot a selfie in Fan Tan Alley.
After Chinatown, we walked through the city with the goal of getting to Fishermans’s Wharf. This is a statue of the artist, Emily Carr. That is a monkey on her back, that she is turning her attention to. I assume it was a pet – like her little dog, and not a statement about any struggles she may have been going through! The Empress Hotel is in the background. I enjoyed the high tea experience there, back in 2003. Fancy!
Mizz J (and K) looking towards Fisherman’s Wharf – our objective – which was eventually reached – although everything was closed when we got there.
We still had fun walking around and admiring the unique homes on Fisherman’s Wharf.
Fisherman’s Wharf warning sign. Point (get it? 😉 ) taken.

The week just flew by and was over far too soon. The beauty and charm of Vancouver Island continues to astound me. I wonder if I will ever get used to it. I hope not!

Rock on,

The WB

Moving Thoughts #1: Rent or Own

On By Widow BadassIn Goals & Dreams, Move to Vancouver Island, Retirement53 Comments

Even though my impending move is still many months away, I am already consumed with THOUGHTS and FEELINGS about it. So I created a special place to put them in – this 18 month Moleskin journal:

I found a package of stickers at Michaels that seemed appropriate. And went appropriately to town on the cover.
The fact that the fountain pen ink is reddish and looks kinda like I am writing in blood may or may not hold appeal for me. Just sayin’.

So, as can be seen from this journal entry (made in early July), my plan is was to rent for a bit (up to a year) while I search for a new property to buy on the Island. I say “was”, because I had a bit of revelation this week.

I realized I was quietly stressing about the whole “renting for a bit” idea and decided to dig deeper on those feelings this week when I was at home recuperating from heat exhaustion – earned on my birthday, at WTFest.

(I still got to enjoy most of the festival but had to lie down in the shade during The Beaches’ set so I wouldn’t pass out, from overheating. 1 alcoholic drink and no food all afternoon/evening. What a rock n’ roller, eh? 😉 From badass to candyass in one afternoon – that’s me alright!)

I recovered enough to see these guys (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker aka USS) put on a lengthy, satisfying set of all their great songs – they were the main attraction for me, at WTFest.

During a conversation with my daughter she brought up a concern that she may have to move around the island for work as she is at the start of her career, and didn’t want us to end up too far apart. I said: no worries, gonna rent at first anyways but that got me thinking. And with thinking came a bunch of fears and assumptions that needed deeper exploration.

I was raised by homeowners – people who believed 100% in the wisdom of investing in property vs. renting space. My goal as an adult was to rent the cheapest place possible until I had saved enough for a downpayment and could afford to take the plunge into home ownership myself. Why pay my landlord’s mortgage when I could be paying my own – was my rationale. Renting was a stop gap; something you did until you could do “better”.

I soon realized I was actually kinda scared of going back to renting again. It brought up all kinds of fears about: “wasting” money on rent; living in “suboptimal” conditions (when did I get so fucking bougie???); hating (already!) not being able to improve/decorate the living quarters I was paying for, to my satisfaction. And it brought back all my feelings about some of the yucky places I lived in over the years, with no money to fix them up. And how much I love the space I am living in currently, that I designed and decorated to my satisfaction (finally!!!)…A whole lot of feelings going on, yessirree.

Friends of mine recently went from homeowners to renters and spoke positively of freedom that comes from renting but I wasn’t convinced…I needed more information. Hard numbers, facts, figures!

As one does, I hit the interwebs looking for articles on renting in retirement. One especially spoke to (the MBA in) me – this enlightening article and embedded video, is worth a read/watch. Take your time. I’ll be here when you get back.

Long story short, I have a whole ‘nother attitude about renting. In fact, it is not out of the realm of possibility that I may never own a home again. Instead of tying up (and tying myself down with) funds in another property, I will invest what I clear from the sale of my current abode. What I earn from this could be applied to rent – against those pesky unrecoverable costs – leaving more of my capital intact, for a future home/hippy van/trip around the world/whatever else might strike my fancy purchase.

My friends were right. Renting can be freeing.

You know, I figured these anticipated life changes (retirement, moving) were going to spark some revelations for me. But I didn’t think it was going to happen quite this quickly. Or be quite so HUGE.

What about you? Thoughts on renting vs. owning, especially in retirement?

Rock on,

The WB