A Move During a Pandemic, Part 2 of 2

On 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 east
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
Kitchen, as seen from the dining area
My bedroom
Spare/guest/art room – I’ve cleaned it up a bit since this picture was taken, at the final stages of getting unpacked/organized.
The bath

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:

Sun rising over the mainland mountains

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

Rock on,

The WB

DO Go Chasing Waterfalls

On By Widow BadassIn Good Times, Move to Vancouver Island, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors59 Comments

I am fed up to the gills with all things moving. Packing for a move, unpacking from a move, organizing new space, buying things for the new place, building furniture and storage solutions for the new place etc., etc. I still have a lot to do, but they are mostly little jobs (curtains, art etc.). All the big stuff is done and I am down to the little tweaks that will make my place more liveable. Hoorah!

And coincidental to my fed-up mood, the weather is fabulous. So you know what that means, right?

Time to explore my new neighbourhood!!! Specifically, the out of doors.

Yesterday I took the afternoon off to stroll down to the Departure Bay Beach area (check out my Instagram for those photos), and today was spent in search of a trail I could walk to.

One of the residents in my apartment complex tantalized me last week with a tale of going for a walk through the neighbourhood and ending up on a trail which included a waterfall! And today, I made it my mission to find out what she was talking about.

I had looked up local trails on my AllTrails app, and the Beach Estates Trail seemed to fit the description she had given me. It said I could access it from Departure Bay Road but I wanted to walk through my neighbourhood, like my neighbour did.

A short walk later, passing by many lovely homes, and I was on a public access trail that took me down to the shore of Departure Bay.

Emerging onto the shore, close to the ferry docks.
One of the large weathered logs often found on the shorelines of BC

I walked along the rocky shore for a bit, looking for access to the trail. Which was easily found. Or so I thought. Immediately I entered a lush paradise.

Do you know where you are? You’re in the jungle, baby!

Well-maintained cliffside steps and stairs
Cool tree trunk

It was a beautiful walk, but where was the waterfall? I decided to check AllTrails to see where I was on the trail.

I’m the blue dot. Not even on the trail yet!!! Could this be right?

I persevered. Onwards!

Continuing my climb up the cliffside. Not a difficult trail at all. Good thing ‘cos I only had Birkenstocks on my feet.

And then suddenly….

There it was! THE WATERFALL.

I had to be on the trail now, right?

Yup, on the trail now!
Not too shabby, for being right in town.

I continued on the trail and within moments I was out on the street, and at the beginning of it all.

Trail Head

And an hour and twenty minutes later, I was back home. I’m so thrilled to have such easy access to all this gorgeous nature, without even having to get in my car. Walking to a local trail on the regular was a big part of my former life in Ontario and I am so happy and grateful to have a similar experience here, at my new Vancouver Island home.

Do you have a local trail you can access easily for a quick dose of Vitamin Nature?

Rock on,

The WB

A Move During a Pandemic, Part 1 of 2

On By Widow BadassIn COVID-19, Move to Vancouver Island77 Comments

On May 28, I left Ontario by boarding the first of two planes to get to my new home on Vancouver Island. I had been planning this move for about 18 months, and the pandemic had initially thrown me for a loop. Back in mid-March I thought perhaps my move would not go ahead as planned due to travel and quarantine restrictions. As the initial weeks went by and I sat glued to the news, I began to realize that my move could go forward so I was off to the races, again!

In short order I had secured an apartment, a mover, and a shipper for Edward the 3rd , and I began sorting and packing my stuff in earnest, once more.

On May 26, during a period of unseasonable high heat and humidity (!), my movers arrived and did a stellar job of denuding my home of its things. (Can you believe it was snowing only 2 weeks prior? Typical Ontario weather roller-coaster!) I felt quite bad for them to be working so hard in the 33C heat. I cranked the A/C and made sure there was plenty of ice-cold bottled water in the fridge. And then I got out of their way.

Have you ever seen a more neatly packed truck?
‘Til we meet again, on Vancouver Island!

My friend Joanne very kindly offered to take this newly-homeless person in, and we enjoyed each other’s (and husband Gilles) company to the utmost until it was time to go to the airport. One teary goodbye later, and after breezing through security, I was faced with these weird images of the usually bustling Pearson airport.

Never have I ever seen these screens so devoid of flights.
Part of me finds this eery. The other part wishes the airport was always this empty of people.

While flying, we passengers had to have our masks on at all times. Every middle seat (on 3 seater rows) was unsold, to help us distance somewhat during the flight. I had no one else in my row. A win under any circumstances! 😉

Good morning, Ontario! And au revoir!
Different airport (Calgary). Same lack of people.

The plane to Nanaimo was smaller, with only 2 seats per row. Again, the seat beside each passenger was deliberately left unsold, for social distancing. IT. WAS. GLORIOUS.

While I took the picture this propeller was busily spinning away yet this shot makes it look like it was not working. It was! Honest!
This planet we inhabit is absolutely breath-taking.
Approaching Vancouver Island. Propeller still working.

After settling in (for now) with my dear daughter and her man, it was time to sign my lease and finally see my new home-to-be, in real life.

The living/dining room space (and balcony) of my newly renovated 2nd floor apartment.
The galley-style kitchen, looking into the dining area.
The bath.
Yes! That is a sliver of ocean/mountain view as seen from my balcony.
View of Departure Bay from nearer the edge of the property (which ends in a treacherous cliff, so no safe water/beach access). The mountains in the distance are mainland B.C.

I’m just thrilled with this apartment, so far! I feel that I really lucked out. It’s a 2 bedroom. I didn’t include any bedroom photos as they are just empty rooms with a window and a closet, each. Easy enough to imagine.

And now I wait – not entirely patiently – for my belongings (including Edward) to catch up to me here. Stay tuned for Part 2!

Rock on,

The WB

My Last Ontario Blog Post?

On By Widow BadassIn Artistic Endeavours, COVID-19, Move to Vancouver Island84 Comments

I’m sitting in my almost empty dining room, sipping coffee, listening to the last pair of my home’s curtains spinning in my washing machine, and watching the snow blow past my window. YES. SNOW. The second snowfall in 3 days. IT’S MAY 11, people.

As if it’s not already hard enough for me (and others) to remember what day of the week it is, I am having trouble remembering what damn month I’m in. Looks more like late March or early April to me. If this is Mother Nature’s way of getting people to remain in isolation indoors, it’s working!

In 2 weeks and 1 day the movers will be pulling up to my door to take away all of my worldly goods to my new apartment in Nanaimo, British Columbia. I feel pretty calm (I know; I am surprised too), and confident that I am ahead of schedule in the packing department, therefore I am taking the time for a short blog post. If this means the Universe will now smite me because of these feelings, well…so be it.

Seriously though, Universe. I’m not at all being smug and thus smite-worthy. By no means. Nothing to see here. Please move along. Please!

All my curtains are down, washed and mostly packed away. (I have 11 big windows in my apartment so this was not a small job). Extra furnishings I didn’t want to take with me have gone to new homes. Artwork is off the walls. It’s getting very echo-y in here.

A lot of my things are already packed or staged for packing. A lot of my things I have decided are no longer going to be my things going forward, and I’ve said my goodbyes to them. I’m living out of boxes as far as clothing is concerned. My walk-in closet has been emptied.

The only room as yet untouched is the kitchen.

Art supplies have been put away (again!) and repacked, for realz this time. The art I have created these past weeks in pandemic quarantine is going or has already gone to new homes.

I painted these 3 in the style of British artist Yvonne Coomber, during the course of the pandemic. I see more of these in my future. They are such happy paintings, and fun (albeit messy) to create. Think of Dexter’s Kill Room. That was pretty much my set-up, to paint these.
My first attempt. It wasn’t planned but apparently I was channeling hollyhocks because that is all I see in the finished painting.
2nd painting – I wanted to put water in the background. Think of peeking through the dune grasses for this one. The flowers are more abstract, and less recognizable as a certain type.
3rd painting. I find with this style of painting that MORE (not less) is definitely MORE. I loved going all in, with the flowers.

I’m itching to do at least one more of these – this time one for me. For my new home. With mountains in the background, and an ocean instead of a lake.

But for now I will only dream. Because I am NOT unpacking my art supplies yet again.

That would really be asking to be smitten- wouldn’t it now, Universe?

Rock on,

The WB

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

Turning the Corner

On By Widow BadassIn Artistic Endeavours, COVID-19, Good Times, Hmmm?68 Comments

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!

Rock on,

The WB

Faux Pas in Self-Isolation: It Could Only Happen to Me

On By Widow BadassIn COVID-19, Hmmm?68 Comments
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!

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