Tag Archives: spring

Spring vacation 2020

03 Sunday May 2020

Posted by in community, Health, philosophy, reading, therapy, writing

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It’s not like I was planning on traveling far during this long-anticipated vacation.

I wasn’t planning on flying anywhere, not even taking a train. I am usually satisfied with doing things around town like lunching with friends, visiting art galleries, museums and local parks.

Oh… shit.

We can’t do any of that anymore except through video conferencing platforms, virtual gallery tours and… walking through parks without stopping to smell the flowers or sit on a bench. Geesh!

I am disappointed that the COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled a visit from one of my sisters. Mellowing out on Friday, I made my list of vacation week activities, many  which can be accomplished while isolated at home. I even separated activities into “Fun and Creative” and “Responsible and Healthy”.

written list of thing to do during pandemic vacation

Spring vacation 2020 list of planned activities

I make efforts to write in my wellness journal and my diary, recording how I am feeling, what I have been doing to cope, who I have been communicating with, and any deeper thoughts. Apparently, this activity is encouraged by historians and psychologists.

I already got in a bit of writing on the blog where the Tabby Cat rules, encouraging others with poetic tendencies to contribute too.

So…What are you doing for your spring vacation?

Thanks for stopping by. Stay home. Stay safe. Get outdoors while doing that physical distancing thing. Take care of yourself and each other.

T

 

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Wherever you go – it may be raining

06 Saturday May 2017

Posted by in Art, Food and Cooking, Health, pets, therapy, Travel

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Spring travel whisked me away from the rainy Ottawa Valley to Vancouver Island.

It rained there too. 

My objectives were made months in advance:

  • Travel somewhere within Canada
  • Push my air travel anxiety limits – further than before
  • Visit with family
  • Do touristy things
  • Do not think about work

My destination was Vancouver Island, just off the coast of British Columbia. The long stretches of flying, sitting, waiting, flying, sitting, etc. tired me out. At various destinations I welcomed opportunities for walking tours and restaurant outings. Soon that tired me out too!

I practiced mindfulness as much as I could, savouring moments and reminding myself to breathe.

One family member took me for a drive up the east coast of Vancouver Island, humoured my request to stop where I could dip my toes into the Pacific Ocean.

Theresa dipping her toes into the west coast ocean waters

Pacific Ocean (well… some inlet) I am in you!

Soon I was on a bus then another bus to the beautiful city of Victoria. I was happy and comforted that relatives were waiting for me, extra umbrellas in hand to provide an escort to my hotel.

While in Victoria, I was treated to sufficient walking excursions, visited a castle and tried food from different restaurants. We had one sunny, windy day.

I spent one rainy afternoon by myself, enjoying bright flower gardens and inhaling the scent of trees in full blossom.

Flowers rain Victoria

A rainy tourist outing in downtown Victoria

A wet park bench

A wet bench and colourful flowers

Soon one of my adult children joined me after his own cross-country tour by train, ferry and bus. He got to meet one set of cousins for the first time. He accompanied me for a walk by the docks, an appropriate lunch and a walking tour up to Emily Carr House.

Lunch at Red Fish Blue Fish – Victoria

As with my tour of the castle a couple of days earlier, we exited through the gift shop and I picked up a few souvenirs.

Blonde Lady sitting at tea table in Emily Carr house

A chance to sit down during a tour of Emily Carr house

Did I achieve my objectives?  Yes! I practiced mindfulness moments wherever I was, taking in the experiences, breathing in and breathing out.

After a long day of travel east, I returned to Ottawa in the rain. I observed the local news about severe spring flooding in our region.

I was glad to be home, to have the chance to do laundry and rest in my creature comforts.

Snuggles was glad to see me too and perform his morning routine of waking me up to serve breakfast and read the online news together. Creatures of habit…

Black cat on lap

“Good. You’re back where you belong – with me!”

Thanks for dropping by.

T

To everything there is a season

24 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by in Health, philosophy, photography, therapy, Warm fuzzy

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and a time to every purpose under the heaven

Ecclesiastes 3 King James Version (KJV)

Central Experimental Farm and tractor

Central Experimental Farm, reaping what was sown 2016

For me, 2016 was a year full of challenges and opportunities, reunions and departures.

I can accept that winter is here and we should acknowledge its presence as part of the cycle of life. Also, I can’t afford to travel to somewhere exotic or warm…

Central Experimental Farm December 2016

Central Experimental Farm December 2016 – Covered up and ready to start all over again

As a parent and grandparent, I have concerns for the future of our planet and humanity now that the pendulum has swung back to allow for unbalanced, machismo leaders to take the reins of power. Many of us are wondering what the heck went wrong…  Yet, I can cherish the moments I had with loved ones this year and will embrace naive hope for sharing happy times with them again.

My gift to readers of this blog is another time-lapsed photography project. You may remember and hopefully enjoyed the four seasons with two trees from the autumn of 2014 and summer of 2015, and that whimsical cat grass grow-up project this past summer.

This latest obsession was started with joy as I celebrated new opportunities and gave thanks while waiting for the weekend bus near the Central Experimental Farm.

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Thank you for dropping by. I hope you enjoyed that. Here’s a soundtrack and some nostalgia for those of you born before 1963…

You can also visit the Tabby Cat’s blog for the recent offering or my pen name’s blog to see what she is up to.

Wishing naively for peace on Earth and good will…

T