Home » Family » Weekend Share – January 14, 2018

Weekend Share – January 14, 2018

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“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

Well now, I have not done one of these in ages.  Too long, methinks.  I miss writing more than a 100-word story for Friday Fictioneers – not that that will end any time soon!  I love it way too much to give it up.  However, I know there are one of two of you who enjoy my “Gratitude” or “Weekend Coffee Share” type posts and I kinda like doing them.  Helps to give me a perspective on what’s what in my life.  Plus, I promised myself I would write more in 2018, including continuing preparing my stories of Mick and our family to eventually turn them into a book of short stories.  Rochelle has been most convincing and I think I shall heed her noodge.

Till then, here’s a little recap of my past week.

On Tuesday, Zeke and I finally went on one of our long walks.  It has been so cold that I just couldn’t bring myself to bundle up and go out there.  We’re talking -25ºC (-13ºF) with a windchill of up to (down to?) -40ºC (-40ºF).  Nope.  I may have done it a few years ago, after Mick’s passing but since then have become such a wimp.  Wimp.  That’s a little harsh.  Let us just say I did not acclimatise my body to the redonkulous cold this year!  Tuesday it was a balmy +1ºC (34ºF)!  Come ON!  Woo hoo!  It was so warm, that I overdressed.  I was dying of heat and half the time, held my mittens in my hands and not covering them.  For a girl with Raynaud’s that is quite something…

We step out and I see my car.  Sigh.  I’ll have to take care of it later.  I had decided to park my car in front of my mother’s (oh when will it be towed away?) so that the guy could clear out my side.  What I hadn’t considered was the city passing and snowing me in.  Merde.

Zeke got most excited when we turned right at the end of the street as he knows this means a good looooong walk!

Strange Sky
A good workout
So green

Of course, when we left the house the sun was shining brightly but not even half-way into our walk, it disappeared.  As a result, we didn’t go quite as far as I would have liked.  You see, all the pathways had not been cleared yet and man, that is a good workout!  But I did go past “my” favourite willow treet

We trudged along, resting here and there…

Patient
Rustling leaves
Only hints of blue

We didn’t make it all the way to the other side of Parc des Coutances, where we sometimes run into a bunch of other dogs and their mistresses.  Both Zeke and I were starting to feel enough was enough.

Of course, on our way back, the sun came out again. Hmph!

Whatca waiting for?
Lovely shadows
Bright amidst the grey

I didn’t manage my 10,000 steps, got to somewhere around 8,600 give or take, and it represented a good 5-6 km, and considering it was hard to walk in, I’m declaring it a full 10,000 step-effort!

On Wednesday, Aidan declared we needed to go to the barbershop as he had had enough.  Holy moly!

Before
During
After

I swear he looks even taller than his 6’1″.  He’s happy, his girlfriend is happy but I think the happiest one is his brother, Iain.  Kept calling him a bum… Brothers…

Of course, everyone was so excited to get all that rain and watch our mountains of snow melt away.  And then we weren’t.  Starting Friday night and well into Saturday, we got bombarded with a ton, a TON, I tell you! Of snow.  I don’t know what the exact numbers were but my front steps disappeared!

There are steps – I swear!

It was an impressive accumulation, gusts obviously made it worse than it really was, but impressive nonetheless.  Once the snow was removed from my car, I found a nice layer of ice… sigh… why did I get rid of my Tempo last year?  Why???

Doesn’t look like much
Almost as high as the shovel!

Zeke was most helpful…

Plowing through
Moi? I’m just lying here!

And I took a break looking up at the clouds.  They were moving so fast, it was hypnotic.

By the time we finished our big job, the sky had turned a beautiful shade of gold…

Didn’t torment any of you with pictures of food – this time – but suffice it to say that a nice pot roast was waiting for us after a job well done!

Have a most wonderful week and I think that I shall do like Robin over at Breezes at Dawn and start listing

A few of the 10,000 things that make me happy: 

  1. Golden light that I catch with my camera
  2. Zeke – for always being ready for a walk no matter how cold it is outside
  3. François – for coming into my life at the right time
  4. Heated house – when the temperatures dip as low as they have this month, it is more than appreciated
  5. Snow – it brightens up what would be a dreary season

 

 

 

 

40 thoughts on “Weekend Share – January 14, 2018”

    • Ahhh… So very glad then! We used to get so much more! Now that I am the one who has to shovel…. Am kinda glad… 😜🙄

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          • Lol.i was lucky in the kid department. I have 2 grand 16, 15ans 2 that are 8 and 10. So far they like shoveling snow and bringing in wood. Phew. They are currently learning to cook. Yay. I’m enjoying that.

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          • I’m thinking so. Who knew being a grand could be so much fun. Surprising, powerful too. They listen to grand when they won’t listen to anyone else…I have to say, it’s fun and a relief…grands don’t have to enforce rules (although this one does) like a parent. It’s just different and not the easiest thing to explain, but a wonderful time in my life to be sure.

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          • I watch my mother and can see it is way different! The things she does for her grandkids. Pffft! Never would they have flown with us, lemme tell ya. And that’s ok. She too enforces rules but let’s just say she is loving every moment…
            It’ll be a while before I join the ranks if my kids do like I did and wait till they’re 32 before having any… oy!

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          • lol. Hero worship. Last night at dinner (we live 10 steps apart – houses) we all take turns cooking. My smallest grand daughter decides that Uncle Adam can’t have me, and mommy can’t have me, I’m hers and now her mommy! I’ve seen this with the older two as well. My daughter said, “Watch out or you’ll make me jealous!” It’s an interesting paradox to be sure. I made a silly face at my daughter who understood I wasn’t trying to usurp her place. I’ve seen it with my kids and a new teacher, whose word was gospel and mine, well…. so I know the feeling. My grand and I spend a great deal of time together as my daughter works 10 hour days with shifts from 4 am to 3 and 1 to 1 am so I’m here taking up the slack getting them to school and to bed at night. I’ve become a significant part of their day and life which is a blessing indeed.

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          • How blessed they and you are to be so close to each other. My parents split up after 29 years (cray cray) and my mother moved 2 hours away. We all had our kids after that… While she regularly took care of mine for vacations and such, she missed out on a lot. Now that her hubs has had a stroke, leaving him paralyzed on the left side, we’ve (2 sisters and I) moved them close. Mind you, the bond was particularly strong between the 9 grandkids and her and her 2nd hubby…

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          • Blessings in disguise then. Better late than never too because the kids get that continuity. It’s amazing how much that means to them. My grandkids especially, have let me know how valued it is, which surprises me as it wasn’t necessary in my life, but then my life was less than ideal. I wouldn’t have wanted my grandkids to know my parents, ever! I went the other route.

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  5. Am tired just from reading. I think unpredictable weather is the trend. Up and down temperatures. Knowing full well how the weather, temperature and unpredictability of in-climate weather effects our routines. It gets in the way of our plans. One must try to maintain a sense of humour. I try not to let winter get to me. But dang if winter doesn’t have a way to seep through our pores till we go shack wacky. That said, I think we on this side of the snow fence, deep down yell, ” bring it on”.

    Thanks for the glimpse at your Snow Capades. And, auck what a good doggie.

    As for writing. Right on. Write on.

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    • You know, Calvin… I think Mama Nature is going through menopause! Hot and friggen cold and snow and melt and refreeze…ugh! One definitely must have a sense of humour – like us Canucks seem to have.

      Zeke is the best. Keeps me from losing my mind at times.

      And yes. I shall write on 😁

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      • Meno-something-or-other, that’s fur shure, eh.

        Our dogs do just that. Elvira is quick to remind me that ‘dog’ is short for Dōgen.

        You fall on your ass enough times while wearing skates on a frozen pond you get winter hardened right quick. And of course everyone laughs. We did after all coin the term ‘slap shhstick’, didn’t we?

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  7. Loved seeing your photos and how much it reminded me of how grateful I am for mot having to shovel it this winter. And enjoyed reading your happiness list! Have a wonderful week.

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  8. It is good to hear about your walk with Zeke and the things you are grateful for. The pictures are gorgeous and make me thankful for our single digits above zero temps and fairly ordinary snow. ❤

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    • Thank you, kind lady. We are still getting bitingly cold weather. Zeke is quite fed up with my wimpiness. I am promising him – again – tomorrow… 😉

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  9. I recall many past posts of winter walks with Zeke … and I quickly remembered how much he likes the snow! Then again, you helped me realize that no matter how cold we have it, it’s colder elsewhere.

    Good Morning, Dale. Hope you stop by Sunday evening for #2000. Not sure what it will be, probably something simple.

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    • Ah yes… many a winter walk post with my buddy, Zeke. He does love the snow. I realise he is getting older – turned 8 this last November, and that the walks need to be a little less difficult – or rather, we have to work up our conditioning, he and I! So true. It’s been colder than a witch’s… I won’t finish that 😉 but could be worse.

      Good afternoon, Frank. I will not only stop by for number 2000, I will take the afternoon (when my new Frank leaves for home) to catch up on your posts. They are all lined up for me! 2000… wow…

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  10. Thank you for the gentle reminder of why I left my rustic home on Long Island, New York. It was too cold for me. The wood burning cast iron stove was always working hard as I would pile those logs of wood in there. It was cozy and warm. A place to sit and have a hot cup of tea, read a book quietly or add herbs to my antique tea kettle for aroma therapy. Ahhhh … but no amount of memories can take the plcae of the new paradise I’ve found in beachy sunshine afternoons. I think we’re able to tolerate different temperatures at differnt time of our lives. I wouldn’t mind a walk in knee deep snow once in a while but I wouldn’t want to do it for long. Thanks for a lovely walk through the snow white landscape. Have a super week …
    Isadora 😎

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    • So glad you enjoyed. Snow is fine. I have no problem with it – actually prefer it to rain in winter. That said, come March, I’m done! There are so many Snowbirds here in Quebec who iugger off to Florida, or somewhere similar, November till April! MIck was hoping to become one. I wasn’t convinced – yet!
      Thanks for visiting!

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      • Florida is the landing zone for those Snowbirds. LOL They’re here for 6 months. Traffic swells, resturants are crowded and pirces go up. There isn’t an open grain of sand to place a chair or towel. They’re good for the economy but bad for other things. We just go with the flow. Everybody wants a little piece of paradise. I’m willing to share. 😁

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