How’s YOUR retirement coming along?

 

Image via geralt of Pixabay

Do you think about it?

What are your first thoughts when you hear “retirement home?” Do you ever contemplate ending up in one of them? Is that a slight shudder, as we even think about such a situation for ourselves? 

Usually you think of these places as sort of warehouses for old people who’re no longer able to make any meaningful contribution to society. Indeed, unfortunately that seems often to be the case. You hear about huge tragedies like those during Covid-19 when it first went on the relentless rampage, killing many residents in care facilities.

It’s enough to make you fiercely determined to stay in your own home, no matter what happens in your life. You don’t want to be one of those poor individuals we’ve just mentioned, helpless, a sitting duck waiting for death in a prison.

But think about it. Can your house actually be a prison of your own making? Maybe your own home isn’t actually the best solution for someone who is infirm, might need lots of help, may have to even redesign your living space just so you can manage each day. 

Image via qimono of Pixabay

All the stuff

Usually homes come with stuff accumulated over the years. Have you used your stuff in the last year? Yeah, your very own house is lovely. You’ve poured all kinds of love and care into it. Of course that was when you were a lot younger. These days you’re dependent upon other young bodies to help you when you just can’t quite manage that home. 

These days you have to evaluate your movements carefully. If you kneel down anywhere, for any purpose, will you be able to get up again? It’s a problem. Can you move furniture around? Mop the floors? Do the laundry, make the bed? Joyfully set out on a lovely morning to attack the weeds in your garden?

If the answers to these questions are negative, I’m going to encourage you to change your perception. Lay it out. Start asking some questions of yourself. What do you want the rest of your life to look like?

You’ll notice many of the tasks above fall into the mundane or manual worker category. It happens. Over the years, with household needs, you’ve become a servant, nurse, cook, manager. 24/7. It happens slowly. You accept your role as a loving and responsible partner to someone who is quite happy with the situation. A narcissist. 

It’s important to know what that word means. Just in case you know one. Seems there are lots of me, me folks around us.

Via Lewis Huckstep of YouTube

Worth considering

So do some thinking, guys and gals. Do you really need a house of your own? Or can it be wiser, as you consider your needs, your ambitions, your joy in life, to consider really turning everything upside down? Selling, leaving a situation, donating your stuff, and possibly renting.

That is a major consideration these days. Rental accommodation, the kind you’d like, is overpriced and very hard to find. So you’d better have your ducks in a row if you plan to up stakes, have a good nest egg from your property, and be willing to do the hard things when it comes to moving. It isn’t easy.

There’s one kind of rental that you can miss, as you’re not looking for it. It’s the independent living, in a retirement building. Yes, the same type that gave you the shudders in my first paragraph here.

Independent retired living rental is not like assisted living, where you do need some help with bodily functions. You have to be able to manage. You pay a fixed amount each month. That pretty well covers everything you need. If you’re strapped for cash, you may even qualify for some government assistance.

If you find the right place it will probably be a well established slightly older building. The residents and staff will be very long term. That means everyone is happy and friendly. That’s the only kind of place you need to consider. 

The one I’m now familiar with brings breakfast to a little table outside your room. Then there are another two gourmet meals supplied throughout the day. Suddenly you’re living in a whole different world. It’s the one where you dreamed of more often getting, instead of always giving. Lots of social interaction…or none, according to your choice.

NO BREAKFAST-Early golf, thanks!

Image via VickiW

Creatives

If you’re a writer, all of a sudden you’re in a situation where you can write anytime, under any circumstances you choose, without interruption. This applies to other work or play situations too!

I always love your comments. They encourage more writing work from me. So thank you for reading here, and may you enjoy your life, in whichever way you choose it to be. 

Garden to kitchen!

Carrot muffins, still slightly warm from the oven, appeared on the breakfast menu this morning. Yesterday there were fruit scones, with raspberries donated from one of the resident’s garden. 

Anyone can reserve a generous garden bed, and grow their own particular delight. Sharing is caring!

Image via VickiW

Going Solo: Is this time to jump on an ice floe?

 

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Transitions

The stages of life are interesting. As you go through them each one leads to more knowledge of the lifetime you’ve been blessed to have, or, in war torn countries, the cursed and awful reality of it all.

Some lives are short, others last about a century. The fascinating thing about the stages though is you don’t really know about each one before experiencing it. 

Then you look back at the one you’ve just passed through, and congratulate yourself at how much more advanced you are these days.

The older you get the more mysterious you become. You’re being judged by those younger than you, and they’re all wondering how and why you keep on living. From their perspective, getting older is like actually lurking around the gates of hell. 

Is it a must?

Seriously, what’s the sense of living if your fingers aren’t nimble enough to operate your smart phone with ease? If you can’t plug in your printer because you know you can’t get up once you get down?

Image via krapalm of Pixabay

Or if you can actually live quite happily without being ruled by screens of some kind each and every day? 

Yeah, we, the older folks come from earlier places where the “global village” wasn’t yet thought of.

Where monks in remote places used to spend many happy hours in silent prayer with their Being. 

Now of course they have smart phones just like anyone else. These allow them not only to do their prayer jobs with much more efficiency, but also to be wide-ranging in this world of high tech everywhere. And so it goes. 

The global village 

...has morphed into a global screen catastrophe. Infants, often less than 12 months of age, are mesmerized by TVs, phones and handy other devices everywhere they go. 

The amount of vicious, tragic daily harm visited on each other in this world is startling. Where’s the feeling for the pain of others? 

Ever wondered why brain scientists and the World Health Organization recommend NO screen time for babies under two, and only one hour a day for those aged two to four years old? 

There is a lot of brain study research on screen use during these early years. What it clearly shows is that learning from other humans in a child’s life is massive. Learning from machines is quite different. 

The big concern is how screen learning hijacks attention spans and compassion in children. That young brain needs time to process learning. When you read to a child they have that time as they listen to your voice. This does not happen when a child watches rapid, unrealistic movements on a screen.

When they hear you talk of kindness to others, and see you demonstrate it in your daily life it is a powerful example. As they observe your resilience when hard things happen and you rise above it they know they can do the hard things too. 

Possibly one of the greatest things you can do for a child is interact with them as an interested older person. 

Yeah, I know. We thought we’d done our share. But we hadn’t counted on screens and technology. 

After all, these youngsters will inevitably run your country one day. 

If they didn’t learn to focus, analyze and develop compassion for you in your older years, the future looks quite bleak for you. 

I know. When you become of the senior persuasion you should try not to inconvenience the beautiful young ones with the bodies that still work as they should. 

Image via Myrians-Fotos of Pixabay

To be completely honest, for me to jump on an ice floe and make a graceful exit by starvation doesn’t exactly appeal to me. 

Golden era

Selfishly, in my latter years I would like to be pampered, respected and loved. I’ve managed to outlive many so far, and enjoy weird things, like being alone at times, reading an actual book, observing what’s happening up in the skies without actually traveling, going for walks, admiring all forms of nature. And yes, appreciating technology that allows me to communicate this to you. 

Would I have ended up being this me, if I’d been exposed to screens in my very early life? We’ll never know. 

One of my newer friends, 94 years of age, revealed the secret of her long life to me. “Lots of sugar, lots of salt. Lots of laughter.” She said it with a twinkle in her macular-degenerated eyes. Humour. That’s another thing you only learn from others during your early years.

Lithops in recovery mode

Whether you’re plant or animal, it’s a tough going to reproduce your species. Particularly if the slightest wrong move means your death.

 

Here’s a week's progress in the poor little collection of lithops I presented last week. 

Those young ones are bursting out at the lower levels. They really dislike the overstretched parenting examples they’ve been forced to live with. They’ve started to extract all the moisture from them. 

Thanks...

I sincerely appreciate your company on this journey and looking forward to having you back again soon.

VickiW

It’s good to be good, to your aging self

 

A somewhat embarrassing, yet necessary post

It’s been a while and I realize I'm out of practice in compiling a post. The weeks have gone by, almost unnoticed and my writing routine seemed to disappear into the grey beyond. 

My apologies to all of you who have steadily remained, waiting for me to write again. Friends texting, emailing, calling. I owe you all a debt of gratitude.

For many of us, when we live together for a couple decades, we often think we know the main person in our life. We forgive and forget the occasional craziness they show. In my case, with me at 80 years of age, and he at 91, I realize we’ve both been occasionally guilty of the same weird compulsions, although I must emphasize, in my case. I like to think much less often.

Life chugs on with a daily monotony that’s sometimes even comforting in its simplicity. No more travelling, unless it’s a walk downstairs, taking our garbage in the white bags, recycling in the blue ones, and kitchen scraps in the brown recyclable ones, to their assigned bins.

The years train us...

We learn how to bring out the compassion in our hearts, when needed. We tell ourselves, often on a daily basis, that things could be so much worse. That’s true. It’s an indisputable fact of life, and it’s an aspect that often qualifies for dull and boring.

But darn it, I don’t want boring! I crave better, but better has been elusive.  

Challenging transitions

Last year was a hard one. Moving away from much-loved friends and activities was painful indeed. On the plus side, my beloved family was suddenly close. That made it a good move. That has not changed, and I love it.

Things strike us down, when we get more mature. Forget the ridiculous business of “aging can be like becoming fine wine or the best, Parmesan cheese.” No, not unless we’re willing to go the heavily Botoxed route, and keep it up.

Not much to get excited over

We become painfully aware of our body’s shortcomings, and let’s not talk about the forgetfulness that besets us all of a sudden! Maybe it’s not that sudden…I forget when it started.…

Illness can strike with or without warning, and it can be serious enough to be life-threatening. It can mean the end, creeping on to the end or fighting on, out of sheer cussedness. 

Yeah, illness can suddenly become a very big deal!

We get texted invitations from our government advising to get yet another Covid shot. We’re in a vulnerable age apparently. Should we, or shouldn’t we?

After all, at least for me, there’s the unpleasant memory still lurking of a leg clot that took a year to recover from after contracting Covid-19…

As if all this wasn’t enough, I discovered my spouse wasn’t exactly who he’d professed to be, for all these years. 

I know it happens a lot with illness during the latter years, but this is different. Changing his will behind my back, nary a word said, was just a step too far over the proverbial red line. After all, this was our financial future, and I thought we’d been building it together for the years to come.  

This filing cabinet discovery meant there was only one option, and forgiveness didn’t even count. Trust had gone, never to return. 

The painful, yet necessary steps included separation and divorce. 

I immediately started legal proceedings.

Recently, I heard a female physician, 103 years old, describe the worst event in her life. She and her husband had been married 46 years. They did everything together, even down to writing books. 

One day, out of the blue, he asked her for a divorce. She was completely shattered. She screamed and cried. Years passed while she rose from the ashes of her marriage and built a career for herself. 

After another interval, with her new-found appreciation of her abilities she wrote a kind letter to her ex, thanking him for freeing her to grasp all the new opportunities in her life.

I’m looking forward to writing a similar letter of gratitude. 

Micro-Gardening: Glorious flowers everywhere! 

It’s worthwhile considering, even with the best of care, weather can be changeable and cause havoc in the plant world. 

This week I’ve noticed some pretty startling changes in my lithops succulents. 

Like a lot of other things in my life, they had been somewhat neglected. They didn’t get enough sunshine and stretched out to try and find it.  

This does provide us with an example of what plant-world determination can do to prevent catastrophe.

Image via VickiW

See the long one touching the label? The new one under it is determined to end up in its right place.

All of these lithops (living stones) are dividing and will look very different soon. They evolved in this way to protect themselves from animal predators in the desert of Namibia.

Thanks!

If you've experienced a sudden life change that forced you into a new normal, please share your experience in the comments. Even anonymous comments are welcome! VickiW

Reno done… NOW we’re cookin’!

 

Image via Carola68 of Pixabay

Welcome back!

It’s been a while! The word that best seems to describe it since the big move from Sechelt is “fraught”. 

A relatively simple word, yet according to dictionary definitions it may be used to define many types of situations, none of which are particularly peaceful or relaxed.

Words like anxious, stressed, self-query, as in “why did I do this?”

Everything is fraught!

But today is different. The kitchen renovation is completed. I’ve survived two major hurdles in life. Moving from my beloved Sechelt and friends to be closer to family was the right move at the right time. 

The kitchen was another matter entirely. I’d almost managed to convince myself that cooking in a room that was like a dark box wasn’t really that bad. You just get used to it. Quite amazing really. That was quite a life lesson.

Image via VickiW

Original kitchen, showing part of the peninsula forming a box, with overhead cabinets that destroyed light and sight.

The boxy kitchen

Image via VickiW

I really couldn’t imagine anything different. A rainy winter. The darkness of the weather seemed to coordinate with the lack of modern lighting in the home, so that it all just didn’t matter any more. 

The old, sunshine ceiling.
Image via VickiW

The wall between the kitchen and proposed dining room, that needed to go.

Image via VickiW

Lighting it up!

We had decided from the beginning that a newer, lighter kitchen would help things a lot. I had finally decided on a crew to do the work after a good recommendation from our lovely realtor. She had nurtured us through the move and well after.

The first two husky guys known as “demolishers” came by bright and early, at 7.30 am. 

Just before that a dazed looking Bob had tottered through to the living room. Obviously something was very wrong. The two young men helped him back into the bed and stayed with him while I called the paramedics.

Anyway, long story, and he was in emergency, then in a hospital ward for a week. 

At times like this you realize how important organization is. The project manager proved to be amazing. He presented us with a program detailing what would happen each day, until the end of the project. He estimated the new and improved kitchen would take just over a month to completion. (...polite small snorts of derision from friends about my trusting belief that this would happen on time...) But, it did.

Image via VickiW

Applaudable attention to detail!

They put up huge sheets of plastic like curtains to protect the rest of the house and they vacuumed and cleaned up after themselves each day.

Cam, our delightful, conscientious manager, visited about every day to inspect or work on each stage as it completed. He seemed to have an endless list of folks who knew exactly what to do, and when they were to do it.

They removed debris each day too and made sure to keep the toilet clean!

Looking through the plastic film. Floor to ceiling, but the dust still settles on everything.

Image via VickiW

A calm progression...

In spite of all their efforts, the amount of dust that escaped into the rest of the home was just amazing. I had bought an air purifier in Sechelt, when we were surrounded by fires, and now you could see it gnashing it’s virtual teeth as it tried to keep up with interior air pollution.

While all this was going on we had family support in any way they could think of. That move was definitely a good thing, in spite of the fact that I was now a fully fledged caregiver. More about that soon. But it is definitely fraught!

After at first anxiously looking through each day’s progress, I suddenly became calm. There was no feeling of complete chaos, as I’d been warned. It was a joy to watch the competent skill sets that each small team of journeymen applied to their particular part of the project. 

I’m proud of our journeymen. No wonder these days kids want to qualify and be one. They are spurning university studies in favour of trade schools. Makes sense if you think about it. So much new housing is needed. Journeymen can get good employment anywhere.

This was no easy fix. All necessary  old materials needed to be carefully removed, bagged if necessary, and packed in a big truck for disposal.

Image via VickiW

This was the time when the doorway and an annoying wall that stopped all work flow were removed. See the big beam that now runs across the space where the wall and door were gone..

Now there was a naked ceiling. It was packed with huge depths of pink insulation. On the surface were special acoustic bars that prevent noise transfer between the top and bottom condos. Amazing,  the difference between building 40 years ago and now. 

Below, is the temporary small sink is going in. It was so good to have, rather than using the bathroom sink!

Image via VickiW

Making due...

I’m not going to pretend renovation is easy. Being able to keep the original fridge/freezer and stove was a bonus.

A microwave turned out to be the only means of cooking, although in summer it would be easy to cook out on the balcony. By the end of the month though, reno-fatigue has set in, no matter how kind everyone is. 

Image via VickiW

The finale

Work proceeded just as it was supposed to. Suddenly beautiful results started to appear. after everything had been ripped apart for so long. Flooring, cabinets, sink, appliances were all there. A beautiful big open space with tons of cupboard space, enough lovely floor to dance on, and a beautiful little dining area. 

Moving to a new community and new home is not easy. Putting your own stamp on the new place requires an energy that is often hard to find as you age. 

The kindest, nicest people around you make the best seasoning for your daily work in home and kitchen. When you’re able to look on the renovation with delight, and use it just the way you hoped you could, it definitely seems worthwhile!

Putting it all together

A creek-side stroll

Our feathered neighbors and other beautiful aspects of life along the creek.

Mama goose, sitting on her eggs. Papa goose, not far away, was hissing at passersby, but he quieted with some gentle acknowledgement. 

 

Images via VickiW

Morning reflections...

Thank you!

I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit, and appreciate your interest in my re-homing adventures, from Canada’s Sunshine Coast to the mainland. Although challenging, many good things are coming from it.

VickiW

New Year With a Daddy Long Legs

A New Year's Day

Wow, Christmas seemed to disappear very quickly! I look around me today, on the first one of 2024, and now no vestiges of that day remain.

The decorations are neatly packed into two vintage tubs that came with us on the long trek from Sechelt to Chilliwack. 

There is a sigh of realizing the joy of being close to family at this point. I still miss the wonderful friends in Sechelt, but I know they are still there. It just remains at their point to devote energy to getting settled here.

Christmas, wherever

We used to travel every Christmas, used to find joy in seeking out remote islands, and living there for a while. That was good, especially as we now have those wonderful memories.

But now we’re entering a different time of life, with different health issues, and different age. Probably many others will be doing the same today. 

After all, this is the time for New Year's resolutions. Usually, the aims are pretty high, and this can be a trap in itself. I believe in allowing yourself a lot of leeway in these goals. That way you can at least succeed, in part! That helps to reinforce belief in your own abilities. 

So instead of confining yourself to success of an ultimate self-improvement goal by a definite date, how about starting on it, and assessing your results through the year? After all, starting is good, much better than doing nothing towards whatever it is, right? Life is unexpected.

The guest

This morning I approached my easy-to-clean, immaculate white shower. But wait, something sullied that sheer white perfection. Was it dust? 

On closer inspection “it” turned out to be a very spindly-looking Daddy long legs. I marvelled briefly at the fragile-looking, long legs and minuscule body before turning on the water. The long legs was going to be just fine, as it was at the non-pressurized part of the shower. 

Image via BlueSeaShell of Pixabay

Beyond myself

I used shampoo and body wash soap. The water was comfortingly warm. Then the thoughts started crowding in. 

I was thinking about the masses of humanity that are displaced because of war. How do they manage? No soap, no washing facilities. No food, no beds. Nothing that could  give them the comfort of having any type of home. 

I cannot even imagine their grief, despair and sadness. The women especially. They always seem to come off worst in these situations. Would the world actually be better off with women in charge? They have a thing about their menfolks getting injured or killed. 

Other thoughts intruded. I wondered whether the daddy long legs was actually a daddy, or a mommy? Hard to tell. 

I do know though that daddy long legs, although related to spiders, are actually related but not actual spiders.  Also that the dads actually completely care for their infants. The moms skedaddle after the babes arrive. 

So there goes my theory about women in charge.

After my shower I toweled dry. I had resolved not to get side-tracked from the daddy long legs in its precarious position on the slippery wall. But to my disappointment, he/she had gone! Just like that. But wait, no, there was indeed a lonely trace of the creature.

Daddy long legs have a way of voluntarily discarding a leg to marauding attackers. 

Apologies for the lighting

Image via VickiW.

They have eight, and can’t regrow them, so this is a sacrifice indeed. If I see this particular one again, I’ll be counting the legs. Speaking of which, those legs look incredibly fragile, and definitely much longer than a normal spider has.

Their tiny pill-like bodies have those outrageously long legs all attached in one place to them, and they only have two eyes. So they’re not particularly well designed as far as self defence goes. Their long legs make a convenient hold for birds, if they happen to venture outside.

I'd happily keep lots of them in the house, as they eat all kinds of decomposed matter that they probably can see more than me. ( I’m legendary for not being the best house cleaner, and we do have quite a bit of carpeting.)

So it was a sad thing that this particular daddy considered me a predator. 

A blend

New Years are times of sad and glad, all mixed up. We went out for dinner last night with our neighbours. Just before it was delivered to our table an ambulance arrived, right on the opposite side of the road. 

There we were, eating delicious food. For the next hour or so, obviously the paramedics were busy working frantically to resuscitate two folks lying on the ground who’d overdosed on drugs. Sometimes it’s hard to reconcile these things.

I want to thank all my readers, all over the world for reading here. I’m hoping you’ll all have the absolute best year in 2024.

Looking for Peace

From over your shoulder...

Why does peace seem to be such a most elusive commodity these days? Has it always been there, just out of reach for most? I was struck by this as I walked around and noticed the word coming up over and over in the glittering house Christmas decorations all around us. 

It’s easy to confuse actions with feelings when you think about peace. It is an intangible quality after all. It’s written about frequently. It means something different to everyone searching for it. Yet instinctively they all know it must be worthwhile if only they could find it.

It’s vast. It’s out there somewhere.

Image via crazyhorseladycx

This holiday season

I’ve heard it described as “your” peace. Similar to “your” truth. So maybe these are individual things. Those of us who think in black-and-white terms, with little grey in between, will always believe in right versus wrong, and only one truth. That’s what makes people interesting.

This Christmas I had a hard time thinking about presents for loved ones and friends. Seems to me, we all have so much anyway. I continue to sort “stuff” since the epic move in May. My mind is scrambled. It definitely isn’t at peace. 

It will be so good once all the kitchen renovation is done, as I’ll really be able to get rid of all kinds of boxed mysteries that still lurk in the storage locker downstairs. It’s an exciting project, as the additional room will allow me to continue learning about podcasts that I’d love to do. Downside. It doesn’t encourage peace of mind.

Christmas Day this year, just a couple of days ago, gave me a precious gift. I had felt furious and belittled by a very close friend. My anger had lasted weeks. I’d resolved never to have any kind of relationship with said person again. I felt so hurt and angry that the easiest thing would seem to be just to cut off the friendship. But after years of great friendship, that prospect certainly didn’t give me peace of mind.

Then a Christmas miracle woke me early in the morning. It was the strangest thing. A feeling of warmth and contentment flooded me. There was no warning. It was just there. Something, someone had bestowed a gift to me. 

Image via Leolo212 of Pixabay

Hmmm...

I can’t say it was forgiveness. The feeling was so much more than that. It was just quiet joy, knowing I have so much in life. Most of all, that I’m blessed with a mostly fully functioning mind. (Forget the fact that I actually need my GPS to find my way around a shopping centre!)

It was as if my mind gently played all the things in my life that can be considered wonderful blessings. A new appreciation, a resurrection of contentment that washed away the sadness and anger that had taken over in the last while. Those emotions had vanished. Peace, and the urge to find even more of it, had suddenly taken its place.

The greatest truth in all of this was the perfect joy of finding “my” peace. It was the knowledge that now I’ve seen what it looks like I can turn to the feeling every time I need it to cope with sad and bad events in life. It is like actually being able to descend into a deep well of human kindness that makes you want to pass that feeling on.

This, in the midst of global wars, hatred, and complete disregard for fellow human beings. There are so many times when you just simply despair of any improvement in the world situation.

At the same time, it’s important to remember, so many others in the world are gradually starting to cause change. That you’re not just a voice in the wilderness. 

In the last gasp of 2023 Bogotá, Columbia has commenced escalating taxes on ultra-processed foods. Their government recognizes how this scourge is causing health mayhem in their people. Cancer, diabetes and other awful non-infectious diseases have been shown to increase as populations eat more and more junk food. 

Image via TheDigitalArtist of Pixabay

Looking forward

2024 will no doubt see much more in the way many governments add “fat taxes,” VAT tax and so forth. They are now becoming aware of how medical issues drain their coffers. Also how coffers can be easily filled with even small extra taxes on sugary drinks and processed foods. 

Remember, if you’re about to eat food from a package or a bag it is most likely an ultra-processed food. It’s always a good thing to try and visualize possible easy replacements.

The days are getting longer. Just by minuscule amounts. I cannot really feel the difference yet, but I know it’s happening. Similar to my feeling of peace. There is a slight feeling of satisfaction intermingled somehow. I’ve managed to survive another year. 

What will the next one bring? A ripple of excitement, of expectation, disturbs the flow of my thoughts. But that new discovery, the peace, remains undisturbed. I will turn to it, try to cling to it, no matter what the next year will bring.

Wow, we’re at the end of 2023. It’s been an event-filled time. Now on to another year ahead. My wish for you is that it will be the best it can possibly be for you–and, may the world find peace.

Moving: The grief, the joy

 

It’s been six months! Can you believe it? 

So many people warned me about the trauma of moving. They all seemed to be aware that, next to a death, moving is considered #2 on the trauma scale. 

I wouldn’t have considered a move unless the pros and cons list of doing so indicated it would benefit us in the long run, believe me. I blithely thought things would be sorted pretty quickly once we were in our new home. 

Nevertheless, we are both considered beyond our prime at this time. I wrote to my Dr. Lovely. Remember her? It may be worth a click here.

Reason being...

She left her practice after deciding she could no longer “doctor” by being forced to adhere to minimum patient times and realizing that massive amounts of paperwork were not an advantage to patient care. She decided archaeology was a much more interesting possibility at that time, so she jumped into that.

Anyway, when I contacted her, she didn’t give me the doom and gloom stats about picking up and leaving. She just told me she was so happy we could leave under our own terms and conditions, and advised us to find enjoyment in the new place as soon as possible. “Adventures are good”, she said.

Perks and challenges

Our new home is beautiful, in an old-fashioned way. It’s a condo, built 40 years ago. It’s very roomy, just the same square footage as our previous detached home. 

No ocean view here, but some splendid mountains, enormous trees on 10 acres of land. Wild life, mostly squirrels collecting nuts and burying them at this time. Ducks, herons are plentiful. Gorgeous gardens, and I even managed to bring a couple of tubs containing some saffron corms. They are flowering on the balcony this month.

There’s one major thing missing. The wonderful friends who are still such a part of my life. This past Monday I had phone calls from six of them. We had such joyful and close friendships.

Give and take

Since moving I’ve come to wistfully realize the importance of those friends, but also the relief of knowing that caring, younger family members are nearby, with no intervening ferry considerations when you would like to plan a visit.

Needs change as you move along with the years you’ve survived this life.

We are fortunate. Online friends have not experienced our disruption, and have for the most part kept solidly in touch. Our former neighbours still manage to make phone calls on a regular basis. If only they knew how reassuring that is!

Trauma

Six months on, I realize now it’s the emotional trauma of moving that really plays havoc with your mind. This is when the loss of what you had combined with what needs to be altered in the new place for your comfort. And yes, of course I give myself a swift metaphorical slap on the head, knowing our comfort here is amazing, when compared to the present wars in the world. But there is a hollowness in my heart.

It’s the kitchen for me. Forty years ago some demented, but possibly well-meaning guy built this one. I think of it as a kitchen box, and I’m inside it. Seriously, how did he think I would ever manage to do anything with these particular upper cabinets behind the fridge?

Image via VickiW

The Sunshine ceiling hangs over my head in the kitchen. I’m sure at the time it was carefully framed in. There are fluorescent bulbs in it, and thin panels that you can only hope will remain where they are positioned, quite low over your head as you move about.

Image  via VickiW

A peninsula juts out from the wall, Upper cabinets above it succeed in providing storage spaces, even if they do rather block the view out to the eating nook and the lovely outside beyond.

It has taken so long to find the people who we hope will magically transform this old space for us. We know it’s going to be a long haul, but it will be good to just know there is some action and interest ahead with this project.

There’s a wall that must be knocked out to provide extra entrance and exit to the kitchen. I love open plan. In particular, I’m imagining what a difference it will make in this kitchen.

The most urgent build at the moment though is a large bookcase to house all the books that are such an important part of who we are. Fortunately, we’re expecting to have that completed next month. It is a huge trial to have two lockers full of things still stuck away in boxes. The books and the kitchen tools, our friends of a different type, are greatly missed. This wall is where the custom bookcase will go.

Image via VickiW

Seasonal adjustments

The days are short and darker now. The rain is gradually helping to recover from the drought, but there seems to be a long way to go. How quickly those years pass! 

 It seems just so recent that we would have been able to manage these projects ourselves, but now it’s a relief to know others are in charge.

Writing is essential for my well-being. You, the readers, make it even more interesting. Thank you for reading, and never, ever give up. Hope you’ll enjoy the new adventure of kitchen redesign, estimated to start in December.

Squirrels and crows mingle on the lawns, the squirrels digging in nuts, and the crows digging them out again. I want some of those walnuts too, and will have to visit the dollar store to buy a nutcracker. These nuts were collected over the last few days, on the other side of the little creek. On closer examination, they don’t actually need a nutcracker. You can just give them a hammer tap, then peel them with your fingers. I think they are Carpathian walnuts because they are quite thin-skinned.

I’m hoping to use them in our first Christmas cake here!

Image via VickiW

Image via VickiW

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Vicki

A one-pot wonder in your kitchen!

 

Image via  Clker-Free-Vector-Images of Pixabay

A taxing endeavor

It’s true. Moving from one place to another is traumatic. Downsizing from a detached home to a condominium is an adjustment that must be made, and it’s slow. Realizing that structural changes are necessary is not easy, but must be done on our forty-year old new home.

It’s all a process. At the moment things like books, favourite kitchen equipment are locked away until we complete our kitchen redesign plans. We are looking at months of work ahead, even with the best scenario.

I miss my food processor, but it’s in a box somewhere. We have two storage lockers. They’re both full. 

The most amazing kitchen equipment I have, stored for the time being on a chair, is my very well used pressure cooker. Since our move I’ve used it almost every day. 

It’s not one of those old ones that has a jiggling little weight on top as it comes to pressure. It won’t explode, as happened in those old days. It is able to perform several functions with willingness and accuracy. You just have to push the right buttons, and always have a half cup of liquid in the bottom of it if you’re using the pressure cooking function.

One pot cooking at its finest!

At my family’s insistence I briefly tried one of those everything-done-for-you services. The idea of someone else doing the prep work for a meal was very tempting. 

I’ve always felt a sous chef would be lovely to have. Someone who would prepare all my ingredients. Plus of course, someone else to wash all the pots and pans involved in each meal.

So these prepared ingredients would definitely fit the bill. They were fresh veggies, plus any spices and condiments needed for a particular meal.They were carefully packaged, and delivered in a large bag, complete with freezer pack to keep them cool. You took one bag, and returned the previous one.

The meals were delicious. You followed their beautifully coloured enclosed recipe cards step by step. An admirable way to teach beginner cooks. 

Not a good match

I dutifully tried this way of cooking about three times. You have to give things a try before you decide it’s not for you. 

The big downside with the system was my recycling container filled up very quickly with a lot of packaging involved. It was amazing. It was well- thought out. The best thing would be that it encouraged cooking for novices who otherwise would be spending their money on take-outs or restaurants. But the dealbreaker was that they didn’t send someone to wash plates, pots and pans afterwards! 

Crucially, in my case, I seemed to be using every pot and pan to produce these meals. My pressure cooker stood reproachfully and idly on its makeshift chair. None of my cabinets are large enough to hold it. 

Image via VickiW

A closer look...

Image via VickiW

Works for me!

Finally, I decided it was enough. No more fussy cooking for me. No more incredible amounts of packaging filling up the landfill. Regretfully, I opted to use my large knife for food prep. I should never have parted from my food processor. But there just isn’t enough counter space in the new-but-very old kitchen. 

It’s cutting board days for me now. I’m blessed to have a good space to work in. I have a fridge, a dishwasher and a range with oven. Not much to complain about.

I carried the lonely pressure cooker to the stove. I plugged it into the receptacle on the stove. I think insta pot ones came after mine. Who knows, maybe they copied mine? But what I do know is in all the time since moving, and after getting partially organized, I’ve enjoyed a grateful daily cook with Polly, my mostly pressurized superb kitchen friend. 

Not only is she adept at pressure cooking. Sautéing, steaming, slow cooking and keeping completed dishes warm are also in her repertoire.

This morning Polly made perfectly cooked rice, in preparation for a shrimp fried rice dish later on. It has to be chilled before I use it. It is my last cook with her. Took 3 minutes cooking time, 10 minutes after pressure release.

Image via VickiW

A bitter-sweet parting

Yesterday, thinking of my gratitude for this wonderful little appliance, I decided to give Polly away. I have cooked with her for 13 years now.

One of my dear friends has a smaller kitchen than mine, and fewer “things” than I have. I called and asked if she’d like to own a well-used but very good pressure cooker. She’s now excited to wait for the arrival of the UPS driver.

At the same time I ordered an instant pot. It is remarkably similar to my beloved Polly, but with more bells and whistles. In addition to all the things previously described, I will now be able to do the following: 

• Sous vide
• Make yoghurt
• Bake
• Sterilize

All 10 functions in one sleek appliance that doesn’t take up much space.

If you’re a person who believes in mainly cooking with unprocessed foods, and who has a horror attack when seeing in shopping baskets what many families consume on a daily basis, a modern pressure cooker is a great tool to help you. 

Modern pressure cookers reduce cook times by 70%, and use way less energy. Their programming ensures that your meal results are usually perfect, but there is a little bit of a learning curve, as some dish components need a few more minutes than others. But as you get used to it, it’s a fascinating and enjoyable way to cook.

Quite honestly, I can’t think of a downside!

Starting over

Amazing how little things can mean so much!  Just give those dormant saffron corms a little bit of moisture, and they perk right up! The rains have begun. In two days the shoots appeared, even with a couple of flowers!

It’s not the same as having thousands of corms, as I had before we moved, almost five months ago. But it’s fun, and hopefully my two large pots will serve as a place for saffron multiplication in the near future. The blossoms smell and look beautiful.

Image via VickiW