“If we can’t help our family, who are we going to help?” Christiano Rinaldo

Ain’t that the truth. I’m always there to help my family. Aren’t most of us? I could also have used this quote today, “Once a mom always a mom. No matter how grown the kids are, they will always be your precious babies in your eyes!” How true. Doesn’t that just fill you with incredibly strong emotions.💗 They’re always in our thoughts. Part of being a mom I guess. It makes me think of the heart wrenching book “Love You Forever” written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Sheila McGraw. Reading it still makes me tear up. https://robertmunsch.com/book/love-you-forever

And that’s the reason we’re in Rustico today and tomorrow. We’re here helping family. My daughter and son-in-law are having a mini staycation down east and therefore we get a mini staycation, as the cat sitters, in their beautiful Rustico home.

Two cuties!

We started the day with a late breakfast at Prince Edward Island Preserve Company. https://preservecompany.com/ and enjoyed the Country Breakfast. https://preservecompany.com/pages/restaurant-menu. Delicious. Due to Covid-19 protocols there are fewer tables than in previous years but it was heart warming to see most of these tables occupied. All that is except for one and, luckily for us, it was our favourite table by the windows overlooking the River Clyde.

From there we stopped at Glasgow Glen Farm https://glasgowglenfarm.ca/ hoping to buy some bread and cheese (maybe cookies?) 😋 but it was closed. 😞 Then we headed to North Rustico to The Yellow House https://www.theyellowhouse.ca/about-us but it too was closed. 😞 Tough luck. We’ll try again another day.

Off to cat-sit in Rustico, in their beautiful water view home, and enjoy an afternoon lounging in the sun room. Heaven.

It was such a beautiful day, 23 degrees Celsius. Who could turn down an enjoyable walk on the beach before a scrumptious meal at Blue Mussel Cafe. https://bluemusselcafe.com/ I’d been before but this was Richard’s first time. Me – Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon Richard – Vegan Mushroom Wellington. Was it good? Well, we left nothing on our plates. That says it all or as my mother used to say, “It was some good!”.

Back to the house for tea and an evening of relaxation. Can’t beat it. It’s a win-win, helping family and enjoying ourselves.

Back to Rustico – Lennie Gallant

Stay safe and healthy.

As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.

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“My message to women: Do what makes you feel good, because there’ll always be someone who thinks you should do it differently. Whether your choices are hits or misses, at least they’re your own.” Michelle Obama 

What a month!

Vegetarian plus celery juice every morning were the choices made for May.

I think my biggest surprise was Meatless May. The most difficult part was finding new recipes and when we did they usually took a lot more time to prepare. There were hits and misses but we discovered some new favs to add to our recipe collection. That’s a positive. I have to admit that as much as I enjoyed this past month my June 1st supper was a burger from The Abby Kitchen at Lone Oak Brewery Co. in Borden, PEI. https://loneoakbrew.com It was delicious. Of course Richard chose the Chickpea Burger. Ahhhhh. So he’s still on the meatless and obviously I’m off it. But still plan on eating mostly vegetarian meals with a few of the others now and then. I’ve heard that my burger might not sit well in my stomach after having been off it for so long so I’ll see how I feel later tonight. Whatever the outcome the decisions were mine to make.

As far as the celery juice goes, this morning we cut our servings to 4 ounces each and that was a great improvement. We’ll continue that. The juice wasn’t a major hit button quite a miss either. We found we were sleeping better so we’re going to continue it for a while.

During this past year we’ve all experienced some misses in our lives. Many have missed seeing their families. Missed out on celebrating special occasions: graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, births, and many more. That’s been extremely rough.

Some hits I’ve seen around here is in the resurgence of nature. We’ve seen more foxes walk through the yard and down the street this past year than ever before. They’re all around the town. Some may not appreciate that but I sure do.

We see all kinds of birds around here every day. I don’t know what all of them are called but they’re beautiful to watch and hear. We also have a little chipmunk “Chippy” who runs around the yard. And this past year we saw our first seal in the harbour. Now I’ve never been much of an outdoors or nature girl. But all of these are hits in my eyes.

Nature Boy – Nat King Cole

A little sidebar here, last year when we were in Gulf Shores, Alabama we attended a series of lectures and one was on the life of Nat King Cole, who was born in Alabama.

Stay safe and healthy.

As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.

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“Things are seldom what they seem,
Skim milk masquerades as cream.” W. S. Gilbert

This morning I went to the front garden and cut some tulips to put on the kitchen table. They had barely started to open. Within ten minutes this is how they looked.

I would not have known they were tulips if I hadn’t cut them myself. To me they don’t look like tulips. But I’m sure you knew they were tulips.

Another lesson in life’s journey – things are not always as they appear. Just like my tulips. This happens in so many ways. Really too many to discuss here. We see people and too often judge them by their appearance. But are they really as we perceive them? Or we read about other people’s lives and think, 💭 “They’ve got the perfect life” (or maybe the opposite to that), and that may not be the case at all. In this technological age many fall victim to all kinds of scams. How often do we hear about people being taken advantage of on online sites, or losing money due to phone calls telling them they owe money and had better pay or else. Things may not be as they appear or are not always as we perceive them to be. I could go on and on as I’m sure could you.

So what to do? I’m no expert. I muddle through. Am I guilty sometimes of judging by appearances? Sadly I am. But I keep trying. Trying to do better. Trying to do my best and be the best I can be.

Day 28

Three more days. Meatless May? No problem. I’ve got that. Celery juice? Oh well. Only three more days, right? We’ll probably continue with the juice into June but instead of drinking 8 ounces each morning we’ll only drink 4. That should be easier. 🤞🏼

Richard made a delicious homemade soup.

Sweet Potato and Pear Soup

Words cannot describe how delicious this soup was. Definitely keeping this recipe for the future.

I don’t usually choose instrumental selections as, being a singer, I’m drawn to lyrics. But without the appearance of lyrics maybe you can just feel.

The Tulip Song – Mareks Radzēvičs

Now that you’ve listened to it I’ll tell you how the composer described his composition, “It is about feelings, joy, deep emotions. The Tulip Song is about love so pure and transformative that it can turn feelings into music.“

Stay safe and healthy.

As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.

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“Our power of perseverance is as that of an eagle. We soar above our challengers.” Ellen J. Barrier

You never know where you’ll find inspiration. Mine came today from my breakfast entertainment. An amazing story unfolded right in front of me. Well, almost right in front of me.

I was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking my tea, and doing the newspaper crossword when I looked out the window and saw an eagle land in the water. Breathtaking! Not knowing much about eagles I worried it was in distress as it seemed to be swimming to shore. Yes, really. Swimming. At least that’s what it looked like. The way it moved its wings on the water seemed to imitate swimming. When it got closer to shore it flew up in the air and that’s when I noticed it was clutching a cormorant. If you’re wondering, cormorants are a medium to large sea bird and there’s a colony of cormorants on the breakwater in Borden. Richard quickly ran upstairs, grabbed his camera, and took off outside. A little sidebar here, he forgot the deck stairs had been removed as the deck is in the process of being rebuilt so he had to jump down to the ground. Took some pictures and then went to the lower deck by the water to get closer.

If I’d been quick off the mark or more techie I’d have videoed the eagle. Isn’t hindsight wonderful?

The eagle struggled with its prey.

It was determined to succeed, never wanting to give up.

But alas it was not to be. The eagle kept persevering but finally knew when it was time to fly away and try another day.

But the story doesn’t end there. For about the next 15 minutes what occurred was unbelievable. Two crows started dive bombing the eagle. It must have been too close to their nests. Back and forth, up and down the shoreline, the crows chased the eagle and sometimes the eagle would return the favour. What a show!

And then, just like that, the show was over. The eagle took a final curtain call and flew off.

Could there be an encore tomorrow? I’ll be watching and waiting.

Was there a happy ending to the story? Well, the cormorant did swim off.

Watching this breakfast show got me thinking. These birds displayed perseverance in their own ways. The eagle struggled to get the cormorant to shore, and even though it didn’t turn out the way it wanted, the eagle displayed stick-to-it-ness. The crows were determined to get the eagle out of their territory and protect their nests. They succeeded, at least for today. These are traits to which we can all subscribe. In my last post I talked about Carolyn making her book publishing dream come to fruition through determination and perseverance. We all have challenges whether we call them goals, dreams, or just regular, everyday life issues and we continue to do our best to persevere.

Day 27

Celery Juice makes me nauseous. If you could only see the faces I make when I drink it. Yuck Yuck Yuck Grant me the strength to persevere.

I made an easy recipe for supper. One pan, can’t get better than that. Right? Nope. Nope. Nope. Easy, but not the greatest vegetarian meal I’ve made. Come on now, I can’t only post the good recipes can I?

Richard was glad I hadn’t put any more spice in it (cumin and chilli powder-but I halved it so it wouldn’t be too spicy for Richard) and I’m like “where’s the spice?”. I needed more. Different strokes for different folks.

One Pan Mexican Quinoa

Soar Like An Eagle – Jimmy Cliff

Stay safe and healthy

As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.

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“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” Jesse Owens

I’m so excited for a friend and former colleague of mine, Carolyn Rowe-Turner. We taught together for many years at Elm Street Elementary School. She’s such an amazing teacher. And now a dream 💭 she has nurtured since she was a little girl has come true. She’s a published author. How awesome is that! I can’t imagine the exultation she is feeling right now. Carolyn touches so many lives with her creativity, her passion, her joy of learning, her love of life, and her positivity. Now this. A book 📕. I am so proud of her.

This is her first published children’s book, in French. She’s been working on it over the last four years. As she says,”It was a long process from the beginning getting to today, but it’s a reminder how powerful and patient we must be with the writing process and with our dreams. Dare to believe. Dare to dream.”

Like in today’s quote Carolyn was determined and dedicated. She had a dream and she followed it.

Bravo Carolyn!

Carolyn’s bio.

If interested in purchasing Carolyn’s book, “Ouaf? Ouaf? Cot! Cot!” it’s for sale at https://boutondoracadie.com

On that website I searched her name (or you can search the book title)

https://boutondoracadie.com/?s=Carolyn+Rowe-Turner

Everyone has dreams. Big dreams – small dreams. Will they all come true? Who knows? Maybe the most important thing is to keep dreaming and keep believing.

Day 23

I really don’t know if I’ll carry on with the juice when May is over. Should I keep drinking it even if I don’t like it? Or should I keep drinking it because it’s good for me. Tough decision. I’ll see what June brings.

Meatless May has not been difficult. I’m surprised that I’m not missing meat at all, but possibly if someone put a juicy burger in front of me I might have a different opinion.

Tonight I tried a new recipe. Can’t have Richard have all the fun, right?😉

Sweet and Savoury Brie Pizzettes

Tonight’s meal was absolutely delicious. We’ll definitely be having this again. I loved that the flavours were so different from what we usually have.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes (Cinderella) – Barbara Cook

❤️ the lyrics to this song.

A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you’re fast asleep
In dreams you will lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep

Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling through
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
The dream that you wish will come true

Stay safe and healthy.

As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.

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“Does it really get better? or do we just get used to it?” henrik creation

Good question.

Day 22

That’s what I’m thinking about my celery juice. Is it starting to taste better (not good but a bit better) just because I’m getting used to it or because it actually is. Something to think about.

Could this quote also refer to other things in our lives: exercise, diet, relationships, work life, health, COVID-19, etc.? Who knows. I sure don’t. Do you? Something else to ponder.

A major positive this week is that all my family have now received their first COVID-19 vaccination. Hooray! Who would ever have thought people would be excited about getting a needle. Not me. I hate needles but I was more than happy to get this one. One step closer to feeling safer.

Richard made a new recipe for supper tonight. He’s great at researching new recipes-always up to try something new.

Sweet and Sour Tempeh Meatballs with Coconut Rice

Rice – Loved it

Pineapple Sauce – Loved it

Tempeh Meatballs – Not a fan

For those who don’t know, tempeh is a plant-based protein that originated in Indonesia. It is made from fermented soybeans that have been formed into a block.

We’d definitely have the rice and sauce again but with a tempeh replacement. I’d even have it with nuts and seeds added. We’ve had tempeh before and liked it but it was bought at the Charlottetown Farmer’s Market. Today’s tempeh was purchased at Superstore. That might be the difference.

It’s Getting Better – Cass Elliott

Stay safe and healthy.

As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.

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“When you’ve got friends and neighbours all the world is a happier place.” Billy Cotton

Lately I’ve been COVID weary as I’m sure many of you are. Everyday I’m overwhelmed by all the negative news in the world: increases in Covid19 cases, deaths, lockdowns, shootings, travel restrictions, people not following Covid19 protocols (grrrrr 😡), etc. But today I will think about the positives in my life, my blessings/small pleasures. Sitting here, looking out the window at the sun ☀️ shining on the water 🌊 I’ll focus on how blessed I am. 🙏🏼

My most important blessings are my family and friends. It’s hard on the heart when you watch the news and hear about those who are sick or dying, so I’m blessed that we are all healthy. I’m also able to get out, go for a walk and enjoy the fresh air, exercise, visit with family and friends, eat out, have tea/coffee at Samuels with my best friend, etc., all while following proper protocols of course. 😷

Continuing to focuss on the positive, this was how I spent yesterday.

In the morning I went to hot yoga 🧘🏼 with my niece. She returned to PEI last year from England and I enjoy sharing this time with her. We attend the 8 am class on Saturdays so it means I’m on the road no later than 6:30 but it’s worth it.

From there I drove to Rustico to visit my daughter and son in law. They’re the best. I love hanging out with them (and their two cats Diva and Maestro); just sitting, chatting, and relaxing with them. What could be better. This past year she had the brilliant idea that we’d have a dinner 🍲 together, alternating houses, each month. What a super way to pass the winter months! Richard and I loved going there but also loved having them here. It was fun researching recipes, creating the menus, and then preparing the meals. 🥘 How refreshing to actually set a nice table and use some pretty dishes. I love the preparation. An added bonus was that we’d give the house a thorough cleaning before they arrived. Sometimes I just need that extra incentive.

After leaving their place I bought some tea ☕️ at Tim’s in Borden and sat on the deck drinking tea and reading. I received an unexpected call from my Aunt Fran who thought it was a lovely day for a drive and wanted to stop by. Fantastic. She even brought a bag of books 📚. Who can’t use more reading material, especially when they’re detective 🕵️‍♀️ ones, my favs.

In the evening we had supper at the home of friends we met last year in Gulf Shores. So nice of them. What made it even more special is Clare really went above and beyond in preparing things that went with our Meatless May. Everything was delicious 😋 and we had such a wonderful evening catching up. 😊 We can’t wait to return the invite, hopefully within the next month. 🤞🏼

Here’s her outstanding menu:

Baked Olives

Gluten Free Cornbread

Pumpernickel Sourdough Bread

Tossed Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

Black-eyed Peas, Spinach, and Sweet Potato Curry

Nigerian Jollof Rice

Lemon Cream Pie in a Hazelnut and Coconut Crust

My only regret is I didn’t take pictures of her fabulous meal to share with you. 😞

Although I didn’t see my sons yesterday I do see them at least once a week. And text. 😊

Friends and Neighbors – Billy Cotton

So from now on, instead of dwelling on the negative news, I’ll try to focus on the many small pleasures I have: spending time with family and friends, reading, sunning, exercise, music, gazing at the water, sea glass hunting, and any others I discover. I know I’ll falter and negativity will seep in but I’ll continue trying.

I hope you had a relaxing and refreshing weekend and found time to enjoy your small pleasures.

Stay safe and healthy.

As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.

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“It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.” Diane Von Furstenberg

Healthy eating and exercise are both important but it’s important to take care of ourselves in other ways. Today was such a day for this. Yes, I did my running plus the ever dreaded celery juice (disgusting) but I also took time to make me feel good in other ways. First I had a mini manicure (I don’t get polish on my nails) at Quannspa in Summerside, PEI. https://quannspa.ca The aestheticians are wonderful and you leave feeing amazing. If you’re ever wanting excellent skincare products, made right here on PEI, then this is your place. You can also buy their products online. https://www.quannessence.ca/ I can’t say enough about their skincare line. I absolutely ❤️ these products. Thank you Sharon Quann for your vision and excellence in all you do.

What was next?

What everyone loves – a hair appointment. I go to The Style https://thestylesalon.ca/ also in Summerside, PEI. I’ve been a client since 1976. Now that’s a very long time. Obviously I love this salon. They take such excellent care of their clients and I’m so grateful that Jason Arsenault is my stylist. He’s amazing. What a fabulous salon.

Beautiful sunshine awaited me when I got home so I bought two steeped teas plus a Boston Creme doughnut for Richard. It’s sweet that Richard always thinks of my mother (as do all my family) when he has one. My mother absolutely loved Boston Creme doughnuts. But only from Tim Hortons. No where else would do. I only made that mistake once. She promptly informed me that it was awful. Lesson learned. My mother has since died but so many things remind me of her everyday. Hope you’re enjoying Boston Cremes even now Mom. ❤️ I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the deck soaking in the sun. Mom would have loved that too.

A bonus was that we had our first hummingbird at our feeder. Yipee! Hope to see more.

Tonight’s supper is courtesy of Richard.

General Tao Tofu

Who knew tofu could be so tasty? Not me, that’s for sure. But this was! It tasted so good. This tasted nothing like any tofu recipes we’ve had in the past. This actually had flavour. Loved it. We will definitely be having this again.

Have you done something to take care of yourself? Big or small things help. Think about it and let me know.

Take Care of Yourself – Maisie Peters

Stay safe and healthy.

As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.

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“EATING HEALTHY FOOD FILLS YOUR BODY WITH ENERGY AND NUTRIENTS. IMAGINE YOUR CELLS SMILING BACK AT YOU AND SAYING: ‘THANK YOU!’” KAREN SALMANSOHN

And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do – eat healthy.

Day 12

I wish this celery juice would start tasting better. 😞 I realize it’s healthy but couldn’t it taste good too? Maybe it’s because I took the last few days off from drinking it. I did drink a green juice those mornings though. And although it didn’t taste great, it wasn’t as awful as the celery juice. Each to their own I guess.

We find it’s much easier to maintain our healthy eating by making a weekly menu. (Actually Richard writes it out but we do collaborate on the choices of meals.) We have a great system: if he cooks I do the dishes and vice versa. Admittedly, he does more cooking than I do. Having that menu posted on the fridge allows us to be more prepared by knowing in advance what groceries to buy. In addition I find it’s less stressful knowing what you’re going to have ahead of time. And I do like lists. 😊

Tonight I made a recipe we received from No Meat May. https://www.nomeatmay.net/

Pea and Avocado Pasta Bowl

And I’m serious. It really was easy. I made Richard’s with regular spaghetti pasta but I made mine with gluten free penne pasta. I added some extra whole peas at the end for visual effect and we had parsley so I added a few sprigs. Next time, and there will definitely be a next time, I’ll use cilantro instead of parsley and add a little more lemon juice. This is a great recipe when you’re pressed for time and need a quick, healthy meal.

Today’s musical selection.

Pass The Peas – The JB’s

Stay safe and healthy.

As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.

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“SUCCESS IS THE SUM OF SMALL EFFORTS, REPEATED DAY IN AND DAY OUT.” ROBERT COLLIER

I read this quote today and I like it. Why? It really got me thinking. Often we think of success in terms of material things. I’m guilty of that as maybe some of you are. Sometimes, maybe with aging, comes a clearer understanding of what is important. We tend to need and want less. COVID 19 seems to have given many of us this realization. I wonder if it will continue once we’re able to have more normalcy in our lives. If this quote is a true representation of success then could we not all be successful? Thoughts?

My thoughts regarding a feeling of success with my own health need work; a switch in my thought process. My best friend often tells me it’s more important to be healthy on the inside. Sadly I’ve always regarded being healthy in terms of the numbers on the scale and dwelt too much on those numbers. If my scales say I’m down then I feel elated but if they say the opposite I feel upset with myself. That’s where my head is. Time to regroup and really think about today’s quote – sum of small efforts. That’s what I will try to concentrate on, my small efforts.

Day 3

Will this celery juice ever taste good? Maybe not but I am making the effort to drink it each morning so that’s a positive. Richard made it last night so I’d have it to drink before my early morning hot yoga class. I thought it might make a difference but with it being cold it was harder to drink. Then again the coldness did require us to drink it more slowly which is how we’re supposed to drink it, so that’s good.

Don’t worry I won’t post about it everyday. I know it’s not that interesting reading about my juice.

By the way, apparently I got the name wrong for the online challenge. It’s actually called No Meat May. But I like Meatless May so I’ll stick with that.

Tonight’s loaf recipe was one that my daughter shared with me a few years ago. When she made it, it tasted delicious. She’s a fantastic cook.

BBQ Chickpea and Sweet Potato Loaf

Now I must be honest. My daughter’s was better. Mine was delicious but wasn’t quite firm enough.

Sweet Potatoes by Odetta

Stay safe and healthy

As always, thanks for your interest and thank you for reading.

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