The 2019 Annual Letter That Died

I never did get to write my annual letter.  Maybe, it was time that tradition ended?  We'll see if I can do a 2020 Christmas letter.  Maybe, if I start now?

Christmas and New Years are history.  Just good memories of getting together with family.  First, with Margaret's family here at our place (including her aging Aunt Lil).  Then, with my "kids" and their kids at Josi and Greg's place in LaSalle.  So much good food!

We've experienced some mild weather and some bitterly cold weather.  For example, the wind chill was -34°C one morning.  A few days later it bounces up to -7°C.  A hint of Spring on the way.

The crows are coming back now.  I expect to hear Canada geese overhead soon.  Then, we'll be able to sit out on the back deck again.  I'm looking forward to that!  We'll also be able to air out the house, with windows open front and back, at least during the daytime hours.

Merry Christmas to Family and Friends

Christmas is fast approaching with opportunities to see family and friends again. I hope I find all of them hale and hearty. I also hope I get my annual holiday letter written and emailed out while it's still timely. All I can do is try . . .

The Whole Earth Catalog is now History

The last Whole Earth Catalog was published in 2018. Like all the earlier editions, it was packed with gems of ideas and pointers on the tools one could use in getting back to nature. I remember having a early edition. It was a big book.

It was about an inch thick and the pages measured 11×14 inches. I don't remember what happened  to it. I guess, at some point, I recycled it. The best thing about it was that it made me think about the environment.

Other books that made us think about the environment were Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, Walden by David Thoreau, and Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat (who grew up in Richmond Hill, Ontario!).

With climate change now apparent, we are seeing a host of new invasive species (e.g., the emerald ash borer) challenging our Canadian environment. Hardly a day goes by that there are not reminders  that our planet is in peril from climate change.

Yes, It's Spring Once Again

Overnight, I heard some geese fly over the house. I hope they didn't do their usual trick of pooping on the roof of my Escape. Yes, Spring. Double digit high temperatures are forecast for this Sunday. That should mean the remaining snow in our yard will be gone. More may dust the ground and then disappear but that's okay. Of course, there still could be a big snowfall yet, even in May. It has happened before. Time will tell.

Sounds of Spring

I just heard a few geese calling as they flew over the house. I hope they find nourishment somewhere. There doesn't seem to be many places with open water, except along some spots in our local rivers. Of course, they can land in fields and eat any grains left from last fall's combining.

Reasons Why I Hate Facebook and Google Plus

There are probably thousands of reasons but I won't bore you listing them. Suffice it to say that I finally got my blog up and running again

Yard Renovation

It took about a week when the crew finally came to renovate the yard. By then, the weeds were so tall, one of the crew had to cut them down with a power blade.

The left image is the backyard. That's Mollie on the deck. You can see our new patio doors and the pergola above her. The right image is the side yard with the tall weeds that were later cut down..






 The left image is the front yard with fresh sod. The former flower beds have been replaced with large riverstone. The right image shows the side yard with fresh sod.

The left image shows the coarse riverstone used. The right image shows part of the back yard renovation, including some sodded areas and some areas of seeded topsoil. In the background, you can see the bottom of the deck and pergola with metal steps down into the yard.

We did have problems with our contractor, as expected. The problems included a crushed down spout, a damaged back gate, and a broken piece of concrete walk way. He'll not get a favorable testimony from me.

There will still be some work for us to do, including frequent spraying out of weeds in the topsoil that was used and less frequent spraying out of weeds that pop up in the riverstone. But, compared to the pre-renovation situation, we're happy with the results.

Looking for Low a Maintenance Yard

As we age (some of us faster than others), we gradually begin to hate yard work. We soon cannot keep up with the weeds. During the past few years, we give up weed control half-way through the summer. Our beautiful perennials disappear in the tall weeds. And, some of us have young dogs that are poisoned by some of the highly toxic weeds.

Our solution? Total yard renovation. Remove everything, including grass and flower beds, and replace both areas with fresh grass (new sod) and large stones over landscape fabric and crushed limestone rock. It's a bit hard to visualize so I plan to photograph the steps as they are taken over the next couple of months.

Meanwhile, look your last at the trees and shrubs and weeds seen around my grey Ford Escape in the picture above. They'll soon be all gone.

Good Morning ... Let The Stress Begin

Today, we are having some new windows installed.  First, new bedroom windows for Margaret's room.  The old ones are being cut out right now and will be replaced with no-maintenance ones,  One will be used for emergency egress if the need ever arises.  We likely will have to replace the slatted blinds as well because the old ones may not be the proper size for the new windows.

Later today, the deck doors will be replaced.  Hopefully, they will be installed quickly because it is -8 degrees C today.  Tomorrow, the front entry doors will be installed, along with a storm door.  The installer and his helper hope the work will be finished in the early afternoon.  That work will include removal of cardboard floor protectors and tarps and sheets protecting our bedroom, dining room, and entry way furniture.

Mollie, our cockapoo, is not too happy about all the activity.  Gus, our golden retriever, is very happy with everything.  His tail has been wagging non-stop since the crew came this morning.

One thing is certain: the stress will continue for some time.  Maybe, by early spring-summer, it will ease up, assuming we don't have to worry about flooding.

Simplicity

Douglas Horton (1891- 1968) was an American Protestant clergyman and academic leader who was noted for his work in ecumenical relations.  He said "The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity". Although referring to church matters, this quote also applies to seemingly simple flowers. There are many flower blooms that look like simple designs to most people until one looks at that them closely.

Examples of "simple" flower designs include petunias and geraniums.

These petunia blooms on the right look simple until you closely examine them.










Similarly, these geranium blooms below look simple. But, when you look at the petals of these two flowers, they look like fingerprints.

Old Books

Vincent Starrett, in Books Alive, said “Old books, yes! They are the true comforters; and principally because they are old and familiar. Many excellent new tales and poems and dramas are added yearly to the catalogues, and some of these in time will stand beside the great companions under discussion; but only Time (and you and I and all other lovers of good books) will bring about their survival.”

 As Mason Cooley (1927 – July 25, 2002), an American author, said “Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.”

Start Where You Are

Arthur Ashe, was a famous black tennis player and author who said: "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can". This great quotation has inspired countless numbers of people seeking personal contentment and happiness.

He died from AIDS contracted from a blood transfusion during heart surgery. His life was reviewed in the New York Times in 1993: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0710.html

His life was simply amazing.  Although he died 35 years ago, his legacy lives on.

Are You Successful?

Everyone seems to have something to say about success. Quotations about success abound in the literature and on the Web.  Albert Einstein said "if A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z ... (where) work is x ... y is play ... and z is keeping your mouth shut". Einstein often said he wished that he'd never talked about some of his theories.

Herbert Bayard Swope, a Pulitzer Prize laureate said "I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time".  I'll end this post with another quote.  This one of Henry David Thoreau: "success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it".

We Are the World, We Are The Children

In 2009, this was one of the best songs sung by a group of singers, some now deceased (e.g., Michael Jackson).  It's a very moving song.  It makes me think of my children and their children.  We are so blessed to live where we do, here in Canada.

We're fortunate, too, to be able to get together  as a family.  For example, we attended the recent showing of the Big Boom Theory at Celebrations Dinner Theatre.



We also got together for my granddaughter, Jillian's, 5th birthday party in LaSalle, Manitoba.

I hope you enjoy being with your family as much as I enjoy being with mine.