Category Archives: I love my friends

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The November Joys Edition

Posted on by

Usually at this time of year, my calendar is very full with so many social events; every weekend from now until Christmas would have at least one party, dinner, or cocktail event. I would usually be busy figuring out menus and buying ingredients and packaging up dozens of homemade goodie bags for my various yoga classes, I would be deciding which dress to wear when and stocking up the liquor cabinet.

So it feels very strange and sad to have a blank calendar, to be starting the season with literally nothing going on. I know it’s a Small Thing, and we are just Doing Our Part, but right now it feels Hard. It feels Hard not to see the friends-who-are-more-like-family, it feels Hard not to see my actual family – I haven’t seen my nieces in forever – it feels Hard to know that there are no parties and no reasons to put on a dress and no reason to even stock up the liquor cabinet because I don’t tend to make mixed drinks unless we have company. It would probably feel Less Hard if I wasn’t constantly seeing posts about Other People having parties and gatherings, but I’m not going to talk about that, I’m just going to sit here and practice my ujjayi breath for a while.

Well. That’s just the Way Things Are right now, and I cannot control anyone else, only myself, and so it will be a quiet holiday season coming up. It will be Different, and that’s Okay.

Let’s turn this beat around, shall we? I actually really do like the month of November; as I’ve mentioned before it’s the kickoff to the festive season for me. So even though this November is different from previous Novembers, there are still many things that bring me happiness.

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The November Joy Edition

Friluftsliv

As I mentioned before, this winter I am embracing my Norwegian heritage and adopting the concept of Friluftsliv. As god is my witness, one day I will live in a warm climate, but that day is not today, bloom where you’re planted, live in the now. It’s winter here for fully 2/3 of the year, and I am NOT going to spend 2/3 of my life being unhappy because it’s cold. FRILUFTSLIV. Yesterday was quite cold and damp, and yet I felt so much better being outside. We are in a global pandemic. I have no Christmas parties to look forward to. I am going to ENJOY THE FRESH AIR, GODDAMMIT. Also, I have lots of cozy warm clothes and I think I might buy myself a few new pieces as well.

Super cute ear warmer, with super cozy blanket scarf, with my warmest calf-length coat for walking yesterday.

See that “skirt?” It’s a BUM WARMER. A local lady makes them out of repurposed sweaters, and mittens to match. I think I might need a second one.

FRILUFTSLIV! It’s just fun to say.

Roasted Tomato Soup

I made the most incredible soup the other day; it was a riff on my riff on my grandma’s tomato soup. I roasted a cookie sheet of halved cherry tomatoes (tossed in olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and cracked pepper) for 45 minutes at 400 convection. Meanwhile, I added 1 teaspoon of baking soda to a large can of crushed tomatoes, stirring until the bubbles dissipated. In a blender, I whirred together 1/2 cup soaked-overnight raw cashews, 3 cups of water, and a cube of Knorr veggie stock. I stirred that in with the non-bubbly tomatoes, and added the roasted tomatoes. OMG. It was LIFE. I topped it with roasted chickpeas and served it with a green salad and it was, to me, a perfect cold-weather dinner.

Kalettes

Kalettes are back at Costco! I meant to mention this last month, but, you know. Time flies, etc. The last time I raved about kalettes, they instantly stopped selling them. I realize now that they are very seasonal, and limited, and they are so good, you guys. I roast them for 10-15 minutes, after tossing in olive oil and drizzling with balsamic vinegar.

Rocky Mountain Soap Body Butter

With the wearing of socks – many layers of socks – FRILUFTSLIV!!! – my feet are not as, well, crunchy as they are in the summer, and so while I still use O’Keefe’s Healthy Feet once or twice a week, on a nightly basis I am using this stuff:

It smells exactly like candy canes, and while it’s not as intense as O’Keefe’s, it does work nicely, when paired with cotton socks afterwards. It’s cold and I’d be putting on socks anyway, friluftsliv.

Mary Oliver

Every morning before my yoga practice, I read a poem. I have been working my way through Mary Oliver’s Devotions, and I came across this one:

I think about it all the time. I watch the sun come up every day; sometimes it’s a glorious sunrise, sometimes it’s just the sky getting light, but either way I think something that more or less kills me with delight. I notice the way the sky looks when I’m out walking, I notice the Christmas decorations starting to appear, I notice how cute Barkley looks when his nose is all snowy from sniffing Every Single Place Another Dog Ever Peed. Finding extraordinary joy in every day things is my JAM, people.

Non-Dairy Ice Cream

I make all my own ice cream, but 99% of it is dairy and I cannot eat it. I enjoy making it for the guys, and there is never any fewer than three flavours in our freezer at any given time, but it’s dairy. I mean, I CAN make non-dairy ice cream, but sometimes you just want to not put a ton of effort into something that is, frankly, not amazing.

Every Sunday I make a big dessert to go with a big dinner, and last week I wanted brownies, ice cream, and fudge sauce. I couldn’t think of anything else and while it’s super easy to make vegan brownies and fudge sauce, I just did not want to put the effort into ice cream as well.

I picked up this (startlingly expensive) vegan ice cream at Superstore, and people, it is incredible. It’s almost as delicious as the cashew-based ice cream my friend Denise (HI DENISE, I MISS YOU SO MUCH) gave me for my birthday. Almost. We all loved it and while I did not take a photo of the brownie and fudge sauce, believe me, it was good.

Festive Face Masks

A local woman – a friend of a friend – (HI LIANA) made this beautiful festive mask. The material is so soft, and I think it is just so pretty. I have many of her masks, but now that it’s the festive season, I’m cycling into my Festive Masks.

I’m on an outing! To Superstore. I rarely wear my hair down, because of my (zoom) teaching schedule, but I am out on the town, people.

Wine

So I’m not much of a Mixed Drinks Girl without company, but I am very much a Wine Girl, as you know. And today is Friday, and that means that in a mere eleven hours I will be doing this:

I feel MUCH better now, recording all my November Joys. I hope you are all enjoying some joys and happiness, even as we kick off this very strange and kind of lonely holiday season. xo

Lots of Adventures; Seventeen Weeks In

Posted on by

Dental Adventure

I had a dental cleaning scheduled for Monday afternoon and I was a bit nervous, due to the thought of having someone’s hands in my open mouth but you know what, all my nerves evaporated when the hygienist came into the room in full hazmat gear. Mask, face shield, hair covered, medical gown over all her clothes, and gloves.

Apparently there are “Marches To Unmask” going on around the country, and I keep reminding myself that it is very bad karma, very bad karma indeed, to wish ill on the participants, especially to wish a deadly Covid outbreak that would occur as a result of those marches. Bad karma, and therefore I am NOT wishing it to happen.

It is also wrong and bad karma to I hope a giant anvil drops from the sky and squashes every single marcher. However, if my dental hygienist can cheerfully don a hazmat suit every time she cleans someone’s teeth, certainly we can all put on a mask to get groceries.

I’m really leaning into the pretty mask thing; it’s taking all of my willpower not to order a different mask for every day of the week. There are so many cute ones to choose from! Lean in! Make it work! Match it with your outfit! They really bring out your eyes.

Costco Adventure

Speaking of groceries, the exciting news in my life is that there are no longer lineups to get into Costco. In fact, last week I went to Costco and Superstore and a) almost everyone was masked, particularly in Costco where they give you masks at the door if you do not have your own (super cute and outfit-matching one), b) there were no shortages of anything that I could see or was shopping for, and c) I am finally getting back joy in grocery shopping. It no longer feels like a grim and possibly deadly task; it feels like the happy, food-obtaining job that I have long enjoyed.

Friend Adventures

We saw our dear friends, who are more like chosen family (HI GUYS) this week for the first time since February, and it felt joyful and wonderful and almost normal. Well, except I wasn’t able to hug them; god, I miss hugging. The book I just finished reading talks about the importance of touch to our physical and mental health, and there was some study done about the optimal number of hugs a day; my family is getting the brunt of my unspent hugs. HUG MEEEEEE.

I also saw my dear friend Lyn (HI LYN) for the first time in a long while, and she is NOT a hugger, so I am sure she’s getting joy out of not being physically affectionately attacked by me.

Actual Mountain Adventure

I went on a beautiful hike with my very good friend Janet (HI JANET); we went to Lake Louise and hiked the Plain of the Six Glaciers, along with a little detour up to Lake Agnes, for a total of about sixteen kilometres and lots of elevation. It was an adventure; there had been a snowslide across the path and we had to go over it, discovering after the fact that it was completely hollowed out underneath. Oops. At the Glacier Lookout, there is an outhouse, and when I was using it I heard a great loud noise and felt a lot of wind. This was the culprit:

If you’ve ever wondered how they empty outhouses in remote mountain locations, wonder no more!

If you don’t strike a yoga pose when you are hiking in the mountains, are you even a yoga teacher?

Lake Louise is usually chock full of tourists at any given time, but the cold drizzly morning, and our early start, meant I actually was able to get a people-free photo.

The top of that mountain, the Big Beehive, is where my husband proposed to me, lo these many years ago. Aww! Shmoopy.

Pandemic Reading Adventure

You guys, the library is open, not just for curbside hold pickups, but actually open! I think I need an intervention:

I read a real variety of books this week, variety being the spice of life, etc.

Suzanne (HI SUZANNE) recommended this as a fun, light read, and it really was. Fun fact: the wardrobe budget for Clueless was only $200,000 – think of all the costumes! – and so they thrifted or made all the clothing in the show. Another fun fact: the actor who holds Cher up by gunpoint was essentially called an hour before to get the job. The original actor was being a dick about getting to the set for the call time so they fired him and just started phoning random actors they knew to play the part that afternoon. Remember my last post and all the talk about luck and timing?

This is the last of the Lives of the Saints trilogy; you may recall that I LOVED Lives of the Saints, but the second book I actively loathed. Why would I even bother reading the third, you may ask? Well. It’s a trilogy. I kind of had to. You get me. Anyway, it was not as good as the first but much better than the second, and because it’s Nino Ricci there is a gross, disturbing, and frankly disgusting plot line. However, I’m still glad I read it. I had to finish the trilogy, don’t judge.

My lovely friend Twyla (HI TWYLA) recommended this to me; with this type of book, I take what I need and leave the rest. I mean, I’m not going to stop using shampoo, drinking coffee, wearing a bra, or vaccinating. I’m highly unlikely to start smudging with sage or burning salts. But here’s the thing: I am a big fan of modern medicine, I love modern medicine, but I also am a huge proponent of complementary and preventative medicine; I truly believe in mind-body connections and that negative thoughts and the inability to forgive and let go can be toxic. If we have learned nothing else from Star Wars, it’s that anger and hatred lead to death. Well, everything leads to death, probability of death equals 1, we are all on a journey to savasana, but it would be nice if that journey was as long and as healthy as possible. Anyway, what I really liked about this book was the theme of self-love and self-care, and to practice loving-kindness towards yourself first, and also to others. What we send out in the world is an echo, and it comes back to you. It’s all about karma!

On that note, I am sending you all thoughts of loving-kindness, I hope you have a week full of wonderful adventures and much joy. xo

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Hair Styling Tools Edition

Posted on by

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that all of us – women, at least, but perhaps men too – have some sort of underlying hair trauma. By that I mean that we all have some sort of issue with our hair: maybe we had the Dorothy Hamill look back in the day, maybe a bad perm, maybe an ingrained belief that we have uniquely bad hair and nothing can be done about it, maybe all of the above. Maybe that’s just me? But I don’t think so.

The home perm.

This past week I was having a conversation with my mother-in-law, who was a very nifty number back in the day, about aging, and how it can be hard to reconcile what you see in the mirror with what you think you look like, as you age. Some days it is startling, to see the marionette lines and forehead lines and other signs of aging. My mother-in-law said that when she looks at me – or anyone else she loves, for that matter – she doesn’t see how the years have changed our faces, she doesn’t see wrinkles or age, she only sees the same person she’s always known and loved. She just sees ME.

Isn’t that a beautiful testament to the power of love and friendship? If only we could all see ourselves as others do. It would be the best Instagram filter ever, to view our faces and bodies through the kind and loving eyes of a friend. What my mother-in-law said is true; when I look at my friends I see how beautiful they are, and I see none of the so-called flaws that they themselves see when they look in the mirror. We are, always, our own worst critics.

The conversation was sparked by her making an appointment to get a perm, and segued into the customary grass-is-always-greener discussion about hair. Isn’t it the truth that no one is happy with their hair? Curly girls straighten their hair, straight-haired girls curl theirs, girls with thick hair get it thinned out, girls with thin hair are volumizing like crazy. Me? I have fine, semi-wavy hair that has been processed within an inch of its life.

Angela (HI ANGELA) asked me about my own hair texture and how I style it. Well, Angela, I live but to serve.

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Hair Styling Tools Edition

Before we get started, I would like to point out that it has been over three months since I last had my hair cut, although I have coloured it myself since then. These photos were taken yesterday, which would be halfway through my hair colour cycle, so I think it’s a good indication of a typical hair day. I have noticed that since the Pandemic started, my hair has gone from above-the-shoulders to shoulder-length, and I will say that having longer hair again is wonderful for putting up in a bun; a bun is my go-to style at least 50% of the time, for days that I don’t wash my hair, or days that I’m teaching, or if I am going to be outside gardening, or if I’m going to be outside and there is inclement weather. I am going to keep growing it out for that reason alone.

But on days I do wash my hair, this is my regime, such as it is.

The Tools:

It’s a 3/4 inch barrel Conair curling iron – not expensive. Clearly aged.
The Loma is added before blow drying, the Senscience – which has, I think, been discontinued, why do they do that – is a thermal styling spray, and the Pantene is just regular hairspray. I have had those combs for SOME time.

The Process

As you can see, pre-blow-drying, my hair is neither curly nor straight, it’s not thick but – according to my hair therapist – not thin either. I’m everywoman. After my shower I usually let it air dry for ten or fifteen minutes; I putter around the house, I make a smoothie, I contemplate my existence while listening to the boys talk about WWE.

I blow dry my hair upside down for added volume and this is what I look like. I feel pretty.

The light is terrible in this bathroom. That must be it. Anyway, I use the small comb to backcomb a little as my hair has a tendency to go limp, I spray the backcombed part with Pantene, and I admire my look.

After the backcomb extravaganza, I smooth things out, such as they are. It still looks weirdly voluminous, but just wait.

This is the Nellie Olsen stage of my hair. I use the curling iron to achieve the goal of looking like Laura’s nemesis, first spraying with Senscience. This part takes about five minutes.

I comb it out with the wide tooth comb, spray with Pantene, and leave the bad-lighting bathroom to put on lipgloss and jewelry, very important steps in the selfie process.

And that’s it! The whole process – from blow-drying to the final hairspray – takes about 15 minutes, give or take a minute or two. In contrast, putting my hair in a bun takes less than five, so my get-ready routine depends on the day.

Time to get on with my day. Have a great weekend, everyone. xo

Pandemic Mother’s Day and Panic; Eight Weeks In

Posted on by

I had to physically go to my calendar and count, because it seemed wrong today; eight weeks? This is the ninth week now? The calendar has reassured me that yes, those are the numbers we are working with today. Eight weeks in quarantine, or, semi-quarantine, I guess. Can you say you’re in quarantine if you are the designated grocery shopper and prescription picker-upper? In any case, we have just completed our eighth week of *gestures widely* all this.

You may have been in lockdown mode for a while when you start having serious kitchen dance parties with a carrot.

You may also have been in lockdown mode for a while when you start reorganizing and cleaning your spice cupboard, when you decide that you must move all the living room furniture to clean underneath it where the Roomba can’t go, and when you go into an incredible panic spiral when baking powder becomes unavailable.

Here’s the thing: I have baking powder. I buy it at Costco and so I always have backup. But for some reason, the lack of baking powder on the shelves, even though I do not currently need baking powder and in fact it will be a while before I do actually run out of baking powder, has me completely Panicking At The Disco. The Carrot Disco, if you will. I started to search up substitutions for baking powder and discovered cream of tartar, mixed with baking soda, can be effectively used, and so I started adding cream of tartar to Every Online Shopping Order. At one point, my husband asked me to please stop, we surely have enough cream of tartar, which – prior to the Pandemic At The Disco – I only ever used to make play dough. It has been a while, dear reader, since I made play dough.

I felt powerless to stop my quest for baking powder. I came across this article – What a Starvation Experiment Reveals About 2020 Food Insecurity – and it is fascinating. I had read about that experiment before, in terms of how food restriction permanently shifts your brain chemistry and behaviour, and it is fascinating to think that one day in the far future, we might still be trolling aisles and grabbing desperately for yeast and flour and toilet paper and – in my case – baking powder. What is this Pandemic doing to our brains and behaviour patterns? The economist in me will be interested in future studies, but meanwhile, if anyone needs me, I’ll be in the kitchen mixing 3/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Another thing that has been absent from grocery shelves for weeks is sauerkraut. This is not something that affects me personally as I am not a fan of sauerkraut in the least, but my husband and younger son enjoy it, and one of the lunches they have been making recently is corned beef Reuben sandwiches. They were down to their last forkful of sauerkraut, and at that time it had been completely unavailable for three weeks, but my darling friend Denise – HI DENISE – came through and gave us a jar.

How was your Mother’s Day? After a few weeks of gorgeous weather, it turned cold and snowed a bit, so naturally I went to the garden centre Sunday morning to buy a few plants. I figured there would be very few people there and I was right. Traditionally this is my Mother’s Day gift – plants – but the boys also surprised me with popcorn and a viewing of my favourite movie, When Harry Met Sally, on Saturday night. We had a barbeque Sunday, and a nice family walk, and altogether it was a lovely, if cold, day.

Pandemic Reading

This is the sequel to Lives of the Saints, and I read it shortly after studying Lives of the Saints in first year university. I must have blocked it out. It’s a very dreary book and very sad; if you are in the market for a lot of brooding and a quest for belonging, then this is the book for you.

I read this for my long-defunct book club back in 2003, and it’s still a really wonderful read; a lovely celebration of womanhood and sisterhood. I really enjoy reading books that delve into a female point of view of a traditionally male story; this is a Biblical re-imagining around the story of Jacob and Joseph.

I loved this book when it first came out and I can see why: it’s a fascinating story about the Russian pairs skaters Gordeeva and Grinkov. There is a lot of detail about how the Soviets identified and trained young athletes, and then how lives changed with the breakup of the USSR. It’s a love story, of course, but if you are interested in figure skating, it is fascinating from that point of view.

I have been reading one Mary Oliver poem a day, just before I start my yoga practice. I limit myself to just one poem and then I think about it all day; her poetry is beautiful and uplifting.

Pandemic Fitness

It’s been a good week for walks and runs, and I bought some new running shoes, curbside, from The Tech Shop. They were having an insanely good sale, and while it was a bit disappointing that the only colour they had in the shoes that I like was exactly the same as my old shoes, the new ones are so nice and cushy.

I hope you all are still well. Stay safe! xo

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Pandemic Birthday Edition

Posted on by

I love birthdays. I love my own birthday, of course, but I love other people’s as well. There’s no better time, in my mind, to make someone feel special than on their birthday.

My Pandemic Birthday was on Tuesday – I’m 45! – and in the weeks leading up to it I was feeling a little sorry for myself. I wouldn’t get to go out for a huge Moroccan dinner…I wouldn’t be able to drive up to the lake to visit my parents…my mom wouldn’t be able to make me my traditional pink birthday cake…for my 40th we had a huge party and now we are on lockdown…

But as it turned out my Pandemic Birthday was absolutely wonderful, and possibly one of my best ever. It is certain to be one of my most memorable. We’ve been celebrating all week, and I have been enjoying every one of my favourite at-home things.

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Pandemic Birthday Edition

A Dinner I Did Not Have To Cook Or Make Decisions About

I’m sure those of you who are – generally speaking – the designated cook in the house can relate to the desire to just not have to think about dinner. I told my husband that I wanted a dinner that not only did I not cook, but I also didn’t have to think about in any way. I would buy any groceries that were written on my list – my husband has a chronic lung condition and also high blood pressure, and so he’s in the Higher Risk category, and we are trying to keep the people leaving the house to just me – but I would not make the list.

Saturday was the night of the Big Dinner, and the guys did great. They grilled vegetables and portobellos and made sweet potato fries, all favourites of mine. Of course there was wine, and cake.

Cake

The guys made me an angel food cake – my favourite! – with non-dairy whipped cream and raspberries. I was not at all expecting them to bake a cake, but several weeks ago my older son had asked me to buy a box of angel food mix. It was his birthday, but then he said he wanted strawberry cake instead, so the box had been lingering in the cupboard ever since. Was it forward planning on his part? I have no idea. I’m just happy to have had cake.

Mindful Mornings

On the day of my actual birthday, I wanted to do every single thing I love – that could be done in-house. I wanted to be very mindful and enjoy each moment. I would like to be like that every day but that’s a lot to ask of a human. In any case, it was a good reminder to stop, look, and enjoy. I got up early, drank some coffee and read some lovely messages from friends, practiced yoga with my online group, drank more coffee and my favourite green smoothie, and then did a little cardio.

Teaching Yoga

I’ve been teaching Zoom Ashtanga yoga classes on Tuesdays and Fridays – and starting next week, seniors too! My boss offered to teach for me this week but I really wanted to see my students, albeit in “gallery view.”

Being Outside

You guys, it is FINALLY SPRING here and yes, we sure could still get snow anytime but that is what Calgary spring is all about. Enjoy the non-snow days. Carpe non-snow diem. My birthday was unseasonably warm and so I spent as much time outside as possible. I went for a walk with Barkley and a longer walk with the guys. I did some yard work, which is my actual favourite. The sweet girls down the block from us are constantly ramping up their sidewalk chalk game with various 2D obstacle courses and hopscotch patterns. On Tuesday, they had switched up to a long spring-themed course with flowers and a red carpet. I felt like the red carpet was there just for me.

The Godfather

On Saturday, we watched The Godfather with the boys, complete with popcorn and more wine. Sunday I decided to reread the book, which probably explains the insane mafia-related dreams I have been having all week. They would not send each other Christmas gifts, but they would not murder each other. Best line.

Gifts

I wasn’t sure what would happen for my birthday, in terms of gifts, but my husband bought me books by Elizabeth Strout, who I love, and the new Little Women movie. The boys bought me new Pandora charms: a mom and baby owl, a cactus offering “Free Hugs,” and a heart-shaped “Mom” charm.

Friends

I was the lucky recipient of so many notes, calls, and messages. My darling friends Allison and Hannah (HI ALLISON HI HANNAH) sent me flowers and a balloon:

Then my dear friends Denise and Duncan (HI DENISE HI DUNCAN) dropped off wine and vegan chocolate fudge ice cream. That alone would be wonderful enough but they dropped it off while wearing inflatable T-rex costumes and blasting “Danger Zone.”

Honestly, I could not be luckier or more blessed. Halfway to 90 feels great so far. xo

Smizing and the harrowing quest of obtaining food

Posted on by

Yesterday as I did my early morning yoga practice, I noticed that my husband hadn’t closed one of the blinds in the living room. I watched as the sky slowly lightened, and then changed to an array of orange, red, and pink as the sun rose. It was gorgeous. It felt like a little bit of hope.

This glorious feeling lasted until I went to the grocery store.

I pride myself very much on my positive, can-do attitude, but I will tell you this: yesterday while I was at Superstore, I found myself thinking I don’t know how much longer I can do this. Intellectually, I know I will get used to it, just like I’ve gotten used to everything else. But yesterday, if it wasn’t disgusting and probably virus-ridden, I would have just curled up on the floor at Superstore and cried.

As it was, I got home from groceries and sat in the kitchen, staring into space for a long time. It was the next best thing to crying in public.

What a grim and depressing errand it has become, just obtaining food for the week. I used to really enjoy grocery shopping, and now it feels like the most soul-destroying Sisyphean task ever, because we are going to eat the food I have purchased and I am going to need to repeat this again and again. I was trying to describe it to my husband and kids, none of whom have been anywhere since mid-March, but it’s almost impossible to describe to the non-designated-shoppers of the family. It’s hard to describe the feeling of despair that pervades the store.

I was talking to my friend Shari (HI SHARI) and she said, when I said how drained I was from shopping, “Is it because everyone is silent and no one is looking at anyone?” and I think that sums things up nicely. A huge part of my grocery experience is smiling at people, chatting with people in the produce section, peeking at other people’s carts and asking them if they’d ever tried that brand of frozen pizza before, and was it good? I’ve never bought a frozen pizza, but for some reason I really like asking about them. Now we are all avoiding each other and if someone comes into my six-foot bubble, I feel panicked and anxious. I try to smile at people but I look like this:

And guys, I’m not good at Smizing.

I was in the baking aisle for coconut and raisins – off-brand flour is available, but yeast is not – and there was a young girl there with a list. She looked so upset; I guess my Smize worked, because she asked desperately if I could help her. She reached her list out to arm’s length and I peered at it. She pointed to “raisins (bulk)” and asked me, with a heavy accent, what that meant. I had to explain to her that there was no bulk anymore, but the raisins were close by. She was tearful. My mom gave me this list and I don’t know where things are and no one will talk to me.

It’s funny, because we all have this feeling of togetherness when we are not together – which is good! we should NOT be together – but in the few common areas that are left, it’s like we are all the walking dead and this is the apocalypse.

I kept thinking of all the many, many materials I have read on the world wars; every single one of them, when the wars started, assumed that it would “all be over by Christmas.” Then it would be all over by summer, and then things just stretched on and on.

Wow, I can’t even go there.

On a lighter note, I discovered that you can actually buy – this is something that is actually for sale – peeled hardboiled eggs. What an age we live in. Now do not get me wrong. This is not something I WOULD buy, as even as a child I would cry a little when eggs were served, unless they were scrambled. And hardboiled eggs in particular smell like farts to me. But if they are your thing, fumbling around peeling them could be a thing of the past!

Speaking of eggs, this weekend is Easter! I always write a list of clues – I still have last year’s, so I am going to reuse it – and then the boys go and find the treats hidden away in various places in our house. I bought a box of Easter-themed Lindors the last time I was at Costco, and I’m going to separate them into little paper bags. My mom sent me money to buy the boys the kinds of treats she usually gets them, and yesterday I did that at Superstore. We usually do a crazy egg hunt in our back yard, using these pressed-paper eggs that I usually buy at Walmart and that we decorate before-hand, but Walmart hasn’t been on my radar for my once-weekly shopping trip, so we will do without this year. Probably for the best since this is what my yard looked like on Tuesday:

And the forecast is similar for the weekend. Well, that’s Calgary for you. Send me photos of your grass, flowers, etc. I will live vicariously through you.

****************

I wrote this post early in the morning, and then paused to do my yoga practice. I watched the sun rise again and it occurred to me – not for the first time – that every day is a new beginning and so here we go. Happy Easter, friends, and I hope there is some chocolate in your future. There’s definitely some in mine. xo

Accidental Hoarding and Two Weeks In

Posted on by

I was making my list for the grocery store last week; I am going out once a week to replenish our supplies and though I’ve always been a list-maker, I find myself being more vigilant in that area. After all, if I forget something I can’t just run out and grab it. I’m finding it fairly easy to keep social distances in the grocery stores; for one thing, they are very quiet right now, and there are x’s marked on the floor to show where we need to keep our carts to keep appropriately away from other people. Probably the best thing is that other people – in my experience – are really taking social distancing seriously so we are all stepping widely to give each other two metres of berth.

Anyway, I was making my list and I looked at the shelf where I keep the following: tea, bread crumbs, the very occasional box of crackers, Oreos – which I use exclusively to make homemade cookies and cream ice cream, and if you have never made that, it is WORTHWHILE – and taco shells. Tacos are an excellent Pandemic Meal, in my opinion, as I always have black beans on hand for me and ground chicken in the freezer for the guys. My younger son is in charge of making tacos when it’s Taco Night, and so I am always prepared with shells and seasoning. However, on this shelf was an open box of shells, less than half full. How could that be? On my big Pandemic Shop, I was sure I had purchased a few boxes of shells, specifically because of the aforementioned Excellence of Tacos As A Pandemic Meal. I wrote it down on my list, figuring that with everything else going on, I had simply forgot. I picked up three boxes at the grocery store, and then while I was putting groceries away, I saw three boxes of shells in the pantry downstairs. Ah! I had run out of room and put some dry goods on a shelf downstairs after the big Pandemic Shop. I must keep that in mind when I think I’m running out of pasta – I have a few boxes on that shelf – but meanwhile, I now have six and a half boxes of taco shells.

Is this hoarding?

I guess if anyone is in desperate need of taco shells, I can share, but last time I looked there was certainly no shortage. The shelves containing flour, pasta, and canned soup continue to be empty, and I have heard that yeast is very difficult to find. I haven’t tried as I still have some, and – taco shells aside – I am trying not to panic buy anything. I am trying to Make Do With What I Have, for the most part. Still, I saw something on twitter about making yeast out of dried fruit, and I am going to do that. Science, bitches!

Speaking of science, online lessons start this week, which will be interesting. In addition to this, I am teaching my yoga classes online – both live through Zoom and via YouTube videos. My husband is, of course, working from home and we are in a small 1960s bungalow. Do not get me wrong, I love our house, I feel fortunate to have a lovely home with a family that I love, but this is the week that things will get Interesting.

Happy Things This Week

As I mentioned, it was my son’s 16th birthday last Monday, and our anniversary as well. We went for a long walk in the natural area that is only a kilometer walk from our house. It was an absolutely gorgeous day.

I also made a strawberry cake with strawberry frosting and coconut whipped cream. It was delicious.

Yesterday I baked brownies and topped them with homemade ice cream and fudge sauce.

My friend Denise (HI DENISE) suggested the Houseparty app, and on Friday we had a wine date together with some of her friends. I highly suggest this if you, like me, are missing having actual conversations with people and seeing faces.

Things That Are Disproportionately Upsetting Me This Week

I don’t think I really need to say that I’m worried about illness and death of so many people, and worried about it hitting loved ones. I don’t think I need to say that I’m worried about the massive economic fallout from all of this; about ninety percent of people I know have either lost their jobs or taken pay cuts, small businesses are going to get decimated, who knows how all of this is going to get resolved and paid for. My sister-in-law is considered an essential worker right now and she is the person who checks in on my widowed, nearly 80-year-old mother-in-law who lives in isolation on two acres, and if you don’t think that’s worrying, well.

But sometimes the little things take on larger significance in my mind. The two things that have upset me in a completely disproportionate way, are that the spring plant fundraiser I had ordered from is cancelled, and all the hair salons are closed. I mean, of course. There is no WAY to physically distance yourself while getting your hair done, unless your hair therapist has metre-long arms with Edward Scissorhands-like hands. I mean, there’s just no way. It’s obvious that they should close AND YET. Well, I have purchased a couple of boxes of hair dye and although it has been well over two decades since I coloured my own hair, I am ready. I have been wondering for months if I should start growing out my hair, and I guess the answer is YES.

I guess the thing that is bothering me is that my hair therapist, who I love and have been going to for eighteen years, owns her own tiny salon. She is going to be just another of the small businesses affected and yes, if we all work together maybe it won’t be closed relatively long. But she’s the face for yet another business that is going to be hit hard by all of this and there is nothing that can be done, not really.

Pandemic Reading

Emma is SUCH a delight of a book.

CanLit! I read this in first-year university, and as you can see, I must have written a paper about the theme of blindness, and the stone angel as a symbol for Hagar herself. Seeing my notes in the book cracked me up. Ah, the earnestness of a first-year university student.

This was my favourite book as a teen; I read it many, many times. It’s a good Pandemic Book because it’s over 800 pages. I have shelves full of books, but having a longer read is a good idea, since who knows when the libraries will reopen. I have not yet finished it; it feels like a Project.

Stepping Out, Pandemic Style

After Steph (HI STEPH) mentioned that I had walked almost a marathon, I decided to make that my goal each week. I live in a neighbourhood in which it is very easy to Social Distance: wide sidewalks, space along boulevards, pathways. I am reluctantly Not Running right now, due to the time of year and the freeze-melt cycle which results in very icy sidewalks and pathways. But Saturday morning I speed walked – feeling like a 1990s speed walker or that Prancercize lady – and managed 8.5 km in 1:17, which I thought was pretty good.

Oooh, that 29.8 bothers me in a David Sedaris-like way. SO CLOSE TO THIRTY. Okay, no. Let’s not get Weird and Obsessive, or at least not any more than normal.

That’s it for me this week; how are you all doing? xo