Tag: seasons
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Thoughts From the Frozen North
It’s ridiculously cold here in Saskatchewan—minus 40 this morning. It doesn’t matter if you measure your temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, -40 is -40, and it’s cold. Darn cold. Gerry and Molly and I are sitting in the living room undercover of blankets watching the 4 Nations Face-Off Canada vs Finland hockey game. It’s the…
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Seventy-Nine Days
The notification popped up on my screen yesterday afternoon: snowfall warning. Again. This morning, when Molly and I got up shortly after 4, the first thing I did was look out the window. Yup. The white stuff had arrived. Gerry, eternally optimistic, said, “it doesn’t look like much” when we were enjoying our morning coffee.…
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Easing In
We have just finished lunch after attending the Eucharist service at church this morning. This is Epiphany Sunday and, as such, the priest marked the doorframe of the church sanctuary with chalk. 20✞C✞M✞B✞25 Wrapped within the new year are initials for the traditional names of the magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar) separated by crosses to represent Christ.…
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I’m Not Optimistic About 2025
The liminality of the days between December 25 and January 1, paired with an ice storm making it unsafe and unwise to venture out, keeps us home. Having consumed too much fat and sugar, we feel dim-witted and lazy. A jigsaw puzzle on the dining table, books on our devices, and a little Yorkie who…
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The Shortest Day
It’s the winter solstice, and sunrise here in Moose Jaw happened at 9 a.m.—tomorrow, we begin the slow crawl toward light and garden season. Two snowstorms in the past few days have kept us mostly at home and indoors. Gerry’s been out a couple of times with his birthday snowblower, and I took advantage of…
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In the Dark
Jarred from the peace of sleep and the comfort of warm flannel sheets, I retrieve my glasses and Kindle from my bedside table and, with a little Yorkie in my arms, stumble from the bedroom. Molly’s internal clock says it’s time to get up. It’s barely 4 a.m. and I inadvertently trained her to rise…
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And So, Advent
On Saturday, Gerry and I went to see the annual Christmas performance at nearby Briercrest College and Seminary in Caronport—a dramatic musical called A Christmas in Caron, 1942. It was inspired by the real-life story of Royal Air Force cadets who came to the Caron flight training school (about 25 minutes west of Moose Jaw)…
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Birthday Snow
We had a big dump of snow this week and are currently under a snowfall warning for the weekend. Though the calendar says otherwise, winter is most definitely upon us here in Saskatchewan. Just now, I’m sitting here in the wing chair in my woman cave listening to my Gregorian playlist on Amazon music while…
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A Stormy Day Ramble
We’re experiencing the first winter storm of the season as snow blows and drifts. Here’s the view outside our front door captured a few hours ago. I had an appointment to get my hair cut this morning, but cancelled it. I decided that at age 65 I can choose to take a snow day and…
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There’s a Lot Happening Out There
I’m thinking of replacing our front door. The one we currently have is pretty and stylish, but it’s also distracting. I wasn’t enamored of it when we first moved into this home at the end of 2023, and am less so now. I don’t like that someone could stand on our front step and peer…
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An October Whirlwind
It’s been a hot minute since I posted here. The October wind has blown literally, making sticks of trees that were arrayed in golden splendour a few weeks ago, and metaphorically in terms of lots going on. I’m ready for a long string of ordinary. Let’s see. Gerry had cataract surgery on both eyes two…
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Now It Is October
Now it is October, a transitional month. Some days are warm and sunny and I pull on capri pants and slide bare feet into Birks. Other days, I wear socks and slip into a long-sleeved sweater to keep away the chill. There are still beets in the garden. Carrots too, but not many. I pull…