Conversations.......

"Ahhhhhhh - this is soooooo nice. Being kissed by the sun!"
I overheard my shamrock plant talking to Sunkist tulips: "Did you know St. Paddy's day is just around the corner?"
"How could I not? You remind me every day! I do hope some bluebirds find that birdhouse over there and build a nest inside. I don't remember seeing any last year, did you Tessa?" "We weren't here last year, Tilly."

Why didn't I just ask, a number of my blogger buddies commented on my Pampering post a few posts ago.

Ask what? What kind of nice-smelling massage oil the masseuse was using on me. Good question, why didn't I just ask? Well if I had, then of course, there wouldn't be any story, would there?

But then you have to imagine yourself stretched out on the table. Soft music playing in the background. Body nice and warm under the sheets. Gentle, yet firm pressure over your shoulders by Ms. Massage-Lady ( I don't remember her name). Feeling drowsy........ Ooooo - this is nice. Tension melting away.......Body relaxing............Ummm - nice fragrance. Smells spring-like. No grass-like. No sort of lemony. Ah, who cares........relaxing into table a little more. Oooo.... that.... feels...... good. Where was I? What was I thinking about??? Oh, the music's changed........ where have I heard that piece before? It's sooooo soooooothing....... Sounds familiar..... but where? Ah, who cares........

I think you get the picture. Tooooooo much effort to open the mouth and speak. Or coordinate the brain in the first place ...........to find the words. And even so, I'd probably forget the name of that wonderful smelling massage oil the moment the name left her lips......lips.......did somebody say tu-lips?

Ahhhhh......that warm, caressing sun.....

Yippeeeeeee!!

I have heard from a book publisher!
They want to publish my book!!!

Yippeeeeee - I am over the moon!!!

I started writing Reading Between The Lines about 15 years ago. Put it down, picked it up, life happened, etc. etc. Send it off to a publisher 9 years ago. Got rejected. Sent it off to another one. Got rejected. Gave up. Thought I'd send it off to an agent instead. Might work better. No - did not. Sent it off to another one, two, three. Got rejected again. Gave up.

Over the past year, I'd begun looking at publishers once again.
Well, yesterday, I got the good news! It will take time.
My book will come out in about a year and a half.
But the process has begun!
I am sooooooo happy!!

I started writing articles on palmistry for The Journal of Alternative Therapies, here in Montreal. I wrote some more for Everchanging Magazine in Burlington, Vermont. After a while, I decided to put all these articles together into a book. It did not sound right, so I did a lot of editing, and changing. I grew along with the book.

This is a healing book; a book of my experiences reading people and helping them along their pathway.
Will keep everyone posted.
Yippeeeeeee!

Pampering.....

Sweet hyacinth, beginning to open.

That was then......

Today she is in full bloom, gossiping with the daffys.
Thought I could use a massage last week. Needed a little pampering (don't we all at this time of year?)

There was a "special" on at my local beauty parlor (does anybody else still use that antiquated word? LOL! ) So I took advantage and booked an afternoon of luxury.

The masseuse was a young girl.
Hmmmm.
She was thin - very thin.
Hmmmm - not much muscle power.
"Come right in," she instructed, leading me into a serene, fragrant-smelling, candle-lit, room. Soft music was playing and the lighting was subdued.

Ahhhh - definitely relaxing.
After peeling off my clothes, I bounced up on the table, and scrunched under the sheets. I wiggled around to find a comfortable position for my face. One thing I absolutely hate is having your face in that doughnut-shaped ring. It feels anything but relaxing. A few minutes later, she knocked softly on the door and entered the room.

It's been a couple of years since I had my last massage so I was pleasantly surprised when she began by touching me on top of the sheet, rather than ripping it away with a flourish, like a magician ripping off a tablecloth to reveal rabbits hopping around, or doves ready to take flight. I always feel rather vulnerable lying there unclothed in a face-down position on the table, as if I'm about to be served for someone's dinner.

Despite my misgivings, she was good. I enjoyed the massage. And she used a light, fresh smelling lotion that reminded me of spring grass or a meadow.

The hour went by quickly and soothingly (is that a word?). While pulling on my clothes, I figured I'd take a peek around to see if I could find that fresh, spring-like lotion. I wanted to know what it was, so I could go out and buy it.
Hmmmmm. Not in sight.
Not on the shelves - they only held candles and some pretty coloured stones.
Not under the massage table.
Any hidey-drawers? Nope.
Ah - another shelf on the far side of the room beside the other massage table.(She had put me in a "couples" massage room. I guess the regular rooms were all taken). There were 2 big lotion bottles on that shelf. But surely, she wouldn't have taken lotion from across the room?

Pumped the first bottle. Nothing. Did not smell at all.
Pumped the second bottle. Eewwww - some pepperminty stuff. I like peppermint, but this stuff was really STRONG - and mixed with some other strong stuff. Really overpowering.

Eeewwwww - I rubbed my hands over my pants trying to get rid of it. Not too smart - won't get rid of it that way. Eewwwww - I have to get rid of this stuff! She'll know instantly that I've been snooping! Wiped my hands vigorously on the sheets that were covering me earlier. Ewwww - still there. Could not get rid of that smell! Maybe a towel. Took one from under the table. Ewwww - still there.

Well, I have to leave the room sometime! She's waiting outside for me to pay my bill. Ah, there's some hand sanitizer. I'll try that.
Didn't work.
So, I poked my head outside the door. Nobody. Good. Ran to the washroom.
Held my hands under the tap and soaped and soaped until the smell was gone.
Whew!
Then serenely paid my bill and left.

Winter isn't over yet!

Look who was foraging for food on my back deck. Yes you! What are you doing up and about? Does this mean spring is here?

No such luck.

Snow, snow and more snow today.


The house across the street. Ah well, I don't really mind. It is rather pretty - and March is almost here. Still winter in these parts, but we've had a good one, so far.
I know that hasn't been the case for my neighbours south of here. Florida, Texas and other parts of the world have had an unusually cold winter.

The days are getting longer and if little chipmunks come out of hibernation to run on the snowbanks, then deep inside the Earth, life is beginning to wake up.

Update: We are not moving. Hubby nearly had a panic attack when I approached him seriously with my plans. I did not realize how someone in his position would be clinging so tightly to familiar territory. As long as he has his familiar surroundings to hold on to, he feels somewhat secure and in control. To take that away from him would be like sinking his lifeboat. I had no idea.

So, we will hire people to do the heavy work that I cannot. I am relieved in some ways. A couple of days before this snowfall, I was looking in the garden (up against the south side of the house) to see if any little crocus shoots had come up. I know it is way too early, but since it has been warm.... Then I thought of missing this. And of all the space we do have to live in. The privacy of our back yard. Our big outdoor deck. One day I will leave it all....... but not yet.

Mistress Mousey.....

.......popped into say:
"Have a very nice Valentine's Day!" Sister Rose's face all aglow...
Hopes that no-one will push her in the snow!

Pink and yellow

Red and green

Loveliest roses

I've ever seen! (green refers to the foliage)

O.K., so a poet, I'm not. It was fun anyway - just to see what would rhyme.

Hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day.

Update: thank you all for your concern and good advice.

I am looking into retirement homes. One that has particularly caught my eye, is for autonomous seniors. The units are apartments with full kitchen. There is an emergency call button in each room. And a nurse on the premises at all times. The activities sound wonderful (for me). Location is a block or two away from the general hospital.

However, the units are quite small (read: very small). And the rental cost per month is quite expensive.

At this point I am just gathering information. Hubby is not too pleased, but I told him I would not force him into anything (read: this will take time to accept). The reality is, we need to make changes in our lifestyle, as I can't go on like this forever.

Mid-winter blues

Looking to capture the sunlight as it shines on my kitchen-window flowers.
Sunlight kissing the tulip's lips.

Winter plods along. It's cold, but that's normal. The strange thing is, we don't have much snow this year. Which is bad and good. Good because who wants tons of snow? (except skiers, of course). I'd rather less snow to melt when the weather warms up.

Bad - because not much snow means not much insulation for our water drainage hose (buried under the front lawn). And that means a frozen hose, so water backs up into the basement.

This water we're talking about is coming from our water softener, which drains into the sump pump. Now the sump pump's job is to pump out water before it backs up into the house. Normally it does a good job. But with ice freezing the connecting hose to the outside, there is nowhere for water to go. Like hitting a brick wall. It splats all over the basement floor.

I discovered it this morning, while going into the basement to check on the furnace humidifier. The day before, I had gone downstairs for something, only to walk into a huge puddle in the furnace room. The humidifier hose had become blocked with sediment from our water supply.

Well, I dealt with this 2 years ago, so I just turned off the furnace, changed the filter, poured a mixture of vinegar and water down the blocked hose, cleaned up the mess and turned the heat back on. All this while Hubby was sleeping peacefully.

Now this mess in the sump pump room! The only solution, for now, is to turn off the water softener. We'll just have to do without "softened" water. When the earth warms up next month, things should thaw out and our "water in the basement" problems over for a while.

I must say I was thoroughly discouraged this weekend. I feel overwhelmed (oh, I also lugged the heavy dehumidifier up the stairs, one step at a time, from the basement into the garage, since there seems to be water in there too. What is it with water in this house??).

Told Hubby it was time to move into an apartment. I just can't cope with everything on my own all the time. He just nodded. No argument. He's probably hoping that as time goes on and the nice weather comes, I'll forget all about it. Well maybe. But I think it's time we simplified our lives.

New Life...

New babies stretching towards the light...

A little one on the way.....

She's here! Isn't she looovely.....

Peek-a-boo!

A surprise in the garage! This petunia was my favourite. I took so many pics of her last summer and right into the fall. I could not let her go when the outside temps got cold. So I put her in the garage just to see what would happen. Did not expect anything. Over the years, I'd tried to overwinter impatiens, geraniums, and other annuals by placing them indoors in a bright sunny south-facing window. They'd be fine for a little while, but eventually would all die.

So imagine my delight when I discovered these 3 blooms! It's quite cool in our garage and the light comes from a north window, so I don't really understand why this plant would bloom. But never mind - I'll take it!