THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

 Some songs just never leave you alone. They are always lurking in the memory banks. The Boys are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy came out in  1976....we are pushing almost 50 years ago now, and I STILL can sing it word for word! 

It came to mind recently as I start to see signs of spring showing up:

"Guess who just got back today, 

Them wild eyed boys that have been away. 

Haven't changed, haven't much to say

But Man I still think them Cats are crazy"

The Birds are Back in town the Birds are Back in town! 

Chickadees, cardinals and bluejays that have been holding down the fort all winter are now joined by their kin: Robins, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Doves, song sparrows, and swans!

I went for my first spin on the bike this evening and came across these beauties. 

Birds and bikes are sure signs of spring. And here in my garden the Daffodils are pushing through!

Tonight as I type this up, my window is open and the air is spring fresh, erasing the house's shut up fusty winter smell. Soon I will hear the buzz of insects, tunes blasting from teenagers cars with rolled down windows and the soft swish of new baby leaves ticked by the wind.

"That jukebox in the corner blasting out my favourite song

The nights will get warmer and won't be long..

Won't be long til summer comes, now that the Boys are here again"

PUPS ON PARADE!

 Sometimes, things can take a rather unexpected turn of events. Like last night, when we thought we were just “walking the dog.” Turns out we instigated a Puppy Parade instead! Read on reader, and let me explain. Some names (not the dogs, those are all true) have been changed to protect the innocent, because a few quarantine rules may have been broken. But a dog’s well-being and safety were at sake! 

After coaxing Lulu out of her cosy chair with a promised treat, Sheldon and I head down our street. Ahead we see a large figure bouncing about. It is a big black bouvier!

“I think that’s Joe’s dog, he has a dog like that!” (Joe lives almost across the street from us). “See if you can catch him and check the collar.” Sheldon checks the collar but there is no identifier except one of those gadgets that are supposed to keep your dog from penetrating an invisible force field of some sort. 

“We had better  take him back” says I. So we corral and coax the bouncing Joe’s dog back up our street. He zeros in on Joe’s house and we think we have a winner. But Joe’s wife is standing outside and says “that’s not our dog. I think thats Walter! He lives on Jackson Court!” Jackson Court is about a 5 minute walk so we borrow a leash and now Sheldon, Lulu, Joe’s dog/aka Walter, and myself head back down the street. Let the parade begin!

On Jackson Court Sheldon knocks at what we think is Walter’s house. A man answers and explains. “That’s not Walter.” Walter is snoozing away. “I think that’s Dave’s Dog Dawson. He lives over on Elm Street!” That happened to be our street of course. “My name is Bob, I’ll come with you and show you which house.” 

So...now we have Sheldon, Lulu, Bob, myself and Joe’s Dog/Walter/Dawson in the parade. Bob finds this quite funny a guffaws out loud. 

As we now turn the parade back to it’s origins we find a little lady trucking down the street in her COVID cosies, leash in hand. This looks promising! 

“I see you found Samson,” Says the owner. At least now we know who we are dealing with! “He somehow escaped our backyard”. “I’m Cathy”. Soon afterwards, Cathy’s husband Dave arrives to complete the escort with his car. 

The parade is complete: Sheldon, Bob, Lulu, Cathy, Dave in a car, me and Joe’s dog/Walter/Dawson who is really Samson.

We’ve all had enough parading for one night and return to our respective homes. Who knew there were so many black bouviers in one neighborhood? 

I’VE NOTICED SOME CHANGES...

 You know that question “if you had to give up one of your senses, which one would it be?” I would give up smell. It was an easy response because I lost my normal sense of smell about 10 years ago. 

I was in a boating accident where a Sea-doo landed on top of the boat I was in. I remember thinking “gosh, they are coming up on us pretty fast...” At about the exact  same time the driver and I realized they were about to land on top of the boat. I ducked but still got my head dinged between the side of the boat and the bottom of the sea-doo. The result was a concussion and a wonky sense of smell. 

But last March, right when COVID was ramping up and loss of smell was a symptom, I got my nose back! I could smell the soap in the bathroom, the scented candle in the living room, the muddy smell of spring when the ground thawed - Everything! That’s a nice change!

There have been other changes too. Menopause brought a new temperature gage! My normal body temp is cold. All the time. Along comes hot flashes. I can feel the heat building up in my feet and like the Singing Whos in Whoville it starts out small and starts to grow. There is no stopping it. I start peeling off layers as fast as possible. Off go the slippers, fuzzy socks, the hoodie, the extra sweater. Overheating is a big change for me!

And there’s more!!

Age spots! This beauty showed up out of nowhere, and I’ve been a hat wearer since my 20s! Oh I’ve tried the Vitamin C solutions and several others but to no avail. 

A couple of weeks ago I was chasing my grandson around, up the stairs and down the stairs. Soren would squeal with glee “Catch my Nonna !! Catch me!!” Suddenly my watch starts sending out an Amber alert, vibrating and carrying on. 

“Something is wrong” thinks my watch. There is a big change here - way too much activity for the old dame. “Danger, Will Roger..Danger!” I check and my watch is asking me “have you fallen? Do we need to call emergency services??” My options are “yes, or no” and hope I’ve hit the right one but the message is impossibly small to read and I don’t have bifocals yet! 

Smelling, overheating, age spots, amber alerts for old folks - I’ve noticed some changes!!

LOOKING BACK, BUT I’M MOVING FORWARD

 The snow started (finally) last night. We awoke to a beautiful sparkling white world. Happy New Year - a fresh start! 

Seemed to me a walk in the woods would be good for my soul and my soul was calling to Hanna Park in Trenton. In the 1970s we moved to Trenton when  I was 11 and as children we ran/biked/played/got into trouble in Hanna Park. The stories I could tell!

Our whole family, including the pets hung out in Hanna Park. It was only a couple blocks from our house and before bed I would walk to the corner, point in the direction of the Park and yell “FROOOOOODDOOOO!!!” Eventually, out of the dark would come my cat Frodo, high tailing it home. 

I found some old pics of a winter walk in Hanna Park, much like today’s but oh so different.

This is in 1975, according to the back of the photo. From left to right: Heidi, Lulu (original Lulu), Heather, Spencer, David Fabi (extra kid from across the road) and myself. Nice pants Spencer, very hip!

Here’s another one with my oldest sister Heather, my mom and I. Bomber jackets were big in the mid 1970’s and I remember getting these for Christmas!

Today, pushing 50 years later, Hanna Park is as beautiful in winter as ever. The air is filled with memories. 

This is the memorial bench for my sister Heidi (1962-1987). I brush off some snow, touch the plaque with her name on it. That sharp familiar pang known as the grief I always carry makes itself felt. I miss her. 

And Hanna Park is as beautiful as ever:

The sun lighting up the snow diamonds

Light at the end of the tunnel

It’s 2021 and the gentle quiet voice within me is saying “new beginnings”. I’m OK with that, except you can’t have a new beginning without an ending. And Endings can be a little rough. 

So I’m looking back, I’m waving goodbye, but I’m moving forward. 

A CUP OF HAPPY

 A dear friend of mine gave me this cup for Christmas:

Nothing like a good hot cup of coffee topped with frothy milk and sprinkled with cinnamon to make things right! Now, if only life were that simple. If I could just hand you all a cup filled with happiness. 

I've had a sharp learning curve this year, thanks to a Pandemic. 

This time last year seeing people wearing masks was absolutely foreign. Now it's the other way around and I can whip on a mask in no time. In fact, I'm working on a one-hand only technique!

I've learned how much I miss hugs, and the busy hum in the office that always went up a level at closing time on Fridays or before a holiday. 

I've learned the almost impossible trick to opening those plastic produce bags without licking my finger first! 

I've learned a lot of things I never even thought about.  We all have! 

But back to that cup of Happy. Along with a few new skills, we have all experienced a level of grieving, some of us very deeply. 

After this past year of reset, we are all ready for fresh hope and beginnings. Here's to 2021- I wish you a full cup of health, happiness and lots of Hugs. 

THE OLD GIRL'S STILL GOT IT!

 About a week go my hubby helped put together a new cupboard for my parents. Gushing with gratefulness my Mom wanted to pay him, which he refused. 

"Make me some of your shortbread and we will call it even!" was his request. So a couple of days later my Mom arrived with a dozen of her shortbread. 

"I hope they're OK...the old girl isn't what she used to be", said Mom as she handed them over. They were perfect - I have the recipe yet they never taste quite as good as hers. The Old girl's still got it!

With COVID and all, I was feeling a little pouty about baking, feeling what's the point and all. But my daughter encouraged me that now more than ever is a good time to bake and even try new recipes! Besides, I remembered: you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why...

So, here come the pics. I was busy in the kitchen this weekend!

This creamy Gnocchi soup was a new recipe for me, but will probably be a staple for cold winter nights! Rich and warm and has comfort food written all over it!

Then I made Rumballs a traditional item on my list. Like a good wine they have a smooth finish that warms your tummy with that rummy aftershock!

Randi came over and we made Ginger Cookies and "Split Seconds". Split Seconds are a basic dough with jam and are so quick and easy and one of my son's favourites. Wish he was here to enjoy them..(be careful, I'm falling into the pouty zone again). 

But there is always FaceTime! 

Like my mother, I'm getting on. But this weekend I tried some new recipes along with old standbys. I'm happy with the results 

 - the Old Girl's still got it!

COMFORT IN THE CONSTANTS

I went to the mall a few days ago. I have not been in the mall for months, probably not since pre-Covid times! As you can imagine, things have changed. Everyone is masked and hand sanitizer is priority #1 before any shopping in any store. 

But, some things have stayed the same; some things are constant. And I find that comforting. 

The train set, the SAME train set is up and running. There is the little parade, and the dinosaur day care. Several trains are chugging along on different tracks, like nothing had changed from last year. And in that little world, encased in glass for easy viewing, nothing has. It still delights little and big humans; noses pressed to the glass, watching the trains go by. 

Today my daughter came over to bake cookies. This is another constant. We have been baking cookies together practically since she arrived on the scene and changed my world. We made chocolate covered wafers and decorated with crushed candy cane and sugar sprinkles and some with toffee bits. 

As you can see, she is expecting her second little one due in March! My third grandchild and another world changer! 

This is Randi back in 2016 baking shortbread

These were the cutest little cubes

We first tried these cookies back in 2016. They were so good and easy, we've made them yearly.

We all need some constants in our lives, things that are consistent and give us a sense of comfort in their familiarity. Especially in 2020! For me, Christmas baking with my children and now grand children is a great comfort. 

And knowing the trains are still chugging around the tracks at the Mall helps too!