Intentional living
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Our smallest little garden
The tiny green sprouts are poking out. It all started early April. A friend sent me a photo of her raised garden beds. She was starting a backyard garden, maybe I can too? Her sunny plot is in California. Mine could not be so ambitious. Nonetheless, my dreamy aspirations grew larger watching the Biggest Little Farm. Thankfully, the Halton Environment Network organized a helpful webinar on Starting your own Garden. This was the practical advice a first-time gardener like me needed to get going. Here’s the basic process I followed: Step 1: Find a sunny spot It’s the west side of our house. We have a very small patch of…
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Spotting painted rocks
Do you have painted rocks in your neighbourhood? Neighbourhood walks are the norm these days. Local is very local. So finding a new discovery on a familiar path really brings joy. Words of kindness. Cute creatures. Pretty flowers. Inspirational messages. The rocks are tucked along the path amongst shrubs, resting on stumps and nestled in tree trunks. Hidden just enough to make you slow down and take a closer look. Some have simple designs. Others are more intricate. They all make me smile. I don’t know who has planted these thoughtful ornaments. Thank you for sharing your positivity….and artistic talents! I hope you have these little drops of kindness in…
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A river of flowers
Peering down into the valley, all I can see is the earthy forest floor. Nothing remarkable. Mainly shades of brown. Decaying leaves, tree stumps, dead branches. I hear the faint hum of Bronte Creek in the distance. So far the path at Bronte Creek Provincial Park has followed the top of the ravine. It looks like a steep climb down. Down I go. Into the valley. At the bottom it’s marshy. The dirt path morphs into a boardwalk. On either side, the shallow water is still. Not even any gulping frogs. I continue along the boardwalk. There is a faint echo with each step on the wooden planks. I look…
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The emblematic trillium
The trilliums are blooming. Unlike the lichen prevalent throughout my neighbourhood, I have roughly a two-week window to catch these trilliums. A limited time to witness these short-lived blooms blanketing the forest floor. The white trillium is Ontario’s official flower. This much I know. The iconic petals embellish our driver’s license and health card. But what else could I discover about our provincial emblem? Let’s see. The trillium became the official flower in 1937. It grew out of a movement during World War I to chose a national flower to plant on the graves of Canadian soldiers overseas (though a national flower was not chosen). I headed over to e-laws…
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Bread Bread Bread
The look of an airy dough that has doubled in size overnight. The feel of a soft springy dough as I shape it into a loaf. The comforting smell of baking bread wafting through the house. The delicate crunch of a chewy crust. It’s hard to choose which sensation is most satisfying. Baking bread is gratifying from start to finish. I understand the upward trend in home bakers. I used to think baking bread was a labourious process. This changed a couple years ago thanks to Martin Johansson’s book, Bread Bread Bread or Bröd Bröd Bröd. The Swedish baker has “done everything possible to simplify the baking process” so it…
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Together at Home
I am listening to the One World: Together at Home event. It’s a global broadcast and livestream event to support frontline healthcare workers and the World Health Organization. If you are not listening already, check out Global Citizen for how to connect and then come back and read the rest of this post. Welcome back. As I listen to the global event, I wanted to share what I have seen locally in my neighbourhood showing gratitude for our healthcare workers. This show of appreciation is wide-spread. The street art from the past few weeks is a beautiful way to say thank you to frontline workers, like nurses, doctors, grocery store…
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Neighbourly Moss and Lichen
In March, before the parks were closed, I went for a short walk at Balls Falls. Bright green patches of moss stood out in the otherwise muted landscape. I took several photos of the striking moss-covered rocks. But is moss interesting enough for a story? I had my doubts at the time. Well, here we are. Let me tell you about moss. Moss is a flowerless plant. It’s a simple plant structure and thrives in places where other plants can’t. Like shady damp areas. It can be mistaken for lichen. Lichen, however, does not have stems and leaves like a plant. It’s not a plant, but rather algae and fungus…
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Connecting with Nature
You can be alone, but it still provides companionship. When everything is shutting down, it perseveres. If you feel glum, it lifts you up. Nature. Being in nature is good for us. It’s good for the mind and body. It makes us happy. We know the Japanese custom of forest bathing has a positive impact on our mood. Taking time to breathe and notice life continuing is a suggested activity in the Coping calendar. I am thankful that connecting with nature is still an activity I can enjoy safely on my quiet neighbourhood paths. It gives me an opportunity to slow down and spot the encouraging signs of spring. According…
