Friday, January 31, 2014

Snowmade Garden Sculptures


I find it interesting how each snowfall has different effects on the garden.


Looking out into the back garden yesterday morning I could see that 
on each support beam on this arbor
the snow was evenly distributed in the shape of a long triangle.


I suspect that it has to do with the cold temperatures
keeping/freezing everything in place.


The snow stayed there all day long....not altering a bit.




Same thing was true in the front garden.


One of the joys of winter around here.



Thursday, January 30, 2014

Sometimes I See Things Conceptually


The more photographs I take,
 the more I see 'conceptual' and abstract objects.

Here are a couple I took on the weekend.


We have two 'cable-stayed' bridges that span Halifax Harbour.


This is the top roof portion of a supermarket in our community.




Wednesday, January 29, 2014

A Little About Me


MEMEMEMEME!
LOL!

Just not used to sharing certain  things about myself here
but am beginning to realize the benefits
to both you and me.


Monday while driving home from Halifax
I became aware of an odd but familiar feeling
I was experiencing between my shoulder blades.

When I got home, it got worse.
I told Ron.
He immediately went on 'Well MD".


These symptoms could be from a number of things:
indigestion, heartburn and heart attack.

I said it was a familiar feeling because I had had it once before.
Five years ago.......in the exact location.
It was my first encounter with  angina.

I thought that this was very similar as I said
and I told Ron I had better get it checked.
Better to be safe than sorry.
And this wasn't as severe as the first time.


Sophie! 
Ron drove her to daycare which is about 20 minutes away
and I sat in the passenger's seat wondering if I was
having another episode or not.

Sophie was MORE than pleased to be at 
Country Critter Sitters (google it)
as she ran into the house not looking back!


Off we went to the Dartmouth General Hospital 
about a 40 minute drive from the daycare.
My cardiologist is at this hospital.

Arrived at emergency department and we were 
third in line.
I was very uncomfortable by this point.
Ron read a sign saying that if you are having
any chest pain to tell triage nurse ASAP.

He did. I was in.


That was about 4 PM.
I was given a ECG right away
and it didn't show any signs of a heart attack occurring.

I eventually got a room in the ER
and blood work was done.
And needed to be repeated  3 times over the next 8 hours.

That meant that I was staying overnight.
They wanted to dig deeper and see it their was 
a cardio event that had taken place.


It was going to be a long night.
By around 10 PM the pain between my shoulders had
subsided somewhat.
I told Ron it was best that he went home to get some rest.
And that I would see him in the morning.

He did and I was happy that a least one of us would be
rested for the next day.

The ER cardio specialist said that the first blood test
after a heart event is almost always negative......
and it could be a false negative at that.
He said it takes up to eight hours for the blood to 
show a more accurate picture of what happened.


The second one was done just before Ron left
and the third to be done at 5:30 AM!

It was a LONG night. I did manage to get some rest but not very much.

I was told that I was to have a 'stress test' in the morning too.
That is where you are on a treadmill and they make it go faster gradually and more uphill
to test to see how the heart is coping.

Great I thought. Not much sleep to be gotten 
and me 'climbing mountains'!


 To make a very long story short......sorry......
Third blood test showed negative along with the other two.

Ron arrived with breakfast from home (hospital food just doesn't do it)
and a 'workout' outfit for the stress test.

I aced this test! Even better than the last one I had in 2010.

My cardiologist saw me after the 'workout' and she said
she was very pleased to say that it appeared not to be  related
to the heart. She said it could have been any of a couple of things.

Needless to say we were relieved to hear this.
She said I was in better shape than four years ago.
I told her it was mainly due to one thing....

Sophie!!!

She has gotten us out almost daily since we got her seven years ago.

So, you never know where your day is going to take you.







Monday, January 27, 2014

Contemplative Monday


The following passage is from 'Heart Advice, Weekly Quotes From Pema Chodron'.

A BRIEF PRACTICE FOR GROUNDING


"First, come into the present.


Flash on what's happening with you right now.


Be fully aware of your body, its energetic quality.


Be aware of your thoughts and emotions.


Next, feel your heart, literally placing your hand on your chest if you find that helpful.


This is a way of accepting yourself just as you are in that moment, a way of saying,
"This is my experience right now, and it's okay."


Then go into the next moment without any agenda."




Sunday, January 26, 2014

Eclectic Tastes


I remember the first time I heard this duet from 'The Pearl Fisher' opera.
It was one afternoon and I was driving home from school
and listening to CBC 2.
And as I was in the habit of doing after school
I had the radio blasting!
It helped me to leave the day behind.

The version I heard was not by these tenors 
but by two other 'long ago' tenors
Jussi Bioerling and Robert Merrill,
recorded in 1950.
Their version is considered the preeminent 
for this duet.

For this post I thought it better to be able to watch it
being performed and be more part of it.

Enjoy and have a wonderful Sunday
or Monday in New Zealand and Australia.

Oh yes....turn up those speakers!!



If you wish to hear the other, here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdb94HbyRko



Saturday, January 25, 2014

Saturday Morning Post


We got through this very COLD week and kept busy:


Good morning sunshine......the earth says hello!


Ever have a craving for Thai food?! We did last week.....


Let me see....


Green tea elephant......


Fresh Thai spring rolls....


Ginger chicken.....


Had ginger beef and rice as well.......yes it was good!

A walk in downtown Halifax last Saturday:


Cathedral steeple reflection.


A very colourful yarn shop window.


Every window in the deserted building had a 'star' in it.


 The building on the right had a thriving night club (gay) on its top floor
 in the mid to late 70's.


Self explanatory.


Look at the brickwork on this building.


This fellow was the best known and best respected  politician 
in Nova Scotia. He was a journalist as well 
and later became Premier of the province.
Oh yes, he wasn't 200 years old when he died!!


This strange fella kept stopping and taking pictures of me!!


Halifax City Hall in foreground.


 Glass and brass.


Church door.


Legend has it that this profile impression (upper right window) is that of a deacon
who was standing near the window during the 'Halifax Explosion'.


Most surfers could care less.




Friday, January 24, 2014

Freaking Freezing Friday


As much as I really like winter and all that it offers,
I have to admit that some days are WAY too cold
to leave the warm confines of home or car.


Yesterday afternoon was one of those days......I remained in the car as Ron and Sophie
ventured out into the howling wind at MacDonald Hill.


From inside the cozy car I could still take advantage of the views in front of me
as the clouds separated for a moment or two.


If you squint you may see the distant container ship (just left of centre)
approaching Halifax Harbour
and also a helicopter's blades being reflected by the sun as it heads back home
to Shearwater Forces Base in Dartmouth.




Thursday, January 23, 2014

The Artist


The ocean as artist
Using the land as its canvas
Etching the shore to suit its mood.

Ron walking along this 'harbour beach' at the park.






Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Brick, Mortar and Glass


I think what makes Halifax a charming smaller city
 is the fact that it has managed to keep some of its older buildings.


Some have been incorporated into and with newer structures
and it works quite well I think.


A combination of the old and the modern allows the city
 to stay in touch with its past and to keep looking ahead in to the future.


There are a couple of very active heritage groups here who strongly 
defend the preservation of older structures.


I think a good, balanced approach to urban development
can only be to the city's advantage and well being.



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