Travelling Vicariously Again

Terracotta Army

My sister and brother (and his wife) are on a cruise to China. They shared photos of the 2200 year old Terracotta Army in Xian, China. Some 8000 terracotta soldiers were discovered in 1974 when farmers were digging a well. China's first emperor Qin, a harsh dictator, had ordered them made by slaves to accompany him in death. It is an elaborate mausoleum considered one of the greatest archaelogical sites in the world. Emperor Qin unified China, standardized its weights and measures, monetary, economic, legal and political systems. He built The Great Wall. His son had all the 700,000 artisans and workers buried alive to keep the location of the tomb a secret. Here is an interesting link if you want more details.

And let us commemorate the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States.

A wonderful morning

flowers in my garden

I woke up one morning last week, and went outside to start my few minutes of daily weeding. I couldn't help thinking 'oh what a wonderful morning!'   The odd squirrel was about although I didn't notice any birds chirping.  It was the perfect temperature (18C or 64F) and sunny.  It would go to about 24C (or 75F) that afternoon.  My friend was coming over so we could celebrate her birthday with a walk and a nice lunch afterward. We had fun chatting about everything too.

My friend is turning 60, as I will be next year.  She thought we had better get to crossing those items off our bucket list.  My idea is to remove some of those items as we run out of time, life does get in the way!

Digital Mammogram 2018

I had my biennial digital mammogram done last week.  That is, I have it done every 2 years.  Cancer Care Ontario notifies me by mail when it is due.  A friend had sent me some information about requesting a thyroid guard during the x-ray process.  The technician told me they use guards only for children up to 15 years old or perhaps pregnant women, assuring me that the amount of x-rays is very minimal.  Then she told me to stop talking during the process.

Within some weeks, my doctor and I usually receive a letter with the results (fingers crossed that all will be well for another 2 years at least).  I noticed the past few times that they have stopped offering a free nursing consultation where I used to receive extra tips on breast examination and other useful information.  It is likely due to necessary government cutbacks.

The Hot Walk

I went for a hot walk one afternoon last week, it was only about 28C (82F) but it felt fainting hot in the sun.  Apparently the humidity made it feel like mid-thirties (95F).  I took relief every few minutes under the shade of some large trees.  I supposed a morning walk might've been a better idea.  We needed some bananas from the grocery store and I thought it would be a good idea to walk.

It reminded me of a post I made  6 years ago where 'I made a mental note to remember this sticky day in the dead of winter when I'm freezing!'

Are you ready for fall (if you live in a cold climate)?

Paint Party Friday - Lightning on the Lake

Welcome to Paint Party Friday! This piece is done on purple cardstock (6" x 6") in permanent marker and Sharpie white watercolour marker. It is called 'Lightning on the Lake'.

Belt bags

I was browsing a magazine last time I was at the hairdresser's and noticed these belt bags that have apparently come back into fashion. They might be good for the younger people going out to a party or to a club.

New Party Drink

Daughter L introduced us to this new party drink called Social Lite. It has only 4% alcohol (vodka) and 80 calories so it is perfect for my diabetic husband (1 carb per can) and he loves it. It comes in many flavours, smells delicious and has a taste of soda water.