Retire in Style with Lolita

I have a long standing love affair with footwear. I love them but I do not keep them forever. Our feet changes in size and shape as we age. I have learned to adjust/ adopt to the changing contour of my feet. I love walking and good shoes. I will not keep a lovely pair of footwear if I start feeling pain or discomfort when wearing them. Yesterday I received my 3 pairs of Crocs ordered online. My Crocs footwear arrived (by FedEx). I ordered through the momstown Victoria website. I am a registered member of momstown Victoria . Got 10% discount plus free delivery for order over $100.00. I checked the local Crocs locations here. They did not have the style/color that I want and the prices online were way better ! They are so light and feel comfy. Roomy around my toes. Now I have to review my shoe rack and see which pair/s of shoes will go to the donation bin.

Since yesterday I have been in the mood for my favourite hobby-craft: card making. I made some birthday cards and several blank cards for notes or greetings for any occasion. In this day and age of e-mails and e-cards, there is nothing like the joy of making, giving, and receiving handmade personalized cards. Please click pictures to enlarge:

I joined the Zumba Gold class at the nearby Maple Ridge Seniors Society centre where I am a registered member. I met physically active retirees who love to have fun while keeping fit. And of course we all love to dance especially to the Latin beat. Zumba Gold® – Zumba Gold targets the largest growing segment of the population: baby boomers. It takes the Zumba formula and modifies the moves and pacing to suit the needs of the active older participant, as well as those just starting their journey to a fit and healthy lifestyle. What stays the same are all the elements the Zumba Fitness-Party is known for: the zesty Latin music, like salsa, merengue, cumbia and reggaeton; the exhilarating, easy-to-follow moves; and the invigorating, party-like atmosphere. Active older adults want camaraderie, excitement and fitness as a regular part of their weekly schedule. Zumba Gold is the perfect fit. It’s a dance-fitness class that feels friendly, and most of all, fun. it is always important t...

I finally got started with my Teacup Garden. I browsed through several websites to get ideas on what to plant and how to care for them in teacups. I did not bother drilling holes at the bottom of the cups. I placed a layer of pebbles at the bottom and I use a spray bottle to water them. This is a labor of love in progress and it is a wait and see how well my Teacup Garden will do. Succulents are the plants of choice. Please click pictures to enlarge: Please click pictures to enlarge.

I woke up to a beautiful warm sunny first day of Summer. Click picture to enlarge. My two blueberry plants are loaded with fruits. They should be ready for picking next month. Click to enlarge picture.

Had a busy week with my daughter and family in Victoria. The grandkids and I participated in momstown Victoria activities. My daughter Melissa owns the franchise to http://momstownvictoria.blogspot.ca/. Dining Al Fresco downtown Victoria. We tried the Foo Asian Street Food downtown Victoria. Fast and delicious. Pad Thai, Saag Panner, Sweet and Sour Crispy Pork Belly Another day we visited a West African restaurant. We enjoyed Senegalese cuisine.

Yesterday a friend gave me a two gallon pot of Chives. The spring garden takes on a colorful attractive appearance when the chives (Allium schoenoprasum) bloom in May and June. The pretty lavender-pink globular flower heads of chives not only beautify the garden, but they can also be used as a garnish for salad dishes. Click picture to enlarge. Health Benefits of Chive. Here is a website that is worth visiting. http://www.livestrong.com/article/407900-health-benefits-of-chives/ I harvested some chives this morning. It is amazing how much you can get from a two gallon pot. Click picture to enlarge. Chives are widely used in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese Cooking. My daughter's Homestay Korean teacher introduced us to Korean Pancakes or Pa-Jeon. She said this is a very popular dish in Korea. On rainy days they usually enjoy making this warm tasty pancakes for meals or snacks. It is a great recipe to use up left over fresh vegetables. You can also add seafood of your choi...

After breakfast I puttered around my garden patio when to my delight I noticed a hummingbird hovering around the Alpine Columbine then started sipping nectar from its flower. I ran inside to grab my camera. It then went to Painted Daisy and then flew away. So its true! Alpine Columbines attract hummingbirds! (Click on picture to enlarge). (click on picture to enlarge) I thought I will have to wait till summer when there will be more flowers till hummingbirds notice them. With only two blooms one has come to visit already!

Sunday, May 27, 2012, Fireworks to celebrate its 75th birthday. I was in San Francisco last June, 2008. We did the city tour and that included a visit to Golden Gate Bridge. We sat on the upper/open deck of the tour bus so I can take pictures of the bridge. It was soooo windy. I had to take my glasses off to make sure I don't lose it in that strong wind! We dined at the best restaurants including Alfred's Steak House, a dining destination in San Francisco. We also dined at the Fisherman's Grotto and Scoma's at the Fisherman's Wharf. I enjoyed the seafood dinners and the famous Sourdough bread. To complete the trip we also went shopping downtown malls and Chinatown. Aside from taking the On/Off city bus tour we also did a lot of walking. My travel partner had his pedometer and we made sure we were walking 10,000 steps a day. We dined and wined but we burned the calories too. Make a digital slideshow

Found a fabulous recipe from cdkitchen.com. The first time I baked this the recipe filled two 9 X 5 inch pans to overflowing. This time I baked in a 9 X 13 inch pan and it was just great! Instead of pecans I used raisins. This Pumpkin bread is freezable. YUMMMM ! INGREDIENTS: 3 1/2 cups flour 2 tablespoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 3 cups granulated sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 2/3 cup water 2 cups pumpkin ***Filling*** 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 egg 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans DIRECTIONS: Mix filling ingredients in order listed and set aside. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix pumpkin, water, oil and eggs together. Pour into dry mixture and mix well. Pour 1/2 of batter into 2 greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Next pour a layer of filling in each pan (using all of the filling). Finish topping with remaining bread batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a woode...

This morning I was delighted to find this perennial plant in bloom! This is "Painted Daisy". This plant is supposed to attract butterflies. This year I planted several perennials that are supposed to attract butterflies and some are supposed to attract hummingbirds. The plant on the left is an Alpine Columbine. It is said that hummingbirds likes to sip the nectar from its lavender blooms. Miss Painted Daisy, you are very pretty.

Defining Moments is a new Thursday night feature of momstownvictoria.blogspot.ca owned by my daughter Melissa. I am pleased and proud to share with you all her Mother's day blog. I am just like my mother My mom grew up in the Philippines and was the eldest of five children. She did a Bachelor of Science in Foods and Nutrition, and her first job was as a Food Service Manager. Then she became a hospital Dietitian, then Chief Dietitian and Instructor. She immigrated to Canada in 1971 and did a year of Dietetic Internship at Montreal General Hospital. She graduated, married my dad, and they moved to Toronto where she worked as Head Dietitian of a hospital in Scarborough in 1972. Then in 1980, we moved to High Prairie, Alberta, where she became Dietitian Manager at the High Prairie Regional Health Complex. And her career went on, and up and up. I, on the other hand, am a different story. Thanks to contracts and my husband's professional career taking precedence, I think I hav...

I planted three Hosta plants last year in containers. This spring I am so happy to find them back and beautiful as ever. I look forward to their lovely blooms this summer. "Dream Weaver" "Big Daddy" "Snow Cap" is coming out !

I attended a workshop for Lectors led by our Parish Priest at St. Patrick's Church, in Maple Ridge. The workshop covered several interesting and helpful topics from the meaning and understanding of the Ministry of the Lector and the importance of being a Lector, principles of proclamation, techniques to consider in preparing to read the text, body language,and voice projection. The workshop helped me understand my role as a Lector. Being a Lector helps me become more aware of my spiritual responsibility to live what I read and prepare seriously to proclaim God's word to his people. Indeed, it is proclaiming not just reading. What is a Lector (Lay Reader)? Since ancient times, communities have chosen persons for the task of reading Scriptures at worship. Being a lector, or reader, is more than just fulfilling a task. At its best, reading is a calling, a vocation, and a spiritual discipline. Reading is a commitment to effective sharing of Scripture during our communi...

There are so many categories of poetry: love, romance, friendship, sad, motivational, spiritual, happy, funny and some poems could even get into Anderson Cooper’s Ridiculist. Definition: Poetry is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response. Poetry has been known to employ meter and rhyme, but this is by no means necessary. Poetry is an ancient form that has gone through numerous and drastic reinvention over time. The very nature of poetry as an authentic and individual mode of expression makes it nearly impossible to define. My favourite poem is Sonnet 116 by Shakespeare. My BFF (Best Friend Forever) loves to write poetry. One of the poems he shared with me was The Lonely Shepherd. Our friendship dates back from 1966 when we first met at Notre Dame Hospital in Cotabato, Philippines. He now lives in Fort Beaufort, South Africa. The Lonely Shepherd In this wilderness where I...

My friend Ampy shared an article by Richard Powers: Use it or Lose it – Dancing makes you smarter. One interesting information I learned from this article is that dancing may help reduce risk of dementia There are many activities to help us become physically and mentally fit as we age. And dancing provides both opportunities for physical and mental fitness ! Dancing is a high intensity aerobic activity and it brings many positive health benefits. But most people look at it only as a physical exercise. It's more than that. Recent studies showed that it's also a great mind exercise. It's all about mind workout. Because dancing requires a significant amount of brain activity, it's a perfect form of brain workout. This is especially important for senior citizens and will help them maintain the focus and clarity, and ward off certain mental diseases. I love to dance. The lack of a dancing partner did not stop me from pursuing a physical activity that I enjoy…...

Rooibos tea is made from the leaves of the Aspalathus Linearis (or "red bush") plant, which grows only in the small Cederberg region of South Africa. It is found nowhere else in the world, rooibus is one of South Africa’s best export products. Because it is not derived from the Camillia sinensis plant (like black, white, green or oolong teas), rooibos tea is considered more of an herbal drink or tisane than a "true" tea. Rooibus tea has been my choice for afternoon and evening beverage because it is caffeine free. It is a good choice for a stress relieving elixir. Drinking rooibos tea for relaxation works best because caffeinated beverages-even those with a small amount of caffeine, like green tea-awaken the mind rather than soothe it. I am so sensitive to caffeine that I avoid caffeinated drinks after lunch. I read an article that tells of the calming effects of rooibos tea, its ability to relax the muscles and release any tension, especially ...