February 2017 – Page 2 – Just An East Coast Girl

Another day…

Some things in life are tough! Like yesterday saying goodbye to my Uncle. It was his funeral yesterday, postponed a few days because of all the snow we’ve been getting. AND believe it or not another snowstorm today!

Yesterday however was a break, a calm before the next storm. A better day to have to travel back to North River to say goodbye. I gave the Eulogy at my Uncle’s funeral. Sweet remembrances that my Father and Auntie had, and some of my own, that I was able to share with the many people that were there to pay their last respects and show my Auntie how much he was loved. He was a special man to many people and all who knew him will miss him!!!

Today is a new day! ANOTHER snowstorm!!! Another day off school!!!! Another day to shovel out!!!!

I am so thankful for my husband who generally looks after all of the snow clean up. I help a bit, but this past week my mind is elsewhere… I am thankful for snowblowers! If we had to do all this by shovel…yikes!!!! And I am so thankful for those who work VERY long hours at the DOT, cleaning our roads.

Today it is blowing and snowing outside and I think I’m just gonna relax and stay cozy in my PJ’s with a great cup of coffee…at least for a little while…

Have a good day!

PS. This pic popped up on my newsfeed…4 years ago today!! Now I only have to wait 13 days until I am back in Miami for a little warmth and sunshine!!!

National Flag Day

February 15th is National Flag Day!

Fly your Flag proudly as a reminder of our country’s history.

I am a proud Canadian and love to take my Canadian Flag wherever I go… like our last trip to China in December

but now I can’t find it to be able to fly it on my flag pole today. Hmm…So I put up the small one inside.

Canada is celebrating 150 years this years so it’s even more important to take them time to celebrate these simple things!

LOVE day!

I hope you enjoyed a special day with your sweetie and those you love!

CLOSED… till the SNOW is cleared!

Saw these pictures circulating on social media and I just had to share it!

EVERYTHING is CLOSED today! We are getting a walloping of a snowstorm.

LOTS and LOTS of SNOW!!!! We are cleaned up for now…

Soaking up some sun

I’m not the only one that NEEDS their Vitamin ~~Sea~~ C. Someone else likes soaking up the sun.

This winter hadn’t been too bad…then…FEBRUARY! It’s the Snow month!!

Snowstorm on Thursday and NOW another BIGGER one again tonight… Yes, I live in the red area…60 cm. Yikes!!!

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE living in a place where we can enjoy all the seasons. But I do crave sunshine and blue skies. That’s why I take a few vitamins and eat lots of tropical fruit in the winter.

And usually plan a little getaway…

Ahh…

What helps get you through the “COLD & SNOW” months? Or is Winter your favourite season?

Wishing you a great week ahead!

Lantern Festival is February 11, 2017

Today is the last day of Spring Festival. The fifteenth day in the lunar calendar, This special day is Lantern Festival.

It is the first full moon night in the Chinese lunar year and full-moon symbolizes reunion in China.

People eat yuanxiao ( a rice ball stuffed with different fillings) or rice dumplings on this day, so it is also called the “Yuanxiao Festival.” Yuanxiao 元宵 also has another name, tangyuan 汤圆.

For its rich and colorful activities, Lantern Festival is regarded as the most recreational among all the Chinese festivals and a day for appreciating the bright full moon, and family reunion.

It’s so much fun to be able to attend a Lantern Festival.

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Today to celebrate this last day of Spring Festival and the special Lantern Festival, we will eat yuanxiao, and watch another special production similar to the Gala on CCTV, and take a peak at the “snow” full moon.

I like the sesame paste and red bean yuanxiao and was so happy to be able to find them here.

We also had some meatball soup ( everything round symbolizing the shape of the moon)

Speaking of reunion…

It was nice to stay in touch with some of my Chinese friends over their holiday, it made me feel close to them. Technology is so wonderful when you are so far away… Here are a few pics they shared

Happy Lantern Festival!

Wishing all my Chinese friends and family a wonderful year ahead!!!

PS. My sweet husband picked up a few things he knew I would appreciate.

In honour of the Year of the Rooster… rooster stamps from Canada Post.

And…Corn flakes!

It’s a Nor’easter!

Nor’easters form along the East coast as warm air from over the Atlantic Ocean clashes with arctic cold to the north and west. They thrive on converging air masses—the cold polar air mass and the warmer air over the water—and are more severe in winter when the difference in temperature between these air masses is greater.

A Nor’easter gets its name from the northeasterly winds that blow in from the ocean ahead of the storm. Nor’easters can occur at any time throughout the year, but they are most common between the months of September through April and are usually accompanied by very heavy rain or snow. They can cause severe coastal flooding, erosion and hurricane force winds and blizzard conditions. Nor’easters are usually most intense during winter in the Canadian Maritime provinces as well as the Mid-Atlantic and New England United States.

It started snowing last night at 6pm and snowed and blowed all night! Yep, textbook Nor’easter here in the Maritimes. David did most of the “digging out” early this morning before he went to work and James finished later.

Now, It’s just your textbook February snowy day on the East Coast of Canada!

Photo courtesy of Town Of Bridgewater — Photo from Town Hall overlooking the LaHave River courtesy of Town Of Bridgewater

Another one is expected on Monday. Yep…February is “snow month”

I will remember his smile…

It’s been a really tough week!

My sweet Uncle, my Daddy’s older brother ( whose 80th Birthday we celebrated in November) passed away.

So sweet

On Thursday afternoon he was rushed to hospital with a brain aneurysm. After many exrays the neurosurgeon concluded that surgery wasn’t an option, and that there was no hope for recovery. The aneurysm was too deep and there was already a lot of bleeding throughout his brain. They decided to make him comfortable.

I spent most of the day and night at the hospital Friday and Saturday with my Auntie. Sunday I just went for a few hours and came home so I could watch the Super Bowl ( just needed my mind on something else) On Monday and Tuesday I spent the afternoon and evenings there. Last night I went for a few hours. I just don’t want her to be all alone. ( they didn’t have any children although they were like parents to a few special people)

A lot of visitors stopped in…family, friends, loved ones that know my sweet Uncle. It’s such a shock to everyone, so sudden because for being 80 years old his heart is so good. We thought he’d live to be 100 like my great grandmother!

I don’t know how my Auntie is coping with very little sleep. She is simply amazing how she cared for him as his body was slowly failing. I don’t think the doctor an nurses expected this many days…It’s was difficult to watch him.

As much as I like to remember someone “the way they were before they were sick” I wanted to be there…for my Auntie and I was so thankful I did. It did my heart so good to see this sweet couple married 58 years this January 2017, they were each other’s one and only, share their last tender moments. Such love. And even though most of the time Uncle was in and out of sleep he was smiling and his hands were reaching out for my Auntie, and even “puckered up” a few times for a sweet kiss. He had a little smile and seemed settled and comforted knowing she was always there for him, by his side and wouldn’t leave him.

He passed away quietly in his sleep without pain for which I am so very thankful. With a brain aneurysm and a lot of bleeding you just don’t know…My Auntie Deb & her husband were with my Auntie last night in the hospital room and they were dozing a bit when Uncle passed away… probably for the best. I am so happy he is finally at rest and is reunited with my grandparents and uncles that went went before him. We will miss him so very much!!!!

Yes…I will remember his smile!