Sifting Practice

a way to remember the good stuff that happened in a week

Do you ever do this? On Fridays, I sift back through the week and try to remember the nicest bits. To sift, according to an online etymological dictionary i consult regularly is “from Old English siftan "pass or scatter (the finer parts of something) through a sieve." In this case, the sieve is my memory.

Every day since my diabetes diagnosis, I practice being attentive to the joys in life. This was a suggestion from Adam Brown of Diatribe.org and author of Bright Spots and Landmines, the Diabetes Guide I Wish Someone Had Handed Me, a book I have found helpful and instrumental in creating a positive mindset for me after I learned of my diabetes diagnosis two years ago. I write in the Five-Minute Journal (until it runs out in two weeks and I can’t afford to buy a new one, but will do it in a cheap blank dollar store journal.)

Does your week begin on a Sunday or a Monday? Calendars start on Sundays in North America. Google this and you will go down a rabbit hole and end up thinking about the day of the sun, the forthcoming eclipse, Christianity and who knows what.

[i apologize for not including alt text. for some reason, today, every time i try to add it, the photo goes away. these are from an walk last year because i can’t seem to share a photo from this year. technology! argh! here is the description anyway: TEXT in red: Caution: rabbit holes ahead; Red circle with yellow triangle with black exclamation mark. Bunny with ears up in a field of grass]

From the Etymology online again:

“[… ]from calare "to announce solemnly, call out," as the priests did in proclaiming the new moon that marked the calends, from PIE root *kele- (2) "to shout." In Rome, new moons were not calculated mathematically but rather observed by the priests from the Capitol; when they saw it, they would "declare" the number of days till the nones (five or seven, depending on the month). The word was taken by the early Church for its register list of saints and their feast days. The meaning "list of documents arranged chronologically" is from late 15c.

Friday is the end of the “work week” for many people, and so my sifting takes place on Friday. Named after the Goddess “Frigga,” a goddess of love. I am smiling at this. Friday is the day when I look back with love at the week.

Here are the highlights from my near-illegible handwriting from the 5-Minute Journal this week, starting on Sunday, March 31, 2024:

Spotting the first crocuses of spring on Percy Street and then more on our Upper Lorne walk. Every year I go out crocus and magnolia blossom questing. I adore the change from flower to flower as new ones come and old ones go. I look forward to the start of this when crocuses begin to appear in the hard and recently thawed ground in my neighbourhood. This year, how lovely that Charles is with me on these quests. They take us to one of our favourite areas of Ottawa to walk in, Upper Lorne.

[attempt at alt text when alt text feature not working: bright purple crocuses on grass and dirt.]

Binge Watching The Center: 55 years of Star Trek

I am not an ardent Star Trek fan, but I did really enjoy the original series and have enjoyed bits and pieces of other shows and films. It’s fun to hear about the behind-the-scenes details.

Spicy Layered Eggs

Twice now Charles has made a Saturday lunch of spicy layered eggs. It is based on a Koreean dish. We are working on a recipe with photos we will share here for paid subscribers. Stay tuned!

Overcoming the Sigmoidoscopy like a badass (and not being sedated whilst doing it). Read this post for more info, if you like.

[alternative to alt text, not currently working: stoneware mug with “Ten Toes” carved on it.]

Post-loop trip to Ten Toes on Somerset and Rochester

While I go to phototherapy at the Civic, Charles stays on the bus sometimes and goes to Food Basics to get good deals on meat and produce. Then we meet up on the bus going home, so we call this “the loop” because we can ride OC Transpo on one fare each, rather than paying for a transfer.

If I end up having to wait too long, I am to go to our favourite cafe, Ten Toes, and meet him there. According to Trip Advisor, Ten Toes takes its name from an expression, meaning to keep one’s feet on the ground. There are several cafes with this name in Ottawa now. I haven’t counted anyone’s toes, nor have I seen anyone levitating. I have friends with a polydactlyl cat.

This is what happened last Wednesday. Phototherapy is a speedy activity. It takes ten seconds. The elevator at the old clinic on Parkdale is the slowest part. My bus was coming in two minutes, while Charles’ bus wasn’t arriving for another 25, so I got on the 2-minute bus, had a large Americano in mug depicted above. Once Charles was at Preston and Somerset, he messaged me. I ordered him a coffee and a brownie. The brownies at Ten Toes are moist and delicious. I have a few bites (not enough to spike my blood sugar!). We had another lovely conversation. One of my favourite activities is to watch all the dogs, big and small who frequent the cafe. One dog sits quietly on his friend’s lap on a chair by the window while the friend reads. It’s really sweet.

Visit with A Dear Friend

A cherished friend of mine has cancer and will likely not be around much longer. We have known each other for forty years. I will be sad when he is gone. He came over and we had a lovely conversation over lapsang souchong tea, which he introduced me to.

Performance of Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Tom Sherwood, my fitness instructor at Carleton University is in his mid-seventies and a lovely person. He is the former chaplain at Carleton, a retired anthology, sociology and religion instructor and a wonderful leader of the Senior Ravens Stretch and Strength fitness class where he guides those of us over fifty in three seventy-five minute workouts weekly. I no longer do the class, but I continue my fitness regime thanks to him.

He has written a one-act monologue as King Solomon narrating a contemporary version of the Book of Ecclesiastes. I saw his performance last fall at St. Giles Church, but wanted to see him again and wanted Charles to meet him too. It was that ridiculously stormy night on Wednesday. We only had to take the #10 to Carleton and then navigate to Paterson Hall. Charles has excellent strategies for waiting beneath the eaves of nearby buildings and staying dry when it is too windy for umbrellas. He is also able to navigate Carleton’s myriad tunnel system, which was fun .

Tom’s performance was lovely and insightful and joyous. We had a great time talking with him and also taking part in the discussion after the performance, and eating a few berries and sweets. By the time we left, the snow was coming down thick and fast. We made our way back through the tunnels and onto a #10.

What I am learning at the ripe old age of sixty is that there are so many ways to live, so many roads to travel along. I was expecting one road, one way of living life and now I am living a completely different life. It is joyous, full of love and surprises and I am grateful.

[a winding two lane road separated by a dotted line in between forest]

It was a good week, full of friendship, conversation, laughter, good food, lots of rest, walks, satisfying hot beverages and delicious food. I hope your week has gone well and you have a delightful weekend, friends. Tell me your highlights or moments of joy, if you’d care to.