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| I think there's a car under there somwhere! =) |
Monday, 27 January 2014
Country Style Winter
Everyone warned me in advance that the winters in the countryside will be far more brutal than the winters in the city. Lucky for me, I love winter (and snow), and nothing can take that away. Well everyone was right, the winters here are COLD. Some days are better than others. It's a few degrees colder than Toronto, and some days are really windy too. The highest it's gotten is -28 degrees (PLUS windchill.) It snows every few days, and the snow doesn't melt, all the snow just keeps collecting on top of the previous snowfalls. When I walked out today, in some spots, the snow reached up to my hips! Our car was covered with almost a foot of snow! It's beautiful to look at, and I just love it. I had to change my whole wardrobe when we moved up here. When I went out to shovel the driveway today, I wore three THICK sweaters, three bottom layers, a winter jacket, a scarf, and a hat, and I was still cold! It's already so lovely in the winter, I am anxiously waiting for spring and summer, because it'll most likely be ten times more beautiful. But in the meantime, we are stocked up with coffee, tea and hot chocolate to keep us warm and cozy!
Monday, 30 December 2013
Pros and Cons of Country Life
The other day, we drove back home from having dinner at a nice restaurant. Before heading back into the house, we looked up and saw a beautiful starry night. I've seen some starry nights out here, but I've never seen one like that. All corners of the sky were just covered in those beautiful little diamonds. It looked like they'd been sprinkled all over. It was really something. I tried to take a picture with my camera, but it didn't capture a good shot. What I saw that night could probably be most appreciated with one's own eyes.
A few days later, my husband and I had to run some errands around town. On our way back home, he drove into a ditch and our car got stuck. Every car that drove past us, stopped to ask if we were okay and if we needed any help. A gentleman helped pull us out of the ditch with his big pick-up truck. Getting trapped in the ditch was a downer, but it was kind of nice that every one (who was a complete stranger by the way) stopped to offer us some assistance. We'd gotten into car trouble in the city a few times, but that many people never stopped to ask if we were okay. Not to say that city people are rude or unfriendly, but usually people in the city are in the rush to go somewhere. It's a much slower paced lifestyle in the country, and people seem to have more time to spare.
I keep seeing animal footprints in the snow around the house, but haven't encountered any wildlife yet! My husband keeps assuring me it's probably just bunnies. Whatever it is, I think it would be pretty neat to see it!
I learned some neat little Canadian trivia the other day. Allahumdulillah, feeling quite blessed that a small percentage of those lakes are in my town/city:
One of the biggest (and hardest) adjustments so far has been that I don't know that many people in the area. However, the people who I have met have been very welcoming. I've met some nice people, but would still like to meet some more.
A few days later, my husband and I had to run some errands around town. On our way back home, he drove into a ditch and our car got stuck. Every car that drove past us, stopped to ask if we were okay and if we needed any help. A gentleman helped pull us out of the ditch with his big pick-up truck. Getting trapped in the ditch was a downer, but it was kind of nice that every one (who was a complete stranger by the way) stopped to offer us some assistance. We'd gotten into car trouble in the city a few times, but that many people never stopped to ask if we were okay. Not to say that city people are rude or unfriendly, but usually people in the city are in the rush to go somewhere. It's a much slower paced lifestyle in the country, and people seem to have more time to spare.
I keep seeing animal footprints in the snow around the house, but haven't encountered any wildlife yet! My husband keeps assuring me it's probably just bunnies. Whatever it is, I think it would be pretty neat to see it!
I learned some neat little Canadian trivia the other day. Allahumdulillah, feeling quite blessed that a small percentage of those lakes are in my town/city:
One of the biggest (and hardest) adjustments so far has been that I don't know that many people in the area. However, the people who I have met have been very welcoming. I've met some nice people, but would still like to meet some more.
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
Downtown
I got a chance to see downtown Peterborough over the weekend. It's very different from downtown Toronto. It is roughly about four city blocks, and they are all one way streets, so you have to go around in a circle to get to the other side. They have some nice used book stores, restaurants, pubs, cafes, ONE movie theatre and some independent shops. I also saw a cute little strip mall in the heart of downtown. There were no condos or skyscrapers in sight. I saw some people walking through doors between the shops, and I noticed there were little apartments above each of the stores. We drove through the streets but didn't get to see inside any of the stores, since majority of them were closed. We went just after six, so they were just closing up. It was quite different from what I remember in the big city. Most restaurants/cafes in Toronto stay open late, till at least 11 pm. And a lot even stay open till 2 or 3 am!
We did manage to find a small coffee shop which was open late. "Open late" by small city standards mean, it was open till 8! It was an independently owned cafe. It was not as cozy as some other cafes I've been to, but still not a bad ambiance. While we were there, a local artist came to hang up some of her artwork in the back room. I overheard her telling a customer that she has some sort of opening coming up. I liked that the local cafe was supporting a small independent business.
It took roughly about ten minutes to tour all of the downtown, before we went in for some drinks. I lived in Toronto all my life, and there are still parts of downtown Toronto which I haven't seen! Still on my list of Peterborough sight seeing: The Canadian Canoe Museum, art gallery, museum and Riverpark Zoo. The Canoe Museum costs just over $10, and the art gallery, museum and zoo are all free! I will be done seeing all of Peterborough in no time!
We did manage to find a small coffee shop which was open late. "Open late" by small city standards mean, it was open till 8! It was an independently owned cafe. It was not as cozy as some other cafes I've been to, but still not a bad ambiance. While we were there, a local artist came to hang up some of her artwork in the back room. I overheard her telling a customer that she has some sort of opening coming up. I liked that the local cafe was supporting a small independent business.
It took roughly about ten minutes to tour all of the downtown, before we went in for some drinks. I lived in Toronto all my life, and there are still parts of downtown Toronto which I haven't seen! Still on my list of Peterborough sight seeing: The Canadian Canoe Museum, art gallery, museum and Riverpark Zoo. The Canoe Museum costs just over $10, and the art gallery, museum and zoo are all free! I will be done seeing all of Peterborough in no time!
Thursday, 12 December 2013
What Life in the Country is Like
We've been living in the countryside for about a month and a half now. We had to go back to the city a few times to get some of the stuff we left behind (in our old place), now all of our stuff has moved in with us to the new house. Many of my friends and family were concerned that we would feel lonely up here, but so far, we are both loving it. Our experience living here has been nothing but amazing.
Our new city/town is not as multicultural as Toronto, but I have yet to come across a negative experience living here. Everyone I've met and interacted with has been really nice and friendly. I've gotten acquainted with the local librarians and have even been invited to a couple of their Christmas/holiday parties.
It's a few degrees colder up here than in Toronto. It's a high price to pay (no pun intended) for living in the beautiful countryside. I am loving the natural beauty that surrounds me. I love walking through the woods during the day, and stargazing at night. On nights the moon shines bright, it looks spectacular outside. It's been snowing on and off for the last few days. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love winter and the snow! The lake has completely frozen over, and a blanket of pure white snow now covers it.
I haven't come across any wildlife yet. I've seen some unfamiliar footprints in the snow, and have heard my kitties hissing at the window a few times, but haven't witnessed seeing any wild animals.
It's a quiet, peaceful and simpler lifestyle. I feel like I am living in a story book. This feels like home.
Our new city/town is not as multicultural as Toronto, but I have yet to come across a negative experience living here. Everyone I've met and interacted with has been really nice and friendly. I've gotten acquainted with the local librarians and have even been invited to a couple of their Christmas/holiday parties.
It's a few degrees colder up here than in Toronto. It's a high price to pay (no pun intended) for living in the beautiful countryside. I am loving the natural beauty that surrounds me. I love walking through the woods during the day, and stargazing at night. On nights the moon shines bright, it looks spectacular outside. It's been snowing on and off for the last few days. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love winter and the snow! The lake has completely frozen over, and a blanket of pure white snow now covers it.
I haven't come across any wildlife yet. I've seen some unfamiliar footprints in the snow, and have heard my kitties hissing at the window a few times, but haven't witnessed seeing any wild animals.
It's a quiet, peaceful and simpler lifestyle. I feel like I am living in a story book. This feels like home.
Monday, 21 October 2013
From City Mouse to Country Mouse
My husband and I recently decided to make the change from city life to country life. It's still in the beginning stages right now, so it's hard to determine whether I see myself living this way for the rest of my life. What I do know is how different the lifestyle is! We're definitely not living in the city anymore!
The first night we slept here, loud gun shots woke me up in the morning. Normally, a gunshot would mean something really bad happened. But out here, gunshots come from hunters out hunting for ducks, deer, etc. We walked into a gas station the other day, and the people working there had a full conversation about duck hunting! Never in my life (in the city) did I ever hear of people talking about any kind of hunting!
In our condo, everything was walking distance for us. Mall, grocery store, public transportation, etc. Out here, it's a 30 minute drive out to the city. However, we do have local shops which are 5-10 walking distance. (Grocery store, hardware store, convenience store, etc.) We drove out to the city yesterday afternoon and this town seems super pet-friendly! In just a 10 minute drive, we saw pet shop after pet shop after pet shop! I counted and I saw five pet stores almost side by side! This is my kind of town/city! ;)
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, since it comes straight from the lake, so you have to stock up on bottled water for everything. We use it for cooking, drinking, making coffee/tea, and feeding our kitties. Our mail doesn't come straight to our door, like it did in the city. You actually have to either drive (or walk) to the post office and pick it up from there! I haven't met the post office lady yet, but apparently I'll get to know her on a first name basis lol.
One change I found really amusing was the garbage man. Today was our garbage day, so I was expecting a big garbage truck to come up to the house, like the ones we used to see in Toronto. But the garbage man actually came in a small pick up truck!
Since there is no light pollution out here, the star gazing is incredible. The first night we were here was the first time I saw so many stars bunched up together. The last couple of nights, the moon was shining bright, so the stars were not as visible. But on a clear night, it is just amazing.
It's definitely much colder her up here, but you give and take what you can get. I'm just praying to make this change easy (for us).
The first night we slept here, loud gun shots woke me up in the morning. Normally, a gunshot would mean something really bad happened. But out here, gunshots come from hunters out hunting for ducks, deer, etc. We walked into a gas station the other day, and the people working there had a full conversation about duck hunting! Never in my life (in the city) did I ever hear of people talking about any kind of hunting!
In our condo, everything was walking distance for us. Mall, grocery store, public transportation, etc. Out here, it's a 30 minute drive out to the city. However, we do have local shops which are 5-10 walking distance. (Grocery store, hardware store, convenience store, etc.) We drove out to the city yesterday afternoon and this town seems super pet-friendly! In just a 10 minute drive, we saw pet shop after pet shop after pet shop! I counted and I saw five pet stores almost side by side! This is my kind of town/city! ;)
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, since it comes straight from the lake, so you have to stock up on bottled water for everything. We use it for cooking, drinking, making coffee/tea, and feeding our kitties. Our mail doesn't come straight to our door, like it did in the city. You actually have to either drive (or walk) to the post office and pick it up from there! I haven't met the post office lady yet, but apparently I'll get to know her on a first name basis lol.
One change I found really amusing was the garbage man. Today was our garbage day, so I was expecting a big garbage truck to come up to the house, like the ones we used to see in Toronto. But the garbage man actually came in a small pick up truck!
Since there is no light pollution out here, the star gazing is incredible. The first night we were here was the first time I saw so many stars bunched up together. The last couple of nights, the moon was shining bright, so the stars were not as visible. But on a clear night, it is just amazing.
It's definitely much colder her up here, but you give and take what you can get. I'm just praying to make this change easy (for us).
Thursday, 1 August 2013
Vacationing, Cats & Ramadan
Ramadan is soon coming to an end. There is about one week left of fasting, before Eid. Overall, Allahumdulillah fasting was pretty good. The first couple of days were tough, then my body slowly got used to it. Most of our schedules change drastically while we are fasting. Since we eat breakfast (sehri) before Fajr prayers, which (this year) was at around 3-3:30 am. And don't get to bed till about 12 or even 1 am, after we are finished reading Isha and Taraweeh prayers. It requires a lot of sacrifice. Sacrifice of sleep and food, but Inshallah it will pay off in the end. My Ramadans are usually relatively quiet. I don't go out much. The week prior to Ramadan was rather hectic. So here's what I had been up to:
My husband and I took a weekend vacation up North to Wiarton, Manitoulin Island and Tobermory. We crammed in a whole bunch of fun activities in three days and managed to do almost every touristy activity each city had to offer. So here's a rough little diary of how we spent our trip:
Day 1 (Friday): Drove out of the city late afternoon. Grabbed dinner on the way to Tobermory. Originally, we were going to spend all three days in Tobermory. Instead, we lodged at Wiarton for the night.
Day 2 (Saturday): The motel/lodge we stayed at provided continental breakfast (muffins, cereal, coffee, tea, yogurt, buns, and such). We talked to the motel owner about what activities they had in Wiarton. He arranged for us to get a chartered fishing boat early evening, so that gave us all morning and half of the afternoon to get some sight seeing in. We spent our morning/afternoon at the local park, local beach, downtown and did some hiking. Afterwards, we headed back to the dock, and hung out on the fishing boat for a about 3-4 hours. We didn't catch any fish, but the weather was amazing and we got to see a beautiful sunset on our way back to shore. After fishing, we went for dinner to a local restaurant, that served the best bruschetta I've ever tasted. That was the end of day 2.
Day 3 (Sunday): We planned to go to Tobermory on Sunday, but decided to take a two hour ferry ride (from Tobermory) down to Manitoulin Island instead. Manitoulin Island is the largest lake island in the world! It was truly a sight to see. The towns were so far apart, and there weren't any people, stores, restaurants or even gas stations for miles! It was all just lake after lake after lake. There is only one traffic light on the entire island, which we never even ran into! It was really refreshing and so different from the city. The lakes and beaches were so shallow, and the water was so blue. One of my favourite things we did was visit Bridal Veil Falls. It's a cute little waterfall with a pool of water under it that you can swim in, and walk around behind the waterfall. It was amazing. The island sleeps early, everything closed at about 6-6:30. We managed to find a restaurant open late just in time for dinner! Mind you, "open late" in Toronto means about 1 am, in Manitoulin Island, it means 8:30 pm! After dinner, we headed down to a lakeside cottage for the night.
Day 4 (Monday): We planned to rent a paddle boat in the morning (from the cottage) but the day started off quite cold and windy, so that was a bust. We drove around the island a bit more in the morning before heading back to the ferry, back to Tobermory. As soon as we got off the ferry, we got on a glass bottom boat tour that takes you around to the Tobermory shipwrecks (that is something Tobermory is known for. People do a lot of scuba diving there.) The boat tour was about an hour long. And that was the end of our trip! We took the scenic route back home, driving through Blue Mountain and Wasaga Beach.
These were the highlights of our trip. In between all these activities, we saw lots of beaches and look out points. It was a lot of driving from place to place. Loads of fun, it was a wonderful trip.
We came home to find out that our cat (Pepper) needed immediate medical attention. He accumulated a urinary infection as a result of 1. Eating cheap cat food (Whiskas dry food, Purina Cat Chow and Friskies canned wet food, for anyone who has pets) and 2. Not drinking enough water. We took him to the vet and they treated him right away. Poor kitty went through a lot while at the vet and was hospitalized for three days. Once he finally came home, I had to medicate him for about a week and half to help dissolve his urinary crystals. He is now on a special prescription diet and is back to his usual crazy antics Allahumdulillah! He's healed well, and it's great to see him back to normal! Running about, opening cabinets, meowing up a storm, and what not! Because of this scare, we've also changed Tiger's diet, to a better, more expensive and grain-free food. It was a bit nerve wracking at first, but the vet(s) at the clinic informed us that urinary infections are quite common in cats and especially more so in male cats, so that was rather comforting. I would like to give a shout out to my AMAZING vet(s) for helping Pepper through this crazy ordeal!
So there you have it. My miscellaneous updates for the day. =)
My husband and I took a weekend vacation up North to Wiarton, Manitoulin Island and Tobermory. We crammed in a whole bunch of fun activities in three days and managed to do almost every touristy activity each city had to offer. So here's a rough little diary of how we spent our trip:
Day 1 (Friday): Drove out of the city late afternoon. Grabbed dinner on the way to Tobermory. Originally, we were going to spend all three days in Tobermory. Instead, we lodged at Wiarton for the night.
Day 2 (Saturday): The motel/lodge we stayed at provided continental breakfast (muffins, cereal, coffee, tea, yogurt, buns, and such). We talked to the motel owner about what activities they had in Wiarton. He arranged for us to get a chartered fishing boat early evening, so that gave us all morning and half of the afternoon to get some sight seeing in. We spent our morning/afternoon at the local park, local beach, downtown and did some hiking. Afterwards, we headed back to the dock, and hung out on the fishing boat for a about 3-4 hours. We didn't catch any fish, but the weather was amazing and we got to see a beautiful sunset on our way back to shore. After fishing, we went for dinner to a local restaurant, that served the best bruschetta I've ever tasted. That was the end of day 2.
Day 3 (Sunday): We planned to go to Tobermory on Sunday, but decided to take a two hour ferry ride (from Tobermory) down to Manitoulin Island instead. Manitoulin Island is the largest lake island in the world! It was truly a sight to see. The towns were so far apart, and there weren't any people, stores, restaurants or even gas stations for miles! It was all just lake after lake after lake. There is only one traffic light on the entire island, which we never even ran into! It was really refreshing and so different from the city. The lakes and beaches were so shallow, and the water was so blue. One of my favourite things we did was visit Bridal Veil Falls. It's a cute little waterfall with a pool of water under it that you can swim in, and walk around behind the waterfall. It was amazing. The island sleeps early, everything closed at about 6-6:30. We managed to find a restaurant open late just in time for dinner! Mind you, "open late" in Toronto means about 1 am, in Manitoulin Island, it means 8:30 pm! After dinner, we headed down to a lakeside cottage for the night.
Day 4 (Monday): We planned to rent a paddle boat in the morning (from the cottage) but the day started off quite cold and windy, so that was a bust. We drove around the island a bit more in the morning before heading back to the ferry, back to Tobermory. As soon as we got off the ferry, we got on a glass bottom boat tour that takes you around to the Tobermory shipwrecks (that is something Tobermory is known for. People do a lot of scuba diving there.) The boat tour was about an hour long. And that was the end of our trip! We took the scenic route back home, driving through Blue Mountain and Wasaga Beach.
These were the highlights of our trip. In between all these activities, we saw lots of beaches and look out points. It was a lot of driving from place to place. Loads of fun, it was a wonderful trip.
We came home to find out that our cat (Pepper) needed immediate medical attention. He accumulated a urinary infection as a result of 1. Eating cheap cat food (Whiskas dry food, Purina Cat Chow and Friskies canned wet food, for anyone who has pets) and 2. Not drinking enough water. We took him to the vet and they treated him right away. Poor kitty went through a lot while at the vet and was hospitalized for three days. Once he finally came home, I had to medicate him for about a week and half to help dissolve his urinary crystals. He is now on a special prescription diet and is back to his usual crazy antics Allahumdulillah! He's healed well, and it's great to see him back to normal! Running about, opening cabinets, meowing up a storm, and what not! Because of this scare, we've also changed Tiger's diet, to a better, more expensive and grain-free food. It was a bit nerve wracking at first, but the vet(s) at the clinic informed us that urinary infections are quite common in cats and especially more so in male cats, so that was rather comforting. I would like to give a shout out to my AMAZING vet(s) for helping Pepper through this crazy ordeal!
So there you have it. My miscellaneous updates for the day. =)
Thursday, 16 May 2013
Spring Cleaning: Decluttering my Life
I hate cleaning, I really do. But I also hate having a messy apartment! So for the last couple of months, I've been doing some major spring cleaning. Mind you, I felt so overwhelmed with all the cleaning that needed to be done, I just didn't know where to start. But I've been doing it bit by bit, and everything is coming along great! Every time I clean, I focus on ONE area of the condo, and just that one area (for the day). Here's how I've split my cleaning so far:
I still have lots more cleaning to do, but I'm happy with how productive I've been so far! I am not expecting it to happen over night, but it's progress.
And while we are on the topic of cleaning and organizing, I've also gotten better at organizing my meals. I quite often feel stumped about what I should cook for dinner everyday! Now, I plan my meals the night before. I look up recipes either online or through my recipe box/books and figure out what I feel like eating the next day, and make a note of it. I take meat out of the freezer, and let it defrost in the fridge overnight.
Allahumdulillah, I have also gotten better with my time management, and have given myself a bit of a schedule. Morning is spent doing my studies, then go for my afternoon workout, cleaning is usually done early afternoon (after I return home from the gym), and cooking is done later in the afternoon, closer to dinner time. After dinner, I give the kitchen a wipe down, then wind down at the end of the day with a nice book, or watch some TV.
If you have any cleaning and/or organizing tips to share, please do so in the comments section below. It would be much appreciated! =)
- Kitchen pantry: Using large plastic containers (bought at the dollar store) for storage for flour, lentils, pasta, rice, tea, etc.
- Spice cabinet: seeing what spices were old and needed to be thrown out. Giving the cabinet a full wipe down, and re-organizing the spices.
- Kitchen Cabinet: Throwing away old food containers that I wasn't using, and only keeping the good/sturdy ones
- Stove/Oven: Giving the stove top a full wipe down, and turning on the "self cleaner" on my oven (this didn't require too much "work!" Hehe.)
- Living room/kitchen: Doing a full vacuum and a full mop
- "Storage"/Linen closet: So living in a tiny condo like ours, you learn to use spaces for multi purposes, and my linen closet has been transformed into a storage closet! I use shoe boxes to store stuff like old letters/cards, art supplies, empty envelopes, etc. I also keep wrapping paper and gift bags in there. Gift bags that looked old and ratty which can't be re-used, went straight to the trash!
- Drawers: Taking ALL of my clothes out, throwing them on the bed, and organizing my drawers! One drawer is for hijabs/headscarves, one drawer is for skirts, one drawer is for shirts, one drawer is for socks, and so on.
I still have lots more cleaning to do, but I'm happy with how productive I've been so far! I am not expecting it to happen over night, but it's progress.
And while we are on the topic of cleaning and organizing, I've also gotten better at organizing my meals. I quite often feel stumped about what I should cook for dinner everyday! Now, I plan my meals the night before. I look up recipes either online or through my recipe box/books and figure out what I feel like eating the next day, and make a note of it. I take meat out of the freezer, and let it defrost in the fridge overnight.
Allahumdulillah, I have also gotten better with my time management, and have given myself a bit of a schedule. Morning is spent doing my studies, then go for my afternoon workout, cleaning is usually done early afternoon (after I return home from the gym), and cooking is done later in the afternoon, closer to dinner time. After dinner, I give the kitchen a wipe down, then wind down at the end of the day with a nice book, or watch some TV.
If you have any cleaning and/or organizing tips to share, please do so in the comments section below. It would be much appreciated! =)
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