Rolling along

A week ago it looked like we went straight from winter weather into summer with a few days of blue skies and temperatures of above 25 Celcius. Then a week of colder weather followed and today we are in the twenties again. I love baking in the sun whenever I can....

I seldom come out of my bed before 9:00 - 9:30 AM, but my former colleague Pat had me rise early to have a coffee with her in Niagara Falls. We did international project work together in Tanzania, Mozambique and the Caribbean. She is currently based in St Lucia overseeing a program with several Canadian colleges in the Caribbean island states. 

For the first time in probably 20-25 years did I hit the 200 pounds mark again. During the past three years I have lost a good 30 pounds by eating a lot less and intermittent fasting (no eating anymore after 6 PM and not before 9-10 AM). Also almost every day either walking, swimming or some modest stretching and rowing in our basement. Feels good.

Yesterday I was a few hours on the road (11,000 steps) picking up a few bags of garbage. Stiff later in the afternoon, but next day already recovered. Can't complain about the fitness at age 67. Love the fact that we are passed the winter period again!
 

April updates

Walks and reading are the two main activities these weeks. After doing one of the walks with the local hills (5 km, 9.000 steps and equivalent of 12 stairs), I treated myself with a nice oat milk latte in one of the local coffee places. Another day was an hour window washing, on the bike to the pool and there a kilometer swim. Feels good to be able to stay fit that way. During one of the walks I passed the local CIBC bank where Opa Vandenboom just parked his scooter. He still keeps a close eye on the money...

And this weekend he was out on the scooter again when the Sarnia gang came over to Fonthill for an Easter dinner hosted once again by Susan & Ralph (with culinary assistance from Mary).

Hilary 31

Hilary turns 31 today. Time flies, as they say. Back from a few months in New Zealand, Hilary and Shayd are happy to be back in their North Vancouver condo with Poncho.

And in Holland a few days ago, Sascha (my sister's middle child), turned 50 (meeting Sarah). Ger en Bert had their three kids (Monique 52, Sascha 50 and Berrie 48), their partners and their nine grandkids all together last Sunday at the house of Sascha and Joost in Zutphen (see my posts of oct/nov).
 

Poncho back in Vancouver

Hilary is back from her three months in New Zealand and came to Fonthill to pick up her dog Poncho who had stayed with us during that period. A big wet kiss was what I got from Poncho at goodbye.....

Still playing regular games of Rummikub with Opa Vandenboom, but he is hard to beat because he is lucky to always draw the jokers (or "joker pieten" as he calls them). He is still very much with it...

March updates

Our visitor Poncho has been with us for three months and he was an easy guest (slept most of the time). His boss Hilary got back in Vancouver on Friday from her stay "down under" and right away rushed back to Fonthill to hug her little four-legged. Hilary works on-line, so also here this week in her old home. She is also busy preparing for a bachelorette party coming weekend with her dear school friend Taurie (wedding in August).

 

Wils has been busy trying to fix up the old CRV (while his parents, brothers and Carly & Mark went out west to ski a few days). I worked again on an old puzzle from my brother-in-law Bert, which I brought with me after my recent visit to Holland...

Cleaning up some more old stuff, I found this toy car with the old/original MSF logo. And also a beer cup from 1978 made for the 5-year "lustrum" of our social student organization at the Delft University...

February updates

It was "Family Day" today in Canada, a relatively new National Holiday. Marcy, Joe and Wil came over (with Ruff) from Sarnia. A nice lunch was hosted by Sue and Ralph with a big cake for three of the four birthdays this months (Spencer was celebrating his recent birthday with a few friends in California during their March Break). Opa (93), Marcy (52) and Fiona (21) + Spencer (22).

Poncho checking out big Ruff who was taking over his bed....

Will bought our old Honda CRV as a "fixer-upper" and proudly taking off to Sarnia (with his Mom keeping an eye on it during this first ride). We bought this 2007 car in 2008 with very few kilometers on it and enjoyed the use of it during 14 years putting close to 400,000 kilometer on it. Adios to one of the best car we had in our household....

And another completed beauty of a puzzle (despite as a "second hand" missing a few pieces)....

Winter season again

The youngest son of Marcy & Joe in Sarnia has an interest to buy our old beaten up Honda CRV. It could be a project to fix it up with his Dad and drive it for the Spring-Summer season. So I put a "reserved sign" on the car.... Winter has been kind of mild after the heavy snowstorm of just before Christmas. This week however pretty cold and windy (-8 to -15 C).

Poncho has been with us in Fonthill now for two months. During this period Hilary and Shayd are having a good time in New Zealand staying with Shayd's mother and doing trips around the South Island. They have one more month down under including a few weeks in Australia. In the meantime Poncho is fine with us. Mary builds him a "throne" of pillows on the couch so that he can look out of the window (while being comfortable on a heated blanket....). He has been spending also a few weekends with Carly and Mark in Stoney Creek, who like to have him over...

With the cold weather, I started another 1,000 pieces puzzle. This one I took from Bert during my visit to Holland. A nice scenery of boats of the 17th or 18th century. Almost done by now... 

On Facebook today a memory photo showed up from 9 years ago. During one of my work trips in January 2014 I stopped by in Amsterdam and played an evening field hockey with Age and friends....