My Two Springtimes

Here in Quebec, we have two springs. The first is ugly and sad. Here are some pictures of the early spring in our area.

As you can see, the beautiful snow of Christmas, white, flaky and romantic as one could wish, becomes a horror at the end of March and April. Winter is black, white, long, and icy. Seasons in-between are almost as painful. That’s what makes us such fantastic people!

Here is why

First, we have an incredible sense of humour. The comedy industry is thriving in Quebec. Well, at least before the pandemic. 

This ability has developed into a keen talent for self-deprecation. 

Denmark has a reputation for Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) and Quebec for Ah! Ah !

Bon vivant

The other thing that defines us is our epicurean side.

Often in Quebec, the second spring appears by magic. 

Boom! 

One morning, we wake up, and the heat and the sun burst. Spring emerges with daisies, daffodils, bright sunshine, and birds chirping. 

The typical Quebecois gets out from his hibernation, wakes up like Mother Nature, and goes crazy.

 Literally. 

He takes out the barbecue, starts the pool, mows the lawn, drinks beer or wine in a terrace café, rides his bike or convertible, and plants flowers. The Quebecois want to do everything. He must enjoy every drop of this radiant and rare sunshine.

Which picture is the most beautiful?

The third feature is that we have strong morale.

You know the principle of mental toughness. We must get through these temperatures. Learn to look at life positively and focus on beautiful things.

That’s what I want to show you in these photos.

We learn to reframe.

Justin Cox has posted a newsletter asking how we will beat the summer heat. He lives in Orlando, Florida and has to resign staying in his air-conditioned home to protect himself from the heat wave.

In Quebec, it’s the opposite

Summer is the season when we enjoy the outdoors. Winter is so cold here, so it obliges us to stay in our warm homes. My husband and I are avid downhill skiers, cross-country skiers and Nordic walkers, yet we have to limit our outdoor activities because of the cold. When the thermometer reads minus thirty Celsius outsides, we appreciate the warmth of our fireplace.

From May to September, however, even when we finished our sports training, we spent as much time as possible outside. We read and eat in our garden when the weather permits.

Our experience is the opposite of Justin Cox’s. We stay cooped up in the winter and outside in the summer. Even though we both live in the northern hemisphere, we live thousands of miles away.

My answer

In answer to Mr. Cox’s question, I plan to

• bike
• picnic
• barbecue
• run
• swim
• canoe 
• gardening

As for all Quebecois, summer represents to me the joy of living and the time of festivities. After the long winter months, we want to make the most of this heat, which, I must admit, is not as overwhelming as in Florida. And we visit the Sunshine State in our first spring!

Final thoughts

The moral of this story is that no matter where you live in the world, the most important thing is to have sunshine in your heart. And regardless of the season!

What about you? How do you experience spring or summer?

Phrenssynnes

Inflation and climate change

You don’t have to be an economist to see inflation all around you. All costs have gone up, groceries, gasoline, clothing and other good.

In addition, we can see the effects of climate change in our daily lives. For the past few years, temperature variations have surprised us. Storms are multiplying in virulence, and the melting of the ice at the North Pole is in the news.

We must not let ourselves be overwhelmed by discouragement.

My sister, an eco-responsibility fanatic, tells me that every gesture counts.

These reasons motivate me to rack my brain to spend less and try not to waste. We can take the example of the habits of our parents and grandparents who lived during the war. Out of necessity, they developed ways to save.

I hope to inspire you with these three small actions out of the ordinary.

Recycle to help the planet

I always end up breaking the lids off my teapots. Instead of getting rid of them, I try to find a way to recover them. Here is my latest find.

I made a bird feeder out of this teapot. A good ball of absorbent cotton in the spout keeps the seeds from falling. I used a clip in the handle and hung it on a hook.

And it works, I saw birds pecking at the offered seeds, but I have yet to catch a photo of them in action.

Another example of recovery comes from my mother-in-law.

Recycle a plastic net by placing several solid soap scraps inside. We tie the whole with a clasp of a bread bag. And we can wash our hands with this new soap that allows us to use the small pieces of soap easily.

Utilize to help the planet

I find that tomato paste wins the worst food waste contest. Recipes that use this ingredient only require a small amount. We’re stuck with leftovers even if we buy the smallest can. Here is my list of dish ideas that include tomato paste. Plan several recipes that contain it in the same week. 

 -Beef bourguignon

– Spaghetti sauce

– Thai Turkey Meatballs 

– Veal Sauté with Olives

– Turkey Osso Bucco

– Portuguese Pork Stir-Fry

-Soup

Another trick is to use tomato paste tubes because they contain less than cans.

Final thoughts

Do you find these ideas irrelevant or insignificant? Tell yourself that if we try to apply this to all our daily habits, it will eventually count. Having this reflex for each of our actions must be developed.

Planning and organization is another secret to recycling, saving and avoiding waste.

Do you miss motivation? Imagine if the lack of supply’s products increases, perhaps we will find it difficult to obtain essential goods.

Let’s face it! How catastrophic a shortage of lipstick would be in our lives! Ah! Ah!

I invite you to share your ideas and healthy habits in the comments. Together, we can change the disposable culture and help the planet.

© Phrenssynnes

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