Five for Friday, at the end of January

Schools here began Semester 2 this week. Both of my classes (I teach part time) are in the afternoon, a change from last semester where one was in the morning and one after lunch. I'm finding a wonderful spaciousness of time in having my mornings free. This semester I'm teaching Spanish 10 and Foods 8, an introduction to cooking. 

The flame-coloured tulips brightened the room for almost two weeks, then drooped and began to dry. I left them on the windowsill because I enjoy watching the petals curl and twist. This particular bloom seems to have been swaying to music and just stopped in position. They've now been relegated to the compost bin. 

Two loaves - date and banana cooling on the counter last weekend. I asked Tim which one I should wrap and freeze, and he chose the banana. Date loaf is his favourite. It's mostly gone now. 

These are the books I've been dipping in and out of this week. I finished The Chilbury Ladies' Choir last night - a thoroughly enjoyable read set in the south of England in the first year of World War II. The two cookbooks are from the library and I hope to spend some time with them this coming weekend. The poet Mary Oliver passed away recently. Her question "What will you do with your one wild and precious life?" along with her amazing capacity for imagery based on the natural world captivated me years ago. 

Two other books I've read recently, in very different genres, are Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, and Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. Indian Horse is the story of a young First Nations boy taken from his family and culture and put into a residential school. It's not easy to read, and I wept several times while reading it. It's simply and elegantly written, with flicks of humour that save it from being depressing.

Left Neglected tells the story of a young woman, busy with family and a career path who suffers a brain injury that "completely erases the left side of her world. Without an awareness of the food on the left side of her plate or even her own left hand, she is forced to search for answers in the void of this strange hemi-world..." Left neglected is a medical condition that I previously knew nothing about. I found the protagonist, Sarah, somewhat unlikable at first, but I became more sympathetic to her as the story progressed.  

January is a particularly good month to drink tea, just like all of the other 11 months. I pulled out an old teapot and cups the other night. I bought this in Ecuador; the pottery is from there, although I believe the designs are from Europe. 

I'm binding another quilt in the evenings. I started well, but have left it for a few days - I'll get back to it this weekend. At the same time, I've started sewing a skirt for myself and hope to finish that soon, now that I have time in the mornings to accomplish a few things. 

While most of Canada has experienced intense cold this week, we've continued with mild days and mostly blue skies with a few clouds. Yesterday afternoon, while walking, I noticed grey sweeps across the blue and white, signalling a change in the air. This morning is dull and rain is forecast. More exciting is the possibility of snow early next week. I do enjoy a bit of snow and hope that we will see some of the white stuff! That's not a universally popular opinion here on the west coast. 

Now, shall I read or sew for the next couple of hours before going to school? How lovely to have a choice. Stay warm and cozy in the winter freeze. 

Linking with Friday Bliss hosted by Riitta of Floral Passions.