Author: edebock

Cognac and olive inspired by Greetje

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If you’ve been reading my fashion posts for very long, you might remember me mentioning Greetje, author of the blog No Fear of Fashion. I look forward to her entertaining posts every Sunday. In each one, she shares an outfit and tells a bit about what she’s done that week. Her outfits aren’t always new. Instead, she looks for new ways to combine pieces that she already owns. Greetje is Dutch and always chooses interesting locations for her photo shoots, so I also get to enjoy glimpses of life and architecture in the Netherlands when I read her posts.

Greetje is very outgoing and her style is much more colourful and flamboyant than mine. She says that she writes to entertain, not to inspire, but once in awhile an outfit of hers does inspire me to put together something similar from my own closet. That’s what happened this week. 

As soon as I saw Greetje’s cognac coloured trousers and green sweater in this post, I knew that I had similar pieces in my own closet, but couldn’t remember if I’d ever worn them together. I don’t have a scarf like hers nor do I have white combat boots, but the idea was to take inspiration from her outfit, not to copy it. Here’s the outfit I came up with. 

I didn’t like the bulk of the eternity scarf wrapped around my neck, but the colours worked so well with the outfit that I knotted it and wore it this way. The boots, top, and scarf are all thrifted items. Only the pants were bought new and they are several years old. 

This outfit fits all my style adjectives… classy, casual, comfortable, confident, and authentic… and I’ll definitely be wearing it again. Thank you, Greetje!

The Rule of 5… could you do it?

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Throughout 2024, two of the bloggers that I regularly follow reported on their attempts to follow the Rule of 5. What’s that, you ask?

The vast overproduction of clothing by the fashion industry is responsible for almost 10% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. In 2022, Berlin’s Hot or Cool Institute determined that in order to meet the internationally agreed upon goal of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC, we should purchase no more than 5 new garments a year. That led to the Rule of 5.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Buy no more than 5 new items during the calendar year.
  2. Socks, tights, underwear, and nightclothes don’t count.
  3. Shoes, boots, and accessories DO count.
  4. Second-hand shopping is allowed, but don’t go overboard.
  5. Gifts count. (This is to prevent cheating by having someone else buy for you!)

I haven’t actually participated in the Rule of 5, but looking back I discovered that I inadvertently met the goal in 2023 before I’d even heard of it! I didn’t do as well last year, buying 8 items that would count. The bloggers that I follow didn’t meet the goal either, but they both agreed that trying had changed their shopping habits and made them much more intentional about what they bought. I’d consider that success.

Although the idea has merit, I haven’t committed to the Rule of 5 for this year either. I will continue to keep track of my purchases though and see how close I come. So far, 7 weeks into the year, I’ve only purchased one item, a colourful necklace that cost less than $10 at a tiny shop in the bus station in Xalapa, Mexico. The anchor and cross symbols are very meaningful to me, but if I’d been committed to the Rule of 5, I probably wouldn’t have bought it.

So, what do you think? Would you ever try the Rule of 5? Do you think you could do it?

Fashion and self-care

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What comes to mind when you think of self-care? Eating nutritious meals? Exercising? Getting enough sleep? Scheduling some “me” time? In reality, there are a myriad of ways that we can take an active role in preserving or improving our own well-being, but when I asked what comes to mind when you think about self-care, you probably didn’t think about fashion.

The morning ritual of getting dressed is an often overlooked aspect of self-care, but it plays an important role in our well-being. In fact, a common symptom of depression is difficulty showering and getting dressed.

There are times, like during the incredible cold snap that we’ve experienced here in Alberta recently, when getting dressed truly is a matter of caring for our bodies. Keeping warm and protecting ourselves from the elements is priority #1.

But dressing contributes to self-care in ways far beyond keeping warm. Taking care of our mental and emotional well-being is just as important as caring for our physical comfort and fashion can play a vital role in that. We’ve all heard the term “dress for success”, but dressing mindfully is about more than impressing other people. It’s also about feeling confident, comfortable, and empowered. When we dress in ways that make us feel good about ourselves, we’re also more likely to participate in other self-care practices like exercising, eating well, engaging with others, or getting out in nature. In addition, intentional dressing sparks creativity which is also good for our physical and mental health.

Please note that this is not a post about “retail therapy”. Retail therapy is the act of shopping for clothes to make yourself feel better which may or may not actually work. Instead, as I’ve done before, I urge you to shop your closet. Take time to put together outfits that enhance your mental and emotional state; that make you feel truly good about yourself. If there are pieces in your closet that don’t do this for you, that drag you down emotionally, consider getting rid of them.

In the dark days of winter and a time when what’s going on in the world around us might seem overwhelming, it’s easy to begin to feel like we’re in an emotional rut. In times like this, more than ever, we need the boost that looking and feeling good in our clothes can give us.

World Cancer Day 2025: United by Unique

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February 4 is World Cancer Day. There are more than 200 different kinds of cancer and every patient’s experience is different. That’s why the new World Cancer Day theme, United by Unique, resonates so strongly with me. While each of our stories is unique, we are united in our message and in our desire to raise awareness and see progress made in fighting this dreadful disease. 

The emphasis of the 3-year United by Unique campaign that kicks off today will be people-centred care. Behind every diagnosis lies a unique human story. These are stories of grief, pain, healing, resilience, love and so much more. A people-centred approach to care that listens to patients’ stories and fully responds to each individual’s unique needs with compassion and empathy will lead to the best possible outcomes.  

People living with cancer don’t always feel heard, seen, or understood. They are often bewildered, feeling isolated and voiceless at a time when they’re also learning to navigate an unfamiliar and confusing health care system and dealing with the emotional highs and lows of cancer diagnosis, treatment, or recovery. That’s why the first year of this campaign will focus on telling our unique stories.

I feel very fortunate to receive my cancer care at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, a facility where it is common practice to look beyond the patient to the person as a whole and to consider the impact of their cancer on all aspects of their life. When I go for appointments, I’m routinely handed a clipboard with a questionnaire that delves into not only the physical symptoms that I might be experiencing, but also the psychosocial ones. The CCI offers a wide range of supportive services that go far beyond the patient’s physical well-being. The health care team there includes professionals in psychology, social work, spiritual care, nursing, and psychiatry and available services include individual, couple, and family counselling; professionally-led support groups; and practical supports for financial and other basic needs. While the need for these supports has not been part of my unique story thus far, I’m glad to know that they’re available should I ever need them and I wish that that was true for patients everywhere.  

I have been invited to share my unique patient story at a Canadian Neuroendocrine Tumour Society (CNETS) conference in May. The big challenge is going to be condensing the approximately 20 years from initial symptoms to present day into a 10 minute talk that educates, encourages, and inspires those in attendance, especially those who are in the early days of their journey and who need to know that it’s possible to live long and live well in spite of their diagnosis. 

United in our goals, unique in our needs.

Mexico City’s Palacio de Bellas Artes

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We’re home from Mexico now, but we’re living in the middle of a construction zone while renovations continue in our house. Considering how much trouble I had just finding a pair of pants to wear our first morning home, I’m nowhere near ready to consider writing a fashion post just yet. I do have one more travel post to share with you though.

After checking into our hotel in Mexico City’s Centro Historico, we made our way to Francisco I. Madero Street, the busy pedestrian street that we have enjoyed on previous visits. Always busy, it was even more crowded than usual on a sunny Sunday afternoon!

Our destination, the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts), was at the far end of the street. Two years ago, we enjoyed this spectacular view of the prominent cultural centre from the balcony of the 8th floor coffee shop in the Sears department store directly across the street.

Unfortunately, on that occasion, the Palacio de Bellas Artes was closed, but this time I was determined to see the inside. It definitely didn’t disappoint. While I enjoyed seeing some of the art work on display, it was the building itself that amazed me!

This photo was taken from the centre of the main floor looking up into the domes.

As far as the art work was concerned, it was the murals by famed Mexican artist, Diego Rivera, that I liked best. The first two panels shown here are part of his Carnival of Mexican Life series.

This one, painted in 1933 is called Russian Revolution or Third International.

I wasn’t able to get a photo of his entire The Man Who Controls The Universe mural partly because of the large tour group standing in front of it, but also because of the sheer magnitude of the piece which was painted specifically for the Palacio de Bellas Artes. It’s actually a replica of the original work which was painted in the lobby of the Rockefeller Center in New York City. The inclusion of Lenin’s face led to the destruction of the controversial piece.

Back outside, we also enjoyed the art on the exterior of the beautiful building.

In addition to the art museum housed in the front portion of the enormous marble structure, the Palacio is also home to Mexico’s largest concert hall. Unfortunately, that part wasn’t open while we were there.

Exploring Puebla’s Centro Historico

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With friends who are permanent residents of Mexico, hubby and I spent a couple of days this past week enjoying the colourful Centro Historico district of Puebla, the country’s fifth largest city by population.  Come take a walk with me as I share some of what we saw.

Everywhere I turned, I was amazed by the architecture. Look at all the interesting shapes!

Tiles, or azulejos, are used to decorate many buildings inside and out.

And beautifully carved wooden doors add to the beauty of many buildings.

Of course, flowers in January add to that beauty!

The impressive 16th-century Catedral de Puebla occupies an entire city block in the centre of the district.  

Across the avenue to one side of the cathedral is the Biblioteca Palafoxiana. Founded in 1646, it is recognized by UNESCO as the first and oldest public library in the Americas. It has more than 45,000 books and manuscripts, ranging from the 15th to the 20th century.

This is just a taste of what there is to be seen and experienced in the historic centre of Puebla. There is, of course, the zócalo, a public square/park that’s found in the centre of almost every Mexican city or town, as well as several other parks. Hubby made a friend in one of the smaller ones! 

There are also upscale eateries and small “hole in the wall” places that serve delicious Mexican dishes as well as many, many shops and market stalls.

And finally, that’s a view from the rooftop patio of our Airbnb. That’s Popocatépetl (El Popo) in the background, the 18,000-foot-high active volcano that stands about 70 km (45 miles) from Puebla.

 

The Great Pyramid of Cholula

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Tlachihualtepetl or the Great Pyramid of Cholula, the largest pyramid known to exist in the world today, isn’t in Egypt. It’s actually located in the city of Cholula, just a few kilometres west of Puebla, Mexico. Significantly shorter than Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza, it is much wider, covering an area measuring at least 300 by 315 metres. Partially hidden beneath what looks like a natural hill with the beautiful Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Our Lady of Remedies Church) at the top, it’s actually a huge archaeological site. 

After our visit, the hardest part about writing this post was deciding which and how many of the 80+ photos that I took to include!

 

Unlike the Egyptian pyramids, the Great Pyramid of Cholula was built in stages beginning in the 3rd century BC and continuing through to the 9th century AD. As the ancient inhabitants of the area built on top of or modified previous structures the pyramid gradually took shape.

The earliest structures on the site were constructed of stones and adobe blocks made of clay, straw, and other plant material mixed with water. These were covered with a layer of stucco made of lime and sand. Over time, of course, the adobe broke down and nature took over. Legend also has it that when news of Spanish invaders arrived in the early 1500s, locals completely camouflaged the pyramid with mud and greenery to save the sacred place from being completely destroyed. What has been excavated and  is visible now is just a fraction of what lies under the hill. Archaeologists have dug about 8 km of tunnels into the pyramid. Unfortunately, the 800 metres that are sometimes open to the public were not when we were there, but what we saw above ground was astounding.  

The different phases of the pyramid were built by ancient Mesoamerican civilizations including the Olmecs, Toltecs and Cholutecs. Though much smaller, this large head reminded me of the colossal Olmec heads dating back to at least 900 BC that we saw in the Museo de Antropología in Xalapa on a previous visit to Mexico in 2019. 

The pyramid is thought to have had deep religious and ceremonial significance to the groups that held it at various times throughout history. Around its base and inside its walls, over 400 skeletons have been found. Disturbingly, many of these were the remains of children thought to have been sacrificed on the altar shown below during times of drought. It was believed that when they died they would carry messages to the rain god pleading for water for their people. 

The interior of this altar contained the remains of two people and the remains of eight others, including children, were found under its base. 

On a lighter note, how would you like to climb these stairs? 

While most of the site is cordoned off and we couldn’t have attempted those stairs if we had wanted to, this flight of 50+ narrow stone steps was accessible, so of course we had to climb them! 

 

Hanging onto the rope that’s firmly attached to the side, I made my way up. While the views from the ledge at the top were worth the climb, I soon discovered that there isn’t any other way down and wondered how I was going to manage the descent. Inching my way to the edge, I sat down and clinging to the rope, I made my way down on my butt! Thankfully, only hubby and our friends were there as witnesses!

As if that climb wasn’t enough, we also decided to take the steep walkway all the way to the top of the hill to see the church. Recognizing the religious significance of the pyramid mound, the Spanish chose to construct the Catholic church on top of it as a way of replacing the pagan cult of the past. It was constructed between May 1574 and August 1575 and consecrated on March 25, 1629.

On our way up the hill, we followed a procession playing music and carrying an almost life-sized statue of a saint. Gathering just outside the sanctuary, they waited until the priest came out and blessed them with a sprinkling of holy water before they entered the already full church and a service began. At that point, we were able to stand just outside the door and see some of the church’s beautiful interior. 

El Resobado: Coatepec’s historic bakery

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On previous visits to Coatepec, I’ve written blog posts about everything from grocery shopping in the open market, to the beautiful murals, to the churches, and the architecture here and here. On our last visit, I wrote this post about a walk around the neighbourhood where we stay with our friends who are permanent residents of Mexico.

Today, on our fourth visit, I found something different to share with you. The traditional wood-fired oven in Panadería “El Resobado” has been burning for over 140 years! 

Stepping through the doorway into the front room of the bakery feels like taking a step back in time. The walls and ceiling are blackened by more than a century of smoke and one is surrounded by the smell freshly baking bread.

Shelves of artisanal breads and other baked products line the walls waiting for their turn in the oven. 

Behind the room where the actual baking takes place, one steps into another room where more shelves hold the baking that’s ready to be sold. 

Of course, we had to sample a few of them!

Until about a year and a half ago, the bakery was open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, but it now opens at 5:00 AM and closes at 11:00 PM. The products are not only sold on-site at El Resobado, but also supply some of the stores in the area. 

Ricki’s and Cleo closing: a major loss for Canadian shoppers

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LogoAs a Canadian shopper, I was deeply disappointed this week to learn that two of my favourite retail brands will be permanently closing their doors. Parent company Comark Holdings Inc. announced the upcoming closure of all 221 Ricki’s and Cleo stores across the country due to financial difficulties.

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Image: CTV News

The loss of these two brands will be deeply felt as they filled an important fashion shopping niche for many women. Both were what could be referred to as middle retail; not low-end fast fashion, but not high-end either. Instead they offered quality clothes at reasonable prices. They also carried styles that appealed to a wide range of ages. As a 72-year-old woman I knew that I could find clothes in these two stores that would keep me looking current, but not like I was trying to look like a teenager. In fact, my closet is full of clothing with Ricki’s and Cleo labels that fit my style adjectives; classy, casual, comfortable, confident, and authentic.

I recognize that there are many challenges facing Canadian retailers today. Overhead costs are high and it’s difficult to compete with online retailers that ship directly to the customer’s door, but I still prefer to go into a brick and mortar store where I can see the clothes in person, feel the fabric, look at the construction, and try them on. With two of my favourite stores closing, that’s going to be much more difficult and I’m sure I’ll be mourning their loss for quite some time.

A post-holiday update

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Christmas has come and gone and the decorations are all put away. Christmas itself was a quiet one for hubby and I this year. It was just the two of us on Christmas morning, but we were joined by another couple later in the day for turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Then, two days later, the house was full with two of our grown children, their spouses, and six of our eight grandchildren here for the weekend! Every bed was taken as well as a couple of air mattresses and we managed to squeeze all twelve of us around the table at mealtime. Board games and trips to the tobogganing hill were enjoyed and it was a delight to see the cousins having so much fun together. But…

As grandchildren often do, one or two of them came with coughs and runny noses and Gram managed to catch one heck of a cold! Thankfully, the symptoms didn’t appear until after everyone left, but I was under the weather for several days. I’m finally on the mend, no longer depending on decongestants to breathe and although the cough still lingers, I don’t feel like I’m hacking up a lung. I’d normally say that I don’t feel my age, but this cold drained me of energy and definitely left me feeling old. Hopefully that’s just temporary! 

Speaking of age, we’re celebrating this guy today.

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It’s hubby’s 75th birthday today, definitely a milestone! It will be another quiet celebration though. At one point, I had thought about inviting friends in to celebrate with us, but between sickness and a house that’s gradually being stripped bare in preparation for upcoming renovations, that’s not happening.  

We’re in the process of emptying closets, clearing off shelves and countertops, and moving everything except our large pieces of furniture into the basement. Walls will be painted, ancient carpets replaced with wood flooring, baseboards and trim replaced, interior doors repainted, and the front door replaced. While the work is being done, we plan to be out of the way, but more about that later. 

I will be blogging from time to time over the next few weeks, but I’m not sure if there will be any fashion posts. I do have a couple of ideas rattling around in my brain, but right now my clothes are all over the place and I’m not sure what I’ll be able to pull together. Do stay tuned though!