The Changing Seasons, February 2024

Reflecting on the month past

There were many medical appointments this month, for myself (wellness checks which led to other issues), Younger Child (possible heart repair) and my Dad (he returned from a trip to Thailand with symptoms of malaria).

Good and not so great things often come hand in hand, not unlike the photo on the left, where the pretty flowers sits very close to some trash left behind. The question is, what will we do about it?

The little inconveniences the wellness checks revealed (high blood pressure, high cholesterol) have spurred me to a return to healthier eating. My BP is now stable (without medication) and I return in 3 months to recheck my cholesterol. I am optimistic that I will be able to manage both.

Younger Child’s potential heart repair has been on the horizon for many years. A recent MRI reconnected us with her original heart surgeon from more than 20 years ago – it was a delightful reunion, and his advice (run more tests to have a better idea of what’s happening with her heart) gave us peace of mind.

Dad’s tests at A&E revealed that he had neither malaria nor dengue. The Doc said it could be the beginnings of flu. His symptoms have since abated and he is well on the mend.

On days when anxiety threaten to overwhelm, I find respite in discoveries like this unexpected roof top garden at Aperia Mall (left photo) where I was waiting for Younger Child to finish her dance class. Or this serene Kallang River sunrise (right image) on one of my morning runs.

In my attempts to eat healthier, I discovered new foods, cottage cheese being one of them. I’ve seen it on the grocery shelf but never tried. Do you have a favourite way to enjoy cottage cheese?

left: low-fat cottage cheese with plum compote, right: cottage cheese with dried fruit & nut on a self-baked bagel

I also discovered sprouted mung beans at an Indian grocery store: why did I not know how delicious & versatile these are? They add such a delightful crunch to my bowls!

left: 2 kinds of vegetable stirfries, topped with sprouts, right: soft tofu & glass noodle soup, topped with sprouts

I rediscovered the delights of pressed tofu sheets (baiye tofu) – they make fun protein-rich noodles. Have you tried these before?

from left, clockwise: 1) bean dip with tofu skin noodle salad, broccoli, tomatoes, carrot sticks, self made tortilla crisps, 2) stirfried tofu skin noodles with bittergourd & tomato, 3) egg, sweet peppers & noodle skin salad

How was your February?

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly project where bloggers around the world share their thoughts and feelings about the month just gone. We all approach this slightly differently, though generally with an emphasis on the photos we’ve taken during the month.

For many of us, looking back over these photos provides the structure and narrative of our post, so each month is different. Some focus on documenting the changes in a particular project — such as a garden, an art or craft project, or a photographic diary of a familiar landscape.

But in the end, it is your changing season, and you should approach it however works for you.

There are no fixed rules around post length or photo number — just a request that you respect your readers’ time and engagement.

Tags and ping-backs

Tag your photos with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

Create a ping-back to Brian at Bushboys World or this post, so that we can update it with links to all of yours.

Roundup

• Marilyn at Serenedity Seeking Intelligent Life on Earth: glad that you are home & recovering
• welcome back, Pauline at Living in Paradise
• Brian, my adventuresome co-host, at Bushboys World
• Sarah at Travel with Me
• Donna at Wind Kisses