Keeping entertained, no snow at home (yet), and shopping

I've less than a week left before I leave the park for Palm Springs where I'll overnight before I fly home to Regina. I'll be staying with my son for a couple of nights, then my daughter (and grandson) will pick me up to take me home to our little town. So far they've had no snow accumulation - in other words while it has snowed, it just hasn't stuck around. They've had temps above freezing most days, though of course, it will get colder by the time I arrive. This photo was taken on November 27. 

It's been a full week. The Canadian Olympic curling trials got underway on Monday, so I've had to get my chores done around the draw schedule. I got things done around the trailer on Monday, went thrifting and shopping with L on Tuesday, Wednesday I had to pick up the turnip for Thanksgiving dinner. D and I met at the clubhouse on Thursday morning and set up the tables and finished decorating for the dinner that evening.

There were 16 of us in total at the potluck meal. Oh my, it was delicious. Turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, turnips, Brussel sprouts, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, salad, deviled eggs, cheese, pickles...the list goes on! If anyone didn't have enough to eat, they were trying too hard. Dessert was phenomenal too, with carrot cake, pumpkin pie, and trifle. One of our older residents, I believe he lives in Montana, said he didn't eat lunch so that he could fill up at dinner. And fill his plate, he did, and carried on to have a bit of each dessert too.

There was enough leftovers we decided to have a must-go dinner the next night, in order to use up the excess. It took some arranging to get everything into the clubhouse fridge, but we managed.

Friday morning, L and I headed out about 8:30 to do a little Black Friday shopping. Not at the various box stores, but at the local thrift stores. We both came home with lots of treasures. I found a new pair of sandals at the foster home thrift store, a fold out cutting mat for sewing and a sampler cross stitch pattern at the Humane Society thrift store, and an Advent calendar of 24 mini puzzles and a set of four colourful placemats at Crossroads Mission store. The latter will be made into seat cushions for my outdoor chairs. I've made pillows from placemats before - simply open a seam, add the foam, and sew them up again. 

Several of us met for Happy Hour at the clubhouse at 4 p.m. and I turned on the television to watch the first final for the men's Olympic curling. I had caught the end of the women's game in the morning. Christina Black of Nova Scotia nearly beat Rachel Homan, but came up a little short in the final end. They'll play again on Saturday for the second game of the best of three. I anticipate that Homan will win but I'd be happy if Black forced a game three. There is something to be said for the home game advantage.

Team Dunstone and Team Jacobs are in the men's finals. I'm cheering for Dunstone and his crew as the entire Jacobs team has made it to the Olympics previously. Not all together as the four curlers were on different teams and I'd like to see Dunstone break through. But I know that whoever ends up at the Olympics will represent the country well.

I headed to the clubhouse around 4 to set the television up to watch the curling, and was soon joined by H and D. They cleared out the fridge and we got the crockpots set up to warm up the potatoes, stuffing and gravy. After a short Happy Hour outdoors, we were back inside for the curling, joined by L and J, and later another J and P. Shortly after 5, D's husband T joined us. In total, there were seven of us at the must-go dinner and we managed to clean up a fair amount of the leftovers. Some items went to the bin, while others went home with the others. (Not me, two days of turkey is plenty for me).

We kept the television on the channel with the sound muted and some of us kept an eye on the action. When dinner was over, we cleared up dishes, put away decorations, and the food items were divided among those who were willing to take it. When everyone else had left, L and I sat and watched the remainder of the game. It looked like Dunstone had a chance to win the game, as he was leading 7 to 6 in the 10th end, but he missed his final shot, allowing Jacobs to take 3 points to win the game. They will play again on Saturday evening and I'll be cheering for a different outcome.

This week, I've also managed to get my knitting done, with the seven coffee cozies/sleeves completed while I watched curling. When the lighting wasn't great in the evenings, I also knit a scarf for my daughter, and crocheted a couple of dishcloths. I will tell you, after completing nine of the same pattern, (two for family, seven for the school), I have no desire to ever knit it again.*

Today, there is curling to watch - the second games of the finals. I've started on a toque/beanie for my daughter to match the finished scarf.  I may do a bit of crocheting. In between, I'm sure I'll find some college football to watch. I will need to return to the clubhouse too, to return the holiday tubs to the shed. It's a pain in the butt to open the door, so I didn't feel like doing it in the dark of the evening.

Whatever your plans for the weekend, enjoy! Have a great week ahead everyone.

*D has informed me she forgot one of the therapists, so like it or not I will be knitting one more. :p

Black Friday funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Celebrations, holiday preparations, and garage sales.

The Grey Cup came home to Saskatchewan on Monday. There were some nail-biting moments in the game on Sunday but the green and white prevailed! My nephew joined the party at the Green Mile after the game and this photo (which I lifted from the internet) shows the fans who made their way from their homes, restaurants and bars, to the corner of Albert and Victoria streets for the celebration. The Grey Cup was on display at Mosaic Stadium on Monday afternoon, and a parade was held on Tuesday. This was the first win in 12 years for the team, and only the 5th in the history of the Riders.

Meanwhile my week started out quietly. I had done laundry Sunday afternoon and left it out overnight to dry, so just had to fold and put things away. I did some knitting too, working on another coffee mug sleeve. I'd finished the pickles the previous morning - they turned out pretty darn cute! (If I do say myself.) I have gold thread at home that I will add so they will hang from the Christmas tree. These are small gifts for my niece and nephew. It's become a bit of a tradition for me to make an ornament of some sort each year. 

We had more rain again overnight Monday, and Tuesday was overcast and cool. I'm having some electrical issues, potentially related to the rain. Every time we get rain, the outdoor fridge trips the breaker to the outlet. It doesn't affect anything in the trailer but is a nuisance. After some wrong assumptions, it was determined that pushing the button on the GFI re-set it. But when I woke on Tuesday morning (having plugged in the fridge overnight), not only was the outdoor plug impacted but the one next to the stove. And somehow or another, the dinette lights decided to give up the ghost too. Initially, J and I thought it was due to burnt out bulbs, but trying one that we knew was working proved that theory wrong. 

I've left the fridge unplugged, and won't use it until J's husband G arrives in December. He is an electrician by trade and knows this unit well as they lived in it for several years before they bought their park model. I won't be here when he arrives, as I'll be in Saskatchewan for Christmas, but will leave a set of keys with J. 

Wednesday J and I got together to play cribbage canasta. Another couple who usually play, D&T had arrived Tuesday evening and were busy opening up their unit, buying groceries, etc. so weren't available to play. Beginner's luck, I won the first game but she, more than handily, won the next two. I learned a lot about the strategy of the game, as well as the how to count the points. That was something I never learned last winter. I likely won't be able to keep up with the regulars but at least I have a better idea now.

Pat (our 97 year old matriarch) and I were responsible for coffee hour on Thursday. We set up the hall after Happy Hour the day prior, readying coffee pots, tea kettle, toasters, etc. Earlier in the day, I had gone to the local Food City to order the pastries. Some people enjoy the goodies, while others make themselves toast with jam and peanut butter provided. In the morning, I went to Food City to pick up the pastries, then to the clubhouse to start the large urn of coffee.  We were expecting about 20 participants and ended up with just 13.

After coffee, three of us stayed behind to decorate the hall for Thanksgiving. There aren't a whole lot of decorations for the walls; most are meant to be put out on the tables. Since we'll be using the space for Happy Hour - it was too hot and now with the cooler and wet weather the mosquitos are out in force - we left the table decor to be put out on Thanksgiving morning. There were a whole pile of fake flowers and sprigs, so I put together a vase to display somewhere in the hall. 

Friday morning was another busy one, as J, L and I went to a nearby park for their garage sales. By the way I used my air fryer that I picked up at last weeks garage sales for the first time. It worked wonderfully, but I'll not use it indoors again. It heats up and gets quite hot to the touch. Hence it will have to wait until the electrical outlet is working properly. I have sufficient methods of cooking that it isn't necessary though I do like the way an air fryer cooks various types of meat. The BBQ will do for now.

It was raining off and on when we left and though the park with the sales had a lot of standing water, we managed okay until just after 9 a.m. At the last place we stopped, the rain came down in buckets and we, all three, were soaked by the time we made it across the street to the van. With that, we decided to head to the "Landing", a local restaurant for breakfast. The food was delicious and the prices very reasonable. Since it was quiet we sat for quite a while after we were done eating and simply visited. 

Our final stop before heading to the park was a placed called Green Trees Grocery Outlet. It has heavily discounted packaged items, generally the boxes and cans are slightly damaged and can't (or won't) be sold at a regular grocery store. They also bring in frozen meat and dairy, and fresh produce. The store even has some sundry items as well as beauty and health products. Just to give you an idea of pricing, L picked up a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $2.99. I found Twinings Earl Grey tea for $3 for 50 tea bags. J picked up a box full of stuff, as she found a couple of cockroaches in her park model and had to toss out her pantry items. 

So what did I find at the garage sales? My best buy was a small hand painted plate for 50 cents. In Canadian dollars it is worth about $40. I would have purchased it anyway, because it is so pretty. I found a couple more cushions for the couch, and a small drop leaf table. The latter needs to be sanded down and painted, and I'll use it in the gazebo to eat meals on occasion. That is, of course, if it ever stops raining! 

Today, I have nothing planned except to stay indoors, out of the continuing rain, to work on the coffee mug sleeves. D has added one more to the list, so I'll need to make seven more. Each one takes me about an afternoon. Since I'm leaving for home on the 4th of December, that leaves less than two weeks to finish these. I should know the pattern well by then. There will be college football to watch and if I'm lucky, I may be able to watch some of the Canadian Olympic curling trials. You-tube may have some streaming, but I'm not entirely sure.

Have a wonderful week ahead everyone! 

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Getting in the groove

Another week just flew by me. I'm getting into a routine and it feels good. Up at 5:30 a.m. I make my bed, get my tea ready and then call my daughter. We chat for about a half hour about a variety of topics: Eli, the cats, the weather, the news, and family. This week was my nephew's 25th birthday. How the heck did that happen? It seems like yesterday we were meeting him in the hospital room. 

My parents had three sets of grandchildren. My oldest brother's son was born in 1970. My children were born in the 80's, and my brother's two were both born in the aughts. (2000's). R and P were both in their late 30's when K and L came along, while my older brother was only 20 when his son was born, and M is 12 years older than R. Since mom passed away in 2003 and dad in 2008, it means that the youngest grandchildren didn't get to know them. 

Back to the present. I've been doing outside work in the morning most days, sweeping the patio, running errands, and most recently spray painting three chairs I got from next door. I've now decided that the Adirondack chair, which is a faded green, needs a touch up too. Next time I'm in a hardware store I'll pick up a can of spray paint.

I also picked up a couple of items from Walmart to make my life a wee bit easier. One is a small shoe rack for the front closet, the other a three shelf bookcase. It tucks in beside the dinette, and as you'll see I've made the bottom shelf the recycling area. It gets those small containers out of my way and provides additional storage...for what is yet to be determined.

Afternoons, I generally spend inside the trailer, enjoying the a/c. It has been hot this week, though has cooled slightly into the high 80's (31C). Better than the 90's but still stinking hot to be outdoors in the sun. I've used the time to start knitting Christmas gifts. I didn't think to bring safety eyes for amigurumi ornaments I'm making for K and L, so had to place an Amazon order. I added in a couple of other items to get free shipping, useful items like a collapsible colander and a drying rack. The order isn't expected to arrive until today, so I moved on to knitting coffee cup sleeves for my brother, SIL, and Eli's many teachers and aides. 

I finished one, knitted flat, but I didn't like the way it looked when I sewed it together. So I switched to knitting in the round. The first one didn't work because I didn't read the pattern properly. I'm not sure when I'll get these done, but I'm glad Christmas isn't for another six weeks. I'm going to need the time!

Don't mind the clashing colours. I didn't have a travel mug and needed one to test the sizing on so picked up a cheapo one at the dollar store. I took it (the mug) to coffee hour to hold my tea, and what a useless piece of junk. Getting the top off was a struggle and putting it back on was worse. Now it just gets to be a model.

On Friday, I did a little grocery shopping, and went thrifting with L. I picked up two t-shirts at the Humane Society Thrift store for $3, a box fan, a document folder, and a pair of shorts for just over $20 at Goodwill. The fan is out in the gazebo and provides quite the breeze! 

I also stopped at Lowes and picked up a pot and a few succulents to plant. The container was on sale, the succulents were not and cost nearly as much! I did a wee bit of research, they like temps between 60F-80F, but can't be left in direct sunlight as they may sunburn. I foresee bringing them indoors in January when the weather is cold overnight. Next year I'll plant something else, more hardy and less expensive. 

Speaking of weather, the cooler temps are arriving this weekend. The forecast is suggesting we'll have rain starting this morning, with a high temp of 24C/76F. The rest of the week is even cooler with temps between 20-22C/68-72F. I'm looking forward to being able to leave the a/c off in the afternoons and early evenings.

To finish off my routine, everyday at 4 p.m. is Happy Hour where many of us meet up and enjoy some time visiting. On Friday, it was finally cool enough to sit out on the outdoor patio in the shade with the breeze. Back at the unit, I've been using the BBQ to cook up smokies or hamburgers for my dinner, which I enjoyed along with a pasta salad I made up earlier in the week. It's much cooler by then, and the bugs aren't bad so until it is too dark to read, I have my meal outdoors. On Friday, I cooked up taco meat in the morning for a salad that evening, and also made a crockpot of chili. There was enough for three servings which I froze. If it does in fact rain on Saturday, I'm thinking it will make a great meal - just re-heat in the microwave. 

Today, I've nothing major on the agenda. I'll likely knit and watch college football. The BIG game is on Sunday, with the Canadian Grey Cup on the line. One of the park members has purchased the channel we need to watch it on, and anyone who wants to watch will be set up in the clubhouse. It was agreed, we'd each bring our own "gameday" snacks and drinks. The teams playing for the honour of hoisting the Cup are the Montreal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. You know who I'll be cheering for, Go Riders!!!

Have a great week ahead everyone!