A quiet week for me, not so in Minneapolis

 It was a slow start to the week, and much appreciated after last week's schedule. I did go thrift shopping with my friend L on Monday and Tuesday. We didn't spend a lot of money, but we had a good visit and a lot of fun looking. My favorite find of the two days were several tiles - two of the smaller ones already have the cork backing and I may just use the others as is until I get home. I know I have cork in my craft stash there. They make great coffee coasters and these are pretty to boot. The larger tile, I want to add a hanger to and will hang on the wall in my bathroom.

The steamer trunk (Wednesday's photo) was at the Humane Society's thrift store. Originally marked at $400, it has been reduced to $350. I certainly don't have the space and although very interesting it did not come home with me. Frankly, I would much prefer to see it in a museum where it could be appreciated by many people. One of the volunteers said these items are often purchased to be used as clothing storage for babies. This particular was in great shape, all the drawers worked and the hanging rod was solid. Sadly, there were no stickers to indicate where it had been. If only it could tell its story. 

I started the painting project on Wednesday morning, along with three others. We started our prep using wire brushes to clean off some chipping paint. I thought the exterior west wall would be the worst as it is most exposed to the weather, and it needed quite a bit of work. However, the east wall was even worse as the lowest level of concrete blocks had not been primed the last time it was painted, and only had, what appeared to be, one coat of paint. The paint on those blocks peeled off in large pieces. We made a plan to prime on Thursday and paint on Friday, though if we had enough volunteers we could start painting the interior on Thursday.

After coffee hour, I went home and changed clothes, then back to the pool area to start the priming. Only one other person showed up and she cleared rocks away from the walls so I get down on the ground to prime the lower blocks. When she finished she left to get cleaned as D volunteers at the Hospice thrift store Thursday afternoons. I continued to work on the painting until noon, finishing the two rows of lower blocks and the top block on one wall, and partially on a second. This way we can roll the paint on the remainder of the wall.

We managed to finish the primer coat on the exterior walls on Friday morning and got started on the interior. J did a bit of repair to a few of the blocks, while the rest of us painted. The repairs need to be left for at least 24 hours. So I decided we'd take a break over the weekend and plan to be back at it Monday.  The fact that the Scotties Tournament of Hearts (women's curling) started Friday evening may have had something to do with it too.

This next few paragraphs are a change from my normal blog post. But it is something I feel strongly about. I don't expect all of my readers to agree with my comments but it is something I feel the need to address.

The news this week that a five year old child was used by ICE in Minneapolis to entrap his father horrified me, and the fact they have detained the child as well as the father is even worse. 

Reports indicate the child was being driven home from school, was removed from the vehicle by ICE, taken to door of a home and told to knock and ask for his father, using him as bait to lure his family outside. The family currently has an asylum claim and no deportation orders. Both the father and the child were detained and whisked away to Texas. While there is a suggestion that the child would have been left alone, reports indicate his mother was in the home and the school was also able to take him to safety.

Some of you may be asking why I care - the father was apparently in the United States illegally, however it is one thing to arrest someone for a crime, it is quite another to take an innocent child. The trauma the little boy has experienced should never have happened and will, most likely, have long term impacts on his mental, physical and emotional health. As a grandmother I cannot fathom how anyone could support this situation.

But that's not the only reason I care. I care because the lack of humanity and disregard for the rule of law displayed in the case and so many other incidents across the country is extremely disturbing. The number of these events is rising exponentially, with ICE officers acting as judge, jury and even executioner on occasion. For a country who has enshrined the right to due process in its Constitution, that right is being ignored and eroded. It's easy to say that it doesn't matter because it doesn't affect us personally. However, I fear it is only a matter of time before the current administration turns their focus to other marginalized groups, people of colour, LGBTQIA2S+, neuro-divergent people, and the disabled.

Thus I feel, even as a Canadian, I need to speak up. My words will not change anything, but at least I can demonstrate my support for those who are in the line of fire. I will not forget Liam Conego Ramos and the other innocents who have been targeted by the men in masks who are willing to break the law every day they go out on the streets. 

For now, I look to Mother Nature to provide some calm at the end of the day. I am reminded She is constant in our lives, while I have hope one day, there will be an end to the madness.

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Treasures, trash, and tremors

This was a purchase from last week's garage sale foray. It's hanging on the wall in my dinette area.

It was another busy week, and definitely a productive one. I had met with M, the secretary of the social committee on Sunday and she had provided the funds collected and the bills paid during the month of December. I did a bit of work on the spreadsheet I created and realized I needed more info than she had given me. I reached out to the former treasurer and she came for a visit in the evening to go over some things and we realized the M had what I needed but for some unknown reason had held onto it. Well, I could speculate but I won't.

We (social committee) had a meeting on Monday at the bank to revise the signing authorities. What a process! T and I had to provide personal information and our ID's which was fine, and the board had provided a copy of the resolution allowing us to be on the bank account. That was fine, but the time it took for the clerk and her manager to review the documentation was lengthy. It did give us time to consider options for future events but seriously, the time they spent on their review seemed excessive. Then we learned that the board would need to complete another document with their signatures before everything would be implemented. Another trip to the bank is in my future.

I also met with E that morning to look to see what paint they purchased a couple of years for the pool. It was supposed to be done then but the fellow who was to organize did a bit of painting on his own and then walked away from it. The paint they purchased then can't be used so we'll be purchasing more... and this time the job will get done!

I've starting working on the cushions for the gazebo chairs, and picked up spay paint for the plastic Adirondack chair. At happy hour, S and I made plans to visit Michaels on Tuesday afternoon*. I needed white thread to sew the cushions closed and wanted to pick up a couple more knitting needles. I have a project started but not ready to share just yet, let's see how it goes.

Tuesday I did some necessary clean up of the gazebo in early morning. The wind had knocked over the table and my pot of succulents was smashed on the floor. I don't recall the words I used, but there definitely some things said out loud. Later I picked up another pot at Walmart - a plastic one - and I repotted them. One of them lost a few pieces but otherwise were no worse for wear. I'm going to research what I can do with the pieces of the pot - a mosaic of some sort perhaps? It was so pretty, I hate to toss it away.

About 10 a.m. I met with a couple of the guys next door to help clear the hoarder's sheds. OMG, you would not believe the stuff we pulled out of the first shed (and the second on the following day). Tools including a circular saw, two or three routers, a drill press, a table saw, several other types of saws, as well as a jack hammer. There were smaller tools too, along with several tool boxes, kitchen appliances, a 3 speed bike, and sundry other items. There was even a vintage ice cream maker! The entire shed was full and packed to the rafters. We sorted and cleared pretty much everything and took several loads to the garbage and recycling. 

We started on the second shed on Wednesday mid-morning. It was smaller than the first but filled entirely as well. Fun things we found included an old knob metal detector, a smaller ice cream maker, an old office chair, a humidifier, a foot spa, a propane tank cover, more tools - a band saw, I think, and the list went on. We threw out a number of items as well. Since it was a smaller shed, we were finished our clean-up before noon, and packed anything with any value in the sheds. The rest was sorted on the table or to one side. Besides the one fellow and I, we were joined by three other women. Two didn't have masks so I told them to stay out of the sheds, and they had the task of wiping down things as we brought things out and sorting. 

Overnight I experienced something I've never felt before. About 3 a.m. I was awaken by the feeling of the unit moving and I could hear the metal of the shed below the bedroom rattling below me. Initially I thought it was due to wind, but realized that the I couldn't hear the ornament I have on the front of the until banging. It didn't last long and I fell back to sleep. When I woke in the morning, I initially thought I'd dreamt it. Just out of curiousity I asked Google if we'd had a earthquake, and yes, there was a 4.4 earthquake at Holtsville about 50 miles away. At coffee hour, our oldest resident P reminded us that if the earthquake was more severe, we should get out of our trailers. She, however, acknowledged that she hadn't thought to do that at the time. The rest of the group seem to have slept through it.  

The sale of the salvaged items will be held on Saturday at the same time as the park garage sale. However, we'll have to keep it separate as a portion of the proceeds will be credited to the family of the former owner. 

We finished in time for me to clean myself up before Canasta in the afternoon. We played guys vs. gals and by the end of the game we were down 65 points from the guys team. We won last week, so next week will be the rubber match. Unless of course, the guys win and then we'll go best out of five. :p

I managed to fill Thursday as well, with coffee hour in the morning, a stop at the bank to make a deposit, and a run a few stores for coffee and event supplies. We are having a chili sale and bake sale to be held concurrent with the planned garage sale. Catching up on the social committee spreadsheet and reconciling the cash took up a little time too. But all is straightened out and up to date. I expect I'll be giving an update at the AGM in early February.

Friday afternoon, we prepared for the garage sales. Tables were set up across from the club house for items that ere donated by individuals in the park. L gave us direction in the pricing of items and we organized the tables by category. Stepladders with a pole between them were used to hold the clothing....and there was a lot of those items. I didn't think to take a picture until the evening, but you can see how filled the area is. We even sold several things that afternoon. :)

At Charlie's D uncovered the table and set out some of the items on the driveway, but the large tools and other items were left in the sheds. We do a "pre-sale" for the park residents, and they were able to walk through the sheds. We didn't have a lot of interest that evening, but I suspect today will be a different story.

I'll admit I'm not looking forward to a day outdoors at the sale. H has agreed to let us borrow a table with an umbrella, and I'll have my gazebo available for anyone who wants to get out of the sun for a bit. Our forecasted high is 80F/27C and while the early morning will start out cool, the heat will be on by 10 a.m. There is no natural shade but I'll make sure I have on sunscreen, my hat and shades and take a break when I can. Wish us luck!

*I cleaned up after lunch and went to Michaels with S and then forgot to buy the thread. :p I finally picked it up on Friday when I went to buy plastic bags for the bake sale items. I even managed to sew the seat cushions up before lunch!

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Keeping busy, too busy maybe?

Despite the rocky start this week passed by very quickly! I slept for nearly eleven hours the first night and woke up happy to be in my snug little winter home. I had turned the furnace on before I went to bed, and it ran a few times overnight.

I had not turned on the water though, and did that after my breakfast of tea and toast. I don't drink the water from the tap, but had a couple of gallons on hand for cooking/making tea. 

When I went out to the car to head to the grocery store, I discovered my fob wasn't working. I'd left the second fob and another set of keys for the unit at J's place so headed down the street. But first, I ran into P and had a brief chat, and as I carried on T called out to me and I stopped for a visit there. D came out and joined us and I got caught up on the park happenings while I was away, and I shared the trials of my travels. When I mentioned my fob wasn't working, T explained the type of battery I'd need for my fob and offered to give me an extra he had on hand. I took him up on the offer and left the fob with him. 

Off down the street I went to J's where I picked up my extra fob and keys.  Then to the grocery store I went, as I needed fresh fruit and veg, bread, eggs, milk and cheese. The fridge freezer and pantry were still well stocked from November. Though I did forget a couple of things and had to make another quick trip the next day!

I got in a good visit with J in the afternoon. G, her electrician husband had taken care of the electrical issues I'd been happening. The dining room lights were a simple fix, as apparently there is a small switch in the panel that must have been bumped when we had been dealing with another issue. A fuse did need to be replaced as well and one other item that required supplies. In total, the price for those was $6. J told me G would be pleased if I paid for it with a bottle of red wine. Done and done!

I caught up with a few others on my way back to the unit, and of course I got to see everyone at Happy Hour. T also returned my other fob to me then.

Tuesday started off easy, as I had nothing planned until 10 a.m. L stopped by on her way back from the pool, with a load of boxes. I had asked if anyone had some as I wanted to sort through the items in the shed that I'd cleared out of the unit back in October. One of her swimming group had just moved and she offered to pick some up for me.

About 10, I met S at her place and we walked down to L's. It was thrifting day! Tuesday's are generally senior's day, with most shops offering a discount. I took advantage, finding a dress and cardigan, a puzzle, and a decorative item for the exterior of my unit at one store, two pairs of jeans at another, and two pairs of shorts for Eli at the third. We stopped for a light lunch at Goldsboro Bakery - I had a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup - so good - and a Boston creme donut - amazing!

Back at the park, it was time to get in some physical activity to wear off my lunch. The patio and gazebo needed to be swept and the floor washed. It was amazing how much dust had blown into the gazebo. There had been some rain too, which was evident on the patio. The furniture was pulled out and replaced as the floor dried. Meanwhile another couple, D and M were next door cleaning up the lot. The fellow who owned the trailer passed away a couple of years ago, and his family had finally agreed to have the unit removed. It was not habitable, and the removal was arranged while I was away. Apparently, a rat was living under the trailer and found its way into another unit where it ate a bar of soap! An exterminator was here this week to check things out and placed a number of traps. 

Wednesday was a busy, busy day. I started the morning pulling all of the items out of the shed and sorting them for the upcoming garage sale. The boxes came in handy and I was able to retrieve my shopping bags I'd packed things in. After dropping a load off at the clubhouse, I headed home to catch up on my banking and record-keeping. I should have gone to the exercise class but I decided I'd done enough walking with my trips too and from the garbage and recycling bins! 

There was a board meeting that morning as well, which was well attended. When the meeting was opened for questions, things got a bit heated. It's interesting to watch the interactions between various members, though at one point I did feel the need to interject on behalf of the board members. Perhaps I have a different perspective being a new member but I found some issues raised were trivial. Just for fun, the AGM is planned for next week and I've no doubt there will be more complaining at that meeting too. 

In the afternoon, I played Canasta before heading to Walmart to pick up batteries for the second car fob as it had died too. When I went to use in the morning, it wasn't working either! Good thing T had an extra battery for the first one, or I'd have been begging a ride. 

I had only one commitment on Thursday, the coffee hour at 9 a.m. I almost didn't go, as I had slept in until 7 and hadn't managed to even get my bed made that morning. After coffee hour, I spent much of my day dusting the unit, washing floors, cleaning the bathroom, and reorganizing spaces. I caught up on my U.S. banking as well and stopped by the office to confirm my e-mail address with the office manager. In other words, a whole lot of little things that kept me occupied.

The Saskatchewan provincial curling (men's and women's) had started on Tuesday and I spent the evenings (after Happy Hour) watching. In addition I was able to catch parts of the games during breaks between activities. I also managed to finish a book I had started before I left in December. "Lilac Girls" by Martha Hall Kelly is based loosely on the stories of the Rabbits - women who were used as surgical guinea pics by the Nazis at Ravensbruck during WWII. It is, at times, a difficult read, but a read worth making. 

I've been looking for a new knitting/crocheting project but haven't come up with anything I truly want to make. Instead I've turned my attention to the placemats and foam inserts I'll use to make chair pads for the plastic patio chairs. I ripped stitches on Thursday afternoon, and managed to cut the padding to the right shape for one cushion, and a second one on Friday morning. This may take a few days as I need to get some thread to sew the cushions closed. Plus it isn't horribly interesting project and I do have a tendency to procrastinate.

L and I went browsing at a couple more thrift stores on Friday, where I walked away with two t-shirts and a pair of pajamas for $3 at one, and a stapler for $1.50 at the other. She found a couple of things but neither of us spent a lot. Our next stop was Green Tree, a discount grocery type store, and finally Walmart. The last for toilet paper (me) and baking soda (her). 

In the afternoon I met with E, as she will be leaving the park on Wednesday. As our resident expert painter the task for organizing the painting party for the hot tub building is being left to me. E will give me an estimate of the amount and type of paint and primer to purchase - the walls are concrete. We will need to scrape and prime the walls before painting. In the meantime our handyman is busy rebuilding the shower area. The tile has been purchased for the shower walls and floor. It is going to be really nice when complete.

Today four of us are off to go to the garage sales at Country Roads RV park. I am still looking for a small shelving unit that is approximately counter height. I have so little counter space in my kitchen and an extra two feet to fill that space would be so appreciated. Beyond that I truly need nothing unless I find a can of paint I can use for my outdoor table. :p

Next week is shaping up to be quite busy too. For now, my plan for the rest of the weekend is rest and relax. Wish me luck. :)

Have a great week ahead everyone!