Running around, time is running short

Another week in the books, and it's just about a month before I start my journey north to home. Or maybe not home. I'm toying with the idea of visiting cousins just across the border in British Columbia before I head back to Saskatchewan. I haven't seen them since 2019, I think. Since our last visit, the last remaining uncle (G), my cousin's father has passed away and they moved from the island to the Okanagan valley. What it will come down to is the weather and road conditions. 

There was another big storm this week at home. It started Tuesday evening and snowed throughout the night and the following day. D said we got about 30 cms (12 inches) of snow in total. She was out snow blowing several times during the day. 

Meanwhile, after our wee bit of rain last week, we had big winds on Monday evening. I had to move things into the gazebo and close it up as stuff was blowing around. About midnight, I got up out of bed and took down a piece of metal art I have hanging on the side of the unit. It was banging so hard, there was no way I could get to sleep. 

This was the week of the chairs. Did I mention this in my last post? I don't think so, but hopefully you'll bear with me if I did. We are looking replacement cushions or chairs for some older folding chairs and attached cushions. One of our residents, A had taken the old cushion to an upholsterer to get a quote on replacing/recovering the cushions. We were quoted $30 a cushion. M did some research and found some chairs, but these were quite costly, $60 plus per chair. Plus they were only available on-line and had no local storefront. She asked me to do some research and order samples if I found anything.  

I did just that, and received an e-mail on Saturday that the chairs were available for pick-up at Dome Hepot (spelling incorrect on purpose). When I arrived at the store, there was only one box, not three as indicated in the e-mail. I won't bore you with all the details but that's 90 minutes I won't get back. I did, however chat with a lovely young woman, named Miriam who asked me to return to the store on Monday afternoon. (She had Sunday off). 

I did, and again there was only one chair there but she had somehow determined the other two were expected to arrive by the Wednesday. Just in time for our coffee hour on Thursday, hooray. However, she called me on Monday evening to say the other two chairs had arrived. An even bigger hooray!

Here's the chairs set up at coffee hour on Thursday. The two fabric in blue and burgundy, and the vinyl are the new chair options. The brown one with a pad are the old chairs, and the white holds the new upholstered pad.   After allowing those who chose to test them out and to vote for their favourite, the burgundy fabric chair won out. I returned the others and ordered replacements for the old brown chairs and the new ones will be here by the end of this month.

After picking up the chairs, I returned to the park, dropped those off at the clubhouse and returned home to do my outdoor chores. The tile patio was filthy, not only from the mixture of the rain and dust. Besides giving it all a good sweep, I used a mop and bucket to wash the tile. It felt good to be out in the fresh air and the patio area looked good when I finished (temporary I know!) I also did my spray painting - the planter and a plastic Adirondack chair that was a dark green. I ran out of spray paint before finishing the chair and had to pick up another can that afternoon. 

The photograph I posted on Wednesday was taken at the Landing, a local restaurant where a group of us had brunch on Saturday after our garage sale forays. These were Tecoma stans (Yellow bells/yellow trumpet flower) and I was impressed with the profusion of blooms on the bushes. So impressed, that I decided that I needed some colour out front of my unit. When I was at Dome Hepot, I wandered through the garden center and found a couple of plants that were marked down - it appeared they hadn't been watered for a bit, and I decided I'd see what I could do with them. Earlier last week, I had found a planter at one of the thrift and with a bit of spray paint, revived it too. The plant stand was a buy at the garage sale ($3). 

The yellow flowering plant is a Ranuculus, which I've learned, has corms. Before I leave, I'll dig up the plant and tuck the corms away to replant in the fall. I don't if they'll survive the heat in the storage area, but I'll try. The white flowering plant is an alyssum. It won't survive but I'm okay with that - it just makes me happy to have some flowering plants in my yard.

Also on Wednesday we had clouds roll in for most of the day, and mid-afternoon heavy winds again. While the clouds look threatening we didn't see a drop of rain.

Thursday, our Canadian women's hockey team were in the gold medal game against the USA on Thursday mid-day. I watched at home the first two periods, and then wandered down to another unit to watch the end of the game. Canada led for most of the game, just 1-0 before the USA tied up the game with only a little over two minutes in regulation time. Off to overtime we went and four minutes in the USA were able to score and win gold. It was a sad moment, but when one considers the USA beat Canada 5-0 in their first game of the tournament, our women put on a heroic effort.

Men's hockey grabbed my attention on Friday. Our Canadian men played Finland in the semi-final, while the USA played Slovakia. Finland led 2-0 at the end of the first period, but Canada came back and tied up the game. It looked like we would be going into overtime when Canada scored with just 35 seconds left in regulation time! Off to the gold medal game, which I believe is being played on Sunday morning. I watched a bit of the USA-Slovakia game and called it after the first when the USA was leading 5-0. Slovakia did come back with a couple of goals, but the USA was the winner with a score of 6-2. 

That finally brings me to the update on my knee. As I tell everyone, it is still there. Progress is continuing gradually and some days, I feel a bit defeated. I have to remind myself that when this first happened I couldn't even bear weight on that leg/foot. Also, I haven't been taking pain killers at all, and while there are times the leg and knee ache like the dickens, I can tolerate it...or more correctly, I choose to tolerate it. The good news is: I was able to walk short distances late in the week without the brace. 

Today, we're having our Heritage dinner this evening. This morning, I'll be putting together my homemade mac and cheese. We decided rather than having everyone bring something from the country/countries of our origins, we would bring food that our families enjoyed through the years. It was one of my favourites as a child, and my children's faves as well. I know there will perogies, Caesar salad, chicken biryani, and a number of surprises. We always put out a sign up sheet and question marks often end up on the sheet. One bachelor wrote, "whatever H tells me to". Actually, I think she makes it and gives it to him to bring. :)

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Sunrise, fun with friends, and the Olympics

I've had another good week in the park, quiet for the most part and restful. I am feeling a little guilty that I can't finish up the painting on the pool walls - after some plumbing needed to be re-done the back wall needs to be repainted - but no one else seems to be fussed about it. 

However, I am seeing some progress, as I am able to walk for longer periods of time. I won't be entering any kind of race, but less pain and more stamina is encouraging. I keep reminding my friend L told me it could take up to six weeks to completely heal. 

The new header was taken on Tuesday morning. It was the best of the sunrises that I've seen thus far. I wandered around the park a bit looking for a spot where I could capture a shot without the many wires in the air. A recent resident pulled out their unit a few weeks ago and her space was just the spot I was looking for! 

The view from my unit isn't nearly as nice, though it was still gorgeous.

We have had three units removed this year. The hoarder one next door, the unit where I took the photo, and the third was a family owned unit that was in rough shape. My understanding is, when the previous owners transferred/sold it to family members the second couple never stayed in it due to the condition. When I was looking last winter, J had taken me to view it, and I don't think I stayed inside longer than a couple of minutes. It was baaadddd!

We had eight of us for Canasta on Wednesday so played two tables of four. I am starting to understand the strategy, have a basic understanding of the point counting (though that is taking longer) and really enjoy the game. The company is pretty good too.

The wordless photo was a dead cricket I found outside the door. I originally thought it was a grasshopper, but Google lens informed it was a type of cricket which brought some relief.  One of the park owners told me a few weeks ago, that where there are grasshoppers there are often scorpions. I can handle a cricket or a grasshopper but draw the line at the thought of a scorpion. I've since been told, scorpions don't come this far into the city. 

On Thursday we had our weekly coffee hour. We had a smaller crowd than normal, just 25, but the comradery was still interesting, and loud! There has been talk of re-doing the wall coverings to muffle the noise but I don't think it will ever happen. H and I had made plans to go through the rest of the books in the hall library after coffee, but I when I saw her jump up and head out early, I went with her.

We were able to reduce the number of hard cover books by about half. Only books written after 1999 were kept, most of the older books and anything that was in rough shape were moved to the recycling bin. There was about a dozen that were older but good enough shape (and generally popular authors) that we boxed up and sent to the thrift with S later in the day.

Back at home I updated our spreadsheet for the social club and then went out to get a few supplies for next week's coffee hour. Since I was at the store, I picked a few items for myself, eggs, a cucumber, a head of lettuce, and a package of ground beef. A dozen eggs was about $3, the cucumber was $0.68, the head of iceberg lettuce was $1.88, and a pound of lean ground was $8.27. I'm finding meat here very expensive compared to the prices we pay at home. On the other hand vegetables are much less. Of course, purchasing for just one is a lot less costly overall than my grocery bills at home.

Much of the week, I've been watching the Olympics. Unfortunately I can't find any coverage from Canada, so have to rely on news reports and other websites. Unless, of course, the USA is playing against the individuals or teams from Canada. Our women's hockey team had a horrid game against the USA, our mixed doubles curling team lost too. 

On Friday morning it rained! Not much and not for long, but it made the air feel very refreshing. I always open the door in the morning, leaving the screen door closed to air out the unit and it was so nice. 

Later, I had an appointment for an oil change at one of the local garages, Accurate Automotive. They were quiet that morning, and I was in and out in less than 45 minutes. From there I went to a couple of thrift stores, finding a few items. The best purchase was a roll of cork - I need it to add to the tiles I purchased, so I can use them as coasters. Perhaps I'll even make my own bulletin board to put on the side of the fridge. I have more than enough with this roll, so I'll be taking it home. For certain, D and I can find uses for it there too!

Today, we're heading to the Country Roads RV resort for their monthly garage sale. I don't know that I need anything in particular, but hanging out with the other women is a lot of fun. It's always interesting to see what is on offer. We can be fussy though, and not stop if, as we drive by, we decide that it's all guy stuff. :) Unless, of course, one of the fellows here in the park has told us what he's looking for. After our friend L, purchased a walker for her husband, another resident, F, asked us to keep an eye out for something similar. She found one, and he's been out walking every day and uses it to carry his garbage or recycling to the bin. He's looking so much more stable on his feet - it's wonderful to see.

Happy Valentine's Day, and have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Improvement and a restful week

First off, the knee - thank you for the well wishes. J had been massaging the knee for me, but decided that the issue was likely a problem with my hip causing the knee issues. So on Monday she attacked my hip (or at least it felt that way) and in fact, worked on both sides. The muscles extending from the hip on down the left leg were incredibly tight and she located several balls of muscle that were worked out. On my right side, she also worked on the sciatic area. After the first massage I was walking with my knee brace and barely a limp. After a second massage, the improvement was even more noticeable. 

I still can't walk long distances (wandering the grocery store) or sit in the same position for prolonged periods as these activities tend to cause the knee to feel as if it has locked up. Besides icing the knee and hip, I have started doing light exercises to help improve the strength of my knee, both at home and at the clubhouse. We do chair exercises three times a week; they are helping too.

I did my laundry on the weekend as you could see by Wednesday's photo. S and L have been kind in letting me use their washing machine every week. Sometimes I hang the clothing on their umbrella rack at the back of their unit, but most times I bring it back and put it on the rack here.  With warm temperatures and a bit of wind, it usually only takes a couple of hours to dry. My neighbour H has given me permission to use her lines out back to hang sheets as my rack would not work well. 

Most units, especially those in the M section (I'm in R) have space for sheds. The washing machines are plumbed into the shed with cold water only and hooked up to power. My lot doesn't have the space for a shed, nor do I have ample power. Out back I don't have the space for a folding rack to be mounted on the RV. So everyone who passes by gets to see my clean laundry (at least it's not dirty, right?) It's been years since I line dried clothing and I should, but haven't yet, bring out the iron and ironing board as some things are pretty darned wrinkled!

I missed the snow moon at its fullest on Sunday evening but managed to get a decent photo of the sunset and the moon on Monday evening. One of my neighbours, who visits for about a week every month, mentioned that he and his wife appreciate the photos I've posted on FB, especially of the sunset. So these were for them.

The darn power and internet lines made it a bit difficult to capture a decent photo.

The park held it's annual general meeting of the shareholders on Tuesday. I was warned it could be a noisy affair, and it was, especially towards the end of the meeting. It was clear that some participants had not read the reports that were mailed out, or were making assumptions about certain things. I won't go into details - that wouldn't be fair to the residents but I will say it reminded me a bit of a reality television program with some clear alliances. :)

Wednesday, I went to the clubhouse for the morning chair exercises. In the afternoon, I played Canasta with our group of six. The guys beat the gals again, I think we're up the best of nine now, hoping to make a comeback. We'll have to win out the rest of the season at this rate. :)

On Thursday, J and her husband G put on a pancake breakfast for the park. In addition to pancakes, there was eggs, sausage, toast and fruit. The cost was $5 per person, with the proceeds going to the social club. We had a good crowd of 25 or so people, and the food was fresh and terrific! After breakfast I headed back to my unit to count the cash. I updated our spreadsheet and then settled in to watch the Olympics. I was able to catch a bit of the mixed doubles curling, as the Canada-Finland women's hockey game was postponed as several members of Finland's team have come down with norovirus. Finland is expected to play the USA on Saturday, assuming they can field enough players.

My brother and I were chatting one day and he mentioned a salad his daughter has introduced to them. It included roasted chickpeas, along with a variety of vegetables, feta, and tzatziki sauce. It sounded delicious, but I had no feta or tzatziki, and no way to roast the chickpeas.

This is my version. I put a little oil in a fry pan, added the chickpeas, paprika, onion and garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. I cooked them until the outside was slightly crispy (they tasted good right out of the pan!). I added them to a chopped salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, yellow pepper, red onion, and cheddar cheese, with a drizzle of Italian salad dressing. I didn't need all of the chickpeas for the meal, so I'll be enjoying the salad again later this week. 

I've been knitting lots too, and one of the residents has asked if I can teach them. Not sure I can teach but I can show him the basics. I throw my yarn; while I know the continental knitting technique I've never been able to consistently use it. My plan is to show him how to cast on, demonstrate the knit and purl stitches and tell him to watch some videos. He can decide which method he likes best. 

Today I plan to watch more of the Olympics and continue knitting on my project. I will do some light exercises for my legs as well. Gotta keep moving!

Have a great week ahead everyone.