Wordless Wednesday

 

Winter, winter, go away!

The week here at home with my daughter and grandson, started out busy and slowed down at the end of the week. First up, was some tidying and cleaning on the weekend. With two of us working, it didn't take long at all until the main floor was looking good...at least briefly. I have nearly forgotten how much of a mess one small child can make. Though his play area is in the basement, several items get transported upstairs. The kitchen, too, tends to get to be a bit of a mess.

I set an alarm for Sunday morning at 1 a.m. so I could watch the final of the women's world curling. Canada's Team Homan prevailed over the team from Switzerland. This was a repeat from last year! As I've commented on an earlier comment, it was a close game through to the 7th end (a full game is 10 ends). Canada managed to get a deuce (two points) and led Switzerland 4-3 at that point. Then the wheels fell off for Switzerland, as they allowed a steal of two in the 8th end and another one point in the 9th. With a score of 7-3, Switzerland conceded defeat and the teams shook hands. The Swiss third and skip both missed shots in the two ends, something that is quite unusual for the two curlers. To be honest, while I was quite happy for Canada to win, I do love a game that is decided on the last rock in the 10th end. If I were on the ice, I'd likely be happier with a blow out.

On Tuesday, we dropped Eli at school and drove to the next town ever for a bit of shopping at the thrift store. We did extremely well there, I found a wind jacket, a hoodie, D found a hoodie, leggings for herself, a fort frame for Eli, and we bought a wooden breadbox. Total was about $55. The one hoodie she bought was a brand name that sells regularly for $60-70 and was in new condition. The leggings were definitely new as the tag was still on them. After a quick stop for a few groceries we were home in time to unload before it was time to pick up Eli from school for lunch.

Unfortunately, I had a fall on some ice as I was bringing in some of the groceries. I landed on my back and my head snapped back and hit the pavement, and likely a bit of ice or a stone. Like all head wounds, it bled heavily, and took forever to completely stop. I used a head band to hold the paper towel in place (hence Wednesday's photo). While D ran to get Eli, I managed to get our shopping put away and then I settled down to rest for much of the afternoon. D had a telephone medical appointment at 2 p.m. and I had decided if the bleeding had not stopped by then I would go to the ER to see if it needed stitches. In the meantime, a friend called and in our conversation reminded me to put something cold against it to restrict the blood vessels. That helped, the bleeding stopped and with an Advil the headache abated.

I didn't sleep particularly well overnight, awake every few hours and some weird dreams, but other than pain in my neck (muscles), I felt back to normal. I'll admit to some fuzzy thinking the previous afternoon. In fact, I handed the keys to my vehicle to my daughter and she drove it while I stayed at home.

Wednesday was a mostly quiet day, I did get out for a walk for a bit with a little shopping thrown in for good measure. At the hardware store, I picked up an indoor plant starting kit, some seeds, and a pretty kitty solar light for the garden. Later in the afternoon, we were able to pick up her car from the garage, the damage of the winter repaired, and the car looking pristine.

It was good that I got out the day prior as the snow started on Thursday morning. D took Eli to school in the morning and they had their parent-teacher interview. He is progressing well towards his goals in his IEP and is showing strength in both his mathematics and phonics. We're pretty darned proud of him!

D parked in the garage when she arrived home, and I drove to pick up Eli at lunch. While I waited, the visibility decreased significantly, with the snow falling heavily and blowing. At point I could barely make out the headlights of the vehicle just a block or so away. It slowed down by 3 p.m. This photo was taken about a half hour prior.

D went out and shovelled the back sidewalk out to the parking area while I made dinner. We had more snow overnight, and she was out by just before 7 a.m. shovelling again. I joined her for about 15 minutes or so to finish clearing off the parking area, and to clean off my car. I drove both drop off and pick up for Eli at school; the alley was a mess initially, but the city had the machine through to flatten the snow by the time we returned at lunch.

We're expecting a couple of cooler days with cold weather overnight this weekend, but more spring like temperatures should arrive by mid-week. In the meantime the pile of snow in the parking area is nearly as tall as my SUV!

I've done some cross-stitching this week, and started on the mittens for next year for Eli's school. One pair is complete and the second pair has one mitten finished. The Men's World Curling championship starts today, so this weekend and upcoming week should be good for working on these projects. Vacuuming...who needs to vacuum? :p And I won't need to stay up late, as the event is being held here in the province.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Back in town

The painting in the basement is complete...at least for now. As I mentioned in my last post, I've decided to hold off painting my bedroom until later this spring or maybe in the fall. I'm glad I did the bathroom first, because it was a small project and, I suspect had I not, that job would have been held over. The foyer, stairwell, and the rec room including the alcove were a lot of work. There were lots of holes in the walls, several cracks, etc. that needed to be filled and sanded before I could even start thinking about painting. It is clear, that the walls were not floated when they did this reno and a lot of it was DIY. If my son ever wins the lottery, I'd recommend he tear it all out and start fresh. But for now, the area looks lighter and cleaner. I've done what I can.

On a vastly different note, we had more snow on Sunday into Monday, about 6-8 cms/2-3 in. I DON'T want to shovel snow again. Yes, I know I got away with not shovelling for two months. Still, it's time for spring...though we're more likely to see fool's spring and second winter before the real thing arrives. I'm envious of all of you, who are seeing snow drops and daffodils beginning to pop up in your gardens and neighbourhoods. Wednesday's photo showed the aftermath.

Monday, I finished the touch-ups and cleaned up the paint supplies, and vacuumed the basement. I did have another oops...this time I accidently hit the switch and turned off the furnace when I replaced the switch cover. It got pretty chilly, though my son didn't notice upstairs. He wasn't happy with me when I told him I thought there might be something wrong with the furnace and we discovered it was just my boo-boo. Oh well, it warmed up quickly and he'll know to check the switch should it ever happen again.

Laundry and running errands was the agenda for Tuesday. I dropped off some donations at the thrift store and got 5 balls of yarn for less than $6. These will be used to make more mittens for Eli's school this fall. I was happy to see my favorite cashier back in the store. She's been off work for several months due to a cancer diagnosis. I wasn't able to chat with her as she was busy with other customers, but I overheard her say, she's worked at the store for 20 years! She's definitely a good ambassador for the store.

Wednesday was mammogram day. I got lucky that there were a couple of cancellations and I was able to get an appointment in just a couple of weeks. Way back, over a year ago, I'd booked an appointment in the city for December. This was pre-purchase of the house in town, and I totally forgot about it. When they called to remind me, I tried to reschedule for March, and they had nothing available until August! I try to attend every year, as we have a family history of breast cancer. I've offered to have them remove the damn things since I don't use them anyway, but the medical professionals won't take me up on this.

I had a bit of a wait at the Breast Screening clinic, but the test took no time at all, and the x-ray operator was as gentle as possible as well as efficient. From there, I was able to visit with my friends L and K. We try to get together every few months to catch up. K introduced me to L, many years ago, as she is a travel agent and has been a friend as well. We talked about our various travels this winter, and upcoming trips. K and her partner J are the ones who drove me from Phoenix to Yuma, and will be off on a trip to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland mid-May for about five weeks or so. In fact, they'll likely be back in Halifax when D, Eli, and I are there in June! L has a trip planned in June, too. She'll be off to Spain for a week or 10 days at the invitation of Spain's tourism board. She and her family spent a week or so in Alberta in February in the Banff and Lake Louise area too. It's likely their last family trip, as their daughter is now 18 and will be starting university (nursing program) in the fall. Thinking back, I met L when her daughter was still around kindergarten age. 

Throughout the week, I had an opportunity to watch some of the women's worlds curling. I did not watch those games that were aired in the middle of the night. Sadly, TSN did not replay those games Curling Canada only provided the highlights on You-tube. However, I was also able to watch mixed doubles curling (also You-tube) which is underway in PEI. (I hope you've enjoyed watching some in person, Marie!)

While watching, I got some addition cross-stitching done. At this rate, I may finish this piece in time for Christmas!

This is from a kit I picked up at the thrift store. Cross-stitch kits are pricey. This would have been at least $40 when originally purchased. I picked it up for $3.99 plus taxes.

This is the front of the package. The kit came with all the materials needed to complete the project, including the felt for the backing. I'll have to pull out the sewing machine, once the stitching is complete to finish it. That will be the hardest part for me. 

If you recall I had an eye appointment a couple of weeks ago. The lens finally arrived on Friday at the north store but missed the pickup for the lab. The dispensary asked if I would mind delivering them myself, and they would put a rush replacing my old lenses in my glasses. I agreed as I wanted the new corrective lenses.

There was freezing rain in the forecast for Saturday morning, and I decided I'd like to get to my daughter's on Friday. I packed up the vehicle with my bags and things I'd picked up for D and Eli, picked up the lenses and delivered them to the lab at the east store. I spent the next couple of hours walking; first to Tim's for lunch, back to mall, around the mall, to the car, back to the mall, to the Dollar store, to the car, back to the mall. (I had parked a good distance from the mall on purpose, wanting to get some steps in.) I arrived back in the mall about 10 minutes ahead of schedule and took a break on a bench while I waited. 

I was back in the car and on my way by 2:20 p.m. and arrived at home just around 4 p.m. D, Eli, and I unpacked the car and put everything I'd brought away. At that point I was done, so sat while D made dinner. She and I watched Blue Jays pre-season baseball, before she took Eli up to bed about 7:30 p.m. I stayed up watching the Women's World Curling qualifier between Canada and Scotland. The Canadian team (Homan) prevailed and went on to win the semi-final overnight. They will be in the final (at 3 a.m. ET) in a repeat of last year's final against Switzerland. The Homan team won the title last year, and I'm hopeful they'll do the same this year.

We've got a couple of things to do here today, mostly tidying and cleaning up living areas. D has an errand she needs to run this afternoon too. But otherwise I plan to continue doing as little as possible. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Painting continues and future travel plans

More painting happened this week. A couple of days in, I was thinking it would never end. The first coat was finished in the basement area by mid-day Tuesday. It could have been sooner, but I took a break Monday afternoon...to plan a trip.

D, Eli, and I had been talking for a few months about travelling to Nova Scotia this summer. Eli is old enough now, at 8 years old, to remember most of the trip. We had meant to book for 8 days, 7 nights, but somehow I managed to book flights for 9 days, 8 nights. Probably a good thing as our days will be full! We'll be staying in Halifax for a couple of days, then travel to Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg before spending another night in Halifax. From there, we're off to Baddeck, with a couple of stops along the way. From Baddeck we'll travel to Sydney for one night. A one night stop in Antigonish, will have us back in Halifax on Canada Day, before we fly home the next day. There are museums, parks, gardens, and historical sites to visit. The day of our flights home, we've nothing planned, and we have late flight. We'll have time to pack and some playtime at a park before we drop off our rental car at the airport. 

Eli will miss a couple of days of school, but it is the end of the school year so won't be missing much. D has been working with him on his phonics for his French language and discovered this week, he is ahead of his classmates! Sadly, there was an issue with his in-class teacher and he hasn't been able attend class for a couple of months. He is working with a resource teacher (one-on-one) on his other subjects, but it has been left to D to provide the French language skills he needs. She attended French Immersion from kindergarten to Grade 12, and has her Education degree. As a result, she's well able to help Eli with his school work.

We're all looking forward to the trip. I did a road trip to the Maritimes with friends back in 2016. This will be different travelling experience. I suspect, though, like that trip, I'll be doing the majority of the driving. I do like feeling in control. :)

The photos on Wednesday is the work I completed on Tuesday. The first coat of paint was on the walls, and I was tired. I had taken part of the morning off to go thrifting. I found a couple of pretty decorative cushions and a 2 cup glass measuring cup ...with the markings on it. So many times the thrift store measuring cups have had the markings missing - I don't know if they were washed off, or if they were simply so poorly made. My daughter measures things using a coffee cup; I'm not that talented. But my best buy was a pair of brand new blue jeans (still had the waist tag on them) for under $7. 

The painting party continued over the next few days. I did have an accident on Wednesday morning. There is/was a water fountain for the cat and I managed to knock it over and when I got back from the bathroom where I had taken it to dump, I found I'd also managed to tip over the paint can. There is now a large splotch in the carpet. I cleaned up as much as I could, and will use a carpet cleaner later to see if I can any more of it out. If not, the carpet is ancient, there is a cat and a dog in the house, so at some point I'm sure my son will want to replace it. 

By Thursday afternoon, I had finished the second coat throughout the basement. I noted, as it dried, a few spots that needed to be touched up but decided I needed an afternoon off. Since I'm on nobody's schedule but my own, I chose to do just that. After a much needed shower, I went out to do a wee bit of shopping. I can't say I found anything special, but came home with a pair of pillows and bath mats. 

Friday morning, I made a few touch ups before I tackled the stairwell. There were some holes to patch that needed to be left to dry before sanding. I was able to continue painting other areas, though, while that happened. I'm not able to reach the full height of the walls at the top of the stairs, so will send my son up the ladder on the weekend. He's over 6 feet tall, about a foot taller than I am and should be able to do the edging along the ceiling.

By midday, I decided to call it quits. Can you tell I'm getting tired of painting? Oh, I'll power through and get the rest of the foyer and stairwell painted, but my bedroom is going to wait until my next visit. I plan clean the basement next week, and then I'll start packing the car to go back out to my daughter's. 

Instead, I spent much of the afternoon watching television and cross-stitching. Guess what I did, for part of it? Not painting, not stitching, but snow shovelling! We got about an inch of snow over a 24 hour period. While we could drive through it, the snow had piled up in front of the garage. My son likes to park in the garage over the weekend, while I like to have my car available (we have a narrow driveway). It only took 15-20 minutes, but it is the first time I've had a shovel in my hands since December. 

Later today, I'll continue the painting up on the landing and the stairwell. I'm using latex paint, and as it dries quickly, I'll try to get the second coat on in the afternoon. Then I can clean everything up and put my supplies away!

Meanwhile I'm watching the women's world curling from Korea. Canada is playing Scotland this morning and at the moment the game is tied up. I've got my tea and bagel with peanut butter to enjoy along with the curling. Go Canada go!

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Almost Wordless Wednesday

 

Before

First coat

Coming home, work to be done

Over all the trip home from Yuma was probably one of my better travel day(s). Although the Desert Bus wasn't a bus, but a 9 passenger van, there were no lengthy delays, no lost shoes or passport, and there was even an empty seat between me and another woman on the flight from Phoenix to Calgary. And I got about a 90 minute sleep on that first flight. From the time I left the hotel in the morning until I arrived at C's that night, was only 12 hours. That is a short travel day for me, as getting here from anywhere is always a lengthy process.

I spent the weekend unpacking, cuddling the cat, doing a bit of cleaning (my son had vacuumed the basement!), cuddling the cat, watching curling, and cuddling the cat. C and I took Sage, the dog, for a walk too, and she is much better mannered wearing a harness rather than just a collar. Sage does not like other dogs however, and C needs to restrain her. He's looking into obedience classes for this spring. I think it will be good for both of them.

I did some shopping on Tuesday morning. I will be here in the city for a few weeks, with my goal of painting the basement. The bedroom is pink and the main room is a blue that makes it feel very dark. My first stop was Home Depot for paint and supplies, and home again to drop these items off. I had more shopping to do and didn't want to leave the paint in the car, as it was -7C (19F). There followed stops at Value Village, Salvation Army thrift store, Costco and Dollarama. My best deal of the day were two kitchen chairs at S.A. for $20. We've been using fold-up chairs at both houses and I'll leave this with my son. I'll keep looking for other chairs for our house in town. The Costco run was made for my daughter and I purchased everything but the chocolate chips she wanted. At $26.99 for a 2.4 kg/5.3 lb. bag, I thought the price was outrageous - according to my daughter it is not. So I'll have to make a stop before I leave the city - it's on the way out anyway.

BTW, the photo on Wednesday was a vehicle parked at the Salvation Army thrift store. I'm assuming that the individual didn't want to park further ahead as the parking lot has ice on it. In any event, I found it amusing.

On Wednesday, I had a meeting with my financial advisor to discuss moving some funds around. She is expecting in May, but works with a team. Some of the transactions will happen now, but there is one that is pending for October. It will be diarized, but I'll be in touch too, to ensure it happens when I need it too. 

I got started on the basement prep that morning too (after the curling game!). The previous owners clearly liked to hang things on the walls as there were holes even where there were no hangers. I'd decided that painting will start in the small bathroom, so cleared the room out before patching the one wall (not pictured). By the time I finished patching all the holes and a couple of cracks in the main room, it was time for more curling. 

I had an appointment with the optometrist early Thursday morning and walked out of his office a whole lot lighter (in the wallet) than I went in. Progressive lenses are not inexpensive! I had been noticing a difference in my left eye primarily and this was confirmed by the doc. My cataracts, he says, continue not to be an issue. Frankly, I'm not even aware of them, though it seems to me the last time he only mentioned one and now there are two.

I got the bathroom painted on Friday morning with a pint of "oops" paint. You know I have a hard time passing up a bargain, and at $3 for the paint, I thought it would work well with the flooring. There are a few small spots that need touch up, and I'll do that this morning, before putting everything away. 

I did some sanding (and some vacuuming) in the main room as well. Watching curling took up the afternoon before I met friends for dinner. We'd last been together in October, so there was a lot to catch up on. It was a good time, with good food, good friends, and lots of laughter. Back at home, I watched curling - it was late night, hence the late posting of this blog. 

Today, I'll wash walls in the main room before I start painting. This is a large room, with three areas: a hallway/foyer at the base of the stairs, the open living area, and an alcove where I believe they had their television. There isn't a whole lot of furniture, mostly cat stuff and a chair and table that I use for jigsaw puzzles. As a result, I won't be rushing to get it done. The paint is not a oops paint, but a slightly green toned off white. Since the room is the blue that was in the bathroom, this colour should really lighten it up.

More curling today too, a match this afternoon and another this evening, the semi-final and final will air tomorrow. I've been working on my cross stitching while I watch. My bedroom was a former sewing room of one of the previous owners. The overhead florescent lights provide good lighting for this project and my old eyes. And on that note, I'll finish this post...

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Saying good-bye, time to go home

The heritage dinner on Saturday was both interesting, and delicious. First off, I had no idea so many people where of Italian ancestry. (They're not, but there was certainly a lot of pasta dishes). I wimped out on bringing in my shortbread with the piper. L, G's wife, is originally from Scotland and happily did the honor. 

In addition, there was polish sausage, lazy cabbage rolls, chicken biryani, creamed corn, various salads, and desserts. The local resident who bakes provided carrot cake, and another I didn't recognize. I went home overfed and happy! Then on Sunday, we had a must-go dinner of the leftovers. I was very appreciative of the meals, as I was definitely getting low on groceries.

Monday morning, my landlady C drove me out to the Valley of the Names. Wednesday's photo of the roadrunner was taken as we were headed into the desert. It posed so nicely for me! Here are a few more of the photos I took on our trip.

I had to take this one for Eli - his full name is Elias!

The ocotillo had a single bloom on it. C said in April this area will be awash in colour. 

It is believed that the practice of writing one's name in rocks was started in WWII by soldiers at the Desert Training Center nearby. Later, others found the area and started adding to it. C told me it goes on for about 10 miles! We did not see all of it because the trail is not only rough, but tends to drop at steep angles - at a couple of points I feared the truck would flip on it's side. When C asked if I would like to turn around, I definitely said yes. 

A few of us went thrifting on Tuesday, and I mostly behaved myself. I did pick up a pretty top for $4 and a book for $0.50. We decided to go for lunch out at Paradise Casino, and then drove to Imperial Date Gardens so L and A could pick up dates. Back in the city, we stopped at one more thrift store before heading back to the park. The afternoon was hot! It reached 33C/91F. We started out Happy Hour under the gazebo, but the women soon made the move into the shade on the other side of the clubhouse. There was a wee bit of breeze so it was much more comfortable.

The group had set up a women's lunch on Wednesday at Mar Azul, a seafood restaurant. We met at the clubhouse at 11:15 a.m., eleven of us, and hopped in a couple of vehicles to go to the restaurant. The restaurant isn't large, and we were seated in the middle of it. It took a bit of time for everyone to get water, utensils and to peruse the menu. Meanwhile, some of us ordered drinks as well. I chose a Pacifico beer (a Mexican Pilsner) and it was a good choice. For my lunch I had two fish tacos, which were delicious! Two of the women ordered the garden salad with salmon, and when the portions came out, I think at least three or four people could have eaten just one order! The salads came in large bowls with two pieces of salmon on top! They both took a good portion home for dinner. 

Thursday was my last full day at the park. I had started packing early this week, and left the cleaning to be done that day. I went to coffee hour at 9 a.m. and gave a little speech to thank everyone for their hospitality. You'll likely chuckle at this, but I had practiced back at the unit a few times as I tend to get nervous in front of a crowd. In any event, it was well received.

Back at the unit, I did a thorough cleaning of the kitchen and bathroom, stripped the bed (I'd sleep on the couch that night), washed dishes and the floors throughout, and finished my packing. Even though I would be spending a night at a hotel in Phoenix, I packed things to wear, and toiletries that are permitted on the airplane. My theory is, I don't want to re-open my suitcase unless absolutely necessary.

My next door neighbour had been volun-told by his wife that he would be driving me to Carl's Junior on Friday morning to meet the Desert Bus. The three of us headed out about 9 a.m. and had coffee together while I waited for the bus to arrive. It actually wasn't a bus, but a 9 passenger van (though that was a bit of stretch). There were two of us picked up in Yuma, five in the Foothills, and another 2 at Wellton. At Gila Bend, our rest stop, we played musical seats as many of the passengers had knee or hip issues and needed more leg room. I ended up sitting next to the exit door, happily as I was able to pull out my knitting and finish the dish cloth I'd started. 

At the Phoenix airport, our drop-off spot, I found the lower level for ground transportation and called the hotel for pick-up. Imagine my surprise when I learned I was at the VERY door I needed to be. The shuttle had actually just left the airport, but returned in about 20 minutes. Check-in was easy, and after dropping the bags in my room, I walked next door to the Waffle House for a late lunch. A burger and a sweet tea satisfied my appetite. 

I have the shuttle booked for 8:30 this morning. My flight isn't until 12:05 p.m. but I don't mind being there early, and the baggage drop-off should be open by 9 a.m. I've already checked in for the flight. I'm expecting to arrive in Calgary about 3:15 p.m. and my next flight to Regina departs around 6:30 p.m. That will give me plenty of time to get through customs, have a bite to eat, and find my gate. I'll be back in the city about 9 p.m. (local time). Then it will be a bit of a wait for luggage and a cab ride to my son's - I should walk through the door by 10 p.m. Wish me luck... as delays are quite normal with WestJet. 

Have a great week ahead, everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Another busy week and fun with friends

I had a quiet weekend, which was just what I wanted. I did go to Happy Hour but otherwise stayed home and worked on the jigsaw puzzle, my stitching, and knitting. There was a bit of housework done and some laundry, but for the most part I relaxed.

I'd gotten a couple of hours of stitching done on Saturday, when I realized I'd started two rows over from where I ought to have done, so spent the evening watching the Four Nations hockey and un-stitching the work I'd done earlier. Canada lost to the USA, and as result were in a battle to reach the final, and needed to win in regulation over Finland on Monday. They did win that game and would play in the final on Thursday evening in Boston. I was thrilled when they won in overtime. Go Canada Go!

I managed to re-do my work on Sunday and a little bit more. There wasn't anything to watch on television (or at least nothing I was interested in), so decided to go to bed early and read. That didn't last, as I decided to get up and work on the puzzle. Shortly after 11 p.m. I finished. It had been on the table well over a week, so I was ready to have it done. The photos were from that afternoon, and the second I took the following morning. J had lent me two puzzles, so I quickly put away this one and started the second one. 

Three of us went shopping Monday to some chain stores, Beall's, Ross Dress for Less, and Marshalls. L did very well, coming home from Beall's with a two pairs of pants and four tops - all $9.99 or less. I picked up a pair of shorts for Eli, and a wallet for D. The wallet is the same brand as the purse I picked up for her at Burlington's last week, and is meant for a Christmas gift. Eli can give her the wallet. D picked up a pair of sunglasses at Beall's. Both Ross and Marshalls were a bust, so we decided to go to lunch. 

We ate the Patio, just down the block from the park. I had an Oriental chicken salad, while the other two had shrimp and salmon rolls. We were all invited out to dinner that evening at H's so wanted something light. I'll admit the salad was a good size - I ate all the vegetables and left some chicken behind.

We met for dinner after Happy Hour at H's place. Have I mentioned her previously? She has an outdoor kitchen in her shed, a full sized stove and fridge, as well as her washing machine. Wonderful food comes out of that kitchen. She's known for her banana bread, brownies, tres Leches cake and many more goodies. We had pork loin, scalloped potatoes, and mixed veg for dinner and creme brulee for dessert. She didn't make the dessert, she said, because she was too busy. It was all delicious.

Six of us went thrifting on Tuesday, a full van load of women descending on the stores. I picked up a James A. Michener book to read on the way home, a bathing suit for Eli, a pair of jean capris to replace the ones I sacrificed to the paint party, and a pretty top. The adult granddaughter of one of the ladies cleaned up. She left the van with several bags of clothing - apparently she does this each year, arrives with an almost empty suitcase and returns home with a full one. We had lunch at the Black Bear Diner before heading back to the park. 

I walked down to Food City on Wednesday morning, as I had run out of fresh vegetables. The prices are so amazing to me; a head of lettuce for $0.99, two bunches of green onions for $1, a pound of baby carrots for just $1.69 and a red pepper for $0.50! I also bought tomatoes, so, if nothing else I have salad fixings for the next week. Back at the unit, I mixed up and cooked a meatloaf for dinner and sandwiches. It had just come out of the oven, when L arrived and invited me to the Canada Snowbird Association (CSA) presentation at the Quechan Casino (informally known as the Q). 

We left just before noon (Yuma time /11 a.m. California time). Q is across the border in California and the presentation started at noon. There were speakers from the CSA and from Medipac, the travel insurance company. It was a really interesting program, as I had no real knowledge of either. 

But it got better! After a 20 minute intermission, we were entertained by Michelle Wright (a Canadian country singer) and a comedian whose name I have forgotten. He was entertaining, but it was Michelle's performance that was wonderful. She mentioned she's been in the business for 43 years. Unaccompanied by nothing but her guitar, her voice is still amazing. She sang a variety of her material, as well as Anne Murray's Snowbird. Fitting for the crowd, and most everyone knew the words and sang along.

I had planned to housework and some stitching on Thursday, and did get the house vacuumed, dishes washed and dried, and the bathroom cleaned. However, L called just after lunch to say she and her stepdaughter K were going to Green Trees (a discount grocery store), and would I like to go with them. I had picked up some protein bars on our last trip, and really liked them, so said yes. Well, it wasn't only a trip to Green Trees - we also visited Target, Discount Tire for a free tire check (air and tread), In and Out Burger for lunch for the two of them, and then to Green Trees. I had eaten at lunch so had a drink and shared L's fries. On our way back to the park, we stopped at Food City. We stayed in the car while K ran in for one item.

This was the sign at Target - I haven't had any issues finding eggs at Walmart and Food City, so I assume Target uses different supplies.

By the time we arrived back at the park, Happy Hour was underway. There, I was invited to ride along for a trip to Los Algodones, across the Mexican border on Friday. I thanked A for the offer, but declined. I was ready for a quiet day of puttering around the unit.

And that is exactly what I did on Friday. I worked on the jigsaw puzzle, I sat outside in the sun and read for a bit of time, I finished knitting my hanging kitchen towel, and did some stitching. I did go to Happy Hour and before coming back to the unit, I helped several of the women decorate the clubhouse for the Heritage Dinner. 

Today, I'll be baking the shortbread for the dinner - it is so much better when it is fresh. L's husband, G plays the bag pipes, and she has informed he, he will be piping me in to the clubhouse with my contribution. Wish me luck, hopefully I won't trip on the threshold! The meal should be very good, as there are a wide variety of dishes being prepared. 

Beyond that, I don't plan to do much else for the weekend, as it is shaping up to be a busy week next week. I have something scheduled for every day AND I have to pack too. :(

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Painting, a birthday, and more windy weather

I think I'm going to need a vacation when I get home from this vacation. It has been another full week of fun and a bit of work.

Our garage sale visits on Saturday were productive, with a number of useful items purchased by J and L. I picked up a mug to leave at the clubhouse for coffee/tea - coffee hour is on Thursdays and I always forget to bring a mug with me, and a cross stitch magazine. I spent a whopping $1.50. The RV park we visited had 1200 lots, two clubhouses, five pools, several hot tubs, as well as pickle ball, tennis and shuffleboard courts. Far too big for me, and the monthly lease costs are approximately $800 USD per month. Too rich for my blood.

In comparison, the park I am in has 59 lots, a clubhouse and a 15 man hot tub. It is a mix of park models, house trailers, and RV's. As a Co-op, and with few amenities, the lot lease is only $125 US per month. That includes cable television, WiFi, and water. I should note the water is not potable. There are many places to buy water. I walk about 4-5 blocks to Desert Water, where I can refill two of my gallon jugs for a mere 50 cents. Walmart and Food City sell these for about $1.50 each. I go through about 3/4's of a gallon each day, more if I'm doing much cooking.

This weekend, many of the residents were busy with painting the perimeter fence. I helped some on Friday, took the day off on Saturday, and then jumped in on Sunday to paint the fence at three lots. I finished the second coat of the third fence on Monday morning. There are some residents who chose not to do the work themselves, so the park will be charging them a fee for the work. The last lot that I finished on Tuesday morning, was one of the latter. On the other hand, there were several people in their 80's out there putting in more than their fair share of work. My painting partner on Sunday turned 79 this week. As a renter, I wasn't expected to help but I know everyone was eager to get it finished. Those who weren't able to paint provided supplies for lunch every day, and it was prepped and put it out for the workers at the clubhouse. 

Tuesday was thrifting day, with L and A. We hit up three thrift stores, where I found a couple of pieces of clothing, another set of knitting needles and a book of crocheted dishcloth patterns. One can never have enough patterns, right? Then we headed off to the mall, where I picked up my first Christmas gift. It is a pretty pink purse for my daughter. We had lunch at In and Out burger, a restaurant I've never been too. It was good and very reasonably priced. The Wednesday photos were from that trip. I certainly know where I need to go if I should need any bathroom aids as I age! The tree was in the The Palms mall area; an oleander, which I've learned is toxic, but so pretty!

The wind picked up that day and there was a lot of sand in the air. Happy hour was held in the enclosed area beside the clubhouse, and even there the wind felt cool. It was noisy overnight, as there are items hanging on the side of the park model that bang. It had calmed down slightly overnight, but I decided to forgo my walk in the morning, and caught up on some housework. I'd vacuumed the prior morning, so washed the floors. I also put together a casserole from leftovers in the fridge. Time is ticking down, and I want to use up as much as possible. 

By Thursday, the wind had died down, but it was cloudy and cooler, just 17C (63F) at noon. I went to the clubhouse for coffee (in my case tea) and goodies in the morning. There were sign up sheets circulated for the Heritage dinner (Feb 22 - I was already signed up), for the women's luncheon (Feb 26), and St. Patrick's Day (I won't be here for that.) In fact, I have less than two weeks remaining here! Time does fly when one is having fun. That evening, I went to dinner at Olive Garden with the birthday gal L, and her husband G, and their park neighbour D. L and D were both nurses and worked together in their community in British Columbia.

I've spent the afternoons stitching on my cross-stitch project. I think I started it a couple of years ago, and I've a long way to go. 

I'm also reading a John Sanford novel, Bad Blood. If you've read his novels, it is about one of his characters, Virgil Flowers, an agent of the State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and his investigation into several murders in a small rural area in Minnesota.

Friday was a quiet day, with nothing major on the agenda. After a walk to Desert Water, I worked on my jigsaw puzzle, did some stitching, and finished my book. It appears I will not be able to watch the Scotties Tournament of Hearts curling, as it is only being broadcast in Canada (boo!) I have to keep an eye on the scores on-line and watch the news for highlights.

I have no plans for the weekend and I'm ready for a quiet couple of days. Perhaps time will slow down a bit, and my last two weeks will last longer. A girl can hope, right?

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

The heat is on!

Someone must have left the furnace on outside...we reached highs of 27-30C/80-86F early in the week. The a/c in the unit does work, but I'd rather not use it unless I truly need too. As a result I've spent more time outside in the shade this week.

I spent Sunday afternoon (finally) cleaning up the outside living area. I started by removing the sheets off the couches and washing those, moved onto sweeping the tile floor and washing it, and then wiping down the furniture. After hanging the sheets on the line to dry, it was time to relax and read in the shade.

On Monday, I headed out early to pick up a couple of gallons of water; after dropping that off at the unit, I went in the other direction and treated myself to breakfast at McDonald's before stopping at the CVS. I had brought travel sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner with me, and I was running low. Back at the unit, I went out to sit in the sun to read. At least I read for part of the time, as there were lots of people walking past, and almost every one stopped for a quick chat. 

It wasn't long before the heat was ramped up and I moved into the shade in the outdoor living room. Lunch was eaten at the dining table, and I spent the rest of the afternoon reading and chatting with a couple of visitors. Then it was off to Happy Hour to visit with more of the crew. I headed home shortly before six, made a bit of dinner and watched the sun drop in the sky. It really cools off nicely in the evenings, and with the screen door and the fan running, it felt quite comfortable inside the unit.

Tuesday morning's sunrise.

Three of us went thrifting on Tuesday, with a stop at two of the stores, and then to a grocery outlet, Green Trees. I came home with four more t-shirts. One is for my daughter, and one I bought for later in the week. The park fence needs painting/staining, and I had agreed to help out. At Green Trees, I picked up a small container of ice cream, a box of Rice-a-roni, a cup of mashed potatoes, and a couple of dish scrubbers. One of the other ladies mentioned she uses the potato flakes as a thickener for gravy and I think it would work well for thickening stir fry sauce. I'll give it a try, for certain.

That evening was the potluck supper, which was well attended. The food was varied and very good! There were various salads, spaghetti, chili, sweet and sour meatballs, green bean casserole, ham, chicken wings, Chinese fried rice, and so much more. For dessert, there were mini cupcakes, a cheesecake with cherry topping, Black Forest cake, sweet cornbread, and my brownies. Amazingly there wasn't a lot of food left after everyone had eaten.

I had vacuumed on Tuesday, but the floors needed washing too, so that was on my list for Wednesday. With the warm-up in the afternoons, I decided I'd do a bit of cooking in the morning including a sausage/rice casserole and some taco meat. While the casserole was baking, I had my breakfast and let the rest of the dishes soak. When the food was tucked away in the fridge, I washed the floors and went outside to read and enjoy the sunshine.

After lunch, eaten outdoors, I went to Canasta. We played three on three, and my team won both games! I think I'm finally figuring out the strategy, just don't ask me to count cards. They go so fast I haven't got a clue. :) By the time we finished the games, it was just fifteen minutes prior to Happy Hour. 

I stayed up late that evening, watching curling (Alberta men's) and hockey (Edmonton vs. Chicago) and it was near midnight before I fell asleep. My landlady had texted to ask if they could come by to wash the fence in preparation for painting at 8'ish the next morning. Imagine my chagrin when I woke up, hearing her voice outside, at 8:30 a.m.! 

The was a pancake breakfast (I hadn't planned to go) and once that was complete, the park got very busy as the volunteer painters started their work. I did not paint, but did assist the preparations for lunch for the workers in the clubhouse. Then it was back to my unit to clean up the patio, as the mud tracked from the fence area had dried up so I could sweep and mop.

By this point, the crews were ending their work for the day, as the temperature was rising quickly. I had my lunch, then spent the afternoon watching curling. The men's events are on for the Alberta and Manitoba provincials. I'm not as invested in these but will watch when I have time.

Friday morning, I joined a crew a few doors down and helped with the painting. One person was rolling paint on the fence boards, her husband was coming behind and brushing the paint to even it out, and I used a paint brush to reach the bottoms of the boards and in between the boards. They there longer than I was, but I put in over an hour before we finished our portion. Others were further down the park, and more still at the front end. There are few areas that haven't been done just yet, but the rest will have the second coats complete in the next few days.

We stopped for a water break in the shade and the two of them went back to work. I would have but there wasn't really much for me to do. Instead, I cleaned up and went to help with lunch...except that was pretty much ready to go too! These are a talented group of people and everyone pitches in, one way or another.

After lunch, another renter and I drove out to Imperial Date Gardens near Bard, California. We were both looking for fresh dates. I picked up a small container, while she bought a large box. I'll need to eat mine before I leave, she'll take hers back to B.C. later in March.

Today, I'm off early in the morning with one of the residents to go garage sale'ing. I have no intention of buying a garage...nor anything else for that matter, but it's very nice to see different area of Yuma.

I'll end this post with photos from my daughter of the aftermath of this week's snow fall.

The first is looking out the front door at the city sidewalk, and the second photo is out back, showing the snow that she's piled up from the driveway.

I almost feel sorry that I'm not there to help with the shovelling. Note I said, almost.

I must teach her to take her cellphone photos on landscape! 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Fun with (new) friends

I thought I'd fill you in on the rest of the Saturday happenings. I met S&S at 10 a.m. at their unit (they've done a wonderful job of renovating it since they purchased), and we headed out to the Civic Center to the Health Fair. There were numerous booths set up, including a space to have one's glucose and/or blood pressure checked, various booths for skin care (including Botox) and fitness classes, as well as some odd options (plumber/electrical). I suspect the latter knew that there the event would attract snowbirds who might be looking for work to be done on their properties.

Next door was a jewelry, sand art, and rug sale. Everything was very nice and for the most part, very expensive. I might have been tempted to purchase one of the smaller sand art pieces, but I'd worry about it getting broken in the suitcase on the way home. From the Civic Center we went over to the Yuma fairgrounds to an arts and crafts sale. In one building, had art displays from local artisans. Again, there were some amazing pieces. My favorite was a mixed media piece vase, and in second place was a poured paint piece. I would have happily taken either home too.

From there, we decided to go out to the Foothills for lunch at a Thai restaurant. It is quite the drive out there, but the food was phenomenal. I had the Pad Thai, and they had a two different curries. The portions were a decent size and the prices reasonable. I took half of my meal home for dinner that night. I very much enjoyed our time together.

The finals of the provincial curling playdowns happened on Sunday. Both the women's and men's finals were good games. Now, I have to wait until mid-February for the Scottie's (women) and the end of February for the Brier (men). I did learn that next year's provincial event will be held in the town where I live with my daughter. Maybe I'll have to consider tolerating January weather so I can attend in person. :)

On Monday, I needed water and groceries, so headed out early. One of the full-time residents offered me a ride to the water store, so I took him up on the offer. After walking back to drop off the water, I headed the other direction to McDonald's for breakfast and then to Food City for groceries. When I'd returned, I was sitting out front reading, when L drove up and asked if I would like to go to the big Walmart (a 40 minute walk away). I jumped at the chance as I wanted to pick up a squeeze mop. My landlady has a mop that I use outdoors, but I didn't want to use that one indoors and had been washing floors on my hands and knees. (not easy on these old knees). I found a cheap one, along with some thread and buttons. L offered me her sewing kit that includes straight pins, so I was able to wash and block the hanging kitchen towel and dishcloths. I even pulled out my cross stitch that afternoon and was able to get a bit done it before my daughter called. 

It truly is a small world: at Happy Hour I discovered that two of the recent arrivals from British Columbia, know a friend of mine. A and I worked at the same financial institution back in the late 80's. She and her husband moved to B.C. not long after. We kept in touch through Christmas letters, and later through Facebook. There are a number of folks here from the same area where she and husband live and I'd been asking everyone I met if they knew her. I pulled up my FB feed, and we messaged her to let her know. 

Guess what I did on Tuesday? If you guessed I visited thrift stores and went for lunch, you'd be right. Four of us hopped in L's SUV and went to three different thrift stores. I found a plaid shirt for Eli, a t-shirt for myself, and a pair of knitting needles. Total spent $6.40. Even considering the exchange rate, these were good deals. After our thrifting itch was taken care of, we drove to California for lunch. It wasn't a long drive, as the Colorado River is the natural border between Arizona and California. We had lunch at the Paradise Casino (no gambling happened) - I had an Asian chicken salad with candied cashews. I assumed that there would be a half dozen cashews, but in fact, there many more. It was delicious and for around $10, it was very reasonably priced.

As I've mentioned, I bought sugar and flour to make shortbread and since there is more than I will need, so I picked up yeast in my last grocery run. Wednesday, I made a small batch of bread dough. While the dough was rising, I walked down to the water store for a couple more bottles of water. After a second rising, I shaped the loaves in rough loaves as I have no bread pans. I got a couple of small loaves, one for the freezer and one to eat this week. Although ugly (no picture), the bread tastes great and I used some for a sandwich for lunch.

That afternoon, I joined seven others to play Canasta. We played four people to a table, and my partner and I did not win - partially because I messed up and picked up cards that weren't counted. I headed back to my unit to work on my cross stitch before Happy Hour.

Unfortunately, Thursday was a write-off as I was sick with a stomach bug. It started overnight, when I was woken by severe pain and lasted through the day. When I wasn't in the bathroom, I was asleep on the couch. In fact, I slept much of the day there, went to bed at 6:30 and except for a 90 minute period when I was awake, slept through until after 7 a.m. Apparently that was what I needed as I felt much better when I woke up. I think I've figured out what caused the issue - I'd made a stir fry the night prior and used some chicken bouillon from the cupboard for my sauce. On Friday, I decided to make some chicken noodle soup; I checked the best before date that was sometime in 2022. When I mentioned it to my next door neighbour, she said that it was probably bad as the unit is vacant through the summer and the heat may have caused it to turn. According to a Google search, bouillon should be kept in a dark cool place.

I took it easy on Friday, enjoyed a lengthy shower, and got caught up on a bit of housework. Oh, the sand, the sand that blows in is something else. It doesn't matter how often I sweep or vacuum, there is always more sand. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the warmth and lack of snow. I did get some cross-stitching done as well. That's another plus, the light here is simply amazing for doing the stitching. I did make it to Happy Hour (no alcohol for me) and celebrated my 6th anniversary of retirement. One of residents, J brought over a couple of jigsaw puzzles for me to work on. Apparently she has a puzzle room in her unit!

Today will be another quiet day, I've no plans to go anywhere and no need to leave the park. I've got one of the puzzles to start, cross-stitching and a start of a knitted hanging kitchen towel to work on, and the living room and bedroom floors need to be vacuumed and washed. 

The photos from Wednesday were taken on January 25th. The first was sunrise through the window screen and the other was at sunset. There was smoke in the air, as we could smell it at Happy Hour, and it caused the sun to turn red.  Since I've no photos from the rest of the week, I'll leave you with a video my brother sent me on Friday. It makes me very happy to be here!