The end of an era, a quiet week, and Happy Easter!

Another sad family moment this week, when the last of my parent's generation passed away at the age of 92. If you've been reading for some time you may remember I visited my cousin B and her husband, and Uncle G on Vancouver Island a couple of times in the past 10 years. He was an avid golfer, out on the course two or three times a week until he was in his late 80's. Sadly, he's been quite ill for a few years and was ready to join Aunt A (my mom's sister). There was no service. This is a photo of Uncle G and Aunt A, at Christmas 1971. 

Speaking of services, my brother and I did not make it to our cousin's service. He had to be out of town on Friday. I didn't feel I could manage a long day, with about 8 to 10 hours of driving. Another cousin shared the link to K's obituary, so I did send a memorial donation. K was just 62, and two months younger than my younger brother. 

After hearing the news about Uncle G, I called my older brother to let him know. We realized we are now the oldest generation, and M is the eldest at 75. Unfortunately his health isn't great either as he contracted long Covid. He has been sick off and on for several months, and had a bad spell in February.  It's been 10 years since we were together for his 65th birthday. 

As for cousin B, he is still in the hospital but is improving. I haven't heard what caused the stroke, though that side of the family is well acquainted with the issue. My maternal great-grandmother lived bedridden for several years after a stroke, my maternal grandfather had his first stroke in his early 70's and my mom was even younger, at the age of 66. B is younger still, having turned 63 this past January. Hopefully, with physical therapy he'll regain the use of his hand and arm, and his speech will get better over time.

On the home front, it hasn't been a terribly busy week but good nonetheless. D has been organizing various spaces in the house.  She had purchased a new bookcase for her bedroom so brought down the older one for use as a side table in the living room. As a result, I was able to unpack the photo albums which were packed in the summer of 2023 in preparation for selling my old house. I spent an afternoon adding labels indicating the year and subject of the contents. I have several albums that belonged to my mom, a few from when I left home, a few more for my children, and the majority from the trips I've enjoyed over the years. It was fun to flip through the pages and re-live some of the memories. Though I'll admit there were more than a few photos that are no longer prominent in my memory.

As you'll have seen in Wednesday's photo, Eli had equine therapy on Monday afternoon. He shows little to no fear, even with the larger horses. Of course, they are used to children and very gentle. He wore his noise cancelling headphones as the wind was up and the barn was noisy - he's not a fan of the horse poop either. :)

We did get to the local thrift store on Tuesday, where D (mostly) filled a bag with clothing for $12. There were two pieces for me, a tank top and a pair of capris. She got two pairs of jeans and several t-shirts. Unless one "fills" a bag, the cost is $2 per piece. She did extremely well. I picked up another book to read though I have several books yet to read. I'm nowhere near the 52 that Connie at Far Side of Fifty has on her list. :)

On Thursday, D and I spent much of the morning putting together a shelving unit for storage. We'd bought a small hutch when we moved in, and it was proven to be too small for our needs. Like wallpaper, this is a job that was meant to be done by someone other than the two of us. Partially due to having only pictures, no text in the instructions, and also due to our differing interpretations of said pictures, the process took a little/lot longer than it needed to. But it is in place and we plan to pick up a few more baskets this week for storage. 

The snow has mostly melted with just a few places where the snow was piled from shovelling. The outdoor furniture should be out next week, and we're planning to use the BBQ for the first time in months. 

Though warmer, it has still been cool, but the weather is supposed to improve on Sunday. I'm hoping to get out to do some clean-up of the perennials and D is planning to do an Easter egg hunt with Eli outdoors. I think she'll need to wait until the afternoon...

Happy Easter everyone! Have a great week ahead. 

Happy Easter

Wishing you all a very happy Easter, hope you are enjoying the weekend.

*comments off

Happy days

More work was accomplished over the past few days, but I also took some time to rest, relax and enjoy the sunshine.  Since every day now is Friday (at least that is how it feels), I'll start with a recap of Thursday.  The day started off cool but by lunchtime it was a lovely 11C (52F) so I headed outdoors to do some clean up.  I started with the front yard clearing up the debris from the large evergreen tree.  I raked, swept and picked up pine needs and pine cones from under tree, the driveway, and the patio.  That was the easy job.  

Next up I tackled the sheds in the back yard.  I pulled everything out of the larger of the two, sorting through containers, plant food, tools, and other garden paraphernalia including ornaments and solar lights.  D will be here in a couple of weeks and I set aside some of the gardening tools, containers, and ornaments she can take back with her.  There was a bit of garbage - any idea why I kept the plastic containers hanging baskets come in?  I certainly don't know.  I also came across a box of seeds, carrots, chives, spinach, and I can't recall what else.  Since I don't have a garden, nor have I had one in many years, the only thing I can think of is I brought these back when I cleaned out my Dad's house...back in 2007.  Not sure why I held onto them and then promptly forgot. 

After a good sweep out, I replaced the items to be retained and took a load out to the garage (too bulky for the bin) and threw the rest in the bin.  The second shed is much smaller, and I think it may have been used as a playhouse for the former owners.  There wasn't much in there, a stack of old plastic chairs, two stacking tables, a couple of folding lounge chairs and Eli's outdoor pool and other plastic toys.  One of the lounge chairs is past it's prime so I tossed that, and cleared out the rest, swept it out and put the toys back in for now.  I'll bag those next week so she can take them back with her.

I'd gathered up quite a bit of garbage and items for recycling and I carried them around to the front of the house.  The larger items went in the pile to be sent to the dump this week, while the garbage and recycling went into their separate bins.  It just happened to be garbage day and shortly I tossed the last items in the bin the truck passed by and took it away.  

The last thing I did was gather up the various solar lights and put them out on the deck.  Later that evening, after dinner I went out to check which ones were working.  There weren't a whole lot but I had not thought to turn them so they were facing the sun...so I changed the position and left them out one more day.

Friday was even nicer!  By 10 a.m. I was outdoors to work some more in the back yard.  I raked the grass to gather up the winter's debris and left it to dry for a bit before I picked it up.  Next up was cleaning the plastic furniture.  I had given my deck furniture to D when she moved in October, and the bistro chairs that I had out front are doing double duty as kitchen chairs right now.  So the old plastic chairs and tables will have to do for now.  They were filthy as they've sat in the shed for years.  I hosed them down, then used a cloth to clean off the residue.  Since I was cleaning things I decided to clean out the garbage bin using an old broom to scrub the inside along with the water I'd brought out to clean the chairs and tables with. 


When these were done so was I.  I gathered my book, a cup of tea, and headed to the deck to sit and relax for a bit.  I think I sat and read in the sun for nearly 2 hours!  I did get up a couple of times, to make some lunch and get a cold drink.  It was soooo nice, with a little bit of a breeze and the sounds of the birds in the back ground.

This is where I spent my time, in one of the newer plastic chairs - it stays out all winter and needed just a quick wipe.  The "potting shed" is just opposite and holds the gardening supplies and the lawnmower.  There isn't much grass, just the strip between the building and the sun room, up to the fence just beyond the end of the sun room.  This is definitely a low maintenance yard.

This is the smaller of the two sheds, it sits on the lower of the two decks.  You can see the old green plastic chair and the brown table that I pulled from the shed.  The deck looks a little bare, but I'm sure any buyer will be able to imagine the enjoyment they will get out of both decks.

After sitting for such a long period, it was time to get busy again.  I took out my small vacuum and cleaned up the deck. The large evergreen drops needles and cones as well, and though I sweep it frequently, they get between the cracks.  Finally I tackled the table (not pictured) where my small BBQ sits, cleaning off the grease and winter grime.  I took the BBQ apart and cleaned the grill as well as the burner plate and scraped out all the crud.  

It is so nice to have everything cleaned up, at least temporarily.  I have to keep on top of things now both inside and out.  Good thing I'm retired!  

Saturday has been another absolutely gorgeous day.  I decided I deserved to take some time and go for a walk.  The temperature was around 8C (46F) as I headed out the door...with my camera. 

 I'm sad to say this is only the second time I've gone walking in the park this spring.  Sad, isn't it especially as it is only a 5-10 minute walk from the house.  My only excuse is that I've been getting my exercise cleaning house and yard.

The pond was welcoming to ducks, geese, and gulls.  The cacophony of sound was something else.   

 Mr. Robin was in a tree as I was passing by.  He seemed to be interested in my taking photos of him, as he flew down from the tree and strutted across the grass towards me. 

Handsome fellow!

 These guys were not nearly as happy to see me.  Every time I took a photo they'd dash away only to stop a few feet away and look at me again.

There was a man and his dog on the path and I thought they might run from them but they stuck around, likely because the dog didn't even make a sound as it walked by.  

This guy was curled up in the grass as I approached but took off like a shot when he saw me.  Silly rabbit, he dashed down the hill and I was able to get this shot of him as I went around the curve.  I like the way the light and shadows play on the fence; I think he thought he blended into it....not quite!

Back at home I cleared up some debris from the front flower bed.  I even have a couple of plants that are starting to push up and show some new green. One is a dianthus (carnation) and the other a Veronica (Speedwell).  Yippee!  I love spring.  

The rest of the day was mostly relaxing.  I spent some time reading out on the front patio, watched a bit of afternoon hockey, filed some paperwork, and made a list of the improvements and replacements I've done to the house in the past 9 years.  I put this together for my real estate agent as my memory isn't that great, but I've kept all of the paperwork from the work that was completed over the years.  Oh, and I did get to the gas station for a fill-up and a wash.  It so desperately needed it.  That reminds me, I need to make an appointment to changeover to summer tires.  There's always something needing to be done.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday.  I did pick up a small treat for my son, but the Easter decorations have been cleared up in anticipation of next week's discussion with the real estate agent*.  We won't have a big dinner, in fact if the weather forecast is accurate I'll probably throw something on the BBQ.  

Take care everyone and have Happy Easter!

*By the way - I moved to ottomans to the front window.  It's always called out to me as needing a window seat, the cats can use them to watch out the window and it clears the space in front of the sofa.  AND since they hold my knitting projects and supplies they're still handy. 

Continued preparations

In between curling matches, reading and posting blogs, chats with D and Eli (FB Messenger is great for this), and regular housework, I've been busy with more de-cluttering and minor repairs in the house.  I'm finding there is a lot of work to getting the house ready for sale.  I made the mistake of searching for "top tips for selling a house" yesterday.  Phew, there are a lot of ideas out there.

One of the top tips is to clean surfaces.  In the kitchen it's meant to show how much counter space is available.

Here's my kitchen....I tried, I really did but there are just too many things I need out. The coffee pot, kettle, toaster, and breadbox are going nowhere.  Though looking at the photo, I'll make sure the broom is put away in the closet. 

My living room is much better, with the exception of the table beside my chair.  I keep my remotes, address book, telephone, cat brush, pens, etc.  in a container.  It's is really cluttered but the drawer in the side table is full too.  So, I'll have to do something else with it.  

In my de-cluttering I've managed to fill another large box and started a second one with items to donate.  A lot of this came from a second round of going through Christmas and other seasonal decorations.  In addition, I'm taking a tub of assorted items to my daughter at her request.  I cleaned out three tubs but must admit I filled two of them with items that used to sit out on the shelves in the storage room, mostly stuffed animals and Santas.  I did get one empty tub that I'll use for the stuff that I need to hide during showings.  

The paint touch ups are complete.  When Eli was little we had installed a gate at the top of the basement stairs, when it was removed, there were holes that needed to be patched and the walls repainted.  Luckily I had the paint from the bathroom renovations and was able to use that.  I did pick up a small tester of white paint for touching up baseboards and the railing on the steps up to the kitchen. Some time ago, my nephew for some reason known only to him, scratched up the railing with a sharp object.  I'd ignored it until now, but with a bit of wood filler and paint it looks fine.  

One afternoon last week it was warm enough to open up the sun room, so I took the opportunity to clean it thoroughly.  All the toys have been put away, the floor was swept and then vacuumed, and I pulled down some of the curtains and washed them.  I'll continue that process until they've all been cleaned. (Why I haven't done this in the years I've lived here is beyond me).  

Tucked away in the coffee table are a set of towels, teal and white striped, that I'll use to cover the furniture.  The cat's claws have done a number on the existing towels but I won't replace them until necessary.  For showings yes!  One of the curtains was torn by Sheldon, I think he was trying to chase a bird.  It's the second on the left in the picture; I took it down and patched it, then moved it to a corner where it isn't likely to be closed.  I could try to replace them but there are 12 curtains and at an average of $40-50 each I'm not prepared to spend that much money, and it's not likely I could find one that would match the current ones.

Another repair made was the front hall closet door.  The one on the left had split at the top when I was trying to open it one day.  I probably yanked on it too hard.  For the longest time (a year or more) I lived without a closet door.  It certainly ensure I kept the closet tidy. :)

I had been looking on line for replacement doors but was trying to figure out how I'd get them home.  I sure didn't want to pay the $75 delivery charge! As I was getting out of my car the other day, I noticed a couple of panels on top of the shelving unit.  There were a number of pieces of wood left behind by the previous owners.  I checked, and sure enough the panels were the right size.  One of the panels matched, almost to a T the broken one so this weekend I took them all down to basement where I could lay them out on the floor and replaced the broken panel.  My son gave me a hand re-installing it. It's not entirely level but as my dad would have said, "a blind man riding by wouldn't notice the difference." Hooray, another fix with no additional cost!

I did go out the other day and spent a few dollars on towels.  I bought new white tea towels for the kitchen and patterned hand towels for the bathroom.  These will only be used for showings...my ratty old stuff is for everyday.  That plastic tub I mentioned earlier can be used to hide the ratty old stuff while the showing is happening.  I'll just toss it in the car to take with me while the showing is going on.

I'm still about a month away from listing, partly because D and Eli will be here in early May. AND I know the house will need some serious cleaning after they leave.  As well I want to get the garage and yard in tip-top shape and that can't happen until we have some nicer weather.  Sunday was another lovely day with temperatures reaching 15C(70F), but it won't be that warm every day for quite awhile.  My theory is, I'll get as much done in the house as I can now, then will be able to focus my attention on simply keeping it up, and working on the outside.

In the meantime, I've done a little bit of crocheting.  I started an Easter basket for Eli before I left on my cruise and took it with me to work on while I was away.  When I returned home, I realized I didn't like what I'd done so I unraveled it and started again! 

Here's the final product with a few goodies tucked into it (he's only 2 so that's all he's getting).  The basket itself is made using two strands of yarn, all of it scraps I had from other projects.  I knew I didn't have enough blue so used the green and yellow to make the stripes.  The handle is also made with double strands but for additional stability I used three pipe cleaners, side by each, crocheting around them.  I sewed the handle onto the basket, and used the little foam pieces I got at the dollar store to decorate it.  With a bit of paper, and the goodies, I think it turned out pretty well.  

I'll deliver the basket and other items I've gathered up around the house to D and Eli on Wednesday when I drive out to visit.  D wanted me to come for Easter weekend, but I'd rather not deal with the holiday traffic.  Eli has no idea yet, what Easter is or when it is so he'll care less. Though I do know he'll be happy to see me as I will be to see him too.

Have a great week everyone!

Who's the fool?

Mother Nature has pulled a cruel joke on us this first week of April.  It has been cold, like February cold, with high temps of -9C (15F) and lows of -18C (0F).  When we factor in the windchill it feels even colder.  I am so ready for spring, but the forecast isn't looking good either.  At this point, it looks like we'll be in the deepfreeze for the rest of the week.  Yuck!

The snow we got 10 days ago or so is now a hardened pack of ice after the warmer temps we had.  It all looks dirty and gritty and I will be so happy to be rid of it...in a few weeks I expect.

On the other hand, with the sun shining brightly, the cats and I have been able to spend some time out in the sunroom.  By early afternoon, it has warmed up sufficiently to let them out. Sasha heads straight for the bed that is in a sun-puddle, Saku flakes out on a rug, and Sheldon zooms around like the crazy kitten he still is before snuggling in under the towel that covers the chair.  

It's a little too cool this morning out there so there are no cats in the photo.  But I'm sure later this afternoon the door will be open. Little Eli loves to spend time out there too, so I'm sure he'll be happy to see the door open.  He loves to look out the windows, chase the cats, and play in the sun with his toys.  

I spent a good part of the afternoon yesterday, reading a book - Mississippi Blood by Greg Iles. What a writer he is - this is the fourth book I've read of his, but the entire series (thus far) is seven with this the last book.  Set in Natchez, Mississipi the books tell the stories of Penn Cage, a former lawyer, turned writer and his family.  The books take us back to the 50's and 60's to a time when it was dangerous to be black in the South, to the Korean war, the JFK assassination through to the present.  There is a lot of death in these books, some natural but most intentional.  In the current book, Penn's father (a doctor) is on trial for the murder of his former nurse (and lover).  All the while the remaining Double Eagles (best described as a gang of former KKK) seek retribution for the death of one of the founding members at the hands of Penn Cage.  While all of this is happening, there are tender moments too of family and friends coming together to support one another.  Unlike many mystery stories these books leave me guessing and hoping for a sequel.  

This morning was Easter for Eli, as he had spent the night with Dad on Saturday.  I really don't see why D felt the need to wait, since Eli will have no memories of this Easter...and likely the next two or three as well.  

D put out a trail of plastic eggs that led to his basket in the living room.  He picked up the first one, shook it and banged it on the floor.  Out popped (initially I wrote pooped...that describes it too) an unwrapped chocolate.  He immediately put it in his mouth as you can tell from his face.  That was it, he was done.  

So she picked the eggs up and he followed her to the living room to the basket.  (At least she didn't wrap the gifts and expect him to open them).  Eli is holding one of the two books that I gave him.  In the basket were a ball, a bottle of bubbles, a bunny on a stick, a stuffed bunny, egg shaped crayons, and two pairs of socks.  In addition she gave him a large coloring books.  He hugged the stuffed bunny, shook the bunny on the stick, picked up one of the crayons and promptly put it in his mouth.  I hope she wasn't too disappointed in his reaction. 

We'll have our Easter dinner this evening; ham, scalloped potatoes and veg of some sort. I don't think I'll do dessert as I'm sure we'll fill up on the rest of the meal. 

It has been a good, long weekend.  I've got a fair amount done around the house including cleaning up the laundry and storage rooms in the basement, two tasks I've been planning to tackle for awhile.  This morning I got another needed task done when I pulled out the fridge to clean out behind it.  I found enough cat hair to make a kitten!  I pull it out twice a year, around April 1 and November 1 and I'm always shocked.  I'm not sure what attracts the cat hair, the fan perhaps?  I haven't done the same with the stove as it is such a tight fit that it is difficult to move out and back into place.  I'll probably ask my son to help later today.  

Tomorrow, it's back to work for another short work week.  Yes, I have Friday off as well.  Plus I get to take another marble out of the jar.  Eight more to go!

Then I can start planning to move to where April will truly be spring.  

Have a wonderful week everyone!

First Easter

My daughter and Eli came for Easter dinner this evening.  (J did not...it's a long story I won't go into here...or ever).  Unlike my experiences with his mom, Eli slept through the entire meal.

I did take this photo of him two weeks ago (on his one month milestone).  I had time with him before his mom and dad arrived to have their photos taken with him.

No chocolate for the wee one, of course.  Instead I got him a couple of books, Pat the Bunny and one with various farm animals.

Pat the Bunny is a story book I had when my daughter was a baby.  I hope Eli loves it as much as she did.

He is getting more and more vocal, alert and awake for longer periods of time.  I think he'll be truly smiling in just a week or two.  I can hardly wait!

Have a great week everyone.

Easter interruptus

Happy Easter! 

I woke to snow this morning, not a sight I'd hoped to see again this spring.  It's pretty much gone but the temp is still -5C so there is still a possibility of more later today.

I was planning Easter dinner for this evening, with my daughter, J, Eli, and my son C.  However, D called this morning to say that she and J were suffering some tummy troubles (I'll spare you the details) so dinner has been postponed to Easter Monday.

I have the day off tomorrow, and the roast will hold over in the fridge so it isn't a problem.  In addition, the Pinty's Grand Slam curling is on television today, semi-finals were completed this morning with the men's and women's finals to be aired this afternoon and evening respectively.  I won't be bored. ;)

As I sit here, I'm listening to the birds in the everygreen tree in the front yard.  It's unfortunate, but the kestral hawk is back so I suspect we won't have many song birds again this summer.  It doesn't seem to bother the blackbirds or grackles though. 

Saku is relaxing on the cat tree watching out the window.  I suspect he misses the birds as much as I do.

Oh well, tomorrow will be a better day.  It will be much warmer, 12C is the forecast high so the cats will get out to the sun room again.  I'll have my little grandson here for a visit, and it's an extra day off!

Have a Happy Easter everyone!