Treasures, trash, and tremors

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Keeping busy, too busy maybe?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Random thoughts for the week

We have tomatoes! I know I whined in my last weekly post that the fruit was not setting. No whining anymore, as the plants are developing quickly and I am pretty sure we'll have a bumper crop of...I don't remember what I planted, though I don't think it was all cherry tomatoes. We'll find out soon enough. We also have four peppers starting too. The parsley is ready to be harvested and the sage and basil aren't far behind. 

We need rain! It's been awhile since we had we've had a decent rain, and our rain barrels are emptied out. That means using town water. Water in this community is expensive because several years ago, they built a new water treatment plant. We're still in the process of paying that off, and it will be several more years. But, since we now have tomatoes, I will not quit watering. We don't, however, water our lawn and it is browning off quite quickly.

This was the final week of swimming lessons. Eli passed his level 2 swimmer the first week and wasn't as enthusiastic in the second week. He needs to work on his flutter kick so I suspect he'll be working on his level 3 through next summer. Funny kid, he's so literal. His instructor was talking about the front and back crawl. He told he didn't want to do either, because babies crawl. D suggested she use the terms front and back stroke instead. :p

Wednesday's photo was taken at our local Co-op store. Our Independent grocer has them priced at $8.49 a package. Before Covid, those sausages usually sold for $4.99 a package and were often on sale for $3.99. Although we enjoy several varieties of this brand of sausage, we won't be purchasing these in the near future. While I realize input cost prices have increased for producers, processers, and the grocery chains, I think this is beyond ridiculous. 

More weeding happened this week, and I started cutting back a creeping juniper in the back yard. I don't know about anyone else, but it smells like cat urine to my daughter and me. Plus the creeping bellflower has found it's way into the plant so it all needs to go. 

I've contacted a local tree trimming company as well. We need to get rid of the cedar as it is too close to the house, and in the side yard we want to get rid of the evergreen. It is too close to the fence (that we plan to have replaced next year), and it doesn't look terribly healthy. We'll also get the tree in the backyard trimmed to keep the branches off the power line running from the pole to the house. 

I made a couple of purchases for the house/yard this week too. We picked up a programmable thermostat which provided a rebate at the till for $75. We went with a Google Nest model, as we both have Google apps on our phones and we should be able to connect to the new device. I suspect D will use it more often than I would...this stuff feels a bit like magic to me! She assures me I'll be able to adjust the temperature with at the thermostat. I sure hope so. 

Another purchase was three plastic Adirondack chairs for the fire pit area. We have been using folding canvas chairs but wanted something sturdier. These chairs can be stacked and left outdoors over winter. The wooden chair that my brother made for me has to be stored in the shed, along with the mower, the snow blower, camping gear, gardening tools, etc., etc. We quickly run out of room.

Speaking of the shed, I did get it cleaned up last Sunday. We moved a shelving unit which opened up space on the back wall. I was able to put all of the larger garden tools on that wall between the studs and used a bungee cord to hold them in place. Shelves were reorganized with like items together. Hopefully that will make it easier to find things as we need them. I seem to recall doing something similar last year and the organization didn't last.

The heat returned on Friday, with a high of 28C/82F. It is forecast to stay around 26C/79F for the next week. Maybe a wee bit if rain on Sunday. Bring it on. I'll go out in the early morning to do a bit of weeding with baseball and football to entertain me later in the day. I've been reading a James Patterson book, "Private" - it's very good and I should find time to finish it this weekend. 

I'll end this post with a few photos from the yard.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Our weather takes a turn and I head to the city

What a difference a few days make! The heat of the weekend cooled quickly and by this weekend, we're expecting temperatures overnight closer to freezing. It started raining on Wednesday and kept that up through Thursday.

I did get my bedding plants into the containers on Monday. D has had to shelter them in the front porch and shed as a result of the colder weather. I knew if I didn't plant them before leaving, there would be no planting for me as my son does not want any containers to worry about. Fair enough, it is his house and...he did leave me some weeding to do. :)

Eli had a dental appointment in the NTO on Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. We all left at the same time, around 7:30 that morning, going in different directions. The photo I posted on Wednesday was a little over a half hour from home, and Connie was the first on to be correct in suggesting it was bridge work underway. I had been talking (handsfree, of course) with my brother and had mentioned the long line of vehicles I kept meeting...very unusual for that highway. When I saw the construction, it all made sense as the construction crew had us down to one lane, each side taking turns. They didn't keep us long, just long enough for several vehicles to come through and then it was our turn.

Speaking of my brother, he was on his way to Saskatoon to visit our cousin B, who had a stroke several weeks ago. B spent 27 days in hospital and will be needing physical therapy for some time. Apparently, his right side is most affected, but he has returned to work, albeit with assistance. His son is working with him to do the physical labour and the driving, while his wife manages the retail store, and B spends his time talking to customers. They are hoping to sell the business soon, but it is a particular niche that I think will be difficult for someone else to take over. He and my brother had a good visit with another friend from our hometown.

D, Eli, and I had gone to a couple of garage sales on the weekend, and I had found a brand new wallet in purple, my favorite colour, for $5! I'd transferred everything over to the new wallet, and realized I had a number of gift cards to various retail outlets here in the city. So I decided that Wednesday, I'd go spend these, or at least some of them. As it turns out this was harder than I thought, as one of the businesses no longer exists, and two of the others had more money on the cards that I expected. What a problem to have, right?

My first stop was at Dutch growers, a local gift and garden center. I was looking for one item in particular, a new rain gauge as the one I had was somehow misplaced. It should have been in the shed but I couldn't find it. As I later told the cashier, the store intimidates me. It is built along the line of an Ikea where you are expected to follow the arrows as you make your way around the store. Do you want to know what happens if you back track? If you do, as I did, then someone comes out of nowhere to ask you what your are looking for. Seriously, I hadn't seen anyone that appeared to be working there, until I started walking against the arrows. In any event, she directed me to the rain gauges, though I didn't entirely follow her directions, stopping to take a photo just inside the greenhouse. It clearly wasn't real, but it was definitely a wow! After payment there was still a few dollars left on the card, and I still have another one to use.

My next stop was Chapters/Indigo, for which I had two gift cards. Like the garden center, these were Christmas gifts, most likely from my brother and his family, so clearly I've had them for awhile.  I found books for D, Eli, and I that I will pack in my carry-on for our flight to Halifax. I came nowhere close to spending what I had available, so have promised D a trip to the NTO Cole's bookstore, the next time we are there. 

Eli came home from school on Tuesday, with a spider plant for his mom for Mother's Day. (I didn't ask why it didn't come home last week). One of my gift cards was for Michaels, and I found a macrame hanger to hold it, high enough to keep it away from the cats. I was so pleased that my gift card matched it's price, until I got to the counter and learned it was on sale. So I still have a few dollars to spend there. Oh, and hooray for me, I did not buy any yarn...though I was tempted.

The next stop was M&M Meat Shops, which are now called M&M Food Market. That's how old the gift card was. It was a gift to my son from a co-worker, and he'd given it to me. I picked up his favorite beef burgers, and a Chicken Pad Thai casserole. That used up the card, and I paid another $10. We had the casserole for supper that evening, C didn't like it, I did, so the leftovers were my lunch for the next two days. 

My last stop was at Tim Hortons, where I did not use the gift card, but instead added another $50 to the card for our trip. It will come in handy at the airports, where I won't have to fumble with cash. I do use my debit card, but I can hand this to my daughter and ask her to place the order. Now, that's thinking ahead, right?

Before I headed home, I stopped at the mall and was able to get a walk-in haircut. She relieved me of more hair than I intended, but it will grow out quickly. No gift cards, but I did stop at the Dollar store for a basket for my bathroom items. That reminds me, have I mentioned that C's friend B will be moving into the house in the next month or so? She'll be moving into the basement, and I had mentioned moving my bed out of the bedroom and into the alcove. However, she and C have decided my bedroom will be the guest room (I may very well be the only guest). 

I've spent some time clearing out the bathroom of my items, and storing them in the closet. The basket I bought holds my shower items, as well as my toothbrush and toothpaste. I simply grab the basket on my way to the bathroom in the morning and tuck it back in the closet when I'm done. This clear out was a good thing, as I was able to donate a number of items, and toss some broken/empty items that were still sitting there. I also cleared off the bookshelves of my books and puzzles, and these went into the closet under the stairs in my room. 

Since it rained on Thursday, I used the time to do a good cleaning of the rest of the basement and stairs, vacuuming rugs, wiping down baseboards and shelves. A table that I used for puzzles was folded down and tucked away in the storage room off the furnace/equipment area. Saku's cat litter remains in the main room and will stay where it is until we take him home to town. B has five cats and plans to put the cat boxes (10 of the, I believe) in the former laundry room area. I can understand not wanting to keep that many boxes in the main room. 

Friday was quiet - I finished some additional cleaning in the basement, washed bath mats, re-installed some baseboard in the main room, and sorted through the last basket of stuff. In the basket I found a sweater I had started crocheting a few years ago. Better still, the pattern was with the start. However, I remember why I gave up, as the yarn is a dense yarn with black and white flecks, so I cannot "see" but have to feel for each stitch as I move along. I found another project as well, a lap blanket, that I started about the same time. Guess which one I've decided to finish first? If you guessed the latter, you'd be right. Will the sweater ever be finished? ...only time will tell.

The weather is not expected to improve much through the next few days. High temps of 12-13C/54-56F, and overnights will be cool, though slightly above freezing. I foresee spending mornings indoors, afternoons out in the garage or backyard (once it dries a bit), and evenings watching baseball and hockey. If the weather doesn't cooperate, I can always play around in Ancestry too.

Have a great week ahead everyone! I hope it's warmer wherever you are.

No sun, still fun

My daughter has spent much of this week cleaning up after the 5 inches of rain that fell over a period of about 48 hours. The sump pumps, newly installed in April, couldn't keep up to the deluge. There was water coming in too, through cracks in the basement floor. The shop vac got a good work out on the weekend, and the dehumidifier is still running. 

We had a local guy come by and clean out the gutters. My bad, because it was noted in the inspection report that they needed cleaning and I had thought we could manage it this summer. Well, we/I waited too late and the gutters were jampacked with leaves and debris. While some water was getting through, the sheer amount of rain was overflowing the gutters and clearly finding its way into the basement. He also cut back several branches on a spruce tree just outside my bedroom window as they were brushing across the roof.

D lifted all of the foam tiles that she'd laid down just a few weeks ago. I'm so glad we went with those rather than carpet tiles. The latter would have been ruined, while the foam tiles needed to dry and then were sprayed with a bleach/water mixture and allowed to dry again. She's still in the midst of putting these in place. We did have to throw two rugs out that I'd brought from the sunroom at the house I'd sold last November. They were soaked and by the time they were mostly dry, had a funky odour. We're looking for a less absorbent rug for the area that includes Eli's modular couch and television. The couch comes in several pieces and can be transformed into a fort, or a lounge chair, or whatever a child might imagine. The covers are removable too, making clean-up easy.

While she was working in the basement, I spent cleaning house and hanging with Eli. Although he hasn't had a seizure since February and is on anti-seizure meds, we're cautious about leaving him on his own for too long. I did manage to get outdoors early one morning to do a bit of weeding in the small garden. The lettuce is ready for eating, and I pulled a few radishes too. My peas are coming up nicely and reaching out for the trellis, while Eli's carrots need thinning. My carrots are up too, but I didn't make it that far into the garden to weed. That's because it continues to rain, just enough to keep the garden wet and mucky. We are looking for the sun to finally appear on Sunday. 

We did have a nice evening last Sunday and enjoyed the parade. It wasn't a lengthy event, and we live a mere block and a half away from the route. The highlight for Eli was the candy that the participants threw from their vehicle and/or float. He was recognized a few times by friends. 

Later in the evening there were fireworks. We were able to watch them from Eli's bedroom window on the top floor! So much better than sitting in the park being eaten by mosquitos.

Because of the rain, the Canada Day activities had to be moved indoors on Monday. There was a giant blow up slide, a bouncy castle, and a fort like structure too. On the other side, there were games of chance, set up by one of his teachers and her husband. The proceeds from the games go to a charity here in town. Even so, each "winner" (and I didn't see many who didn't win) receives a small prize and Eli won a new fidget toy. There was a long line-up for face painting. We also got to see a kung-fu demonstration by a local club. Eli had enough by this point, and since it was actually quite nice outdoors despite being cloudy, we went to the pool for about 45 minutes.

On Thursday, Eli had day camp in a nearby community. It's a small group, meant for children with special needs. There were just three that afternoon, and the group leader decided he would fit better in the morning group as he is quite social in small groups and the other two children are not. D had booked swimming lessons next week in the morning, so he'll continue for the two days next week in the afternoon group and then switch. There were nine in the morning group and I know he'll have a lot of fun.

D and I went shopping while he was at his day camp. Rather, she went shopping and I tagged along for the most part. I did pick up groceries when we got to Walmart. I wasn't able to get some of the items on my list so planned to get those in town on Friday.

I slept in Friday morning - it was after 8 a.m., but in my defense I was sleeping with a cuddly kid. He took his time falling asleep and there were several stories told. Not only was there a scary story about a snake, but a bank robbery too (we were the robbers, but at least we gave the proceeds to the poor). The child has an incredible imagination. I'm supposed to tell him a story, but he always takes over with his suggestions.

It rained, again, overnight, and since I was late waking, I didn't get out to the garden before it was getting too warm to be comfortable out there. I picked up the last of the groceries, and after dropping those off, D, Eli and I went to a couple of stores for items D was wanting.  

Meanwhile there were storms building all around us. Our a/c cut in for the first time since I arrived. We keep it fairly warm in the house to cut back on the electrical useage, about 24C/75F. The upstairs tends to be warmer still as there is only a single vent up there. My brother had a/c installed in the house in the city (his son and a roommate live there), so he gave us a portable unit. D was able to get a conversion kit for her bedroom window and we got it hooked up and running as well. The temperatures are expected to increase steadily through the next week, and the a/c on both levels will be much appreciated!

Back at home, D put together a Lego table for Eli. He had been using the dining room table, but with three of us, there wasn't a whole lot of room left for dining with all the pieces scattered. The Lego table has a shelf below for larger pieces/projects, while the pieces he is working on fit inside. It has a lid, which will hide some of his Lego too. I should say, he also has a six or seven tier plastic container that holds the rest of his Lego. Some of the pieces were from my son, as I'd kept his Lego for "some day" when I have grandchildren. Eli often gets Lego kits for Christmas and birthday, and his grandma's look for it at the thrift store too. His paternal grandmother works in such a store in B.C. and sent a whole bag full of pieces just a week or so ago. Can you say spoiled? Just a little bit! :)

Not only will it be fun for Eli, but with the lid, Stanley the cat can reach the window sill. Two birds, one table. 

I did get out in the afternoon and did some weeding in the small garden. There was too little space between the rows, so I pulled the radishes that were getting close to flowering anyway to make more room for me to maneuver. The peas are beginning to flower, and once I cleared the weeds, I could see that the sweet peas are starting their climb up the trellis. I do hope I'll see some flowers this year. The strawberries are doing well and we're picking a few berries every day. The asparagus has started going to seed; because of wind and rain are covering some of the strawberry patch. I'm guessing that's why the birds aren't getting to them. 

Today, I'm planning to be out in the yard again. I'll finish off the garden first, and then head for the flower beds. Some of the weeds are massive and I don't need them going to seed. I'll spray too and lay down more cardboard on the rocks. We'll probably go to the park or the pool at some point. There is a baseball tournament happening this weekend, so the pool might be quite busy. They do have a capacity limit that they actually adhere to! 

Have a wonderful week ahead everyone!

Progress report

Aruba will have to wait - it's been a busy week and though I've managed to sit down and read blogs (in fact, that's been a great way to take a break), writing much of anything has been a task I've not felt up to even thinking about.

Monday, we headed into the city about 8:30 in the morning, for Eli's appointment with the pediatric optometrist. (I called her a opthamologist in my last post - I was wrong). We headed to C's house first to pick up a few items from the garage and house. He managed to sleep through our short visit. And if he didn't, he managed to stay in his room. Next up was a stop at Costco for a few needed bulk items and a few wants too. Staples is across the road where we managed to find a printer. I have one at C's, but didn't want to bring it back and forth with me. 

While D and Eli were at the optometrist's office, I slipped into the Dollar Store next door. I found a couple of pairs of gardening gloves, including a pair just for Eli, some flower seeds, and a package of a variety of screws. The day was sunny, but windy, and I spent the last 15 minutes of so sitting in the car with a breeze cooling me from the open windows. 

We stopped at a nearby Dairy Queen for lunch, before heading home. The wind was even worse than it had been earlier and I later learned we had gusts of 50-60 kms per hour (31-37mph). It was crossing the highway, and I found myself struggling to keep the car from blowing to the right. By the time we reached town, my right hand was cramped and sore. 

The local plumber dropped by after we got home and installed the new control panel for the hot water heater. Hooray for hot water from the tap! I had been boiling the kettle for washing dishes, and while it works, it wasn't nearly as convenient. 

On Tuesday, Eli had a dental appointment in the next town over. He has been wearing an appliance to keep two of his teeth apart. A few days prior before I moved, he had flushed it down the toilet. He had let me know, it was a big mistake and he needed money to pay for it. His mother had clearly had a serious chat with him. After the appointment, his mom dropped him off at school, then came home to wait for the plumber who was to install the new dishwasher and two new sump pumps. 

We spent our day putting together Eli's new bed and partially completing her bed. At one point we had to run out to Canadian Tire to buy a drill to finish the work on Eli's bed. I don't recall if I went over to the old house to start cleaning that day, but do know I spent several hours there on Wednesday. I managed to get all of the appliances scrubbed clean and do a couple of loads of laundry.

Just as I finished throwing the last load in the washer, D called to say that the appliance repair guy had fixed the washer at the new house. If you recall, it would wash but not drain. We had bailed the machine out that morning. It turns out a sensor on the lid had broken/malfunctioned so it was an easy, if not inexpensive fix. 

We had snow overnight Wednesday and woke to covered lawns, though the streets and sidewalks were clear. D was tired and sore from the bed building, and I was ready for a break too, so we agreed to take the day off. She took Eli to school while I went grocery shopping.  Once the groceries were put away we spent the day doing a little more unpacking, and a lot of television watching (and for me, blog reading). 

There was more snow overnight on Thursday, this time covering the streets and sidewalks. We dropped Eli off at school and run a few errands before heading to the old house. We took several boxes with us, and gathered up the last of the items that had not been packed/ready for the movers. We filled the back seat and trunk of my car, D held a box on her lap before returning home. It took a good part of the morning to finish sorting through the boxes and putting things where they belong. D was doing laundry too, washing and drying some new sheets and bedding for Eli, new sheets for her bed too, and all of the rest of their bedding. She and I put the trundle together for Eli's bed. I made dinner that evening while she kept an eye on the laundry, and put toys away in Eli's room. After dinner, we made up their beds. As you can see in the photo, Eli entertained himself. :)

Friday was also the day that the tree company was scheduled to remove the Lombardy poplars in my son's yard. I spoke with him briefly after work and had him send me a picture. I'm pleased to see how much more light we'll have in the backyard as a result of the removal.

Today, I'm planning to spend some time at the old house cleaning. I'm not sure what D will do, as I'm pretty certain Eli will not be happy hanging out in an empty house. The morning has started out cold (-6C/21F) but it is supposed to warm up nicely (10C/50F). I'm sure they will make their way to the park this afternoon. By then, I'm certain I'll be ready for a nap. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

A long time coming

Well, we made the move from one house to the other successfully. I am forever grateful that the move was complete before the snow that arrived with a vengeance on Tuesday morning. The movers arrived on Monday by 8:45 a.m. and had dropped everything at the new house shortly after 12. They were fast and efficient and having the boxes in the garage was a good thing. We had them drop the boxes and bins in the new garage, though my organization didn't work quite as well on this end. The charge wasn't much more than I paid 13 years ago, when the three of us (D, C and I) moved into that house. Of course, there was quite a bit less now than then. But either way I was happy. M

We did some unpacking (mostly items from our vehicles and a few necessary boxes with dishes/glassware, towels, and bedding) and C went off later in the afternoon to pick-up the mattresses and bed frames. Of course, there had to be another hiccup with the Brick. Though he had the invoice, his last name is the same as mine, AND he had his identification with him, the fourteen year olds who rule the warehouse initially argued with him as I wasn't there. He had borrowed a friend's truck - she came back with him, and we had dinner together and visited for about an hour or so. We didn't get the bed frames put together so the mattresses were simply put into their respective bedrooms and made up. By 9 p.m. I was done and had crawled into bed.

Awake at 3:30 a.m., I stayed in bed until nearly 6 before heading upstairs. Poor C heard all the noises through the night (fridge, furnace, etc.) while I slept through it all. Then he heard me as I moved around upstairs. I may have to offer him my ear plugs. :)

By 7a.m. Tuesday,I was on my way over to the old house. I packed up the food from the fridge and freezer, and loaded it with the packaged food items that hadn't been moved the day before. I'd thoroughly cleaned the fridge a week or so ago, so it didn't take much to ensure it was cleaned. For some reason, I didn't think to eat before I left here, so was happy to find a piece of pizza in the fridge and a banana on the counter. It made a good breakfast!

I wandered around the house and made sure nothing was left behind. There was a box left in the garage with small propane bottles - I'm assuming the movers wouldn't/couldn't move those- a night light, a mat, a some cleaning supplies and my carbon monoxide detector. Just after I finished packing the car, the cleaners arrived. We did a walk through and while they got to work indoors, I swept up debris in the garage.

By this time, the snow was coming down in earnest! My realtor arrived around 10 to do a quick walk through and mentioned that traffic was moving slowly. Not long after he left that the garbage haulers arrived. and filled their trailer. My work there was done, so I found a spot to sit out of the way until the cleaners finished up about 12:15. They did a great job and I hope that having the house cleaned will make up for the fact that the driveway didn't get cleared! We got close to 5 inches in just a few hours.

The route that I take from the east side of the city to our new neighbourhood has a train crossing. We've been stopped a couple of times since we first saw the house. It happened again on Tuesday. I groaned when I saw the train actually stopped on the tracks...it was a wait of over 10 minutes before it started moving again. 

Wednesday started early again at 3:30, when the noise from the water softener woke me. I caught up on some news, read blogs, and then managed to doze off until just after 6 a.m. I heard C moving around upstairs. I'd parked behind him on the single driveway so I got dressed. YUCK, more snow on the driveway! I moved my car out in front and he took off for work while I cleared the couple of inches that had fallen over night.

Then I tackled the pile of boxes in the garage. I took four boxes at a time into the house and made four or five trips in total. In addition, I organized the boxes that will remain in storage in the garage. The kitchen and bathroom boxes have pretty much been emptied and everything in its new place. I may not remember where I put things for awhile though!

The fellow who leased the garage from the old owner, came by to remove a few items left in the garage. I think he'd hoped we'd keep them, but they were heavy metal tables, and old desk, chair, and a filing cabinet. Nothing we need nor want. (As a result I wasn't able to get to Stitch and Chat that afternoon.)

Meanwhile I received an email from the lawyer indicating the sale was complete and the cheque would be deposited to my bank account that afternoon. When I had a chance to check it at 3, the money was there. BUT, the bank had put a 7 day hold on a lawyer's trust cheque, or at least 90% of it. I was able to move some of the funds over to pay off the line of credit, and to put a bit in savings, but the balance was sitting there looking pretty but inaccessible.

I had an appointment downtown on Thursday so made a stop at the bank branch to discuss this with someone there. At first, there didn't seem to be anything they could/would do, but when I explained I had a small loan (from the renovations) to pay off, and I would be asking them to pay the interest for the extra week, they acquiesced to my request to release more of the funds. I walked over to the other institution to drop off a cheque, then headed to my appointment. While I couldn't make the deposits that day, arrangements have been made to move the funds when they are released next week. 

From the appointment, I went to do a bit of grocery shopping on this end of the city. I've never lived in this area so it was a bit of treasure hunt walking around the stores. The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home. No unpacking...I was still tired from the day before.

Friday I tackled more unpacking, though most of it stayed in it's boxes in the store room downstairs. These include extra glassware, some small appliances, and extra bedding. There simply isn't enough room in the kitchen for anything else, and to be honest, most of it isn't really needed. I vacuumed the basement, used the dry mop on the walls to get rid of cat hair and cobwebs, and washed the bathroom floor and the back door landing. In the afternoon I did a quick run to Walmart to get a new rug for the landing - the old one shredded when I pulled it up to wash the flooring. It was stuck down...I'm wondering how long it has been since that floor was cleaned! (I could say that about much of the house, to be honest). 

On a happier note, curling is being broadcast this week (Thurs-Sun) so I've been able to watch several games, with more to go. It's been nice to take a break, from unpacking and cleaning, to curl up on the couch with Saku, and watch the draws. There will be more of that today, but we have some things to get done today too. The bed frames need to be assembled, the rest of the boxes of clothing and bedding need to be brought indoors, and I want to get the living room vacuumed and floor washed. I haven't been able to do that just yet. Those boxes contain the unassembled bed frames. Far too heavy for me to lift!

I'll be taking a moment this morning too, to remember those who fought for our countries in the world wars to allow us to live in peace. In particular, I am thinking of my uncles Wilf and Bob, who went overseas in WWII. Neither came home unscathed, though they did make it back. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

And we're off

I had forgotten how tiring prepping and maintaining a house for sale truly is. Monday was a very busy day, as I spent much of the day cleaning and hiding things away. I won't go into a litany of all that was accomplished, just a couple of highlights.

My bedroom was vacuumed and I pulled out the new bedding I'd purchased a year or so ago. (I figure the new stuff will have less cat hair than the current bedding). 

I went downstairs and tidied up the craft room, packing away some material and patterns. I found a box that will fit some of my larger pieces of wall art and photos so I started packing those too. The containers and boxes are neatly stacked and I hope the potential buyers can envision their own use for this room; an office, a playroom for the kids, or even a home theater. 

By early evening, I was exhausted so I picked up Burger King for dinner. Once fed and watered, I went out to water the back lawn, and did some dead-heading as well. Bedtime came early, and I was happy to fall into a freshly made bed.

Tuesday started bright and early, though much less busy. I started the laundry, had my chat with D, and ran out to get a few groceries. Once home, I got those unpacked and put away and had the laundry nearly complete when the realtor arrived at 11 a.m. We did a quick tour of the house; he had looked over the photos from 2019 before he arrived so I highlighted the changes that have been made since then.

We sat out in the sun room for nearly an hour and discussed current comparable listings, as well as properties that have sold in the last 6 months or so. There are currently only 12 properties that have the front facing two-car garage and are similar or larger in size than mine. I nearly fainted when I saw some of the asking prices - well, beyond what I would have thought. We settled on a list price above what I would have thought, and lower than his suggestion. I'm hopeful this will bring in more potential buyers. When he left, he asked me to send him a list of the work that had been accomplished since 2020 and an estimate of the costs. His final comment to me was, "don't do anything else, everything is perfect." 

I spent the afternoon responding to his texts and e-mails, reviewing the documents I signed on Wednesday, and finding potential properties for my son on the real estate website. We'd found one he really liked but once my realtor had looked into it, it was a no go. The property has been on the market for 1800 days (that's right, not 96 as the current listing suggests) - it's been on the market since 2019! The property has a concrete block basement, so our best guess is the basement is crumbling and the house would have to be raised and a new basement poured. No thank you!  I've since found six or eight properties that might fit the bill and we'll see the first one on Saturday at their open house, as our open house is also scheduled that day.

Tuesday was also an exciting day for Eli, but not in a good way. He's had a sore in his mouth for a couple of weeks. D had taken him to the dentist in their town, but Eli was having none of it, so they ended up at the ER where antibiotics were prescribed. The doctor didn't think it was an abscess. However, the antibiotics didn't clear it up and by Monday, he was a very sad little boy. She found a dentist in the next town over (the one in her town advised they would not see Eli again), and by mid-afternoon he was minus one tooth and the abscess was drained. They gave him nitrous oxide to keep him calm, though he did need to be held during the procedure. I spoke with her after they arrived home - Eli was in the background and as happy as could be, while D sounded worn out. 

Wednesday, I was up early again, and back at the cleaning. While my son is pretty good about keeping his room tidy, he never makes his bed.Since the photographer was expected later in the morning, that was first on my list. I also got the floors washed throughout the basement. 

Meanwhile, it was pouring rain! We need it, but my realtor wasn't as happy. He said he might hold off on the exterior photos until the next day.  However when he and the photographer arrived at 11 a.m. to take the photos for the listing, they decided to go ahead. 

I headed off to stitch and chat after lunch, and got the e-mail to sign the final paperwork - it's all done digitally now. Shortly after I arrived home, I got an e-mail with the photos. I'm happy with all of them, with the exception of the garage photos with my very dirty car. You can tell what I've been neglecting! I responded to the realtor and said, I ought to have moved the car out of the garage for the photos. Oh well, I doubt those photos will make or break a sale. (As it turned out, he agreed and those photos aren't part of the listing).

The realtor contacted me late this morning to let me know the listing was live for the realtors, and would be available later in the day for the public. You can see it here. Less than 90 minutes later, he let me know there were two requests for showings today. As he said, "hot start!"

So rather than wait until Saturday to post this, I'll do so now. I hope to be back then with good news! Wish me luck.

One finish, no start

Wednesday's photo was lifted from an e-mail my brother sent me - you can see the runners ahead of him on the trail. Taken at the top of leg one of his 53 km/33 mile run, the first 20 mile leg had the runners climb 2145 feet, the next 13 miles required an additional 2122 feet of climb. As R said, he was quickly at the back of the pack, but he reminded himself that only 8 months ago he was on crutches and wearing a boot due to damaging his ankle on a fall down rocky terrain. He had the three dogs on leashes and they took off on him, pulling him down the trail. I, helpfully, reminded him he is  also now 61 years old. By the end of the race he had passed some runners ahead of him, and was pleased to not finish in last place. The entire run took him about 9 hours! I think he's nuts, but on the other hand he saw some absolutely incredible scenery.

It's been another week of some hurry up and wait. The landscaper wasn't able to start on Monday, but the flooring showed up and the crew was back on Wednesday to finish the flooring and baseboards. Meanwhile on Monday, the fence company finally appeared to repair the leaning fence my neighbour and I had installed less than two years ago. G contacted them, a year ago, but they failed to show up so her husband had tried to repair it using some foam material. By this spring, two of the posts were leaning, and the gate latch had snapped off as it kept coming loose in the wind.

About three weeks ago, I contacted the owner to make the necessary repairs, and although he responded quickly, again they failed to show. For my second e-mail, I channeled a tone I previously used in my career, expressed my concerns and suggested that legal action might be taken if a resolution wasn't reached. Apparently that lit a fire under his butt, as they were at the house mid-morning. There was quite a bit of grumbling over the foam material, as it all had to be removed before new concrete could be poured. My response was, you should have been here last year as requested. It took an hour or so, but everything was taken care, the posts were straight and level, and the metal handle and latch had been replaced by steel ones. When I checked out the gate later, it was clear the reason the old one had been damaged because the latch was installed in the wrong place. Sheesh!

After the fence guys were gone, I headed out to pick up some groceries. Our local Co-op had meat on sale, and most of the $60 I spent there re-filled the fridge freezer. It should keep us going for a few weeks. Safeway had some decent sale items too, and Walmart provided the rest of the items on my list.  It was stinking hot (32C/90F) so I was in and out of the stores quickly.

Tuesday I tackled the bathrooms and gave them a top to bottom scrub. Normally I mop the floors but this time I got down on my hands and knees to scrub to get into the corners. Doing so meant I identified a few areas were the baseboards needed touch up or paint. By the time that was done, I was ready to relax, so I started a mitten and watched some PVR'ed episodes of the various iterations of FBI. 

The crew showed up by 8 a.m. on Wednesday, worked their tails off, finishing up around 5 p.m. One of the fellows worked on the flooring in the master bedroom, while the other two tackled the baseboards in the spare room. I had moved my stuff out of the closet into the other spare bedroom to give them access, and they moved the furniture to the center of the room to finish off the baseboards. By about noon, everything was installed, and the baseboards had been sanded and one coat of paint applied. They took a short break and then got back at it. More sanding, more paint, lots of sweeping and mopping, and then they moved my furniture back into the bedroom. Last of all, they cleaned their way out of the house (one swept, one mopped), while the other fellow was loading things up outdoors. I noticed he brought out a leaf blower and blew most of the dust off the patio as well. 

I spent a half hour or so moving the contents of the closet and making up the bed. 

The rug is new - I purchased it from Amazon, and it is sooo soft and plush. I was concerned that the bed frame might scratch the flooring and I had a $100 gift card to apply, so paid about $60 for it in total. 

I texted the landscaper on Thursday and heard back from him later in the day, that he would be here Friday. Since Friday started cooler than it has been, I decided to tackle the garage while waiting for him to appear. I'd been out there a few weeks ago breaking down some cardboard boxes and getting rid of the winter debris. This time, I sorted the recycling, loaded the car with it and some old electronic items, swept, re-swept, and re-swept the floor some more. I also sorted items on the shelves and organized the items stored there by what will up in storage and what belongs to C, or will be going to his place. I had an old armoire in the garage I'd been using for storage after I bought a dresser several years ago. I offered it on the FB Free Regina and it was picked up shortly after lunch. 

Next up was cleaning the weeds that have grown in at the edge of the sidewalk in the xeriscape rocks. This is thankless chore as they'll grow in again in a week or so. I must ask my neighbour what they use because they don't seem to see as many weeds. I've used sprays, salt, hot water, and nothing seems to thwart these tenacious plants.

You may have noticed I haven't said anything about the landscaper. That's because he was a no-show. I texted him again, indicating I understood he might have been delayed on another job and asking that he contact me with a start date...perferably Monday. He responded to say, he'd was trying to finish another job, but didn't confirm for Monday. I've asked him to keep me in the loop, but I suspect I may have be persistent.

My life for the next while will be sorting, cleaning, and more cleaning. I've been washing windows, vacuuming screens (and rugs), and dusting window ledges, and cabinet doors. I want to tackle the closets and cupboards - if you only saw the amount of stuff I had crammed in the closet! As I'm doing the clearing, I'm deciding what will move to my son's and what will go into storage for the time being. I might be jumping the gun as the house isn't even listed yet, but I'm hopeful and eager to move on.

I'm off to spend a few hours with my friend C today. There may be a few garage sales to be visited, and definitely a coffee shop stop. It's been a few weeks since I've seen her so it will be good to catch up.

Since I have no landscaping photos to share, I'll leave you with some photos from my containers. With all the rain and heat, the plants are doing exceptionally well.

Puttering along

 The first full week of January 2021 is in the books.  It's been a good week here with decent weather. I'll take it as my FB memories keep reminding me of the years that we had temperatures into the -30's (-22F). The forecast thus far, doesn't indicate temperatures dropping below the high teens (-18C/0F) for the next two weeks.  If I can't be somewhere warm, I'll take it!

I cleaned up Christmas on Sunday, leaving out a few snowman ornaments so the rooms don't look quite so barren.  The last of the scarves was finished and I spent some time weaving in the ends, then they all got tossed in the wash to reduce the amount of cat hair that I'm sure was on them.  The photo was taken pre-wash, because once they were out of the dryer I put hem into a bag to keep them clean. I managed to use up a lot of leftover yarn, some I'd bought on clearance but in insufficient quantities to make anything more, and the rest from completed projects.

Monday was a busy day, if not a little scattered. It started with me cleaning the bathrooms, and when I went to get some cleaning products from the hall closet I decided it was a mess.  Somehow or another that led me to the kitchen where I decided the area under the sink also needed a clear out and a scrub.  Safe to say, by the time everything was pulled out, the shelves, interior of the cupboards scrubbed, things rearranged and put away the toilet cleaner had done its job too. :)  Oh, and since I had the window cleaner out to clean mirrors I carried on and cleaned the windows in the kitchen...and that meant I cleaned the bay window space as well.  I started a box of items to donate of various items that were cluttering up these areas.  Sometimes I wonder whether I have attention deficit disorder like my daughter but I generally manage to finish my tasks....at least eventually.

Tuesday I tackled the basement, washing floors in the laundry room, furnace room, and bathroom. The bathroom needed a good scrub too, although my son keeps it reasonably decent, his idea of clean and mine are slightly different.  All the while the laundry was doing it's thing.  That took most of the morning, so in between loads I worked on my jigsaw puzzle and read blogs.

It was grocery day on Wednesday, and I delivered the scarves to Awasis: A Place of Hope, a newly opened warming center here in the city. I had planned to donate to another charitable organization but one of their staff was diagnosed with Covid-19 recently so they've temporarily stopped donations. (Update: they re-opened on Friday).  I was surprised when I walked into the warming center to have my temperature taken, but I can imagine they need to take every precaution.

More housework was accomplished on Thursday. Sigh, it just never ends. But I did get into my craft room and start working on a few more pieces.  I've decided to use up the supplies I purchased for Christmas projects (or most of them at least), and tuck those away for a craft sale next fall. In addition I've got a couple of spring themed items that are for me.  I;ll admit I made a stop at the Dollar store on Wednesday and bought a few more items home. I'm really enjoying this creative outlet as it gives my hands a break from knitting and crocheting.

These are my finishes this week, or as finished as they are right now.  I'm thinking I might add some raindrops to the umbrella and hanger needs to be added to the Christmas picture. 

I've started another crochet project as well, though it got off to a rough start when I had to start over not once, not twice, but three times.  Perhaps taking the time off to craft messed with my muscle memory...or something. 

I had a very quiet day on Friday, the housework was pretty much caught up so except for daily chores I relaxed, watched PVR'ed television and worked on Ancestry for much of the morning. Saturday was similar, and I can't tell you exactly what I did but it's early evening, I'm watching the Rams play Seattle (go Seahawks).  It was a colder day today, and while I did get out to feed the birds, I didn't stay out there very long.  

Have a good week everyone!