Puttering, plays, and solving problems

Before I forget, Kathy asked last week how I was planning to overwinter the geraniums.  This is the first time I've attempted it, so am relying on information I found in a FB gardening group.  When I lifted the plants I removed most of the soil, and laid them out in the garage to dry.  After a couple of days (or in my case a week because I forgot), I've removed the dead foliage and placed them in a plastic bags.  They need to be stored in a cool, dry place, and for me that's my garage.  I'll have to let you know how it all works out in 7 months or so. :)

This week flew by in a flash!  Of course, I posted on Monday so the week was shorter than normal, but even so, it seemed it was nearly the weekend again before I turned around.

The curling kept me busy on Sunday, and started up again on Thursday. I suspect this will continue at least until the end of November when the Olympic curling trials take place.  I've also been watching the major league baseball playoffs - I got hooked at the end of the season when the Toronto Blue Jays made a bit of a run though they came up short, and have been watching the games since.  It amazes me how one game a team will be able to get hits and runs, seemingly at will, and the next game be unable to score. I guess the pitching has a lot to do with it.  Add in Canadian football and I've been in sports heaven this week.  Hockey also started up on Wednesday but other than a few minutes of a couple of games I haven't watched a lot.

I haven't always been a baseball fan.  When I was at school as a youngster, when teams were picked for a game, my team always sent me to the outfield....way, way, way outfield. In fact, there was more than once that the teacher sent someone out to find me after recess.  I'd get fascinated by an ant hill or wander over into the bush next to the ball diamonds, or simply sit and day dream.  However, a few years ago, while on a cruise, I met a couple from New Jersey.  Their names escape me now - I remember he sold ice cream and she was a huge baseball fan.  She and their son had visited numerous stadiums across the United States.  The world series was on that week and she and I would make our way to the lounge where the games were being shown from the satellite.  I don't recall who won the series but I got a new appreciation for the game.    

I did get most of the housework caught up this week, much of it on Tuesday morning before the baseball started.  I had to run out too, to pick up a doctor's note for my daughter, so made a couple of extra stops at the dollar store, Value Village, and Walmart.  Nothing exciting at the dollar store, and though it was senior's day I found one item at VV.  It is a small lantern meant to hold a small candle.  I've already started re-doing it - it was metal with glass panels - the metal has been painted white and I intend to fill it with some Christmas decor and a set of battery operated lights. 

My daughter had asked if I would get pillows for her for Christmas, but "could she get them before Christmas, please?".  I found Serta pillows on sale at Walmart so we all got new pillows.  I also picked up a new laundry basket as my old one had fallen apart.  I loaded them all into the back seat of the car, and it was full.  If I'd had an accident on the way home, I would be well cushioned. :)

On the project side, I'm getting lots done while I'm watching the various sporting events.  I had done dishes a number of times at D's last weekend and the dishcloth she was using was falling apart.  I pulled out my cotton yarn and knit up three dishcloths for her.  Since I had it out, I found a pattern for a crocheted kitchen hand towel and started that as well.  I also did some puttering in my craft room and have a couple of other things on the go.  

I did switch out the display on the top of my china cabinet.  Most of the items are ones I made or revamped. This is the initial display - I'd meant to make a sign using thankful or grateful but never got around to doing so, thus it's pretty barren.  The next photo is my display for Halloween. I'm sure my son thinks I'm nuts, but I'm having fun with it. I sent a photo to D and Eli said it was spooky. 

Thursday morning started out cold and wet.  It was below zero when I woke up, and it never made it to more than 3C (37F) that afternoon.  There was even a skiff of snow on the top of the garbage and recycling bins when I went to move the garbage bin to the street for pick-up.  I'm so not ready for this type of weather, but thankfully we've got better weather for the near future.  The containers of flowers are still out!

I did have to run out as I had a flu shot booked for that morning.  I got the shot at the Safeway pharmacy so did a some grocery shopping before I left the store.  I may or may not have left before the 15-20 minutes I was supposed to stay was up.  In fact, I think I arrived home about 20 minutes after the shot.  I've yet to have any kind of reaction to the flu shots.  This year is no different.  My arm was a wee bit sore on Friday morning, but I did some arm circles and the pain dissipated quickly.

This morning was cold too, -2C (28F), but is expected to warm up to 16 (61F) this afternoon.  There are four curling games and two football games being streamed or televised, and sometime between or before all that I've got to get outside to start pulling the plants from the containers.  Sunday is supposed to be quite warm too, so I'll finish then.

Oh, the other momentous occasion this week was finally getting on of the fence gates repaired.  I've been sending e-mails to the company for four weeks about problems with the gate.  The post attached to the house was loose and the locking mechanism wasn't working properly.  The owner kept promising to send someone out and then either forgot or got too busy (whatever!), and finally I'd had enough.  I informed him, if someone wasn't there within the week I would be hiring someone else to make the repairs and sending him the invoice.  It still took an extra day (the worker had a funeral to attend - maybe?) but he did show up this week and the necessary repairs made.  I don't expect they'll ever ask me for a reference.  

You may note that the layout of the blog is slightly different.  I messed up when I went to change the photo, (I need to remember to scroll down!), and ended up deleting the header gadget.  So then, I had to change the theme in order to get one back.  When the photo I originally posted was too large I clicked the button to shrink it and I ended with what's there now.  I give up...blogger is certainly not an intuitive application and the help section is pretty much a mire of closed questions.  I couldn't even figure out how to submit a question of my own.  

Enough of my ramblings, time to make another cup of tea and settle in with my crocheting to watch the first curling game of the day.  Take care everyone, stay well and have a good week.

My happy place

Time flies when you're having fun, am I right?  I've been looking forward to this upcoming weekend for awhile now.  And good things come to those who wait...okay I'll quit now.  Friday was the start of the Canadian women's curling (the Scotties) being held in a bubble in Calgary, Alberta.  The tournament is quite different from the past events, with no audience except cardboard cutouts of fans who've paid for that privilege.  I thought about it, but at the price point it wasn't really feasible so I decided I'll just watch the television.  

There are more teams than normal as well, with each province and territory having a representative, (Ontario has two with Northern Ontario and Ontario), plus Team Canada - the team that won the event last year and three wild card teams.  The latter were invited on the basis of points earned in other events.  Oddly enough, those latter three teams are all from Manitoba as is the current Team Canada.  Add in the representative from the province and I won't be surprised if, with five teams in the mix, a Manitoba team wins again this year.  

The equalizer this year will likely be the fact that most of the teams have played very little this year.  While many of the individual players were able to continue practicing, many events were shut down due to Covid-19 numbers and, even in one case that I'm aware of was suspended due to a case discovered at the event.  In any event that's a total of 18 teams.  They've been divided into two pools with the top four teams from each pool making it into the next round robin.  Finally the top three teams from that grouping will play off, with the first place team (based on round robin standings) will go straight to the final on Sunday February 28.  The second and third place teams will playoff for the spot in the final.  With three draws most days until the playoffs, my days will be full!

I listened to a curling podcast last week with one of the players and a coach and the Covid rules are very stringent. The players and coaches will be tested every day and temperature checks will be taken prior to leaving the hotel and the arena.  The players are not allowed to leave the hotel or arena except to go to the other venue by the transportation provided.  The entire hotel is designated for the players, coaches and I believe the few media that are permitted within the bubble.  I've got my fingers crossed that everything goes off without a hitch. I know the organizers will shut it down if there are any concerns.

Two draws are in the books, and while there have been some missed shots so far the curling has been good and definitely fun to watch.  Even if our Saskatchewan team lost in the final end on the final shot in their first game. :(  

Meanwhile I've been keeping busy this week with the regular housework, scouring Ancestry for relatives, doing a bit of knitting and a bit of crafting.  On Tuesday I did my weekly shopping because Safeway had a number of items on sale that ended that day including Nabob coffee for $9.99. That's about 50% off so a darned good deal.  I also needed bird seed, and made a stop at the dollar stores for a couple of items.

I'm tired of winter so decided I'd pretend it is spring, at least inside the house. I started with this bowl I had on hand. I bought it years ago at Winners, with a fall floral insert.  It was okay, but it was looking tired and faded, and I was tired of it.

 

I started by painting the bowl, then placed the dots and did two more coats of paint to cover everything to make it appear to be a hobnail vase. TBH, if I really wanted it to be a hobnail I would have needed to add a bazillion more dots.  As it was this was enough for me.  

I used a piece of floral green foam, with a bit of moss on top, added some of the spring florals and greenery I've picked up on various trips to the dollar store to make a new insert.  You may notice there are a few Easter eggs in the mix.  I can remove those after Easter and add more more flowers...I have some yellow ones that would look pretty.  Since none of the items are glued in, I can change up the floral insert for the different seasons. 

I removed the snowflake patterned tablecloth and changed it out for the blue check. It makes me happy and it certainly brightens up the kitchen.

Of course, this led to more things being painted.  I have an candle holder that was given to me several years ago.  I never really cared for it, it was too dark and heavy, but I kept it because it was a gift.  I meant to take a before photo but forgot, but here it is after I finished painting and distressing it. I like it much better now!  

While watching television programs or hockey this week I finished four dishcloths for D.  The baby sweater is next on the list of the projects but I realized that I don't have the correct needle size. Instead I started another baby blanket that I'll work on while watching the curling.  

Speaking of television programs, if you haven't watched Big Sky and are a fan of crime dramas, I highly recommend it.  Unlike other programs things don't get wrapped up in an hour (and don't get me wrong I love Law and Order, Criminal Minds, and NCIS in all its versions) but this one has really caught my attention. There is always a twist I didn't expect and I'm always left wanting more.  However, it is a bit ugly in the story line and definitely creepy at times so I know it wouldn't be for everyone.

Since this post is about my happy place, which is currently my home and all the things I can do here, I thought I'd share a photo from a five years ago when I was in another happy place in the Caribbean.

This is from the Bahamas, not one of my favorite ports, but I simply love the variations of the blue water. 

Have a great week ahead everyone.  Take care and stay well!

Wordy Wednesday - down the rabbit hole

 I'll preface this by saying, feel free to laugh at me.  I do (laugh at myself) so you won't hurt my feelings.  I have to admit that I seem to have developed an addiction to Facebook videos.  Blame it on the cat blogs and live stream curling for the first dip of the toe into that world.  But, I've discovered there are far more and these days it's all about DIY Christmas decorations.  It's a rabbit hole!  I'm totally amazed at the creativity of these people and in my own small way have tried to emulate.  The local dollar stores are getting in more craft items, ornaments, and other items.  My craft room has seen many additions in the last couple of weeks.

These photos are the items I've completed in the last week.

This is a gift for Eli's other Grandma.  I send her photos every year with her Christmas card, but this year I thought I'd frame one of them for her.

I purchased an inexpensive wooden picture frame at Michaels.  The scrapbook was on sale for 33 cents a sheet (so of course, I bought several sheets - different patterns).  The little cars are actually buttons that I bought in a large package from Michaels a few years ago.

I used Modge Podge to glue the paper to the frame and for the sealing (it dries clear).  I didn't do a perfect job with cutting the paper, as you can tell by the photo, but looking at it across the room, it looks fine.  I cut the little plastic piece off the back of the button and hot glued the to cover the more visible seams.  

Next up, is this little snowman made from small styrofoam balls purchased from the dollar store.  The balls were white, but patterned, so I painted them white so they appeared more solid.  Using the paints I'd picked up at the thrift store to paint the eyes, mouth, buttons, and nose.  D has promised me a bit of homemade play dough, colored orange when she next visits.  I want something that is 3-D; I'll just repaint the nose part white and hot glue a dried play dough nose in its place. 

The ribbon I had from another project a few years ago.  The arms are pieces of a pipe cleaner from a Halloween pack of items from the dollar store. I cut it up and twisted a small piece onto the larger ones and poked the arms into the styrofam ball.  

The hat took me a bit of thinking. I used the cardboard from a toilet paper roll, cutting three pieces, two circles and a small length that I rolled up for the main part of the hat. I painted everything black, and hot glued the pieces together.  The beads are from a pick that I used when D and I made the spoons.  The whole thing is hot glued to the top of the snowman's head.  I did need to cut a small piece off the bottom of the snowman so he would stand on his own.  I told D I want to make a few more of different sizes so I'll be looking for styrofoam balls.  This was a really fun project.

Last, but certainly not least are these ornaments. There are three in the photo, but I actually made four. I plan to give one to my SIL, two will likely be added to gifts for friends, and the last I'll keep for myself.

I started with four small artist's canvases from the dollar store but I used the backside for these.  I did paint the canvases black on the full canvas side, and just the top half of this side.  The little trees were from the dollar store as were the ribbons.  I found the snow at Canadian tire when I went to pick up bird seed.

First, I painted the frames with a mix of red paint and red glitter glue (on sale at Walmart). I used some painter's tape to keep from making a mess on the canvas.  After that dried, I decided to paint the canvas with the black paint and used the painter's tape to keep the paint off the lower portion.  

While these were drying I decorated one of the little trees using pieces of a garland that I found at the dollar tree and a button from another package I'd gotten at Michaels several years.  The little piece on the back of the button actually slid right over the top of the tree and is held with a bit of glue.

I painted the star in the sky and glued a piece of the snow onto the frame before adding the trees. I didn't care for the way the base of the trees looked so used a bit of snow to cover...it almost looks like they are in a snow bank.  The bow and the ribbon (also purchased at the dollar store are hot glued to the frame.  

These took me most of a morning to finish due to the drying time and my dithering over how they should look.  I did have to re-do the stars in the sky, as I wasn't happy with the first attempts.  Good thing black paint covers well! Looking at them I can see I few minor tweaks are needed to improve the look.  

If I were to estimate the cost for all of the projects, I'd say I spent about $20 on materials.  But I still have bows, garlands, ribbons, paint, paper, styrofoam balls, pipecleaners, buttons, etc. galore for future projects. I guess I'll need to watch more videos!

Next up - I've got some wooden coasters that Eli will decorate the next time he's here.  I have to get some knitting and crocheting done.

Take care and stay well everyone!

October comes in with a bang

October has arrived bringing cool temperatures but thankfully, so far, no hard frosts.  The water in the bird bath did have a bit of ice in it this morning, though.  I still have a few containers of flowers out and I expect I'll pull them today or tomorrow.  A FB memory popped up on Sept 29th that showed we had a bit of a snow shower last year (melting as it hit the ground).  I'm grateful there isn't any snow in our forecast yet.

In advance of the changing weather, I had my tires changed over on Tuesday.  When I called for the appointment, I was told that bringing it in before the end of September would garner me a $25 discount.  Woohoo...of course, what they didn't tell me is they've raised the prices so the difference was minimal.  Oh well, it's done and I learned that both sets of tires still have at least 50-60% tread left.  As little as I drive these days I'll probably not have to buy new tires for a long time yet.

I walked to and from the tire shop - it's only a 15 to 20 minute walk from the house and had my camera with me.  The geese continue to gather at the pond and this day I spotted what appears to be one-legged goose. 

Here's another angle, if it was holding up a leg (which I've seen them do, especially when it is cold), I couldn't tell.  It apparently doesn't affect its ability to feed...that's one fat goose!

I've not seen the Godwit at the pond before.  I just think these little birds are so interesting. The cormorants are there occasionally still but the ducks are gone except for a few remaining at the creek.  

It was cool, just 3C (37F) when I woke on Wednesday, and not much warmer when I went for my walk.  But the day was sunny, I bundled up and wore a pair of mini-gloves and was fine.

The ducks and Godwits were busily feeding in the sun.  I'm thinking the water must be pretty chilly!

D and Eli arrived on Thursday morning and after some additional breakfast - that kid can eat!, we headed out for a walk. 

I don't recall the cormorants having this much white on them.  I wonder, do they change color like our bunnies?  Time for some research.
 

Eli was showing off his Marshall finger puppet.  If you've no small children in your life, you won't be familiar with the Paw Patrol, a group of pups that turn into heroes rescuing people and animals from all sorts of trouble.  Marshall is the loveable clumsy pup who (obviously) is in charge of the fire truck. My friend K gave me a set for him, and he absolutely loves them.  On our way home we stopped at the park and he enjoyed running up and down the hill, and playing on the equipment.

Thursday night was a long one for all of us.  Eli started showing signs of an ear infection - covering his ears with his hands, rubbing his face and lots of whining. He was awake off and on all night - at one point he asked to cuddle with G'ma but he continued to sleep fitfully.  Thankfully D had an appointment with her G.P. on Friday morning so was able to get a prescription for antibiotics. The pharmacy was backed up but she was able to pick up the meds about 2:30 p.m.  We gave him a dose immediately...much against his wishes.  By 4 p.m. he was fast asleep on the couch, slept through dinner, and woke about 7:30 p.m. happy and hungry.

I kept him up with me, while his mom went to bed about 8.  At 10 p.m., I tucked him into bed with her and except for a bathroom run about midnight, and a request for a drink of milk at 3 a.m., he slept well. His nose is running like a faucet - the meds seem to be working. D has a sinus cold as well so she was happy for the sleep.  They headed home early this morning and I expect they'll spend the next few days resting.  He won't be attending pre-K until he gets over this cold/infection.  

Yesterday D and I did a bit of crafting - I'd seen a video on FB and decided it would be a fun and easy project for the two of us to work on.  I picked up ten spoons and several bottles of paint at the thrift store, and the bows and berries at the dollar store.  D brought me some white paint as I couldn't find any.  While Eli was sleeping we finished the painting and this morning I added the bow and berries to one.  D took her spoons home (with bows) to finish off at home.  She plans to add these to jars of brownie mix as Christmas gifts for the teachers at pre-K.  I'm not sure what I'll do with mine but I did think they were cute so I'm sure I'll find a place to display them.

Today, I'll spend some time tidying up, putting toys away, washing sheets and other laundry, and just generally setting things to right. It should be warm enough for a walk this afternoon too. And I won't be surprised if there is nap at some point too.  We're forecast for a lovely day tomorrow so I'll hold off on the yard work until then.  

Take care everyone, stay well, and happy October!

Living in my bubble

 I'm posting this on Friday because I'm off to see Eli and D, around mid-day on Saturday.  She may make one more visit to the city this month before Eli starts attending pre-kindergarten, though that isn't a certainty.  At that time, all visits will cease and my bubble will grow smaller again.  It makes me sad, but he is really looking forward to being around other children and D needs the break.

I don't generally share much about her problems but I can say that she suffers from both depression and anxiety on a daily basis.  As a result, I get four to five phone calls a day, most often to check-in but almost always with something that she is worried about.  The pandemic has made this worse, and being at home most of the time with a rambunctious 3 year old doesn't help matters.  I'll admit I'm not always the most sympathetic, especially when we've had the same conversation for three days running, but I do know that my spending a few days with them is helpful to her.  Not only do we put her house to rights, but I take some of the attention off her from Eli, and she gets an opportunity to spend a little time on her own.  I'm hopeful Eli attending school part-time will offer this respite for her as well.

Back at home, we've had a much cooler week, with temperatures in single digits (40's F) first thing in the morning and warming up several degrees during the day.  This weekend we'll have a couple of nice days and then the forecast is suggesting we'll drop to near freezing on Monday morning.  I haven't yet needed to switch on the furnace though D has said she has done so just to take the chill off in the morning.  Even though we'll still have decent weather for several weeks yet (fingers crossed), I pulled the tomato plants on Thursday.  I got mounds of cherry tomatoes off two small plants, sweet and juicy.  Eli likes them too, so I'm taking a sandwich bag full for he and I to share.  My onions didn't do very well sharing the pot with the tomatoes - I guess they didn't get enough light.

I also brought my pot of herbs indoors.  It can sit in the kitchen window which looks out onto the sun room.  Maybe this way I'll remember to use some of it!  I realized today, one plant is peppermint, another rosemary and I'm not certain of the third.  I've got a succulent in a pot on the windowsill, the only one of three to survive, and a piece of coleus that is currently rooting.  Saku is the only cat who gets up there and he hasn't bothered the succulent so perhaps I'll have a window of greenery this winter.  

Even with the cooler temperatures, or perhaps because of them, I got in a walk every day.  I didn't have my camera with me so there was just one photo taken with my cell phone.  The number of birds are growing less each time I walk, though there are still at least one and often three or four cormorants at the pond. 

On this walk, I wanted to get in some extra steps and activity so walked another loop around the creek before heading to the pond.  There are still a few ducks hanging out here, but the godwits and killdeer have moved on.  No geese either, as they prefer the pond.

Today I made sure to bring my cellphone with me so I was able to get a few more photos.  There were dozens more ducks on the creek and similarly more geese at the pond.  The godwit was back too, and there were two cormorants on the pond.  One was out feeding and I stood for a while watching.  It would dive and stay under water for 10-15 seconds at a time.  I'm not sure how successful it was, but I assume it found something.  No video of that, but the ducks at the creek had lots to say...if you can hear it over the noise of the wind.

More than a gaggle of geese

I've been taking advantage of these days to walk, even on the one day that it was lightly raining.  As I tell my daughter, I don't melt, even if I wish I would.  It was cool but with a light rain jacket over my hoodie, and my hands tucked into my sleeves I was toasty warm.  About half way through the walk, the rain ended and I was able to unzip my jacket.  We really truly have been blessed with wonderful weather and I am going to take advantage of it for as long as I can.

Another blogger (thanks Cheryl) had mentioned changing things up, and I was inspired to re-arrange the furniture in the living room this week. Now this may not mean much to anyone else, but my living room furniture has been in the same position (though I did get a new couch and chair five or so years ago), for the ten years plus that I've lived in the house.  My son did a double take when he arrived home that day, and even commented the second day it would take a little time to get used to it.  I like how much more open and larger the room feels. 

This photo doesn't do it justice as it really doesn't show the length of the room - there is still another 3 feet behind the chair.  No before photo (of course because who thinks of that?)  The couch used to sit a little forward of where the grey chair is now and closed off the space.  I moved side tables as well and made sure everything was spic and span.  The ottoman in front of the couch stays there to help my old cat Sasha to climb up.  I had to laugh, both cats were quite confused about the placement of the furniture.  Sasha, more so than Saku, as he couldn't figure which end of the couch to sleep on.  Didn't take long before they were content, as am I!  A change is as good as a rest, right?

I've had a more productive week than last, getting the household chores completed, laundry, floor washing, vacuuming, bathrooms cleaned, and so forth.  On Sunday I had finished the last of the three blankets.

I weaved in the ends and washed them, and I'll take them to D tomorrow.  She'll hold onto them until a little closer to B's due date.

Since those were finished, it was time to move onto a couple more projects.  I whipped up the poncho dress, but was disappointed by the size and length - even with blocking based on the gauge it just didn't look the same as the original pattern even though it was the same size she made. Do you suppose the author messed with me or did I mess up?  To be honest, it's probably me.  It certainly isn't dress length but will make a nice tunic with leggings and black top underneath.

That's alright, as I have sufficient yarn to make another one,  I'll use my daughter as a guinea pig model, and play around with the pattern to get it to where I want it.  My brother was able to tell me L's sizing too so will use that information to ensure it will fit my niece.

I also started on a balaclava for my nephew.  And because the first project finished up so quickly, I've started a sweater for Eli as well.  The pattern I'm using for the sweater is knitted from side to side, from one sleeve to the other, and then the sleeve and side seams are sewn up.  It is a cardigan so requires holding some stitches while working thre right and left sides.  I've never worked a sweater this way, but read through the pattern and in my head it makes sense.  It also has a hood that is knit separately, but I'll check with D to see if she wants it.  If not, I'll figure out how to add the collar later.  

If anyone is keeping track and frankly I doubt you are, I have yet to finish the tank top I started knitting for myself in the spring.  I'm not sure why but I just don't feel like picking up that UFO (unfinished object) but it will happen, just later rather than sooner.  Another blogger, (thanks Jackie) had mentioned yarn on sale at Michaels so several more skeins of yarn made it into my cart again this week.  I have to make another baby blanket and about half what I need to make a larger afghan.  The prices were 50% or less of regular pricing so it was definitely worth stocking up.  I'll wait for another color to go on sale, and I know exactly which one, to ensure I have enough for the large afghan.  It is my intent to eventually sell the baby blankets but I'd like to have ten or so ready to go before I list them on our local buy and sell.  I have six or seven at the moment so I'm close.  The afghan will likely end up being sold as well, because I made a new one for myself last year.

Before I head out tomorrow, I need to dig up a few perennials to transplant into one of D's flower beds.  The neighbour has been kind enough to share from her own yard so there is a variety of plants already there in a large bed in the back yard.  Unfortunately it hasn't been properly weeded over the years so there are unwanted trees and large weeds.  My goal is to get some of it cleaned up while I'm there.  Eli loves to be in the out and so do I.  

I've still got my bag to pack for the next few days and a list of things to take with me that need to be loaded in the car.  On that note, I'll sign off for the week.

Have a great weekend everyone!  Take care and stay well.

Keeping busy being lazy

It was another week of curling, with the provincial women's completed on Tuesday evening, and the men's starting on Wednesday.  So, of course that meant lots of time for knitting.  I managed to finish the blanket for my cousin.  I had a bit of yarn left and decided to use to make up a small stuffed lamb.  Well as always, I didn't have quite enough yarn.  A visit to Michaels was made where, as Connie from Far Side would say, yarn may have been bought. 

I needed the cream color (although this photo seems a bit white to me, it is cream) and found another ball of a similar but not quite the same green.  I couldn't pass up on the latter because it was on a discounted shelf - I got a huge ball for $4. It made paying full price for the cream yarn a little less painful.

I had initially thought I'd knit a sweater but I realize that most parents don't dress their babies as we once did.  A layette is unheard of for most.  So I used the stitches in the pattern for the sweater in the blanket.  I love how it looks like it is diamonds.  This is a small and lightweight blanket, as baby is due in April.  Hopefully his or her parents will like it. 

The lamb isn't complete, but all the pieces have been knitted.  I haven't the patience to put it together at the moment...good thing I have a bit of time!  In the meantime I'm back to crocheting my infinity scarf.

The weather was quite lovely this week with temps just below freezing.  It was so nice to be able to get outdoors without the need to bundle up as much.  By the weekend we were well above freezing and had lots of melting.  AND then it got cold so my driveway and street are skating rinks.  I'll have to get out and scrape the driveway before someone takes a tumble.

I have been out to feed the birds every day.  These Hungarian partridges have been visiting the back yard almost every day.  I've seen one on the bird feeder but to make it a bit easier for them I've been sprinkling some feed on the top of the snow.  They've been digging down to the grass on the lawn too.  Not sure what they're looking for as I'm pretty certain any bugs would be dead by now.  The partridges are very nervous and getting a photo was difficult because as soon as they sense me, they fly off.

I did a bit of grocery shopping this week, and met my friend C and N for dinner on Thursday evening.  He was off to work on Friday, so C and I were on our own for our regular Friday night supper.  The minimum amount of housework was completed...there was curling to be watched. Of course, that means this week will require much more effort on my part.

On Saturday I drove out to my daughter's.  The purpose was two-fold, to allow her to go out for dinner with a friend that evening, and to attend the Saskatchewan men's Tankard semi and final on Sunday.  Eli is very bonded to his mom and this is the first time she's left him near bedtime.  During the week she prepared him for my visit and her absence.  The preparation worked as he was a good boy for G'ma.  After his bath, we snuggled in bed and read some bedtime stories before I tucked him in.  It took him nearly 30 minutes to actually fall asleep but he stayed in bed, and every so often I'd hear, "good night Gramma". I'd say in return, "good night Eli, I love you, now close your eyes".  He did wake up and was a bit upset when his mom got home...but she got to deal with that. 

The curling was terrific - both the semi and final were close games with lots of rocks in play!  That makes it much more exciting for the crowd, and all the teams are great hitters.  I love the finesse shots as well, and these guys can do both.  

The sweepers are bringing a draw to the top of the four foot to tap the red rock back a foot or so, while the fellow in black is waiting to sweep the rocks behind the t-line.  This was from the semi-final.  The guys in purple one in the 10th end, when the skip on the other team missed his last shot.

From the final, the guys in purple are watching to see what the guys in white are planning.  If memory serves this is one of the times a bunch of rocks went flying out of the rings. The team in white were last year's winner of the event and had earlier won a game against the team in purple on Friday evening.  Both teams played well, but it came down to the final shot of the final end, when Dunstone (purple) took out the second last rock of Muyres (white).  Since Dunstone was ahead by two at that point, Muyres was out of rocks. 

Four excited guys, heading to the Brier in Kingston, Ontario at the end of February.  Saskatchewan has not won a Brier since 1980 - I'm hopeful this team will make it into the playoffs at least.  They're fearless on the ice and Dunstone is well known for his ability to make some absolutely crazy shots.  I've linked a link to a video of triple knockout he made last fall - it's less than a minute to watch.
I chuckled as the fellow on the left, was patting his skip on the head.  There is a bit of height differential between the two!

I left immediately after the final was complete, so didn't stay for the medal and trophy presentation.  The temperature was dropping, the wind had picked up, and it was nearly sunset.  I just wanted to get home.  When I woke up this morning to -17C (0F) I was glad to be here.  Time to get truly busy and get this house back in order.  

Have a great week everyone!

Autumn calling - Aug 19-25

We've had lots of sunshine this week, with cool nights.  (Sorry to those who continue to have extreme heat - I'd send some of this to you if I could.)  I generally leave the door to the sun room open at night, so the entire house cools off.  That way, even when the outside temp hits 27C(80F), the air conditioning unit doesn't kick in until late in the afternoon.  Sadly, we had a cold front come in on Thursday night, with an accompanying thunderstorm that really cooled things off.  Yes, autumn is definitely on the horizon.

While I bemoan the cooler temperatures, for me, fall has always marked the start of the year, rather than New Year's.  The change of season provides a fresh start, summer vacations end, the children go back to school, and all sorts of programs start up again.  January on the other hand, is simply smack dab in the middle of the long winter.  

I've reviewed the City's fall leisure guide and while I haven't signed up for anything, there are several things I might be interested in doing.  A photography class is one, possibly a yoga class though I think a stretch class would be the best, and maybe even a creative writing class.  We'll see if current my level of ambition matches my possibilities. (Who am I kidding?  Probably not).

Friday was the anniversary of my Dad's birth.  He was born in 1910 at home near Mortlach, Saskatchewan.  This photo was taken on his 97th birthday, on August 23, 2007.  Slightly over a year later, he passed away on September 15, 2008. Dad was a modest man, he didn't like being fussed over, but I think he was happy that day surrounded by friends. 

I have to tell this story, because it still makes me laugh.  I don't know if you can tell from this photo, but he has no eyebrows.  The reason is, he did his own shaving and used to run his electric razor all over his face, including his eyebrows.  We asked why he did and he said they were too bushy.  I don't remember if they ever grew back or if he kept right on shaving them.

It's been a pretty quiet week, I've managed to get a bit of my crocheting done, and started a counted cross stitching project.  It's meant to be a gift for a friend for Christmas so I've been working on it in the afternoon when the lighting is better.  I've been inspired by the women at the Stitch, Make, and Chat group.  Also on Wednesday I had a short visit with Eli and his mom.  He had an appointment at the ear, nose, throat specialist.  D was concerned that he snores, but after the examination the doctor says there is nothing wrong with him.  

Late Friday evening, I had a call from my agent, advising me that we'd had a request for a 10 a.m. showing on Saturday.  He'd forgotten to let me know!  So I was up early in the morning to do some extra cleaning and tidying as we hadn't had a since last weekend and I'd let a few things slip.  This potential buyer is a single guy and his agent told mine that a small back yard shouldn't be a problem.  They were in the house for close to 25 minutes, but were obviously heading off to another showing as papers and phones were being looked at as they left.  

In the evening, I watched a double header of the CFL.  First up were our Riders versus the Ottawa Redblacks.  The Redblacks starting QB gave us three interceptions in the first quarter giving us a 17-0 lead, and resulting in him being pulled from the game.  Though they did do better with their second team QB, our Riders brought the win home!  

The second game was a snore fest, a low scoring affair between the Hamilton Ti-Cats and the BC Lions.  The latter team has a record of 1 win, 9 losses, the worst in the league and a record that they haven't started with in 50 years.  They have one of the best QB's in the league but their offensive line is, well, offensive.  I think he was sacked seven times in the game!  I still watched to the bitter end, but had no difficulty falling asleep when it was over. 

Today, I woke to rain, with more expected throughout the day.  I'm driving to visit D and Eli tomorrow, but may leave this afternoon and overnight there.  Otherwise it will be a quiet day, with more crocheting and cross stitching on the agenda.  Oh, and another football game.  Hopefully this one is  more exciting to watch.

Have a great week everyone!

Passing time - Aug 12-18

Is it October already?  It sure felt that way on Monday!  I woke to pouring rain and a cool day, only 13C (55F).  It didn't warm up much more than a couple of degrees the rest of the day but thankfully the rain had stopped by mid-morning.  Even so we got nearly 40 mm (just over 1.5 inches) of rain.  No weeding was done at the Canadian Cancer Society office that day. 

Instead I stayed home, baked buns, crocheted, made Shepherd's pie for dinner, and had an afternoon nap.  I did send an e-mail to my real estate agent to revise the wording for the house advertisement such that it now includes a description of the back yard as small, and having a partially finished large storage area in the basement.  I did include a comment that less yard work meant more time to relax.  Hopefully these revisions will give the viewers a better sense of what they will find. Time will tell.  

I also finished a Christmas gift for
my SIL. This was some funky yarn that I picked up on sale at Michaels  I can't tell you how many times I started it and ripped it out, once because Eli pulled the knitting needles out of it, but more often because I dropped a stitch!  Picking up a stitch with this yarn proved to be beyond my skills.  It didn't look like much on the counter so I tried to take a selfie.  I am so lousy at those!

Tuesday I had an appointment for my nails.  Since I have a tendency to break them if I do anything too strenuous in the first 24 hours after getting them done, that meant the morning was full of chores.  Laundry, floor washing, oven cleaning, and bathroom scrubbing were completed in record time.   

I headed out a little early to do a bit of Christmas shopping/browsing....I told you I thought it was October!  At Winners I found the perfect comforter to replace my son's old ratty one.  I also found monthly calendars for my daughter and myself for 2020 at a price lower than they were last year.  At Marshalls I found a book Stories for a 3 year old for Eli for his birthday next March.  And I spoiled myself a bit and bought a new purse because my old one was rapidly falling apart.  

I had a relaxing Wednesday, just a bit of vacuuming, dusting and the like before heading off to the Stitch, Make, and Chat at the library.  Since the afghan for my bed is far too big to carry with me, I pulled out the smaller one and took the ball of pink yarn I bought the other day.  I'll likely have it done in the next week, it's what I like best about crocheting seeing the results much more quickly than knitting.

Thursday started out quiet but got busier as the day went on.  But it was the good kind of busy!  My friend K and I were meeting for lunch but I'd talked to her the night before and she suggested I stop by her house earlier as our travel agent (and friend) L was coming over to drop off some paperwork and a visit.  I pulled a loaf of the banana bread I made last week out of the freezer and took it with me.  We had a nice visit discussing potential trips (Panama Canal next March, maybe - if the house sells, absolutely).  Then K and J and I went out for lunch at Applebee's.  She had coupons so it was a reasonably priced lunch.

From there I headed up to a used book sale.  The receipts go to charity, and the prices are great.  I got five novels to read, a Fodor's See It London guide, and four books for Eli. Two of the books for him are in French.  My daughter is fluent and is starting to work with him, he knows that his nose and le nez are the same thing! Smart kid.  The Fodor's book I'll use for a bit or reading before I start researching material for next June's trip.  L from Nova Scotia and I are planning to spend a few days there before we travel to Amsterdam for the start of our U.K. cruise. 

On the way home I stopped in at Michael's and bought a few things for more crafts.  Some I hope to use for Christmas gifts.  We'll see if my ambition lasts that long.  That evening I had a text from my real estate agent for a showing on Sunday.  That's the first showing in over 10 days.  I needed the break but I was starting to wonder if we'd get any more.

Friday I did some cleaning, some crafting, went out to dinner with my friend C, and watched football. An overall good day!  Saturday was another cool "October" day, only 7C (44F) when I woke up, and I had nothing much planned. Then the real estate agent texted with a request for a showing at 1:30, then delayed to 3:00 and followed by another showing at 5:15.  I did a bit more tidying: reviewed flyers and recycled them, did the morning dishes, wiped down counters, etc.  Since the first showing was delayed, I settled in and watched "The Accountant" - it was an interesting movie.  Then it was outdoors to mow the lawn and sweep up pine cones off the deck. 

As I always do, I gather up the cats and leave the house about 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled appointment, just in case they show up early.  I needn't have bothered. The first appointment was 30 minutes and the second 45 minutes late in their arrival. Neither agent was considerate enough to contact my agent to let him know they were running late.  I texted him, he had to contact them, and get back to me.  I was annoyed as the cats and I spent close to 2 1/2 hours in the car for about 25 minutes of showing time.  

We do have the showing this evening at 6:30.  This is a second time through for the agent but not his clients.  I would anticipate that he has informed them of what to expect, thus my hopes are up for this showing.  There isn't a lot to do to prepare the house so I'm going to take it easy for most of the day.  I did PVR another movie last night, "No Country for Old Men", so I may just settle in with my crocheting and watch another movie.  

That, my friends, was the week that was.  Have a good week ahead. 

******
In a recent comment, Patti mentioned she would have expected that my crocheting would add to my Fitbit count.  It probably would but I wear it on my left arm because I'm left-handed when it comes to writing or using utensils for eating.  But I'm right hand dominant when it comes to crocheting, knitting, using scissors, and even washing dishes.  The same is true (though I rarely do either) for golfing and throwing a baseball.  I have no idea why though I was taught to knit by an aunt who was right handed.  Is anyone else an oddball like me?