Projects, plans, and purging

Wednesday's wordless was indeed a photo of my efforts to get part of the basement floor ready for new flooring. The family who lived here prior to us were a foster family, and they had put down indoor/outdoor carpet in that area - I assume to add to the play area for the children as there was a gate in the open doorway at one time. Several years ago, I had the interior walls framed in, insulated and drywalled, however since we didn't use the area except for cat litter boxes and some dusty exercise equipment I hadn't done anything more with that space. 

When I had the house listed in 2019, it was a bone of contention for the potential buyers. They couldn't identify it's purpose and didn't want to have to spend the money to finish it themselves. As I said then, damn HGTV and all the shows that provide, at least in my mind, unrealistic expectations. 

I've told my son that I will not, repeat not, live in this house beyond the summer of 2023. Between the yard work and the upkeep of the house, I'm ready to sacrifice space for less work. Plus I really don't want to spend another winter in the cold - or at least not all of it. 

I've yet to call the contractor for a quote, but expect I'll do so next week. He did the work in my brother sister-in-law's property here in the city and did a fantastic job. The work to be completed includes, not only the flooring through the entire basement and stairs, but installing a wall between the furnace room and the open area (which will put the cat litter boxes out of sight), a closet, and install a door. There is some electrical work to be done as well. I'm steeling myself for the price but it does need to get done. Besides I've finished paying off the roofing and fencing that was completed last year. :)

The weather finally improved this week, and I was able to get out of the house for a bit. While out, I made a stop at Value Village and the Salvation Army thrift stores before picking up some groceries. At V.V. I got six small balls of yarn, originally priced at $9.99 a piece, while I paid $7-8 for the complete lot. I did even better at the Salvation Army store, finding a pair of Roots sweat pants and two pair of Osh-Kosh summer shorts for Eli for about $6. My daughter tells me she won't use the sweat pants as is, because the cuff isn't elasticized. 

Well, I'll fix her. I had already planned to drive out this week to deliver her television and few other odds and ends that got left behind, so I measured a pair of his current pants to determine the length of elastic I'll need. Now I just have to pick the stitches of a small portion the hem on the pants, insert the elastic and sew it in place. 

The drive out on Thursday was occasionally white knuckled as there was heavy fog in some places. For the most part visibility was better than a half mile but there were times when it dropped to less than a quarter of a mile. My worry is always the dummies driving without headlights (there were a couple) or those that try to pass when visibility is poor (thankfully that day, none).  

After a short visit and a bit of lunch we headed off to Eli's occupational therapy appointment. D's car had to go into the garage for some work so we took my car. I dropped them off and scooted over to the Dollarama for a few bins, and Canadian Tire for some weather strips. I had a plan for the first, and had noted some gaps at both back and front door that needed some additional sealing to keep out the cold weather.

On Thursday evening and overnight we got about 5 inches of snow. D's car was at the shop and she'd ordered groceries for pick-up that morning at 9. Our first order of business was to shovel ourselves out. She did the front sidewalks while I started behind the garage. It took the two of us about 45 minutes to clear the snow so I could get into the alley. Thankfully, a neighbour with a truck had gone through so I had tracks to follow out to the street. 

Back at home, D unloaded and put away the groceries and then we got busy. We pulled everything out of her freezer to defrost it (the front porch was a great freezer until we were ready to put everything away). We sorted everything and put like products in bins. She has a small chest freezer and whatever she wants seems to be on the bottom. This way, she still has to lift out the bins but things won't get knocked upside down or simply lost. She was thrilled when that project was complete.

Then, while the deep freeze continue to defrost, it was onto clearing counters and shelves, sorting through toys and clothing and hanging and putting away clean laundry for her and Eli. When we finished there were four part bags of clothing for drop off at the local thrift store, and a bin of clothing to be taken to a consignment store here in Regina. Much of the clothing was Eli's, that he has simply outgrown over the past two years, but D found a tub in her closet of old clothing she'd forgotten about and lot of that was added to the donate pile.

By the time we finished all the sorting there were two full bags of debris, broken toys, papers, stuff from the bottom of the deep freeze, and other items to be disposed of. It was garbage day so the bin was empty when I took it out. I also put the four bags for the thrift store in her trunk so she can deliver it next she's out. Oh, that reminds me, we ran out after lunch to pick up her car from the shop. Hooray, the repairs cost less than she had anticipated! 

By late afternoon we were all exhausted and my fit-bit said I'd gotten in nearly 14,000 steps and 70 minutes of excercise. I will tell you, it felt like more than that! After dinner we relaxed, watched some television, and went to bed early. Both nights I had company; Eli decided he wanted to sleep in his big boy bed with G'ma. I must have been tired because I actually slept reasonably well with a kid who likes to spread out. Add on a cat (Sheldon) and it was definitely tight quarters.

Saturday morning was busy too.  The television stand she had in the living room wasn't large enough for the base of her new television so we did some furniture swaps in the house as well. There was a credenza in her office/craft room that was originally used as a tv stand when she first bought it (about 2007?), but had been put into use for storing craft supplies. We switched it out for an old dresser in Eli's room, and took the shelving unit she had been using for the tv stand up to his room. Have I confused you yet? This necessitated the movement of books and other items from one room to another. Once the furniture was moved, she took care of the vacuuming on the second level, while I swept and mopped floors on the first. By 9:30 a.m. we had pretty much everything done that needed immediate doing - we'd been up since 5 a.m., and I started getting ready for the drive home. 

The drive home wasn't all that great. The snow plows had been out but the highways still had snow on them with bare tracks where the majority of the traffic drove, there was blowing snow, and in some spots, even wet pavement. I used a fair amount of windshield washer fluid keeping the windshield clear of the moisture flung up by passing vehicles. Semi's are the worst.  

I was home by 10:30 this morning, and back out shovelling snow not long after. We didn't get nearly the amount of snow D did. I cleared the driveway and sidewalks, fed the birds, and then came in to get some lunch and just chill. I can already tell it will be an early night here. 

On that note, I'm off to catch up on my blog reading or maybe that will wait until I've had an afternoon nap. Take care everyone, stay well and have a good week ahead.

Winter wonderland? Oh snow!

Winter walloped us a good one this week.  The weekend was nice and by Monday a lot of the snow from the first fall had disappeared. I'd scraped off the driveway and front walk and the deck out back was clearing.  Then on Tuesday the winds blew with gusts nearing 100 kph (62 mph). While it dried up some of the moisture that was left over from the snow melt, it also blew in a blizzard.

This photo does not do it justice. I can't capture the flurry of snow blowing, but you can see the snow that was blown into the window. 

It took my son about 45 minutes to make the drive home from work - normally a 15 or 20 minute drive.  He said the streets were sheets of ice under the snow, and with the low visibility it made it worse.  I recall those after work drives and am even more grateful to be retired.

My younger brother and his wife were storm stayed in the city. Every highway in and out of Regina was closed. He sent me this image.  They actually have a second property here in the city; their daughter attends university and their son is working. 

I spent a good 30 minutes on Wednesday afternoon clearing a 3 foot drift in front of the garage door.  I also cleared the front sidewalk and then around to the gate to the backyard. However, there was a drift on the other side of the gate so I wasn't able to open it.  My power meter is inside that gate, so on Friday I went around the back way and cleared it out - not that I expect the company to read the meter any time soon.  Based on last year's bills, they did it twice - the rest of the bills were estimates.

Knowing there was a storm on its way, I did my grocery shopping on Monday.  No issues with finding what I needed, but I'm thinking that may change soon. As most of you will know, there has been extensive flooding in the southern region of British Columbia, and on Vancouver Island as well.  Several highways have been damaged to the point that it will take weeks, if not months to repair or, more likely, re-route.  These are major shipping routes and while they be able to travel into the United States and then back into Canada, this will delay shipments.  The province has issued a state of emergency.  At least a couple of communities (Merritt and Princeton) were severely flooded, along with farms in the area.  Earlier this year, there were ridiculously high temperatures followed by forest fires. Now in just a day or two they received as much rain as they would normally in an entire month.  It's just devastating, as so many have lost their livelihoods, their homes and other property. 

So while I may complain about the snow that fell, I can say with certainty, I'll take it any day over what has happened there. 

This photo was taken mid-afternoon on Wednesday after I finished clearing the snow.  It continued to blow, but at least the snow stopped falling. According to the local weather site, we've got 12 cm (5 in) on the ground.  It looks like we'll have a reprieve until middle of next week when the next storm is expected to blow through.

Since I was stuck indoors (self and weather imposed) I started the process of Christmas decorating.  The three tubs from the basement were brought upstairs and sorted through.  There are items in the tubs that I am unlikely to use, so I tucked those in a separate box to take to Value Village or the Salvation Army thrift store. A couple of items were set aside for D as well.  The tree was set up on Thursday and the decorating started. Even though it is a small tree it will take a few days to finish; depending on where I'm sitting in the living room I get a different perspective and often move things on the tree around.  D says I do that at her house too. :)

While I was in the mood, I pulled out all of the gifts I've purchased and got those wrapped or put in gift bags.  They're tucked away in my closet. I still have a few gift cards to purchase and will likely pick up a few more small items this weekend.

I will be posting this blog on Friday because I'm taking a day trip on Saturday. I'm joining a group - Women on the Go tours - for a trip out of the city to several smaller communities in the area.  While the primary reason for the trip is to shop at local businesses, I'm taking my camera along with some specific points of interest in mind.  I'll likely blog on Sunday or Monday and share the results.  The cost of the trip was quite reasonable, and includes transportation, lunch, dessert, dinner, and shopping bags.  This will be the first time in a long time since I've been around this many people or eaten in a restaurant. We all had to provide proof of vaccine and we'll be wearing masks on the bus and in the shops.  While I still have some trepidation, it is time for me to step out of my comfort zone.  It will be lovely to get away from home for the day and meet some new people too.  

This morning I had to run out to do an errand for D. I made a stop at the dollar store and was parked near this pile of snow.  This pile is one of several at the local mall that was cleaned up from the parking lot.  

It was the first day I was out after the storm, and the streets are still a mess.  Especially on our neighbourhood streets.  There are sections where the wind blew the snow in and although there has been traffic through, it has yet to get packed down so there are deep ruts.  My son and another fellow helped a young guy get his vehicle moving again last night when he got stuck in a drift. We won't see a plow until spring so it will be there for the duration.  They were just plowing the major street a few blocks away with a couple of graders.  Good to see.

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

 

Say it isn't S"no"w

*Warning - long post, sorry!

 Yes, it happened though I took no photos to prove it.  We had a skiff of snow on Monday overnight into Tuesday.  I was out at my daughter's and they got a lot more than we did.  The snow in the city has melted but it is still quite cold, well below normal temps.

I didn't get out to D's until Sunday. My son was feeling pretty awful on Saturday so I stuck around just in case.  About 11 p.m. I called our 811 Healthline for advice. He was in severe pain, but I didn't want to take him to the ER unless it was necessary.  After that call, I may never go see a doctor again.  First the nurse and then the doctor she referred us to, spoke with C and I for about 20 minutes or more each.  Unlike the doctor he saw on Thursday, this doc asked a lot of questions to get an idea of what was happening.  He suggested the antibiotic might not have been strong enough, but thought an anti-inflammatory like Aleve or Advil would help with the pain. He also prescribed a nasal spray that I picked up at the pharmacy the next day.  After we hung up, C took an Aleve, went to bed and slept for ten hours!  

Since then, his pain has lessened though not completely dissipated. He's sleeping better but having a tough time eating because of discomfort.  He has an appointment to see the dentist in a few days and I'm hopeful that she'll be able to determine what is going on.  Fingers crossed.

I got away just around lunch time on Saturday, and by 2 p.m. I was hugging my little guy.  As I came through the door, he told he'd missed me.  Awww, he's so darn sweet.  D and I spent some time tidying the house, while Eli played (and made a mess behind us, lol).  When bedtime came, he decided he wanted to sleep with G'ma in his big bed.  It's a single, and sleeping with a wiggling 3 year old is something I haven't done in a long time.  But he did go to sleep fairly easily and I only got kicked in the back a few times in the night...though the little stinker is a blanket hog.  Before he went to sleep, he told me "I love you being here G'ma."  He's sure good at pulling the heart strings!

He normally sleeps with his mom, and that's a battle she's not willing to fight at this point.  As a single mom myself, I didn't get her to sleep in her own bed until she was six and C was a baby.  She would go to sleep in her own bed, but sometime during the night would climb into my bed.  This started about the time she was a year old, and she'd climb over the bars of the crib, slide down, and pitter pat her way into my room.  My dad and I took her crib apart and built her a toddler bed, because I worried she'd fall and hurt herself.  On the other hand C always was an easy sleeper...still is!  

On Monday, we did some more housecleaning, before heading out for a walk in the afternoon.  It was still cool at -2C (28F), but walking in the sun felt nice.  Back at the house, we filled several bags with leaves before heading back indoors.  D has been having issues with her old stove, it was in the house when we bought it, and it's definitely past it's prime.  She and I were talking about it, and she texted a friend in town when she ran out to do some errands.  A little later I got a message that F's husband was on the way to the house to pick up the old stove as D had bought a new one that he would help pick up and deliver.  The stove is only a 24" so I moved it out, to clean behind it - surprisingly not bad at all, before D and L showed up.  Within the hour, the new stove was in place and dinner was started.  The old stove had gotten to the point, it was either off or on high heat so it was definitely time for a new one. 

Tuesday we woke up to cold and flakes of snow in the air.  I spent the morning finishing up a pair of mittens for Eli.  He was busy watching "Y" tube and eating his mom out of house and home.  Some days his appetite is incredible for such a small child.  French toast, a peanut butter wrap, and two kiwis were devoured in no time. Oh, and D kept Eli home this week again, as he had a bit of a cough.  The school would likely have called to have her pick him up anyway, and I got more time with him.  

The snow had stopped by noon, and I wasn't planning to leave until later in the afternoon. But it started coming down fairly heavily by 2 p.m. so I decided to make tracks.  The visibility was pretty poor when I left town, but got better as I travelled.  There was quite a bit of snow on the highway for about 50 kms. (30 miles) and at one point, I was in a line of vehicles following a sanding truck.  It slowed us down to 50 kpm, but it didn't appear to be doing any sanding.  Finally the driver pulled over to let us by.  Beyond that point the highway was clear all the way to the city and the snow had stopped.  There was some moisture on the pavement that got tossed up by the vehicles I met, but thankfully my windshield wiper fluid was full.  

I was tired when I got home, that first drive in snow is always a little worrisome - even with snow tires.  I spent the evening catching up with some PVR'ed programming and just relaxing.

Wednesday was a busy day, mostly catching up on a bit of housework.  I also got downstairs and cleaned out the old freezer.  There was very little left in it, and I was able to transfer it to the fridge freezer, except for a few items that had been in there far too long. I've been wanting to empty it for some time and just never got around to it.  The reason is two-fold, first I hope to someday downsize and don't expect there will be room for a deep freeze.  Second, it's an old energy inefficient appliance.  Talking to D I realized I bought it about 38 years ago, when she was just a baby.

There is a story to tell about that freezer.  I was living in Northern Saskatchewan at the time, in a small village.  The last winter we lived there, there were seventeen people living there, including D and I.  That February there was a provincial election and the nearest polling station was 50 miles away on snow covered gravel roads.  I called the provincial elections office to complain about the distance I'd have to travel with a small baby.  After some back and forth, they informed me that if I could find someone to be the Deputy returning officer, a secretary, and a place to have the polling station they would send the ballots and ballot box to me.  So I talked to my next door neighbour, who had actually been a DRO previously, I agreed to be the secretary, and offered my home as the polling station.  I can't recall the number of people who voted, but there were individuals who crossed the lake from the nearby First Nations village to vote.  I think most of them just wanted to see the baby, but I recall we had a good turn-out.  With the money I was paid for my services and the use of my home, I bought the deep freeze.  Sears Canada shipped it to me by bus and it was delivered directly to my home by a couple of my co-workers.  It's moved many times since then!

The rest of the day was spent puttering around, though I did get out later in the afternoon to push the bit of snow off the driveway.  There wasn't more than a half-inch but it wasn't melting even though the street was clear.  We're expecting more this week before the temperatures rise to more normal temperatures next week. 

Thursday was shopping day, I picked up groceries and a few craft items, another Christmas gift, and photos I had printed at Walmart.  I stopped at Peavey Mart for bird seed but they were out.  Even with the outing, I was feeling a bit of cabin fever, so although it was a bit chilly -6C (21F) and chillier still with the windchill, I headed out for a walk on Friday morning. Here are a few photos from the walk.

The creek is freezing over, with a few open areas. I was actually surprised to find the ducks still there.  Perhaps the lower water level makes it easier for them to find something to feed on.

As I turned to walk the pathway by the pond, I found some snow that hasn't yet melted. It looks pretty cold doesn't it, even with the sun?

There were several geese, a few ducks, and a mound of gulls. 

I'm thinking the water had to be pretty darn chilly. I guess they are making a stop over on their way south. Next week is supposed to be a bit nicer so perhaps they'll stay a little longer.

This is a bit fuzzy but I was trying to focus on the ice. It's pretty thick in this spot of the pond. Yikes!

Today, I'm off to get my flu shot, then to vote in the Sask. provincial election.  I'll probably stop somewhere to look for bird seed, though I don't expect I'll find the sunflower seed pieces I'm looking for.  But the container is empty and the birds and squirrel are hungry. I've started another pair of mittens for Eli that I'll finish this afternoon and perhaps a couple of crafts or two. A bit of football is probably in order too.

Take care everyone and have a good week ahead!