Returning home

Sorry for not posting on Saturday; it didn't dawn on me until late in the day. I'll admit I've almost lost track of the days of the week.

I had a good and mostly relaxing time with my son and his g/f, Sage and the cats. I did get out to dinner with friends on Friday evening. And I had a haircut on Saturday morning before starting the packing process. We have only one salon here in town and they are booked up months ahead. I left the city about 10:30 a.m. Sunday and was home shortly after noon. A 90 minute drive seemed very short after the lengthy travel days from Yuma.

Monday was mostly about settling in. (Saku seemed to be quite happy to see me). D took a nap so I was on school pickup duty in the afternoon. On Tuesday I dropped by the thrift store and completed a form to volunteer. I had spoken to someone last fall and learned they need more volunteer, especially in the summer. As of this writing, I've not heard back but expect I'll hear something in the next week or so.

Wednesday, I spent the morning opening up mail that had arrived during my absence. There was much reviewing of banking information, and updating of spreadsheets but I finished it before Eli returned from school for his lunch.  In the evening I returned to Knit and Natter at the library. There were four other attendees, none of whom I had met previously. I learned that the event alternates each week between afternoon and evening. Apparently it has been quite popular with most meetings having at least 5 people in attendance. It was nice to hear it has been well received.

I took the day off on Thursday, doing little more than playing games on my phone and tablet, and binge watching FBI on a streaming service. I'm caught up now! I did get dressed mid-morning so I could go to the Dollar store with my daughter. She made dinner that evening too, penne pasta in a garlic and parmesan sauce with grilled chicken. Delicious! It was a totally lazy day.

Friday, I was back on the computer, starting the planning for our proposed trip to Newfoundland, which we hope will be possible in June 2027. Due to the uncertainty around the costs of flights, car and hotel rental rates, I'll use this year's as an estimate. I'm using the spreadsheet I created for our trip to Nova Scotia last year, as it is formatted and I can simply add in the information and keep track of anticipated costs. I've been receiving regular e-mails from Newfoundland and Labrador tourism, and we've gotten ideas from a friend who visited there last summer. However I will certainly take any advice from my readers who have lived or visited there (thinking of you Marie!).

The Men's World Curling championship first draw was held on Friday afternoon. Other than one Grand Slam, this is the last curling event for the season. Of course, I was, and will be, glued to my television for the rest of the week.

That and one of three knitting projects will keep me busy today. I do need to run out between draws to get a few groceries but otherwise plan to relax. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Guadeloupe - Mar 13

I missed the sunrise and our arrival in Guadeloupe. I'd set my alarm, just in case, and was awoken at the sound of it at 7:30 a.m. I headed up to Deck 16 forward to get a few photos.

I was quite surprised to see the tall buildings. They appear to be apartment blocks for locals rather than tourists as I never saw anyone on the balconies.

I'm not certain what this industrial site is used for, perhaps a desalination plant. What struck me was the use of the large solar panels. This was something I would see on both commercial and residential buildings throughout the islands we visited. 

I did not have an excursion booked in Guadeloupe as the Princess offered excursions didn't appeal to me. What I had intended to do was to find a bakery selling "le tourment d'amour" (loves torment). Imagine a pastry base spread with coconut jam and topped with a cinnamon flavored cake. Local lore suggests that a woman created the dessert because she missed her husband who was away at sea. My friends K and J had found these delicious pastries on a previous cruise. I did not have the same luck.

About 10 a.m. I ventured into Pointe-a-Pitre to start my search. There was an obligatory walk through the market by the pier, which was packed with tourists as the Aida Mar was also in port with us that day. I found an information desk, asking for a bakery/cafe where I could have a cold drink. I was directed to the spice market where I found a cafe with the banner "Free WiFi". I'm not certain if that was the name of the cafe or just an advertisement. 

The cafe did have a few pastries, but not the one I wanted, so I simply ordered a Coca-Cola. I spent an hour there at an outside table checking in with my daughter, catching up on FB and blog reading, and watching the activity of the spice market. Towards the end of my time, a fellow at the next table lit up a very stinky cigar so I decided it was time to move on. After a circle of the area I was in with no luck locating the pastry, I headed back to the ship.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, reading on Deck 7, taking a short afternoon nap, and playing Trivia. Again, I learned how little I know. :) Just before sail-away, I stopped for a vanilla ice cream before heading over to the Terrace Bar.  There I sat and visited with a couple currently living in Ontario, but originally from Scotland. A very interesting couple - I never ran into them again but I quite enjoyed our chat.

That evening, we had a decent sunset. It was cloudy again, but the sky was pretty.

Next up - Martinque 

From fun to humdrum

The week started off with a short visit from my favorite little guy and his mom. They were here for doctor's appointments for both and an optometrist's appointment for Eli. Our not so little stinker is at the top of the scale for height but is a skinny little guy. I'm not surprised as he is in perpetual motion. He's generally a good eater, but has his faves like most kids. 

Before their first appointment, we went over to a cellphone outlet in a strip mall near my house. D's Iphone is ancient (meaning more than 3 years old) and has been acting up a lot lately, so it was time for a replacement. I had received an e-mail from my carrier with a really good deal on a new phone and a reduction in cost for the contract. So we both ended up with new phones. She got the Iphone 13, and I picked up a Samsung 22. My phone is just the basic model but the camera on it is far better than my old phone. The photo of the bumblebee on Wednesday was taken at 3X zoom and the color is as close to true as I've ever seen. Credit for my purchase goes to Furry Gnome who posted about the camera on his Samsung 22 Ultra and shared some amazing photos. Since I was ready for a new phone, I appreciated that the research was done for me. :)

D got away for a bit on Monday afternoon to meet a friend, while Eli and I headed to the park. While he does play on the equipment, he prefers an imagination game, where the retaining walls at the park become our "castles" and we take turns sending bombs at each other's walls. I think the child plays too many video games. Back at the house, Uncle C arrived home from work and much hilarity ensued while I made dinner for us. More fun was had with Uncle C, then it was bath and bedtime. D said he was asleep in less than five minutes. :)

The following morning, D had one more doctor's appointment so Eli and I headed out for a walk to the pond. It was very quiet there with just a few ducks, one sole grebe, and a hare. On the way home he convinced me to stop at the park for a few more rounds of bombing. 

Back at the house, Eli wanted something more to eat; he opened the bottom freezer on the fridge and discovered a peanut butter cup bar that Uncle C had stashed there. I let him have a piece as a treat after telling him it was Uncle C's. Eli asked me not to tell C that he had eaten it, but instead to say that a robber had broken into the house and stolen it, but the police had caught him and he was in jail! C and I had a good chuckle over that later in the day. On a video chat that evening C teased Eli about "stealing" his chocolate - Eli stuck to his robber story but he knows we know the truth.

I made a trip out on Thursday to pick up cat litter at the pet store. It was senior's day and I like to get that small discount. As well, I wandered over to Value Village, where I found five books to add to the pile for reading. Two are Catherine Coulter books, two are Jeffery Archer and the fifth by James Patterson. I haven't read a lot of books by the latter, though I know he's a prolific author. V.V. has an offer of buy four, get the fifth free so I figured why not. Of course now I have a large pile of books to get through. I'm currently reading another Fannie Flagg book, "Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!" I'm just a few chapters in and the characters are beginning to take shape in my mind. 

I can't say I did a whole heck of a lot around here this week. I've been reading, knitting, watching baseball, and doing only the necessary housework to keep the place from looking like a disaster. I really need to find some momentum and get downstairs to finish the sanding on the door frames and baseboards. Sigh, this was supposed to be done in the heat of the summer but I keep putting it off. I'm hoping this lack of motivation/energy is overcome soon...I feel like such a slacker. 

Outside I've been picking tomatoes every day, and dug up a container of potatoes to send home with D. The veg containers are starting to die back, with leaves turning yellow and brown. I pulled one of the pepper plants as it was done producing. The other is still doing well, though the peppers aren't yet turning red. I picked a couple peppers (not a peck) to see if they will ripen in the house. When I pick up groceries I'll grab some necessary ingredients and make up a small batch of salsa. 

I got the lawn mowed on Monday evening, just ahead of a heavy rain. We got about a 1/2 inch in less than an hour. The weather has been up and down, nearing 30C (87F) some days and only 20C (68F) midweek. We had another 1/4 inch of rain last night during a thunderstorm - thankfully no hail with this one. The next week looks much the same, a couple of cool days, followed more heat. No risk of frost in August this year. 

Today I'm doing much the same as I have the rest of the week. There's baseball, football, reading, knitting and a bit of puttering in the house between games. Yep, I'm going to ignore the basement for another day.  Have a great week ahead everyone! 

What goes up or what comes down

 You'll have seen the photos of the snow we got earlier in the week; today we're forecast for a high of 16C (61F).  Now what season of the eleven is this?  BTW, I can't take credit for the 11 Seasons in Canada - my brother found it and sent it to me.

Looking back over the week, I spent a lot of time on Ancestry tracing family members, catching up on television I missed while watching curling, catching up on housework that didn't get done while I was watching curling, and oh yeah...watching more curling. :) 

The latest event began Thursday morning and runs through to Monday.  It was delayed one day, not only to allow for the changeover of the ice surfaces but to ensure that there were no further concerns with Covid-19.  This is a Grand Slam of Curling event - not associated with Curling Canada.  Many years ago the top teams in Canada boycotted the Curling Canada events and created this separate division. I don't recall the reasons but it had to do with the need for rule changes.  For example, in years past a game could go ten ends (think innings in baseball) with no one scoring until the last end because it was a very defensive game.  The GSoC changed the rules to require first a three, then four, and finally five rock role.  This means that rocks in front of the house (called the free guard zone) cannot be hit by the opposing team until the fifth stone has been thrown.  This usually ensures there are more rocks in play, resulting in a more offensive game, and much more entertaining game for the audience to watch.  It's interesting that many of the rule changes that came about because of the GSoC have been adopted, not only in Canada, but in World curling as well.  

On the Ancestry front, I've mostly been researching more current family members, from about 1850 onward.  They still continue to name their children the same names so things get a bit confusing at times but in most cases there is a second name and the records I'm viewing are much better.  This week I came across a distant cousin who married a scoundrel.  The couple had three children together, but it appears he was already married to another woman at the time, and remarried the same year that his youngest child with the distant cousin was born.  There is also evidence he changed his name and went to live in a religious community when he abandoned the family. It's not clear how many wives he had (potentially six or more) or how many children he fathered.  This all occurred in the early 1900's in Canada and the United States.  She and her children appear to have been separated at as well and she may have lived in a reservation in the U.S. for some time.  Perhaps the children were adopted as I cannot find information beyond the late 1910's.

I have not done anything with my knitting or crocheting this week.  Perhaps today, or not.  I did get some tomatoes and peppers seeds started this week. The little peat pots are sitting in the kitchen window looking out over the sun room.  It's the sunniest space in the house so hopefully I'll see some sprouts in the next week.  If not I'll have to purchase some plants.  I watched a video on FB (where else), of a gardener planting a pot including a red pepper plant as the highlight, with coleus, trailing petunias, coral bells, a grass and one other plant that escapes me all in "hot colors". It was a big pot! But I loved the idea of including the vegetable with the flowers and may try to emulate this, in a smaller version on my back deck - it gets a lot of sun. I know that tomatoes and marigolds are companion plants as well. Hmmm....I'm thinking it will be very colorful back there.  There are garden centers opening up here, but I'll wait because I have no desire to be dragging plants in and out of the garage for the next month.

Speaking of weather, the blowing snow created quite the piece of art, covering over the chair in my wordless Wednesday post.  Here's what it looks like this morning.  The sun hasn't quite got around to the south yet, but I expect this will be gone by late today or early tomorrow. 

I checked the weather forecast and we're doing the yo-yo for the next while, warm weather, then cooler, then warmer.  So it goes.  

It's just about time for the next draw to be televised. So I'll close this off by wishing you all a great week ahead. 

 

Christmas past

 It was a quiet day here on Christmas Day, with just my son and I and the two cats.  My brother had stopped by on Christmas Eve to drop off a few gifts, and we ordered in pizza for dinner that evening. I was being entirely lazy and planned that we'd eat leftovers on Christmas Day.  We did; my son had pizza and I ate the remainder of a pasta bake we'd had earlier in the week. I didn't even do the dishes, they sat in the sink until this morning.  As I said, lazy!

I started the morning, as always, woken by the yells of a hungry cat. At 20.5 years of age, Sasha has no patience when waiting for his meals.  And he's spoiled too.  After feeding the cats, I made a cup of tea and sat in the living room, with just the glow of the Christmas lights from the tree.  

This is a something I've done for years.  I can even recall being a teenager, and getting up in the quiet of the morning to sit by myself in the living room.  Usually Dad would be awake too, but busy with lighting the oil burners that heated our farm house, bringing in water, and starting the coffee for Mom.  

It was a little more difficult to do when my children were young as they were up at the crack of o'dark. We always spent Christmas at my Mom and Dad's, and she had a rule no gifts could be opened before we'd had breakfast.  Breakfast didn't come before her coffee either!  Since it was her birthday and her house, her rules. As the children got older there was definitely more quiet time for the adults first thing in the morning.

Similarly, yesterday my son was up about noon'ish.  Once the pot of coffee was made we opened our gifts from R's family.  My gift is perfect, a pair of cleats to attach to my boots or shoes, so I can walk this winter with less concern of falling.  We've got snow in the forecast for today so I'll likely wait a day or two before testing them out. 

I spent the day knitting, watching a movie (Fried Green Tomatoes) and three games of junior hockey, and I joined a zoom call with my older brother M and his family.  My first time using zoom and it went very well. I probably should have waited until later, though, as most of M's stepsons and grandchildren weren't interested in our conversation.  The youngest boy A and I had a chat, as he's currently living in Vietnam, and I was quite interested to hear how he ended up there.  I think, had M's wife D been on the call as well, it might have been easier but she was busy making a meal for the two of them.

I also had several calls from my daughter and video-chatted with Eli at least twice.  I know she was feeling quite lonely being on her own.  Next year will be different, I'm sure.

Later I did more research on my family trees in Ancestry while looking through various photo albums. Mom had eight photo albums, and my grandmother (Nan) one as well.  The latter album has disintegrated over the years and the writing under the photos has faded. 

This is one of the photos I shared on FB with various cousins.  It was taken in December, 1954 in my Nan and Grandpa's home. I originally found it loose in Nan's album but later noted that it should have been in Mom's as she had a notation that read "Dad (head), E and A." The photo bomber is my grandfather, E is my dad, and A is my aunt - she was married to my mom's brother B.  Dad and Mom were married on November 26, 1954, so this photo was taken just weeks after they married.  

One of today's tasks will be to sort through the loose photos to see if I can find the appropriate places in the albums.  I'll also try to decipher and re-write the information in Nan's album.  Note to myself - printed photos should include details of names and dates. It sure makes it easier for those who come later.  

I've started my eighth scarf, this one crocheted, and there are three junior hockey games today as well.  There are some chores that need to be accomplished first though, so I'd better get moving.

Take care everyone and stay well!

Time after time

 I'm doing one of those shake of the heads things again today.  It's Thursday as I start this and it was just Saturday a minute ago.  I know I'm on the down slope of life, but seriously I can't believe how quickly time is passing by.  

On a happier note, we had a nice visit with D and Eli on Sunday, and Monday morning.  The three of us went out walking both days as the weather was perfect.  Eli loves to see the geese and the ducks on the pond though was a bit confused when I told there were no babies now.  He made me laugh, at one point D and I were going back and forth as to whether a bit of white on the pond was snow or a piece of plastic when Eli turned to us and said, "that's enough you two".  

On the way home each day we stopped at the nearby park.  On Monday, the workers were busy replacing the wooden retaining walls with concrete blocks.  Eli didn't mind that he couldn't play on the equipment.  Instead, he ran around on the small hill, eventually rolling down it when it was time to leave.  I didn't get a video of the roll but here's one of the little guy doing what he does best on the top of the hill, running, spinning and chattering to himself.

Oh, and earlier at the house I wanted to try the new mittens I'd made on him, and I mentioned to D that I hadn't yet made the idiot string.  Eli turns to me and says, "I'm not an idiot."  No baby, you sure aren't!  It amazes me that he has an understanding of what idiot means and knows darn well it doesn't apply to him. 

While they were here, D and I made a run to Costco to pick up a few things, while Eli hung out with Uncle C.  Those two enjoy each other's company so much.  At one point, C had a Baby Shark Halloween cartoon playing on his computer and the two were cuddled in the chair watching it.  Eli also helped me make C's birthday cake (a box of browning mix), and after it was iced, we put enough sprinkles on it that it was difficult to cut!  Eli helped sing Happy Birthday too and while birthdays are not a big deal to C, I'm sure he enjoyed it.

On Tuesday, after doing some tidying, my walk, and some knitting I settled in to watch the results as they came in on the U.S. elections.  I actually stayed awake until 2:30 a.m. before I finally said enough. There was obviously not going to be winner that evening, despite Trump's assertion that he'd won.  Yes, I know I'm Canadian and have no real stake in the results, but there are consequences for our country as well regardless of who is elected.  And who would have thought that four days later there will still be no called decision. 

I thought I'd be ready for a nap mid-day on Wednesday but I didn't.  No walk was taken, but I got a few things done around the house and caught up on some PVR'ed television programs while knitting or stitching.  I was excited when my early Christmas present to me showed up!

I've been wanting a rug for the living room for a long time but had never found anything I liked.  On one of the home renovations shows I watched, I spotted one I thought would work, and although I found it through the marvels of the interweb, the cost was prohibitive.  But after scrolling several options I found this one and I love it! The rug is a low pile, but so soft and nice on the feet.  There is no insulation in the basement ceiling in this portion of house so the floor often feels cold in winter.  I rarely wear socks in the house so the rug is a welcome addition.

The mess on the side table to the left of the couch are the three projects I'm working on and in front of the chair is my little table that I pull out to put the laptop.  The latter gets put away behind my chair when it isn't needed.  Saku is loving the ottoman beside the chair and has spent hours napping there...which he didn't do before. Although he's difficult to make out, Sasha is sleeping in his spot on the right hand side of the couch.

I walked again on Thursday, no photos this time, and enjoyed the sun and warmth.  I know it isn't going to last and Friday was definitely cooler. I did get my walk in by walking inside the house, and spent a good part of the day working on my projects watching curling!  Between Facebook Live and You-tube I managed to catch 3 games.  I did a bit of knitting, a bit of cross-stitching and some crocheting. Perhaps it is time to focus on one and get it done. 

Today it is colder still and to be honest I'm hoping it gets even colder.  We are forecast for freezing rain on Sunday before the snow starts falling later in the day.  That will leave a layer of ice on our roads and sidewalks that won't disappear until spring unless we get some mild weather over the next few weeks.  The main roads will be taken care of by the city but our residential areas rarely, if ever, see a snow plow.  Even the year we had over a foot of snow pack on the street - during the spring melt the ruts were deeper than my rubber boots, it took several calls to the city to convince them to come out and clear it.  

I've no big plans for today, just more of the same - a bit of housework, watching curling, working on projects, and walking in between.  It's still a wonder how time goes by so quickly when I'm in such a slug mode.

On that note, I'll leave you with a photo of last night's sunset out at the farm that my brother R sent me.

Take care everyone, stay well and have a great week!

Getting out while I can

It's mid-week already as I start this post.  Not entirely sure where the time goes, but it sure does.  Despite no social life these days (though it was never really much) I never run out of things to keep my mind and body busy.

Monday I needed to pick up a prescription for D, so I decided since I was out, I'd take a run to Costco.  It's the first time since February when I was last in the store.  I probably won't go back for a while, I was not impressed with their Covid-19 measures.  Carts were not sanitized, just left in rows outside the store, and while a number of the customers were masked, many were not nor were many of the workers. There didn't seem to be any limit on the number of people in the store, and few arrows in the aisles.  Not that anyone was paying much attention.  I went prepared with my baggie of Lysol wipes, did my best to avoid being close to people, and got in and out of the store as quickly as possible.

You'll probably shake your head at this, but I went specifically to get clothing for my adult children's Christmas gifts.  I follow a blog that details the sale items each week for the western Canadian Costco's. There were both men's and women's t-shirts, leggings for women, and men's briefs on sale.  I picked up a t-shirt and leggings for D, a t-shirt for C, and a two piece short set for Eli.   I paid just over $40 for all four items so was quite pleased. By the way, for those who may not be keeping track, it's less than six months until Christmas. 

I also bought this mat for the sunroom on sale.  As you can see Saku likes it!  I'd seen it on the blog, liked it, but didn't think I'd purchase but when I saw it in the store, it just jumped into my cart.

From there I went to Winners, another store I haven't been in for months.  I was looking for pillows as mine have lost their oomph.  I prefer a firm pillow.  I may has well not bothered, as there was limited goods on the shelves.  I'm not sure if they sent stuff back while they were closed or if people have been shopping like mad since they re-opened.  In any event I won't go back again in the near future.

Walmart was my next option, and I did find two pillows there for $10 each.  After I got home I replaced the pillows on the bed with the new ones, lay back to test them out...and dozed off!  

Much of Tuesday was spent in the garage or outdoors.  I cleaned the door leading into the house, as it was pretty filthy, pulled the wooden step away and cleaned behind it, and then I used some of my leftover paint to repaint the step.  I also swept the floor, and started mopping it.  I have been thinking I might paint the floor as it has gotten stained over the years.  However everything I've read suggests this isn't a good idea because the paint will peel when we drive over it. I wonder if bleach would help take out the stains? 

  

Outside, the spruce trees just won't stop dropping pine cones, the grass keeps growing, and the containers need watering.  After mowing the lawn I filled the wheelbarrow about 3/4's full of pine cones, pine needles, leaves and other debris.  The spruce out front has spread it's branches over the patio, so I cut those back and bagged the debris before loading it into the garbage bin.  I still need to go around front and trim those branches back but the bin was nearly full at this point, and wouldn't be picked up until Thursday.

It was a hot day (29C/84F) so by the time I finished I desperately needed a shower.  I was talking to D, and she said Eli wanted to call me but would wait until I was done with my shower.  When I was feeling human again, I called him back and this was his response: "Hi Grandma, bye Grandma."  I said, Eli Grandma wants to talk to you.  He replied, "No Grandma, I said bye!"  He certainly has no difficulty in speaking his mind. :)

That evening, I watched the radar closely as we had a ridge of storms heading our way.  About 9 p.m. we had some lightning and thunder but there wasn't a great light show.  However we did get a bit of rain which is always appreciated...saves on the water bill.

By Wednesday I was ready for an easy day.  I caught up on some television programs, crocheted a bit, and in between programs did a few household chores.  

I don't believe I've posted a picture of the latest baby blanket.  This is one of the three for my daughter's friend.  The second one is about half done and is a mint green color.  The third blanket's color will be determined when the mom has her ultrasound and knows the genders - I have both pink and blue yarn in the stash.

I also found a use for the old pillows that I replaced.  I'd bought some towels at Walmart on clearance a few weeks ago that I thought I could use in the sunroom.  But these turned out to be smaller than the ones I use now.  At $4 a piece I kept them because I figured I could use them for something.

I determined the towel folded in half would fit nicely over the pillow with an overlap of about 6-6 1/2 inches.  I pinned and then sewed up the sides before inserting the pillow.  I had thought I might tack down the flap, but decided to look for some buttons to decorate the edge instead.

I have a bag of buttons, gathered up over the years, some from old clothing, a few from my mom's sewing cabinet, and a few that I picked up at thrift stores.  I found two packs of embossed buttons that I figured were pretty old. When I looked at the card I realized how old - in case it isn't clear in the photo it's dated 1965 and the price was $1 for four buttons! I'm pretty sure these once belonged to my mom.  She started sewing in earnest about that time. I wonder what project she had in mind.

For just $10 (excluding taxes and the time value of money) and a minimal amount of effort, I have two new-to-me couch cushions.  They're washable too, bonus! Saku seems to like them too. 

Our weather has been wacky, with a day of heat followed by a few days of cool temperatures.  Thursday I woke to rain and overcast skies.  There went any plans to be outdoors.  I received an e-mail that Michaels was having a 60% off sale, so after a bit of housework I masked up to go see what I could find.  Surprise, surprise (not) some yarn fell into my cart.  I think I know what I want to make with it, and will share more when I start that project.  I'm pretty certain it won't be around in 55 years for someone else to use.

Michaels is across the parking lot from Walmart, so I stopped in there to get eggs, tomatoes, and something I couldn't remember so I wandered the store to see if I could find it.  (It was bananas and I didn't get any.) Imagine my surprise when I found more yarn on sale! Naturally a few skeins needed to come with me. Again I have some ideas for this yarn but suspect it will be awhile before I get to it.  I've added another task to the list, to clean the craft room and sort the yarn.  And for the next while I'll spend more time crocheting and knitting than weeding...I hope.

I leave the sunroom overnight - it cools the house off and on warmer days I find my a/c doesn't cut in until the afternoon.  I close it up when it starts getting too warm, though the cats don't seem to mind.  Friday, though it was a bit cool with an outside temperature of 10C/50F. But the day was promising with sunshine and a high of 24C/75F.  While I was talking to D, I mixed a small batch of coffee cake muffins to use up some sour cream in the fridge.  With a topping of brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts they were delicious!  

After I went for my walk, and then  posted about it (see Friday), I puttered around in the backyard for awhile, watering the lawn, deadheading, and pulling the pea pods off the plants.  It shouldn't have been a surprise but every pod was empty, and the shells well chewed.  I think the bunny beat me to them!  There are more flowers coming so maybe I'll have a chance to sample them another time.  Then I sat and relaxed, did some crocheting, talked to D briefly, and read.  

I'm so glad I spent the time outdoors because that evening we had another line of storms blow through, but this time with a ridiculous amount of rain.  It started raining just before 7 p.m. and I snapped this photo close to 8 p.m.  I guess I didn't need to water the lawn earlier in the day.  

It rained for at least another hour or so.  I don't have a rain gauge but according to the weather stats website we got about three quarters of an inch. I certainly won't need to water for a while!

Saturday was pretty much a relaxing day.  I made up some potato salad for dinner, cleaned the bathrooms, crocheted, watched television - including an old curling game from 1993, talked to D and Eli on the phone.  Nothing strenuous and nothing exciting.  Perfect day!

Today appears to be much of the same, except...I'm getting visitors later today. We'll probably head over to the local splash pad or I'll set up the sprinkler in the back yard.  Either way I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet of this morning...it's going to get nosy soon.

Have a great week everyone!

*A note to Cheapchick - Please know you and your family will be in my thoughts at this difficult time. There are no words to express my sorrow at hearing this news.  May your be granted joy in every day as you move this journey.

Week 10 - Babies!

You'll never guess what I did on Thursday.  Really, you won't.  I finally had the tires changed over on the car from winter to summer tires.  I certainly haven't needed the winter tires for quite some time, but it just never seemed convenient to make the appointment.  No, I lie, I kept forgetting to make the phone call.  Is that pandemic brain or just getting old?  I finally had to set a reminder on my phone to get the call made.

It was absolutely gorgeous morning, 14C (57F) by 6:30 a.m - I was grateful for a good day for walking!  After loading the tires in the car and driving to the shop I arrived just shortly before my appointment of 9 a.m.  Things were quite different from previous appointments.  I called into the store to let them know I was there.  They asked me to leave the keys in the car and they would be out to move into the shop shortly.  There was no request that I pre-approve the work order, basically just drop and go.  

I walked home, about 15-20 minute walk, taking the opportunity to walk by the pond.  And look what I found, babies!!  These were the only goslings I saw, though there were a number of pairs of geese on and near the pond.  I'm thinking the population will explode in the next few days.  Sorry for the quality of the photo, I didn't want to get too close, and I zoomed in with my cell phone.

Later I walked back to the shop to pick up the car, and again noticed a big difference.  I phoned the store, and a few minutes later, the attendant came to the door which was blocked by a large cart.  He opened the door, standing on the other side of the cart and handed me my invoice, my car keys, and the credit card machine.  I wasn't asked to sign to acknowledge the completion of the work.  I did notice too, that the business had put out two chairs for customers on the side walk - spaced two meters apart.  There were a couple waiting - despite the nice weather I'm glad I live close enough to walk and didn't have to wait outside the store.

After a stop at the Co-op for a few groceries that I hadn't been able to find earlier this week, I headed home to relax and enjoy the day.  Of course, I did find other things to do.  I did some pruning on a couple of trees and put out some solar lights.  A friend called and we had a nice chat.  Oh, that reminds me, my cruise was finally cancelled!  Not that this was unexpected, but the fact that the cruise line waited so long before doing so was a bit of a head shaker.  I would have been flying out to London in just over two weeks.  I've chatted with my travel agent and decided to go with the future cruise credit (125% of the original cost) for the time being.  This option allows me to re-book by the end of December 2021 for cruises up to the end of April 2022.  In addition, I have the option of requesting a full refund of what I paid, no later than December 2020.  My plan is to wait until the fall, see how things are looking, and I expect I'll probably request the refund then.  But, if by some miracle it appears a vaccine is going to available earlier than anticipated, I may book a cruse in late 2021 or early 2022.  My only other option was called "lift and shift", basically the same cruise next year, though a few weeks earlier (May 28, 2021). I'm pretty certain I won't be wanting to cruise by then so discarded that option immediately.

Friday was a quiet day, nothing really to write about.  I spent a fair amount of time out on the deck or in the sun room, reading or knitting.  It wasn't a particularly sunny day, and the skies kept threatening rain, although we actually didn't get any. While watching old football (CFL) games in the evening I  finished the back of the tank top I've been knitting.

On Saturday I woke up feeling energetic.  By 7:30 I had cleaned off the top of my cabinets and put down newspaper.  I saw this on Cheapchick's blog and thought, what a great idea. The next time I go to clean, I'll just bundles up the paper and start with fresh.  After my morning coffee, I decided I needed a walk.  The sun was shining, the temperature was a lovely 14C (57F) so off I went, camera in hand.

I knew I wanted to walk down by the pond, but decided I'd take the long way around heading west and then south to the park and the bridge before turning back north to Riverbend.  Most of the trees along the path were not there a couple of weeks ago.  Once they mature I'm sure they'll provide shade on the path.

I stopped to take a photo on the bridge.  I know it's only temporary but it's sad to see the lack of reeds and even more so, the lack of water in the creek.  I'm not sure why the water level is so low. Further up the pathway it was even worse.  

I stayed off the footpath and walked alongside the creek watching for black birds.  Although I saw a few flying there were none near the water, nor in the trees nearby.  Or at least, not that I could see though I heard their song.

 I walked over to the pond and was rewarded with a multitude of goslings and their parents.  The first group were obviously the oldest as they're already starting to lose their baby feathers!  There was woman with two dogs walking towards us, so the whole family took off towards the water.  They didn't go in though, just settled down in the grass by the pond.

I believe this is a pair of wigeons - they were feeding in the reeds.

This little guy was just so cute. It came marching across the grass towards me as if on a mission.  "Get out here lady with that darned camera!"  Or maybe it spotted something good to eat!

Here, the parent seemed to be hustling the little ones along.  If only I spoke goose...though I sure understand when they hiss!

At the end of the pond, there were a number of geese...but no babies!  Maybe later.

I'm off to the "out" as Eli calls it, to spend some time in the sun, water the containers, fill the bird bath, and generally enjoy the day.

Hope everyone is doing well.  Have a great week!

Week 5 - What a wild life I lead, and some wild life

Easter Sunday was just another day around here.  I didn't even cook a special meal, I had leftover chili and my son fixed Ramen noodles for himself. (He likes them with added vegetables).  Saturday was my day to cook.  I made the pot of chili, put together hamburger patties for the freezer, made a potato salad and a quinoa salad.  There was leftover meatloaf from earlier in the week in the fridge as well, along with some taco meat.  With all the leftovers I didn't see the point of cooking anything more, in fact I didn't bother on Monday either.

I did manage to get my sweater started on Sunday but ended up frogging it and winding up the ball of yarn for a new start on Monday.  I didn't like the way the pattern was looking so spent sometime finding another similar pattern.  If I weren't such a skinflint and was willing to pay for a pattern I'd have more choices.  I've finished several inches of it and am happier with the way it's going.  The crocheted tote bag was also partially re-done when I realized I'd messed up about half way in.  

We woke to snow on the ground Monday morning, with a temperature of -11C (12F).  It warmed up a bit through the day and the snow was nearly gone by that evening.  Tuesday and Wednesday mornings were stupidly cold for this time of year.  But both days the sun warmed up the sun room sufficiently for the cats and I to spend a good of the afternoon relaxing.  I've managed to read most of a book, take a few photos of the birds, and I even took a short nap one day.

This isn't a great photo, the blackbird flew away after this shot.  It's the first red-winged blackbird I've seen this spring (and the only one thus far).  It's a good sign that spring is on its way.  Fingers crossed.
Another not great photo, it's taken across the neighbour's yard with robin in the foreground and a Hungarian partridge in the back.

The next photo made me laugh.  I'm not sure what the bird is doing but the squat made me wonder. :)

In the front yard I had another visitor.  

He's actually eating some of the needles off the tree.  I can't imagine that they taste that good, and suspect needles aren't the most comfortable to eat. 

You can just see the tip of the ear in this photo. He's found the bits of celery and apple I put out for the rabbits.  I hope they taste better than the needles!

Back in the back yard I captured a robin in the tree.  It wouldn't give me a profile, but oh my goodness is that not a fat bird?

Wednesday I decided to spend the morning baking.  I had a few apples in the fridge that were beginning to soften; these were baked in an apple crumble.  I also made up a batch of buns, some regular, some hamburger bun size, and a dozen cinnamon buns.  The house smelled so good!  For dinner I'd marinated some chicken breasts in one of my favorite salad dressing, Italian Zesty Lime.  These were grilled up and with some garlic noodles and veg were our dinner.  I'll use the rest of the chicken in wraps for lunch over the next few days.  

While the sun shone Thursday morning, it was still cold.  So it snowed!  I know it doesn't looks like the sun was shining, but it truly was.

The smudge you see in the photo is actually a plastic maple leaf that I have added to some of the windows in the sun room.  They're supposed to reduce bird strikes though I've found one out there so far this year.  It always makes me sad when I have to pick up a dead bird.

It did warm up through the day but was overcast so it never got comfortable in the sun room.  I spent the after crocheting and knitting.  I finished the shopping bag, which frankly isn't a shopping bag.  I followed the pattern to the letter and ended up with more a purse than a shopping bag.  I could have modified the pattern but I decided a new purse for spring would be nice.  I checked and I have a piece of lovely green satin in my stash (picked up at the thrift store for $3.99) that I'll use to line the bag.  I need to check on-line to see what I can do to make the bottom firm - I'm thinking thick cardboard would work.  I've checked my stash of sewing items and while I have a couple of zippers neither of them are an appropriate color or size.  

I'm continuing to work on my sweater (knitting) and I really should finish off the infinity scarf before I start anything new.  I say that now, but Pinterest sends me an e-mail every evening and I keep finding more ideas.  I did have enough yarn left from the bag to start another shopping bag using a different pattern.  It's working up quickly so should be finished in the next couple of days.

Finally, on Friday I actually got off my butt and went for a walk. The temperature was a 6C (-14F) but initially felt a lot cooler.  But by the time I had walked through the little park and over to the nearby pond I felt quite warm.  I'll do a separate post for this as I took numerous photos!  There weren't many people out walking, perhaps a dozen or so but we all managed to be on the opposite side of the street.

Today, was just a lazy day.  The darn cats had me awake at 5:45 a.m. and I felt tired for most of the day.  Beyond feeding the birds, doing dishes, taking out some garbage, I spent much of the day catching up on my television watching, a bit of crocheting, and chatting on the phone.  I lay down for awhile in the afternoon but didn't actually sleep. Instead Saku and I had a good cuddle.  Almost as good as a nap.

Take care everyone and stay well!

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?