A quiet week for me, not so in Minneapolis

 It was a slow start to the week, and much appreciated after last week's schedule. I did go thrift shopping with my friend L on Monday and Tuesday. We didn't spend a lot of money, but we had a good visit and a lot of fun looking. My favorite find of the two days were several tiles - two of the smaller ones already have the cork backing and I may just use the others as is until I get home. I know I have cork in my craft stash there. They make great coffee coasters and these are pretty to boot. The larger tile, I want to add a hanger to and will hang on the wall in my bathroom.

The steamer trunk (Wednesday's photo) was at the Humane Society's thrift store. Originally marked at $400, it has been reduced to $350. I certainly don't have the space and although very interesting it did not come home with me. Frankly, I would much prefer to see it in a museum where it could be appreciated by many people. One of the volunteers said these items are often purchased to be used as clothing storage for babies. This particular was in great shape, all the drawers worked and the hanging rod was solid. Sadly, there were no stickers to indicate where it had been. If only it could tell its story. 

I started the painting project on Wednesday morning, along with three others. We started our prep using wire brushes to clean off some chipping paint. I thought the exterior west wall would be the worst as it is most exposed to the weather, and it needed quite a bit of work. However, the east wall was even worse as the lowest level of concrete blocks had not been primed the last time it was painted, and only had, what appeared to be, one coat of paint. The paint on those blocks peeled off in large pieces. We made a plan to prime on Thursday and paint on Friday, though if we had enough volunteers we could start painting the interior on Thursday.

After coffee hour, I went home and changed clothes, then back to the pool area to start the priming. Only one other person showed up and she cleared rocks away from the walls so I get down on the ground to prime the lower blocks. When she finished she left to get cleaned as D volunteers at the Hospice thrift store Thursday afternoons. I continued to work on the painting until noon, finishing the two rows of lower blocks and the top block on one wall, and partially on a second. This way we can roll the paint on the remainder of the wall.

We managed to finish the primer coat on the exterior walls on Friday morning and got started on the interior. J did a bit of repair to a few of the blocks, while the rest of us painted. The repairs need to be left for at least 24 hours. So I decided we'd take a break over the weekend and plan to be back at it Monday.  The fact that the Scotties Tournament of Hearts (women's curling) started Friday evening may have had something to do with it too.

This next few paragraphs are a change from my normal blog post. But it is something I feel strongly about. I don't expect all of my readers to agree with my comments but it is something I feel the need to address.

The news this week that a five year old child was used by ICE in Minneapolis to entrap his father horrified me, and the fact they have detained the child as well as the father is even worse. 

Reports indicate the child was being driven home from school, was removed from the vehicle by ICE, taken to door of a home and told to knock and ask for his father, using him as bait to lure his family outside. The family currently has an asylum claim and no deportation orders. Both the father and the child were detained and whisked away to Texas. While there is a suggestion that the child would have been left alone, reports indicate his mother was in the home and the school was also able to take him to safety.

Some of you may be asking why I care - the father was apparently in the United States illegally, however it is one thing to arrest someone for a crime, it is quite another to take an innocent child. The trauma the little boy has experienced should never have happened and will, most likely, have long term impacts on his mental, physical and emotional health. As a grandmother I cannot fathom how anyone could support this situation.

But that's not the only reason I care. I care because the lack of humanity and disregard for the rule of law displayed in the case and so many other incidents across the country is extremely disturbing. The number of these events is rising exponentially, with ICE officers acting as judge, jury and even executioner on occasion. For a country who has enshrined the right to due process in its Constitution, that right is being ignored and eroded. It's easy to say that it doesn't matter because it doesn't affect us personally. However, I fear it is only a matter of time before the current administration turns their focus to other marginalized groups, people of colour, LGBTQIA2S+, neuro-divergent people, and the disabled.

Thus I feel, even as a Canadian, I need to speak up. My words will not change anything, but at least I can demonstrate my support for those who are in the line of fire. I will not forget Liam Conego Ramos and the other innocents who have been targeted by the men in masks who are willing to break the law every day they go out on the streets. 

For now, I look to Mother Nature to provide some calm at the end of the day. I am reminded She is constant in our lives, while I have hope one day, there will be an end to the madness.

Preparing for Winter

Regarding Wednesday's photo: I always knew one could trap a cat in a box, I hadn't realized it would work on a kid too. :)

Monday started off cool, so after Eli was dropped at school, D and I started in on the end of fall yard-work. The last of the tomatoes were picked. Reminder to self - we only need 2 containers, not the 5! we planted this year. After my initial worries that we weren't going to see any fruit, the plants went crazy. I'd estimate we had at least ten pounds of cherry tomatoes, probably more. I had put away the majority of decor items, but D found a few I had missed. I also cleared out all of the containers. We had quit watering and everything was dying back. D mowed the yard, mulching the leaves, cut back the regular lilies, and did some weeding. We loaded my wooden chair and table, the bird bath, the solar lights, and a couple of the folding chairs into the shed. By the time D went to pick up Eli, I was ready for a break.\

The rest of the afternoon was spent in my bedroom starting the process of packing. For what you ask? You'll need to read a little further before I share. 

Tuesday started cool, but heated up quickly. I decided that the rest of the yardwork could wait and suggested to D that we head to the NTO (next town over) for a bit of retail therapy. We dropped off some donations at the thrift store and then went in to use my senior's discount. D did exceptionally well. She found a pair of Kombi gloves for Eli, regularly sold at Sportchek for $40-50. She picked up this pair, another pair of mitts, three pieces of clothing for Eli, a large bag of crayons*, and two bags of assorted toys for a total of $50 including the tax. I found a few items to and spent about $20. 

From there we headed over to Walmart for some groceries, and I also found the batting for the quilt flimsy. Now I just need to find the material for the backing. I have a tub of material that I purchased when Fabricland in the east end of Regina closed many years ago (I was still working!), and I'm almost certain there will be something I can use in there.

It reached a high of 30C/86F, so yardwork was out of the question in the afternoon. D and Eli did additional school work, while I relaxed and did a bit of knitting.

I didn't want to get out of bed Wednesday morning, dreading what was coming in the afternoon. D drove me into NTO to the dentist mid-afternoon. It wasn't a pleasant experience though it could have been worse. For some unknown reason the freezing wasn't taking, and after numerous needles my gums were pincushions. I finally decided not to tell them that I could still feel the area around the tooth and after much digging and pulling the tooth was finally out.

With a couple of extra strength Advil I was able to sleep a restless sleep, up several times during the night. My best sleep came between 4 and 6:30 a.m. By this point the pain was lessened to the gums and my jaw. The dentist gripped it with one hand while using the other to extract the tooth. I would describe the pain as feeling like someone had punched me in the face several times. 

D and I got back to the yardwork on Thursday morning. She finished the mowing, while I cleared up the stalks from the lilies and asparagus that I will use to cover the strawberries and asparagus in the garden bed. I also went out to the front and cut or pulled the stalks of lilies - the peonies I will leave until the spring. Outdoor toys were sorted, with a number of items ending up in a garbage bags and the bins were stacked against the shed. In the garage we removed a lower shelf and packed camping gear in the shed. We did not empty the rain barrels as we're expecting rain this weekend. The rain barrels keep the water from ending up in the basement. These will be taken care of next week.

While D and Eli went to an event in the evening, I headed to the library to Knit and Natter. There were three of us, plus the librarian. I've finished the back, left and front sides, so I started the sleeves for Eli's sweater while I was there. I'm knitting both on the same needles - that way there shouldn't be an extra row added in when I'm counting increases and decreases. At least I hope so!

I slept better that night but at one point woke in extreme pain. I was dreaming that I was waiting for the pain med to kick in, waking to realize that I hadn't yet taken said med. For pain control, I'm alternating Tylenol and Advil, and have added salt water rinses several times a day to the routine. There seemed to be a bit of swelling in the night but an ice cube wrapped in a face cloth helped with that. My next appointment (filling) is Tuesday so I'm hoping by then this side of my mouth will be healed up.

Friday was a quiet day, we had rain so no outdoor work. In the morning, D and I partially put together a new climbing apparatus for Eli, and after school she took him to the local arcade for some fun. I've been watching curling (Pointsbet Invitational), catching up on blog reading and knitting. Today will look much the same for me. I'm hoping to finish Eli's sweater before I head out on the 14th so I've got my work cut out for me. 

About the packing, initially I'm off to Regina for a couple of weeks to help my son with his yard prep for winter, have plans to visit with several friends, and maybe (not likely) paint my bedroom. Then I'm off to Yuma, Arizona for most of the winter. As regular readers will know I spent a couple of months there last winter and enjoyed myself immensely. What you won't know is I arranged with one of the Co-op members to purchase an RV this fall. The unit is permanently parked on a site, has water, electricity and internet connections. I do need to learn to use the propane stove and furnace, but I'll have lots of help with that. There is also an outdoor living area with a gazebo. The two thing it is lacking are a regular toilet and a shed for laundry. I'll be having a proper toilet installed this fall/winter, but the laundry shed will need to wait. There is a laundromat nearby and one of the regular visitors has offered to do my laundry in exchange for rides. We'll see, I'm happy to give her rides on occasion, but doing a couple of loads at the laundromat doesn't bother me.

I'll be flying home in early December to spend time with C, D and Eli, and then fly back in early January. The plan is to be back in Canada by the end of March, weather depending. I've been working on a plan for driving and will go over it with my friends, K and J, who have made the drive many times when I'm in Regina. 

I'm looking forward to missing most of the winter weather and meeting friends who were so welcoming last year. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

What's on my mind

Fall is finally here, after a brief interlude with winter.  Yes, we've had snow and cold...but the last couple of days have been absolutely gorgeous with temps of 17C and 19C (62F to 65F).  The sunshine has been absolutely wonderful to see and I've been able to open up the sun room for the cats to nap.  Sasha especially appreciates the warmth on his old bones.

I finally got the containers all cleared out and the rest of the garden related items put away.  It's sad to see the front patio empty and it is even more sad to think I rarely sat out there this summer.  Perhaps next year will be different.

My neighbour's have their house up for sale again.  They had it on the market in the spring, but saw very little action.  It's back on the real estate site with a price drop of $35,000 and new photos.  I think there were a few visitors yesterday - just based on unknown vehicles.  I'm sure they were trying to get a higher price because they had the garage floor and driveway re-poured a couple of years ago.  Unfortunately the real estate market here has declined due to over-building.  Even so, I'm pretty certain they should recover what they originally paid for the house plus a little more.  Our crescent is just a few blocks from an elementary school, as well as close to several shopping centers, while being at the quiet end of the street.  

It worries me a bit, as I plan to put my house on the market next spring.  I'm hopeful that the improvements I've done will have maintained the property value.  I don't expect to recover the costs but don't begrudge having done so, as it has added to my enjoyment of living here.  However, I'm in no real rush to sell, every mortgage payment I make should mean more in my pocket at the end of the day.

Time keeps ticking along, as it always does, but these days I'm more cognizant of it then ever.  I've yet to get down to hours, but the way I'm counting time until I've finished in the office is becoming more varied.  As you know, I have my marble jar looking quite empty with the last few marbles (3).  One more marble will come out in less than two weeks, and another at the end of November, ensuring I'm left with one...so that I don't entirely lose my marbles before I leave.  

I have just 6 weeks remaining of work, and will spend just 21 days in the office over that period of time.  I reduced the time by one day because I'm taking vacation to attend a retirement luncheon in Saskatoon for one of my closest co-workers.  21 years ago, she and I started work - she in Saskatoon and I in Regina.  But there were just two of us in Regina so we were sent to her office for training.  She and I sat next to one another for the four weeks.  We didn't keep in touch then, but when our two offices were amalgamated we met again and over time became close.  I'll miss our daily chats.  We'll keep in touch through text and Facebook when she leaves at the beginning of November.  

On a totally different note, is anyone else sick and tired of all the media hoopla about the legalization of marijuana?  At first it was interesting (and somewhat amusing) to see the proponents and opponents present their conflicting view points, but after awhile it was simply tiresome.  If anything else happened around the world on October 17th we sure didn't get to here about it, at least on our news channels in Saskatchewan.

My brother sent me this photo; he works at the front desk of the local police station.  They were handing out potato chips (and have continued to do so) with a warning label.  I have to say, I think it sends a mixed message....if you've got the munchies drop by the station and we'll save you a trip to 7-11, just don't drive.  

To be honest, the news around the world is so depressing and often ridiculous these days, that even a news junkie like myself are starting to turn off. Wild weather, economic warfare, divisive politics, and the entrenched and inflexible viewpoints are wearing.  When did we get to the point where a civil conversation is impossible, where one must make one's point as stridently as possible, and heaven forbid we show any sort of open mindedness.  Sigh...

But there was one good news story that caught my eye. 

Goliath, Gunther, and Gasket

These big boys were being housed in a shelter in Edmonton, Alberta.  How they came to be there, I've no idea.  But the shelter wanted to ensure they were adopted together as they showed anxiety when separated.  

When the story hit the news there was no shortage of interest, with over 200 inquiries.  Fortunately a home with large one acre yard and another dog to play with was found. Can you imagine, just the food bills alone would run close to $300 a month!  They sure are a handsome trio, and I suspect a handful too. 

Back on the home front, I'm posting this on Saturday as I'm heading out to Melville tomorrow.  It has been a couple of weeks since I've seen D and Eli - G'ma could use some little boy cuddles.  We face-timed Friday morning and he was far more excited to see Saku and Sasha than he was to see me.  I guess that tells me where I sit on his priority list. :)

I'm off to do more housecleaning before the Rider game starts this afternoon.  Hopefully they'll show up to play this week; last week's game was a real stinker!

Have a great week everyone!

Two sides, one story

I don't suppose there are very many people who haven't heard about the verdict rendered in the Stanley trial last night.  But if you haven't read or heard anything, a land owner shot and killed a young aboriginal man on his property in August 2016.  Last night, Gerald Stanley was acquitted of all charges.  Today there is outrage and anger from the Boushie family, the First Nations leadership, and many others. 

Of course, there is more to the story than the short synoptic above.  On a summer day, five young people decided to go swimming at a local river.  While there they drank copious amounts (30 shots for one of the participants alone).  On the way home, the driver was driving erratically, so much so that a tire blew but he continued to drive on the rim.  Along the way, they decided to stop in at a farm where they attempted to steal another vehicle by smashing a window with a loaded shotgun.  When they realized the truck had a standard transmission they left in their SUV and made their way to the Stanley acreage.

The story the young people later told was they were seeking help with the tire.  However before asking for help two of the young men attempted to start an ATV, while another looked through another vehicle.  The two young women were said to be sleeping in the back seat of the SUV while all of this went on.

At the sound of the ATV the land owner and his son came running from the field where they were fixing a fence.  The three young men jumped back into the SUV and attempted to leave, however the driver made a wide turn and crashed into the SUV of Mrs. Stanley.  Meanwhile the son, Sheldon, used a hammer to smash the windshield of the SUV.

In the space of these few minutes, Gerald Stanley grabbed a handgun from his shed, loaded it, and while two of the men ran from the SUV he fired two warning shots into the air.  

The tale gets more tangled at this point.  According to the testimony shared on-line one of the other men had been in the driver's seat but when Gerald Stanley got to the SUV, Colten was in the seat.  Stanley indicates he reached in to grab the keys with one hand, and accidentally shot the young man in the head.  According to one of the women in the back seat, Stanley held the gun to the young man's head and fired.  

What really happened?  We'll never know for sure.  The defense lawyer suggested that the cartridge bulged which would suggest a hang fire...that is, a lag in time between pulling the trigger and the shot actually firing.  The experts who testified for the Crown suggested this would be rare and the gun would not fire without a trigger pull.  (My brother, a police officer, had another theory - muscle memory.  After firing off the two shots, he wonders if Stanley's hand didn't tighten).  When Colten's body was pulled from the SUV (by one or both of the women), a broken shotgun was between his legs. 

The incident sparked much reaction, a good deal of it negative.  Charges of racism were met with horrific comments, including one person who suggested that Stanley's "only mistake was leaving witnesses".  Emotions ran high in the fall of 2016; the verdict has opened these wounds once again.  I can only hope that calmer heads were prevail but to be honest I won't be surprised if there are not some ugly scenes and situations played out over the next few months.  There will be those who want to retaliate and those who will respond. 

I've watched the trial in interest for the past two weeks.  As some of you might know, I grew up on a farm.  I can remember several times while I was growing up, being along in the farm house when a strange vehicle came into the yard.  Usually they were there to steal gas....I stayed put and let them have it.  There would have been no point calling the police, as we lived 12 miles from the nearest dispatch.  Nor would it have crossed my mind to pull a gun (not that I've even fired one in my entire life).  

But I do know what the fear feels like and thus I was surprised that the Stanley lawyer did not bring that fear forward.  But perhaps I'm wrong in my assumption that this family would have been afraid when five drunken young people arrived in their yard.  The fact the two men immediately grabbed weapons (hammer and handgun) would suggest this may not have been the first time someone attended the acreage for less than friendly reasons.  Yes, I tend to believe the assertion the young people were there to steal another vehicle rather than to request help.  As the defense attorney stated, "they were up to no good".  

However, regardless of the reasons, I feel the landowner went too far.  His stated intention was to frighten them off.  But in the end, someone died as a result.  That, in my mind, is manslaughter.  The jury, none of which appeared to be aboriginal, decided otherwise. 

Today, there are protests planned across the country, seeking "Justice for Colten".  I understand.  On the other hand, until individuals of all races, colors, and creeds are accountable for their actions.  IF, these young people had not been driving and drinking, IF the landowner and son's first reaction had not been to grab weapons, IF there had been one indigenous person (or more) on the jury, I suspect the outcome would have been different.  

I suspect the decision will be appealed.  The Crown has every right to do so, and the family of Colten Boushie will push for it.  Yet, even if Stanley is tried by judge alone, and found guilty of second degree murder or the lesser charge of manslaughter, I suspect they will find no closure.  This is a no win situation but perhaps will be the impetus for change.  

Time will tell.