Week 6 - Light at the end of the tunnel?

Another week of near isolation is over and it appears there may be some loosening of restrictions here soon.  In Saskatchewan, we've had less than 350 cases and only 4 deaths (thank goodness) so our provincial government has decided to let things go back to semi-normal.  There is a five stage plan, but only stage 1 and 2 have actual dates assigned, the other three stages will be determined depending on well or how poorly the first two stages go.  The first stage will start on May 4 with the opening of medical services such as optometrists, occupational therapy, dentists and such. Boating and fishing will be allowed too, although only family members living in the same household will be permitted to do these activities together.  Assuming all goes well, by May 19 retail stores will allowed to re-open but again with significant restrictions.  We've been truly fortunate as none of our long term care homes have been affected though I am concerned that at least two of our indigenous communities have recently announced several cases.  Those communities could be hard hit if as this continues.

Based on Thursday's announcement, and a conversation my son had with his boss, I'm thinking he'll be back to work on May 19 as well or at least that's the expectation. I do believe management will bring most staff back slowly but C works in an area that provides general services to the other divisions so he's more likely to be needed.  While I'll be happy to have my time to myself, I do worry this might be a bit early. 

Another relaxation of the restrictions is that we can have contact with one other household.  I've made plans to drive out to visit D and Eli on Mother's Day, May 10.  We'll still maintain social distancing, so no hugs from her though we're pretty sure Eli won't follow the rules.  I'll wear my mask, as will D, we'll wash our hands frequently and I'll change out of my clothes when I get home.  I won't stay the night but will drive out early in the day and come home around dinner time.  Unless it's raining, I won't be surprised if we spend most of the day outdoors in her yard.  Eli loves the outside as he calls it, and there's lot of room for us to visit while he plays.

On a totally different note, and a happy one too, this week I received a parcel in the mail.  I follow Connie's blog at Far Side of Fifty.  Each spring she has a contest for her readers to guess when the snow will be gone from the snow stick in her yard.  I made a educated wild guess of April 2 and it turned out I, along with another reader, was right!  We each received a prize for the correct guess.  


Connie and her husband create hand carved wooden items, and I was hoping that the prize be one of those.  I was not disappointed at all, as the prize included a little fairy house, as well as two scrubbies and some lovely note cards.  All hand-made by Connie!  She's a prolific crocheter creating afghans, shawls, and baby blankets as well.  She's definitely an artist.

I did a bit of sewing and some crocheting and knitting as well this week.  When I went grocery shopping on Monday I used a scarf as a mask but decided after seeing several blogs mentioning hand made masks to give it try.  My first attempt ended up in the garbage.  I used elastic but found it wouldn't stay on my ears.  So I poked through my stash of sewing notions and found some bias tape to use as ties. Since then I've made another couple of masks, one for my daughter, and another to have as a spare. 

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous so I've been spending my afternoons in the sun room.  I used some of that time to finish a UFO (unfinished object).  It's the infinity scarf I started ...let's just say months ago! Obviously I'm not wearing the appropriate top but you get the picture.  AND yes, I need a haircut in the worst way!  Thankfully I'm not the only one.

This was my view as I relaxed on the little love seat in the sun room.  

Friday, the clouds came scudding in, but it wasn't raining so I got into the front yard to do some clean up.  I swept up the patio and driveway of needles and pine cones from the spruce tree. I got down on my hands and knees and cleaned up the front flower of debris, clipping off the dead leaves and stems of the perennials, and put down fresh mulch.  I leave the perennials through the winter for the bugs.  There were dozens of dead lady bugs and a few live ones too.  The latter I moved under the mulch as best I could.  Once everything was cleaned up, I brought out the patio furniture - just a small table and two chairs.  Of course, I had to test it out and so sat and enjoyed the fresh air and the bird song around me.

Today was another lovely day, so I'm posting this in the evening.  About mid-morning I headed outdoors to clean out the large shed in the back yard in preparation of having it removed. My brother has the week of May 4th off and will be taking it apart and moving it out to the farm. My niece L has all sorts of plans for it, as it will become her "she-shed" and art studio.  I'm grateful that it won't be sent to the dump.  

This photo was taken back in June 2011, just about a year after we moved into the house.   I kept extra pots, the lawn mower, hoses, garden tools, and so forth in it.  Everything except the lawn mower has been moved to the little play house shed. I'm not sure what I'll do with the mower - I might just tarp it for the summer because it doesn't make sense to move it to the garage as there is no grass out front.  To put it in the play house would require lifting it onto the lower deck, and then lifting it into the playhouse.  More work than I want to do.

Once the shed is removed, I'll clean up that area and prepare it for new sod. But I've decided the rest of the work will wait until next spring since I will not be listing the house this year.  For this year, at least, I'll use the space for some container gardening.  

Finally, spring has arrived!  (Even if my neighbour has his Christmas lights turned on this evening.) I'm starting to make some plans on what I might plant in my containers, assuming the garden centers are open for business by the long May weekend.  As I was searching for a decent photo of the shed, I looked through photos of years past and gotten some ideas.  Soon, I'll be able to start digging in the dirt again.  That makes me happy!

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

Catching up and looking forward

Things were back to (almost) normal around here this week, with no curling to watch (until Friday).  I did manage to catch up on several television programs I enjoy watching.  Survivor is one of those - this season is particularly interesting because all of the contestants are previous winners.  Honestly I only remember four of them...the rest, if I watched the season obviously had no real impression on me.  

A good part of the week was spent doing housework.  Laundry and bathrooms scrubbed down on Monday, vacuuming, a little rearranging furniture, a bit of sewing on Tuesday, and washing floors on Wednesday.  That afternoon I joined the ladies at the library for stitch and make.  I realized as I drove to the library, it was the first time, other than feeding the birds and picking up the mail, that I was out of the house since Sunday.  

I did get out to the farm last weekend, no photos as proof though, and did a bit more sewing with L.  Upon closer examination, I discovered my machine has a one step button hole option, but no matter what I did I couldn't get the darn thing to make a buttonhole properly.  So I brought the machine home, read my instruction booklet and after some fiddling with stitch length, width, and tension I finally made a satisfactory buttonhole.  A second, not so much.  According to the instructions the needle should stop when the buttonhole is complete, mine does not.  But, if I switch back to a regular sewing stitch and then back to buttonhole mode, I can make another buttonhole.  I remember my mom's machine worked much better and much more easily but a memory is tricky thing.  I might just be making that up.

Thursday was shopping day.  Cat food, cat litter, a few groceries, a shipping box for the baby blanket, and I picked up my daughter's medicines.  On Friday, my brother and I made a trip to D's to drop off a piece of furniture he made for her so I'll drop those off at the same time.  He started making benches from old dressers and salvaged wood at Christmas, and so far he's on his fourth piece.  

This is the first piece, made for his son for a Christmas gift.  The base is part of an old dresser, the rest is salvaged wood.  I love the mirror he added to the back!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you might remember that my nephew K and his g/f S found two puppies on the side of a highway last spring.  They brought the two of the home, intending to keep only one.  Ha!  They've both grown up since then. Rider is the white one, Whistler the brown.  They are sweet dogs.

Here is the piece he made for my daughter. The back piece and most of the box are made from boards removed from their farmhouse kitchen ceiling. The shelf and top of the box are just plywood.  He's disappointed that the plywood didn't stain the same color as the other boards, but I think it looks great.  They have room for their coats, a shelf for her keys and purse, and there is ample storage in the box for seasonal footwear and other items like mitts and toques, etc.  I suspect a few toys will get lost in there too!  When I talked to D Saturday morning, Eli had filled it with shoes and boots. :)

After we returned to the city R was kind enough to help me remove the chair rail in the guest bedroom.  Actually I'd asked to show me how, and by the time I'd finished removing one piece he'd finished the rest of the room.  As we removed the pieces we discovered, a) it was cheap, cheap almost cardboard trim, and b) the old owner didn't bother to remove the wallpaper that was underneath.  In fact, now that I think about it he probably put up the trim to cover where the two pieces of wallpaper met. 

I had removed the wallpaper some time ago, and repainted the walls.  The top portion was blue with white clouds, the bottom a pink/green gingham pattern. It was obviously a baby's bedroom at one point.

My plan is to remove the nails and wallpaper, fill the holes and repaint the room.  I think it's the first room I'll work on, as I'll move my bedroom into it when while I do the rest of the bedrooms.  It must be getting close to spring as I'm getting the itch to start fixing things up a bit more.  I still want to the list the house this summer.  Sadly, it seems prices have dropped even further based on current listings but I'm prepared to bite the bullet in order to start a new chapter in my life.

On Saturday morning, I ran out to the post office to mail off the parcel with the lamb and baby blanket.  It is so expensive to mail a parcel, nearly $20 for a small box!  I spent the rest of the morning, putzing around the house and catching up on television programs before the curling games started at 1 p.m.  It was a pretty lazy day after that.

Sunday I was awake early, 5:30 a.m., for no apparent reason.  The cats were still asleep and both slept for another hour while I tried to go back to sleep.  It didn't work as the winds were howling.  We had a storm blow through last night with winds up to 70 km/h (45 mph) and snow.  When I looked out this morning, we didn't get much snow but what came down was blown around.  I won't need to shovel though as we're forecast for another day of above freezing temperatures tomorrow. 

It's another full day of curling, three games over the course of the day.  I'll get a few things done between ends, dishes, cat litter, feed the birds and so forth.  While the games are on I've got another blanket on the go.  This time a granny square which I may regret.  I'm not following the pattern exactly and will need to make some modifications so we'll see whether I'm smart enough to figure it out. 

Have a great week everyone!  Hope the sun is shining where you are. 

September's to-do list

1.  Count my blessings – daily

2.  Send a letter or card to someone

3.  Drive out to visit D and Eli

4.  Invite guests over for a visit or dinner - I borrowed my friend K's nose.  I guess I can count that as a visit as we sat and chatted for awhile

5.  Attend stitch, make, and chat at the library 

6.  Make a gift - still a work in progress.  Just have the back stitching to complete.

7.  Sew or craft something/finish an ongoing project - I sewed the cape for Eli for Halloween.  No photos of the little guy in it....sometimes he's just not cooperative- 

8.  Go to the $$ or thrift store - I know I bought sandwich bags at the $$ store, but I can't recall if I went to thrift store last month.  

9.  Try a new recipe - tried a recipe for brownies that used chocolate chips instead of cocoa.  Not impressed although it tasted okay.

10. Read a book - in addition to a couple of true crime books that I picked up at the book sale in August, I finished "The First Time" by Joy Fielding.  The story of a woman diagnosed with ALS, and the affects on her life and those who love her.  

11. Watch a movie - I PVR'ed "Girl in the Bunker", "Cast Away" "Keanu", "Suffragette", "The Notebook", and the "Secret Life of Walter Mitty".  Maybe this month I'll get around to watching movies.

12. Take a walk in the park - I'm counting my hike up to the ridge and Hidden Valley with my brother for this one.

13. Repurpose/recycle something

14. Bake something and share it

15. Invest in myself – join a yoga class or Aquasize, or use my weights - this is something I have to challenge myself on.

16. Mow the lawn once, sweep the deck weekly

17. Have coffee on the back deck or front patio

18. List something to sell on Varage sale

19. Volunteer

20. Listen to my Spanish CDs in the car

It was a bit of a mixed bag this month.  I got some things done, but others just fell by the wayside.  It is what it is and I'm certainly not going to worry about it.  The list is good for those days when I can't think of what to do with myself, which are very rare. 

Since I have no photos of my progress this month, I'll share a photo my brother sent me.  He and his buddy Pete went hunting last weekend up near our home town.  Beautiful, isn't it?

Weekend wrap up

Not a whole lot to share since my last post, or at least I didn't think so, until I started writing! Then this post kept getting longer and longer. 

Eli - checking for rain, look at this dirty little feet. 

Last Friday morning I drove out to Melville to visit my daughter and grandson.  D had been experiencing a toothache for a week or so and had reached her limit.  She was able to get an appointment with the local dentist for Friday afternoon.  I arrived about 10 a.m. and after a trip to the local Canadian Tire for play sand, she headed to bed for a nap while Eli and I played outside.  I had brought the sand box with me, and he was quite excited when I opened the bags of sand and filled the box.  The sand had been sitting outside the store, so was quite wet but that didn't bother him in the least.  When we were ready to go indoors, I took the hose and cleaned his hands and feet a bit.  (He's much like his grandmother that way, he'd rather be barefoot!)  

I stayed the night as D was still in a fair amount of pain, though it was lessened once the tooth was removed as it was abscessed.  The next morning I left around 9 as I'd forgotten my phone charger and had plans to meet a friend who was driving in from the Saskatoon area.  She wouldn't be able to get in touch if the phone wasn't charged.  Good thing I did as I was home and the phone in the charger for only a few minutes when she called.  She was leaving for Regina and let me know she'd be in town in a couple of hours.  We agreed to meet at a nearby Perkins.  This was convenient for both of us, as she was heading out to Manitoba after lunch.

We realized we haven't seen each other in 2 years!  We have, however, talked on the phone many times.  After catching up we got down to the business of planning a our girl's trip.  She and I have been talking about getting away together for awhile and this October we'll make it happen.  We've picked our dates but haven't yet settled on a particular destination except that we know we're going to B.C. to one of the mineral spas.  Yesterday I had a call from her and I shared some research I've done thus far, and it was decided our first choice might not be the best option.  So back to the internet for more research.  I've created a spreadsheet outlining options for accommodations, including pricing, distance from the pools, and amenities, as well as nearby restaurants and shopping.  I'll refine the spreadsheet adding alternative destinations and when she's in the city on Thursday we'll meet again to make some decisions.  I'll be flying to Edmonton to meet her, but will wait for another seat sale to book.  Or I might use my AirMiles points though no decision needs to be made just yet.

Sunday we had another showing that was a little more promising than any other, though no offer came of it...yet.  This was a young couple with two small children under 3  They live in a rented townhouse and this would be their very first home.  This is also the very first and only house they've looked at, so no preconceived notions coming in.  Plus anything else they look at, if they do, will be measured against mine.  They both really liked the house due to the proximity to the school and the little girls loved the little playhouse out back and the toys I have here for Eli.  They were in the house for well over a half hour so the kids had time to play! Best of all, neither they nor Curtis could smell the cats.  Go Febreeze! 

They haven't yet been to the bank to pre-qualify for a mortgage though so I'm not certain they aren't looking a little beyond their means.  My agent seems to think they'd qualify and indicated he'd be working with them on that.  



Look at this cutie.  He and his brother were dumped on the side of a highway outside of the city.  My nephew and his girlfriend were on their way to the camp they will be working at this summer and spotted them.  Of course, they brought them to the farm.  The first little guy, now named Rider, has found his home with them.  The second, now named Whistler, is likely going to live with a friend of theirs.  Lucky pups, because it could have been a much different story!

I told my brother I hope the losers who dumped the puppies have something awful happen to them.  Best guess we assume they are about 8 weeks old.  


Later this week, my friends K and J will be returning from the States where they have been visiting friends and doing some sightseeing in Virginia.  K and I have plans to meet for lunch on Friday and catch up.  In retirement, my social calendar is a heck lot busier than when I was working.  I guess, in large part, that is due to not being around people all day.

One final photo and I'll sign off.  I finished sewing Eli's shirt and took it to him last Friday.   The little stinker wouldn't let his mother put it on him so I'll have to get a photo of him in it another time.  It is large, as I made a size 4, he's currently in a size 3 so he should get some use out of it.

I tried using the button-holer on my sewing machine and could not figure out what I was doing wrong despite reading the manual and watching various You-tube videos.  So I gave up and hand sewed the buttonholes.  They aren't perfect, but as my dad would have said, "A blind man riding by on horseback wouldn't notice the difference."  

I've more (different) material to make shorts for him but haven't cut anything out as yet.  Instead I'm working on crocheting a border for a blanket that one of D's friends knitted for Eli.  It will fit a single bed and is multi-colored, red, yellow, blue, and green.  That will keep me busy for few days yet!  I did finish a pot holder using some scrap cotton yarn, nothing special, just something to keep my hands busy.

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Bits and pieces

It's currently Sunday morning, a beautiful sunny day here in Saskatchewan though we did have a frost advisory overnight.  Seriously!  I've checked my tender plants, potato vine and impatience and all are looking good.  I think I can safely assume the micro climate in the yard is warmer, likely because of the urban setting.  Those who live an the edge or outside the city may not have fared as well.  

I've been out for a short walk this morning, over to the local Walmart to pick up evaporated milk, gelatin and almond milk.  The first two ingredients were needed to make up a mango pudding.  I've had the mango in my freezer for sometime, I think at least a couple of months.  If/when the house sells I plan to leave it behind so I've been busily trying to clean it out and get accustomed to using just the refrigerator freezer.  I'm down to a few loaves of bread, a couple of frozen pizzas (which don't fit in the fridge freezer), a few packages of perogies, and a bit of meat.  On the other hand the fridge freezer is packed because I picked up more chicken and pork chops at Costco this week....I have to quit doing that!  But the price was right and we both enjoy these BBQ'd.

To use up a bit more of the mango I bought the almond milk to make smoothies.  I added 1/2 cup of strawberries and a half a banana to 3/4 cup of mango, and about the same amount of almond milk (I was limited by the size of my glass) and used the hand immersion blender.  I'm quite enjoying the taste, it's not too sweet, and the mix of fruits goes well together.  I occasionally find a strawberry seed or a bit of mango pulp but I'm guessing that's good fiber. :)

Speaking of food, I met my friends C, K & T last evening for dinner at a nearby Fatburger.  I've never been because, frankly, the name turned me off.  According to the wall board the name came about because of the juiciness of the homemade burgers.  Was it juicy?  Yes and very much like some homemade burgers as it tended to fall apart.  I had a regular Fatburger with all the toppings, lettuce, tomato, mayo, onion, mustard, ketchup along with my choice of Swiss cheese.  I don't think I'd do that again as the burger was incredibly messy and I probably dropped half the toppings onto my plate...and some on my shirt too.  I also ordered the fries but only ate about 1/3 of them.  C and T hadn't ordered any so I shared with them and K finished then off.  Would I return, probably but not for awhile.  My "mom" burgers are just as good in my mind and a heck of lot cheaper.  Mind you, the meal wasn't as much about the food as it was having a visit with the other three. Even though it is pretty much a fast food joint, we were there for a good 90 minutes eating and chatting.  I walked to and from the restaurant as it is only a 10 minute walk from the house.  Can't say I walked any of my dinner off!

It's later in the day now; I've spent most of the afternoon in the sun room with the cats.  Between the birds, my book and crocheting, it's been a very relaxing afternoon.  I did take a half hour or so and work on the sewing project, a shirt for Eli.  The front and back are together, the front facings are in and the collar is pinned and ready to be sewn on.  But I'm bit stymied at this point because it just doesn't look right to my eye. I'm sure the pattern is correct and I'm probably reading the instructions incorrectly. In any event, I'm taking a break before I baste it on, then will decide.  

I tried the mango pudding this evening and tossed the entire thing out.  The recipe called for mango pulp but it should have been pureed and strained before I put it in.  And the gelatin didn't set the way I thought it ought to.  Perhaps my water wasn't hot enough or I didn't stir it enough?  No idea but between the texture and the runniness (speaking of looking odd I checked the spelling and Google says this is correct), I just couldn't bring myself to eat any more of it.  I had planned to take some to a good friend who is going through a difficult time as I know she likes mango pudding...but I'm not putting her through that.  Yuck!

*****
I didn't get around to finishing this post last night, so will continue blathering about my mundane Monday.  We've another showing this evening at 6:30 this evening so much of the morning has been spent cleaning and tidying.  I've washed, dried, and put away the breakfast dishes, tidied my bedroom, cleared the wastebaskets and taken out the trash, wiped down the bathroom counters, started laundry, and swept both the kitchen and living room floors.  Outside the containers have been watered, and the bird bath and feeder filled.  Next up is to vacuum the entire house, finish the laundry, wash the kitchen and bathroom floors, and straighten up the sun room.  Perhaps I ought not to have relaxed as much as I did yesterday afternoon!

However, at this rate, I should be able to get everything done by mid-afternoon.  Then I'll have time to continue reading and crocheting, while enjoying the sunshine.  

We had a couple of cooler days, but this week should bring more seasonal temperatures. Perhaps even a bit of rain, which we certainly need.  I watered both the back lawn and the front flower bed on Saturday with the hope the rain would follow.  It didn't.  I guess I should wash my car...that would probably do it.  

Off to start the vacuuming.  Have a great week everyone!







  

A work in progress

I'm embarrassed to admit how dirty my house is/was.  But it is too true.  I can't entirely blame it on my daughter, though having a second household's worth of furniture and belongings did tend to fill the place.  Add to that her propensity for clutter, the grandson's lack of control, add in a few cats and the spills and messes were hidden from view.  The main areas (kitchen, living room, my bedroom and ensuite) I've managed to keep up while she was here but the rooms that she used (two main floor bedrooms, the main bathroom, and the basement rec room and storage area) tended to be a free-for-all.  I just didn't realize what that really meant.

Friday, I started off the day at the tire shop, having my tires changed over for winter driving.  It may seems like good timing, as we're getting a bit of snow today, but the forecast is for temps in the mid-20's (70-75F) later this week.  However, the shop is incredibly busy and it is only going to get worse; better sooner than later.  I had thought to walk home and pick up the car later but they assured me the car would be ready in about an hour...which turned into 90 minutes or so.  After my appointment, I headed over to Safeway to pick up some groceries for the week, and then it was home to start the clean-up.  

First up was the main bathroom,going through the cabinets for items left behind in her packing, cleaning the sink and counter and scrubbing the toilet and tub. I moved onto Eli's room next, where I discovered that the floor and lower walls were covered in spilt* milk.  There were other mystery spots as well, perhaps from socks walking through said milk?  In any event the floor and walls needed a good scrub.  It took three pails of hot sudsy water - though I must admit I was making certain I got it all with that last pail.

About this point, I started feeling unwell.  I don't if it was something I ate earlier in the day, or if I had picked up a bug but it ended my cleaning as I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening, either in the bathroom or curled up on the couch with the cats.

Saturday, I woke feeling much better and ready to tackle the rest of the main floor, and with hopes of getting to the basement.  D's room was next and again the floor was a disaster.  I've never been a proponent to eating in one's bedroom but she did it all the time and it showed.  It took a couple of pails of hot, sudsy water to get it clean to my satisfaction.  Then I opened the closet and found a whole pile of stuff that ought to have been moved; I found an unused box in the garage, taped it up and filled it.

I found several bags of mail, some of which was a couple of years old.  Since I wanted a break, I watched an episode of CSI while I sorted and shredded what I could.  My brother called as well, and we had a good chat about his work and family.

Meanwhile I was waiting for my travel agent to call. She'd e-mailed on Friday to let me know that my flight booked for March 13 had been cancelled, requiring a change.  I was making myself some lunch when she called to let me know that I will need to fly out a day earlier (with the same flight times as the previous booking), but that she was able to get me an even better flight home AND best of all the cost is nearly $200 CDN less, which should cover the costs of hotel and meals.  She is looking into hotel options for me; we decided I'll likely stay near the airport as I'll be taking the cruise ship shuttle to the port the following day and it departs from the airport.  I'm not certain if I'll see much of Santiago but to be honest, the cruise is the part I'm most looking forward to.

Once my travel plans were settled, I'd finished lunch, and it was time to get back to work.  I headed back into Eli's room to check the closet there. I found only a few more items that needed packing. From there, it was off to my bedroom to move my sewing table and other items back into that room.  

D took the little end table I had in the room for the items in the tray on the floor, so I'll have to find something else (temporary as I have no plans to buy new or more furniture).  I will be moving another small folding table into the corner below the bulletin board to use for sewing as I need the other for cutting. Yes, I'm finally planning to get some real sewing done in the near future!  It just hasn't happened with everything piled into my bedroom. 

It is so good to see that the main floor of the house is finally clean.  There is still a bit of clutter, some odds and ends that don't have a real place, and I need to do a sort through my own closet.  In addition to Christmas presents I've stored old bedding, purses, and such.  I'm going to pack these latter items and send them off to Community Living. I've no spare bed any more as D gave it away, thus that room will remain empty.   

The next stop was the basement, so I gathered up my laundry and headed down.  Since C was using the shower upstairs I used the time to vacuum the rec room area before I started my wash.   I had to pick up bits and pieces of garbage and a whole pile of cat toys before that could be accomplished!  This is where I found the leftovers from earlier cat dinners.  Ewww!  D had a large couch, an ottoman, two armoires and a dresser in that area.  It was used mostly for storage, and it was rare that she and Eli spent time there...obviously the cats found it the "purrfect" place to regurgitate using the carpet for traction. I do have a carpet cleaner, but decided to leave it until I have more time (and when my son is at work).  Both the laundry room and cat litter room (in the furnace room) got a scrub down between loads of laundry.  

I still have the storage area in the basement to clear out.  She left a few boxes of garbage (one I knew about), an elliptical (she even tried to give it away free but had no takers), and an office chair which will probably end up in my sewing room.  That area also houses my bookshelves which could use going through and a good dusting. Last of all, the garage also contains items that were left behind - I'm not certain if on purpose or were forgotten in the last minute rush.  There isn't a lot, and I'll probably wait until warmer weather to get at it.

It is definitely a work in progress, as I clean I'm feeling a sense of accomplishment, in attention to a few aches and pains from the bending and stretching.  By the way, I'm well aware that when I get this round of cleaning done, it will require on-going maintenance but now at least I have access to it!


This morning, I've been relaxing, having a cup of coffee, and enjoying the peace and quiet.  I'll get back to the housework later, but in the meantime I'm going to enjoy the morning.

I'll leave you with this photo of Sheldon in his new home.  D found him sleeping on the stairs and he woke when she went to take his photo.  I miss him around here, but I suspect Sasha and Saku are not.  I had worried that Saku would show some anxiety, as he did when Sami passed away last fall, but there has been none. 

Have a great week everyone!



*which the grammar police want me to write spilled - apparently the latter is the modern spelling. Apparently I'm just old. :)