Jinxed myself

 

First off, this is a photo taken on my balcony one evening - the fog so thick, I couldn't see beyond the railing! 

After telling you all that I never get sick on a cruise ship and despite my preparations to avoid it, my luck ran out. I was tired after the visit to the zoo in San Diego, and turned in early that evening. I woke around midnight feeling absolutely horrid, with an extremely sore throat, chills, and a cough. It had come on quickly, I had been sneezing that evening, but otherwise felt fine. I took some Buckley's cough syrup, a Tylenol cold and flu tablet, and a wet wash cloth. I slept off and on for the rest of the night, waking myself with my coughing, and using the wash cloth to cool off my face and chest. 

By morning, the fever was gone, but my throat was still quite sore and the cough definitely lingered. I had brought Covid tests with me, and while the test was negative, I decided that I'd avoid leaving my cabin as much as possible. Whatever I was suffering from (and I do think it was actually Covid) was something I hoped not to share anymore than I likely already had. 

When my steward, Jerry, arrived mid-morning to clean the cabin, I stepped out onto the balcony. It was a cool morning, about 16C/60F but sunny. I heard Jerry bustling about the room and suddenly he appeared at the balcony door telling me it was too cold outdoors and insisting I come inside. I really didn't mind it and the fresh air was lovely, but I didn't argue.

I spent the rest of the day, mostly dozing off and on, with the balcony door open to allow the fresh sea air to come into the cabin. 

The following morning, I needed something to eat (I hadn't felt like eating the day prior), so masked up, and went to the buffet to grab some breakfast. Had I been thinking the evening prior, I could have had a Continental breakfast delivered to the room in the morning. 

My sore throat had disappeared by then, but I was still coughing and feeling very tired. That day and the next were both sea days so I continued to stay in my cabin, spending time on the balcony, watching television, knitting and napping. I actually watched a movie,  "Table 19", a comedy about a group of misfit guests at a wedding. I quite enjoyed it. For meals, I continued to mask up and attend the buffet shortly before it closed for each meal to avoid crowds. 

Passing the coast of Northern California.

Sunrise photo on a sea day.

Because I had been napping during the day, I found myself awake at night. The second last night, I heard the sounds of birds outside - again, my balcony door was open slightly for the fresh air. I wish I could have gotten a photo or a video (perhaps reader David would have been able to identify them). There was flock of them, flying in a V pattern, that appeared entirely white and ghostlike due to the ship's lights. The sound was a trill that I did not recognize, and it seemed to me they were migrating south. It was eerie to hear and see them in the middle of the night. I'm not certain how far off shore we were at the time, but I have to assume they were quite far out to sea.

By the third day, I was feeling much better. I did venture out, with my mask in place, to stop by the knitting group in the morning to say so long and safe travels to the group. Similarly, that evening, I met a few of the solos outside the dining room to do the same. I stayed just a few minutes with both groups. I had tested again that day, with a negative result for Covid, but didn't want to chance spreading my germs.

By embarkation, I was feeling almost normal, just a bit of a cough remained and I continued to wear a mask in public. I was scheduled to leave the ship at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, with a booked shuttle to the airport. We were off a little early, and I waited outside for a few minutes for the shuttle to arrive. Another of the solos, Edlinda was also taking the shuttle to the airport, and we spent our time chatting. We were all dropped at the same doors at the airport and I made my way down the halls to the WestJet gates. I was in line for the gates to open for about 45 minutes, as they open three hours prior to the our flight. 

Of course, the flight was delayed about 90 minutes before we were up on our way to Calgary. There I went through CBSA quickly. However, instead of being directed to my next gate, I was sent out into the main airport. This meant I had about a 10 minute walk to security for re-screening before I made my way to my gate. The flight was scheduled to leave about 8 p.m., giving me plenty of time for a bite to eat. Then, of course, the flight was delayed about an hour. By the time I picked up my luggage and grabbed a cab it was close to 11 p.m. It was a long day, and I was ready for a good night's sleep.

Despite falling ill, I enjoyed the cruise very much. I met some wonderful people, some of whom I expect to keep in touch with going forward. Who knows, we might even meet again on a future cruise.

Just as a tease, I'll let you in on a secret. I have another trip booked, not a cruise this time, and I'll share more in a few weeks. :)

This is a boring post

It's been a pretty quiet week and had its ups and downs. New Year's Day was quiet and relaxing - I'm pretty certain I spent most of it binge watching old television programs. 

I left the house for the first time in nearly a week on Tuesday, picking up groceries in the morning, having lunch with a friend, and then a little more shopping for household items in the afternoon. One of the windows in the kitchen doesn't close properly and there is a gap that lets in the cold air. I picked up some weather stripping as a stop gap (literally) measure. I've noticed a difference that night so it was an easy fix. 

My former colleague D was in town visiting her sister and daughter so we met for lunch. It was so nice to see her and the conversation and food was very good. We shared photos and stories about our grandchildren, and had some laughs. The restaurant was busy, especially with seniors. After I overheard some snippets of conversation, I realized this was due to the proximity to a medical lab. I'm sure some folks had to fast and were ready for a meal after their appointments.

The following couple of days weren't great, as I started feeling the onset of a cold that evening. I woke about 1:30 a.m. coughing, which didn't stop for some time. When it did ease off I took a dose of Buckley's and was able to sleep again for a couple of hours. The rest of Wednesday was spent mostly on the couch as any kind of activity caused coughing and shortness of breath. That night I took a Buckley's nighttime pill and another dose of cough medicine and slept very well.

Saku was a big help (sort of). He climbed up on my chest and pinned me down. Here he is fast asleep while I rested!

But oh my, my ribs and stomach muscles ached on Thursday. Thankfully the coughing was much reduced but every time a cough came on, I would try to hold it in because it hurt so much. I managed to get my laundry done and then worked on my budget worksheet updating my spending and reconciling my accounts. Meanwhile the junior hockey semi-finals were streaming. Our Canadian team lost out in the quarter finals but I still enjoyed watching the game.

Our winter weather has arrived. It snowed on both Thursday and Friday, and I managed to clear the driveway both days. The first day I was a bit slow, taking breaks to catch my breath. But I was feeling much better on Friday so it went faster, though I ought to have waited until later in the day as it continued to snow through the afternoon. I left it be, and either I or my son will shovel it today.

I caught up on some much needed housework as well, in between the junior hockey games. My bedding was washed, the entire house vacuumed, and my bedroom rug was cleaned of the spots that Saku leaves for me on occasion. The cough hasn't entirely gone away, but it's infrequent and I don't feel short of breath when I exert myself. 

I have no plans for the weekend, I'm sure there will be more television watching, a bit of housework, work on the jigsaw puzzle and I really, really need to work on my crochet and cross-stitch projects. I was feeling some pain in my wrists and forearms after all the crocheting for Christmas. I did a few rows on my sweater while at my daughter's, but the discomfort wasn't completely resolved. I figured a couple more weeks would be helpful. The cross-stitch is easier, but I need good lighting.

See, I told you it was boring. Have a great week ahead everyone!

Christmas, curling, and cold

Being a bit of a number nerd, I did the calculation on items that I can purchase here in Canada as compared to the US prices (after conversion to Cdn dollars). Overall I saved nearly 40% on those purchases. Some items were definitely worth it - like the Skechers slip-ons and Christmas pj's for Eli. Others, not so much - I could have picked up the sweatpants for Eli's for (slightly) less here in Regina since they were on sale here too.

I also picked up some items that we just don't have here - Dot's Pretzels (not as good as I was assured they'd be), Dolly Parton cake mixes, and specialty flavours of Oreos. The amount I saved in Canadian dollars offset almost half the cost of the trip. Had I stayed home, I might have saved money, but I wouldn't have completed my shopping in such a short period of time and probably run all over town looking for the "perfect" gift. On this trip, I had to make my decisions quickly - do dithering allowed.

The rest of the week has been fairly quiet. I did a little grocery shopping on Tuesday in order to pick up some needed items and a few sale items. The furnace guy dropped by later that day to check out the furnace as I've been hearing a whine occasionally when it starts up. Yes, we had the home inspector check it, but he didn't mention the whine and the furnace is 22 years old. Of course it didn't whine when he was here, though he knew that it would like be the inducer motor. He did a couple of tests and everything is working well though did say when it starts getting very loud, we'll want to replace it. The part is about $1000, but a new furnace is about $6K so I'll ensure my son knows to keep an ear out.

I also finished off the six cocoa cups for teacher's gifts for Eli. (Photo of the two was posted on Wednesday). I've started a couple of small ornaments for my nephew and niece to go along with their gift cards. Last year I gave them little snowman ornaments and they couldn't stop talking about them. Perhaps this can become a annual tradition and when they are on their own, they'll have a start of decorations for their trees.

Wednesday was stitch and chat. I puttered around the house in the morning, doing a bit of laundry, dishes, reading blogs, and working on the Christmas letter. My travel agent called before lunch and we chatted about her trip to Portugal, my bus tour, and my upcoming March 2024 cruise. Final payment is due next week, so we took care of that. She's keeping an eye out for airfare for my August 2024 cruise as well though prices at the moment are quite high. I'm hoping for a price drop though that's probably wishful thinking.

On Thursday I had planned to visit the nearby community center to meet some local women and try to learn Mahjong. However, I woke with a cough and a drippy nose. I decided that I'd best stay home and after some Buckley's and a sinus and cold Tylenol, I felt well enough to get some more cleaning done, got my Christmas cards written and ready for the mail, as well as some crocheting. I cannot locate my safety eyes in my craft room boxes, so ordered more as I'll need them to finish off the ornaments. In the afternoon I discovered another curling event on You-tube. It was only the second draw, so I should be able to amuse myself for the rest of the week.

I was feeling quite a bit better on Friday morning, so I masked up and went to the mall to mail my Christmas cards and a parcel for D & Eli. A stop at Safeway was on the agenda too, where I picked up some ingredients for Christmas baking. At home between curling games, I mixed up a pan of gingerbread cake. I also finished Chilly, the penguin I started making for a friend back in October (before the packing began in earnest). He's a little crooked and not perfect but I think he turned out pretty cute.

My son is learning all about the trials of home ownership. On Friday, the light in the main bathroom started to fail. It's an enclosed LED vanity light fixture with no way to replace the lights, thus a new fixture is needed. I checked on-line at our local outlets and none had the appropriate size in stock, except one and the reviews for it were abysmal. I ended up ordering from Amazon, so he'll have to remember to take his cellphone to the bathroom for light in the morning, as it won't be in until December 9th (at the earliest). I'll convince my brother to help us install it. I'd done an install on a light in the old house a few years and it worked fine but this one is quite a big bigger and heavier.

Today, getting my little tree decorated, gifts wrapped, and more crocheting is on the agenda. And, of course, more curling to watch.

Oh, and the best thing to happen this week is: I found my tea canister. I have absolutely no idea why I packed it as I did. The darn thing was tucked in among toilet paper rolls in the original product packaging. I mean, it was a safe place for it, but I don't remember putting it there and I never would have thought to look for it, I just happened upon it when I was getting more paper for the loo.

Have a wonderful week ahead everyone!

Getting a few things done

To start, I'd like to say thank you to everyone for your kind comments on my recent posts about the camping trip to my home town. Eli may be a bit young still, to remember much about this trip, but hopefully the photos will be reminders of the fun we had, and the family history we shared. 

Back at home, Monday was a write-off, as I still wasn't feeling up to par. Whatever this bug was that started in my sinuses and moved into my chest, it isn't about to let go easily. Every day I've been feeling some better, but it continues to linger and the nights are the worst. Thankfully, last night was much better.

The fridge was looking a bit bare, and the cat food cupboard equally so, and I had an errand to run for D, so Tuesday I had to go out. I made sure I masked up for the sake of others because I didn't want to pass this on if I could help it.  

I also had the water rental heater company out to do a service on the equipment. While I thought they'd done a change of the anode rod in January, a quick review of the copies of the work orders indicate they had not. According to my real estate agent, it's one of those things that home inspectors check and some buyers assume if one minor thing isn't done, then the maintenance of the property is lacking. Since my water heater is a rental, there was no cost to me, but interestingly enough I was informed this is the last rod they will change out unless, or until, the heater leaks. According to the technician, the company did a survey and discovered that it didn't matter whether the rod was changed regularly or not, the impact of our horrible water was the same. I can't quite wrap my head around it but no matter, hopefully it won't be an issue for me. 

Other things have been happening around here too. Here's what I came home to!

I had received a text from the Ch on Thursday to let me know that the sod was in and the patio blocks on the side of the sunroom had been installed. Of course, he wanted to be paid too. :)  I sent him a partial payment, and withheld a portion of the total cost as the work isn't yet complete. The edging between the grass and rock needs to be done, the boards are to be replaced on the shed, and the steps built. He mentioned that the latter would be done in a couple of weeks when the sod is well-established. 

My son kept it watered during my absence, and I took over on Sunday evening. I've been watering twice a day, as the day-time temperatures haven't been too high. Here's a photo I took last night. While I can still see the edges between the pieces of sod, it's looking pretty good.  

Saku has given it his stamp of approval. He enjoys the taste of green grass, though has a tendency to discard it if he eats to much. As long as I don't let him injest too much, it's all good. 

The gravel area under the tree is still a work in progress. I'd like to put a chair out there for reading, and will move the bird bath, the mower and small wheelbarrow, but for now it looks far better than it did.

I've been keeping busy indoors as well. I've decided there is a gremlin living in my house as little things keep breaking and need to be fixed. While I was away, the pump on Saku's water fountain quit working, my bedside lamp broke (that I can blame on the cat), and since then, the interior door handle to the garage has suddenly gone wonky. The first two were dealt with easily by ordering through Amazon. Saku is happy to have his water readily available again. I'd been putting water in the bathroom sink for him, because he has a bad habit of tipping bowls. The lamp I purchased was on sale, and is far better than my last one, as it has a plug-in for the cell phone charger. 

I had planned to call the lock company anyway, as I need to have the front door handle replaced. It has a lock on it, and recently we had an issue where my son was locked out temporarily while I was away (not this trip). Now, it appears that both handles may need to be replaced. I've sent photos to the company and they'll send out replacements with the technician. I'm hoping the one to the garage can simply be repaired. The appointment was originally booked for Friday afternoon, but due to the length of another job, it had to be moved to Monday.

The darned smoke from the forest fires returned Thursday, and got worse on Friday. I've had to keep the windows closed, as it seemed to be irritating my cough. I did spend some time outside while I watered the sod, and the rest of the containers. My tomatoes are doing so well - I foresee a bumper crop. I have one small green pepper and two wee (less than gherkin size) cucumbers on the vine. But it's my marigolds I that I grew from seed that are impressive.

Both are a good three feet tall, and the blooms on the plants are entirely different from the other. It seems to me, one set were grown from seeds I collected from last year's plants, the other from seeds I purchased. 

And then there is this petunia that seems to be losing/changing it's colors. The plant has mostly flowers that are white with purple stripes, but these blooms (and a few others) have changed to purple with white stripe or mostly purple. 

It's a cool day today, with a high expected of only 22C (72F). I'm planning to spend the day watching sports, baseball and football, knitting, and working on Ancestry. Sounds boring to mosts I'm sure, but I enjoy my quiet weekends.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Small mysteries

First off, the bird in the photos on Wednesday is a Cedar waxwing. I was sitting with Saku in the living room, and we both jumped when we heard a loud thud coming from the sun room. I was afraid when I walked out to the sun room that I'd find a dead or dying bird. Dead I can deal with, dying bothers the heck out of me because I know there is nothing I can do for it and I'm too squeamish to put any wild animal out of its misery. So I was somewhat happy to see the bird was sitting (if not completely upright) with its tail feathers splayed out (the first shot). It appeared to be gasping for air as its beak was open and its chest was heaving. 

I know enough from previous bird strikes to know that if I leave the bird alone, it will often eventually heal itself and be able to fly off.  I checked on it several times through the afternoon, and was a bit worried when afternoon turned into evening and the bird was still there. However, it had moved along the deck and was at least two feet from where it had fallen. I checked again just before dark and it had disappeared. All I was left with were a couple of photos and some bird poop.

To be honest, I had no idea what kind of bird it was at first. I did a quick Google search and identified it based on the yellow fan on the tail and the red on the wings. I've never seen a waxwing in my yard before; obviously they don't eat what I put out in the feeder or I'm sure I would have. In any event, as always I'm amazed at the ability of our bird friends to heal themselves so quickly. I'm certain it had quite the concussion!

I had been hanging out on the couch with the cat most of Monday because I wasn't feeling well. Sunday evening I felt a fever coming on, I felt chilled, a little disoriented, and even in bed I couldn't seem to warm up. Eventually I did fall asleep.  But the weirdest thing was my dreams, or perhaps lack of dreams. I had been working on Ancestry on Sunday and I had gone to bed thinking about a certain individual. I woke several times during the night and every time I was stuck on the same thought about the same person that was in my mind at the end of the evening. It seemed like my brain had frozen in place. Thankfully the fever broke before morning, and though I was tired and felt like I'd been hit by a truck I was feeling much better. I still haven't figured out the puzzle in reference to the ancestor.  He seemingly disappeared.

Since I had no idea what brought on the fever, and I needed to get groceries, I decided to do a rapid test for Covid, just in case. It was negative thankfully, and I headed off to the stores to get what I needed that morning. Curling was scheduled for the afternoon or I might have waited. I know I've mentioned this before - shopping only ever 10 days or so for groceries has made had a positive impact on my budget. I replace what needs replacing and pick up a few sale items, but my impulse purchases have been cut way back. I still get a treat - Easter jelly beans this time. :) 

As for the curling, our Canadian had a slow start with two wins, two losses, but then got a roll and won the next three games, before losing a squeaker to Korea on Thursday. They came back and won their two games on Friday putting them in the play-offs. There were three teams with the same record of 9 wins, 3 losses, so the ranking was done by the total of the measurements of  draw to the button that occurs at the beginning of each game. Canada was .20 of a centimeter (.07 of an inch) being award second place ahead of Korea. So they play this afternoon in a qualifier against Denmark. Their last game with Denmark was close, but I'm positive they'll be able to win again. The next game would be this evening for the semi-finals.

There has been a lot of melting here this week, finally. However, a cold front moved through on Thursday and brought rain and a bit of snow. My brother and I were chatting and of course, this is the weekend he and friend are heading north to go winter camping. The daytime temps will be around -10C (14F), but at least one night will see the temperature drop to -25C (-13F). He has a wood stove they'll use to heat the tent, and with their -40 rated sleeping bags, and layers of clothing they'll be fine. They'll be out ice fishing during the day for trout, and he's taken the ingredients for chili in case the fish are smarter than they are. I'm sure he'll send a photo or two of his adventures that I can share next week.

Thankfully it won't nearly be as cold here. I've been going out every day and chipping away at the ice and tossing snow around to help it melt a little faster. The snow that Eli lost his boot in last week is gone, with a small pond remaining. Of course that doesn't meant there won't be more snow, but at least it won't last for very long.

We did have some lovely temperatures in the afternoon and I was able to open the sun room most days (even on Friday when it was quite cool outdoors). Saku enjoys his naps out there, and likes to tuck himself under the towel. On Friday I took the vacuum out there and rearranged the furniture, and then settled in to read my book, The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion, by Fannie Flagg. A very enjoyable read.

I'm off to do a little thrift store browsing this morning, after I fill the car with gasoline.  At $1.689 per litre (about $6.39 US gallon), I know the fill-up will make a dent. But I'm grateful I don't drive a whole lot and this tank of gas should last me several weeks.  Then it is home to watch the curling. And my son has told me he's ordering in pizza this evening so I'm having a good day.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Random thoughts

 What a difference a day makes! We had some decent weather on Monday, with the temperature reaching a high of -1C (30F). But then an Alberta clipper blew in that evening, bringing blizzard conditions and the temperature dropping drastically. When I went out to feed the birds on Tuesday morning, it was -22C (-8F). Brrr...  The snow had blown in on the sidewalks and in behind the front gate so I wasn't able to get in the back yard as I normally would.  I headed out back through the sun room, and dug a path partway and then just tromped through the snow the rest of the way. 

I'll get out and shovel another path the full way when the weather improves. For the time being, I grabbed the shovel, climbed through the pile and went around to shovel out the area behind the gate to allow me to get in that way again. I did go out in the afternoon to clear the driveway. It wasn't much warmer but I need to clear the sidewalks in front of the house within 48 hours of a snowfall.

Wednesday was even colder with a wake-up temp of -29C (-20F) but the birds still needed to be fed. I went out the back to take car of them, and then grabbed the shovel and cleared up behind the front gate. Based on what is on the ground we should have good moisture this spring. Whenever that might happen!

Much of my time has been spent watching curling and knitting, and fitting in chores between games. I've finished three pairs of mittens, of various sizes, using up some yarn I picked up at the thrift store. I baked buns on Tuesday morning - is there anything better than the aroma of fresh baking? Vaccuming and laundry got done too, on different days when I got up from my seat on the couch. The Canadian women's curling will end on Sunday; meanwhile the mixed double curling started this week in Beijing. I've been watching live when I can, and watching a replay of the live stream when the game is aired in the middle of the night. I need my sleep!

In other news, this week I reached the three year anniversary of my retirement (Jan.31) and my little brother turned 60 (Feb. 3). He had hoped to join me in retirement but for a number of reasons has decided to hold off for a couple more years. It's selfish of me, but I wish he wasn't waiting because we'd be able to spend more time together. In the meantime, he's also starting a home business, building live edge coffee tables, side tables, and cutting boards. On Friday, he made several glasses from old wine bottles. The guy likes to stay busy!

On another note, have you seen those television ads that suggest that running your dishwasher uses less water than running your tap for 2 minutes? I decided I'd put that to the test - a very unscientific test - by using the dishwasher and only hand washing certain items for a month. I ran the dishwaser about five times a week and waited for the water bill to arrive. The results - my water bill increased by $10, even after I took out the annual increase in the rates. So I'm back to my handwashing and will use the dishwasher only once weekly or when I have a busy cooking day.

My other test, if one can call it that, was to eliminate potato chips from my diet. I'll admit it, I love potato chips; the salty goodness and the crunch of the chip is my addiction, and I would normally have a bag or two in the house most of the time. I know that the salt isn't good for me. Heaven knows, my family history includes many heart attacks and strokes. I've tried in the past to limit the size of the portion, but that hasn't worked for me. I just go get more.....when the bowl is empyt. So I decided it was time to try going cold turkey on January 1. Since then, I've eaten home popped popcorn twice, but normally if I'm craving something salty I'll slice a couple of small pieces of cheese to eat with a few crackers. Best of all, I've lost five pounds of weight, not nearly enough, but a good start. Don't get me wrong, I still crave the potato chips, and evenings can be especially difficult. Reminding myself that I'm doing this for the long term health benefits is some consolation. 

Unfortunately both Eli and his mom were sick this week. They've both tested negative for Covid - D tested Eli three times, and herself five time.  Both had an ugly stomach bug. She let her guard down and had a friend and her two children over to the house earlier in the week. A assured her that both children were over the bug they'd picked up at daycare - apparently not quite. Eli has pretty much recovered, but D is like her mother and doesn't do sick well. She's resting as much as she can with an active 4 year old and calling her mother frequently to whine. She called this morning, and said she's feeling some better. And Eli woke up hungry, all good news.

The cold weather is finally starting to break. I woke up on Friday to -32C (-27F), and by this morning, the temperature had risen to -10C (18F). More snow fell overnight too, so you know what I'll be doing later today. Until then I've got the television tuned to the Olympic coverage. 

I'll leave you with a photo of Hoover. It was hogging the birdseed so I went out and chased it away several times. It would run down the fence and sit to wait for me to go back indoors, then go right back to the feeder. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Countdown - 27

I'm going to be one of "those" annoying people who will remind you each time I post how many more days there are until Christmas.  It's in my title!  I'm a bit of Christmas geek if you couldn't tell.

When I left off last week I'd mentioned I was working on a little snowman while watching television.  I finished that on Sunday, finished Eli's sweater on Monday, and worked on a pair of slippers for D and my cross-stitching for the rest of the week.  (I'm trying to insert these photos without a lot of white space, Blogger isn't being helpful 

at all!

I was quite annoyed when I pulled the pattern I used the last time I made her slippers because the pattern was no longer free.  I know that the creators deserve to earn from their designs, but it meant I had to look for another free pattern because the price of the first was more than I was willing to pay. These are called Cloud 9, because they're made from chunky blanket wool, and are incredibly soft.  I did modify the pattern to add a second sole.  D is hard on slippers, and wears through them quickly. I made the last pair in May of this year - hopefully this pair will last as long.

I did my grocery order through Walmart this week and while I'd prefer to use our local Co-op or Safeway they don't offer curbside pick-up.  One substitution was made, which I agreed to, and although I'd indicated I'd bring my own bags, everything came out in Walmart bags again.  Since this was a larger order, I've got more than enough for whatever purpose I can find. Perhaps I'll have to learn out to make a rug out of them!

After Walmart I stopped at Michaels (across the parking lot).  They started their Black Friday deals early, so I was able to pick up a number of items at 50-60% off.  In addition to ribbon, a ball of yarn, scrapbook paper, and some glue, I found a frame with a mat for a photo I took this fall and had printed a few weeks ago.  It's now hanging above my couch, and I love it even more (if that's possible).  

On the way home I stopped at Co-op to get meat as it's better quality than Walmart and though a little more pricey, it's worth it.  I must say, the best part of shopping on-line is that I don't wander the aisles and impulse shop.  Thursday I ran out to Pet Valu for cat litter - it was senior's day so it gives me a 10% discount, and I ended up picking up more bird seed there as well.  There was a bit of sticker shock with the latter, but with the discount it was a little better.  

Also on Thursday, I tackled another Christmas craft.  I had picked up a small sled at Value Village last week. This is it before I began working on it.  It's cute, but definitely not what I wanted.  

I removed the twine hanger, sanded it down a bit to get rid of any residue and then painted most of it with my gray chalk paint.  After that had dried I measured and cut a piece of scrap book paper to fit on the sled seat and the curved area above.  

With Modge-Podge (a glue) I added the paper, allowed that to dry, and then added another coat of the Modge-Podge on top to seal the paper.  Again, I allowed that to dry before adding the little berry garland to the edge of the base.  Finally, I replaced the twine and this piece now hangs in my main bathroom. I've decorated with blue, white, and red in there (towels, candles, a stuffed snowman, and a festive shower curtain with kittens in Santa hats).  This piece fits right in! 

Friday morning, I was up at 5 a.m., no particular reason why, just wide awake and ready to go.  C left for work about 6:30 and after a bit of blog reading, a chat with D, and an episode of NCIS New Orleans, I got busy.  I pulled out all the Christmas presents in the house (including one from D to Eli) and got almost everything wrapped. I haven't yet picked up the gift cards for my niece and nephew - I'll likely pick those up next week and finish wrapping then.  I also need to finish weaving in the ends of the yarn on my daughter's blanket.  I'll do that in the next few days while I'm watching television.  I have a storage room in the basement off the laundry room that Eli has never been in, so all the gifts have been hidden there. I'm not expecting he and D to visit before Christmas, but just in case they need to make a trip to the city for any reason, he won't likely find them.

I even got a start on the Christmas baking this week.  It helps I'm making less and fewer amounts.  First up is a cranberry lemon bar (with coconut). I always cut the edges of the pan before cutting into squares, so I know that it tastes delicious!  I also made 2 dozen sugar cookies to decorate.  I'll probably send these to work with C on the 24th to share with his co-workers, decorated of course.  I've stored these in the sun room because there is no room in the fridge freezer and wouldn't you know it, the temperatures are just above freezing for a few days!  The ambient temp in there is just on the cool side, but the floor is still cold, so I've tucked the goodies in a dark corner on the floor. I know they'll freeze again overnight.

Today has been a write-off.  I had some tummy issues last night, something I ate disagreed with me, so it was late before I was able to get to sleep and I was up several times in the night.  The cats woke me around 6:30 so I got up and fed them, before going back to bed.  D woke me at 7:30 when she called, we chatted for a bit, I went out and fed the birds, before lying down on the couch and sleeping again until 11:30.  I've been up for three hours now and still feel as though I've been pulled through a wringer washer backward.  Since I'm certain that is more information than you wanted, I'll sign off for the week with a photo my brother sent me of this morning's sunrise.

Have a great week everyone, take care and stay well!

Say it isn't S"no"w

*Warning - long post, sorry!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take care everyone and have a good week ahead!

Plodding along

I'm almost back to normal after this cold, but of course, now my son is feeling under the weather. By mid-week he was experiencing significant pain on the side of his face when he sat for more than an hour or lay down.  As a result he wasn't getting much sleep.  He was able to arrange an appointment on Thursday afternoon to see a doctor.  After a cursory examination the doctor suggested he has an infection but not an ear infection and he was given antibiotics.  He did get some sleep that night and was feeling some better on Friday morning, not well enough to go to work though.  He has next week off, so will have the time to recover.

C had slept through Thanksgiving dinner on Monday and through the entire night.  He's not a big fan of leftovers so I ate pork roast, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy for a few meals.  But even I couldn't finish the entire roast so I've frozen it and plan to repurpose it into a casserole or something for later. Any ideas?

I spent much of Thanksgiving Day indulging in things that I enjoy. Live curling events were available on both Youtube and Facebook, so I watched four games in total.  There would have been at least one more had the Alberta team (Koe) won their quarter final game as they are providing the live stream of all of their games.  The other three games were out of Ontario, semi-finals and finals for the men's teams and the women's final. Neither of the teams I had anticipated would win did...shows you how much I know.  The Ontario rules required the players to wear masks on ice.  If you're not familiar with the game, a player throws a rock, another player (or two) sweeps that rock while the skip calls out directions.  It is a physically demanding game, even if my description doesn't do it justice...maybe google it if you're interested.  The announcer mentioned that the players are getting accustomed to it, and one suggestion was to have one or more extra masks available.  Apparently it is the moisture that accumulates that makes it feel like it is difficult to breath at times.  Good tip for anyone who has to wear one for an extended period of time.  

While watching the curling and later in the evening, I continued knitting Eli's toque and did a bit of cross-stitching.  I actually frogged back the toque one more time (on Saturday) and I'm finally happy with the way it is working out.  I'm sure I'll have it ready to wear by the time I head out there this weekend.  I'm planning to take his sweater with me too, it still needs to be sewn together, a collar and buttons added but that will give me a project to work on while I'm there.

Tuesday finally brought back a more normal level of energy.  I stripped the bed, gathered up the towels from the bathrooms, grabbed the laundry basket and four loads later I had everything washed, dried and put away.  While the machines were doing their work, I set to tidying up the house.  When I'm not feeling well, a lot of stuff tends to get set down and not put in their proper place.  Just clearing off the surfaces and giving them a wipe down makes such a difference!

I had time between loads to get out for a walk.  It was a cool morning, just 6C (43F) with a cool breeze.  I fought the wind on my way out and when I turned to come home it felt good to have it at my back.  There were no ducks remaining at the creek, no cormorants at the pond, but still lots of geese.  I stopped at one point to suggest they might want to start heading south because there is cold weather coming this week, with precipitation that might turn into that dreaded four letter word.  They didn't listen.

My energy level continued through Wednesday; I got the entire house vacuumed and went for a walk.  It was quite cold, 2C (36F) but with the windchill feeling more like -4C (25F).  I came home rosy cheeked but had bundled up with a toque, gloves and a warm jacket. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day.

Thursday morning, I baked some buns and made chili for dinner. I'm a wimp and it was far too cold to go walking early in the day. It hadn't warmed up much in the afternoon either, so I did my walk in the basement while listening to a podcast.  You won't be seeing any photos because there is nothing interesting down there. :) The cold weather is definitely here!  I just hope it doesn't stay, and we get a few more days of warmer weather.  I noticed, even at nearly 11 a.m. the frost on the neighbour's roof hadn't yet burned off.  Later in the day I even saw a few of the white flakes floating through the air out the front window.  I'm so not ready for that!

I'm planning to head out to visit Eli and D tomorrow for a couple of days, so will wrap this post up today.  We had a heavy frost last night, temperatures dropped to -10C (14F).  I went out to feed the birds after breakfast - there wasn't a speck of seeds left in the feeder.   A little later I drove over to Kal Tire to have my tires re-torqued, stopped to get gas at Co-op and then picked up a few groceries at Safeway.  That's my "outing" for the week!  

Just one photo this week. D sent the picture to me yesterday.  Eli's first pre-K craft!  I particularly love the placement of the one eye. :)

Have a great weekend everyone, take care and stay well.

Mixed and muddled

Ugh...it wasn't the start to the week that I hoped it would be.  D and Eli went home on Saturday and I started to feel ill that evening, just a tickle in my throat. Sunday, my throat got more painful as the day went on and my head started feeling stuffed up.  By Monday morning, I was feeling absolutely horrid I spent most of the day in bed.  By the end of the day I'd used up a half bottle of Buckleys cough medicine (yuck), a box and a half of tissues, several lozenges, a scoop or two of Vaporub, two envelopes of Neocitron, and two tabs of Tylenol extra strength cold and flu meds (one day, one night).  I was pretty much throwing everything I had at it, with the hope I'd get over it quickly.  I woke a couple of times through the night, to take more cough medicine and to blow my nose.  By morning, I wasn't as fuzzy headed but had that darn barking cough.  

I kept up the regimen for the day, more cough medicine, the Tylenol for the sinus pain, and Neocitron before I went to bed at night.  Because I felt like I'd been penned up for a week, I went out for a short walk.  The fresh air was definitely good for me, though I was pretty much exhausted by the time I got home.  The rest of the day was spent mostly relaxing though I did get started on these little ghosts for Eli.

D asked me if I could find a pattern to make "pooping" ghosts.  I thought I'd have to adapt this pattern, but quickly realized that leaving the bottom open would leave enough room for her to stuff a mini chocolate bar into it.  They are having a mostly at-home Halloween this year.  They'll decorate the house, he'll wear his costume (a pirate), and she'll hide candy for him to find.  Her friend F has invited them to join her family for a special Halloween dinner, and D and Eli will stop at the neighbour's on either side to trick or treat.  Some Halloween cartoons will likely be watched as well.  Eli is young enough to not realize this isn't the norm and I know he'll enjoy himself.  The little stinker has already found the box of treats - he definitely knows what those are about.

I slept much better on Tuesday night, so woke Wednesday feeling much better.  Still a little congested but not feeling the need to dose myself up.  But damn did my muscles hurt from coughing.  Guess I need to work on that core a bit more.

It was a beautiful morning for a walk.  Since I hadn't taken my camera with me for the last few days I grabbed it on my way out the door.  I'm glad I did. 

As I snapped this photo, the jack rabbit on the left came bounding into the shot.  I wish I'd been a tenth of a second later but I laughed as I saw it flash on the screen.

There were hundreds of geese on the pond today.  Just a solitary duck on the creek, and one cormorant. My brother R says most should be heading south my mid-October.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but this new blogger is sure a nuisance when it comes to placing photos where I'd like them to be. It used to be I could drag and drop them in place but that no longer seems to work.  And then there are the darned changes in the size of the font.  I don't know how many times I've had to correct it through this post.

I took these photos intentionally to print and use in a frame with openings for four photos that is hanging in the main bathroom.  The current photos are from my last few cruises and I think I'd rather have something else to look at - there won't be any cruising in the near future.

The next photo is my very favorite of the day. We don't have a lot of red in our fall colors since we don't have any/many maples. This grape vine provides it instead.

By Thursday I was feeling much better, although still coughing, my head felt clear.  I don't know if it was the cold, or the amount of meds but the day before I'd caught myself putting the clean cat bowls in the fridge instead of the cupboard where they belong.  When I tried to start knitting a toque for Eli I had to tear it out three times as I kept making mistakes.  On Friday I looked at it again and realized it still wasn't right so I've started again with an easier pattern.

With my head cold seeming to be at bay, I did get out of the house on Friday, to pick up cat food, bird seed, and a few groceries. I went early when the stores were quiet and was home and putting things away in just over an hour.  The weather was cool, but with a forecast of 24C (75F) for Saturday I decided to leave the containers of flowers just one more day. We're going to get colder temperatures next week so I guess, whether I like it or not it's time to pull them up and put away the patio furniture.

Today I still woke up congested but am feeling better through out the day.  It's a windy and sunny day here with the temperature forecast having been revised to a degree or two cooler. I got out in the morning and finished clearing up the flower containers as well as putting away the last of the garden ornaments and patio furniture.  I will admit it made me feel a bit sad.  Everything looks so barren and lacking in color except for a few trees that are hanging onto their leaves (and the blue sky).

I probably should mention I'm certain this isn't Covid - I haven't had a fever or any body aches, just the congestion, coughing and sneezing.  Nor have I have I felt short of breath, well, except after a coughing fit.  But nothing abnormal from having a cold.  In any event I'll be glad to be over it.  

This is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. I won't call it a long weekend, because since I've retired, every weekend is long. :)  I'm cooking a pork loin roast for dinner on Sunday, as it will just be my son and I, as D and Eli will be on their own.  They were here just over a week ago so it makes no sense to have them travel again.  I'll visit there next weekend and spend a couple of days with them.  

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers.  To all, take care and stay well.