Gratitude, cleaning and catching up

First, I must thank you all for your kind words of support and condolences on Sasha's passing.  It seems that most of us have lost a fur baby at some time or another and understand how painful it is to lose a special member of the family.  I've received a card from the vet clinic with some paw-prints they made for me.  At some point, I'll frame a photo of Sasha to include at least one of those prints.

After a quiet weekend, watching curling, catching up with television programs (I'm not done with these yet), and adjusting to the new normal without Sasha,  I needed to get moving on Monday.  The grocery shopping was taken care of and I stopped by the dollar stores to pick up a few more craft items in the morning. (I've told myself I'm done for this year.  There are enough projects to work on to keep me busy for a long time yet. Ha, we'll see how long that lasts!)  I spent the afternoon cleaning bathrooms and catching up on more television.

This week I finished another scarf and have pair of mittens almost complete for Eli. I need to pick the next skeins of yarn for another scarf to crochet when I need a break from knitting.  My right index finger gives me grief when I always knitting.

In the craft room I finished this glass snowman.  I've been picking up the pieces over the last few weeks.  One of the bowls came from the dollar store but the other two I found a Value Village along with the snowman and rocking horse.  Silly me, I didn't dry fit the pieces together so the middle one had to be placed upside down because the rocking horse was too high. As a result the middle bowl doesn't have the fake snow and another ornament.  I've used a piece of ribbon for the scarf but may knit something up at some point.  The little toque came off a plastic dollar store ornament.  This will be a piece that sits in the kitchen window so little fingers won't be able to reach it. Or I may literally be picking up the pieces again.

I spent a little time with this small crochet project.  I spotted the pattern for the peppermint candy coasters on Pinterest and couldn't resist.  A very easy project and it used up some yarn. 

However, housework was top of the agenda for a good part of the week.  I brought the stepladder in from the garage and cleaned off the top of kitchen cabinets.  Another blogger had shared her use of newsprint to cover the top of the cabinets to trap the dust (and in my case, cat hair). It definitely works but I learned I'll need to replace the paper more frequently.  The paper felt gritty and the cat hair flew.  While I was up and down the ladder I cleaned the blades of the ceiling fan as well.  Another spot I need to clean more often. Then I noticed that there were several grease spots on the ceiling stippling above the stove.  Out came the cleaning supplies and I took care of those as well.  It must have been a hot pan to splash that high.

I think I picked up a couple of small kittens in cat hair vacuuming the basement and upstairs.  I guess I'll see in a week whether one cat loses as much fur as two did. When I was cleaning the cat litter on Wednesday morning I realized it has been 21 years since there has only been one cat using the boxes.  Sasha joined us in July and Silver in October, 2000.  I won't go into detail as to the difference in output from then until now. :p

I've started another clearing out of cabinets and cupboards where things hide and get forgotten.  There is box to be delivered to the thrift store, but I'm going to wait until I've sorted through more of the craft room.  There are items in there too, that I won't use in my lifetime so it will be better to let it go for someone else to put to use than store it indefinitely.

The snow started falling on Wednesday evening.  It continued to snow on Thursday, Remembrance Day.  My son was off work, so it was quiet day.  He slept, I caught up on more television and watched curling.  I didn't (bother to) get out to shovel until Friday morning. The driveway had a layer of ice crystals under the snow that I hope will disappear in a few days as we are forecast for a few days of above freezing temperatures this week.  And more snow to follow.  I suspect winter is here to stay.

Every morning, when I talk with my daughter, she always asks me what my plans are for the day.  My answer is always the same, other than watching curling at some point, I'll just putter.  Some things will get done and others will get put off to another day. I need to pack away the fall decor and start pulling out things for Christmas.  D and Eli are putting up their tree today, but I'll likely wait until later in the week. Somehow when the snow falls, I feel the need to add sparkly things to my home.

Have a good week ahead everyone, take care and stay well!

Thankful Thursday

No, the house hasn't sold...though I've had a few more showings.  But I am thankful today.

You might be wondering why I'm sharing a photo from the front window - it certainly doesn't look like much. But I'm excited because we're finally getting rain.  Since yesterday afternoon we've had over an inch of rain with more falling as I write.  It has been so dry here, even while other parts of the province have been drenched, the rain has bypassed the city of Regina.   The soil here is a heavy clay and as it dries out, the particles shrink and create cracks in the soil.  It also can affect foundations, driveways, and sidewalks due to pressure that is exerted as the clay shrinks and swells.  I've noticed a lot of noises in the house this spring, and I know it is due to the ground shifting. So far I haven't seen any signs of cracking, with the exception of one that's been here before we moved in, but it is worrisome. But the laminate flooring in the living room and hallway is showing the impact as well as seams have separated and a few pieces are starting to lift.  I'm hoping with the rain that some of these minor issues will resolve themselves.  In any event, I'm happy and thankful to see the rain.

My bird feeder is barely visible through the tree growth but it's there and the birds and the squirrels continue to enjoy the feed.  I went out yesterday morning to refill the bird bath and the feeder and noticed the grackles were making a lot of noise.  I happened to turn towards the fence on the right and there was a little bird face looking at me between two fence boards.  It appeared to me that it may have landed awkwardly on the fence and had slipped between the two boards.  The poor little thing was struggling to lift itself but couldn't do so.  I went and got my garden gloves and a jacket with a hood (in case the adult birds decided to dive bomb me), went into my neighbour's yard, and was able to grab him/her enough that it was able to fly away on its own.  I'm thankful that I went out at the time I did, because I have no idea how long it had been stuck in the fence, nor how long it could have continued to struggle.  

This final photo has nothing to do with my list of things to be thankful for, but it does illustrate how wet things are.  I am so happy to see the rain.  

Yesterday I had the flooring estimate done for the carpet in the basement and my master bedroom.  The price came just a couple hundred dollars less than I had guesstimated so that was good.  But what I was truly thankful for, was a comment from the salesperson.  I mentioned that I'm having difficulty selling the house in part because of the cat odor.  He said (no word of a lie), "I wouldn't have known you have cats had you not told me".  I told him he'd made my day!  I had another showing yesterday afternoon, and spent the morning cleaning the carpet and spraying it with Febreeze.  I know some people are more sensitive than others but I keep doing what I can to make the property presentable and attractive for buyers.  

I do have much to be thankful for, and most especially this little guy. He sure makes me smile! 

I'm off to Melville for a short visit tomorrow as his mom has a dental appointment.  I had planned to go next weekend for Canada Day but have changed my plans as she is suffering from the toothache.  I'm thankful that in retirement I can be flexible in my schedule...especially when it means I get to spend time with Eli.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Remembrance Day 2018

In honor of my uncles, Tom Collins (WWI), Wilfred and Robinson Hodgins (WWII). I am grateful that each of you were able to come to your families at the end of war.  Thank you to all who served that we might be free.

*comments off

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all readers in Canada!  

It's a busy morning, but I have taken a few breaks between cooking and cleaning spurts to reflect on all I have to be thankful for this year.  In no particular order:

My little family - my daughter D, my son C, and of course, my over the top adorable grandson Eli.  While we have (frequent) differences of opinion, I'm proud of the mom my daughter has become. She's learned a lot this year and I can see her putting it into practice in her own home already.

Yesterday, C and I went out to Melville to spend Thanksgiving with Eli and D, and while there he took care of several tasks to make her life easier.  He put up a smoke detector, hung the baby gate at the top of the stairs, moved a few bookcases, and took various boxes out to the garage.  At one point, I spotted C with Eli on his lap, reading a book.  They, too, have a bond that is wonderful to see.

Eli - what can I say?  He is truly the gift I never knew I wanted.  He makes me laugh, his giggles are infectious, and he's just a loving, happy child.  To watch him scamper up and down the stairs (his playroom is at the top of the stairs) is a joy.  Last night, he tasted pumpkin pie for the first time, and loved it.  I was happy to share!  

My extended family - especially my brother R.  We keep in touch almost everyday, sharing the mundane, and laughing at jokes only we would find funny.  My older M and I keep in touch via Facebook much less frequently, but I have several cousins who I've become close too again through social media.  B and her husband G, have been wonderful to me when I've visited Parksville as they live nearby.

My home - it may not be perfectly clean (especially now), and while there are some things I'd love to change about it, it's been home for over eight years and I'm comfortable here.  Yet, I'm looking forward to the day I put it up on the market.  

My cats - Sasha is 18.5 years old now, Saku over 10.  In the middle of the night I heard Saku playing with a toy in the hallway, bouncing it off the walls and chasing it down into the living room.  While one might think Sasha's days of playing might be over, not so.  This morning (at a much more reasonable hour) was playing with the toy Saku had left in the living room.  I love their purrs and cuddles.  I'll miss Sheldon, as we took him to Eli and D yesterday.  I'm happy to report he's settling in well, has found several hiding spots from the little guy, and D's bedroom faces south so he'll have sunny spots to nap in.

My work - although it too has its faults, I'm grateful for the 21 year career I've had with the organization.  I'm blessed that it has provided a good living that allowed me to provide for my children (even into adulthood), maintain my home, and spoil myself with opportunities to travel.  Just last week, my notice of retirement was formally accepted, and I'm in the process of completing the paperwork to obtain my pension.  

My friends - what would I do without the people who support me?  The Friday night crew have become much like family, we have our differences of opinion but we share more laughter than anything else.  My friends here in the blogging world, who have followed me to this new blog when my world blew up in my face two years ago.  I am truly blessed.

My future - while there is still much to be determined, I do know I'm going to enjoy my adventures on the planned cruises, and there is a move in my future.  The timing of the move depends on the sale of this house, and the logistics that go with any move.  To be honest, while it makes me a bit nervous to think about, I'm more excited than anything else.  

My health - while there are more aches and pains than before I'm still able to manage the housework and yard work on my own.  I'm pretty certain my foot issues of the other day were due to dehydration, though I suffered a bit yesterday as well.  I'll just have to ensure I keep drinking more water than coffee, and if it continues I'll visit the doctor.  In any event, the housework is calling my name again so I'll end this post by asking:

What are you thankful for?  Have a wonderful day everyone!