A Day Late - keeping busy

The first peony bloom!

The weather continues to be erratic, with rain almost every day, but in small amounts. We had sunshine too, and I've spent some time outdoors, doing chores, and reading in my downtime. At this point the planting is done, now I need to catch with the weeds.

Our first piece of business on Monday was purchasing an upright freezer from our local hardware store. D has been suggesting it for some time and we arranged with Matt to pick it up and deliver to us. It will stay in the garage (which is insulated) and keep most of our meat and frozen vegetables. With our meal planning we'll bring in what we need for the week to keep in the fridge freezer, while the basement freezer keeps bread products, frozen pizza (Eli's favorite ones), french fries, perogies, etc. It's a bit of an experiment for now but when we filled it on Friday, we discovered I do NOT need to buy meat for some time.

I did my shift at the thrift store on Tuesday. As predicted we received and continue to get donations from the community wide garage sales. In addition one family is clearing out their mother's house and lots of treasures were found among the donations. One was a vintage Carnival glass small sugar bowl. It was set aside fo the woman who prices the more precious items. It would be worth more had it come with the creamer. We'll either sell it in the store or she'll post it on-line. There were also button containers (did your mom have a button jar?), with some really unique buttons, as well as homemade ones as well. I remember my mom making the matching buttons with material from an outfit. I did come home with a pair of wide leg palazzo pants for my daughter, but otherwise resisted the urge to shop...at least for a couple of days.

Wednesday, we had an appointment at the local credit union to open accounts for Eli and I. His mom wants to encourage him to start saving; she'd held onto the money he received for his birthday for the deposit. In my case, there is no branch of my usual institution, so I had opened an account at the local Bank of Montreal when I first moved here. I used it primarily to retrieve cash from the ATM, but they are closing as of Friday this week. Just a note: if I had withdrawn from my regular account at another institution there is a fee of $3-4. So, I closed that account and opened one at the credit union. That will allow me to access cash at the ATM with no fee. At some point, I'll start moving things from my current institution to the credit union, but that will take time as I have regular deposits and withdrawals that will need to changed. 

On Thursday, I went shopping at the thrift store - my feet are always tired after my shift. I found a number of items, though I messed up on the sizing of two of them so they will be returned as donations. Even so, I spent less than $15 for 5 pieces of clothing, one of which was a pretty top to match the palazzo pants I bought for my daughter. I noted that the sorting room wasn't as full as it had been when I left on Tuesday but the racks are full again. There may be another "sale" in the near future. 

One of the women from the thrift store mentioned that Canadian Tire had there annuals reduced in price. Can't pass up a sale, right? I picked another four six packs and a Gerbera daisy. I've never had much look with the daisy, but will give it a try - at $4.99 for the plant I won't be out much if it doesn't survive. 

On Friday, D and I visited a pair of garage sales, where she picked up some new baby clothes for her friend S. My big splurge was another puzzle and a piece of metal art for the yard. I was looking for a plant stand to put up in front of the house but D convinced me a bench would be better. Home Hardware had one for sale so I gave in a purchased it.

On Saturday, I put the bench together, and got the new plants into their pots. I'm now up to seventeen containers, although three of those are perennials that will go into the raised flower bed in the back yard. At the moment that project is on hold until the fence is complete. The next project will see me recaulking the windows and painting the trim in the front of the house.

On a happy note, I finally heard from LND and the fence is a go with Matt. The actual work won't start until July. Matt works full-time for the fire department and is busy with ball season with his daughter. We're also having him do a bit a reno in the basement to remove a wall behind the furnace. The water leak has made it's way to that area in the past and we'd like to have better access to that area.

We've done everything we can to mitigate the leak. I added the rain guards to the window wells. I did dig down and discovered that the wood window frame is rotten. There is a plan to replace windows in a few years so the basement windows to that list. D managed to get the sealant applied to the wall this week, and while we've had rain we haven't seen any evidence in the a basement. There was an area in the back where water was standing. So I've added soil and sloped it away from the foundation. I'll need to let it settle and add more as needed. But fingers crossed, that issue is managed for the time being.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Keeping on, keeping on

 Another week that has passed far too quickly. As you'll have seen in Wednesday's photos, the tomatoes and peppers are ready for picking. Though the peppers were a wee bit small, the darned bugs are getting to them. The strawberries, that ought to have been producing earlier in the summer, have finally taken off. We're still not getting a lot of berries, but I'm picking 5 or 6 a day. My grandson and I both love strawberries, though he thinks he prefers store bought (because of their size, not taste). We've been sneaking the home grown ones lately and he hasn't noticed. I get to eat the small ones!

The purple gladiola got so heavy it fell over in the garden. I cut it, a few asparagus ferns, and a couple of sweet peas stems and made an arrangement. Later I added the second glad to the mix. It doesn't quite match the fall decor I've put out, but I like it anyway. Note, I don't dare put the vase where the cats can get to it easily...anything with water in it is fair game around here.

Since the weather is cooling off, we decided to put away the tent gazebo. D and I took care of that on Tuesday, and I dug up two of the poppies in the raised garden bed. I can't get to the other as it has grown up between two large, and very heavy rocks. There are lilies I want to remove as well, but they too are growing in a pile of rocks. If possible, I'll get to these after everything dies back this fall, if not it will wait until spring. I'll likely have to move the rocks to get at the roots. 

Wednesday, D and I went to the next town over, as she had a dental appointment. We stopped at the Dollar store ahead of her appointment, and I did some grocery shopping before I picked her up. We made a run to the thrift store, where she found the perfect metal bucket for the firepit ashes, and I found a quilt top (a flimsy, I think it's called). It is a combination of several pieces of fabric, some with a Canada motif, the rest is Christmas. I've never done any quilting though I spent a lot of time under my mother's quilting frame. It was set up in the living room and the only way for us to watch television was to lie on the floor beneath it!  

I'll likely watch some videos and ask questions of a couple of women in the city who I know quilt regularly. Jackie, I may have to pick your brain too! First of all, I know I'll need to get batting and a backing for it. I'd love to hand quilt it, but I'm well aware how much work that would be, so it's more likely I'll tie it instead. But, it's a future project as I have other things to work on. 

Wednesday afternoon was the first meeting at the library for the Knit and Natter (or Stitch and Chat). I had mentioned it to the librarian a month or so ago, and she agreed to host it. There were seven of us, including the two librarians with more interest expressed. A number of people were looking for an evening event, so she decided we'd hold it every second Wednesday afternoon and every second Thursday evening. My concern is that participants may get confused about what week it might be. I'll drop in at the library another day and ask if it would alright if I drop in on Wednesday afternoons just in case others show up. In a small town keeping the library open is reliant on the number of visitors and activities. The librarian keeps track of everyone who comes in, and is always looking for ways to brings more people to the library.

Beyond that, it was a quiet week. There was regular housework completed, I did a bit of weeding, more watering, and pruning out in the yard. The weather channel keeps promising us rain but we've had not a drop. It looks like we'll get a good rain today, up to 40 mm/1.6 inches throughout the day and overnight. We'll see.

It will be a good day to enjoy more baseball, football, and curling. There are a couple of curling events happening this weekend with live streams available on You-tube. While there is no commentary (at least thus far), I can keep an eye on the stream while I'm knitting. Yep, I plan to be very lazy today!

To end, I'll share this photo my brother sent me of the ridge line trail he runs each day. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

All about the weather

One thing that is a constant in Saskatchewan is that we talk about the weather. Good, bad, cold, hot, wet, dry, it's a guaranteed source of conversation. This week started out very cool, with a high on Sunday of only 12C/54F. I managed to get out to the back yard and start on the weeding. It wasn't as wet back there as I expected, but damp enough that digging the weeds was quite easy. I put in about 90 minutes before heading back indoors.

Monday was cold for May, 8C/46F, and wet as the rain started early in the morning, with a short break in the afternoon and starting up again in the evening. It continued through Tuesday and we were cooler still. I did get out on Tuesday to get a few groceries and run to a couple of the thrift stores. I came home with this pottery kitchen gadget holder - it was likely an item painted, glazed and fired at a pottery shop. I say that because there were two of them, one with brown lettering, one with green, and both had a different set of initials on the bottom. I thought it was cute!

I also picked an almost brand new 10" frying pan for my son. He does cook for himself, mostly breakfast type items or bacon and perogies. The old pan is looking pretty worn. There wasn't a single scratch on this new pan. In addition, I found a pretty top, a long sleeved sweater and a pair of pajama bottoms. That's the fun of thrift shopping, I go with little to no idea of what I'll find (though I was looking for the pj's.) 

On Wednesday afternoon, I made my way over to the library, not knowing for certain that anyone would be there for Stitch and Chat. My last visit was in October last year, and there just a few of us. But knowing that three of the women would have returned from their winter homes in Arizona and California, I figured there would be someone else there. Imagine my surprise to find that along with two of those women, there was R who had come a few times a couple of years ago, and three new (at least to me) participants. It was nice to see the ones I knew and meet the new women too! But silly me, I didn't bring the entire project I'd planned to work on, and didn't have the right yarn for a knitting project. So I played with a crochet hook and some yarn for a bit and visited for most of the time. Next week I'll check my bag more carefully!

The rain continued off and on all day, most lightly and the temp reached about 10C/50F.  We had planned to meet with the fence guy the week prior but with the heavy rain, I'd asked him to postpone until this week. He arrived just before 7 p.m. and I went out with him and my son to discuss the work that needs to be done. We'll be getting a quote in a few days, he has contacted a fellow with a skid steer to regrade the back yard, and provided a phone number for another company that does eaves. The garage has eaves already, but they were DIY and have no end caps, and are full of holes. Useless! 

Thursday started off cool, only 9C/48F by 11 a.m. but we were promised sunshine in the afternoon. I wanted to get outdoors to do some weeding in the backyard, but decided to watch the Blue Jays game before venturing outside. I did get out in the afternoon and cleared up more weeds, and met with the guy from the skid steer company. We've got a bit of clean up to do but he'll be able to do the work to move the dirt around, level and smooth it out, sometime in the next two weeks.

On Friday morning, I decided to go garage "saling". It is at this time of year, I most miss my friend Christine. She loved picking through people's tchotchkes, all the while chatting up a storm. Heaven help us if there were a baby or a dog out and about. I'm more of grazer, I tend to look over the tables and shelves, and only stop if something catches my eye. There were many times that we stayed at a sale for much longer than I would have liked. But, boy I miss her company, there was always something to share a giggle about.

While I stopped at several sales, my only purchase was a piece of lightweight purple fleece. It would make a great backing for a quilt...though I don't quilt. If I find a lightweight blanket, I may sew the two together with some batting, and do a tied quilt. At only $3 for 2 meters, I couldn't resist.

There was a stop too at the thrift store where I found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt for me, two pairs of shorts and a short sleeved shirt for Eli. I also found an older Thermos - I think this might be good for road trips, (more on that another time), and a mug for my son. It made me laugh, and he said he's probably going to take it to work.

Since it had warmed up to 18C/64F, another 90 minutes was spent in the backyard doing more weeding. The backyard was sadly neglected by the previous owners, and my son did not do it any favours last summer. I weeded A LOT last fall, but of course there seeds that have morphed into more weeds this spring. I've informed C that he must mow back there this summer, regardless whether I get it seeded before I leave in late June. That should help with getting it ready for the grass/clover mix I plan to use at some point. 

Today, the to-do list includes more weeding, some knitting, more baseball and hockey to watch. My life is rather mundane and boring these days...and tends to revolve around the weather. Speaking of which, check out the next five days! For those who use Fahrenheit, that's a range from 68-73F. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

P.S. Wednesday's photo was my completed lap blanket. It was very useful early in the week. 

Finishes and endings

My mostly Easter, a little bit of spring display on top of the China cabinet. It's the only real space I have for display here in this house.

Well, our men's team did not win the World Championship, but did bring home a bronze. They played Scotland in the semi-final and, as had happened earlier in the week, lost the game. It certainly was their worst game of the week. On Sunday, they were up against China in the bronze medal game and it was a blow-out for Canada. I tend not to pay much attention when the score gets lop-sided, so I can't tell you what the final score was. 

Scotland took on Switzerland in the final, and came out on top winning the World's for the second time in three years. What made this more interesting was a "Battle of the Sexes" charity skins game they were in the following day. Team Mouat (Scotland) played Team Homan (Canada). The Canadian women won the World's, so it was also two World champions facing off. There were some great shots on both sides, however Homan was only able to win one of the skins, Mouat and crew won the other seven. I didn't watch the presentation but I presume that the companies providing the prize money/charity donations likely evened it up. 

D and I tackled housework on Monday, and the main floor and upstairs were vacuumed and tidied up. I won't tell you what the basement looked (looks) like, as Eli had a friend over to play on Saturday. Let's just say it is a bit of a disaster down there. I have a puzzle set out on a table in the basement but will avoid the area until D and Eli spend some time tidying.

On Tuesday I made a run into the nearby community to visit the Service Canada office. My passport will expire in December, and while I have no immediate plans to travel outside of Canada, I wanted to ensure it was renewed. Unlike the office in the city, where one drops off the paperwork, in this small office a representative takes care of everything on line, scans the documents and prepares the package while you're there. The photos have to be processed elsewhere, and the return time is longer; about 4-5 weeks versus 10-15 days, but the process seemed more personable.

The woman assisting me, was asking about travel plans and I mentioned our trip to Nova Scotia this June. She originally grew up in New Brunswick and we chatted about the places I visited when I was there with friends in 2016. Of course, I had to ask how she and her family ended up here. Not unexpectedly it was her husband's work (mining), and they live in a small community nearby.

After dropping off several bags of donations at the local thrift store, I did a walk through the store. I found some divided plates for Eli, some silicone molds for D, and a travel tea mug (with strainer) for myself. A quick stop at the grocery store for a few items and I was home by 11 a.m. It was a productive morning.

Out of curiosity, I did a search for the tea mug on the internet. I just about fell over, when I discovered it is currently selling for $140 on the Canadian Amazon site. I paid just under $3 for it. 

Some sad news, I called my son that evening and he told me he'd had to surrender Shadow. Apparently Sage had taken a dislike to the puppy. I'm not certain if she got aggressive, but clearly the relationship wasn't good. He was quite disappointed, and has decided to wait a year or two before considering getting a second dog. I've encouraged him to get the two of them (he and Sage) enrolled in obedience classes. Sage has shown signs of aggressiveness towards other dogs on walks, so it's best to deal with those issues while she is still fairly young, about 16 months or so.

Wednesday's photo was taken on Monday evening. The snow is melting as the temperatures are starting to rise, and with rain in the forecast it should disappear more quickly. I saw my first junco that morning too, followed by two robins on Thursday...spring is definitely here! Here's how the backyard looked on Friday afternoon:

The front yard is nearly clear as it faces south. I suspect most of the snow you see here will be gone by early next week.

The next to last* curling event of the season was held this week in Toronto, a Grand Slam of Curling event. The broadcast on Sportsnet was scheduled to start on Thursday afternoon, though I discovered a single draw that was aired the day before. It finished just in time for the Blue Jays game; great timing!

Meanwhile I've done more knitting, another pair of mittens was finished, another toque completed (this one for Eli), and I've cast another toque on the needles. My goal is to finish six pairs of mittens, and three toques before I return to my stitching. My poor hands and wrists are starting to feel a bit painful from the repetitive motions. Definitely time for a break.

D has been busy re-organizing things in her bedroom and basement, and I've been able to empty three boxes of photo albums that have been stored away since at least the summer of 2023 (when I listed my old house). Friday was also the one year anniversary of our move into this house. It's been a great place for all three of us. There are some things we'd like to do it including replacing the exterior doors, replacing a portion of the fence, and addressing the "rock" garden area. Of the three, I anticipate the fence will be the last on the list. The old fence is still standing, though requires some support. Since our next door neighbours rarely mow or weed their back yard, it is tall enough to keep it out of our view. D did report them to the city last summer when the weeds were higher than the 6 foot fence. Can you tell they are renters and not owners? 

On to the weekend, you'll find me watching more curling, more baseball, continuing to knit, and weather permitting, spending some time outdoors. I'd like to tackle the shed and move some snow from the bigger piles so it will melt sooner.

Have a great week ahead everyone!I

*There is a new two day event, the curling all-stars planned for April 15 and 16 in Nashville. It is associated with the Grand Slam brand. I have no idea the what the format will be and don't believe it will be televised. I'll look for a live stream.

Painting, a birthday, and more windy weather

I think I'm going to need a vacation when I get home from this vacation. It has been another full week of fun and a bit of work.

Our garage sale visits on Saturday were productive, with a number of useful items purchased by J and L. I picked up a mug to leave at the clubhouse for coffee/tea - coffee hour is on Thursdays and I always forget to bring a mug with me, and a cross stitch magazine. I spent a whopping $1.50. The RV park we visited had 1200 lots, two clubhouses, five pools, several hot tubs, as well as pickle ball, tennis and shuffleboard courts. Far too big for me, and the monthly lease costs are approximately $800 USD per month. Too rich for my blood.

In comparison, the park I am in has 59 lots, a clubhouse and a 15 man hot tub. It is a mix of park models, house trailers, and RV's. As a Co-op, and with few amenities, the lot lease is only $125 US per month. That includes cable television, WiFi, and water. I should note the water is not potable. There are many places to buy water. I walk about 4-5 blocks to Desert Water, where I can refill two of my gallon jugs for a mere 50 cents. Walmart and Food City sell these for about $1.50 each. I go through about 3/4's of a gallon each day, more if I'm doing much cooking.

This weekend, many of the residents were busy with painting the perimeter fence. I helped some on Friday, took the day off on Saturday, and then jumped in on Sunday to paint the fence at three lots. I finished the second coat of the third fence on Monday morning. There are some residents who chose not to do the work themselves, so the park will be charging them a fee for the work. The last lot that I finished on Tuesday morning, was one of the latter. On the other hand, there were several people in their 80's out there putting in more than their fair share of work. My painting partner on Sunday turned 79 this week. As a renter, I wasn't expected to help but I know everyone was eager to get it finished. Those who weren't able to paint provided supplies for lunch every day, and it was prepped and put it out for the workers at the clubhouse. 

Tuesday was thrifting day, with L and A. We hit up three thrift stores, where I found a couple of pieces of clothing, another set of knitting needles and a book of crocheted dishcloth patterns. One can never have enough patterns, right? Then we headed off to the mall, where I picked up my first Christmas gift. It is a pretty pink purse for my daughter. We had lunch at In and Out burger, a restaurant I've never been too. It was good and very reasonably priced. The Wednesday photos were from that trip. I certainly know where I need to go if I should need any bathroom aids as I age! The tree was in the The Palms mall area; an oleander, which I've learned is toxic, but so pretty!

The wind picked up that day and there was a lot of sand in the air. Happy hour was held in the enclosed area beside the clubhouse, and even there the wind felt cool. It was noisy overnight, as there are items hanging on the side of the park model that bang. It had calmed down slightly overnight, but I decided to forgo my walk in the morning, and caught up on some housework. I'd vacuumed the prior morning, so washed the floors. I also put together a casserole from leftovers in the fridge. Time is ticking down, and I want to use up as much as possible. 

By Thursday, the wind had died down, but it was cloudy and cooler, just 17C (63F) at noon. I went to the clubhouse for coffee (in my case tea) and goodies in the morning. There were sign up sheets circulated for the Heritage dinner (Feb 22 - I was already signed up), for the women's luncheon (Feb 26), and St. Patrick's Day (I won't be here for that.) In fact, I have less than two weeks remaining here! Time does fly when one is having fun. That evening, I went to dinner at Olive Garden with the birthday gal L, and her husband G, and their park neighbour D. L and D were both nurses and worked together in their community in British Columbia.

I've spent the afternoons stitching on my cross-stitch project. I think I started it a couple of years ago, and I've a long way to go. 

I'm also reading a John Sanford novel, Bad Blood. If you've read his novels, it is about one of his characters, Virgil Flowers, an agent of the State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and his investigation into several murders in a small rural area in Minnesota.

Friday was a quiet day, with nothing major on the agenda. After a walk to Desert Water, I worked on my jigsaw puzzle, did some stitching, and finished my book. It appears I will not be able to watch the Scotties Tournament of Hearts curling, as it is only being broadcast in Canada (boo!) I have to keep an eye on the scores on-line and watch the news for highlights.

I have no plans for the weekend and I'm ready for a quiet couple of days. Perhaps time will slow down a bit, and my last two weeks will last longer. A girl can hope, right?

Have a great week ahead everyone!

More fun in the sun

Goodness, I've been here for over two weeks already! The weather has been quite cool in the early morning, as low as 2C/36F one day, but generally around 6-7C/42-44F. Have I mentioned the furnace in this unit doesn't function? I do have two small electric heaters and when I wake up, I turn both on and climb back into bed for a bit. Usually I talk with my daughter, check the weather and the news before I get dressed for the day. A half hour usually is enough to warm it enough to be comfortable. 

I had planned to go to Art in the Park at the Gateway Park on Sunday but didn't realize the buses didn't run on Sundays. :( I almost wished I hadn't stayed home to watch curling on Saturday...almost. The entrance fee was a mere $1, with vendors and artists showcasing their work. I'm disappointed I missed it. On Monday, however, I planned to do nothing...and as I said to someone at Happy Hour, I think I got half of it done. 

L & S and I went out thrifting again on Tuesday (Senior's day). This time we went to Goodwill (I misspoke last post) and the Humane Society thrift store. I wanted a sweater for the cooler times of the day and lucked out. I found a pullover, as well as a pair of capris, and a new nightgown with pockets! At the Humane Society, I got a book and 1000 piece puzzle for just $1.50. I'll leave these latter items behind when I head home. 

L had suggested we go for lunch at the Black Bear Diner (Yuma Palms mall for any who are familiar). The food and the company was great! The portions were large and delicious. I had a crispy chicken wrap with a side salad, taking half the wrap home for dinner that evening. But S's Cobb salad was the star - it was so large that she ate about a 1/3 of it and took the rest home in two boxes for dinner for her and her husband. If you ever in Yuma, I highly recommend this restaurant. In addition to the great food, the prices were reasonable, and the service was good.

On Tuesday evening, I ran out outside to attempt to capture the full moon. It's definitely not a great photo!

I made up for a quiet Monday, when I did some shopping on Wednesday. First, I walked down to the water store to pick up a couple of one gallon jugs of drinking water. On my return, I washed the floors in the park model before walking to Walmart for some groceries. The backpack, I picked up in Bismarck in November, fits the water jugs perfectly. I had run out of some basics, milk, butter, and cheese and needed a few other items. Everything fit well in the bag and it makes it much easier to carry. It is a bit odd to get groceries in plastic bags, and lots of them, as the cashiers rarely put more than a few items in each. I'm using the bags as garbage bags - I may switch to self check-out to reduce the number of bags I use.

Wednesday afternoon was Canasta. Don't ask me how, but my partner and I won the game. It was a long game, nearly 90 minutes, partially because I don't understand the strategy and we likely could have won sooner, had I not messed up. I've learned that they are playing with a hybrid of rules, as each player brought something different to the game.

The Grand Slam of Curling event is being live streamed, as I discovered, so Thursday morning started off with a game while I enjoyed my breakfast. after that was over, I decided to try to find the canal walking paths , but was stymied to find a road closure that I wasn't certain I should go around. Apparently, I should have as that would have been the quickest route. In any event, I gave up and decided to treat myself to an iced coffee and a sausage McMuffin at McDonald's (another further 15 minute walk). 

My landlady, C, came over for a visit in the afternoon. Just to prove I'm multi-talented, I was able to chat with her, keep an eye on a curling game, and crochet. No, no I couldn't - as it turned out I'd made a mistake with the pattern. :) During dinner, I watched another match and started the dish cloth over again.

I glanced up at one point and saw this incredible sunset. It was cloudy for part of the day, and the colours were simply amazing.

Friday, the park's social club was holding their annual garage sale. I donated the dish cloths I'd made as I figure I'm benefiting from the activities provided while I'm here. Several of us met around 10 in the morning to organize the items for the sale. Ranging from furniture, to kitchen items, to blankets, sheets and pillow, to golf balls and golf clubs, a range of games and books, both men and women's clothing, and soooo much more. There is something for everyone (except small children).

The rest of the day was spent watching the Grand Slam of Curling, though I did take a break for Happy Hour. I'm working on the new puzzle as well, and started yet another dish cloth. Didn't like the pattern of the one I started the day prior. 

Today, I won't be attending the garage sale - I haven't room to bring things back. I'm told the early birds will start showing up about 7 a.m. (sale starts at 8). I'm hoping to avoid the traffic, and instead, I'll try fit in a walk between curling games, and enjoy the sunshine.

Have a great week ahead, everyone! 

Delayed again, but a good week all round

The week started off well, as spending time with my friend C is always a lot of fun - lots of laughter ensues. We hit a dozen or more garage sales on Sunday and didn't buy a single garage. It's always helpful when a block has several houses participating. My best deal was an almost brand new Black and Decker toaster for $5. I have a toaster oven, but my son doesn't like using it. This toaster is meant for him, though I did use test it out and it works great. I did not buy any yarn, though I was tempted more than once. I had told C before we started, not to let me buy any just in case, but I behaved myself.

Monday morning, I had a text from the landscaper. We'd had a heavy rain (again) the night before and he advised he was going to be delayed for a few days. At least he let me know. I can't remember what I did for the rest of the day, though I pretty certain it involved a jigsaw puzzle, some knitting, and a baseball game. I did manage to pull some items for my garage sale as well.

The following morning, I had to run out to do an errand for my daughter. And of course, since it was Tuesday, and I was out anyway, I decided to hit up the thrift stores. Except I was too early, so I went to the Dollar store first where I picked up a couple of items for use on our camping trip before heading back to Value Village. There I found a 16 quart Coleman cooler for $3.85 after my seniors discount and taxes. I also found a large bag of Lego for Eli. It's one of his favorite activities, so now he'll have some to play with when he visits here. I talked to D, and all of the baby/toddler toys have been set aside for the garage sale.

We had more showers overnight, but just a wee bit of rain in the gauge on Wednesday morning. As you saw in the photo, the tomatoes are starting to develop. These are starts I seeded earlier in the spring. I'm happy they are doing so well. I noticed I have buds on my peppers as well, and though it continues to flower, the sole cucumber isn't growing at all. It was an experiment to see what would happen so I'm not too concerned. 

Wednesday was also stitch and chat. Just S and I were there. She had her first cataract surgery about 3 weeks ago, and the second a week or 10 days later. Now she needs new glasses but couldn't get an appointment with her optometrist until mid-July. As a result she didn't get a whole lot of stitching done, but we had a good chat. I had started a mitten before I left home, and came close to finishing it. 

We needed a few groceries so I took care of that on Thursday. I picked up a decent sized watermelon at Co-op for less than $5. When I mentioned it to my son that evening, he told me he doesn't like watermelon! I know my daughter doesn't care for it either - they both say they don't think it has much flavor and dislike the texture. I've already eaten half of the melon so it won't last long.  

On Friday morning, I drove out to my brother's to pick up the camping mats. We sat and had tea on the veranda before we took a walk around the yard. There were a number of birds to be seen and occasionally just heard as we visited. A Cat bird was calling, a western King bird flew by several times, an Oriole went to the feeder in the front yard, and a purple Martin made an appearance. (I can thank R for identifying each of them for me.) I got photos of none of these, but did capture a shot of the hummingbird visiting the feeder hanging on the veranda.

After a couple of cups of a tea and a chat, I prepared to head home. Before I left, we went out to the garage/shop where R had built a couple of Adirondack chairs. He took careful measurements of the chair they own, made patterns out of rough lumber, and used these to cut the pieces of the chair. One of the chairs was created using old cabinet doors and the second from lumber salvaged from a friend's tear-down of an old porch. The first is quite lightweight but still solid. The second is heavy and he plans to gift it to his friend.

From there we headed out to the garden their friend M planted. She lives in the city and R or his daughter L water it for her. They don't weed it though, and it appears a lot didn't germinate. She's planning to re-seed next week as she is staying at the farm for two weeks while the family is off on their Iceland adventures. On our way to the garden, R spotted this frog. I could not see it in the grass until he pointed it out. 

It certainly is camouflaged well in the grass. When we walked back to the house, it didn't even move.

Back at home I finished the jigsaw puzzle I'd bought at a garage sale on the weekend. I purchased it because it referenced 100 chickens and a worm on the box; both C and I looked over the picture on the box, but neither of us could find the worm...so I had to buy it to try to find the darned worm. I did not count the chickens, nor was I able to find the worm either. Even though it is missing three pieces, I've told C I'm giving it to her and she can hunt for it.

I never heard another word from the landscaper. I'll give him the weekend, and then I plan to phone him on Monday morning to (hopefully) get a straight answer as to when I can expect him here. I realize it isn't a large job but still I want it done, and done soon.

There was some housework completed this week, though I must admit to slacking off somewhat. The major task was replacing the paper on top of the kitchen cabinets. I learned this hack from another blogger, who sadly isn't with us anymore, and it sure helps to keep the dust off the top of the cabinets. With all the drywall dust it was a much needed task.

Instead, I spent more time on Ancestry. The 1931 census records are now available and the hints are populating. I haven't had much luck with close family members (yet) as the detailed information is slowing being added to the database. I can search by location rather than name - but specifically with my great-grandparents, I'm not certain where they were living. I turned my attention to earlier members of the family and was excited to find a newspaper notice for my 3X great grandmother's death. Published in December, 1886, in Scotland, it provided the date of her death. 

It also provides a clue as to the occupation of my 3X great-grandfather. I've learned that a carrier regularly delivered goods between towns and villages. 

I also located in a Canadian newspaper a notice of my great-grandparents marriage in 1889. Mary Adamson was my great-grandfather's maternal grandmother. His paternal side of the family continues to be a mystery.

Today is going to be another restful day. I'll putter on Ancestry to see what else I might find, there is football and baseball to watch, and I'll continue my mitten knitting. I've got the first mitt of a fourth pair on the needles. There are "mom burgers" thawing in refridgerator for tonight's dinner, and I've got pasta cooking on the stove for a salad. I hop you are all enjoying the start of your weekend too.

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Spring joys

Spring has truly sprung! We've had decent weather, if a little below normal temps, with rain overnight a couple of nights. The snow from last week had mostly disappeared with just a few stubborn spots where the sun didn't reach it, until Friday when our temperature reached 18C (64F). It will be a few weeks before I'll be able to plant anything doors, so for the moment I'm enjoying watching my seedlings grow. As it is still too cool to leave them in the unheated sunroom, I keep them in the kitchen window, until the sun warms up the room and move them back and forth as the temperatures allow. I darn near forgot them one evening, oops!  There are tomatoes, marigolds, a cucumber, and peppers in these pots. I added a couple of the bottoms of green onions this week, as a test to see if they will really grow. 

It's been a busy week, with a few outings. I had to run out to do some errands for my daughter on Monday, so took the opportunity to drop by Value Village while I was nearby. I bought a few items including...you guesed it more yarn! There were four cakes of Loops and Threads cotton yarn in a navy color, for a mere $5.99. The same yarn costs about $10 per cake at the Michaels store. I could not resist picking it up. I'm not entirely certain what I will use it for, but I will, someday.

A few weeks ago, a friend contacted me to ask if I'd like to join the book club she belongs to. I thought it would be good for me, and said yes. The get-together was held on Tuesday evening, at a lovely Mexican restaurant. The food was delicious, though I was less enamoured with the book we read. The Stranger in the Lifeboat, by Mitch Albom was the choice of one of the group. It was a very odd story and I was happy it wasn't a long read. I even read it twice, thinking it might grow on me...it didn't. I would give it a 2/10 at best. Others in the group quite enjoyed it though, so it must have some redeeming qualities. I found the event interesting, it was more about the meal and visiting, with very little discussion of the book, beyond whether we enjoyed it or not. Another book (Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult) was chosen and we'll meet again in about 6 weeks. 

Wednesday was stitch and chat, the first meeting I've attended for a couple of weeks. There were only three of us there, S, R, and myself. Sadly, I's husband isn't doing well; he was hospitalized last week but has since been discharged, however his family flew home to visit so it must have been thought to be quite serious. He was recently diagnosed with recurring cancer and the prognosis is not good. 

I've spent the rest of the week at home, working on various projects and tackling some spring cleaning. It amazes me how much dust accumulates, even when the weather is cold. While I vaccum and dust the furnitured regularly, it's the tops of windows, doors, and picture frames that need a wipe down. The sun room doesn't generally get much of a clean over winter, and it desperately needed a good vaccuming. In that room I found far too many maple bugs. I'm uncertain how they've found their way in - I'll have to check around the outside to see if I can find any access point. The front patio and parking pad were swept and the debris filled a large garbage bag. Lots of pine needles, leaves, and the inevitable rabbit poop. I set up the patio set, and hope to spend some time out there in the next few days.

I also went for a walk on Friday morning, and captured some of the wildlife. It always amazes me the variety that we see here in the midst of the city.

Not as many hares in the park as usual. Bet that won't last too much longer.

Over at the creek, it was pretty quiet though I did spot a pair of robins getting water and feeding on the bank.

At the other end of the creek I found a few mallards and a pair of geese.

Over at the pond, I spotted three red-winged blackbirds. They seemed to be calling to each other. I love how their tail feathers spread when they sing.

Most of the geese were skittish and would head for the water as I walked along the path. This one, however, could have cared less. I do hope it was merely sunning itself and not nesting as it is far too close to the path.

I need to remember to put my camera on sports mode as this photo is blurry. But I like it anyway. There were several (7 or 8) cormorants on the water, and this group flew off as I went to take the photos. I've never seen a group this large at the pond. While there seem to be a pair who nest here most years, I suspect they are in transit.

Finally another group of mallards. They seemed to be following one another around the pond, with some calling back and forth.

Today is another beautiful day, already 7C (45F) mid-morning. There is a baseball game later this morning, and then I plan to head back outside. The decks need to be cleared of debris and washed down - lots of bird poop has accumulated, and the plastic Adirondack chairs and the tables need to be washed as well. The forecast is for temperatures over 20C (68F), which means time on the deck or patio reading! The book for the book club is in at the library so that will be top on the list.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Keeping busy, my way

It feels a little odd to be writing another post so soon after the last one.  I guess I've gotten used to the idea of writing once a week.  To those of you who write daily, or nearly so, I'm in awe of your diligence. 

Other than walking, I've spent most of the week at home, though did get out for groceries and a brief shopping trip on Thursday.  I haven't been to the thrift stores for some time and had an urge to check things out.  The protocols have changed since my last visit.  The stores are limiting the number of customers, though I must admit the number must be large, at least at Value Village because the store was busy.  There are sanitizing stations at the door, and someone there to explain the changes.  V.V. does not require masks, though the Salvation Army store does.  I always mask up so it wasn't an issue for me. I was glad to leave the store (V.V.) as there were three Hutterite women entering without masks.  Here in Saskatchewan, their communities have been hard hit by Covid-19. 

At V.V. I found a bag of Christmas yarn, some sparkly red, sparkly green, a partial skein of variegated red, green, and white, and a solid red.  I've tucked these away for later, I'm sure I'll find a use for it.  I was also able to find a pretty blouse for myself, and a jacket for my daughter. The jacket appears to nearly new, with no noticeable wear.  I checked the brand with my daughter, and then did a search on the 'net.  I paid $12 for this jacket, when the regular price is between $60-70!  

Over at the Salvation Army store, I found a pair of jeans for $6 for myself, and a pair of pants for Eli for $1.99.  The pants I found for him, have the expanders to allow for better fit at the waist.  This summer he's stretched and slimmed down so D was thrilled when I told her about my find.  Like every other little boy, he's pretty hard on the knees of his pants.

Speaking of Eli, this happened on Thursday. Our little guy has started pre-K!  D has spent the last few weeks preparing him for it, as he has never been away from her for very long, except with me, my son, or his Dad.  He had met his teacher in June, but all of the students would be new to him.  D explained mommy would drop him off, and then pick him up in a couple of hours. He was told too, that he needed to listen to his teacher, to do as she asked, and if he needed something to use his big boy words.  

There are 15 children in the pre-K, and the school had the children start their first day in groups of four, and the last group which Eli was in were only three.  The older children enter the school about 15 minutes earlier than the little ones.  D drove Eli to school and they watched as the older children lined up to go inside.  Mrs. H (the pre-K teacher) met the children and parents in the playground and gave them some time to play before they went indoors.  When D said she had to go, Eli called to her, "I love you mommy, bye!" At pick-up Mrs. H. told her that Eli had been very good, and I think that's when D finally exhaled.  I wasn't surprised, he doesn't generally misbehave when he's with me either, he saves that for his mom.  Next week, the children who attended last Mon/Weds will attend together the same two days, and the Tues/Thurs children will attend those days.  The following week all fifteen will attend all four days.  The class is only 2 1/2 hours but it is a good way for Eli to spend time with other children, and a chance for D to run errands, do housework, or simply relax.  

While I've been at home I've been working on various craft projects.  I pulled out a counted cross stitch kit that I bought at a thrift store earlier this year.  It's a Christmas bow for a door or perhaps on a wreath.  My eyesight requires good lighting for stitching so I tend to work on it only in the afternoon with the lamp on the table beside me turned on.  I'll share a photo when I finish it.  I'm not sure if I'll keep it, or if I'll gift it to my SIL.

I work on Eli's sweater while watching hockey.  The series has reached the final so there will only be games every second day so I've started watching basketball and do my knitting then.

This is it, about mid-way through the process.  The portion to the right is a sleeve, the bottom is the partially completed back, and the top is the completed left front section.  It looks a bit like a puzzle doesn't it?  I've got the right front on the needles now, and a few inches in I'll knit across it and the unfinished back portion for a bit, then reduce the number of stitches to create the second sleeve.  I've never made a sweater in this fashion and am finding it fascinating. Fewer seams is always a good thing for me - though I'll still have the side seams, and the sleeve seams  to sew.  It has a hood as well, and I may try to figure out how to create it by picking up stitches at the neck line as it's made in a separate piece and sewed on.  Or maybe I'll just follow the pattern. :)  I stopped in at our Fabricland on Thursday to find buttons for it, and lucked out again.  The buttons I bought were one sale for 33 cents for two buttons - I needed four so for a whopping 73 cents taxes included I have what I need.

After I baked the banana bread last week, I decided my mini loaf pans had seen better days.  They were badly stained and no matter how hard I scrubbed they just never looked clean. I didn't want to throw them out though and figured they'd be useful for something.  I picked up some chalk paint at Walmart and gave one of the tins a coat of paint - I didn't worry that it wasn't perfect because I figured for the purpose I had in mind it would likely show some wear sooner than later.  I had the letters from scrapbooking I used to do, used four small chair felts for the base and now the little tin is perfect for holding my dish scrubs.  (Connie, do you recognize the pretty one?) It was an easy and quick project, and I have two more tins to make up - perhaps I can gift these two.  I think I'd use the word scrub though rather than wash, any other suggestions?

I had thought I'd spend this weekend pulling annuals, but our forecast is for decent weather for the next two weeks so I'm going to leave them be, keep watering and deadheading for a little longer.  Instead I'll cut back some of the perennials, especially the ferns as they have almost completely dried out.

Since I had the time I headed for a good long walk this morning, past the creek and pond, then over to a nearby mall to pick up some cash at the bank before returning home.  I took my camera, so you know what's coming next.  :)

I'm happy to see the Godwit is still around.  The adults apparently migrate first with the adolescents following later.  They winter along coastal California, Mexico, and even into South America.  

This is my favorite photo of the day.  The ducks were up above the creek relaxing in the grass, where they've worn a path up the hill.  I've seen them moving up and down the path before but never just hanging out up there.

Over at the pond the geese were in the hundreds, and more came flying in as I watched.  But you've seen a bazillion photos of the geese so I won't bore you with any more.

Yes, there are geese in the photo, but also the two cormorants and a gull.  The cormorant was what I was focused on because it was about to fly.

It must be heavy as it dragged its feet in the water as it took off.

This is the final shot, it is still low over the water and then it disappeared behind the reeds and grasses.  

And that's it for this week, I'm going to head outdoors to clean up the front flower bed and enjoy the sunshine. Take care everyone and stay well!

Passing time - Aug 12-18

Is it October already?  It sure felt that way on Monday!  I woke to pouring rain and a cool day, only 13C (55F).  It didn't warm up much more than a couple of degrees the rest of the day but thankfully the rain had stopped by mid-morning.  Even so we got nearly 40 mm (just over 1.5 inches) of rain.  No weeding was done at the Canadian Cancer Society office that day. 

Instead I stayed home, baked buns, crocheted, made Shepherd's pie for dinner, and had an afternoon nap.  I did send an e-mail to my real estate agent to revise the wording for the house advertisement such that it now includes a description of the back yard as small, and having a partially finished large storage area in the basement.  I did include a comment that less yard work meant more time to relax.  Hopefully these revisions will give the viewers a better sense of what they will find. Time will tell.  

I also finished a Christmas gift for
my SIL. This was some funky yarn that I picked up on sale at Michaels  I can't tell you how many times I started it and ripped it out, once because Eli pulled the knitting needles out of it, but more often because I dropped a stitch!  Picking up a stitch with this yarn proved to be beyond my skills.  It didn't look like much on the counter so I tried to take a selfie.  I am so lousy at those!

Tuesday I had an appointment for my nails.  Since I have a tendency to break them if I do anything too strenuous in the first 24 hours after getting them done, that meant the morning was full of chores.  Laundry, floor washing, oven cleaning, and bathroom scrubbing were completed in record time.   

I headed out a little early to do a bit of Christmas shopping/browsing....I told you I thought it was October!  At Winners I found the perfect comforter to replace my son's old ratty one.  I also found monthly calendars for my daughter and myself for 2020 at a price lower than they were last year.  At Marshalls I found a book Stories for a 3 year old for Eli for his birthday next March.  And I spoiled myself a bit and bought a new purse because my old one was rapidly falling apart.  

I had a relaxing Wednesday, just a bit of vacuuming, dusting and the like before heading off to the Stitch, Make, and Chat at the library.  Since the afghan for my bed is far too big to carry with me, I pulled out the smaller one and took the ball of pink yarn I bought the other day.  I'll likely have it done in the next week, it's what I like best about crocheting seeing the results much more quickly than knitting.

Thursday started out quiet but got busier as the day went on.  But it was the good kind of busy!  My friend K and I were meeting for lunch but I'd talked to her the night before and she suggested I stop by her house earlier as our travel agent (and friend) L was coming over to drop off some paperwork and a visit.  I pulled a loaf of the banana bread I made last week out of the freezer and took it with me.  We had a nice visit discussing potential trips (Panama Canal next March, maybe - if the house sells, absolutely).  Then K and J and I went out for lunch at Applebee's.  She had coupons so it was a reasonably priced lunch.

From there I headed up to a used book sale.  The receipts go to charity, and the prices are great.  I got five novels to read, a Fodor's See It London guide, and four books for Eli. Two of the books for him are in French.  My daughter is fluent and is starting to work with him, he knows that his nose and le nez are the same thing! Smart kid.  The Fodor's book I'll use for a bit or reading before I start researching material for next June's trip.  L from Nova Scotia and I are planning to spend a few days there before we travel to Amsterdam for the start of our U.K. cruise. 

On the way home I stopped in at Michael's and bought a few things for more crafts.  Some I hope to use for Christmas gifts.  We'll see if my ambition lasts that long.  That evening I had a text from my real estate agent for a showing on Sunday.  That's the first showing in over 10 days.  I needed the break but I was starting to wonder if we'd get any more.

Friday I did some cleaning, some crafting, went out to dinner with my friend C, and watched football. An overall good day!  Saturday was another cool "October" day, only 7C (44F) when I woke up, and I had nothing much planned. Then the real estate agent texted with a request for a showing at 1:30, then delayed to 3:00 and followed by another showing at 5:15.  I did a bit more tidying: reviewed flyers and recycled them, did the morning dishes, wiped down counters, etc.  Since the first showing was delayed, I settled in and watched "The Accountant" - it was an interesting movie.  Then it was outdoors to mow the lawn and sweep up pine cones off the deck. 

As I always do, I gather up the cats and leave the house about 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled appointment, just in case they show up early.  I needn't have bothered. The first appointment was 30 minutes and the second 45 minutes late in their arrival. Neither agent was considerate enough to contact my agent to let him know they were running late.  I texted him, he had to contact them, and get back to me.  I was annoyed as the cats and I spent close to 2 1/2 hours in the car for about 25 minutes of showing time.  

We do have the showing this evening at 6:30.  This is a second time through for the agent but not his clients.  I would anticipate that he has informed them of what to expect, thus my hopes are up for this showing.  There isn't a lot to do to prepare the house so I'm going to take it easy for most of the day.  I did PVR another movie last night, "No Country for Old Men", so I may just settle in with my crocheting and watch another movie.  

That, my friends, was the week that was.  Have a good week ahead. 

******
In a recent comment, Patti mentioned she would have expected that my crocheting would add to my Fitbit count.  It probably would but I wear it on my left arm because I'm left-handed when it comes to writing or using utensils for eating.  But I'm right hand dominant when it comes to crocheting, knitting, using scissors, and even washing dishes.  The same is true (though I rarely do either) for golfing and throwing a baseball.  I have no idea why though I was taught to knit by an aunt who was right handed.  Is anyone else an oddball like me?