Goodbye July

Another week (and a month) has flown by - where does the time go? It wasn't even a particularly busy week for me. When the weather wasn't steaming hot, I managed to get a bit of weeding done. The garden looks decent ...for the moment, and the front yard and new perennial bed were cleared too. Harvesting was limited to picking peas, a cucumber, and pulling the broccoli plants. I'm sad about the latter, but will try again next year.

I did my last Tuesday shift at the thrift store this week. There is no a/c in the old school building and even with the fans running, we were all sweating buckets in no time. Normally Saskatchewan is known for "dry" heat, but this year the humidity is very high and most of us are feeling it. It was 95% one morning, which explains why the baskets of pansies I have in the shade of the tree out front have not needed watering. 

The first few days were extremely hot (for us), with temperatures over 32C/89F and with the humidity felt like it was five or more degrees hotter. As a result, I spent time indoors in the heat of the day venturing out to water in the evenings, or weed in the early mornings. The dratted mosquitos are out in full force too, but I'm seeing more dragonflies. 

D and Eli went to NTO both Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and his afternoon activity on Tuesday was actually held here in town at the local arcade. Lots of fun! He had his library program on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, and the latter coincided with the afternoon Knit and Natter. A woman who hadn't met joined me, she had attended in the winter months when I was away, but has returned after having a hip replacement earlier this year. 

On Friday morning, D and I tackled the garage. As it no longer holds a vehicle (door is too low for her SUV), it has become a dumping ground for some things that were once in my garden shed; camping supplies, Eli's outdoor toys, the lawn mower, and other tools, as well as the new freezer. I had purchased a couple of plastic shelving units on sale at Walmart a few weeks ago. They are a good 6 feet tall, and certainly helped to get things off the garage floor, and make space. We have another shelf to put up, since we plan to go through things in storage in the basement too, and will remove some containers to the garage. It's a good idea - not only to get rid of excess items, but I've bought more things that will end up in my garden shed over winter so there isn't room for what once was stored there.

Garden update: As you saw on Wednesday, the day lilies have begun to open. I had a memory pop up from two years ago on FB that indicated they first opened on the same date! I'll have to keep track for next year.

I cut back the peonies and the lilies in amongst those plants these lilies are starting to bloom.

In the original perennial bed, the clematis I recently planted is blooming. It barely has any leaves but the flowers are coming.

Clearly it is happy and I'm hoping it will over winter well. I'll be sure to cover the roots with leaves to provide some protection. It is hardy to our climate and should be fine.

Here is a chuckle for you. One of these things is not like the other! 

Last year we had tomatoes growing in containers near that bed. I suspect I may have tossed a small tomato iinto the bed, and I've just recently noticed it growing. It's unlikely it will fruit but I'll leave it.

Speaking of tomatoes, one of my plants in the raised bed is proving to be prolific. I counted 15 tomatoes on this one plant, with more flowers still blooming. The other two tomato plants have seven or eight. The cucumber is coming along too, and I've found four more wee cukes. And the corn is showing signs of tassles though no ears as yet. 

 

Out front the Gerbera daisy appears to love the heat and is proving to me, I can grow them successfully (though I likely have little to do with it).

Behind it is a container with geranium, curly glass, and another annual which name I can never recall. Those plants are doing well, but not as great as the Gerbera.

Finally, here is a photo of the front yard after I finished weeding and cutting back of the peonies and rose bushes. The latter seem to be waning though there were a few more recent blooms coming on. (I still need to do some painting but that needs to wait until the plants die back.)

Today we're planning to visit a few garage sales in the morning and I expect D and Eli will visit the pool. I'll hang out with the cats and work on my cross-stitch. The weeding in the back yard can wait. :)

Have a great week ahead everyone!

What happened?

Is it just me, or has this summer been flying by for everyone? How can it be mid-August already with just a couple of weeks to go before school is back in session?  I know we've been busy, but really?  D has worked all summer with Eli on his school work including French and English language, reading, and math. They've started in on learning about money, too.  He isn't particularly happy doing school work, but is rewarded with an hour of You-tube videos. He'll even do extra work for more time. :) She's hoping that he will have none of the "summer slump" that other students may experience.

I got most of the creeping juniper cut back, but will be digging roots for some time yet. The weeding also continues, and I've started cutting back some of the perennials. The poppy heads were brown so I've cut those off as I don't want them to be seeding in the raised flower bed. The strawberries are on the list to dig up as I'd like to make room in the bed for more vegetables, and will move the gladiolas. The latter will get more sun there; while they've grown quite tall there is no indication of flowering. 

The photo on Wednesday was of a few of the very many lilies we have out front. They line the exterior of the peony bushes. Next year, I am going to try pruning the peonies back early, to allow the lilies more space. This year the peonies blooms were pretty sparse, with a lot of seed pods setting instead. The lilies, though, have been putting on a real show. Bob was close when he called them leopard lilies, they are actually tiger lilies. The ones that grow in the wild are our province's official flower; the flower petals grow upward rather than . These are domesticated and the petals grow downward. 

We had our two trips into the next town over for Eli's day camp. D and I had a very successful trip to the thrift store for clothing. She got two or three dresses, a pair of leggings, two t-shirts and a pretty knit top, while I got two dresses and a knit top. Between the two of us, we spent less than $100. 

After day camp on Tuesday, we dropped D's car off at the dealership (again). They had early replaced some spark plugs, but not all, and one of the ignition coils. The car had continued to misfire when idling, so it needed to go back into the shop. This time, they replaced the remaining spark plugs and an ignition coil. It was ready for pick-up later the same day and she took it for a drive. She's driven a couple more times and all seems to be good. 

Eli had the local library program as well on Wednesday, and on Friday the group went to the spray pad. The park is just a short block and a half walk from our house and the weather was cool, but Eli had a great time playing with some other children. D hadn't gotten around to eating that morning/noon so it was thrilled to find that the Jamaican group had set up a food tent in the park, and enjoyed a meal of jerk chicken, rice, and veg. (I don't skip meals, she does.)

Early Thursday morning, about 1:30 a.m. we had a storm blow threw bringing thunder, lightning and pouring rain. In just about 45 minutes we had an 2.5 cm./1 inch of rain in the gauge. It came down hard and fast, and at one point even a bit of hail. Thankfully, no real damage was done. There were just a few branches from the trees out front on the sidewalk.

That put a kibosh on doing any more gardening/yardwork for me for a couple of days. The ground was saturated! While I did get out, ahead of the rain, and cleaned up the raised bed, I still have weeding to do in the areas that are primarily rock. It's not the most comfortable area to weed. I can't kneel as my right knee won't take it even with a pad, so I sit on my bum on a child's boogie board. I'm not quite to the point my mom was in her last few years, where she would lay on her belly in the garden and pull weeds. On occasion, her method put a scare into the neighbours as they drove by. :)

Out in the garden, the peas are up. I don't know that we'll actually get a crop of them before the first frost but I tried. Our containers of tomatoes are going strong, though a couple of lower branches were slightly damaged in the storm, and are looking a bit yellow.  The green peppers are starting to show some promise, though I don't think we'll get anything the size of store bought peppers. The lower one in this photo is about the size of a fast ball (smaller than a soft ball, bigger than a golf ball).

On another note, the cats have reached to level of tolerance to be in the same room together. Saku still doesn't like it if one of the others jumps up on my/his bed. But Stanley came for a cuddle on Friday, and while Saku looked a wee bit annoyed, he was fine as long as Stanley wasn't too close. We started feeding them together out in the kitchen, supervised of course, just to get them accustomed to being in the same proximity. Then we started leaving the bedroom door open to allow Saku to wander, again supervised. One morning I put the cat TV (on You-tube) on my television, walked out of the room, and came back to find all three watching. Saku was on the bed, Stanley was on the cat tower, and Spencer was sitting on the floor. Okay, then...so I left the bedroom door open overnight and found no fur or blood shed in the morning. By Thursday we felt it was safe enough to leave them on their own while we were away. And again, there was no indication of any kind of kerfuffle. I thought it would take longer for this level of tolerance but I certainly am not complaining. 

Just in time for me to make a quick trip to the city. I'm heading out on Sunday and will return on Tuesday. D has a friend with her two young daughters coming to visit. Three children under ten, and two young women who like to talk, a lot, is more than I can tolerate. In any event, I need a break. Living with one's adult child can be a bit much sometimes. We both have our own way of doing things and expectations and lately these seem to be at odds. A couple of days away should give us both a chance to reflect and re-set.

Today, I'm planning to get a bit more weeding done and I may move some rocks to another area of the yard. There is baseball and football to watch (Go Riders!), and another toque/beanie to finish off. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

P.S. Maxine's best before explanation reminded me of my mom. When she passed away, we were clearing the fridge of items we knew dad would never eat. The oldest item was a bottle of salad dressing dated 1989. Mom passed away in 2003...

Back in the thick of things

This Eli's jack o'lantern - his idea executed by his mom. His face is obscured because it was used on the public school website. 

How on earth can it be November already? In a few days, it will be the anniversary of moving day from my old house to my son's. Do you recall we had a nice day for the move, and then the following day we had nearly over 4 inches of snow fall? I do! With the exception of one morning, about 10 days ago, when we had snow flakes in the air but melting before it hit the ground, we've no snow this week, nor in the upcoming forecast. I mention this, because the weather seems more as though it is October rather than November. 

Back to last weekend, the contractor Aaron did an amazing job in the garage. It took him less than 20 minutes to complete the work. He mentioned he had responded to me because he knew that no concrete companies would be willing to do it. When he pulled up the smaller anchors it caused some flaking of the top layer of the concrete, and the larger anchor resulted in a small hole. He recommended I pick up some concrete patching material to fill these areas, though said it they wouldn't like cause any issues.

I ran out to Home Depot for the material on Monday, and completed the patches. Then I spent about an hour mowing the front lawn and raking and picking up the leaves. By mowing, I was able to mulch many of the leaves, but there was still a full green bin gathered from under the hedge, along the driveway and sidewalk. I said to my son when I went in to the house, that if he got rid of the hedge, the leaves would blow across the lawn and into the neighbour's yard. :)

Tuesday was a housework and packing day. I did laundry in the morning, and sorted out the clothing I needed to take with me (home to my daughter's). When we talked that morning, I asked her to check the dresser drawers as I had left some clothing there, and the bathroom for toiletries. In addition, I asked her to check the pantry and fridge for a few items; peanut butter, tea, and parmesan cheese. These are items I like to have on hand and are on sale at Costco this week. D asked me to pick up cat food too as she is running low.

That meant a trip to Costco on Wednesday before meeting S at the library for Stitch and Chat. The store was nuts and although I had only a few items to pick up, it took much longer that I had hoped. First, I discovered I'd misplaced my membership card so had to wait in a line to get a temporary card. Then, the parmesan cheese I was looking for wasn't where I expected it to be and even after asking a store employee it took some time to find the display. I still managed to make it to the library about 5 minutes ahead of schedule. It was a pleasant surprise when another lady arrive (Io) who hasn't been there for several months. She had surgery in early summer and is still working towards her full recovery. We had a lovely visit, the three of us, and it was a nice way to spend a couple of hours.

Thursday, I spent the day finishing my packing, and vacuuming the house one more time. I ran out to do a couple of small errands and filled my vehicle with fuel. That evening I spent my time answering the front door to the trick or treaters.

The next door neighbour decorated the front of his house a week or so ago. It's often windy here, and when I was outdoors, I'd catch a movement out the corner of my eye, when the clothing and hair of the goblin/creepy guy moved. It made me jump every time!

I was packed up and on the road shortly after 8 a.m. Getting out of the city was the most difficult part of the journey.  I avoided the Ring Road around the city because of construction. Then as I turned south  onto a main street, I was stopped in a line-up because of a train. It was stopped at the crossing but started moving fairly quickly...but it was a long train.

Continuing south, I planned to turn left at the next set of lights. A broken down van meant a change to the next lane and a wait of two lights in order to make theturn safely. Do you know what I like about small town living? Very little traffic! I did have one more interesting moment when I spotted an eagle in a tree just off the highway. Had I noticed it earlier, I would have stopped to get a photo. 

We unloaded the car, put away everything I'd remembered to bring (oops left one bag behind), D did laundry, and we tidied the craft room together. I can get to my sewing machine! I have a couple of small projects to do, now I just need to ensure I have the supplies needed.

Today will be a mostly relaxing day. D and I plan to sit and work out a meal plan for the next few weeks. I'm recommending tonight's dinner be a simple one, as the Roughrider's game starts at 4:30 p.m. This is the western semi-final, thus a must win for the team if they hope to reach the Grey Cup game later this month. There is curling to watch too, and I've got another pair of mitts started to work on. 

Fast forward

Okay, who moved the hands of the clock forward?  I've no idea how it can possibly be the weekend already.  Darned if I know where the time went either.  My son had the week off, with Monday being the stat holiday.  Since he likes to sleep in, and I'm a doting mother (or I just spoil him), my mornings were generally quiet.  I puttered around the house, caught up on paperwork, played on the computer, crocheted or read. 

My pain in the back has eased considerably, to the point where I only feel it when I sneeze (OMG does that hurt), or if I twist to pick something up.  I've been doing my walking in the house, but decided one day this week to venture out on the walking paths for a change.  There are photos as proof.

I did make it over to the creek and the pond. I have no photos from the creek, as there really wasn't a lot of activity there.  Just a couple of ducks.  Over at the pond, there were lots of geese and a few ducks remaining.  

This was the only cormorant I saw, an immature bird from the size of it.  My goodness it is fast as it dives under the water and swims quite a distance before re-emerging. 

The wildflowers are still blooming near the water.  I love these sunny yellow flowers, their pretty faces always bring a smile to mine.  The fireweed is also pretty. 

The buildings mirrored in the water make an interesting backdrop for the duck.  It almost blends right in.

Sadly, I spotted a dead duck in the water. The fact it was there didn't seem to bother the other ducks as they continued to feed around it.

I'm always trying to capture the ducks or geese in flight, and I think is probably one of the best shots I've gotten.  It's calling out to other geese as it takes off from the water. 

The pond water is getting so dirty and full of scum.  But the markings on this duck are so pretty.  It sat so still while I took it's photo - almost as if it was posing for me.

This week's grocery run was short and sweet, just one store, as my list was short.  I did get chicken breast for $3.99 a pound at the Co-op, though was limited to one value package at that price.  On Friday, I made a quick run to the thrift stores - found another bag of cotton yarn for $3.99 (because one can never have enough yarn) and couple of t-shirts for a total of $5.98.  I badly stained a t-shirt a week or so ago, and could not get the stains out so it went into a rag bag. 

While I was out running around on Friday, I had a call from my back yard neighbour.  His Dad has spotted wasps going in and out of a hole in my shed.  Both of their children (5 and 2) had been stung as well.  I tried various stores with no luck finding any spray, so I gave a local pest extermination company a call.  They sold me some powder to use in the hole and I made a trap with cat food and juice.  By early Friday evening I had more than two dozen wasps in the trap. Just after dark, I went out and squeezed a load of powder into the hole they were coming in and out of.  I've checked twice this morning, and there is no activity.  I don't know if that means they've died off or moved, or because it is cool this morning, they aren't mobile just yet.  I'll keep an eye out throughout the day but hopefully the problem has been dealt with.

It's a busy sports day here today.  Yesterday, I was able to watch three curling matches on You-tube, and there are three more on tap today, along with three football games!  You'll find me planted on my couch, with my crocheting in hand.  The vacuuming can wait until tomorrow. :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Blinked and I missed it

 Again, this week, time has gotten away from me.  On Thursday I thought it was Wednesday and only realized the actual day when I noticed the neighbours had their garbage bins out for pick-up.  I still haven't figured out where I lost a day.  My daughter thought it might have been Monday since it was a long weekend but as I told her, for me every weekend is a long weekend.  

So what did I get up to this week? The regular stuff like housework, grocery shopping, walking (all indoors this week due to the smoke outside except for today), and some crafting.  I'm getting so tired of the haze from the forest fires and I have a perpetual sore throat when I'm outdoors for any length of time. I did some yard work on Friday morning and spent two full hours deadheading and trimming back plants.  I try to deadhead every second day but obviously I haven't been doing a great job of it.

My tomatoes are ripening on the vine and so far I've picked four from the plants.  There's probably close to 60 tomatoes yet to ripen, and my peppers are doing great.  I have a couple of unknown peppers, one looks like a jalapeno, the others I know are a variety of long red ones, and then there are a half dozen greens, one that is a good size while the others are still tiny.  I have high hopes they'll be ready by the end of August.

On Tuesday I headed out to Value Village as it was senior's discount day.  I didn't find what I went looking for, a pillow, but did pick up a housedress (with pockets!), a tee shirt, both for me, and a fitted sheet for my daughter for around $12.  Score! At Salvation Army I found another pillow for $1.99.  I had taken the little pillow I made, that was meant for Eli's dad, to Eli last weekend.  He loved it so much he has refused to give it up.  So D sent me home with a bunch of sleepers Eli wore when he was a babe, and I'll make another pillow out of those for J.  At some point, I'm not at any rush.

I managed a couple of "this close" to finishes this week too. The first is this tank top for my daughter.  I know it looks a little uneven in the photo but I've counted the stitches on both sides numerous times, so it's simply the way it is hanging on the hanger.  The straps are not yet sewn on to the top, as I'm waiting for my daughter to visit (later this week) to get the proper fit.  I had taken it with me last weekend for her to try on before I finished the mesh top and straps and it fit nicely.  I also added the band at the bottom as she prefers a longer top. I think it will look good with another tank top underneath too.

My other almost finish is this top for me.  It's difficult to tell, but the panel in front is attached to a peplum on the sides and back, so it's very flowy...which I appreciate.  The back needs to be taken in, as it's just too large - I've got that figured out and will finish sometime this week. I learned some things as I worked through this pattern.  First, it takes me much longer to sew a project than I realized.  I thought I'd be able to finish it in a couple of days, and it actually took me closer to three days.  Second, I need more practice sewing with knit material.  The stretch got to me a few times - I found myself stretching the material as I sewed, not a good thing. Lastly, I learned that sewing requires much patience, which I haven't much of, but I do enjoy it nonetheless. 

I still haven't worked on Eli's sweater but I did get up to Fabricland on Tuesday to pick up buttons for it.  The buttons are on my end table by my chair.  This week, right?  We'll see.  Instead I've started pulling out the indoor carpet in the unfinished area of the basement. It's old and dirty so it needs to go.  The rug was glued down, making it somewhat difficult to remove in one piece so I'm pulling the top layer and then will scape the foam backing off the floor later.  I've got an area about 10 x 10 and have half the top layer pulled.  I wish it would just peel off easily but it's taking some major effort on my part. I only do about 10-15 minutes at a time because I'm old and out of shape and get winded. 

I'm also working on decorating a Christmas stocking for Eli.  I purchased the stocking at Dollarama last year after Christmas and it's been sitting in my craft room since then.  I needed some felt for the project, and had stopped at Michaels as the selection at the $ store was limited, and of course, some sale yarn may have jumped into my cart.  So now I have more projects for this winter. Not that I didn't already have more than enough things on the go.  I really should take the example of a couple of bloggers that I follow and sit down and make a list and remind myself not to take on any more.  Even when the price is right.

Oh, and I thought I'd mention the cat litter cleaning.  One of the comments last week was I must have a lot of cat litter.  For those who haven't been a reader for a long time, I have two cats; Sasha who reached the age of 21 in May and continues to be quite healthy if not a little deaf*, and Saku who had his 13th birthday in March and continues to be a loveable pest.  Unless you are Eli, who calls him, "Saku, that mean kitty".  It's true Saku doesn't much like the kid and the two tend to steer clear of one another.  There are three litter boxes in the basement for the two cats and I clean these daily.  Let's just say the output is quite impressive. I probably should clean twice a day, but TBH, it's not one of my favorite chores.  *Sometimes I think Sasha feigns deafness, as he can hear the cat food can being opened from a fair distance.  

Beyond that, I've been watching a lot of the Olympics.  I stayed up late Thursday night into the wee hours to watch the bronze medal baseball game between the Dominican Republic and Korean teams.  I watched several of the games over the week and was quite impressed with DR, and thrilled when they won the game in a dramatic fashion, scoring 5 runs in the 8th inning.  Korea had been ahead by one run and got two more back in the 8th but DR shut them out in the 9th.  At the same time I kept an eye on the Brazil/Argentina volleyball bronze medal game.  It came down to the wire with Argentina on top.  The coach was overwhelmed.

Speaking of overwhelmed, did you see any of the gold medal soccer/football game that our Canadian women won over Sweden.  Phew, what a game!  It came down to penalty kicks after regulation time ended in a tie.  (And it might not have, had a video review overturned the ref's decision not to call a penalty on Sweden.  One of the young Canadian players got the tying point on that penalty kick).  After the first round of five kicks, the teams were tied again, and it was down to sudden death.  The first team to score would win.  Again, one of the younger players came through and scored for the Canadian team!  I'm surprised some of you didn't hear me screaming from here.  

This week the Canadian football league was back in action too.  Our province's team won their first game of the season, but they tried very hard not to.  The first half they were leading by 31 points, the other team scored 29 in the next two quarters while we only managed two additional points.  Thank goodness for our punter...he really made the difference for us.  Ryan used to play for the Seattle Seahawks and he certainly has the ability to kick.  He was born and raised here and I believe he plans to finish his football career here in Canada.  

Well, this certainly turned into a rambling post.  Sort of like the rest of the week.  I'm planning a day trip this week out to a nearby nature reserve - we're supposed to have a couple of cooler days and my son is working from home; getting out of the house for a day will be nice. We may even get rain on Monday, fingers crossed!  It's been over two weeks since the last rainfall and it's sorely needed.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Time after time

 I'm doing one of those shake of the heads things again today.  It's Thursday as I start this and it was just Saturday a minute ago.  I know I'm on the down slope of life, but seriously I can't believe how quickly time is passing by.  

On a happier note, we had a nice visit with D and Eli on Sunday, and Monday morning.  The three of us went out walking both days as the weather was perfect.  Eli loves to see the geese and the ducks on the pond though was a bit confused when I told there were no babies now.  He made me laugh, at one point D and I were going back and forth as to whether a bit of white on the pond was snow or a piece of plastic when Eli turned to us and said, "that's enough you two".  

On the way home each day we stopped at the nearby park.  On Monday, the workers were busy replacing the wooden retaining walls with concrete blocks.  Eli didn't mind that he couldn't play on the equipment.  Instead, he ran around on the small hill, eventually rolling down it when it was time to leave.  I didn't get a video of the roll but here's one of the little guy doing what he does best on the top of the hill, running, spinning and chattering to himself.

Oh, and earlier at the house I wanted to try the new mittens I'd made on him, and I mentioned to D that I hadn't yet made the idiot string.  Eli turns to me and says, "I'm not an idiot."  No baby, you sure aren't!  It amazes me that he has an understanding of what idiot means and knows darn well it doesn't apply to him. 

While they were here, D and I made a run to Costco to pick up a few things, while Eli hung out with Uncle C.  Those two enjoy each other's company so much.  At one point, C had a Baby Shark Halloween cartoon playing on his computer and the two were cuddled in the chair watching it.  Eli also helped me make C's birthday cake (a box of browning mix), and after it was iced, we put enough sprinkles on it that it was difficult to cut!  Eli helped sing Happy Birthday too and while birthdays are not a big deal to C, I'm sure he enjoyed it.

On Tuesday, after doing some tidying, my walk, and some knitting I settled in to watch the results as they came in on the U.S. elections.  I actually stayed awake until 2:30 a.m. before I finally said enough. There was obviously not going to be winner that evening, despite Trump's assertion that he'd won.  Yes, I know I'm Canadian and have no real stake in the results, but there are consequences for our country as well regardless of who is elected.  And who would have thought that four days later there will still be no called decision. 

I thought I'd be ready for a nap mid-day on Wednesday but I didn't.  No walk was taken, but I got a few things done around the house and caught up on some PVR'ed television programs while knitting or stitching.  I was excited when my early Christmas present to me showed up!

I've been wanting a rug for the living room for a long time but had never found anything I liked.  On one of the home renovations shows I watched, I spotted one I thought would work, and although I found it through the marvels of the interweb, the cost was prohibitive.  But after scrolling several options I found this one and I love it! The rug is a low pile, but so soft and nice on the feet.  There is no insulation in the basement ceiling in this portion of house so the floor often feels cold in winter.  I rarely wear socks in the house so the rug is a welcome addition.

The mess on the side table to the left of the couch are the three projects I'm working on and in front of the chair is my little table that I pull out to put the laptop.  The latter gets put away behind my chair when it isn't needed.  Saku is loving the ottoman beside the chair and has spent hours napping there...which he didn't do before. Although he's difficult to make out, Sasha is sleeping in his spot on the right hand side of the couch.

I walked again on Thursday, no photos this time, and enjoyed the sun and warmth.  I know it isn't going to last and Friday was definitely cooler. I did get my walk in by walking inside the house, and spent a good part of the day working on my projects watching curling!  Between Facebook Live and You-tube I managed to catch 3 games.  I did a bit of knitting, a bit of cross-stitching and some crocheting. Perhaps it is time to focus on one and get it done. 

Today it is colder still and to be honest I'm hoping it gets even colder.  We are forecast for freezing rain on Sunday before the snow starts falling later in the day.  That will leave a layer of ice on our roads and sidewalks that won't disappear until spring unless we get some mild weather over the next few weeks.  The main roads will be taken care of by the city but our residential areas rarely, if ever, see a snow plow.  Even the year we had over a foot of snow pack on the street - during the spring melt the ruts were deeper than my rubber boots, it took several calls to the city to convince them to come out and clear it.  

I've no big plans for today, just more of the same - a bit of housework, watching curling, working on projects, and walking in between.  It's still a wonder how time goes by so quickly when I'm in such a slug mode.

On that note, I'll leave you with a photo of last night's sunset out at the farm that my brother R sent me.

Take care everyone, stay well and have a great week!

Moments of joy

It's been a generally quiet week around here.  Thank goodness, though I suspect since I've made that comment all h*ll will break loose.  That seems to be how things work out.  In the meantime I'll enjoy the daily routine.

Young Eli has been very busy this week however.  The pace at which he is learning is totally amazing to watch.  I know, I had two children of my own, but those times have faded in my memory.  (I probably was too sleep-deprived to notice in any event).

His newest accomplishment is his ability to stand, with support, on his own.  Here he is at his play table.  I've wedged it between my chair, the couch and the end table to keep it stable. The other night he made his way from the couch to the table to my chair on his own.  I suspect the little guy will be walking by New Years at this rate.

The gate you see in the background is used to block off the basement stairs.  Neither I nor my daughter can climb over it so usually it leans against the front hall closet doors.  So far, Eli has been smart enough to stay in the living room or if feeling adventurous he makes his way up the stairs to the kitchen. Those cat dishes and water fountain are very attractive. :) 

As for me, I ran my errands on Friday so I could relax at home and watch the Roar of the Rings curling this weekend.  In addition to groceries, I think I've finished my Christmas shopping.  I say "think" because when I get around to wrapping the gifts I might find I've missed something...this despite of my list. The local malls and stores are getting so busy and I dislike the crowds, so getting done early is a relief.  Though I'll need groceries between now and Christmas I'll go early in the day when it is quiet, hopefully.

Kim mentioned it on her blog, and I concur, it is hard to believe it is already December! 2017 has passed in a blur....which in many ways is a good thing.  Eli reached his 9 month mark yesterday, and on Monday I'll take another marble out of the jar.  Just 12 more to go! 

I'll keep this short, as Jacobs and Koe are putting on a show.  I'm rooting for Koe but  the way Jacobs is playing I suspect he will prevail.  Our Canadian curlers, both men and women, are some of the best in the world which makes this event so fun to watch.  I foresee lots of PVR viewing will be necessary as the week progresses.  

Have a great week everyone!