So much to do

I had to chuckle; the post about blogger issues  garnered over 450 views and 15 comments. Much more than I normally see. Perhaps my content needs to change? I did find it interesting that some are having the same thing and others are not. In any event, I'll continue to write about the mundane moments of my life and toss in a rant every so often. 

We had a full week, though it started off quietly with Thanksgiving Monday. We'd had our big meal the day prior so dinner was easy, just leftovers. D and I did a bit of laundry (she washes/dries and I fold), and she unloaded, I loaded the dishwasher. Otherwise it was a restful day.

I did a five hour shift at the thrift store on Tuesday. There were more than the unusual number of volunteers as we were preparing for the annual fall/winter sale on Saturday. Three ladies were in another area of the building unpacking the totes and hanging coats and sweaters, folding scarves and toques (I think others call them beanies?), and matching gloves, mitts and boots. These are items that have come in over the year and are stored until this sale.

My time was spent clearing racks in the store and walking them down to the other room. We certainly didn't clear out the store but were able to take 5 more racks out to use for the sale. I also did something that has frustrating me for weeks; I sorted the children's clothing racks by age, there are now spaces for 2T-5T, 6-8, and 10-14. Not only was it all jumbled together, I found adult clothing mixed in too. It is easier to just stick things on racks, but this should make things easier for the parents to find what they need. 

I should note, we weren't sorting the regular donations that day, except to look through the bags for anything fall and winter related. It was a bit annoying to some as it means we'll be sorting those bags again in a few days. I tried to stay out of the way as much as possible and my self determined project in the store was helpful for that purpose. In the meantime, the donations have piled up in the sorting room, the back hallway AND in our coffee room. I can only imagine how much more shows up over the next week.

I'd had my tires rotated at the garage last week, and realized I'd only driven 7 kilometers (less than 4.5 miles), and needed to put 100 kms. on before the bolts could be re-torqued. So D and I decided to make a run to the next town over on Wednesday after Eli went to school. First though, we had our booster vaccines for both Covid and the flu. We hit up our favorite stores and were home in just under 3 hours, in time for lunch.

I found, in the night, that the arm with the Covid vaccine was quiet sore, especially when I rolled over and laid on it. But otherwise I had no serious reaction to either. I've found that continuing to keep moving my arms seems to resolve the tenderness. 

D and I dropped into the thrift store on Thursday morning. She was looking for clothing for a friend who has recently returned to work and has little that is business casual. The store was having a sale for $10 a basket; we filled those baskets to the brim, not only with clothing for her friend, but for Eli, D and I, as well as items for her friend S and her children. Here are the bags we brought home, with just under 60 pieces of clothing for $20! She mailed the package to K on Friday; she's receving six or seven pairs of dress pants and five or six tops. Even with the cost of postage, it cost less than a new outfit at a women's retail store. 

Knit and Natter was held on Thursday afternoon. G and I were joined by two young women. The youngest, has learned to spin her own yarn, and was knitting up a cable sweater for herself. The older sister was busy memorizing lines for a play she'll be participating in. I had finished the ornaments for my brother and SIL, so planned to started on a snowman that D requested. However the library recently acquired a decorative goose, named Willie Honka in a recent contest, that is in need of winter wear. While I was there I made a crocheted scarf, with fringe. Earlier this week, I'd tried to make a bell, that ended up looking more like a hat. I brought that home to add elastic so it will stay on Willie's head.

Definitely the final garden update: We had a heavy frost two nights this week, so it was time to pick whatever tomatoes we could and pull the plants. I so dislike pulling plants that have gone mushy from freezing. Here's our one and only pick from the cherry tomatoes. 

Friday was a very tiring day; I hadn't slept well through the night. On the bonus side, I nailed down my route for my travel to Yuma, had come up with a solution for a niggling problem, and had cleaned up after my cat threw up several times before my daughter woke and stepped in it. The latter was my fault, I'd given Eli ice cream for a bed time treat, and not reminded him to take his bowl to the kitchen. Saku loves anything dairy, anything dairy does not agree with him.  

After far too few hours of sleep, I had to be up and at it as I had agreed to help with the set-up for the Saturday sale. At the community center by 9 a.m., I worked alongside the rest of the volunteers until just after noon. Some came later in the morning, but there must have been 20 of us there. The gymnasium is an array of racks, tables, and shelving units holding all of the clothing. I did get a brief nap in the afternoon - I needed it.

Today, I'm heading back in for another shift at 9:30 a.m. A well-known fellow here in town died suddenly  From what I have heard, he was very involved in the community, active in his church, a volunteer fire fighter, played in a local band, and just a long-time resident. Many of the volunteers to attend the funeral, and one asked if I would replace her as a cashier, at least until 2 p.m. when they expect to be available. We are anticipating a good turn-out and will have two check-out areas staffed with extra people. 

This is anticipated to be our last day of nice weather, so back on home, it will be time to pull the remainder of the annuals. I'll miss the colour but we're waking to frost most mornings now. Time to get everything put away. My inner wimp is on high alert.

The day lilies have taken a beating from the frost, while the sweet peas on the fence are still going strong. Most of the deciduous trees have lost all of their leaves.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Treasures, trash, and tremors

This was a purchase from last week's garage sale foray. It's hanging on the wall in my dinette area.

It was another busy week, and definitely a productive one. I had met with M, the secretary of the social committee on Sunday and she had provided the funds collected and the bills paid during the month of December. I did a bit of work on the spreadsheet I created and realized I needed more info than she had given me. I reached out to the former treasurer and she came for a visit in the evening to go over some things and we realized the M had what I needed but for some unknown reason had held onto it. Well, I could speculate but I won't.

We (social committee) had a meeting on Monday at the bank to revise the signing authorities. What a process! T and I had to provide personal information and our ID's which was fine, and the board had provided a copy of the resolution allowing us to be on the bank account. That was fine, but the time it took for the clerk and her manager to review the documentation was lengthy. It did give us time to consider options for future events but seriously, the time they spent on their review seemed excessive. Then we learned that the board would need to complete another document with their signatures before everything would be implemented. Another trip to the bank is in my future.

I also met with E that morning to look to see what paint they purchased a couple of years for the pool. It was supposed to be done then but the fellow who was to organize did a bit of painting on his own and then walked away from it. The paint they purchased then can't be used so we'll be purchasing more... and this time the job will get done!

I've starting working on the cushions for the gazebo chairs, and picked up spay paint for the plastic Adirondack chair. At happy hour, S and I made plans to visit Michaels on Tuesday afternoon*. I needed white thread to sew the cushions closed and wanted to pick up a couple more knitting needles. I have a project started but not ready to share just yet, let's see how it goes.

Tuesday I did some necessary clean up of the gazebo in early morning. The wind had knocked over the table and my pot of succulents was smashed on the floor. I don't recall the words I used, but there definitely some things said out loud. Later I picked up another pot at Walmart - a plastic one - and I repotted them. One of them lost a few pieces but otherwise were no worse for wear. I'm going to research what I can do with the pieces of the pot - a mosaic of some sort perhaps? It was so pretty, I hate to toss it away.

About 10 a.m. I met with a couple of the guys next door to help clear the hoarder's sheds. OMG, you would not believe the stuff we pulled out of the first shed (and the second on the following day). Tools including a circular saw, two or three routers, a drill press, a table saw, several other types of saws, as well as a jack hammer. There were smaller tools too, along with several tool boxes, kitchen appliances, a 3 speed bike, and sundry other items. There was even a vintage ice cream maker! The entire shed was full and packed to the rafters. We sorted and cleared pretty much everything and took several loads to the garbage and recycling. 

We started on the second shed on Wednesday mid-morning. It was smaller than the first but filled entirely as well. Fun things we found included an old knob metal detector, a smaller ice cream maker, an old office chair, a humidifier, a foot spa, a propane tank cover, more tools - a band saw, I think, and the list went on. We threw out a number of items as well. Since it was a smaller shed, we were finished our clean-up before noon, and packed anything with any value in the sheds. The rest was sorted on the table or to one side. Besides the one fellow and I, we were joined by three other women. Two didn't have masks so I told them to stay out of the sheds, and they had the task of wiping down things as we brought things out and sorting. 

Overnight I experienced something I've never felt before. About 3 a.m. I was awaken by the feeling of the unit moving and I could hear the metal of the shed below the bedroom rattling below me. Initially I thought it was due to wind, but realized that the I couldn't hear the ornament I have on the front of the until banging. It didn't last long and I fell back to sleep. When I woke in the morning, I initially thought I'd dreamt it. Just out of curiousity I asked Google if we'd had a earthquake, and yes, there was a 4.4 earthquake at Holtsville about 50 miles away. At coffee hour, our oldest resident P reminded us that if the earthquake was more severe, we should get out of our trailers. She, however, acknowledged that she hadn't thought to do that at the time. The rest of the group seem to have slept through it.  

The sale of the salvaged items will be held on Saturday at the same time as the park garage sale. However, we'll have to keep it separate as a portion of the proceeds will be credited to the family of the former owner. 

We finished in time for me to clean myself up before Canasta in the afternoon. We played guys vs. gals and by the end of the game we were down 65 points from the guys team. We won last week, so next week will be the rubber match. Unless of course, the guys win and then we'll go best out of five. :p

I managed to fill Thursday as well, with coffee hour in the morning, a stop at the bank to make a deposit, and a run a few stores for coffee and event supplies. We are having a chili sale and bake sale to be held concurrent with the planned garage sale. Catching up on the social committee spreadsheet and reconciling the cash took up a little time too. But all is straightened out and up to date. I expect I'll be giving an update at the AGM in early February.

Friday afternoon, we prepared for the garage sales. Tables were set up across from the club house for items that ere donated by individuals in the park. L gave us direction in the pricing of items and we organized the tables by category. Stepladders with a pole between them were used to hold the clothing....and there was a lot of those items. I didn't think to take a picture until the evening, but you can see how filled the area is. We even sold several things that afternoon. :)

At Charlie's D uncovered the table and set out some of the items on the driveway, but the large tools and other items were left in the sheds. We do a "pre-sale" for the park residents, and they were able to walk through the sheds. We didn't have a lot of interest that evening, but I suspect today will be a different story.

I'll admit I'm not looking forward to a day outdoors at the sale. H has agreed to let us borrow a table with an umbrella, and I'll have my gazebo available for anyone who wants to get out of the sun for a bit. Our forecasted high is 80F/27C and while the early morning will start out cool, the heat will be on by 10 a.m. There is no natural shade but I'll make sure I have on sunscreen, my hat and shades and take a break when I can. Wish us luck!

*I cleaned up after lunch and went to Michaels with S and then forgot to buy the thread. :p I finally picked it up on Friday when I went to buy plastic bags for the bake sale items. I even managed to sew the seat cushions up before lunch!

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Settling in

I predicted that the week would be busy and I was right, in more ways than one. I spent the first couple of days sorting through the interior of the RV, emptying cupboards, wiping them down, and sorting through the contents. Unpacking of the clothing and the few personal items I brought with me also happened. It was a disaster in here, but by Thursday afternoon, I was pretty much finished. I took out a couple of bags of broken or damaged items to the bin and put several tote bags of items to be donated to the park garage sale in the back of my vehicle. There were also a number of items I returned to J, the previous owner, as I believed they would have some sentimental value.

Wednesday morning, I took advantage of the cooler temperature early in the day and opened up the shed under the nose of the 5th wheel. It was chock block full of stuff! There was not only the BBQ and mini fridge which I expected, but a patio heater (not needed now!), brooms, mop and pails, boxes of parts for the RV, boxes of various household items, insect spray, mice deterrents, and the motherlode of all...two large containers of yarn. There didn't appear to be any bugs, but I've left them out in the sun for 24 hours, just in case. I did check with J - they are hers but she no longer wants them. So I'm set for yarn for at least 10 years, and that doesn't include the stash I have back at home. :) Actually I plan to go through it at some point and will keep some and donate the rest to a local charity shop. 

H has told me she wants a scarf knit with the purple yarn (top bag on the left). She won't need it here of course. But it does give me another project to work on.

Meanwhile, Jose, the handyman had been here to set up the gazebo for me. He also hooked up the propane so I could cook, though I hadn't had to as yet. The big tank was empty so we used the BBQ tank for the time being. I'm expecting the fuel company to be by next Tuesday to refill the 100 gallon tank. That should last for the entire season. Jose was back at the unit on Thursday as the hot water heater wasn't working properly. I've only just met him, but it appears he is jack of all trades. Good thing, 'cuz this woman has no clue about most of these things. I did, after some help from J, figure out what I needed to do to empty the black and gray tanks. I do tend to make things more complicated than they need to be.

Every evening that the Jays are playing, we have been meeting in the clubhouse. After pizza night, we had L's famous chili, and on Wednesday, L brought potato salad and deli meat. The rest of us brought buns or vegetables. Tuesday, I took advantage of L&S's offer to take some of the leftover chili. I can heat it up in the microwave...again, no cooking!

As promised here are a few photos of my set-up. The living area is cozy and comfortable. It took me a couple of days, but I figured out the television set-up . I may not use it much as I watch a lot of programming on Y-Tube on my laptop. On the other hand the cable subscription is paid for by the park so it is a nice to have. I can sit on the couch or turn the television to watch from the dinette, or even watch from my bed! 

I haven't made much use of the outdoor space as yet, but will do so as the weather cools from the 90's we've been experiencing. It is a perfect place for a morning cup of tea, as it is in the shade until around noon'ish. I hope to find a few more comfortable chairs so others can join me for a visit.

I w

Outside the gazebo is the mini-fridge. I did plug it in briefly and it works perfectly. However, it is very dirty and needs a good scrubbing. That had to wait until the hot water heater was working. I did some cleaning in cold water (though the water here is never really cold - at least not like it is at home). I envision using the stand beside it for my electric kettle and perhaps a slow cooker. It will keep the heat outdoors rather than in.

I got the fridge cleaned out on Thursday, then met J. We drove to the DOT office to switch the registration on the RV. The plate and title should be in the mail in 8-10 business days. Once I receive the title, I'll be able to arrange insurance for the unit. It was the hottest day thus far, 95F/35C so the rest of the afternoon and evening was spent indoors. I did a bit of finishing work on the scarf, took an afternoon nap, and as expected had the leftover chili and rice for my dinner.

Friday morning, the queen mattress in the bedroom (the nose of the 5th wheel) was swapped out with L&S for a twin that was in their new-to-them park model. I didn't need the box spring so that went to someone else in the park. There tends to be a whole lot of trading that happens here. They also gave me a small fold up stool, and have offered a small crockpot. Meanwhile I had sorted the yarn, and S took the remainder. She'll take what she wants and the rest will be kept until the garage sale. I should note, whatever doesn't sell at the garage sale is donated to a local charity shop.

I was able to fit in a three drawer (plastic) chest, as a well as the container on the left to hold my folded clothing. For hanging clothes I've currently got them in the closet by the door, but I use that for the broom and vacuum as well so would like to get them out of there. I'll look for an extension closet rod that I can fit in next to the window. I don't have much to hang so it doesn't need to be drilled into the walls.

That afternoon, H and I went out to lunch at In and Out burger, then over to Sam's Club. Memberships for new members were on sale for $15 for an annual card, regular $50. I was able to get a companion card for H. Recall she's the baker, and left with a cart full of sugar, oil, chocolate chips, etc. along with a massive jar of minced garlic. There will be no vampires around her place! :) I didn't bother picking anything up as we both had things to do back at the park. I needed to drop off the burgers, hotdogs, and smokies for the evening BBQ, and she was heading home to cook up onions for the burgers.

The watch party grew slightly larger with the addition of J and her friend P. I took care of the BBQ, while others laid out the spread of food. In addition to burgers, there was leftover potato salad from the other night, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles, and the usual condiments. J brought a bean casserole made with corn and Rotel spicy tomatoes, and D made roasted potatoes in the air fryer. We never run out of food!

Since there will be a Game 7 of the World Series (go Jays) tonight, we'll be having a "must go" meal. Everything remaining in the fridge will be laid out and whatever remains at the end of the night either goes home with someone or into the bin. Hopefully, the Jays will pull through and win the final game. In any event, it has been a great series to watch and a good time to get together. 

Today, I've nothing on the agenda until evening. The unit is pretty much organized as I would like it, so I'll spend my morning out in the gazebo reading. I'm midway through a Michael Connelly book with Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch. I feel as though I've read it before and it may very well be one of the episodes of that I watched on one of the streaming networks. I can't recall though and am enjoying it very much. The afternoon will likely mean indoor time again and I hope to finish sewing in the ends on my scarf. 

Have a great week ahead everyone! Welcome to November.

It never ends

Early this week I had thought of an awesome title for this post...I've forgotten it now, so who knows what it will be, if any. I'm tired.

It's been another busy week, with day camp, the library program, and swimming lessons for Eli, with mom or G'ma taxi for the assist. Household chores including laundry, vacuuming, dishes, cleaning cat litter, menu planning and meal prep for both D and I, and of course, the inevitable weeding for me. I managed a bit of knitting too.

With D and Eli off to the library (Wednesday) or swim lessons (every evening at 6:15), I've had the house to myself for a bit more than usual. The swim lessons are generally when the Blue Jays play baseball, so I can't say I've done much in those solitary moments. I did tackle my bedroom on Wednesday, as between my stuff and the cat's (Saku) stuff, it was feeling a bit cluttered and untidy. 

Speaking of Saku, the integration with Stanley and Spencer is happening very slowly. He can tolerate being in the same room for brief periods (always supervised), but heaven help either of them if they dare enter his space (my bedroom). This cat can yowl with the best of them. He also gets annoyed if he feels one of them is between him and the nearest exit. But he has fed in close proximity a few times. Again, just briefly but without any cranky interaction. One day, he was drinking water from the cat bowl out in the front porch; Stanley was sleeping on the chair just a few feet away. They were aware of each other but neither had a reaction to the other. Poor Spencer doesn't fare as well. Saku seems to dislike her, no apparent reason, and she has once or twice expressed her displeasure as well. We're hoping that by Thanksgiving (mid-October) they'll be more tolerant towards each other. 

By the way, Wednesday's photo was indeed, a field of canola against the very smoky sky. We were under a air quality advisory and it has lasted through the week.

Friends were camping in central Saskatchewan and had to leave early, as it was worse there. The province reports there are currently 56 fires burning in the province, four considered contained, 15 not contained and 19 being investigated. Now, I don't know about you, but that only adds up to 38 fires...no reporting on the other 18 fires. Eleven communities/areas are still under evacuation orders. Our provincial government is nothing if not incompetent. In fact, they have only now agreed to have the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) provide firefighting crews to assist. Meanwhile the northern half of our province continues to burn. 

On to lesser frustrations, I pulled the pea plants this week and re-seeded. I was hoping they'd put out another set of flowers and pods but after a week, I had nothing so they're gone. Peas tend to prefer to be planted in cooler temps so I may not get anything, but I'll give it a try.  My tomatoes have been busily putting out flowers but I've found only a few tomatoes that have set. I don't know if they are simply late or just not being pollinated. So I did what some annoyed gardeners would do, I used a paint brush to hand pollinate the flowers. I should note there have been bumble bees and various flies around the plants but I think other flowers have been more attractive for whatever reason. I'll let you know if it works.

The major weeding is finally complete, and I'm on to the maintenance portion. Basically that means I'm starting all over, just with smaller weeds. :p To hopefully reduce the weeding efforts, I picked up mulch on Friday for the front flower bed and the raised bed in back. I used a push hoe to weed the vegetable garden, but was on my hands and knees again to clear the front flower bed. The hollyhocks are just starting to bloom. (Don't mind the window sills and frames that need painting - that's a next spring job). 

The heat returned on Friday; just after noon it had reached 29C/84F and by 3 p.m. it was 32C/90F

Today is supposed to be slightly cooler 26C/79F and we may get rain and thunderstorms on Sunday. I know the temperatures I've shared don't seem that hot for many of you, but it is too much for this wuss. We've been watering from the rain barrels, except for the veg garden, and they are still pretty full. Even so, it would be nice to get a refreshing rain.

With the heat, I'm only working outdoors in the morning and back indoors for the afternoons. Besides the weeding, I have a couple of other projects. The shed is a total mess, as things have been rummaged through, with tools and bags of potting soil and fertilizer simply dumped inside. There are also items that need to be moved to the garage (my other project) to be taken to the dump. A couple of mornings should see it better organized. 

Indoors with baseball and football to watch, and a knitting project, I'll be a cool and happy camper!

Have a great week ahead everyone!

P.S. Five months until Christmas...and all the weeds will be gone.

Our weather takes a turn and I head to the city

What a difference a few days make! The heat of the weekend cooled quickly and by this weekend, we're expecting temperatures overnight closer to freezing. It started raining on Wednesday and kept that up through Thursday.

I did get my bedding plants into the containers on Monday. D has had to shelter them in the front porch and shed as a result of the colder weather. I knew if I didn't plant them before leaving, there would be no planting for me as my son does not want any containers to worry about. Fair enough, it is his house and...he did leave me some weeding to do. :)

Eli had a dental appointment in the NTO on Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. We all left at the same time, around 7:30 that morning, going in different directions. The photo I posted on Wednesday was a little over a half hour from home, and Connie was the first on to be correct in suggesting it was bridge work underway. I had been talking (handsfree, of course) with my brother and had mentioned the long line of vehicles I kept meeting...very unusual for that highway. When I saw the construction, it all made sense as the construction crew had us down to one lane, each side taking turns. They didn't keep us long, just long enough for several vehicles to come through and then it was our turn.

Speaking of my brother, he was on his way to Saskatoon to visit our cousin B, who had a stroke several weeks ago. B spent 27 days in hospital and will be needing physical therapy for some time. Apparently, his right side is most affected, but he has returned to work, albeit with assistance. His son is working with him to do the physical labour and the driving, while his wife manages the retail store, and B spends his time talking to customers. They are hoping to sell the business soon, but it is a particular niche that I think will be difficult for someone else to take over. He and my brother had a good visit with another friend from our hometown.

D, Eli, and I had gone to a couple of garage sales on the weekend, and I had found a brand new wallet in purple, my favorite colour, for $5! I'd transferred everything over to the new wallet, and realized I had a number of gift cards to various retail outlets here in the city. So I decided that Wednesday, I'd go spend these, or at least some of them. As it turns out this was harder than I thought, as one of the businesses no longer exists, and two of the others had more money on the cards that I expected. What a problem to have, right?

My first stop was at Dutch growers, a local gift and garden center. I was looking for one item in particular, a new rain gauge as the one I had was somehow misplaced. It should have been in the shed but I couldn't find it. As I later told the cashier, the store intimidates me. It is built along the line of an Ikea where you are expected to follow the arrows as you make your way around the store. Do you want to know what happens if you back track? If you do, as I did, then someone comes out of nowhere to ask you what your are looking for. Seriously, I hadn't seen anyone that appeared to be working there, until I started walking against the arrows. In any event, she directed me to the rain gauges, though I didn't entirely follow her directions, stopping to take a photo just inside the greenhouse. It clearly wasn't real, but it was definitely a wow! After payment there was still a few dollars left on the card, and I still have another one to use.

My next stop was Chapters/Indigo, for which I had two gift cards. Like the garden center, these were Christmas gifts, most likely from my brother and his family, so clearly I've had them for awhile.  I found books for D, Eli, and I that I will pack in my carry-on for our flight to Halifax. I came nowhere close to spending what I had available, so have promised D a trip to the NTO Cole's bookstore, the next time we are there. 

Eli came home from school on Tuesday, with a spider plant for his mom for Mother's Day. (I didn't ask why it didn't come home last week). One of my gift cards was for Michaels, and I found a macrame hanger to hold it, high enough to keep it away from the cats. I was so pleased that my gift card matched it's price, until I got to the counter and learned it was on sale. So I still have a few dollars to spend there. Oh, and hooray for me, I did not buy any yarn...though I was tempted.

The next stop was M&M Meat Shops, which are now called M&M Food Market. That's how old the gift card was. It was a gift to my son from a co-worker, and he'd given it to me. I picked up his favorite beef burgers, and a Chicken Pad Thai casserole. That used up the card, and I paid another $10. We had the casserole for supper that evening, C didn't like it, I did, so the leftovers were my lunch for the next two days. 

My last stop was at Tim Hortons, where I did not use the gift card, but instead added another $50 to the card for our trip. It will come in handy at the airports, where I won't have to fumble with cash. I do use my debit card, but I can hand this to my daughter and ask her to place the order. Now, that's thinking ahead, right?

Before I headed home, I stopped at the mall and was able to get a walk-in haircut. She relieved me of more hair than I intended, but it will grow out quickly. No gift cards, but I did stop at the Dollar store for a basket for my bathroom items. That reminds me, have I mentioned that C's friend B will be moving into the house in the next month or so? She'll be moving into the basement, and I had mentioned moving my bed out of the bedroom and into the alcove. However, she and C have decided my bedroom will be the guest room (I may very well be the only guest). 

I've spent some time clearing out the bathroom of my items, and storing them in the closet. The basket I bought holds my shower items, as well as my toothbrush and toothpaste. I simply grab the basket on my way to the bathroom in the morning and tuck it back in the closet when I'm done. This clear out was a good thing, as I was able to donate a number of items, and toss some broken/empty items that were still sitting there. I also cleared off the bookshelves of my books and puzzles, and these went into the closet under the stairs in my room. 

Since it rained on Thursday, I used the time to do a good cleaning of the rest of the basement and stairs, vacuuming rugs, wiping down baseboards and shelves. A table that I used for puzzles was folded down and tucked away in the storage room off the furnace/equipment area. Saku's cat litter remains in the main room and will stay where it is until we take him home to town. B has five cats and plans to put the cat boxes (10 of the, I believe) in the former laundry room area. I can understand not wanting to keep that many boxes in the main room. 

Friday was quiet - I finished some additional cleaning in the basement, washed bath mats, re-installed some baseboard in the main room, and sorted through the last basket of stuff. In the basket I found a sweater I had started crocheting a few years ago. Better still, the pattern was with the start. However, I remember why I gave up, as the yarn is a dense yarn with black and white flecks, so I cannot "see" but have to feel for each stitch as I move along. I found another project as well, a lap blanket, that I started about the same time. Guess which one I've decided to finish first? If you guessed the latter, you'd be right. Will the sweater ever be finished? ...only time will tell.

The weather is not expected to improve much through the next few days. High temps of 12-13C/54-56F, and overnights will be cool, though slightly above freezing. I foresee spending mornings indoors, afternoons out in the garage or backyard (once it dries a bit), and evenings watching baseball and hockey. If the weather doesn't cooperate, I can always play around in Ancestry too.

Have a great week ahead everyone! I hope it's warmer wherever you are.

The end of an era, a quiet week, and Happy Easter!

Another sad family moment this week, when the last of my parent's generation passed away at the age of 92. If you've been reading for some time you may remember I visited my cousin B and her husband, and Uncle G on Vancouver Island a couple of times in the past 10 years. He was an avid golfer, out on the course two or three times a week until he was in his late 80's. Sadly, he's been quite ill for a few years and was ready to join Aunt A (my mom's sister). There was no service. This is a photo of Uncle G and Aunt A, at Christmas 1971. 

Speaking of services, my brother and I did not make it to our cousin's service. He had to be out of town on Friday. I didn't feel I could manage a long day, with about 8 to 10 hours of driving. Another cousin shared the link to K's obituary, so I did send a memorial donation. K was just 62, and two months younger than my younger brother. 

After hearing the news about Uncle G, I called my older brother to let him know. We realized we are now the oldest generation, and M is the eldest at 75. Unfortunately his health isn't great either as he contracted long Covid. He has been sick off and on for several months, and had a bad spell in February.  It's been 10 years since we were together for his 65th birthday. 

As for cousin B, he is still in the hospital but is improving. I haven't heard what caused the stroke, though that side of the family is well acquainted with the issue. My maternal great-grandmother lived bedridden for several years after a stroke, my maternal grandfather had his first stroke in his early 70's and my mom was even younger, at the age of 66. B is younger still, having turned 63 this past January. Hopefully, with physical therapy he'll regain the use of his hand and arm, and his speech will get better over time.

On the home front, it hasn't been a terribly busy week but good nonetheless. D has been organizing various spaces in the house.  She had purchased a new bookcase for her bedroom so brought down the older one for use as a side table in the living room. As a result, I was able to unpack the photo albums which were packed in the summer of 2023 in preparation for selling my old house. I spent an afternoon adding labels indicating the year and subject of the contents. I have several albums that belonged to my mom, a few from when I left home, a few more for my children, and the majority from the trips I've enjoyed over the years. It was fun to flip through the pages and re-live some of the memories. Though I'll admit there were more than a few photos that are no longer prominent in my memory.

As you'll have seen in Wednesday's photo, Eli had equine therapy on Monday afternoon. He shows little to no fear, even with the larger horses. Of course, they are used to children and very gentle. He wore his noise cancelling headphones as the wind was up and the barn was noisy - he's not a fan of the horse poop either. :)

We did get to the local thrift store on Tuesday, where D (mostly) filled a bag with clothing for $12. There were two pieces for me, a tank top and a pair of capris. She got two pairs of jeans and several t-shirts. Unless one "fills" a bag, the cost is $2 per piece. She did extremely well. I picked up another book to read though I have several books yet to read. I'm nowhere near the 52 that Connie at Far Side of Fifty has on her list. :)

On Thursday, D and I spent much of the morning putting together a shelving unit for storage. We'd bought a small hutch when we moved in, and it was proven to be too small for our needs. Like wallpaper, this is a job that was meant to be done by someone other than the two of us. Partially due to having only pictures, no text in the instructions, and also due to our differing interpretations of said pictures, the process took a little/lot longer than it needed to. But it is in place and we plan to pick up a few more baskets this week for storage. 

The snow has mostly melted with just a few places where the snow was piled from shovelling. The outdoor furniture should be out next week, and we're planning to use the BBQ for the first time in months. 

Though warmer, it has still been cool, but the weather is supposed to improve on Sunday. I'm hoping to get out to do some clean-up of the perennials and D is planning to do an Easter egg hunt with Eli outdoors. I think she'll need to wait until the afternoon...

Happy Easter everyone! Have a great week ahead.