Thankful for the rain, but that's enough already

Wednesday's photo was definitely a lucky chance photo. I was planning to take a photo of the peony buds, when I spotted the ladybug attended by an ant and a fly. I've not seen that before, and likely won't again. The peonies are budded out and when we get some sunshine and heat I expect they'll be blooming like crazy.

It's rained this week, enough that the rain barrels are full and I haven't had to water the gardens. Wednesday evening was the worst, as it rained so hard that it came through a basement window. D was downstairs and hollered for help. We put down towels (kept for this purpose) and she set up the fan immediately. Thankfully the rain let up after a few minutes, but even so, it made a mess in one corner of the basement. I went out and measured the window wells the next day and ordered rain guards. I've watched a couple of videos and am convinced I can install them myself. The rain gauges showed we had nearly 1.75 inches in less than a half hour!

On Tuesday I did a four hour shift at the thrift store. The amount of donations waiting to be sorted through was crazy, again. We were running out of rack space in the sorting room, so I checked for gaps in the racks inside the store. Men's shirts, women's summer dresses and skirts, and sleepwear needed some additions, so I went through the racks and pulled items to put out on the floor. One of the other volunteers was clearing the "new arrivals" racks in the store as well. The store was actually quite busy and we were able to keep moving items. As for hangers, L purchased three hundred hangers from a store for just $10! I'm guessing they are changing the style of their hangers. She also purchased five more racks. 

I learned that we get a lot of donations from communities within an hour of our town. Many people don't like to donate to Value Village because it is a for-profit store. We do send a lot of things to VV that don't meet our standards. What might those standards be? Items that we don't think anyone would wear, at least most of the time. One of the outfits I put out on the floor was a woman's matching jacket and skirt, made of polyester and salmon coloured. It was in great shape but I suspect was purchased in the 90's. I wouldn't wear it but was assured by others that someone else might. We also send on clothing that has small stains. However, anything that is torn or smells of smoke ends up in the garbage. We don't have a washer/dryer to be able to clean the latter items.

Knit and Natter was held on Thursday afternoon. I couldn't do anything outdoors, so it was a nice way to get out of the house for a bit. There were two of us there. I finished a second mitten and the thumbs for both. I'm only knitting when I'm at the library so I'm pretty slow. I just need to sew in the yarn ends. For my next project, I'm planning to knit or crochet an emotional chicken. More on that  later.

Friday, I was up and moving early as I had received a call last week that I could get my mammogram at the hospital in the NTO. Booked in for 9 a.m., I was asked to be there 45 minutes early, it's a 20-25 minute drive, so I was on the road around by 7:45 a.m. to ensure I had time to find the hospital. I have a family history of breast cancer (including my Dad), thu I have an annual mammogram. For those readers who have never had the experience, I heard a comedienne once describe it as having your breast put in a vice, and then taken into another room. It's not quite that bad but bad enough. :)

A couple of updates: the fence saga continues and I am reaching the end of my rope with the LND. He, apparently, cannot connect with his realtor. My guess is things didn't go well when he listed the house a few years ago - she took photos, put up the listing and the sign, and then he pulled it down within a week to rent it out instead. If so, I wouldn't blame her for ghosting him.

Now he has decided that he needs to find a friend to remove the concrete, as he thinks Matt's price is too high. It isn't. We had Matt here earlier this week to remove some yard waste. We were discussing the issues with LND and Matt mentioned that he's dealt with him before. He wants the quote yesterday and then will hem and haw for four months before he makes a decision. I'm not having that happen. I'll give him until this weekend, and then we're going ahead regardless. I'll pay the extra to get it done because it is an eyesore and a nuisance. 

On a happier note, my gardens are doing well. The potatoes, corn, and peas are up. The carrots and green onions are lagging behind and I may need to replant the carrots. I've learned that carrot seeds like to be kept wet; we had some really warm temperatures and since they are planted in about 1/4 inch soil, I suspect these won't sprout. I'm not sure if it is the same for onion seeds, but I'll replant those as well if I don't see anything in the next few days.

Today is the community wide garage sale. Some of the sales started on Friday, so D and I did a circuit while Eli was at school. We'd planned to go out early Saturday morning, but I'll be working at the thrift store from 10-3. Normally, not opened on Saturdays, we're expecting to be busy with all of the folks out and about. It's forecast to be a warm day with a high of 25C/77F with potential light rain in the morning, and a chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Getting my hands dirty

I'll start this blog by assuring all the readers and those who commented that, yes, the snow photos were taken this week. The snow started on Saturday - the first two photos - we woke to snow but by mid-afternoon it had melted. Not so on Sunday, third photo, and it continued to snow all day and through the night. The fourth photo is what I woke to on Monday. It melted quickly and by afternoon, all that was left was what you see in the fifth photo. There were remnants in shady corners until Wednesday but the 17C/63F temperature took care of those.

I quite enjoyed my volunteer shift on Monday at the thrift store. When we walked in there was a mound of bags to be sorted through. But instead of sorting, I spent my time in the store, sweeping the floor, pulling empty hangers, and putting "new arrivals" on the shop racks. Meanwhile in the sorting room, the other women had managed to make a good dent in the bags of donations. Again, we were running low on hangers! It's amazing how much comes into the sorting area. As I was leaving with L, we noticed that in the two and half hours we'd been at the shop, the donation bin outdoors had been completely filled. She went back to grab a cart and with the help of a few others we emptied the bin onto the cart. While I headed home, two others took the cart back to our hallway. I bet the Tuesday shift were kept busy.

Since Tuesday morning was cool, I spent the time indoors doing very little. It warmed up nicely in the afternoon, so the three of us went outdoors. (It was an in-service day at school so he was home). I did a bit of reorganizing in my garden shed, sweeping it out and moving things to open shelves. We won't be putting up our gazebo until the fence is replaced, so it is sitting on a shelf for now. :( I did discover that I have five bags of mulch...won't need to buy any this year! I also got a string of LED solar lights hung on the shed. It wasn't a particularly sunny day so they didn't light up that evening.

D and I went to NTO on Wednesday morning, after dropping Eli at school. Our first stop was Value Village (I know, I know - I volunteer at a thrift store). But we had coupons to use, D and I each found two summer dresses, and I picked up a towel and a couple of face cloths. The latter items aren't something we see a lot of in our thrift store.

We stopped at the dollar store - they have inexpensive garden planters and tools, and D met a friend in one of the aisles and had a good visit while I shopped. In addition, there were stops at the garden centers at Canadian Tire (bell peppers and pansies), at Real Canadian Superstore (two bags of compost and jalapeno peppers). The garden center at Walmart was a huge disappointment, so after we picked up a few groceries it was time to head back home.

We unpacked our purchases before I headed back out to the garden centers at Independent Grocer and Canadian Tire. I was "only" looking for vegetables but some darned annuals just jumped into my cart. I picked up red onion, broccoli, curly grass and two baskets of annuals at the first store, and geraniums, verbena, salvia, and calibrachoa at the second. There were many more options but I'm trying to limit myself to a half dozen containers of flowers this year and focus more on the vegetable gardens.

Back at the house, D was out running errands, so I got busy in the yard. I took all of the plants I've started in the house to a table outside to start the process of hardening off. The new plants have been out in the greenhouse or on racks outside so they were set out as well. The raised beds needed more soil as it settled after the snow, so I added more soil and compost, along with some fertilizer. The soil got turned in the beds as well as the larger garden bed. I had drawn out a plant map one evening and I took advantage of a rest in my chair to reconsider the plan. Oops, I can't plant carrots in the raised bed as they aren't deep enough! That meant a little more shuffling in my plan. I am trying companion planting as well; basil and tomatoes, onions and peppers. I'm also going to try putting a row of radish between two rows of lettuce. I've seen suggestions that the lettuce will shade the radishes, and slow down the potential for them to bolt. 

When my work was done, I sat and read and listened to the birds before dinner, and then again after dinner. It was so nice to enjoy the warmer weather. The robins, grackles, and sparrows were happy too. There was a potential for rain that evening but it did not come to be. Before heading indoors I moved the plants into the shed for the night. While no frost was forecast it would be cool overnight at 5C/10F.

The rain came overnight, not a lot of it but enough to wet down the grass and garden soil. Time to pull some weeds! They're far easier to pull when the ground is wet. The plants came out of the shed to enjoy the fresh air too. 

The rain fell overnight and everything was wet! I took advantage of the loosened soil to tackle the day lilies in the area in front of the flower bed. They block the view of the lower plants in the bed, and we've got mounds of them in other locations in the yard. I will tell you, in case you didn't know, that day lilies have a ridiculous root system. The tubers look like gnarled old feet with strings or roots going everywhere and to a depth that is hard to conceive. Remember when you were a kid and tried to dig a hole to China? Or was that just me. In any event, that's what I felt I was doing.

This photo was taken mid-way through the process.

I filled three garbage bags with detritus from the lilies. What I discovered was the bed is, like the peony bed, encased in a concrete edging. The lilies had spread well beyond this barrier. Imagine the fun I had when I hit that hidden concrete with my shovel! I plan to move the dirt out completely, locate that border and then refill the space with a ground cover of some sort. We have dead nettle and other lamium, and will use a piece of one or the other. I'd prefer phlox but can't find it at our local garden centers. Perhaps I can find some in the neighbourhood and beg a piece from another gardener. 

Friday was wet and cool, with more rain having fallen overnight.  I did get out and move the plants outside when I picked Eli up from school. It had stopped raining and the temperature reached 12C/54F. I'm eager to get out to the garden this weekend to plant seeds and start the process of transplanting the starts. Hopefully things won't be too wet to get at it on Saturday. 

The weather forecast suggests we're in for a hot week next week (in relative terms). Most of the week will range between 25C-30C/77F-80F. No concerns about frost or snow. I'm looking forward to it! 

Have a great week ahead everyone!                                                                              

Good days, good deals, and plans for the future

I'm starting this post on Friday, which might suggest I've had a busy week. That wouldn't be completely accurate though it has its moments.

I did my first shift on Monday morning at the thrift store, from 10-12. The store wasn't opened and this time is meant to give the volunteers time to clean and organize the store, as well as sort incoming donations. I'll be part of this shift for the month of May. (Not entirely sure what happens in June, but I'll find out later). 

We eventually ran out of hangers, and with one of the Facebook group administrators in attendance it was decided that we needed to have a sale. Most clothing items in the store sell for $2 or $3, with the option of getting a bag - filled as much as one can and be able to tie it closed for just $15. For this week, that price was changed to two bags for $20. One purchases the bags on entry and then browses and shops as long as they like.

D and I went to the store on both Tuesday and Thursday. Primarily she picked up items for her friend who is expecting her third child in August. I don't know what the count was on Thursday, but I do know that she got close to 60 items, mostly baby and small toddler sizes, plus a few items for S's older girls. We also found some t-shirts and shorts for Eli, and a couple of hoodies. I did get a few items too, but I won't be keeping the pants (too small) and a pair of capris (too big). We don't have the space for dressing rooms so it can be hit and miss.

On Monday, though, I did find a piggy bank for my daughter. She's been wanting one for awhile as she's been keeping spare change in a jar. Most piggy bank's at thrift stores tend to be missing their plugs...this one was complete.

Wednesday, we had a contractor out to discuss replacing the wooden fence. It was in bad shape when we moved in two years ago, and my brother helped us brace it as it was badly leaning. It's gotten worse, especially since the new tenants moved in last fall. The grandparents are great, their son and grandchildren not so much. When the elders are home, the kids are supervised and well-behaved. When left with their father, not so much. As you can see, several boards on the fence have been broken and the length of the fence is leaning even more so.

D has spoken to the owner, and he has tentatively agreed to pay his share for the fence. However, we cannot find a company willing to replace it with another wooden fence. I'm hesitant to put up a vinyl fence because I fear the damage those children might do. Plus the parking area in the back is gravel and I'm concerned about stones thrown when D is snowblowing. The contractor suggested that these vinyl fences are better than they were in the past, and can handle the impact - he suggested we might see scuffing. The benefit, of course, is no need to repaint or stain every few years and the posts used are steel. If any of my readers have experience with this type of fencing, I'd really appreciate hearing your opinions.

Something else I managed to finish this week was the poncho I started when I was in Yuma. It primarily used stash yarn from the previous owner of my unit (I did say I hit the motherlode when I found those containers of yarn), and about four skeins of yarn I picked up on sale at the Walmart. All in all, it likely cost me $20Cdn to make, plus lots of time. Unlike most ponchos it has a front opening, and I could crochet or braid a belt for it, but it works without one. It's quite heavy and warm and I suspect both my daughter and I will get use of it, especially in the cooler weather of spring and fall.

Back to the thrift store, I did another shift on Thursday evening as the store was open extended hours. There wasn't a lot to sort, so most of my time was spent going through the racks, removing empty hangers, moving mis-hung items to the appropriate and bringing out more items from the sorting room as needed. The earlier shift was apparently very busy, however we were pretty quiet. Remember how I said on Monday we were out of hangers - here are the hangers that were back in the sorting on Thursday evening! The sale certainly cleared out a LOT of items.

The weather hasn't been great this week, but I did get out on Wednesday to do a bit of cleaning up in the back yard, mostly of the day lilies. In the flower bed, I'm seeing the poppies start to show some growth, and in the garden the chives are doing really well - we can start using them any time. Indoors, I had to repot the tomatoes, as they starting to get root bound in the smaller pots. My cucumbers are both up, and once they have their third leaves, I'll repot them into something bigger as well. I am going to try to grow them in containers, using a trellis for support. It's the first time I've ever grown cucumbers so we'll see how it goes.

This weekend I'm hoping to spend more yard outdoors, and start the process of building two raised garden beds. I purchased the kits last fall on sale, and I need to put down cardboard to kill/limit the growth of the grass. But I also need to buy dirt to fill them, so I'm thinking I'll make a trip to NTO. There is more clean-up to be done as well, and I've bought chicken wire to attach to the fence as I'd like to have more sweet peas this summer. This is core memory from my childhood as my mom grew them every year. They separated the yard from the garden (perhaps to hide the weeds - not likely, her gardens were always well kept). I can still recall the scent of the flowers! I did have a obelisk for them last year and they did well, but I'd like to give them more space.

It will be a few more weeks before I can start planting outdoors, but that doesn't mean I'm not planning. I want to plant corn, carrots, peas, along with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. I haven't any luck with the peppers sprouting so I'll have to pick up a couple of plants at a garden center. The new garden beds will provide more space, though I'll still do some container gardening as well. 

I may have convinced my daughter that we should put in some raspberry bushes as well. Eli asked about growing apples, and I may try to find room for a Morden apple, which originated in Manitoba, Canada, and will be hardy to our climate. So many plans! Let's see if my ambitions outlast my energy levels. :)

Have a great week ahead everyone!

P.S. I've just realized I haven't been reading, and therefore commenting on blogs this week. Oops, I guess I was busier than I realized. I'm off to catch up now. 

Hooray for May!

April is in the rearview mirror and don't a moment too soon. It was a month of weather, most of it not very pleasant. Between snowstorms we had cool/cold temperatures, lots of melting and that meant water in the basement. My daughter was responsible for dealing with that issue, thankfully. We're waiting for a warm day before we do some waterproofing both inside and out. I should note, we're lucky in that we know exactly where the water is coming in, as some of the parging on the foundation has come away. The best way to resolve the issue would be to dig up the corner of the house, put in weeping tile and paint the foundation with some type of sealant. We can't afford to do that, so we'll simply be coating the foundation and the interior walls with the sealant. With the rain barrels set in place and the water draining away from the house, we should be in a good place until we get a downpour...when the window wells become an issue. I've been looking for window guards, though my daughter doesn't think they will suffice. Instead she wants to put in new windows. Owning a house is never inexpensive.

Speaking of difficulties of home ownership, my son sent me this photo earlier this week. One of his g/f's cats managed to get into the drop ceiling. She started to fall through one tile and made a mad dash across the ceiling knocking panels out as she ran. C tried to replace the tiles, but the system is in rough shape, so has decided to contact the contractor who did the work in my house in the city to get a quote for replacing the entire ceiling. 

We had another full week, highlights included my second stint at the thrift store on Tuesday, and a trip to Saskatoon on Thursday. At the thrift store, I spent about 4 hours, again sorting items for resale, trash, and to be shipped on to the Value Village. The bags of donations keep coming in, though the store had a big sale on Saturday, with loads of items going out the door. Next month, my shifts will be shorter, just two hours on Mondays from 10-12. I must admit being on my feet for four hours straight was not easy. I almost left without buying anything, but spotted this bag on my way out the door. For $1, I came home with another bag to hold a knitting/crocheting project. Will that encourage me to finish one? No, I have not finished the project that I said was nearly complete two or three weeks ago - the knitting is done and it can be sewed up - but D has asked for pockets.  It never ends. 

The trip to Saskatoon has been in the works for over 2 years now. We just had to wait for an appointment for Eli with the pediatric neurologist. As many of you will know, Eli was diagnosed with epilepsy with absence seizures in February 2024. He had his first seizure in mid-January and then a second one in February. After the second seizure he was sent by ambulance to Regina, where he was in hospital for about a week. His diagnosis was made after an EEG. With medication, he has since been seizure free. There is no pediatric neurologist in Regina, so he's been seeing a neurologist who works primarily with stroke victims. He had another EEG that didn't indicate any issues, but it is up to the pediatric doctor to determine if he can stop the meds or at least reduce his dosage.

I went with them, as it is a 3 1/2 hour drive to Saskatoon (without stops), and after an appointment, I knew my daughter would be emotionally exhausted. We planned to take Eli to the NTO on our return for his private swimming lesson depending on how the two of them were feeling.    

Good news! The appointment went well, though another EEG will be booked in Regina (1.5 hours away). Once the neurologist has those results and confirms no seizure activity, Eli can be weaned off his seizure meds. If there is any evidence that suggests otherwise then he must wait for another year. I'm addition, further appointments with the neurologist can be done by telephone, hooray for no long drives.

We did get to Eli's swim lesson and he had a great time. By the time we drive home and had a bit of dinner, we all fell into our beds.  

Friday was our first day of truly lovely weather reaching a high of 19C/70F. I spent some time outdoors, cleaning up the peony bed. I ran out of steam after I cleaned up the debris, so will continue my efforts through the weekend. There are four more peonies as well as day lilies to cut back. Then there is the big project, moving the rocks from the flower bed in the back yard. It's supposed to cook down again by midweek so I expect that will be delayed.

In the meantime the seedlings I planted a few weeks ago are growing list with the tomatoes and basil looking good. No pansies or peppers so I re-seeded these as well as a couple of cucumbers. Fingers crossed! Can you tell I'm looking forward to this gardening season? I just have to be patient a little longer.

   

Yes, that is an onion in the middle pot - my daughter found an onion growing in the bag and asked if we could try to see if it would continue to grow - I don't believe it is, but sometimes you have to humour the kids (even if she is in her 40's). :)

With the nicer weather, I plan to spend more time out in the yard, though will work on some knitting this weekend. Happy May to all, and have a great week ahead!

Spring cleaning and fun at the pool

This week was much busier than the last...which has it's good and less than good points. But before I start in on a recitation of this week's happenings, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Sunday's special event. I posted a photo on Wednesday, of Eli with his mom and his godmother M, taken after the confirmation service. He did very well during the very lengthy proceedings. We did not stay for lunch, though, as we were all ready to get home to relax and visit. After our lunch, D and M left to do a bit of bonding (shopping), as it has been some time since the two have been able to spend time without children in tow. M's children range in age from about 12-19, and the two met when they both worked at a call center in the city.

I did my first volunteer shift at the thrift store on Tuesday. I arrived late, not realizing that I should have been there about 11 a.m., rather than noon. I met several ladies including our team lead G. They were having coffee when I arrived so we sat and chatted for a bit. G gave me a tour of the various back rooms, and I got a sense of just how much stuff that gets donated. We could use a thrift store that is 2 or 3 times it is now (and that's after they moved into this larger space this winter/spring).

It also seems that many people have recently decided to go their closets and purge! I can't tell you how many bags we emptied but when I left at 4 p.m. there were 5 racks of clothing filled, along with shelves of shoes, two or three carts of kitchen ware, and mounds of books, DVDs, etc. AND that was the better stuff as we filled three or four large bags of garbage, and sent off a few more to be donated to the NTO's (next town over) Value Village.

Wednesday was quiet, and a needed rest day. Late in the afternoon, D received a package for a new piece of furniture for the kitchen. If you recall, I purchased a storage cabinet for the office/craft room a couple of weeks ago, and D decided we needed more storage in the kitchen. That late in the day was not the time to start putting it together.

Thursday morning, we got busy and had most of the cabinet put together by lunch time. Eli went back to school after lunch; we picked him up at 2 p.m. and went to NTO to do a bit of shopping and for his swimming lesson at 4:30 p.m. at the indoor pool. D receives Autism funding for Eli (and will until he is 12 years old), so she arranged for private swimming lessons. He had a blast with his teacher, while D and I sat and relaxed. 

There was rain and snow in the forecast, and when we'd left town the highway was wet. After a quick stop for a bite to eat, we headed home with snow falling quite heavily. The roads were slushy and wet most of the way home, and though it was around the freezing mark, the conditions weren't as bad as I thought it might be. In fact, by the time we were about 10 minutes from home, the highway was almost dry, and there was only about a centimeter of snow on the ground.

On Friday, D and I finished the cabinet, and began emptying and cleaning three cupboards, and reorganizing. We moved the pots and pans to the new cabinet. These were originally stored in a cabinet near the stove that ought to have had a lazy Susan but instead was simply an large open cabinet with a small shelf at the back. It meant we bent over and sometimes knelt to get the right piece. The cabinet solved that issue. 

The old cabinet now stores a couple of small appliances that we rarely use, as well as the baking pans (in those standing trays), bowls, and measuring cups. The cabinet that previously held to the Ninja creamy, blender, and handheld mixer now holds all of Eli's lunch kits and water bottles (and he has a lot!). Finally the cabinet that stored the bowls and measuring cups, now has the crockpot and bread machine, and still has room to be our snack cabinet. Moving these appliances from the pantry provides more space, though I've no intention in filling up the shelves! We have enough items in there to keep us well fed for some time.

Despite the snow and cooler weather, spring has arrived. There are a multitude of robins, Canada geese, and most recently a pair of flickers. The latter were on the big tree out back one morning. D and I stood at the window and watched. What fun! I did notice a pair of juncos one day but we don't feed the birds, so they didn't stick around. The robins, though, are quite happy to hang out in the yard. Spencer, is quite fascinated by them and watches out the window, chittering at them. Great cat television too.

I'm late posting today because I got caught up in Ancestry yesterday. It's a cool and cloudy day, with snow flurries, but the snow is melting as quickly as it falls. I'm off to catch up on blog reading, and have no plans for the rest of the day. :)

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Weather woes and a celebration

This will be a short post, as I haven't done a whole lot this week, and I didn't start writing until Friday. 

As you will have seen, the big event of the week was the snowstorm that settled in on Thursday, followed by a bit more snow on Friday. Total accumulation was about 35 cms (14 inches). My daughter spent much of Friday shovelling the sidewalk and the parking area. While we had nowhere to go for a couple of days, we do have something special planned on Sunday.

The photo of Eli on Wednesday is our boy dressed in his suit for his confirmation and first communion on Sunday. His paternal grandmother was instrumental in having him baptized in the Catholic church, and he attends a Catholic school. This ritual is part of growing up with close ties to the church. His godmother is expected to drive in from the city, and the four of us will attend the service. The snow won't have melted by then, but we'll walk to the church if need be.

Since the weather was horrid, I missed out on Knit and Natter on Thursday afternoon, and in fact, I spent most of the day in my pj's just watching out the bedroom window as the snow fell.

It was a bit of a shock after Wednesday, when our temperature reached a high of 10C (50F). I had ordered new rain gutter downspout extenders, and they arrived in the mail this week, so D and I spent some time setting up the rain barrels. We've been having some issues with the parging on the corner by the back door, and water is making it's way into the basement. At least this way, the snow melting off the roof will be diverted, and we'll have to come up with a way to waterproof the foundation.

And I did get a call from the thrift store and will do my first volunteer shift next Tuesday. I've been put on a team, and our months are April, July, October, and January. I explained to the caller that I won't be available in January and possibly the end of October, but otherwise am flexible. I do know they are short staffed over the summer as many of the locals spend time at their cottages and/or with family. The schedule works for me, as we have no plans to go anywhere this summer.

Beyond that, it's been a pretty quiet, normal week here at home. I've done some organizing in the pantry and cupboards, spent many hours reviewing hints on Ancestry, did some vacuuming, prepared a few meals, and hung out with the cats and my grandson. What I didn't do was knit. So my project is again, at a standstill. :)

Spencer and Saku aren't friends, but do tolerate one another at least for a short while.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Weekly wrap-up

Before I get babbling on, I thought I'd address Kim's comment about my energy level.  I have to say, it is far easier to be energetic now that I'm retired.  When I was working, I used to come home and crash on the couch after dinner.  I have to assume it was due in part to being mentally tired, but I think for a least the last year or so at work (probably more) I was also mildly depressed.  I wasn't enjoying my work environment...which resulted in this new blog as those of you who followed me previously know.  These days, I sleep far better than I did back then getting up only once a night and despite Sasha's best efforts to wake me between 5:30 and 6 a.m. for his breakfast I wake up rested and ready to tackle the day.  

Besides that, I can putter at something for as long as I like.  Well unless, of course, there is a showing.  But really there are no deadlines, just self imposed ones.  As a friend of mine once said to me, "when I retire I plan to do nothing all day.  If I get half of it done everyday I'll be happy."  Best of all, for the most part, what I need and want to do are things I generally enjoy.  Maybe not the vacuuming...but pretty much everything else is okay.

Back to the weekly update.  On Monday I was out the door shortly after 8 a.m. to go downtown to work on the garden project at the Canadian Cancer Society's office.  Here are a couple of photos of the "after".  
 
The one on the left is closest to the main entrance, gets the most sun so is more filled in.  The opposite view is on the right and you can see there is lots of room for more plantings.  Actually I plan to split some of the day lilies (once I figure out when is best to do so), and move some volunteer plants to the center of the bed.  That is, after I finish with the other bed which is on the in the shade of the tree (top right of the photo on the right).  It's even shadier and although I haven't checked it out, it appeared less weedy than this bed.

In the 5 1/2 hours I weeded, I removed three garbage bags of weeds, including thistles, creeping Charlie, purslane, and the bane of my existence quack grass!  I hate quack grass...it is so difficult to get rid of.  Since this is the cancer society, no chemicals can be used.  Thus I'm digging by hand to try to get the roots as far down as I can.  I figure once the second bed is complete, I shouldn't need to weed more than once a week.  I do think I'll ask if the office will invest in a few bags of mulch as it would definitely keep the weeds at bay as well as hold the moisture.  If not, I may just see if I can find some on sale and donate it.

On my way home I stopped at one of the Pet stores...there are so many, PetSmart, Pet Valu, Petland - I can't remember which one I went to.  I picked up some enzyme cleaner for cats stains and urine, and also a black light.  I'm still getting comments that some (not all) of the viewers can smell the cats.  This stuff is expensive but I'm hoping this will be the thing that "clears the air".  I spent the afternoon washing the walls and doors in the front hall, living room, kitchen and hallway.  There definitely was an indication of something on the wall at the front door and foyer so I just kept going.  I diluted the cleaner with very hot water and when I went back over the area with the black light later that night, whatever was there was gone.

Tuesday I tackled the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs before heading down to the basement to clean the carpet.  I did not dilute the cleaner for the carpet, and gave some of the set in stains a good work over.  I had washed the walls last week with Mr. Clean and the black light only picked up a few areas where I didn't clean well enough. Once the carpets were dry I went over those spots.  I also scrubbed down the laundry room, the furnace room, and area in the back where I'd pulled out the carpet several years ago.  I figured the more I cleaned the more likely I am to find the problem areas.  Meantime I was in the midst of doing laundry...the clean sheets for my bed that evening were sublime!  

Wednesday brought another showing, at 10:30 in the morning.  In and out in 20 minutes according to the e-mail notices I got. Definitely not promising.  I used the time to run a couple of errands so at least there was that.  In the afternoon I headed to the library again to meet the stitching group. There were only four of us there but it was a nice couple of hours working on my latest project and chatting.  These ladies are all very experienced stitchers and quilters and while I'm not doing any of those crafts at the moment I'm learning lots of great tips.

Saku checking out my purchases

On Thursday I had nothing planned and no showings booked.  It was such a relief to get up and know that I could just do whatever I wanted.  I did a few chores, had a couple of cups of coffee and my breakfast before heading out to Value Village for the 1/2 price sale on summer clothing.  I was able to find two pairs of capris, a tank and a brand new t-shirt for a $13!  In addition I picked up two fleece jackets for Eli for $9.  These weren't on sale.  On the way home I stopped at Salvation Army as D was also looking for a rain jacket for Eli.  I found one for less than $6.  I also picked up a couple of books to read for $2. Considering the listed price on the books was $36 this was my best buy of the day.  


The rest of the day was spent crocheting (sometimes with Saku's help), reading, and watching television.  Our temperature was up into the 30C so it was a good day to stay indoors and simply relax.  Our Riders played that evening and one so it was a even better day!  Friday was much the same, hot and humid so I stayed indoors for most of it before meeting friends for dinner.   Ditto for Saturday including going for dinner.  Yeah I was very lazy.

The heat let up on Sunday and  I woke to a rather cool 14C (57F).  A perfect day to do a bit of yard work outside, some baking inside, and more crocheting.  First up though was a video chat with my adorable grandson.  When he gets the phone from his mom, he races upstairs to his room and we sit in his tent.  I usually end up upside down on the floor so I told him, "it's dark in here".  He immediately repeated it to me...he's a real little mimic.  There are also a lot of unintelligible sounds - at least to me - that only he and his mother seem to understand.  His vocabulary is definitely increasing and with the mimicry I reminded his mom to be careful what she says!

I did get outside to do a bit of yard work.  I watered the containers, refilled the bird bath, picked up pine cones, and pulled some weeds.  My neighbour was out as well so we had a visit across the fence.  She's recuperating from back surgery about halfway through her 12 week recovery.  I'd say she's doing well as I've seen her puttering in the yard and enjoying company on the deck.  She said that she's even managing the stairs in the house so that's a great sign.  Next up a hip surgery!  Wow, I'm so grateful to be in general good health.

Back indoors I pulled a couple of bananas out of the freezer, a zucchini out of the crisper and put together three mini loaves of banana bread and three zucchini loaves.  I probably should have done that prior to the outside work as it had warmed up considerably.  But I was on a mission...and the house sure smelled good!

And then, of course I got a call from the real estate agent asking for a showing that afternoon.  I spent the next 60 minutes or so cleaning up the kitchen, washing the living room, laundry room, and furnace room floors, and dusting and straightening things up.  Then, of course, they were only in the house for 15 minutes or so.  Anyone want to bet me a million billion dollars the back yard was too small?  I'm guessing not. :)

Monday is a statutory holiday here in Canada.  I'd quite forgotten about it and have planned to go do some more weeding at the CCS office.  I'll still go, and take my own tools and garbage bag, as I'd like to get that last bed cleared before I start regular maintenance.  It will be quiet downtown, the weather will be cooler, and I'm sure I can finish it off in a couple of hours.   

We haven't had any storms this week, so I'll sign off with a photo my brother sent me from an earlier storm.  The storm clouds were building above the old stone house, what a sight!

Have a great week everyone!