Winter, winter, go away!

The week here at home with my daughter and grandson, started out busy and slowed down at the end of the week. First up, was some tidying and cleaning on the weekend. With two of us working, it didn't take long at all until the main floor was looking good...at least briefly. I have nearly forgotten how much of a mess one small child can make. Though his play area is in the basement, several items get transported upstairs. The kitchen, too, tends to get to be a bit of a mess.

I set an alarm for Sunday morning at 1 a.m. so I could watch the final of the women's world curling. Canada's Team Homan prevailed over the team from Switzerland. This was a repeat from last year! As I've commented on an earlier comment, it was a close game through to the 7th end (a full game is 10 ends). Canada managed to get a deuce (two points) and led Switzerland 4-3 at that point. Then the wheels fell off for Switzerland, as they allowed a steal of two in the 8th end and another one point in the 9th. With a score of 7-3, Switzerland conceded defeat and the teams shook hands. The Swiss third and skip both missed shots in the two ends, something that is quite unusual for the two curlers. To be honest, while I was quite happy for Canada to win, I do love a game that is decided on the last rock in the 10th end. If I were on the ice, I'd likely be happier with a blow out.

On Tuesday, we dropped Eli at school and drove to the next town ever for a bit of shopping at the thrift store. We did extremely well there, I found a wind jacket, a hoodie, D found a hoodie, leggings for herself, a fort frame for Eli, and we bought a wooden breadbox. Total was about $55. The one hoodie she bought was a brand name that sells regularly for $60-70 and was in new condition. The leggings were definitely new as the tag was still on them. After a quick stop for a few groceries we were home in time to unload before it was time to pick up Eli from school for lunch.

Unfortunately, I had a fall on some ice as I was bringing in some of the groceries. I landed on my back and my head snapped back and hit the pavement, and likely a bit of ice or a stone. Like all head wounds, it bled heavily, and took forever to completely stop. I used a head band to hold the paper towel in place (hence Wednesday's photo). While D ran to get Eli, I managed to get our shopping put away and then I settled down to rest for much of the afternoon. D had a telephone medical appointment at 2 p.m. and I had decided if the bleeding had not stopped by then I would go to the ER to see if it needed stitches. In the meantime, a friend called and in our conversation reminded me to put something cold against it to restrict the blood vessels. That helped, the bleeding stopped and with an Advil the headache abated.

I didn't sleep particularly well overnight, awake every few hours and some weird dreams, but other than pain in my neck (muscles), I felt back to normal. I'll admit to some fuzzy thinking the previous afternoon. In fact, I handed the keys to my vehicle to my daughter and she drove it while I stayed at home.

Wednesday was a mostly quiet day, I did get out for a walk for a bit with a little shopping thrown in for good measure. At the hardware store, I picked up an indoor plant starting kit, some seeds, and a pretty kitty solar light for the garden. Later in the afternoon, we were able to pick up her car from the garage, the damage of the winter repaired, and the car looking pristine.

It was good that I got out the day prior as the snow started on Thursday morning. D took Eli to school in the morning and they had their parent-teacher interview. He is progressing well towards his goals in his IEP and is showing strength in both his mathematics and phonics. We're pretty darned proud of him!

D parked in the garage when she arrived home, and I drove to pick up Eli at lunch. While I waited, the visibility decreased significantly, with the snow falling heavily and blowing. At point I could barely make out the headlights of the vehicle just a block or so away. It slowed down by 3 p.m. This photo was taken about a half hour prior.

D went out and shovelled the back sidewalk out to the parking area while I made dinner. We had more snow overnight, and she was out by just before 7 a.m. shovelling again. I joined her for about 15 minutes or so to finish clearing off the parking area, and to clean off my car. I drove both drop off and pick up for Eli at school; the alley was a mess initially, but the city had the machine through to flatten the snow by the time we returned at lunch.

We're expecting a couple of cooler days with cold weather overnight this weekend, but more spring like temperatures should arrive by mid-week. In the meantime the pile of snow in the parking area is nearly as tall as my SUV!

I've done some cross-stitching this week, and started on the mittens for next year for Eli's school. One pair is complete and the second pair has one mitten finished. The Men's World Curling championship starts today, so this weekend and upcoming week should be good for working on these projects. Vacuuming...who needs to vacuum? :p And I won't need to stay up late, as the event is being held here in the province.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Winter of my discontent

Have I mentioned recently how much I dislike winter? It's only mid-December and I'm already tired of shovelling snow, bundling up in a parka, mitts, and toque just to take out the garbage, chapped lips and dry hands...  Well, you get the picture. We had a couple of reasonable winter days, meaning overcast, not too cold, and no snow.  However, on Wednesday, a Colorado low moved in from the southeast, and another storm came from the northwest. Here in the city we didn't get as much as other areas did, but there was another 3 inches on the ground when I got out of bed Thursday morning. I had shovelled the inch or so that accumulated by Wednesday afternoon when I returned home after the stitch and chat.

Alright whine over...nothing I can do (yet) or anyone else can do to keep this from happening. I did enjoy our stitch and chat this week; S has returned from Arizona and the lady (Io) I've been meeting with, while she was away was there too. Poor S, she arrived back in Regina the day that the windchill hit -48C. Things haven't improved much, as her car wouldn't start, the picture on her television has gone wonky, and some forms she had sent into to a provincial department were rejected because her cover page said 16 pages, and there were 17 attached because one page was duplicated. You'd think someone on the receiving end would be able to remove the duplicate, but apparently not, and she has to resubmit the documents.

She brought along a couple of knitting pattern books she no longer needs/wants and gave them to me. The patterns are lovely, meant for older children (8-16) and adults. I'm sure I'll be able to use them as Eli keeps growing. Funny that! S also brought a piece of knitting (a UFO) that was tucked away in her closet in Arizona. She had lost the pattern, but we were able to identify it as the moss stitch and with a Google search had the pattern figured out. Io was was finishing sewing buttons on kitchen towels, and then brought out her embroidery. She's making a set of tea towels that are likely to be gifted to her granddaughter.

I had my crocheting with me. I pulled a couple of balls of yarn from the stash and started working on a lap blanket. I'm not a fan of the colors but I need to use up the stash and they do look bright and cheerful together. 

The sugar cookies and red velvet mini-cupcakes were iced and decorated early one morning. Two of the sugar cookies broke as I was working on them, so they and a cupcake were that morning's breakfast. Breakfast of champions? Probably not. :) On the weekend, I had finished the peppermint sandwich cookies. They're tasty, but not nearly as good as my sugar cookies. I'm not sure what I did differently but man, oh man, are they good. 

I've finally caught up on my updates on Ancestry this week. I was thinking I might cancel my Newspapers.com subscription but received notice that they've added a number of additional newspapers from Scotland. I'm hoping I might find mention of some of my ancestors, though it is much like looking for a needle in a haystack with the last name of Stewart. Recently, I picked up a book "Online Genealogy", which I've skimmed and I think may help me identify other sources for searching. At the moment, my hopes are pinned on DNA testing. My adult children purchased the kit for me as a Christmas gift, and it arrived a couple of weeks ago. I've mailed it off and received an e-mail this week that it has arrived at the lab. Results are expected with 6-8 weeks. I'm hoping against hope that this information might be the key to finding the links to origins of various family members.

The other (and much more exciting) thing I worked on this week was preparing for my January cruise. My travel agent L and I had a chat Thursday morning and went through her checklist of things for me to remember and consider. She is truly amazing and is so detailed oriented. L was concerned about my airline e-tickets as they have my first name and only my initial for the second name. This doesn't match my passport which has both full names. We went through the list of things to be saved to my phone and items I need or want to have in printed form as well. I was a bit ahead of her on that as I had the printouts and had updated the electronic documents before our call. 

I made a call to the airline and confirmed my full name is in their system, but the tickets will show only my first name and initial. To be certain, I asked the agent several times, and she confirmed it will not be an issue at the counter. My next call was to the hotel to confirm my reservation. I booked through Airmiles, a third party booking system, and wanted to be certain there was no hiccup. Several years ago, I had used Airmiles to book a New York hotel, only to learn on arrival that they had no reservation for me. I had to pay $400 room for the night. On returning home I contacted Airmiles and eventually learned that the booking had been made for February instead of September! They reimbursed me for the cost of the room, but I'll never book again without following up directly with the hotel to confirm.

I pulled out the suitcase and carry-on bag, and went through my summer and "cruise" clothes. Yes, I have certain items I only wear when I'm cruising. I'm hard on my everyday clothing, so I keep some nicer pieces for my trips. This is a 14 day cruise, with an added travel day at the beginning - I always fly in a day ahead, in case there are delays. I've learned to pack enough clothing for 7 days, along with a few nicer items for evening wear, not including the travel day clothing. The ship has a DIY laundromat that I'll use on a sea day. We have eight sea days and four ports and full day transiting the canal. I do enjoy sea days! One port that was initially on the itinerary, Nicaragua, was cancelled - no reason given, but I hadn't planned to get off the ship there anyway. It would been a long bus ride to the nearest city and none of the posted excursions looked particularly worth the travel time and money to me.

Friday, I ran out to pick up a few groceries to get us through the next few days, and more cat food and bird seed. The birds and the squirrels have been inhaling the seed and at least one rabbit is enjoying the feed too. He/she leaves behind evidence of their visit. It was out in the front yard the other day - looks pretty healthy doesn't it?

No curling streaming this week, though there is an event in Japan that I'll be keeping my eye on for the scores. I'm planning to relax this weekend, watch some sports, catch up on PVR'ed television, and continue crocheting the lap blanket. I better not have to shovel any more snow! Shouldn't have to, as the weather forecast is for more cold weather. I'll end this post as I started...I hate winter!

Have a good week ahead everyone.

Nearing the end

There is a reason that weather is a constant topic in this province. We often use the old saying, "if you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes". I wish I could say the cold that blew in on Tuesday moved on that quickly but we were stuck with the wind through the following day as well. I have to tell you, waking up to -36C with a windchill of -48C does not make me happy. I've said it before, (and I'll likely say it again), I wish I could go back in time and tell my ancestors to re-think their choice of location to settle. Of course, I probably wouldn't be here if they had.

Knowing cold weather was heading our way, I went out on Monday, in the relatively warmer -20C (-4F) to get a few groceries, some cat food, and look for a few more Christmas gifts. I spent more on the groceries than I had planned, but I was able to take advantage of some "sale" prices so stocked up on ground pork, ground beef, frozen French fries and vegetables, as well as the always needed toilet paper. The cat's cupboard has at least three weeks of wet food too, though I went with a different brand than Saku is used too as the price on his Fancy Feast has increased again. Hopefully he doesn't turn his nose up at this brand or it will be more expensive in the long run. (A few days in and he seems to like it...of course, with a cat that can change as quickly as the weather.)

I found one item for a Christmas gift for my daughter,  but totally failed in finding Christmas pajamas for Eli. It has become a tradition that G'ma has new pj's for Christmas Eve. Speaking of Eli, he got to have a visit with Santa on Sunday at a local craft fair. I have my own thoughts on what the little stinker was thinking in this photo...and I think Santa needs to learn how to smile. 

With Wednesday's cold so brutal, I had a text from one of the stitching ladies saying she wouldn't be there that day. I thought that was a great idea, so I stayed home too and did a little more Christmas baking. Patty, it was my day for baking mishaps. I mixed together a batch of chocolate cookie dough to make sandwich cookies. The recipe called for two squares of chocolate - I thought that was too little so added four and it wasn't until they were baked that I realized the recipe was calling for 2 ounces of chocolate and not two squares of the baking chocolate. So my chocolate cookies came out a little pale - they taste fine, and they'll taste even better with the peppermint and crushed candy cane icing. The mishaps didn't end there: while the cookie dough was chilling in the fridge, I decided to make a pan of toffee squares (shortbread base, toffee center, chocolate coating). I had the shortbread base in the oven, when I went to open the sweetened condensed milk for the toffee when I realized the can had a bulge in it. I took it over the garbage can, popped the top and discovered it had spoiled. I quickly flipped through my recipes for a topping. Thankfully, the base hadn't fully cooked, so I was able to make butter tart squares. Not exactly what I'd planned but the squares turned out just fine in the end.

Other than another batch of shortbread and a pan of Rice Krispie squares, I'm finished with the baking. But I do need to set an afternoon aside to decorate the sugar cookies and finish the sandwich cookies. True story: Eli doesn't care for home baked cookies and cake. I say, I haven't met a kid who doesn't like Rice Krispie squares...and I plan to add M&M's to the mix. I guess we'll find out on Christmas Eve, whether I'm right.

On the knitting/crocheting front, I finished Eli's mitts on Sunday and packed the set (mitts and toque) and the angels for his teachers and mailed them off to D on Monday. I'd made the cups of cocoa ornaments to add to the gifts for my brother and SIL, and decided I needed to make something for the niece and nephew too. I found this cute pattern for snowmen, so made a pair for them. The pattern for the nose just didn't work for me, so I fiddled around and made something I could live with. I know the carrots aren't truly orange but I didn't have the proper colored yarn and used what I had. I should have used finer yarn for the mouth, but again, I used what I had. They're like anything else I make, I can always see the mistakes and think of ways how I ought to have done things after they're finished.

There is a scarf using some of the thrift store yarn on the needles, and I hope to get another bag of donations ready to drop off next week. AND Eli's sweater continues to languish in the basket waiting to be picked up again. I've put the two fronts and back on the needles so it's just a matter of finishing the bodice but for some reason I keep procrastinating. 

Curling started on Sunday, but I had difficulty streaming it on my laptop. I contacted the network and got a very unhelpful response. The days of telling me to clear my history, shut down the browser and re-open it, are long past. I'd already done everything before I reached out and I told them so in a reply. Funny, I didn't get any further response. The streaming got better as the week went along but I was very annoyed when the connection cut out at the end of a very exciting game and I missed the last two shots of the draw. (Okay, I get that exciting isn't what most people would call it). 

Then on Thursday, when the play-offs were starting at the Everest Canadian Seniors, the Grand Slam of Curling's Masters event was televised. So I switched to watching that, though I'll try to catch the finals of the Seniors today.

I did run out between draws on Thursday and managed to find pj's for Eli, a pair of slippers for my SIL, and a couple of small items for my adult children from Santa. So, with the exception of the gift cards for niece and nephew, I'm done shopping this year. Friday morning, I pulled out all the wrapping paper, bags and tags and got everything wrapped or tucked into the bags. Except for the Santa gifts (which are set aside in the craft room closet) everything is under or beside the tree. I've used more bags this year than ever before - it's far easier than wrapping and I'm lazy.

Well, not entirely, as I needed to shovel once again on Friday. There wasn't a whole lot of snow but the sidewalk needed clearing.  Our city has enacted a bylaw that requires city sidewalks be cleared without 48 hours of snowfall. I'm about 36 hours late but it was too darned cold earlier in the week. It annoys me the city rarely clears residential streets but has a much higher standard for residents. 

This weekend will be spent doing what I enjoy most. Watching curling, knitting, and doing little else. I'll catch up on housework next week. Oh and that ever changing weather. I woke to -14C (7F) and we're forecast to reach -9C (16F) this afternoon. As long as it's not windy, the temperature will feel almost balmy. :) 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

P.S. The neighbour's house just down the street is all lit up for Christmas.

Gratitude, cleaning and catching up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wacky January weather

 It's been quite the week weather wise!  The warm weather (for us) continued through the week but Mother Nature sent us a wallop of nasty precipitation and wind on Wednesday and overnight into Thursday.  On Weds. morning we had rain which is absolutely bizarre for January, followed by freezing rain before the temperature rose to 6C (43F) late in the afternoon.

I'd gone out to get the mail from the community mailbox and took a skated half way down the driveway before I was able to stop myself.  I turned around and crept my way back to the house to put on my ice grippers.  Then I spent an hour chipping and scrapping the 1/4 inch thick ice off the driveway.  I'm glad I did because although the driveway was still wet it dried off mostly with the wind that picked up with the higher temperature.  

Then on Thursday morning, I woke to find my front window almost entirely covered in snow and ice. It didn't appear we received as much snow as was predicted, but I went out to shovel anyway.  With the wind, the snow always blows into the door of my garage.  It had, in fact there was probably a foot of snow packed in there.  It only took about a half an hour to clear the entire driveway as the rest of the driveway had a mere dusting.

My front door got blown in too, though not as heavily.  Keep in mind there is a house to the right, and a large spruce tree in front. This area is fairly sheltered.  

When the sun was up I went out back to feed the birds and discovered that the older section of my back fence has blown over into the neighbour's yard.  We'd been talking about replacing it just this past summer.  Later I saw him out in the yard, and so I went out back - he had someone there to brace the fence.  We lost two posts, they just snapped off, and this will be a temporary fix until spring or early summer when the posts and panels can be replaced.  The fellow doing the work said the winds reached 122 kph (75mph) the night before. 

I did get out on Wednesday before the storm hit, got my groceries, ran a couple of errands for my daughter, and made a stop at the Salvation Army thrift store.  I hadn't planned but was driving by on my way elsewhere and I decided to stop in.  Glad I did, as children's clothing was on sale 50% off.  I got a few craft items, as well as a spring/fall puffer jacket and a pair of OshKosh shorts for Eli...all for the grand total of $9.98.  

The rest of the week has been spent doing what I always do.  Housework, some crocheting, watching television, walking (in the house), and a little crafting. Here are a couple of the finishes from this week. 

I made two of the gift tags, this with Let it Snow and the other with a tag that reads, There is Snow Place like Home.

I've got three of the circles, this one, another with a Sleigh rides napkin background and a third with blue background with snow flakes.  

Yesterday I finished this heart. I bought the frame from the Dollar tree and used material from two old t-shirts (purple and white), along with two patterned pillow cases I bought at the Salvation Army this week. I think the messy bow at the bottom needs an embellishment so I'll probably try to find a large button for it.  

On Saturday I'm off to have a short visit with D and Eli.  I have a trunk load of stuff to deliver to her!  She bought a new high back booster seat for Eli that was delivered to my house as the company won't deliver to small towns. There's a ride-on suitcase she ordered from a local second hand children's store, and a bag of cat food I picked up at Costco.  I have pillows, her small crock pot, a calendar and the clothing that I picked up for Eli.  For those readers who are de-cluttering, this is my efforts for this week! :)

I've checked the forecast, it is supposed to be a decent day with a high of -1C (30F), mostly sunny and no snow.  I won't stay long, not only are our provincial health orders requiring limiting contacts to our own household, there is a possibility of more snow on Monday.  I should note there is an exemption for some households, including single parents, as long as they limit their contact to one other household.  Since we've both kept our bubbles small the risk is low. Sadly, that isn't the case for much of our province. We've now the highest contagion rate in the country despite that we have quite a low population density. I sure hope this trend is turned around soon.

Since I'll be away tomorrow, I'll post this early. Take care everyone, stay well and have a good weekend.

Warming up to January

I started the week off with more shovelling, as we'd had snow over the day on Sunday (after I'd been out to shovel).  There wasn't a lot of snow out there but with the vehicle traffic pulling into my driveway to turn around there was some snow pack that I wanted to chip away at.  It was chilly out there -14C (7F) but I was well bundled and warmed up even more as I worked. 

Tuesday we had more snow...sigh I'm so over winter already and it will be months yet before this white turning gray stuff disappears.  I didn't bother to shovel in the morning because we'd had less than a centimeter.  I had errands to run, a parcel to mail off to D, groceries to pick-up at Safeway and Walmart, cat litter at Pet Valu and an order for a new microwave bulb at Canadian Tire.  I'd also ordered new Rubbermaid tubs at CT but they cancelled that part of my order, so I ended up having to turn around and go back to Walmart to get them. It meant going into the store, and though they are supposed to be limited to 25% capacity the parking lot and store were very busy.  I kept my visit short!

Back at home, I was putting away groceries when I looked out to the back yard.  I had a visitor to the bird feeder, and thought I went into the sun room and tapped on the window, it wasn't paying me any mind.  I'm pretty sure the birds got their fair share before it arrived.

I fill the feeder every morning, both inside where the squirrel is feeding from, and I put a pile on top of the feeder. The birds clean the stuff off the top very quickly!

I was kept busy, sort of, with housework.  But I did head outdoors just after lunch to shovel the driveway...again.  The snow that feel on Tuesday blew around and had drifted across the driveway, and the path out to the back yard also needed clearing.  

Once my chores were complete (or at least postponed until Thursday), I settled in on the couch to knit and to watch a few episodes of Animal Cops and North Woods Law, on a channel I'm getting in free preview. I worked on my 9th scarf with just one more ball of yarn to wrap up this project.  I need to weave in the ends and wash the scarves; once those tasks are completed, I'll deliver them downtown. 

Whoohoo, no shovelling was necessary on Thursday.  I was out early to take the garbage bin out to the street and feed the birds, and although it was cold -17C (1F), there was absolutely no wind.  I briefly considered going for a walk, but the sun wasn't yet up and it was cloudy so I wimped out and went back indoors.

More housework was completed, I tackled the fridge and got it cleaned out, scrubbed and reorganized.  I make a drive over to the local Michael's store to pick up an on-line order.  Glancing over at the Walmart I could see the parking lot was packed...glad I didn't need anything!

The rest of the day involved knitting, a bit of crocheting, lots of junior hockey (Go Canada go!), and simply relaxing.  AND wonder of all wonders, I managed to stay awake until midnight.  2020 is well and gone.  I don't think any of us will miss it. While only the date has changed I know I feel a sense of relief.

New Year's Day, Sasha had me up early to get breakfast for the cats, and I stayed awake long enough to chat with D at 7:30. Then I rolled over in the bed and slept until after 10, when Eli called to video chat. The rest of the day was quiet, with football, crocheting and knitting. 

Saturday was anything but quiet, I had hauled the bins and boxes into the living room the night before, and it was time to undecorate Christmas.  I did leave out a few items, the snowmen and clear snow flake ornaments have been allowed to hang out.  Otherwise the living room looks barren. 

Once that chore was complete, I decided to test out my ice grippers and go out for a walk. I probably didn't need the grippers except when walking across the street of our crescent, it's sheer ice under the snow.

Although I've been walking indoors most days, I definitely noticed the difference walking in boots in the snow and I sure felt it too!  There a few people out walking, a couple cross country skiing, and evidence of many dogs.  I'll leave that to your imagination.

I did find a few rabbits too.

I laughed at the bunnies in the raised garden bed.  I wonder if there are some plants to nibble on? 

They blend in pretty well in the snow but their ears give them away. 

Over at the pond, the ice has been cleared for a hockey and skating rink.  No one was out this morning, but the temperatures were above freezing this afternoon so I suspect it was in use then.  

Back at home, I set a batch of dough to rise, before sitting down to watch hockey.  Four games today! There was an upset in the first game but the next too have gone as expected.  Our Canadian team is on the ice now and leading 2-0.  I'm certain they'll be in the semi-finals on Monday.

Later, when the buns were in the oven, I started a batch of chili for dinner. I worked on a jigsaw puzzle between periods, and worked on my final scarf when the games were on.  My Fitbit tells me I walked over 8 kms (5 miles) today. I'm pretty sure I'll sleep well tonight.

We're forecast for another warm day tomorrow with a high of 5C (41F). There was melting today, so tomorrow I'll head out with the ice chipper to make sure the driveway and front walks are clear since it's below freezing tonight. Most of my neighbours were doing that today...I was busy.

Take care everyone, stay well, and have a good week.

White Christmas

We received about 10 cms (4 inches) of snow over the past two days.  It's looking like a winter wonderland; fresh snow just in time for Christmas.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas wherever you may be.  Take care and stay well.

Wordy Wednesday

Sadly, winter has arrived.  

Already a small pile of snow on the patio.

The deck is covered. 

The bird feeder is well attended.

The only one who seems to be enjoying it is my brother's dog Kola, on a run with R.  

It's beginning to look a lot like....

View from my front door

Winter!!!

I'm afraid this is it, winter is here to stay as the temperatures are quite cold.  Currently it is -10C (14F) and feels like -20C (-4F) because of the wind. The forecast does indicate a few days with temps above freezing, but for the most part it's definitely winter.  Sigh...if I had my way, the snow wouldn't arrive until the week prior to Christmas and leave a week or two later.  

Speaking of Christmas, I'm feeling a bit rushed (already) because of my trip.  NOT that I'd give up my cruise but suddenly it seems like Christmas preparations are more pressing.  The other day I made a list of gifts for each of my children, Eli, my brother and his family and a couple of friends and was pleased to discover I'm nearly done shopping and most of that is gift cards.  Hooray I won't have to spend time in crazy shopping malls.  Though I must admit I made a trip to our new Costco on Friday to buy pj's for my children.  What a bad idea!  The store opened last weekend and was a total zoo.  I ought to have turned around and left immediately but I stayed.  It took over an hour to wander a bit, pick up the pj's and make my way through the tills.  They really ought to have an express lane!

I got started on baking yesterday - though it will be gone well before Christmas.  We're having a potluck next Thursday at work, and I signed up to bring dessert.  I made a new-to-me recipe for orange cranberry cookies.  Oh my goodness are they good!  There is always that last cookie made from the last bit of dough that looks less than appealing...it always ends up my tasting cookie.  I also made a batch of M&M cookies - basically a chocolate chip cookie with candy.  Also very yummy!

Years ago, I would make a variety of cookies and cakes for Christmas.  Most of it would be shared with my co-workers.  I stopped doing this about 5 or 6 years ago, as no one seemed to appreciate my efforts, though they certainly had no difficulty eating it.  I have continued to bake a few things for us and to share with friends.  This year, though I'm planning to bake a large batch of cupcakes to take into the office on my last day.  That's a project for next weekend.

I haven't decided what we'll have for dinner, that can wait until after I return on December 20th.  Decorating will likely also wait until then as my social calendar has suddenly become much busier.  Former co-workers are taking me for breakfast on my first day of freedom 59, while others have booked me for lunch the following week.  Plus Eli and D will be here for the weekend.  I'll also be packing for my trip, wrapping gifts, and doing a final clean of the house before I leave.  K and I spent some time firming up plans for each port last week, and she purchased tickets for the Creole Christmas at Preservation Hall (Dec 16) and a graveyard tour (Dec 19).  She has also arranged for a rental car as we plan to visit a couple of plantations (Dec 18).  Her partner J found a river tour which we likely do on the 17th, along with Cafe du Monde (for beignets and coffee), as well as some shopping.  We've left lots of free time too to allow for wandering and simply marvelling at being in New Orleans.  I'm so excited!  

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On a totally different note, I got one of those scam e-mails the other day.  It appeared to come from my own e-mail address, and read that I had been hacked (I hadn't), and they had my password (a partial password that I haven't used in years).  The message went on to say that they had video of me watching porn (as if), and if I didn't pay up in bitcoin (sorry I don't have any) they would release the video.  There was more but by this point I simply deleted the e-mail.  Even so, there was a moment of concern - had they really gotten information that would allow them access to my accounts or was the e-mail a spoof of my e-mail address?  Norton said everything was up-to-date.  A friend  provided a site where one can check to see when/how one's information might have been breached. If you are interested, check it out here.  I learned that, yes, my e-mail address and password had been included in massive data breaches in 2016 and 2017.  It brings me relief to know that no other information was breached.  In the meantime I've changed passwords on pretty much every account I have.  Only one site made it difficult to do so, a local utility company, and I've yet to try again.  It certainly was a good reminder how important it is to change passwords on a regular basis and to ensure that one uses different passwords for different sites.  I'm going to write them down and keep them in a safe place; although I'm of sites that will keep track of them for me, I'd probably forget the password!

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The rest of the weekend has been spent doing chores, watching curling and football, and knitting. I'm sad to report that our beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders came up short in the first playoff game so our season is done. :(  It ended on a sour note when our second string quarterback was hit high, likely causing a concussion.  Just last week our starting quarterback suffered a similar, and season ending hit.  Neither hit was called by the referees so there will be lots of discussion.  Oh well, maybe next year.

The little hat on the penguin is meant for Eli.  This was my third attempt as Saku managed to snag the first two and drop too many stitches to salvage them.  I'm not entirely happy with this effort, it seems a bit short but perhaps that's because I put it on the stuffed toy that I thought might approximate the size of my grandson's head.  I've got another on the needles, perhaps for Eli or perhaps for his little friend Knox.  It all depends on whose head it fits, though I'll to make another if neither fits the little guy (Knox).  

Speaking of Knox, there was a bit/lot of excitement on Saturday as A went into labor.  For reasons unknown to me, she planned to give birth in Regina.  Her on-again, off-again boyfriend (and father of Knox and his sibling) dropped Knox with D mid-afternoon, to drive her to the city.  D had insisted that they take some blankets with them and that turned out to be a very good thing.  About 20 minutes outside the city, they had to pull over as A had an urge to push and with the assistance of the 911 operator she gave birth to their son, J.P.  Then they drove the rest of the way into the hospital.  They were released from the hospital on Sunday, spent the night in the city at her brother's home, and headed back to Melville today.  D said Knox seemed to know something was up, but was quite happy to hang out with her and Eli. 

D sent me this photo, taken just after they got up from their nap.  Eli was obviously still a little tired, while Knox was pretty happy.  Later they spent time playing in the playroom, before they showed up downstairs ready for supper.  It amazes me how well they play together, and it is clear they communicate with one another.  I'm sure they'll get lots of time together as A will need a break with two children under the age of 2.  Yikes!

Well, enough blather from me for this weekend.  I'm off to do the chores I didn't get done because I was glued to the television.  

Have a great week everyone!

Say it isn't snow!

Yikes, what happened to the warm, sunny days of autumn?  We've had frost the last couple of nights and today (Saturday) is supposed to bring a mix of rain and snow.  So far, thankfully the moisture is falling as rain and a bit of sleet.  I'm not ready for the potential of snow!

Edited to add this photo.  My brother was on his way out to the lake to winterize the boat.  Yikes!

However, I know I ought not whine so much when I consider the storm that tore through the communities of Dunrobin in Ontario and Gatineau in Quebec yesterday.  As the news reports have said the devastation is hard to fathom.  So many homes, businesses, and vehicles have been damaged, and at least two residents are in hospital with life-threatening injuries.  The clean up has started but will be weeks or months before anyone is back in their homes.  For certain, the lives of many have been changed forever.  

******
D took Eli to Melville this week to visit her friend A (and children).  Tuesday was A's birthday so D made a lasagna and some cookies to share.  They were \
planning to be there until Thursday but D decided to come home early, on Wednesday evening.  Eli wasn't able to sleep well, as he was sharing a room with Knox, who was teething. D said she ended up sleeping with Eli on a couch, with the baby resting (as well as he could) on top of his mom.  Things didn't improve on Wednesday either, as neither baby slept more than 20 minutes.  She eventually decided coming back here was the best decision...and then the little stinker didn't sleep for the entire 90 minute drive.  He did, however, spend a little time with G'ma before he was ready for a good night's sleep.  

D has decided she'll allow Eli to sleep in her bedroom for the first few nights in their new home.  We are going to set up his crib as a toddler bed (with the side down) as he getting to the point where he is trying to climb out on his own.  He's late in comparison to his mom; she was climbing out of her crib before she was 18 months old!  She'd scale the side, swing over the top and slide down the bars to the floor.  I'd wake up with a toddler next to bed asking to be let up.  Yes, she was destined to be a gymnast!  Eli is slightly less adventurous but demonstrates his climbing skills daily.  He no longer needs an assist to get onto the couch. 

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It's now Sunday, I've been awake since 5:30 and out of bed since 6 as a certain elderly cat insisted on being fed.  He has taken to sniffing my ears and even licking my face.  I don't know what wakes me up faster, the tickle of whiskers or the rasp of his tongue.  Either way, there is no sleeping beyond that point.  

It's been a relatively quiet weekend, with some errands run, some housework done, and a bit of cooking for the week ahead.  I'm in my soup phase again, this week was a macaroni meatball version. I made enough for lunches for most of the week for both Eli and me.  I also made up some taco meat for wraps and salads.  It makes getting ready for work in the morning so much easier.  With a container of carrots, a piece of fruit and sometimes a biscuit or bagel I have a satisfying lunch.  I generally take yoghurt with cereal (either bran or granola) for breakfast. 

Oh, I should mention the procedure I had this week.  It was follow gastroscopy to one I had in June.  I never heard back from the doctor after the first and suspect I won't this time either.  He was a little upset with me because I mentioned I didn't always take the prescription he gave me.  First, because I often forget - I rarely take medicine and only when I have to, and second, because the research I did indicated this drug can cause kidney problems.  I have been diagnosed with GERD.  He has also suggested I cut out caffeine from my diet...my response was a resounding "no".  I have at different times cut back but it has had no real effect.  To be honest, I suspect if I were to lose 40-50 pounds of excess weight the issue would resolve on its own.  It's a goal I plan to tackle in the upcoming months.

Well, I should get to today's chores.  I was hoping to get outside, and may still do so, to start pulling plants from the containers.  It froze again last night and it looks like we'll get more rain today.  In the meantime there are a couple of closets that I want to tackle (thank you Carole for the inspiration), and fridge and freezer need a good clear out.  

Have a great week everyone!

Welcome February!

Happy belated groundhog's day!  We woke this morning to three inches of fresh snow, -21C (-6C) so winter is definitely here to stay.  Not surprising given where I live.  

According to Wikipedia, if the groundhog does not see his shadow, spring will come early.  Heck, if spring arrives here in 6 weeks, that would be early, very early.  

I do recall seeing pussy willows open at the end of March, when I was a young child but that's many years ago.  

No, I'll be thrilled if all the snow is gone by the mid to end of April.

In the meantime, I'm done to 11 days until I fly off to Florida.  I'll arrive late day on the 14th - it takes a full day to get there from here (or pretty much anywhere from here).  Cocoa Beach, here I come!  Did you know that "I dream of Jeannie" was filmed there?  I didn't until a friend mentioned it to me.  There is a park named for the television program so I'll try to find my way there to check it out.  

First, though, I plan to visit the Kennedy Space Center in Port Canaveral.  I've been checking the maps and it appears I'll be able to take the local transit from Cocoa Beach, though I'm not entirely certain.  I'm sure the hotel staff will be able to point me in the right direction, and the bus driver(s) will know when to tell me to get off. :)  I've been told it will take a full day to take in the sights.  

Day two I'm planning to wander about Cocoa Beach, perhaps visit the Dinosaur museum, look for the "I dream of Jeannie" park, and most definitely walk on the beach.  The weather forecast is for temperatures of 22-24C (72-75F) for those days with mostly sunny skies.  Sounds absolutely lovely to me. 

I still have some research to complete for my time in Orlando post-cruise.  I definitely won't be doing Disney World!   I arrive mid-day on the 24th and fly out on the 26th so only have a day and a half to explore.  I might visit the Sea Life Orlando Aquarium, and do a bit of shopping along International Drive...I'm sure I'll play it by ear and enjoy whatever I decide to do.

In the meantime, I'm in the midst of preparing for the trip, while continuing with the day-to-day routine of work, home, life.  More changes coming at work, there was a cryptic message received by all staff last week about resource realignment.  In plain language, though it specifically says no jobs will be lost the reality is generally that as work moves from one location to another, the ones whose work moves are offered a transfer but many will not accept.  I don't expect we'll see wholesale change in our area but it has already had an impact on some of my staff.  More to come, I'm sure.

At home, D and J have had the no contact lifted, with some remaining conditions.  She can deliver Eli to J's home (or pickup from), but cannot go inside nor attend to his work site.  Of course, the very first thing he asked for was a ride to work.  I took some pleasure in learning D told him that she could not do so.  The case continues to wind its way through the court system, perhaps by the time I'm back from the cruise it will be settled.  She is adamant that their relationship is truly over and in the past month has started to create a life apart from J.  She and Eli have been attending the library for reading circle, taken him on play-dates with two of her friends, and been out to lunch while Eli was at his dad's.  I'm so thankful to see these first steps and am hopeful she's starting a new path that will make her happy.

Well, enough babbling for today.  The Page 3-4 game of the Scotties Women's curling is about to start!  

Have a wonderful week everyone!!

Goodbye 2016, welcome 2017!

Welcome to my new blog!  

The start of a new year would seem to be the perfect time to start fresh, not to forget the past, but to create a new space in my world.  This blog, like my last will focus on the things in my life and the world that interest, inspire, or make me laugh.

This upcoming year will bring new life with the upcoming anticipated birth of my grandson in February.  Accordingly I expect I'll be staying close to home more this year, but am still considering a trip in the early summer to go whale-watching with my cousin.  

Although it is very wintery out there right now, I'm looking forward to time spent in the yard, or hanging out with the cats in the sun room this summer.  In the meantime, my yarn stash grows bigger and, with our local fabric store closing, so does my stash of material.  I'd better get busy with the knitting needles, crochet hooks, and dust off the sewing machine.

And of course, I continue to make plans for the transition from the work world to retirement.  With 22 months to go, it seems like a bit of time, but much more de-cluttering and organizing needs to be done at home.  I've scheduled a week of vacation in May just for that purpose.

I'm making no resolutions for I'm sure they'll simply be broken.  Instead I plan to look for opportunities to expand my little world.  More on that later.

How about you?  What are you looking forward to in 2017?

Wishing you all health, happiness, and prosperity!