A cool but entertaining week

Who turned down the thermostat? From the highs of 32C/90F to a week where 19C/66F was the best we could do, I went through a bit of weather shock. I even put on socks in the morning (at 10C/50F I felt the need). BTW, if you haven't noticed, I'm rarely happy with the weather...it's a Saskatchewan thing. Eli had his second week of swimming lessons, but spent more time out of the pool than in. 

We did get out on Monday to do some yardwork. D took care of tree branches that were overhanging the front sidewalk and the garage out back, as well as cutting out a smaller elm tree that was growing among the roses. I'd got some of the branches of the elm tree last week but the trunk was too big around for my clippers. To assist I hauled branches to the brush pile - we'll have all of it hauled away in the next couple of weeks along with the bags of yard waste from my weeding efforts. D also cleaned gutters on the garage and on one side of the house. Our ladder is only 6 feet tall (picked up at a garage sale) and the house gutters are difficult to get to - we'll have to keep our eyes open for an 8 foot stepladder. She did a great job and we didn't have to pay someone to do the work!

As a result I didn't make it into the thrift store on Monday for the cleaning day. Next week for sure! With the cooler weather I've been spending more time indoors; I've caught up on my budget spreadsheets, updated a document of personal information, and spent a lot of time on Ancestry. I thought I was getting close to reviewing all of the hints available, but every time I'd re-open the program there would be more. I'm not liking the changes they've made though - they've made the review of hints more onerous and there are some hints that are so clearly incorrect...I'll bet money more AI is "helping" with the collection. 

Wednesday, the city showed up in the morning to (finally) clear the empty lots across the street.  We had contacted the commissionaire in the spring about the height of the grass and weeds, but nothing was done until now. It took a good 90 minutes for the fellow on the mower to knock it all down and run over it a couple more times to mulch it. Meanwhile another worker used the weedwhacker to edge the sidewalk, and removed some low branches on the trees. The after and before photos below will give you and idea of how tall the grass and weeds had gotten.  

Later I attended Knit and Natter in the evening. When I arrived the part-time librarian S and a 9 year old boy were waiting for me. They asked if I could teach them to crochet or knit. Oh my, I'm not much of a teacher but we all tried. N (the boy) couldn't get a handle on how to hold the crochet hook, but we got him started on a pair of knitting needles. I showed him a simple way of casting on which he managed well enough (just 10 stitches). He struggled with the first knit row, so I knit it for him demonstrating the technique. I was impressed as he was able to carry on for four or five rows. He did add a few extra stitches and dropped one or two, but for a first attempt he did great. S picked up the crochet hook and made a chain but gave up when she started the single crochet row. She watched a few videos on her phone while we chatted and I kept an eye on N's progress. 

Thursday evening the landlord next door (not the fence landlord) arrived to start the clean-up of the property. (I'll call her GL - short for good landlord). If you recall the tenant left in May and the landlord went through the proper channels to officially evict him by the end of June. GL told D she had then gone through the authorities to determine what could be done with the possessions he left behind. The provinicial authority has given her permission to get rid of things. She and D went into the house, and it was clear he had taken only items that were useful to him and left pretty much everything that were the children's including their beds, toys, and much of their clothing. There was also a nearly full pantry of food! Yet we never saw him bring more than a few bags of food into the house. It turns out that almost everything in the house was donated to the family. The deacon of the Catholic church was by as well, and has agreed to to pick up and storee some of the more useful items to pass on to other needy families in the community.

I suspect it will take GL a few weeks to clear out the trash and other items from the house. She has another tenant who will be moving in when the property is ready. We're told she, the new tenant, is quiet and respectful and very clean. D and I are both looking forward to meeting her.

On the other hand, the rental unit on the other side has been interesting for different reasons. The original renters, two elderly people, seem to be running some sort of a short term transistion home. Neither R or K actually live there, instead there have been two different family groups in the last six months or so. It started with the son, then his three children and is now a family of four, parents and two children. At the end of the school year, the first group of children left with someone we assume is their mother. The son disappeared shortly thereafter and now this new family has moved in. R shows up on a weekly basis with groceries. Not sure what is happening there but the LND has already said he doesn't care who lives there so long as the rent is paid on time.

Garden update: I've continued to water every evening, though this week it's much less frequent and less volume. Picking included peas, cucumbers and more lettuce. The latter is amazing me, I cut it one day and it seems to fill in the next. The corn is showing tassles but still no silk. Hopefully I'll see signs of ears soon. The potato plants are starting to die back, so I expect I'll be harvesting those by the end of the month. Tomatoes continue to fill out but have yet to start ripening.

I've written notes in my gardening journal about the successes and failures (thus far) so that I can plan better for next year. Radish and peppers will be grown in containers, with the goal of keeping both in more shaded areas. The cucumbers have nearly outgrown their trellis (as did the peas) so I'll be looking for better and taller supports. I've also made a list of annuals to purchase next year...and that includes gerbera daisies! 

Today we're off to a community an hour away. They are having a parade and a town wide garage sale. We know Eli will enjoy the parade, and D and I are hopeful we'll find some treasures. This is the community that has a swimming pool with a lazy river as well as waterslides. Hopefully we'll be able to make a stop there as well. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Wacky weather, travel prep, watching sports

Wednesday's photos were take on Tuesday afternoon. It was a lovely day, we reached a high of 26C/79F. As you've seen we are just starting to see the leaves changing colour. Early that evening, we started receiving watches and warnings for thunderstorms on our phones. AND oh boy, did we get storms! I stood outside for awhile and listened to the thunder in the distance, but quickly went inside when the rain started. At times, it was very heavy, to the point the eavestroughs were overflowing. The storm moved past us later in the evening but more followed through the night and into the early morning.

In the morning, I went out to check the back yard. It wouldn't take much effort to pull up the weeds after all the rain (about an inch by 9 a.m.), but the back yard is a mud pit. Although I have rubber boots, I can imagine I'd get mired in the mud. So indoor day it was!

I had been out Tuesday morning and cleaned up more weeds...I'm getting there but there is still work to do. The worst part is the tree roots I've encountered. I've asked my son to help with this task on the weekend, as we need to use an axe to complete the task. It's clear that the weed barrier that the former owners had put down was meant to conceal the mess underneath. Once I've cleaned it up as much as possible, I'm considering having it roto-tilled later this fall, and then covering it in black plastic until spring. Ultimately, I have plans to have it regraded (to keep water away from the foundation), to seed half of it with microclover, and lay down gravel for parking. My son will be replacing the old fence in the spring too. 

I did some prep this week for my cruise. I tried on items that I consider "cruise" clothes, some no longer fit, and I know darn well I won't be losing weight before or during the cruise. I also sorted out my regular clothing and decided on those items. I realized after I'd layed everything out, I had a colour theme going: mostly blue for daytime, mostly pink and black for evenings. I've limited myself to about 6 days of clothing, as I have access to a diy laundry, as well as the ship's laundry. Since I've reached the "elite" level, the latter is free to me. There are very few perks left at this level, but laundry is definitely a nice one to have. However, the downside is on a full ship, it can take up to 72 hours for the return of one's laundry.

It appears this cruise won't be completely full. Last week I received an e-mail offering an opportunity to bid for an upgrade. I decided to send in a lower than minimum bid for an obstructed balcony. This just means that the lifeboats on the side of the ship obstruct a portion of the view. This week, I got a counter offer for a standard balcony for the original minimum bid and the offer was in Canadian dollars. I decided to go for it, and after the bid was accepted, I moved down the floor a few cabins from my inside. I'll be on the starboard side on our way south - meaning there will be sunsets from my balcony!

Out of curiousity I priced out the current cost of the cabin, if I were to purchase today. Funnily, the only one available on the deck I've chosen was the one next door. Overall, my cost savings is about $200 in comparison to today's prices. Speaking of money, I went into the bank to pick up US dollars. My goodness, the exchange rate is ridiculous. I don't intend on spending a whole lot of money on this trip, an occasional drink in the evening, maybe a t-shirt, and of course, some sort of souvenier to bring back for Eli. :) I do have a USD account that I can use while I'm there as well, if needed.

For a few days this week the city has been cutting and removing a portion of sidewalk across the street. I'm not sure why they only work on it for an hour or so at a time. On Thursday morning, they were working as the rain fell excavating the sidewalk. There was rain in the forecast until today, and I'm sure they don't work weekends, so I expect it will be next week before the concrete is poured.

Clearly, I wasn't spending time outdoors. I sat down to watch the Blue Jays game that afternoon, then lay down with the cat and after 3 innings, I found myself watching eyelid theatre (thanks for that expression, Anne!) I woke just as the announcer commented that the Jays won their game. 

There are a couple of curling events happening as well, so Thursday evening and most of Friday were spent watching live curling from Okotoks, while keeping an eye on the scores from the other event. The Blue Jays (baseball) had a late afternoon game, and the Riders (football) played in the evening. It's really hard to get much done! I did some knitting and finished another mitten, and when my son came home from work, he helped me remove and replace the dryer hose. The old one had been taped a bazillion times but clearly was leaking as I was constantly cleaning up lint particles. Oh, and I baked a cake in the morning - from a box - I was really lazy!

Today, there will be more curling, more baseball, more football to watch. Besides reading blogs while I watch I'm planning to get more knitting done.  It's also going to be the coolest day we've had for some time, with a high of 15C(59F). I woke to an outside temperature of a mere 7C(45F) this morning. The house has been cooling off at night (17F/62F), so I may have to bake something to warm it up slightly. The forecast is for more normal temperatures through the rest of the week, and it is just too early to turn on the furnace.

Have a wonderful week ahead everyone!

Proud moment in an otherwise normal week

Before I blather on about my week, I thought I'd share this photo of my handsome grandson. Tuesday marked back to school for Eli, now entering Grade 2! How the heck did that happen?

The sign seems to suggest he is 75 years old, but I'm guessing my old eyes aren't seeing the . because he's actually 7 1/2 years old. 

He's not looking happy in the photo because the wasps have settled under the front steps; he's worried he might get stung. My daughter and I have discussed how to get rid of them.

He had a wonderful first day back and was happy to see more of his friends on the playground. 

Back here in the city, I spent a the weekend mornings in the yard. The front flower bed has been weeded, the hedge clipped, and the side and back patio cleared of weeds as well. I started the process in the backyard of cutting down small trees that have grown a ridiculous amount over the two months I was a away. We could have a forest back there if I left them be. Hmmm...maybe that's an idea. The neighbours to the north were away over the weekend, so I was able to trim the hedge on their side as well. I used the rake and broom to clean up the trimmings as well as clear out leaves that weren't cleaned up last fall. 

We got heat all weekend and into Tuesday (30C/86F most days). As a result, I was back indoors before lunch and mostly stayed there for the rest of the day. I did run out on Sunday to pick up more Round-up for the backyard weeds and later spent an hour or so in the shade reading.

By Tuesday, my right arm was aching from the all of the digging and pulling so I decided to take the day off. My first stop was at Canadian Tire (hardware store) for a garden fork. It should help loosen the weeds more than my little hand trowel, and make pulling easier. Value Village and the Salvation Army store followed - it was Senior's Day. I found a couple of new tops, a pullover sweater, two James Patterson books, and a set of small glass bowls with lids. All for $25 - I do like a bargain.

I've spent the afternoons watching football, baseball, reading, and crocheting. I'm working on a lap afghan but I expect I'll run out of the yarn I'm working with before it is finished. Of course, it is some remnants from my stash so I don't have more of the same. I cleared out the closet and moved the stash into the cubby under the stairs. I'm certain I have enough of similar colours that I'll likely make it longer and try to create a gradient effect. If I like it, I'll take a photo later.

Wednesday was knitting group - the first I've been too since ... I don't remember when! I know it's been months. Two other ladies were there and they sounded happy to see me. We had a nice visit and I got a good start on another mitten.

I'd spent a couple of hours that morning working on the weeds in the back yard. The garden fork is helping loosen the dirt but our clay soil is like concrete in many places. We had a bit of rain overnight so that helped a wee bit. After filling two large garbage bags with waste I was done for the day and desperately needed a shower.

We woke to a cold morning on Thursday - a mere 1C(34F). I decided I'd wait until later in the day to do more weeding, and took the opportunity to have a relaxed start to the morning. Mid-morning I did my grocery shopping for the week, mostly sale items and more fresh veg and fruit, and started dinner when I got home. Since the house is cool, I decided on a pasta bake. I like that I can put it together early in the day, and wait until my son gets home to put it in the oven. Housework took up most of the afternoon. 

Friday morning was a little warmer, 7C/45F but felt chilly. I put off heading in the yard and started a batch of dough instead. I used the rise time to catch up on the budget update. After a few months, I am seeing a huge increase in grocery costs when in town versus the city. When I return at the end of October, I'll take advantage of the lower prices here - maybe that will ease the pain of the costs in a rural area.

Oh, curling started on Friday too. I was able to stream a couple of draws in the morning. Between curling, baseball, and football, I'll never lack for something to watch for the next while.

Today, I'll have to shelve the curling in the morning as we're expecting a high of 31C (88F) this afternoon because I need to get more weeding done. With that said, I'm off to get a cup of tea and head outdoors.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Transition time

Wednesday's photo was taken at the local rodeo event on Sunday. For $5, a child could ride on a Shetland pony or the donkey, and he chose the donkey. Understandable to me, as the two ponies were a bit of a handful for their workers. The donkey was far friendlier, coming to the fence for scratches and it didn't seem to be bothered by a child on it's back. In addition, there were a couple of bunnies but neither were interested in being petted.

We went about 1:30 thinking the races that started at noon would be over, and the children's rodeo event would be soon after. However, by 2:30-3:00 only four of the six horse races had been completed so we decided to cut the day short. We took Eli to the local arcade where he played various games and came home with a lollipon and a hand fan for his prizes, and G'ma bought a frozen slushie. Overall a pretty good day for the kiddo.

Monday and Tuesday mornings were spent out in the yard. D mowed and trimmed, while I dealt with weeds and debris, transplanted the geraniums into their winter pots, put away solar lights and garden knicknacks and cleaned out and reorganized the shed. D doesn't enjoy yardwork, so dealing with some things now will make her work easier later. While we were outside, Stanley was able to hang out in his catio, and when we finished, I brought my tea and sat out and enjoyed the view. He was a pretty happy cat with all the outside time, and ready for a long nap indoors.

Tuesday afternoon, the handyman carpenter and his helper showed up, followed shortly by the garage door company. CT removed the old garage door and mechanical, and built a header for the new door. Meanwhile his helper hung pegboard and shelving supports in the basement for more of Eli's toys and multiple Nerf guns. They finished up fairly quickly, though CT needed to return to install the flashing above the near garage door. Meanwhile the other two guys installed the new door and hardware, along with the door opener. The old door was bent and impossible to open - now D will have a place to park the car in the winter out of the snow and cold. 

Wednesday was packing day for me. I had made a list earlier in the week, so was able to get everything organized in short order. I took Stanley outside for our last tea time together, and did some deadheading, and pulled the rest of the tomatoes. D came out briefly, and we loaded the bags of sand that hold down the trampoline, into new bags and someone's little fingers had poked holes in the original bags. (I wonder who?) 

In the afternoon, I took Eli to the park. It was sunny with a slight breeze when we arrived but two hours in, the sky was overcast. It feels like the beginning of fall, the sun is warm but the breeze has a hint of the cool weather that is to come. There were several children in the park. Unfortunately, Eli doesn't always grasp social cues and a couple of the kids were quite annoyed by him. There was some pushing and shoving at one point - I intervened.  The children were not being kind to him, but he doesn't understand when they ask him to leave them alone, he ought not to follow them. 

On Thursday, I was up about 6:30 with plans to get away by 9 a.m. After Eli's bath, I had a shower, and then stripped my bedding. D put it in the laundry so we could re-make the bed before I left. I left the house just before 9, right on schedule. It was cloudy and cool, with a high possibility of rain. About 45 minutes into my drive, I noticed the highway was wet, but I drove another 15 minutes before the light rain started falling and about 5 minutes later, it started to pour. That lasted until I was nearing the city when the rain just seemed to stop. 

Saku (the cat) was thrilled to see me, though I wasn't at the house long. Just dropped off what I'd brought with me, checked the fridge, freezer and pantry and headed out to buy groceries. My son (and daughter) both eat differently than I do, so there was very little in the fridge for me. I brought home fresh vegetables, whole wheat bread and bagels, some meat for the freezer, and cat food for Saku. He didn't know it, but he was down to a few cans of wet food and a container of dry. 

I had to laugh when I saw this sign at Walmart.

That's quite the rollback (not).

I spent the rest of Thursday afternoon and Friday morning catching up on housework. Before I leave this time, I'm going to give my son a lesson on using a vacuum cleaner. I ran out to run a couple of errands, and stopped by the walk-in salon to see if I could get a haircut. They were busy, but were able to fit me in that afternoon. By the time I left the salon, I felt human again. 

I ought to have spent time outdoors weeding, but knowing that my son likes to sleep in on the weekend, I figured I'd wait until today. (At least that's the excuse I'm sticking with.) The temperature is lovely this morning, around 13C(55F), so after a cup of tea, I'll go tackle the front flower bed. The backyard is going to take several days. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Sun, blowing smoke, and still waiting

Wednesday's photo is of a mourning dove, which had been posing nicely in the sun at the top of the small shed. However it decided to fly down to the bird bath just as I took the photo, resulting in the shadow. I didn't want to move from my chair to take another photo as I was certain it would fly away. It splashed about in the bath for a minute so and then did just that.

Before I get into the house sale and weekly round-up, I'll share this photo of the sun one evening.

It was taken about 6:30 p.m. when I happened to look out as I was doing the dinner dishes. We've had a lot of smoke in the air this summer. According to a local news outlet, we've had 223 hours of smoke so far this year, and have been under special air quality statements many times as a result. On this day, the air quality index was a 10+ (7-10 is considered a high health risk). On those days I keep the windows closed in the house, and try to avoid being outdoors as much as possible. Thankfully, I don't have asthma or allergies, but find that my throat often feels irritated from it. The provincial authorities are saying that the fires in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories could continue until the snow falls. I'm beginning to think that winter will be a good thing...at least this year.

Back to the continuing saga of the house sale: Sunday's showing was short and I assumed the worst, that they had smelled cat, or decided the yard was too small, or for some other reason. My realtor touched base with the other realtor on Monday and discovered, despite the short period of time, the party did like the house. He was returning to Calgary and would know for 100% certain whether he would be moving to Regina by Friday. The other piece of good news was they were considering whether to make a back-up offer.

In the meantime, the current buyers were running out of time to get a conditional offer in place to meet the deadline of September 15. My realtor received a message back from their realtor, stating "we have had lots of action and offers that have not worked out yet. Did an open house yesterday (that would have been Sunday) and some possible activity from that tomorrow." We both had a good chuckle over that text, as he would have notified my realtor had their truly been an offer. In any event, Tuesday came and went with no indication they had "activity" from the open house.

I spent Tuesday morning grocery shopping with a trip to Value Village and the Salvation Army thrift store. I did well on the groceries, most items were on sale and I was able to find everything I needed. V.V. was a bust, it was Senior's day, and I suspect someone else beat me to the bargains that day. The S.A. store offered up a rubber tote, a watering can, and a book for $15. I've been gathering up the totes to use for packing, especially for craft materials and decorative items. The watering can is plastic and a much needed item as I managed to trip on my old one, ending up with my foot in it and breaking the top of it. I've continued to use it, with less water in it, but I'm happy to have this newer one that is much bigger.  

The book is a novel written by Lisa Scottoline,"Every Fifteen Minutes". I've read several of her novels and this one looks quite frightening to be honest. It involves a psychiatrist who has been targeted by a psychopath. This appears to be the overarching story line, though there is also an ethical decision to be made regarding a patient who is obssessed with a young girl. I likely won't be reading this one late at night. :)

I spent the afternoon out in the backyard reading in the sun. It wasn't particularly warm, only 16C (61F) but in the warmth of the sun it felt terrific. I finished reading Jeffrey Archer's "Paths of Glory", a fictionalized story of George Mallory and his life long goal of climbing Mount Everest. It's a good read, and though we'll never know if he actually reached the summit, one can't help but hope he did.

My realtor called that evening to tell me about a second potential back-up offer that may be coming our way. However, nothing was forthcoming and I spent Wednesday feeling sorry for myself. I didn't make it to stitch and chat, just hung out on the couch and watched baseball. 

On Thursday I went out and did some yardwork - picking up pine cones, deadheading flowers, and pulling up the petunias. The latter were looking past their prime, dying back, and straggly. I managed to get things cleaned up before the green bin was picked up that afternoon. Just being outdoors made me feel good.

I spent the rest of the afternoon out on the front patio reading my new book. While I was out there, my realtor texted to say the current buyers have lowered their asking price on their property "too little, too late". He also let me know that the fellow from Calgary hasn't let the realtor here know yet what his plans are. However the second realtor has requested a copy of the PCDS report (property condition disclosure report), which may be a good sign. And now, a third realtor has popped up indicating he has clients who may be interested. 

Later in the evening, I had a text asking if the third realtor could bring his party through on Friday at 5:30. Of course, I said yes. Fingers crossed and all that. That meant housework was a priority on Friday. I hope I'm not giving the impression that I don't keep the house clean and mostly tidy in any case, it's just not necessarily ready to show. The items that stay out on the counters or end tables are put away, and I also make sure that the rugs are freshly vacuumed, floors are washed (or spot washed depending on when I last washed them), clean towels are put out, laundry is done, etc. I mean, who wants to find someone's dirty laundry when one opens a closet door? I also walk through the whole house checking for evidence of the cat (think hairballs). After that experience of spilled water that the agent/clients assumed was cat pee, I don't want or need any more surprises.

The showing started on time and unlike so many before, they were in the house for at least 35-40 minutes. We'd returned home, and I'd brought Saku into the house and turned the oven on to cook a pizza, when my phone rang. It was my realtor - they were interested in the house, but aren't certain if they'll be making a back-up offer or simply wait until the 15th. He reminded their realtor that a back-up offer would ensure they'll be first in line. However, no back-up offer was received by the time I headed for bed. 

Today, we're meeting the realtor at a house that just went on the market on Friday. It isn't perfect (nothing is in my son's price range), and it would need new flooring throughout the whole house. But the price looks reasonable, and with a little help from mom, I know that C could get the work done reasonably quickly. It has three bedrooms up, a full basement (partially finished) with a newly renovated bathroom downstairs, and an interesting garage. I suspect the owner was a backyard mechanic, as there are doors at either end of the 20 X 33 ft. garage. This could be a good thing, as I'd have indoor space to park my vehicle when I'm travelling. One thing we'll be looking at is the basement to ensure it is solid and dry. The one possible drawback is location. It backs onto commercial property, though there is a fence between that property and the back of the house. 

Now that we have three potential buyers in the wings, and despite not having a back-up offer (yet), I'm feeling more positive that the house will sell soon. It's less than a week from the last deadline. Patience is a virtue I don't necessarily have much of, but I'll just keep busy - perhaps even start some packing this week.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Waiting

Wednesday's photo was courtesy of my brother R. He used a scope and his cellphone to capture the photo of the hummingbird. I've never had any luck attracting them to this yard, while he has several that visit the feeder he has set up on the verandah.

Things slowed down some after the excitement of Wednesday. However, the refridgerater decided to add to it, developing a leak that was pooling in the bottom freezer. I called an appliance repair company, and they won't be able to come out until Monday (originally Tuesday but I got a call moving up the appointment. I really don't want to have to replace the fridge, but if it cannot be repaired I will have too. As I said to my realtor, mo' money, mo' money.  

I ran out to pick up a few groceries on Thursday, mostly the basics, eggs, bread, and some veg. But, I also needed Drano, because the damned kitchen sink started draining slowly. That fixed it, so no need for a repairman for that issue. 

The afternoon was spend outdoors or in the garage. I deadheaded flowers, watered containers and picked tomatoes. It sounds goofy, but I was happy to empty a couple of bags of yard waste into my new green bin. The pick-up won't happen until the week of Sept. 4, but I still have lots of room in the bin. The dirtiest job was washing down the garage floor - I'd swept it out, but oh my, the dirt that clings to it. I used the push broom to move most of the dirty water out of the garage and onto the driveway. Since the garage door was open, I took the opportunity to sit in the shade off the patio and read for awhile. I needed the break!

On Friday morning, I texted the realtor to ask about the house inspection. He tried to contact the other realtor, but heard nothing back from him. We also discovered that the couple had yet to list their property on MLS. 

I only spent a short time outside, watering the back lawn. Housework took precedence until mid-morning, when I was cleaning out the fridge and realized I had a container of blueberries that needed to be used up. I didn't have enough for a pie, and didn't to make muffins, so I looked up a recipe for a galette. It isn't the prettiest piece of pastry but oh my, does it taste good!

Saturday, we met the realtor at one of three properties we/I chose to view. The first one was the one C liked the best from the photos on the realtor website. It's a smaller house, but as he says he doesn't need anything very big. The main floor measures about 900 square feet and has two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen/dining area, and living room. Off the front door is a lovely deck that has room for a couple of chairs and a table. The basement has been developed with a rec room, two additional bedrooms, a bathroom, and also contains large utility room with the laundry set, furnace, a/c and water heater. The back yard has been xeriscaped and contains a decent sized cement patio, as well as a single car garage. What impressed me, C less so, was the amount of storage in the house. It seemed that there closets and cupboards in nearly every room. Again, something he doesn't need, but this was clearly a family of five living in the home so it is currently being well used. There is some work that can be done, mostly cosmetic, though the windows will need replacing in a few years. We did learn that the shingles are being replaced next week and that would have been an issue that we would have raised in any event.

The second property looked good in the photos, but was a huge disappointment. It was clear that the renovations on the interior had been done by a do-it-yourself-er and not a handy one at that. As the realtor said, "just because you can drive to Rona, doesn't mean you should." The basement looked dangerous with cut-outs in the joists to hold pipes and other boards. A two story, we didn't even make it upstairs to see the bedroom spaces.

The final house was just listed this week. Photos looked pretty good, and the first impression on entering was decent. Though an older house, built in 1945, it had 9 foot ceilings on the main floor. The kitchen had been updated at some point with orange oak cabinets, and the main bathroom had also been updated. But the basement again, was less appealing. There was an unregulated one bedroom suite in the basement, a diy'er bathroom, and a laundry/furnace room that obviously had water issues. Both a fan and a de-humidifier were running while we were there. Again, we didn't bother to look at the garage and back yard. 

The realtor still hasn't heard back from the other realtor, but we know that conditions must be lifted by Wednesday. He assumes they are holding off as they are waiting for confirmation on the financing as they want to port their mortgage to this property. He thinks they'll have an answer by Monday. I can understand that, why pay several hundred dollars for a house inspection if the financing doesn't come through. 

So for the meantime, C won't be making an offer on the first house we viewed, at least until Thursday. While he can afford to go ahead, I want to be in a position to move as well. The dominoes just need to fall in order. Though it's a bit worrying, not knowing what is going on, I'm not in panic mode at this point. Ask me again on Wednesday. :p

Have a great week ahead everyone!

The future, the present and a look at the past

Thank you all for your kind words regarding my back pain. I've had a follow-up with my chiropractor and we both agree I'm back to 80% or more. Every day I'm seeing improvement. Moving from a sitting or lying position is still somewhat painful but I'm getting there and once I'm up and mobile I'm good to go. I'm also continuing to take an anti-inflammatory every morning and use the RubA535 ointment for pain relief. I didn't do a whole of lot of anything this week, but did continue to stay active by walking frequently during the day. 

On Monday I went out to Walmart to pick up a few needed grocery items, milk and fruit. While I was there I also got the goodies for the Halloween trick or treaters. The box of mini chocolate bars and box of chips are tucked away in the garage for now. I couldn't find one of the items I wanted so stopped at the Co-op on the way home where I picked up a few more items. We should be good for the next ten days or so.

Tuesday was an exciting day, not for anything I actively did but because it was time to make final payment on my next cruise. The photo from Wednesday was taken from the cruise company website of the Island Princess navigating through the Panama Canal. I booked this cruise in April 2021, hoping against hope that the pandemic would be over and life be back to semi-normal. I guess I was almost right.

The cruise I'll be on is a 14 day cruise sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles with a full transit through the canal. We also have stops in Columbia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Huatulco, and Puerto Vallarta. It is the first leg of the world cruise (111 days) leaving from Fort Lauderdale. I can't imagine a cruise of that length, and reading about passengers dealing with Visa's and the like in various countries makes me content to be on the shorter cruise. Just about 90 days to sail-away!

When we reach Los Angeles, I expect there won't be a whole of passengers disembarking. It should make for an easy transfer to the airport for my flight home. The other thing that will be quite different for me is the size of the ship. The Island Princess has capacity for just around 2200 passengers and 900 crew. In comparison, the smallest ship I've been on previously had over 3000 passengers and 1200 crew. (Basically the size of the town when I was growing up). The larger ships are too big to go through the old locks. 

Back to the mundane, on Wednesday I managed to get some floors mopped before I settled in to watch the first of a Jays baseball double header. When I left for my stitch and chat group the Jays were leading but the Orioles rallied and one for the first game. Stitch and chat was good, with six of us there working on various projects. D was back this week and we had a great chat about the Panama cruise. She's done the route twice before so had a few ideas for me. 

Thursday morning dawned cold with a temperature of -5C (23F). It never got warmer than 8C (46F) and while I should have gone out to pull the remaining annuals I left them for one more night. It was chilly out there and I was procrastinating. Most the plants looked fine on Thursday morning but after an even colder night into Friday morning, the geraniums and ivy that I meant to bring indoors are done, and my impatience is finished too. The marigolds and petunias were still looking decent, but I had to pull them before the soil in the pots froze solid.

The other activity that has been keeping me busy is a return to Ancestry website. I had paused my membership and re-started it late last week. I signed on and found over 600 hints waiting for me. This doesn't include the 400-500 hints I had identified through Newspapers.com while I was able to view Ancestry but not update. It's going to take some time to complete the revisions and add new information. 

One of the new individuals, was the great niece of my 3X great grandfather. Alice May was born in Quebec in 1885. She married sometime between 1901 and 1905 when her oldest child was born. Five more children were born between 1907 and 1914 including a set of twins; sadly none of her children lived to see their first birthday. At some point, her husband remarried and had two surviving children and he passed away in 1949. No 1921 census records are available for Alice May or her husband, though I did find a voter's list for 1940 and discovered she was living with her mother and sister in Montreal.  The last document I've accessed was a border crossing from 1945, when at the age of 60, Alice May went to visit a male friend in Detroit, Michigan. I've had no luck in finding this friend, as his name is very common, and she seems to have disappeared after this point in time. 

One can't happen but wonder what happened to Alice May. She suffered many losses, her children and her husband when she was a young adult. She clearly supported herself as she is listed as a servant in 1940, and a cook in 1945 on the border crossing declaration. Whether she returned to Canada or remained in the U.S. is a mystery with no conclusion. Perhaps as more records are made available, the end of her story will be revealed. 

I won't end this post on that solemn note, so will drop in a couple of photos from this week.

I've finished two scarves in the past ten days or so, both crocheted, and a pair of knitted mitts. I have a toque/beanie started in the same color of brown, and a baby dress from skein of yarn that's been in my stash for a long time. There aren't too many more bits and pieces of yarn left in the tub.

This is photo of the trees in my back yard on Friday morning. As I mentioned we had frost overnight in Thursday and Friday. I was doing dishes on Thursday afternoon, and noticed the trees were dropping their leaves, even without a wind. It seems they just changed colour over the weekend and they've both lost most of the leaves in just a 24 hour period. 

I did get the containers cleared out on Friday afternoon, after the curling and baseball game, and before the football started. The patio furniture was put away, and all the containers stored in various places in the yard or small shed for the winter, along with the garden hoses. It all looks so bare now with the exception of the perennials in the front flower bed. I'll cut those back in the spring. 

Today is going to be quiet day. A little baseball, a little football, and some knitting. To my Canadian readers, Happy Thanksgiving!

A mostly relaxing week

My week started out with a visit from my favorite (and only) grandson.  D and Eli drove in on Sunday and headed back home Monday afternoon.  She had a doctor's appointment planned and as it turned out this little guy needed to see the doctor too.  He had gotten a bug bite sometime on the weekend and it had gotten infected. I suspect a little boy might have scratched it with dirty fingers.  D called the 811 health line for assistance but they didn't feel he needed to see the doctor; G'ma did not agree because his arm was swollen, hot to the touch and quite red.  D was able to get an appointment for him on Monday morning, and we used anti-allergy meds and Polysporin ahead of the visit.  The doctor provided a prescription for antibiotics and it has cleared up nicely.

Apparently it didn't hurt, or at least it didn't slow Eli down any.  We spent some time at the nearby park, walked down to the pond to see the geese and ducks, he played in the yard, drove the G'ma car to Tim Hortons, hung out in the basement with Uncle C, and gave Sasha gentle hugs.  He found my level with a laser light and he and Saku played chase the dot.  Maybe someday Saku will learn to tolerate the kid.

After they left for home on Monday, I puttered around and did a bit of tidying.  D called when they got home; they had followed a storm on their drive and it had hit their town quite hard.  There were tree branches down all over, a large one in front of her house and another one in front of the neighbour's.  But her friend F fared worse, as a tree had toppled and landed on the roof of their home.  The power lines were affected too, so they were without power for several hours.  I'm grateful there wasn't any more damage but it was bad enough.

Tuesday I wanted to get my housework out of the way in the morning so I could spend some time outside in the afternoon.  The darn phone just wouldn't stop ringing so eventually I started ignoring it.  I missed a call from my friend S but I'll catch up with her later.  She is visiting with her daughter and new grandbaby, a sweet little girl, and calls when everyone else is napping.  

I still managed to take care of most everything I wanted to get done, three loads of laundry, bathrooms, cat litter, and washing floors by shortly after 1 p.m. I stopped then to have a bite to eat, before heading out to the backyard.  I mowed and did some weeding before sitting with my book and my water for an hour or so.  I got a treat when C came home, as he was craving pizza so ordered dinner for both of us.  I had planned to cook, but that waited until Wednesday morning.

Although I had intended to wait until later in the week, Wednesday was shopping day.  D had asked me to pick up a prescription for her and since I was going out for that reason, it made sense to get the rest of the shopping done.  However, when I got to the drug store I learned her prescription wouldn't be available until later in the day.  Oh well, I figured I may as well finish the shopping.  Pet Valu was first on the list for the cat litter and then Safeway for a few groceries.  I headed home and just as I was finishing putting them away, the drug store called to say the prescription was ready.  So back I went to the store where I completed the pick up and mailed them out to D.

At home, I sauteed some ground beef, split it into two portions and made taco meat with one portion, and a sort of hamburger stew with the second.  We had those meals later in the week as there was leftover pizza from the night before to use up.  While I was doing my little bit of cooking I chatted with my brother R.  He's off work on a week's vacation but it ain't no holiday.  Between working on the house in town (he and his wife bought her mother's house from the estate), driving his wife to and from work, and the farm yard chores he's been busy.  However, he did get approval to take a couple of days to visit the Grasslands National Park with his daughter.  (This was later shortened to one night - she who must be obeyed had a list of things to be done before the week end.)

The rest of the day was spent puttering.  I finished clipping the lower branches of the evergreen in the front yard and filled the bin again!  In back, I added some more soil and grass seed, and watered the lawn.  I've only a few small spots left as it is finally filling in.  I noticed that the weeds are starting to get big again...but I left those for another day.  It's a never ending battle.

I awoke to another sunny day on Thursday.  I think back to last summer, I was so busy trying to keep the house show room perfect that I don't recall having much time to just enjoy the weather and time outdoors.  I'm definitely making up for it this year!  There wasn't much on my own to-do list for the day, so a walk was in order.  A couple of my favorite photos from that day:

Is there anything cuter than baby animals?  Mama duck was staying nearby to keep an eye out while they fed.  The pink/purple spots you see are the thistle flowers, out of focus of course, since I wanted to capture the little ones.

Arriving home, I read out on the front patio for awhile before deciding it was a good day to tackle the garage.  If you recall, I'd spent some time in there last week cleaning the floors.  Today, I tackled the clutter, reorganized boxes, recycling, tools, brooms, paint supplies, and so forth.  I wiped down the shelving units, and swept the floor again, getting under shelving, and work bench.  Then, just for fun I washed it again (I'm joking, it wasn't that much fun).  It looks so much better out there and should last a week or two.  I need to take some electronics for recycling and a few boxes of items to the thrift store - I'm not sure if the latter is accepting donations at this time.

Friday started off cloudy but the sky cleared and it got hot (for me).  I spent the morning sewing masks, one each for me, D and Eli, and another for J, Eli's father.  He'll be flying in to Regina on August 19 and staying for week.  D will pick him up at the airport (and drop him off).  I know he has to wear a mask on the flight, but I suspect that's a disposable.  D hasn't tried to get Eli to wear a mask but they are recommended for children over 2 years old.  I believe, if he sees his daddy wear one, Eli will be more compliant.  I guess we'll see.  

I enjoyed my lunch on patio and read for awhile before heading over to Canadian Tire to pick up a couple of plastic containers that were on sale.  I want to reorganize my sewing room and these will be handy for material, patterns and other supplies.  I also stopped by the Dollar store to get three folding cubes.  I've filled these with yarn and need a few more! 

Saturday, the morning started with a light rain, and I woke up with a stiff neck and accompanying headache.  I assume I slept funny - I recall being awake several times during the night unable to get comfortable.  I made a pot of coffee and took a couple of Tylenol, but after talking to my daughter about 7:30 I gave up and went back to bed.  She woke me at 11:15 - I'm not sure how long I might have slept if she hadn't called.I spent the rest of the day not doing much of anything.  I watched some television I'd PVR'ed, crocheted, watched some curling, crocheted, made dinner, watched more curling, did more crocheting.  Even so, I was ready for bed once the final curling draw was over.  

Today, I've got a few things in mind but for the moment, I'm reading blogs, drinking coffee, and enjoying the morning.  It's a good day!

Take care and stay well!