The week that was - Aug 5-11

I did it! I got the weeding done, for now, at the CCS office.  It took another three hours on Sunday and another three quarters of a black garbage bag full to get 'er done.  I'll go once a week to keep it clear at least until the weather changes.  Speaking of which, we had another very cool over night on Tuesday with our temperature dropping to just 6C (43F).  I tend to lose my impatience when we get to 4C so that was a little close for comfort.  

More showings this week. We had one on Monday an two on Wednesday.  The first on Sunday didn't seem promising as they were in and out of the house in less than 20 minutes.  But the following day, my agent got a text from the other agent, saying his clients really liked the house and though they want to see a few more it is at the top of the list... and then the words "for now".  I did a little bit of finger crossing hoping we'd hear from them asking for a second look.  

The first showing on Wednesday was promising too with a quick response from the agent saying that they "may" want a second look and letting us know he'd be in touch the following day.  The later showing were in and out in a flash.  As it turned out neither of the potential second showings came to fruition, the first because they found a house in a totally different area of the city and the second because they decided the back yard was too small.  I continue to hope that I'm not the only person in this city who prefers not to do a lot of yard work.  

On a happier note, Wednesday I met a former co-worker for breakfast.  She worked in our Saskatoon office and retired around the same time as I did.  We've stayed in touch and try to get together nearly every time she is here in Regina visiting her daughter.  It was fun catching up, with some laughter as we talked about certain people we worked with...especially those with little talent and big egos. We don't miss those folks at all.  Later I went to the afternoon stitch, make and chat group at the library.  I took along a loaf of zucchini bread to share.  I quite like this group, some interesting characters and while they've obviously known one another for some time they are very welcoming.

My current project is getting too large for the bag that I've been carrying it in to the library.  I'm not about to make another bag yet, so will have to find a smaller project for next week's meet-up.  Here's what I am working on: 

It is a new afghan for my bed that will eventually be large enough to cover a double bed (my current bed is queen) but I do plan to downsize at some point.  I was looking for something different than a ripple pattern - you can see a small bit of the afghan I made several years ago to the left of the photo.  I found this circular pattern and thought it was unusual and very pretty.  I had started it originally with other yarn and then discovered the yarn was a different color than the rest of the balls I had planned to use.  Rather than rip it back, I'll take what was started and add pink to it to finish that piece off as a baby blanket. I just need to buy a ball or two of pink as I don't have enough in my stash.  Oh no, more yarn....lol. 

On Thursday I woke up to another cool morning and the house was quite chilly.  I decided it was a great day to tackle the fridge and do some food prep.  I made a couple of salads, coleslaw and a broccoli/walnut/bacon/cranberry blend, mixed up some egg salad from hard boiled eggs I had boiled up earlier this week, cooked up a pot of rice and cut up chicken to marinate.  The latter two items were used for supper that night along with some peppers, celery and onion for chicken fried rice. While I normally don't have peppers in my fried rice I wanted to use these up before they got too soft.  It was yummy!

We were back into the heat for one more day on Friday but the morning was quite comfortable.  I've been neglecting my own yard so after my first cup of coffee I took the second outside.  I spent about 45 minutes watering, deadheading, and picking up pine cones.  I really like my evergreen because it provides privacy on the patio from the street.  But I sure dislike the pine cones. I'd picked up a small bag full earlier in the week and did so again today.  There is at least one more bag to go but I'll do that another day.  It was so nice I sat out with my coffee, finished off a card to a friend, and enjoyed the quiet of the morning.

The rest of the day was relaxing, I puttered around the house doing a bit of picking up, read a bit and just hung out.  In the evening the Riders played in Montreal winning the game after a thunderstorm caused a game delay.  Not the way I'd like to see a win but it worked.  In the meantime we were having a storm of our own here.  There was a Garth Brooks concert at the stadium that was also delayed due to the weather.  I sure hope he started with "The Thunder Rolls".  

We had rain for the most of the night; I would wake briefly and hear it running off the roof.  No need to water the containers in the morning. Saturday was a day of catching on television programs I'd PVR'ed earlier in the week, continuing the work on my afghan, and relaxing.  My FitBit showed it as I barely made a dent in my steps that day!

Today, I've not much planned.  Just a bit of housework and possibly coffee with my friend C this afternoon.  It's a cool and cloudy day but if the rain holds off I might get out and pick up another bag of pine cones.  

Have a great week everyone!

Weekly wrap-up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saku checking out my purchases

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week everyone!

July's to-do list

I've been reading blogs where the author has challenged themselves to complete, or at least attempt, a number of tasks.  One of those blogs, Thrifty Mom in Boise published a 30 things in 30 days list in earlier posts and this inspired me to create my own list for July. 

1.         Count my blessings - daily

2.         Bake buns

3.         Send a letter or card to someone

4.         Drive out to visit Destiny and Eli – two trips actually

5.         Invite guests over for a visit or dinner – did not happen.  This was a stretch for me, as I always feel my hosting skills are lacking so unless I count Eli and D, I'll really have to work on this one.

6.         Make a gift – started but Eli helped so I started it again!

7.         Sew or craft something – finished toddler sweater

8.         Make a monthly meal plan for August – A number of the blogs I read have meal plans.  That was a bit daunting for me, so I started a list of possible meals using items in my freezer and pantry.  I started using the list in July but as many are faves I'm sure they'll show up in August as well.

9.         Go to the $$ Store

10.       Try a new recipe – zucchini loaf

11.       Read a book – The Unfinished Child by Theresa Shea

12.       Watch a movie – apparently not memorable as I can’t remember what it was called!

13.       Thoroughly clean the laundry room

14.       Take a walk in the park

15.       Investment cooking - hamburger patties, sloppy Joes, buns, and potato soup.

16.       Repurpose/recycle something

17.       Weed the front flower bed

18.       Detail the inside of my car

19.       Mend my capris

20.       Bake something and share it

21.       Complete an inventory of my freezer

22.       Empty the basement freezer - a work in progress

23.       Learn how to make something

24.       Finish crocheting edging on Eli’s blanket – done!

25.       Finish crocheting sweater – oops I counted this twice

26.       Mow the lawn weekly – almost, it was closer to every 10 days

27.       List something to sell on Varage sale

28.       Volunteer

29.       Listen to my Spanish CDs in the car – I kept forgetting about it these!

30.       Take some time for myself - I'm fortunate as I get to do this everyday!

I probably won't try to fit in as much this month, as I found myself feeling a wee bit stressed that I wasn't getting everything done.  But having the list was great too because it was a great reminder of the things I want to do, enjoy doing, with a couple of stretch possibilities as well.  I'll carry over some of things I didn't accomplish - I really need to go walking, and I've been meaning to send a card to my friend in England, and add a few new projects as well as keep some of the ones that I truly enjoyed from last month.  Oh maybe the list will still be as long!  Check in for an update in September.  

Back on track

This should be a short post, as I thought I'd try to catch up the rest of the week and then next week I can do another wrap-up.  Or least that's the idea.

We had another three showings from Thursday to Sunday as well as an open house on Sunday.  None resulted in any offers but I did get a bit of decent feedback; "house looks good overall except windows".  A second wasn't as favorable, "Didn't like the small yard and the work to do in the basement."  Sometimes I truly wonder if people look at the photos on the website before coming to view the house.  In the latter case, they would have seen both the size of the backyard and that a portion of the basement is unfinished.  Oh well, c'est la vie.  

I had dinner with my friend C on both Thursday and Friday evenings.  I haven't said anything (until now), but she and her husband N have split at his instigation.  This was huge shock to her and I've been spending a fair amount of time with her over the past several weeks.  He was packing on Thursday at the house, and had movers coming on Friday so she stayed at local hotel as she couldn't bear to watch this happening.  On Sunday a spent some time there while the open house was underway.  She and her brother have done some rearranging of furniture so the gaps aren't as noticeable.  It's all horribly sad because they've been together for over 20 years and of all the couples I know I'd say they were the last I would expect to see break up.  

On Saturday morning, I made a quick trip out to D's.  When she was here last week the pharmacy wasn't able to get her meds for her due to a mix-up with the doctor.  She called on Thursday and asked if I'd pick them up and bring them out to her.  For some reason, to do with temperature, they couldn't be mailed.  I left just after 6:30 a.m., drove out and spent a half hour with Eli while his mommy enjoyed a shower, then drove home and was back at the house by shortly after 10.  Our forecast high for that day was 32C though I believe it reached 34C.  Very hot for us so I wanted not to drive in the heat of the day if I could avoid it.

We did have another storm after I posted.  My son and I went out to watch the storm roll in.

The clouds were low and moving fast.  It started to rain so we moved into the sun room and watched the lightning show.  We were getting strikes every few seconds and it sounded like a train was rumbling by almost constantly.

When the storm passed to the east, I captured this photo out the west windows of the sun room. I love it!

That was the week that was.  Hard to believe it is already the end of July, though we had a cold front come through yesterday dropping the overnight temperature to just 6C!  Brrr!!!  But there is a full week of heat ahead of us so summer is still in full swing.

Have a great week everyone!

This and that, and even more

I won't call this a weekly wrap-up as it keeps getting later and later in the week before I post.  I did blog the other day about prepping for showings.  We have had eight showings in six times, three of them over the past two days and I'm exhausted.  There is the rush of adrenaline as I make sure everything is tidy and ready to go, as I hustle the cats into the car, leave the house about 10 minutes ahead of the showing, and park around the corner out of sight.  I've gotten pretty good at knowing which vehicles are the ones on their way to the house because there is usually two of them.  Then I keep an eye out for those vehicles coming out the crescent so I have an idea when we can go home. 

After the multitude of showings we've had since May, I have to say the cats are doing very well.  Neither even fusses now when I put them in the carriers and take them out to the car.  Saku is not a fan of a moving car, but he settles down quickly once I park.  Sasha sometimes gets a bit vocal but for the most part he's pretty chill about it all.  I buckle their carriers in the back seat of the car, and have found if I put Saku on the right rear seat and Sasha in the left rear seat then I'm out of Sasha's direct line of sight and he's settles right away.  

I was hopeful that the 9 a.m. showing would have resulted in an offer.  This was a second showing and they were in the house for nearly an hour.  The 11 a.m showing cancelled and the 5:45 p.m. showing were in an out of the house in about 10 minutes.  I have my fingers crossed that perhaps this morning's folks had to work on some financing or simply wanted to sleep on it and that there still might be an offer in the works.  I haven't heard a word from my agent - I'm sure I would have had it been a hard no.  

We had a big thunderstorm a week ago, with rain, hail and wind

Thankfully that's not all going on in my life.  A couple of weeks ago, I'd put in an application to volunteer with the local Canadian Cancer society office.  I got an e-mail asking if I would be willing to put in a couple of hours to clean up their flowerbeds.  Absolutely, that is right up my alley!  I spent two hours there on Thursday morning and barely made a dent though I'd half filled a large garbage bag.  The next day I was sore from the all the twisting, kneeling, and bending.  I had thought I might run down on the weekend but it was Monday before I made it back.  I did another 1 1/2 hours and the first bed is about two thirds cleared with another half bag of weeds pulled.  I plan to finish that bed tomorrow and get a start on the side bed.  It feels good to see it looking so much better than when I started.  No photos because I lock my cellphone and my purse in my car while I'm working.   I'll keep going back once a week to keep it up.

I finished crocheting a little girl's sweater using some leftover yarn I had.  It's not quite finished, as I need to add three buttons at the top, and I want to lace ribbon into the sleeves but it's close.  I tried it on my Eli the other day to gauge the size (it was a 4) and I'd say it would fit a four or five year old.  It buttons at the top and flows open and I shortened the sleeves.  I think it will look adorable over a little sundress or Sunday best.  Now I just have to find a little girl to give it too. 

On Tuesday, Eli and D came to visit.  She had a doctor's appointment in the morning so she brought Eli to stay with G'ma.  We had lots of fun, watching Paw Paw (Paw Patrol), reading books, eating blueberries, cranberries, and cookahs, and playing outside.  After D got back we tried feeding Eli a bit of lunch (bad idea considering what he'd eaten already) and then went shopping.  Since October she has been giving me a fixed amount of money each month to cover the mortgage, utility payments, insurance, and property taxes for her house with a little extra on top.  She found a table and four chairs at Jysk for just over $200 so we used some of that extra to pay for it.  It's a cute little table and fits in her dining room perfectly.  Tonight she sent me photos of Eli and his little friend Eli (Elias and Elijah respectively) playing and coloring at the table.

Later we took Eli to the nearby splash pad for some fun.  AND boy did he have fun! This castle was a real hit with him, with it's little slide and spurts of water.  He must have climbed and slid down several dozen times.  He did have to learn the lesson of taking his turn because the park was busy!!!  I don't how I quite managed to get a photo of just him, quite frankly.  

The park also has "dry" playground equipment (as described by one of the other children).  Eli did go and play a little bit on it but he far preferred to play in the water.  I don't blame him because it was hot and the mist off the spouts felt good to me. 

After an hour we headed back to the house and waited for Uncle C to come home from work.  He and Eli had a great time running around in the basement, tickling, and swinging in circles.  Meanwhile I'd had a call from my agent for a 7 p.m. showing so D and I hustled to clean up the debris left behind by a two year old.  They headed home, and before we left the house I'd washed the living room, hallway and spare bedroom floors.  (Remember how I said Tuesday was vacuuming and Wednesday was floor washing...yeah, it all got done on Tuesday!  I'm glad it did because I initially thought I had three showings today so I didn't have to put as much effort into the prep this morning).

I've had another visitor this week.  A fledgling robin must have tried to fly too early.  I initially found it on my front step just before a showing when I took out a bit of garbage.  He/she/it didn't show any real fear of me, and just stayed put.

When we arrived home, it was gone and I thought perhaps it had learned to fly.  But no, it showed up again two days later, this time on the back deck.  It's very cute and I sure hope it survives (I haven't seen the adults for a day or so), but it sure poops a lot!  I had brushed off as much as possible off the front step, but my back deck has a lot of it.  The radar indicates we've got another storm heading our way tonight so with any luck, most of it will get washed off.  Or I'll be out there tomorrow a.m. after I get back from weeding to clean it up.

This afternoon, I went over to the library for stitch,  make, and chat.  I've been meaning to go for some time but kept forgetting the date.  I finally thought to put a reminder into my phone.  Initially I had planned to take the knitting I'd started but that grandson of mine had pulled the needles out.  It's a funky type of yarn and I'm not sure how I would pick up the stitches so I grabbed a ball of yarn, a pattern book, and a crochet hook to take with me.  I met a nice group of women, all were stitching (cross stitch and embroidery), but were very welcoming.  I plan to go back as it was a nice place to sit, relax, and just have a bit of chit chat while I started a afghan.  

Well, this post went on much longer than I had planned. I can hear the thunder in the distance so I'll head outside until it starts to rain before I head back into the sun room to watch the storm.  Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Prepping for an showing

Since the house has been listed I have been keeping up with the housework (most of the time) and not letting clutter get away from me.  I have to tell you, it's more than I would normally do, but now it seems to becoming my normal.  For instance, I didn't always make my bed because I knew I'd be getting back into it 16 hours later and no one was going to see it.  Now, it's one of the first things I do when I get up in the morning.  It seems to be rubbing off on my son as well.  I got a call for a showing at 12:30 today and when I checked his room, his bed was made and the room was tidy. 

Generally then, getting ready for a showing is easy.  Though I still find myself spending at least an hour prepping.  These are some of the things I do to get ready:
- Ensure curtains are open in the sun room, turn on the fan and open a couple of windows for a cross breeze.  I open the external door and lock the door between the kitchen and sun room.  The external door is a bit tricky to open so I make it easy for them.
- Check spare bedrooms for dust bunnies, make sure closet doors are closed, and spritz some air freshner.
- In the master bedroom, smooth the bedding of kitty prints, clean the mirrors of fingerprints, and check to ensure dresser drawers are closed.
- My ensuite is simple, just give the sink an extra wipe (since I keep a bowl for the cats in it), and remove any garbage in the bin.  I take a bag with me and empty the waste bins in the various rooms.
- The kitchen gets a once over, counters and the sinks are wiped down, I sweep the floor, and straighten the tablecloth.
- I continue sweeping in the living room, give the television and the stand a quick dusting, and spritz the furniture with Febreeze.  I keep an eye out for stray cat hair too!
- If needed, the rug in the front foyer gets a quick vacuum and the mirror by the door gets cleaned.  
- In the basement I turn on several lights, open the storage room door, and double check my son's areas...though I really don't have to.
- Just before I leave the house, I put the lids on the cat litter totes. 

I have air freshners throughout the house too as cat odor was the major complaint when I first listed the house.  Now it's never an issue.  

I've gotten into somewhat of a routine, clothes washing, grocery shopping, and baking on Monday, vacuuming and dusting the entire house on Tuesday and Saturdays, washing floors and cleaning bathrooms on Wednesday and Sunday.  Friday is truly my day off, usually when I go out with friends for lunch and dinner.  But there are days when I get distracted by things I'd rather do, like sewing and knitting or crocheting, or even just reading blogs!

Since I've reduced the price, we've had six showings in four days with another scheduled for later this week.  My agent is also planning another open house for Sunday.  With the increased traffic (though I didn't think we were doing badly before), my fingers are crossed that an offer will be coming soon.   Regardless, I think the routine is here to stay.

Weekly wrap-up

I generally try to get this post done by Monday evening, early Tuesday but I made a trip out to visit my daughter D and my absolutely amazing grandson Eli so I'm a little late. (Yes, I'm a little biased and totally smitten with that child...and he knows it!)

Last week I did a little thrift store shopping, first at Salvation Army and then Value Village.  I picked a few pieces of needed clothing, a pair of capris, a pair of shorts, and a t-shirt at my first stop.  For some reason, ever pair of capris I own have developed tears in them.  I guess I should be so surprised as they were used when I bought then in the first place.  So while I'll mend them for everyday use, I don't feel the old ones are good enough for going out to dinner or even shopping.  For the three pieces I paid only $11 plus tax.  

At Value Village, I found a rain coat for $8.50.  The brand name is Alpinetek and while I searched using Google, I couldn't find a similar one in new condition I did locate a used one for $15.  So I think I did well with this price.  It will come in very handy this fall I'm sure, but I was also thinking since it is lightweight, but lined, it will make a great jacket for my British Isles tour in June 2020.

I also picked up a couple of bags, one of Little People for Eli and one of sewing notions for myself.  In my bag I got a couple of measuring tapes, three stitch rippers, three transfer rollers (not sure the technical name for those), several packages of snaps, a few buttons, some thread, sewing machine needles and best of all a container of pins.  All for $3.99 which was the original cost of the container of pins.  So I did pretty well there too!

Thursday I had a couple of appointments, the first at 8:30 a.m. for my annual mammogram. No problems, I didn't expect there would be be, but as both my father and his sister had breast cancer I go every year.  We had a showing at 9 a.m. so I took the cats with me.  I learned that Saku does not like travelling at highway speeds.  OMG, did he howl! It was almost frightening as you'd think he was being tortured.  Thankfully it wasn't too warm at that time of day, so I left the sunroof and the rear windows cracked.  I was in and out fairly quickly and then headed in the direction of home, though I drove through the city rather than around it.  Saku hollered some but not nearly as much as he had.

Later that day I had a nail appointment and when I arrived home I realized I had dropped or misplaced my house and mail keys.  I called the screening center and the mall where I'd had my appointments but no one had turned in any keys that day.  The woman on the phone at the screening center insisted I'd find them between the seats of my car.  So Friday morning, I pulled the car out of the garage and spent a good 45 minutes cleaning the car out, vacuuming and wiping down the inside of the doors, the dash, and the center console.  No keys.

Later that day I had to run out on an errand and when I returned, as I stepped out of the car...I stepped on those missing keys.  The only thing I can think of, is that I'd dropped them on the driveway and when I pulled the car out of the garage to clean it, I parked over top of the keys. 

Friday night was dinner with friends, while Saturday and Sunday were focused on house work and crafts.  I finished crocheting the edging on the blanket that D's friend M made for Eli.  I hadn't noticed until I washed and blocked it (I used my bed for that as I had no other space large enough), that the pattern was so different.  This was made for a single bed, mine is a queen so it's quite big.

Not that Eli is yet sleeping in a single bed, he still prefers to crawl in with his mother from his toddler bed.  Since D did the same thing until she was nearly 6 years old I'm not surprised. Neither I nor she wake up when the kid climbs into the bed.  It took several months of bribery to convince her to sleep all night in her own bed.  I suspect Eli will put her to the test as well.  Isn't that what every mom wants for their adult children, that their offspring will test them, as they had tested their parent themselves?  Or maybe that's just me.

We had another showing on Sunday, so the morning was spent cleaning and tidying.  I did start another knitting project but I'm fighting with it so won't show you until it is complete...sigh, if it ever is.  I did get a pair of shorts cut out from some stash material for Eli, but haven't done any sewing yet.  Monday I was on the road shortly after 8 a.m., stopping on my way out of the city for a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich.  The traffic was light all the way out, and the construction was finally complete, so it was only a 90 minute drive.  

We got a lot done while I was there, lots of weeding in the flower beds, along the fence line, her little gardens (she has three pumpkins starting but little else), while Eli ran around and played.  While his mom took the recycling to the depot, I took him in the stroller and walked to the nearby park.  The splash pad was open and he had a blast, running between it and the other playground equipment.  I had no problem reaching 10K steps that day!  Later that afternoon, when we'd got more yardwork done, D and I sat in the shade while Eli played in his pool, on his mini trampoline and his sand box.  He is such a good kid.  Oh, I forgot to mention, when I arrived, he told his mom, "ma-ma came!".  She had been telling him for the last couple of days I was coming to visit.  He was almost as excited to see me as I was to see him.

Here he is playing peek a boo with G'ma.  I had used the sheet on the couch as my bedding last night. 

This morning we spent some time reorganizing her kitchen cabinets before I headed back into the city.  I'm proud of her, she's really come a long way in the nine months she has been living in her own home, both emotionally and financially.  She is taking pride in her home, and especially in her little boy, and making a good life for the two of them.  

This evening we've had quite the thunder storm roll through, even a little hail.  I'm going to go spend some time relaxing in the sun room.  I'm a little weird that way, as nothing makes me feel more at peace than the sound of rain on the roof and the rumble of thunder in the distance. 

Have a great week everyone!