As the wind blows

It's been an up and down kind of week both weather-wise and personally.  On Tuesday evening we had a wind advisory, with winds reaching 119 km/hour.  I'm told that is level one hurricane force winds.  Thankfully, we had no real damage here at the house, just a few small branches off the trees and a chair blown over.  However, in one of the newer subdivisions a couple of properties under construction were entirely destroyed.  Seriously I wonder how well they were being built?  

The last couple of days have been absolutely lovely with temps well above normal (20-22C).  Today (Saturday) we're below normal at only 7C, but with slightly warmer temps forecast for tomorrow.  At least there is none of that four letter word yet being talked about. My cousin posted a long range forecast on FB that suggests we're in for a cold, snowy winter.  Yuck!  Hopefully that doesn't start until at least January.

I may have jinxed that though, as I took my car into the shop on Friday and changed over to winter tires.  And, of course, Halloween will be here soon and it is a rare year when we don't have snow or at least cold weather for the little trick or treaters.   I picked up a box of miniature chocolate bars last week. So far no one has gotten into them...so I hope they'll last until the 31st.  Last year I was on my Halloween cruise to the Caribbean so I'm not sure how many kids to expect.  I'll hand it out until I run out and then shut off the lights.

On the home front, as the wind blew Tuesday night, it brought D and Eli with it.  She says she is finally finished with J.  I won't share what he did, but I have to say, I certainly hope this last escapade is not forgiven.  So I have my son, daughter and grandson in my home again.

Fingers crossed, she seems to be resolute this time and the weeping and moping that she exhibited the last time she came here has not been evident.  D has been considerate and helpful and seems much more involved with Eli.

And Eli, what can I say.  He keeps getting bigger and smarter, and more fun every time he's here.  

Last night his mom dressed him up in his Rider gear.  Whether he truly likes watching the movements or it is the noise and colors, he certainly pays close attention.

He was pretty happy too, when they scored a touch down!

He's started army crawling or creeping and can bend over and pull himself back into a sitting position.  Still can't do it from a prone position but he's getting close.  His favorite foods are sweet potato, creamed corn, arrowroot cookies and banana. His mom has this mesh thingy that the banana goes into - it looks similar to a soother, except with the mesh in place of the soother.  He gets that into his mouth and sucks like a mad man.  Far less messy than giving him the pieces of banana.  

Sheldon, it turns out enjoys cookie too.  Often, when Eli drops a piece, Sheldon is right there to gobble up the leftovers.  Earlier today, Eli was fussy at nap time and when D went in to check up on him, Sheldon jumped into the crib, curled up beside Eli and the baby settled right down.  

I don't have a photo of the two of them together, but Sheldon is very patient with the baby, he allows Eli to pat and pull at him.  I suspect that won't last forever, but for now it's so cute to see.

For now, I expect the two of them will live with me until spring but I'm not holding my breathe - J has a way of convincing her that she cannot live without him.  I'm hoping she'll realize there is no truth to this, that rather, he finds it difficult to live without her - most of all her financial support and easy access to a vehicle.

Sigh, if I just had a magic wand I could wave.  J would be somewhere far, far away with access to little Eli only through Facetime. My daughter would find the strength and resolve to know she can be a single mom and do a great job of it.  My son would have a permanent placement at work, and I'd be retired.  But I know that only one of those dreams are in my control...the rest I must let go of and simply pray for the best.

Most of all, I'll enjoy every minute I have with little Eli, watching him change and grow.  

Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone.

Weekend Wrap-up

It's been a busy weekend, with lots of fun with friends and family (Eli) and productive as well.

Friday, after I dropped Sheldon off at the vet's office, I came back home to do some housework and make some phone calls.  I've booked my tire change-over for next Friday, a dental appointment (yuck) for later in November, and followed-up with AirMiles.  If you recall, I had to pay for my hotel room in New York as they could find no reservation.  I had called a couple of weeks ago and was assured the hotel would reverse the charge but it hadn't happened yet.  I spent about 35 minutes on hold, during which time I cleaned both bathrooms, did the breakfast dishes, took out the garbage and started a load of laundry.  

When the service agent got back on the line, she advised that the third party booking agent they use had made a reservation for me....for February 16, not September 16.  As a result, the hotel wouldn't reverse the charge but the third party had now agreed to reimburse the hotel....I should think so!  I have to wait another 7-10 business days but I've been assured I will get reimbursed for the costs.  And if it hasn't been reversed, you bet I'll be calling again.

After a few more household chores, I headed out to do a few errands before I picked up my friend K for lunch.  It is her birthday in a few days, so lunch was my treat.  We went to a local Boston Pizza and I was impressed with our young waiter.  I told we hadn't seen each other for several weeks so we'd likely be some time talking and we definitely did.  He kept our water glasses full and only brought the bill when I asked for it.

She and her partner J were just back from several weeks of a road trip to the States.  They visited a number of states and met some friends in Washington, D.C for a few days.  They managed to get in lots of golfing too which they both enjoy.  She was interested in my cruise as well, as they haven't done a Canada/New England.  I brought my photos but we talked so much, she didn't actually look at them until we were in the car on the way to her house.

On the way there, we stopped at the Casino to pick up tickets for a Corb Lund show in November. We've made tentative plans to meet for dinner that evening before the show but I expect we'll get in another visit before then.  We never run out of things to talk about.

I joined my regular Friday night crew for dinner that evening.  Lots of laughs that evening and then it was home to watch the Riders snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  :(

Saturday, I had Eli from about 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. while his mom was working her part-time job.  He is such a character, so happy and content.  

He and I shared a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast..that is, until he dropped his bit of toast and Sheldon decided he wanted it.



Despite having no teeth yet, this child is quite capable of gumming pretty much anything.  He definitely likes his food.  He went down for a nap about 11:30 and slept until 2 p.m.  I fed him again, about a half jar of sweet potatoes and he finished his lunch with an Arrowroot cookie.  (There wasn't any sharing with Sheldon...he loves his cookies).

While Eli napped, I decided to start knitting a pair of mittens.  I finished one before he woke up, and discovered this little guy isn't so little anymore.

I've since knit another larger mitten and will finish the second today.  We're definitely getting colder weather so he needs these....and sooner rather than later.  

Eli spent the rest of the afternoon playing on the floor. Most of the time I sat with him, though managed to get supper in the crock pot while he amused himself.  His mom showed up about 4:30 to pick him up.  He was so excited to see her.  She's working again on Monday evening and his useless twit of a father has balked at caring for him has asked me to care for him again.  I enjoy our time together, though it will mean I'm up later than normal as her shift doesn't end until 10 p.m.  For Eli, I'll give up some sleep.

Today, I've been taking it easy with one or another of the cats settled on my lap.  At the moment, it's Saku.  I did get a pot of soup made with the leftover turkey from last weekend.  Very simple recipe - saute onion and garlic and chopped up turkey in olive oil.  Add a container of chicken stock, and chopped potatoes and carrots and spices.  The original recipe called for tarragon which I didn't have so I added an Italian blend and some salt and pepper.  About 20 minutes on medium heat and it smelled and tasted great.  It will make my work lunches easy.

I do need to do a bit of grocery shopping as we're out of staples. I plan on using the leftover cranberry sauce and some blueberries I had frozen to make muffins this afternoon.  I brought out some hamburger patties from the freezer I'd made earlier this summer - we'll have those bbq'd with baked potatoes and corn on the cob for supper.

On that note, my coffee is finished and its time to go do my shopping.  Have a wonderful week everyone!  Hope you all had a great weekend too.

Saturday night with the cats

Thanks for the kind words - my health seems to be restored.  Most definitely my appetite and just in time for the weekend. ;)

Friday was Sheldon's surgery day; I sort of wondered if I weren't tempting fate by scheduling it for Friday the 13th, but it all worked out just fine.

He wasn't permitted food after 10 p.m. the night prior which, of course, meant neither Saku nor Sasha were allowed food either.  I fed them all a second small supper just around 9 p.m., hoping that would stave off the hunger pangs the following morning.  Of course they were all up in my face by 6:30 a.m.  I managed to keep them entertained until it was time for Sheldon and I to leave the house at 7:15.

Of course, that was about the time that Sheldon decided to make a dash for it.  As it turned out, he's a good boy and was simply using the bathroom before we got in the car.  He's a good traveller too, he curled up in the cat carrier and only had a few words to say in the last few blocks before we arrived.  He was a little more anxious in the office while I filled out all the paperwork.  

Around 10 a.m. I had a call from the vet's office letting me know things went "purrfectly".  He'd been neutered, vaccinated, micro-chipped, and had his pedicure completed.  The vet told me he was sweet boy and didn't seemed fazed by everything that was happening.  Since he was finished so early, I could have picked him up by noon, but had plans for lunch with a friend so he stayed until mid-afternoon.

When I picked him up, the techs were gushing over how good he was.  I guess he was busy playing in his cage with the blanket, and when the tech brought him out to me she said, he'd leapt out of the cage and given her a hug.  He wasn't upset when he saw me and rode home in the carrier without a peep.

Of course they gave me the instructions that he wasn't to jump or run. Also, I was to watch to see if he drank and ate okay, and to call if I noticed if he was in any discomfort.  Well, let's see - upon release from the carrier, he went to the water fountain and had a good drink.  He then raised down the basement and back up again, leapt over a hissing Saku, and jumped onto the back of a chair in the sunroom.  I reminded him he wasn't to run or jump but he wasn't listening.  Next thing I knew he was having a snack at the kibble bowl.  Yep, he was doing fine.

Saku has had the hardest time with the return of Sheldon.  He hissed and growled, paced back and forth, and it seemed we were back to the place we were when Sheldon first arrived.  When I went to bed for the night, Sheldon startled Saku when he came into the room and I thought there was going to be a fight.  So I ended up tossing poor Saku out of the room with Sasha and Sheldon spending the night with me. There was some whining in the middle of night but I ignored it as much as possible. (Some of it came from me....kitten's can be a real pain to sleep with...every movement means playtime.) 


When we were getting the two accustomed to one another, I found the best way was to feed them together.  So this morning I put their bowls down on the mat; it worked somewhat but Saku was still "grumpy cat" whenever Sheldon looked his way.

This behaviour continued for most of today, but I think it's finally over as evidenced by this photo. I've never seen Saku allow any other cat to touch him even when he's sleeping.  As I was typing he woke up, looked at Sheldon and turned so his back is to him.  No hissing, no fuss.  Yay!

On that note, I've off to bed early.  I suspect it won't be long before there is a parade of cats joining me.  I assume Sasha is in the basement with his boy.  He usually hangs out with C until the house is quiet and then shows up just as I'm about to go to sleep.  If you read John's recent post of cat visitors in the night....well, that description fits my nightlife as well. (If you haven't, you'll want to, it's hilarious and I think every cat parent will nod in agreement).

I'll be back tomorrow with another post - I had my grandson today and have lots of photos to share.  He is so stinking cute!  But G'ma is tired - he's a busy boy.

Enough Already!!!

This is a post with much whine (no cheese) so if you feel the desire to pass by, go right ahead.

I had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend and with a short work week ahead, all looked well in my world. That is, until yesterday morning.  I woke up with a headache which is never how I like to start a day.

But I figured I'd power through, took some meds, a shower, dressed and got ready for work.  As I went out to the garage, I thought perhaps it wasn't a good idea, but I had a meeting booked with part of my team so after a few minutes of uncertainty I headed off down the street.

I made it about half way to work before I had to pull over.  I'll leave it to your imagination, but suffice to say I'm sure a few of my fellow commuters were a little shocked by my quick exit from the vehicle.  Once I felt up to it I headed back to the house, called my boss to advise I wouldn't be in, texted one of my staff to let the others know, and headed back to bed.

I slept for a few hours, then got up - with my headache feeling worse.  I attempted some additional meds, with food and within 20 minutes all of that lost.  That pretty summed up the rest of the day....lots of sleep and occasionally try to have something to eat or drink...I even tried an anti-nausea drug...nothing stayed down.  When I wasn't sleeping I was curled in a ball on the bathroom floor or writhing in pain on the couch.  

I seriously thought about having my son take me to the doctor, but I figured once the headache dissipated I'd feel better.  It took until nearly 10 p.m. before I felt any real relief.  I was certain I wouldn't be able to sleep but by 11, I was fast asleep and slept until nearly 5:30 a.m. 

At that point, I was still feeling wobbly on my feet and definitely dehydrated.  I now have a fool proof method to lose 3 pounds in one day....just not one I'd recommend.  I decided to test my tummy with a sip of milk and it stayed down, hallelujah!!!  I called into work to say I needed another day, I felt like I'd been hit by a Mack truck, every part of body ached (except my head, thank goodness).  

I napped for another hour or so, then got up and got a little breakfast, just peanut butter toast and a glass of milk.  I've spent much of the day tucked in my bed, watching multiple episodes of Flipping Vegas, and Flip or Flop (various locations), reading and cuddling with the cats.

The older I get, the more difficult I find being ill.  When my children were young, either I never go sick or I simply powered through it.  There was no one else there to help so I had to manage.  To be honest, I don't think the cats would have been fed last night if my son hadn't been here.  I could barely move between the bed and bathroom, and I suspect the smell of the cat food pate would have been more than I could have handled.

And being sick twice in less than a month is too much.  I haven't quite kicked the mother of a cold I came down with shortly after my trip. I'm feeling beaten up, hence the whine - I just want to feel normal again.  

Okay, enough of that.  Tomorrow will be a better day.  Not least of all because I have Friday off, so I'll only be at work one day this week. I'm thankful I have paid sick leave (lots of it that I won't ever use or be paid for); I'm grateful my son was here to help, and the cats made the best napping buddies. 

If you made it this far, thanks for listening!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's a cool, sunny day here in Saskatchewan  a lovely fall day.  We had our turkey dinner yesterday and little Eli enjoyed tasting most of the meal.  The turnips weren't to his taste though.  He and his mom spent the night and I got to cuddle with him this morning.  Such a special little guy!

Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you all a wonderful day however you choose to spend it. 

Last Post

For the cruise that is..

On the final sea day (Sept 23) I woke to fog and cool temperatures.  Later in the day, the sun came out briefly and it was lovely.  By evening we were back in the fog again.

About 8 or 10 of us, met for breakfast in the buffet.  Conna, Cheryl, Valerie and I had won a bottle of champagne a few evenings before.  The contest was called, "What men really think, what women really think".  The same questions were asked with points awarded for coming with the correct (or in some cases, nearly correct answer).  It turns out that four single women may actually know what men think.  Though to be honest we barely scared over 50%...it was good enough to win.  We drank (mimosas) to our wonderful trip, good health, and the budding friendships that I'm sure will continue into the future.

From there I headed off to the Princess theatre for the cooking demonstration featuring the executive chef and the maitre d'hotel. 

Hilarity ensued when as the maitre d'hotel created his own version of the pasta dish the chef had created in a just a few minutes.  Some of the more interesting ingredients included Purel hand cleanser, whole eggs, and about 30 cloves of garlic. No one was willing to taste it!

I did, however pick up a couple of practical suggestions.  First, put the cheese grater in the fridge or freezer before use - it will make the cheese easier to grate.  Also add shredded carrots to tomato sauce rather than sugar.  The carrots add sweetness without the extra calories.

After the demonstration was complete, we were escorted through the hall into one of the dining rooms, to the galley.  I know the kitchen has two levels - the one we were shown was quiet so I suspect there was much more activity elsewhere.  This group of bakers were busy preparing desserts for lunch and dinner.  


Not long after the tour was complete, I met Lyn at the Crown Grille for the pub lunch.  It's a favorite of mine, with fish and chip and mushy peas.  Karen and Loretta showed up just as we finished so we joined them for a gabfest while they ate.  

Then it was time to finish packing - I have a tendency to pack as the week so I don't have a lot to do on the last day.  I'd done a load of laundry earlier so that was in the bag already.  I decided what I needed for the rest of the day and the following day.  As an aside, it is humorous how many cruisers forget to leave out clothing for travel day...so it isn't unusual to see someone in a dress or suit from the previous night's dinner.  

I took the book I'd brought with me (and finally finished), The Shipping News, by Anne Proulx to the library.  Princess is great as they keep a shelf or two of books for passengers to exchange.  I picked up J. D. Robb's Echo in Death to read on the way home.

Then it was time to meet Loretta at the International Cafe to see Christopher Watkins, violinist for the third time this cruise.  He's an amazing musician, charismatic and so much fun to watch.  I didn't have my camera with me, took some cell phone pics but nothing worth keeping.  The place was packed to the rafters - it was clear why he was chosen Entertainer of the Year in 2016.  Pam joined us, and I enjoyed a visit with the two ladies, a chai tea and a sweet treat.

I did another walk about the ship (by now the sun was out). This view always takes my breath away and a I feel a sense of peace and calm.  It convinces I'm meant to live by the water.  

Before I close the post, I thought I'd share the group photo we had taken on the first formal night.  Only one person was missing, David, from New York.

This group made the trip the best ever, so many wonderful, interesting (and unique) personalities.  All had cruised previously but two were relative newbies on their second cruises.  One of the Maureen's has 24 cruises booked over the next 19 months.  She wins!

Six were retired, the rest of us were envious.  The other Maureen and I were the only Canadians in the group, Matt and David were the only men.  Several of the women are widows, some have never married and for those with children there were lots of stories to share, including those of our grandchildren.  One of the group was expecting their first great-child with days of the end of the cruise.

In any event, I hope I have the chance to cruise with such a group again.  There was never a fuss when I wandered off on my own, and there was always someone to meet with for meals or other activities.  

And so ends my latest cruise.  I won't bore you with the details of the travel day.  It was long and mostly boring (thankfully).  I left the ship at 10:30 local time (8:30 Sask time) and arrived home at 11 p.m.  I'd slept all the way from Toronto so had no difficulty making it to work the next morning with visions of the sea in my head.

Time to start the countdown to the next cruise...19 weeks and one day!

The many faces of Eli

I'm not quite ready to close the book on my cruise...when the lost post is written it will be truly over. Isn't that the truth of anything one anticipates, it takes forever to get there but when it's over and we look back time speeds up exponentially.

This is especially true of the time since Eli joined our family.  "Bubbles" as I've taken to affectionately call my grandson (since he loves to blow spit bubbles) is growing up so quickly.  He's becoming less of a blob and more of a little person.  He can sit unassisted for some time, though still can't sit up from a prone position, he gets up on his hands and knees and rocks, but hasn't quite figured out how to move forward.  Instead he spins on his belly and backs his way into spots requiring assistance to get turned around.

Here are a few of the recent photos of the Larva (my son's nickname for him)

Taken a day or so before I left on my trip.

Eli was just starting to sit with some assistance.  He continues to refuse to smile at the camera.  

 The hat photo was taken the two days after I returned.  It is one of my favorite of him so far.



That teething ring looks far to big for him but he tries.

 It's not in focus because I was laughing at the face he made.  I'm pretty sure he was telling me he was done eating.

Now that he's mastered the face, he makes it often.  What a character!

And there it is, a smile for G'ma!  

It amazes how much he's grown in just 7 months.  Weighing in at 20 pounds and measuring 25 1/2 inches in length, he's fast on his way to becoming a toddler.  I'm looking forward to this weekend, as he and his mom will be spending some extra time with us.  I foresee lots of snuggles and baby kisses coming my way!  

The trip was definitely fun, and life with this little guy in it is pretty fun too.