The mysteries of the internet

I am at work, logged in under the gmail account, but at least it let me in!  My life centres around work and home with very little in between (poor Cathy).  I always envy the two of you being retired when I have at least another 6 or 7 years to go, but I can't retire because I don't have a good pension.  At least I know that now instead of after I retired.  Even with a pay cheque there is way more month at the end of the money. (like right now!!) I seem to have had a steady cold since last fall. It is really starting to wear me down.  I am on antibiotics right now, and hopefully they will help.  I was supposed to have my scope today, but it is postponed until March 4.  I called to see if I should come in with this infection and cough and it turns out they were going to call me to postpone anyway.  We are going to see Heart on March 15th and are eating in a restaurant!! (not chicken delight!)  Of course we have to leave for Dauphin early the next morning since we have to play crib at 1pm.  We are car pooling with the same people we went to The Pas with last year.  They don't play until Sunday morning but the banquet is Saturday night.  I would love to win and go to Nova Scotia, but like I told Beth.... the year I finally win the Command the Dominion will be in Winnipeg!  Both Jim and I got our Server's Licenses so that we could volunteer at the Legion.  You'r not even supposed to be behind the bar without your license which makes it hard to help when they are busy.  You can't even load the dish washer.  Of course I no sooner got it then they needed someone to work a 3 hour shift at meat draw.  It was fun and they split the tips with me.  I got $18.00!!  They kept telling me I was lucky that it wasn't busy, but I figured it was busy enough!   I have to go to a Union Meeting on Feb 25. We got a notice that it was at 5pm, so I wrote them and asked how they could represent Neepawa when the meeting was in Brandon, an hours drive away, but only 30 minutes after the office closed.  They said they would wait until Neepawa got there before starting.  When I first got a response from the Union, they told me they had passed it onto a staff representive... Loren Findlay!  I did want to attend this meeting because it will be dealing with our takeover by Teranet. We might get some of our questions answered.  They also wanted to hold elections, but I think there are more positions open than there is staff in the Brandon & Neepawa offices combined.  Speaking of work, I guess I should do some.  Talk to you again soon

We live in Canada, and what's more, we live in central Canada, where winter is often the main topic of conversation.  I want to know about your life and how you are dealing with it. Please don't censor.

I picked up the third, and most recent "Mercy" book by Lori Anderson today.  i think I may well be the first to read it, as we got the notice last Friday and the book was only taken into the library on Thursday.  I had thought the title was "Mercy Rule" but it turns out it is "Merciless".  I just skimmed the back cover, and was glad to see that she is still with her lover, as there was some doubt at the end of the last one,  ( I guess so, after she ran against him for Sheriff).  His is a likable character.  It is one of those books that has a series of discussion question at the end to use if you are part of a book club, and i find those interesting to read.

The fish are finished, but a bit less than I had hoped.  I have a picture, but I'm not sure which computer I can use to post it.  I have a hunch it's the desktop, and I have limited access to that.  I stewed over those fish for months, and had been concerned, as I had no other piece in mind for when they were finished.  But last night, in bed, an idea came to me and it is fully developed in my mind, and about 1/3 done already. So, if I work hard, I may have choice of pieces to send to the exhibition.

I, too, had a sort of bridging for my pension.  I lost half of it when I got the Canada Pension at age 60, and lost the rest of it at 65.  Mine was just over $320/month, but was still a bit of a jolt to get over.  It had been a
package that was available for only a limited time,as they got rid of surplus, that had come about when HSC and St. Boniface pension plans merged.  I was lucky enough to retire at the right time. fortunately, I got a letter a few months in advance of losing it, but, yeah, it was so easy to forget in the course of life.  I'm very grateful for David's indexed military pension. We would be in trouble without it, and it was a major factor in our decision to retire early.

Weather Updates ad nausium....?

I figure that my postings are so repetative that they require no profound responses ? All I seem to write about is my misery with snow and ice and rain and heating greenhouses so I guess I better change direction, eh?
I plan to take a picture of my shawl today and get it developed when in North Bay tomorrow so I can send to you - it is not completed yet but so very close that I think you'll get the idea. I will write out a little description direct from the book that explains a bit of the "why" about the pattern. The stories that accompany the patterns are the meat of the book really and so interesting to read. Some of the patterns I would never try mainly because I not only don't like the finished effect but also because some of the directions seem complicated. I am sitting here with a nice warm coffee made on the Keurig machine. We found some KCups on sale at the Zellers store in Huntsville when we went to get Harry's new glasses. That store will close for good in March without another new venture planned. In North Bay the Zellers closed end of January and is being converted into a Target store. That should be interesting to see how it's presence will affect the Hart Store, and the new Giant Tiger being built as well as the current Walmart. I never go into the Winners Store so don't really know how much business it is doing. Last week I bought four used fabric napkins at the Rebuilt Store - 25 cents each so not a big expense but good enough for me to fool around with folding from my new book. I have a can of spray starch that I will use to stiffen them a bit and make my practice folding a bit easier. I cut up some paper towels rolls into smaller circles and covered them with fabric and a ribbon and voila, a napkin holder. This is going nowhere except to give me a bit of relief once in awhile and may be thats just fine! I have an eye appt on Wednesday and anxious to see if any real change in my vision since last time. I got a shock in the mail the other day from my Hospital Pension saying all my "bridging $" since I retired will be eliminated in April - somehow I had forgotten about this - I guess I was enjoying the money every month without thinking that when I turn 65 everything will change - sure I'll get the OAS but it will only be about half as much as the bridging has been. I guess I'll have to mourn a bit and then get used to less moneyhaha Actually my Hospital benefits plan will also cease in April and so I'll have to transition to Harry's provincial pension benefits. So many changes..... well the start of another week and hoping you are all fine.Take care

Look out for more snow!

A big storm is coming through but so far seems to be predicted as being worse a bit south of here but nevertheless we should be getting a fair amount. Toronto is already calling for the Army like it did years ago when it snowed a lot. Lets see what happens by this time tomorrow. I don't want any more snow but will deal with it if I have to. We have the two propane heaters set up now in the greenhouses and I have already had an incident. I started the one in the smaller greenhouse and had to bend over to turn down the electric heater and my jacket caught on fire as it got too close to the propane element. I am terrified of these heaters and yet have to manage them. Hope it goes OK. I know our memories are short lived but from my recollections, this winter has been the worst ever......or is it as I get older, I am getting tired of it all? The next door neighbour who I told you was moving, told me today that they are moving into an apartment in Huntsville - and I thought what a great idea!! The van hasn't started since that really cold spell a few weeks ago...I had it plugged in today, but alas, the battery is dead now. I will have to boost it with my car I guess tomorrow. What fun.  In meantime, I am knitting my shawl and soon will be finished - it is looking very nice and gives me a sense of satisfaction. I liked to get your ideas on new authors Patty that you mentioned in your last blog, and have written the names down for future reference. I am almost finished The Santuary by Raymond Khoury and then will get into the series I bought for the Ereader. Time to go and check the heaters and  then hopefully some reading before bed. Hey, Cathy - what are you up to? Take care

more cooking

Today I made the Potato-Leek soup from the Kraft recipes.  I had this many years ago at a pot luck and thought I might enjoy it again.  It was a little fussy to make, but made up quickly.  Quite tasty after I added a little salt, and there is enough for another couple of servings.  Too late I read the nutritional breakdown, and realized that I shouldn't get anywhere near it.  Too much sodium and too many calories.  Monday I made lasagne.  We had bought  jar of pasta sauce that was on sale, and then spent even more money buying the makings for the lasagne. Then the jar wasn't quite big enough, so I mixed in a jar of Alfredo sauce that had been in the pantry far too long.  I guess that made Rose sauce, didn't it.  Any way it was so-o-o good.  And there are two more tucked away in the freezer.

I will be taking my sewing machine in for a general servicing on Friday, so don't want to start anything right now.  It has been hard used, and needs a little TLC.  As well, I don't want any problems when we go up to Neepawa.  So I have been working on the piece for the FAN show that will debut in Penticton this spring.  Today I finally got down to painting the fish, and actually have them cut out and ready to fuse.  I'm going to leave it up on the wall for a few days, until I'm sure about where I want them to be within the piece.  I have been procrastinating on this for months and now the April 1st deadline looms. Actually, when I think about it, the deadline is probably a little sooner than that, as I have to have a photo to send with the entry form. April 1st, is when it must be in the mail.

Otherwise I read.  Found a series that is a violent and fairly "earthy".  It is the "Mercy" series by Lori Armstrong.  I have read "No Mercy" and "Mercy Kill", and am waiting for the library to find "Mercy Rules" for me.  David is very much enjoying the Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke, but I read one, and then couldn't get into any more.  I may try again, as I am finding it difficult to find new books art the library.  Most new books are published in the spring and fall.

today I am grateful, yet again, that I don't have to get up and go to work every morning.  The snow just doesn't stop and the cold remains with us.

Must be quiet...

as David came to me this morning and suggested that I should get busy, as I hadn't blogged in awhile.  Did the test class for my Advanced Machine Quilting class, and despite all my efforts to cut down on the information I want to teach, the class is just too full.  Two ladies suggested that it should be a two day class.  So back to the drawing board.  It really shouldn't be too much of a job to take sections out, certainly not as much as would be having to write them and make the samples.  And there will still be a bunch of stuff left over, so, maybe for a follow-up class??!

But I was absolutely exhausted last night.  Sat in front of the tv watching really stupid reality shows.  At 9:00 I found one ( or maybe it found me, as I wasn't changing channels) that I hadn't seen before, so that was okay, but after that it was straight to bed.  Today we get to put the basement back into its usual form.  David was up a little earlier than I, and tells me that the two extra tables are down, and the rug is back in place, but I imagine the rest of the work is pretty "putter-y", so will fall to me.

I found a book at the library that was #3 of a trilogy, except it didn't say that until you got into the forward.  It was a new release one week special, so I took it back, and discussed it with the librarian, who ultimately found me the other two books.  Except saying we discussed it with the librarian is a bit of an mis-statement.  She discussed it with herself, while we listened.  She is the funniest thing.  She literally thinks out loud as part of the conversation, and follows the most illogical convoluted chain of thought. One minute of conversation with her leaves your head spinning. We have dealt with her once or twice before, and generally tend to avoid her, but she is ecstatic about being asked a question, and jumps in with both feet trying to be helpful, as well as being relentless in solving the problem.  When I broke my shoulder, I asked about a book showing the anatomy of the shoulder.  I ended up with a pile of books covering the table, everything she thought might be useful, from every section of the library including children's, all of which she would have had to return to the shelves.

Friday night was a huge disappointment!   The show "Arrow" that we have been watching has turned out to be as a result of a one month free trial of pay TV, and we are unlikely to ever see it again.  Too bad, some nice eye candy on that show.

Since it's still morning, and I haven't been up that long, I'm not sure what makes me most grateful for today.  I'm very grateful that David has got a head start on the basement.  I'm grateful that I was able to do a test class for my workshop, and that I have time to revise, as a result of feedback from the class.  I'm grateful that we planned ahead, and have enough food and gas, so that we don't have to go out in the cold, cold weather.

Taking its toll?

This horrible changeable weather must be taking its toll on us all - the blog has been quiet for awhile but I will write a few words before hitting the bed and listening to Randy Bachman. Afterall, it is Saturday night date! My Maplewood cactus is covered with blossums and what a glorious sight! I am so happy that it is finally, after so many dorment years, it is coming to life. I only hope I can care for it the same as you folks care for yours - yours always look so healthy. This one is filling out beautifully now and as I said, a surprise to see so many flowers. I bought a few more books for my Ereader off KOBO - a new series and author that I have not read yet so really hoping that I shall like his writing. It is The Bower Series by Steven James. Anyone read him? I have made an appt to see the eye doctor the end of February, so I may have to make a decision about cataracts depending on what he tells me he sees on examination. I am feeling that they are getting worse and now find driving to be a bit of a pain. The elderly couple who have live next door to us for a few years now told me that they have sold their house and will be moving out April 29. I shall be sad to see them go and we got along very well. Apparently the new owner is the sister of a lady who lives across the street and is from Holland. I don't know the lady across the street at all, so perhaps she and her sister will socialize and I won't have to worry about getting along. Aren't I awful! Hope all is well with everyone and hang in there as the winter is going to be over in 6 weeks. Two out of four groundhogs today predicted an early Spring so I'll go along with them and plan on it. The greenhouses are surviving still but takes a bit of tending. I got water in my basement the other day during the rain - came in through the window above the washing machine - just enough to make me mad. All the shoveling of the roof so far and no leaks there, but why all of a sudden water in to the basement? Take care