So all is well there?

 Doing wash on a Tuesday and a Wed is not in your game plan is it? haha Whatever will you do on Friday now Pati? So glad that you finally have your washer back working. No more counting under cloths.

A funny day here today as it rains and then sunny and then rains and repeat! I have tried to do work outside but seem to catch the rainy times once out there. So I gave up and have come in and poured myself a goblet and checking the net before getting back to the grind. 

I had no side effects from my vaccination Monday but Harry has from his yesterday and has gone to bed just now - we picked the green onions and he has them now in the dehydrator. In that patch of ground we are going to plant 5 new rhubarb plants just bought, and transplant some of our others in attempt to kick start a nice batch of rhubarb for next Spring. I have cleaned it up a bit and was attempting to clean another bed when it started to rain again. Maybe tomorrow - it is a Stat for July 1 so nothing will be open, and I may just be able to concentrate on garden. 

I am also in process of decorating for the big Car Parade on July 4 which we must attend for Harry's sisters grandson's first birthday to be held in Huntsville. I started to blow up balloons today and have one garbage bag full and then I started to clean the tricycle that we are taking to drop at the end of the driveway on our way past the house in the parade. it was a tricycle that Harry bought for Donna when she was 5 or 6 and we acquired it when we cleaned out the garage after his Mom died, and always intended to return it to Donna. We have a picture of Donna sitting on the bike when it was new and will hang that picture which was laminated on the handlebars and decorate accordingly.  I shall be glad when the day is over.

So on with some kitchen cleanup. Thinking of you all and hoping we in our particular locations will not be adversely affected by that Heat Dome devastating the West. Think positive... 

Machines are humming

 Yes, the washer is fixed and is facing a tremendous job in dealing with all of the laundry baskets lined up the length of the basement.  But for tonight, we have clean sheets, clean underwear, clean trousers for tomorrow and David has clean shirts, as well.  There is as much again to do tomorrow, but we're done for tonight.  The man was only here for about 1/2 hour.

While waiting for the man to arrive, I got started on my machine quilting, and made good progress.  But had to force myself to quit before I exhausted myself.  I was so pleased and having so much fun, but that just means I have something to look forward to tomorrow.

So that pretty well describes our day. Relaxing tonight, and perhaps, an adult beverage.  

we'll see.

It is done...

 Up to North Bay this morning and received my second Covid 19 vaccination. It was the Moderna mRNA vs the Pfizer mRNA that I received for my first dose. No options available at this Clinic.

No matter - so far I feel just fine and not anticipating any side effects - fingers crossed. So, time to move on right? XX

Turfing clothing

 I don't think David has worn his suit since Amber's wedding.  Any fancier events I've been to over the past few years have including almost every variety of clothing, so I really don't think it matters anymore.  A nice pair of trousers, and a shirt with a collar, and a man is just fine for anything but an audience with the Queen.  I haven't worn a skirt in 30-40 years.  Even at Amber's wedding, my outfit was a trouser suit, although the trouser legs were so wide, I was probably the only one who knew.  It looked very much like a floor length, formal outfit.

Generally we both make do with black jeans, which we replace when they start to fade, although in my case they just get relegated to being studio clothes--not to be worn off the property.  And we both wear T-shirts--some a little fancier than others, and I have several cardigans to wear over them, in cooler, or cold, weather.

This all sort of backfired on me when I re-gained weight.  All of my larger jeans had been turfed ( to the thrift store), and we had to buy some new.  But the ones we bought were cheap--Walmart or Superstore.  We've also minimized most other similar things.  Two sets of sheets for each bed.  About 8 bath towels, as they are only washed every second or third week.  Same with tea towels.

I over did it today, and desperately needed a nap about 3:30.  I went to bed and died for about 1 1/2 hours.  But my fancy quilt is marked and sandwiched ready to start quilting.  I'm really excited about this.  Unfortunately, I'm being forced to take it easy this evening, and David having a bad day as well.  He doesn't have them often, but when they occur he is capable of very little,  I think he slept poorly last night and hope it goes better tonight.

My Quesada making continues.  This time I'm using 10" flour tortillas.  This makes the job somewhat easier, and the result is more satisfying.  Tomorrow I'm going to try adding a bit of cooked chicken to the mix.  I'm also experimenting with adding a thin layer of salsa to the inside of the tortilla before adding the chopped veggies and cheese, sort of like putting tomato sauce on a pizza, rather than piling it on after cooking.  This only works well if the filling doesn't leak out while the thing is cooking, but is much easier to eat.

And now for evening activities.  Stay safe.

Buckets and buckets of rain all night

 No need to complain as we needed rain badly but it came rather steady and heavy all night and now the yard looks like a lake. But as far as I can determine, the roof held true and I see no leaking (fingers crossed)

So glad you are back in the saddle Pati and ready to get on with it now that you both have had your second vaccines. Cathy and Jim have had both as well, and come Monday and Tuesday, Harry and I will have had ours. So all is good.

I really need to make a Dentist appointment as it has been too long waiting out this Covid and all...I shall wait for my post vaccine 14 days and then call them up. And my Hair appointment is July 3 so it feels as if we are starting to recover somewhat but I heed your advise totally Pati that we shall take our time and stay safe well after we have the vaccinations and not take any chances. 

We have been going through closet and trying on pants and shirts and turfing what no longer fits. And I have been shortening new larger size pants that Harry bought at the Resource Store last week to replace some of the ones we knew needed to be retired. Of interest is that his suit no longer fits - it was always considered a necessity for the man to have a suit available for the times when a suit was appropriate. Now I wonder if it is necessary anymore? What are your thoughts?  I found some more formal dresses and outfits that I have had for special occasions and look at them now and think I should turf them as well - when will I ever wear them now that i am retired and generally stay at home? Maybe it is time to get rid of such things. I feel good to be able to do this as it feels as if I am making some progress but perhaps in reality, I am fooling myself.

Anyway, another day is here and so I shall get on with it. First a coffee and bagel I think ..yum! Take care  💝😁

Slowly coming to the surface

 Yesterday was a much better day.  I was awake early, and was able to do a little studio work, while watching The View.  Then I spent even more time working downstairs, after lunch, until I realized that I had been at it too long and needed to veg out for awhile.  So spent some time before supper reading outside.  A gorgeous day with enough wind to moderate the heat. Then the wind got a little stronger and supper called me.  Just before I came in we got a telephone call offering to have the repairperson out for the washing machine next Tuesday instead of July 7th.  Duh--YES!  David and I went through our wardrobes and decided that we could make it, so I emailed Gail and let her know, thanking her for stepping in to help us.  But, Heaven help us if the machine isn't working by supper time Tuesday--we'll both be running around naked.

Yesterday's little victory?  No nap.  Which also meant that I slept well again last night (about 11 hours).  And the desire to create was/is back.  Halleluiah!

I have now stitched together all of the major pieces in my EPP quilt.  Yesterday, while watching the 6:00 news, I calculated what is needed to fill in the edges, sorted out those small pieces I need, and actually started stitching on the first edge piece.  This is a huge milestone for me, as I've been working on that for a couple of years.  When I asked Geesje if she would machine quilt it for me, I had told her that it might be a year or two before it was finished, but that's really starting to look like a serious over estimation.

So, on with the day.  I hope to repeat the type of day I've enjoyed over the past month.   Some studio time, some reading time in the garden, a minimum of housework, and it being Saturday, my tv shows are on tonight.  They've been missing during the recent PBS pledge break.

But, whatever our governments are telling us, use your own minds to stay safe.  We're sure planning a few more weeks of staying mostly at home.

Sleep-eat-repeat

 And that pretty well describes my life right now.  I've been sleeping well for 10-11 hours every night, up for breakfast and to watch The View.  Then maybe sit outside for awhile, eat lunch, and nap for 1-2 hours.  By then, it's time for Gail to call, and no point in starting anything, so read, talk on the phone and eat supper.  Then watch the 6:00 news, read a bit, play on the computer a bit, and into bed by about 9:30.  I'm so very glad that I didn't plan anything for this week, and that I was prepared to "go with the flow".  I did go out yesterday morning to renew my car insurance.  I had to make an appointment at the office, as that's the only way they are doing business right now, but I was in and out within 10 minutes.  They were in the same mall as our grocery store, so I stopped to buy a few groceries (not very many) while David hit the Lowes in the same mall to buy some ant repellant.  I could barely wait to get home to bed.  No stopping for coffee!

But this morning, I woke up a little earlier, and couldn't get back to sleep.  Maybe this is a sign that the sleepiness is passing.  I'll have to be careful not to over do it, and hope that this bodes well for the future.  Our washer is still not fixed, and Monday I will be spending a good part of the day at Gail's again.

Busy days

 I couldn’t log in for a bit but I persevered. I could have turned on my computer, but my phone is so much easier to hold. We had ordered fish and it was supposed to arrive Saturday morning. We had arranged for him to drop it off at Barb’s house in town (since the legion is closed…. But maybe open soon with the relaxation of restrictions!). We got tired of waiting for his call so we headed into town around noon. About 2;30 he reached Jim. He had broken his phone and all our contact info was in it. He had just gotten it fixed but would be here by 5:00. We contacted everyone who had ordered and told them the time. 5:00 came and all the people arrived, but no fish. On the upside we had a really nice visit (highly illegal visit) with people we hadn’t seen in months. By about 6:00 a few had had to leave but would come back when he arrived. 7:00 pm Jim gets another call. His truck was stolen when he ran into a store. The RCMP recovered it, but it was impounded. He had found a friend to bring him and could be here by 8:30. Did we still want the deal?  He agreed to come to our house and drop it off. Everyone was informed and they agreed that if the couldn’t come to our place before 10:30 Sunday morning we would work things out on Monday. Soooo,  around 9:00pm Jim called him again.  His driver had an emergency and he had to find a new one but they were on their way and would be here by 9:30. So now it was 10:00pm and a truck slowly drove into the yard. What a day!  Good thing we had room for 150 pounds of pickeral in our freezer!  One man came early Sunday morning for his 30 pounds and we headed off to Killarney at 10:30am, as planned. We had a wonderful visit and Kris fed us a huge lunch and supper (according to him he had nothing planned for food…….bbq’d bison steak for supper). Even though it wasn’t that warm Chloe played in the pool for well over an hour. It was so nice to see and hug them again.   So now it is Monday. The first person arrived at about 11:00 am to pick up their fish and, of course, everyone stopped for a drink. By the time the last person left after 6:00 I just wanted to sleep! So Tuesday Jim had his eye doctor appointment at 10:00 and that was the last thing on our calendar until Trinity’s grad next Monday. BUT!!! That afternoon April, Corey and Trinity arrived with their camper for a few days. They did bring supper so we just had to cook the chicken. Jim gave up and went inside about 8:00pm but we sat around the fire until midnight. Trinity went to bed at 11:00. (She has claimed a bedroom in our house as hers). Trin is special needs, and turns 21 in July. That ages her out of the education system, hence her Grad on Monday. So I was especially tired this morning but had Lucky out for his walk at 7:00am, then weeded in the garden for a while. It was supposed to be over 30 today but only made it to about 25 under clouds. We had decided earlier to take Lucky to Big Valley today to help cool him off, so we went anyway. The others followed about 1/2 hour later. Lucky wasn’t sure about the water in the creek at first but it appears I created a monster!  He just wanted to walk. The creek in Big Valley is only about ankle deep but I somehow managed to find a spot 4 feet deep. Only with one foot so I was trying to hang onto the dog and not fall all the way in. Thankfully Trin was behind me and took Lucky and there was a tree trunk on the bank that I was able to pull myself out with. When it was time to leave Lucky didn’t want to go but as soon as we got him in the car he lay down on the blanket and fell sound asleep. Jim had to wake him up when we got home. He went into the house and flopped on the floor and is still asleep!  I envy him cause he had me walking a long way today. I could use a hot bath and an early bed time. The others went to another friend’s house when we left so Jim and I are sitting outside right now and vegging. I already told them to have another fire tonight and just ignore us when we go to bed. And now you are up to date on me. I think the company is leaving on Friday so we will at least have the weekend before Trin’s grad. It is only going to be a drive through ceremony but Trin has a beautiful dress for the event and she is so excited to be graduating and that “Gramma and Grampa” (us) are going to be there. So how can you say no to someone so excited and happy. We should all let small things make us happy. 

Good toread messages...

 But I better get on the bandwagon myself and write a bit. I feel bad that the days just seem to blend one into the other and then I have not been able to sit and settle into a nice blog. It may change soon after we each get our second vaccines next Monday for me, and Tuesday for Harry. Maybe I can relax a bit and get some garden work done, and some housework ( yuk!) done as well.  I bought myself a new vacume after years of machines that suck no better than a straw haha! A VacMaster shop vac and I have used it twice now and terribly pleased with myself. Maybe it will encourage me to clean better???

I feel sorry Pati that you have not your washing machine functioning yet - I have had to go to the Laundromat in years past when things did not work here but it is awful not to have the luxury of using your own when you want. I hope you find you missing sheets. I have several sets to switch to because i do not always get the wash done according to schedule but I know you and Dave have had a real good routine going for you. Thanks goodness for Loren. I expect you did not think it would be delivered washed dried and folded. Great service haha!

I think I am slowly getting sick of kale every day but I have to keep trucking as we have tons of the stuff planted and growing in the garden. It makes for a nice salad mixed with romaine.  And I must say that starting to make Tortillas with the recipe you have Pati has gone over here greatly as Harry can eat them and likes them. So I thank you for that,

Well I have a little doggy sitting beside me early this morning who wants out so I better get going. It is cold this morning but I do not think I need to worry about frost thank goodness. 

Take care ladies and be safe... 

Settling down

Since nothing is expected this week, I've been able to sleep as wanted over the past two days, and that's been a lot.  In terms of side effects, there has been fatigue and headache, with mild soreness in my arm.  Easily dealt with. Yesterday we had planned to change the bed linen, using our spare sets of sheets.  I had made the mistake of doing too much in the studio and was pretty well exhausted, when we started. We quickly discovered that we couldn't find the extra sheets for the queen size bed.  The ones I was sure I had used once before.  We searched everywhere.  No luck.  Panic.  Finally I decided to call Loren and ask if I could do one load in his washer.  He offered to do the wash, and bring it back to us, if we could drop it off.

Next was the slowest trip we've ever made anywhere in this city. Between active construction, a slow train across a major street, and  rush hour traffic, it took 45-50 minutes to make what is usually a 10 minute trip to Loren's. Then it was a slow trip home, a lazy supper, and just sit and wait.  He dropped the sheets off, nicely folded.  What a relief.

So I don't expect any nasty side effects to turnup today, but I'll continue to take it easy, resting whenever it's indicated.

And how is your week going?

Sunday Morning--sitting and waiting

 Yeah, today we get our second vaccination.  Our appointment is at 12:20, just the perfect time to mess with anything we might want to be doing today,  Considering what happened last time, I have scheduled nothing for the next week.  I know that the doctor said that my getting sick right after the vaccination was just a coincidence, and I hope to be pleasantly surprised with a week of free time.  But I want to be prepared for the worst.

I've been taking the damn pills since Wednesday.  Gail has told me that I'm in  a much better mood during our daily phone calls.  I'm finding myself chatting to David much more than usual.  I'm not sure how he feels about that.  I've also found that I can focus on a task much better and for a longer period.  This isn't always a good thing, as it means that I work full out in the studio, and then need to lay down to rest for awhile.  So I'm going to have to build scheduled breaks into my studio time.  My worry is, that if so much has improved after just a few days, will things plateau out after awhile, or do I have to be aware that I might go too far into "happy land".  

Our washing machine still sits there not working.  We've been told that the repairs have been approved, and are waiting for a call from the repairman telling us that the parts are in and setting up an appointment. Meanwhile, the clothes hampers are over flowing.  I'm going to have to wash undies later today, by hand, and David has run out of summer T-shirts, leaving him with nothing but long sleeves.

We are loving the new patio, and sit out there as often as we can.  Unfortunately, we are in the middle of aphid season, which means that we have to wash down the furniture before sitting down, and protect any food we might want to take out.  No my idea of Heaven.  But I know that has to be a "first world" problem, so shouldn't complain.

There are now 5 finished charity quilts sitting in a pile downstairs.  I was given labels for six, so am planning number six, which I want to use to learn how to free motion quilt, with my new machine.  I tried one attachment yesterday that is designed to replace three feet that I frequently used with the old machine.  A bit of a disaster and I can't see myself using this at all.  More frustrating was the complete lack of information in the manual about how and when to use it.  But I did get some free motion feathers done, and realized that they were not what I was hoping to produce.  This sent me to UTube videos to try and figure out what it was I was attempting.  I haven't done this sort of work in a few years, but I was still surprised at how much my works has deteriorated.  So that is what I plan to work on this week, if my reaction to the vaccine is okay.

This all means that my life is more or less on track right now, and that statement alone says something about my mood right now.   I'll let you know how things go.  Stay safe, ladies.

It finally happened

 After years of avoiding the privilege, my doctor has suggested that I take medication for depression, as was suggested in the report from the neurologist I saw last month.  So, I'm taking the darn things, but it's too early to see if much is affected.  But I'm thinking that the nausea I experience after taking them might be a side effect.

This week I received five of the six Rockton series books by Kelley Armstrong, and am now reading book four.  I'm so glad that I did this.  Little comments and hints in the first two books laid the groundwork for the whole series. Each book builds on the previous ones, in ways that don't become obvious until later in the series, but the hints often come from what might appear to be a throw away remark, quickly passed over, as there is no immediate follow up.   By putting these small things together, I'm feeling much more satisfied about where the series is going, even if everything points to an end. And that end requires, at least, a book 7.  Still, I wonder if my having read so many of her books series, that my mind has been trained to look for these small hints.

Working in the studio yesterday, and having congratulated myself for almost finishing this first quilt on my new machine, I ran into a problem, not caused by the machine, but maybe caused by my complacency in assuming that I was doing everything well.  Not so!  I found a place where my stitching didn't cover what I had thought it did, and there was a loose area.  Then I discovered that there were a lot of loose edges in the small piece I was working on.  Those have been fixed, but while in bed with my mind racing, last night, I suddenly thought of the other five finished areas.  Maybe I need to check those as well.  Whoops!  Know what I'm doing today--and it was so close to being finished!

We had an adventure yesterday. Two friends and I had ordered some supplies from the States, and it had arrived.  One lady paid for everything and then we all reimbursed her, for our share of the bill as well as a share of the shipping fees.  This is far less than if we had each ordered separately, but still, the cost of my share was a jolt!  The shipping costs are crazy!!  Still I received lots of the special fabric paint that I have learned to love over the years.  Beth, you may remember our time in Ottawa when the class I took was trying to paint sunsets with no yellow paint, because the order was still tied up in customs.  I've bought no paint since then (2006), so it wasn't that I didn't need the paint.  Still, David has announced that I sure better use the damn stuff.  So I see lots of fabric painting in my future, and I thank the workshops I took over the past 16 months, for a new way of doing it.

But that wasn't the adventure.  We had to drive out into the wilds of Charleswood to pick up my paint.  Had I told you that my new Sherlock's book shows all of the land that Uncle Jake used to farm, with tentative streets laid out on it?  Sad.  After driving all the way around the North Perimeter, and at Roblin Blvd, we went into a new development.  So many big houses!  No land around them, and crooked curving streets.  Maybe I'm better off where I am.

Have a great day Ladies.  It's time for me to start looking at mine.

Contemplations on time

 Today I went to a meeting of the museum board. I said I would “try it out” before the world shut down and we finally had another meeting today. We had a 1/2 board meeting outside and the other 1/2 will meet later today. The new president has an agenda and nothing is going to keep her from it.  My concerns are weird, but I think valid.  They seem to concentrate on 70 years ago as being the end of the museum’s concern, but what about the last 70 years!?  We made it to The moon!  Is that not history?  There are no plans to think about the next 100 years.  I know that takes planning but they don’t seem to think of their lives as the history of the future!  Enough bitching, but I am really thinking whether I want to be on such a near sighted board!  Am I wrong?  What do you think?  I do recognize the importance of the museum.  No question.   Speaking of (future) history, I had my second shot.  14 days and I will be considered fully vaccinated.  This will go down in history, just like the a Spanish flu. We are invited to Killarney on Sunday. It is supposed to Be cool and rainy, (so so much for trying out their new small, above ground, pool) but even if we violate the law and visit inside we are going  (I have their permission to enter the premises….as if they could keep me from the bathroom😜)  once again it is really windy outside.  Either a fire ban or wind.  How can I get a fire!!! I will be in bed early tonight.  I woke up last night and could not get back to sleep . tonight better be different.  Love you guys♥️  Stay safe  

Hi you guys....

 We must all be just rolling with the flow as time has passed since Pati's post so here I am with a bit of chatter.  I like to play some CD music on the computer while I work away here in the kitchen area and had to turn it off to log onto this site but it was playing a CD called Guitar Magic and the second song is the old classic Apache. Of course it brings back memories of long ago and I cannot help but dance around - great fun and a real boost in the morning haha! Good news - I have a hair cut appointment for July 3 at 9 am. The salon had a sign on the window reading Open July 2 Call for an appointment. So you guessed it, I called. And the best timing as well ( not really as i needed to have a cut three months ago ) as on July 4 we are obliged to participate in a Drive By Car Parade past Harry's sisters place in Huntsville to celebrate her grandson's First Birthday. This is a family that has gone all out ( I would say overboard) in promoting their dear son and grandson - every day something on Facebook and pictures up the ying yang of the poor dear boy. We have to decorate our car when we gather at a designated spot with other invited participants to join into the Parade. There will be an opportunity to drop off a card or gift at the end of the driveway when we go past and we are to honk and wave etc. They also want us to create some message or other to put into a time capsule for him to open on his 18th Birthday. Sound like fun... NOT!

Today I have to pick up Daisy's granddaughter to take her shopping in town as their car broke down and they have no way to get around ( they live about a mile out of town ). She called me to help out and of course i agreed. I believe they are making some contingency plans for the rest of the week as there is no time frame for the car repairs. The son is in Toronto still minding their house and overseeing the Hair Salon she owns ( closed now for Covid) but he goes in to collect mail and make sure everything is OK, and in my opinion I think he could have driven up to help up - the daughter in law and granddaughter are with Daisy here in Sundridge. But, who am I too express my opinion haha!

So time to get on with the agenda for the day. This includes a drive to the next town of South River to pick some rhubarb that was offered to us ( actually Harry put in a request on the Facebook ). Our's produced only a bit this year - not a good year I guess - and Harry would like some more jam made hence the need for more rhubarb. You can just imagine the next steps right.....a truck load of rhubarb for Beth to manage haha!

Hope all is well....take care and be safe out there.

An offer we couldn't refuse.

 The patio is basically finished, and they have been paid.  I didn't realize that there was a bit more to be done, when I offered to pay them, but the boss has said he will come back for a bit tomorrow, so we'll see.  I'm quite pleased.  It looks good, and my table is now solid.  The access to the garage also looks good.  All that needs to be done is to have soil added over the edging that is around the patio, but the base for that has been finished.

We had been casually talking about the sewing machine lately.  I needed a spool of thread for the current charity quilt, and the only place I knew it could be found was at the dealership where I take my machine for servicing.  To focus our deliberations about the  machine, I had been wanting to find out what might be available and what sort of money I was looking at, so David went with me.  We were surprised to  find that we needed an appointment to get in, as they were basically closed for anything other than curbside pick-up.  The owner saw us fumbling with the phone outside and quickly invited us in before closing the door and locking it. There was only him and the lady in charge of machine sales, so it was a good chance to talk.  We found that there was a very interesting price on the machine I had in mind, and then we were offered a trade-in for the old machine. An offer we couldn't refuse. Possibly because I bought it there and have always had it serviced there, so they knew the condition and age of the old machine. The new machine fits quite nicely into the table I bought for the old machine, but very few of the gadgets and feet that I've bought for it over the years are of any use with the new machine.  So the next day, I packaged them up, many still in the original packaging.  Not that they hadn't been used, but because I have always kept them that way so that I could tell what they actually were.  When I showed up to exchange the machines, the owner saw them, he immediately grabbed a package of bobbins off the display and gave it to me.  Bonus, as I had been planning to purchase some of them, while there.  My plan had been to take a few days, and slowly work my way through the manual, but this proved very frustrating.  At first it appeared that there had been significant changes in how the two machines worked, but then I figured out that maybe most of the functions were the same but the buttons etc, used to access them, were in different locations. Not really so, just the descriptions and labels in the manual were different, but the same buttons in the same places do the job.  Once I realized that, I decided to do whatever work I need to do, and check the manual only when doing something I'm not sure of.

Regarding the laundry.  The fellow came to check out the washer and decide what parts etc might be needed.  He actually thought that I hadn't hit the re-set button the right way, fooled around with the machine for a bit, and got it running.  But he did say that we needed a new drain hose, and that he would order that and come back when the part arrived--probably in about two weeks.  So when he left, we put a load of wash on, and the whole process came to an abrupt stop within a few minutes.  The next morning David was on the phone early and kept at it until he got an answer at the repair shop.  In the process he found out that the fellow had also ordered a whole new control panel, and we would just have to wait until everything came in for further action. So yesterday, I went out to Gail's, where we used both of her washers, and got 5 loads done in just under two hours.  The sheets were dried, but I brought everything else home, as so much of our clothing needs to be hung to dry.  I'm very much hoping that we now have enough clothing to last until the washer is actually fixed.  I felt very guilty taking advantage of Gail's generosity to such an extent.

After two frantically busy days, and so much stress, I was not in good shape last evening.  The workers kept at it until almost 8:00.  Neither of us felt like cooking , so I went out for fish and chips about 7:00.  I had a short nap after getting home from Gail's--just enough to get me going for the rest of the evening.  

Today, for both of us, has been much more restful.  I slept late and played around on the computer until almost 1:00.  Cleaned the kitchen, and spent a bit of time in the studio, before talking with Gail, during our usual daily phone call.  A very simple supper, and now this, and suddenly, it's time to start thinking about bed.

No regrets.  Be safe ladies.

Please say it's over!

 Damn, Double Damn Damn.  I wrote a very lengthy message, and was just signing off, when everything disappeared.  It's now mid-night, I've been drinking brandy while typing, and I just want to go to bed.  I'll try again tomorrow.

Worms and Chaos???

 Well, I thought my days were hectic enough but I bow to you Pati and your ongoing chaos and if you wish we'll just forget about the worms that you have haha!  Your subject headings are eye catching for sure. But in all seriousness, I think of you and hope all shall sort itself out to your great satisfaction. I look forward to updates as they occur. One thing though, of excitement is your new sewing machine. That was a surprise for me to hear your story, and by the sounds of it perhaps a surprise for you as well ? Cathy do you have any surprises to share? I know you want rain badly so maybe we'll hear that has come to pass. I was just out with the dogs and it started to spit so I was filled with glee but it lasted about 5 minutes. I shall hold out hope for a bit more during the night. Otherwise we work all day in the garden planting and fixing up. I was happy to see some iris blooming in my back flower garden - I have been babying a few plants for years but no flowers but for some reason this year I have three long stems with buds showing themselves. The water iris in our pond are also showing lots of blooms this year -maybe it will be a fruitful year after all as we already have some fairly large tomatoes on many of our plants - at this point though we just need some rain, please.

So take care folks 💗 👍

More chaos

We're going slightly nuts here with a balancing act between washing machine repairmen, a new sewing machine that is w-a-a-ay out of my comfort zone, the need to arrange to wash clothing somewhere somehow, and the start of the process for leveling the patio, most of which are all occurring to someone else's schedule with no liaison to our own.  This went on all day yesterday and is continuing today.  I will try to post in more detail this evening, but we are just, this moment, dealing with the patio people who arrived this morning (not yesterday) quite unexpectedly, catching us both in our nightclothes.  I will be spending the day out at Gail's, washing clothes in her tenant apartment, so as to fit into health restrictions.  David will be here trying to get ahold of the washing machine man to let him know that the machine stopped working shortly after he left he house, yesterday.

And how's your week going?

We've got worms

 Canker worms that is, so sitting, outside, is a challenge for us.  But I've been managing to get the umbrella up and hide under it.  That doesn't work very well as the little buggers seem able to find us, anyway.  Though, I have to wonder, if maybe we could start a new dance craze, with the frantic movements we all employ to "get that worm off me!".

I tend to just sit and read, outside, but David has been working in the garden, and the results are worth it.  It is looking very nice this year.  Not to the standard you set, Beth, but within the physical capacities of two old fogies' in the city.  ( I spell checked fogies', and this is what I got.)  I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but I have a pair of dark glasses that are designed to fit over reading glasses.  They are far more brown than black, and this gives a rosy glow to what ever I see, with them on.  I love the effect, as it makes the garden area look so rich and lush.

Last week I struggled, both  intellectually and emotionally, with my declining physical abilities and health. Over the weekend, I came to terms with things, after much thought and even a bit of mourning.  Then I wrote a set of, what I'm going to call affirmations, although they may be more a set of loose objectives, without either an action plan, or time frame.  Just the act of writing them down, provided a sense of both satisfaction and of relaxation, that had been missing in my life for months. I feel good about this.  I've slept more soundly since, and actually feel more energy--probably because I'm not wasting the energy worrying about the future.

David has several errands to run this afternoon.  We had planned that he would go alone, as we have been waiting for a technician to contact us about the washing machine.  But we got in touch with him yesterday, and now have an appointment for a diagnostic visit tomorrow afternoon, with the actual repair visit to be arranged, pending results of the first visit. While there is no need for me to go, maybe I will.  I know that I will need to visit the quilt store on the west side of town, at some point, and this just might fit into that journey. One of the stops on this trip is the library, where I have 7 books waiting for pick-up.  I have three sitting here waiting to be read, and I know those will be slow reads. Not sure what I've got myself in for, but it gives me the pleasure of anticipation.

So, we have nice weather. It has recently rained,--heavily.  The house is not falling down, and doesn't look the worse for wear, given recent reduced input as far as housework is concerned.  Gail has offered her washing machine, and we just may take her up on it, even if it does mean a trip out of town.  She actually has two available, as there is one in her tenant suite, which is currently empty. So, right now, things are looking good.

A beautiful evening

 I can sit outside, but with this drought fire bans have been in effect for weeks. I really miss sitting outside by the fire and just relaxing. But I know what fire can do so I obey the bans☹️.  The neighbour came over today with the dregs from her greenhouse. She never wants to plant again (at least this year😜) So I now have tomatoes in my garden 3 feet tall and no branches... just stem. And at least 5 unknown peppers ( might be jalapeños, might be bell, might be banana...). If they die at least we have them a chance to live. All the seeds came from our garden last year. They just tilled up a plot last summer, but they are the neighbours that took such care of us while Jim was sick, so they have always had free run on our garden (even before he was sick). We are still desperate for rain here, but grateful we didn’t get what southeastern Manitoba got. We did have rain at 3:30 am yesterday, but everything was dry at 7:00 and there was nothing on the rain gauge so I guess I just woke up at the right moment☹️  So tonight it is 10:30 and I am sitting outside around an unlit fire pit (sigh). There is once again rain in the forecast so keep hoping. The long range is for drought in our area this year so a bit of rain seems insignificant but it gives us hope. Lucky was happier today (27c instead of 39c). But he still spent a lot of time on the basement floor. Sometimes I wish I could be a dog and find contentment on the floor..... instead I have books. 

Nice evening...

 Another early morning note from here to tell you about my evening of watching Time Team.  Pati mentioned this show and it interested me so I logged on to Prime Video (for which we pay monthly and never use) and found the series and sat for a while watching not one but two episodes because I was thrilled with what I was watching. It is strange for me to watch something at all, so that in itself was different. So I think that if i were to continue with this event it would have to be in the evening after all is said and done here for the day and everyone is in bed. So thank you for the prompt. It is fun for the three of us to share ideas about books, and shows and whatever so for that I am grateful.  Hope you are surviving the heat wave and staying safe. Take care...💓

Hot doesn’t quite cover it

 I’m not sure where the official weather report takes it’s readings, but earlier today it said it was 33c out. All our thermometers said it was already 39c.  And it got warmer!  The dog and I went for a walk at 7:15am but I still only wore shorts and a tank top. We deliberately went into town so that we could sit in the air conditioned car for a while. All our meals for the last few days have been salads and cold meat. We might have to BBQ something for tomorrow. I should have bought potato chips and hamburger buns today. Oh well. Another excuse to sit in the car. It is really kind of depressing to look around and see nothing but dead lawn. We even have some trees that are struggling to have leaves come out. I have some flowers in pots but they are still close to the house. Our rain barrels are both down to the dregs so I haul the water from the house. Our garden well pump stopped working so we have the garden hoses hooked to the house. That means I have no water hoses near the house so it is back and forth from the inside with watering cans for the flowers. I still have some herbs and tomatoes to plant but it is so hot and dry I am keeping them close to the house for now. We keep hoping but it appears there is no end in sight for this drought. Jim and I used to go to the legion or shopping to get air conditioning. Now none of those options are open so I am heading outside in search of a shady, breezy, spot to sit. Keep your fingers crossed😊

Slow down

It's very hot  here, and I'm not sleeping well.  This leaves me with very little energy, and very little ambition.  But today is laundry day, so the morning was spent downstairs (at least it's cool down there)  I had the tv on, and was slowly working on my latest charity quilt.  This one is much more complicated, and I'm adopting a philosophy of working slowly and deliberately, with frequent breaks.  Anything else and I just get foggy brained and exhausted--again.

At least that was the plan.  Then the washing machine stopped--dead-- with a full load of clothes, and a full tub of water.  We have just committed to paying for patio repairs, and have discussed the apparent aging problems with my sewing machine (It's been in for serving three times in the past 6 months)  The old machine that I keep on hand as a temporary replacement has not worked in quite awhile. But--ta da--we discovered that we had bought a 5 year warrantee with the washing machine, while looking up the information on repair services, and they will be sending out a technician--sometime. Some times things just work out, even if we now face a bit of a wait.

This doesn't help right now, but with my new philosophy, I will take a deep breath, maybe watch another episode of Time Team, maybe go out for coffee, and then tackle getting the clothes out and wringing them (Oh Joy!), before putting them through the dryer and back into a laundry basket--to wait.

Now, my usual response to stress is eating.  But while all of this was going on, I ate my lunch--hummus and baby carrots. And I got a package of fish out of the freezer for supper.  I'm proud of myself.

Friday ..it is...

 Was happy to read your message Pati that you "did it". On line banking for me is most stressful but it is, at this point, a necessity if i am to manage our affairs. And as you say, most people now expect you to be able to manoeuvre through the e transfers etc in order to do business. I have the "safepay" attached to the Bitdefender but still not too comfortable each and every time I log on.  I say good for you !

Lots of garden and yard work as usual. In a moment I shall be going over to the VETs to get some pills for my Bailey dog and deliver a few tomatoes and peppers for them to plant in their garden in Gravenhurst where they live. The pharmacy here in Sundridge could not fill the Rx this time around ( matter of supply issues apparently) so i called the Vet directly to see if he could help. Bailey must take this pill once a day in order to prevent the crystallization process that creates the stones that were so nearly deadly for him over a year ago. i cannot take a chance of him getting ill again. The Vet was able to procure some in Gravenhurst for me ...so thank goodness for having developed a nice relationship with him during Bailey's illness and subsequent visits. ( Mind you he has also, no doubt, profited from my visits as well, of which I am acutely aware in my pocketbook haha!).

Then after that trip, I am planting some flower seeds the neighbour gave me.. called "Four O'clock".. because it is at that time of day that the flowers open up until sunset, and have a delightful smell. Wish me luck.

So time to get a move on. Hope you have a nice weekend. As every day event I shall toast to you both when I raise my goblet. This is probably the most exciting time of my day - each and every day haha! Take care  💖💖

I did it!

 Circumstances dictated that we had to have, at least one bank account, that was on line, so as to receive e-transfers.  I went to the credit union to see if and how it could be done.  The fellow at the teller's window did as much as he could to set it up from their viewpoint, and gave me a web site to complete the rest, once I was home.  He wrote it on the back of his business card, and when I got home and looked at it, I realized that he was the branch manager, just filling in for a teller.  I followed his instructions and was able to receive the e-transfer I had been sent.

Today and yesterday, during my down time, I've been reading the most recent book in the Rockton series, by Kelley Armstrong--A Stranger in Town.  I believe that you've already read it, Beth.  I so very much enjoyed it, and decided to read the series from beginning to end, and have ordered the rest of them, all at the same time.  (He he.)  It almost sounds as though the series has ended, which would be a disappointment.  But many of her series have and start and end point, so I shouldn't be surprised.

Today, I've also found time to finish my 5th charity quilt, and get a bit of a start on no. 6.  And just to add the final touch to the day, we received, and accepted a quote for raising and leveling our patio, as well as the driveway entrance to the garage.  I've been complaining for awhile about the height of the step into the house.  I've even stumbled and fallen twice while trying to get in.  He measured and told us it was 10", and that the code calls for 7".  He has also promised to change the water flow pattern from heading directly into the house that one that directs the water down the driveway.  He expects to start work around the middle of June.

But now it's almost mid-night, so best I head for bed.  Stay safe ladies.

Mid week and we are on a roll....

 Just a quickie as the day starts and I have not even made a coffee yet. We will be on a roll now that the weather has warmed and no chance of frost in the future. Much done yesterday with moving plants and planting pots, and cucumbers and lots more for today. I have my much desired zinnias planted in the flower bed at the front door so I shall be anxious to see how they produce as I can see little buds now. Of course the seeds i planted long ago in little pots in the greenhouse did not grow so these were bought at the store.

Hope all is well with you folks. Today our stay at home orders are to be lifted but what will open up is not determined yet as no announcements have been made. There is so much uncertainty about schools opening up and as i see it, why if there are only two or three weeks left in the school year? Just my opinion and they did not seek my input. Take care all..