Summer!

At least until Wednesday when the forecast high is 8.  Meanwhile, 12, 5 gallon buckets later, my poop patrol is done for another year.  I suggested that next year we keep an area that we clear of snow and the dogs will poop there and we can pick it up as soon as it freezes!  Good idea, but implementation is another story.  I tilled the garden this morning and we hope to get the potatoes in tomorrow.  (Which I have booked off work... and it is supposed to be 21!!)  Probably I will sit outside and read.   You would think that by now I would learn to use work gloves, but NOOOOOO.  Cathy seems to have a thing for big blisters and slivers.  I am headed to town soon to a "fashion show"  Rrain belongs to the Choraliers and they are doing 2 short sets of 6os music.  It should be fun and afterwards we are coming home to a steak bbq.  Jim is all set.  Steak, baked potatoes, caeser salad,and garlic toast.  I am drooling just anticipating it.  Poor Jim.  No hat..no hair...sunburn.  His head is real red today.  He has a hat on now but he says it is tender.   I sat outside for a while after we went grocery shopping.  Rodney came by and then the neighbours dropped over.  It must be warming up.  People are coming out of their homes again. We still have piles of snow in places but they are disappearing  fast.   I hope a late spring means a late fall  Summers is too short as it is.   Enjoy your week.

Gillian's cake and Canadian Tire money

Gillian's birthday cake was lovely.  A standard 9" two layer vanilla scratch cake with raspberry frosting.  the entire cake was covered with the flowers you can see here.  There was a business card in the box stating that the cost of the cake included a "Consultation fee".  I'm guessing between $65 and $70, or more,  based on the prices listed on the card. We had cake at Loren's house after a meal at a local "Tapas" restaurant.  This means that we chose, and were served,  small portions of a variety of dishes.  Each dish was just big enough for us to have a good taste, but that's all.  Between the five us I think we had 7 dishes, but it was enough.  A very different experience, and one I would try again, but David didn't enjoy it, so it was probably the only time we'll actually go there, unless we go for lunch one day next time you visit, Beth.

Thursday and Friday we did a bit of shopping, both for me and for the new quilting group at the local Active Living Centre.  This included two lovely irons from Canadian Tire. So late in the afternoon, after two long hard days of shopping, with myself barely able to walk because of pain, we had to take the irons back as we couldn't get them to work.  When I approached the customer service, she gave us directions to a different desk quite away from us, along with some heavy duty attitude. Then we had to wait for our turn, and when it came the clerk was rude enough to try to get someone else to deal with us, while we were standing there. Because we had separate bills there were two separate return transactions. Finally she was finishing up the first set of paper work,  and she turned to me and asked if was going to return the 10 cents in Canadian Tire money I had been given (at home on the kitchen table--never even thought of it).  The last straw. I reached into my purse, said "how about I just give you a dime?", and slammed the dime on the counter.  There must have been something about the look in my eye, her attitude abruptly changed and butter wouldn't have melted in her mouth.  Both transactions were quickly finished, we politely thanked each other, and we left.  By the time we were out the door, no-one had touched the dime.

Friday night and this afternoon, I did a bit of volunteering at a local art show.  There was some excellent art work, and I was surprised to see how often the artist had included some texturing in a piece.  If nothing else, I'm grateful for the opportunity to see what I believe was a wonderful art show.

Yikes....a sunburn on my arms

I would never have believed the struggle through this past winter would end but it has and I have the sunburn on my arms to prove what glorious weather is here. Lots of yard work today with lots accomplished as well. The problem is that there is so much to do, that you end up doing a little bit of this, and then notice another thing so go and do that, and then another thing and on and on it goes. I even took the bicycle out to the lottery store, not once but twice! I expect I shall not be able to walk tomorrow but what a thrill I had today flying down the street with sheer abandon. One needs a little exitement like this every now and then haha. Hoping your snow will disappear quickly Cathy so that you, too, can enjoy the outdoors soon.Rhubarb and asparagus are growing fast, and a full bed of garlic planted last fall is about a foot tall already. I don't eat this but Harry will enjoy, I'm sure. I will have my raspberries and the bushes are greening up nicely. Both my rose bushes survived the winter and the clematis has little bits of green on the branches so I expect they also will be really good this year. another thing that is growing back is my wild rose bushes - I cut them back two years ago because they were unmanageable, but I see a few sprouts coming again this year. I love them and they remind me of Manitoba so glad they decided to reappear! anyway - time to fly. I received my new replacement Kobo ereader in the mail today so I think I shall try to connect it and see if my already purchased books reappear as well. Take care

tickets

I have my 649 ticket so keep your fingers crossed.  My acting status at work is finally here.  It is on my pay cheque this week.  BUT, my net pay is down $11.  At least I have the acknowledgement that I am doing the job.  That's what I really wanted.  To have the acting status in place when Teranet took over.  Meanwhile, I have shovelled snow at work today (good thing we have caretakers!!)  The dogs are wet and stinky.  Things are normal.... dirt everywhere in the house.  Why do we have pets??  Oh yeah.., I remember.  Unconditional love. If the whole world had that we would be much happier..... love you!

New book

I know how often you referred to the inspiration you found in you daily calendar last year.  I think you may just find a similar source of inspiration and renewal here.  I quite enjoy that sort of book, often keep them in the bathroom ( right next to the Harlequins).

IKEA

I have never seen an IKEA store but I expect it would be quite exciting at least the first or second time in? A quick update: I went to lunch with my friend Sue and had an enjoyable time; the car behaved nicely with no problems; the plumber is coming first thing tomorrow morning; it is mild and sunny so lots of yard work done today; the wild bird died (as expected); and I went into the Walmart store to buy a package of beading needles, and passed by a table of books and on a whim, bought one called The Woman's Book of Courage - Meditations for Listening, Living and Loving. It is described on the back cover as "...offers over one hundred inspired entries showing all women how to call on their courage, increase their sense of personal power and peace of mind, and learn to live fully with their own strength" So what do you think - will it be life changing???? haha It will provide, if nothing else, some peaceful reading anyway! So with that I shall go and watch ARROW now as it nears 7 pm, and then to bed.
Take care

Tuesdays adventure

David has been wanting to visit Ikea ever since it opened, so yesterday morning we set off in pouring rain.   I had thought that it was at the north east corner of Kenaston and Wilkes.  No--it's actually on the south west corner of Kenaston and Sterling Lyon Parkway. Had a bit of a discussion about this confusion.  We got there and figured out what to do and where to go.  Off we set with maps in hand, carefully following the arrows on the floor, and incentive provided by the sign that said "Giant cinnamon bun and coffee--$2.00".  Yes, we saw wonderful things. I was really impressed with the tiny fully functional apartments they had set up.  By tiny, I mean under 600 square feet.  Two bedrooms, living room and kitchen areas and bathroom including laundry area.  Really clever!  A place for everything and everything in its place would really have to be words to live by, but you hear of these really tiny apartments etc, and now I can see how they would be put together.

 We bought three cork trivets, two toilet brushes, and a wall clock.  The clock Daddy bought me many, many years ago had finally given up the ghost, and I really missed it, so when we saw this very attractive clock for under $20 we picked it up.  We got it home and it didn't work.  Questioning the age of the batteries we used, we went out and bought some more.  It still didn't work.  This means a trip back to the other side of the city to get our money back, but, oh well,  we have some running around to do tomorrow.  We seem to have been running around for days, and until David gets into Autopac to have the 'corrective lenses" removed form his licence, I have to drive.  However,--tada--the new batteries work in the old clock and it's back up on the wall.  It must have been faulty batteries that stopped it in the first place.

When we finally got to the cafeteria at Ikea there was a huge line up, but the cinnamon buns were off to one side.  We took one look, shook our heads, and headed for Tim's when we left the building.  Since I had coupons, we tried the pannini.  Quite nice and a big meal.  Much nicer than a hard, over baked cinnamon bun.

I am grateful for the Tim Coupons, and I was grateful that the rain had stopped for our drive home.  I am finding it hard to be grateful for the yard full of snow that we found when we got up on May first.