Be - Make my Father proud

OK, so I am not the carpenter that my Father was....but I'm trying. Today while siliconing the windows ( read holes ) I fell off the ladder and hurt my leg and hand. But I had to keep on working because the silicone kept squeezing out the nozzle and I couldn't do anything to stop it until the tube ran out. And I have had to hammer nails in for Harry and although I managed OK, I lack the strength to put much ummpph into it, and I tried to saw a piece of wood and I couldn't get the blade to start to cut. I looked at my watch tonight and the face is covered with silicone so I sat watching the news, trying to scratch it off only resulting in it smearing all over the glass. My next attempt is to use GOO GONE. But I'm happy to say that there are now four walls completed with only the roof to put on. If today had been nicer we might have attempted it but it has been cold, and windy and intermittently raining a bit. Once done, then it will have to be painted. We have white paint purchased for the picket fence that is just waiting for us to start. Actually, I think it is the neighbour that is patiently waiting for us to start - it was his choice to paint it white - it will match his place but I wanted to paint it green but thats another story.
Mike arrived home late last night from his Summit duties, and will have a few days to get ready before he leaves for his summer duties in Petawawa that start July 5. I expect we may have to make a few trips again to pick up and deliver the odd time if he is off on the weekends and can come back to North Bay, although he makes every effort to make other transportation arrangements if he can. There is usually always some other person driving to North Bay or even Timmins that he can hitch a ride with, but he knows he can call us and we'll help him out.
Well, tomorrow to Mothers again, so I better have a nice bath and to bed. By the way it was very nice to speak with you both over the last few days - I enjoy the blog, but enjoy your voices even more. Soon I will also enjoy seeing you!!
Take care....

Be - even more excitement.....

This afternoon we went to the dump to look for more windows for the green house (this is not the exciting part so hang on...) while there, an F18 came by at a low altitude and made some really fast manoevers overhead which is unusual. Then we spotted a float plane in the sky as well, and sure enough the F 18 came whizzing by and flew parallel to the float plane and wagged its wings first left and then right. From my flight training I knew this to be the procedure to apprehend an aircraft that is not supposed to be in the airspace. With the G8 Summit, all airspace within 30 km around Huntsville is now restricted. There are military radar units set up now at all the smaller airfields in the area including the South River/Sundridge airport, as well as the Emsdale Airport which we drive by everytime we go to Mothers. So obviously, the F18 was dispatched when the radar picked up this activity of the small float plane when it should not have been flying. The F 18s are currently at North Bay airport so would be really close if needed immediatley such as with this occurrence. I was so excited to watch and to see in real life this event for which I had memorized for my own flying but of course never had reason to implement. And because we were at the dump, we had a clear view of it all.
And so that's my story for today.......Take care

Exciting Lives....

Gee... Earthquakes and visiting world dignitaries.... somehow the two seem to belong together in my mind. Our weather is the same day after day... Chance of thunderstorms. The rain seems to have let up here, but it threatens every day. How about a nice normal sunny day? You must bring us some pictures of your yard Beth. I would love to see the garden and greenhouses. I really can't picture them. Maybe you can give me some suggestions on building a greenhouse here. I really want one, but don't know how to start. Should it be a nice freestanding building, or, more likely, a lean-to shanty. I too, have to make a dentist appointment. I have one tooth that has a loose filling and another that I can't chew on. I know neither will last until my next appointment in Janury. It's just that all my teeth are more filling than tooth, and I think he may have to give up on these two. I have one more week off work. I am still dreading going back, and am "catastrophizing" my return. I dreamed last night that they made me keep all the changes that Patty made at my desk, and I know that I do not want a couple of them. I will just quietly stop using them. The garden has grown a little bit and looks like a garden now. For a while I thought things would just sit there all year. The little bit of sun we have had made a difference. We filled the pool and as soon as we turned the filter on, the water turned red! Our neighbours always had that problem, but we have only had a little bit before. Perhaps the rain has affected the amount of silt in our water. The poor filter is working its heart out. Jim and I are working Meat Draw on July 2. I don't know if it will be extra busy or extra slow with Thursday being a holiday. There is a BBQ there on July 9. The annual ShopEasy BBQ in support of the LEgion. They do all the work and the profits go to the Legion. July 11 is the golf tournament. We were going with Rodney & Kristy, but I think we will switch and let Tim and Crystal go with them and we will go with Larry & Dennis. Tim is good friends with Rodney & Kristy, & Crystal is the same age and knows all three of them. Larry & Dennis are our age. Either way we will be one of the two first to tee off, as Crystal has to open the Bar, and Dennis is in charge of supper. Already the summer is slipping past so fast. I should be outside instead of sitting here at the computer. Sooo....... have a good day!

Be - I feel the same way....

... haven't had to have a dental dam for years and years - but I still feel squeamish thinking about it. My problem in the dentists chair is that once my mouth opens, my jaws lock and I am in excrutiating pain until it can be massaged enough to relax and close again. This doesn't help when the procedure requires the mouth to actually be open.
Well, whether it be torrential rains, or tornadoes, or as in yesterday, earthquakes, the show goes on, and we have braved it all in the last few days. Not the tornadoes thank goodness, or should I say, not yet anyway! We had to set up the sump pump last evening outside at the front of the house as the water just wouldn't soak in fast enough, and overflows the basement window which is quite low. Hope all the international dignitaries arriving for the Summit like this kind of weather. But then they will all be in the luxury hotel wineing and dining and likely not care one way or the other???
Tomorrow we will be at home for the first time this week, and I expect will do more greenhouse building. We found another door at the dump this afternoon so that will be used on the other side of the structure. Should be a good solid building when completed - it withstood the earthquake yesterday.
Hoping you both have a good weekend, and fair weather to go along with it. Take care....

Exciting times at the dentist

We had a negotiation about what we were going to do--since my insurance is all used up and we were talking big money. I even offered the option of pulling the damn thing out and forgetting about it until the insurance kicks in again next January. The problem is that there is now a cavity under the crown. This means cutting the crown off, probably doing a root canal, and then making a whole new crown---about $1200. So we started. Double mandibular block (ouch!!) Then he tried to pry the cown off to see if maybe it could be re-used. No dice! When Tregobov put on a crown it was there to stay! So he had to drill it off. It's a lower right canine tooth, so he had to use dental dam to prevent any of the bits or chemicals from going down my throat. Started to put that on and TOTAL FREAK OUT!! I just couldn't deal with it. Don't know what the problem might be. I certainly dealt with it years ago, but not now. So--off with the dam, lots of reassuring words etc. and then more negotations. He's now recommending that, to treat the tooth, I consider IV sedation ( Ka-ching additional $400), but if I can't afford that, I live with it until the pain becomes unbearable. Hopefully, I can last long enough that the insurance kicks in again. He really doesn't want to pull it, as he says that structurally, it's critical for the alignment of the jaw because of it's position. And he isn't sure from the x-rays but thinks that there may even be some involvement with the next tooth---also crowned.

Now, I know my respiratory function isn't what it once was, and I have experienced a fear of not being able to breath before. Maybe it's time to find out what is going on.

Last night Faith came to pick up the sewing machine. She appeared a little stunned and I'm sure I saw real lust on her face when she saw both the machine and all of the attachments. She was right in there playing with it, ended up picking it up and refusing to put it down, even when they got out to the car. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for her, although we've had very little interaction. She is actually Mary Lou's grand daughter. She was badly burned as a child, and her mother was either too "ditzy" or too high to care for her properly. So the poor kid has signifcant burn scarring on her legs. Her father was the nurturing parent, and he committed suicide about two years ago. I feel very comfortable giving her the machine.

But now I have to re-arrange and clean both the storeroo0m and the studio. A job that's needed doing for some time. Well, other than the floors, it's done. There will still be a bit or re-organization when I get the table for the new machine, but for now it's set up. The big emotional adjustment was in packing up the Pfaff and putting it away. And now we have a huge load to take to the thrift store, but it sure feels great to have the job done.

If you can't drive your kids crazy----

I guess I really did make them nuts, but the best strategy I came up with for time management--that allowed me actual time for myself--was power cooking. Two days a month of cooking in bulk, divide it into meals and you can sew for an extra two or three hours a week. But I do remember meals when the kids would ask how many of something they could have. I usually put a couple extra of whatever in the pot, and it always seemed to get eaten. And just look at my family--none of us appears to be starving to death!

It looks like I'm going to be giving one of David's great nieces Auntie Lorraine's old sewing machine. Faith is in her late teens, and designs her own clothes, but is sewing them together by hand! I hope no one is upset with me, but this looks like a "Good Thing". I'll be keeping the Pfaff as my back up machine. Lorraine's Elna is a beautiful machine, but I can't drop the feed dogs so can't use it for free motion work. Storage space is the real problem, as I also have the HuskyStar Embellisher. David stood in the studio the other day and looked around and said" Do you realize how much money I see sitting here?" Whoops! Didn't think anyone was counting.

Okay--bed time! Tomorow I have another dental appointment to investigate the toothache that I developed during my previous sessions. While I don't enjoy going to the dentist, it wasn't so bad until I reached the point in life when I have to pay for it myself. Bummer!

Be - you set my heart a fluttering.....

Of course, if you can get tickets, I would love to go to Rainbow Stage. So many memories, so long ago.....I'll be sending you a cheque in the mail tomorrow. I still plan to be at your place for Monday supper on July 26. So if we go to the Lake on the Thursday, that would leave either Mon, Tues or Wed night for the theatre, right?
I couldn't get into the blog again because of "cookies" or something wrong - it seems if you ignore those messages and just restart your log in, then everything is OK.
I will always remember visiting you Patty long ago, and I was preparing the supper you had left out - it was meatballs, and as I started to get them ready, I took one from the casserole and ate it. Amber witnessed this event, and yelled at me that Mom will be mad - she has them all counted. So I timidly replied that, in that case, I would eat one less at supper!
Well, I had my last violin lesson before the summer break today. I couldn't play a decent note and felt so deflated. Anyway, I'll have the whole summer to try to practice more if I can. The problem is that my time is so well orchestrated for me. As an extra, I am going to Mothers tomorrow to weed the garden if I can. We normally do not go on a Wed as her homemaker comes from 9:30 to 10:30 am. It has been raining, and appears may rain again tomorrow afternoon - so maybe I'll be lucky and get a few rows of weeds removed. Of course, I have to take lunch and prepare it as well.
The new greenhouse has two walls up already and today we got an old wooden door from Mike's basement that we will use for one side.
I am getting so excited about my trip because I am buying stuff to take and hoarding it all in a box in the back bedroom now - talk about "stocking up" - I have a real assortment of road supplies - you know, cookies, licorice, dates, crackers, - all the good stuff! And I also splurged and bought a new CD for the long drive - Frank Sinatra - three solid hours of the oldies, so by my calculations, it should play over and over again about eight times? So you know that I'll be very mellow by the time I arrive haha
Anyway, bed time and time to say so long. Take care