Freedom

We have cleaned the office for the last time. Our evenings and weekends are now free!! And not only that, I am on holidays until August 15th. It is hot again here so all our meals are either cold or bbq. Tonight is rotisserie chicken, new potatoes, garden beans, and salad with everything from the garden except the tomatoes. I really enjoy it when things ripen and we can eat straight from the garden. Too bad I also know how much work is ahead of me. We really cut back on the garden this year, so I don't have a lot to put away. We ate all the peas, and the potatoes we are just eating. We will have a lot of tomatoes again, but Rrain wants to make homemade salsa so that will use up a lot of them. I will make tomatoe sauce and maybe freeze junk for soups. I sitll have pickles from last year, but I wall not let the cucumbers go to waste.... I guess that means a lot more cucumber sandwiches. Tim and Maddie and Tim's girlfriend and her daughter are arriving next Monday. We will have a full house by then, so I guess I do have to do some cleaning. We don't have to worry about food, because they have had the meals planned since last year.... fish fry... turkey fry.... hot dogs on the fire.... hamburgers and steak. I hope this new girlfriend is better than the last one he brought home. She can't be any worse. The last one didn't even like kids, including Maddie. This one has kids. APril and her three kids have been over everyday for the last 4 weeks. It is getting to be a bit much. Rrain has taken to hiding in her bedroom and pretending to be asleep. Once in a while is okay but this is wearing thin. Of course the kids love jumping in the pool and it has been hot. And April is having marriage problems and just needs a break now and then, but so do we. Oh well. Today Rrain and I are going to jump in the pool before anyone else gets here. We will have it to ourselves for a while. Just to cool off. Jim & I have pretty much decided not to replace the pool once it goes, but when it is this hot I have second thoughts. We are thinking about replacing it with one of those 3 foot by 10 foot blow up pools. We could sit on the bottom and just soak. It wouldn't be as much work either, because you can empty it easily to clean it. Today I am thankful for getting "hugs" when I need them. Even if they are Zen Hugs.

Good thoughts

We are just finishing the packing for our weekend away.  Setting this up and executing it is almost like a military campaign--and all for three days away.  I have to plan all the menues, then write down all of the ingredients, then shop, then measure out everything and put it in disposable containers for travelling.  I have to pack all of the utensils that might be needed.  Then I devise packing lists based on where the item might be located--fridge, freezer, or pantry.  These lists are used as a check off and then taken with us to re-check when we pack to come home.  Then I have to go through the same sort of process for clothing, followed by the same process for "stuff".  Since we plan to drive back through the States, I also have to plan for border crossings--there are some things I don't want to try to take across a border--either way.  The third type of list is a sort of  "to do" list broken down into what needs to be done on which days, leading up to the event.  Did I mention that this was for 3 days away?

Complicating the whole thing is the painting.  Both David and I have had reactions to the primer he has to use in some areas, so we had to plan out "to do" list for the painting, leading up to applying the primer just before we pack the car and leave.  Now, you must understand that the final primer has now been applied to the back foyer.  The same foyer we need to use to pack the car.  A bit of poor planning there!

As part of all of this, I planned meals for today to use up the last of the perishable food that we aren't planning to take with us.  Screwed up a bit there as well, and my next job is to make sandwiches to take with us.  We've never done this before, but figure on stopping at Pine Grove for lunch.

So what does all of this say about me?  A bit anal, you say?  Maybe I just see a reflection of my business experience?  So, for today, I'm grateful for the type of life that makes me a bit anal in planning for events like this, where there are frustrating  consequnces for doing something wrong.

P. D. James

We went to the library today, where I checked out the various writers of British Police procedurals, and recognized the ones by P. D. James as particular favourites. A little more cerebral than some of the others.  Another favourite is Elizabeth George. Hers are best read in the order they are written, as the lives of the protagonists are fairly important to the story, although each can be read on its own, quite nicely. 

I realized this morning that a couple of my small plants have died from lack of water.  They are close to the house and we assume that when it rains they get water, but this is not always the case, depending on the direction of the wind. And, boy, do we have wind these days!

Today I'm grateful for A/C and cranberry juice.

Be - send some rain, please!

Watering, and then more watering tend to fill my days. Everything is so very dry, and yet, we are picking and eating ample supply of cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden. The neighbours across the street just had central a/c installed today. She told me on the street where I met up with her walking her dog and her 19 month old daughter that they were saving for a travel trailer but had to give in with all this dry hot weather and purchase the a/c instead. We just have fans blowing all the hot air around the house, but I think it does help the animals with a bit of relief. I made a banana cake with maple icing to take to Mothers tomorrow and thought of all of you while making it (and also while testing it to be sure it would be suitable - after the fourth piece I found it to be suitable!!) I'll be going solo again to Mothers and hope to accomplish wonders in the garden. I was fine with planning a light lunch but Harry went shopping this morning and I now have a full meal to cook as well. I finished another novel by Steve Berry last night - really long one called The Venetian Betrayal and what a thrill to come to the end of a good book. You sit for a moment and just fondle the closed cover and ponder a sense of wonder. And then you quickly want to decide what your next book shall be and want to get onto the challenge immediately. Does this make any sense to any of you? No, ok, so I'll just sign off and go to bed then.....haha. Have a great long weekend everyone, and take care.

Books by P.D. James

I believe that I have read her books, and enjoyed them,  but then I tend to enjoy British police precedurals, read several different authors, then tend to confuse their names.

Today I'm grateful for the firm bed in the spare room, where I had a good nap despite a very sore shoulder.

Naughty Blogspot! Bad! Bad!

Hasn't let me in for until now.  We went shopping this morning.  Three thrift stores  looking for blue plates, then WalMart, Zellers, Rona, and a quick stop in the grocery store.  Then home to start the final clean-up of the kitchen.  Yes, the kitchen itself is done. ( The pantry and foyer are still to go, but primed ready to paint.) I knew that blue is not often used for serving or eating foods, because it has the effect of reducing appetite, and that is sure obvious in terms of second-hand plates.  I only found one, and it is more of a serving plate. I found one more in open stock in Zellers, but didn't see much else, even in sets. So the search will continue.  We found some tea towels and small hand towels that match fairly well in WalMart.  But in Zellers we found both placemats and tablecloths, and even a set of pot holders that we decided were acceptable.  ( The right blue, but have a sunflower on them, and I've been trying to avoid yellow)

So now the folding table is finally down, and the living room usable again.  Needs a good ( read re-e-ally good) vacuuming.  We know that we're going to have to have the rug cleaned, but knew that,  before all this started.  Unfortunately, our steamcleaning guy retired, and we either have to find a new steamcleaner or rent a machine and do it ourselves.  Probably do it ourselves, so that we can do the whole house at the same time.  As soon as the dishes are done, and the floor swept, I'll try to take a picture. 

But all that shopping has worn me out.  So I had a good nap, and now a drink before getting to work.  So far today, I'm grateful for getting my kitchen back.  I'm grateful for air conditioning. And I'm both humbled by, and grateful for, David.

Be - So lets all laugh together

It is that time of year that I usually am in your midst and laughter abounds. Every year I have been able to travel west and be with you all - in Neepawa, or Winnipeg, or at Lake McConnell. So it may be a bit sad for me right now but in my heart I am laughing with you and enjoying
your company. It will come to be again, but not right now.
P.D.James - has anyone read books by this author? In my search at the cheap stores I always go over the books looking for familiar authors. I like to read books by the same author when I like his/her writing ie Cussler, Kellerman and now Steve Berry. I have seen many different titles by James and although I have not looked closer at what each book is about, I wonder if he/her might be a next best bet?
Nothing exciting or thrilling in my life right now - we visited with Mike today in North Bay as he is at home this week in between taskings having finished in Meaford and pending a possible Petawawa posting. He is still trying to secure a tasking in North Bay at the Armoury but that has not been confirmed. That is my happy / thankful event for today plus today is Willie's birthday so I, too, propose to dwell on the positive. Take care.