Big city driving...

All the time I read your message Pati, i was trying to navigate through your directions but I must say, i got lost. Mostly because I was feeling your anxiety and "panic" as well. I agree with Cathy, i am glad i do not face such issues where i live and where I drive. You are a trooper Pati, because you keep at it and do not let the fears and the traffic win over
Today i go to visit old friend Daisy (age 92 years)at her home here in Sundridge. They ( son,granddaughter and her) are up from Toronto for awhile.I will bake some choc chip cookies early to take for the 10:30 am visit (they will be hot out of the oven as i did not have the energy to bake last evening)
Last evening I received a call from neighbour Gerd to inform me that my friend ( his wife) Ruth died yesterday at the Hospice in North Bay. It has been a long haul for him and the family since her Sx July 15. She had come home July 17 but on that next day July 18, her 82nd Birthday she fell and was taken to the hospital with a head injury and internal bleeding and never recovered. I shall miss her and I feel for Gerd and his family now.
Saturday we ( Harry is coming with me) will go to North Bay to help Willie move from one place to another. We will do what we can to help, as he has already been packing and transporting items over the past week in his truck and trailer from point A to point B.
I am hoping all will go OK.
Our garden has been left alone for awhile what with our travels back and forth to Dr and test appointments for Harry. he is certainly getting the full treatment as directed from his new Doctor and I hope something tangible will come of it. But in meantime, I have picked beans, and tomatoes and watered a bit, but have not enjoyed my regular walkabouts, or sitting etc which usually makes my day.
The hot humid weather appears to be breaking according to next weeks forecasts and hope it will be true. But also I cannot believe it is already August. Ugh!  I can already see myself with shovel in hand fighting off the snow and cold. Not a pleasant thought.
Take care and be safe...thinking of you all...

OMG

I am so glad I live here. Although all our important appointments are in Brandon, we really don’t have to deal with traffic like that!  I am suffering through withdrawal since Kris and Chloe left, I will survive😞. I will be in bed early tonight since “someone” woke me up at 12:30 by turning on the light and asking where the cat was. Grrrrrr OMG!  She was in the kitchen. I still love where I live.

Busy days but not much accomplished

Yesterday David went to get his new hearing aids.  Knowing it would take about an hour to program them, I went to Starbucks for coffee, rather than wait outside in the car. Driving North on Route 90 from Sterling Lyon Parkway. I experienced one lane traffic both ways.  I also noticed that the South Lane was backed up bumper to bumper, as far to the North as I could see.  I managed to turn west at Corydon, to head  for the little mall where Starbucks was, found a table inside, and relaxed over my coffee.  But I also started to plan how I would get back to pick David up, and finally decided that my best bet would be to head straight East to Waverley and then back South to the Parkway again to head West, totally avoiding Route 90.  I also realized that I would have to head back much earlier, as I had so much further to go.  So off I go.  As I'm heading East on Corydon, I ran into single lane construction, and got in a panic, but then remembered that last time we went that way, we got through the construction fairly quickly. Then my cell phone rings, and knowing it was David, I answered it, while driving through the construction.  It was the office lady telling me that he was ready much earlier as there had been a problem with the hearing aids.  She started to describe the problem, and I just said Thank you I'm driving, and hung up.  I owe her an apology.  But this brought back my panic, and then I realized that I had reached Stafford and Corydon and there had been no Waverley.  I should have been on Grant.  Total panic.  Still in construction, and the sign said no right turn, so I drove through the intersection. Then realized that the sign had actually said "No right turn on red light".  I could have turned

By this point all I can think of was getting back to David as quickly as possible and that meant getting back to Stafford so that I could get to Grant.  Turned South, and got into residential streets, none of which had anything except stop signs for getting onto very busy Stafford. At this point I'm almost in tears. After forever, a nice man stopped and let me out ( he had no choice as he was waiting for a red light at the next intersection North).  Then it was a quick job to get to David, who had been waiting in a very hot, sunny parking lot.  I was pretty well a "basket case' for the rest of the day.

Today was 3 1/2 hours of frantic grocery shopping, and spending far too much money, followed by a nap.  But, at least, the groceries got put away, before I passed out.

Now, tomorrow David has a 7:30 doctors appointment, and I have laundry to face when we get home.  I'm not holding up well with this activity, but only have to get through the wine bottling on Saturday, when I can rest for the rest of the weekend.  I will definitely need it.  I'm very much feeling my age.

So happy

Kris and Chloe came here yesterday and camped overnight. What a treat for me!  We walked and talked and by this morning Chloe was really comfy around me again. We went the the playground at the school today and the other kids that showed up with their grandma were from Killarney! Chloe was even in day care with one of them, and Sandi works at the hospital with their father. Auntie Kik’s work was a big hit since the gallery is empty so Chloe could run and dance her heart out. Once we were home she built herself a “lounger” out of pillows and watched TV while eating a big lunch. She was very hungry😊. Obviously I enjoyed the visit. Now it is back to normal☹️, but I have the memories. 

Boho beads day out

Pati, it sounded like just a great day and I loved the beads you two made last time - any pictures taken this time around? And Cathy I am thinking of you today and hoping Kris and Chloe were able to join you and Jim. As for me, I was waiting for the forecast thunderstorm to hit today but it has now been moved forward to tonight. And then a few days of same weather. The heat this time around has not felt as intense as it was a few weeks back - that was brutal! And of course maybe the a/c in Harry's room has helped a bit?
I was anxious to get my new reading glasses today but, unfortunately, they did not come into the office so now I must wait until next Tuesday as this satellite office in South River is not open until then ( with the Monday stat holiday) They are only in South River Mon and Tuesdays as the main office is in Huntsville. I can wait I guess as I have been struggling with these ones for a few years now so another week is OK.
I made hot dogs for my meal today - yes...I had a craving so yesterday shopping I bought a package of wieners, and a package of buns. I only had two today but could easily have them again tomorrow haha!  I used a machine Harry acquired a few years ago called Hot Dog Express that has four rows of rotating spheres which hold the wieners and rotate them and heat them. I did not work very well and I might have been better off heating them in the micro - actually i wished i could have put them on the BBQ but that is not in use these days. 
I totally cleaned the fridge today which was in pretty bad shape with fruit and veg been shoved in for days without organization or thought. You know it is bad when you put something on a shelf or find a hole and then slam the door closed quickly to keep it in!!
I picked green beans this afternoon from the garden - surprised to get so many as three patches of them planted did not grow very well -actually they grew too close and most likely did not get pollinated.
We have four budgie eggs in the nesting cage again and since it is the third try for this mother bird to reproduce, she may be lucky and I may be unlucky ( I felt lucky the first two times when they all did not mature to develop chicks and she was left with none)
Speaking of birds it is time to put them all to bed. I do not have a book on the go right now to read in bed. I ordered the next Rockton Series book (Kelly Armstrong) that I have not read yet from the Library but they do not know if they will be able to get it with all the precautions r/t Covid etc. Some Libraries are not open or not lending any books out right now.
So take care folks - be safe, stay at home, have a glass of wine ...

Boho Beads

Yesterday Gail and I spent over four hours sitting at her dining room table working on our Boho Beads.  I headed out right after watching The View, stopping at Subway for a couple of sandwiches, and then Tim's for a coffee ( she doesn't keep coffee in her house).  Still made it out there about 11:45.  She was ready to eat, and we got things sorted out while having lunch.  She has one of those big, round dining room tables with a large Lazy Susan built into the middle.  She had set up her stuff, leaving space for mine, and then aimed a large fan down the center between us.  This kept it almost cool all day, as she has a small portable a/c set up in a window just off the combination  living room/dining room.  We worked steadily until about 3:45, and only finished 3-4 beads each.  We were also able to throw ideas around about how they might possibly be offered for sale, but this was in the full  realization that they are a labour of love and would never produce a profit. I felt a little guilty about the time we spent together, as she is self employed, and doesn't get paid, if she doesn't work, but she had wanted the day off. 

Then it was a drive home during rush hour, which turned out not to be too bad, as I chose a route to avoid what I knew to be trouble areas.  Still, by the time I got home, I was exhausted.  That intense 4 hour period of creative steady work, plus the highway driving did me in.  We watched the news, and then antiques Roadshow, than David found another Antiques Roadshow.  After that I wanted to relax with a poker tournament, as I knew that if I went to bed too early, I would be up very early.  Got caught up in the tournament, and ended up staying up far too long.  Then had trouble falling asleep, and saw 1:00 over a cup of Sleepytime Tea--which finally did the job.  So today I will take it somewhat easy.  David has to take the car in for an oil change today, and I have yet to unpack the big tote bag I used to take the stuff out to Gail's yesterday.  I have started another hand stitching project, and did a fair bit last evening, while watching tv, so will have to take an iron to that.  But I still see a nap in my future today, and since we don't go grocery shopping until tomorrow or Thursday, I'll maybe have a chore finding something for supper this evening.

At least we can breathe today

We couldn’t breathe in the house yesterday. It was so hot and humid. We went to the legion at 3pm (it’s air conditioned) and picked up Chinese for supper. So far since last February we have had 2 Chinese takeouts and lunch in town once. I really have to get out more. Today, being cooler, I weeded and picked beans. Once I got the beans in the freezer I vacuumed and then packed it in for the day. Don’t have to worry about supper since we will have leftover Chinese. (Even though we had it for lunch). I never even shut the house up today since the breeze was so refreshing. Jim and Sam were going to put the tin roof on the shed today but it was actually too windy to carry the tin up. So they had a couple of beer instead. Jim has an appointment in Brandon on Tuesday and he is going to check the humane society for a new dog. It is time. Chase has been gone for three months and JJ for over six weeks. It won’t feel like betrayal to love a new dog now. Kris and Chloe might be here for supper on Tuesday and spend the night. They are taking their camper to a friends place for an annual august long weekend party and thought they might stay here on Tuesday and haul it to Blake’s on Wednesday. It will be wonderful to see them even if Sandi can’t come with them. Jim says to tell you the garden is really looking good. He is very happy about that, especially after last year.