Great News, Good News

Ok now that they have announced the news to the world, I can share the wonderful news too. Sweet Pea is here!! She arrived just a little over a week ago and she is lovely

She looks so much like her big sister The Wee Girl. They certainly used the same cookie cutter. She has a lovely name. It will suit her for her entire life and she is named after her grandmother. All round its wonderful. The Wee Girl loves her so far, wants to hold her, feed her and give her loads of kisses. It makes me beyond happy to see this little family complete. We are blessed to have these babies.
I can't wait to get to meet her.

So in between ogling baby pictures I have been working in the yard. I never planted anything last year and this year I was determined not to do that again. The yard looks horrible with no plants. So I emptied the piggy banks, rolled the change and got myself some flowers. This weekend I got busy and did some planting. It was slow going as the bending gives my legs grief but I did a little, sat a little and did a little more. It worked

marigolds down the sidewalk.

petunias in Mom's wash tub

a few pots on the steps. 

At least it looks like someone in this house cares. The bushes for the flowerbed across the front fence will have to wait but for now it looks good. I have enough petunias left to do the two pots at the back. I need to get some more hostas, but like the bushes, those can wait for now. I am pleased with the look of the place at the moment.

So there you have it , the best news ever as we rejoice with The Pilot, the Teacher and the Wee Girl as they adjust to the newest addition in the family. The good news is that I have actually managed to get some yard work done and I did it for myself. A long time coming but done by my own fair hand.

Time for bed

Toodles

Linda

At Least the House did not Burn Down

I meant to post last week but time got away on me and before I knew it the week was gone and I decided to wait until today. It was a busy week full of something and nothing. Like most of my weeks actually. It was full of  No Cook Friday, puttering about the house and getting nothing accomplished. Ignoring the yard work and knitting.

I have a little something made for Sweat pea when ever she decided to arrive. I have another something started for her and at some point I will make her crib quilt.  I am almost finished a little sweater for a co-worker, this is it at its very beginning.

I have one sleeve left to knit and I ran out of yarn. I have not made it to the craft store yet but I will.

I finally got my quilt going. Its been a while in the making but its coming along nicely. Quilting is my favourite thing to do.

KitKat gave us all a fright and had to have her appendix removed on last Saturday. So on Monday when she was already home from her big adventure, we, The Banker, Teddy Bear and I took supper up to her and took her and her cats outside for some fresh air. Its what friends do for each other.

My fellow is more a watcher than a walker which suited me just fine. So he and I sat watched while the others took a stroll. KitKat is back on her feet and mending nicely.

Wednesday was book club and then I had two days off. Turned my long weekend into an even longer one which was wonderful in my eyes.

I had taken two days off to start the yard work. So typically it was cold and rainy for those two days and I was forced to spend them quilting. KitKat and the Banker took my car to get the winter tires swapped out so the three of us went for lunch first. Lovely tea room lunch then they took the car and I stayed home to quilt. I quilted and basked in the glow of sticky toffee pudding. So yummy. I need to try and make it some time.

Yard work did happen this weekend, thanks to The Banker. She and I traded  puppets for minion time and on Saturday I got my minion time. She tided up my front yard. Cleaned out the peonies and made it look wonderful' I had not asked for that but she did it anyway.

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Then she cleaned out between the shed and the fence. Something I have wanted done for some time. This was what I had decided was to be done during the minion time.

Its a mess of weeds and raspberry canes. She tidied it up and then laid papers down and but the boards back. It looks great and now I can get at the wall to finally paint the last side of the shed. The papers should stop the wayward growth of all things weedy for a while at least.

She raked and trimmed and made a great start on the yard. I did my bit today. I managed to mow the front lawn and swept up the pathways. I am so horribly out of shape that what I learned from today is I have to do so much more of this sort of thing. Tomorrow I hope to get the back mowed and rake the front yard. On the up side this is the first time in more than a year I have mowed my own lawn. Not a stupendous feat to anyone else but it is to me.

Then to add some excitement to the weekend we had a horrible fire downtown. It started about six blocks from me and consumed some big old buildings. We noticed the smoke and the sirens while I watched The Banker do the yard. Later on in the day the power went out and next thing I knew the fire had moved to two blocks from my house. Not a comforting thought. No power, my cell phone almost out of charge and I was not a happy bunny. I was rather frightened to be honest.

It unnerving to know that you are limited and vulnerable in certain situations. I just prayed I could get the cats, get them into the carriers  and out to the car if the need came. The Banker ( have I mentioned I have wonderful friends) brought me her Sweet Baboo's phone and it was she that got the stuff into the car. I felt so much better after that. All I had to do was the cats if push came to shove and if the worst happened I decided to leave the back door open and then they could make a run for it. None of that happened thank goodness. I can see this funny looking little house on next street over when I am in my back yard. This was too close for my comfort is all I can say.

So I now know the answer to that age old question of what would I take with me at the last minute. Well I know that know. I packed the important stuff. Got the cat carriers out and was prepared to go if I had to. Its so funny, my house is packed with things that I love but in the end its all just stuff that can be replaced.

Power came back on but did flicker off a couple of times over the course of the evening. I slept on the couch because I was just a little nervous about have to make a bolt for safer climes. In the wee hours of the morning I gave up and decided that it was safe to creep up the stairs and crawl into my own bed. I did not get up at the crack of dawn I can tell you.

Today has been fine. No sirens, no smoke, no endless stream of traffic up and down the street. That's enough drama for a while thank you.

Toodles
Linda

Its Been a Year

So its an anniversary for me, one I have not been too thrilled with. So one year ago, I went to the Doctor because I had this horrible numb painful feeling in my leg. Three disks have bulged and are pushing on my spine. I cannot walk or stand for any great length of time. I can't grocery shop. or shop much period. I have to plan and watch and be mindful of the fact that I am seriously limited mobile wise The only cure is surgery unless these disks pop back into place on their own. After this long I am seriously thinking that will not happen. Surgery is not an option at this time due to my weight so I compensate.

Click and collect for groceries and smaller stores for other things. Friends fill in the rest and I manage. I cannot tell you how much I hate living like this, but its my reality for now and I make the best of it. The pain is not constant anymore. The feeling of millions of worms under the skin of my upper thigh is sporadic now. Was constant at one time. So I am grateful for that. I push myself now and then to see if I can go and do more than I can.

I miss poking around a store. I miss going and picking out my own fruit and veg. I miss getting things for myself and doing for myself. I pray that one day I will be able to again but for now, I poke along doing what I can and relying on others for the stuff I can't.

Toodles
Linda

TidBits

Well another week has come and gone. Where the time goes I have no idea. I did not get everything done that I had hoped to this week but then when is that a big surprise?? The snow is gone and in its wake is all the trash and mess from last year. I should have been out doing yard work but I will get at it at some point. Aches and pains be darned, it needs to be done.

Yesterday  The Banker, KitKat and I went to a scrapbooking day in a little town close to us. It was a fun day. Its always a fun day when we get together and scrapbook or do anything.

I was not sure what I would work on but I decided to start my 2018 album. I got 22 pages made and am done to the middle of April. I never get the whole thing done on our scrapbooking weekend in November anyway. I did take some card making supplies with me just in case I ran out of scrapbooking material. No cards were made.

Today has been a bust. I did have plans to accomplish some stuff but I have slept a lot today. So tired for some reason and its not because I overdid it on Saturday. I did not get out into the yard. The closest I came was I moved the little bench I bought out onto the veranda then sat there and figured out where the tiles will go when I tile the top. Princess Diva gave me these beautiful tiles and they fit the top of this little bench perfectly.

So I have them placed into a pattern that pleases me. All I have to do now is silicone them down and grout them. This little bench will eventually live out on the little back patio as a side table. The patio is tiny but there is room for one chair. The Banker gave me a metal Adirondack chair when she moved out of her house. She had three, I got one and the Sailor got the other two. My little $5.00 bench will make a lovely little table once its tiled and painted.

I did not quilt, I did not get the quilt batt, I never got to Michael's for yarn. I was a couch potato today and I am still sitting here art 9:30 thinking all I want to do is go to bed. I hate not having any energy.
There is too much to do and I am the one that has to do it. Even if I had picked up the garbage that has blown into the yard I would have been happier. Yard work will happen. I will do it another day.

So in the mean time I make lists so I can remember what needs to be done, both inside and out. I love lists, I could not function without them.

I miss Feedjit, the little thing I had on my blog that told me where my visitors came from. I don't get a lot of visitors but it was fun to keep track. They have shut it down for a number of reasons and I have to admit I miss it. Oh well, everything changes.

Well I am going to go crawl into bed and hopefully feel more alert for tomorrow.

Toodles,
Linda

Spring Has Sprung at :LAST!!

My word I do declare that it maybe .....just maybe gonna be spring. The snow has finally gone, almost. Just lingering remnants  in the shadowed spaces, but on the whole, gone. The wind is warming and the sun is shining its little heart out.  I love this time of the year. Fall is my favourite but spring is second.

The back sidewalk, icy watery death trap is gone and I can once again navigate from the back door to the parking spot. In celebration of no longer taking my life in my hands to get to the car or the dumpsters, I dragged the garbage dumpster into the yard and right up to the back door. Then I proceeded to fill it with all the stuff I have been needing to get rid of. Oh it was so much fun. I now need to swap it out and bring the recycling up to the back door. I could fill it too. Its amazing to me how fast you can accumulate garbage and recycle when you are purging/cleaning and still the house can look full. Sigh.

Its been not a bad week, inspite of having a migraine on Tuesday. I have not had one for a very long time and I have to admit I had forgotten just how much fun those little bastards can be. I am hoping it was just a one off and not the start of them coming back. Yeesh.

I finally got the last of the repairs done on the car. The transmission is done, the brakes are done and I can once again can drive without the heart stopping tension every time I put my foot on the brake. Its lovely to drive about relatively care free. The repairs came in under estimate which is so nice. I was very grateful for that. They double entered something when they were doing the original estimate and one job did not take them as long as they thought it might. I don't care, its done and I am happy. All I want to do now is drive around with the windows down and BOB fm blaring on the car radio.

Not much else has been happening here. My quilt is ready to get quilted but I need to get the white flannelette still, oh yes and a batt. I drew up some quilting templates for it today. I am going for some serious quilting on this baby. Its for me so I am going to do a bit more. I finished the slippers and the dishcloths for The Banker. I have a lamb puppet to make and then I will start on the next quilt. Need to make a run to the fabric store and Michaels for yarn. I will do that in time.

The Banker and KitKat went to Regina this past week. KitKat went to a conference and The Banker went with to keep her company. The Banker bought Desi a new hat.

Look at my little home boy!! its too cute. Lucy was not as happy with it when I tried it on her

I don't think she wants to be part of the "eh" team or wear a baseball cap. Poor Lucy!! I may sleep with the lights on tonight.

Tomorrow I hope to continue on with the purge or I may just do nothing or I may go get some material and get my quilt going. I will see where the wind takes me. I really should be out cleaning up the yard but I am not that ambitious. Whatever I do, sitting on the veranda with a coffee with definitely take place.

Toodles
Linda

Walmart Walk-a-thon

So the week is over, today is wonderful Saturday.  As it was Saturday I could not understand why I was laying in bed, wide awake at stupid o'clock this morning when I could have been sleeping. During the week I can hardly force myself up but on Saturday its a whole different story. As I lay there fuming I heard birds singing. My faith in the world was restored. We seem to be having the winter that never ends and bird song gave me hope that we would eventually see the last of the snow, and some green things once again. I have visions of what I want to do in the yard dancing in my head these days and I have high hopes that this year will be the year it actually happens.

On Friday when I dragged my butt out of bed and into the cold, I left this behind, sound asleep and snuggled under my covers, in my bed!!

Little paw tucked up by her face. At that moment I deeply wanted to be a cat. Instead I went to work.

Today I did something I have not done in more than a year. Awhile ago I get myself a goal and today I managed it.

I picked up my groceries (not part of the goal) and then took myself to Walmart. I actually went inside and bought myself some peppers and some chicken breasts. I only managed to walk to the chicken but that is  a milestone for me and my pinched nerve and arthritic knee ( one leg for each). I got the chicken, got through the till and back to my car. I was awash with excitement. My next goal is to make it to the garbage bags next time. (I live a wild and crazy life.) All kidding aside this is big for me. After Walmart I made it to Michaels. I wanted yarn for a blanket for Sweet Pea but they did not have enough of the colour I wanted.Its on sale all week so I will check back. I picked up some scrapbooking do-dads because a 50% off coupon cannot be ignored. After my walk-a-thon, I headed home. You know this means I walked the length of Michaels as well as my stroll through Walmart. Me poor old pinched nerve was screaming like a banshee by the time I got back to the car but I DID IT. This means I can start to get back some of my independence.  This is big I tell you, very big. I can keep working on this and get back to doing for myself.

I have decided I need one of those old people grocery cart thingys to get my groceries from the car to the house. Using the cane limits my ability to carry all the groceries at one time and making a number of trips may be good for me but it makes me grumpy and annoyed.  I want to get a cart. I can pile stuff into it and pull it to the house. Less gumpy making and I can get exercise in other ways.  I have added this to my "want" list. 

I purged the spice drawer!! I purged the bejeebus out of it. Here we go with the gratuitous before and after shots. Before

and now it looks like this:  After

Its a joy to close the drawer on the first try, not having to rearrange the spices at least three times before the drawer will slide shut.

I finally recovered Teddy Bear's chair seat!! I have had it to do for months. The grandchildren were a little hard on it. Before and After.

Super simple job and I am so happy I could do this for her.

More good things have been happening. I got the transmission fixed on the car, (drunken happy dance of joy)  the brakes will get done at some point in time, (some time soon). The guys at the garage agreed that this was the smartest thing to do first. Nice to know I can make the right decision once in a while.

What else is going on??  I am still working on the purge,/clean of the house. Every time I think I am gaining ground I look at the place and its doesn't seem to be any different. I continue though. I will win this battle, I am resolved to it. It will be so nice when the ice in the back yard melts. What does that have to do with cleaning the house .... well  when that happens taking out the garbage is not a death defying event. In fact. for a period of time at the end of winter, beginning of spring  I don't take it out the back. When the back sidewalk is at its icy watery death trap best, I take the garbage out the front, into the trunk of the car and I drive it round the block to the dumpster. It looks crazy but I would rather be crazy than end up with some part of me broken, bent or sprained.

This afternoon I have mostly been knitting. I wore the legs out on my big adventure this morning so I spent the rest of the day knitting. The Banker has asked for a pair of slippers and three dishcloths. I just have one slipper left to do. I did not knit that all today just two dishcloths. I have the second slipper started and will get back at it once I am done blogging. Tomorrow I am baking butter tarts for a coworker then I am going to try and get the backing sewn together for my quilt.

I have decided to use the flannelette I have on hand for the majority of the backing then I will get some white to go around the edges where it will be seen. I was going to buy new stuff but I have so much on hand, it really needs to be used. This way I will save myself some pennies and help with the purge at the same time. The top is all blue and white so I want it to look nice when its on the bed. White around the edge will work a treat.  I want to get quilting it and get it done. The matching curtains will be faded to the point of garbaging them at the rate I am going. The quilting is going to be the star of this piece so I want to get on it.

So that's about it for now. I hope all is well in your little corner of the world.

Toodles,
Linda

Staycation..............almost done

So I let myself sleep in a little this morning. Its almost over and I am starting to get sad. I am not going to dwell on it or I will end up whimpering in the corner and that would not be making the most of the next three days. Focus on the positive.

Ok so far this week I have been tackling jobs that have been left ignored far too long. The spare bedrooms have been put back in order. The poor green room got all rearranged when I decorated my bedroom. Yes I am aware that that was nearly a year ago,,,,,,,shut up. I moved the furniture back onto place and put some things away. It was good to get it done. The red room got the bedding all washed and was given a good tidy and is ready should company show up. The storage containers that have been in the tub for the longest time have been moved and will be purged of the eleventy million magazines I was saving for some unknown reason. Normally these containers live under my bed but once they are purged and refilled with more important stuff, they are going into my closet.

The upstairs floors have been given a bath and so have the stairs. The Banker fixed the crack in the stairwell wall. She did a a fantastic job. I have purged my sewing patterns. The container went from looking like this:

So full I could not stuff  them all into the container. It now looks like this:

Makes me so happy!!

I finished the house reno scrapbook and I never had to go to Michaels once. No that's not true I had to get adhesive, but I used a 50%off coupon. Other than that, I used all my supplies that I have on hand. This scrapbook did not get embellishments. Its just a record of the changes I have made to the house in the first 10 years that I have been here. I almost didn't bother doing it but since I had a lot of pictures already printed I decided to go for it. The album I put the pictures in was passed onto me by a friend. I am happy I made the choice to do it. You forget how the place looked at the start.

So basically my vacation has been housework focused. I did finally get an appointment for the car. I will do the repairs in stages. The transmission first then the brakes. I am so grateful to be finally getting this taken care of. I have left it go for far too long.

I am not sure what has been up with me for the last longest time but I don't like it. I am focused on getting myself out of this funk I have been in for far too long. Everyone has problems and things that get them down, I am no different. What is different is I cannot go on living this way. I have to just put on the big girl panties and deal.

To that end, the housework. Contrary to what it may look like I do not enjoy living in a mess. Clutter is fine, a mess is not. So I am dealing with that. Purge and clean, purge and clean, lather rinse repeat.I am continuing to work on the craft room. I am keeping up with keeping the paperwork taken care of and filed instead of piling up all over the place. The kitchen is next. The spice drawer and the cook books are first on the list.

The next on the list is budgeting. I need to tighten my belt and get back on track. Having no back up when something goes wrong is just not good. It gets you behind and once behind its pretty stinkin' hard to get back on track. First things I did was I reduced my cable down, even though my tv is super important to me, I don't need all the channels I had. I did not renew my magazine subscriptions this year. I only have two but its a luxury that I can give up for now. I am going to start paying more attention to coupons and sales. I have talked this talk before but I am starting to walk the walk. I am not giving up going out with friends. I can economize in other areas.

I am responsible for me, I need to start taking better care of me. So I am actually taking baby steps toward this goal, instead of just talking about it. Its a journey of a thousand miles but I have taken the first step or two. I need to get out from under this debt. I don't like it. I hate to no be able to look after my self.

Toodles
Linda