Molehills all around!!

I think I have touched on this before but its my blog so I get to talk about it again, One of my greatest talents is taking a molehill and turning it into the biggest mountain. I am working on changing that but its hard work and its just such an easy pattern to fall into. Right now its weeding. If I just went out and did a little each day it would be done but I roll it over in my mind so much, it grows out of proportion and then I do nothing. Its so useless and anti productive and I know that. Do I stop doing it??? Nope

It took me nearly a month to get my butt into the basement to open the window and start a fan running down there not to mention turning on the water to the outside tap. Now I have to work up to going back down there to shut the damn fan off. Sigh. It also took me the longest time to start on trimming the trees at the back. It had gotten so I could not properly see when I was backing the car out. Fear of a car crash got me out there.

That branch hanging by the car smacked me in the face almost every time I got into the car. At long last I finally got out there with the loping shears, the clippers and a saw and took a round out of them. It took no time at all but I was sweating like a rented mule by the time I was finished,

Now at least I don't have to take my life in my hands to get into the alley. There are lots more trees to be trimmed, weeds to be pulled and just general maintenance to be done, I know I could ask someone to do it for me, pay someone even but I feel its just such a little space I should do it on my own. Round and round I go in a vicious cycle.

Its also been so hot and humid here, it just does me in . It wreaks havoc with my pain levels, I hate being hot and sweaty. My hot flashes are off the chart, I an just a hot sweaty mess. Have I whined enough? Is anyone besides me sick of listening to this?? Why can't it be as easy to go a new direction as it is to keep going down the path you are on?? Who decided this nonsense?All I can do is try to keep plugging along, ignore the fatigue, ignore the pain and keep on keeping on. 

Good news is  I got my car fixed as the alternator needed to be replaced. I need my car so its money well spent. Hmmm lets see what else can I complain about??? I may be running out of things.

Today my legs are aching like a bad toothache and that is not making me happy at all. Oh my goodness I am cranky today. So I need to stop, I need to find something to do that makes me happy, and I need to call an end to this pity party. Its gone on far to long, I think I need to put myself into a time out.

Toodles

Linda

Back on Track ..... well I'm working on it

Ok I will admit I am  struggling a little with getting back into the swing of things, Mostly I just want to stay in my bed or sit in my chair and let the world go by. This is normal for me when I have had to deal with a hurting heart. I am working through it, working against the urge to totally shut down and am making myself just keep moving. I'll get through it, I always do. Get over it and get on with it. 

So things have been going on around here. I bit the bullet and got my back sidewalk fixed. Every year in the spring it develops a nice thick sheet of ice that gives me a panic about slipping and falling. That I do not need so I decided to use some credit and get something done with it. 

Before:

The old sidewalk was so narrow at the end of it and it has sunken very badly. It is just an all around pain to get my old lady grocery cart down it. Thankfully Teddy Bear knew a good handy man who is reasonable and I got him to do this.

Its the backyard boardwalk!! I love it. Its wider, its a ramp and it makes walking out to my car so much easier. The raised walk will allow the water to drain away under it and I will not have to be walking on a sheet of ice every fall and spring.  Another plus is I will no longer have to lift my old lady grocery cart up and over the steps. Win Win Win!!

I should not have afforded it right now but I just wanted it done. I am tired of getting my cane and my  cart tangled in the plants by the fence and constantly trying to trip myself. So instead of saving up for it I will take that money and put it on the line of credit. Shingles and the sidewalk are plenty to have done on the house this year. The other disasters can wait til another year.

What else have I got done??? I made myself a Canada Day Maple Leaf table runner. I am late for getting to use it this year but I am ready for next year. I am really happy with the way it turned out

The Nurse got married this past weekend! It was a small, intimate ceremony that was truly lovely. I'm so happy for her, She deserves some good things happening in her life at the moment.

Yesterday and today I undertook getting my pictures organized for scrapbooking, I ordered up the pictures I needed to bring me up to date. I made a new month by month list since I have somehow managed to lose my scrapbooking note book. I am still hoping with all my heart that I find the fool thing. It has all sorts of important stuff in it, I am so annoyed. How I manage to do this is beyond me but I do. I actually have a list on my phone of things I have lost in this house. Its amazing

I have about three pages in last years book to finish and then get some embellishments. I really need to get myself a printer. So many things on the want list. (that!s right Mom, I never change. always wanting more)  The printer has been on the list for forever but I just have not gotten around to actually getting it. 

I am back to making puppets. Princess Diva has suggested I send some of my puppets to a craft store in Saskatchewan. She knows the people that run it and she is sending some of her beautiful mosaic stars, Her mom is sending stuff so I am going to box up the left overs from my last craft sale and give it a go. I had no turtles on hand and as they have historically proven to be an awesome seller. I am making 6 to send along. I want to make two porcupines because they too sell well. Nothing ventured nothing gained. If nothing sells, its ok and if they do its money in my pocket. Its been awhile since I made puppets and I actually had to get my pattern book out to remind myself of some of the details of what to do with them, So far I have three turtles completed.

Today I stopped at a local veg stand and got myself some new potatoes, new peas and a small basket of Saskatoon berries. I am excited for supper tonight. New potatoes are such a treat. 

That is it for now. I need to go get myself some lunch and then get working on my puppets as I need to have them all ready to leave for parts unknown in August.  I am rooting for lots of sales!!

Toodles

Linda

Sunday Stuff

I was out front the other day and noticed this brave little flower, blooming for all it was worth in the absolute sea of weeds that have sprung up in the spit where my lilacs were. One small spot of beauty. A gift from the birds no doubt but it made me smile

Since this picture was taken there have been more blooms come and go. It makes me happy. The weeds not so much. Its been horribly hot and humid here so I have not gotten out to deal with them. Now the mosquitoes are incredible, clouds and clouds of them which makes outside work impossible for this old gal. The weeds can have there way for now. I hope the City will fog soon.

Currently I have lost a note book. |Its important, I keep scrapbooking stuff in it and I have no idea where it has gotten to. I am hoping it will turn up and not go the way of my craft task book. That one has gone and never resurfaced. I am thinking 'I have tucked it somewhere thinking it was a good idea at the time and it will be ages before I see it again. Sigh, when will I learn?

No plans for today. I have been managing to get some stuff done this week. Jobs that have been put off for far too long. For example my back door and upstairs wood work are fingerprint free for the first time in years. Still have not made it to the basement but all in good time.

All things in good time

Toodles

Linda

Picking up Broken Pieces

Its been a while since I posted. I have had one of those life events that comes from seemingly out of the blue, knocks your world upside down and then you need to gather up the broken pieces and carry on. My oldest nephew died. Just 49 years old and he is gone. This is not how things should be, it goes against the natural order of things but as always we don't get a lot of say in when the people we love take their leave of this world. 

I knew he was ill, I knew that health wise he struggled the last few years but I thought he was getting a handle on it all with the help of his doctors and that he would be here for some time. Certainly longer than my time. We all know not every story has the happy ending and the demons he fought won the day.The Bastards took him from us.

My heart grieves the most for his only child. Both parents gone now and while legally she is a adult, she is still a child herself. Thankfully she has her Grandma, who has been a constant for her for a long time. Our side of the family is not well known to her for a million reasons, not worth going into now. I just hope Grandma is here for some time yet for this sweet girls sake.

So yes in the day to day bread and butter details of life, his death will not cause a great ripple effect for me. We were in touch via text but not really frequently. I had not laid eyes on him for at least four years. That being said there has been a great big hole punched in the fabric of my  being,  A hole that will never be mended. It joins the others. I will always miss him. He was the first. So many firsts we shared, he and I. I loved him from before he was born and will never stop. I hate that he is gone from us. HATE IT

Now I am picking up pieces, getting on with life. My heart hurts. 

Linda

Tidbits on a Tuesday

So on Friday last week the No Cook ladies threw me a surprise retirement party. I was totally clueless. To be honest I had forgotten about it. They said they would but time passed, I moved on and never gave it a thought. They had done my parade, I figured it was covered so I put it out of my mind. They did not and they got me.

The wonderful thing about friends is if they are true good friends they indulge your own personal level of crazy, They run with it and celebrate it with you. So for my party, they embraced my love of all things Hiddleston and the results were awesome

 

His image was all over the yard. It made me giggle. He was with us in effigy, which tickled me to no end. I received the cutest piggy picture which has now taken up residence over the couch in my living room. Aside from Mr Hiddleston I am enchanted by all things pig. I received a basket of English themed snacks and all in all it was a very lovely fun filled night which still had a big stupid grin on my face the next day. I still smile when I think of it. My friends are the best.

Picture proof that yes the picture is up and over my couch. I still have some shuffling to do with the pictures that were originally there but I have a plan. One will be taken down and another will be moved to my bedroom.

I finished a baby quilt just yesterday. Its in the wash with my row by row quilt and I have not taken pictures of them yet. I will once they are fresh and clean. I cannot really post a picture of the baby quilt until the Grandma has seen it. That will happen very soon. I think I need to step back from quilts for a couple of days and get some other things done. Best Friend's quilt made with her Dad's ties is next up on the docket.

Today  I am just doing odd jobs, I haven't really slept in the last few days so I am mostly running on fumes. So far to day I have done some ironing. I know they are so out of style but I do love a doily. I starched and ironed a few of them today. I glued the cap back on the giant glass mushroom. I have put quilting material back where it belongs. I am hell on wheels getting stuff out but am a bit of a slow poke when it comes to putting it all away. Today I need to make a baby card, wrap a gift, take the garbage, recycle and compost out. I then need to make sure the dumpsters are in place for tomorrow's pick up. I desperately need to make a trip to the basement to turn on the water to the outside tap. In my world that almost overwhelms me and its such a simple thing for anyone else to do. I hang my head in shame but it is what it is. Oh well we shall see what happens.

Toodles

Linda

Nearly forgot

I hate to admit this because it makes me sound like a bit of a twit but I gone to check twice now for something I intended to mention in my post only to find that I have not actually done the post. I am going to blame it on the fact that I am trying out the NEW BLOGGER. Why they need to keep changing things that work perfectly fine I shall never know but they do. So here we are giving the new system a whirl.

I finally got the back flower bed weeded!! I am so happy. All of the hostas were poking their little heads up through the dirt so I could locate them. I have four new ones to plant in there and I do think I will need at least three more to complete the hosta bed. Here are some before and after pictures

Somehow I managed to remove the cap off of the large glass mushroom. Nothing broke but the hold that the glue had on it so I can repair it. This is the after party:

One of these fine days I will complete the planting and all will be well in my world. Actually all is well in my world most of the time. I have some trees to trim and some rearranging to do but its all getting there. My neighbour was going to use a portion of my flower bed but his plans have changed. I had been hoping he would dig it up as its a weedy mess but that is on me now. Crap. He says he may use it next year. Well I think I am going to go ahead and plant some shrubs there because he has not followed through on much he has said he would do, like cutting down the trees and planting my flower bed. Best to just get on with it and do what pleases me. Lilac bushes and lilies please me. On the list for next year.

The Hostess was in town on Monday and she very kindly treated me to lunch. I have to say it was very strange to be going out to a restaurant after all this time/ We had delicious Chinese food and got caught up on our lives. It was also wonderful to be going out for lunch on a school day and not have to panic about getting back to work on time. Retirement still is new and wonderful and full of happy surprises

Today the last row of my row by row quilt is up on Facebook. I have to sew it up, attach it and quilt the row. I have as much of the quilt done as I can do. Its sewn, quilted and bound right up to the last row

I have so enjoyed this project. I will of course be sharing a picture once it is all completed. I also got the material to make a baby quilt for a friend, in the mail today. I have a super cute pattern figured out for it and I cannot wait to get going on it so I can show it off.

On this last Friday, the No Cook group celebrated KitKat's birthday. Cars were decorated. This pink beauty was on top of The Banker's car with signs announcing the birthday girl's special day. He then moved to the yard to be in more pictures

We played highland games. Tossed rocks, tossed cabers and did some golf (mini golf but golf non the less)

It was so much fun I think these highland games need to become a yearly event. We had barbecued hot dogs and potato salad with cake to complete the event.

And we photographed the whole deal because 4 of us are scrapbookers!!

In spite of the sun the wind was chilly but we hung in there and had just a great time. I love these women.

Well there now I finally got a blog post done/

Toodles

Linda

And It Goes On and On

The yard work continues and while the going is slow, I am on track with my planned out timetable and I am getting it done myself. //getting it done myself is the biggest deal for me. The weeds had a heyday and were totally running amok.

Thankfully the little shrubs that were planted last year all survived the winter and are coming back this year. Here we go with the before and after pictures.

Not sure why the pictures are sideways but it doesn't matter you can see all the weeds at any angle. They are lush and plentiful.

I just realized this year that I do not weed correctly. I do the rip their heads off method. The Banker digs and loosens the soil then she can pull out the root as well. This would be a far smarter method and one I shall try to do in future. It would make it easier in the long run.

I may plant a hosta or two by the glass mushrooms in future. I cannot tell you how happy that little bush in the corner makes me. Its at least the third one that has been planted since I killed the old one and its the only one that finally took root and may actually be growing.  I love the bright green of the leaves. (Oh I can hear my neighbour mowing our lawns even as we speak. I like that.)

This is the front host bed. I was not sure they were coming back as I could not see them but its amazing what shows up once you move a ton of weeds out of the way. Best of all is I have the front yard finished and next week I will move into the back yard and weed the big flower bed. That is going to be a job and a half. At least now the hostas will be coming up and I can weed round them.
I have more hostas to plant back there. I want to fill the entire bed with them. They look so nice and take no maintenance.

All those leaves in the lawn disappear when its mowed and just look green. I have no idea what they are but I keep throwing down grass seed hoping the grass will choke them out.

At least the place looks like someone cares a bit about it. I need to get my garden hose out of the shed and get the water to the outside tap turned on so I can water without having to carry water from the kitchen. My neighbour is going to up plug my downspouts at some point which will make me happy.
I am missing out on some lovely rain water.

I have tried the quilt as you go method on my row by row quilt and I have to say I am still not a fan. I have done it before but I am not good at it.

Where 

While I like the ease of quilting each row on its own, I do not like the wobbly uneven look of the finished product. I am not skilled enough to make it close to perfect so I am scrapping this idea. I am going to sew the top all together and then quilt it like I normally would. I am happier with that plan of action.

Today I will work on it. I did little to nothing but a bit of weeding yesterday. I still have to get my weekends figured out. I always used Saturday as a get the errands done, do the housework kind of day and then Sunday was laundry and crafts. I can do housework, errands and laundry on week days now so I have to find a purpose for Saturday. Sunday is all crafts but Saturdays find me a bit lost. I will figure it out in time. The smart thing would be to use Saturdays for baking and making some meals ahead. Time will tell if I do the smart thing.

The weather this weekend has been so fabulous. Saturday there was a lot of veranda sitting and soaking up the days. This is my sort of weather and I know its not going to last, I am making it a mission to take in as much of it as I possibly can. I love these days.

Time to get sewing!!

Toodles
Linda