What a Monday! August 12, 2013

This week was going to be somewhat hectic due to my attending a quilt retreat out of town for a couple of days and the arrival of DD1 and our DGS on Friday for eight days vacation including family BBQ,camping, Royal Tyrell Museum and just having fun.

Joe went to work, expecting a quiet day as he had tended to some stuff over the weekend. Well big things happened and the next thing I know I get a message from him saying he was just promoted to Vice President of Operations!!! That wasn't even on his radar. Now for the huge learning curve, while maintaining the status quo a man short. 

I am so proud of Joe, his dedication and commitment has been rewarded. He works hard with an eye for detail.  We didn't have much time for the realization to sink despite going out for a celebratory dinner at Tony Roma's. I had to finish packing for today's road trip and Joe had 101 work things running through his head.  

Ahhhhhh

I think I had been holding my breath since I got the good news. Time to relax, refocus for class tomorrow and get a good night sleep.

Be well! 

Fingers crossed

Years ago when my darling husband was working in Europe he returned with some live concert dvds. At first I didn't appreciate them at first but I soon found that I loved them for inspiration and motivation to walk/run 1 more minute/km. Movies were too hard to follow and my pace wasn't where I wanted or needed it to be. CDs were fine but it's nice to have a visual distraction that's more appealing than a blank basement wall. 

Well about 3 months ago the dvd started to stall/skip and in general wear out. AGHHHH! WHATAMIGONNADO????? 

 I've been haunting all the online sources I could find via my search engine of choice. No luck finding the exact same one until yesterday. Popped over to eBay and there were 2 gently used copies up for grabs. One was over priced once the Euro conversion and shipping costs were calculated in. The other is available here in North America at an awesome price. So....I figured it's only a few bucks I've gambling with and if it turns out, it'll be an awesome purchase. 

Now to wait. Guess I'll pop another favorite concert in and keep company with Maurice, Robin & Barry in Las Vegas! 

Later :) 


 

Does this owe us anything?

In 2003 we replaced our kitchen faucet with the best we could afford. It is a single lever with pull out for rinsing the sinks or easy filling of stock pots.

Slowly over the past month or so I'd noticed that when I wanted cold water, I was getting slightly warmish water.  Now it's simply hot water no matter where you situate the lever.  I'm suspect the cartridge needs replacing.  You know me, I keep everything!  I pulled out the original receipt along with the lifetime warranty card and set to work.  

Hmmm  Seems I need to send the defective part....I'm just guessing it's the cartridge that's at fault...along with the receipt to an address in QC.  How long do you think I'd be without running water in the kitchen while I wait for the part?  I like to eat and drink every day multiple times.  This isn't acceptable.

I'll get my husband to take the faucet apart this weekend and see what's what.  Perhaps we'll luck out and it'll just need a cleaning or even a common made part.  We bought this unit in 2003 for $113.99 CDN but today it retails for $284.00 US.  Now to see how valuable a lifetime warranty is worth in time spent, inconvenience and dollars out of pocket.

 

Good advice!

Sometimes I simply lose track of time.  So many interesting things to learn, people to visit and places to explore! I didn't mean to leave you hanging but...

DH lost his job mid month, we aren't exactly sure what happened but it coincides with a significant downturn in the industry and a lost contract overseas.  The good news is he is very good at cultivating work relationships and not biting the hand that feed you.  He has a new position within days and yippee...he's been working in the city and home eveyr night.  That will change nexy month when the project goes live, but still he's closer to home than in the past.  Win Win situation.

Tonight I have a presentation to town council in regards to our grant application for a centennial quilt.  I missed a group meeting and got nominated! That'll teach me! LOL

Tomorrow we head east to visit with family on both sides.  Saturday we celebrate my niece's wedding to her sweetheart and Sunday we are visiting with more cousins. Monday we have a little down time to sight see or shop before we fly home in time to see who will lead out new government.  I hope the message has gotten out there to get
the voters motivated to exercise their right.  We hit the advance polls last week.

My seedlings are inching along.  We still have snow in the backyard and lots of vole damage.  We may lose some of our lilacs and our apple tree is iffy, it was partially girdled.  C'est la vie.

Be good and have a great week.  Hope to have photos and details to brag about next week.  I am taking the laptop fully loaded with RootsMagic....hoping for a family tree explosion! 



Talk about wandering thoughts!

I seem to be all over the place today! Started some housework and soon get sidetracked into cleaning off my counters...I was making a cup of Earl grey and knocked something over, lifted stuff out of the way to wipe up my mess...before I knew it I was cleaning all the counters! By the time I got back to my tea, it wasn't exactly hot!

I'm going for a walk to clear my head before I start stripping floors!!!!!!

Careless accident

As I was unloading the dishwasher, I grabbed my paring knife wrong and got a nasty cut on the pad of my finger - dominant hand of course. I didn't notice I had hurt myself until later when I was reading and seen the blood. DH keeps all the knives sharpened...hence not noticing. Hopefully because it's such a clean cut, it will heal quickly. And I was going to stitch after supper. :( I'm grateful it wasn't worse!

The real truth!

Heather spilled the beans...we goofed big time! I was so worried about forgetting the cake topper, we forgot our dress clothes! We were just outside Calgary when the light bulb went on...so turn around, go back, and do it all over. Of course we were dragging the cake this whole time! And, did we mention it was snowing from Lacombe to Innisfail? Went through it 3 times Friday! But as the saying goes...A crisis is only a crisis if we make it one! And we didn't! It was nice that we can laugh about it. Thanks for holding supper for us Heather,Jeff, Jonathan & Bob!

Great opportunity lost, someone else's gain

Tonight we are working on Kathryn & Jeff's wedding cake for Saturday. It's pouring rain outside, a very gloomy night and I could have used some excitement.

Joe called just before work let out...did I want to go and see Lucille tonight? I must admit my only focus was on the cake - I asked who is she...not a she...okay...where's that band from, have I heard them before?

DUH! Seems Joe was being clever and this was his way of asking me if I wanted to go and see the legendary BB King! DUH! The only thing better would have been BB with Eric! Someone at work had tickets and couldn't go. But alas, the better sense took hold and I said we had commit to the cake and not leave it until the last minute...like Friday night on Jeff K's pool table!!!!!

I hope whomever got the tickets enjoyed themselves...I'll just put a couple Cd's into the changer and be happy with that! Thanks for the lovely offer Joe! Another day and that would have been a YES Please!

How could I forget?

Yesterday I got DH's wedding duds all picked out, he did a try on...everything is good, just need to put a little TLC on his Clark shoes. I have my outfit ready and while I was in the bath last night, I realized I didn't have my hose! I hate pantyhose...1 size does not fit all no matter what the package says. Do I go for the size the package says should fit me or go a size up and actually have the ability to breath when I sit down?????

1 off my wish list

After seeing the amazing job Wendy did on Stoney Creek's Attitude, I knew it was one for my stash. Well today I finally tracked it down! Not sure when I will get to it but at least I'm a lot closer than I was a week ago!

Count down continues for the wedding & cake on Saturday. It doesn't look like the weather will cooperate. We will plan for the worst and anything else will be a happy surprise! Our DD is starting the weddingplan process...looking at gowns, etc...and it's hard not to get pulled into the excitement. babies & weddings...our life is very good. Hope yours is also!

I'm not stitchin'!

Freecycle has proved frustrating this time. The bike helmet was pickup within minutes of notification. The louver doors, well, the person thought it was in another part of the city in which I DO NOT live. One of the rules is to post where the items are...someone wasn't thinking when they were reading. the pick up is set up for Friday, so we'll see what happens.

So I've been playing with my plants!

Can you see my first tomato flower starting to open???? I'm so excited!

My lilac shrubs are coming into bud, hopefully there will be loads of flowers. They are a favorite of mine!

My day so far!

I moved my 2 biggest tomatoes into the greenhouse...they simply got too big!

This is my work table in the greenhouse. Right now I'm using smallish bags of mix...the shops don't have the big bulk package ready for sale yet. Fingers crossed for later this week, because I have a lot of plants that need bigger accommodations!

Friday eve, we picked up 2 used pickles barrels. I'm hoping that the one inside will work 2 fold...water for the plants or at least it should help modulate the temperatures at night...a kind of solar heating. The outside one will eventually be set up with the rain gutters from the greenhouse itself. These will be recycled from the A frame shed, which is going to come down one way or the other!

In keeping with yesterday's Earth Day, I'm now hanging out my laundry to dry. Note...no underwear...I do have some pride...that is hung on my indoor line in the laundry room. I noticed a online thread in my travels where this type of thing is called flags of poverty and very much frowns upon. I take it as a badge of courage, to do my part to reduce our ill effects on this world.

I didn't exactly fall off the crafting wagon

Between the taxes, and such paperwork and the need to pot up my greenhouse plants, I've been so far away from crafting, I can't remember the last time I did any stitching! I still have some more plants to tend to,, but that will be done this morning and then after that...who knows...maybe the sun will come out in a corner of my house so I can sit and stitch. Right now it feels like winter and all I want to do is curl up under a cozy blanket and read/sleep! I was so ready for spring & summer to come along that I was totally unprepared for this week of gloom. Most days you can't tell the difference between sky and ground...except the ground is whiter!

On the plus side of my past few days, Joe's sister encouraged us to sign up on to Facebook and through that I've reconnected with my sister in law's sister, a couple of long distance nieces, the adult granddaughter of friends of ours and some military friends whom we had lost track of.

I hope this week is never repeated...that VT tragedy broke me heart...it could have happened anywhere...my thoughts and prayers go out to all.

Highs & Lows

Dinner with our company went very well last night. I think because it wasn't planned to death and we just let things happen, we were all more relaxed.

Today we completed a Freecycle give away. I had posted for pick up only, but I'm a real softie at heart. She has 3 little ones and trying to coordinate that and a trip to our place wasn't going to be easy. I don't like going back on my word so once I found out the area she lives in, I asked DH to take the 4 poster double bed to work with him so she could meet there. Made her commute almost minutes long/short!, and it really wasn't out of our way. To top it off, I got a lovely email thank you from her...her 4 year old son has just moved into a big bed with his younger brother...ahhh....I'm so glad I didn't brush her off and move to the next applicant. I passed the thank you on to DH so he could feel the love!

I just learned this morning that our worse fears were realized...our SIL's father does have cancer, and its aggressive. Unfortunately the family isn't one of those lovey-dovey ones like ours - we talk about EVERYTHING...they talk about nothing....so we'll wait and just be ready to be there when the call comes. He'll be in our thoughts and prayers more than ever.

Today is simply fabulous weather wise...but those mean weather people are still calling for that white stuff to come out of the sky over the next few days. Good thing I had a chance to go out and enjoy myself. Guess what...my freckles are starting to re-appear! Now that's a sign of spring!

I'm going to try and get back into my stitching/crafting in May. the rest of this month is pretty hectic, Dad's taxes are proving to be difficult...mostly with his disability credit etc...and then we have that silly wedding cake to make for May 5!

My May wish list may include Frederick, and a LeMoyne Star quilt for Jonathan. Will keep you posted as to my progress or regression....hopefully the former. Thanks for stopping by!

Monday already?

Where did the time go?

I finished up Les's dining room curtain panels...I sort of dogged it until I realized that DH was feeling well enough for the Sunday round trip to Calgary and back.

Thursday evening DH was struck with pains...kidney stone type! Yup, they were on the move...he booked in to see his DR toady but since making the appointment, he seems to be feeling better. But the stones will have to come out one way or the other! Poor guy!

Anyways, I finished the curtains. Sunday shortly after 6 am we headed down the road to dis-assemble a 7'x7' Rubbermaid shed...the kids were giving it to us because they should be breaking ground for their double car garage! How exciting is that! We got the shed down, truck loaded and were back on the road in short time. We arrived back home 3:15...but bad considering the drive was 4 hours each way!

Got the truck unloaded, made a quick BBQ lunch/supper and by 8pm my head was bobbing & weaving. So off to bed we go...until a couple hours later, when the phone rings...I hear yup, you're in town, OK, supper, bye....

This morning I realized that we are having dinner guests....and I had such a busy day planned already....oh well, we love having company over, so some of the other 'stuff' will just have to wait for another day. I'm sure there will be some rain in our future! Hope the sun is shining in your neck of the woods!

Slightly off course

I needed a break from tax schedules and constant ream of numbers running through my head, so I headed outside with our dog Cody. Well, one thing led to another, a little pick-up, a run out the back fence. The next thing I knew, I had a rake in my hand!!!!!

It felt wonderful, the fresh air, the manual exertion compared to wrestling with papers & numbers. Some parts of the back is still covered with snow & ice, but I did manage to get most of the snow mould areas raked and they look much better. I also added a lots of wet leaves to my compost...we got snow well before all the leaves had dropped. What a difference an hour cam make in the overall picture. I can't wait to get out there again today!

I heard Martha Stewart once say that she never says she 'works' in her garden. She can't call something that she loves that much, work...it's a pleasure! I concur! Have a great weekend everyone. We are off to what may be the Fort Saskatchewan Traders last home game. They are down 3-1 in the AJHL finals. The team's new home town will be St Albert, beginning the 07/08 season.

Roller coaster of emotions

I'm feeling unsettled today. It's hard to concentrate and get back into my routines.

Saturday was great but then it ended. Our Sunday began with a frantic call from our dear neighbour to come over and to bring her spare key to get into her house. Her golden lab who had stitches from her cancer surgery removed the day prior had a huge gaping wound, right down to the ribs. The whole incision burst open...poor Jo was trying to keep the dog quiet and still and hold the incision closed to prevent further injury/infection. A quick call to the nearest vet clinic, then try and bundled up Kiz without exposing the wound to more bacteria and the rushed drive. Kiz had more surgery to remove the dead tissue, clean the wound & lots more stitches. There is a real possibility of infection due to the non sterile environment so a shunt was implanted. The vet said we did a great job with what we were faced but I wish this hadn't happened in the first place. Kiz is back home, recovering again...Jo is a bundle of nerves, functioning on adrenaline & tears...now a new challenge while waiting for the pathology results of the cancer surgery. I'm so glad we were home to help...now I hope our prayers can do the rest for a happy outcome.

On the bright side, we were treated to the best concert by Eric Clapton & Robert Cray...somehow the first sets of blues tunes so so fitting for the day. And yes, the sun did come up again this morning, revealing happy possibilities. Good sign, don't you think? I do!

UPDATE: I restarted my day and I feel better, got my walk done, some cleaning, paid bills. No news on Kiz, but that's a good thing...Thanks Jamie ,Vonna & Wendy for all the good thoughts!

On the mend

I believe the worse is behind me. I haven't had sinus pain like this for years. I think I got this from my Mom, her ears used to bleed from the pain while in my darkest days, any noise or light would send piercing pains through my head. The good news, I seem to have grown away from this...this week was just a little reminder that I need to take care of myself!

I didn't want to push myself today with fussy stuff so I just cut out more 2 triangle squares for Alex's quilt. He's coming for a visit with his older brother Joseph and Mommy & Daddy so I have to put everything away from little fingers. Rotary cutters are dangerous. I'm getting excited with the colours and possible arrangements...I plan so much and then play around with it and see where I go from there. Have a great weekend!

Head cold, cough and sinus pressure

Other than that, things are fine! Well, at least I have my sense of humour back. No stitching due to my pounding head. Maybe tomorrow!

Thanks for the kind words, I hope everyone is having a super day/evening/week!

How did I get sick?

The past couple of days I've had a unproductive cough and scratchy throat. Sipping on water helped but last night I thought I would drown in my head congestion. Poor Joe, I'm sure I kept him awake most of the night except when I finally had to get up.

Half a box of tissues later...

I did something I haven't done in years, I went back to bed after he left for work. I was so surprised to wake up feeling a bit more refreshed 2 hours later. It sure seems odd starting my morning routine at that hour. I'm sure this is nature's way of telling me to relax,get some rest, and take care of myself.

So I will! my chicken soup should be warm...lunch time! Bye for now!