One and a half inches

Woke this morning with the thunder rolling over head and the rain coming down so fast  and heavy we could hear it on the roof.  Normally we do not hear it.   More rain, until about 10:00 a.m. and the sky cleared and we now have sunshine and a few clouds.

Getting  all clothes and necessities ready for the weekend, I am one of those people who must have everything done in plenty of time and I make lists of things that need to go in at the last minute.  Hate rushing around trying to decide what to take and worry about forgetting something.  

Several years ago Hubby and I rented a house boat for ten days, niether of us had ever drove a pontoon houseboat before,  and we did pretty good.  There were a couple of docking oopsies  when the wind was blowing, those boats are like a big sails in the wind.   What I am talking about is the list of things to take subject,  I had planned out all of our meals, there were a couple when we went to a restaurant, but my planning was so good, we came back with only two hot dogs and the condiments.  Everything else was eaten.  Hubby was quite impressed and I was too.  So making lists is important to me when going away even for a long weekend trip.

I bought some of my favorite wine, and will get a fruit tray just before we leave to meet everyone.  The host family is supplying the evening meal.   Looking forward to seeing everyone, can you tell!

A  load of laundry is currently swishing around in the washer and one in the dryer, don't want to come home with mounds of laundry to do.  

On Monday one of my granddaughters and her hubby are bringing the great grands over in the afternoon to play in our yard and go for a walk in the woods opposite us, she is bringing snacks for them and I have ice cream.  Will give the b-day presents on that day too.   

Pork chops for dinner tonight veg and a salad, dessert was made last night and there is still a bit left for tonight.

I am going to make a picnic lunch for our trip tomorrow, as I need to use up some chicken, don't want it sitting in the fridge until Monday.

So that is all for me today, I will be back after the weekend.

I am back

 Yesterday was just one of those days, groceries in the morning, then we went to a local farmer his corn on the cob is ready.  He has lovely corn every year.   This is the only way I like corn, frozen, canned no not for me.  We each had one last night with our dinner and will do the same for tonight.  

I was also getting  my haircut early afternoon, so we had lunch at 11:30 a.m.  I have been washing my own hair before getting it cut these days, just another precaution.  To do that I took out my hearing aids and the right one got stuck in my ear as the dome had broken off the wire.  A quick call to make an appointment to get it fixed, then off I went.   My wallet a bit lighter from those two stops I thought I needed to reward myself, so to speak.  So bought a new pair of capri's, the one I have been wearing are as old as the hills and have seen better days.  Happy with the purchase.

As I mentioned last nights dinner, corn on the cob, chicken and salad, jelly with fruit.

We then went for a lovely ride with the top down, just as we were approaching the city rain drops on the windshield.   Last year we had the same thing happen but we thought it was just a shower, nope and downpour, putting up the top was a nightmare, we were drenched.   As we did not want the same thing to happen last night we stopped immediately and put the top up.  And, as you would know it, it stopped raining, sometimes you just can't win.

Not much else going on around the estate today, Hubby wants to cut the grass again, but due to rain overnight he is waiting for the sun to dry it up.  Our cherry tomatoes are finally started to ripen, no colour yet from the beefsteak variety.

Not sure what is on the menu for tonight, still time to make a decision.

Have a great day.

My rants for today

 I have always used a little makeup, foundation, eye shadow and lipstick.   During the past year and a half only some eye shadow, not much sense for anything else.  Anyway, I did need some foundation,  I use a certain brand, so off to the drug store.  Found the shade I wanted,  went to the self checkout, (I do  not like using these, it puts someone out of work) so I proceed to scan, no barcode on the package, that has never happened to me before.  Got it all sorted out and came home.

Looking at the new tube, which was in a package it appeared to be a lot bigger than the one I have had for a considerable length of time.  The old one was never in any extra packaging.  Comparing the two, the new one was a lot longer, so looked at the ml, now my RANT.   It was 10ml less than the old one, in a longer but narrower tube, and in  packaging which made it appear to be even larger.  I cannot remember how much I paid for the old one, but I am sure it was not as much as the new one cost.  

Have you noticed this, products made to look the same size or bigger than they use to be and costing more?   Some products in plastic containers, I have noticed have an indentation on the bottom, so not as much product goes in but the price remains the same. 

This drug store, also has a regular day every month in which seniors get a discount.  I am sure all the products that are popular with seniors are put on a special pricing about a week before the discount day. So when you go in a get one of these products, you don't get the discount because they are special pricing. The special prices is only a few cents cheaper, where the discount is 20% so it's a win win situation for the store not the customer. 

I am done.

Weather today, hot and humid.

Dinner tonight, leftover spaghetti sauce, will do some more spaghetti and salad, lemon cake for dessert.

Lazy

For the first time in about a week we are going to have a hot and humid day, so a lazy Sunday for me.   Yesterday and overnight we had an inch of rain, there was a warnings and watches out for damaging thunderstorms and lots of rain.  We only had the rain and some thunder last night.   Will not have to water the garden or the tomatoes today.   

Laundry was done yesterday and I also tidied my sewing room, I have a tendency to take out fabric  from my cabinet and put it back, not in the place it was, so every once in awhile a good tidy is needed.  I am still sewing the binding on the guild's challenge project,  it will be finished today, then I am going to make some bowl cosies, they are the best thing since sliced bread.   Keeps the hands from being burnt when passing a hot bowl of food from one place to another.

We are going away for the upcoming weekend, so should haul the small suitcase out, and decide what clothes etc to take.  It has been a long time since we needed to pack a suitcase.  The last time was when we were on a trip to Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans.   It was such a great trip.   Since we have been together, we have been on five trips together.  Three that we planned ourselves, and two from  a company that caters to seniors.  You need to be 55 years or older to be able to go on the vacations they offer.   Before meeting Hubby I took two trips with this company, one to South Africa and the second to Ireland.  We received their tour book last week in the mail, however, not sure travelling is on the agenda for some of the tours they are offering later this year   Just to be on the safe side, we will likely wait until next year and possibly arrange our own vacation.  Only time will tell.

Dinner last night was going to be spaghetti with a salad, however, what I thought was the sauce, was not.  So, I cooked the meat and it is now in the fridge for tonight, once I go an get the sauce.  I do not make my own.   So last night we had pizza and a salad.

What ever you are doing today, having fun or just relaxing ......enjoy. 

Emptied our traps

The bugs are in full force here in South Western Ontario this year.   

We emptied the traps in which we are catching the Gypsy Moths, not as many moths as there were last week, but still enough to clean them out.   Also, put a new bag on the Japanese Beetle Trap, as it was getting a layer on the bottom, and with the heat,   well.......you know what happens.

As I was sweeping off the front porch yesterday, I needed to more the Adirondack chair, and on the wall I noticed a white moth, female Gypsy moths are  white, so plucked her off the wall.    Underneath her was a patch of light brown eggs, they too were destroyed.   We are certainly doing our part to help get these invasive moths gone.

Hubby is outside trimming the grass around the flower beds and then he is going to trim the hedge....again.  It needs to be done at least once a week in high Summer.

Our tomato plants are producing a lot of tomatoes, just wish some of them would soon ripen, I cannot wait, to go and pick a big one, slice it up on a fresh piece of toasted bread, with a couple slices of bacon.   There are a couple that need a sling, so will need to look in the car for an old mask to hold them up.  All the potted plants have been watered, so they are fine for the next 24 hours.  

One of Hubby's grandchildren is enrolled in a high school that specializes in an art program.  He is in this program and some of the students placed their works in an online sale, a portion of the sale money goes to the art program and the balance to the student.   Hubby saw his painting and purchased it, however, students do not know who buys their work.   Yesterday we put the painting in a frame and it is now in the living room.   We are waiting to see the look on the face when he comes for a visit.   It's an abstract painting, not one that I would say I had to buy, but I must say it does look nice on the wall.  

What will I be up to today, I have been sorting our a lot of stuff, and it is going to a charity shop today, so that is one job.  Then there is always the regular chores that need to be done.  Then, I will continue to sew the binding down on the challenge project our quilting guild has.  When it is completed I will post a photo.

Dinner tonight, BBQ ribs, we have some brown beans that need to be eaten, and I will make a garden salad.  Vanilla pudding  and strawberries for desert.

So cute and colourful

 Yesterday afternoon, I went shopping for the Great Grands and found everything I wanted to get for all four of the birthdays I have missed during the past  three months.  Now need to make arrangements  to get them delivered.

Two cute dresses for A.  Leggings and a coordinating top for another A,  Two shorts and two coordinating tops for V.  Shorts and a shirt for C.   All for under $100.00.   They make such cute outfits for little ones,  it was difficult not to just go wild and buy one of everything.   Had a good day, happy with my purchases what more can a woman ask for.

Also, made a quick visit to W, as they carry the eye vitamins that both Hubby and I take on a daily basis.  I know W buys in bulk so that prices can be lower for the consumer, so I got our vitamins for $11.49 each 50 tablet bottle.  If I had gone to SDM another big drug store here in Canada, which also buys in buk, I would be paying $23.49 for the same size bottle.   Can you blame me for going to W!

It was down right chilly this morning when we got up, so the forecast was correct, at present we have a cloudy sky with a promise of some sunshine this afternoon, which should start to warm up things up.  Our Summer, so far has just been all over the board, hot, cold, wet, dry or name it we have had all of it.

Dinner tonight is ham, scalloped  potatoes, salad and the remaining strawberries.

Shopping - not impressed

 Yesterday, I decided it was time to purchase great grandchildren's birthday gifts.  I do not buy toys, they are Mum and Dads responsibility, usually clothes or books from me.  Oh! and the occasional quilt.

Headed to a local Mall,  we can now go into a Mall,  Yey.   Went to the children's clothing store at which I have bought clothes before with much success, I might add.   Not this day, there was not much selection to choose from and what there was did not appear to have good quality fabric and they were pricey.  

 The reasons I can think of a few.  

 1. The stores are trying to recoup some of their losses.  Which would account for the prices on the tags. and I can understand, all stores have lot a lot of revenue these past few months.

2. They have had no shipments of new stock come in, due to transportation issues plus the stores were not open to receive.   Which would account for the poor selection of garments.

3. People have been flocking to the store now they are open.  I can understand that too, as not everyone is comfortable buying online, including me.

So I did not buy anything  for the GG's, I am going out again this afternoon to another store which I also like for kids clothes, maybe I will have better luck there.  

We use a certain type of hand washing soap and have all but run out of our supple, so I was able to stock up on that.  I had to line up outside the store, with a staff member allowing people in when one person cane out, as all the stores have occupancy restrictions depending on the size of the store.

Weather, last evening we had one flash of lightning, one rumble of thunder and about five minutes of rain.  It did clear the sky a bit as today, the sun is brighter.  Nice day actually, no humidity to speak of.

Dinner tonight, Hubby is cooking a steak on the BBQ, veg and salad, Strawberries for dessert.

Grocery Day

 We were a little later getting our groceries today as Hubby's SUV had an appointment for a recall check at 8:45 a.m.  The store was no busier than it use to be when we went at 7:00 a.m. and everyone was wearing their masks as were we, even though we have been fully vaccinated.

Yesterday I made additional copies of our vaccination receipts and copies are in all four cars and in our wallets, if anyone should ask for proof we have had both shots.

Today is going be hot and very humid,  along with the poor air quality, due to the smoke from the wildfires in Northern Ontario.  The sun is still trying to get through the layer of smoke which is up in the atmosphere.   After dinner last night the sun was bright orange due to the smoke.   We are expected to have thunderstorms and rain later today, so we are hoping, as everyone is, it will help  clear the air.  Don't know if it will assist the firefighters or not, as they may not be getting the same weather we are predicted.

After lunch, I am going to do some shopping for my great grands birthdays, I feel more comfortable going into the stores  now after seeing the customers in the grocery store this morning, all masked up.  

July 20 already where does the time go, Summer will be over before we know it.   We usually go on vacation in the Fall, but  have no plans to do any at the present time.  I would like to take a weekend and go somewhere.  We are going to the reunion in a couple of weeks, so that will be a nice break.

Several years ago, my son, who is an avid golfer, won the lottery to buy tickets to go to the Masters Golf Tournament in Atlanta.  He had four tickets for his family, however, his son could not go, so I was invited.   I had a great time even though I am not a golfer.   Since then, I have been putting my name in the lottery,  and today I received an e-mail advising if I had won to opportunity to buy tickets. But no.  Disappointed,  as Hubby watches golf on Tv, not a player now but was years ago.  I was hoping to be able to present him with tickets for his birthday,  I will enter for next  lottery and see what that brings.

Dinner today, chicken and veb, salad, and strawberries. 

Last night's dinner was burgers, I had the meat and no bun, and no dessert.   I am determined.

  

What do I write today? UPDATE

There is very little happening on the estate today, so searching my brain for something to write about.   Writers block I would assume or just a day with not much going on.

Anyway, the weather is looking good for today, a nice breeze, not to hot and the sun is shining, who can ask for more.

In previous posts I have mentioned the Gypsy moth traps, there were quite a few in them today, so time to empty and set them up again, so that was a job for this morning.  Also changed the bag that traps the Japanese Beetles.  We seem to be overrun with bugs of  every shape and size this year.   

Two days into my eating less,  ( it's not a diet, if I call it that my mind thinks starvation),  so eating less carbs is the way I am  handling this weight loss.  Hubby still eats the same food, but my plate does not have the  carbs on it.  He is fortunate as he really does not have a weight problem just the little belly that comes with the middle age spread.  

We had issues printing off our vaccination receipt, so #1 daughter did it for us on her computer and printed them.  Last night we visited them to pick up the copies.  I asked her if she could scan them and  send them in an e-mail to me and I can print off more if needed.  So that little job is all taken care of.

I have mentioned the quilting guild I belong to is having a potluck get together  and I have been assigned a "dessert".   Looking at some recipes I found "Boston Cream cup cakes"   Yep that is what I am taking.   I thought this would be a good idea for those who do not want to touch food and utensils that other people have touched to serve themselves.  Some people are still a bit nervous, even if they have had the vaccines.  And rightly so, so this will avoid any problems.   Also, I can leave one for Hubby for his dessert that evening.

Dinner tonight not sure yet, will need to think a little more about it.  So with that I will go and dig around in the freezer.

Have a great day.

UPDATE

As the day has progressed the blue sky we had has now turned misty and the bright sunshine now not as bright due to high cloud.  OR....... is it cloud?   Just looking at the weather network and it is SMOKE.   Smoke from the 800 wildfires that are burning across Canada, mostly out west and in Northern Ontario.    Our weather usually comes from the West or North West,  so when the wind got up later this morning it blew the smoke towards the East.  Looking in the distance you can actually see  it, just like a light misty fog.   There is just a hint of the smell in the air.

Scary to say the least.

100% better

The weather and me are a lot better today.

Let's start with the weather,  after a morning of dull cold miserable rain, the sun made its's  way through the clouds and it ended up being a lovely afternoon.  Today, we have more sunshine, however, the humidity is building from the rain yesterday.   The mosquitoes are getting quite bad  from all of the standing water around.  We change the bird baths daily to avoid us from contributing to the problem.   When they bite me, I use the Benadryl  spray, it works wonders on my bites, but I need to use it as soon as possible to avoid those nasty itchy bumps.  It's better than taking a tablet internally.

Now me.  as I mentioned previously I went to the Dr. as I had had a problem with some pain for about three weeks.  I will not bore you with any more details, however, since that visit the pain has all but disappeared.  Making me think I was in the most part, worrying about  it  which caused it to  feel as if it was getting  worse.  The mind does some strange things.  Anyway, feeling a lot better about the issue.

Today, we are as immunized as we'll ever be, which is a good feeling.  Looking forward to doing more and not worrying as much as we were.   I hope one of my granddaughters and her Hubby  will get theirs soon.

I don't normally talk about religion but today will ........I don't want to offend anyone reading this but, I need to vent, as I do not understand the reasoning, you may, and I respect you for that.  

The above mentioned GD and her Hubby, he is a religious man,  have not received even one of their shots and both are eligible to do so.  Their ages are in the age group that are contracting the Delta variant, which is more serious than the previous one.  I worry about them.

GD had, years ago a reaction to a tetanus shot at which time she needed to get some medical attention, I can understand her hesitancy in getting the Covid vaccine, however, talk to a Dr. and find out what, if any reaction she could encounter.  I don't believe she has done that.  I worry about her.

Her Hubby on the other hand,  believes that his health is in the hands of God, and therefore is not getting the vaccination.  I worry about  him.

If these two had only themselves to think about I could accept their decisions, however,  they have a family, a family of five children.  These children are all under the age of the cut off age for the vaccination, so they cannot be vaccinated.....yet.  But will they when they can?  I worry about them. Further, I do not understand why this Covid vaccination is any different than any other vaccination.  Both of these adults have had other shots for different illnesses. .I know the vaccine was produced in an unbelievably short period of time,  tests have been done, and from everything I have read or heard it is no more dangerous than other shots we have all had, however, we do not know the long term effects. But................

If, these two become ill or even worse because of their decisions, who will feed, clothe and educate and look after these children.  Five  children are difficult to care for, for Mum and Dad, let alone a Grandma and Grampa.   I worry for all of them.

Enough said, thanks for listening to my venting.

Dinner tonight, a repeat from yesterday, as we have leftovers from a roast of pork, additional veg and a salad. 

When will it end?

 Another dark, dreary, wet day and  cooler, well almost cold to what the temps are normally at this time of the year.   I feel sorry for those who have decided to do some outside activities, not a good time to be doing that.   Hope where you are it is sunny and warm and you can enjoy the outsoors.

Laundry in the process of being done, some tidying  already taken care of,  time to look at the web, and write to my blog "friends".  

What do you do when it is a miserable day outside??

In the Summer my late husband and I would be at our mobile home on the shores of Lake Erie.  We had a permanent site in a campground, and went there most weekends and also a couple of weeks in the Summer.  The Summer I am remembering today, can't recall the year.   It was a Summer much like today, but every day was wet and cool.   Late husband wanted to get his money's worth from the  camping and boating season, so we went even if the weather was not fit for man nor beast.   He would go out with other fisherman which left me  in the mobile home, we had a TV and I had my knitting needles and yarn.  That Summer I made four pullover sweaters.  One for each of my three children and one for myself.   Back then I did a lot of knitting,  I have not picked up my needles for a long time.  Maybe it is something I could get back into to have a change from quilting.  So on a day like today at the present time, when all of the necessary jobs in the house are done, I retreat to my sewing studio.   And you do what?????

Today is the first day I am going to seriously begin to loose some weight, I don't like the way I feel so frumpy, and I don't like the way I look.   Don't get me wrong, I am not fat, just need to lose about 10 lbs. and I would be happy.  So wish me luck.   

Dinner last night was delicious, if I do say so myself.   Tonight, we will be having a roast of beef, with a large salad and green veg.  No dessert for me.   Day one all sorted.

Potluck

 Starting today, Ontario is in step 3, which means more things are opening to more people, ie: restaurants, theaters and stores.   As more and more people are getting their shots it appears the province maybe, finally beating this virus down.  That does not mean we will be doing anything different than what we are doing now.

Included in the opening up more people can gather inside and outside, so our Quilting  Guild is going to have an in person  potluck dinner outside at one of our members houses.  I am looking forward to it as it has been a long time since we have actually had an in person get together.   

As of Sunday we both will be immunized up to the % of safety the vaccine will give us, so feeling better about that.

On to another subject....weather, it is cloudy and the forecast is for rain this afternoon.  A city north of us by quite s few miles had a tornado yesterday afternoon.  It injured several people and did a lot of damage to quite of few houses.   We only had clouds and some rain late last evening.  Nature can be beautiful and also deadly, it deserves a lot of respect.

Not much else going on around the estate today, so not much to write about.

Dinner tonight salmon, mushrooms, veg and salad, must figure out what we will have for dessert.

Have a great day.  

 

Tomato Sling

No!... we are not throwing tomatoes.

We have five tomato plants on our patio, I have mentioned this before, however, two are the beefsteak variety and the tomatoes are getting quite large.  One even fell of the plant, don't know if it had help from a deer or just too heavy to stay there.   We have been thinking a support of some kind should help them grow to maturity.  What to use?   The perfect solution.......used surgical masks.....Oh my goodness they worked perfectly.   Recycle and reuse.

We have a hot and very humid day, with thunderstorms predicted for later on today.   As I write the clouds have now covered the sun and the wind is blowing... you know.....the kind of wind that bring rain, so the forecast is looking right, at least, at this point in time. 

The bird world must know there is going to be a change in the weather, as they have been coming to the feeders and bird bath as we were eating our lunch.  Getting filled up before they need to take cover.   

We are been watching the Shark programs on TV this week, we have learned so many things from this program, wish there were more like it, focusing on other  species.

Had an appointment with Dr. this morning just to get something checked out,  all is good, don't need any health issues, so a load off my mind.

I was working in the garden yesterday and got told off by Hubby for doing the hard work I was doing,  He took over the job and finished just before our dinner.

By the way,  the steak dinner was delicious.  Tonight is going to be hot dogs, brown beans and a salad, the last of the strawberries for dessert.

Fawn and deer buffet

 As we were eating our lunch on the balcony yesterday, a doe and her fawn came through our back garden, and, of course, I did not have my camera.  He/she was just like Bambi, spots on the brown fur on its back and a bit wobbly on its legs.  So cute.   But they are only cute when they go through the yard, but they have a habit of stopping and partaking of the flowers in the gardens.  They love the tender blossoms of  the day lillies, and the leaves and flowers of the hosta.   Even noticed some flowers on the phlox are missing.   We made sure our tomatoes plants are well protected on the patio, with wind chimes hanging on a line to which we attached sheets at night time.  So far, so good.  Keeping our fingers crossed as we have a bumper crop of tomatoes forming. Tomatoes are not on the buffet for deer. 

 Then the two turkeys came wandering through.   Today, only a few birds, nothing too interesting.

We have a mixed bag of weather, it had rained early in the day, now there is some sun and big clouds, soome looking full of rain, but they seem to be going by with no rain on us.  It is humid too, so almost thankful for the clouds, as it would be uncomfortable with the full sun shining.

Got my car back from the garage yesterday, all fixed with a big chunk of $$$$'s out of my bank account, but like Hubby said, it is cheaper than buying a new car.  But, if it continues to have breakdowns,  I will be looking for another.

Hubby is out cutting the lawn across the street, he was not able to get that done when he did ours a few days ago. After writing this I will be heading out to do some weeding before they all get ahead of me.

Dinner tonight, BBQ steak, mushrooms, baked potato and we have some strawberries left for dessert.

What do I see in the sky????

 We had rain overnight and several showers so far today, however, at the present time there is a big ball of fire in the sky.......sunshine albeit covered with clouds occasionally.

When we received our second vaccine, we were asked if we wanted the receipt then and there or get one through my e-mail, we opted for the e-mail receipt.  That was a big mistake... we did receive the e-mail, however, the pdf attachment was in a format that my computer programmes cannot read.   I have been on the web site where I could get a receipt, download it and then print it but they have no record of  us having our shot. So frustrating.    I know they are busy but this is the computer age, if they can give me one at the site surely there must be one on file somewhere.   I will call my son, he is an IT guy so maybe he can help.

Yesterday, while Mother Hubbards cupboard (fridge) was bare, I decided to give it a good clean, there were only a couple of things that were outdated a bit too much to use, so they went in the trash.   I do not like to throw out food, but also do not want to take any chances on eating something that should not be consumed.   All spick and span now, and was ready for our grocery shop today.  Did not have to get so early as the store does not open until 8:00 a.m. now.

We had pizza and a garden salad for dinner last night, it was nice for a change.

Tonight, being Tuesday is chicken and I am going to make fried rice to go with it along with a veg. strawberries for dessert.

Better get busy with the rice, short post today, will visit here again tomorrow.

A cloudy week

We will not see the sun for a good week if the forecast is correct,  rain is possible every day.   Hope this soon ends, it is Summer, come on Mother Nature, get the season right. 

Lazy day yesterday,  Hubby watched golf, tennis and football., I went to a friends for a b-day get together.  It was nice to see several people that I had not seen in a long time.   Some of them had really changed, but they blamed being stuck at home during Covid  for some of their weight gain.  Had a nice visit.

What am I doing today not much really.  Cannot get anything done outside it is just too wet to get into the garden to pull some weeds, so they will have to wait.  Always something to do in the house and in my sewing studio, so that will be the order of the day, a tidy up in the house and some sewing.

I do have a task currently underway.  Copies of the magazines I get through  a subscription is getting higher and higher, so I have started to go through each copy,  taking out the things I want to save, putting them in plastic sleeves and then in a binder.  The magazines will then go to a charity shop, maybe someone else would like them.  Now we can go to the shops I can get rid of several boxes that have been waiting.

Dinner tonight, no sure really, must start doing something for it.

Have a great day. 

Rain and more rain

 The clouds have opened up and it is raining again,  the weather network on the web is indicating that this is the order of the day and possibly many days during the coming week.  Only positive, I don't need to water the gardens.   The plants do a lot better with rain water anyway....the negative/.......so do the weeds.

Hubby was able to get our lawn cut yesterday for which he was happy about.

My car is currently in the garage, hopefully tomorrow the mechanic will have some good news for me, I hope.    I was going to go to the grocery store on Tuesday, however, the lever to shift the gears would not more.  Glad this happened in the driveway, not when I was out somewhere.   Car towed to garage and I had a call on Friday, which said  a new part would cost $400.00 - $500.00, plus labour, looks like a big chunk is coming out of my bank account.  However, if he is able to get a used part it will be a lot cheaper, but wondering, how long is a used part going to last!   My car is a Chrysler 300, which is a big car, not that I need a car like that, however, when my husband was alive he needed a car that size so that he was able to get in and out.  So....what I am thinking is keeping this one for the time being, driving it through the Winter and in the Spring getting a newer smaller car, as I do not need a big one.  I don't do much driving but I need the independence of going somewhere if I want to.  I will be 80 in November ,(how did that happen) so will need to take a test to keep my license to drive.  That is one of the reasons I had my cataracts removed, as an eye test is mandatory in this test.  Which it should be.   

 Hubby has three cars,  two are convertibles.  One is a classic and I cannot drive it, I am short and cannot see over the hood because it is so long, it is in storage during the Winter,  The other is a more up to date car but is never driven in wet weather.  His third is an SUV which he drives all the time, so I do need a vehicle for myself.

Hubby is watching the tennis on TV and I am here writing to you.   Later the plan is to do some sewing and then of course must think about dinner.   We have some of the potatoes left, so need to find some meat of some kind and a veg.  might just get some of the lemon poke cake out of the freezer for dessert.

So that is all from me today, have a great day 

Tour de France

Hubby turned on the TV this morning to watch a program he enjoys and found the Tour de France was on.  I like watching this race, not s bicycle rider myself, but love looking at the scenery they show.    I would love to rent a car and just drive  the routes they take, such beautiful country.  Unfortunately, that cannot be done at present, maybe in the future ????   The program will not be shown tomorrow, so hoping it will still be in progress next Saturday.

 I received a message from my 23 year old grandaughter  yesterday, she sent my a photo of her diploma.  

Honors Bachelor of Science

Magna cum laude 

So very proud of her.

It is dull here just today, no rain and it is a bit warmer,  looking forward to some sunshine soon.

Laundry currently being dried and some housework done. 

A week tomorrow we will be fully immune  and next Friday our area will be opening up, so we will be able to do more than we have been able to do.  Going into restaurants, theatres, etc etc, with reduced capacity but that is a start.   So now feeling a lot better about going to the reunion later this month and also the b-day gathering tomorrow.

We have a candy dish on the coffee table in the rec room, and it seems every time Hubby gets a craving for some chocolate, I catch him doing it.  Not that it matters to me, anyway, he just came upstairs,  and I could tell he had traces of the chocolate in his mouth.  You know how you try to clear those little pieces from your teeth. One look from me and he starts laughing, " You catch me every time", he said.  We both had a good laugh over that as it is a standing joke around here.  So it appears as if  we should feed this man, don't you think?

Dinner tonight ham,  scalloped potatoes, veg, salad and chocolate mousse for dessert.

Miserable....not me......the day

The weather has done a complete turn around, early this week it was so hot you couldn't breath, now it is cold and I mean like 16*C wet and windy cold.  No better weather is predicted for a few days.    

We have had almost 2 inches of rain  in the last 24 hours and the flowers in the garden look a bit battered  because the rain came down so hard.   Only positive, I don't need to water the tomatoes or the garden for a couple of days.  Do need some sunshine to start ripening the tomatoes,  we shall get some soon, I hope.

Not much happening around the estate today, Hubby has no work to do outside other than put the repaired wheel back on the tractor.  He is currently on his computer, he only started using one within the last year.  It is quite a learning curve if you have not been using one before.  I try to help him as much as I can, but I don't know a lot, enough to get by.

Got some sewing done yesterday, will be doing some more this afternoon. When the project I am working on in finished the sewing studio is going to get a good tidy.   I have a tendency to make a big mess when doing my projects,  fabric, thread, rulers etc. etc. all over the place.  Will we finishing the quilt for our bed, it has been a long time trying to get it done, as I put aside to do guild sewing projects.  Now we are not having meetings during the Summer I can work on this quilt.

It is Friday, so fish for dinner, nothing else decided as yet, but I am sure there will be enough for us to eat, there always is.

Have a great day no matter what your plans.

The Thunder Rolls and the lightning strikes

A line from a song from Garth Brooks....... 

That is what is happening as I write this, pouring hard with rain, a cats and dogs downpour and the thunder and lightning is all around us.   The forecast is the for same for most of the day.   It is down right cold  too, well not cold just feels  a lot cooler after the uncomfortable high temps and humidity we have had for the past few days.  We need the rain, so not complaining, actually it is making me stay inside and do  housework  When it is done going to do some quilting.

I contacted a granddaughter and granddaughter in law yesterday, as I need to buy some very very late birthday gifts for four great grans.  I missed all of their birthdays when we were in the stay at home order.  Now the stores are open and in a few days I should be fully immune, so time to look at all those cute little clothes for girls and boys.    When my children were the age of my great grans there was not much choice for really cute childrens wear, just the basic styles.    I use to make most of the clothes for my two daughters, it was a bit more difficult, for me anyway, to make boys clothes, however, he did have a lot of pj's that I made.   

My daughters did not like me much back then,   why?   I dressed them alike, it is cheaper, (money at the time was not too plentiful in those days) to buy Simplicity patterns that had several sizes in them, so I bought  several yards of different coordinating fabric and I would mix and match the yoke to the skirt pieces.   Making the same style made it easier and faster to get several garments made in a short period of time.  One would have a solid yoke and a patterned skirt and the visa versa, so both girls were not really dressed alike so to speak.

  Sewing would start  after they were all in bed and work began at the sewing machine.  I still get comments from them regarding their dresses, not all positive comments either, but it gives us something to laugh at.....memories for them and me.   Back then  I also made dresses for myself. too,    Do you, or did you make any clothes for your children  or yourself?  

At the present time I  still like sewing but, now make quilts and wall hangings. I find it relaxing  and in the long Winter months gives me something to keep busy.

Dinner last night was going to be steak on the BBQ,  however, rain put a hold on that, so we had back bacon, mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli and strawberries for dessert.  The steak will be for tonight the same veg and dessert as last night.

Rain overnight

As we were settling in for the evening last night, the sky looked as if we were going to get the thunderstorms that were predicted, however, if we had a storm we did not hear it, so I am going to assume it was just rain.  The gauge is showing almost 1/2 inch.

This moisture is making it quite humid out there again today, however, as I write the clouds seem to be gathering again, so more rain could be coming.  Hope so, then I will not need to water again today.

We are still catching Gypsy moths in our traps, which hopefully with reduce the number of eggs that will be laid by the females, and thus help to stop the spread next year.

Hubby is out mowing the lawns at the present time, wants to get it done before it is too hot or it rains.

We both have more energy today, so we assume it was some side affect's from the vaccination.

An invitation to a 75th birthday was received yesterday, it is the birthday of a  friend who I have had for a long long time.  It is going to be outside, but just to be safe, as we are not fully immune for another week, we will be wearing our masks and only staying to have a chat, not for the entire three hours.  

I will be doing work inside today, there appears to be a lot that needs my attention, vacumming, dusting, etc. etc.  you know the routine.   Then I am going into my sewing studio and do some work in there, only when I am in there it is not work for me, as I enjoy it so much.   Need to start working on the quilt I am making for our bed.

Dinner tonight, there are several things on my mind, so should soon make a decision, dessert will be strawberries.   

Have a great day. 

Late posting today

Tuesday our normal day for getting our groceries early in the morning.  We are up at 6:00 a.m. and at the store shortly after 7:00 a.m.  Arriving at the parking lot today, we were advised the store has gone back to regular pre Covid hours, so they are not opening until 8:00 a.m.  A quick trip home for a coffee and back again. Car full of things to eat and on our way home  within a couple of hours.

It is very hot and humid again today, and we don't know if it is the vaccination we had on Sunday combined with the weather but neither one of us is very ambitious today.  Lazy in fact, Hubby did have a nap, but that is one thing that I am unable to do...nap during the day.    Never had even when I was up all night with a sick little one years ago.

We made some "home made" Gypsy moth traps today, they are working very well.  We are doing our part to get rid of the infestation of these moths

I went to get our regular chicken for dinner today, however, I tried to put my car in gear and the gear shift would not move.  So I see a trip to the garage for some repair and a big hole in my bank account.

Dinner tonight, chicken rice and coleslaw,   strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Sunny hot & humid

Yesterday as well as today, there is a heat warning issued due to the high humidity and temp.   Yesterday, the clouds helped to keep things almost bearable as they blocked out the sun once in awhile.  Today, however, it a bit different no clouds.

Yesterday, Hubby and I were on a mission to find some things for the estate.   What were we looking for?  I have mentioned the caterpillars,  now it is the time for them to go into the pupa stage of their life.  When that is completed in 7 - 14 days, they will emerge as moths.  The females are unable to fly, however, the males can and go and seek out the females who then lays up to a thousand eggs.  They stay dormant until next Spring and then hatch into the caterpillars we currently have.  Info courtesy of Google.  Google also provided information regarding the capture of the male moths to stop the cycle,  so our hunt was to find and purchase the traps, as we had seen a couple of the male moths.  

After visiting three stores we were directed to a garden centre and that is where we found what we were looking for.  We also have a lot of Japanese Beetles this year too, so a trap also purchased for them.

By the time all of this driving around  had been done it was getting near to the time for our second COVID vaccination, so home to get our paperwork, after 3/4 hour  we were in the facility and out all done.  Now, it is much too late for us to prepare dinner, so we went out for something to eat.

I had a really nice day, Hubby cooked breakfast, we were out all day shopping, we had our shot,  no dinner prep for us,  a cool sit down on the balcony, some TV and bed.

 Our arms a hurting a little today which is expected but other than that we are both good.  Just chilling.

Dinner tonight, (I guess I should do something tonight)  BBQ ribs, salad, and lemon pie for dessert.

 

Lovely Day

 After a cool evening last night, we woke to a nice mix of sun and cloud and it warmed up when all those clouds disappeared. It is nice to have no humidity,  I can handle the heat but not that.

Laundry done and put away, we don't have a lot these days.   Just the usual pick up and tidy around the house.  I have just returned from a 1.8 mile walk, I did 1.6 miles yesterday.  Over the past few months I have been very negligent in walking, so on July 1st decided to do more walking.  Have a bit of a hitch in my "git along" so may have done a bit too much.  Tomorrow I will do a shorter one and see how It feels on Monday and decide long or short walk again.

On the route I took yesterday, I saw a lot of wild black raspberries, so the walk today was the same but I took a container with me and picked enough to add to dessert tonight.  They are currently in a weak water and vinegar solution to draw out any bugs or worms.

Burgers on the BBQ, potato salad and garden salad  and for dessert lemon cake with black raspberries.

Not much happening here on the estate today, Hubby is taking it easy and even had a sesta after lunch.

Have a good weekend.

Quiet Canada Day

We had a quiet day for Canada Day. just relaxing.  

Apparently we had a thunderstorm a couple of nights ago, neither of us heard it, we must sleep like logs.  The only clue was it had rained and there was another 1/2 inch in the gauge, and my eldest daughter mentioned the storm.  Today is cool, mix of sun and cloud, nice day for working outside.

Hubby took the tractor tire to be repaired and then over to his daughters for some little chores there.

When my youngest daughter and son in law adopted their first daughter, the adoption agency sent them and five other parents to China in a group.  One other Grandma and myself also accompanied this group, that was back in 1998.  Since that time these six families have been having a yearly reunion and of course, the two grandma's were also included.  Over the years, I have been able to only miss three of these reunions, including the one last year due to covid.   However, by the time of the reunion, we will be fully vaccinated, it will be outside, under the number of people allowed to gather (at the present time) so...... the hotel is booked and we plan to go.  Keeping our fingers crossed everything will be the same or hopefully better.  Something to look forward to at the end of the month.

It is Friday, so fish for dinner, salmon  along with veg and salad.  Dessert, think I might skip that tonight.

Have a great day.

Starting the 2nd half of the year.

July 1st. Canada Day and the birthday of a long time friend who lives in the UK. 

Birthstone:   Ruby

The glowing ruby should adorn

Those who in warm July are born

Then will they be exempt and free

From love's doubt and anxiety.

Princess Diana of Wales was born on this day in 1961, and her sons are unveiling a memorial for her today.

We had another half and inch of rain overnight and it is cloudy and cooler today.  A nice change from the heat.

Not much going on here today, usually on Canada Day, families get together,  but due to the pandemic we are staying put until we have our second vaccination on Sunday and then two weeks after that.   By the middle of July we should be fully protected, but we also intend on wearing our masks.  

We are still catching several caterpillars each day the burlap is doing a good job.  The tree does not look as if is losing its leaves to the appetite  of these pests, so that is a good thing.  I am going to look on Google to read more about these caterpillars.

As I said not much going on today.

Not even sure what we will have for dinner tonight either, so I am going to see what looks appetizing.

Have a great day.