Hot

We are in the midst of a very early heat wave, temps we are experiencing at the present are ones we usually see in late June and July.  We need rain, there might be some showers on the weekend, we shall see.

Our grass is getting brown and crisp in some spots, watering it when it is is a useless exercise at the present time and costs money.  As we get charged for the water coming into the house and out into the sewer, no matter what we use it for, even that which goes on the lawn, garden or washing the cars.

Went to a local garden centre today and got two hanging baskets for the balcony, not putting many annual flowers in the garden or window boxes this year as when they need watering the most is when we will be on vacation.

Tomorrow, out for lunch with a couple of friends, the first Thursday of the month we get together for lunch and a chin wag.

Sitting outside writing this in the evening and it is cooling down nicely, quite pleasant really, evenings like this I hate to go inside.  No bugs to speak of yet!  no fire flies either, they like the humid nights so they will be here later.

Pork shops, stuffed mushrooms, broccoli with cheese sauce, strawberry shortcake and whipped cream for dessert.

Have a great day,

Cheers. 

 

Everything is working

Teckie came on Saturday and changed everything so we could get Ignite TV.   However, not all was working as it should, when we tried to send /received emails so early the next morning I called our internet provider who is different from our TV provider and teckie did something he should not have done.  Called the company for our TV service, on the phone for almost an hour and a half talking to rep.  Finally, he advised a new teckie person would come and fix the issue but, because it was not their equipment but, our interest providers equipment they were going to charge me for the visit.  No way were they going to do that when their first teckie screwed up.  I told him in no uncertain terms we were not going to pay it.   The money is of no issue, it's the principal of the thing.  I advised I wanted immediate service, however, he only had appointments in a couple of days, not acceptable, so after much insistence and getting madder by the minute we had a teckie come yesterday at 11:00 a.m.   All fixed and they had the nerve to send me a survey regarding our experiences with our latest interaction.  I could not complete it, not enough room to fill in everything, so left it blank.  If it was up to me and I had a choice they would have been out of the house with their service, so fast you could see their dust.  

Another hot day, and we could break the record for temp on this day.   I fear this is going to be a very hot dry Summer, wildfires are now burning in two provinces, some residents have been evacuated.   We usually have this type of weather and fires in the Summer and we are not finished with Spring yet. Here we are at the end of May, only 4 mm of rain has fallen in our city, when we usually get an average of  90 mm, only chance of some showers is next Monday, if we are lucky.  The grass on lawns is going brown already.

Hubby finally has repaired the tractor after working on it for more than 10 days,  don't know he will every use it, as per the previous comments.

Bathrooms and kitchen cleaned yesterday and read a book during the afternoon.

Not much happening today.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

 

TV

 We have cable for our TV, just the basic channels.  The  receiver is a box connected to the TV, however, with all of the new technology these days, the company we are with is not making these boxes any more just refurbishing the old ones and obviously they constantly break down.  Just as the one we currently have did yesterday and none are available to replace it.   We have a techy person coming this afternoon to install a new one which is connected to a different service with the same company we currently have.  

What am I up to today, diddly squat, why, the tractor still needs to be fixed.  🚜  I was going to go out but, now the TV reception needs to be fixed and someone has to be in the house to answer the phone when they techy calls, or they assume we are not home and won't come. 

It is a beautiful day, so may just sit on the balcony with a drink, read, sew and knit.

Not making much ahead of time for dinner as we are going to have a bbq'd burger and a salad which I will make later.  Dessert is all taken care of too, as I baked an angel food cake yesterday, so we will have that with some strawberries and whipped cream.  Easy peasy, it's a day of rest, is it not.

Have a great day.

Chers.

Test

 When you are 80 years old here in Ontario, Canada you need to take a test to determine if you should keep your driver's license.  Just like a lot of people, I turned 80 years old during Covid, of course, tests were not being done at that time.   The tests are now getting done for those people, including me.   Usually, our driver's license is renewed on our birthdays, however, in speaking with someone last weekend we were told appointments were being made into October, my birthday is in November, so decided I should enquire about an appointment.  Yesterday, was the day to visit the facility where the tests are done.  After many questions and answers, I have an appointment in June for my test.  

TEST.    It involves drawing a clock face and indicating a specific time and an eye test.  A piece of paper to indicate if you passed and off to renew your license, pay the fee and come back in 2 years for another test.   If you failed, a more involved test is given or your license is taken away to drive no more. I do not see an issue with me failing the test.   My greatest fear is to not to be able to drive myself to wherever I want to go when I what to do it.   

Lovely sunny and warm day, no rain in sight for several days, we have had only 5% of the normal rainfall for the month of May, so things are getting dry.

We went to a local live theatre last night, to see a musical of many songs written and sung by Canadian Gordon Lightfoot.   We purchased the tickets a month or so ago, and only a couple of weeks ago Gordon Lightfoot passed away, so it was a moving tribute to him and his music.  Thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Laundry, making a cake, and should get  some cash out of the bank as my DD2 is sending a care package to her youngest.  Her 21st birthday is June 5th, however, she is thousands of miles away in Iqaluit, NWT.  So what did my GD "C' ask for in her package..  ketchup, a bottle where she is costs $15.00, where here it would cost $5.00 possibly, I don't like it so have no idea the price.  She also wants tin foil and parchment paper.  Everything has to be either flown in during the Winter or shipped in during the Summer, so those costs are added to everything.

Must get busy.

Have  great day  

Cheers

Busy

The last couple of days have been busy for me, yesterday especially.   Groceries, had my wheels torqued after the Summer tires were put on.  Had to wait at the garage almost an hour for a 10 minute or so job, not what I was expecting to do but, could do nothing about it, anyway the job is now done and dusted.   On to the bank, yes I actually go to the bank and do my business, don't trust doing it on line, I know a great many people do but, it's a no for me.   Drug store for Rx and vitamins, grocery store for a couple of thing we missed in the morning.  It does not sound like I did much but, the traffic was bumper to bumper no matter which street I took.   At this time of the year it's not call Spring, Summer or Autumn, it is called "construction" season.  Streets are being torn up all over the city, so traffic is detoured which creates slowdowns with people getting edgy which in turn causes accidents, which again slows down traffic.  Glad to get back to the house.  Then because it was getting too late to prepare dinner, we went and had pizza, which was delicious, I had a slice too many.  Diet starts tomorrow. famous last words.

Puttering around the house and in the sewing room today, Hubby is working on the tractor--again.

Yesterday was my son's birthday,  he is getting old!

Sun shining today a little brighter, we do not appear to have any of the hazy from the fires, the wind must have change direction.

Well, I am going to get busy.

Have  great day,

Cheers

Bird Feeders

We have bird feeders which hold seeds of all shapes and sizes for all kinds of birds who visit year round.   There is a long list of all the birds we see throughout the seasons.

At this time of the year I mix up a solution of sugar and water to fill the Hummingbird and the Baltimore Oriole  feeders.  They have been regular visitors, coming several times a day.  I have had to put sugar on my grocery list for this week, we do not use a lot of sugar, but during the coming months the birds will be needing a lot to be mixed up for the feeders.

Did not need a sweater for our walk this morning, sun trying to shine, however, my screen is showing a temp of 18*C with smoke, again from the wildfires out West.  Again, it id high in the atmosphere so we cannot feel the effects of it or smell it but, it is covering the sky with a layer which the sun is trying to shine through.

Hubby fixing the lawn tractor....again....

Have a great day.

Cheers to my Canadian readers who are celebrating Victoria Day.

Nice

 Weather pleasant today, sunshine and warmer.

It is a holiday weekend here, Victoria Day weekend, honoring Queen Victoria.  This is usually the weekend where it is usually safe to plant annuals in the garden as all risk of a killing frost is gone.  Does not always happen that way but, at least we know plants will survive if covered when frost is forecast.

Had a nice time at GGD "A's" 4th birthday party yesterday.  Lots of other 4 years old's from  A's day care, so lots of chattering and noise.  What happened to birthday's, I know I am old but, the money on invitations, décor, food, gifts and favor bags to me seems to be getting out of hand.  For a 4 year old no less.

We had a good visit with my son and DIL and the birthday girl, Grand son and Grand daughter in law.  Nice to be able to leave to come home for some peace and quiet, I told you I was old.

Quiet around here again.

Have a great day.

Cheers

Friday

Where has this week gone, it does not seem possible I was getting  ready a week ago to go away for the weekend.

Tomorrow is a birthday celebration for my GGD "A" she was four years old on the 8th, however, was on vacation at the time, so birthday party tomorrow.   May is a very busy month for birthdays in my family, three more coming up before the end of the month.

The weather has started to warm up after have a frost a couple of nights ago, rain is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow, very much needed I must say.  The newspaper indicated that so far this month we have had only 4% of the normal for this month so far and not too many days left for the other 96%.

I made mini quiche for dinner last night with a huge salad, it was so good, oddly enough I have never made quiche before, so was pleased they turned out delicious.  Still have six more for another meal in the future.

Went for our walk this morning, had to take a sweater off as it appears to be getting humid, an indication of some moisture coming.

I am giving my sewing room another good sorting out, Yes! I did that a short time ago, however did not get it all done, need to get it finished and tidied up, so I can make the block for our guild meeting next week.

I want to get into the garden and do a little weeding, however, it is dry so they will just break off at soil level, I can only do short stints as my shoulder won't let me work all day like I ue to be able to do.   Over the past few years I have been planting perennials, as they take care of themselves.

Well better get moving into the sewing room

Have a great day.

Cheers

Next week, I have a lunch date with some of my past co-workers and on the same day the meeting, busy Thursday coming up/

  

Face Time

 What a wonderful world we live in, we are able to talk and see people from thousands of miles away with the click of a button.

Case in point,  Saturday I was able to talk with my youngest granddaughter, who is in Iqaluit for the Summer months.  She was telling us all about the life she is experiencing at the moment.   The roads are mud, due to the temp getting above the freezing mark and melting the snow and ice, however, the countryside is still locked in the grips of Winter.   We were talking to her at 9:20 p.m. and the sun was shining as if it was the middle of the afternoon.    She was hoping to get to see the Northern lights, however it is too light for them to be seen.  There only seems to be two classes of people residing there, those who have and those who have not.  She and some of the other students are volunteering at the food bank, so she gets to see those residents who need help feeding their families.  Food is expensive there, however, fortunately for GD that is the only expense she has while there.  She is working hard at the airport five days a week and says the time goes by very quickly as she is so busy.  What an experience for a 21 year old.

As I write this there is an icon at the bottom of my screen indicating the temp is 21 *C and "Smoke" which again is smoke from the wild fires out west.  It is high in the atmosphere blocking out some of the sun, we cannot smell it and no irritation to our eyes.   The weather is forecast to be hot this Summer so possibly a devastating year for our forests due to the dry conditions.

Went shopping today for GGD birthday gift, an outfit and two books will be in a gift bag for her on Saturday.  She, along with her parents and grandparents have just returned from a vacation by the sea where she was able to see dolphins.  I was able to find a story book with fish and dolphins in it.

That's it for today,

Have a great day,

Cheers.

Weekend trip

 Yesterday was Mother's Day here in Canada,  my DD2 and S I L were going to visit their eldest daughter in Ottawa and asked me to join them for Mother's day.  We left Friday afternoon for a 7 hour drive, roads were heavy with traffic but no hold ups which was nice.   Pizza for dinner,

On Saturday, it was decided to go and see the Tulip Festival which is held every year in Ottawa.  The tulips are always sent from Holland by the royal family to carry on the tradition set by  Princess Juliana.  During the second world war the princess and her family were evacuated to Canada when Germany invaded the Netherlands.  In appreciation of the help Canada gave her family, the Princess who eventually became Queen, has donated tulips to Canada every year.   Each Spring the tulips planted in the Autumn bloom in the park we visited.   I have pictures which I will post later.

After viewing the tulips, we went to Chinatown for dinner, the meal was delicious, so much food all washed down with green tea.

The parking situation where the park and Chinatown are located leaves a lot to be desired, so we walked everywhere we went, we did a total of 10 1/2 kms during the day, surprisingly I did not feel stiff or sore the following morning, so the daily walks I have been doing must have helped.  Not bad for an 81 year old!

Today, I had my winter snow tires removed and summer ones installed and an oil change, so should be good for a few months.   Then I cleaned the inside and the outside of my car.  The windows were covered in yellow pollen from the trees, it was so thick I could hardly see out the back window with the sun shining on it.

Now just taking it easy writing to you.

I had a wonderful weekend with my family, the sun shone every day and it was warm what more could a person want.  

Have a great day,

Cheers.

 

Obscured by smoke

 Wednesday, sunshine again, however, not as bright as it could be as the smoke from the wildfires is being blown east into Ontario.   It is high up in the atmosphere so we are not able to smell it.  When talking to my sister this morning she said when the sun rose it was an eerie red colour.  Too early in the season for wildfires, hope it is not an indication of ongoing fires when it gets hotter during Summer.

Had my hair trimmed this morning, not quite as short as I have had it in the past.  My hair is straight with several crown/cowlicks towards the crown and back of my head, so difficult to manage, I find it easier when it is a bit longer than it usually is after a cut.  

I am trying to find a new pair of jeans, yes, this granny wear jeans.  I am short, so need to go to the petit section, I am also a few pounds over weight, so little jeans do not fit my hips and a#$ss.   Then there are the ones that fit but full of holes, I want my pants looking like new, not ready for the garbage.  So I continue to look and bought a dress instead, my retail therapy satisfied.

Just finished making an angle food cake to have with some strawberries for our dinner tonight.  Did I say I am a little overweight, I will only have a small portion, need to satisfy my sweet tooth.   Having said that, bread is my downfall the crustier and more rustic the better, sounds good for you, it is, however, too much of a good thing is not helpful to the poundage.

After chatting about the weight, I am now going for a walk, as we did not get to do that this morning.  Tomorrow will be the same as I have an appointment with the dentist for a cleaning.

Have a great day

Cheers

"They" say

Who ever "they" are, they say "Silence is Golden",  however, sometimes the silence is so loud it says  a lot.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

Caught in the rain

 Some rain was forecast for early this afternoon, so we started out for our walk, weather person wrong again, got caught in a heavy shower, so returned post haste.  Little damp, lesson learned take brolly with us if rain is forecast.

DD1 invited us to a birthday BBQ for three of my great grandchildren, all their birthdays are in a ten day period, by poor purse took a hit.  Dinner was delicious, such a nice treat to have someone cook a meal where I don't have to do anything.  Ate way too much but with the two helpings of wine I did not care.

Got up early yesterday for the coronation, so now I have seen two  two British monarchs coronations.  Such a pity it rained, that's the UK weather though, isn't it.  The children did very well for the length of time they had to sit and behave and George was a perfect in his role as one of the pages.

Now the dam sun is starting to shine, however, more rain is coming this afternoon, forget the walk today.

Not much going on here today, just like most days, so will just close for now.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

Here comes the sun

We had a pea soup fog this morning, the sun has now almost burnt it off and trying hard to shine.   Forecast is for more sun in the coming days and temps warmer, cannot wait.

 Wall hangings story:

My two youngest grand daughters are the adopted daughters of my DD2 and son in law.  When they went to China for the first daughter, the adoption agency sent six families in total in a group as all the babies were coming from the same orphanage.   I went with my DD2 and son in law on that trip.   Every year, which has now been 24 years these six families have been having a yearly reunion, (except one due to Covid) as I was in that group I am invited to attend also another Grandma who also travelled with her son and daughter in law on that trip.   

When the girls were old enough to know and understand their adoption, I made six wall hangings, one for each girl.  They all use the same fabric, however, each one is designed just a little different.

I am only showing two here and will tell you the story depicted.

The left side shows where the child was born, bamboo and panda's for China, the heart hidden in the leaves is the heart of the Mother who carried the child, however, we do not know who or where she is, therefore hidden.  At the base of the bridge there is a small child who is going to cross over the water which represents the sea between China and Canada,

The right side, shows the rocky mountains, trees and animals native to Canada.  The little  girl is how they looked when I gave them this wall hanging.  The maple tree with it's leaves changing colour, fall as hearts, representing the love of their Canadian family.

When I gave the wall hangings, a letter was enclosed explaining what I have just told you, so the parents could read it to their daughters.  Several parents were moved to tears.  

All of these girls are now 25 years old, some still pursuing their education,  others are either starting a new career or have been working for a short time.  They all have a sister, also adopted from China at different times, however, their groups of families have not continued with reunions as this group has.

The families and girls are all special in a way that is hard to describe.  Going thousands of miles to a foreign country, spending very large sums of money, not once but twice is hard to imagine.  The love of wanting a child is very powerful.

I often wonder, then dismiss the thought as maybe I would not want to know, but wonder anyway, what would these girls be doing now at the age they are, if they were still in the country of their birth.  I thank the families all over the world who have adopted children, not just the ones who go off shore but, the domestic ones too.   Giving children a new and better life, from the one they would have had if no one had wanted a child to call their own.  

These girls are all well and adjusted to the fact they are adopted, it has not been easy for a couple of the families but all families have an issue at one point during the raising of their children.

A reunion is taking place again this Summer, however, I will be out of the country so unable to attend, will certainly see photo's and hear all about it, there is always next year.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

Showers

 We had showers again, however, the sun is trying very hard to get through the clouds. 

This post should have been posted a couple of days ago, obviously it did not happen, it has been amended by deleting old sentences and new ones added.

Quilt time.

I did this wall hanging in 2008 using a printed piece of fabric for the sky and earth.   Traced the elephants from a children's  colouring book and free hand drew the tree.   My DD1 has it hanging in her house.

Forgive the crease in the middle, it has been folded.   This one was another piece of printed fabric, which I cut into squares and rearranged them.  Then thread painted, sewed on beads, and toile fabric, which I singed the edges making them curl like petals.   This one is in  my sewing room. 

Looking forward to lunch today, these two friends and I have made a standing date for lunch once a month, something nice to look forward to.

Well closing and off I go.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

Web feet

 We have had a lot of rain, ground is soggy, fields flooded and the river is rising.   Going to need wellies for quite awhile.   Although, having just wrote that, drier and warmer conditions are forecast soon.

Not a lot going on today, in fact, nothing that is worth writing about.

No project photo today, thought I would give you a rest, not likely to be a post tomorrow as I am going out to lunch with friends.  So looking forward to that.

Have  great day.

cheers.

I must have been crazy

Cloudy and light showers again today, it was cold.

We did go for a walk this morning and got home just before drops started to fall. 

Early this afternoon we attended a visitation of Hubby's Aunt in law, at a funeral home in the city.  Tomorrow is the funeral.

Just as my title indicates, I really must have been mad to make the quilt in today's photo.  I made in 2004.

At the time I was into doing some counted cross stitch and thought what would a quilt look like if I used the graph to make the picture of one of the patterns in the book, it was an English cottage and garden.  Well, I found out, the quilt looked great, however, getting there was another story.  For every cross stitch I cut a 1 1/2 inch square of fabric the same colour as the picture indicated.   Each square of fabric ended up measuring 1 inch on the quilt and I quilted it on my sewing machine.

I did have a lot of fun locating the proper colour fabric but keeping all of the small squares in order was frustrating.   It was not "I must have been crazy"  it was "I was crazy".  Needless to say this is one project you do only once.

A windy day when this photo was taken, so it is not the best but, you get a glimpse of what it looks like.

Have a great day.

Cheers.