Is Summer Still Here!

In S.W. Ontario we are having some lovely weather, still wearing my summer clothes during the day, the evenings are cool so a sweater is needed.

A busy week,  yoga, coffee and chat afternoon on Monday,  Wednesdays quilting meeting, not at our regular location this time.   But at a local shop which sells articles of all shapes and kinds,  which are made locally.  There is also a meeting room,  which usually hosts classes, was available on this day so an appointment was made for us to go there this month.  The shop owner gave us a talk on how she and her daughter started the shop and where all the pieces which are available to purchase were made..  We then had our meeting and light snacks, followed, of course, with us all browsing around to look at and purchase some of her displayed pieces.  I resisted the temptations, but fell in love with a bowl carved from a root of a large apple tree, however, I could not justify the cost of it so left it for someone else to enjoy. 

On Thursday, a trip to the pharmacy for a Rx refill, also enquired  as to when the flu  and Covid shots would be available.   Covid shot was administered, but need to wait a couple of weeks for the flu shot.  Then on to Service Ontario to make an appointment for my 80 year old driving test.  Oh! we can do that right now, said the person on the desk.  Test done, photo taken, I can drive for two more years.

Friday,  picked up a few groceries, and washed my car,  Happy hour in the evening.

Yesterday, went to a local theatre, I say local, it is a good hour and 20 minute drive from where I live,  A lovely day for a drive so didn't mind the sitting for that long,  We saw, "The Wind Coming Over the Sea" by Emma Donoghue. It is a true story of a family coming from Ireland to Canada, and all of the hardships they encountered.  Enjoyed it very much.   Emma Donoghue, also wrote "The Room", the play and movie both of which I have seen in the past.

Today is the 8th birthday of one of my great grand daughters, Mum and Dad do not have a party for their children, but each one gets to choose what they want to do for their special day.  Usually each one choses something simple such as a shopping trip for a piece of clothing and then a food they particularly like but don't get to have often.   

  As it is such a lovely day, I plan on going for a walk during the afternoon.

Have a great day

Cheers

Winding down

 Yes, summer by the calendar is done, however, we are still having some lovely sunny warm days, and I must add some cooler nights,

The heat and very little rain we had during the summer this year seams to be hastening the leaves to turn into their glorious, reds, oranges and yellows and every colour in between.  Starting to look as if it will be a colourful fall (autumn).  During this month we have had some much needed rain, now the lawns are a nice bright green again.  Making the most of these nice days as they will not last long.  The evenings are drawing in and once we move the clocks back it will be dark even earlier.  Not looking forward to the shorter days.

So, what have I been up to this month.   My sister is not well, so visiting her.  She lives almost an hours drive from me so it ends up as a long day.  Never mind it need to do it, not only for her sake, but for mine too. 

Took myself  to the movies and saw Downton Abbey.  I had a gift card for the movie theatre and also one for Tim Horton's, so a lovely evenings entertainment and a meal all for nothing. and thoroughly enjoyed it all.   Later the same week, I again went to see the movie with a friend, enjoyed it again.

Then off to see a performance at a theatre in Petrolia where they were showing "All about ABBA".   I have always loved their music and this show did not disappoint.  

Also attended a local venue to hear a jazz concert.  Every month a different group of musicians put on a free show.  This one was a trio from Chicago. 

Pot luck dinners have started up again after not having any for the summer.  I made sweet potato casserole this time,  It must have been tasty as I came home with an empty dish.

I have been working on a fabric confetti fabric picture this past month.  It is looking nice, if I do say so myself.  Hoping to get it finished and on a frame within the next week or so.

This coming week I go to our quilting guild meeting.  This one will be held at a local craft shop which has a meeting/craft room, where the owner will be giving us a talk about her shop.  Looking forward to it.  

My DD2 and SIL will be returning today from their vacation to Alaska, it was an anniversary trip.  DD1 will have a birthday next week, and a GGD has a birthday the following week.   Then Thanksgiving, and I have received an invitation to have dinner with my GS and family.   

Today, I will be going out with a friend for a drive as it is looking like another lovely sunny warm day.  Not sure where or what but I am sure we will find something interesting.

Have a great day

Cheers.

It has changed

 "IT" is the weather.  

As soon as September started it changed almost overnight, and the nights are decidedly cooler.

Yesterday, we had to batten down the hatches so to speak, as it was so windy.  Overnight it settled down and this morning all is quiet,  cloudy and cool.

Wednesday, was the first meeting of the quilting guild I belong to.  We don't meet during the months of July and August so we all had a lot of chatting to do to get caught up on what everyone had done over the summer.  We must have been busy doing  other things than sewing as there was not many projects for show and tell portion of the program. 

Two of the members and myself go out every two or three weeks to find an interesting place to take a look at and finish off with a lunch.  The last of our travels took us to an art gallery showing fabric paintings and then to an Art Guild in another city.   This is where we saw a show the members had just finished.

This guild has members who sew, paint, work with clay etc. so it was interesting to see their latest show which included all of the mediums.  We got our idea for our guilds next challenge.  

With the help of the two friends, I took on the task of explaining the challenge to the members of our guild.  To make it short, one picture was given to each member and they had to look at it and use what inspired  them in this picture to make their project.  All methods of sewing or even some other medium could be used.   The challenge ends at our March meeting next year and then each piece will be put in a show in April.  It will be interesting to see the finished projects.

The rest of the week was doing all things that normally need to be done, and then yesterday was happy hour upstairs, which is always includes a lot of chatter and laughs.

Have a great day.

Cheers

Change

 On the 18th of August, I was given some bad news about my sister's health.  

I will not be giving any details, only say it is serious.

The weather here has taken a hasty change.  Down to single digits at night, warming up to 17 - 19 *C during the day.  We can expect higher temps in the coming week.   I am not ready for this cooler weather yet.

Today, I am going to see the Andre Rieu  show at the cinema today.  During the summer he has concerts in his home town of Maastricht, The Netherlands, they are filmed and then shown in cinemas all over the world.  Looking forward to that.

On Wednesday next week I start going to our regular  monthly quilting meetings, so need to finish the binding on a quilt in the coming days.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

Cooler air---finally

 It has been a very hot and humid week, with rain with some lightening but, very little thunder last night.  Cooler this morning when I woke, a little later than usual, that's okay it's Sunday and day of rest.

August 11, Monday

Did some more laundry and housework, it's seems that it always needs to be done, doesn't it.  Dinner was just a healthy salad with some salmon out of a tin, it was just too uncomfortable to turn on any heat to cook something.  After eating I grabbed my camera and went looking for the sunflower field I had seen on FB.  Found it, such lovely flowers, had a hard time seeing some of them, just too tall for little old me.  Another couple were there also, and they had the perfect way to see the best blooms, they were on a four rung step stool.  They were short like me.

August 12, Tuesday

My ex had purchased a subscription for a local theatre and today we went to see the performance, "Sexy Laundry".  A play of a married couple of 25 years were trying to rekindle there marriage at a posh hotel.  We heard all of the reasons why their life was not as they had hooped it would be and divorce was discussed.  In the end they lived happily every after.    It was funny and sad in some parts of the performance, I enjoyed it.  The ex, not so much I don't think.

August 13, Wednesday

Another scorcher, and I visited some friends.  We had not seen each other for several months, time to catch up again.  They had just returned from visiting their daughter who lives on the east coast, so heard all of their adventures there.  Some wine, nibbles, and great conversation filled the afternoon.  

August 14, Thursday

Today, would have been my mother's 108th. birthday, it does not seem possible she has been gone for 6 years.  The family always had a birthday party and reunion as close to her birthday was we could, I miss those get togethers.   So, on August 16th. my DD1 is hosting a reunion for my family.   Time to get making some things to put on the table for dinner that day.   A dip for the snacks, date squares, butter tarts and salad will be my contribution.  Today the squares and tarts were made.

August 15, Friday

A small grocery shop and went looking for some sandals, hoping to see some on an end of Summer sale.  Lots to look at, however, as I have aged my feet have got wider, just like the rest of my body, LOL  Did not have much luck, either too high in the heel, too sparkly, etc, so will try another store this coming week.   Friday, so it was happy hour in the lounge, it is always a lot of fun, laughs and nice conversation with all who attend.   Most Fridays the "hour" ends up being a lot longer and this was the case today.  

August 16, Saturday

Everything all made and ready to go to London, ON to meet up with family.   A lovely sunny day, but hot again, DD1 and SIL have a shaded back garden, so it was quite comfortable for the afternoon.  Not everyone in my family was able to come, that's okay though, I know they are busy and live too far for a day trip.  They are all well, so that is what matters.  When DIL arrived she was wearing a cast on her right foot, broken bones from hitting the base of their bed while making it.  No driving, golf games and curling might be off the agenda later this year.  A great day was had by all,  and we decided to have another reunion next year.  My three children and their spouses discussed where they would all like to go for a family trip next Spring. I am going too.   Lists are going to be made for a discussion later.

August 17, Sunday

After the much needed rain overnight, the sun is trying very hard to show it's face again, and appears to be successful.  A lazy day for me.

Have a great day

Cheers.

Another hot and humid week

Hello, hope this Sunday morning finds you all well.

My title describes the weather we are currently having, and no relief is expected for a couple more days.  

Tuesday, August 5th.

Smoke from the forest fires is quite thick today, blocking out some of the sun.   

A couple of weeks ago I received a letter from the manufacturer of my car, which advised there was a recall for the air bags.  Today was the appointment I had made for it to be taken care off.

After it was completed, some wandering around some stores and retail therapy  took place.

Wednesday, August 6th

A ride to Sarnia with my ex, to see the lake freighters and pleasure boats which filled the day.  It was nice just to sit and feel the cool breeze from the lake, and watch the gulls as well as all the water craft.   Keeping hydrated all day, so all we needed was a small meal from the food truck for our dinner, it was just too hot and humid to feel very hungry.

Thursday, August 7th

A lazy day, just doing the necessary things requiring some attention.   

Visited my friend J who had a hip replacement last week.  She is doing well, but not quite fully mobile yet.  It takes time.  

After dinner I decided to go for a walk at a park in the city, one I hadn't visited for some time.  Took my camera just in case I saw something worthwhile taking a photo of.   Pictures of lovely flowers, frogs, caterpillars and turtles are now in my camera.  Got all my steps done, however, I am sure they were not healthy steps as there was a lot of stopping and going.

Friday, August 8th

Yoga this morning, housework, laundry sewing and then happy hour.  That was pretty much my day,

Saturday, August 9th

Went to the movies with my ex, it was not a film I would have chosen, but it was OK.  Had a nice fish and chip dinner.

Sunday, August 10th

Sunny, hot and humid, temp at 9:30 a.m. is 27*C already, feeling hotter with the heavy humid air.   No plans for today really, but I do like to have a picnic.  So, thinking that will be my dinner today.  Pack up a refreshing salad with some fruit and go to the park and sit under a shade tree and listen to some music from the bandshell.   In the meantime, I will sit and do some hand sewing I am working on and just take things easy today.  This coming week is going to be a busy one for me so will take some time for "me" today.

Have a great day.

Cheers

 

Good Morning

Not much happening today, as it is  a Civic Holiday here in Ontario, Canada, so to me it will feel like the second Sunday this week and will make the coming days all out of sync.

Monday, July 28

It was a hot and humid day, with the air heavy and the temp feeling like 40*C.  I had promised DD2 that more weeds would be pulled in her flower bed today, but it was just to hot and the ground was still very dry, so it was not done.   

After dinner the evening was comfortable, so I did take myself for a 2 km walk.

Tuesday, July 29

Hot and humid again, it's Summer so cannot expect anything more really.  

My ex's sister in law lives in B.C and today was her birthday, so did a Facetime video chat with her.   Not feeling too ambitious today, so I made a quick portable meal and a drink, went to a local park for a picnic.  A nice breeze cooled the air as I sat under the tree enjoying the food and people watching.  Had a short walk around the park and came home.

Wednesday, July 30

If my husband was still alive, today would have been our 65th wedding anniversary.  

 DD2 is hosting a reunion on Saturday, so some shopping needed to be done, and I was invited to go.  I can never refuse a chance to go shopping.   Everything was purchased and we were two happy shoppers. 

One of my friends here in the building is having surgery on Friday, so visited her and to wished her luck.

Thursday, July 31.

We had some much needed rain in the morning, and it cleared in the afternoon. 

My granddaughter K came home for the weekend to attend the reunion and also an appointment. She needed a ride to get her teeth checked, so grandma was able to do that for her.  

Later in the afternoon I did some sewing.

Friday, August 1st

The Summer is going just a little too fast, the first of the month already. 

DD2 and S I L are preparing all of the food for tomorrows dinner so I offered to help, by making a potato salad for them, so I made that today.   Then, being Friday, it was happy hour.

Saturday, August 2nd.

A lovely day with pleasant temps, however, the sky was covered with the smoke from the forest fires. The reunion today is a get together for the parents who travelled to China together when they all adopted their  daughters.   They had never met each other until the adoption agency put them in the same group and since then have remained very close friends.  For 26 years they have been having a reunion, with one of the families hosting the get together, this year DD2 and S I L was their turn.   Two families  have discontinued attending these get togethers.  There were 14 people attending this year, two of the girls are nurses and had to work, but those who came had a wonderful time.  I am included in these occasions as I also travelled to China with them.   The girls, I call them girls, however, now they are all young women, have remained close friends also, three of them all live quite close to each other and do a lot of things together.  

Sunday August 3rd

The sky appears to be thicker today due to the smoke, a poor air quality has been put in effect,

Before everyone who came to the reunion had to return home, DD2 arranged for us all to have a brunch at s local restaurant.  Everyone was finished eating and now it was time to say our goodbye's until next time, which would more than likely be next year.  A great weekend, with lots of good food, good company lots laughs and a good time was had by all.  

I had made a new saddle of flowers recently to put on my parents head stone, so decided  in the afternoon to take it to them and as my sister lives not too far from the cometary I would visit her too.  We had a nice visit and then driving home I stopped for a rest at one of the local ports on Lake Erie and watched the gulls and people fishing and the pleasure boats coming and going.  Time to head home, and just happened to go past an ice cream facility, stopped for one of their delicious cones.  The place was very busy, with long lines of people in front of the three outside windows, so I chose to go into the store area which was also lined up.   But, the wait was well worth it.

Monday, August 4th

The smoke is just as bad as yesterday, and it is nice and warm, not hot and humid thank goodness, or else it would be a very uncomfortable day.    After the busy weekend, I think today is going to be a day of not doing too much.   I do have a couple of sewing projects I must get stuck into, so that will be my focus today.  

Have a great day

Cheers

It certainly feels like Summer

 Even though the temps have moderated for a day or two this past week, the humidity is still hanging around, so still feeling hot and uncomfortable.

How did my week go!

July 21, Monday

A new week started, so first thing was yoga class.  Quite a few people were absent, as I am sure they were on a vacation of some kind,.  After the class, it was time to do some housework and laundry.  There is still some landscaping being done next door, and the machinery is making the dust blow and depending on the direction of the wind, it comes my way, how it get in I don't know.   It was a nice evening, so I attended a rehearsal of the Police Pipe and Drum Band in our city.  During the summer months and weather permitting the band practices outside with the general public invited to attend.  I had never done that before and was quite surprised to see so many people attending.  Everyone in their lawn chairs or on their blankets listening to the music.  Once a month they practice at a different place in the city, this night it was at a large grassy area of a very popular ice cream store.   The store is located about half way between the city and a popular beach on Lake Erie, so at any time during the summer months it is a busy place.  Having the band there that evening made it even busier.  The parking lot was full to overflowing and the line up to get the delicious treat was so long I did not bother to get a cone.  Another day perhaps.   

July 22, Tuesday

A nice sunny day, and as mentioned above, humid.  Not feeling too ambitious to anything outside, I decided it was a sewing day, as I have to finish those Tiny Homes quilts for our next meeting in September.  A lot was accomplished.  

July 23, Wednesday

Yoga in the morning, then of course, all of the other daily things that need to be done.   Late afternoon my ex  picked me up and we went out for a fish and chip dinner and then off to a Jazz concert.   The library in a local city hosts a jazz concert once a month with a different group of musicians.   Today, was a group I really enjoyed as they had a singer who concentrated on songs from the 60's and older,   A nice evening.

July 24, Thursday

Very hot and humid today.   The underground parking garage in the place where I live was to be power washed on Friday, so all the cars had to be removed to the next door outdoor parking lot.   I decided first to go to my DD2's to do some more gardening, did very little as the ground was so dry, then park as instructed when I got home.  Her soil has a lot of clay in it, so with the sun and no rain it bakes as hard as a brick.  We need rain and the rain gods did send some our way during the late evening as we had a big thunder storm which went well into the night,  

July 25, Friday

Cloudy day and very very humid thanks to all rain we had, quite uncomfortable.  Two quilting friends and I visited a new shop we discovered from a brochure which was displayed on my budlings bulletin board.  It sold local hand made products of all kinds and we had a good look at all on display and of course, we all carried a little bag of our purchases when we left,  A restaurant was close by, a convenient stop for an early lunch.  A great time was had by all.   During the afternoon my youngest Granddaughter "C" came for a nice long visit.  She was telling me all about her final exam and her future plans and gave me a copy of her graduation photo.  She will  be taking a course to be a flight instructor so that she can over the next year or so, accumulate the required hours to fly a commercial plane with the airline she has been initially accepted by.   Evening came, Friday happy hour upstairs was a lot of fun, as it always is.  

July 26, Saturday

Another cloudy day with the threat of more showers but still quite warm.  I went to my youngest great granddaughters second birthday party.   It was just a small family gathering.  Three of the other children there had lots of fun in the swimming pool during the afternoon.  Presents were opened, then dinner with the special girl blowing out the candles on her cake.  It was a nice day with some family I have not seen for quite awhile,  I did not go straight home, but took myself to a local park for a walk around and admired the gardens, which are now in full bloom.

July 27, Sunday

We had a lot of rain overnight as I can see large puddles of water laying all over the areas next door which have no sod on them yet.  When I did wake my clock was not working, we had a power outage,  After checking, when the power came on at 8:00 a.m. apparently someone had set fire to a pole and it burned the electrical parts at the top which disrupted the power until it was repaired.  A late start to the day, so not sure what the plans will be for the rest of the day.

Have a great day, talk to you next week.

Cheers

Good Morning

 This past week has been a very hot and humid week, it then cooled down in a hurry, so some pleasant weather at present which is very welcome.

July 12, Saturday

I did not go to the Nostalgia Days as it was just too hot and humid.  My ex and I decided to go to the movies where it was nice and cool.  We also purchased tickets to see Andre Rieu at the cinema in August.  

July 13, Sunday

A quiet day, in the afternoon I made some blocks for a quilt I am working on.   Then went to a park in the city and listened to music from the band shell, while I ate my picnic dinner.  My previous neighbours were also there so I had a nice visit with them.

July 14, Monday

Very hot and humid today, made worse with the smoke blowing into our area from the forest fires in western Canada.  Did my yoga in the morning and then went to my DD2's house and did some gardening for her.  She has been working hours for the past two week were from 8 am to 8 pm and from 9 am to 9 pm, so there was not much time for weed pulling when she is home.  The weeds grow fast and furious in that amount of time.  

July 15, Tuesday

My ex and I have afternoon season tickets to a local theatre and today we saw "Nunsense" a musical comedy, we both enjoyed the show.    The theatre was close to where his sister lives, so we had a quick visit with her on our way home.

July 16, Wednesday

Yoga again in the morning and then did some more gardening for DD2 in the afternoon.  As I had not been gardening for a long time I expected to be stiff and sore, however, the yoga I have been doing obviously has been helping as I did not experience any of that.  I recommend chair yoga for seniors not able to do any other exercise.

July 17, Thursday

Grocery day again.   We now have an abundance for fresh local fruits and vegetables which is always  nice as they taste so much better than the ones imported.   Also, wandered through a dollar store to pick up some silk flowers to make a saddle to go on the gravestone where my Mother and Father are buried.  I make my own as they are really expensive to buy, plus it makes me feel that I am giving them something from "me".

July 18, Friday

A nice day for the food trucks that were brought in, courtesy of the owner of the building I live in.  Every year two trucks come and and he provides everyone a ticket to get a meal of their choice.  Tables and chairs are arranged outside in shady arears for everyone to sit and enjoy their meal.  In the evening I went to Happy Hour, where there is always some lively conversation and we always put the world to right.

July 19, Saturday

During the morning, housework and laundry was done and then late afternoon, my ex picked me up and we went to the International Trombone Festival being held at the University.  It does not sound like a lot of fun, but it was. We went to a  three hour show where two different bands along with many trombones were featured in the music.  The trombonists have worked with Stevie Wonder, Aretha Frankin and Andrea Bocelli  and also played in the Philharmonic Orchestra  and among others.  We saw people playing from many different countries as well.   Next year the Festival will be held in Latvia.    We enjoyed it and better yet, it was free.

July 20, Sunday

A lot cooler than it has been, currently 23*C with clouds looking as if they are full of rain.  So, a good day to stay in.  I have a letter to write, yes I still use "snail mail".  The person I am writing to is the one I started school with when we were four years old.  I came to Canada in 1954 as a twelve year old and we have been writing back and forth since then, we are both in our 84th year, so I think that is quite an accomplishment.  

Have a great day

Cheers.

Noise and dust coming to an end soon

 Since leaving my ex a couple of years ago, I have been living in a new apartment building, and loving it.  Last Summer a new building next door was started, so we have lived with noise and dust for most of the year.  This past week the final touches are being made to the outside parking and gardens, so good bye construction equipment, noise and dust.

Friday, July 4th

It was a nice sunny day, not too hot, only 28*C with no humidity. Went to my Yoga class in the morning.

 I am a quilter who does not throw out any of my scraps, previously I had sorted those pieces in sizes, 1 1/2 ", 2 1/2, 3 1/2 squares and up, ( I know, nothing get tossed).  This method did not work very well, so today resorted into colours, and they were all placed in their colour coordinated bins.  Yes, I have way too much time on my hands.  After all of this work I deserved a rest, so  went to happy hour in our lounge. 

Saturday, July 5th.

Very hot and humid today, but I did not mind as I was going to an outdoor music fest in a near by city.  Music groups from different countries were playing on five stages.  Over 200 vendors serving food from different counties, and crafty vendors selling everything under the sun.  Seated in my chair, under a huge oak tree, cold drink in hand, with the occasional cool breeze,  I listened to music during the afternoon.  Wanting a break from sitting, I wandered through the vendors and could not resist, I made a purchase, then chose a delicious sub sandwich for my dinner.  Music continued until 11:00 p.m.  Returning home when everything shut down.  Lovely day.

Sunday, July 6th.

Still hot and humid.  Lazy day due to busy day yesterday.

Monday, July 7th.

Cooled down somewhat, so my eldest granddaughter N and I went to visit my DD1 and SIN who had rented a cottage on the shore of Lake Huron.  

Had a nice day visiting, walking the beach with great grands who played in the sand and on the edge of the water, too rough for swimming.

Tuesday, July 8th.

Still nice and cool, lazy day due to yesterday and continued to sort some fabric.

Wednesday July 9th.

Yoga in the morning, and then tidied my sewing room after all the sorting and started sewing those scraps.

Thursday, July 10th.

Turned hot again.

Grocery shop and had my hair cut.

Friday, July 11th.

Went out with two quilting friends, as we do every couple of weeks or so.  This time we picked up a coffee, went to the local park, sat and had a nice time chatting about their vacations from which they both recently returned from.  After three hours, women can find numerous things to talk about, can't they,  we decided what and where we were going during our next "outing".  

It's Friday again, so went to Happy hour.

Today Saturday, July 12th.

Heat warning in place today, so not sure if I will go to the Nostalgia Days  festival here in the city where I live or not.  Heat being absorbed by the streets and crowds of people have me thinking it would not be a wise thing to do.  

Stay cool, keep hydrated.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

Missed a week

 My last post reporting on what I do went up to June 22nd. so this is a catch-up.

June 23, Monday

We had record breaking high temperatures, very uncomfortable day with the humidity making it feel even hotter.

A visit to the grocery store and dealings at the bank, a visit from a friend, along with all the regular daily doings around the house filled my day.   

June 24, Tuesday

Very hot and humid again today.  A friend had given me a recipe for Cottage Cheese Pancakes for two, I had some cottage cheese that needed using up, so made a double batch, freezing one and put the other one in the fridge which will warmed up in the micro, for my breakfasts in the coming days.

June 25, Wednesday

Cloudy morning, however, it cleared and became a lovely day, not quite so uncomfortable.  My quilting guild always has a pot luck lunch for our June meeting, we will not be meeting again until September.   Lots of delicious food, company and conversations.  

In the evening I attended a Jazz concert, I always enjoy them more when they have a vocalist singing along with the group of musicians.

June 26, Thursday

Much better heat wise today, as it is cloudy and we had some much needed rain.  After the busy day before, I did some sewing and not much else.

June 27, Friday

Again we are back to sunny skies and, yes the temps started to rise again.  The laundry basket was getting full again, so took care of  all the dark clothes.   This evening was our last pot luck dinner for the summer, I made some date squares again, they were a success last month.  Again, delicious food and company.  We will start these dinners again in September.

June 28, Saturday

A day of housework and sewing, not much else going on today.  It was nice to not have any commitments.

June 29, Sunday.

Another, nice summer day.  DD2 and SIN invited me to have dinner with them.  SIN prepared the meat in their smoker, it was very tasty.  Smoking meat and other food seems to be the "IN" thing for people to be doing at the present time.  However, I don't understand why you would want to spend so many hours preparing food, which could take much less time.  I am set in my ways of doing it the "old" way, I suppose.

June 30, Monday.

We have sun again for the last day of June, where did this month go!

 Yoga in the morning, and then striped the bed and did a load of "whites" laundry.   Just the usual daily things around the house. 

July 1st. Tuesday

Canada Day.  Lots of things going on today, as it is a national holiday.   This year it was celebrated with some many things happening, and the flags flying were more than I have ever noted before at any time here in Canada.  Thanks to DT, people here are more patriotic than ever before.  We are Canada.

My ex and I were planning on going to a local baseball game, which was followed by a fireworks display.  We decided to go a little earlier than we had in the past, unfortunately everyone else had the same idea.  Not a parking spot was available, unless we wanted to walk a mile or so to the ball diamond.  With all the people attending, very few seats would be available anyway, so we decided we would do something else.

A movie maybe! no that did not happen either as the people not planning on doing something outside, yes, you guessed it, they were at the movies.   By now it was dinner time, so had a meal, went for a drive then made our way back to the city where I live to find a spot to see the fireworks display.  Found one and the fireworks were beautiful in the night sky.   All in all a nice day even though nothing really panned out as we had expected.

July 2nd, Wednesday

How can it be the middle of the week already.   Did my yoga class in the morning, another small grocery shop for fresh fruit and veg.   My sewing room was a mess, as I was working on a new project that did not start out as I had hope it would.  The design is in my head, I don't make a detailed paper design, so sometimes it needs to be thought out a bit more.  When that happens I put it aside, think about it again for awhile.  It will all come together in the end.   Cleaned up the mess which I had made and started to cut fabric for a new quilt.   I still have two "Tiny Home" quilts that need to be quilted, I do it on my sewing machine.  These two quilts are not very large, so it should be comfortable enough for me to do.   

And, here we are at today. July 3rd.   We had a thunderstorm last evening as I was going to bed, however, it kept me awake until it had blown over. 

What am I up to today?  It is forecast to be another hot sunny day, so will not be doing anything too strenuous, if it cools down somewhat in the evening I will go for a walk.

Have a great day

Cheers. 

It is now official

Yes, it is Summer, and we are currently living in a heat wave.   Blue skies, high temps and humidity, all of which say HOT and UNCOMFORTABLE.   We do have a breeze which helps cope somewhat, have not turned the A/C on as I am not fond of them. 

So what have I been up to this week.

Monday, June 16

I have decided to start a somewhat new craft, so needed to get some supplies for it.  A trip to a craft shop or two.   Cupboard and fridge were looking a bit bare so next was a grocery shop.  

Tuesday, June 17

Laundry and a full house of much needed housework had to be done.  Looking good now for a little while.   Also did some hand sewing while watching TV in the evening.

Wednesday, June 18

Cloudy day with showers and not quite as hot.   Visited DD2 as it was her only day off from work and I needed to deliver a plant to her.   Her garden needs some weed pulling so I asked her if she minded if I did some, she welcomed the idea, so that will be on my list of things to do when it cools down.  

Thursday, June 19

Damp again today, so decided to stay inside and do some much needed sewing for an upcoming quilting meeting.  It cleared up during the afternoon so a friend and I went for a walk.

Friday, June 20

A friend dropped in for a natter, and a cup of tea and we put the world to right.  Well, part of the world anyway.   I then went to happy hour, not a lot of people there as some are on vacations.

Saturday, June 21

Rain early morning but the forecast indicated a clearing with a lovely sunny afternoon.  My ex called and we had a nice day at an airplane/air show.   

Sunday, June 22

I had a lovely chat with my Granddaughter  K who lives and goes to University in Ottawa.  She is currently working on her PhD and busy writing for a Science Journal.  She is very dedicated to her experiments at the University and also at Agriculture Canada.  I hope to see her when she comes home for a reunion with her friends who were adopted when she was.   My youngest granddaughter  C has only two more months of her flight training at college.  She will then take another course to be a instructor, which will provide she with additional hours needed to then take more instruction to be an airline pilot.

The rest of the day was quiet as it was very hot and humid, feeling like the temp was almost 40*C, started on the mentioned new craft.  No cooking for my meals, so enjoyed a salad and cold meat for my dinner.

That was the week that was.

Have a great day

Cheers

Father's Day

I hope you are able to celebrate with your father today.  Dad, passed away back in 1991.  Awhile ago I went to the cemetery where he and Mum are, picked up the silk flower arrangement as it needed to be replaced.  I am currently making a new "saddle" arrangement to put on their headstone.

So, what have I been up to this week,

June 7, Saturday

After doing some housework, I went to a local village for their yearly Rhubarb Festival, it's more like a fair than anything else.  Rides for children,  food trucks, crafters tents selling everything from soup to nuts, and of course, rhubarb pies, crumbles, jams and rhubarb drinks.  Prizes for the biggest leaf, longest stem etc.   After returning home a friend and I went for a nice walk.

June 8, Sunday

Another sunny day and too nice to stay inside, so I drove to a camp ground where my family used to camp on weekends many years ago.  I knew some friends still had their camp spot there so went to see if there were there, unfortunately they were not.  Went down to the yacht club just to look at the lake, which was very calm that day.   It was still too nice to come home so just drove down side roads to make my way home. Note to self take camera when out like this.

June 9, Monday

Laundry and did a deep clean in thee bathroom and kitchen, they need it once in awhile don't they.  It was a very windy day with a mix on sun and cloud, after dinner I went for a walk.

June 10, Tuesday

Another nice day, we are on a roll.   I drove to see my ex and then had dinner, showers on the way home.

June 11,  Wednesday

Had lunch with two friends who I worked with way back when.  One is currently having treatments for cancer and the other has skin cancers that are constantly being removed,  I feel very fortunate.  We had a nice lunch, and good natter which put the world to right.

June 12 Thursday

Stayed home and did some sewing,  

June 13, Friday

My two daughter's said, " Mum, don't leave the House today".   Why... last year on June 13th was the day I had my accident in Sweden, and today being Friday the 13th.   I am not superstitious, so I went out with two quilting friends to an Art Show and we had a lovely lunch together and then visited a very nice book shop.     Also, went up to the happy hour in the lounge. So I survived the day with no problems.

June 14, Saturday

Went to an afternoon movie with my ex, I chose the one to see this time, not impressed with the one we saw, even though it had my favorite actor in it.   It was still a nice warm sunny day when we came out, so we picked up a "dinner to go" at a local restaurant and went to the park, found a nice picnic table to sit at.  He then brought me home and we watched  the hocky game, our team did not win.

June 15, Sunday

Blue skies again and warm temps, we must have said something to Mother Nature which made her very happy.   There is a old car show in a local park today, for Father's Day.  It is only a half an hour walk from where I live so will walk there to meet DD1, SIL, GD1 and her hubby to have a look, then we will go for a meal a bit later.

Phew, a busy week for sure, at this point in time next week will not be as busy.  

Have a great day 

Cheers.

It's been awhile

I didn't realize  how long it has been since I posted, usually it is done more often.  So back again.

Friday, May 30 

Was the monthly pot luck dinner where I live.  On the list of food, I had put down dessert and decided to make some date squares, they were delicious if I do say so myself and was happy not one single one was left.  I might make those again for the pot luck at the end of this month.

Saturday,  May 31 

It was a cold and wet miserable day, so did  not venture out, some laundry and sewing was done.

Sunday, June 1st 

A trip with the ex, to a local museum which had been on a list of things to do for a long time.  This museum focused on The Donnelly family who came from Ireland in the 1800's and settled in a community not too far from where I live.   They were a fighting group of individuals and circumstances in the area made a number of people fight back, eventually several members of the Donnelly family were killed.   Several books and also a play have been written about this family.

Monday, June 2

As it was the start of a new month, I decided to begin taking care of myself a bit more, how was I going to do this?   Make sure I go to yoga three times a week instead of one day here and there.  Eat healthier food by making more of  my own and not rely on previously prepared.   Walk every day, again not just  once in awhile.  

Tuesday, June 3

The sun did shine today, however, it was a hazy sun, due to the smoke from the wildfires.  Did a grocery shop, washed my car and went for my walk.  I did do mundane jobs around the house.

Wednesday, June 4

Hazy sunshine and warm temps and quite windy today.   Yoga in the morning, laundry and housework.  Ate my lunch outside on the balcony, I have been waiting to do that for a long time.  Did some applique also out on the balcony during the afternoon.  Went for my walk in the evening as it was too warm to do it in the afternoon.  

Thursday, June 5

We had rain over night which has cleared the sky of the smoke, however, there are still clouds which look as if we might get another shower.   Today is my youngest granddaughter's birthday,  23 years old.  Earlier this week she applied to an airline for training to fly one of their planes.  No news yet.  

Nothing on the agenda today, however, will do my walk later today as the forecast is predicting clearing skies.

The flowers on my balcony look as if they welcomed the rain last night.  My Christmas poinsettia is going to end up as a tree if it keeps on growing as it is.  

Have a great day,

Cheers,

What am I doing today, just the regular day stuff and looks as if it might be a sewing day again.  That's ok it makes me happy.

This and that and other things

First, the weather has turn cool, well actually quite cold and wet, with a lot of it being the misty/foggy type of rain, it has been that way for a couple and days and we can expect more of the same at least until Saturday when we will see that fire ball in the sky.  The grass is liking the moisture and even without the sun, lilacs are blooming nicely.  Just their time to open up I suppose.

Tues, May 13th I went to the theatre and saw a musical performance,  "Rocking in the 50's".  It was a great show and brought back a lot of songs I have not heard for a long time and also memories of "Sock Hops" at school, the movies we watched and the singers on the radio.   The friend I went with is actually my ex.  I have decided life is much too short, to stay upset with things in the past so now we go out on a date once in awhile.

Wednesday and Thursday I did some sewing to get a couple of quilt tops put together.

Friday May 16th, two quilt guild members came over and we started working on some applique.  All of us had not done any before, so it was a learning/practice morning.   After working on our stitches, we stopped for a sweet treat which one of the "girls" brought, a delicious rhubarb and blueberry crumble, which was something I had never had before.  Will certainly try that in my own kitchen.   We plan on meeting again in a couple of weeks to see how our applique is looking.   Attended the "Happy Hour" in the lounge upstairs. in the evening.

Saturday, May 17th grocery shopping, only needing, milk, bread and eggs, so it did not take long.  

Sunday, May 18th I visited my sister as her birthday was in a couple of days.  Took her some flowers and we had a nice chat over coffee and cake.   Our parents are in the local cemetery where she lives, so I picked up the flower arrangement as it was looking a bit tired, brought it home with me and I will make a new saddle to fit over their head stone. 

Monday, May19 was Victoria Day here in Canada, so a stat holiday for almost everyone.  I did not do anything as that day and Tuesday May 20th, I was a bit under the weather,  and could not wander far from home.

Wednesday, May 21st.  much better so went to a Jazz concert with the ex, and enjoyed it very much.

That brings us to today, May 22nd.  A quilt guild member is bringing me some batting so I can finish quilting two quilts and this afternoon I am going to visit a friend.

Then we will have to see what tomorrow brings.

Have a great day

Cheers.

Not so hectic

Monday, the start of a new week which is not going to be so busy as the last one.

The weekend was lovely, nice and sunny with temps high enough so that no coats were needed just a cardigan sweater for the evening chill.  We have the same kind of day forecast for today.

Last Friday was one of my great granddaughters 6th birthday, so I popped over to give her a gift.  She had had a party the previous weekend so I am she had had an abundant pile of gifts at that time.  Children seem to get so many things given to them these days I was not sure what was going to go in my gift bag for her.   I know she love reading and colouring/drawing, so I decided to go to the bookshop.  

The staff helped by telling me the "in" books that children are reading these days, so picked up one they had suggested and the colouring books were on sale, so purchased one that I liked.  Unfortunately, when my GGD opened the gift she already had the book, however, it can be exchanged.   Had a nice visit too with Mum and Dad.

Sunday, Mother's Day,  my two daughters and hubbies took me out for dinner in the evening.  Had a nice meal, not fancy but very good indeed, the restaurant was giving Mother's a single rose.  Daughter also gave me a container of flowers for my balcony, which will bloom until frost in the Autumn.    

Tomorrow I will be going to a matinee at a local theatre, and Friday two friends will be dropping in for a morning sewing session.  That is all I have planned for this week.  

However, there is always the housework to be done, not that there is much of that being needed.  I also think it is now time for me to get the chairs out onto the balcony, that will be done today.  Should go for a walk to enjoy the sunshine, past days have not been nice enough to do that.  That is my excuse, I know I have been quite lazy these past couple of weeks for doing that.  

My newest great grand baby is doing well, she had a difficult birth and suffered some issues with her arms.  She is gaining weight, so Mum and Dad are pleased with that.

My second youngest GD and her boyfriend had a lovely trip to Vancouver for a few days, to see a friend and some of the sights.  Now back to the labs and studying for her PhD, which should be a bit easier now she does not have to teach.  

My youngest GD has received her Wings at a presentation gala a couple of weeks ago.  She will be in an aircraft simulator now until August at which time she needs to decided where and what she will do with her flying.

 Time to go to my regular yoga class.

Have a great day

Cheers.

Time.. where does it go

The sixth day of May already, and we have no sunshine again.  I find these grey skies make me have very little energy.  but, having said that I am busy.

On Saturday, I went  with a friend to a matinee live theatre production of Pride and Prejudice,  it was a very good show and  we both enjoyed it.  After taking her home, I headed to my DD1 as she was having a combined birthday party for three of her grandchildren who all have a birthday in the span of ten days.  I might add they are all in the same family.   It was a long day.

Sunday, my son and DIL visited in the afternoon, and I also received a Mother's Day gift from them.   We had a nice visit and they took with them gifts for there daughter who had her baby in April.  I was suppose to go to the shower for her, however, the weather did not co-operate so the gifts were still waiting to be delivered.  Both my son and granddaughter live more than a 2 1/2 hours drive from me and I do not like driving on the very busy highway that I would have to use to get to their homes, so that is why the gifts were still at my house. 

Yesterday, Monday I had an appointment with the dentist, just for a cleaning and do not have to go back until November for another cleaning.  Then went shopping as a store which is unfortunately closing after being a Canadian icon for years.  Picked up a couple of t-shirts.  Then went to a British store and picked up a sausage roll and a pastry for my dinner.   

Today, Tuesday, I need to wash my car and in the afternoon having a visit from a neighbour.

Wednesday, is my quilting guild meeting in the afternoon.

Thursday, going to be a visitor at another quilting meeting and show.

Friday, I am sure it will be grocery shopping and laundry day.  

Saturday, at the present time has nothing on the schedule, but that could change.

Sunday, is Mother's Day, and I will be going out for dinner, with one of my daughters.

The magnolia and fruit trees are all full bloom, and so are the dandelions, so signs of Spring are all around even if the skies are grey.   If the forecast is correct, we will be having spring like weather towards the end of the week.  

Have a great day

Cheers.

Summer, where is Spring

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day,  that is the only way to describe all the day light hours with wall to wall sunshine.

The temp went up to 26*C not a record for the day but I am sure it was close to breaking it.  Windows open, balcony doors open to let in some fresh air.    

Over the Winter snow and rain had mudded up my balcony doors so badly I could hardly see out there, well maybe not quite that bad but, really dirty.   So, I cleaned them and the screen door as well, now I can see the coming and going for everything.

There was a flock of ten or more buzzards circling around looking for something to eat,  flies and bugs had all woken up and enjoying the time to do what flies and bugs do.  Even saw a couple of small butterflies.

I swear  you can almost see the leaf buds opening up, making the trees look green instead of a grey/brown colour.  

Today, Friday it is still warm, no need for a jacket today when I go out for a grocery shop, however, the brolly might be a handy thing to tote along with me as all that sunshine we had yesterday is now gone and grey clouds are all I see.

Must get ready for my Yoga class,  do the grocery shop, lunch, prepare something for the pot luck dinner tonight, then might sit down and do small cross stitch piece I am working on.

Have a great day

Cheers

Easter

A four day week was a busy one catching up on a couple of appointments, laundry for my vacation clothes,  a service for my car and a visit to the grocery store.   Suitcases now pack away in my locker until next vacation.

Easter weekend.

The visit from my son and DIL was postponed as family members were not well. 

DD2 and husband went to Peterborough picked up their DD2 and then on to Ottawa to DD1.   The two daughters and a boyfriend prepared Easter dinner on Friday.  Everyone returned to their homes late Saturday.

I went to DD1 for dinner on Sunday,  she decided it was time for a BBQ so chicken was on the menu.  It was a busy time with five of my great grands hunting for Easter eggs in the garden,  

Yesterday, I went and did my yoga class in the morning and then chat, coffee and craft in the afternoon.  

My new great granddaughter had a little set back a few days ago and is now doing well.

All of the spring flowers are now blooming, waking up from a very cold and snowy Winter.  It always amazes me, how these plants survive, freeze solid and come back looking so beautiful.  The grass is green and the leaf buds on the trees are swelling getting ready to burst open when it's their time.

Sunny day, but still cool at 9*C as I write at 9:30 a.m.

Have a great day,

Cheers.

Home safe and sound

My two daughters and I returned home on April 12 from a lovely vacation in the Dominican Republic.  

It was a first trip for my youngest daughter "E" and myself to this destination, my eldest daughter "B" had been there on a previous vacation with her husband.  

Everything  on the resort we went to was great, clean, friendly staff,  a large verity of food and of course drinks.  Evening entertainment for young and old, swimming pools also for the smaller guests and adult guests.

We decided to go on two tours off of the resort.  The first one started with a safari type vehicle up Mount Isabel de Torres.  At the top was the statue of Christ the Redeemer,  a botanical  garden and views as far as the eyes to see. 

Then the trip down, it was quite a ride.  Back down at sea level, we went to an Amber Museum, Rum factory, Chocolate factory, cigar making demonstration.   Walked along Umbrella Street where the colourful umbrellas and bougainvillea blooms above, protected us from the sun. 

Then on to Pink Alley, where everything was painted a vibrant pink.

Now, time for lunch we had a choice of chicken or fish,  E and B had the chicken along with the five other people on the tour, I decided to have the fish and we were all very satisfied with our choices.  Then on to the Fortress San Felipe,  by this time it was late afternoon, so time to head back to our resort.  A fun filled informative day which we all enjoyed, and pleased we decided to do this tour.  Now back for a cool swim in the pool before dinner.

The second tour again was a full day to Ocean World Adventure Park. 

This park has a rain forest where we could enter a huge area where we could feed Love birds, E loved doing this. There were also flamingoes, parrots and toucans.   Dolphins,  sharks and seals also put on shows to watch, there was also an opportunity to swim with the dolphins, we had all done that previously so did not want to do it again.    We all decided to snorkel in a man made coral reef, so we donned the required mask.  I am not a swimmer, I am not a lover of putting my head  especially the face under water.  I did it, however, was not the most graceful person in the water.  Seeing all the fish so close was exciting, just wished I could have relaxed a bit more.  B and E did a second time, I took photos of them though a glass part of the enclosure.  Buffet lunch and a short rest, then off the the beach area for a swim.  Some dark clouds were now present, so we decided it was time to visit the gift shop, got there just in time before the skies opened up.   It rained hard and was still coming down when it was time to meet our bus back to the resort.  We got wet again.

We had booked two al a carte meals, one Japanese Teppanyaki grill and the second was a steak house, both were great dinners.   All of our other meals were from the buffet.  

All of the other days, we were in the pool, at the beach, taking photos, reading or just relaxing.  We each had our own room, so it was nice to have our own private times too.

Unfortunately, our time here was coming to an end.   We had never been on a vacation with just us three before, it was a great  time, and thinking of doing it again.

My son and D I L were also on vacation with friends, at the same time in Mexico.

If you have read previous posts you know I had an accident on an escalator.  I am now petrified of them.  The airport  in D. R. had two, both of which we had to use, the first was a short one, I put my big girl pants on, took a step, I was so scared.  I made it to the top and had tears running down my face.  The second was longer, made it to the top  once again.   

Home, now just need the weather to warm up here.

Have a great day

Cheers

My week in review

We have had some good, bad and ugly weather this week.  A mix of everything Mother Nature can throw at us, sunshine for a couple of days, including today, Friday.  Then we had freezing rain, a couple of thunder and lightening storms, and lots of rain, which caused flooding and washed out at least one road.  Today is looking a little quieter, however, the forecast is predicting more rain tomorrow and in the coming week.

Monday, I went to the yoga class and the coffee, craft and chat in the afternoon, and did some much needed housework.

Tuesday,  I was in my sewing room most of the morning, late afternoon  a trip to London, to attend the first day of a month long Jazz  festival.  This one was really enjoyable,  seven musicians, and six singers for a two hour performance, great music so loved every minute of it.

Wednesday,  an awful start to the day with freezing rain which I thought would put a stop to the guild meeting, however, warmer temp and rain made the early afternoon trip safe enough to travel.   Did the yoga class in the morning and early afternoon the quilting meeting.  Several members decided not to come, however, there was some lovely quilts for the show and tell portion of the meeting.

Thursday,  Did some laundry and a quick visit to some shops for some things needed for next week.  Finally, the last piece of paperwork arrived in the mail for the preparation of my income tax, so delivered everything to the accountant.   In the afternoon I packed my suitcase, just some last minute items to go in later.

Friday,  Wall to wall sunshine,  not quite as warm as yesterday.   I am writing this in the morning, this afternoon I will finish packing.

Tomorrow,  I am leaving for a vacation for some sun and warm temperatures.  Feeling a little on edge, understandable I suppose after what happened last year while on vacation.  This time I will not be travelling alone, my two daughters will be with me.    

Have a great day

Cheers

My week and disappointed

Monday, I went to my yoga class in the morning.  There is a new apartment building next door to where I live and at the present time model suites are being shown to people who are interested in moving in later this year.  A friend and I as well as others in this building went over to see what those apartments look like, should say we were being nosey.   They were nice, different features than the ones in this building, however, the price reflected that.  In the afternoon I went to the chat, coffee and craft get together.

Tuesday, it was cold and wet, so did some sewing and also sorted out the clothes I am taking on my vacation.

Wednesday, colder than the day before and the rain was now snow.  In the evening I went to a Jazz concert.

Thursday, the weather improved and we saw the big fire ball in the sky for most of the day.  Took advantage of the dry conditions and did some errands that needed to be taken care of.

Friday,  back to damp conditions again, a housework day.  In the evening I went to the monthly pot luck dinner we have here in the building.  Again, all the food was delicious.

Saturday,  Both my daughters and I were scheduled to leave early in the morning for a 2 1/2 hour drive to a baby shower, however, Mother Nature had different plans.  Where we live it was raining, we could cope with that, however, the place we had to go was experiencing freezing rain.  Unfortunately, we made the decision to stay home and not risk the drive which would have been on a very busy highway.  It was the right decision, however, I was very disappointed to say the least. 

Here in S. W Ontario, the weather can be nice in one location and miles (km's) further afield it entirely different and changes from one hour to the next.  At this time of the year we can expect a mixed bag of everything Mother Nature can throw at us.  So what to do on a rainy day.  Nothing, I did virtually nothing, apart from the normal daily things that need to be done.   Then I decided to go to the movies, and saw "Paddington in Peru" something to lighten my mood.  I was surprised to see so many adults watching the movie.  Two actors I like were both in the movie, Hugh Bonneville  from Downton Abbey fame and Olivia Coleman from the Crown.   When I arrived home, it was G & T time.

Sunday, you guessed it, it's raining again and becoming very foggy, these days make me feel lazy, so not sure what I am going to do today.  This afternoon I will get into my sewing room and do some cleaning up from a previous project and start another one.  

As I have made quilts for everyone in my family plus many for my sister's family I have decided to get more involved with smaller projects.  I have just finished this peacock picture.  It is not a very good photo as I was on the wrong angle to take it.  You can click on it to enlarge. Memo to self, take another one which should look better.  

Have a great day,

Cheers.

Spring

Today is the first day of Spring, but don't get your hopes up for Spring like weather just yet.  We are still in March, anything and  everything can be expected.  Such was the case this week.   Sun, rain, wind, balmy temps and down right cold ones. Yesterday, was a beautiful day, a record breaking high temp of 20*C, this morning quite chilly and snow flakes might be seen later today.

On Sunday, I joined some family members for dinner to celebrate my eldest great grand son's 15th birthday, how did he get that old.  He is such a nice young man, over six feet  tall and handsome.

For the past few days I have been suffering from a cold,  it is the season for them.  There is also a frightening number of people, mostly children who have measels.  Many families who do not believe in vaccinations, for various reasons, are those who are spreading the disease 

One of our big department stores that has been around for decades is now bankrupt, (a sign of the times) and has started to have a sale of merchandise.  I am looking for a particular piece of clothing for my up coming vacation, so off I went.   To my surprise there were very few people looking for the bargains and even less carrying a purchase, but I went ahead and starting looking.   A sale? not in my books it wasn't.  On the price tags there was a sticker, listing the original price and also the sale price.  Um! makes me think, what was the original price.   Just saying,   I left empty handed.

It was such a beautiful day, too nice to go back home, so decided to take a visit to the lake.  There was no ice in sight, and gentle waves were coming on to the shore.  Even a few people had their chairs out on the sand and enjoying the sunshine.  

I was looking for some small pieces of drift wood for a craft that I am planning to do, and was able to find several pieces that will be perfect for the project.  It was getting close to dinner time, however, not many restaurants for open, just a bit too early yet, so I headed home.  

Today, those clouds are looking as if they are full of something, so it is an indoor day for laundry and some sewing.   This evening, I am going to Brushes and Bubbles.  It is an evening of learning how to paint, the artist is supplying all of the necessary items and also giving instructions to complete the picture he has planned.  The bubbles are glasses of wine.  Makes me wonder what these paintings are going to look like when finished.  Sounds like a fun evening.

Tomorrow I will be visiting a friend who I have known for a long time, she is ill, so a nice bouquet of flowers will be given to her.  The evening is happy hour and that finishes off the week again.  I don't know where the time goes these days.

Have a great day

Cheers 

 

They are coming out of hibernation

 People, yes people are out and about.   It's not Spring yet, but the three sunny days we have just had are certainly making a spring in peoples steps.  No snow, ice or bitter winds to keep them indoors.  There is still a little nip in the air when the breeze picks up but, not enough to make me stay in.

The window in my bedroom has been open all day to bring in some of that fresh air.

On the weekend we put our clocks ahead one hour, so now on Day Light Saving time.  That hour puts my inner clock all out of whack.  Did not wake until my bedside clock said 8:00 a.m. my body was saying 7:00 a.m. 

Yesterday, I went looking for the Tundra Swans, there has been several reports of some settling in the fields that grew corn last year and have water in low lying areas.  I did see quite a few, however, they were much too far away for my camera to take a decent photo of them.  The wild life sanctuary ponds still had ice on them, so there were not any there.  These swans are coming up from their Wintering grounds on the Chesapeake Bay,  and heading up north to the area where they hatch a new generation of swans.  My passenger on this trip, then took me out for dinner, a glass of Pinot Grigio and a seafood platter at The Red Lobster.   It was delicious.

Today, Monday  I did my Yoga lesson, attended the coffee, craft and chat gathering and then could not stay inside anymore so went for an hour and half walk.  As I mentioned previously the breeze still has that nip, so certainly felt that walking into the wind, however, coming back I actually had to undo my jacket as the sun was warming my back. 

As I write there is a cup of tea beside me, and I am also looking out the balcony door at the perfectly blue sky.  Not a cloud in sight and my thermometer is showing it is 14*C.  

March can be a fickle month, so we cannot rule out some nasty stuff  yet.  March did come in like a lion, and as the saying goes, it should go out like a lamb.   I hope that is the way it will be until then I will enjoy the days we are currently experiencing.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

Some of it is gone

During the last week of February, we had a mixture of weather.   Cold with snow, a little warmer with rain, some welcome sunshine and back to cold and snow again.   With all those changes in the temps a lot of the snow we had melted and hopefully not making room for more to come.  

This morning as I write at 9:00 a.m. it is cold -7*C windy with sunshine.  My living room window faces west, so hope the sun decides to stay around until later in the day, me and my plants would appreciate it.   In a couple of months when the weather warms up several plants will be out on the balcony.  The poinsettia I received at Christmas is still doing well, so will not get rid of it until it dies off. 

This past week as not been as busy as previous weeks have been which is just fine.   Yoga, Mon, Wed, and Fri. I feel so much better after doing that even if it is only "chair Yoga".   On Tuesday, I went for a walk as it was such a nice warmish sunny day.   Doing some sewing most days to get the quilt for my yet to be born GGD, it will be going on the quilting machine next week.  Last night was the regular monthly pot luck dinner upstairs.

Grocery shopping these days seems to take a lot longer than it use too, not just for me, but a good number of Canadians.   We all are looking for products that are not made by our neighbour.    The grocery stores are a big help as red maple leaves signs are popping up on the shelves to help shoppers identify  "made in Canada" products.   I was successful with all the things I needed to stock up my fridge and cupboard.  At this time of the year we rely of the southern hemisphere for most of our fresh fruit and veg.   There are several greenhouses in the area that grow tomatoes, cucumbers and some lettuce.   It will some time yet before we can have fresh produce harvested here.  The first will be asparagus in May.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

The world of white

In the city where I live we have been fortunate to receive only light dustings of snow, compared to places further north of me.  However, that  changed yesterday and overnight when we had light snow falling for most of the time.  This morning, Sunday, is a different story.   Heavy snow is falling as I write and if the forecast is right, it will continue for most of the day.   Again, we are not expected to receive as much snow as some places.  Just glad I have no reason to go out.

This past week has been quieter that some I have recently had, but that is okay.  

Monday, went to the yoga class in the morning, coffee, chat and craft in the afternoon and also did some sewing.

Tuesday,  a very slow day of not doing too much, however, did do some sewing and reading.

Wednesday, yoga class in the morning and was planning to go out, however, the freezing rain and light snow put an end to that plan.

Thursday, a neighbour came for a visit as she wanted to know if I would fix a sweater for her, of course I said yes, it was going to be a quick fix.  This day was the birthday of my only grandson.

Friday, yoga class in the morning.   It was a cold day, but the sun was shining.  The forecast predicted the snow that we are currently having, so decided to get my groceries, make an appointment  at the office to have my eyes tested, as they did not answer my phone calls.  The evening was happy hour upstairs.  Everyone must be hunkering down, as there were more people there compared to some evenings in the past.

Saturday, as predicted and mentioned previously it was a snowy day, so no going out for me.  Fixed the sweater, also repaired a cushion from the lounge upstairs, and made the March wall hanging for my door.  I already had one for March, which I made last year, however, it had a rabbit and Easter eggs on it, not suitable for this year, so the one for this year has a St. Patrick theme.  

Today, Sunday will be an indoor day,  I have a couple of books I need to read as my DIL loaned them to me and I would like to give them back when I see her next month.  Also, need to start my next great grand daughters quilt, she will be arriving in May.

Tomorrow, is Family Day here, so almost everything will be closed.  It will be a great day for some families who love snow activities.

Keep warm.

Have a great day

Cheers.

Have a 

It's not over yet and the week in review

This past week has been a busy one.

Tuesday was a visit to my family physician,  Dr. S is a lovely young woman, I say lovely, however, I have never seen her face due to her wearing a mask.  I still have issues from my accident that I wanted her to check as referrals have been sent to two specialists  however, they were both declined, a third referral is now waiting for an answer, which from all accounts will also be declined.  Just waiting for an appointment could be 18 months from now, but I heard that six months ago.   So I needed her to check just to make sure I was OK,  which she did and also gave me a check up, blood work etc. and indicated I am doing just fine.

Wednesday was a sewing and meeting day with the quilting guild.  One of our members donated some fabric which was made into bundles for this sewing day.  Members sewed most of the morning making quilts for organizations helping those in need.   For our lunch, J a member of the group made a delicious soup, cheese scones from B, and sweet treats from others.  Then we had our regular meeting.  I also had a short visit from DD1 in the evening.  

Thursday was a day of "not doing too much day".  The drive to the Dr. is a long one for me, there is no other Drs. close to me who are accepting new patients, so I kept the one I had, which is almost an hours drive away.  Weather conditions, traffic and construction were all good, so it was a good trip there and back.  The sewing day, started at 9:00 am so needed to get up earlier, set the alarm for 6:30 am, I was awake at 5:00 am with no going back for a few more Zzzzz's.   So this day, Thursday was a catchup day and did not do enough to write about.  

Friday, yoga, I am liking this chair yoga for seniors, my muscles, not so much.  I didn't realize how lazy I have been, so some movements are making those muscles work, going to be fit as a fiddle, so they say.  Got some groceries and then happy hour in the evening.   This day we had a full day of sunshine, something we have not seen for a long time.  My days seem to be so much better seeing the ball of fire in the sky.  My windows face west, so I have a full afternoon to enjoy it coming in the apartment.   Oh!!   the dust, shows up when the sun is shining. 

Saturday, laundry and a deep cleaning to get rid of the dust, now all spic and span, and ready for another day of sunshine.

Today, Sunday.  We had a fall of snow overnight, so everything is white again, winter is not over yet.  We have a cloudy day forecast with cold temps.  The days are getting a minute or two longer which is making the evenings shorter.  DD2 has invited me for dinner this evening, she is cooking lamb, looking forward to that.

Have a great day.

Cheers

Groundhog Day

Every February 2nd. here in Canada we have groundhog day.   A groundhog is a medium sized rodent about the size of a fat cat, with a short tail and ears, strong jaws and two layers of fur.  It lives underground in a burrow, only coming out for grasses and other green plants.   It is also know as a woodchuck.  Legend has it, if this creature awakes from hibernation today, and it is sunny and he sees his shadow, we will have six more weeks of wintery weather, however, if it cloudy and he does not see his shadow Spring will come early.    As we have a cloudy day, an early spring is forecast by  Wiarton Willie, YES each community taking part in the groundhog day festivities name their  groundhog.  I don't have much faith in this fellow, winter will end when it is ready.

Friday we had rain, which melted a good amount of snow, not that we have a lot here, yesterday a beautiful sunny day, but just wished it was warmer.   Today, grey skies again and a forecast of snow to replace all that we lost of Friday.  It's winter, so not much more can be expected.  The only consolation,  the day light  is getting to be a few minutes longer.

A baby shower has been planned for the end of March for my granddaughter C and partner S.  They are expecting a girl, and the nursery is going to be a nighttime decor with blue sky, stars and the moon on  the walls.  I  am planning on making a quilt with a star theme and looking for the fabric this coming week.  

Three Christmases ago I was given a amaryllis bulb to grow, it bloomed and then was planted in the garden, the same thing the next year, and again in 2024,  today, three beautiful flowers are out.  Along with the poinsettia I received for Christmas 2024, my living room is filled with beautiful red flowers, which I hope will last for a few more weeks.

 The only thing I really miss living where I am now is a garden full of flowers, to get my "flower fix" I make a regular trip to a garden nursery, not to buy anything but look and drool over the flowers blooming there.  Could be a trip for today,

Have a great day.

Cheers.  

   

 

A new week

Monday, and the start of the final week of January, where did all those days go.   

Usually I find January to be dragging on very slow,  even with the grey skies, bitter cold temps and early evenings, it has gone by faster than I can remember.    Maybe, the positive frame of mind helped.   Doing things that I want to do, when I want to do them.  Doing some ME time.

Yesterday, was a beautiful sunny day, cold with a brisk wind and the sky this morning is even a brighter blue than yesterday, again the wind is blowing.  Forecast for later this week is temps above the average, with possible snow/rain mix.  

 Yoga this morning, crafty/chat this afternoon, both here in the activity room upstairs, after that I will be in my sewing room to work on the peacock piece I am doing and also getting the fabric prepared for the block required at our February meeting.  There is always some dusting etc. to be done, so another busy day ahead.

Have a great day

Cheers

Friendly Afternoon

 For the past few days we have had very, very cold temps, almost too cold for it to snow.   The weather now is certainly not as cold as it was, so we had another dusting of snow yesterday.

Myself and two quilting friends meet up about once a month and either do something quilty or go and look at quilt shops and drool over all of the fabric lining the walls and some times we walk out purchases.  Always, ending the day with lunch or coffee and something sweet.

Yesterday was one of those days and another friend joined us to.  Two bins of fabric had been donated to our group which had to be sorted for our guilds sewing day in February.   Sitting on the floor trying to co ordinate the colours and decide if there was a sufficient amount to make a small quilt took us a couple of hours.  We were successful in making 17 bundles of fabric to distribute to the members that are able to attend the sewing day.

This may not sound like a very interesting afternoon for some, but when quilting and fabric is your main ingredient for a hobby,  and you are with friends of like mind, I had a nice afternoon.  Ending our day with tea and cake, along with conversation to put the world right. 

As I mentioned the snow started just as we were getting ready to leave, not enough to cover the roads yet, so it was a good drive home.

Today, yoga this morning, shower and then need to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things,  do a little more on the fabric peacock picture I am currently doing and then this evening happy hour upstairs in the community room.

Have a great day

Cheers

COLD --------- and------- NEWSPAPER

Today is bitterly cold due to the Polar Vortex in this area, and it is suppose to be the same until Wednesday when it is suppose to warm up somewhat.

Daytime temperature at 2:30 p.m. is -13 *C with the wind blowing it feels more like -22*C.   Low for tonight is forecast to be -18*C and it will feel much colder if there is a wind blowing.  Tuesday night  is forecast to be -22*C.  The only consolation today, is the sun is shining and I do not need to go out.  

Buildings in the city are being opened as warming stations for people who need to get in out of the cold for a period of time.

I saw something FB today that I never knew before--- do you know this?

NEWSPAPER===== North, East, West, South, Past and Present Event Report.

I joined the Yoga group in the upstairs event room this morning, I thought I was quite fit enough for the bending and stretching---wrong.   It is held every morning in the week, however, this week I will be going every other day, likely because I will not be able to move due to the muscles crying out for help.

Also, attended a  coffee, tea, chat, sew and knit group this afternoon in the same room.  It was just a one time happening, and it was interesting to see what some of the people do here in their spare time.

I recorded the Trump today, I will watch it this evening, so that I can skip through all the portions of it that are of no interest to me.

Have a great day

Cheers.

 

Grey and wet

Just as the forecast predicted, we have rain for the time being, later today it is to changed into snow.  

I am hoping the weather will not hamper my trip to the theatre with a friend tomorrow.   The snow removal equipment is usually out early to take care of the roads,  Time will tell.

Happy hour last night upstairs,  it is usually the same group of people from the building who attend.  Lots of chatter and laughs.  

Not going anywhere today, so will get in my sewing room as soon as the bit of tidying, dishes and the bathroom clean is done.

Jumped, .... I don't jump, should have wrote stepped on the scales this morning.  Happy with the number that came up on the little screen,  three pounds since the new year.  I am not on a diet as such, just using smaller servings of healthy food with no grease or lots of sugar.  Also, including more exercise and walking.  On Monday I am going to join the Yoga class which is held everyday of the week in the community room upstairs.  Will also try and get as much walking in as I can depending on the weather.  I could go to our local arena, however, nothing compares to a nice walk outside in the fresh air.

Have a great day

Cheers

Dollar Store

There are some things I buy at the Dollar Stores we have here.  I don't know why they are called Dollar stores as very little, if anything is sold for the "Loony" (a nickname for our one dollar coin, it has the imprint of a loon on it).  A loon is a water bird here in Canada.  

Several years ago everything in those store you could buy for the dollar, then Covid came and since then prices of everything have gone up even in these stores.

While wandering around after I had picked up what I wanted, I saw in one aisle, on both sides, Valentine decorations, every and anything red.  It's only a month away, so thought that was acceptable.  On to the next aisle, Easter stuff, all those pretty colours of pale yellow, green, blue, pink and mauve. Two months from now, I guess I can live with that.   Another aisle, gardening things that cannot be used outside until the beginning of May.    Is it only me, that thinks all of these things are being displayed a little too early, or am I just getting too old for all of this stuff.  I am thinking the latter.

We have some sunshine today, possibly some rain tomorrow and then on Sunday a Polar Vortex is going to bring temps down which are being forecast as the coldest for the month.

Washed my car yesterday, it was an awful mess.  The roads have had a lot of wet and slushy spots on them, which also contains the sand and salt to melt the snow, neither of which are good for vehicles.    

Have a great day.

Cheers.

Sales

The weather promised to be good for the drive, the roads were clear and dry, so off I went for some retail therapy.

Recently I saw one clothing chain was closing, and huge discounts were going to be available until January 17.  Being a Monday I had hoped the mall where I had to go would not be too busy. There were hardly any people in the mall.  Bonus, as I do  not like shopping when there are crowds of people wandering around the stores.   

This particular chain, has two stores,  each having a different name, found the first one and purchased a lovely grey cardigan, with an 80% discount.   Looked at the directory for the second one and off I went.  Not much to choose from in this one, so suspect some of the product has been sent over to the first one as it was not far from a huge chain store, which would promote more traffic.  Left with nothing in my bag.   Wandered around for awhile, and noticed all of the stores had significant discounts notices plastered on the windows.  Stopped at another and purchased I nice little top, one for some warmer weather.   In the Spring I will be going on a short vacation on which a bathing suit will be required. I have not had one for a few years, so looked in one store and they had some nice ones that would cover all that was necessary.  Not the ones with little strings that leave nothing to the imagination.   In March I will go back and purchase one,  not the ones with the little strings.  LOL

Decided to go into "W", and walked right back out again, that is where all the people were.  I didn't really need anything there, just a wander around, as I do.   It was getting late in the afternoon, and wanted to get home before it got dark, so headed for the doors.   It was snowing, so much so I needed to brush off the accumulated amount from the windows.

The roads were wet and some spots were covered with a thin layer of snow which was blown over the open fields,  the traffic was light, so not a bad trip home.

Have a great day

Cheers

They are still in the front closet

 We have again avoided all the snow which has fallen north of where I live.   Living in the south, (S. W. Ontario) does have it's perks.  Don't jinks it by writing that.  My winter boots have not been worn so far this Winter.  Don't jinks it by writing that.

Wednesday was a meeting with my quilting guild, the first one for 2025.   One of the other members and I were the two who took care of providing an activity for the group and supplied the snack.   It was a nice couple of hours chatting about all of the coming and goings of the members during the holiday season.  There were several projects for show and tell, I had nothing to contribute to this portion of the meeting.

My living room is a mini greenhouse at the moment.  Two plants given to me for Christmas along with the amaryllis which now looks as if it will have a flower and the Christmas cactus is still looking great,  There is also a couple of plants inside for the Winter, Springtime will see them outside on the balcony.   

Had my hair trimmed yesterday, I was beginning to look a bit shaggy around the ears.  My hair has absolutely no curl so once it starts to get longer than I like it, it just hangs flat.  Just like everything else at the present time the price of that went up too. 

Prices!!  saw on FB this morning where the cost of buying stamps will be going up on Monday,  how true is that I don't know, but it would not surprise me at all that it is something that is happening.  

Need to go to the grocery store sometime today, for some milk, butter is on special too,  I don't use a lot but it is nice to have an extra pound in the freezer.  I always buy things I use if they are on sale and can be stored for a period of time. 

Better get moving.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

We have escaped it once again

The "We" is the city in which I live, which is closer to Lake Erie than the city that I moved from last year. 

What did we escape?  That white stuff....snow.  The city "L" received at least 22 cm of snow overnight and apparently at 9:30 a.m. it is still coming down, so people there will be digging several times today.  In looking at what people have wrote on FB there have been several accidents happening.  Some people never learn to drive in Winter weather.  The police always say " If you see snow, drive slow".  The plough's and salt and sanders will have a busy day today, and by the look of the forecast possibly for the balance of this week.

"L" always get more snow, as it is in line for the streamers full of snow, which are picked up from the winds blowing over the open waters of Lake Huron.  The wind picks up moisture in the air, the cold then changes it to snow and dumps it in it's path over the area.  

In "St. T" it looks as if we have had possibly 4 - 5cm of snow.  This snow is the fluffy kind, with flakes drifting down, just like they should.  No wind today, so there will be no drifts, not in this area anyway.

My quilting meeting is this afternoon so it appears to be an OK drive, as the snow is going to taper off late this morning.  I don't mind driving in the Winter, however, it is the other people on the roads I don't like to see driving as if there is no tomorrow.

Have a great day

Cheers

Started my diary again for 2025

For many years I have wrote in a diary, just jotting down the weather, temps and what I did during the day.

My 2024 diary only had six months of information, as I did not take it with me when I went on vacation, because I normally write a travel diary which has a lot more interesting information in it.  The accident I had did not allow me to even think about writing everything that was happening to me.   By the time arrived home, I was in not well enough to start the month of July, and then it wore on to August and then  just couldn't  get motivated for the rest of the year.

2025 is a new year, so started up again writing all the not so interesting things I do every day.  It does however, let me look back to see what I did or did not do during the days, weeks or months.

Just before I go to bed I sit down and enter the information.

Yesterday, was a busy day for me again. I'm getting to like these days of hustle and bustle.  So what kept be busy on Friday.   Out for lunch with two friends from my quilting guild, we tried  a new cafe none of us have been to before.  It received a "A" rating from all of us.  I had a steaming bowl of cauliflower and cheese soup,  so did P, D had a wrap which she enjoyed.  We did a lot of chatting and put the world to right and was not rushed out of the cafe as soon as our food was eaten.   It will be a place to go back to again.  

We then went to the local hospital and browsed in their gift shop.  It is operated as a fund raiser for the hospital and manned by volunteers.  This shop has a wide selection of gifts for patients or for people like us going in to look to see what they have.  Most of the Winter clothing they had was on sale, I saw a very nice sweater, did not buy it as I could not try it on, as I had two layers of clothing on under my coat which would have made it difficult.  I will be going back on Monday and hope it is still there.

A nice day was had by all.

I had received an invitation for dinner with friends, so once home I changed and was on my way.   Wine with appetizers, chicken kababs, baked potato, carrots and salad and more wine.  We then retired to the living room for dessert and coffee.  More wine and conversation.   I had a lovely time, getting home and in bed, late again.

It is a cold windy day again today, temp as I write this at 12:00 noon is -6*C,  we did not get any of the snow that the forecast indicated, further north did get it once again.

Christmas decorations are being taken down today, and returned to the locker until time to put them up again in December.   Now that our postal workers are now back to work I am receiving some of the Christmas cards stuck in the system for four weeks.  I am now going to be sending a note back to everyone, in lieu of cards.

Have a great day

Cheers.