I'm so glad you could stop by. This is my personal blog of daily life and my journey through life. You will find a strong emphasis on family and friends as well as finding my ancestors through genealogy. Unlike my other blogs this blog is more of a catch-all so any topic is fair game.
Baily
March 14, 2012
Isn't she just adorable? Baily is a 6 week old mixed breed puppy one of our kids adopted. This little cutey loves to snuggle up close to the crook of the neck and she loves being held. Baily is quite small even though one of her parents was quite big so she is either the runt of the litter or inherited the smaller size genes. At any rate, we don't think she is going to get very big. She went for her first vet check-up and shot yesterday. The vet said she was too small for the shot but he gave her de-worming pills along with a clean bill of health. Baily came to visit us for the evening while our kid met another obligation and didn't want to leave her by herself. Snuggles from grand-puppies...priceless!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2012
We have had a very unseasonably mild winter with very little in the way of snowfall or even cold snaps. Unfortunately that has resulted in more sickness from germs not killed off by the cold snaps but as a family we have managed to stay fairly healthy this past winter. Wiraton Willie predicted an early spring and sure enough we are right at the six week mark for his prediction. Yesterday it started warming up and I even spotted the first robin of the season. Today we reached a high of 61ºF so I had the furnace off and windows open. We grilled steaks on the charcoal side of our outdoor grill. The air smelled heavenly all day, fresh and clean during the day with the amazing aroma of steaks on the grill for dinner. It is supposed to nice the rest of the week. What a great weather for the kids to have for March Break!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2012
I'm a go getter who has no problem taking action where needed. It's in my make-up, that bit of stubbornness mixed with attitude fueled by a heart that really does want to make a difference in this world. My pet peeve has always been childhood hunger or hunger of any kind. Years ago when our kids were young, I can't tell you how many kids I fed. They were always at our house and at least two of them there because they would not have got fed at home. It made no never mind to me. I will not see anyone go hungry if I can help it. Food insecurity is one of Canada's growing concerns. It is surprising how many Canadian children go hungry on a daily basis. As a Canadian this really bothers me. I can't sit by twiddling my thumb, doing nothing.
Little did I know what I was doing by feeding those kids, something that just came naturally, was part of the solution. I never thought of it that way. Fast forward to 2012 and I have an amazing community project underway. If all goes according to plan, it will be part of the solution to feeding the hungry in our community. I'm excited and yet scared. I'm not scared of failing but more of letting down those who are looking for help so come hell or high water this project is going to fly! I am determined to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Failure is not an option!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2012
Last year I injured my leg when a truck door slammed into my shin resulting in a huge heamatoma that saw me on crutches for two and a half weeks. The healing process has been slow and now I still have a bit of a lump with discolouration around the injury. Last weekend I mentioned to my husband that it had been a year. Well, don't you know I jinxed it! Last Tuesday night I took a nasty fall down the stairs. We have a bi-level home so thankfully it was only down the last two steps of the first level.
What happened was I was moving rather gingerly due to a stain while playing volleyball the previous Friday night. I had just had a nice soak in an epsoms salt bath then before settling on the couch to rest had to get something from the lower level. I had my hard soled slippers on hoping they would help relieve my back. My slipper caught on the stair tread, sending me crashing down onto the landing while giving my ankle one heck of a twist. It took me a good 10 minutes to get my bearings! I literally crawled back upstairs, grabbed an ice pack then sunk into the couch. The swelling was bad! When my husband got home he wanted me to go to ER but I could move my toes so reasoned it couldn't be broke. I have emergency first aid training certification so knew the signs to look for. Early in the morning hours I got up to go to the washroom and while in the process of leaving the washroom fainted. My husband insisted I had to have it checked. A family member came over the next morning. She insisted on having it checked also.
Sitting in the ER was beyond excruciating! My back hurt bad enough I could barely walk as it was. My ankles hurt something fierce to the point I was gritting my teeth but still refusing to take the pain killers the triage nurse offered. The good news is despite the looks, nothing is broken but it is a very, nasty stage 3 sprain. The prognosis is a full recovery in 6 to 8 weeks providing I follow RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for the first week as well as using crutches to get around for one to two weeks and support shoes when I start putting pressure back on my ankle.
In comparison to last February's injury, I am a bit more mobile with this injury and in a lot less pain after only a couple of days. I'm using one of the custom made drink trays on wheels to get things around on the upper level. I manage to get up and down the stairs, not often but I can do it. So, mobility while hindered is not at a full stop. I'm telling you though, February is a jinxed month for me. Next February, I'm going to wrap myself in bubble wrap!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2012
Bok Tower Gardens Entrance
December 16, 2011
We enjoy doing a bit of sightseeing each time we stay at our vacation home in Florida. During our stay last December we visited
Bok Tower Gardens located at 1151 Tower Boulevard Lake Wales, Florida. This beautiful 250-acre botanical garden and bird sanctuary is a must to see when traveling in the Central Florida area. The crowning feature of the gardens is the 205 foot neo-Gothic and art deco Singing Tower carillon, a national historical landmark designed by famed architect Milton B. Medary and ornately crafted by noted stone sculptor Lee Lawrie. The singing tower is located on Iron Mountain which is about 295 feet above sea level making it one of the highest peninsular points in Florida. Construction of the tower began in 1927, taking almost two years for completion. The carillon house 60 bells that perform daily at 1 PM and 3 PM.
It was a beautiful warm day, perfect for enjoying the many beautiful plants and lush growth in the gardens. We visited the Exhibit Hall and Museum as well as the mansion built by C. Austin Buck , vice president of Bethlehem Steel Company in Pennsylvania. The 22 room mansion sits on an 8-acre parcel of land known as the Pinewood Estates within the gardens. It was built between 1930 and 1932 as a winter home for the Buck family. The Bok Tower Garden Friends had decorated the mansion for the holiday season. It was spectacular to say the least!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2012
Land of Oranges
December 16, 2011
Garden Gnome
©2006-2012
Marshland Near Our Vacation Home
December 13, 2011
Florida really is a pretty state! There is an amazing abundance of waterfowl to enjoy that attracted by the many ponds, marshlands and larger bodies of water. We had to go to the post office shortly after arriving at our vacation home. When we finished, instead of taking the city streets back home, we found a little, meandering road that followed the water's edge from where we connected about a block from the post office to where we connected back up with the main highway. It was a gorgeous, scenic and relaxing drive! There were pockets of marshland between the water's edge and the larger body of water so we had ample opportunity to take a few pictures of waterfowl. On the other side of the road where heritage homes although they may not have had the actual designation. They were quaint, unpretentious and full of character!
Getting off the beaten track has always been important to us. It is the only way to see some of the more interesting sights regardless of where you are visiting. It is also a wonder break from the hustle and bustle of urban areas but even in urban areas a bit of exploring can easily yield a plethora of amazing sightseeing opportunities. It is surprising what gorgeous little pockets of wonder are tucked into urban areas!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2012
