End of April Already!

My gosh, here it is the last day of April already!  Where does the time go?  The worst of the weather is over or should be and yet we had snow in April.  Last night the temperatures dropped to close to freezing.  The boat came down so is ready to use but we'd need snowsuits.  We've been rather busy with a fair amount of excitement that has helped the time pass.  I have a couple of secrets that I will share later but for now things are interesting to say the least.  In my spare time I've been decluttering ever hopeful the house will finally sell.  As a diversion I've been playing CityVille and FrontierVille on Facebook.  It's a toss up which one I like the most but what is really nice is our kids are playing both games too so we have a bit of extra daily interaction.  I really enjoy that!  Honestly though, April went by in the blink of an eye. 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Wordless Wednesday - Decorating the Driveway

Decorating the Driveway

April 24, 2011

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Change is in the Air

Change is in the air!  It's all around us, swirling in a sparkling, golden, tantalizing glow.  I can feel it in my bones and on my skin with the sweet kisses of the sun's rays.  We are supposed to have rather rainy weather this week but soon, very soon we will be enjoying nicer weather. 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Spring Notice

[from my email files and oh so true this year]
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 INSTALLING SPRING...
 ███████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

44% DONE.

Install delayed....please wait.
Installation failed. Please try again. 404 error: Season not found.
Season "Spring" cannot be located. The season you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. Please try again.
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Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Happy Easter

It has been a very busy but pleasant Easter weekend here.  The kids and grandkids were here yesterday and part of today.  What an absolute treasure the little ones are!  The weather wasn't ideal but it was dry enough the grandkids could play with the sidewalk chalk.  After everyone left, I sat on the dock for awhile soaking in a few rays of sun.  Gosh, it was just a gorgeous weekend!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

A Pissy Mood Adverted

I was up bright and early at 5 AM this morning but in a very foul pissy mood.  The reason I was in a pissy mood is because I went to bed in a pissy mood.  The reason I went to bed in a pissy mood all relates to comment spam on my blogs.  I work hard to put out good content on a regular basis.  I pay to advertise my blogs so when a member from one of the blog advertising networks that I pay money to decides to spam my blogs I more than get pissy.  I talked with one of our kids last night, formulated a game plan as to how to deal with the situation then acted.  That did not stop me from being in a pissy mood.

Here's the thing.  This is Easter weekend and three of the most gorgeous grandkids will be visiting us today.  I don't have time for a pissy mood, thank-you very much.  As you may know I play CityVille on Facebook.  So in my pissiness with coffee in hand I sat down to check my city.  All of a sudden I was in tears of laughter!  Here one of our kids went on, set me a bunch of stuff and is going hog wild on a game that was not quite to their liking but that appears to have changed.  I'm seriously busting myself laughing at the antics!  This one has always been able to make me laugh and good gosh what perfect timing!  And let the Easter celebrations begin.  Oh and to add to the fun our traditional Easter dinner is ham, scallop potatoes, and the fixings.  By request this year today we are having homemade pizza with the grandkids topping their own slice.  What the heck :)  We will have our traditional Easter dinner tomorrow night but for tonight we shall party hardy with the grandkids leading the way!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

I'm Not a Shopper

Yesterday I had to go shopping for a couple of items to fill the grandkids' Easter baskets.  Normally I would get my husband to pick something up but he is extremely busy so I broke down and went myself.  I am not a shopper by any stretch of the imagination at least by normal standards.  You would never catch me wandering aimlessly through a mall for something to do.   In fact I hate just about everything related to shopping.  I hate the deer-in-the-headlight look of other shoppers, bright lights, chemical smells, the usually horrid music, the noise upon more noise, the blatant consumerism and spending money.  The very fact that I had to shop amidst the hustle and bustle of other Easter present shoppers was almost enough to send me into a panic!

I will however, go out of my way to shop at an antique shop or flea market.  Farmers' markets and farm stands are one of my favourite places to shop.  I love the beautiful colours and the tantalizing aroma of fresh produce.  I even love going to the mushroom farm where it is cool in the heat of summer with a unique musty, earthy smell.  While I wouldn't dream of paying $10 for some cheap do-dad in a department store I wouldn't even hesitate to spend the same on some food item that caught my attention.  I love shopping in quaint little, Mom & Pop stores like the old fashioned hardware store we found on one of our travels.  It had the squeaky wood floors, items arranged in wooden compartments atop counters and an amazing wooden ladder that moved across one wall to get items stored in the upper level.  The whole store couldn't have been much more than 1,000 square feet!  I could spend hours shopping for plants, breathing in the wonderful smells while enjoying their beauty imagining where I could tuck that plant into my garden.  So the shopping experience that most envision is not for me but that's ok.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Wordless Wednesday - BBC Jade

BBC Jade

April 14, 2011

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Restlessness

The general theme for my mood has been an unexplained restlessness since about mid-February.  Perhaps the long, drawn out winter with considerably more days spent indoors is the explanation, somewhat like cabin fever.  The endless days of everything being dull and grey certainly are not helping matters!  Perhaps it is the stress of the house being on the market for so long, antsy to get things settled back into a normal routine.  There's no doubt about it that keeping the house ready to show on short notice has affected my cooking style.  Cooking has always been one of my major stress reducers so not being able to cook what I want, when I want for fear of lingering cooking odours or just bad timing is not sitting well with me at all.  I've even reduced the amount of off-season canning in anticipation of moving since empty jars are easier to move than filled ones and I don't have to worry about being in the middle of canning something if there's an opportunity to show the house.  The restlessness and lack of concentration are affecting my blogging to the point of just coming up with a topic is like pulling teeth.  Ah well, this too shall pass...

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Oh Mother Nature...I'd Like a Word With You

Morning Snow

April 18, 2011

Is this some kind of joke?  This morning we had almost two inches of snow on the ground.  What the heck is that all about?  April is more than half over and the boat will be in the water a week from today.  This is not funny, Mother Nature!  Our furnace has been off for a little over a week and there is no way I'm putting it back on.  I did break down and put the gas fireplace on while shutting off all rooms not being used.  I put on my long johns too because I am not putting that furnace back on.  And what about my poor spring bulbs just about ready to burst into bloom while those in bloom are fighting back the blanket of snow.  Then the robin does not look over pleased with the snow either.  I have more than had it with the snow this year.  It's time for Old Man Winter to clear out once and for all!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Blog Your Blessing Sunday - Good Quality Food

Even as newlyweds back when our finances were stretched well beyond ever possibly being able to splurge on anything, the one thing we refused to do was skimp on food.   Good quality food has always been one aspect of life that we as a couple have focused on.  Food really is much more than physical nourishment! 

We have the very good fortune of living in beautiful Ontario, Canada where good food is plentiful.  Farm stands and orchards are within easy access so we aren't forced to have to buy produce in the grocery stores unless desired or out of season.  We buy our beef and pork directly from farmers we have known for years.  Our honey and maple syrup come directly from the beekeepers and sugar bush.  We eat a lot of locally caught fish mainly perch, pickerel and bass.  In fact, it would not be difficult for us to eat foods grown within the magic 100 mile radius of home.  There are salt mines, several cheese factories, grain mills, a multitude of wineries, mushroom farms, microbreweries, distillery, and just coming in under the 100 mile mark at 98.5 miles a sugar plant for processing sugar beets grown in Ontario.  Aside of a few seasonings like cinnamon, some nuts, rices, some fruits, teas and coffees we could easily eat within a 100 mile radius of our home.  What an absolutely amazing thing that is to be able to say!  It boggles the mind to think of how very lucky we are to be surrounded by and have easy access to such high quality, locally grown and produced foods.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Bone Chilly to the Cold Bone

Time has a way of marching on bringing new signs of aging each day.  The cold bothers both of us more than it used to.  We tend to hibernate indoors out of the cold as much as possible during the winter months.  Our winter vacation is spent in the sunny south out of Old Man Winter's grasp for the most part.  My biggest problem is getting a chill to my feet or wrists that goes right to the bone resulting in a dull, burning, achy sensation for several hours.  Unfortunately our below grade kitchen floor is ceramic tile, just the perfect antagonist to keeping feet warm and toasty.  Even in the midst of summer the lower level floors are cold.  Ah well, spring is here so at least things are warming up outside so we will be able to get a bit more without dealing with the effects of the cold.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Wordless Wednesday - A Misty Journey

A Misty Journey

April 3, 2011

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Can Verses Can't

There have been more than a few rough spots in my life and quite frankly some of them were so rough I never though I would get through them and they still leave a very vivid impression that affects my life daily.  It's funny though when the going gets tough I've always been that buck it and get it in gear type of gal.  If someone tells me I can't I will find a way to turn it into a can. 

Today more and more folks are facing the out fall of hard economic times.  I hear about it through comments left on my blogs, through newgroups and other forums and in real life conversations.  I am still surprised at how often that can't comes up.  It seems to me that some will use any excuse possible to not help themselves.  I'm sorry but you come into this world not by your choice but how you live your life is entirely your choice.  You can choose to help yourself any dog gone time you desire.  If you don't like something, change it.  If you don't like a person in your life, get rid of them.  If you are having finacial difficulties or problems putting food on the table then learn ways to solve those problems for good.  I'm not kidding!  Learn the skills it takes to become self sufficient and toss the can't right out the window!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Blog Your Blessing Sunday - Sleep

I am likely one of the worst sleepers there ever was.  On a good night I may actually sleep a full two hours at a time.  In fact if I sleep more than that it is a sure sign I'm sick.  Well, with my leg injury sleep became more of a challenge.  You see I do not sleep well on my back, I need to be on my side in almost a foetal position.  Then I change back and forth through the night in the allergy shuffle.  With my injury I had no choice but to sleep on my back with my leg elevated.  It has been pure misery with me now in a constant state of sleep deprivation.  My eyes have the biggest saddle bags ever that when combined with my allergiy shiners, well lets just say I won't be in a beauty pagent anytime soon.

This past week I found with the use of a pillow for support I can sleep on my right side.  The left side still is a no go because I can't get pressure on my leg even with a pillow.  I woke with a start Wednesday after sleeping soundly for a good four hours!  Oh my gosh, that just shows how exhausted I really am.  Being able to sleep on my side again just makes things right.  I can't do the allergy shuffle just yet but I'm sure it won't be long now.   I am just so happy to be able to be sleeping on my side again.  What a blessing to get back into my normal sleeping habit!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

A Wee Little Glitch

The Boats

April 7, 2011

Since being laid up I have become rather fond of CityVille and FrontierVille on Facebook.  Yes I know it is not the best way to spend my time but I like both and they give me a bit of linear thought so that isn't a bad thing.  I have what I think a rather awesome city in CityVille.  Every single time I go there to check I end up moving stuff around and doing a bit of tweaking.  Hey, it's just one of those things I can do in the wee hours of the morning when I can't sleep.  Anyway on Aril 6 I noticed a bit of an oddity with boats going up and down my one street.  I knew I hadn't done anything to cause this but figured by the next reset of which Zynga seems to require a lot of, the problem would be gone.  Nope.  The following day the strange boats going along the roadways was the norm.  I even took a couple of videos because in a bizarre way was this was a hoot.  And so there you go, my humour is coming out even with an online game.  I should say what the hell since Zynga changed the rules of the game so I'm not a happy camper but this was funny!
on
Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Don't Pump Gas on April,15th 2011

[from my email files - This is a worthy boycott that may make a difference. If you can avoid buying gas on April 15, please support the cause.]

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Subject: don't pump gas on April,15th 2011

What the heck, I'll go do it! If running low, just get your gas the day before on April 14 or the day after on April 16. Every little bit helps

In April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.

On April 15th 2011, all Internet users are to not go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $1.20 a liter in most places.

If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take $2,292,000,000.00 (that's almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companies pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on April 15th and let's try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day.

If you agree (which I can't see why you wouldn't) resend this to all your contact list. With it saying, "Don't pump gas on April 15th"

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Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Foggy Mornings

Fog Over the Water

April 3, 2011

My gosh, my two least favourite months are November and March because they are transitional weather months.  April usually is filled with rain mixed with beautiful bright bursts of sunshine.  So far this year April has been nothing like April.  We've had snow, freezing rain, heavy slush, rain and cold temperatures.  The sun has peeked out only a couple of times and then for very brief periods.  The days are still dull and grey with foggy mornings that cause poor driving conditions and school bus delays.  The only cheery highlights are the return of the robins and crocuses poking their way through the ground.  I don't know about anyone else but I think it is time for Old Man Winter to skidaddle!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Wordless Wednesday - Evening's Promise

Evening's Promise

March 30, 2011

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Leg Update

Thanks to everyone who has asked how I am doing.  I was going to post a picture on today's post of what my leg looked like shortly after the injury back in February.   I decided against it because even I can't believe how horrible it looked.  So on to today's leg update.  The haemotoma is still quite large with bruising around it for a nice colour effect.  The pretty shades of red, purple and green come and go thanks to the arnica cream that is helping with the bruising.  Much of the swelling is around my ankle and foot, making it painful for wearing shoes and walking.  There is still pain at the site of the injury with the bulk of it coming from the bone itself.   I am able to get around the house quite nicely although kneeling is still a no go.  I've been out to the doctor's, done a bit of very brief shopping (about 15 minutes at a time) and visited the kids/grandkids over the weekend where I did a lot of sitting.  Other than thak I think the healing is progressing as fast as possible without any further complications.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Oh Goodness!

Apparently in the excitement of the day or lack there of I forgot to write a post for today.  Nothing really exciting happened today.  In fact it was blistfully quiet and uneventful.  We spent a good portion of the weekend visiting our kids and grandkids which meant a lot of traveling.  On the way home last night we ran into some rather nasty road conditions with thick slush and freezing rain.  It was sure nice to arrive safe and sound at the house.  By 3 AM when my husband got up to go into the office the weather had turned milder with just wet roads and by the time I got up at 6 AM the snow patches were gone.  It was a dull grey, rainy day but at least mild temperatures.  Winter sure does not want to move along this year.  Like many I'm tired of it, looking forward instead to nicer weather.  Soon, very soon...

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Blog Your Blessing Sunday - Birthdays!

Over the weekend we were blessed in sharing the birthdays of two very special little sweethearts.  I'm telling you kids are a true blessing then they give you grandkids that are just the icing on the cake.  Being able to enjoy your grandkids is one of the greatest blessings their is! Oh what an absolutely gorgeous way to spend a bit of quality time...

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

The First Quarter of 2011

My gosh, where does time go?  The first quarter of 2011 has ended, not so much as a lamb but not really a roaring lion either.  The cold is hanging on and snow is still threatening.  Like many, I will be glad to see the last of winter's chilly grip.  The first three months of 2011 has been an eventful one for us.  We were at our vacation home in the sunny south for the first week of 2011 then is was back to trying to sell our house while maintaining our daily routine.  Despite several showings there still hasn't been an offer on the house so we won't be renewing the contract when it expires in a week.  We experienced above average snowfalls with many a day of treacherous road conditions but thankfully none of our loved ones came to any harm.  In mid-February I suffered a leg injury that kept me off my feet for two full weeks followed by painful hobbling for most of March.  Here it is April 2 and my leg still looks horrid but I'm able to get around better. 

I'm not sure how much of an influence my injury had on my mood but emotionally this has likely been the worst three months of my life in quite some time.  I suppose the endless grey days combined with being housebound hasn't helped but I'm a homebody anyway so being at home doesn't really bother me.  Not being able to cook for an extended period of time definitely adversely affected my mood.  What really has affected it though is the long, drawn out winter.  It's time for nice weather now.  Let's go Mother Nature, get rid of the snow and bring us a nice spring so I can get out in the garden!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

My New Spouse

My New Spouse

March 31, 2011

That's right folks...yours truly has a brand new spouse!  Lo and behold when I refreshed FrontierVille there he was.  I didn't ask for a new spouse because quite frankly I'm rather pleased with the old one.  Besides it has taken me over thirty years to train the old spouse to be the perfect spouse that he is.  The new spouse has a few issues.  First, he just showed up declaring we were married.  Hmm, sounds a bit fishy if you ask me.  Second, I either slept through the wedding because I was exhausted from tending crops and animals, rescuing sick animals, fending off bears and other wild critters, building buildings, and visiting neighbouring farms or the new spouse simply omitted that little bit of legality.  Well since the new spouse is here I've decided to make the best of sticky situation.

Now the new spouse does have a few perks in that I get to choose his wardrobe.  Unlike my old spouse the new spouse will not be wearing Hawaiian shirts, short or sandals 365 days of the year!  The new spouse is appropriately attired for work on the homestead.  The new spouse will not be enjoying golfing, going to hockey games, playing darts, hosting game nights, boating or traveling because he will be working on the homestead.  And here is where we have had our first marital discourse.  New spouse likes to hang out in the mint patch watching me do all the work like tilling, planting, hammering, clearing and looking after the animals.  He just stands there doing nothing!  I suspect he moseys over to visit Hank at the General Store when I'm not looking.  Hank is another suspicious character that just stands there watching me work.  The new spouse does nothing!  Honestly now, I am just a tad too old to be training another spouse.  He arrived yesterday so it isn't an April Fool's joke either.  Goodness, I think I'm going to have to get that still going on the homestead ;)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011