Wordless Wednesday - Funnel Spider

The Spider

August 22, 2007

Monday Funnies - Nanobots

Maybe I should hire out these nanobots to help get my homemaking blog back online. It's going onto day 5 that I've been locked out of my own blog because of blogger (Adsense?) bots. Hopefully these nanobots are a little more accurate than the bloggler ones!

Family and Friends Celebrating a Milestone

Family of Ducks
August 17, 2007

Yesterday morning I was still pretty frustrated at being locked out of access to one of my blogs so I didn't feel much like blogging. The other three blogs have been mirrored but not activated on the other site yet. I bought two domains, one for my cooking blog and the other for my gardening blog. Now I have to figure out what to do with them. I will likely buy domains for this blog and the homemaking blog as well. Lots of fun all due to a spam bot that is capable of giving false positives apparently due to Adsense! The funny thing is I don't advertise on any of my blogs.

The kids are home again this weekend as we have a wedding this afternoon. The day after our anniversary party we got wonderful news (more on that after Tuesday) so having the all kids home feels good. I must share that a few days after the anniversary party several people gave us the loveliest complements on our kids. Words included: awesome, fabulous, very caring, loving and you must be so proud. We knew all that :) but just had to tell the kids as well. They have matured into beautiful adults each with their own unique talents and gifts. They are a true blessing in every sense of the word!

Yesterday we took our son and daughter-in-law for a boat ride. She hadn't been on the boat yet due to timing and weather. Our first stop was for gas and in case you hadn't heard, gas for boats is more expensive than gas on land. We no longer flinch as the price for a fill-up nears the $200 mark knowing that it will likely last us if we are really lucky another trip out. Seriously, we took one son and his two friends water skiing then to the swim hole last year and calculated the cost to run the boat just in gas was $140! Boats are not cheap to operate and the phrase "hole in the water" does ring true sometimes. But enough about cost because for us boating is a way to spend time with our family and friends.

As we came out the cut from re-fueling we saw this family of ducks sunning themselves on a rock while the daddy duck stood guard. We stopped to take pictures. It reinforced my philosophy of the importance of family. The nurturing, guiding, supporting, loving is eternal. Sure there will always be some rough spots but as a family we always get through them. So today as we celebrate our true friends' daughter's wedding and watch their family grow, we will hug ours a little tighter. Once again family and friends will celebrate a milestone. May she and her new husband always experience as much love and laughter as we have and may they always be blessed with the loving support of family!

Blogger Difficulties

Sunset
August 12, 2007

Note: For those readers following my homemaking blog, Blogger's spam bots flagged it as a possible spam blog. I have requested it be unlocked but apparently that can take as long as a week. Until it is unlocked the blog will show a 404 Error. I will let you know when it is unlocked. As of now, I am in the process of mirroring my blogs to prevent this type of thing happening again!

Today I realized how at the mercy of others blogging can be. Imagine my surprize when I logged onto Blogger only to find that I had been locked out of one of my blogs! I have no access to any of the content until someone at Blogger views my homemaking blog and sees that it is not a spam blog. I realize that this is a free service and I agree to the TOS but I hold copyright to any of the material I have written. To disallow posting to that blog while I wait for a human to review it I could understand. To deny me access to my copyright protected posts and images, I cannot. And to think this is all done by an automated robot! Essentially you are guilty until proven innocent :( In the meantime I lose readers who enjoy that blog some who may not return. It looks bad on me as well. I sincerely apologize to my loyal readers who follow one or more of my blogs. As mentioned above, I am taking measures to mirror all of my blogs as I type this. This type of thing should not happen whether it is a free service or not.

Wordless Wednesday - Sunset on the St. Clair

Sunset on the St. Clair
August 11, 2007

Monday Funnies - Admin

cartoon by Dave Walker

Tagged Again :)

Billowing Clouds
July 18, 2007

Dana over at Southern Gal Goes North tagged me for this meme. Goodness, I tempted to use Gnome. In the spirit of the meme I followed the rules so there are five tagged bloggers :)

RULES: You have to post these rules before you give the facts. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and to read your blog.

Here goes:
Mac user :)
Amateur photographer
Really enjoys Harry Potter books
Independant
Establishing a gnome empire ;)

I've tagged:

1. Mike from Mike's Blender - Japan
2. Castaway from Run-a-bout
3. Sandy Carlson from Writing in Faith
4. another mac user (sorry can't find their name) from The Loquacious Curmudgeon
5. Jade from Jaded Sunburns
   

Have fun!

Wordless Wednesday - Sun on the Water

Sun on the Water
June 6, 2007

I've been tagged...5 links

Clouds
March 25, 2007

This picture was taken earlier this year. It almost looks like angels floating through the sky from the effects of the darker clouds. At the very least something mystical was happening when I took this shot.

I've been tagged by Chef Cherylann for five links. Here's the rules:
-----

Just copy paste this and everything below up until my Five links:

Tami thought it would be cool to have a meme where we post links. We can post up to five. Then we tell five more people to share their links. If we all share who tagged us, our links are sure to be seen!

They can be business links, favorite sites, affiliate links, whatever you want…

There are Five Rules:
1. MUST be clean. No R rated sites.
2. Only FIVE links.
3. MUST tell 5 people.
4. A link back to the person who tagged you
5. Lara’s Place is the meme originator. (an active link would be appreciated)
———– end copy paste ———————————–>

My Links:

1. Just a Flip Flop Mom
2. MuggleNet
3. The Harry Potter Lexicon
4. The Family Homestead
5. Graphics by Irene
   

I am tagging:

1. Otilius
2. Blue Panther
3. Jayedee
4. Steve
   
5. hotdogman
   

Have fun with this one :)

Thinking Straight

Clouds
July 29, 2007

Have you ever had so many things on the go that you can't think straight? Of course everyone has this happen from time to time in their lives. So you know the feeling. With the quickly approaching anniversary party there are so many things happening it's hard to know where to begin and what to do next. Getting the house and yards ready as well as menu planning along with the logistics of a large party has not been without a few set backs.

Tuesday I was making progress with painting. The family room is now finished so I've moved to the upper level landing and lower level bathroom. At the same time the upper level family room has been prepped for painting. So after painting Tuesday afternoon, I decided to take a quick swim before doing more work. The water was wonderful...then it happened. The waves had washed up something likely a rock or broken glass that found its way into the archway of my foot. Eight stitches later and hobbling around, things came to a bit of a stand still Wednesday but I was back at it yesterday. A lot of progress should be made today with the help of my husband and our son.

Wordless Wednesday - Evening Sky

Evening Sky
July 23, 2007

Monday Funnies - Laundry

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - A Week Filled with Many Blessings

As we struggle to get settled into our new house and get it ready for our anniversary party the first week of August, I'm am conscious of the abundance of blessings we have. The past week has been very busy with both inside and outside work. Progress is being made thanks to the very generous help of our kids. Brush has been cleared, rocks removed and the yard has been prepared for sod where gardens were removed. Inside we have finished painting the family room, installed the dishwasher, fixed a plumbing problem, fixed a fire hazard electrical problem and completed many small tasks. Our oldest has been staying with us for the past couple of weeks to help wherever he can. This has given us some valuable and much needed bonding time before he moves to Wisconsin. It's wonderful to just be able to enjoy his company! Last week's blessings include:

1. family!!!!!
2. baby giggles and coos on the phone
   
3. good friends
   
4. very friendly new neighbours (even went to a neighbourhood party, music was a live band!)
5. good DIY skills and the knowledge to know when to call professionals
6. a serious potential electrical fire hazard averted (read about it here)
   
7. a 6 hour plumbing repair (done by our plumber) - Hey, it could have been longer and more costly!
8. learning to fine tune my patience - Paint only dries so fast and getting things done for our schedule, well ... my patience has been tested but that's a good thing!
9. down time with Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows while sitting in the glow of the setting sun on the dock
10. a visit last night from a maundering skunk
    

Have a wonderful week filled with many blessings!

Garden Gnome
©2007

Harry Potter! Deathly Hallows

I would be remiss as a Harry Potter fan if I did not write a post on the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and the newest movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Last Saturday my daughter, son-in-law, his mother and I went to the theatre to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I was full of anticipation! After the movie we stopped to buy copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7). Like many Harry Potter fans, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of the book while avoiding any of the spoilers regarding the final chapter. I've speculated and predicted the outcome with both family and friends.

I have mixed feelings about movie 5. It was good but not sitting on the edge of your seat fantastic so I was a little disappointed. Harry (Daniel Radcliff), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) have matured and that is reflected in their appearance and behaviour. The importance of the phoenix was downplayed as was the abuse Harry suffered at the hands of Dolores Umbridge (actress Imelda Staunton), the newly appointed Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. She steadily takes over Hogwarts with the approval of the Ministry of Magic. Umbridge is one of those easy to hate characters right from the start in both the book and the movie so it was rather satisfying seeing her carted off into the Forbidden Forest by the centaurs. The battle at the Department of Mysteries was portrayed nicely. Voldermort and the Death Eaters were nicely portrayed as well, consistent with the previous movies.

For Harry Potter fans, this is a must see, must buy movie for your collection. As with all the movies it is one that will be watched again simply to pick up on those things missed with the first viewing. The movie has less enchantment and whimsical but considerably more darkness. There are some differences between the book and the movie. To get the most from this movie as with the previous movies, read the book first.

UK Child Jacket Version

Note: No spoilers follow. If you want to know what happens you will have to read the book.

I have the UK hard copy version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Of the jacket covers, I really like the UK children's version. It has nice visual appeal mixed with a lot of symbolism. I'm as far as page 157 of 608. Already more has been learned about Dumbledore and a few other characters. There has already been one death but you will have to read the book to discover who.

There are a lot of spoilers online regarding Deathly Hallows. Don't read them before you read the book!

Wordless Wednesday - Wispy Clouds

Wispy Clouds
July 22, 2007

Monday Funnies - To Modern Medicine

Photo Opportunities

Straw Bales
July 13, 2007

I mentioned yesterday that my digital camera is always near by. We live in such a beautiful area surrounded by fertile farmland and the gorgeous Great Lakes waterways. Even a simple drive into town can provide a photo opportunity. There is an abundance of wildlife and waterfowl to enjoy and the scenery couldn't be prettier! For some reason I always love the sight of straw bales in the field. The bales are massive compared to the smaller rectangular straw or hay bales. The round bales are loaded onto farm wagons pulled by tractors for their journey to the storage barns. The tractors are slow moving allowing those patiently following behind to drink in the surrounding beauty.

Today I feel like getting away from all the work that needs to be done in the house but I can't. We have too much to do before August 6. In my mind's eye I will be enjoying the scenery of the countryside as I go about the seemingly endless amount of work throughout the house today - painting, caulking, preparing walls, tearing things apart, putting things back together, stripping wallpaper and when in doubt repeat. Some tasks are easily accomplished, others are more challenging, while a few require outside help. Yep, our electrician and plumber are our new best friends with the AC installers right up there as well. Still bit by bit they are coming getting finished at least on the lower level. With any luck the lower level aka main living area will be finished enough for the party by Wednesday of next week.

If you are interested in reading about some of the repairs, decorating or anything related to our new home, please check out my homemaking blog, Garden Gnome at Home.

Pondering

Abandoned Farm
July 13, 2007

My digital camera is always close by even when I'm driving as I never know what might strike my fancy for a photo opportunity. So it was a few days ago as I was heading into town. I've been by this old farm site several times and have taken several photos but was waiting for just the perfect sky for a nice photo. I couldn't resist when the opportunity presented itself. All that is left is a dirt laneway leading to bare track where the house set, the front porch and a huge shade tree. I can't help pondering...

As you know I have been extensively researching my ancestors. I would have loved to find even these few remnants of my third great grandparents home. Sadly there is nothing remaining despite a very diligent search. The old abandoned farm makes me wonder and ponder so many things.

Who lived there? I imagine a family farm with young children running carefree during the summer after doing their chores. Their parents were hard working, honest folk tilling the land, raising livestock and keeping their faith. I see a family gathering with extended family for a summer picnic shaded from the heat by the huge shade tree. The children likely climbed the tree and swung from a homemade swing hung for their entertainment. During the storms the children likely hid under their beds as they heard the winds whip about the house causing both it and the tree to groan eerily.

The laneway - The laneway likely was at best little more than two ruts leading to a simple farmhouse. At first it would have been ruts caused from a horse and carriage. Later automobiles widened the ruts. It would have been almost pure mud during the spring thaw and rainy autumn seasons. At some point someone added gravel to counteract the mud but there is little of the gravel left now.

What was the house like? Given the location, I suspect the original house was a wood sided, two story house somewhat on the smallish side with no indoor plumbing. There would have been an outhouse and summer kitchen. The house would have been heated with wood and food would have been cooked on a wood stove. The house would have been cold and drafty in the winter, hot and muggy in the summer and rather pleasant during the spring and autumn months. As the farm passed through the generations the house may have been bricked. The old wood porch was replaced with a concrete one. Indoor plumbing and wiring were installed and the summer kitchen renovated into a larger kitchen.

Abandonment? As the farm passed from generation to generation as many farms in this area do, at some point either the remaining family passed on or sold the old homestead. Whoever the farm passed to decided to tear down the old homestead several years back expanding the workable land. Somewhere one or more elderly persons were fondly remembering the old homestead likely with a tear or two.

And life goes on, generation after generation always changing but leaving memories behind...

Monday Funnies - My Desk

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Family

I'm going to deviate from my normal listing of blessings over the past week. This past week has been one so blessed with family, I wanted to share that instead. Throughout our move the number one blessing has been family. They have been there through the frustrations of the sale, the packing, the unpacking, and the settling in. They have helped get outside work done, hauling stuff to the dump and have give unsolicited but pretty good advice. This weekend all the kids and their partners were home for a family reunion on Saturday. Most of them came home early to help us with the house, stay overnight to travel to the family reunion and turn things into a family oriented weekend.

Anyone who has read my blogs knows how much family means to me. I cannot stress this enough. You can have all the money in the world but if you don't have family you have nothing! My husband's grandmother age 94 was at the family reunion. She was able to meet and hold our granddaughter her great great granddaughter. A younger family member is doing genealogy as a class assignment focusing on certain portions of her family at one time. I was surprised at what information she had! It was all done by hand and word of mouth with the help of other family members who gathered whatever information they had. To me it was a genealogy mecca! It was a wonderful blessing to see such a young person interested in genealogy to the point of gathering not only pictures but primary and secondary information. How wonderful to see a young family member so interested not only in the history of the family but also the future embracing all what genealogy is about.

This past week has been all about family. From the laughs, the tears, the fond memories, the food, the support, the bonding...it was all about family. We are so blessed beyond words to have such a wonderful family. Sure there are a few skeletons and family hush hushes although surprising very few given the size of the family on that size. What is amazing is the absolutely wonderful stories of their lives from the elder members and how some of those things influenced future generations. Two world wars, a depression, immigration and starting a new life in Canada with no family other than themselves to depend on. Believe me I was all eyes, ears and talk picking for any information I could find while enjoying myself.

I watched my now adult kids and grandbaby interact with their aunts, uncles, great (everything) and sit with a mesmerizing look on their face as they listened to their great great grandmother sharing bits and pieces with them. I saw the respect in their faces for other family members. I saw the shear joy of them being around other family members. I saw the laughter and sharing. And I saw blessing flowing so freely. Family...is everything! And what a true blessing it is.

Peaceful Enjoyment

Sunset
July 7, 2007

So much has happened in the two short weeks since we moved. Not only are we unpacking and trying to get the house organized we are also working on the house. That means long, tiring days. So far we have removed three pick-up truck loads, heavily loaded of brush and the same amount in rubbish to the dump. Inside, we have organized the home office for my husband as he often works at home during the evening, organized the pantry, organized the utility room and am now preparing the family room for painting this morning. DIY activities have involved: electrical wiring, updating electrical receptacles, solar lighting, stripping wallpaper, reviving flooring, installing our stove, hanging bird feeders and indoor lighting. We needed help with included the gas lines for the grill and dryer plus our electrician is coming in Tuesday to get the electrical problems fixed quicker than we can right now. The AC is being installed the same day. I just calculated that we have 23 days to get the house and yards in shape for our anniversary party on August 6. Given that a good 5 of those days are already committed to other events that leaves 18 days which would be fine if we were both home all day to get things done but we aren't. So a couple of deep breaths and steady work to get what we can done is working right now.

The picture of the sunset was taken while sitting on our dock. We have so much going on that it would be easy to miss these photo opportunities and the chance to re-connect as a couple. The past few mornings we have been sitting together in the sunporch re-connecting as we watch the glittering water. Our even meals have been mainly grilled then plated and taken to the dock to enjoy. After dinner we take a short walk just enjoying our surroundings. Right now these intervals of peaceful enjoyment are critical. They put everything into perspective and give both our minds and bodies a chance to rejuvenate. Some of our best ideas for our new home have risen from this type of peacefulness.

Wordless Wednesday - Clouds

Clouds
July 5, 2007

On the Water

Waterfront
View from Sunporch Overlooking Backyard

The official back of our house opens onto the water. Shrubs, trees and vegetation line the entire backyard creating a scenic and private setting opening onto the water. It can be viewed from the lower level family room, kitchen and covered patio or from the screened-in sunporch on the upper level above the covered patio. I took this photo from the sunporch. The view has changed and will be changing again within the next couple of weeks.

The cedar shrubs under the maple tree have been removed. These were a mosquito haven and took up a large section of the yard. The garden bed under the other maple tree will be removed as well. The previous owner kept the cedar bushes along the breakwall somewhat rounded but we will make them more of a straight low growing hedge. I've already added solar lighting along the hedges for a soft, subtle glow at night. We will be renovating the dock likely next spring. It is a good size but can be extended a considerable distance into the water.

We are looking forward to enjoying many sunrises and sunsets in our new home. The wonderful eye candy we are greeted with each day makes the work of getting settled while fixing a few problems enjoyable. Watch for more pictures of our outdoors coming soon. If you are interested in what's going on indoors or in the kitchen at our new home, click the links.

Monday Funnies - Mimicking Life

Blog Your Blessing Sunday - Settling In

Our lives have changed greatly over the past week. We are slowly getting settled in our new house. The location is absolutely beautiful! The blessings have been abundant. I can't begin to write them all out here in this post so here are a few highlights of our blessings last week:

1. family!!!
2. grandbaby cuddles and giggles
   
3. awesome friends
4. sense of humour
5. patience and tolerance
   
6. discovery
7. wildlife
8. beautiful sunsets
9. extensive DIY skills
10. a new adventure
    

Discovering

Mute Swans (Cygnus olor)
June 29, 2007

Last Friday was a day of discovery in our new home. As I did my morning walk about to check out the surroundings, I discovered many and I do mean many garden decorations peaking out in unexpected spots. I took pictures of the ones I wanted to keep knowing that later in the day all would be gathered up to make room for my Gnome Empire. My gnomes are so thrilled at this prospect! It's interesting seeing bits and pieces of the previous owner.

Throughout the day as we discovered more of these items, we would stop and ponder the meaning. Why did she put that particular item there? Most were broken in some way yet she found a home in the garden for them. The most peculiar and thought provoking item we found was part of a tombstone of which when I finally get to my genealogy supplies I will do a rubbing to see the inscription. Then we discovered other parts to the same tombstone. I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps this tombstone had been vandalized at one of the cemeteries so she brought it to her gardens to protect what was left of it. The next time I talk to her I will ask because I'm sure there is a story there!

I had been concerned that the Mute Swans wouldn't stop by. They were a frequent sight at our old house and I never tire of watching them gracefully glide through the water. Mid-morning my fears were put to rest as this family visited the dock area. As soon as they saw me they headed right to the dock so she must have fed them. We discovered a few potential problems and as we worked through the day we made note of these. All of the problems can be solved. Some like a potential rodent problem will involve persistence but things like electrical can be solved immediately.

So it was a great day for discovering about our surroundings, our new home, the previous owner and ourselves...

First Glimps

Our New Laneway

Moving day ended about 1:30 am Friday morning so it was a very long and tiring day. Everything went well with the exception of a very nasty temper tantrum by the new owner. Obviously he thought we weren't getting things out quick enough so became quite abusive. Other than that between our friends, family and the movers we managed to get things moved rather quickly.

Friday morning I was up early to do a walk about the new property. It is very much geared towards friendly privacy. The laneway is bordered with boxwoods and open onto a deadend road. A wide expanse of greenspace dotted with a stand of trees separates the deadend road from the main road. I think the laneway is quite majestic looking! The layout of the property is greenspace and laneway to the garage. From the garage to the house is a yard bordered with gardens on one side, a walk way and side yard leading to the back (we prefer it as front) yard. From the house to the water edge is lovely. There are large trees with a lot of under growth, grass area and natural privacy opening onto the water. There is a breakwall softened by boxwoods and a dock.

The property as beautiful as it is did not come without problems. I'll be posting how we deal with these problems on Garden Gnome at Home and from time to time mentioning them here. The house itself is a well built two level home with brick exterior. The lower level is not really a basement as the house was built into the ground so that at the side face the garage it is mainly underground except for about 3 feet. About halfway up the house the ground slopes to where the the kitchen opens at ground level. The lower level walls are a foot wide keeping this level a fairly constant temperature. The house was built for energy efficiency at a time when few talked about saving energy. Vegetation and trees provide protection from the prevailing winds as well as providing privacy. The most startling thing I notice about the house is the quiet. Once inside the outside is virtually non-existent!

We have met the neighbours on both sides who are extremely friendly people! We met the neighbour two doors down on the one side Saturday and the other neighbour two doors down golfs with my husband. On Saturday we also managed with the help of our kids to trim up some trees, remove two bushes, collect the garden ornament clutter left behind, clean out the sunporch and clear the garage so the car fits in.

And so begins another chapter in out lives...

Happy Canada Day 2007

Happy Canada Day

Moving Day

Today's moving day! Our phone service will be going off soon here so I won't be online until the phone service is installed at the new house sometime tomorrow. I hope to be back online this weekend.

Wordless Wednesday - A Final Goodbye to My Garden

A Final Goodbye

I Need a Magic Wand

This cartoon by Jeff Bucchino sums up just what I need right now! I would greatly appreciate a magic wand to help finish the packing here and the unpacking at the new house. It's two days before we move. I wasn't able to reach my goal of having everything packed by the 15th but we are just about ready. Last night we celebrated with our final cooked meal here, grilled fillet mignon. As of today we will be either eating out or take-out as it is just too difficult to cook with the kitchen torn apart and most of the food packed. We also know on the other end we have to do a kitchen renovation that means replacing a non-working dishwasher as well as removing an ancient stovetop and built-in oven so the JennAir will fit resulting in replacing the countertop. The renovation is top priority because of our closely approaching anniversary party.

As a Harry Potter fan, I know the wand chooses the wizard. What the wand is made of and its qualities are very important. I wonder what my wand would be made of and what qualities it would have if I were so lucky to have a wand? I think it would have to have a bit of willow for the core to be strong enough to bend but not break. I'm rather partial to oak but a cherry wood wand would likely choose me as well. I think it would have extra sparks when used to bring pleasue to the eye much like fireworks. At any rate a magic wand would be very helpful right now!

Monday Funnies - Landscaping

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - On the Countdown

Well, it is now four days until moving day. Needless to say things are hectic here filled with both excitement and uncertainty. Yet last week there were many blessings, including:

1. a loving, caring husband
   
2. family - support and so much more!
3. the generosity of friends
4. loyalty
5. diversions - blogging, Coronation Street, boating
6. healthy herbs for transplanting
7. liquor store boxes - very sturdy with dividers, great for packing
8. memories from our times in this house
9. physio
10. blogger comments

May many blessings fill your week,

Family

Grandbaby
April 3, 2007

Today things feel overwhelming. We heard rumours as to the buyer not planning to follow through once again. Yesterday we heard first hand accounts as to what an arrogant jerk (someone else's words not mine) the buyer is being. We are moving even if that means temporarily owing two houses so the stress level is just a tad high at the moment. The worst part is we will not know until moving day! At that point I just might be in the mood for killing the "was going to buy" buyer and even if he does follow through he had best not show his face here until the premises are completely vacated!

The one thing I rely on besides faith is family. I seldom post pictures of my family online but this picture taken April 3 of this year was just so cute so with Mom's aka my baby's permission here it is. She's going to be six months old pretty soon so I bought her Joe Boxer socks. I just got off the phone listening to baby giggles. Hearing that just washed a lot of stress away.

I've been spending a lot of time on the phone with the kids. What with one kid moving to Wisconsin, all the family events and this move what the heck. Don't get me wrong as I usually talk to each one of them daily on a normal basis. Right now I'm talking to them on a much longer basis daily. Family, that's what it is all about!

Generosity and Support of Our Family and Friends

Sunrise on Greenhouse

I sleep poorly for various reason even at the best of times but with the looming moving date quickly approaching my normal sleep of about four hours has become disrupted. So just after four this morning I was up and ready for the day. I don't mind this time of day and I love watching the sunrise to the awakening world. It's funny the thoughts that flit through your mind while packing. The peace of the morning allows these thoughts to flow freely allowing me to ponder a bit at times.

Four years ago July 1 we moved to this house. I can't believe it's only been four years as so much has happened in such a short period of time. Our lives have changed so much! We had bought the house based solely on location being waterfront property and had never seen the inside. My husband just had to be on the water! The house itself is quite cottage style with sloping ceilings upstairs that remind me of my childhood home. When we moved in everything was painted what the previous owner called chestnut but really was builder's beige almost a peach colour. We put our touches on the inside with Redwing Red in my husband's sports room, taupe for most of the house and pink for my kitchen. I've never been in another house where pink worked for a kitchen but here it just does. I can't say I'm fond of green painted anything but chose that for the garage and back door because it matched the exterior. We added our touches everywhere. Now as the house becomes stripped of our touches it once again becomes a house not a home.

I'm purposely avoiding the garden right now. I put so much work into it's creation and the reality is the new owners are likely going to demolish it. Instead I'm working on packing and am behind on my June 15th goal of everything packed. I'm back in physio which is helping but physical limitations are playing a role as to how much I can pack each day. Exactly one week from today we are moving. Today is the second last garbage day so I want to make the most of it. Yet I can't help pondering over certain things.

The generosity and support of our family and friends has been amazing! We have offers for help for this last week of packing, several trucks ready for the move even though we hired movers for the bigger items and we have both family and friends coming to help get the new house organized. I can't even begin to put into words how much this means to us. We are so very blessed to have such an out pouring of support this way!

Wordless Wednesday - Heirloom Rose

Heirloom Rose
June 14, 2007

Packing

Sunset on the Water
June 17, 2007

As our home becomes stripped of our personality we find a greater need to escape the growing mountains of boxes lining narrow paths to each room. Our escape has been taking off for a few hours on the boat. Sunday night we headed to one of our favourite marinas for dinner. The marina is at the mouth of the entrance to the lake. The meal itself is nothing fancy but the food and atmosphere is always outstanding. I think they have some of the best onion rings I've tasted. We usually eat outside on a covered glider overlooking the docked boats while watching other boats and freighters entering and leaving the lake. In the afternoon and evening there is a live band as well. They hold special events for the boaters as well like Christmas in July where boaters are to show up with their boats decorated. This event is quite popular with the little ones. We like this place well enough to boat there three or four times a month sometimes more often especially when we have others with us. Mind you we take the boat out as often as possible given our relatively short boating season.

Sunsets are beautiful at anytime but there is just something special about viewing a sunset while heading home on the boat. Sunday evening the water was rather calm instead of the often choppiness that occurs from extra boat traffic on the weekends. It was a gorgeous night to boat home with the sunset almost on the horizon that when combined with the lull of the engine and splashing of the wake was soothing to the soul. Just what we needed!

Monday Funnies - Barbecue Rebel

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Happy Father's Day 2007

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers today!

A special note:
Happy Father's Day
to my wonderful husband
This post is dedicated to you!

I didn't have a father growing up. My biological parents were deceased and the home I grew up in had no male role model. Things changed when we were wed as I learned to share living space with the opposite sex. That was a real hoot! Just when we had that somewhat figured out, I was expecting our first baby. My husband became more protective and as if possible more attentive. When our little bundle of joy was born he was there to help me through the labour and welcome our first into the world. As new parents we knew very little so did a lot of flying by the seat of our pants. My husband stepped right in helping with baby duties, changing diapers, doing laundry and calming the baby when nothing else seemed to help. The baby loved sleeping on Daddy's chest. I can still see his huge hands gently struggling with the first few diaper changes and those very small newborn clothes. In reward the baby's eyes would sparkle and give a huge toothless smile just at the sound of Daddy's voice. He was Daddy's boy! As his sibs joined the ranks, we became more assured of our parenting style and as parents we were united on major issues but the kids quickly realized that Daddy was a huge push over on smaller things. If Mom said no, Dad might say yes so why not cut out the middleman aka Mom and just go straight to Dad? We caught onto that little scheme faster than our darling angels thought we would. The kids also knew Dad was a little more liberal than Mom so by approaching Dad first, he might be able to talk Mom into allowing them to do something they really wanted to do. Since Dad had excellent negotiating skills it quite often worked to the kids' advantage but usually with conditions and they knew if those conditions were broke they wouldn't get that privilege again.

But Dad could fix things Mom couldn't. A bandage from him meant the world. Sure Mom could kiss boo boos but Dad giving a bandage, that was a real highlight. He could kiss away tears that sometimes Mom couldn't. He could do that man talk thing gals just don't get and if they try they mess it up. He could put things together without instructions because men don't need instructions and he could always find the way to where we were going because men don't need directions. And late at night, you would find him giving a final goodnight kiss and later as they got older, sitting up late waiting for them to get home. Getting home late was a good thing as the kids talked out what was going on that night and despite wanting to sleep he would listen patiently sometimes offering advice if needed.

There were some things that my husband aka Dad just did better than me aka Mom. Dad is a easy, laid back, take life as it comes and adjust type person while Mom is pretty much the opposite. They say opposites attract. Anyway, that made Dad the mediator, negotiator and sometimes humorous sidekick. He also encouraged the kids to try something new and even take risks that Mom would have balked at. He bit his tongue when sometimes they did stupid (on the surface) things long enough to find out why they had did so. Neither of us ever believed in spanking but I will tell you my husband has this thing where he twists his tongue then sticks it between his teeth when he is angry. The kids caught onto this very early and would stop whatever they were doing. They simply knew not to cross the line. If you give a child respect you get respect back and Dad knew that. So life went.

Over the years, my husband aka Dad taught the kids life skills to last them a life time other than fishing as that was Mom's job. He had the patience to teach them to drive. Oh and does he ever deserve medals for that! He's helped them move oh so many times without complaining and even provided comic relief for those tense moving moments! I saw him cry coming down the aisle with our second even though he was full of pride. The pride shines through in the family wedding photos! Now I get to see his love and pride in family take a new shape through our new grandbaby. And the cycle continues, ever change yet familiar.

Our kids are now grown and starting families of their own. While they are very independent, they still turn to us for guidance, support and sometimes help. Dad remains a key role model worthy of respect. He deserves accolades for a job well done, one he accepted of his own choice and one he has more than excelled at. He continues to be the pillar of strength for our family. He is aways there just to chit chat or to offer advice and he has no problem offering more when needed. He is the most unselfish and giving person I know. He has demonstrated a true love for his family in every sense of the word. We are so very blessed to have this unique and wonderful person in our lives!

I love you honey for being a wonderful father to our kids!

Mute Swans

Mute Swans
(Cygnus olor)
June 14, 2007

One benefit to living on the water is the abundance of wildlife. We have been visited by deer, wild rabbits, opossums, raccoons, skunks, voles, mice, ermines, muskrats, snakes, toads, bats and waterfowl just in the four years we've lived here. Then there is the wide variety of fish that I sometimes am lucky enough to get a picture of them swimming in the water. According to our soon to be new neighbours, we will be visited by even more wildlife at our new house. The house is designated rural so we will have an actual mailbox at the end of the driveway! My husband wanted on the water and I wanted in the country so this is the best of both, rural and on the water. I guess he missed that tiny little detail involving livestock and farming. That's not a problem since living life on the water is most pleasant indeed!

It always amazes me the diversity of waterfowl in our area. Yesterday a family of Mute Swans decided to visit. These swans are magnificent as they glide majestically through the water! The babies are just too cute as most babies are. They are called mute because unlike two similar looking swans, Trumpeter and Tundra, these swans do not make any sound. In this area we see both the Mute and Trumpeter Swans on the water and in wetlands. The Tundra Swans are seldom seen in either place here during the summer months but they do fly overhead during their migration and often land in the area then. Trumpeter and Tundra Swans both have black beaks but the Tundra Swan also has a yellow patch under the eye. They can also be distinguished by their voices with the Trumpeter being a much deeper resonate sound compared to the softer, melodious sound of the Tundra Swan. Mute Swans are large birds about 40 inches in length, larger than either the Trumpeter or Tundra Swans. They can be distinguished from the Trumpeter and Tundra Swans by their reddish-orange beak with a black base. The lores and knob are above the beak. The female (pen) has a slightly smaller beak than the male (cob) but other than that the sexes are very similar. The young are called cygnets and remain grey until their second summer.

It always gives me great pleasure to be fortunate enough to photograph wildlife in its natural habitat. Learning more details about the various local population of wildlife species, their demes and their habitats gives me a greater appreciation for the stunning beauty in the area we so very privileged to live. It also strengthens my desire to be a steward of the land, treading lightly and leaving the land and waters better than how I found it.

Life in General

Wake
June 9, 2007

And the soap opera of our move continues but we are plugging on despite the hassles. I joked with my husband yesterday that someday we would sit on the porch in our rocking chairs laughing at the whole event. Today instead of dwelling on the negative, I thought I would post some positive things going on. From the picture you can tell we've had the boat out. She's a sweet thing big enough to stay on for a weekend or so yet powerful enough to water ski. All worries melt away when you are on the water. A lot of factors play into this from the humming of the motor to the splashing of the water against the boat to the glistening of the water to the sun kissing your face and to the wind blowing through your hair. Aside of hiking in a deep forest, being on the water is one of the few times I feel totally at peace. Not that I don't feel at peace at other times but this is a total peace, a one of a kind feeling where absolutely nothing else matters and all is well in the universe. It's where I blend entirely with the environment to become one.

On the good news front, we have family reunion fast approaching and a wedding for one of our kids. At that time we will be step-parents to two lovely teenagers so we can't wait to get to know them better. Furthering the good news, our first grandbaby aka Grandpa's Suckie or Grandma's Toy is now sitting on her own and quite proud of that fact so she decided to play the roll-over game as well. You should see the pictures! Her Mom aka my baby aka (sib nic name) reports she has also taken to maneuvering herself down the stairs on her bottom when someone holds her arms. I can't wait to see this one! Mom also reports some serious teething going on with the teeth being ready to break the gums any day now. The internet and email is just so amazing that we can get pictures and videos of this kind of thing within minutes of it happening!

Apparently I turned a year older this month. Having spent that particular day in the dentist chair and at physio, I declined to go out for dinner. I think I feel a bit older but I'm looking good and feeling pretty dog gone good too :) I thought about shopping a bit for the new house, not much just solar lights, in between appointments but realized the friendly MOT would rather have my time and money. I can't say the picture on my license will look much better but it probably couldn't get much worse. I do hope they tweaked the filters to get that nice glint of grey something some of my friends don't get that I won't colour it but it is important to me to keep my hair completely untreated.

So in an hour or so I hope to be washing the worries of the day away as we enjoy another scenic view of the water.

Until tomorrow,

Wordless Wednesday - Mallard Duck

Mallard Duck
June 11, 2007

Rambling and Ranting

Blue Gill
June 9, 2007

On May 31, 2007 we signed the papers waiving all conditions for the purchase of our new house. Officially and legally our house was sold the day before. Little did we know we would be entering the twilight and nightmare zone! The buyers are obnoxious, arrogant snots who demand on getting their own way. They went through four times before the official signing, getting progressively ruder each time. They wouldn't budge on times at all to the point my husband missed his golf day and I missed a doctor's appointment because that was the only time they were available. Then they were only in the house all of 4 minutes! So when they insisted on coming through after signing the contract we told them not on Saturday as we had plans. He called and left a nasty message at my husband's office indicating either we let them in or he would pull out of the deal even though he had signed the sale contract! Excuse me? He signed the contract then was threatening to back out so we cancelled our plans on Saturday and let him go through for the fifth time. Imagine our surprise when he was actually showing the house to another couple! We have rooms pulled apart and boxes stacked. The house is organized chaos! The girl wanted to see under the carpet so he went to lift up the wall to wall carpet in the bedroom when I stopped him. She turned around and said "you will if you want to sell the house". I calmly told her no, the carpet stays as is. It is sold! Which part of that don't they understand? Well they were nice and pissy so we took that opportunity in front of both real estate agents to verbally notify them we were not available for them to go through for the following two weekends. Then my husband met with the lawyer this morning to weigh our options. You know threating to take your ball and go home when you don't even have the ball is not the brightest move in the book. At best the deal completes as intended. At worst we end up owning two waterfront properties, one of which will be sold very quickly if the first deal falls through. Of course if that happens there is the following lawsuit not something very appealing given I'm in one now (in my favour). Either way, we move on the 28th period.

BTW, I'm not sure if this is a rambling or ranting post or just one to get things off my mind. As upset and concerned as I am, some very positive things have come out of this deal so far. First I haven't killed the little snots and that is likely a very good thing. Second, I have bit my tongue a lot so as to not come back with snarky comments. Third, my husband and I are pulling on the same rope so we are gaining strength from each other. Forth, somehow despite everything I'm finding an inner calm. It's weird but I know what has to be done and so despite the stress there is still calm. Yesterday the phrase this too shall pass popped into my head and from that point the calm has grown.

Take care and many blessings to you,

Monday Funnies

Garden Gnome
©2007

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Dealing with Stress

Selling a house at best can be very stressful but when the buyers are arrogant young snots, it quickly becomes a nightmare. Unfortunately the senerio for us is a nightmare. This was a week where the many blessings helped keep my sanity! Some of these blessings were:

1. family - support, love, laughter
2. baby talk
3. good friends
4. discovering a new pub with good food
5. smooth and organized packing right on schedule
6. fresh strawberries
7. two lovely, problem free boat rides
8. wind blowing though my hair
9. a new med
10. blue skies

Have a great week filled with many blessings,

Wordless Wednesday - Strawberries from the Garden

Home Grown Strawberries

Monday Funnies - Predicting Hominid Behavior 101

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - The House is Sold!

What a whirlwind week we had filled with a lot of emotions and blessings. The biggest blessing filled with anticipation, excitement and a bit of nervousness was the official sale of our house and the official purchase of our soon to be new home mid-week. Some of last weeks many blessing included:

1. family - love, support, laughter
2. good friends
3. sharing a friend's well deserved community recognition
4. sharing a friend's 50th birthday celebration
5. hospitality and fellowship of soon to be new neighbours
6. the sweet taste of the first delectable strawberries from the garden
7. organized chaos
8. memories
9. digital camera
10. wildlife antics
    

Canadian Geese

Canadian Geese
June 1, 2007

A family of Canadian geese visited the neighbourhood yesterday. The goslings followed mommy around while Daddy kept a watchful eye!

Sold!!!

Exactly two months ago yesterday we listed our house. It doesn't seem like it has been that long ago. Wednesday it was officially sold but the sold sign didn't go on until Thursday after we waived conditions on the house we were buying. Once again we're making plans for turn a house into a home. We are both very excited!

Details: The house is single family well maintained brick two level with the lower level entirely below grade at the front of the house but exposed at the back much like building a house into the side of a hill. It is brick with solid structure. The yard is divided into three main areas - garage to road, garage to house, house to water. The side yards are what I would consider access areas but like the rest of the property are all maturely landscaped.

What we are gaining: The house is set on property geared towards friendly privacy. We really like this instead of fences! There's practically no privacy in our current home so that in itself will be a real plus. The house is on a dead end road off the main road so traffic will be minimum. Other gains - separate utility room, cold storage, guest room, larger dock, gas fireplace, bigger garage and mature landscaping.

What we are giving up: We are giving up the large vegetable garden and greenhouse. The moving date is early enough that I will be able to plant a few vegetables and will have some in containers but for the most part will not have any kind of formal vegetable garden this year.

We had decided to buy the other house regardless whether the HVAC or built-in appliances were working. Our reasoning for this was we have all new major appliances except the dishwasher which I had planned on replacing here this summer anyway. We found out in the early stages the AC wasn't working there and because of the age likely wasn't repairable. The owner compensated by offering to leave her three year old washer and dryer. Neither are energy efficient and since we have new front loaders, we will likely sell hers to offset some of the costs of a new AC. Yesterday we went through again to measure for appliances. We will have to do a kitchen remodel to remove her built-in stovetop and oven so the JennAir will fit but that shouldn't be too bad and it was something we knew we would have to do. Rechecking the furnace confirmed we need to go furnace shopping as well. It's a Clare Megasave I that is almost 24 years old. A bit of research revealed that we can't get parts for this beast and besides we want a high efficiency furnace something we had planned on replacing at this house. We replaced our hot water tank with an energy efficient one just over a year ago but the new house has a rental hot water tank so we will have to replace that. Oh and we found out yesterday after we had signed the papers the dishwasher didn't work so it looks like I'll be getting my much coveted Bosch. Other than that, the house is in move in condition and didn't present any problems we weren't expecting.

We had a chance to meet one couple next door who invited us in for drinks. I'm going to have to work on that aging process a bit more because they thought we might have young kids! They are really a nice couple with a lot of the same interests as us.

So there it is in a nutshell, signed, sealed, delivered and SOLD!