A Nice Ending to a Problem - Thanks Alamo!

A few days ago I wrote a little about our spring vacation.  While I still have a lot of pictures and stories to share with you from that three week period, I have to say we ended the vacation on a bit of a sour note.  We stopped at the casino on the way to the airport where my husband won $600.  Before going into the casino, we put the GPS, iPod, iPod Touch, SunPass and house keys in the console between the two front seats so we would not have to carry them in the casino.  After the plane landed and we were about an hour away from our home we realized all those items were still in the rental vehicle.  So my husband called Alamo who told him to fill out an online form.  The confirmation email said we would get a response within one to two business days.  We didn't hear anything back last week or yesterday so he emailed them with no response.  This morning he called them.  They had all our belongings and made arrangements to ship them to us via ground carrier!

We have dealt with Alamo for a number of years.  Until now we have never had a problem.  We are very, very pleased that they found our belongings and are getting them back to us as quick as they can.  It's nice to see a company that still actually cares about their customers.  Thanks Alamo!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - A Wonderful Vacation

We left on May 8 with another couple on our spring vacation.  We arrived at our vacation home in the sunny south late that night then did a bit of relaxing and sight seeing until May 12 when we flew out to Aruba.  After a wonderful week spent in Aruba we flew back to our vacation home.  Our friends left the following day so we had about ten days of togetherness.  All in all, it was a wonderful vacation filled with laughter, giggles, good food and amazing eye candy!  Over the three week period of being away, we took almost 1,500 pictures!  I'll share some of those pictures here over the next couple of weeks.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Sleeping In

My husband's schedule for the past few months has been getting up at 4 AM and out the door a half hour later.  After a very full day, we had dinner together while watching Coronation Street then were usually in bed before 8:30 PM.   Needless to say, this has affected both of our sleep patterns.  The past couple of weeks we have been moving back towards our normal schedule.  This past week we adopted the rule of no alarm clock.  It's rude waking to an alarm clock at best so we simply decided we would get up when we woke naturally.  It has been a real blessing to indulge in a bit of extra sleep!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Gathering Blog Fodder

I've been on a blog fodder gather mission and the results of that will be quite apparent shortly.  Yesterday I had a bit of free time on my hand so flicked through a few television stations.  Oh good gosh, there is no end to blog fodder on the good old boob tube!  Just in the news a babysitter's boyfriend put their little charge into a washer in a laundromat and turned on the washer.  Like what was he thinking?  Then a Florida doctor who was to sails to the wind proceeded to seriously abuse himself when taken into custody.  I'm thinking he might be seeing his patient list go down!  But nothing prepared me for the blog fodder you can find watching the tv judge shows.  These shows are seriously beyond belief!

So there is this young couple in their early 20's.  She is nice looking and conducts herself appropriately in court.  He is good looking but I swear none of his brain cells were working yet he had this good natured cockiness about him.  It was down right hilarious!  She said he had a drinking problem but when the judge asked him if he did, his answer was the drink had a problem with him.   Well apparently, he got himself arrested because the friendly guy on the bus didn't want to lend him his cell phone so he punched him.  That was after the young guy showed him one of the team tatoos under his arm.  He has two and the explanation was just too funny not to mention about how he is going to get a devil girl and angel girl on his large tatoo so they can battle over his heart.  So with the public disorderliness and intoxication he was arrested again and that judge gave him bail because he had had something like two similar charges in the past two months.  Obviously he had a bit of a problem and yet he was funny.  Then she started talking.  Clearly this couple was not meant to be but she put up $5,000 cash and guaranteed his bail of $50,000 then calmly proceeded to get him kicked out of him mandatory addiction rehab!  No reason was given as to why she caused enough of a scene to get him kicked out.  I did get the impression that she was very much an enabler so perhaps she didn't want him to get sober.  She sued for her $5,000 back because he was still partying, making no attempt to pay her back.  Meanwhile, he continued to play the charming class clown in court.  As funny as it was, and honestly you couldn't help laughing, yet it was sad.

Under ideal circumstances this couple might have been a perfect match.  They looked good together and it was clear that they still cared about each other.  For whatever reason, this young man full of good looks and who could easily become a very well paid comedian, somehow got side-tracked.  Unless there is some type of intervention he will continue along this pathway of addiction until he dies an early death either from the alcohol itself or through the violence it is causing.  What a sad prediction...

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

A Little Knowledge Can Be a Huge Problem

Sometimes a little knowledge can be dangerous.  I'm on a canning group because I am a large scale home canner, canning upwards of 1.400 jars of food annually.  In the canning world acidity is a huge issue but the problem is many home canners really don't understand acidity as measured by the pH of the homogeneous product prior to processing.  The pH (not ph or PH!!!!!) scale ranges from 0 to 14 with pH 0 being most acidic and pH 14 being most alkaline (basic).  For safe BWB processing the pH of the product must be below pH 4.6 otherwise the product is considered low acid so must be processed using a pressure canner.

Well, one member posted an article acidity of a particular fruit.  I have a very strong scientific background so caught the error simply by reading the title of the paper.  The thing is, it was a scientific paper discussing the acidity level of one acid in the fruit NOT the total acid.  What this means is even though the fruit could have a high content of that particular acid, it could actually end up being classified as being low acid when the total acidity is considered.  Essentially telling someone to go ahead and BWB that fruit based on that scientific paper is akin to getting them to play Russian roulette with their lives.  In this case the lack of knowledge of being able to understand what the paper was saying combined with the little knowledge that acid is important in home canning really could have caused someone to become ill or worse if they followed the misinformation!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Wordless Wednesday - On the Wish List

On My Wish List

May 3, 2012

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - A Week Spent With Friends

The past week was spent relaxing with good friends.  It was a wonderful way to refresh ourselves!  We did a lot of talking, a lot of laughing and even a bit of giggling like kids.  What a wonderful blessing to be able to share our lives together like this.  What an amazing week!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Oh Good Flipping God!

Seriously, have you ever met someone so beyond annoying that the thought of killing them crossed your mind?  Well, that is why they make happy hour!  Even though a healthy dose of tuning out does work, happy hour works better.  I'm just saying ...

 
Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! 

Normally, I make a gushy and very nostalgic post in honour of both of my moms.  They both know and I know they are always on my mind.  So today, I raise a glass in tribute of what I have learned from both.  I am beyond blessed to have had both of them in my life and not to be remiss, I am very blessed to have had my MIL in my life.

Mothers, especially the good ones are a special breed to always be cherished.  The mediocre mothers should be recognized for the parenting effort they made.  And even though it seems that mediocre mothers didn't care, the reality is they just didn't have the coping skills they needed become a Martha Stewart of mothers.  Life gives hard knocks sometimes and that means even though a mother loved her kids, she just could never do as good as she wanted.  Bad mothers, well we will just leave it at that because even a bad mother can have a positive effect, regardless how small on a child's life

Today, pay tribute to those mothers and the legacy they gave us or continue to give us.  We acknowledge that they did the best they could to nourish us, protect us, teach us and guide us into adulthood.  We cherish their love, faith, compassion, hope and fears.  We give them credit for their patience through the terrible twos, the countless questions, and nights spent waiting up late we we arrived home later than we should have.  We respect them as individuals and we love them because despite everything we as children ever did they loved us unconditionally.  We are their children, their pride and joy.  They are our mother, the one person in the world we would do anything for...they cycle of life and love.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

A Piss Poor Mood

Have you ever been in a piss poor mood for no valid reason?  Well I in one that I would normally term a funk but this is worse than a funk and the worst part of it is, there is no valid reason for the pissy mood.  None what-so-ever.  I should be in seventh heaven the way things are going and yet there is this mood.
So I've been doing a lot of positive self talk, playing with my plants and enjoying a bit of the sunshine in between cloud burst.  And there you have it...

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

How Times Have Changed

I am a child of the 60's.  Well actually I was born just before the 60's but am very much a child of the 60's.  Corporal punishment was the in thing although it was waning somewhat.  While I never got the strap at school I did see others get the strap.  I had to go to Catechism each Saturday morning and had I learned earlier to not be so expressive, it would have saved a few hits on the head and knuckles with a ruler or kneeling on beans.  I'm telling you those nuns were beyond brutal!  My Mom did not believe in hitting kids but trust me should could put the fear of those ice blue eyes into you.  I'm not sure what would have happened, I just knew there was a line you didn't cross.  We were taught to use our manners and show respect for both person and property.

These were the same values we raised our kids with.  Respect is one of the biggest things there is.  Like my Mom we did not believe in corporal punishment.  Our kids were well behaved without the need to hit them.  Now fast forward to today's kids.

I volunteer in the school breakfast program and along with my other credentials I am a certified teacher.  Today's kids have no respect.  They have been raised in a 'me first', 'instant gratification' society that leaves no room to consider how other people feel.  The Ontario school system can no longer fail a child, give a child a failing grade or hold them back because they fail to perform because that might damage the child's psyche.  Well, I hate to tell them but out in the real world if you fail to perform you get your butt kicked to the curb but that's besides the point.  A child cannot be strapped in school and a teacher can no longer stand a child in the corner for misbehaviour,  Again, it is that damaging the psyche thing.  Parents can't smack their kid and if they do, they had best hope no one sees them or the kid doesn't call 911 on them.  Essentially the kids rule the roost now a days with no real repercussions for their actions.  This past week one of the kids in the breakfast program who is about 8 years old and who does have a record for going after her parents with a knife and who has tried to commit suicide attacked another student taking an actual chunk out of the students arm via a vicious bite.  She was suspended from school for one day.  That's it!  A couple of days ago, the new reported two children about ages 7 to 8 setting fire in garbage bins.  They haven't found the kids yet but they will and when they do the hands of the police are tied.  Oh sure they could report to CAS that these are kids at risk but chances are very good that CAS already knows that.  At any rate the kids will face no consequences for their actions.  The reality is parents, teaches and the law has no authority over the kids today and they know it!  I shudder to think of what will happen when these young ones become of age because quite frankly some of them are already little hellcats without control.  


Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Double Rainbow

Double Rainbow

 April 26, 2012

Southwestern Ontario has been experiencing some rather bizarre weather.  We had virtually no real winter and certainly not any kind of cold snap where the air is brittle and the snow crunches under foot.  We experienced a little over two weeks in March that was so warm folks were wearing shots and walking around barefoot.  Our furnace was off for the entire time!  Then April hit and frost came a lot later than the predicted ADLF date of April 15.  It is destined to be a bad year for fruit production given the fruit trees were blossoming only to be hit by late and heavy frosts.  Farmers are already complaining.  Then the storms hit.  These storms are rather strange as well with very high and damaging winds yet little precipitation.  Last week we had a horrid storm with very high winds and driving rain that seriously came down in sheets.  The sun came out, shining brightly amidst the driving rain giving a beautiful fully arched, double rainbow.  Had the rain let up, I could have got a few pictures of the full arch.  It was gorgeous!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Volunteering

Our last home was in a rural location so it was difficult for me to do much in the way of volunteering especially if I had to drive to where I was needed.  Driving can be quite difficult for me at times so I really only drive if I have to.  When we moved into our new urban location, I decided it would be good to get involved in the community.  So I started volunteering and since the first of the year have been a volunteer with the school breakfast program on a regular basis (3 days a week) as well as volunteering in the evenings occasionally for various events.  A couple of months ago I joined our local Neighbourhood Watch committee as a volunteer.  I figure I'm home a good portion of the day so I can help where the help is needed.  Then I spearheaded a new community project that is just getting going.  It was my idea and I am very blessed to have a wealth of community support.

Volunteering is so much more than simply helping out.  It is an opportunity to develop life-long friendships with like minded folk.  You don't get paid and sometimes you don't even get thanked but trust me it is always very much appreciated.  Thanks comes in the form of smiles, shared laughter and friendly chit chat.  Volunteering is a way to show the younger generation that giving back to the community makes the community stronger.  It is a wonderful way to get out there and meet others, rather than sitting home alone.  Volunteering really does put a whole new perspective on life.  I really look forward to spending that bit of time with the kids in the morning.

If you are lonely, bored or just have a bit of time on your hands, please consider donating a bit of time via volunteering...

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - Busy is a Good Thing

Things have been very busy here to the point of being hectic but that is a good thing.  We've had various service and contract people in.   I've been volunteering, running errands, organizing the house and home canning.  Being busy means the house is getting in order and things are getting done.  The pantry sheves are getting restocked.  The reality is, I am happiest when I'm busy.  I can always find something to do and that really is a good thing :)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Alive and Still Kicking...

No, I have not dropped off the face of the earth but I have been extremely busy.  The first of the year I decided I wanted to paint all the rooms in the house before spring.  Well, I'm pleased to say I made a very good start but did not make that goal.  We have had a lot of activity going on in the house with various service and contract people in.  The problem is, each tends to take up a good day or more of time leaving me a lot less online time.  So far the custom woodworker has finished the bathroom but the doors to the cabinet weren't quite right so he is redoing them.  In the meantime, he built in the bulkhead in the kitchen in a gorgeous oak to match our kitchen cabinets but the colour is off just slightly and we like the new colour so the cabinets have to be refinished.  See how it goes, one project leads into another one!  Then they installed our new garage door opener as the old one just quit and installed the central vacuum unit to replace the broken new vacuum just out of warranty.  His work tied up a good three days and he is far from finished.  Onward to our window treatment saga.  We ordered panel sliders for the patio doors and California shutters for the large front window.  They came out last Saturday for the install.  The panels were the wrong material and the shutters ended up only partially installed.  They are up but will fall if you try to open fully because there is nothing securing the shutters other than the hinges.  At a cost of almost $2,500, going through a business with a top notch reputation and tying up a Saturday afternoon, I was beyond being disappointed.  The good news is the new panels are scheduled to be installed this afternoon aka more time tied up.   The plumber was in to fix the upper level shower which ended up spanning three days then he was back to install a water powered sump pump backup system which took up another day.  We live in what the insurance company deems a flood prone area so our insurance went up $300 by moving here.  This backup system will give us a discount on our insurance policy.  The alarm company was in to determine the security system install for this coming week. 

Aside of the various service and contract people filling in my days, I have been volunteering at the breakfast club three mornings a week then running my errands in the morning and getting things done around the house in the afternoons.  Early this week one of the volunteers at the breakfast club had a stroke so I was there every day this week.  I don't mind and really enjoy being around the kids.  I did a bit of volunteering a couple of evenings and play volleyball once a week.  Actually, I don't play volleyball well at all but my doctor said moving is good for pain control so I go there to fill a spot but at least I'm out and moving a little.  I'm also walking daily, something that isn't going to hurt me and it's good for the heart.  Oh, and I'm spearheading a new and very exciting community project.  It is a lot of work but I think it will be great for the community once up and running properly.

So, I'm alive and still kicking, just busy getting our new home settled and looking forward to the nicer weather...

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - A Good Week Well Spent

It was a good week well spent.  There was nothing spectacular although I did win $50.  The weather turned cooler so the furnace is back on,  I canned three kinds of stock and we hosted our monthly get together.  I finally broke down and cut the grass for the first time this year.   I did a bit of volunteer work and we enjoyed several home cooked meals.  All in it it was a week well spent enjoying life as it happened.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Not Exactly the Results the Woman Wanted

[From my Facebook wall]

A 50- something year old white woman arrived at her seat on a crowded flight and immediately didn't want the seat. The seat was next to a black man. Disgusted, the woman immediately summoned the flight attendant and demanded a new seat. The woman said "I cannot sit here next to this black man." The fight attendant said "Let me see if I can find another seat." After checking, the flight attendant returned and stated "Ma'am, there are no more seats in economy, but I will check with the captain and see if there is something in first class." About 10 minutes went by and the flight attendant returned and stated "The captain has confirmed that there are no more seats in economy, but there is one in first class. It is our company policy to never move a person from economy to first class, but being that it would be some sort of scandal to force a person to sit next to an UNPLEASANT person, the captain agreed to make the switch to first class." Before the woman could say anything, the attendant gestured to the black man and said, "Therefore sir, if you would so kindly retrieve your personal items, we would like to move you to the comfort of first class as the captain doesn't want you to sit next to an unpleasant person." Passengers in the seats nearby began to applause while some gave a standing ovation.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Higher Education - All its Rights, Privileges and Obligations

A couple of weeks ago, I got my hard earned pieces of paper that say I am an educated person out and hung on the walls of my new office.  While they had been hung proudly in three of our homes, I never did get them out for our last home.  Now they are home!

I earned all of my post secondary, higher education as a mom, while commuting from our small community to avoid disrupting our kids.  My schedule was arranged so that I was home in time for a home cooked meal with all of us sitting down as a family.  I learned that I could easily survive on 4 hours of sleep a night, and that despite all the odds including writing the final exams for one of my degrees with full fledged pneumonia, I was a survivor.  Over the course of four years, I earned an undergraduate degree, a diploma in Honours Standing and a graduate degree from The University of Western Ontario then went on to earn another degree from the University of Windsor.  Quite frankly, I have a string of initials after my name that is rather mind boggling.  Three of my credentials were earned in the hard core sciences and one using that scientific training.

My diplomas from Western reads "with all its rights, privileges and obligations".  An education comes with certain privileges.  It gets doors opened that would be closed if you did not have the education.  It comes with rights to alumni status, continued support, and access to university resources.  More importantly and education comes with obligations.  Knowledge is of little use if you do not share it.  As a university graduate you do have an obligation to share your knowledge ever opportunity you get.  Now, my diploma from Windsor reads "with all its rights, privileges and honour".  Honour is great but you ultimately get that by earning any type of degree to begin with.  The focus should be on the obligations you have to your generation and future generations once you have that education.  If you have been fortunate enough to get any type of an education, never, ever forget your obligations to share that knowledge!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

My Gosh!

My gosh!  I knew my blogging was suffering between volunteering, getting an amazing community project off the ground, decorating and home upgrades; I just didn't realize how badly.  Long time readers of this blog are used to getting daily posts, so I really do apologize.   Sometimes, life just throws enough curve balls that it is hard to get back into the rhythm of things. I will try to pick up the posting frequency so please bare with me. 

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Blog Your Blessings Sunday - It Could Have Been Worse

I can't believe it is April already!  Last week was one of those weeks that wasn't really great but it could have been a lot worse.   I saw my doctor who ordered x-rays.  The results weren't what I expected but I can work with it and now that I know the cause of the problems it will be easier to deal with in the long run.  It really is a blessing to know what you are up against whether you like the results or not.

I volunteered at the breakfast club three days last week.  The weather had turned cold to the point of putting the furnace back on.  Those are the days more kids use the breakfast club so it was a bit busier.  I woke in the early morning hours of Friday to being decided sick but went into the breakfast club anyway.  By lunchtime I felt horrid and even worse on Saturday.  Today it's up in the air as to whether the symptoms are improving or just moving deeper into my lungs.  The nice thing is, it is a dull, grey and somewhat cool day so I'm not tempted to go outdoors meaning my body is getting some of the rest it needs to recoup.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012