I'm so glad you could stop by. This is my personal blog of daily life and my journey through life. You will find a strong emphasis on family and friends as well as finding my ancestors through genealogy. Unlike my other blogs this blog is more of a catch-all so any topic is fair game.
A few days ago we visited an organic farm that like many home gardeners uses a variety of growing methods. Pictured is one of the three sisters garden beds the owner had created. While I have read of this method of growing beans, squash and corn as companion plants I haven't tried it myself. I have added this project to next year's garden plans. Isn't the garden bed interesting? I like how the structural trellis feature becomes a decorative element in the garden bed.
Everyone has their opinion on current political events and the politicians give them plenty of fodder to form that opinion. Even the little ones are getting into the political scene. Here is a party political broadcast on behalf of the Toddler Party. Enjoy :)
A couple of nights ago I packed a simple picnic dinner for us to enjoy on the boat. We boated upstream for awhile then turned the motor off and drifted while enjoying our dinner. It was a peaceful, relaxing dinner. As we headed back to the marina I took a few pictures of the sky that will still laden with storm cloud remnants. The storms have certainly provided several photo oppurtunities!
For the past 16 months I have been dealing with essentially a troll. The online version of a troll is to create a huge disturbance usually in a newsgroup, get everyone upset then the troll sits back to enjoy all the ruckus. In this case the troll initially contacted me through my private email address then by phone contact so this has been something that has been going on in real life as well as online. Without going into a lot of detail this Gnome has been around the block a time or two so is not stupid. Gnomes are natural enemies of trolls and they will defend their territory. With a little help from my Gnome Empire pretty much all contact has been severed for this troll. The troll can no longer keep up with what I'm doing through Twitter and trying to read my blogs is just not going to happen. Email and phone contact is futile. And that should teach the troll that this Gnome knows exactly how to deal with trolls :)
Monday mornings notoriously get a bad rap. Whatever the reason everyone could use a Monday morning chuckle to brighten their day. I found this cute video of babies laughing that is sure to bring a smile to your face. Enjoy :)
This past week has focused on changing winds on more than one level. Now changing winds can bring good and bad but in this case the changing winds brought good all the way around. Towards the end of the week peace reigned supreme. It has been a long time coming but apparently after my last out burst the person who has been making themselves a royal pain for over a year has decided to move on. I have been on Cloud 9 since I realized that she was actually gone at least for now. I'm elated! We've taken a step back on the house sale but it is the right choice. The garden is producing nicely and the weather while stormy hasn't been all that bad. All in all is was a very pleasant, very rewarding week. The winds of change were quite welcomed here!
A couple of days ago we took a bit of a road trip. The weather was overcast with threatening thunderstorms in the area so it was a bit darker out than it would have been in full sunlight. However, when we happened upon a generator powered flood lights that were on there was no logical reason. It certainly was not dark enough for any type of lighting let along flood lighting. The lights were generator powered meaning all the time the generator was running it was burning gasoline. This definitely was quite contrary to being eco-friendly and practicing energy conservation. I can't imagine why the generator was running to power the lights but it certainly was a waste of energy. For shame!
Parking lots can be an endless source for humour, stupidity and everything in between if you like people watching. Honestly it is if drivers get into a parking lot and all rules of the road disappear as their brains fall out the window! The parking lot really is about survival of the fittest. This driver had no real excuse for parking the way he did. The newly resurfaced parking lot had all nice, new, brightly painted parking lines so it wasn't as if he couldn't see them and if he couldn't then he shouldn't have been driving! Two thumbs down for this parking FAIL!
When I wrote Toxic People last May I seriously thought that would be the end of my online stalking experience. That has not proven to be the case. Despite me banning her through Twitter she is still accessing my blogs through Twitter. Now ideally banning this person would mean she couldn't read my tweets at all. Instead it would according to my stats appear she has gone through the search feature on Twitter to find me once again. After a few tweets from her that gradually escalated I realized that she would make a horrid tweet then a couple of days delete it. I quickly came to the conclusion I am dealing with a seriously unbalanced person. I decided to take the approach of absolutely no contact and no acknowledgment of any attempted contact. That worked for all of about 3 minutes. Attempted contacts went from Twitter to this person leaving anonymous comments on my blogs. Apparently the game was to find any error to correct presumedly to make herself look better than I am. The problem is this has very quickly become a personal attack. The person has been told no contact. At one point the person said she was closing that chapter of her life aka leaving me alone. After a blissful break in her nonsense it started up again with multiple visits to my blogs followed by leaving a lot of cryptic messages on Twitter. It has now moved to the point of anonymous comments and since I moderate comments on all of my blogs that isn't working well for her.
I was seriously to the point of giving up on Twitter or making drastic changes. My husband asked why I would do this when I'm the one being harassed. He's right. I've done nothing wrong. In light of everything that has happened and continue to happen I have awarded this person the fine distinction of the Donkey Award! The last time I awarded the Donkey Award was 2008. Believe me this person is richly deserving of this award! I view her lower than telemarketers and we all know how much I detest them!
My Final Word: To the person who for whatever reason can't get the message let me spell it out for you. GO AWAY! GET STUFFED! DON'T READ MY BLOGS (because I know you are and have proof)! TAKE A HIKE! GET OUT OF MY FACE! Either leave me alone or I will take the necessary steps to ensure you leave me alone. THANKS AND HAVE A GREAT LIFE THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE ME! Enjoy your award. It is very well deserved! Congratulations.
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This is the new cell phone I've just put an order in for! My other one had about 45 buttons.....way too many for me. I just want to answer when someone rings me; and talk when I want to phone anyone --- ya rite on! This old geezer doesn't want any music, adding machines, video, tv, wifi, texting, movies, etc. etc. and all the rest of the garbage !! I know what the people look like already; so I'm hoping this is gonna save me.
Some things I find online are just too good not to share! If you follow any of my blogs you will know that I am not a huge fan of fast food restaurants. While I won't go as far as saying I never eat fast food from a fast food restaurant I will say that we will go out of our way to find a sit down restaurant. I honestly think that eating fast food fare on a regular basis is detrimental to your health. It tends to be high in sodium, sugar and fat. As if that isn't bad enough fast food is loaded with calories. Just in case my view on fast food doesn't convince you that fast food should not be a regular part of a healthy diet I found this great video. It's good food for thought! A warning that this video is not for the squeamish.
The past week was interesting to say the least! My husband was away for half of the week so I had the house to myself. I picked up a bit of produce to keep me busy. The produce included strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries with mangos, lemons and a pineapple thrown in for good measure. I use a low methoxy pectin which doesn't rely on sugar for gelling so I have free reign on the jams I can create. I really am limited only by my imagination when it comes to making jams and this is where it gets fun.
For the most part the focus for the week was berries and more berries. I had a nice time experimenting in the kitchen. There were several jars of jams added to the pantry, berries froze and berries popped into my mouth. I really wanted to dry some berries but the humidity shot up so I didn't. Hopefully I will be able to get some dried next week. All in all it was a berry nice week :)
The Ontario government under the leadership of Premier Dalton McGuinty despite campaign promises of no taxes introduced both the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) which adds 8% tax on 17% of consumer goods and services and the Eco-Fee (aka tax) to be collected on 9,000 consumer products including items like CFLs, rechargeable batteries and laundry detergent. What message is the Ontario government sending to consumers? Here it is in a nutshell:
shop the underground economy
shop outside of Ontario - shop in Quebec, Manitoba and boarding US states
quit shopping new but rather shop used
convert to solar (buy supplies outside of Ontario) and/or heat with wood (currently no tax)
and basically we lied to you during the election campaign so you now are paying the price
And good golly gosh, some folks have actually claimed that McGuinty's government is bad for Ontario. I thinks his taxes are going to boost our popularity rating in the US, don't you?
Sometime this year, we taxpayers will receive an ' HST Compensation'' payment. This is indeed a very exciting program, and I'll explain it by using a Q & A format:
Q. What is an 'HST Compensation' payment?
A. It is money that the provincial government will send to taxpayers.
Q.. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.
Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen of it.
Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is for you to use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy.
Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China?
A. Shut up.
Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the economy by spending your compensation cheque wisely:
* If you spend the stimulus money at Wal-Mart, the money will go to China or Sri Lanka.
* If you spend it on gasoline, your money will go to the Arabs.
* If you purchase a computer, it will go to India, Taiwan or China.
* If you purchase fruit and vegetables, it will go to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.
* If you buy an efficient car, it will go to Japan or Korea.
* If you purchase useless stuff, it will go to Taiwan.
* If you pay your credit cards off, or buy stock, it will go to management bonuses and they will hide it offshore.
Instead, keep the money in Canada by:
1) Spending it at yard sales, or
2) Going to hockey games, or
3) Spending it on prostitutes, or
4) Beer or
5) Tattoos.
(These are the only Canadian businesses still operating in Canada.)
Conclusion:
Go to a hockey game with a tattooed prostitute that you met at a yard sale and drink beer all day!
No need to thank me, I'm just glad I could be of help.
It is always enjoyable spending a warm summer day lounging at the swim hole. After spending a lazy day enjoying the sun and water we head out usually around the dinner hour sometimes a bit later. Occasionally we wait until the sun is lower in the sky. We headed out our normal time on this day watching others do the same as the sun danced over the water. It was such a gorgeous day!
One of my Twitter friends sent me the link to Paul Sonnenberg's song Her Empty Frigidaire. If life gets to the point you can't enjoy eating string cheese the way it was meant to be the only thing you can do is poke a little fun at it! Enjoy :)
Here's the lyrics:
Her Empty Frigidaire
In the ice box was a single piece of string cheese
That she left me on the night she went away.
I just didn't have the heart
To pull that cheese apart
So I just ate it in the ordinary way.
And there was a beer behind that jar of pickles
If one wrinkled, orphan pickle makes a jar
And I was so glad for that
'Cause you know I'm busted flat
And she's not here to pay my tab down at the bar.
Still there's a light that shines
When the ice box door is open
And I take some comfort there.
But I don't know how long
That light can burn without her
'Cause they called to repossess the Frigidaire...
So this box of saltines just will have to do me
I can make it last at least a day or two
But as I sit here and stare
At her empty Frigidaire
I can't help wondering just where she's gotten to
Still there's a light that shines
At least when the door is open
And I take some comfort there.
And now I know how long
That light will burn without her
'Cause they're here to repossess the Frigidaire.
Well I wish had that little piece of string cheese
That she left me on the night she went away.
I still wouldn't have the heart
To pull that cheese apart
But I could eat one in the ordinary way.
Yes, I could eat one in the ordinary way.
I am a wife, mother and grandma who enjoys the many aspects of homemaking. A variety of interests and hobbies combined with travel keep me active. They reflect the importance of family, friends, home and good food.
"I have called this principle, by which
each slight variation, if useful, is preserved,
by the term Natural Selection." —Charles Darwin from "The Origin of Species"
