Busy folks in here today ..
Sorry to hear about the rain in Ottawa Ann .. I would have GLADLY taken it !!!
Betty .. the Diaper cake is astonishing .. is it heavy ??
Oriental Poppies would do the trick for a red/orange perennial .. I have seeds in a bit if you'd like some ..
I spent 3 hours on the riding mower today cutting 'the weeds' !!! The grass is almost 'burned out' .. but we have a patchy BRIGHT yellow weed that is ALMOST as bad as a dandelion !! Makes the property look unkempt .. believe it's called 'Hawk/Hock weed'.
Don .. there was an engagement in our paper today .. one of the marriables was from Grand Forks :-) Had to run to the computer as I knew it was either you or Linda that was from there ^_^
Off to find the cat ... OOOOOoooooooo .. 'something' ate SIX cucumber plants overnight !!! Went to water them today and they were gonezo !!! Not inside the 'electrified' garden !!!! Which reminds me .. have to go and plug in too !!
~M~
What's Happening in Your neighborhood-visit with friends #20
Ann sorry about the tour, so much effort is put into it and then to have it rain, could you have done a 'rain date' would that have worked..as for the seeds, I'd soooo appreciate some..glad you have some friends coming over to ooohhh and ahhhh..
Susan, did I miss what all those buns are for???? having a family b.b.q.??? hope you are in less pain today, why do we insist on doing things that are much tooo heavy for us? We pay the price for being too stubborn don't we...still going through all that paperwork...can you burn what you've shredded or is that at cross purposes, if you did burn, no need to shred..lol...
"M" my favorite, cucs..drats, what could have eaten them, deer wouldn't would they? thanks for the offer of seeds..appreciate it..
as you may know, I started a DG friendship garden .. planted just a few flowers/shrubs but this fall and spring I'll really focus and enlarging the beds and making it spectacular...which reminds me..have a post that I put directional markers on, have the wood, just have to find more energy to put all your names on one and mileage from here to you...next project..lol
Hate the thoughts of driving to the city today, it's gorgeous out there, want to be home but family comes first...Michelle is my niece and god-daughter so couldn't NOT go and I'd be outsted from the family if I was a no show..lol
Hope it's a sunshine day for you!
Enjoy what you've created, sit a spell amongst the flowers, listening to the birds and watching those butterflies flit by...
Don, no hot weather here or drought conditions, no happy medium for any of us...although it's sunny here this morning they say the temp will be below normal..
Betty - we went through so much to find ANY date for this garden tour that we said "rain or shine". Maybe next time it should say "shine or rain". It actually was quite successful. Sold 39 tickets for the tour AND strawberry social and 7 for the social alone. At the social they had a plant sale and garden boutique and took in over $300. So, as of last night, the proceeds were about $1100 and they had plants and accessories for sale after church today as well. I wasn't at church - we had an outing with a car club. The weather WAS good for that. Quite a nice day today.
Ann
5 doz buns for our church's Stampede BBQ - I was still baking this am and made potato salad, too, so missed service :-(
Thank you for asking, Betty :-} as for my sore back - went into hot tub last night, woke up this am with no back ache :-) I guess I'm one of those lucky ones, and (for now) don't have sore back for longer than 2-3 days. I know though, that my day will come. Just not yet....... :-)
Went to a garage sale after the BBQ, and bought a tall lightedd hutch with glass doors & 2 closed door below. Very nice - for $30!! While my DH was paying for it, etc, I went to Maureen & Wilma's (my friends that I mentioned before) and worked on their garden, including pruning their overgrown clematis on the gazebo.
While I was gone, my DH and 2 others got the hutch into his truck. When he got home he got it off the truck, up the deck stairs, through the porch & into our house, BY HIMSELF. I told him he could have killed himself, and he said "almost did". The tailgate of his truck is high, and he has to go sideways off it to get up the stairs, then through the gate at the top. He said he could see himself landing on the stairs with the hutch on top of him!!! MEN and their testostorone. He was only 6 houses from where he bought it and could have asked for their help........... siiiiiiiigh.
As for the yard - I have some "before" pics and can hardly wait until I can get some "after" pics lol Only thing is, we have to do it on a shoe string budget cuz they can't afford much, and I can't do it on my $$ (I do MY yard on a shoe-string budget but it's much, much, much smaller and I can).
Calgary Stampede, omg, I should have come..always wanted to see it...bet it's spectacular...would imagine all the local groups take part in providing services...
Wow, what a bargain on the hutch, questionis 'do you have room for it?' sometimes bargoooons are hard to pass up..as for the gardening on a shoe string, that's how I did my house, it's amazing with a little bit of imagination, energy what you can accomplish..I'm sure both gardens will be spectacular...
Ann, that's still a good piece of change to make, imagine had the weather been better...
Went to nieces baby shower yesterday and on the way home just had to stop at a nursery..came home with 12 large size perrenials..mostly all 'red' or near red...
I forgot to mention - baking - I did it on the "easy" side. I get Robin Hood's Bread & Bun mix, and just add water, raise, split into buns, raise, then bake. Dead easy!!
I ran home, figured where (with DH's input) to put it, and where to put the current resident in that spot. It would fit, so DH got it while I gardened at my friend's. I have to clean the glass, then put knick-knacks in it, and books, and, and, and,............ lol Going to have fun. Its' finish exactly matches our dining table & chairs, and bedroom triple dresser. So it could have a "home" in either place, but there's more room in the bedroom.
as to gardening on a shoe string - I went to Co-op foodstore where they have garden plants on sale ($1/flat) and got 4 flats for 4cents - the cashier put 1 cent instead of $1 and told me it was her mistake so not to worry! I planted 4 planters for 4cents! My friend is happy with the savings LOL I love it when things come together like that LOL
Betty, I would love to have you visit during next Stampede! ViolaAnn - you 2, please!!!
Surely we could have a fabulous time! Have you 2 ever met?
No, haven't met Ann as yet, one never knows where you'll find me on a weekend though..lol...would be nice, thanks for the invite or did I invite myself...let's see if I'm still working, if am I just might make it..
hahahaha I wouldn't care if you invited yourself, m'lady! I'd love to show off Calgary - I'm still learning it. I'll have been here 3 years on Aug 6th and have only had a car for the past year.
They say you learn your city best when you're showing visitors (or act like a tourist, yourself)!
Have been to the Stampede twice .. quite the deal .. LOTS to do ..tons to see ..
Am about ready to go COO COO here !! Dang CROWS .. they have been going through bouts of cawing and some other gawd awful noise, since about 6am .. must be the babes are learning to fly .. hadn't realized I had a 'Crow Flight Training Centre' posted somewhere !!!
Susan !!! What a deal on those flats gurl !!! Betcha they'll be great flowers as well ^_^
Lilly and I went shopping again today .. I go early enough that I know it won't be too hot in the car for her if I run into a store ..
Another glorious summers day here .. NO RAIN in the forecast til MAYBE Wed or Thursday .. so .. even though I have a pulled groin muscle .. the plants must be watered .. it'll be slow going methinks .. pulled it lifting the cucumber planters INTO the inside of the chainlink fence .. well had not realized how HEAVY they were until it was too late .. my hands were exceedingly UNimpressed as well ..
Hated it when DH is away !!
Off I go ...
~M~
"M" omg, ouch for sure...can't understand why you are getting all our sunshine..you are so far north...here I'm sitting with the micro furnace on because I'm freezing..even my nose is frozen...looking at the trees outside swaying from side to side...I'm moving north..lol .. when does hubby get home? have you always had problems with crows...
Susan, you'll enjoy those plants, deal of the century for sure...
Now's the time to start looking for the unusual, most plants/shrubs/trees on sale...
Marilyn - ow, ow, ow, ow........ groin muscle! Sit back, sip on mint juleps (or margueritas), and play Diva (no one will see, anyway!), and maybe get a friend to wait on you (well, in that case some one WILL see you!) I can't Begin To Think how painful that must be walking and doing all the normal things you do...
Marilyn I think you need to try an Owl.
We have a lot of magpies and crows around here - they were actually removing my little ant traps from the lawn and somebody suggested an owl. My neighbor and I both got one ( 19.95 at the garden centre, $29.95 if you want one with a head that moves !)
Heres is hanging in the middle of the veggie garden, mine is sitting on a fence post. We will see what happens. Hard to tell at the moment because it is pouring buckets here since mid morning.
Good thing this didnt happen on the weekend. Judging gardens Friday and Saturday and there was also a big dog show Fri/Sat/Sun which would have had to be stopped if it had been raining like this.
Spending a lot of time trying to sort out funny things happening on the computor today I think Yahoo is messing things up! Had to arrange a 2nd phone line to my house for our rescue and have to go out buy a 2nd answering machine - fortunately I have an old regular style phone I can use and Telus does assure me it will only cost the installation fee- no monthly charge. Hope the guy was right!
You guys are too nice .. makes me think .. somewhere along the way .. you may have had a pulled groin muscle ...
It's not quite as bad right now as it was this morning/afternoon. I gritted my teeth (and took tylenol) and got through 2 Lilly walks and the watering of 3 beds .. . however .. since I have cleared away the supper dishes and tidied the kitchen .. I realize I am starting to sorta 'sieze up' .. so .. my niece (the physio therapist) has given me some gentle stretches to do .. also told me .. " Auntie M, if they don't work, try a double vodka and go to bed' !! Well .. sweet as she is .. I could NEVER toss back liquor like that ... I may try a glass of wine .. that'd be about it.
It'll work itself out .. but I DO love Susan's cure :o)
Carol .. my bud in Calgary has also been experiencing weird computer probs .. she took it in and found she had a virus not caught by her software .. am hoping your prob is an EASY fix !!
Have a cousin (not THAT close) dying on Hospice .. everytime the phone rings I jump. His Mom passed away in April.
I best go and try one or 2 of those stretches ....
~M~
Stretch gently, m'girl - you don't want to re-injure it! I guess you sorta took my advice - you had your neice in lol
Now, you need to find someone for the Lilly walks :-)
I don't think I totally pulled my groin muscle, but I remember (don't laugh!) breaking my baby toe! You don't realize how much you use it for walking until you do that. S'funny - I was in a wading pool (years & years ago) with my kids, and it had a liner. I caught my toe on a ripple in the liner. I was on crutches for 2 weeks! I really didn't want to tell anyone it was a baby toe - I got such looks as if to say - "you're being a big baby"!! LOL
Susan .. just shows you how quickly and how darned wierd an injury can be ..
Years ago .. I opened the freezer side of my fridge (it's a side by side) .. as quick as you can say 'OH DARN' a 5 pound frozen chicken came sliding out and dropped right onto my second toe !! The world went kinda starry for a second or two .. I looked down and KNEW the toe was broken .. never did bother with an xray as there is basically nothing you can do but tape the broken toe and one next to it together, ice it and wait for it to heal ..
Been up for quite a while .. seems Smokey is VERY vocal these days .. and .. curiously :-( I am the ONLY one that hears him catterwalling !!!
Gonna be a LONG day .. out for lunch with a friend .. hope to pick up some strawberries as well .. they are finally ready ..
Have a groovy Tuesday ^_^
~M~
Marilyn - they said they couldn't tape the toe, cuz there was a floating bone chip, and they were afraid of where it would fuse (on the joint, possibly). As it turned out, it fused in a good place, and didn't cause any discomfort or damage.
G'mornin from the head of the lakes .. from the land that seems to have a SHIELD over it when it comes to rain !!
We were warned and promised and predicted 20+ mm (bout 2") overnight .. well .. we certainly got WIND .. but .. alas ... very little rain :-(
Mind .. it is overcast .. so .. who's to say it won't show up later today ?
Susan .. broken digits .. be they toes or fingers .. are hard to immobilize once they've been injured .. and, honestly, if anyone has ever had a broken digit that has been 'secured' .. you can attest to the HUGE changes you have to make in your day to day living ...
Making a Thai dish tonight, so, shopping is on my list of 'things to do'.
Enjoy your day ^_^
~M~
Happy B Day Viola Ann. Hope you have a luvly, luvly day!
Happy Birthday from sunny Ontario Ann...omg might even make the mid 20's..windy though...hope your day is filled with sunshine and pressies...
Thanks for the birthday wishes. It's even sunny here though it's not supposed to be. I had a night off from having the DGTwins as their parents took them to the KISS concert at Bluesfest (not sure how they fit into a BLUES festival, but ...). Then, since it was late, they went home with their parents overnight. This morning I took their lunches to the camp at church and worked a bit in the church garden.
gotta go to the bank, Zellers and Loblaws this afternoon before I pick the kids up from camp. Oh yes, I should also practice a bit since I'm on for music in church on Sunday.
Ann
My Best Wishes for a wonderful day, Ann.
Happy Birthday, Ann!
If this doesn't show, then I'll send it via d-mail :-)
ok - d-mail it is!
TIME TO CELEBRATE WITH ALL YOUR BEING!!
Keep a smile on your face, ViolaAnn!
(there, I done dood it!)
As I said in the Dmail - LOL and thanks.
Happiest of days Ann .. hope you accomplished all your tasks ^_^
~M~
Forgot to add this ...
Settling down after a very busy day ..
Went in to the AIDS office to pick up my 15yr certificate .. I missed the volunteer 'do' in May .. I still can;t believe it's been 15 years I have volunteered with them !! WHERE does the time go ???
Visited my Hospice client in her new ? apt ? .. it's actually a 'bed/sitting room' .. from what she had been in, to this , well .. I feel so bad for her .. but .. at 91 she takes it all in stride .. to me ... having a bed in FULL sight 24/7 would only make me WANT to lay down and sleep.
VCARS tomorrow .. gonna HAVE to go bunkies early as I was up at 5am !!!
Take care all
~M~
I FORGOT a meeting tonight which I had planned to attend. Between the birthday and some friends coming over ostensibly to see the garden but really to bring more roses and a card, forgot all about the meeting. It was for ChamberFest House Managers and I really should have been there.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I've had a pretty good day. Bought some nice salmon for dinner and told the DGTwins they should try some. I think they ended up liking it better than they expected.
I think I got more than my entitlement of roses from the aquafit-"something Purple" (Formerly Red Hat) group - two dozen from two different groups of people as well as a hosta. Next time they take a collection I'll have to pay double.
Ann
awwwww how sweet of all your "rosy" friends!
Glad you had a good day, but maybe you should allow yourself that it's your entitlement to be forgetful about the meeting..........anyone who belongs to the "something purple" club is close enough to the CRS disease to be forgiven for it! lol
Too funny Susan..lol..
Glad you enjoyed your special day ann..
I've my suitcase packed and am ready today to take mom to Buffalo for the weekend...would much rather have stayed home..long time friend Bob died yesterday (no funeral till later), Son Jeff on solo Kayak trip, I'm not overpleased about that, worrying about him...you know, the mom thing, then mom said she wasn't feeling 100% so tried to talk her out of it but no..she wants to go..I'm sure all will be ok the minute I cross over the border ..
Talking about Jeff...he has a blog about his adventure..this is what he has to say about Day2
DAY 2 - GOOD/BAD and the UGLY...
Good part first, I am 4k into simcoe and an amazing day of kayaking, pushed the limit today and did 45km, a little by mistake though and I'm blaming other people. Well past my 30km a day goal and only took 12 hours. Very long day and a little tired tonight, was pretty much constant all day, these warm pjs are very welcome, so glad my big sleeping pad fit, going to need it tonight.
Left swift rapids around 8am, was up at six but somebody parked in the only spot I could launch kayak so I had to wait for them to get up. Was nice when I woke up but turned overcast, foggy and windy by the time I left. Wind to my back so made good time, few channels had significant current but found staying to the side helped a lot. Got to balsalm lake around noon and took a break for some grub on a little island. Wind changed direction and was coming sideways, waves got pretty big and were cresting over the side, lots of bracing going on but nothing to worry about. Half the channel to couchiching lock was into the wind and didn't like the whole river thing. Much prefer open space (it was coming alright).
Got to couchiching lock at 3 and asked them if they knew a good camping spot further up, was told as you come into couchiching there is a big resort so decided to go there instead of camp at the lock. What she really meant was the other end of couchiching or I wasn't listening because she was cute.
Here I am siting at the start of couchiching at 3pm in washago after good day paddle, which is where I intended to stay for night two anyway. Look across and that's a long way but wind slightly behind and very few waves, still early so why not. Little did I know that the point in the distant wasn't even half way. I figure 730 is my cutoff time and think I can make it, I reach the narrows in orillia just after 730. Whew.
Ask the marina guy where the resort is and he says just go under the bridge around the other side can't miss. I come around and can't find it, ask some guy and he says yeah just around that point, 3km away. Notice people don't have an appreciation for distance when you aren't paddling. Amazing how fast you can paddle when the sun is going down and you are on lake simcoe. Get around point and no resort, ask a local on his dock and he says, no it's around that point over there 2km away! He says there is a provincial park just down the shore. Sun going down now and starting to sprinkle, I figure time to call it a day.
Here is the ugly part. Picture this. Sun is going down, raining, lone paddler pulls up on shore exhausted. Notices a nice grass patch to pitch tent right at the water and sets off to find park warden who shows up a minute after I start walking. She says I can get a spot for the night but not at the water, about. 1/4km away. Hello how do I get 200lbs of gear and kayak that far dumbass. She recommends a resort around the point, arggghh. I finally convince her to let me stay on beach under the condition I leave no later than 7am and pay. Fair enough. Booth a km away and won't give me a lift. I walk to booth pay my 30 bucks for 11 hour stay and walk back. Setup camp while being eaten by mosquitos, make quick dinner and coffee and hit the sack.
Now the bad part. There is this little river right beside my tent and as I'm cooking I see eyes shinning back on the other side. I'm in the tent now and can hear huge splashes like a 300 pound guy doing bellyflops in the water every 10 minutes and hear whatever they are walking in the bushes. Spooky.
Going to sleep now and hope to have all my limbs left in the morning.
Yikes! Be safe Jeff.
Hate leaving for the states with him out there, regardless of their ages, he`s still my baby..lol..39..soon to be 40..
Today he`s crossing quite a body of water so maybe that is why my tummy is topsy turvy..lol
o my - is Jeff trying to scare/worry you? Sounds to me like he may be pushing a few buttons....... silly kid! (even @ 39 he's still a kid!!!)
he`s been planning this adventure for well over 6 months..lordy he`s every instrument known to man with him and safety equipment galore, omg almost freaked when he showed me the blood tranfusion kit that was included in among his other emergency kit...well if I wasn`t worrying about the kayak trip I`d be worrying about his dirt bike racing right...
Here`s his blog if anyone is interested in Kayak Adventures...
http://2009summertrip.blogspot.com/
Handing Betty a bottle of Tums and a hug !! KIDS .. whatcha gonna do.
Jeff sounds like he is more than equiped for any kind of an emergency .. as well .. I think he is quite adept at kayaking .. BUT .. thses people and their directions must be making him NUTS !!!!
Enjoy the Buffalo weekend .. mayhaps you'll find some killer bargains ...
On with VCARS .. have been baking and plan to do some housework this aft ..
It's just gorgeous here .. I keep running out and sitting on the patio ..
Lilly's brother , Finnegan and her cousin Maggie, came up the drive for a wee visit today .. LOVE seeing the 3 Westies together ..
Back later .. TGIF
~M~
Thanks `M``...he`s fine, just me...
It`s gorgeous here as well, wish I was outside instead of in..oh well 3 more hrs. and I`m off...
Leave the housework for a rainy day...
Enjoy that sunshine and playing with the `furries`
We are Cookin down here in BC's Southern Interior. Yesterday's high was 34C...with more to come. whew! Gotta love that AC. It's been a real challenge trying to keep my gardens hydrated. :(
I can just imagine, it`s was about 26 here, probably still is, wind is getting up and it`s clouding over....guess we`d better enjoy..too hot just isn`t good...
Picked up travel insurance..me $16.00 for 3 days - mom $54.00 for 3 days..best I not get old..lol