Making the decision is half the battle Jen! Be brave...
What's happening in your neck of the woods friends, Sept./10
OH Betty .. I had forgotten about Rose ... I do so hope she is an asset to life at home ^_^
Got the freezers re organized .. picked up the 2 HUGE boxes of dog food, now awaiting the call to pick up the 'oink oink' .. last year for that .. we do eat pork, but not THAT much !!! Gonna be a challenge ..
Piper is certainly becoming a sweetheart .. hard to shower affection on 2 such amazing little animals.
Get this .. our temps are going to go UP overnight ??????? Works for me
~M~
Wow!! So much going on, and I haven't checked this column for quite a while. You all are so busy you make me tired just reading this
And new DG-er, a little smurfette! How wonderful and she's SO cute . . .
One thing to think about in Texas - in all US states the schools from one district can be radically different than the schools in the next district over, so before you buy your house there make sure you investigate the school districts and their boundaries and the school ratings. It will be really important for your children. And all my visit to Texas did was make me absolutely certain that I could never live in a place where the wind blows all the time. It made me homicidal. I don't know if it's like that all over TX, but if you hate constant wind like I do, I'd find out.
And isn't Piper a cutie. Can't wait to hear how the classes are going. Gotta get him into that leash habit soon for his own safety.
Betty, I'm so sorry about the passing of your friend. It really leaves a hole, doesn't it?
And I'll say some prayers for Jazz's continued improvement.
I went out to the peach festival in Winona a couple weeks ago and came home with baskets of peaches - huge sweet juicy Red Havens, some nectarines and pears too. It was lovely to get out of here for a few hours even. I made some pies and cut up the rest of the peaches for freezing, so that in the middle of February when I don't think summer is ever going to come again, I can savour some real tree-ripened fruit, even if it has to be frozen.
Hope I can find some Spies this fall to make some proper applesauce. They are hard to find down here in the city and don't know where to go to pick some.
It's been such a weird summer. Moonflower vine planted in May just starting to get flowers and of course it's too cold for them to open at night so they just die - I'm feeling really grumpy about that, Hardly any tomatoes ripened, but cukes and Swiss chard did really well, so at least I got some veggies. Didn't try any broccoli this year as I wasn't very successful last year with it, so maybe next year.
Glad to see everyone chugging along though . . .
~marilyn
Marilyn, so nice to see you drop by..
As for friends passing, lordy when they are in your age group you just got to think that time is short and enjoy each day as it comes..
Going to Meaford on the 3rd/4th..know they have spies, think some of the apple orchards still allow picking.
I've heard a lot of people saying that although there were quantaties ie tomatoes much didn't ripen, strange summer indeed.
Lots of work doing down fruit but lordy you'll make my mouth water when you tell me what you are snacking on.
Stopped at Bernie's, he met me in the drive and said not to talk about the horse, Charlene has been crying for the last 2 days and he didn't want to get her going again. We talked about gardens, about him coming tomorrow to pick up the supplies I ordered to that he can custom make the screen frames for the back deck enclosure, light conversation...hoping to come tomorrow, he is but I'm hoping as well, lol, just don't want the snow to come before the project is enclosed.
Tired tonight but still playing with quilt blocks, 2 more to go and my swap is fini..too tired for actual sewing so letting the machine embroider, I'm just sitting falling asleep and only wake when it asks me to change color of thread...too funny!
Enjoy your evening everyone
Lord willing, we'll gab tomorrow!
poor Charlene & Bernie..... must be awful for them. How long had they had the horse?
My good friend and colleague had to have her horse put down last month .. pic of Jocelyn and Grani attached .. Jocelyn was almost inconsolable .. as she explained it .. well .. it's just not like having one of our wee furries euthanized .. I can imagine Charlene is going to need a good bit of time to heal from this tragedy.
Nice to see you posting Marilyn, good luck with the Spies ..
Nothing planned today except for the beginning of Puppy Kindergarten tonight .. and .. Piper doesn't go the first night, it's for owners/handlers only ..
High of 17C for today .. with WIND ....
~M~
Night out "M" without Piper..who will be training who? lol
Storm blew through our region about 6am..thundering like crazy, sure made itself known, heavy downpour, not raining h ere in Barrie at the moment but sure looks like a storm is brewing.
Can imagine how Jocelyn felt, you sure do become attached to our animal friends.
Charlene had the horse 5 years and brought the horse into the world, shortly after having to euthanize the mom..she had been training her for competition..feel so badly for both of them!
Police said the man who hit the horse was quite concerned over his Audi..guess it could have been worse, man might have been killed do to the horse jumping the fence (all new and wired with electricity)...my thoughts are why he didn't stay and try to get help, why wait 1 1/2 hrs. before calling police.
Betty didnt you know obedience classes are not about training the dogs but training the owners!
I expect whoever on this thread said the man was likely DUI was right - he waited 1 1/2 hours to dry out before he returned....
LOL Carole, certainly is...how's the floor doing, almost there?
Susan, I don't think the man who was at the house when the police officer went to take the report was the man driving, you couldn't sober up that quickly. His saying he 'panicked' and left just doesn't fly..think he called someone to say they were driving so his car repair would be covered and he wouldn't be charged..my opinion..hope carma works
ah - my memory - yes, it was likely a different "driver"
Carol - are you done the floor, or is the reason you're not posting cuz you're BUSY with it ^_^
Just nothing much to say! No floor is not done, still have some finishing sanding to dao then stain and varnish, then find somebody to reinstall the 1/4 round etc.
Hoping things will warm up a bit this week so I can finish planting.Lily bulbs still not here.Removed all the pansy planters from the front steps but they are still just sitting on the patio, need to start getting all that cleaned up. Think I will give my garden helper a call!
Yesterday did all the paperwork to switch my RRSP to a RIF. So will start to have a little extra income although I hope to save a lot of it in my tax free account and get new windows for the house when I have enough saved.
Rained again last night although no snow in my area ( as was predicted) . Took the dogs for a walk but it is not very pleasant! I could just as easily stay home and I have not been getting them out every day, good thing they are getting older and dont seem to care too much if I dont take them out. Jazz is doing fine now so whatever happened is a big mystery.
Jazz just wanted special attention..lol.. soon my kitties will be spending more time indoors, they seem to NOT like the cold, just like I..
You are ahead of the game with getting your outdoor winterizing of gardens done, I wait here until Thanksgiving weekend when all the children are around..only thing I did so far was to turn off the water feature in the pond, do miss the s ound though!
Putting in new windows sure takes a bite out of savings..I'm having 2 bedroom windows put in, hopefully this week or next, then two small windows 28x30 and they are over $300.00 each..if it wasn't for not being able to get all the age and grime off of them I'd leave them but they are old and look terrible. good luck on finding good pricing for yours!
Things have been going very well with Rose living with me, she's either studying, bicycling/rollerblading etc. I'm up in the morning and she gets up when I call to say I'm leaving, she's home from work 1 hr. before me and is gone doing something, by the time she comes home I'm ready for bed..this weekend she goes home to her folks..the 4 months she'll be doing her co-op will go quickly then I'll miss having a 19 year old around..got to tell you, Kyle who will shortly be 15 has been dropping in a little more than usual these days, wonder if it's because he misses grandma or having a university student living with me??? guess I know the answer to that one..
Ahh
Critters that stay in our hearts....big or small they mean the world to us.
Must be crazy stars for horses right now as I have a good friend who had her two aging mares "looked after" so they don't suffer through the winter. Both had a great summer wandering around the yard this summer, one can't see much any more and the other is too stiff so to make things easier for both she helped them along.
Crazy for people too as life generally reminds us of how precious time is.
After the big freeze the other night we now are onto better temps starting tomorrow.
Folks finally showed up to pick up the truckload of perennials that I dug from my Mom's home in Calgary and brought back last weekend. I kind of thought they may appreciate all the work that took.........not really! Ouch. Won't be doing that again! I don't mind doing things for folks and I asked before I went to dig them. I also asked that the plants be picked up the day after I got back. Then it took a week for them to get them. Oh well ..live and learn.
My daughter made the volleyball team and the Cheer team so we will be going crazy for a bit this year! So far marks are good too.
Well after this ramble I will say bye for now.
Ann
Betty I just cut things down as they start to look grungy- right now most everything is still pretty nice although annuals are done for, took down the sweet pea tower last weekend and probably should take down the hops since I dont think I will be sitting out in the pergola any more this year!
I have 14 windows to replace-some of those are in double and triple sets . It has to be done in fall or early spring as there are flower beds under most of the window.
Ann, congratulations to your daughter, exciting time for all. I must be old, don't remember having cheerleaders in my day???
They should have been grateful, omg, at the cost of perrenials they should have been jumping up and down, know I would have. I'm from the old school, can't seem to get with it, I'm on old scale, lol..it's 82 here this afternoon, really a perfect day.
Hugs to your friend Ann, took a lot of courage to know it was time.
Wow 14 wndows Carole, lordy it will certainly cost you a fortune, bet they are all unusual sizes which makes it more costly. You just got to wonder if it wouldn't be easier/cheaper to live in a condo type atmosphere .. would be able to save $$$ wouldn't we?
Nope they are all the same size Betty- old single hung sash style,
I count this as 5 windows but of course when they are replaced there would just be two to install. The style will be the same except probably I will have a grid of bars put in the upper part of the window.
What an adorable house..have you lived there long?
22 years in December 2010.
Looks like where Leave it to Beaver lived, so home'y....can just imagine a fireplace going, doggies laying beside it...lovely..I'm envious!
Carol's place is just that!!
Great yard, home and doggies! The owner/caretaker is pretty darn good too.
LOL
Ann
I'm sure she is..can see by the photo that it's just sooo inviting..one day!
But sadly no fireplace! I wish!
Carol - some of the artificial fireplaces look pretty darn "real"....... if you spend enough $$!!
Well after all that texas is a no go.. Hubby got that job he had an interview for a few weeks ago.. He told them about the texas offer and they are going to give him an extra $5 an hour and theres always the chance that he can go to Alabama in the future with them.. The BIG reason hes going to this new company is they have a pension which the other one does not. So after all the talking and tears that went into the decision of going, and yet we stay lol...
Welcome home Jen..what the experience of thinking over the job in Texas did was open your eyes to the endless posibility of what life has to offer... congratulations to DH!
Did any of you get the storm come through last night? Started at about 6:30 and went all through the night..not sure I want daylight to come, who knows what damage has been done outside.
I was up most of the night with Sailor, lordy she has a hard time with storms so finally by 4 a.m. I got up, tired of tossing/turning trying to catch a wink..been downstairs sewing, if I can't sleep I might as well be productive.
Need a coffee..
YOI .. lots going on here ...
No storms here Betty .. was up and outside at 4am (as usual) with Piper and it was about 9C .. According to the radio we will be getting some rain perhaps later today and into tomorrow.
Puppy School went well .. Gordon and myself went as no dogs go the first night .. the instructress is a young lady who is very knowledgable and extremely patient. As I see it .. our class will be .. one Westie (Piper), 2 chiuhaua mixes, a German Shepherd, an American Cocker, a wire haired Daxie, a Sheltie and a Golden Lab.
Looking forward to 'ending up with', a more behaved poochie ... gonna make some liver treats today as apparently we go through lots at these classes, and I prefer the cooked liver as I know there is nothing 'cruddy' in it. Hope I can hack the hour it takes to make it .. BLEAH !!!!
Jenn .. funny how life goes .. glad to hear the situation resolved itself ..
Good to hear Jazz is back to being himself.
I have new pics of Piper and Lilly and Smokey posted on the Pet Forum under ' Introducing Piper' ..
Going in this morning to sign the final papers re the installation of 4 new windows .. be sometime in mid October.
Pricey items I do have to say, but, I have been assured the difference re preventing heat loss will be very noticeable.
SIGH .. summer is OVER tonight at 11:09pm ... came outta nowhere !!!!!
Off I go
~M~
Summer is indeed over, few hours left and we get to welcome Fall, I'm ok with welcoming fall it's the next season I'm not so thrilled about, must be getting old.
Amazing what you can do "M" when you get up at 4a.m. - thank goodness I've nothing planned for this evening otherwise I'd be dozing off through it.
Sounds like you'll be enjoying the clases, will DH be going with you each week? wow you make your own doggie treats?
Yes, windows are expensive, got my 2 new ones sitting on back deck waiting for installation, my priority was getting the back deck enclosed so I won't worry about the snow and shovelling, soon as that's done, then he can get the windows put in...so glad they are almost all replaced..not so sure in the long haul it isn't better purchasing a new home vs. older home; too late to think about it now!
Marilyn be careful about using a lot of liver for treats in class- it is pretty rich! I always used Cheerios with occasional higher value treat ( like the liver) as you can use lots and they are pretty empty calories. Another good one if you can buy is called Zuks - they are small and soft and you can actually split them easily with your fingernail to just a tiny bit,
Cheerios sounds great, never thought of those for a treats probably because they are my favorite and I don't want to share..lol
will have to check out Zuks
Cheerios as dog treats? never would have thought about it - good idea!
Betty - hope that wind storm you got last night didn't cause any damage! you said 50 ft trees bending in half?!?! yikes!
Well if you have a breed like Shelties who just know there are always treats in the pocket and think you are giving them one when you pull your hand out and appear to give them something - even if it is only a crumb or a bit of fluff then Cheerios work pretty good! If I stand talking to somebody who puts their hands in their pockets my dogs sit politely in front waiting for the hand to come out with a treat!
When I go out and dont take the dogs in order to forestall annoyed barking I throw a handful of Cheerios on the kitchen floor. By the time they have cleaned them up I am in the car and gone!
hahahaha picturing those poor dogs standing there so patiently and expectantly when someone puts their hands in their pockets - sad little eyes when nothing happens!
Good trick to get them to not notice you going, Carol!
You know all the tricks of the trade, have to tell mom about the cheerios on the floor...omg..priceless...
Susan, lots of damage in nearby communities, some without power..I'll do weekend clean-up, enough tree branches to have a marshmallow roast on Saturday night.
Now that you mention it Carol, Piper DOES like Cheerios .. I had thought once I bolied then cooked the liver it might be less rich.
Went to 3 stores today looking for some .. uh uh NO WAY .. seems the liver comes but a few times a month and is gone quickly.
Just done making up Lilly and Pipers food for the next 2 weeks ... quite the time commitment this raw food thing ..
Watching the Weather Network .. the pics of Nfld are so awful !!!
Off to play cards
~M~
Roger loved liver "M" but he could only cook it when I wasn't home..yuk
Sure did get hit with the storm..did I tell you in another thread that a hydro worker got killed working on down lines here?
was he electrocuted? (sorry if that sounds gory......I was just thinking about safety)
Yes, I believe he did Susan, they were waiting for news on 'how' at the time..one newslady was talking from Mayfield Avenue near Bolton where a row of hydro poles were virtually cut in half, flew and landed right side up on the road, said it was so off seeing it..anyway a lady came out of her house and was walking down the street, over wires while police and hydro were telling her to go back, she listened to no one; then if something had of happened, most likely they'd have been blamed.
Looked outside, still dark so now sure what the weatherman will bring today.
Time for coffee and cereal, gab later
Hokie Doodle .. since we're having a Numero Uno kerrruuummmyyy day here .. I have been watching the weather network and the videos from the storm that occurred around Toronto .. the storm Betty is talking about. YIKES, I woulda been hiding WITH Sailor !!!
Must be fall huh?
Misty here .. with spits and spats of droplets of rain .. Blue Jays are SO noisy, wondered why, here there's a Hawk after one of them ..
Baked a couple more pies today, one pumpkin and 2 apple .. feeling bad for Lorna as she fell last evening :-(
Had had her shower, didn't notice a puddle of water on the floor, and, as she exited the bathroom she slipped and fell down SMACK on her tailbone, happily NOT her stump !!!
Didn't take her to emerg .. nothing they could really do for her .. I made sure she iced the area .. she is stiff today, but able to move around.
I may have to turn the furnace on soon ... kinda cool and damp ....
Hope all are well
~M~
"M" I've the micro heater on in the office today, brrr chilled, maybe only because I'm tired though. We know what coming so best prepare.
Cathy called this morning, seems she was over cutting my grass and my brother Bernie arrived to start closing in the back deck, that will make things so much easier for me, I'll not worry about the snow and shovelling that back deck once it's closed in..she thought he had 1/2 done today and needed more material and would be back tomorrow..so by the end of the weekend I can get the mess cleaned up.
Poor Lorna, yikes, nothing hurts as much as a tailbone injury..lucky for her she's got the best nurse in town!
"M" want to have supper at your house..my favorite is pumpkin pie. Want to share?