What's Happening in Your neighborhood-visit with friends #18

btw - the windows are FREE and ya gotta love Free!!
908 Moodie Rd NE, Calgary

-Susan-

My gosh .. so much happening .. :o)

Susan .. good luck re the Hot Tub cover and the sale of the ladders .. I have used Kijiji several times and found it to be quite an effective tool to use for selling AND buying 'stuff'.

Looks like another cool day here .. but .. that's OK .. I have lots of running about town to do and would rather do it on a crummy day as opposed to a nice one !

Heading to Minnesota for the day tomorrow .. want to get some groceries (things you can't buy in Canada) .. plus it's just nice to get away .. this will be Lilly's first trip to the States .. she hasn't a passport but, I'm sure she'll lick the border patrol into submission re letting her over. Actually .. I did have to go and get paperwork from the Vet clinic stating that she's 'all shot up'.
A few years back it was common place to be handed a 'health record' after the yearly visit. Seems that has stopped now.

RABBIT RABBIT .. hope June is an awesome month for you ^_^


~M~

This message was edited Jun 1, 2009 6:45 AM

Busy busy you guys, so enjoyed reading your posts...
Snow "M" omg...any damage to the garden?

Saturday wasn't bad, maybe a high of 16 but then yesterday, the wind was so strong kept having to go outside and pick things us...did more garden edging, went to the Church plant sale and came home with 48 plants..now why I needed that many is beyong me..means I have to start another garden..lol

On my way home Friday on one of the back concessions, a road I never take but it was sunny and felt like a leisurely drive, right at the curve side were so many little lilac trees..hmmmm and just down from there was acreage that dump trucks had dumped mega rocks...early Saturday off I went with shovel and I now have clumps of lilac trees in about 12 different locations..now my girlfriend said she did same, beautiful bushes but no lilacs, something about male/female plants anyone have any suggestions?

Heavy rocks aren't good for the springs of my little Aveo but I made 2 trips to pick up flat rocks to make a little area in front of the back shed that normally gets muddy...need more but figure I'll take the long way home every day this week and pick some up then by the weekend I can work on it..should buy a truck...

Yesterday, couldn't believe the high winds, spent 1/2 the day securing outdoor furniture...at my DIL's 40th birthday on Saturday night I invited MIL and SIL for supper so spent the afternoon cooking..in between brought in the adirondak set of chairs/table that I found along the roadside late last year and started to paint candy apple red...bright for sure...and that was my weekend...

Today it's cold, overcast and off/on rain...did dress for spring but 2 minutes outside the door back I came and put on winter clothing..can't believe it's June 1st and still such terrible weather..

Don, loved the photo's, enjoy your trip..
Ann, you are busy as always..never stop!

Wish those windows were closer, I'm look for a set of old ones that I can do colored glass on the panes for the front deck...

Best I go check Kijiji out...

Good Morning !!!!
This morning when I wakened
And saw the sun above,
I softly said, 'Good morning , Lord ,
Bless everyone I love'


Right away I thought of you
And said a loving prayer ,
That He /SHE would bless you specially ,
And keep you free from care.
I thought of all the happiness
A day could hold in store,
I wished it all for you because
No one deserves it more .
I felt so warm and good inside,
My heart was all aglow .
I know God heard my prayers for you ,
He/SHE hears them all, you know.

Oh Betty - what a lovely poem! Thank you :-)

Marilyn - we got a lot of "bites" on Kijiji, but no sales, as yet. A couple of them promised to come by and didn't show up, so my DH is a little "bummed".....

lol I sold a May 2009 copy of Chatelaine cuz someone couldn't find it on the shelves anymore, and liked what she saw in the Dr.'s office lol

-Susan-

Sounds as though Susan it a site that you continually have to view, some amazing findings...

Cool and cloudy today so doing laundry and other sundry indoor things.

Heres a shot of my ornamental crab which is at the height of bloom this weekend.

Lovely poem Betty .. thanks for sharing ...

Carol .. our apple trees and Lilacs are at least a week or two from blooming .. the weather is SO unpredictable .. cool and FROSTY !!! Beauty pic of your tree though ^_^

To me .. Kijiji is like YARD SALING from the comfort of home LoL .. lots of deals .. BUT .. like Susan .. I have had some NO SHOWS as well .. very frustrating. I have developed a theory re Kijiji .. folks watch your ads .. when they see you have not had any success .. ie .. you lower the price etc .. they say they will take the item off your hands for nothing .. I GAVE AWAY a perfectly good stove because of that .. you have to be STALWART !!! BUT .. if the item you are wanting to be shed of is making life miserable due to its presence .. well .. free is not so bad especially if they will come get it. I am SUCH a pushover !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got many errands tended to in town .. off to get supper out .. then look through 'Lolla Corolla' to ensure she is set for a trip over the border .. one never knows what is tucked away ...

Enjoy your evening

~M~

"M" I put anything I don't want at the roadside..usually by morning it's GONE..and so is my worry about how to get rid of it....think there are street patrols..lol

I did the same re: roadside giveaways - put an old weatherbeaten fabric/wood rocker and wood TV tables out, and they were GONE like that! (snapping her fingers).
As long as they're not there too long, I think it's great (neighbourhood watch will tell you if it looks unsightly!)

-Susan-

Our 'road side drop off' is the Municipal dump !!! Dump Shopping will soon become a Provincial, if not a Federal, EVENT sometime soon I am sure LoL
Funny thing is, it's usually the MEN you see slogging through the remnants and bric a brac of fizzled out electrical appliances etc. Our 'Dump Curator' .. affectionately know as 'The Dump Lady', is quite covetous of SOME of the 'junk' .. and one must ASK her before removing an item from the area. Really, it's quite the adventure going to the sump on Saturday mornings .. GAWD .. never thought I'd EVER be saying something like that !!!!!

Rainy day on the rise here .. not sure when we'll be leaving for the US .. seems I'm the only one up though ^_^

My thoughts are with the passengers on that Air France plane that is missing over the Atlantic .. how awful :-(

~M~

Prayers for them as well, understand they may have found the wreckage...

We have large object pickup, think it's either late this month or early next..you can put all that needs to be picked up out front 1 week prior to pick up...omg cars/trucks go up and down looking for treasures..by the time the pick-up date comes, very little is left....

I have to check when Cookstown has their 'town garage sale' ..want to go..each and every year....oooohhh as I typed this I decided to call June who normally knows, she thinks it's this Saturday, if not, then the next...whoopppieeee...

She asked me to borrow my fabricland card, they turn a blind eye because she buys so much, apparently there is a 66% sale starting Thurs. so she wants to go in early, they help her choose everything and then they set it aside and she picks it up day of sale...nice sales clerk at our store...at the same time, I've asked her to pick up some sunbrella fabric to make 2 cushions for the patio set (2 adirondak chairs and table) found along the roadside...just painted them apple red...so nice right yellow cushions would be stunning....

Lordy, doesn't take me long to come up with things to do and projects to make...simply typing a post generates hours of work...

Friend called me last night to tell me her DH passed away..he'd been in a home for 3 1/2 years..barely a day she'd not drive 1 hr. to go spend the day with him...she's much to do this week but I've invited her down to spend a weekend with me..do hope she comes...

Betty - my prayers are with your friend. I hope she does come stay with you.

My BIL just lost his mother a week ago and they had her service, in Winnipeg, on Monday. She was 95, so had lived a good life.

I wish I could have been there for him, and my DS of course.
He's an only child, and his father passed several years ago, so he must feel very alone, even with his family around. All I could do was send a card (they asked "no flowers") but from a distance, there was nothing else to do.......

-Susan-

I'm sure they understand Susan...sometimes we just feel so helpless but from experience, when a death ocurs there are so many around offering, it's later, when all has settled and you are alone that you could really use someone..I'm sure you will be there at some point in time just when it's most needed!

Oh absolutely - 6 months afterward, when no one comes by anymore, is the worst part. It's also the "firsts". There's a first for everything, and until at Least the 1 year anniversary has passed, it's very difficult to deal with.........

Has your friend accepted your invitation?

-Susan-

Funny how life plays out .. I spent 3 hours in a work shop given by MADD today (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) the fellow who gave it is from a small place called 'Harrow' on Lake Erie, he's an ex police officer. The work shop dealt with VCARS part in a death notification .. as in what we are expected to do .. can and should do .. when called on to support families following a sudden death ..
All of what you're saying was discussed .. most especially being there in the weeks following ..

So sorry re your friends loss Betty .. she will have a learning curve to redefine now that she no longer will be going to the Home to visit.

~M~

Betty - thinking of your friend. She will likely need friends to help her keep busy w/o the time it took to visit in the home.

Well, got some errands done today and some more plants bought for the garden. Got the final 20 or so CVS newsletters mailed and the CVS banking done. Didn't get into the garden until this evening, but I got quite a bit done. Will try to do more after aquafit tomorrow morning.

Handbell Festival starts tomorrow evening and it's in Ottawa so we don't have to travel. I will meet a couple of my group at the church in the middle of the afternoon and we'll take the bells over and set them up. The rest don't have to be there until 7 pm when the rehearsal begins. Then it's two full days of rehearsals and workshops with a large massed concert on Saturday evening.

Only about 350 ringers this year which is quite a bit smaller than usual. Don't know whether it's the economy or the poor music selection or the poor communications from the organizing committee. When I complained about things not being on the web site, I was told that they had to outsource the web site this year and that the web person was cut because registration was low.

Duh! I told them, had I known, I could have done it for them. Scrimping on the communications is NOT good value. Well, I'm not on the committee this time and I didn't ask to me. I never got to see the trade show or go to any of my workshops at the last Festival for which I WAS on the committee.

Enough belly-aching. I need to sort out my summer/winter clothing. I put everything from my closet on my bed so that I will HAVE to deal with it before I go to bed. I keep out-of-season clothing in what is now the computer room - used to be DD#2's room.

Ann

It has been a lovely warm sunny week here but this is the forecast for the next 3 days:

"Take advantage of today's sublime sunshine; tomorrow it'll be gone. A chilly airmass is working s. through the prov. and shoud reach us by morning. In this airmass we can expect thick cloud, and a few showers or drizzle to develop tomorrow aft. As the cold air deepens, there is a good chance that the sig. rain (needed) developing tomorrow eve., will become mixed with snow (not so needed) by Sat. morning, and this raw, wet, cold combination will continue into Sun. A slow, gradual moderation will start at the beginning of next week, but it may take the full week for temps. to return to normal. Hello Mar.! "

Guess I better take the tomatoes in -maybe cover up the containers too.

OMG Ann, how could you even think about taking on more...you must be one organized lady...

"M" you are not different than Ann, what a worthy organization you belong to..not sure we have a VICARS in our area..should check it out...

Susan, I found the 1st year tolerable..it was always the 1st, 1st this 1st that and once all the 1st's had gone by it hit me like a ton of brick..this is for real...difficult and overwhelming to say the least...

I'm always organized, always accomplish what I plan but why oh why did I not apply for my passport??? knew this day was coming..

On Thursday I have a catscan so I've decided to head to the city right after and go the the main office..that way I'll not have to send my documents and should only take a matter of weeks to get it...perhaps I'll stop off at my sisters and give her the Christmas gifts she's not picked up, hey, if I wait another few weeks I can say I was an early shopper.

Beautiful day here..wish I wasn't going to portrait class, could play outside in the garden..oh well, need a passport photo taken and I can get one done while waiting for class..

Fancy, they called for frost last night..didn't check my plants..wonder if they were affected...it is suppose to reach 20 the next 2 days then rain Sunday...wouldn't you know it, the Kyle's Ride for the Cure is Sunday..my grandson Kyle has put so much effort in organizing this event, what with working with the cancer society and getting sponsors for drinks/fruit and the little one is only 13...guess this old grandma is going rain or shine...

Thanks for the warning re the weather Carol .. we actually got up to 23C today .. BUT .. WIND and cloud, TStorms predicted overnight.
Lorna is saying the black flies in the gardens in the cemetery are getting pretty overwhelming .. turniing the gardens , and making new ones is becoming a nightmare .. and this year she is building 3 new large gardens as well as re lock stoning the pathways to 2 others ..

Betty .. VCARS in Tbay and the area, came from VCARS down your way .. we aren't that well known til you need us is all .. although .. we are getting more media attention these days when tragedy occurs .. I'm just sort of committed to wanting to give others a helping hand when they're in a bad spot.
I so hope 'Kyle's Ride' goes off without a hitch .. how wonderful !!!!!

I think 'allergies' that I have never known of before, are plaguing me .. either that or I have a COLD !!!

Wishing you 'all the best' with the Hand Bells Ann .. I sorta think 350 ringers will be amazing ^-^

Off to clear away supper and chill !!

~M~

In from the first evening's rehearsal. I'm up again at 6 am; so this will be short. We have a full day of rehearsals and workshops, starting at 8 am tomorrow. Will be at the church by 7:15 to ensure we don't get bogged down in traffic en route to Carleton University. I don't expect to get to the computer tomorrow - possibly not at all.

Ann

I think the storm has moved in a bit early - the temp dropped last evening, cool, windy and chilly and this morning when I woke up I heard thunder and it was already raining. ( rather than late this afternoon) I tidied up a bit yesterday putting away things not yet planted and putting stakes and flop bars in the containers so I could throw sheets over them so they dont get dragged down by wet snow which is what is supposed to happen tonight. And of course a bit of frost. I have a shady bed planted with begonias so I put out a selection of pots and will pop those over late today.
The rain has let up a bit at the moment so might get the dogs out for our morning walk.

Guess it will be an indoor day. A good time to wash the kitchen window and put on the peel and stick window transparency. My kitchen window over the work area looks directly across to my neighbors and they have a table there where they eat etc. So I always try not to give the effect of staring at their window! This stuff will give the effect of a frosted window so I thought I would try it. Was going to frost with a spray and stencil pattern but it is a tough spot to work in . Found it at Cdn Tire - they had some interesting patterns but the one I liked best was large and expensive so I got the cheaper all over pattern in a small roll.

But first walk the dogs and go to Curves!

Fancy, they have some that looks like stained glass at Home Depot as well...snow you say! omg..will it never end..

It 21C here this afternoon..thank goodness just better than 1 hr. left to today and homeward bound I go with my 'to do' list and supplies..never ends does it...I'm so looking forward to it...

WHOOSH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just brought in 3 loads of laundry from my clothesline in RECORD time !!!!! Everything was hunky dory til about 1:15pm .. cool and breezy, when all of a sudden .. the wind started to gust incredibly .. was just unpinning the last items when some hail developed .. didn't last long .. but the skies have darkened, and the wind is still quite brisk.
Someone mentioned the 'S' word on the radio today .. I totally ignored them LoL

Company arrives in a week .. Sears has decided the drapes and blinds I ordered close to 2 months ago are 'MISSING' .. but .. they are 'working on it' !!! Something tells me by next Wednesday I will be frantic and not taking kindly to excuses given ..

DAWG ... I best go batten down the hatches .. it is hailing again ... yikes ... thunder as well

~M~

Tis a good day for baking Carol ^_^

"M" and here I'm saying what a beautiful spring day I'm enjoying...sorry..lol

Now Les you know I cant possibly make cookies unless we have a snow storm!

Step away from the cookie sheets Carol!!!!!!

LOL ... I stayed safe and made bread ^_^
That's whatcha do when the satellite goes for a 'doo doo' .............
However .. cookies are in my future .. next week .. Peanut butter only !!!

Enjoy your weekend everyone .. I just hope the WIND dies down ~~~

~M~

I've been lurking and not posting much. You're all so busy!
Are garden has been reduced to containers again, so lots of watering needed.
Today it's a cool 28C. After 3 days of 35C, 28 seems almost pleasant. Quiet weekend planned. Church picnic, friends over for dinner, taking the dog to the lake, and planning for our summer vacation.

Hope your weekends are full of great weather and time in the garden.

Linda

Hiya Linda :o) Nice to see you posting, and ,, you can KEEP the 35C AKKKKKkkkkk
We have a LOVLEY covering of FROST that was not predicted .. can imagine lotsa folks got caught off guard. I think that that's perhaps why I have gone to hanging baskets .. if I think it'll be frosty overnight, I can just bring the baskets inside ..

DUMP RUN Saturday .. then I am going to the cemetery to see one of Lorna's new gardens .. will take a pic or two .. this one is accented by 'Arctic Willow' .. sounds beautiful ...

Enjoy your day everyone ^_^

~M~

Whats happening here? Its snowing that's what! Guess I will have to make cookies today!
I dont think it actually froze around here last night but it is certainly close. The yard looks strange because the half that is protected by tree canopy looks normal, the other half everything is slimped over with snow = not much but it is quite wet. I covered the containers last night just in case.

Heres one half.

Here's the other half.

This message was edited Jun 6, 2009 7:55 PM

Well the snow turned to rain and then stopped so the dogs and I hurried out for a morning walk. Eventually things sort of cleared out, the snowmelted and I actually saw a bit of sun but then all clouded up again and some more light rain. Then a few minutes ago, reading out in the porch I heard an odd noise and looked up to see rain?no sleet? no . Its HAIL! Very small mixed with rain I guess and not likely to do any damage I hope but that is not to say it is not worse in other parts of the city!
So it is supposed to clear out this evening which is not good news because that means we will undoubtedly have frost over night!
Heres a few minutes ago - no that white is not snow it is hail!

And no I did not make cookies cause the snow all disappeared!

And now - half an hour later, the sky is blue and the sun is out! What a crazy day

This message was edited Jun 6, 2009 2:29 PM

JEEZ LOOEEZE Carol .. what a mixed up day for you 'Cowtowners' .. have a bus living there who is volunteering for something called 'City Chase' .. she's at 'Eau Claire Market' .. from what I gather this would NOT be a good day for it !!

We have had a cool day with pockets of sun .. had the 'outside fireplace' on for a few hours .. am hoping tomorrow will be a better day, that's all ya can hope for.

Have been watching some of the "D DAY" coverage on TV .. have a maternal uncle here in in TBay who lived through it.. or should I say .. survived it. Unfortunately he has Alzheimers .. maybe that's a blessing for him .. I am sure the memories of that day in history must be horrifying .. he spoke little of it ..

Going outside to enjoy a bit more of the fire ..

~M~

Ann, nice issue of CVS.

You know, I am so impressed that you are all so cheerful about the weather, frosts, etc. I guess that is what sets Canadians apart. When I told my family in the midwestern US that we actually had snow today (more predicted for tonight BTW) they completely freaked. Although I have my citizenship I think I am not a true hardy stoic Canadian, because it really gets me down to be covering these annuals I started under lights and nurtured in the greenhouse for so many weeks......

So what is the secret of becoming a real hardy Canadian who always looks on the bright side of gardening here?

Theresa

Most communities will tell you that if you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes, it'll change. Hang in there Theresa

Well Theresa .. I really don't think that there's a 'secret' per se ..I tend to think it's a 'mind set' we're ingrained with and learn from our parents , or perhaps our grandparents ? So many generations of folks struggling to overcome the bizarre nature of Canadian weather.
I also tend to think that 'other' things can offset the pain of snow/frost in June. This morning I looked out my kitchen window , and there, standing just beyond the fence, was a HUGE Buck, decked out in 'velvet antlers' still .. he was a gorgeous Cinnamon colour, and he SO proud of himself .. made me completely ignore the fact that the thermometer was sitting at 38F LoL
I do agree with your comment re 'stoicism' .. I think Canadians are very much 'that way'
Stiil and all .. I feel bad for you guys out west .. snow in June is a MAJOR downer, but as Linda says .. wait 10 minutes and you'll have the A/C on !!!

~M~