Game 3 of the series, 15-14 final score

Conditions at 6:30 - 19* and clear
Expected later - 29* and sunny!

A big congratulations this morning to James, his baseball team and their coaches. ( I know Coach Greg really worked hard on this one).They were the league champions after winning the final game on the weekend. Seems they like to keep everyone on the edge of their seats with a final come from behind win. Great job guys! You can tell by the looks on their faces how very happy they are (click on the picture to enlarge).

Yesterday was day 3 at Honda and I was utterly exhausted when I got home from work last night. It was a very busy, very hot day and I spent most of it on the road. Lots of people getting their cars fixed, as well as various other trips out of the office made for a VERY busy day. But it did go by pretty fast. I even had a hard time to fit in my half hour lunch break, but I was starving so I made sure I did that. I guess that's one of the pluses about this job - I can't sit at my desk and eat all day like I did at UPEI. It would be pretty unprofessional to be sitting at my desk and answering the phone with my mouth full of food because you just KNOW every time you take a bite, the phone will ring. I've been very good about bringing my lunch everyday and then I try to eat a healthy supper when I get home. It's so easy to get lots of veggies in my diet, being able to stop at Goods and pick up something nice and fresh on my way home.

The job is tiring right now but I know I'll get used to it. I've met lots of interesting people and discovered lots of streets I hadn't been on before. If this Honda thing doesn't work out, I have a future as a cab driver, if nothing else. But I think it will be just fine. I'd much rather be busy than sitting around with not much to do.

The big news this week is the weather. High 20's and up to 30 all week, and of course a possible hurricane on the weekend. Or at least the tail end of one, may be headed our way by Sunday. Sorry Lloyd, but it looks like you're going to miss the best weather. Even Saturday is only supposed to be a high of 22 but that might be better if he wants to do any work outside.

MOUSE WARS DAY 2 - total to date: 3 - only one caught this morning but both traps were sprung. The peanut butter was licked clean off the trap with no mouse so that particular little rodent is either very clever or very very fast. We'll see what happens tonight.

Conditions at 7:00 am - sunny and 20*
Expected later - 25* and more sun!

I can't believe it's Monday again already! I guess I'll have to get used to having a shortened weekend. Working on Saturday will do that.
My weekend started with Brenda meeting me at Home Depot on Friday after work. She was having a bad day so we planned to go into town for a beer later to make it all better! By the time we got the cupboards loaded on the truck they still hadn't found the toe kicks I'd ordered so Brenda left to pick up groceries and I stayed to wait. Finally they were found and I was able to load them in the car. When I got home Brenda called to say she was stopping at home before coming here. When she arrived later, she brought reinforcements with her. Bernie helped us unload the cabinets and was willing to help install the legs (unlike my other cabinets, these have legs) but alas, the screws were missing. So instead, we sat down and had a drink. Bernie had to settle for rye, as we are all out of rum. Maybe that situation will be remedied on the weekend. By the time we finished our drink, we didn't feel like going into town, so they left and I unpacked the cabinets.

I got up early Saturday morning and did some laundry, and tidying up and got my stuff all ready to take to town. I was working at the Stratford liquor store from 12:00 to 8:30. Before I went to sample wine, I stopped in at the Home Hardware and picked up screws for the legs on the cabinets, then off to try some wine.

When I got there, they were ever so pleased that I had brought absolutely everything I needed with me. All they had to do was supply the wine. My new table works brilliantly and the stool made it much easier. I alternated between sitting and standing, but it was still a long time to be in one spot. But it was much better than last week. I think I did okay. I'm not sure what constitutes a successful day but I sold a total of 14 bottles of wine, based on people's tasting. I guess I'll find out soon when I send my stats to Chris. Brenda stopped by to visit while I was there, but her day wasn't going any better than the day before. She's had a small incident with her bike, but thankfully she wasn't hurt - just a bruised knee and some slightly ripped jeans. I talked to her later in the evening and she was just getting out of a hot bath, soaking away some aches and pains. I'm a huge believer in the restorative powers of a hot bath!

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny, but with a very heavy dew. I knew it would be a while until I could cut the grass, so I spent some time putting the legs on the cupboards and getting them all set up. It's BRILLIANT! It gives my kitchen so much more functionality. I love it! It will be even better when there's a counter top on it. Right now I have the piece of marble on one end and a double layer of cardboard on the other. I was going to include a picture today, but I think I'll wait till it's totally finished! I baked some cookies last night just to try out the flow and it works great! I'm going to drop some off with a thank you note to the staff at UPEI this morning on my way to work.

After coffee and fresh from the oven blueberry muffins at Brenda's, I spent all Sunday afternoon cutting the lawn but it was a lovely warm sunny day, a great day to be working outside. With any luck, we should soon be done with cutting the grass. It's not growing as quickly now, as it was over the summer.

I picked up a couple of mouse traps on Saturday, as the resident rodents are starting to become a bit of an irritation. The first night I set them, the cheese I put on them was gone but the traps were not set off. Needless to say, I was a little annoyed. These were not your usual traps - they are supposed to be "a better mouse trap" and cost considerably more than the standard variety ($6.00 for two, as opposed to $1.00 for two of the old style). So last night I smeared the trap portion with peanut butter and success at last! When I got up this morning both traps contained a dead mouse. I'll keep setting them and see just how many I actually can catch.

Happy Birthday MEGHAN (2)

Conditions at 7:00 am - 18* and a mix of sun and cloud
Expected later - 23* and more sun and cloud but it's going to be a great weekend!

I started my new job yesterday, only to learn that the girl I'm replacing has already left, so in retrospect, I could have taken a couple of days off before starting, but it's okay. I just did phones and shuttle driving yesterday. It was bucketing down rain ALL day so that wasn't so great, so it's going to be even better today.

There's one little bonus I never could have imagined there being. I was walking up the stairs to the accounting office when I first got there, and there was a radio station being broadcast throughout the building. Much to my delight, it's via satellite and it's CHUM FM - what a treat to hear Roger and Marilyn in the morning. Brandi and I had started listening to it in the spring so it's nice to still hear it. I like the station and it keeps me up to date on the weather and any news out of Toronto.

One of the best things about my new job is the staff - they are ALL men, except for Abby in HR. Over the years if I've learned anything, it's that men are much easier to work with than women. Several of them are older, closer to my age, so you can actually have a conversation with them, not to mention several of them ride motorcycles, so how bad can they be?

I met the owner briefly as he doesn't usually spend much time there during the day, but he seems nice enough. His wife does payroll, but she wasn't in yesterday, so we haven't met yet.

After work yesterday, I stopped by Home Depot in hopes of bringing home some of my cabinets. I seriously underestimated how much room was in my car. I'm used to driving a hatch back and it's amazing what you can fit into those. Alas, not the same with the four door sedan. So Brenda, if it works out for her, will meet me in town today after work with a truck and we'll try this again.

Last night I was really tired, as I think I've not slept well for a few nights, just the whole job transition thing, keeping me away. I sat down to watch Law and Order at 8:00 and I think I saw the first ten minutes of it, then the next thing I knew the closing credits were rolling. So much for that idea. So I went to bed at 9:00 and sometime later, Lloyd called to find out how my first day went. Fortunately I was able to get back to sleep easily and slept soundly till about 1o to 5, which was great as my alarm was set for 5:00.

Before I go, a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Meghan(2). She's 8 years old today! Have a great day Meg, if you read this! I'll try calling her later this morning.
(Meghan, copy and paste the following information into your computer - there's a fun story about a cake shaped like a horse that you might enjoy.)

http://www.neilinnes.org/cakehorse.htm

Almost didn't make it today

Conditions at 7:00 - raining and 18*
Expected later - more rain and a high of 23*

When I got to Timothy's this morning, I wasn't able to log onto the wireless access. So, I tried one of the computers there and they didn't have access either, so I went back to my table to read the paper instead. Michelle, who works here, inquired if I was having some difficulty. I told her I wasn't able to access the internet on my laptop and I'm not great with Mac's so couldn't get onto theirs either. So she poked, prodded, unplugged and re-plugged and got it working, so here I am.

Today is my first day at the new job and I'm a little nervous, but that's normal. I'm sure there will be a bit of a learning curve but there usually is. Yesterday after work, the Advancement staff took me out for drinks and munchies at East Side Mario's. Rosie wasn't able to make it as she had to be somewhere else but she drives a Honda so I'll see her when she brings it in for service. She also assured me she'll call when she plans her next party. I was very pleased to have been left on the guest list. I received a lovely card from the staff with everyone telling me they want to keep in touch, and hopefully they mean it and are not just being polite! I also received a one year subscription to Bon Appetit magazine, which I used to subscribe to but it has run out since I moved here. So that was a really nice treat!

Speaking of food, I received a call from the lady who looks after Community School and it looks like they may be able to accommodate 'our' cooking class. They have a meeting next week and she's going to let me know. She just wanted to touch base and let me know that they were still looking into it

After I left East Side Mario's last night I went to Timothy's and had coffee and read a book until Bernie and Brenda picked me up and took me with them to Victoria by the Sea for "Letters from Wingfield Farm". It was quite funny and entertaining. He's a very talented man! A perfect way to keep my mind off the fact I was starting a new job this morning.

When I got home last night, around 11:00, there was a message from Home Depot - my cabinets are in! I'll swing by there tonight and see if I can fit the two drawers in my car - I think they should fit, then I'll have to coordinate with Brenda to see when I can get the other one home. I'm going to need her to bring a truck into town. But it's raining today and tomorrow night we have an event to attend in town and then Saturday I'm working from 12:00 to 830. But we'll figure something out.

Yesterday morning I had an appointment with a nutritionist to discuss my slightly elevated cholesterol level. She had all the results of my blood work and took my blood pressure and then plugged all these numbers into a computer program. It's purpose is to give you the likelihood of developing Cardiovascular Disease in ten years time. They seem to be all about prevention at this doctors office - what's up with THAT? Anyway, the computer tells me I have a 1.3% chance of developing heart disease in ten years. So basically she told me to just keep doing what I'm doing but did give me some dietary sheets but there wasn't anything in there I didn't already know. In some ways it was a bit of a waste of time but on the other hand it's nice to know I'm in pretty good health - but it's definitely more good luck than good management on my part, I can assure you!

Well, it's time to head off to Capital Honda. I'm not sure how long it will take from Timothy's and I'd hate to be late my first day! Once I know how much time I need from here, I'll be better able to plan my mornings.

Just anothert leasurely walk by the water

Conditions at 7:00 am - sunny and 15*
Expected later - 23* and sunny but lots of rain overnight

Okay, we actually went out for a walk last night. Brenda's been doing MUCH better than I have at walking but at least I've got started. I received my official walker number by email last week and I've started sending out emails to do a bit of fundraising. I've set my goal at $500 - a far cry from the $2,000 I used to have to raise. It's pointless to ask people at work to sponsor me as I think they're putting together a team to walk. So I've emailed a few people that have been very generous to sponsor me in other years. Like I told them, I can run, but they can't hide!

Just in case anyone wants to visit my site, here is the link.

http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=852658&LangPref=en-CA

Please feel free to make a small donation while you are there. I have another $275 to raise. If 28 people were to donate $10 each, I'd surpass my goal. Please consider being one of those VERY special people.

Okay enough begging - it's a beautiful sunny morning and the sun is just coming up over the river. I'm still at home as I have an appointment at 9:00 so don't have to go in so early. So I'm enjoying my coffee and some toast in the comfort of my pj's. But I need to soon get my act together and get ready for work.

Today is my last day at UPEI. I feel like another chapter of my life is over. There seems to have been a lot of those in the past year or so, but when one door closes, another opens, and I know it will all work out. The girls at work are taking me out for a drink after work tonight, then I'm meeting Brenda and Bernie in town and we're going to Victoria to see Wingfield Farm. I've never seen any of these plays so I'm really looking forward to it.

I was thinking..

Conditions at 7:00 am- 9* and sunny

Expected later - 21* and more sun

I was trying to think of how I could improve my liquor store experience. Last Saturday was my first day and it was less than perfect. I stood in one spot for the entire 4 hours and my feet and legs were killing me. While I enjoyed talking to people, the standing was hard, and the table they gave me was totally inadequate. It was little more than a TV tray table. I talked to Chris yesterday, the fellow who I deal with, and who hired me, and is based out of Halifax. I get the impression that this is the first time this company has done this sort of thing on the island, and there's a big difference between here and what goes on with the Nova Scotia liquor commission.
While I was there, another couple of people came in to do a tasting of some type of rum. They had theirs already mixed with 7up and were giving away T-shirts and hats, etc. But they were only there for about 45 minutes, then they packed up and left. What intrigued me was the table they were using. It was the resin folding type but only about 20 x 30 inches. They set it up and put a table cloth over it and it looked so much better than what I had to work with.

So, yesterday I checked all around for one of those tables. I finally found one online and it was $40. If I could have found one here I would have bought it but a search of all local stores turned up nothing. So, back up plan, I went to Home Depot and found the folding table legs for $20.00 and a 2 foot by 4 foot sheet of plywood, trimmed down to 3 feet, for the top was another $8.00. SO, for just around $30.0 I have a great little table that I can easily fit in the trunk of my car. I found a piece of fabric to put over the top, and one of my stools will fit ever so neatly underneath. The god part is I have the table to keep and if somewhere down the road I need a bigger table for something I can just take the folding legs off and put them onto a bigger sheet of plywood.
Now I'm all set for Saturday, when I'm doing two 4 hours shifts. The bigger display space will be much nicer as well, as you have to keep count of how many samples you give out so you need somewhere for a clipboard or something, as well as your glasses, ice bucket (for the white) and the display bottles. I may even do a couple of signs I can put on the table advertising the free samples. Now I'm quite excited about next Saturday!

Last night, I was late getting home, after going all over town looking for a table, and by the time I made supper, cleaned up, put my table together, then watched a little TV, the night was over. I had talked to Patti in the morning and the flights just aren't going to work so Meghan's going to have to wait till next summer to see Anne of Green Gables, The Musical.

I'm quite happy to see that the Goods are again selling their produce at the side of the road. I really enjoyed that last year, being able to just stop by on my way home. Last night I stopped in and picked up a huge cauliflower and had some of it with some new potatoes, mashed with some roasted garlic and sour cream - yum. I just put butter on the cauliflower and it was delicious. I was poking around in the freezer on the weekend and I found half a roasted pork loan, so I took that out yesterday and had some warmed up with my meal. It was delicious. I used the steamer I got in China Town before I left Ontario and it worked brilliantly. I put the potatoes in the bottom, cooked them till almost done, then put the veggies in the steamer above the potatoes, along with a piece of pork, wrapped in foil. By the time the potatoes were cooked, the veggies were tender and the meat was warmed. Perfect!

Today my replacement starts at UPEI. She's actually a little older than me and she's a temp who goes around and fills in where needed. We'll only have two days together (well, actually 1 1/2 as I have a doctors appointment in the morning tomorrow), but I've written down instructions for most things and we'll have time to at least go over those things. It should make it much easier for her than it was when I started, as Linda was already gone and no one else had a clue what she did. So there were a lot of questions, and much trial and error. Hopefully it will be easier for Paula.

Mission Accomplished!

Conditions at 7:00 am - 13* and sunny

Expected later - 20* and more sun

What a wonderful feeling to have the wood all split and stacked! My goal was to finish the job this weekend and I'm extremely happy to report that it's done! I spent all of Friday working on it, and most of Sunday, but it's finished.
It was a wonderful weekend, weather wise, so that was a big help. Thursday night, after work, Brenda and I went into town to Old Home Week. It's essentially our version of a fall fair. There was a midway set up, that the kids would have loved. horse shows, various craft and baking displays, and horse racing going on at the same time. We toured around and looked at all the exhibits, and I took some photos of some of the quilts that were on display. Some were absolutely gorgeous, and certainly inspiring to a beginner like me. By the time we'd toured around, it was getting late, so we had time to go for a ride on the ferris wheel before picking up caramel corn to munch on while we drove home.
Friday morning I got up a little late, almost 8:00, and started in right way splitting wood. It was quite warm and sunny but the bonus is there were no mosquitoes. There were some flies that were a bit bothersome, but that was it, so it was a pleasure to work outside and not to have to drown yourself in bug spray. By Friday evening, I was exhausted. So it was a hot bath, a quick supper of homemade pizza cooked on the BBQ, a little TV then off to bed. I had thought about parking myself beside a bonfire later in the evening, but around 8:00 it just poured down with rain, so that put an end to that idea.
Saturday was supposed to be rainy so I had planned to work inside. It was going to be my bread baking and laundry day. It was a little overcast in the morning then it cleared right up and was a beautiful day. But I stayed with my original plan and made a batch of Brenda's bread, and did laundry. The bread recipe makes about 16 loaves of bread, and of course I didn't have enough freezer space for it all, so I took a loaf over to Daralen and 3 loaves over to Brenda. She was out cutting grass when I got there but Will and Ethan were working on the back porch. I told them I brought bread and was just going to put it on the table. They were both very happy, complaining that they hadn't had any bread in a while. I'm sure that was a bit of an exaggeration, and I know they had store bought bread, but it's also really nice that they appreciate the effort their mom puts into baking them bread, although they probably don't tell her that. But they told me in a round about way, so I'm passing it on.
Later in the evening, Brenda asked if I had any left for me. I told her I had LOTS and she said, well you don't have to make the whole recipe you know. But there's something very gratifying in manipulating that huge piece of dough, and turning it into something wonderful. I've tried so may times over the years to make bread from scratch and it's never been successful, but this one turns out great. I can't tell you how great it is to finally be able to do this. So thank you Brenda.
Saturday afternoon, I had my first shift at the liquor store giving out samples. It was only four hours, but that was long enough to stand in one spot. I'm working on another plan of how to do it so I can bring a stool. I'm doing two shifts this Saturday, and I've got to figure something else out. But I have an idea....
Sunday was again bright and sunny, not too hot, and again no more bugs, so I started in right away working on wood. Brenda called and we got together for coffee and muffins at her house before heading out to have a bike lesson. Last week sometime, Bernie suggested that Brenda and I could go on a bike ride as they have an extra motorcycle that I could use. But it's been a very long time since I last drove a motorcycle, and I was never too experienced to start with. So Brenda suggested that we go to the school and I could ride around the parking lot to get the feel of it again. So I took my car and she drove her bike, and we met at the school. I spent a little while driving around the parking lot doing figure eights around the roadways in the lot. Finally I felt comfortable enough to head out onto the road. The plan was to ride from the school out to the main road and then see how it felt. If I still wasn't confident enough then we'd switch vehicles when we got there. But by the time I got to Fort Augustus Road, I felt okay, so I just kept going and drove it home to Brenda's. I still need some practice but she suggested that I just come by some evening when I have some spare time and take it for a run. We were both quite excited that it went so well, as this opens up a whole new realm of possibilities - just one more thing we can do on Sundays! I was talking to Lloyd last night and he suggested that I be careful not to get talked into buying a bike! Guess I'll just have to learn to ride the Honda. How scary is that???

When I got back home I split wood till I was done, a little after three. I then poured myself a tall gin and tonic and sat outside in the sunshine and enjoyed looking at all my hard work. There was such a sense of accomplishment in finally finishing it. After relaxing a bit, it was time to clean up, so I got the rake out and raked up all the small pieces of wood that collect on the ground around the splitter. I started a bonfire and put them all in the fire to burn, while I got the lawn mower out and cut down all the giant weeds that had grown in and around the wood pile. Now it's nice and neat again.

Sounds like Lloyd had a great weekend. He played Grandpa Saturday night and had Tristen for a sleepover. They went for pizza for supper and then he took him for breakfast with the guys on Sunday morning, then a tour of the airport to look at some planes. I think they both really enjoyed their time together. He also went to Stratford with Rose on Sunday to see Evita, and he said it was fabulous and they had a really great time. So thank you Rose, for taking him. He really enjoys those kinds of things but it's not the sort of thing he'd do by himself.
This week is also going to be busy, as he has plans almost every night. Next weekend is Ribfest so I know there will likely be more than one trip to Riverside Park!

Finally saw inside the church

Conditions at 7:00 am - mix of sun and cloud, 17*
Expected later - sunny and 26*


It would take a huge amount of work but it definitely has potential! Last night after work, I met with Robert, the fellow who is in charge of showing the church. I got there first, then he arrived a couple of minutes later. When I got out of the car and introduced myself, I told him a couple of friends were going to try to join us as well. He suggested we go inside and look around while we waited. We were upstairs looking out the front window when the bike turned in the drive, and he looked out, and asked "Is that Bernie Van Gaal......... and Brenda?" I said yes it was, those were the friends I was waiting for.
So they came in and we all looked it over and Bernie brought his measuring tape. It's basically just one big room, so it's like a clean slate almost, you could really reconfigure it a lot of different ways. Bernie went into the cellar with Robert and reported that it was good and sound underneath. It would really take a lot of work, but it would certainly be an interesting project. Now we just have to wait and see how much it would cost to move it. I know that would only be a fraction of the cost for the entire project. Like I said to Brenda, all I need is a small lottery winning. She suggested that if I won a small lottery, I wouldn't need to do this project, but I pointed out it would be something to do. I guess I'm just not yet ready for that rocking chair. I'd really like to be done with the Monday to Friday 9:00 to 5:00 routine, but I'd still need something to do with my time. I'm not going to sit and wait to die - when the time comes, death is going to have to catch me!

After we left, I drove Brenda home and she kindly invited me to supper - new potatoes, fresh carrots (boy were they sweet), yellow beans and BBQ steak. As we ate, we mulled over what "we" could do with the church. I guess my big concern is, it would have been a wonderful idea twenty, or even ten, years ago. What am I thinking to even consider taking this on at our age? But then, I think of Frank Balnar and how he bought his first apartment building when he retired, and look where he was twenty years later? If nothing else, he was a wonderful inspiration to anyone considering a post-retirement career.

Today is the beginning of our long weekend. My goal it to finish the rest of the wood pile. It's supposed to be very hot again today, it's been quite humid the last few days, so I'll see how it is this afternoon. I'll have the whole day tomorrow and the morning on Saturday, at least. I still haven't heard yet if I'm working at the liquor store on Saturday or not. I suspect I'll find out today.

I baked butter tarts last night for dessert at our take out picnic at work today. I dropped some off at the VanGaal's on my way to work this morning. The work is progressing quite nicely on their back entranceway. I didn't know that Bernie had a sawmill. He's cut his own two by fours, and they look so much bigger than a store bought one, because they are actually two by four! I saw the window that's going into the door, and it's absolutely beautiful. It's going to be a really nice space, with lots of nice big windows. I can see a few cups of tea being consumed there!

Conditions at 7:00 am - 18* and sunny
Expected later - 26* and suny!

My kitchen island will soon be a reality. I went into Home Depot yesterday and changed my mind on what cupboards I wanted to get. I found out that the base cabinets I've ordered don't have drawers so instead I've changed one of the 30" bases to two 15 inch banks of drawers. That will give me much more functionality in that space. I'm really excited about them coming in next week. The best part is they come already assembled, so all Lloyd will have to do is put the counter top on when he gets here with it.

I talked to him yesterday and he and Jim are due to arrive Friday, September 3rd, after spending two nights on the road - the first with Stephan and Trish in Brockville and the second in Montreal. Then they will be leaving on Tuesday to go back home. I will be working at Honda on the Saturday but I'll be home the rest of the weekend and off on Monday. Right now I'm working on the list of food we'll have while they're here. I'm planning to make another batch of Brenda's bread this weekend but I'm going to bake it before I freeze it. My last batch was a bit of an experiment and it didn't work well, just freezing the dough. It doesn't seem to rise after it's been frozen, but I have no idea why, as I've bought frozen dough at the store and it works fine. Perhaps it's because it doesn't have all the chemicals that the store stuff does. Not to worry, the frozen dough works well for pizza dough, so it won't go to waste.
I was just looking at the Fall Flavours schedule and there's a Chef Michael signature event on the 3rd but I don't know if they'll get here in time. I'll have to find out - it's a lobster dinner that I'm sure they'd both enjoy. There's so much going on this year, it's hard to choose from them all.

I just checked my email this morning and there's a chance to work two shifts ( 12 to 4, and 4:30 to 8:30) at the liquor store in Stratford on Saturday. Chris apologied profusely for the short notice but the liquor store just contacted them with this opening. It's totally at the discretion of the PEI Liqour Commission. So I emailed him back and I'm waiting to hear if I get it or not.

Today, after work, I have an appointment at 5:00 to look inside the church. I called Moveall again yesterday, as I haven't heard back from them, and the lady I spoke with told me that yes, they have had a preliminary look and are still thinking about it. She says they'll get back to me with a price soon. It's the island way, just be patient! In the meantime, I can still fantasize.

Sea Heather

Conditions at 7:00 - overcast and 14*
Expected later - possible rain and a high of 23*


Last night I was introduced to the wonder that is Sea Heather. What a lovely little flower. It looks a lot like baby's breathe, and now that I think of it, I'm sure I've seen something like it in flower baskets before. It's very pretty and grows wild along the edge of the river. On the weekend Brenda had mentioned that it flowers around the middle of August and that we needed to check it out. So last night she called and suggested we start some walking and head down Hickey's Wharf road in search of Sea Heather. We both came back carrying great bouquets.

When I got home from work, I started in splitting wood. I've finally finished the first pile, the larger of the two. I can now honestly say that the pile to be done is smaller than the pile that still needs to be done. It's a slow process but it's going well. Only a couple of bruises from logs falling off the back of the truck and hitting me in the leg. Hazards of the job I suppose. I'll be glad when it's done but there is a certain satisfaction at seeing the rows grow in numbers. It's tangible proof of what I've been doing all summer. No, it hasn't ALL been fun and games!

I've decided that I want to put a more permanent island in my kitchen. So long story short, Lloyd is picking up a piece of butcher block counter top for me when he drives down in September and I've ordered a couple of kitchen cabinets to put in the centre of the floor. It will give me a little more cupboard space and it will be much easier to sweep around. It will also be very functional counter space. I do need room at the end for a stool to sit under, as that's Brenda's spot. I'm very excited about this little project. The back of the cupboards will be facing the door so I'm going to put a piece of the same beaded board on there that's on the rest of the kitchen walls. I think it will be a great addition to my kitchen. Then my next big project for the kitchen will be the second stove. I now know it will fit and I'll still actually be able to use the cupboards beside it, although eventually they may be moved. I'll wait till after I've caught up a little bit from getting the chimney fixed. Once the island is in, and the stove is in, it will pretty much be the kitchen that I really wanted. It doesn't have to be big and fancy, just have a big stove and an island.

I have a very sad tale to tell. On Saturday morning when I was splitting wood, I'd picked up a piece of wood off the ground, and hadn't noticed that there was a tiny newborn animal of some kind under it. It was a little later that I noticed it and it was lying in the dirt baking in the sun. I assumed it was dead until I touched it and it moved. So I picked it up and took it into the house and put it into a small container with nice soft kleenex underneath. I warmed some milk and was actually able to get a couple of drops into it's wee little mouth. I have no idea what it was, it was too big for a mouse, but as Brenda suggested, it may have been a rat. It was too small for a rabbit and it did have a tail. I suppose it could have been a mole as well. I took a picture of it with a quarter beside it for a point of reference.

I knew it would probably die, as it was pretty dehydrated from it's brief time in the sun. It's paper thin hairless skin would lose moisture pretty quickly. Now I know most of you think I'm totally crazy for bringing something like that into the house, but I just couldn't knowingly leave it out there to bake to death in the sun. I figured it would die soon and it did later on in the evening. But I have comfort in knowing that at least it was in a comfy place when it died.

Does it get any more perfect that this?

Conditions at 7:00 am - 15* and sunny
Expected later - sunny and 25*

What a wonderful weekend it was! The weather was absolutely perfect, the bugs were down in numbers, and we just had so much fun!
Actually we got the weekend off to a great start on Friday night. Brenda came over and we watched a movie and enjoyed an adult beverage while doing it. I made a cake for our dessert but unfortunately it didn't turn out as sponge like as it was meant to. Let's just say we gave pound cake a new meaning - I'm sure each small piece weighed at least a pound! It tasted okay, but it was horribly heavy. However, we still ate it. I do have to make that one again, but figure out what went wrong first. (oh well, I guess they can't all be brilliant)

Saturday morning I got up early and got right into splitting and stacking wood. I worked from 8:30 to 12:30. By then it was very hot and I was exhausted. So I went inside, had a snack and then headed back outside to cut the grass in the back yard. I'd done the front and side earlier in the week and just had the patch in the back with the trees (the most time consuming one to do).

By the time I'd finished that, I had time to go and soak in a nice hot bath, and get ready to help out at the rec centre. There was a wedding on Saturday and the bridal party had previously called Brenda to ask permission to take the pictures beside her sun flowers. It would be lovely to see how they turn out.

It was a small wedding, only 102 people, and we were all done and enjoying our final drink a little after 9:00. Brenda stayed to visit with people as it was a local wedding, and she knew a lot of people there, but I went home. I was totally beat. It occurred to me that I hadn't split any wood in two weeks and I was pitifully out of shape. But a good nights sleep works wonders!

Sunday morning dawned a little overcast with a light breeze. We had decided on Saturday night that if Sunday was the same weather as Saturday, we would probably do a beach day, just to say we've done that for this year. But it didn't seem that way early on in the morning. So we decided to load up the kayaks and also take our bathing suits, and then decide later what we wanted to do.

ut first, we went to Tracadie where the Lions Club hosts a Sunday morning breakfast every Sunday from 11:00 to 12:30. What a great meal! For $6.00 each, we had pancakes, sausages, (and LLOYD - two types of beans!), plus fruit, veggies and dip, biscuits and jam, pita breads and dip, as well as several loaf cakes. Add coffee or tea, and juice and it was a wonderful brunch. We sat at a table with some folks from Halifax and chatted with them before heading out.


By now it was sunny and getting warmer so we went up to Morrell and put in at the bridge, and headed out to St. Peter's Bay. It's quite a lengthy paddle from the bridge to the mouth of the bay but we made it. We pulled the boats up onto the shore and found a lovely sunny, dry spot on this HUGE beach, to park ourselves. I brought along our picnic backpack, much to Brenda's delight! Inside is dishes, wine glasses,etc and a bottle of VEX hard pink lemonade that I'd put in the freezer the night before. By the time we got to it, it was just slushy so it was lovely and cold and refreshing. We enjoyed that with some nacho chips and dip that I'd brought. After eating, we actually went into the water. It was chilly at first but once you got in, it was great. I'll have to show Patti how to get there as the kids would really enjoy that particular beach.

On our way back to where we had beached the boats, we walked out a long way on a sand bar that was just below the surface of the water. When we were walking back, we went a different direction and all of a sudden I was in weeds. I have a real phobia about walking in weeds in the water so I started swimming over them instead. That was almost as creepy but at least I was able to do it. What we didn't know is that it suddenly dropped off in one spot. I went to stand up when I got to the shore and I had to really pull myself out of the water on this steep part of the beach. At the same time, Brenda was walking and suddenly found herself in deep water as well. Good thing she was wearing her life jacket and she was able to swim with one hand as she was holding her camera up out of the water to keep it from getting wet . What a sight we would have made had anyone been watching! I clawed my way out of the water and then grabbed the camera from Brenda so she could get out, as you really needed two hands to pull yourself out. What an experience and we laughed about it all the way back to the boats.

Then it was time to paddle back. By the time we got to Morell, the bridge was a very welcome sight. We were both pretty tired. We packed up our stuff, loaded the boats and then headed home. We stopped at a farm gate to pick up some potatoes and yellow beans and headed home. Brenda dropped me off and went home to shower and put her boat away, then came back and we had a simple supper of BBQ turkey thighs, (that had been slightly smoked with apple wood chips I'd picked up at Sobey's) It was an experiment but it worked pretty well. There was a slight smokey taste but not overpowering. I used a melon baller to cut small balls out of the new potatoes and boiled them till just done, then tossed them in some butter and fresh herbs - chives and basil from my yard. The yellow beans were so lovely and fresh - you could tell they had just been picked that day. They were so good. I really need to have a garden next year.

But that depends on how busy I am next year. I'm still absolutely of stuck on this whole church idea. Brenda said to me at breakfast, "when you get an idea in your head, you stick with it" I told her it's more like it festers in my mind. It gets stuck in there and I can't seem to shake it. The idea has grown in many ways and I'm really going to have to start writing down all the thoughts that are rolling around in my mind. I suggested to Brenda that her job is to try to talk me out of it. She replied that she's learned through the years to just let the person ramble on and eventually the idea will just die a natural death. No idea where she would get that experience! We'll see how far this one goes.

Just a quick note to welcome Mike and Carol. They are old friends from Fergus, who owned the best pub in the world (or at least OUR world). It was a wonderful place where we always felt so welcome. We didn't get there as often after we moved to Guelph but when we did go we were always welcomed with hugs from both the bartender and the server! We both have such fond memories of our times there and the many great people we met over the years. Now Mike and Carol are retired and have taken on some new projects. I got a lovely email from Carol this morning and found out she's doing the very same thing I'm doing, so family can keep track of what they are up to. I can't wait to log onto her blog, with a glass of wine, and catch up with them, much as she will do with mine. I have this image of the two of us, in two different parts of the country, sipping a glass of wine and reading about each others everyday lives, and catching up (only difference is, hers will be white, mine will be red!). It's not as good a doing it in person, but it will do for now. They hope to visit the island next year and I'm really looking forward to sharing our new life with them and hearing all about theirs.

Finally, something full time.

Conditions at 7:00 - sunny and 12*
Expected later - sunny and 24* - and more of the same for the weekend!

Yesterday was a banner day for jobs! I was flipping through the paper yesterday when I came upon an ad for a downtown hotel that was looking for an Administrative Assistant, so just to cover all my bases, I emailed off a resume when I got to work.

I also went online and noticed that the Old Triangle is looking for 4 full time servers. I know the pay might not be so great but tips can really top that up, so I chatted with Sarah about that one, as she works there part time.

Later in the afternoon, I got the call from Capital Honda offering me the job there. I've still not heard yet from Invesco, but I think the Honda job is a better fit for me. It's longer hours than Invesco but the same money in the end. So I was ever so happy to say yes. Then a few minutes later I got an email from the hotel I applied to in the morning:

"Hi Sandy,

When is your term finished at UPEI? Are you interested in a full time year round line cook position?
Tanya"

Needless to say, I emailed back and told I'd already accepted an offer from somewhere else so please take me off the list, but thank you very much.

Finally things are starting to fall into place. It's been a little frustrating to apply for all kinds of jobs and not get an interview. Looks like things are okay now.

Rosie came in to congratulate me, after Tracey sent out an email to the department (she already knew about it, as they had called for a reference). Apparently Rosie has a new Honda so I told her I'd be the one greeting her when she comes in and the one driving her to work. She said oh, you've got the owners's daughters job. She knows the family quite well and and says they're really nice. The daughter is going back to university, so that's my good fortune.

Last night Brenda and I went up to St. Peter's to the Courthouse Theatre to see The Village Idiot. It was quite good, and what a cute little venue. I think it holds about 80 people and they were turning people away at the door as they were full. We thought we'd gotten there a bit too early, but in the end it turned out to be a good decision. We had supper at Rick's and Brenda's cousin and his family arrived for supper as well. Popular place, Rick's.

After the play, we came back to my house and sat outside wrapped in blankets and had tea and watched for meteors. It was quite chilly but the sky was wonderfully clear. We saw some, but I hear on the radio this morning that tonight will be better. so I may have to stay up late again tonight.

It's almost the weekend, again!

Conditions at 7:00 am - sunny and 13*
Expected later - mix of sun and cloud and 21*


It's amazing how short the week is when you have Monday off! I can't believe it's Thursday already. But part of that is because I've been busy and it just keeps on going. Yesterday Brenda called to tell me she had acquired tickets to see "Sexy Laundry" at the Confed Centre for last night, and was I interested in going. We are both VERY flexible, and able to drop everything (well, most things) and go, so off we went. It was quite fun and we topped the evening off with coffee/tea and dessert at the Pilot House.

Tonight we're going to St. Peter's for "The Village Idiot", after we have supper at Rick's Fish and Chips in St. Peter's. And the fun just continues!



When we were first designing the house we were going to build, I wanted a large stove with two ovens. The only trouble is they cost an arm and two legs. On the weekend I had a brainwave. Why can't I just buy another one identical to the one I already have and put the two side by side? It would be the same effect. I'd have all the features of the double size without the price. The back panel might not be as high tech looking but it would totally work, especially in the stainless steel. Yesterday I called the folks who did the gas work on my stove to install it, and they said it would be no problem to run both off the same connection. Then it would truly be the kitchen of my dreams! I'd only lose one tiny cabinet and half of another one. Eventually the counter top will need replacing and at that time, we can slightly reconfigure the corner so it all fits snugly. I think it's a brilliant idea. The number of times I'm cooking more than one thing at a time and you need two different oven temperatures, would totally make it worth it (okay, in MY mind it would).

Yesterday morning I was sitting at my desk and the phone rang and it was a lady calling from the Superstore. She said she had some flowers to deliver and wanted to know what building to bring them to. I asked her who they were for and she said they were for me! I thought that was a little odd, but I told her where to bring them. A little while later, a lady arrived with a lovely basket with a fresh flower arrangement in it. There were roses, gerber daisy's and various other red and white flowers. They are beautiful. Turns out they were from Nancy. That was so totally not necessary, but what a lovely surprise.

Speaking of flowers, I stopped on my way to Brenda's last night and took some photos of her sunflowers. They are absolutely gorgeous right now. She says that someone stopped in and wanted to know if they could come there and take their wedding pictures. What a lovely and unusual background that will make.

Someone just came in to the coffee shop and reminded us that tonight around midnight there is going to be a meteor shower. One of the regular customers is apparently taking some sort of tour out on a boat to watch it. I'm not sure if I'll be able to stay awake long enough but if it's a clear night, it should be spectacular out in the country. If it's not cloudy, I'll try my best to wait up.

The original PEI Sound and Light Show !

Conditions at 7:00 am - pouring rain and 16*
Expected later - mix of sun and cloud and 20*

I was rudely awakened this morning by a HUGE clap of thunder at exactly 3:12 am. What a storm. It didn't last long but the thunder and lightening was mighty intense. I thought about getting up and watching outside as I'm sure it was quite the light show. But instead, I stayed snug in my bed. Cooper's not normally afraid of storms, but he was sleeping on the other bed and I heard him whine a little then he came and got up on the bed with me. I guess he just needed to be beside someone.

I think I'm finally caught up on my sleep. Monday afternoon, when I got home, I had a lengthy nap, then picked up the dog. Brenda called and invited me to join her and the boys for supper, as Bernie's on his way to Ontario for Friday the 13th. So needless to say, not much got done that night. But last night I got most of the grass cut, I just have the very back field to do, and of course, cut around the big trees with the push mower and then do the trimming. I hope to get that all done before the weekend so I can spend the majority of Saturday splitting wood. I'm making good progress on it and now I just want to motor through it and get it done.

I had a job interview yesterday morning for another position I saw advertised. I still haven't heard back from the first one I interviewed for, but I'm trying to make sure I have something. The second job doesn't pay as much per hour, but it's more hours and the end result is the same amount of money at the end of the day, and even though it's quite a bit less than I'm now making, I feel confident I can manage on it. There won't be a lot of extravagant purchases , but I think I'll still be able to enjoy myself from time to time!

Speaking of enjoying myself, Brenda and I have several plays to attend this summer. On Thursday we are going to St. Peter's to see "The Village Idiot", a play co-written by Margie Carmicheal. I was reading some information on line yesterday and it looks like it will be a lot of fun. Then there's "The Last Resort", which Linda highly recommended and "Hairspray". It's going to be a busy few weeks. Of course in all of that, we really need to start walking to prepare for the Terry Fox run as well.

When Nancy was here, she mentioned that they were having trouble getting connected to my blog so I sent another link to Stuart. I think she must have gotten it, as yesterday there was a visitor from Baltimore, Maryland. Coincidence? I think not!

WHAT A KNIGHT!

Conditions at 7:00 am - overcast and 18*

Expected later - mix of sun and cloud and a high of 26*

It's been two days since the concert and I'm still mulling it over in my mind. This morning when I got to Timothy's, Michelle asked me where I'd been. I told her I'd been to Toronto to see Paul McCartney. Just then another customer who I see everyday, happened to be reading the Globe and Mail and he was just reading about the concert. I'll have to get that review from the paper at work. I'm not much of a writer (as most of you already know, from reading this) but if I could adequately express what the experience was like it would look something like this:

Ageless Paul McCartney charms crowd with inspirational performance

August 09, 2010

Nick Krewen

Ageless Paul McCartney turns in an energetic performance at the Air Canada Centre. (Aug. 8, 2010)

VINCE TALOTTA/TORONTO STAR

Baby, we’re amazed!

He may have recently turned 68, but Paul McCartney performed like a man one-quarter of his age before an adoring crowd at a packed Air Canada Centre last night.

For the first of two concerts—he returns to the ACC tonight—the living legend’s stamina was absolutely stupefying. He seemed to turn back the hands of time during a nearly three-hour marathon that featured 36 songs and nary a sip of water between them.

Backed by a tremendous quartet that included monster drummer (and chief dancer) Abe Laboriel Jr., the agelessly thin, limber Macca focused his set liberally on his Wings catalogue—particularly 1973’s exceptional Band On The Run—and another band of his that you may have heard of called the Beatles.

It didn’t take him long to get started on either. Looking resplendent in a black suit, he launched the show on a slightly mellow note with the Wings’ “Venus And Mars” before heaving it into another gear with “Rock Show,” the song’s second half, and then segueing directly into “Jet.” Several thousand fans’ fists ripped through the air in unison every time the title was chanted.

After “All My Loving,” the third song in and the first to herald back to the Four Lads Who Shook The World days, McCartney took a moment to acknowledge his surroundings.

“This is such a cool atmosphere,” he said. “I just want to drink it in for myself.”

Then it was back to business and a steady string of hits and classics. The jacket came off to reveal a white shirt and suspenders. Then McCartney spent the rest of the night switching from his signature left-handed bass to left-handed guitar, mandolin and, for the first go on the piano, “1985” and “The Long And Winding Road.”

His voice was in fine fettle. Although the sound heard from the side stage remained largely distorted and cavernous most of the night, McCartney delivered some pristine moments, including a dynamic falsetto on “Here Today.” It’s a song he told the audience he wrote after the 1980 passing of John Lennon about “the conversation we never had.”

McCartney generously acknowledged his two former Beatle mates who have shaken this mortal coil, strumming a ukulele version of “Something” that he said he played for George Harrison and tacking a coda of “Give Peace A Chance” onto “A Day In The Life.”

Whether you loved “Let ‘Em In,” “Drive My Car” or “Let It Be,” McCartney and his sidemen—keyboardist Paul “Wix” Wickens and guitarist Rusty Anderson with occasional help from supporting guitarist and bass player Brian Ray—didn’t mess with your memory cells. They kept the solos in the arrangement intact, with Wickens in particular re-creating trombone or sax parts with his fingers.

It wasn’t only McCartney’s performance ethic that made his performance so magical and memorable. It was also the Liverpool lad’s charm.

For example, he performed “Blackbird” on acoustic guitar and inadvertently mixed up the verses. He explained he was too busy trying to focus on everything and had unsuccessfully warned himself not to read the numerous signs that audience members had brought.

At least one of those signs, the one that read “My Dad drove me 2,000 km to hug a Beatle,” paid off, as he brought the young girl on stage during his second encore for the hug she requested.

He also joked about the arsenal of instruments he brought along for the tour.

“If you’re wondering why we have all these guitars up here and why we keep switching – we’re showing off,” he deadpanned.

And he told some great stories, including being complimented by the fact that Jimi Hendrix performed the entire Sgt. Pepper’s album in concert in England two days after it was released back in 1967.

But there was one more ingredient that spiced up the immaculately written hits like “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Get Back,” “Lady Madonna,” “Yesterday,” “Hey Jude,” that were paraded in front of the 18,000 in attendance: Paul McCartney’s zeal.

It’s clear from his performance that the fire and passion still burn deep within his soul. Whether he’s rocking out to “Back In The U.S.S.R,” romancing the masses with the ballad “My Love” or regaling us with the stoic anthem “Mull Of Kintyre” (with full highland band), McCartney’s genuine enthusiasm knocks his game up a notch.

Last night, he embodied the true definition of the word “inspiration.”

Like I said, WHAT A KNIGHT!

It's McCartney day!

It's finally here - McCartney day. The concert is this evening and we're going into Toronto a little earlier and getting dinner somewhere. Yesterday didn't quite go as planned but it was still a great day. We met the airport guys at 8:00 for breakfast then we went back to the airport with Jan to look at the photographic equipment. By the time we poked around there and the boys discussed more airplane 'stuff' it was a little too late to go to Niagara. We settled instead on going to IKEA as I haven't been in a while. Patti has a very nice wooden bench on her front porch that she got there and I wanted to find one for me. Unfortunately they didn't have any more. We toured the store and I think for the first time in my life, I didn't buy anything there. We were going to get meatballs for lunch but it was way too busy, so we left and found a little Lebanese restaurant down the street and had lunch there. We stopped into Canadian Tire on the way home in search of a canner and some jar lids. Apparently Lloyd and Jim's wife Patty, are going to be making tomato sauce, and canned tomatoes on Monday afternoon. He's becoming quite the little housewife!

After an afternoon nap, we headed over to Jim and Patty's for supper. Jan and his wife Cathy, also joined us. I hadn't met Cathy before and we had a lovely time. We had fresh corn on the cob and it seems especially sweet this year. We also had fresh green and yellow beans, BBQ steaks and tomato and spinach salad. Cathy had brought a raspberry custard pie to finish off our meal. When we finished eating, we sat around the fire outside and had a lovely time.

Now this morning, we are again going to meet up with the guys for breakfast and after that, we have no definite plans. We'll just see how the day unfolds.

Having a great time but also looking forward to going home.

I'll be leaving the house very early in the morning and I didn't bring my laptop with me, so tomorrows post will be sometime later in the day.

Happy Sunday everyone!

It's much cooler now

Yesterday proved to be much cooler than Thursday. It was really quite pleasant. I actually wore a jacket when I went out first thing in the morning.
I woke up around 5:00 am and Lloyd was already gone to work so I just kind of puttered around the apartment. I baked my cake and headed out to the office a little before 9:00. Several people there were away on vacation but I still got to see Kay, Jackie, Jana, Yvonne and Maryanne. They also have a very nice young man working with them for the summer as a coop student. We sat around and chatted till it was time for everyone to get back to work. I had a couple of errands I needed to do so I drove around town then met Fran at Royal City Chinese food for lunch. While we were there I invited them to join us for supper later in the evening. After lunch, I called Linda and we met at Timothy's for coffee. She was able to find me one of those travel carrier things she has in her car for the dog. It totally covers the entire back seat so muddy paws are not all over the car. It also comes with a water bottle, collapsible water bowl, food container and a first aid kit for pets. Gee, I don't even have one of those for ME! I had seen hers when she came over to the house and she had gotten it at Costco. She said if she saw one she'd get it for me. I was surprised to get an email from her yesterday morning telling me she'd found one, so that was good timing!

After coffee I picked up some groceries and went back to Lloyd's to make supper. It was going to be an easy one -Greek Salad, mini boiled potatoes, sauteed whole in butter after cooking, corn on the cob (it was wonderfully sweet and delicious) and beer can chicken. Lloyd had made a spice rub for some he had cooked previously and it was very good. For dessert we grilled fresh peaches on the BBQ and served them over vanilla frozen yogurt. But before we started cooking anything, Jim called and we met him and Jan at Shakespeare Arms around 4:30 for a beer. But we had to leave by 6:00 so I could get the chickens on the BBQ as Fran and Walt were coming over around 7:00.

We had a pleasant evening sitting around the table like old times and I must admit I do miss that. The four of us have enjoyed so many meals together over the years. It was nice to spend time with just the two of them as the last times I've been here it's usually a group of us that get together.

So as you can see, it's been all about the food and beverages so far.

This morning we're meeting the airport crew for breakfast. We weren't planning on it but Jan has a brother who has some photographic equipment he is looking for a home for. Lloyd and Jan had already discussed this and thought I might be a likely candidate, even though it's not something I've done in a very long time, but I'd love to get back into. I know that no one does any of their own processing anymore, although some one must as you can still buy the chemicals in a camera shop on Queen Street. There is just something so magical about watching the images appear before your very eyes in the developer tray. I'd love to share that with the kids. I think it's important to impart some of those old ways of doing thing onto the kids today. I'd like them to see that not everything has always been so instant.

Speaking of old ways, I've got this idea stuck in my head and that's why I was up again at 5:00 this morning. Once I wake up, ideas start spinning around and it's a waste of time trying to go back to sleep. There's this church ...that needs a new home..... and the more I think of it, the more the idea is taking shape. Lloyd even contributed that it could go on the lot on Five Houses road - and he's come up with a name. Hypothetically, I would make it into a bed and breakfast. Bed and Breakfast customers are looking for a different experience. Because we are not in an area with a lot of tourist attractions, would it not be kind of neat to stay in a church? I see it being something that would appeal to the folks that want something a little off the beaten path. While at the same time, we are a short drive to the beach, golf, the confederation trail, and actually even Charlottetown. Right now the emphasis is on the local produce and how cool would it be to have a unique bed and breakfast experience in the heart of one of PEI's agricultural areas. I know it would cost quite a bit to move, renovate and get up and running so I'm doing a bit of research into finding out if there is grant money, or low cost loans to assist with this kind of project. I might just be dreaming, but the more I think about it, the more ideas come into my head. I need to pick up a small note book to jot things down cause there's too much rattling around in my head to remember them all. Those of you who know me well, are sitting there thinking, okay, just sit down and give your head a shake. But I think it does warrent a little investigation. Any comments???? (besides the obvious, are you nuts?)

Welcome to hot, humid Toronto

Yesterday morning when I was at work, Brandi and I were listening to a Toronto radio station (CHUM FM) and they gave the current weather - 31* and humid. Brandi just looked at me and said "Are you nuts??" I told her yes, probably.

She drove me to the airport to catch my flight and I've never seen the Charlottetown staff quite so frazzled. There were 7 families with babies under a year old, little kids were everywhere. Trying to position them all on the plane was apparently an issue. Not to mention all the strollers, etc. And, they were all those big giant ones that take up a huge amount of space, even when they're folded.
Then there was an older lady in a wheelchair, and they have this huge machine they have to bring over to get her on the plane, a portable elevator of sorts that they drive over to the door. They strapped her in her chair, then the chair is rolled into this big white box like piece of equipment that has a ramp coming out the other side. When she is lifted up, the ramp is placed across to the doorway and she's rolled on. Needless to say all this takes a bit of time so the departure time was soon passed. They were almost all set to go, when the desk agent saw my name come up. He'd almost forgotten about standby's and I was the only one. So I was quite lucky not to get overlooked. I was in the middle of the plane, and all the babies were sitting behind me. In their infinite wisdom. the crew decided to put them all together. Only trouble with that is, when one cried, they ALL cried. It was just a loud din of crying babies, and I thought to myself, this is going to be a very long flight. But fortunately they pretty much stopped once we got up in the air and going, only to start again as we landed. I felt very badly for those poor parents, because there's really nothing you can do in that situation.

Once we landed in Ottawa, I only had about a 10 minute wait till we started boarding the next plane, and I already had a seat on that one. I landed on schedule in Toronto at 3:00 and Lloyd was there to pick me up.

We headed straight to Patti's when we got back to Guelph as she was on her way out for her yearly camping trip with her dads family. We spent about a half hour with Patti and the kids. I gave Meghan and Tristen their quilts for their upcoming birthdays and they seemed to really like them. Both insisted on taking them camping with them.

James had a baseball game last night so he stayed behind and Lloyd and I drove him to the ballpark and met Greg there. Patti's aunt Jean, and cousin Jennifer were playing ball in Guelph last night as well, so they planned to pick James up and take him to the camping site with them. Greg was staying in Guelph to work on Friday.

I would have liked to stay and watch the game but I was starving. I'd picked up a bagel on my way to work in the morning and that's all I'd had to eat all day. We went to Borealis Grill as planned. We started off with a three cheese dip that was really good, then I had a smoked grilled duck breast that was absolutely delicious and Lloyd had the marinated rack of lamb, which was also very good. We really enjoyed out meal but were too full for dessert.

On the way home we stopped at the grocery store and I picked up what I needed for breakfast this morning. It will be a white cake with a whipped cream filling with fresh Ontario peaches, sprinkled with blueberries. If I'd had more time (and if I'd thought of it) I would have gone out back and picked a small container of berries to bring with me.

So, now I'm just waiting for the cake to bake, then I've got time to catch up on Mad Men before I head to the office for breakfast.

Lloyd was a little bit pleased that Patti's crew were going to be away - he said, good then I get you all to myself. So I think we may head out early tomorrow morning and go to Niagara for the day and maybe sample some wine!

Conditions at 7:00 am - 20* overcast and very humid
Expected Later - 26* and a mix of sun and cloud

Last night after supper (spaghetti and meatballs and caesar salad) Suzanne, Jacob and I picked Brenda up and we all headed into town to see the Sound and Light Show. I'd seen it twice last year and I wanted to share it with the others. I didn't know if it would be the same show as last year, but it was. But I still really enjoyed it and I'm really sorry we never got Patti and her gang out to see it. I know they would have really enjoyed it. Oh well, maybe next summer.

It's quite humid this morning and looks like it could rain. As long as it waits till I get the dog into the car and off to the boarding kennel. That red mud really does a number on your car seats!

My flight is leaving at noon today so Brandi is going to drive me to the airport. I had planned to take a direct, later flight but it now looks like I might not get on so I've switched my flight to one going through Ottawa (James' favorite city - home of the Senators!) It leaves earlier but gets me into Toronto at the same time (well, within 10 minutes) of my previous flight. I checked in on line yesterday and I have a seat already assigned from Ottawa to Toronto, so I just have to keep my fingers crossed that I get to Ottawa.

Suzanne and Jacob are leaving today to travel to Gaspe. That's one area I've never been to but I hear it's quite beautiful. It's unfortunate that the weather didn't cooperate for them here so there were no beach days. But the weather is supposed to get nicer on the weekend.

Well, I'm signing off now but will be in touch some time tomorrow. I'm taking breakfast to the office in the morning then lunch with Fran, so Friday's going to be a busy day!

You can feel the fall in the air this morning...

Conditions at 7:00 am - overcast and 19*
Expected later - rain and 23*


I hate to say it, but this morning, you definitely feel like fall in the air. It certainly doesn't help that the stores now have fall clothes and back to school supplies in great abundance.
Suzanne and Jacob arrived yesterday afternoon about 4:00. They had been on the road since Sunday morning so they were ever so glad to finally reach their destination! We immediately headed out to my house, with a quick stop, of course, on the side of the road, to admire Brenda and Bernie's amazing crop of sunflowers. I haven't yet gotten a picture of them but I plan to very soon. The picture shown here is not their field, but it's just as beautiful.

I was planning on BBQing burgers for supper last night but it started to rain just as I put them on the grill. Unfortunately I didn't go out in the rain as often as I should have and they got a little charred. I told Suzanne I obviously had great respect for her as I was presenting her with burnt offerings. But we managed to choke them down. I cooked some mini burgers that I had made and I had a couple of store bought burgers. The homemade mini ones were edible but the store made ones tasted somewhat like a charcoal encrusted block of sawdust! Definitely not one of my better efforts. The up side was the wild blueberries we went out and picked before supper and had over ice cream for dessert.

Jacob was a little disappointed that he'd missed the spaghetti and meatballs on Monday so I promised we could do that again tonight. That will work well, as I had some cut up onions and some small tomatoes in the fridge that I'd like to use up so I threw them all in to the sauce and put it in the slow cooker. Now when I get home all I have to do is cook some pasta and make some garlic bread and we're done.

We invited Brenda to join us tonight for the Sound and Light show downtown if the weather permits. I hope it does. Before I do that I have to get my bag packed to take to work with me in the morning. I'll drop Cooper off at the kennel on my way to work then Brandi is going to drive me to the airport after lunch. I can leave my car parked at the university and then she said she'd pick me up on Monday.

I still have one part of the lawn to cut but I don't see that getting done any time soon. I know what I'm going to be doing in the evenings when I get back on Monday. And of course I'm still working on my wood pile. I must admit I'm looking forward to the fall when I can work outside without the benefit of copious amounts of bug spray. I truly think that April/May and September/October are my favorite times of the year. You can work outside all you want and never have mosquitoes constantly buzzing around your face. It's hard to get anything done when both hands are continuously swatting bugs.

I talked to Fran yesterday and we're meeting for lunch on Friday. I will likely go into the office on Friday morning for breakfast. If I get in on time on Thursday night, we're going to Borealis Grill for supper. Lloyd has raved about the food there and I've only been there once before and that was for my going away party. It was more finger foods and I don't actually think I ate anything that night, I was too busy gabbing with people. So it will be nice to actually sit down and eat a meal there.

Lloyd was supposed to be going to a play in Stratford with our friend Rose, but he got the date of the McCartney concert wrong and was going to Stratford on Sunday, but I guess he was able to re-schedule that.

Speaking of plays, Linda told me she went to see "The Last Resort" when she was here and she really enjoyed it. So I think Brenda and I are going to go and see it. I also wouldn't mind going to see Hairspray, and I'm sure she can be talked into that as well. There's an article in this mornings paper about it as well. Norm, from the TV show Cheers has joined the cast. I can only imagine that he would play the part of the father. But we'll see. I enjoyed the movie and I'm sure the play will be fun as well.

Well, I'd better go, I need to make a list of things I have to pack tonight. Without my endless lists, I'd be totally lost!

Sorry ladies, but no one is safe!

Conditions at 7:30 - 14* and sunny
Expected later - 24* and more sun!


What a wonderful surprise to have Nancy visit. She called me yesterday afternoon around 2:00 to say she had just crossed the bridge! She arrived at the University about 3:15 so I left work early and joined her. We did a quick tour downtown and stopped at Peake's Quay to have a drink on the deck overlooking the harbour. Then we decided to head back to my place to have supper. It was pretty basic, just spaghetti and meatballs with a greek salad on the side, but it was nice to just sit and chat.

I called Brenda and she came over a little later and brought a bottle of wine with her (I was out!). We had a lovely time just sitting around the kitchen table talking. I was so glad that Brenda came over. Now when I talk to Nancy and mention Brenda, she'll know who I'm talking about, and vise versa.

Nancy brought lots of pictures of her kids and grandkids and it was so nice to see them. I only met Brooke once and it was when she was a tiny baby, and Meghan was just about a year old. They've all grown up so much. It's amazing how that's happened when neither of us has aged at all!!!

It's great how well things worked out. Suzanne was supposed to arrive yesterday but I got an email from her yesterday morning telling me she was delayed getting across the border (she went through the states) and she wasn't likely to get here till Tuesday. I confirmed with her via blackberry at 6:00 that they were not arriving yesterday, so I had a wonderful opportunity to just visit with Nancy Now tonight Suzanne and Jacob and I can have a bonfire if the weather is still great, which I suspect it will be. It will be nice but a different kind of visit. It just all worked out so perfectly!

We left the house a little before 7:00 and Nancy followed me to Stratford and I showed her where to turn to get onto the Trans Canada highway, that Brenda says will take her all the way to the ferry. I've never gone that way, I've only gone through Montague. It's a little quicker that way from my house, but the highway would be much more direct and easy for her to find her way. When we stopped in Stratford for me to say goodbye, she commented on how lovely the drive was and I told her it was my normal morning commute, and I truly am lucky! It's a marked difference from the scenery Lloyd has on HIS morning commute!

When Brenda was over, she mentioned that Bernie and Raymond are going to Dover, Ontario next week for Friday the 13th bike event. Lloyd has never been, although our brother in law, Kim, has been. He's never been inclined to go but he's thinking about it now. I really think he should go, I think the three of them would have a great time.

I booked my flight yesterday and with any luck I will be in Toronto on Thursday a little after 3:00 in the afternoon. At this point, there are 9 open seats and 4 stand by's ahead of me so we'll keep our fingers crossed. If that doesn't work, there's another flight later in the day.

Well, I'd better go, I'm a little later this morning getting into town.