Friday, December 30th - Great job, James!

Conditions at 5:15 am: -9 and overcast but the 60 km winds make it feel like -19'
Yesterday morning when I checked the weather they were predicting all kinds of snow. When I checked it later in the day it was totally changed. It appears the milder weather may not bring as much snow as originally thought. That works until everyone who's travelling gets to where they need to go after the holidays.

Well, I know one young boy who must be so thrilled. Ever since he was very little and watched hockey with his dad (a die-hard leaf fan), James has been a fan of the Ottawa Senators. When he was younger just the thought of someone going through the Ottawa airport brought delight to his eyes at the thought that the person travelling might accidentally see a member of the Ottawa team. He's also been lucky enough to attend some Senator games.

The inscription on the back

This week the whole family is in Ottawa for a big hockey tournament. Well, I got an email from Patti last night with a couple of pictures. James scored a goal and got two assists in the game and was given an award for being the hardest working player in the game.The most special part is it's from the Ottawa Senators. I don't know who gave it to him but if it was one of the team members, he'd be ecstatic. I know he'll be very proud of this one!
Well done James. I can't wait to talk to him about it.

I mentioned the other night that it was a little disappointing that there were no games while I was in Guelph. I haven't seen him play in a long time. Then Brenda suggested we should tell them to bring their whole team down here sometime. They have at least one major tournament each year with dozens of teams coming from all over. Now that would be fun - at least for the grandma! (Just in case you need it, here's where to find the information  http://spud.goalline.ca/page.php?page_id=19993 )

Last night was spent looking at recipes, setting the table for tonight's feast (yes, more food) and for some unknown reason, consuming vast quantities of wine. But I feel fine this morning, which is a BIG  surprise to me.

Thursday, December 29th - winter is on the way

Conditions at 5:15 am: very windy and -2', heading for -6'  this afternoon and a bit of snow and maybe some sun. But look out - it's coming. 10 to 15 cm on Saturday, and another 5 to 10 cm on Monday. Good thing we have the day off Monday.

It was an adjustment going back to work yesterday after four days off, but it was surprisingly busy so it went by pretty quickly. The managers are busy getting all the sales people geared up for the new year with their forecasts of how many cars they need to sell in 2012. I don't think I'd like that kind of pressure, but I know it's the name of the sales game. I much prefer to just answer my phone.

Last night after work Lloyd met me and we went to Cedars for a light meal and a beer before meeting the Van Gaals for a movie.   "The Way" is a powerful and inspirational story about family, friends, and the challenges we face while navigating this ever-changing and complicated world. Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son (played by Emilio Estevez), killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son's desire to finish the journey. What Tom doesn't plan on is the profound impact the journey will have on him and his "California Bubble Life". Inexperienced as a trekker, Tom soon discovers that he will not be alone on this journey. On his journey, Tom meets other pilgrims from around the world, each with their own issues and looking for greater meaning in their lives: a Dutchman (Yorick van Wageningen), a Canadian (Deborah Kara Unger) and an Irish writer ('James Nesbitt' ), who is suffering from a bout of writer's block. From the unexpected and, oftentimes, amusing experiences along the way, this unlikely quartet of misfits creates an everlasting bond and Tom begins to learn what it means to be a citizen of the world again. Through Tom's unresolved relationship with his son, he discovers the difference between "the life we live and the life we choose". Check out the clip...

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi923573529/

The scenery was spectacular and I want to find out more about this route. It looks like something that would be an amazing experience to attempt. As Brenda pointed out, there were vinyards, so there will be wine!

Wednesday, December 28th - time to go back to work

Conditions at 5:45 am: +3' and overcast, heading for 7' and 10 - 15 mm of rain throughout the day

Yes, I slept in this morning so it will be a short post this morning.
We went into town yesterday to do a bit of shopping. Fortunately they don't have after Christmas sales at the grocery store. It was actually pretty quiet there but the other stores were crazy. We went to Canadian Tire and it wasn't so bad but the others had very full parking lots so we stayed away. We didn't really need anything anyway. The last thing I need in this house is more 'stuff'.

We came home and got supper going for last night. We had our neighbours over for dinner as a thank you for looking after Cooper when I was at the store. We had a lovely evening but I was very tired by the end of the day. Just knowing I had to get up earlier in the morning made me tired I think.

I haven't heard from the kids yet. They were leaving yesterday morning for a hockey tournament in Ottawa. We saw on the TV the night before that region was heading for some nasty weather so I'm going on the assumption that no news is good news. I know they'll be very busy when they get there.

Tonight is going to be a quieter night with a movie in town with the Van Gaals. Looking forward to that.

Well, better get going. Not to worry, most of the people who usually read this are away from home anyway.

Tuesday, December 27th - it was a lovely holiday

Conditions at 7:45 am: a few clouds and -4' heading for a sunny -3' later

It's been a few days since I last posted a blog page, but finally it's here. Our Christmas was very quiet but very nice. Friday the festivities began for Lloyd around 3:00 at the old store. Richard invited several of the fellows in the area over for some Christmas cheer. It was very snowy on Friday afternoon as the snow fell for most of the day. It did add a very christmassy feel to everything, although the driving was a bit tricky. I finished work at 3:00 and went out to Hampshire to pick up my turkey. When I got back I dropped in to Brenda's to have nachos with her and Meghan (2) who had just arrived. Ethan also joined us just as we were almost ready to eat. We then watched some TV while I waited for Lloyd to call to indicate that he was ready to go home. We had decided earlier in the day it might be best if he didn't drive and we were right. Let's just say a lot of rum was consumed but a great time was had by all.

Relaxing by the fire

Because of said rum, Saturday was a pretty slow moving day but it was also quite relaxing. The shopping had been done on Friday so there was no where to go. We did go to my friend Lesa's in the evening. We spent a lovely time with her and her mom and her two boys. I'd not met the boys but they are both fine young men. They were also very excited about Christmas and kept trying to negotiate the opening of gifts before morning. We had some North Rustico meat pie, which is quite different from the meat pies I'm used to but it was really good. Lesa had also made several other things and I was sorry that I had eaten supper before going over. We also taught her how to shuck oysters, a skill she's now quite proud of. We left there a little before 10:00 and contemplated stopping in at the Van Gaals on the way home but thought it might be a bit too late. Turns out the Bairds had dropped in there at 9:30 so it would have been fine.

The happiest kid in the Dennison house

Christmas morning was very quiet. We were expecting company for dinner so some cleaning up was required that should have gotten done on Saturday. So Lloyd cleaned and I prepped everything for dinner.
I talked to Patti and the kids later in the morning. A good time was had by all, especially Greg who was putting together his Death Star. (I talked to her Monday and she tells me it took almost 15 hours to put it together).

Jens and Linda came over at 3:30 and we had some appetizers first and were just getting ready to put the food on the table when our next door neighbours arrived. They didn't stay long, just had a quick drink and left but the veggies were a little overcooked. Not a big deal. It was still very nice of them to stop in on their way home.

It was a lego kind of day in Port Elgin

We had a lovely evening with the Jensens and they left around 8:30. All in all, a very quiet Christmas.
Boxing day was a busy morning. Meghan (2) was having some friends over for brunch so Brenda and Bernie came over here for brunch. After filling our tummies yet again, we headed out the go for a hike on the PEI branch of the Appellation Trail. It was a lovely day for it - not very cold, no wind and a good covering of snow.  Once again a good time was had by all. Some hot chocolate fortified with Grand Marnier was in order when we returned. Then we parted company so we could all have a nice afternoon nap.  And that, as they say, is the rest of the story. Today is another quiet day except that our next door neighbours are coming over for dinner. I told her Cooper owes her one for taking care of him while I was working at the store. So there will be a quick trip to town this morning.

Thursday, December 23rd - let the holidays begin!

 

Conditions at 6:00 am: -1' and overcast, heading for a big high of 0' and maybe up to 10 cm of snow by morning.- it may be a white Christmas after all.

One more work day, then four off. I'm really looking forward to that. Yesterday was pretty quiet at work and the day really dragged by. Today will likely be just as slow. It was so nice to come home from work last night to see the house all lit up, to walk in to a warm kitchen filled with wonderful smells. What a treat. After supper we cleaned up, and were watching some TV when Brenda and Bernie arrived. We had invited them over for a drink  after supper but they had a couple of errands to run, so they stopped in on their way home. Now it's beginning to feel festive.

Lloyd has a list and is heading to town this morning to finish the grocery shopping and all I have to do after work today is pick up the turkey and I think we're done. Nothing left to do but finish a bit of baking tomorrow and clean the house for Sunday.

I talked to James for a few minutes last night on his birthday. They are heading out to Paul and Lynne's this afternoon. I told him I'd talk to them on Christmas morning.

Just read Jana's blog and she had a great first night at home. She's doing well and is now surrounded by all her family - everyone is home for the holidays.

Now some final thoughts on the past year: (thanks Linda!)

As we progress through to the end of 2011, I want to thank all my email friends for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.
I can no longer open a bathroom door without using a paper towel, nor let the waitress put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.
I can't sit down on a hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.
I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking one's nose.
Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.
I can't touch any woman's handbag for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public toilet.
I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS for the email about rat poo in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.
ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.
I can't have a drink in a bar because I fear I'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice with my kidneys gone.
I can't eat at KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes, feet or feathers.
I can't use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.
THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.
BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.
I no longer buy petrol without taking someone along to watch the car, so a serial killer doesn't crawl in my back seat when I'm filling up.
I no longer use Cling Wrap in the microwave because it causes seven different types of cancer.
AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face, disfiguring me for life.
I no longer go to the cinema because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS when I sit down.
I no longer go to shopping centres because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

And I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a huge phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore and Uzbekistan .
THANKS TO YOU I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big black snake could be lurking under the seat and cause me instant death when it bites my butt.
AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can't ever pick up a 10 cent coin dropped in the car park because it was probably placed there by a sex molester waiting to grab me as I bend over.
I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the Violin Spider and my hand will fall off.
If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, and the fleas from 120 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbour's ex mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's best friend's beautician . .
Oh, and by the way.....

A German scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mails with their hand on the mouse.
Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.
P. S. I now keep my toothbrush in the living room, because I was told by e-mail that water splashes over 6 ft. out of the toilet. 
NOW YOU HAVE YOURSELF A VERY GOOD DAY…

 

Thursday, December 22nd - Happy Birthday James!

 

Conditions at 5:15 am: 5' and overcast, heading for 6' and rain this morning, with sun and cloud this afternoon


A big Happy 11th Birthday to James this morning! I'm so glad I was able to spend a bit of time with them on the weekend. Not sure what the plans are for his day today but I know his  mom is off so I'm sure they'll do something special. It seems odd not to be baking a cake for him this year.

Our weather is just a carbon copy of the past two years - a little bit of snow when the kids arrived and then it turned to rain and they ended up having to stay inside almost the entire time they were here. If they come in February they'll enjoy it much more, especially if we have as much snow as we had last year!

After a lengthy day from early Tuesday morning till noon Wednesday, Lloyd finally got here. I picked him up at the airport on my lunch, we went to Subway and had a sandwich and then he was off home to have a nap. He was back at 5:00 to pick me up and that was the extent of his first day here.

It's my turn to bring the treats today so I spent the evening after supper baking and icing cupcakes. They turned out alright and I had previously piped little Toyota logos out of red  'chocolate'.  I know, I have way too much free time on my hands!  We had been talking last week about bringing treats in for the holidays so Jodi, Michelle and I decided we should coordinate things so we didn't have a feast  one day and famine the next. So today is my turn.

The big news is Jana is home. Her blog yesterday had a picture of her leaving the hospital. She'll be much happier surrounded by her own things and her family. They always put up this huge tree, I think it's about 15 tall because the family room has a two storey ceiling. She also put in a picture of that. The family has her house all ready for her to come home. This will be one Christmas she will never forget.

 

Conditions at 5:20 am:  -11' and overcast but heading for +1' this afternoon and warming up to +4 by late tonight with rain in the forecast

The fuselage (upside down)

Well, I don't know if Lloyd will be here this morning or not. It was looking a bit sketchy yesterday as to whether or not he was going to get into Halifax, but if he did, he'll be here on the first flight this morning. I told him to email me but he hasn't so I have no idea where he is right now. But as he always says, 'it is what it is'.

The engine

One more detail from my trip to Guelph. I asked Lloyd to take me out to the airport so I can see how far the plane has progressed. It still looks like it's a VERY long way from being an airplane but he assures me that the really time consuming stuff is inside the wings. Right now it's being covered in a fabric, that gets coated with something and then eventually it all gets coated again in a final exterior material (I think). Here are some pictures of the progress s far.

One of the wings, the second  is in the background

It's been a mighty slow process, over four year now. But he assured me the end is in sight. His little yellow plane is in Fergus so I wasn't able to take a picture of that one to share here.



I can't believe Christmas is so close. I really don't have anything left to do except wrap Lloyd's gifts and do the grocery shopping. I still need to plan the menu for Christmas day and figure out what I'm making for New Years Eve. But Lloyd has a couple of things he wants to make and I'll be working Wednesday to Friday (I'm going to see about maybe getting New Years Eve off ) so he'll have the whole kitchen to himself.

Monday night I was a little down and Brenda saved the day by dropping in and having a wee glass of wine with me. It was good to have someone to talk to. Then last night she called before I left work to advise she had made bread yesterday and to stop in on my way home to pick some up. I had an appointment to get my bangs trimmed so I did that first and then stopped by. She had invited me to supper but I had said no. Of course when I got there, they had just finished and were still at the table so I was suitably fed as well.

I was reading Jana's blog yesterday and I totally forgot that her and Scott's wedding anniversary is in December. They shared a romantic meal in the hospital and exchanged some pretty nice gifts from the sounds of it. The good news is she was going home yesterday. They've been able to stabilize her meds and she'll have lots of care at home. She sounds so happy to be leaving the hospital, but then who wouldn't be. They are waiting on additional tests from the biopsy that will give them more  information, and the results might be here by the end of the week. Hopefully it will be positive news. We're all praying for her.

Tuesday, December 20th - Guelph adventures continued

 

Conditions at 5:30 am: 0' and overcast with a couple of centimetres of new snow, going down to -3' this afternoon

Let's see, we ended with Thurday. After shopping we headed to Patti's where I spent the night. Patti and Greg both worked on Friday so the kids and I were home alone. I was up early, around 6:30 and gradually the rest woke up as well. It had been a pretty busy week for them and they were tired. Meghan and I made a prep list with check boxes beside each item and when something was complete she checked it off her list. We had lots to do - prep the veggies, make the stuffing and put it into the crock pot, bake pies - both lemon and pumpkin, make peanut butter balls, roast the turkey and put together a ginger bread train kit. Lots to do. But the first order of business was to tidy the dining room. It usually serves as command central when Patti's working on costumes and there was sewing stuff everywhere. But we managed to find a place for everything. Then we found a nice tablecloth and got out the good dishes and cutlery and set the table. Meghan made place cards with everyone's names on them. The gingerbread train was meant to be the centre piece but when it was done she wasn't happy with the quality of decorating so it we relegated to dessert and a new centre piece was made with coloured paper.

At one point mid afternoon, Meghan commented on how long it took to make a meal like this. "Grandma, I can't believe it's taken us all day long to make dinner". I told her that's because it was a feast and not just any old dinner. But once she ate it, I think she understood why it was worth it.

Patti got home around 4:00 and Tristen was ever so eager to have his mom take him to the bank to open a bank account so he could put his money in there. We were just waiting for the turkey to finish cooking so there was nothing going on. He was very proud of his new bank card when he got home. Apparently that's mandatory when you open an account. I guess in the old days you got a bank book, now you just get a card.

We had a lovely dinner together. We were a little disappointed that Greg couldn't join us but he had a work thing that kept him tied up. But he was there in thought. After cleaning up, putting the food away and doing the dishes, it was time for us to leave. The kids were sad to see us go as were we, but it had been a long day and they had to get up really early to go to Clarington for a  speed skating meet Saturday morning.

Saturday morning we got up early and headed out to breakfast with the airport crew. Jim's wife Patty joined us as well. We had a nice breakfast although I just had toast as I knew there was more food to come. After breakfast I called Nancy to see if she might have a few minutes to visit before she went to work and she was off, so we headed out to Rockwood to see them. We were there for about an hour or so and she mentioned about the two boys from PEI who had been murdered in Alberta. I hadn't heard anything about it as I'd not had any news on the day before. I sent Brenda a message and she told me there were lots of stories going around as to what happened and who they were and where they lived, etc. Turns out one of the victims actually used to live in Websters Corner. Like I told Lloyd, if Brenda didn't know they, she would know someone who did. It's that degree and a half of separation here on the island.

After spending a lovely time with Nancy and Stuart we headed to Highway 24 to meet up with Fran and Walt for lunch. When I walked into the restaurant, which is also a store, I saw Pat standing in line paying for a purchase. So the six of us - Fran and Walt and Pat and George sat by the window and enjoyed a lovely view overlooking a pond with swans and geese. It was a great visit but all too soon it had to end as I had a scheduled time to visit with Jana again. So we headed back into town and Lloyd dropped me off at the hospital. She looked much better and after a while I helped her get into her back brace so she could sit in a chair. Her spirits were good and we watched the sun setting in the window and played together to get the best picture with our phones. Once a scrapbooker, always a scrapbooker! In the end she liked the one I took best with the sun setting in the middle of the star on the ornament that was hanging in the window. I call it my star of hope and it is now my wallpaper at work. It will remain there until she's better. Every time I look at that picture I think of that fun few minutes we had together in spite of everything. I stayed until Scott got there with his mom and it was her supper time. Lloyd came up to day hi for a couple of minutes and then we left. It had been an emotionally exhausting few days and I just wanted to sit and relax a bit so we went to the local pub and had a beer and nachos followed by coffee. It had been a bit of a roller coaster for me and I was ready to go home - all the way home. We got to bed early so we could get me to the airport to catch an early flight. Everything worked out and I was back in PEI  a little after lunch time.

A quick trip to the store for some pita bread before picking up one very happy dog. It was cold and we had a little bit of snow but I was very happy to get home. As I mentioned, when I did get home the Van Gaal angels had been in and lit the stove for me. They have no idea how welcoming that was to come home to. Then after making some Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, it was off to Ray and Marlene's for their annual Christmas get together. It was a lovely evening and I really enjoyed myself. It was good to be back home among friends.

Monday, December 19th - It was an emotion filled weekend

 

 

Conditions at 5:15 am: overcast and -6' with a light covering of snow on the ground, heading for a sunny day with -1 - it's looking like it might be a white Christmas after all

It was a very busy 4 days, and I will fill you in on them one day at a time throughout the next couple of days.

I arrived in Toronto as planned at 9:20 and was picked up by Lloyd right on time, although it was closer to 10:00 by the time I got to the luggage area and retrieved my bag. I didn't have any specific plan for the day, I was just going to see how it worked out. I had the good fortune of flying first class from Charlottetown to Montreal on first class so I did enjoy an early breakfast - fresh fruit, a yogurt, a croisant with ham and cheese, juice and tea. But by the time we got back to Guelph it was after 11:00 and Lloyd had waited for me to eat breakfast as he thought I might be hungry. So we went to Cora's and had something else to eat. Hence began the four days of non-stop eating!
I got a message from Scott that they were meeting with the doctor and could I come to visit at 2:45 until 3:30. So we had some time to kill. We went back to Lloyd's place where I dropped off my suitcase and packed a smaller bag to take to Patti's as I was staying over night. Lloyd had a couple of little errands to run so we did those, poking around a bit at Chapters, Pier I, all in the pouring rain and 11' temperatures. I wanted to see my friend Kay but she was pretty tied up most of the day although she was filling in at one of the buildings from 2:00 to 5:00 so I arrived promptly at 2:00 and waited for her but she was a bit late and didn't arrive until 2:20 so we only had about 10 minutes to visit but it was still nice to see her. I left there at 2:35 and Lloyd drove me to the hospital to see Jana. I was a little nervous about it as I didn't know what to expect and I really didn't know what to say to her. I arrived, cookies in hand, with a  photo of the two of us with Jesse Cook, (taken last year) and it was okay. We cried together for a bit and she was not having a great day. But she did sit up a bit and had a cookie. She's been receiving all kinds of things that people bring but a lot of it she can't eat. But she did have a cookie and asked me to put them in her closet so no one would find them. They will keep quite a while and they're something she can just nibble on when she feels up to it. At one point she had to go to the bathroom and I helped her on with her brace, that she has to wear to support her back with the broken vertebrae. She has a very long road ahead of her but she's a fighter and if anyone can do it, she can. She's very positive and optimistic but there's still a lot yet to find out. There will soon be more tests done on the biopsy they did previously and that may give them a better idea of what type of tumor it is and what the prognosis is.  In the meantime she's coping as best she can. I was only to stay until 3:30 as per Scott's instructions but it was much closer to 4:00 when I left. We laughed a couple of times and cried a couple more but in the end it was a good visit. I'm so glad that I made the time to go. She doesn't know that the trip was planned to see her.

Lloyd picked me up and we went back to his apartment and had supper. Then it was off to see the newest production of GREASE. And what a production it was.They didn't allow any flash pictures during the show so we'll have to wait for the video. Tristen and Meghan didn't know I was coming but they were little troopers and didn't miss a beat. At one point though, Tristen did give a little wave. As soon as it was over  and everyone had finished taking pictures, they raced off the stage and I was surrounded by hugs. It made ME cry. It had been an emotional day for me up to that point and I was so happy to see them. They've grown up so much. Especially Tristen - he's not our little baby anymore. They all did a great job in the play and the costumes were great, as usual. At the end when they presented Patti with flowers, she got quite emotional and thanked her daughter Meghan who was a big help. Apparently Meg can now run a serger. Patti would sew the costume then pass it on to Meghan who would serge the seams. Patti's friend Katie from her high school days (Katie was in graphic arts and Patti was in dance and theatre) did the background scenery (the grease sign) and some other items that were on the side walls as well as painting the back of all the T-bird  jackets. Her son also helped as well so they've decided they can just hand it all over to the two kids next year!
All the kids did an amazing job and I can't wait to get the video after Christmas.
It was nice to see Greg and his mom and her friend Wendy. Wendy says they miss me on their excursions to Buffalo and wondered if there was a flight from Charlottetown to Buffalo. I told them no, I've already checked. They suggest that when Lloyd moves he can fly me down for the two shopping trips a year!

When all was over, Patti and the kids and I went to the grocery store to shop for Friday's big feast. More on that tomorrow.

I must add though that  when I got home Sunday I was welcomed by a blazing fire in the wood stove and a warm and cozy kitchen. I had called Brenda to see if she needed me to wait around to pick up Caitlin but she said they were going into town anyway. Guess I surprised them by arriving so early so they really had to boot it to get here and get it started before I got home. I really appreciated it when Cooper and I got back. I am truly lucky to have such good friends.

To be continued........

Wednesday, December 14th - One more sleep and likely the last post for a couple of days

Conditions at 5:30 am: 0' with a bit of wind, heading for a high of +1' and maybe a bit of sun later

There was a chance of a few flurries overnight but we didn't receive any here. Town may be a different story.It's amazing how very different the weather can be in two places that are only 20 minutes apart.

Well, I'm almost ready for tomorrow. Tonight I'll take the dog to the kennel, come home and finish packing and then get to bed early. Tomorrow will be a long  and busy day. I don't know exactly what's going on yet. I plan to see Jana tomorrow  but other than that nothing is specific. I'd like to get together with Kay as well, either at lunch or more likely for a little bit after work. The concert doesn't start till 7:00 so we should plan to be there a little after 6:30  as parking is always an issue for this event.

I won't have time to do post in the morning and there really won't be anything to write about anyway. I will try to get one in sometime on Friday morning but that may not happen either. We'll just play it by ear. If I do get one in, it will in all likelihood be a very short one.

April 2010

Last night Brenda came over and we had quesadillas and a bottle of wine. She has a cookie exchange today so she brought her gumdrops to cut in half while we talked. She's baking gumdrop cookies this morning. She snipped and I grated cheese. She was telling me about a talk she had just come from at the church and the fellow was speaking about how much hard work waiting is and it made her think of Jana. I can't begin to imagine how hard that must be, to just be waiting for weeks and weeks on end. It becomes an entire occupation. I've see that from her blog. It takes patience, and focus, and perseverance and there's nothing you can do to make it go faster. We talked about the great evening the three of us had when Jana was here to see Jesse Cook. We had dinner at the Pilot House and we laughed a lot and talked a lot. It was one of the best times I've ever enjoyed with friends. Then we went to the concert where our seats were in the front row. Islanders are a little more reserved than us two crazies from Ontario and it was when we all had our feet on the front of the stage, and they came and told us to please remove them, we knew we had crossed some sort of line! Poor Brenda didn't know what to make of us but she was a very good sport and has some fond memories to look back on.

I remember Brenda commenting that now that she had met Jana, she couldn't understand why I would leave a great job like that, working for such a great person, to come here. It's funny but I was thinking about that last night as I drove home. In over 2 1/2 years, I've had only a couple of times when I've been really down, but never have I ever regretted the decision to come here. I think in a prior life I must have come from somewhere just like this, because about a week after I arrived, it felt so much like home. I've never thought to myself that I'd made a mistake and should have stayed in Ontario. This place is so much a part of me now that  I really can't imagine ever living anywhere else. I've lived a lot of places, albeit most  in southern Ontario and it never bothered me to move anywhere, but if anything happened and I had to leave this island, I would be truly sad. I don't see that happening anytime soon (or later).  But enough philosophizing. One more sleep till I see all my babies - both big and small.

Well, I'd better go. I'm dropping off some recipes I printed  for Brenda last night but we forgot about until after she was gone and I also have to drop off my turkey. I bought one at the store on Saturday night to put into the freeze for the CBC turkey campaign.  I got chatting with someone on my way out of the store and I forgot all about it until I got home and it was still in with my groceries. I'm not sure when the deadline is for dropping them off so I'd better do it this morning.

Tuesday, December 13th - 2 more sleeps

 

 

Conditions at 5:30 am: clear skies and -5 heading for a high of +5 and a mix of sun and cloud later - maybe a bit of snow tonight as we dip back into freezing temperatures

Assorted cookies in the box

How cute is this cookie box?

Can it really be so close to Christmas?  I'm busy getting my act together to go to Guelph and it will be Christmas Day for us on Friday. I did laundry last night so I can pack everything tonight. I also made another batch of cookies last night. I had 3 kinds and I needed one more. I've been reading Jana's blog and she is surrounded by people who are bringing her lots of gifts - flowers, spiritual items, etc and I thought, I can't go to visit empty handed. But what could I possibly bring? Then I decided the only thing I can do is what I do best - and always did for her - bake something. Then the dilemma was how to get baking there? My immediate thought was a covered container of some sort but I didn't want just an ordinary tin or tray. Then yesterday while I was out looking for cards for the kids, I found this perfect little cardboard box. I used some pieces of cardboard I had at home to make a divider and I had some Christmas cellophane treat bags as well. So I put the bags into the box and then carefully inserted the cookies. I can put the box into a bag and carry it on the plane. I think this will work and it's ever so cute.
I was talking to Patti last night and one of the teachers who is very key to the whole school production suddenly lost her father on Sunday. The funeral is on Thursday, the same day as the play and the other teachers and parents involved in the play met and were unsure how to proceed. Wanda is an important part of the planning and organizing. When the others met there was some thought about moving the date of the play to next week Patti immediately jumped in and said, no, we really can't do that! Fortunately the other parents agreed with her. So the show will go on as planned.

She thought about telling Tristen and Meghan before I get there,  but we decided in the end we'll just keep it a secret. I can't wait to see the look on his and Meghan's faces when they see me sitting in the front row! She figures it may just throw him completely for a loop but we decided, what the heck. Let's go with it. Knowing Tristen, he'll put everything he has into his dance moves once he knows there's a special guest in the audience!

I got a nice email from both Meghan (1) and Caitlin - they both really enjoyed the video wishes I sent them.

I'm sure they won't mind it I share it with all of you!

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/dNpfarhontQ3HV00

Monday, December 12th - 3 more sleeps!

 

 

 

Conditions at 5:30 am: -1 and clear skies heading for a high of +4' but the breeze will make it feel like -1'

I had no idea what the temperature was yesterday as I never had the radio on but it was windy and sunny and it sure felt cold. This morning I checked the last 24 hours on the Weather Network and apparently it was -6' at noon with a wind chill of -12". It looked lovely from inside with the bright sun but it was chilly outside. The only time I spent outside was bringing in wood and that was warm work so I didn't notice so much but my fingers were pretty cold by the time I was finished, even with gloves on. It would, however, have been a nice day to go into the woods. It's always so much calmer in the trees where you're sheltered from the wind. However I chose not to do that yesterday.  I think I'm quickly running out of time to collect branches in the woods. Oh well, next year.

In Brenda's absence I did manage to get a few things done that really needed doing, that I've been putting off. Things like cleaning out the freezer or at least sorting through and arranging things so I know what's in there. I did manage to get rid of a few things that should have been gone a long time ago. I also had a big pile of papers that were hanging around out in the porch which needed sorting through and either tossed or filed. Thankfully that job also got done. So when I look around it doesn't look like I did that much but just those two things took up most of my morning. Of course it doesn't help that I didn't get up until 9:00.

Saturday morning was relatively productive as I was able to finish writing and addressing my Christmas cards and when I got to the store, I pick up stamps and they are on their way to their chosen recipients. One more thing I can cross off my list.  I only worked at the store from 3:00 to 7:00 so after I picked up a few things and headed home. I had emailed my friend Mireille earlier in the week to see if she wanted to catch a bite to eat after I was finished but I didn't hear back from her so I suspect she may be away for the holidays. Her family lives in Quebec and she has no one here, so she's probably started her holidays early!

Other than baking a couple of batches of cookies yesterday, I spent the bulk of the late afternoon and evening either talking on the phone or watching TV snuggled up on the couch with Cooper. He does love Sundays!

All in all a slow but mildly productive weekend. I can't believe that I'm away next weekend and then the next one is Christmas. I had lots of things I was going to do for Christmas this year but the bottom line is if they aren't done now, they likely aren't going to get done. Not to worry. I suspect we'll have another Christmas NEXT year!

Friday, December 9th - finally some calm

Conditions at 5:15 am: -3' with clear star filled skies, heading for sunny skies and a high of +4'

Well, the biggest news this morning is the wind - or rather the lack of it . Oh my gosh - what a day yesterday. At one point in the afternoon the bridge was closed to all traffic. That's something that's only happened 9 times since it opened, so you know it was serious. After crossing that bridge on our bikes on what was a normal day, with a bit of  wind, I can't begin to imagine what it must have been like out there with gusts of up to 137 km per hour, (according to the news flash I received on my phone around lunch time).

I was talking to Brenda earlier in the day and she invited me for supper but I figured I'd better get home to make sure everything was still standing. It was incredibly strong when I came out of work and the drive home was tricky as every once in a while a gust would just about blow you off the road. The most stressful part of the drive , of course, is the last kilometer, from the corner to the house. As I turned into the driveway I could see that both tarp buildings were there but I really wasn't sure they would last the night - there was that much movement. But there was little I could do at that point so I went inside. Brenda came over after her meeting and told me she had come by earlier in the day and was going to call to tell me everything was okay but she wasn't convinced either, that they would make it, so she didn't call.  When she left to go home, they were still there so we sort of figured they'd be okay as the winds had died down - now they were only about 80 km/hr! When I went to bed, that's all you could hear, was the wind but when I woke up this morning, I was greeted to the pleasant sound of ----- nothing. No wind at all. Survived another weather bomb!

When Brenda came over last night we had some  shrimp sauteed in a little sesame oil and butter with smoked paprika,  in little vol au vent shells (puff pastry tarts) and a glass of wine.  We sat in the living room in front of the fire and watched the movie 'Grease' - not the one with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John but the one by the Guelph Montessori School from 2006. What a hoot.That was the year James was "The Doggy in the Window". He was in grade one and Meghan was in the Casa group who sang "Teddy Bear".  They should watch it again before this year's re-mastering of 'Grease'

Thursday, December 8th- a new approach to the mouse wars

 

 

Conditions at 6:00 am: 7' and heading for a rainy high of 9' - the radio is still telling us to expect 100 km/hr winds but the weather network is only predicting 25 km/hr. We'll see who's right later in the day

The little furniture didn't come with it but I know where to find some!

Okay, I have a new approach to the mouse problem. Yesterday I went to Home Depot and Canadian Tire and found several types of mouse traps that only trap but don't kill the mouse in question. I purchased two different types and we'll see if they work. If they do, I will release the little rodents outside but a little ways down the road in a wooded area. ( I know, I should have done that with the other one sooner rather than later). But we'll see how they work. I didn't actually set them until about 1:00 this morning so that didn't give them much time to find them. We'll see what happens over the next few nights.

Option # 2 - the mouse goes in after the bait but can't get back out. Let's hope it works.
I was talking to Lloyd on Tuesday and asked if he'd read the blog about my mouse experience as I was surprised not to have heard a peep from him - not even a sarcastic remark. Turns out he was speechless - he says he had absolutely no idea what to day - now he also thinks I'm somewhat of a lunatic but then he already KNEW that!



I was talking with Patti yesterday and we're trying best to figure out our plan for next week. The kids have a speedskating meet on the weekend in Clarington. It's not the closest and I don't know what exactly will be happening on Saturday so we'll have to play that one by ear. I'll talk to Lloyd this morning and see what his thoughts are for Saturday. I'm hopeful that I can get in to see Jana on Thursday and hopefully again on Saturday.  The kids are likely going to take Friday off school and we were thinking we'll call that Christmas Day. I suggested to her that we all go out for dinner in the evening but she's pretty sure the kids will want me to cook dinner, along with their help, of course. She has to work until 1:30 (she'g going to Florida for the morning) and should be home by mid afternoon. The kids and I can spend the day making dinner and maybe some treats.  I'm pretty sure Meghan will want to make some peanut butter balls and James will want a lemon pie.  It's going to be a busy day and I can't wait!

Wednesday, December 7th - a slow news day

Conditions at 5:30 am: 7' and overcast right now but it has rained and will continue to rain most of the day and reach a high of 9' - not exactly typical December weather.

Last night on the news they were showing people out on the golf courses Monday and Tuesday. How bizarre is that? I suspect there's a real possibility we'll have a green Christmas but then it is over two weeks away and a lot can change in that time. Look at us today - and two weeks ago today we received 20 cms of snow.

Well, the mouse story had a bit of a twist yesterday. As I was sitting at the kitchen table, what did I see but a mouse (probably mighty mouse)  wiggle it's way out of the floor register right beside my feet. Then it nonchalantly scampered right past me and under the porch door. So it's out there again, somewhere. I didn't set the trap out there last night but placed it on the counter instead. This morning there were no victims so I suppose it will have to go out there tonight. As much as I hate to, I'm going to have to, unless I can find a live trap of some sort. I'll have to investigate that today at the hardware store on my lunch hour.

Other than that, not much to report. My friend Jana is in good spirits. I've been reading her blog and she has lots of support and love around her and she's keeping positive. It's somewhat infectious. I had a terrible day on Monday as she filled my thoughts but yesterday I was back to myself and feeling that there will be a good  outcome to this whole thing.

Last night I spent quite a bit of time cleaning up around the house - stupid stuff I should have done ages ago - like clean off the top of the fridge, which tends to collect everything under the sun, as well as the kitchen counter. Now I actually have empty horizontal surfaces.  Laurie won't recognize it when she comes in to feed the dog tonight. I'm working tonight, Friday and Saturday afternoon. Then I'm finished at the store. I'll be going away next week and then when I get back on the 18th, it's only 3 days until Lloyd arrives so I need to spend some time getting ready for Christmas. Not that there's lots to do - I'll have taken all my gifts with me when I go to Toronto and all that will remain are Lloyd's so other than a bit of baking, there's not much to do but just general tidying up. It's hard to believe it's coming up so quickly.

Tuesday, December 6th - Mighty Mouse

Conditions at 5:15 am: overcast and 7' heading for a rainy high of 9' later

A couple of years ago someone sent me a video clip that I found most disturbing when it first started. It opened with the scene of a little mouse lying upside down in a mouse trap, with the metal bar across it's neck. As it lay there looking very dead, the strains of "The End" by the Doors played in the background. After a few seconds of this the music slowly changed to the music from the movie Rocky. Ever so slowly the little mouses front paws came up and grasped the bar and with much effort, the bar was lifted, then as the music gained momentum so did the mouse, to the point where it was doing bench presses with the mouse trap. Turns out it was an ad for some kind of cheese. Well, I think I've met that mouse. (Bernie, this is where you can stop reading so you won't think I'm a total lunatic!)

Sunday evening I set out two mouse traps - one in the kitchen and one in the sun porch.When I got up yesterday morning (Monday) there was a dead mouse in the kitchen trap. So I went out to the porch to check that one and it indeed had a mouse, but it was still alive. It's little feet were moving and I could see it breathing. I found this a little disturbing as it's head was crushed in the trap. What to do? I decided I'd just leave it there for a while because surely it would die shortly. This was at 5:15 am. I checked it a couple of times as I was getting ready for work and no change. by the time I was almost  ready to leave for work, at 6:50, I checked again and it was still breathing. What to do? I couldn't leave it there. I just thought this poor thing needs to be let out of the trap. I assumed there would be major trauma to the head as it was squished inside this trap for who knows how long but I decided it could die in dignity somewhere else. Don't ask my what my reasoning was but I put it in the bathtub and opened the trap. Well, to my surprise it got up, ran around in  a circle and then sat in the corner and started grooming itself. I was totally shocked. So I did the only thing I could do. I got a little dish and put some multigrain cereal in it and another with water. Then I put a little piece of material in the bottom of the tub so it would have something soft to sit on. (I know, I know, I can see the eyes rolling now). I thought there was probably some sort of internal damage and it wouldn't last the day. Well much to my surprise when I got home it was still quite fine. It ran around a bit when I approached and then it let me pet it lightly on the back. What to do now? So my plan was to take it with me this morning and let it go outside but down the road in a wooded area so it can find a place to nest for the winter. I just felt that any little beast that survived being in the trap for so long deserved to live.
Now the twist. When I got up this morning and went into the bathroom to check on the mouse, it's gone. Apparently the food I gave it provided enough strength that it was able to jump out of the tub and is now gone. I'm really hoping it's experience was terrifying enough that it vacates the house altogether. The next time it won't be so lucky. I threw out the defective trap but the one that is still set works much better.
Run little mouse, run, as far and as fast as you can!

Yesterday was a tough day as my friend was on my mind most of the day. Brenda called me mid day to see how I was and then showed up at my door last night. I had finished eating supper and was finally putting decorations on my tree that's been standing naked since I put it up on Friday night. So we had a glass of wine and put stuff on the tree then sat on the couch and solved all the problems of the world (or at least those that occurred to us last night). I felt much better when she left, so much so that I moved a few things around in my living room so it's a little better than it was. I have way too much stuff in there but it will work  now for Christmas. Tonight I think I'll tackle the piles of magazines and stuff that are on the kitchen counter that seems to catch everything. It's a bad habit I need to get out of - just dropping everything there. Then I may work some more on my Christmas cards. The cards themselves are done but I still need to write on them and do the envelopes. I'm working on setting up a data base with the names and addresses and then doing a mail merge so I can hopefully print them. I just need to play with that a bit to see if I can get this odd size of envelope to print properly. (Or I can just hand write them on Saturday at work).

Monday, December 5th - it was a tough weekend

Conditions at 5:30 am: 6' and overcast, heading for 11' and a mix of sun and cloud later

It started out to be a great weekend. Friday I didn't have to work at the store so when I got home, I spent the evening digging out the Christmas stuff and setting up my tree. I put the lights on it but not the decorations. My plan was to do those on Saturday night when I got home from the store around 8:30.
Saturday morning I read an email from a friend in Guelph that was sent the day before. She was in the hospital in Hamilton but had since been moved back to Guelph. She suggested I call her husband for details but I wasn't able to reach him. Finally around lunch time I received an email from him telling me that she has lung cancer that has spread to her spine. That was devestating news for me. I felt so helpless way out here. There's nothing I can do that will be of any assistance other than pray for her and keep positive. It was a tough afternoon and when I had my break at 6:00 I called Brenda and suggested that she come over for a glass of wine. She met me at my place when I got home and we talked and drank a bottle of wine. It helped me a lot that she had met my friend and was a great support. Sunday was a tough day as well. I had trouble focusing and getting anything done. I did get some chores done that have been needing to get done but I just felt so lost all day. Then I talked with Patti for a while and Lloyd and that helped. I'm getting the emails know from Scott that she is writing each day, sort of a journal and I think I've found a way to help. I'm going to talk to her husband and daughter and see if they will send me some pictures. I'll put her journal postings into a blog format, without publishing it, of course, and add pictures and eventually put it together into a book like my blog book. I got her into scrapbooking a long time ago and now it's my turn to sort of make one for her, to document this journey she is now on. Hopefully after Christmas I can go up for a visit. In the meantime, I'll at least feel like I'm doing something useful.

My tree still isn't decorated. Somehow I just didn't feel very Christmasy over the weekend but now that I have a new focus perhaps I can get that back.

On the lighter side, Lloyd really liked the rice dish that Tabitha brought to the pot luck. He made the recipe I posted last week and he loved it. So thanks Tabitha. On Saturday I received the recipe for the dessert that Yolanda made that we all really liked. So thanks to her for that and here it is, complete with her recommendations....

Toffee Crunch Cheesecake Squares

2-1/4 cups (550ml) graham crackers crumbs

1/3 cup (75ml) butter, melted 

1/4 cup (50ml) corn syrup

2 packages (each 8oz./250g) light or regular cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup (175ml) packed brown sugar

1/3 cups (75ml) cornstarch

2 eggs

1 cup (250ml) milk

2 tsp (10ml) vanilla

3/4 cup (175ml) toffee bits, divided (or more if you wish)

1. Preheat oven to 325*F (160*C). Line a 13x9-inch (3L) metal baking pan with foil, leaving 2 inches (5cm) overhang at each end.
2. In a bowl, combine crumbs, butter and corn syrup until blended; press into prepared pan. Bake for 10 min. or until puffed. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth; beat in corn starch until blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in Milk then vanilla until blended. Using a rubber spatula fold in 1/2 cup (125ml) of toffee bits. 
4. Pour evenly over baked crust. Bake for about 30 min or until edges are puffed and center is slightly jiggly. Immediately sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. let cool completely in pan on rack. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, until chilled, or up to 2 days. Remove from pan using foil overhang as a handles. Cut into squares.  

Bake: 40minutes total (remember the crust)

Makes  18 to 24 squares.

Cooking Tip: When baking, it's best to have all ingredients at room temperature for easier blending. (eggs included)

Squares freeze well. (At least this recipes says you can) Wrap cooled squares in plastic wrap then place in an airtight container freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the fridge.

My two cents after my first try:   I would add more toffee chips after squares have been refrigeration. Chips seem to melt or dissolve after wrapping. Or spread more toffee chips before cutting into squares. This recipe is easy to do and will be a repeater in my home. 

Enjoy and maybe it will be a repeater in your home!