Its ben a lovely couple of days. Not extremely cold and nice and sunny.This morning is only -6 and we should go up to 1' later with a mix of sun and cloud. But then we may see a bunch of snow on the weekend. We have some company coming on Sunday for supper so we'll see how that goes. We'll just have to wait and see what the day brings. If we have to reschedule, we can do that.
Not a lot going on. The biggest news I suppose is that Bernie is coming home today. At least that was the plan yesterday. He's making good progress and still has a ways to go but he's up and moving around a bit now, albeit with assistance. Meghan(1) is coming home for a week to see her dad. She's fortunate to be able to work from home while she's here.
I see on the desk here all kinds of Google map instructions. Lloyd's planning a bike trip to Newfoundland. Hopefully it will be a little more successful than the last one he took a number of years ago. I think it was in 1990 when he and our friend Walt headed off to the rock on their bikes. Unfortunately Walt hit a moose and ended up in hospital for a while. Fortunately he fully recovered but at the time it was a pretty scary experience for all. Lloyd plans to go to Cape Breton to visit our friend Seaward first and then continue on from there. He's planning to visit with some old friends he hasn't seen in a long time. It's a long way off at this point, but half the fun of a trip is in the planning anyway.
I'm using a week's vacation for a conference we have coming up and the other week will be split up with a trip to Ontario in June to see Meghan's dance recital and also a trip to Victoria, probably in the next month or so, to visit a friend who will be in hospital there. That's the extent of my traveling for this year. But we just never know who may drop out to visit.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Wednesday, January 29th - I'm sure Ontario will be happy to see the end of this month!
I was talking with Patti the other night and they are sooooo fed up with cold weather. It's just been non stop cold for them. We've had it colder than usual as well but at least we've had the odd bit of mild weather thrown in to break it up. This week is a good example. It's been biting cold again for a couple of days and this morning i not so bad - 12' but no wind, and heading for a high of -9' later but we are supposed to reach 0 by Saturday and rain again on Sunday. Thank you Mother Nature! We'll never wear out our skis at this rate.
Not a lot going on at the moment. We had dance class last night after a couple of weeks off. We were all impressed with how much we actually remembered. It's coming along, slowly, but it's coming along.
After class it was a well deserved plate of nachos and glass of beer. Brenda had spent the day in town and didn't plan to come back in but Bernie needed some sneakers for his therapy, so she decided if she had to come back in, it might as well be for a really good reason! Nachos and beer ARE a really good reason.
Bernie is coming along nicely. I stopped in to see him for a few minutes last night and he's actually able to move around a bit more. Much better than a week ago. They're doing physical therapy and occupational therapy with him each day to help get him moving around again, as the back pain is slowly settling down. He's thinking he may be sent home sometime sooner rather than later, although it would be nice to know what the future plans are for his treatment. That's not yet been decided. Baby steps, I suppose. Get him back up and around first is a good place to start.
It's taken a month, but we're finally back to our healthy eating regime again. Too many treats around the house left over from Christmas, makes it very difficult. The cold weather also tends to make you want to eat more I think. Lloyd was going to work in the garage yesterday but it was just too darned cold. He's been using the time instead to make us some healthy soups and chili. Great options for both of us to take to work in our lunches. It's much easier to eat healthy if it's already made and ready to just be put into a container. So I'm pretty grateful to him for that. Makes putting together a lunch so convenient in the morning.
Grandson James is coming for a visit. He's going to spend a few days with us over the Easter weekend. I think Lloyd is maybe planning to have a few chicks ready to hatch out about that time, but we'll see how things progress if and when it ever warms up - and we know it will. It's just so hard to imagine what a warm day feels like at the present time!
Not a lot going on at the moment. We had dance class last night after a couple of weeks off. We were all impressed with how much we actually remembered. It's coming along, slowly, but it's coming along.
After class it was a well deserved plate of nachos and glass of beer. Brenda had spent the day in town and didn't plan to come back in but Bernie needed some sneakers for his therapy, so she decided if she had to come back in, it might as well be for a really good reason! Nachos and beer ARE a really good reason.
Bernie is coming along nicely. I stopped in to see him for a few minutes last night and he's actually able to move around a bit more. Much better than a week ago. They're doing physical therapy and occupational therapy with him each day to help get him moving around again, as the back pain is slowly settling down. He's thinking he may be sent home sometime sooner rather than later, although it would be nice to know what the future plans are for his treatment. That's not yet been decided. Baby steps, I suppose. Get him back up and around first is a good place to start.
It's taken a month, but we're finally back to our healthy eating regime again. Too many treats around the house left over from Christmas, makes it very difficult. The cold weather also tends to make you want to eat more I think. Lloyd was going to work in the garage yesterday but it was just too darned cold. He's been using the time instead to make us some healthy soups and chili. Great options for both of us to take to work in our lunches. It's much easier to eat healthy if it's already made and ready to just be put into a container. So I'm pretty grateful to him for that. Makes putting together a lunch so convenient in the morning.
Grandson James is coming for a visit. He's going to spend a few days with us over the Easter weekend. I think Lloyd is maybe planning to have a few chicks ready to hatch out about that time, but we'll see how things progress if and when it ever warms up - and we know it will. It's just so hard to imagine what a warm day feels like at the present time!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Monday, January 27th - another windy weekend
It was pretty mild over the weekend, enough so that it rained most of Saturday night, destroying any chances we had of skiing on Sunday, as hoped. Not to worry, lots of other things to do. But then it dropped way down overnight last night and is currently -15 with a wind chill of -21 this morning. Fortunately the incredible wind we had last night has died down. But we are expected to go back up to +3 this afternoon with an unpleasant mix of rain, snow and ice pellets this afternoon and evening. Really difficult to keep up with, when you dress in the morning!
It was an uneventful weekend. I suppose the highlight was dropping in to visit Bernie at the hospital on Saturday morning on my way to work. Lloyd was already there, having stopped in on his way home from work. Brenda tells me he had a steady stream of visitors over the weekend so that was good.
We had planned to go out on Saturday evening for dinner as a belated birthday for Lloyd but our first choice of destinations was booked up and by the time we got home, we didn't feel like going back out again. So a simple supper of homemade roasted garlic pizza worked for both of us.
As mentioned we were hoping to go skiing on Sunday but when we woke up to rain, I knew that wasn't happening so I spent the better part of the day out in the craft room, while Lloyd worked downstairs on his wiring project.
I'd gotten a call on Saturday evening from our friends out in BC. Many years ago Doug had gone to New Orleans with us, so you can imagine my surprise later in the evening when I turned on a cooking program that I'd taped earlier in the weekend to find them making New Orleans style Bread pudding as well as Beignets, a very distinct and traditional New Orleans style doughnut. Of course they showed some old photos and one was The Cafe Du Monde, where we had all eaten more than our fair share of beignets while there. The photos brought back so many memories of a great trip. It was such a coincidence that I just had to try their recipe out, so first thing Sunday morning, that's exactly what I did, with great results! I was ever so pleased and they were actually really very easy. Needless to say, there were a number consumed throughout the day. Some even made it out to the craft room for our tea break later in the afternoon. Those fluffy little pillows of goodness generously topped with icing sugar brought back so many memories for me.
So what is so special about a beignet compared to, say, a Tim Horton's doughnut? Here's a tiny bit of history.
It was an uneventful weekend. I suppose the highlight was dropping in to visit Bernie at the hospital on Saturday morning on my way to work. Lloyd was already there, having stopped in on his way home from work. Brenda tells me he had a steady stream of visitors over the weekend so that was good.
We had planned to go out on Saturday evening for dinner as a belated birthday for Lloyd but our first choice of destinations was booked up and by the time we got home, we didn't feel like going back out again. So a simple supper of homemade roasted garlic pizza worked for both of us.
As mentioned we were hoping to go skiing on Sunday but when we woke up to rain, I knew that wasn't happening so I spent the better part of the day out in the craft room, while Lloyd worked downstairs on his wiring project.
I'd gotten a call on Saturday evening from our friends out in BC. Many years ago Doug had gone to New Orleans with us, so you can imagine my surprise later in the evening when I turned on a cooking program that I'd taped earlier in the weekend to find them making New Orleans style Bread pudding as well as Beignets, a very distinct and traditional New Orleans style doughnut. Of course they showed some old photos and one was The Cafe Du Monde, where we had all eaten more than our fair share of beignets while there. The photos brought back so many memories of a great trip. It was such a coincidence that I just had to try their recipe out, so first thing Sunday morning, that's exactly what I did, with great results! I was ever so pleased and they were actually really very easy. Needless to say, there were a number consumed throughout the day. Some even made it out to the craft room for our tea break later in the afternoon. Those fluffy little pillows of goodness generously topped with icing sugar brought back so many memories for me.So what is so special about a beignet compared to, say, a Tim Horton's doughnut? Here's a tiny bit of history.
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Beignets
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| Beignets |
The French-Creole colonists who came to inhabit the city in its earliest days originally introduced beignets to New Orleans in the 18th century. The concept of the dessert is simple – dough is fried then covered with mounds of powdered sugar – but the result is extraordinary. As a precursor to today's doughnuts, beignets are made from square-cut pieces of yeast dough and do not have a hole in them like most doughnuts. When served hot, they are absolute perfection, especially when accompanied with café au lait or chocolate milk.
The most famous place to get a plate of beignets is the iconicCafé Du Monde, located on Jackson Square. Beignets come in orders of three on plates completely covered in powdered sugar. There are other places to get beignets around the city, and if you want to bring the treat home, you can purchase the mix from various vendors throughout the city.
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I will definitely be making these again! But they are right, they are at their absolute best right out of the oil, hot with lots of powdered sugar on top. YUM
Friday, January 24, 2014
Friday, January 24th - a very chilly morning!
At 5:15 am it's -18' but feeling more like -22. We'll only reach a high later on in the sunshine of -15. The odd thing is we should go up to -2 on Saturday and +3 on Sunday with maybe a bit of rain or more snow in the mix.
Our blizzard lived up to expectations on Wednesday. So much so that they sent us home from work at 1:00. I made a stop on the way home to pick up some beef, mushrooms, etc and decided to make Lloyd a nice meal for his birthday, since I now had the time to do that.
I spent the afternoon making a lovely beef stroganoff with buttered egg noodles and crisp fresh green beans on the side. It actually turned our pretty good. Along with a chocolate caramel cupcake from the grocery store as I didn't know in advance I would have the afternoon off, and it was dinner!
The rest of the evening was spent catching up on some TV. The storm was raging on outside and around 8:00 Lloyd took a walk down to the end of the lane and there was no way he was going to get out. If he did make it down the lane, the road was pretty much plugged up. It was almost impassable (at least with a car) when I got home at 2:15 and it hadn't been plowed yet so there was no chance he's get through either by that time. So the decision was made to stay home. The fellow who was working the afternoon shift wasn't able to find a casual to replace Lloyd so he worked a double shift. Then on Thursday, Lloyd did the same - worked from 4:00 in the afternoon until 8:00 this morning. He'll definitely be good and tired when he gets home today. Good news for him is there are left overs from Wednesday night's dinner so no cooking will he required tonight.
When I opened the door on Thursday morning, I was confronted with this snow bank right in front of the door. It was up past the step and quite far reaching. Thank goodness for Frank and his snow blower and Lloyd and his snow shovel! I have to admit I was very grateful to have Lloyd home in the morning to help with all this snow. I know I did it by myself for 3 years but it's time's like this I REALLY appreciate having him around!
Bernie is still in hospital awaiting some sort of action plan. He's on medications to try and alleviate the pain somewhat so that's pretty much where he's at. We'll both go in on the weekend for a visit.
Other than that, not much is going on. Pretty quiet weekend coming up but that's not a bad thing.
Our blizzard lived up to expectations on Wednesday. So much so that they sent us home from work at 1:00. I made a stop on the way home to pick up some beef, mushrooms, etc and decided to make Lloyd a nice meal for his birthday, since I now had the time to do that.
I spent the afternoon making a lovely beef stroganoff with buttered egg noodles and crisp fresh green beans on the side. It actually turned our pretty good. Along with a chocolate caramel cupcake from the grocery store as I didn't know in advance I would have the afternoon off, and it was dinner!
The rest of the evening was spent catching up on some TV. The storm was raging on outside and around 8:00 Lloyd took a walk down to the end of the lane and there was no way he was going to get out. If he did make it down the lane, the road was pretty much plugged up. It was almost impassable (at least with a car) when I got home at 2:15 and it hadn't been plowed yet so there was no chance he's get through either by that time. So the decision was made to stay home. The fellow who was working the afternoon shift wasn't able to find a casual to replace Lloyd so he worked a double shift. Then on Thursday, Lloyd did the same - worked from 4:00 in the afternoon until 8:00 this morning. He'll definitely be good and tired when he gets home today. Good news for him is there are left overs from Wednesday night's dinner so no cooking will he required tonight.
When I opened the door on Thursday morning, I was confronted with this snow bank right in front of the door. It was up past the step and quite far reaching. Thank goodness for Frank and his snow blower and Lloyd and his snow shovel! I have to admit I was very grateful to have Lloyd home in the morning to help with all this snow. I know I did it by myself for 3 years but it's time's like this I REALLY appreciate having him around!
Bernie is still in hospital awaiting some sort of action plan. He's on medications to try and alleviate the pain somewhat so that's pretty much where he's at. We'll both go in on the weekend for a visit.
Other than that, not much is going on. Pretty quiet weekend coming up but that's not a bad thing.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Wednesday, January 22nd - Happy Birthday Lloyd!
It might be a snow day for him this evening, but we'll see. But in the meantime, Happy Birthday to Lloyd. He worked yesterday afternoon instead of his usual overnight shift so I might get to wish him Happy Birthday in person this morning.
We're eagerly awaiting the big blizzard that's been all the talk for the past few days. At 5:30 am it's -13 with not a speck of snow or a breath of wind but they're claiming we may get up to 30 cms of snow with up to 80 km winds this afternoon and this evening. The drive to work will be uneventful but I bet the drive home could be a bit challenging. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
Not a lot going on. Bernie is still in hospital, and awaiting further tests. I stopped in for a visit last night after work but he lights in his room were turned way down and he was sleeping so I really didn't want to disturb him. I'll stop by another time.
As I had time to kill, and Lloyd was at work, I dropped by to visit with him and have a cup of tea. After filling up with gas on the way to dance class, I arrived to learn that our regular teacher was away and we had a substitute. Unfortunately it was something that was arranged last minute so she didn't know our steps and didn't have any music. So I suggested that we just skip it as Brenda wasn't there anyway, and we'll start again next week. I was glad that Brenda hadn't made the trip into town. If she had I suppose we would have managed but as it turned out, it was okay. So I had a little earlier evening than I expected but that was okay too.
The only thing new around our house right now is the fact that my orchid is blooming for the second time since I've owned it. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm really not very good with plants. I was given this beautiful orchid a couple of years ago and it's still alive - that in itself is somewhat of a miracle. But it bloomed last year and now it's blooming again. Apparently these fragile looking flowers are much hardier than I ever anticipated!
We're eagerly awaiting the big blizzard that's been all the talk for the past few days. At 5:30 am it's -13 with not a speck of snow or a breath of wind but they're claiming we may get up to 30 cms of snow with up to 80 km winds this afternoon and this evening. The drive to work will be uneventful but I bet the drive home could be a bit challenging. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
Not a lot going on. Bernie is still in hospital, and awaiting further tests. I stopped in for a visit last night after work but he lights in his room were turned way down and he was sleeping so I really didn't want to disturb him. I'll stop by another time.
As I had time to kill, and Lloyd was at work, I dropped by to visit with him and have a cup of tea. After filling up with gas on the way to dance class, I arrived to learn that our regular teacher was away and we had a substitute. Unfortunately it was something that was arranged last minute so she didn't know our steps and didn't have any music. So I suggested that we just skip it as Brenda wasn't there anyway, and we'll start again next week. I was glad that Brenda hadn't made the trip into town. If she had I suppose we would have managed but as it turned out, it was okay. So I had a little earlier evening than I expected but that was okay too.
The only thing new around our house right now is the fact that my orchid is blooming for the second time since I've owned it. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm really not very good with plants. I was given this beautiful orchid a couple of years ago and it's still alive - that in itself is somewhat of a miracle. But it bloomed last year and now it's blooming again. Apparently these fragile looking flowers are much hardier than I ever anticipated!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Monday, January 20th - an eventful weekend all around
It's a little cooler now, -4 this morning that would feel more like -9 if it was windy, but for the moment, things are still and calm. There's a bright moon shining down on the new fallen snow and it's quite a lovely morning. We should reach a high of -1 later so not too bad for the moment. More cold weather may be on the way later in the week, but we'll see.
We had a little snow on Saturday evening, and a bit more last night but nothing of any significance but at least it's covered up all the mud and looks so much cleaner and fresher.
I worked on Saturday morning but had gotten up early to do some prep for company. Charles and Laura were coming for supper so I did what I could before work. I left Lloyd a note with what needed to be finished when he got home, after his nap. It was a beautiful mild morning with no snow anywhere. As I went out to the craft room to pick something up, I looked over at the chicken house and thought, wouldn't it be great if they could be outside on such a nice day. So I added build a chicken fence to Lloyd's to do list. I certainly didn't mean it had to be done that day. But when he got home he agreed it might be nice for them. We had all the materials to put up the electric fencing as we had used it in the summer for the chicks. It kept our birds in and predators out. Worked very well. Because the posts are very thin and just stick into the ground, and the wire is strung around, it takes little time to put together. Once that was done and everything was working, he opened the doors to let our little flock outside. And in his words, they just walked away! Literally, they just pushed through the spaces in between the wires and it never fazed a single one. Now all 10 birds are wandering all around the whole yard. I guess it was quite a task to round them all up and get them back into their enclosure. Now what to do? Being the resourceful type that he is, he gathered up some used pallets that we had lying around, and fashioned a fence out of those. The electric wire still runs along the inside perimeter so foxes and such won't be able to get in (hopefully) and the chickens can't get out. He didn't have enough pallets to complete the job but fortunately our next door neighbor has an abundance in his yard. It's not the prettiest but it works for now. They quite enjoyed spending the afternoon outside picking in the grass, and digging up worms.
Needless to say he didn't get a lot of sleep before I got home, but he had enough to get him through the evening. Charles and Laura arrived and we had a lovely dinner with them and a great visit. It had started snowing so they left a little earlier than they might have but it is almost an hours drive for them to get home and we weren't sure how much snow was going to fall.
Sunday morning I got up early and cleaned up from the night before and then had the entire day ahead of me. I had done some laundry the day before so really had nothing to do, so I spent pretty much the entire day out in the craft room. It was wonderfully relaxing. Lloyd was working downstairs on wiring and every once in a while he would drop up for a cup of tea and a cookie.
Meanwhile, Brenda called to advise that Bernie had finally agreed to go to the hospital. He's been experiencing very extreme back pain for a number of days and like most men, was too stubborn to admit it's not getting much better. Finally he conceded that perhaps some medical intervention might be necessary! So off to town in an ambulance, as that was the only way they could get him there. At last report, last night, he's resting somewhat more comfortably than he was at home and is in good hands. Today they will run some tests to try to find out what the problem is. He made the right call.
Patti and the two younger kids were at a speed skating meet in Milton all weekend. On Saturday, Tristen was racing and was in the lead. As they approached the last lap, there's a bell that rings to tell them it's the final one, and he thought the race was over so he stopped. OOOOPS! But he got the hang of it and did better the next time round. Meghan was also pleased with her performance. Unfortunately one of the older skaters got hurt. He's from their club and is 17. He took a skate to the knee and had to be taken to hospital where he got five stitches right on the top of his knee cap. Any bending of the knee is out of the question of course, or the stitches will be ripped out. Unfortunately this young mans family was away on vacation so there was no one to call. Patti went with him to the hospital and was texting back and forth with his frantic and worried mom. Patti's cousin was at the arena and stayed with our kids. Not a great way to end the weekend but it could have been much worse. Those skate blades are very sharp.
We had a little snow on Saturday evening, and a bit more last night but nothing of any significance but at least it's covered up all the mud and looks so much cleaner and fresher.
I worked on Saturday morning but had gotten up early to do some prep for company. Charles and Laura were coming for supper so I did what I could before work. I left Lloyd a note with what needed to be finished when he got home, after his nap. It was a beautiful mild morning with no snow anywhere. As I went out to the craft room to pick something up, I looked over at the chicken house and thought, wouldn't it be great if they could be outside on such a nice day. So I added build a chicken fence to Lloyd's to do list. I certainly didn't mean it had to be done that day. But when he got home he agreed it might be nice for them. We had all the materials to put up the electric fencing as we had used it in the summer for the chicks. It kept our birds in and predators out. Worked very well. Because the posts are very thin and just stick into the ground, and the wire is strung around, it takes little time to put together. Once that was done and everything was working, he opened the doors to let our little flock outside. And in his words, they just walked away! Literally, they just pushed through the spaces in between the wires and it never fazed a single one. Now all 10 birds are wandering all around the whole yard. I guess it was quite a task to round them all up and get them back into their enclosure. Now what to do? Being the resourceful type that he is, he gathered up some used pallets that we had lying around, and fashioned a fence out of those. The electric wire still runs along the inside perimeter so foxes and such won't be able to get in (hopefully) and the chickens can't get out. He didn't have enough pallets to complete the job but fortunately our next door neighbor has an abundance in his yard. It's not the prettiest but it works for now. They quite enjoyed spending the afternoon outside picking in the grass, and digging up worms.
Needless to say he didn't get a lot of sleep before I got home, but he had enough to get him through the evening. Charles and Laura arrived and we had a lovely dinner with them and a great visit. It had started snowing so they left a little earlier than they might have but it is almost an hours drive for them to get home and we weren't sure how much snow was going to fall.
Sunday morning I got up early and cleaned up from the night before and then had the entire day ahead of me. I had done some laundry the day before so really had nothing to do, so I spent pretty much the entire day out in the craft room. It was wonderfully relaxing. Lloyd was working downstairs on wiring and every once in a while he would drop up for a cup of tea and a cookie.
Meanwhile, Brenda called to advise that Bernie had finally agreed to go to the hospital. He's been experiencing very extreme back pain for a number of days and like most men, was too stubborn to admit it's not getting much better. Finally he conceded that perhaps some medical intervention might be necessary! So off to town in an ambulance, as that was the only way they could get him there. At last report, last night, he's resting somewhat more comfortably than he was at home and is in good hands. Today they will run some tests to try to find out what the problem is. He made the right call.
Patti and the two younger kids were at a speed skating meet in Milton all weekend. On Saturday, Tristen was racing and was in the lead. As they approached the last lap, there's a bell that rings to tell them it's the final one, and he thought the race was over so he stopped. OOOOPS! But he got the hang of it and did better the next time round. Meghan was also pleased with her performance. Unfortunately one of the older skaters got hurt. He's from their club and is 17. He took a skate to the knee and had to be taken to hospital where he got five stitches right on the top of his knee cap. Any bending of the knee is out of the question of course, or the stitches will be ripped out. Unfortunately this young mans family was away on vacation so there was no one to call. Patti went with him to the hospital and was texting back and forth with his frantic and worried mom. Patti's cousin was at the arena and stayed with our kids. Not a great way to end the weekend but it could have been much worse. Those skate blades are very sharp.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Friday, January 17th - and our mild spell continues
It's gotten slightly colder - 0' this morning and we will only climb to a high of 1' later today. Unlike Wednesday that made it up to 6' and sunny - what a beautiful day it was. I talked to Brenda at lunch time and she was headed out for a walk. Great day for it.
We had rain overnight and most of yesterday but it seems to be stopped, at least for now. We may see some flurries later but we'll see. We really need some colder weather to freeze up the yard as it's a sea of mud out there right now. I don't think I have anything to worry about, as I'm sure it will certainly be winter again really soon.
Once again, other than the weather, not a lot is going on. We have some friends coming for dinner on Saturday so I'm attempting to make some Salted Caramel Ice Cream to go with our dessert. I made the custard last night and will put it through the ice cream maker tonight then stash it in the big freezer until tomorrow night. The custard's pretty tasty so hopefully the finished product will be as well.
The two younger kids are skating in a competition this weekend in Milton. Then on February 8th they have a meet at their home rink so they're pretty excited about that. Because it coincides with the opening of the Olympics, they are turning it into an event. Patti is one of the volunteers (of course!) and they're planning all kinds of special things to go with it. I hope they stream it on line but if they don't maybe someone will tape it for me. I finally figured out the face time thing on my phone. With any luck, I'll be able to connect with Meghan tomorrow and watch them skate via her iPad.
Lloyd had been working out in the garage this week and I couldn't believe the change in there when I went out the other night. It's all tidied up and stuff is put away and it looks great. He's working on the wiring right now then will start on the walls and the insulation. He's hoping to have the concrete floor poured this year so lots has to happen before then. But it's coming and I think he enjoys working out there. He did need a little break after doing all the work upstairs. That was a huge job for him. But now that Christmas is over, he's back at it. Of course the milder weather has made it much more pleasant to be out there. Even with a heater going in there, it was still pretty nasty when it was really cold. Hopefully we're done with those really frigid temperatures for this year.
We had rain overnight and most of yesterday but it seems to be stopped, at least for now. We may see some flurries later but we'll see. We really need some colder weather to freeze up the yard as it's a sea of mud out there right now. I don't think I have anything to worry about, as I'm sure it will certainly be winter again really soon.
Once again, other than the weather, not a lot is going on. We have some friends coming for dinner on Saturday so I'm attempting to make some Salted Caramel Ice Cream to go with our dessert. I made the custard last night and will put it through the ice cream maker tonight then stash it in the big freezer until tomorrow night. The custard's pretty tasty so hopefully the finished product will be as well.
The two younger kids are skating in a competition this weekend in Milton. Then on February 8th they have a meet at their home rink so they're pretty excited about that. Because it coincides with the opening of the Olympics, they are turning it into an event. Patti is one of the volunteers (of course!) and they're planning all kinds of special things to go with it. I hope they stream it on line but if they don't maybe someone will tape it for me. I finally figured out the face time thing on my phone. With any luck, I'll be able to connect with Meghan tomorrow and watch them skate via her iPad.
Lloyd had been working out in the garage this week and I couldn't believe the change in there when I went out the other night. It's all tidied up and stuff is put away and it looks great. He's working on the wiring right now then will start on the walls and the insulation. He's hoping to have the concrete floor poured this year so lots has to happen before then. But it's coming and I think he enjoys working out there. He did need a little break after doing all the work upstairs. That was a huge job for him. But now that Christmas is over, he's back at it. Of course the milder weather has made it much more pleasant to be out there. Even with a heater going in there, it was still pretty nasty when it was really cold. Hopefully we're done with those really frigid temperatures for this year.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Wednesday, January 15th - you know it's January when the most exciting thing to write about it the weather!
Okay, what's wrong with this picture? It's the middle of January (literally), it's 5:00 in the morning and the temperature outside is 6'. It was 7' when I was coming home last night. It was raining most of the way but by the time I got home it was stopped. The down side is my back yard and pathway to the craft room are a sea of mud! But interestingly enough, this isn't a record. Back in 1978 on this date the high was 9' so I guess it's not so unusual. This January thaw is really sticking around for awhile. 2' seems to be the constant temperature for the next few days and nights, although there is a chance of some flurries tomorrow.
Monday night was spent out in the craft room. Now that I've gotten back into the swing of things, it's getting easier to come up with ideas for pages. I've not done any scrapbooking for quite a long time and it takes a while to get back into a groove again. It's ever so nice to just leave everything where you were, and come back to it the next night.
Tuesday was to be our dance class but we both opted out. My back is still quite bothersome from time to time and Brenda called to advise she has a sore throat. I really hope it doesn't develop into a full blown cold as she's already suffered through one of those this winter. I'll call her later and see how she's feeling today. No doubt a bug picked up from one of the kids on her bus.
Other than that, it's pretty quiet out here on the hill. I called the satellite folks last night and gave them my 30 days notice to cancel my service. I was annoyed when I received my bill yesterday. I pulled out the bills for the past year and noted that the monthly price has increased 5 times over the past 12 months. Granted they are small increases each time but not it's roughly $84.00 per year more than it was one year ago but with no added benefits. I tried watching a couple of programs online last night and had no problems what so ever. It appears that our internet signal may be a little better than it used to be. With netflix and online capability I don't see any reason why we need to continue with the satellite. Of course I have the option of signing up again without any fees for the next six months should I change my mind. We'll see how it goes.
Monday night was spent out in the craft room. Now that I've gotten back into the swing of things, it's getting easier to come up with ideas for pages. I've not done any scrapbooking for quite a long time and it takes a while to get back into a groove again. It's ever so nice to just leave everything where you were, and come back to it the next night.
Tuesday was to be our dance class but we both opted out. My back is still quite bothersome from time to time and Brenda called to advise she has a sore throat. I really hope it doesn't develop into a full blown cold as she's already suffered through one of those this winter. I'll call her later and see how she's feeling today. No doubt a bug picked up from one of the kids on her bus.
Other than that, it's pretty quiet out here on the hill. I called the satellite folks last night and gave them my 30 days notice to cancel my service. I was annoyed when I received my bill yesterday. I pulled out the bills for the past year and noted that the monthly price has increased 5 times over the past 12 months. Granted they are small increases each time but not it's roughly $84.00 per year more than it was one year ago but with no added benefits. I tried watching a couple of programs online last night and had no problems what so ever. It appears that our internet signal may be a little better than it used to be. With netflix and online capability I don't see any reason why we need to continue with the satellite. Of course I have the option of signing up again without any fees for the next six months should I change my mind. We'll see how it goes.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Monday, January 13th - What a difference a week had made!
It's a windy 1' this morning and that's where we will stay for the day today. These mild temperatures will be here for a few more days at least.
This time last week we were shivering under extremely cold temperatures with lots and lots of snow. This weekend we were sitting in mud with some sun and some rain. What an extreme week it's been.
It rained pretty much most of Saturday and with even milder temperatures on Sunday, the vast majority of our snow has disappeared. When Patti and Greg and the kids were here we were up to our waist in some places in snow. This photo of our back door certainly shows a different picture from when they left a week ago.
It's unbelievable the amount of snow that has gone.
No doubt this thaw has ruined the ski trails. How unfortunate for the ski resort operators. It looked so promising when they were able to open ahead of schedule this year. Let's hope the snow returns, but being as it's only the second week of January, I'm pretty sure we're not done yet. There should still be some dandy skiing in our future.
We had dinner at the VanGaals on Saturday night. What a great evening. Fish and chips, coleslaw and veggies topped off with homemade coconut cream pie. YUMMMM! Good food and great company.
Sunday was a quiet day around here. Lloyd went up to visit our friends in Wheatley River after having spent some time with them on Saturday at the farmer's market. Charles was working on a project that Lloyd wanted to have a look at. As I had slipped on the ice on Saturday afternoon and slightly wrenched my back, I decided to just stay home and take life easy. And that's exactly what I did. I spent pretty much the entire day out in the craft room catching up on some long overdue scrapbooking. It was a lovely day, just working away with the tunes playing. I love my new space!
With the milder weather, Lloyd's been getting a few more eggs from his chickens. We're averaging around 2 to 3 per day. Not a lot but enough for us. Any more and we'd have more than we can handle. The eggs we have been getting would be classified as jumbo, judging by the weight of them. Most are in the 68 to 75 gram size. Pretty substantial. Although we did get one the other day that is so very tiny it looks really funny with the rest. No idea why it's so small.
But he's pretty happy with what they hens are normally producing.
Lloyd had picked up some fresh ground lamb at the farmers market so we had lamb burgers and salad for supper on Sunday evening. A nice quiet end to a nice quiet day.
This time last week we were shivering under extremely cold temperatures with lots and lots of snow. This weekend we were sitting in mud with some sun and some rain. What an extreme week it's been.
It rained pretty much most of Saturday and with even milder temperatures on Sunday, the vast majority of our snow has disappeared. When Patti and Greg and the kids were here we were up to our waist in some places in snow. This photo of our back door certainly shows a different picture from when they left a week ago.
It's unbelievable the amount of snow that has gone.
No doubt this thaw has ruined the ski trails. How unfortunate for the ski resort operators. It looked so promising when they were able to open ahead of schedule this year. Let's hope the snow returns, but being as it's only the second week of January, I'm pretty sure we're not done yet. There should still be some dandy skiing in our future.
We had dinner at the VanGaals on Saturday night. What a great evening. Fish and chips, coleslaw and veggies topped off with homemade coconut cream pie. YUMMMM! Good food and great company.
Sunday was a quiet day around here. Lloyd went up to visit our friends in Wheatley River after having spent some time with them on Saturday at the farmer's market. Charles was working on a project that Lloyd wanted to have a look at. As I had slipped on the ice on Saturday afternoon and slightly wrenched my back, I decided to just stay home and take life easy. And that's exactly what I did. I spent pretty much the entire day out in the craft room catching up on some long overdue scrapbooking. It was a lovely day, just working away with the tunes playing. I love my new space!
With the milder weather, Lloyd's been getting a few more eggs from his chickens. We're averaging around 2 to 3 per day. Not a lot but enough for us. Any more and we'd have more than we can handle. The eggs we have been getting would be classified as jumbo, judging by the weight of them. Most are in the 68 to 75 gram size. Pretty substantial. Although we did get one the other day that is so very tiny it looks really funny with the rest. No idea why it's so small.
But he's pretty happy with what they hens are normally producing.
Lloyd had picked up some fresh ground lamb at the farmers market so we had lamb burgers and salad for supper on Sunday evening. A nice quiet end to a nice quiet day.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Friday, January 10th - can we really be almost half way through January already??
The really cold weather has subsided somewhat or maybe we're just getting used to it. This morning is once again -16' with a wind chill of -24', although it doesn't seem particularly windy here at 5:15. It's going to warm up to -5' later but the weekend is really weird. They're predicting 2' on Saturday and 7' and rain on Sunday. That will really mess with our ski trails. Let's hope they're wrong on that one.
Patti was due to fly to Corner Brook Nfld. on Wednesday evening but because of the weather there, it was cancelled. Instead she was sent to Vancouver. Pretty much all the major airports are suffering badly with flight delays caused be the weather. It must just be a nightmare for passengers and staff alike. She sent me these photos of the baggage area at the Vancouver airport to give us an idea of just what they are faced with:
I'm sure Toronto is even worse. I'm certainly glad all my family is where they are meant to be and none of us are trying to get anywhere. Last night's news indicated that things are finally moving again but it will take a while to get back to normal, I'm sure.
Now that things have settled back into somewhat of a routine, I'm able to utilize my new craft space. I spent some time out there on Wednesday evening. I sorted out a few things, swept the floor (some glitter left from the holiday visitors) and made a wish list of things I'd like to accomplish over the next few months. Then I actually started on my next scrapbook. I have all the photos from our trip to Tucson in 2010 and decided it was time to do something with them. By the time I got myself a bit organized, I only completed one page but it's a start. It's going to take a while to see what works and what doesn't out there. You can't really tell these things until you are actually working with it. What looks good on paper may need to be tweaked a bit in real life, but so far, so good.
I'm planning to spend some time out there this evening and from the looks of the weather forecast, I suspect Sunday may just be a crafting day as well. We'll just have to see how it all plays out.
Patti was due to fly to Corner Brook Nfld. on Wednesday evening but because of the weather there, it was cancelled. Instead she was sent to Vancouver. Pretty much all the major airports are suffering badly with flight delays caused be the weather. It must just be a nightmare for passengers and staff alike. She sent me these photos of the baggage area at the Vancouver airport to give us an idea of just what they are faced with:
I'm sure Toronto is even worse. I'm certainly glad all my family is where they are meant to be and none of us are trying to get anywhere. Last night's news indicated that things are finally moving again but it will take a while to get back to normal, I'm sure.
Now that things have settled back into somewhat of a routine, I'm able to utilize my new craft space. I spent some time out there on Wednesday evening. I sorted out a few things, swept the floor (some glitter left from the holiday visitors) and made a wish list of things I'd like to accomplish over the next few months. Then I actually started on my next scrapbook. I have all the photos from our trip to Tucson in 2010 and decided it was time to do something with them. By the time I got myself a bit organized, I only completed one page but it's a start. It's going to take a while to see what works and what doesn't out there. You can't really tell these things until you are actually working with it. What looks good on paper may need to be tweaked a bit in real life, but so far, so good.
I'm planning to spend some time out there this evening and from the looks of the weather forecast, I suspect Sunday may just be a crafting day as well. We'll just have to see how it all plays out.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Wednesday, January 8th - back to the deep freeze!
After a couple of not so cold days, we are plunged back into the deep freeze once again. It would be much easier to get used to if it just stayed cold. It's currently -15' at 5:15 am but it feels like -24. We should reach a high later of -11, feeling like -20.
The weather has been an issue everywhere this week and we weren't sure what kind of drive Patti was going to have on Sunday and Monday. She kept me informed along the way and after spending the night in Drummondville, they were braced for a messy trip the rest of the way. But each text I got from her confirmed the roads were clear and driving was good. Some rain going through Montreal but then Kingston area required sun glasses. She was very lucky to not hit any ice until Toronto. Figures the last hour of a 19 hour drive would be messy. She reported that there were lots of accidents and vehicles in the ditch. She said the roads were not that bad but all the accidents had really snarled things up. She was able to get off the 401 at Highway 25 and make her way home from there. I got home at 5:45 and hot a text that they were home safe and sound. All things considered, it wasn't a bad trip and could have been much worse. Well done Patti!
We had some rain on Monday that was supposed to be freezing but luckily that never happened. As a result our snow took quite a beating. The banks are substantially lower than they were on the weekend. In fact our mail box is now completely uncovered. It had been pretty much buried. I'll bet there were some wet basements around as all that water really had no where to go.
Other than that, not much is new. We're getting back into our usual routine once again. Brenda and I had our dance class last night and then popped into the Merchantman for our refreshments. We had beer and some great potato nachos. We will definitely go there again.
My Christmas tree is down and put away, and the snowflakes I had put up at work, are now also down. I stayed after work last night to climb up and down the ladder to finish that task. Everything seems so quiet now that the holidays are over. But that's not a bad thing.
No real plans except keeping warm. Last year we took a weeks vacation in the winter and went to a resort in Nova Scotia. Nothing like that scheduled this year. I suppose the next big event will be Lloyd's birthday on the 22nd. The plan is to take him out to the culinary institute for supper. He's only been there for the burger, not a proper meal, so that's the goal this year. Brenda and I discussed it last night and thought it might just work for the four of us.
The weather has been an issue everywhere this week and we weren't sure what kind of drive Patti was going to have on Sunday and Monday. She kept me informed along the way and after spending the night in Drummondville, they were braced for a messy trip the rest of the way. But each text I got from her confirmed the roads were clear and driving was good. Some rain going through Montreal but then Kingston area required sun glasses. She was very lucky to not hit any ice until Toronto. Figures the last hour of a 19 hour drive would be messy. She reported that there were lots of accidents and vehicles in the ditch. She said the roads were not that bad but all the accidents had really snarled things up. She was able to get off the 401 at Highway 25 and make her way home from there. I got home at 5:45 and hot a text that they were home safe and sound. All things considered, it wasn't a bad trip and could have been much worse. Well done Patti!
We had some rain on Monday that was supposed to be freezing but luckily that never happened. As a result our snow took quite a beating. The banks are substantially lower than they were on the weekend. In fact our mail box is now completely uncovered. It had been pretty much buried. I'll bet there were some wet basements around as all that water really had no where to go.
Other than that, not much is new. We're getting back into our usual routine once again. Brenda and I had our dance class last night and then popped into the Merchantman for our refreshments. We had beer and some great potato nachos. We will definitely go there again.
My Christmas tree is down and put away, and the snowflakes I had put up at work, are now also down. I stayed after work last night to climb up and down the ladder to finish that task. Everything seems so quiet now that the holidays are over. But that's not a bad thing.
No real plans except keeping warm. Last year we took a weeks vacation in the winter and went to a resort in Nova Scotia. Nothing like that scheduled this year. I suppose the next big event will be Lloyd's birthday on the 22nd. The plan is to take him out to the culinary institute for supper. He's only been there for the burger, not a proper meal, so that's the goal this year. Brenda and I discussed it last night and thought it might just work for the four of us.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Monday, July 6th - a belated Happy Birthday Caitlin
Well, the holidays are over and it's time to get back to what ever resembles normal around here. The weather certainly isn't. After extreme bitter cold the past week, yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day. It was just below freezing, around -6 or -7 and no wind. A perfect day to go skiing, but unfortunately it was also the day everyone was leaving. Greg was flying home and Patti and the kids dropped him off at the airport on their way by. She and the kids and the two dogs are on their way. I was texting them last night before I went to sleep and they still had good weather and roads and at 10:00 our time they were just starting to look for somewhere to stop for the night. They had freezing rain in Ontario and Greg called and told her the 401 was like bumper cars. Not good! We are getting that today so it's remarkable that she didn't run into it yesterday. With any luck at all, they will sleep through whatever storm hits their way and maybe be better this morning? Let's hope. It's a little too early to text them yet this morning so I'll be anxious to see them get safely home.
With our lovely day yesterday, Brenda and I did indeed take advantage and go out to the National Park to check out the condition of the trails. Today we have a freezing rain warning and an expected high later of 8'. Does this make any sense? We have lots of snow so rain will really make a slushy mess of things. Can't wait for the drive to and from work, although it's not meant to start here till around 9:00. Hopefully I'll get to work before it starts, and it will turn to rain and melt the ice before I leave to come home.
It was a quiet week, with not a lot to do but everyone seemed to keep busy. It was just too darn cold for any outdoor activities. We went to the pool one day and the movies on another. On Saturday, I went to work and Patti spent part of the day tidying up and packing up their things for the drive home on Sunday morning. Brenda and Bernie were coming over for supper so when I got home we set about getting everything ready. Meghan and James were a big help in the kitchen and we set up the card table at the end of the big table so we could all fit around it. The kids love Brenda and Bernie and are always so excited to see them when they come to visit. It's kind of like Cooper, give him a few minutes and they settle down somewhat.
We had a great supper of BBQ steak, that Lloyd and Bernie grilled in the garage. Shrimp cocktails followed by baked potatoes with all the trimmings, carrots and cherry tomatoes sautéed in butter and garlic, sautéed mushrooms with the steaks and Meghan's creme brûlée for dessert. Accompanied by great company, it was a delightful evening. Between dinner and dessert, James entertained everyone with his magic act he'd been working on all week. The VanGaals had given the kids some games and one of them was a magic kit. He loved it, and spent the week working on his performance and the guests were suitably impressed. They had also brought over a board game that had everyone howling with laughter at the end of the evening. A wonderful end to a great week. I'll be able to totally relax once they are all safely home.
Our trip to the park yesterday was great. The trails are no
longer groomed so we were hoping others had broken the trail for us and on such a nice day, many people were out.
The weather has certainly taken it's toll on the trail. Several spots are blocked with large trees that have toppled over so you have to either find a way around them or try to get under them. Not an easy task but it can be done. It was the perfect day with the sun coming out every so often and shining through the trees. It's the first time since I've been here that there's been so much snow on the trails this early in the season. I suspect the skis will get much more use this year than last.
With our lovely day yesterday, Brenda and I did indeed take advantage and go out to the National Park to check out the condition of the trails. Today we have a freezing rain warning and an expected high later of 8'. Does this make any sense? We have lots of snow so rain will really make a slushy mess of things. Can't wait for the drive to and from work, although it's not meant to start here till around 9:00. Hopefully I'll get to work before it starts, and it will turn to rain and melt the ice before I leave to come home.
It was a quiet week, with not a lot to do but everyone seemed to keep busy. It was just too darn cold for any outdoor activities. We went to the pool one day and the movies on another. On Saturday, I went to work and Patti spent part of the day tidying up and packing up their things for the drive home on Sunday morning. Brenda and Bernie were coming over for supper so when I got home we set about getting everything ready. Meghan and James were a big help in the kitchen and we set up the card table at the end of the big table so we could all fit around it. The kids love Brenda and Bernie and are always so excited to see them when they come to visit. It's kind of like Cooper, give him a few minutes and they settle down somewhat.
Our trip to the park yesterday was great. The trails are no
longer groomed so we were hoping others had broken the trail for us and on such a nice day, many people were out.
The weather has certainly taken it's toll on the trail. Several spots are blocked with large trees that have toppled over so you have to either find a way around them or try to get under them. Not an easy task but it can be done. It was the perfect day with the sun coming out every so often and shining through the trees. It's the first time since I've been here that there's been so much snow on the trails this early in the season. I suspect the skis will get much more use this year than last.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Thursday, January 2nd - a belated Happy New Year to you all!
Gosh, where do I start? It's been a busy few days but here's the short version.
James arrived, as hoped, shortly after midnight on Boxing Day. We picked up a coffee for Lloyd and stopped in to see him at work for a few minutes then headed home. It was approximately 2:00 am when we got to bed. I got up and 6:00 the next morning and he insisted that he also be woken up so he could go to work with me.
I had saved a few filing and sorting jobs for him and he was okay with that, sitting at a spare desk in his suit and tie. But I know he was tired. By lunch I had pretty much nothing left for him to do. He was enjoying answering the phone and transferring the calls but it was a quiet day. I knew that Brenda and the girls were in town doing some shopping so I got hold of them as they had offered to take him home if needed. So he headed back out to the country to spend the afternoon with Lloyd.
I spent the day monitoring the progress of Greg and the other two. They had left Guelph around 5:30 in the morning on the 27th and he was hoping to drive straight through. I was in contact with Meghan, who had Greg's phone and was texting me on their whereabouts. I still can't believe they did it, but they rolled in at about 1:45 in the morning on the 28th, preceded by an excited text "We're at the big strawberry!!!!!!". Well done, Greg, I know it was a bit challenging through parts of it, driving in snow for quite some time through New Brunswick.
Once everyone was in bed, safe and sound, I was able to relax. Everyone was where they were supposed to be. Saturday morning I had off work , and I had a couple of things to do in town. Meghan and I went into the grocery store and then dropped off some stuff at Value Village and the recycling depot, arriving at the airport shortly after Patti was on the ground, so we were able to just drive up and let her in the car.
Needless to say, Saturday was a pretty lazy day at our house, as was Sunday. Everyone was just kind of getting rested up. The weather at that point was good so the kids spent lots of time outdoors. It was sunny and not too cold. Then Monday morning came with rain, and as I had to work, Patti took them to the pool in the afternoon.
Unfortunately the weather turned really cold after that. There's been some outside play, but not a lot.
I had saved an episode of Murdoch Mysteries that I thought James might enjoy. After he finished watching it, he asked if I had anymore. So we found a couple of seasons on Netflix and he spent two days glued to the computer screen, trying to solve the next great crime in the city of Toronto in the 1800's. Meghan has been enjoying the craft room. She's spent many afternoons up there working away.
Patti and the kids and I ventured into town on New Years Eve. We parked at the Superstore and got there just in time to catch the shuttle bus downtown. We walked over to Great George Street and saw the ice sculptures on display. It was very cold and we waited till the fireworks were done then went into the Murphy Centre. Most people had gone home and they had several large bouncy things set up inside for the kids. Our guys had a great time playing on them until around 9:00, when they were getting ready to shut everything down. The up side of that was most of the outside crowd had gone home so when we went outside to look for our shuttle, it was right there, waiting for us. A quick stop at a store to pick up some pop and we were back home. A fun night but it would have been much better had it not been quite so cold.
Needless to say, the cold is still hanging on. We went into town on Wednesday afternoon to see a movie and then had a lovely roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings when we got home.
So, it's been a relaxing few days but not so much an outdoor few days. Hopefully the weather will warm up a bit before they leave so we can go out to Brookvale and do some skiing.
James arrived, as hoped, shortly after midnight on Boxing Day. We picked up a coffee for Lloyd and stopped in to see him at work for a few minutes then headed home. It was approximately 2:00 am when we got to bed. I got up and 6:00 the next morning and he insisted that he also be woken up so he could go to work with me.
I had saved a few filing and sorting jobs for him and he was okay with that, sitting at a spare desk in his suit and tie. But I know he was tired. By lunch I had pretty much nothing left for him to do. He was enjoying answering the phone and transferring the calls but it was a quiet day. I knew that Brenda and the girls were in town doing some shopping so I got hold of them as they had offered to take him home if needed. So he headed back out to the country to spend the afternoon with Lloyd.
I spent the day monitoring the progress of Greg and the other two. They had left Guelph around 5:30 in the morning on the 27th and he was hoping to drive straight through. I was in contact with Meghan, who had Greg's phone and was texting me on their whereabouts. I still can't believe they did it, but they rolled in at about 1:45 in the morning on the 28th, preceded by an excited text "We're at the big strawberry!!!!!!". Well done, Greg, I know it was a bit challenging through parts of it, driving in snow for quite some time through New Brunswick.
Once everyone was in bed, safe and sound, I was able to relax. Everyone was where they were supposed to be. Saturday morning I had off work , and I had a couple of things to do in town. Meghan and I went into the grocery store and then dropped off some stuff at Value Village and the recycling depot, arriving at the airport shortly after Patti was on the ground, so we were able to just drive up and let her in the car.
Needless to say, Saturday was a pretty lazy day at our house, as was Sunday. Everyone was just kind of getting rested up. The weather at that point was good so the kids spent lots of time outdoors. It was sunny and not too cold. Then Monday morning came with rain, and as I had to work, Patti took them to the pool in the afternoon.
Unfortunately the weather turned really cold after that. There's been some outside play, but not a lot.
I had saved an episode of Murdoch Mysteries that I thought James might enjoy. After he finished watching it, he asked if I had anymore. So we found a couple of seasons on Netflix and he spent two days glued to the computer screen, trying to solve the next great crime in the city of Toronto in the 1800's. Meghan has been enjoying the craft room. She's spent many afternoons up there working away.
Patti and the kids and I ventured into town on New Years Eve. We parked at the Superstore and got there just in time to catch the shuttle bus downtown. We walked over to Great George Street and saw the ice sculptures on display. It was very cold and we waited till the fireworks were done then went into the Murphy Centre. Most people had gone home and they had several large bouncy things set up inside for the kids. Our guys had a great time playing on them until around 9:00, when they were getting ready to shut everything down. The up side of that was most of the outside crowd had gone home so when we went outside to look for our shuttle, it was right there, waiting for us. A quick stop at a store to pick up some pop and we were back home. A fun night but it would have been much better had it not been quite so cold.
Needless to say, the cold is still hanging on. We went into town on Wednesday afternoon to see a movie and then had a lovely roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings when we got home.
So, it's been a relaxing few days but not so much an outdoor few days. Hopefully the weather will warm up a bit before they leave so we can go out to Brookvale and do some skiing.
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