Sunday, March 29, 2009
Kaylie's Birthday
My beautiful niece Kaylie, turned 11 on Friday...careful...she's a Karate student and could kick butt!! I love her dearly and miss her terribly...it's a long way to BC but the ties are tight! 
Busy Days
This was a busy weekend. Friday night, I had a Digital Scrapbooking get together with Creative Memories...my good friend Reta is a consultant and I asked her to come up and give a demonstration that was based on the digital products that CM sells. She brought along her "trusty sidekick" Patti and away we went. I had some friends over and Reta was able to tell them all about the digital side of things. I am highly addicted to it and love it and really wanted to share how great it is. The evening was great, we had some good laughs, some delicious brownies (what my daughter didn't manage to eat) and we all learned alot. Sales were good and I think everyone realized how great the products are! Reta and Patti were spending the night so we stayed up past our bedtime for a few more giggles...Graham was so kind to come down and tell us that we better be done by midnight...
Saturday morning started with baseball of course. I think it's great that they have this little spring training program, Graham is learning alot from it. After baseball they were having a football practice in the indoor soccer facility, it's great to see it used for other sports as well. Elysia was at her friend's house, Mike was working so I had a babysitter for Graham and off I went to the Old O for a day of scrapbooking with friends. I only take my laptop with me...the cruel part of me gets a chuckle out of people carrying in their bags of stuff and I show up with my one or two bags...plug in my computer and away I go. Patti, Reta, Alice and Sonya were all there. Sonya has just begun to finally see the "scrapbooking light", of course being the technical person, the light is from her computer screen. I think she really enjoyed it!
I only stayed until about 5 and then the kids and I went to see Grandma. We stayed for supper and a quick visit. I wanted to see all the work she had done in the bathrooms. Yes, I forgot to tell you about my lovely Friday night at mother's house last weekend. Mike and I had striped some border off mom's walls in the rec room. We were unable to get the border off in the bathroom by hand. So I called my mother on Friday and ask what she's doing and she says she's rented a steamer and intends to take the border off that night...agh!! Mothers!! I "volunteered" my services...had I only known. I will never, ever in my entire life strip wallpaper that has to come off with a steamer (unless there are copious amounts of cash or alcohol involved). Three hours later, it was off. I am sure her painter still had quite the job to do taking the paste off before he painted but I don't know him and I didn't have to do it...so I don't care!
We had a great visit with Maria! She was suppose to head out on Tuesday morning but the 20+ cms of snow put a stop to that, so she didn't end up going until Wed morning...do you know how early you have to get up to make a 6:30 flight in Halifax?! The sun wasn't even coming up until I was almost home! Maria had alot of fun and saw some things she doesn't get to see in Ottawa...Hall's Harbour, a calf autopsy, a mink farm (she did not like that smell!)
Saturday morning started with baseball of course. I think it's great that they have this little spring training program, Graham is learning alot from it. After baseball they were having a football practice in the indoor soccer facility, it's great to see it used for other sports as well. Elysia was at her friend's house, Mike was working so I had a babysitter for Graham and off I went to the Old O for a day of scrapbooking with friends. I only take my laptop with me...the cruel part of me gets a chuckle out of people carrying in their bags of stuff and I show up with my one or two bags...plug in my computer and away I go. Patti, Reta, Alice and Sonya were all there. Sonya has just begun to finally see the "scrapbooking light", of course being the technical person, the light is from her computer screen. I think she really enjoyed it!
I only stayed until about 5 and then the kids and I went to see Grandma. We stayed for supper and a quick visit. I wanted to see all the work she had done in the bathrooms. Yes, I forgot to tell you about my lovely Friday night at mother's house last weekend. Mike and I had striped some border off mom's walls in the rec room. We were unable to get the border off in the bathroom by hand. So I called my mother on Friday and ask what she's doing and she says she's rented a steamer and intends to take the border off that night...agh!! Mothers!! I "volunteered" my services...had I only known. I will never, ever in my entire life strip wallpaper that has to come off with a steamer (unless there are copious amounts of cash or alcohol involved). Three hours later, it was off. I am sure her painter still had quite the job to do taking the paste off before he painted but I don't know him and I didn't have to do it...so I don't care!
We had a great visit with Maria! She was suppose to head out on Tuesday morning but the 20+ cms of snow put a stop to that, so she didn't end up going until Wed morning...do you know how early you have to get up to make a 6:30 flight in Halifax?! The sun wasn't even coming up until I was almost home! Maria had alot of fun and saw some things she doesn't get to see in Ottawa...Hall's Harbour, a calf autopsy, a mink farm (she did not like that smell!)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Hall's Harbour
We decided to take the kids up to Hall's Harbour today. Maria wanted to see the Bay of Fundy. Connor was off skiing with his cousin so he was unable to go. Let me just start by saying it was the most pristine of spring days...the sun was shining, the water was calm, it was absolutely perfect (minus the dead dear Sarah found in the rocks-agh).
The kids had fun climbing on the rocks, taking pictures...
Monday, March 16, 2009
Maria in Town
The kids are on March break this week. They are quite happy, I am having a bit of a March break myself, I am off for 3 days and it's glorious!! Elysia went to Halifax for the weekend to visit her friends. We picked her up this morning on our way to pickup Maria (my sister) at the airport. Dad and Evanice have allowed to come down for the week. As Graham says "we get her first". We explained that she's not a dog! We are at Josee's house now and I am on her little MacBook, rather liking it I must say, may end up in my car...:) Just kidding, Josee.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Sign of Spring
Yes...I saw it and here's the proof!! Crocuses are coming through the ground...we have one patch of garden that is not covered with snow and gets lots of sun and they are starting to peak through!!!This is a picture of mom's dog, Sofie, she loves to curl up on the back of mom's couch and watch out the window...or course, she's well dressed.
We went to mom's to help her take down some border...yeah, sounds like fun doesn't it. Here's a great picture of mom and Elysia...there was a better one of both of them with their tongues hanging out but I thought my mother would kill me if I posted it.
We then went to Connor's hockey game and boy, was it exciting, they were down 5-2 with only about 12 minutes to go and they ended up winning 10-5, what a turn around. I may have screamed once or twice.
Here's a picture of Graham collecting kindling in the woods in the back...it was such a great spring day today.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Back Door Barf
So this is some of our back door barf and trust me it sure looks better with a dusting of snow flakes on it. Of course now, it's frozen solid.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Ever Continuing Saga of the Ice, Snow and Rain
So...last night when I got home from work, it had snowed and rained and was continuing to rain...and the snowplow had gone by and made a mess at the end of the driveway. Rather than drive over it, I shovelled it away and let me tell you, it was heavy!! All fine and dandy because we had invested the money in paving the driveway last summer so it wasn't too bad...hmm...should have seen that as an omen of things to come!
Last night, Mike and I relaxing in the tv room, nice fire going...watching the Cosby show...enjoying the evening. Then I say "I think I hear water running"...we opened the back door and realized that it was quickly filling up with water that was gushing down the side of the house and filling in the concrete area and was about to overflow in our back door...our EMO plan kicked in :) What that means is panic and running, Mike pulled his rubber boots on and I ran upstairs to get my boots and the shovel. We went out side in the pouring rain to bail out the water. In the water is a lovely collection of leaves and sand that the water has washed away. This is all being thrown in the back yard.
At first we thought the gutter had overflowed as it had done once before, I went up the hill to look and realized that was not the case. Since we paid all that money to pave the driveway, it had a created a smooth surface for all the water flowing down the road to come down, it was pooling at the end of the driveway and it's quickest was down was under the steps on the side of the house, along the foundation and around the corner where it ran to the back door. I ran next door to get the ice beater upper thing and another shovel. I managed to carve out a path in the ice and snow with Mike (oh yeah, there was an ax involved in there as well) to redirect the onslot of water away from the back door down into the yard.
We then decided to get the sandbags out of the shed to reinforce the back door to keep the water out...guess what? The door was blocked with ice again...in between bailing and carving a path, we now had to get the ice away from the front of the doors to get the shed open. I think there may be some dents in the bottom of the door as our rage and frustration had mounted at this point and I was damned if I would unscrew those doors in the pouring rain. We finally managed to get the doors opened and hauled up the sandbags, sandbagged the back door.
We both went into the house exhausted and soaked to the skin...but the disaster was averted! Mike went out once more to bail that night but our tactics seemed to have worked for now but we have to find a better solution until it all thaws and we can have someone come in and find a way to permanently redirect the water.
We both looked outside this morning to see how our work looked in the light and to be quite honest, it now looks like our back door threw up!
Last night, Mike and I relaxing in the tv room, nice fire going...watching the Cosby show...enjoying the evening. Then I say "I think I hear water running"...we opened the back door and realized that it was quickly filling up with water that was gushing down the side of the house and filling in the concrete area and was about to overflow in our back door...our EMO plan kicked in :) What that means is panic and running, Mike pulled his rubber boots on and I ran upstairs to get my boots and the shovel. We went out side in the pouring rain to bail out the water. In the water is a lovely collection of leaves and sand that the water has washed away. This is all being thrown in the back yard.
At first we thought the gutter had overflowed as it had done once before, I went up the hill to look and realized that was not the case. Since we paid all that money to pave the driveway, it had a created a smooth surface for all the water flowing down the road to come down, it was pooling at the end of the driveway and it's quickest was down was under the steps on the side of the house, along the foundation and around the corner where it ran to the back door. I ran next door to get the ice beater upper thing and another shovel. I managed to carve out a path in the ice and snow with Mike (oh yeah, there was an ax involved in there as well) to redirect the onslot of water away from the back door down into the yard.
We then decided to get the sandbags out of the shed to reinforce the back door to keep the water out...guess what? The door was blocked with ice again...in between bailing and carving a path, we now had to get the ice away from the front of the doors to get the shed open. I think there may be some dents in the bottom of the door as our rage and frustration had mounted at this point and I was damned if I would unscrew those doors in the pouring rain. We finally managed to get the doors opened and hauled up the sandbags, sandbagged the back door.
We both went into the house exhausted and soaked to the skin...but the disaster was averted! Mike went out once more to bail that night but our tactics seemed to have worked for now but we have to find a better solution until it all thaws and we can have someone come in and find a way to permanently redirect the water.
We both looked outside this morning to see how our work looked in the light and to be quite honest, it now looks like our back door threw up!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Website
My friend from work, Don has launched a new website...www.scotianhiker.com...see the link on my blog page. He is having a photo contest, you could win a digital camera, etc. Check it out!!
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