Beyond Bed and Bath

Beyond the usual houseplant is the current state of my red clover.  That is what my mother called this little slip when she gave it to me about four years (or so) ago.  It has waxed and waned over the years, but I think this is the best I have ever seen it.

And this recent Picture of the Day from Auntie Colleen features an item that goes back in time beyond the ages of my children..who as you know are quite grown up now.  I doubt that they ever knew anyone who owned ..........

....a bicycle quite like this one.  I'm not sure where it was spotted, but the story goes like this:
"Patti and I were out for a drive the other day and she was good enough to stop when I screeched so I could take a shot of this great old bike. I love the basket especially."  I have driven with Auntie Colleen and I can hear that screech in my mind as I type this!  Now, that covers the beyond.  What was next?  Oh yes, bed.  That brings us to Poppa's latest project.  


This is the room that used to be occupied by Kev-Inn.  

What is Poppa doing?  Well, this room had what is usually called a textured - or popcorn - ceiling.  It needed painting to freshen it up, and that textured stuff is really difficult to paint.  So, Poppa decided to sand it all down to smoothen it up as much as possible.  What a job!  Needless to say - there was a lot of dust - notice the crib covered by old blankets to keep it clean for a small occupant.  When Poppa emerged from the room about three hours later he looked like this....

....I'm trying not to think about how much of that stuff he inhaled (and yes, he was wearing a mask, but as you can see, some snuck around it).  Needless to say, he brushed himself off a bit and headed for the shower.  The next day he was back in there.....

........under careful scrutiny vacuuming all that dust up so he could move on to the next step.  Hence, a couple of days later there he was once again.........

.........this time applying that fresh coat of paint to the now flattened ceiling.  What a nice improvement that was!  However, still not finished, a day or two later we were both in there for the next stage...

......which involved changing the colour of the trim from grey to this nice comforting beige colour.  We were quite pleased with it when we were finished and Poppa washed out the empty paint tin and then put it outside to dry in preparation for disposal.......which proved somewhat fruitless since we looked out later and realized..........

.......that it was raining outside and the paint can was getting wetter!  Oh well.  Now we have covered the bed(room) part of this blog post.  Next?  Oh yes........bath!  


It was Bath Day for our dear little fuzzy people today!  They came out of the washing machine a while ago and climbed into the dryer for a fluff job.

Speaking of which, I'd better get away from this computer for a while and see if they are ready to clamber out of there and get dressed!

Walk and Work

I found this photo the other day..........and it has to be one of the all-time best in the Abandoned Series.  As usual it was Uncle Shaun who found this speciman, and I'm pretty sure I didn't post it before!

Of course - we need Auntie Colleen's description to fully appreciate this shot...."I love so much about this shot. The pattern and texture in the background. The desaturated colours of the leaves and Timmy's cup after a long winter..."  Isn't it great?


Even though the day was overcast, Poppa and I decided to head out for our stroll to the donut shop.  I grabbed an umbrella, just in case it rained and headed off at a good pace in an effort to get there and back before the rain came.  Apparently Poppa wasn't in such a hurry.

You can see how far behind me he was when he took this picture.  When I turned around to see where he had gotten to, he hurried a little and soon caught up.

As you can see, the leaves are out now, and although the day was a little cool, it was a pleasant walk.  Here is the big, old oak tree, with the upper portions bursting into leaf, even though the lower branches are falling down.

It is getting difficult to see it, but it really is in there with all that greenery!  We spotted this nicely landscaped property sporting a Canadian flag.  You see a lot of flags on private property in the US, but not so many in Canada, so this was a nice find.

Just under the flag you can spot a flowering crab.  It is very pretty, but just around the corner there was a beautiful example of these highly productive little apple trees.

It looks so pretty against the green of the surrounding trees.  Don't you think?  I was delighted to find the trilliums out....

...and while at first glance they all looked white, Poppa spied a few little pink ones further back in the patch...

...look closely and you can see one peeking out from under a leaf in the centre of the picture!  When we finally arrived at the donut shop, we discovered it was not too busy, even though it was the Monday of a long weekend here in Canada.

Eventually we headed home again.  I noticed on my way around to the back of the house that the bleeding hearts are out, and the lily of the valley are just about ready - we could already smell them - I love walking around that corner when they are in bloom, just so I can inhale their perfume!

But, once we were home it was back to reality.  Poppa got his equipment ready to do some spot weeding.  He started on the patio....

Soon he moved into the yard area and in a effort to keep up without running on his short, fuzzy little legs, Squeegie looked for an alternative method to keep an eye on Poppa.

He followed Poppa around until it started to rain - which forced them both to come in the house.  There, Poppa busily embarked on another project - but that's a whole other blog!

Strolling Along

I'm not sure, but I think Uncle Shaun stood on his head to get this picture......which I love for a few reasons.....it demonstrates the progress of spring here in the north, the colours are gorgeous....and Auntie Colleen's little description makes it a special photo!

And the commentary that accompanies the photo - "This is a little late but Shaun took the shot of Tyler's flowers this year. To think, 15 years ago, my bright, funny and handsome Godson was born, and these flowers adorned the table at the shower I held. He's grown as well as the crocuses." Hee!  The circle of life.


On that spring theme, these pictures are also about two weeks old - but this is the ancient oak tree that grows quite close to our house - I always wonder how many more years it will have life in its boughs.

I took this on our first walk up to the coffee shop since returning home from Florida, before spring was fully sprung.  While on our walk this morning, I noticed there was lots of life left in the old girl yet - but I hadn't brought my camera with me.  I'll remember next time and get another picture for you.  We also spied the ducks in the stream again this year....

...can you see them way up there?  I had my little camera with me that day, it doesn't zoom in as well as the big one, but it is lighter to carry.  We were gone for a while, and Taffy wanted to come to find us.............

.......but she couldn't reach the pedals on Munchie's little trike!

The Easter Saga

Easter Sunday at Munchie's house - how I wish I could have been there to watch.  But, Mommee kindly sent me a few pictures so I could enjoy it from afar.  So - here for your enjoyment (and mine) is a pictorial review of the Easter egg hunt....at the doorway to Munchie's bedroom he found a basket...

....with a few eggs inside.  He took it down the hall to show Mommee and Daddee....

...and found some more eggs along the way....

...and more...

....and even more....

.....Little Smiley enjoyed watching his big brother trudge around discovering eggs in all sorts of nooks and crannies.....

...and eventually the trail of eggs led Munchie outdoors to the deck....

....see them situated across the yard?

 Finally he had filled both his own and Little Smiley's baskets....

and he found the very last egg....

....which he found on the edge of the Easter Bunny's best present of all!  A new sandbox....

Awesome!  And since Little Smiley thought that perhaps sand would taste good...........Mommee let him play in the grass with his very own shovel and pail....

....and at the end of the day - both little boys were ready for bed.  Little Smiley was tucked in nicely....

...Munchie thought he didn't want to go to bed, but weariness overtook him anyway.

I don't think I could sleep like that, but I'm pretty sure Daddee carried him off to his bed!

A Bit Behind

There are a few more pictures I would like to share with you....even though they are kinda belated at this point.  Let's start with Auntie Colleen's Picture of the Day....

...with an explanation - which I needed to figure out what this was all about....
"When Shaun was out for a walk in Scout's Valley, he came across this lineup of shovels just waiting for the eager tree planters to appear."


And of course, there was Mother's Day...we got Gramma Grace the geraniums she likes to hang on the garage and set on the front porch....

...we couldn't get an answer at her door when we went to deliver them....so we put them in the porch and carried on over to Great-Gramma's.  When we arrived Uncle David was also there to have a visit with her.

As you know, Mommee is incredibly busy looking after two little boys whose mission in life is to keep her running, playing or cleaning.  So, as one might expect, she was a little late sending me some Easter pictures.  I'll post another blog later, but here is a sample....

.......I'll give you a hint .... this is Munchie on an Easter Egg Hunt!

Follow-Ups

A few notes further to previously posted items for your consideration and enjoyment!  There is a sign on the door of the Sundial Inn which looks like this....

.....and I guess that says it all!

Next - an update about socks.  Sometimes I get wonderful pictures back from people who are enjoying their socks.  I got this one from Auntie Denise....

...who seems to be relaxing while enjoying her warm feet.  Then I got this one...

of Mommee and Munchie seeing who had the smallest feet.  I'm pretty sure Munchie won that one!  Notice they each have one foot tilted?  Such camera hams!  Speaking of socks .... I'm not sure if any of you noticed - but when I mail socks from Florida to Canada it generally costs in the neighbourhood of $3.00 per package.  I had been delaying mailing socks from the last draw, since some of them can now be delivered and some people wanted them held until they could pick them up.  I was worrying about the socks for Gramma and Auntie Muffy since they both live further away - and I see them less frequently.  Poppa was thinking of making a visit up north to Auntie Muffy, so I was holding on to hers.  As most of you know, Poppa has had a bout with bronchial pneumonia, so I decided I should just mail Auntie Muffy's socks to her.  Thus, I zipped over to the Post Office outlet and sent them off - with some misgiving - it cost me $11.45 - YIKES!  So, I have decided that hence forward, I will hold socks here until the recipient comes to visit (hint, hint to Auntie Muffy and Gramma!), or until I can deliver them, or until I am back in Florida!  I will probably take Gramma's socks to Daddee's house since I think they see her more often than I do.  Auntie Muffy usually comes for a visit in the late summer - so hopefully she will do that again.  Miss Becky is coming for a visit in July - she can pick hers up then.  Aunt Grumpy picked hers up last weekend at the family gathering for Kevin and Ginger.  The rest are all within deliverable (is that a word?) distance - so expect them soon.  I currently have 3-1/2 pairs ready for the next draw - I think I will make eight pairs so that the last person has at least two pairs to choose from!  Any feedback regarding any of the above is welcome!  And, once again, anyone who is not on the e-mail list - let me know and I will add your name!

Priceless....

Mommee sent me a picture ............. it is priceless for a couple of reasons........

..........Little Smiley is trying to eat Daddee's ear.......which is kinda cute............and look at Daddee!  We hardly ever see him smiling that broadly.  I love this picture!

Landmarks, A Party and Signs of Spring

Anyone who grew up in our city will recognize this landmark - which was once a popular choice for wedding receptions, family dinners or an evening to relax with a drink and live entertainment.

And, as you can see from this picture - and most of you probably already know - it has been vacant for several years and is currently boarded up and fenced in.  It seems sad to me, since I have many fond memories of this building - as mentioned above.  I think my earliest memory involves my oldest sister taking me there in her brand-new car to pick up Kentucky Fried Chicken.  This was at the time when KFC wasn't shortened and was quite a novelty.  The entrepreneurial gentleman who owned this building at that time had a drive through space where KFC was handed out the window.  Of course, it wasn't long before KFC moved to its own location - nevertheless that was my first taste of the Colonel's creation - and it happened at this building.  A few years ago, during the winter when we were in Florida, I received an e-mail from Auntie Colleen saying that an ornamental section of the entrance had collapsed.

Now, more bad news regarding this local landmark.  Just over a week ago, another portion of the structure was destroyed by fire.

This was the entire south wing of the building - as you can see in this next photo....

...and sadly, now I am expecting to see a wrecking crew in there any day........marking the end of another chapter in our local life.  But - onward to happier items in my list.  Our nephew has announced that he will be relocating to New Brunswick!  He has worked for more than a decade as a sous chef at a local Casino.  He began this career as a dishwasher and recently won an award for Manager of the Year!  Now he is heading to New Brunswick for a promotion to the next level, a nice pay increase and the expectation of becoming the Head Chef within a year!  We are quite proud of him and wish him all the best.  It will be a huge change for him and his family.

Here they are at a gathering hosted by his parents, Uncle Len and Aunt Karen on the weekend.  There was a lot of family gathered there and we had a nice visit with all of them.  Good Luck to Kevin, Ginger, Taylor and Trenton!

There are various signs of spring around our house - like the tiny sprouts on this little tree that Poppa planted last spring..

 .................. but this is one of my favourites!

Poppa and Squeegie preparing pork chops on the barbeque - yummie!  They did an amazing job of our first barbeque of the spring!  A couple of days later there was another signal that spring was finally arriving in earnest.  I heard some noise , looked out into the yard and saw this.........

..........Poppa and Squeegie in their shirt sleeves cutting the grass!  Spring has sprung for sure!