Arrived Safely

We have arrived safely..........all is well.........notwithstanding a blizzard and a two-hour traffic jam on the way down.  More details when I am on a secure network!  Love to all.

Last Minute Post

We are heading south to Florida very early tomorrow morning!  The plan is to stop in at Munchie's house to see some of their presents and then head for I-75 southbound. So, this is a quick update before I am off-line for at least three days.  First a picture of....

Curtis' new blanket and Buddy his hand-knit bear.  When he arrived last weekend I gave it to him - and he seemed to like it.  A few pictures of their visit...

..... Poppa had two little men with him in the morning, and they all brushed, washed and combed......it was adorable!

Of course, Munchie and Poppa had to get all their cars out, line them up in a tidy row, and play for hours.  Little Curtie got bored.....

.... and sat at my computer for a while....... it was hard to get a good picture because he is such a busy little fellow and never sits still!

Eventually they all got tired and snuggled together to watch Frosty the Snowman on TV - they all seemed to enjoy it!  We had a good supper together, and the next morning Munchie climbed into the car with Mommy, Daddy and Little Curtie and they headed home with a couple of tired little boys!  We will see them tomorrow, I will get more pictures and I'll post those when we get to Florida!  I'm off to bed now, so we can get an early start - it's a two hour+ drive to Munchie's house!  See you in a few days!!!!  Good Night!

Last Weekend....

.... our little boys went to a Christmas party hosted by the company where Daddy works.  It appears they had a great time.  Munchie.....

....sat on Santa's knee while Little Smiley looked on.  Munchie was trying to remember everything he wanted to ask for from Santa at Christmas, so it took him a while.  This was a good thing, since it gave Little Smiley time to think about sitting on Santa's knee too, and helped him build up sufficient courage .....

... to tell Santa's what he wanted for Christmas too!  There were a lot of other things going on too....

.... Daddy kept a close eye on the situation while Mommy lent the boys a hand ....

... to paint a gingerbread house!  What fun!  And... oh yes.....

... Munchie met some new friends there, and had a good time!

Not Too Exciting

There hasn't been a blog in a while - I know.  Life has settled back into a routine.  There hasn't been much other than that to post about.  We are gearing up for an early Christmas/Mommy's birthday to happen on Dec. 15th.  Then we will begin preparing for our trip to Florida.  Mommy's birthday was actually Nov. 22nd, but we decided to celebrate her birthday and Christmas at the same time, since it will save a 2-hour drive to and from their house at this time of year when the weather can be frightful.  I have most of my Christmas shopping done - just a few small things to pick up.  We went to Wal-Mart the other night and.....

....Poppa called me to come over where he was and asked if I had my camera.  Sure enough - I did - imagine that!  He had discovered a new image for the file entitled Abandoned.  Sure enough nestled comfortably between packages of cookies was an abandoned coffee cup.  Visions of Uncle Shaun danced through my brain while I snapped this pic.  Do you recall his uncanny ability to find and snap shots of these?  What fun!

Recently our little boys got new beds!  Munchie got a big-boy bed....

....and so far, he hasn't fallen out of it.  Are you wondering what he is holding in one little hand?  You may recognize the blanket I made for him recently - at his request.  I have some of that yarn left over - and decided to try being creative with it.  So, I made this.....

....little bear with blue eyes and sent it home with Mommy when she was here.  Apparently Munchie likes Buster and sleeps with him at night.  Meanwhile, since Munchie now had a big bed, Little Smiley got to adopt Munchie's bed.....

... and he seems to have a plethora of critters sharing his bed.  I am working on a new blanket for him and a matching bear - but haven't quite got the blanket finished yet.......hopefully I will get it done in time to drop it off for him before we head to Florida.

Gramma Grace is still in the retirement residence and it appears that she will be staying there as long has her memory impairment allows.  Auntie Colleen and Auntie Cecile helped her with her Christmas cards on Thursday and she seemed to enjoy that.  Speaking of Christmas ....

.... for the first time ever, my Christmas cactus is blooming before I leave for Florida.  If you look closely you can spot several buds almost ready to pop open.  I'm quite pleased, usually Kev-Inn sends me pictures.

Aunt Peggy was feeling privileged and comfy yesterday when I arrived....

.......here she is feeling quite spoiled with Great-Gramma's lounge chair.  Poppa, along with all his brothers and sisters, agreed to gift the chair to Aunt Peggy.  It is one of those fancy ones with the stand-assist feature.  Aunt Peggy doesn't really need that most of the time, but she has already mastered the controls and has already had a nap in her new chair.  Up until now she had a little swivel rocker in that spot and feels like she is in the lap of luxury now!  Thank you to Poppa and all his siblings - so much!

One more thing, before I sign off for the day.........

......yes - really!  About five minutes (or less) after finding the first abandoned coffee cup........Poppa discovered another one only a few yards away!  Apparently folks are purchasing paper plates for the Christmas gatherings they are planning, but don't want to take their coffee cups!

Looking Ahead...

.... yesterday under overcast skies and a chilly wind, we buried Poppa's cherished Mother, Munchie's Great Gramma.  She left us peacefully last Friday and she will be missed terribly by her seven children.  It was a tough day for all of us - made easier by family and friends.  A special "thank you" to all those people who stopped in to chat with us, pat us on the back, or just to smile.  And a special thought to those who travelled long distances (you know who you are!), and those who took time from their busy days at work (you know who you are too!)  Poppa is feeling a little lost, since he has been going to visit her every day for the last 10 years - since Great Grampa died in November of 2002.  So, we are thinking even more about our upcoming trek to Florida for a carefree winter in the sunshine!  But - some people enjoy winter....

... Little Smiley pulled out this adorable winter hat to keep his little ears warm when he left for day-care, and......

... Munchie couldn't help hamming it up for the camera when he looked at himself in the mirror in this warm headgear.  I sure see Poppa's eyes looking at me in this shot!  Mommy was telling me Munchie was excited to see the snow and couldn't wait to get out there and run around in it.  Little Smiley was a little more cautious since he didn't really remember snow and didn't realize that it would "crunch" under his shoes.  But after studying his big brother frolicking in the cold, white stuff - decided he could do it too, and was soon joining in the fun.

Sad News

Today, November 23rd, 2012 - Great Gramma passed away quietly in her sleep at her residence at Leisure World.  She will be missed by a lot of people.

It's Cold Outside...

... yes it is!  Poppa drove me to work on Tuesday because.....

...it looked like this outside!  Yes - our first snowfall.  It has all disappeared now, but it gets below freezing at night and is chilly in the morning!  I know you are all wondering how Great Gramma is doing.  She is stable.  She sleeps a lot, but is happy to see any visitors when she is awake.  Breathing is a chore, but she is on oxygen and her oxygen levels are good.  Auntie Denise has been there a lot making sure she is comfortable and well-cared for.  Poppa has been visiting a lot too, but in between he is still...

... finding time to practice his kitchen skills for when we are in Florida.  I was just about to put something in that frying pan when he decided to clean the stove-top.  Needless to say, he did an excellent job and I soon had some eggs in the pan.  But - back to that cold weather.  It is a bit of a chore taking the bears along with us these days.  It take quite a while.....

... to get them into their coats, hats, mitts & scarves - but they stay nice and cozy - and don't they look adorable???

Autumn Update

I went to visit Great-Gramma last evening.  Her health is steadily failing.  She is on oxygen full-time.  The doctor has discontinued all her medications except insulin.  She doesn't have enough breath to talk - the first couple of words come out weakly and after that are just a whisper.  She is on morphine for pain and thankfully is not in pain, and sleeps a lot.  She is unable to eat and is relying on liquids for sustenance - and even that is difficult for her.  Auntie Denise who recently retired, is staying with her for long hours and filling in for the staff at the residence - who have many patients to care for, and do their best.

Overdue Update

I realize I have been remiss in keeping you all up to date, but I have been quite busy.  We only have 45 days left until we leave for Florida - and between now and then I have to have Christmas celebrated and done - and tie up any and all loose ends regarding the house, work and Aunt Peggy..... which seems to keep me quite busy.... or tired - Hee!  So, first - Great Gramma.   She has been back at the nursing home for a week.  After a few tense days at the hospital they finally found a medication that seemed to improve the way she felt.  Unfortunately, she has a serious lung problem that will not go away (pulmonary fibrosis), so she will have an oxygen tank with her indefinitely.  The least exertion wears her out and leaves her short of breath.  But, as of yesterday, she receives help, so she can get up to go to the dining room for her meals, and seemed to be feeling better generally.

Someone inquired about the missing Poppa.  I eventually did find him - down in his workshop - tidying up.  He has made a wonderful job and can now actually use his workshop as a workshop again.  It had slowly accumlated a lot of extra stuff, and was so crowded he could barely get to his power tools.  I haven't been down to get a picture yet... soon!  I discovered this when he eventually....

.... came driving the tractor up the road, with the trailer in tow.  I took a lot of hard, back-breaking work....

....... raking all those leaves into piles, and then.....

.... scooping them up to put them in the trailer for transport to the waste disposal site.  Between our place, Gramma Grace's place and Aunt Peggy's place, poor Poppa worked on leaves every day (even weekends) for three weeks.  No matter how many leaves he raked, the trees kept dropping more.  When I suggested he might want to wait till all the leaves were down, he pointed out that then there would just be more leaves all at once - making it even harder to clean them up.  And, I suppose he is correct.

In the meantime, when Squeegie & Taffy saw me knitting scarves for the church bazaar - they both decided they needed scarves.  I made Squeegie's first.  He wanted a red one to match his coat...

... this gives you an idea - but I'll get a better one with his coat on.  Besides, since then....

... Taffy decided she wanted a hat to match her scarf.... to wear with her new jacket.  So, of course, Squeegie wants a hat too - which is now finished...not to mention they both have mittens now too.  Pictures to follow.  Speaking of pictures, I took this one of....

... Grandma Grace's orchid.  Isn't it beautiful?  And, it is valiantly keeping a bright spot in her room as fall encroaches on all the plants outside.  Oh yes...speaking of all (or autumn), we had a Hallowe'en lunch at work on the 31st of October....

.. everyone dressed up.  This is the Manager of Finance and her boss, the Controller - he is the tall, thin priest.  Kev-Inn disguised himself as....

... a backwoods hillbilly - complete with a little shotgun.  Now, he is out deer hunting for real - so I'm not sure how much of a disguise this was!  We all got in the spirit - yes....

.. even Nanna.  Everyone brought something to contribute to the lunch....

.... like this rather gory looking pasta salad.  We had a great time.  While I was having fun at work, Poppa had a rather unpleasant surprise.

Yes - he caught one of these in his trap in our back yard.  He had tentatively put the trap out since he noticed that something had been digging in his yard.  Suspecting that at this time of year, skunks would be eating lots in preparation for a winter of hibernation, and therefore digging for grubs, he set the trap with some peanut butter and bread.  The next day he watched the squirrels run in and out taking the bait with them... they were too light to spring the trap.  So, he moved the trap to the back of the house and planned on re-setting it later.  When later came he was exhausted and tired from raking leaves, so he just left it there.  The following morning........there was Peppy LePew having a snooze in the trap.  Later in the day Kev-Inn came and they took the little stinker away.  Now, one more important thing before I bring this rather longish blog to a close....Tah-Dah!

This is Brendan James.  Remember Poppa's cousins whom we meet in Florida each year - where Poppa did some maintenance work last year?  This is the newest addition to their clan.  Their third grand-child, son of Andre and Ashley, brother for Kyla and Matthew.  Isn't he adorable?  Congratulations Grandma, Grandpa and Mommy, Daddy and children!

Briefly....

... computer problems.  Router died.  Old desktop.  Should be a new blog soon.

Old picture from last year ... still cute.... Squeegie helps Taffy climb the leaf hill.

Some Good, Some Not So Good

I found Poppa doing this the other day....

... he was washing out my Zip-Loc bags.  When I asked him why, he said that with the weather getting cooler, he was starting to prepare for our winter in Florida - where he does the dishes and cleaning up after meals.  Oh my goodness - only two months until we will be heading south!  Later he went out to rake leaves.  I thought that would make a nice picture for the blog so I went out to look for him....

... I noticed that the birch tree still had lots of leaves to come down, even though there were already lots underneath it.  I found....

.. this little fellow scampering around searching for food to place in his winter stash..... there were lots of leaves around, but I didn't find Poppa anywhere???  I wonder where he went???  Oh well, I did receive some news from Mommy......

.. another career consideration for Munchie!  Here he is in his cowboy outfit!  Actually he had been invited to a birthday party where the theme was "princesses and cowboys", so he got dressed for the part!  And, as delightful as he looks in that picture, he did take his role very seriously....

...as you can see!  I hope he had a good time at the party!  Meanwhile, I decided that if Poppa was preparing for Florida, then perhaps I should too....

... I had a nice plastic container that I had planned to use for carrying my yarn for a sock giveaway - but I soon discovered that the yarn would not all fit, so I had to leave some in plastic bags - imagine that!  On another front... Great Gramma is in the hospital.  Poppa got a phone call on Tuesday shortly after supper time.  She has had a heart attack, which is made worse by the fact that she also has viral pneumonia and an infection of unknown origin.  She is being treated for all those things and we are anticipating her release in the next couple of days.  Both Poppa and Auntie Denise thought she seemed quite tired yesterday, but I think it will take some resting in order for her to return to her usual self.  I'll keep you as up-to-date as possible.

But, I still haven't found Poppa!

A Little More....

....stuff to share with you.  Autumn is falling in our yard too....

... and our not-quite-mighty-yet oak tree is putting on a lovely show.  As you can see some of the trees are almost bare, while others are still mostly green.  The countryside looks beautiful.  Meanwhile, this cooler weather we have been experiencing has put Taffy in a mood for.....

... cooking.  Here she is brewing up a new recipe she found for Macaroni and Cheese - one of her favourite foods!  She has one of her new shirts on and actually a new pair of blue jeans too, but they are behind the bowl - oops!  She has cream cheese and dry mustard there - I hope her Macaroni and Cheese turns out tasty.  While we're talking about Taffy....... she loves to surf the internet and she recently discovered another blog that she is enjoying immensely.  The biggest reason for her affinity for this particular blog is....

... this little fellow!  His name is Bear and is a travelling bear.  He lives in New York with his fond keeper, but can frequently be found touring the streets and shops of Paris, France.  Taffy and I love reading this blog - and I'm sure you would enjoy it too - it can be found at parisbreakfasts.blogspot.ca - check it out and you can follow the escapades of Bear and his keeper.  She is an artist who paints whimsical interpretations of almost anything she sees - and they are beautiful.  The best part is - you can actually contact her and acquire one of her paintings - and from time to time - follow her blog - and you will get special offers on some of her favourite topics.  As you can see Bear is packed and ready to head off to Paris shortly!  Speaking of exotic places - here is a photo of....

.. an exotic flower.  This is an orchid that Auntie Cecile bought for Gramma Grace for her birthday.  The blooms are gorgeous and I couldn't resist snapping a picture!  And growing things brings me to this picture....

... we captured this little tyke sitting in a pile of autumn leaves across the road from Aunt Peggy's house.  Notice big brother in the background - he was on a "time-out" for exuberantly knocking over his little brother while playing in the leaves!  And, while Taffy was cooking up her macaroni and cheese I got busy taking pictures of the scarves for the church bazaar.  After one fuzzy scarf and one lacy scarf, I opted for....

... a combination for the third scarf.  The colour in the photo is not good - the blue is actually more of a royal blue and is quite rich looking - but I just couldn't find the right setting to get the colour perfect - so use your imagination.  I am fond of that fur yarn, so next....

... I tried mixing some of the balls from my stash for a different look.  What do you think?  I was happy with the result.  The combination of colours in this one got me thinking about some other yarn in my stash - resulting in this....

... wavy stripe in a traditional feather and fan pattern.  Poppa liked this one best.  But, I only have until next Friday before it is time to take my stuff to the church (the bazaar is on Saturday), so I think when I finish the one I am currently working on - that will be all for this year.  I'll post a picture of it next time - when it is completed.  Back soon!