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!