Halloween

Yup I really do ... I hate Halloween....... 

For the last so many years I have been able to hide myself away on Oct. 31st.... since I retired from teaching actually.  I have been able to grit my teeth -- live in darkness for a few hours in the evening of the 31st and wait till the next morning -- the glorious 1st of November!

Oh don't get me wrong.  When my girls were little I went all out for Halloween -- baked Halloween cookies and cakes -- decorated the house -- made costumes and handed out Halloween treats after dark. BUT once the girls got too big for the celebrations -- I faked it in my classroom ..... and rushed home to hide.

Yup I am the GRINCH of Halloween!

But life has a way of getting even ya know... karma maybe?? Sir Steve loves Halloween..... f**king LOVES it!  add to that love, a 5 year old lil one and yup I am back 'doing' Halloween again.

I baked some sugar cookies in the shape of pumpkins -- planned an easy to eat supper for tonite... and even participated in pumpkin carving and decorating last night. 

Sir Steve will take the lil one out trick or treating tonite and I will stay home and man the candy bowl and door........ joy oh joy !!

Here's some pics of our front yard -- pictures taken in the wind and rain (what I do for Halloween)

 Sir Steve's Dragon

the ghost is mine

the spooky face is the lil one's.

 

On the bright side -- Sir Steve has promised to have enthusiasm for Christmas and drag out / find some Christmas spirit for MY favourite holiday!!!  (he has no idea what that is gonna look like - grinning)

 

Maybe???

It has been a rough 3 weeks..... 

Actually I was sure it was much much longer than that since I got this bug.... but I checked and it has only been 3 weeks.

Saturday was the worst day -- I felt almost as bad as I did at the beginning -- achy bones/joints... feverish... tight chest and my sinuses!! dear god it felt like they were gonna explode.  I really thought I would be heading back to the clinic this week -- begging them for something stronger than what they had given me.

The worst part was probably my low oxygen levels -- every single thing I did left me breathless and shaking.... and the pump they gave me didn't seem to be helping one little bit.

Yesterday (6 days into the antibiotics)  it would seem (fingers crossed) was a turning point.  I hardly coughed at all -- my sinuses miraculously stopped pounding and I managed to make 4 dozen meatballs and 2 dozen cookies and didn't feel weak and shaky once.  

My hopes for a fun adult weekend were put on hold -- and now it seems it'll be another couple of weeks before we are alone -- but hey I'll settle for the desire and strength for nice quiet sex at this point!!

Here's to MAYBE being on the mend and life returning to normal.........

Sunday Sentiments

(there's been some 'discussion' over the last week or so about my love affair (NOT) with squirrels -- so today's Sentiment just seemed appropriate in so many ways)

 

Getting Better All the Time

 HEALTH REPORTS:

I am slowly improving...... the doctor had told me my oxygen levels were pretty low and recommended rest -- lots of fluids -- using the pump he gave me and taking my antibiotics.

That was my plan Tuesday rest and more rest ......... until Sir Steve came limping in the door just before noon announcing he had to go to emergency cause his knee was DONE!  So I pulled on some clothes and loaded him in the car and off we went to emerg where we spent 6 hours doing xrays -- blood tests -- his being poked and prodded and finally having 60ccs of fluid drained from under his knee cap. 

He was sent home with some pretty strong pain killers and told to rest the knee until the pain subsides.  They think it is gout -- the tests on the fluid will confirm that.

SOCIAL REPORT:

On the brighter side of things -- on Saturday Sir Steve had arranged for both my girls and their husbands to come and visit -- go out for dinner and then back here for coffee and cake to celebrate my birthday.  It was really good to visit with them all -- with no extended family !!  Adult time is always good!  Unfortunately I was feeling like crap and didn't get to really enjoy the wonderful Thai dinner -- but I DID enjoy the birthday cake my youngest daughter made me............ 

There's always room for cake right?? 

Tuesday night I went to bed feeling yucky -- and truthfully not having a whole lot of faith that Sir Steve would remember that my actual birthday was the next day - Wednesday.
  
Wednesday morning he got up and got the lil one off to school then went off to pick up his pay cheque.  When he got home with a French Vanilla latte and an apple fritter donut for me -- roses and orchids and birthday card -  I was close to falling apart ... he asked me what was wrong and I said -- tearfully -- 'all I really wanted was a happy birthday hug and kiss'. I thought you had forgotten today was my birthday !
Poor Sir Steve -- he had things all planned out in his head except for the small detail of the hug and kiss..... 

Then when the lil one got home from school -- she and her dad went out to buy me a feast of Chinese food for dinner AND another birthday cake!!! Another surprise!!!

My birthday turned out better than I had hoped -- even without the early morning hug and kiss -- AND best of all -- the Chinese food tasted soooooo good -- probably the first meal I have really tasted and enjoyed since before Thanksgiving !! 

Today we are both resting and following doctors' orders and I am hoping (dear god I am hoping!!)  that by the weekend we will both be well enough to enjoy some very kinky play and sex..... it's been a month at least since we last had any 'adult time' .....

Life is getting better and better -- and that's a very good thing!

A Bit of This 'n That

Well I was at the clinic before 8am and the line up was out the door.  However they have a neat way of handling walk in's here .... They took my name and information and told me I could go home and come back around 9:00ish.  I saw the doctor just after 9:30 and came home with antibiotics and an inhaler.  With any luck I should be feeling more like myself in a few days.

Over the last few blogs there have been some questions thrown out there in the comment section ..... I thought I would answer them today....

On 'Coming Together' Hermoine said she thought I would have given up my apartment and moved in with Sir Steve.  I doubt that will ever happen officially.  If I keep a separate address then the government won't ever see us as married and won't screw around with our income and taxes.  AND yes it is a bit of a bolthole -- somewhere I can escape to if I need a quiet space/ safe space.

On the same entry Selkie (grinning and waving) asked if Miss Ashes was living here with us.  Oh yes!!  She moved in in June for supposedly a few days -- but she made herself totally at home here .... bosses the dog around and has fallen in love with Sir Steve and his nightly snuggles.  AND despite my best efforts to keep her out of the lil one's room she is having a love affair with the pink unicorn rug in her room..........

And on 'Clean Slate'  kethry paid me a compliment by telling me to use my decorating skills on this place and make it ours... she made me smile ... AND now that it's all coming together it does have my touch for sure..... I do consult with Sir Steve before doing anything -- but still I am showing through.  

Now my energy has run out and I am gonna curl up and heal......  

STILL !

This bug I picked up over Thanksgiving is still hanging on......... Honestly I feel like shit

So this morning I am going to a walk in clinic -- hopefully they will give me some magic pills that will start the healing process.............

Sunday Sentiments

Coming Together

It's all coming together ........ the redecorating the house that is..... (god I hate when he's right!! cheeky grin)

Yesterday Sir Steve brought the dining room set home... went to my apartment and picked up a chair that was really too big for the space... and bought some shelving.  Then we (well really he) put everything in place.  

AND

I think it looks amazing...... There is still a couple of things that need doing - like new coat hanging shelves for the front door -- but for the most part it's all coming together........ 

Here are some before and after shots 

The Kitchen minus the table and chairs.......... 

and with the new table and chairs............ 

The living room with the new tables and the white chair.........

(oh and the dog curled up on her bed)

For his birthday Sir Steve received 2 Samurai helmets from a dear friend and I gave him a Samurai sword....... He mounted the shelves and now they are beautifully displayed.........

I love it when a plan comes together.... 

 

Clean Slate

During the worst of the shit on Wednesday Sir Steve came and found me on the front balcony.  He wrapped his arms around me tightly and kept saying 'it's gonna be ok - it's gonna be ok' .... All I could think was how he could afford to refurnish his house!?  and felt sick.

Before he left for work he told me that it was gonna be a blessing in disguise -- now we could get the furniture we wanted -- clean slate -- new start. Truthfully all I could see was mess -- everywhere mess and more mess. 

When Sir Steve got home from work -- he said we were gonna go to the ReStore and see what they had in the way of furniture.  I honestly didn't hold out much hope... second hand furniture?? nope didn't hold out much hope at all.

We started looking at coffee tables and end tables.  The lil one was skipping around seeing it as a huge adventure! She even found a working piano and got permission from the salesclerk to play on it.  Then buried in the back of these pieces of furniture Sir Steve spotted two end tables and a matching coffee table.  Hardly a mark on them and the price was amazing!!  

Sir Steve's buddy had a lead on a dining room set -- and while we were poking around the shop his buddy texted him.  They wanted way more than what Sir Steve wanted to pay AND it came with a hutch which we didn't want (or need).  

We had passed a dining room set when we entered the shop.  We went back to look at it.  I loved it I have to admit.  It's old -- like really old.  Solid Oak.  Pedestal table with a leaf and 4 matching chairs and not a bloody mark on it. It was a bit more than Sir Steve wanted to spend -- but shockingly low considering the set.   He bought it.

We managed to get the smaller tables home -- but he is borrowing a van from a friend and will bring the dining room set home today.  He was right -- everything is coming together -- and it is becoming OUR home -- 

AND that is a very good thing.

Hell

The ex came yesterday with her mother and father and moved all her crap -- and more -- out of the house.  At one point I wondered out loud if they intended to take the lil one's bed 


Words absolutely fail me ........ I have never in my life encountered such vindictive mean people.

There has to be -- HAS TO BE -- a special place in hell for people like them....... 

Finally !

Welllllll it only took 4 weeks after the court order ...... 2 weeks longer than the court ordered -- but the ex wife is coming today to collect all her boxes and furniture!! (over a year since she moved out might I add)  

Sir Steve is staying home till it's over so I don't have to deal with them or their nonsense.  I told him not to worry about me... ME - I would simply unlock the shed, go in the house, and lock the door behind me........... I can be a bitch like that....

BUT the main thing is -- she is finally going to empty our lives of her crap. And that is a very good thing!

Even better thing is .. I am feeling a wee bit better and Sir Steve says he's on the mend too....... Could be a good weekend....... and that would be a wonderful thing!!

UGH!

Yup I'm still down for the count with this bug........ and to make life really interesting Sir Steve messaged me on Friday and said he was coming home cause he now had the 'plague' too 

So needless to say nothing much of interest happened this weekend......

Saturday Sir Steve did manage to make his infamous turkey soup from all the leftovers.......... and it WAS yummy!!

Then Sunday morning I got a phone call from eldest daughter.......  

She was teasing me about my low fitbit scores for the week -- but soon stopped when she found out I was down for the count with fever and aches and pains..... 
Then she told me about Sunday morning brunch her 'man' made for her, complete with chocolate covered strawberries.......... 

AND.......... 

an engagement ring (see this mom smiling from ear to ear?) 

IF I could have selected a husband for her,  I couldn't have picked a better man.  She certainly deserves to be happy .......... 

And now I think I will snuggle under the blankets and binge watch some TV with Sir Steve....... hopefully we'll both surface sooner than later all healed and feeling feisty again !!

Sunday Sentiments

'Balconville'

It was almost 6 am and I was sitting out on the balcony watching the sun come up over the roof tops..... watching as lights came on in the windows across the street ..... and I am curious about the neighbours -- about their lives..........

On the far left corner is the strange woman who goes out at night with her red light strapped to her forehead searching the grass around her home -- looking for god only knows what...... 

Beside her is the duplex and the woman who slips out most mornings just before 6am in her pjs and housecoat and goes to pick up 2 cups of Tim Horton's coffee... 

The upper duplex directly across the street from us has two young people living there -- I only really see them early in the morning -- I watch as they get up -- get ready for their day quickly -- the lights go out within minutes....... 

Downstairs from them is the new baby -- and the fighting parents.  On Thanksgiving we watched in shock as the new mom 'clocked' the dad ..... the yelling was unbelievable... there is always yelling from there..... always something strange happening -- like the morning she was running around the front yard in bra and panties screaming at him to get out.  I called 911 on Thanksgiving -- reported a domestic dispute -- I couldn't sit by and watch anymore -- couldn't worry about the wee baby........ 

And the house at the end of the street has a 'grandpa' and his grandson and girlfriend living there.  They have a new kitten who loves to hide under the front steps.  Grandpa broke his arm a few weeks back ..... the white cast gleams in the early morning sunrise as he heads out to work.......

It's quiet at 6 in the morning when the neighbourhood is slowly waking and the sun is rising...........  

 

Chugging along.......

This bug has zapped my energy -- my patience -- and my good humour !!  I have done virtually nothing this week......... well other than moving one of my bookshelves here -- and my printer.  AND re-configuring my printer cause it refused to recognise my computer here.  OH yeah -- and the day I moved the book shelf here -- I just dumped everything on the bed in the room -- when the lil one came home -- she gave me quite the lecture about keeping the house tidy (smart assed kid!!)  Next day I tidied up the spare room and put everything away.  The lil one gave me an "awesome job " when she got home from school (grinning)

Re the continuing saga of the ex and custody -- she is trying to get spousal support.  I nearly had a stroke!!  I know too much about this woman before she even met Sir Steve -- her desire to find a man who would support her for life ...... (can you hear me growling?) Well Sir Steve and I sat down and filled out reams of forms regarding his financial situation.  Ain't no bloody way the courts are gonna grant her spousal support which makes me VERY happy!  (cause I'm a bitch like that)

AND the court sent her a 'final notice' letter giving her until this weekend to remove all her crap out of the house.  IF she doesn't (and I don't expect she will as she's had 16 months to do it) then Monday Sir Steve can give it all away or sell it.  (see me doing the happy dance?! - cause I'm a bitch like that)

Now I have used up all my daily dose of energy - back to the sofa for a nap....... 
 

Field Trip

Sir Steve came up with the brilliant idea to go to 'Pumpkin Inferno' in Morrisburg at Upper Canada Village on Saturday evening with his parents.  I have only been once before - in the rain and damp.  This Saturday was gorgeous  -- a clear night and so very mild that we didn't even need a sweater!

(and because I am still under the weather with this bug) I thought I would share some of the photos I took on Saturday evening.  Keep in mind that every single 'sculpture' is actually constructed of multiple pumpkins !!  You really have to see it to appreciate the work and the beauty.........



The entrance way..............  

 There are different themes inside -- the first one was dragon's lair............ 

This picture of the rainbow (reflected in the lake) has to be my favourite.......... 

There was a section of trees from each province -- I am sharing only a couple of the ones I took...........

There were sculptures of Canadian culture.........

and an actual art display.......  

AND 
it wouldn't be 'Upper Canada Village' without a cannon or two............

What an amazing time we all had!!  Now Sir Steve has plans to go to their Christmas display "Light at Night"..... I can hardly wait !!
 

Post Thanksgiving

Saturday morning the Thanksgiving feast had started to come together.... Sir Steve's parents were arriving mid afternoon -- everything was on schedule.

Sir Steve ran some messages and came home with a gorgeous orchid to brighten up the house (and me)

 

Sir Steve's parents arrived on schedule -- but Sir Steve's dad had a dreadful cold.  All I kept thinking was 'what a good sport he was to make the long drive to us for Thanksgiving feeling so awful'.

Sunday was our Thanksgiving.  By noon I had a stubborn headache and I put it down to stress -- stress of trying to have everything perfect.

Eldest daughter and her boyfriend arrived late afternoon armed with wine and flowers.  The party got started. 

By dinner time the left side of my throat felt like I had swallowed a cheese grater.  The dinner went off without a hitch -- but I felt so overwhelmed by the dishes and the people and my head kept pounding and I kept feeling like crying.  Fortunately Sir Steve and eldest's boyfriend tackled the dishes while eldest daughter kept me on the balcony away from the mess (then she switched with Sir Steve - grinning - they didn't trust me not to sneak back in)

By 10 Sunday night I was tucked into bed -- wanting sex -- but just not having the energy.

Monday morning Sir Steve's parents headed off early -- very early.

I felt tired -- drained -- but put it down to our first Thanksgiving dinner -- melded family and all that.  We did very little -- binge watched TV and relaxed.

By dinner time Sir Steve asked (out of the blue) how I was feeling -- I said 'ok' but my face was red and Sir Steve took my temperature -- it seemed I had a low grade fever.

I slept like the dead on Monday night -- had some wicked dreams and woke up feeling like my chest had a tight belt around it -- and every breath I took burned my throat and in my lungs.  The cough started.  The head hurt.  The Tylenol came out.

Sir Steve went to work after getting me to promise I would have a quiet day......... and I will  (don't have much choice) ....... maybe tomorrow will be a better day......... maybe?

 

Happy Thanksgiving in Canada

To all my Canadian visitors........

May you find much to be thankful for on this thanksgiving weekend! 

A Little Reminder

It would seem I need to repeat this every so often.

This is MY blog.

This is where I write MY thoughts, MY feelings, MY philosophies, MY judgements.

IF you don't like what I write
IF what I write causes you stress or PTSD flair ups
IF what I write makes you sad or angry or depressed

Don't come read here.  DO NOT COME AND READ HERE.

Is that clear? 

Good -- now let's move on