It begins......

 

 

We've been working on cleaning up the yard........ who knew there was SO much garbage!!?? I usually take before and after pics - but not so much this time.  I don't think I realized what a difference the cleaning / tidying would make.

But here is a pic of the last bit of mess....... 

 

AND here's what it looks like now. 

 

There are 4 yards of top soil ordered - and a couple of yards of gravel ........ We were hoping it would be here yesterday but no no....... maybe today?!

Mostly we're gonna lay grass seed..... but over by the small shed (that houses the bikes and the snowblower ) is a low spot that looks more like a swamp than grass or garden - le sigh.  After some research I discovered something called a rain garden.  

We've filled up most of the depression with sand .... next we're gonna add earth and sand mixed and top it off with gravel.  Then add rain loving plants and hopefully we'll have less swamp and more natural rain garden - we're hoping something like this........ 

 

 

The sun is shining finally!!  BUT we wait for the top soil........... it may have taken us a week to get the inside of the house done - it's gonna take a whole lot longer to get the outside done.  

Spooky Adventures

 

 

Yesterday I decided to wash all the windows in the house...... that was my first mistake.  It was a rainy day that turned to a snow storm!  The patio doors had what I thought were smudges at dog level ....... except they weren't smudges - it was a sticky gummy residue...... ugh!  took forever to scrap it off and get the windows cleaned...... did I mention it was snowing?!

By lunch time I had done almost all the main level windows.... I was in the kitchen cooking some noodles when I heard this buzzing sound.  WTF?!  I followed the sound to the bathroom.  It sounded like the fan was on...... only it wasn't! I traced the sound to the wall outlet.  WTF?!  I touched the outlet - it wasn't hot.  So what was the noise?? Then my imagination kicked in...... maybe mice had chewed some wires in the wall??

Sir Steve called and I had him listen to the sound via the phone.  He said he'd come home.... I was close to panic.... what if there was an electrical fire?!   He came flying in the door and went straight to the bathroom...... He felt the wall - he was looking for vibrations........ nothing.

THEN 

His hand hit the toothbrush holder and the sound changed.  He started pulling the electric toothbrushes out - one by one.  The lil one's toothbrush was running!!?? So no chewed wires in the wall ......... BUT why did her toothbrush turn itself on??!!  He turned it off......... my heart slowed down and we kinda laughed about it.  EXCEPT before he left it turned itself back on!!  Finally I took the batteries out of it !  and a new toothbrush is on the shopping list.  When the lil one came home from school and I told her about the mysterious sounds - she said "OHHHHHHH we must have a ghost!"

 Anyone got a phone number? I think I might just put it on speed dial........ 

THAT stage

 

 

About a year ago we started to see some changes in the lil one..... minor ones but still changes.

This year we've noticed some more major changes........ oilier skin/hair.... changes in body shape......... and Sir Steve and I started to prepare for the hormones ...... and changes to personality.

Was I ready for it? NO!   I've been down that road twice already with my daughters.  Did/do I want to do it again?  NO!  but ya know - it's all part of the parcel.

Anyway - after Spring break our government removed mask mandates.  Joy oh Joy!  We talked with the lil one and told her we wanted her to keep wearing her masks at school........ cause 6th wave ya know.  Every laundry day there were her dirty masks in the wash - so I assumed she was wearing them........ Yeah right!  Then the school posted pictures of her class - one in the gym listening to a speaker and another of her in class doing an art project.  Guess what?!  In both pictures she wasn't wearing her mask......... le sigh.  Sir Steve questioned her - 'was she wearing her masks?' 'Oh yes' she said.  Then he pulled up the school pictures and showed her ............ GOTCHA!

She came home from her mother's yesterday with a runny nose and laryngitis.  Turns out it started on Saturday.  First thing that came to mind - COVID of course.  Her mother never tested her - cause ya know - it's the mother.  So last night Sir Steve tested her...
OMG!  What a nonsense he had to put up with.... pulling her head away - holding her nose.... crying........  Fortunately the test was negative.  see me breathing again?!

This is what we call a teaching moment - don't like nose swabs? then sanitize your hands wear your bloody masks!!

and there have been other little behaviours that scream hormones....... can I do this again???  or better question do I WANT to do this again?  Life is about to get very 'interesting' around here - le sigh......... 

The Work Continues

 

 

Despite Mother Nature's best effort to keep  us out of the yard this weekend - Sir Steve did get out both Saturday and Sunday for a few hours.  Mostly we're just at the clean up stage.... the yards haven't had any care for more than a few years...... 

There were 3 sheds in the yard - plus a lot of dead grape vine plants /overgrown plants  and trees that are in desperate need of pruning and loving.  Sir Steve removed a small broken shed .. spread a pile of sand that was sitting in the middle of the yard... dug up thistles and pruned down some suckers off some of the trees..... and before we knew it we had another HUGE pile of garbage to go to the dump.

 

BUT the yard is looking a whole lot tidier and maybe there's some hope for the back yard yet!!

Other than that we had a quietish weekend - ordered in dinners  - lots of TV and early to bed..... 

AND before you know it - it's MONDAY again  

 

 

Sunday Sentiments

 

 

Saturday's To Do list

 

 

We had a plan for today....... garden work.

One of the big problems we have is someone - once upon a time - planted grape vines in the garden...... back and side gardens.  We have a pear tree in the side garden.  Upon close inspection - it turns out that the grape vines have grown up and wound themselves around the branches of the pear tree.  My first thought was cut the main stock and let it die - then just pull the vines out of the tree......... BUT...... someone already had that idea.... and the vine isn't falling out of the tree.

So the plan was - today Sir Steve was gonna dig out the ladder from the shed - climb up into the tree and cut and pull the vine from the branches.  

Except there's no sun today.... le sigh........and it's cold.  AND it's forecasted to rain.... le sigh.

I have paint to paint the side deck and the front deck AND the shutters and the trim ... and anywhere else that needs a coat of paint........ EXCEPT it's so cold and wet it's not a good time to paint...... le sigh. 

Another weekend in the house watching movies??? 

 

AND - it's Friday!

 

 

And it's Friday - my favourite day of the week..... it's MY day!!   

I shower and shave and manicure and pamper....... no pressure ... no schedules... just time for me.

IF I was the type - I would sit and eat bonbons and watch movies ....... it's just that kinda of day.  The best part on THIS Friday - the sun is out!!  YAY!!

Hope you all enjoy your Friday ! 

Another holiday done!

 

 

Well we had a busy Easter Weekend...... le sigh.

On Sunday we had Sir Steve's daughter, SIL and daughter for brunch. The lil one was with her mother.  

We had a nice visit with Sir Steve's family.  We bought the granddaughter sidewalk chalk and a fancy dancy automatic bubble blower.... which had her shrieking with joy and running around the back deck like crazy trying to pop the HUGE bubbles!!  Every so often she'd gasp "wait a minute" which had us laughing...... it's fun to hear a 2 year old use adult expressions

Then we had to come up with ideas for our lil one's Easter basket. (she got her Easter basket on last night when she came home)  I have never been a big fan of overloading kids with chocolate....... so my girls used to get art supplies and a new outfit on Easter.  BUT this lil one doesn't need art supplies - eldest daughter keeps her well supplied.  So what to put in her Easter basket?!  I came up with the 'brilliant' idea to have plastic eggs with 'coupons' ..... each coupon was something we knew she would love - like "staying up 30 minutes later" " a trip for ice cream" "movie night" " a day without chores"........ and more............. The lil one loved them!!  she also got clothes from Daddy and me.... she LOVES clothes so it was a win win ......  

and just like that the celebrations are over for another year.......only 8 more months till we start all over again with Christmas......... le sigh!

 

Spring has Sprung.......

This morning - April 19th - we awoke to this...................... 

For those of you not familiar with Spring in Canada............. it kinda looks like this....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Easter Smiles.......

 

 

 

 

 

Filling in the blanks

 

 

So what really has been going on around here??? This much stress from a move??? Well let's not forget Sir Steve's dad died in June..... and we are still dealing with the details and emotions and personalities from that.......... then in Sept Sir Steve had a small health issue - saw his doctor and we thought that was that...... BUT in November he went back to see the doctor cause the problem had not resolved itself.  Then we had the move that hit in December till February....... Then that health issue of Sir Steve's was still hanging about .... so in March he went to see another doctor and get a 2nd opinion............. 

AND you guessed it - 2nd opinion was not a brush off -  no 'nothing to worry about'....... nope this doctor mentioned the dreaded C word (cancer).  and referred Sir Steve to a surgeon............ It felt as though my world had fallen off it's axis... I couldn't breath. 

We had to wait 2 weeks to see the surgeon.  We saw him on Thursday.  He was very thorough.... poked and prodded.  He has ordered a  CT scan - and possibly a biopsy.  BUT on a positive note he didn't think it was cancer.  He thinks it may be a problem stemming from a surgery Sir Steve had over 15 years ago.  He also said the area in question was not deep (which was worrying me cause ya know 9 months delay on the diagnosis) but seemed superficial to him.  As he was talking I felt my body deflating.... I felt the pain in my muscles easing....... 

We're still facing surgery ......... but hopefully not cancer surgery.

My body has a long way to go to return to health - the stress has really done a number on it.... 

Easter Lessons........

 

 (especially the jelly beans!)

Sunday Sentiments

 

 

Just a Peak

 

 

Ready to share - a little bit.

My world started to crumble a couple of months ago.... around the time we moved.  I know I posted happy / excited / can't wait to move posts..... but the truth of the matter was underneath the whole move nearly drowned me in stress.

I am ready to talk about it - a little bit.... cause there's a part of me that needs to bring light into my world......... This morning I talked to Sir Steve a little bit about it.... It's not like he isn't aware of what is going on,..... but I haven't been able to talk about it.... this morning I tried - cause experience has taught me when I talk about it - it loses some of it's hold on me.

I told him I have food anxiety......... because stress makes it difficult for me to eat... I am now stressing over dinners cause both he and the lil one watch me to see if I eat - how much I eat.... and I feel like I am disappointing them when I can't eat ..... and when I say 'can't' I mean CAN'T.  The food will not go down - the food gets stuck in my mouth - and I can't swallow it and then I gag.... it's disgusting.  and I hate it !!  and yet I feel like I have no control over it.  

I have been living on maybe 600 - 800 calories a day.... for 3 months now.  I have lost weight.  I have lost muscle mass.  I have lost the joy of cooking and eating.  

I am living with no energy..... duh!  food = energy right?  So most of my days are spent curled up on the sofa.. napping ... that is not to say I'm not getting chores done - I am.  The laundry is done the house is clean the shopping is done.  (did I tell you how hard it is to go out into the shops??!! I can hardly breath when I am out and about)

I keep hearing my grandmother's voice saying "this too shall pass" and it will I know it will - it has before.......  I could do with it passing now ya know?  like right now! 

 

Thank you

 

 Thank you to everyone who has reached out to check on me... 

Let's just say all the stress and anxiety I have been living through for the last 3 months has caught up with me......... 

Usually I share everything - but right now I can't.  I just can't.  

please be patient with me..........