Ok..here we go
Last night was stitch n bitch night BUT also the time for me to pick the colour swatch for "The Dress". And HM, out with a client golfing and havin' fun FORGOT. Now, that in itself may not be a big deal but the fact of the matter is my twice a month stitch night is practically the ONLY social life I have in the real world here in frenchland. So the fact that he so easily "forgot" is very hurtful to me. And yes I reminded him this week. So there is my rant. I am still very upset.
I took the kids with me because of this. They are sworn to secrecy about the dress on pain of lost allowance.
The dress, I can now state, will be a lovely medium green the likes of which I can't exactly describe. Bluer green than chartreuse..... greener than aqua...... So Difficult. But I think it will be nice...better than nice actually. And I pick it up Tuesday. Unless there is a problem. its gonna be so pretty.
So the ensemble is my pretty dress with the black Mobius shrug, black leather sling back open toed sandal with cork wedge heel, and we(designer and I) decided on pearls for jewellery. Its a very retro dress ('50's inspired) and the whole ensemble just says ladylike and classy. But NOT frumpy and grandmotherly. Luckily I have pearls...that when I wore them once my neice mocked mercilessly as being something grandma-ish.....repeatedly. She's real sweet that way.
That was all taken care of last night as well as lining fabric purchased....all with mini-hoodlums in tow. Ugh. NOT my relaxing twice a month social experience. I bought yarn too in spite...I got Cameron to pick a yarn for his sweater to be commenced after I finish Teri Lynn's sox. He picked some horrid colours...he's a guy so it was like he was just picking out whatever he saw first "This one! Ok...then this one..?" Finally he picked one I liked that wasn't too dark or neon orange. Its a tan like heathered Ultra Alpaca (again). I got two skeins to start with and will buy the rest after Hawaii. I am thinking that he will get a Zimmerman saddle shoulder sweater....very manly. Maybe with cables...OOH or another Zimmerman thats very cabley..
I have a scarf pattern that I am dying to try out, very lacy. I may make it as a shawl for my mom or sister. Or just as a very feminine scarf.... in something silky perhaps? Like Fleece Artist's sea silk? Thats another project lined up, plus my summer knitting of wool mittens and socks for this winter. Cha-ching...
Yesterday I bought a rose when I went to get a support for my peony...and I have buyer's remorse. Turns out I know this rose and don't actually care for it. That danged picture was so inaccurate. Roseraie de L'Hay...its that old purply rose you see at old houses etc. Red my ass!!! Its a fool proof rugosa rose that will grow large and strong and fragrant( very fragrant but not like a tea rose...) and THORNY...my grandmother had one. It gets huge hips and is low maintainence and will fill the space admirably. And I don't have the receipt...DAMMIT.
So today I will rip out the last of the useless ugly bushy bushes at the front of the house and plant this rose. May the fragrance bless Ben's room where it may provide some late afternoon shade in summer, eventually. At least its a purply colour and HM like that...as if I even CARE today. Bastard.
Anyhoo...thats my weekend in a nutshell, knitting, cleaning (jessie is coming tuesday night!!!), planting, and making HM pay. Whew...thats a full load!!!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Friday
No school AGAIN today, being a Friday and all (last week? same thing). We have a scheduled inservice day AGAIN which makes this a FOUR day weekend. F-O-U-R. With my crazy kids..and it is not a good week for me ( them) to have this 4 day break, if'n ya catch my drift. Crankiness is lessened than say, Tuesday when all living beings were at risk of being homicided, but still it lingers just a bit. Short temperedness and lack of patience is the rule rather than maniacal homicide inducing snittyness. For which we are grateful. NOT grateful however for the most enormous chin zit ever. Painful and very much there for the Universe to see. Maybe visible from space. Trying not to interfere with it so as not to have a ginormous scab on my face next week.
By the Way, Barb and I started a new blog together about leaving a greener life. We rant, post discoveries, etc etc about how to lessen our footprint on the environment without going broke buying "green" inducing products. i still want me some solar pannels though, and a solar ROOF. How frikkin' cool is that shit, eh?? Being Green On A Dime. The link is over there -->. I bought magazines for my trip (sooo hard not to read them now) 2 on greeny issues etc and 2 on knitting. Harrowsmith, Organic Earth (both Canadian although Harrowsmith is now owned by an american company or something), Simply Knitting (free gift! Love UK craft mags) and Creative Knitting. Magazine buying is NOT green...all that paper and all and I have tried to lower my paper consumption by accessing the articles in Electronic format as much as I can. However, on a plane? Not so doable for me. Hopefully these and knitting will help keep my short attention spanned ADD self occupied and from annoying other passengers by fidgetting, sighing, snoring, and asking "Are we there YET??!"
I will be so glad when air travel is done and we can use some sort of quantum physicsy portal system. Getting there is half the fun??! Its not the destination but the Journey??! BULLSHIT. I just wanna get the party started ya know?
Also, when we get back, I think I will insist that we plant a couple of trees out of air travel pollution guilt.
By the Way, Barb and I started a new blog together about leaving a greener life. We rant, post discoveries, etc etc about how to lessen our footprint on the environment without going broke buying "green" inducing products. i still want me some solar pannels though, and a solar ROOF. How frikkin' cool is that shit, eh?? Being Green On A Dime. The link is over there -->. I bought magazines for my trip (sooo hard not to read them now) 2 on greeny issues etc and 2 on knitting. Harrowsmith, Organic Earth (both Canadian although Harrowsmith is now owned by an american company or something), Simply Knitting (free gift! Love UK craft mags) and Creative Knitting. Magazine buying is NOT green...all that paper and all and I have tried to lower my paper consumption by accessing the articles in Electronic format as much as I can. However, on a plane? Not so doable for me. Hopefully these and knitting will help keep my short attention spanned ADD self occupied and from annoying other passengers by fidgetting, sighing, snoring, and asking "Are we there YET??!"
I will be so glad when air travel is done and we can use some sort of quantum physicsy portal system. Getting there is half the fun??! Its not the destination but the Journey??! BULLSHIT. I just wanna get the party started ya know?
Also, when we get back, I think I will insist that we plant a couple of trees out of air travel pollution guilt.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
YARN winders and ducks
Because the idea of a ball winder is so scary to Suldog, I thought I'd post a picture of one identical to mine. Perhaps I should call it a YARN winder just to forstall any misunderstandings and withering of nethers in sympathy with idea of ball winding.This morning at about 6:30, HM woke me saying "Dear, come and see this!!" He sounded too cheery for another incident of cat poo in the tub so I staggered and lurched behind him to the patio doors where I was told to "Look!!"
And what should be swimming contentedly in the pool that HM has been killing himself trying to get cleaned and ready for hot weather but the mightiest purveyors of bird shit I have ever had experience with, DUCKS! A pair of Mallards. They were so cute!!! "Guddamm shitting ducks in my fucking pool!" HM growled unconvincingly in his accent. He wanted (halfheartedly) to go chase them away but Ben and I wouldn't let him. Its not like we will be out there in the water anytime soon so why not leave them alone. They flew off eventually, together. Ahhh spring!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Iced Tea Tuesday
Today i had a craving for iced tea. Not that sugary crap you buy at the store though. Its just tooo sweet for me. Also, I find black tea tends to get bitter on me. So here is my herbal iced tea alternative from what I had in the cupboard o'tea. Enjoy.
Fill the kettle and turn it on. While waiting on that assemble the following:
Messmers' Rose Hip and Hibiscus tea, 2 bags
Lemon and Linden tea, 2 bags (I forget the brand)
Cherry Almond Rooibos loose tea, one cup sized infuser worth
Put all that in a heat proof pitcher or something. I used my 8 cup measuring cup. I love that sucker.
When the water boils, pour it in the measuring cup/pitcher. Then go away. When you remember the tea, come back. It should be strong enough now and cooled quite a bit (I forgot for a loooong time). Now you have a choice... put the pitcher in the fridge to get cold (after removing bags and infuser), fill a big glass with ice and pour in tea, or grab a frozen freezer mug and pour in tea(my choice). Sweeten to taste with sweetener of choice. Imbibe generously.
Not only is this a nice sip/guzzle depening on your hydration level, but its good for ya. Rooibos is an herbal tea fro South Africa. it comes in flavors from specialty shops but you could use plain. its loaded with antioxidant properties rivalling those of green tea. Its is naturally caffeine free. Rose hips are a great source of vitamin C. Linden has soothing properties. The hibiscus is tangy! This tea is a reddish colour so its yummy, healthful, aaaannd PRETTY. Beat that Lipton.
Fill the kettle and turn it on. While waiting on that assemble the following:
Messmers' Rose Hip and Hibiscus tea, 2 bags
Lemon and Linden tea, 2 bags (I forget the brand)
Cherry Almond Rooibos loose tea, one cup sized infuser worth
Put all that in a heat proof pitcher or something. I used my 8 cup measuring cup. I love that sucker.
When the water boils, pour it in the measuring cup/pitcher. Then go away. When you remember the tea, come back. It should be strong enough now and cooled quite a bit (I forgot for a loooong time). Now you have a choice... put the pitcher in the fridge to get cold (after removing bags and infuser), fill a big glass with ice and pour in tea, or grab a frozen freezer mug and pour in tea(my choice). Sweeten to taste with sweetener of choice. Imbibe generously.
Not only is this a nice sip/guzzle depening on your hydration level, but its good for ya. Rooibos is an herbal tea fro South Africa. it comes in flavors from specialty shops but you could use plain. its loaded with antioxidant properties rivalling those of green tea. Its is naturally caffeine free. Rose hips are a great source of vitamin C. Linden has soothing properties. The hibiscus is tangy! This tea is a reddish colour so its yummy, healthful, aaaannd PRETTY. Beat that Lipton.
Mother's Day Recap
You knew it would come..I am a Mother and Mother's Day happens to folk such as I and thus, it must be blah blahhed about. Here we go:
First of all, got the gifts a week early. And thats totally ok. I HEART MY PRESENTS! I used them on Mother's Day to wind my Bonsai ribbon yarn and everything.
Mother'sDay began with being woke up from a dead coma/sleep around 11ish in the morning by yelling little voices (not so little anymore actually..very BIG voices). They had to yell cuz I had my fabulous earplugs in since HM had woken me with his snores earlier. When I came conscious I was given breakfast in bed..toast, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and juice and coffee. Plus my favorite section of the saturday Gazette (comics). How nice!!!!!! I really have an awesome family!!
The boys had made gorgeous cards at school. Really lovely. They are in my bedroom.
The rest of the day was kind of business as usual but still a lovely day. I hope all the mom's out there had a nice day.
Speaking of all the mom's out there...What did YOU do for YOUR mom this year?? Think back to everything she had to do for you..not even HAD to do but CHOSE to do from love and also guilt. All the but wiping and tear drying...costume making, meals, birthday cakes, trying to keep Santa alive for you and dying those #$%^&%ing Easter eggs with you. Kissing and hugging you even when you were pretty much just a big walking ball of snot and phlegm. Don't even get me started on the breastfeeding and colic. What about money loaned or given? Education and orthodontia? Shoulders to cry on or and arm to lean on when you were feeling down and needed a hand up. Yes, maybe she's not perfect , what with being human and all...but that woman gave you everything she had to give including in many cases, space in her body to incubate. And not for like a day but 9 fucking months. Show some goddamn respect! I mean..Isn't that nice?
So maybe Mom drives you up the wall now that you are a grown up.....who gives a shit? She is THE MOTHER personified for you in all her glory and not necessarilly perfection. The love that woman holds for you is real and strong and can never be rent assunder because, trust me I have tried and that love just will not be rent. Still she feels the pull of the umbilical cord that attached you physically and now only emotionally. And she always will at some level.
I love my mom. VERY much. She makes me crazy and I am not always "nice" to her but I make her laugh and I call her many times a week just to hear her voice and the sound of that voice is always happy to hear from me. If I didn't have my mommy any more I don't know what I'd do. Sometimes, I still want to crawl into her lap except now she's all tiny and old and brittle and I am very large. She blames Dad's side of the family for that.
My mom colored with me, made me clothes and sweaters, taught me to knit, washed my clothes, became a Brownie leader because I was a Brownie, sewed her finger with the sewing machine by accident while making me a Barbie purse out of fake leather, showed me the natural world by going looking for Mayflowers and wild berries and now I pass that on to my guys. She cuddled me when I was sick. Let me sleep with her when I was scared. She loves me, not always the way I want or need, but truly and deeply. We've had screaming matches and silences, but always come back together with hugs and kisses.
I love my mommy. Always and forever.
The card is in the mail..really.
First of all, got the gifts a week early. And thats totally ok. I HEART MY PRESENTS! I used them on Mother's Day to wind my Bonsai ribbon yarn and everything.
Mother'sDay began with being woke up from a dead coma/sleep around 11ish in the morning by yelling little voices (not so little anymore actually..very BIG voices). They had to yell cuz I had my fabulous earplugs in since HM had woken me with his snores earlier. When I came conscious I was given breakfast in bed..toast, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and juice and coffee. Plus my favorite section of the saturday Gazette (comics). How nice!!!!!! I really have an awesome family!!
The boys had made gorgeous cards at school. Really lovely. They are in my bedroom.
The rest of the day was kind of business as usual but still a lovely day. I hope all the mom's out there had a nice day.
Speaking of all the mom's out there...What did YOU do for YOUR mom this year?? Think back to everything she had to do for you..not even HAD to do but CHOSE to do from love and also guilt. All the but wiping and tear drying...costume making, meals, birthday cakes, trying to keep Santa alive for you and dying those #$%^&%ing Easter eggs with you. Kissing and hugging you even when you were pretty much just a big walking ball of snot and phlegm. Don't even get me started on the breastfeeding and colic. What about money loaned or given? Education and orthodontia? Shoulders to cry on or and arm to lean on when you were feeling down and needed a hand up. Yes, maybe she's not perfect , what with being human and all...but that woman gave you everything she had to give including in many cases, space in her body to incubate. And not for like a day but 9 fucking months. Show some goddamn respect! I mean..Isn't that nice?
So maybe Mom drives you up the wall now that you are a grown up.....who gives a shit? She is THE MOTHER personified for you in all her glory and not necessarilly perfection. The love that woman holds for you is real and strong and can never be rent assunder because, trust me I have tried and that love just will not be rent. Still she feels the pull of the umbilical cord that attached you physically and now only emotionally. And she always will at some level.
I love my mom. VERY much. She makes me crazy and I am not always "nice" to her but I make her laugh and I call her many times a week just to hear her voice and the sound of that voice is always happy to hear from me. If I didn't have my mommy any more I don't know what I'd do. Sometimes, I still want to crawl into her lap except now she's all tiny and old and brittle and I am very large. She blames Dad's side of the family for that.
My mom colored with me, made me clothes and sweaters, taught me to knit, washed my clothes, became a Brownie leader because I was a Brownie, sewed her finger with the sewing machine by accident while making me a Barbie purse out of fake leather, showed me the natural world by going looking for Mayflowers and wild berries and now I pass that on to my guys. She cuddled me when I was sick. Let me sleep with her when I was scared. She loves me, not always the way I want or need, but truly and deeply. We've had screaming matches and silences, but always come back together with hugs and kisses.
I love my mommy. Always and forever.
The card is in the mail..really.
Gratuitous Flower Shots
Lovely colour coordinated tulips....
Same type of tulips, different spot
My magnolia that I planted last summer...WOOHOO
Now look at this..the rhododendron and tulips TOTALLY match. I did not plan this. i thought the tulips were going to be a different kind of purple..Serendipitous gardening at its best. ;oD
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Because I must
Talking to Barb this afternoon on the phone prompted this posting. I have FINALLY started the shrug for the trip to Hawaii. Both of us were getting very concerned that i hadn't even come up with a pattern yet too. Rest at ease now, it has commenced and it will be all that and a bag of plantain chips with its fabulosity! If I do say so myself. Which, I do.
Barb wanted to SEE what I was describing to her so I snapped this picture after the first pattern working and just before the second fight with elongated stitches. So here it is Barb!! Just liek you ordered, I mean, requested ever so sweetly. The stitch pattern is from Wendy B's Dream Swatch over at Knit And Tonic. The white wool at the bottom of today's work is because I needed to do an Invisible cast on a la Zimmerman. (new technique for me) This will allow me to remove the white wool to access live stiches in the black Berocco Bonsai bamboo ribbon yarn I am using, when its time to construct the Mobius (Zimmerman's book Knitting Around ). Thats what the shrug will be essentially. A Mobius scarf around my upper arms . Can you visualise that? I can and I am at least a foot taller and 60 pounds lighter and tanned. I look so chic.
Eat your heart out, baby.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Thursday :3 things to make me haaappppy
#1) All praise and hail the entities of transportation because the Metro in Laval is FINALLY done. WOOHOOOOO Twice I have used it now instead of driving on the island and I must say "Metro! You Rock!!". Timeliness is a bit of an issue but the joy ofA) not dealling with the traffic downtown B) saving on gas and emissions C) no hunting for parking and thus, no tickets and D) much knitting time whilst sitting on the train make the worries of time small potatoes. I gets on in Laval, 15 or 20 minutes from here by car, and then all my traffic stress is gone. Most excellentay.
2) The amazing Sheila Ostroff of The Odyssey Zone ....she is a blessing and a miracle and all things wonderful. This is Ben's therapist and she is just so lovely I can't express her wunnerfulness. She totally "gets" him and stuff comes out within minutes that we have no idea the child is even thinking. He is happy there and LOVES his time with Sheila. 2 new strategies came out in the 1st ten minutes today: Ben is seated too far back in the class for a kid like him (4th seat) and susceptible to the distraction back there. Being closer to the front will help him maintain his focus. Also, when he feels he is getting angry or frustrated he must count backwards from 20 rather than counting to 10, so he can help himself get a better grip. Also, when the other kids are picking at him and won't stop he can hold up his palm and tell them to talk to the hand because the ears are not listening to them instead of yelling at them and hitting to get them to back off. ALL of this in the first 10 minutes together. Then I left and they spent 1/2 and hour on stuff, then I came back.
3) Montreal Knits: I went to a gathering last night, met new folk and saw people I had met before. It was just so great to sit back with treats and chill on the terrace in the fresh air last evening. Love love loved it. Met a"famous" knitting designer of amazing knits ( love the NDG sweater in the summer 2007 Interweave Knits) that I had not met other nights, and had some good laughs. REALLY good laughs. We heard and shared stories and gossip, attracted no small amount of attention from non-knitters and flirtatious attentions from sock desiring males at a neighboring table...LOL. the night was summer soft but full of Spring's promise. I really like the NDG area.
Today, I was totally wiped because of being out past my bedtime and having to take Ben into the city this morning. Comfy blue couch had my unwavering adoration for the afternoon until it was time to collect my boyses from school. NO SCHOOL tomorrow!!! Woohoo!
2) The amazing Sheila Ostroff of The Odyssey Zone ....she is a blessing and a miracle and all things wonderful. This is Ben's therapist and she is just so lovely I can't express her wunnerfulness. She totally "gets" him and stuff comes out within minutes that we have no idea the child is even thinking. He is happy there and LOVES his time with Sheila. 2 new strategies came out in the 1st ten minutes today: Ben is seated too far back in the class for a kid like him (4th seat) and susceptible to the distraction back there. Being closer to the front will help him maintain his focus. Also, when he feels he is getting angry or frustrated he must count backwards from 20 rather than counting to 10, so he can help himself get a better grip. Also, when the other kids are picking at him and won't stop he can hold up his palm and tell them to talk to the hand because the ears are not listening to them instead of yelling at them and hitting to get them to back off. ALL of this in the first 10 minutes together. Then I left and they spent 1/2 and hour on stuff, then I came back.
3) Montreal Knits: I went to a gathering last night, met new folk and saw people I had met before. It was just so great to sit back with treats and chill on the terrace in the fresh air last evening. Love love loved it. Met a"famous" knitting designer of amazing knits ( love the NDG sweater in the summer 2007 Interweave Knits) that I had not met other nights, and had some good laughs. REALLY good laughs. We heard and shared stories and gossip, attracted no small amount of attention from non-knitters and flirtatious attentions from sock desiring males at a neighboring table...LOL. the night was summer soft but full of Spring's promise. I really like the NDG area.
Today, I was totally wiped because of being out past my bedtime and having to take Ben into the city this morning. Comfy blue couch had my unwavering adoration for the afternoon until it was time to collect my boyses from school. NO SCHOOL tomorrow!!! Woohoo!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
SOX Simplified: 4 needles, top down
This is my idiot proof sock method that Barb helped me with by mentioning things I forget and trying to make it really complicated. Thanks Barb. I'm writing it down here so's I don't lose it and I worked it out so I don't need a pattern. As long as I remember the ratios and steps, I'll get a sock. ALL mistakes and wrong stuffs are mine. If you see a big glaring mistake, comment and I will edit. This formula assumes I have done my math to figure out how many stitches I need to make the sock fit the recipient in the yarn/needle combination I am using. The heel is a simple heel flap with no fanciness at all..plain ass stockingette.
CAST ON desired # of stitches making them divisible by 3 or 4 (depending on number of needles you are using (4 or 5) or ribbing you wanna work, GAUGE etc blah blah blah math )
KNIT leg as desired (ribbing, lacy, whatever) to length desired.
HEEL FLAP is half your stitches on one needle worked alone until number of rows equals 1/2 your number of stitches OR until it looks square. Always slip the first stitch of the row.
TURNING requires one to divide the heel stitches by 3. Knit or Purl (depending what side you are on) to the last 1/3 of the stiches, then k2to or p2to (depending which side of the work you are on)and TURN. Repeat. Continue this until you have no more row stitches to k or p 2to with.
GUSSET requires you to pick up and knit stitches along the side of the heel flap, knit across the stitches that were held in reserve while you worked the heel, then pick up and knit the other side of the heel. Knit one round with the number of stitches you now have. GUSSET decreases as follows Needle One: knit to last 3 st, K2to,k1, Needle 2 knit, Needle 3 K1,ssk, knit to end of needle. Next round knit all. Repeat until you are back to the # of cast on stitches.
FOOT is knit until it is the length of foot from heel to the base of the big toe.
TOE decreases same as gusset but on Needle two you k1,ssk, knit to last 3 stitches then k2to and k1. Continue all decreases every other round until you have 1/3 or 1/4 of your cast on number of stitches left (whatever as long as you can divide it by 2.) The smaller the number the pointier your sock toe. Put stitches evenly on two needles, graft or kitchener stitch the stitches to close up toe, finish off all ends and sock is done. Now make another one exactly the same way.
CAST ON desired # of stitches making them divisible by 3 or 4 (depending on number of needles you are using (4 or 5) or ribbing you wanna work, GAUGE etc blah blah blah math )
KNIT leg as desired (ribbing, lacy, whatever) to length desired.
HEEL FLAP is half your stitches on one needle worked alone until number of rows equals 1/2 your number of stitches OR until it looks square. Always slip the first stitch of the row.
TURNING requires one to divide the heel stitches by 3. Knit or Purl (depending what side you are on) to the last 1/3 of the stiches, then k2to or p2to (depending which side of the work you are on)and TURN. Repeat. Continue this until you have no more row stitches to k or p 2to with.
GUSSET requires you to pick up and knit stitches along the side of the heel flap, knit across the stitches that were held in reserve while you worked the heel, then pick up and knit the other side of the heel. Knit one round with the number of stitches you now have. GUSSET decreases as follows Needle One: knit to last 3 st, K2to,k1, Needle 2 knit, Needle 3 K1,ssk, knit to end of needle. Next round knit all. Repeat until you are back to the # of cast on stitches.
FOOT is knit until it is the length of foot from heel to the base of the big toe.
TOE decreases same as gusset but on Needle two you k1,ssk, knit to last 3 stitches then k2to and k1. Continue all decreases every other round until you have 1/3 or 1/4 of your cast on number of stitches left (whatever as long as you can divide it by 2.) The smaller the number the pointier your sock toe. Put stitches evenly on two needles, graft or kitchener stitch the stitches to close up toe, finish off all ends and sock is done. Now make another one exactly the same way.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Monday Monday....
Yesterday I got my Mother's day gift early. WooHoo! A swift and a ball winder. Now all my unwound stash is wound up in lovely tidy center pull balls. Much less tangled.
Another beautiful day of sunshine and balmy temperatures. Tonight Cam and I took a bike ride to the park and around the neighborhood and it was just lovely. The birds are very very busy in this neighborhood wherever there are half decent trees.
My friend Nancy has quit her job at the salon and openned her own wee shop at home. She has the sink and everything. Very cool. Ben had his hair cut today and I made my pre Hawaii appointment for the 21st.
18 more sleeps til airplane time.
Another beautiful day of sunshine and balmy temperatures. Tonight Cam and I took a bike ride to the park and around the neighborhood and it was just lovely. The birds are very very busy in this neighborhood wherever there are half decent trees.
My friend Nancy has quit her job at the salon and openned her own wee shop at home. She has the sink and everything. Very cool. Ben had his hair cut today and I made my pre Hawaii appointment for the 21st.
18 more sleeps til airplane time.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Its a lovely tell yer mother kind o'day!
I feel so much better except for an excess of mucus but hey! No pain, no fever, no "I think I am dying!". Definitely well-er. And about time too!!!!
I spent most of my day poking around in the gardens. I soaked newspapers in a bucket and laid them on the grass around my (small) Magnolia bush and then dumped bags of soil. Voila...flower bed. Eventually. I did the same thing in the Fall and planted bulbs...today's fun and games enlarged that. I woulda kept going but I ran outta newspaper. I have a vision for that front yard and grass is not part of it. I will keep picking away at it until all that is left is beds and path. mwahahahahahaha
Yesterday I planted the Wisteria and moved that shrub. Then we went to Canadian Tire and I got some fleabane (gets purply flowers) and beardtongue (has purply flowers) and a creeping thyme to do some ground coverage near the front walk. Eventually. Very small right now.
Today removed the rest of the fugly bushes in the back yard and PRESTO had a place for clematis..if i had some to plant. So, Ben and I went baaaaack to CT and got two to grow together and be friends. Duchess Of Edinburgh gets yellowy white double flowers and Ville De Lyon gets fabulous reddish pink single flowers. Won't they look stunning against brick?? Eventually?
I dug up my Blossomtime rose and moved it to this newly bush free zone as well. It kept getting broken by the dog last year so maybe it will have better success here.
Tomorrow I may get some strawberry plants and change the veggie beds to strawberry beds since I will be away and not here to tend vegetables. Just might be a plan. Also have more cone flowers to dig up and divide but nowhere to put all the cone flowers. needless to say, with all of these projects going on the back yard looks like shit!! LOL
I spent most of my day poking around in the gardens. I soaked newspapers in a bucket and laid them on the grass around my (small) Magnolia bush and then dumped bags of soil. Voila...flower bed. Eventually. I did the same thing in the Fall and planted bulbs...today's fun and games enlarged that. I woulda kept going but I ran outta newspaper. I have a vision for that front yard and grass is not part of it. I will keep picking away at it until all that is left is beds and path. mwahahahahahaha
Yesterday I planted the Wisteria and moved that shrub. Then we went to Canadian Tire and I got some fleabane (gets purply flowers) and beardtongue (has purply flowers) and a creeping thyme to do some ground coverage near the front walk. Eventually. Very small right now.
Today removed the rest of the fugly bushes in the back yard and PRESTO had a place for clematis..if i had some to plant. So, Ben and I went baaaaack to CT and got two to grow together and be friends. Duchess Of Edinburgh gets yellowy white double flowers and Ville De Lyon gets fabulous reddish pink single flowers. Won't they look stunning against brick?? Eventually?
I dug up my Blossomtime rose and moved it to this newly bush free zone as well. It kept getting broken by the dog last year so maybe it will have better success here.
Tomorrow I may get some strawberry plants and change the veggie beds to strawberry beds since I will be away and not here to tend vegetables. Just might be a plan. Also have more cone flowers to dig up and divide but nowhere to put all the cone flowers. needless to say, with all of these projects going on the back yard looks like shit!! LOL
Friday, May 04, 2007
Friday May ummmmm 4th..yeah thats it
The good news is that I kinda know what day it is!Woo Hoo I am feeling quite goodish this morning but for the cough (less painful but still gross) and congestion (More Allegra D please) and this bizarre series of sweats I keep breaking into. Seriously, who breaks into a SWEAT sitting in front of the computer...besides porno surfing pervs I mean. Although I WAS surfing yarn and knitting sites so maybe...just maybe...That my porn? Hmmm......
It is yet another GLORIOUS sunny day and I really must get out . I must plant poor Wisteria, which involve hauling out a spirea and relocating it before Wisteria can take its place. The relocation also involves hauling out some FUGLY ornamental grass clumps the previous owners had put in. I'm sure they served some designy feature but for me they just take up room that something pretty could have used. If I ge4t REALLY jiggy widit I may lay out lines in the grass for bed enlargements/enhancements. That may be way too ambitious though. I'm sweating again just typing about it.
I got the aquarium a new filter finally. An Aquaclear 30. Did a major cleaning too and poured the first bucket of fishy poo grossness on Ben's clematis. Its unfurled more leaves in gratitude. This resulted in about 1/3 to 1/2 water change so now that water in teh tank is less discoloured from the big driftwood log, which also got cleaned. The 2 loaches are very happy...or freaked out..its hard to tell but seriously, they are my favorites in this tank. They are cute, looking similar to clown fish, and they are zipping around all frisky and funny , up and down and all around. They make the Angel, Betta, and bushy nose look so boring and staid! Yesterdays aquarium housekeeping resulted also in me breaking the light fixture so I have a lamp shining in now.
So how about Grey's Anatomy last night? I'm not so sure I'll be tuning in to the Addison character's spin off...I dunno. Love some of the actors (Tim Daly is yummy as is Taye Diggs, holy moley) but the Addison of the spin off is, I dunno, a bit of a dink?? It was too Ally McBeal only in a medical center rather than a lawyer's office.
And what IS Derek's problem anyways????? Becoming seriously Less McDreamy with his whiney ass angst. Killing off Susan kinda sucked and how is Thatcher grey even capable of taking care of himself because every scene has him seeming somewhat retarded. I think it sucks that George is leaving. He was one of my favorites..... ARGH! I hate when they mess with me shows!!!!
Cinco De Mayo (did I spell that wrong?) is TOMORROW! Happy Belated Beltaine also, I have been very inobservant of the holy/holidays. Did nothing for Beltaine which sucks. There was a public ritual but we were too busy here for me to feel that i could just take off and go. Which is tupid...maybe I was just too tired or sick of the back biting on the community's e-list. Anyways, I stayed home.
So thats Friday in a nutshell. Betterish, sunny, gardening?, maybe some light grocery shopping.....
Have a margarita for me!
It is yet another GLORIOUS sunny day and I really must get out . I must plant poor Wisteria, which involve hauling out a spirea and relocating it before Wisteria can take its place. The relocation also involves hauling out some FUGLY ornamental grass clumps the previous owners had put in. I'm sure they served some designy feature but for me they just take up room that something pretty could have used. If I ge4t REALLY jiggy widit I may lay out lines in the grass for bed enlargements/enhancements. That may be way too ambitious though. I'm sweating again just typing about it.
I got the aquarium a new filter finally. An Aquaclear 30. Did a major cleaning too and poured the first bucket of fishy poo grossness on Ben's clematis. Its unfurled more leaves in gratitude. This resulted in about 1/3 to 1/2 water change so now that water in teh tank is less discoloured from the big driftwood log, which also got cleaned. The 2 loaches are very happy...or freaked out..its hard to tell but seriously, they are my favorites in this tank. They are cute, looking similar to clown fish, and they are zipping around all frisky and funny , up and down and all around. They make the Angel, Betta, and bushy nose look so boring and staid! Yesterdays aquarium housekeeping resulted also in me breaking the light fixture so I have a lamp shining in now.
So how about Grey's Anatomy last night? I'm not so sure I'll be tuning in to the Addison character's spin off...I dunno. Love some of the actors (Tim Daly is yummy as is Taye Diggs, holy moley) but the Addison of the spin off is, I dunno, a bit of a dink?? It was too Ally McBeal only in a medical center rather than a lawyer's office.
And what IS Derek's problem anyways????? Becoming seriously Less McDreamy with his whiney ass angst. Killing off Susan kinda sucked and how is Thatcher grey even capable of taking care of himself because every scene has him seeming somewhat retarded. I think it sucks that George is leaving. He was one of my favorites..... ARGH! I hate when they mess with me shows!!!!
Cinco De Mayo (did I spell that wrong?) is TOMORROW! Happy Belated Beltaine also, I have been very inobservant of the holy/holidays. Did nothing for Beltaine which sucks. There was a public ritual but we were too busy here for me to feel that i could just take off and go. Which is tupid...maybe I was just too tired or sick of the back biting on the community's e-list. Anyways, I stayed home.
So thats Friday in a nutshell. Betterish, sunny, gardening?, maybe some light grocery shopping.....
Have a margarita for me!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Thursday
I still feel bad. Body aching but that could be from lying in a prone position for the better part of two days. I have a dentist appointment today as does Cammie. His is actually an orthodontia consult. Yay! More retainers!
Nothing has been done except a book being read and about another inch on sock number 2. HM came to me last night and said there was a thing Friday night, did I want to go with him? UuuummmNO??!!! But you won't be sick by Friday....How does HE know?? I am horking up painful yuckiness and its an effort to get into a hot tub to ease the body chills and aches. And I have nothing to wear to a dinner dance charity thing and no way am I going shopping feeling like this. I don't even want to get dressed but the dentist office frowns on pjs and house coats. Bastards.
There is a big difference between when HE is sick and when I am sick. If he is actually sick enough, I take care of him. Fetch him things to make hime better like medicine and juice. This does NOT happen when I am sick. I am left to rot. Occassionally a poke (or stupid question) to see if I am still alive. Nothing fetched, no back rubs, no "There there", no "let me run you a hot bath".... Stupid man.
Its a lovely sunny day today. I want to garden but just looking at it makes me tired and wheezy. Oh my Gods...I am whining so MUCh. Time to stop because I am disgusting my self!!~
Nothing has been done except a book being read and about another inch on sock number 2. HM came to me last night and said there was a thing Friday night, did I want to go with him? UuuummmNO??!!! But you won't be sick by Friday....How does HE know?? I am horking up painful yuckiness and its an effort to get into a hot tub to ease the body chills and aches. And I have nothing to wear to a dinner dance charity thing and no way am I going shopping feeling like this. I don't even want to get dressed but the dentist office frowns on pjs and house coats. Bastards.
There is a big difference between when HE is sick and when I am sick. If he is actually sick enough, I take care of him. Fetch him things to make hime better like medicine and juice. This does NOT happen when I am sick. I am left to rot. Occassionally a poke (or stupid question) to see if I am still alive. Nothing fetched, no back rubs, no "There there", no "let me run you a hot bath".... Stupid man.
Its a lovely sunny day today. I want to garden but just looking at it makes me tired and wheezy. Oh my Gods...I am whining so MUCh. Time to stop because I am disgusting my self!!~
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Alive
I'm sick for real. It didn't "disappear" over night which sometimes happens with me. Tats ok though because I actually feel better now that its decided what to do. Chest, throat,ears..all irritated and phlegmy with a deeeeeep voice. LOL
Also, I feel better because my sister is back from her trip halfways around the globe(Maui and New Zealand)! She has been gone for two weeks and I felt like part of me was missing. Got new nails..gotta call Jessie..oops she's not home. Ben has a therapist..must call Jessie..oops she's not home...
Honestly I call her so much, her trip without the phone ringing was probably a HUGE relief for her. But I missed her SO MUCH!!!! Only 3 weeks until she is HERE in my home for 2 weeks. She arrives a few days before we leave for Maui and is staying to look after the kids and house while we are gone. Then she'll be here for a few days after we get back. Hopefully she will get to visit her friend Nathalie while she is here too which would be awesome for them.
I got to hear about how beautiful the weather was and the nice things she got and the fun she had and it was so excellent. sigh.
Also, I forgot to mention that this past Monday was my parent's 58th wedding anniversary. FIFTY EIGHTH!!!! Holy snap. I forgot to send a card but I did call.
Ben had a fairly good day at school yesterday. we are trying a new checklist system for him to keep his temper under control. He got 5 outta 6 yesterday which is great!! Yay Ben!
Thank you to picperfect for her well wishes about this virus. Its nice to hear from someone so far away! Ain't the 'net cool????
Also, I feel better because my sister is back from her trip halfways around the globe(Maui and New Zealand)! She has been gone for two weeks and I felt like part of me was missing. Got new nails..gotta call Jessie..oops she's not home. Ben has a therapist..must call Jessie..oops she's not home...
Honestly I call her so much, her trip without the phone ringing was probably a HUGE relief for her. But I missed her SO MUCH!!!! Only 3 weeks until she is HERE in my home for 2 weeks. She arrives a few days before we leave for Maui and is staying to look after the kids and house while we are gone. Then she'll be here for a few days after we get back. Hopefully she will get to visit her friend Nathalie while she is here too which would be awesome for them.
I got to hear about how beautiful the weather was and the nice things she got and the fun she had and it was so excellent. sigh.
Also, I forgot to mention that this past Monday was my parent's 58th wedding anniversary. FIFTY EIGHTH!!!! Holy snap. I forgot to send a card but I did call.
Ben had a fairly good day at school yesterday. we are trying a new checklist system for him to keep his temper under control. He got 5 outta 6 yesterday which is great!! Yay Ben!
Thank you to picperfect for her well wishes about this virus. Its nice to hear from someone so far away! Ain't the 'net cool????
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Me am sick
Woke up fine. Spent morning as lazy slob as per usual. By lunch was starting to feel not right. this continued. I bought KFC for the kids for lunch because the very thought of preparing anything and facing the universal "I didn't want THAT" was just not good. Apres lunch I tried to look at trees at Rona. Could not get home to my big comfy couch fast enough. Crashed for nap and woke up worse. Throat, chest, nose...all feeling the onset of something. Went to pharmacy for zinc loz...losz...losengeses.
Pray i wake up tomorrow with it GONE. What mother has the time for illness??
What I learned from my compost tumbler today: HM is a dumbass. Oh wait I knew that already. But this is just another instance. I went outdoors, sick feeling and all, to dump out the contents of my tumbler (mother's day gift 2006 ) so that I could finally dump in the contents of my new to me compost bucket/pot thingy That I got at the comptoir for a buck. Someone had swept up firewood mess from the front stoop and put it IN THE TUMBLER!! Big freaking chunks of bark and wood and stuff. When my compost is DONE!!!? I am very very very not happy and am trying to train Monkey to pee in his shoes.
After picking out as much of the junk as possible/probable for me (not a whole lot), I ended up with THREE big buckets of compost. Sweet. My All that Jazz rose says thankee.
This years batch has commenced. Huzzah.
Pray i wake up tomorrow with it GONE. What mother has the time for illness??
What I learned from my compost tumbler today: HM is a dumbass. Oh wait I knew that already. But this is just another instance. I went outdoors, sick feeling and all, to dump out the contents of my tumbler (mother's day gift 2006 ) so that I could finally dump in the contents of my new to me compost bucket/pot thingy That I got at the comptoir for a buck. Someone had swept up firewood mess from the front stoop and put it IN THE TUMBLER!! Big freaking chunks of bark and wood and stuff. When my compost is DONE!!!? I am very very very not happy and am trying to train Monkey to pee in his shoes.
After picking out as much of the junk as possible/probable for me (not a whole lot), I ended up with THREE big buckets of compost. Sweet. My All that Jazz rose says thankee.
This years batch has commenced. Huzzah.
WTF?
| Alison Grace Proteau -- [noun]: A human transformer (Robot in disguise) 'How" will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com |
One down.....
And one to go. The yarn is OnLine 6 ply on 3 mm needles. That pink colour is NOT pink..its a terracotta shade. Most of sock one was done in car while on trips.
I cannot get the Kitchener stitch toe graft right. Argh. Need a demonstration in person because instructions and diagrams are NOT cutting it.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Busy beee
Its Monday and the day the kids are at school all day. I call it my day off. HAHAHAHA
I had lots of coffee today and took it easy all morning, surfin' the net, watching TV, and basically being a lazy slob. Then I got busy. Vacuuming, tidying kitchen, laundry, litter boxes, more vacuuming (F%^&ing litter boxes) AND hand dying some yarn. With Kool-Aid.
The yarn was Bernat's Lana 100%merino in the most godsawful grey. Using Grape, blue raspberry lemonade , cherry and tropical fruit punch,I achieved possibly the ugliest yarn ever.
Thats not the point!!
The point is I did it my own self and it was not hard to do at all. I have another skein of grey that I am thinking would look awesome in Blue raspberry lemonade and lime... Also, next time I think I will dip dye rather than pour over/paint the yarn.
Method: Unskein the yarn by wrapping ot around the diningroom table and tying it with scrap yarn in several places. Soak big hank of yarn in warm water with vinegar for about 1/2 and hour. Wring out yarn and arrange in a microwave safe baking dish. Pour very strong solution of unsweetened Koolaid and hot water (one packet per ounce hot water) over the yarn in sections. Put plastic wrap over dish and microwave on medium for 15 minutes or so. Rinse in fairly hot tap water because the yarn and dish are HOT now. When dye no longer colors water, wring out your hank and hang to dry. VOILA! You could use one single colour for the whole hank or several hanks or try making self striping yarn using a few colours.
Now if only I could find a better supply of flavours...I mean colours...
Sunday, April 29, 2007
It is DONE
Its too big but its done but not blocked. I am dithering on the blocking issue. But the knitting is done and Ben is happy with his too big sweater! I awoke late from a knitting induced nap so we lost the good daylight and thus the lighting in the photo is not so good. For this I apologise.Sunday
Last night I stayed up very late watching movies, knitting, and spending time with my good friend Vodka.
The movies: Children Of Men (very very good) and The Holiday (could have been worse..not sure how...)
The knitting : the sleeve from Hell is DONE!!! Take that Satan..I throw your torture back atcha along with a whole lotta kiss my ass! I stuck it out through hours (LITERALLY) and hours of stockingette stitch and decreases, a false cast off, rippping back again and cursing, and finally it is DONE. Now for the neck/collar.
Yesterday was spent mostly in the car as we travelled to look at a dissappointing boat. Realizations were made by HM...a 26 foot boat will NOT fit in our driveway and we will need a marina for storage/parking. Investigations are being made into costs and availability before we look at anymore MacGregors. I knit alot on the way to the boat, munched a lot of patry from Boulangerie St. Donat on the way home. Resulting blood sugar fluctuations and travel sleepies made me crawl into bed fopr a late afternoon nap. Hence my late night with my grrrl Vodka and the pointy sticks.
We got a Playstation 2 for the kids. Their first ever game system (other than the game boys they got two years ago) for the house. Already it has been removed from their squabbling little persons. 6:38 Sunday morning and they are FIGHTING over it. Not good. Pissed off HM even more because he was unable to go back to sleep, unlike myself The Olympic Gold Medallist of Sleepage.
Was awakened later by Ben holding a phone at me and saying stuff....incomprehensible to the sleep fuddled ears...no idea who was on the other line for a bit. It was my Marla letting me know that her dad, being very ill with cancer, had passed over on Friday. She had been out of contact since last week and I was beginning to worry, though I knew that Frank must have been the reason. So, she called to keep me from worrying and to let me know whats going. His funeral mass and burial will be tomorrow and she hopes to get herself and the kids back home tomorrow night since they have been tehre since Wednesday. Poor M. I don't know what it is like to lose a parent yet and I am not looking forward to it. I bitch about mine a lot but I love them so very much as well. I wish I was able to give more comfort at times like this but distance and inexperience render me pretty useless, which sucks.
Today Sears is havin' a sale so HM is off buying clothes for work and the kids and I are here at home on this rainy crappy weather day. Maybe I will plant my new (Friday's garden center purchase) WISTERIA, which is really ALIVE unlike last years. People call me crazy for my rainy day gardening but weeds pop out easier and transplant shock is much lessened. Plus, its so much nicer to nap in the sun than sweat.....
I may have been a cat in another incarnation.
The movies: Children Of Men (very very good) and The Holiday (could have been worse..not sure how...)
The knitting : the sleeve from Hell is DONE!!! Take that Satan..I throw your torture back atcha along with a whole lotta kiss my ass! I stuck it out through hours (LITERALLY) and hours of stockingette stitch and decreases, a false cast off, rippping back again and cursing, and finally it is DONE. Now for the neck/collar.
Yesterday was spent mostly in the car as we travelled to look at a dissappointing boat. Realizations were made by HM...a 26 foot boat will NOT fit in our driveway and we will need a marina for storage/parking. Investigations are being made into costs and availability before we look at anymore MacGregors. I knit alot on the way to the boat, munched a lot of patry from Boulangerie St. Donat on the way home. Resulting blood sugar fluctuations and travel sleepies made me crawl into bed fopr a late afternoon nap. Hence my late night with my grrrl Vodka and the pointy sticks.
We got a Playstation 2 for the kids. Their first ever game system (other than the game boys they got two years ago) for the house. Already it has been removed from their squabbling little persons. 6:38 Sunday morning and they are FIGHTING over it. Not good. Pissed off HM even more because he was unable to go back to sleep, unlike myself The Olympic Gold Medallist of Sleepage.
Was awakened later by Ben holding a phone at me and saying stuff....incomprehensible to the sleep fuddled ears...no idea who was on the other line for a bit. It was my Marla letting me know that her dad, being very ill with cancer, had passed over on Friday. She had been out of contact since last week and I was beginning to worry, though I knew that Frank must have been the reason. So, she called to keep me from worrying and to let me know whats going. His funeral mass and burial will be tomorrow and she hopes to get herself and the kids back home tomorrow night since they have been tehre since Wednesday. Poor M. I don't know what it is like to lose a parent yet and I am not looking forward to it. I bitch about mine a lot but I love them so very much as well. I wish I was able to give more comfort at times like this but distance and inexperience render me pretty useless, which sucks.
Today Sears is havin' a sale so HM is off buying clothes for work and the kids and I are here at home on this rainy crappy weather day. Maybe I will plant my new (Friday's garden center purchase) WISTERIA, which is really ALIVE unlike last years. People call me crazy for my rainy day gardening but weeds pop out easier and transplant shock is much lessened. Plus, its so much nicer to nap in the sun than sweat.....
I may have been a cat in another incarnation.
Friday, April 27, 2007
OH MY GODS...............
http://masthead.blogspot.com/
I feel light headed, woozy, and numbed.
It just is not RIGHT or FAIR for grandparents to lose their lives while travelling to meet their brand new granddaughter. What a heartbreak.
I feel light headed, woozy, and numbed.
It just is not RIGHT or FAIR for grandparents to lose their lives while travelling to meet their brand new granddaughter. What a heartbreak.
Its Friday....
Its been a very low key week. But good low key not depressed crazy low key. It was amazing weather until today. Apparently rain is gonna be our weather for a few days. Thats cool...my spring bulbs are blooming and could probably use a drinky poo. The Daffs will open SOON. I have one ready to POP but no sun today. The tulips are leafed out and growing, the squills are glorious in their amazing blueness. the thing that starts with a C that I planted last year in pink and purple..I want to call it Cikkachonga but I think its Chiondoxia??? Anyhoo, wee bulbs that are starting to flower wonderfully. The crocuses sucked though..OOh and my long lost "June Lilies" narcissus..I think I saved them and they are send up shoots. YAY.
Rose bush buds are unfurling to show leaves as are lilacs. Ben's clematis "Mr President" is alive WOOHOO. He is so happy. We found wee green leaves emerging from these very dead looking vines. Very happy. This is the first clematis I ever planted that survived a winter. Can I get a BooYa!!!!? It is technically Benoit's plant but Mommy "helps" look after it.
I saw wisteria's at the Pepiniere here in town...Am very tempted! Last years fiasco of a wisteria pisses me off still. But these are DEFINITELY alive and HM wants one. So maybe ....
The bridal wreath spireas I moved last year are alive and leafing and the magnolia we got and planted last summer is alive even though I didn't protect it for its first winter. I am looking at the front beds and imagining new lines..enlargements and reshapings to take up more lawn space and make for a place to use the "extra" cone flowers from the back yard. They are so overgrown and taking over everything...LOL thinning is necessary and back breaking.
I finally bit the bullet and ripped back the sleeve of my discontent. have begun reknitting from the colour work and will be most assiduous in my decreases. I so want it DONE already. New yarns call. New techniques and patterns..socks, and shrugs and sweaters... and hats and mittens... i wanna be done!!!!!!!! waaaaaahhh waaaaahahhh
My mom and dad need their roof done. They got quotes this week ranging from 5200 ish to 6000 ish and I freaked. They are pensioners and have no savings. Every year the property taxes are a major deal for them. Where the F$%^ are they supposed to get 6000 dollars??????
They have a small line of credit but even thats not enough. I called my bro the contractor and suggested a family roofing party like we did last time (a zillion years ago). The poor guy has a million things on his plate what with work and family (don't we all? well..except me cuz I don't work...) but he said give him time to think it out...
Speaking with mom she says that they have spoken to big bro and its being dealt with. I await news on what this entails.
I have left yet another message to the Cranberry Campground folk so's I can have a spot for July and August. I am so anxious to get to summer. I want beach..I want cold drinks in the sun.. I want my momma and sisters and friends....I want salty air.
Sooooon....sooooonnnnn....
Ok..Links for fun and education:
Sew Green http://sewgreen.blogspot.com/index.html A green themed crafting site. Green as in Ecological.
Lolly Knitting Around http://www.lollygirl.com/blog/
Crazy Aunt Purl http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/
Spacemonkey Pants http://spacemonkeypants.com/
Suldog O Rama http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com/
Lainey Gossip http://www.laineygossip.com/ArticleList.aspx
I Can has Cheezburger http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Rose bush buds are unfurling to show leaves as are lilacs. Ben's clematis "Mr President" is alive WOOHOO. He is so happy. We found wee green leaves emerging from these very dead looking vines. Very happy. This is the first clematis I ever planted that survived a winter. Can I get a BooYa!!!!? It is technically Benoit's plant but Mommy "helps" look after it.
I saw wisteria's at the Pepiniere here in town...Am very tempted! Last years fiasco of a wisteria pisses me off still. But these are DEFINITELY alive and HM wants one. So maybe ....
The bridal wreath spireas I moved last year are alive and leafing and the magnolia we got and planted last summer is alive even though I didn't protect it for its first winter. I am looking at the front beds and imagining new lines..enlargements and reshapings to take up more lawn space and make for a place to use the "extra" cone flowers from the back yard. They are so overgrown and taking over everything...LOL thinning is necessary and back breaking.
I finally bit the bullet and ripped back the sleeve of my discontent. have begun reknitting from the colour work and will be most assiduous in my decreases. I so want it DONE already. New yarns call. New techniques and patterns..socks, and shrugs and sweaters... and hats and mittens... i wanna be done!!!!!!!! waaaaaahhh waaaaahahhh
My mom and dad need their roof done. They got quotes this week ranging from 5200 ish to 6000 ish and I freaked. They are pensioners and have no savings. Every year the property taxes are a major deal for them. Where the F$%^ are they supposed to get 6000 dollars??????
They have a small line of credit but even thats not enough. I called my bro the contractor and suggested a family roofing party like we did last time (a zillion years ago). The poor guy has a million things on his plate what with work and family (don't we all? well..except me cuz I don't work...) but he said give him time to think it out...
Speaking with mom she says that they have spoken to big bro and its being dealt with. I await news on what this entails.
I have left yet another message to the Cranberry Campground folk so's I can have a spot for July and August. I am so anxious to get to summer. I want beach..I want cold drinks in the sun.. I want my momma and sisters and friends....I want salty air.
Sooooon....sooooonnnnn....
Ok..Links for fun and education:
Sew Green http://sewgreen.blogspot.com/index.html A green themed crafting site. Green as in Ecological.
Lolly Knitting Around http://www.lollygirl.com/blog/
Crazy Aunt Purl http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/
Spacemonkey Pants http://spacemonkeypants.com/
Suldog O Rama http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com/
Lainey Gossip http://www.laineygossip.com/ArticleList.aspx
I Can has Cheezburger http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Wednesday
Ever have a day that just wouldn't go RIGHT?? I know we all have and by bad day standards this is pretty small potatoes but STILL..ARGH.
Benoit had his first visit with a psychotherapist today at 9 am. Thanks to A) my car being out of gas and B) traffic, we were 20 minutes late for a 50 minute session..more like half an hour late actually once we factor in PARKING! For which I got a TICKET!! ARGH! So, 90 dollars plus tax for session PLUS a parking ticket. (tantrum ensues with much preschooler type thrashings gnashings and flailings)
Now we are back home and chillin'. It can only get better. Ben and Cameron have their extra French launguage tuteuring at 12 and then their afternoon classes.
Today's therapy session, short as it was, made Sheila (therapist) recommend that Ben be tested academically, and her observation that he would benefit from having larger periods of time in which to accomplish tasks because of the way his little brain functions. This is something we need to bring to the teacher's attention at school. Ben thoroughly enjoyed Sheila, which is awesome, and he looks forward to his next session.
I wonder if I should just home school him next year???? Here is an Anglo kid with a learning disorder stuck in a class of as far as we know fully functional French kids, expected to accomplish everything these other kids can academically and otherwise, in their native language, French, in the same amount of time.
Round hole? Meet my little Square Peg. No matter how hard that little peg is hammered at, he can only fit in the round hole so well. I have made noises about switching to English school but been opposed big time by HM. He want the boys to have the full advanmtages og Bi Lingualism and with that I AGREE ...BUT...can't the kid get his French without being academically and socially challenged so? Aaah conflict..where would we be without it?
Benoit had his first visit with a psychotherapist today at 9 am. Thanks to A) my car being out of gas and B) traffic, we were 20 minutes late for a 50 minute session..more like half an hour late actually once we factor in PARKING! For which I got a TICKET!! ARGH! So, 90 dollars plus tax for session PLUS a parking ticket. (tantrum ensues with much preschooler type thrashings gnashings and flailings)
Now we are back home and chillin'. It can only get better. Ben and Cameron have their extra French launguage tuteuring at 12 and then their afternoon classes.
Today's therapy session, short as it was, made Sheila (therapist) recommend that Ben be tested academically, and her observation that he would benefit from having larger periods of time in which to accomplish tasks because of the way his little brain functions. This is something we need to bring to the teacher's attention at school. Ben thoroughly enjoyed Sheila, which is awesome, and he looks forward to his next session.
I wonder if I should just home school him next year???? Here is an Anglo kid with a learning disorder stuck in a class of as far as we know fully functional French kids, expected to accomplish everything these other kids can academically and otherwise, in their native language, French, in the same amount of time.
Round hole? Meet my little Square Peg. No matter how hard that little peg is hammered at, he can only fit in the round hole so well. I have made noises about switching to English school but been opposed big time by HM. He want the boys to have the full advanmtages og Bi Lingualism and with that I AGREE ...BUT...can't the kid get his French without being academically and socially challenged so? Aaah conflict..where would we be without it?
Monday, April 23, 2007
Committed
I bought the fabric and paid half on the fee for a dress of a yet undetermined colour. The creator of said dress and I talked as he did measurments and he drew me a picture or 3 and we agreed on the dress's style. I am loving the fabric..its swishy and drapes like smooth water over rocks.
No turning back now. I am committed.
No turning back now. I am committed.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Updates etc
Holy snap! Life is so accelerated these days. Filled with knitting and kids and stuffs! Holy stink.
All is well. Actually all is pretty awesome. THE SUN IS SHINING! Thats a big one to the happyhappy mojo I am channeling today. Or maybe its the coffee.
Ok...where did I leave off..oy what a week of joys...
Ok: hmm The Sweater! I declare it will be done TOMORROW if i have to sit and knit all night.
I am inspired to recycle yarn. To do this one buys used (yes..USED..second hand) sweaters with non serged seams, takes them apart and the unravels them. Yes..I am serious. Tomorrow is Earth Day. Get inpired.
Uuumm. Ok..Today NO boat was changed to smaller trailer capable MUCH less expensive boat. Maximum fun, minimum pain in ass factor. I love this plan. MacGregor 26 is the current item of Husband Man's sailboat lust. I encourage this idea. He can trailer the boat and launch that baby almost ANYWHERE! how cool is that?
Hmmmm.....OH and this does not mean that I lose my kitchen Reno which was declared happening this year on Thursday night. Can I get a Hallelujah??!!!!!! My house is beautiful..not real clean and tidy because, hello!? I live here. But my kitchen and my bathrooms seriously suck. The kitchen drawers are literally falling apart repeatedly and I have been nearly brained by cabinet doors coming off the hinge. Oy!! So, HM had a drawer drop crap everywhere again and said Thats IT! When we know when he's getting his latest bonus I can commence to making reno plans. Right now I know that its pretty much getting gutted. That is all I know for sure.
HM is getting a newer car. His choice is a lovely and fuel efficientish 2002 Acura 1.7 EL Limited edition. Spoiler, front hood ding protector doohickey, tinted windows, leather upholstery.... and fuel efficincy not much different from the Echo! Sexay!!
The sundress for Hawaii formal event is being dealt with. Its top secret at the mo. Sorta. Secret from HM because he is all 'Buy one at a store'and I am all 'Having a dress made to fit me!' heh heh What he doesn't know and all that jazz. I can say it is '50's inspired and the fabric is a hemp/silk blend jacquard and will breathe beautifully. Color is as yet undetermined since the maker will be working on creating a colour that I want..either a darkish blue or aubergine. This sounds stuck up and snobby and expensive but actually may be same cost as buying a really nice dress and having it altered to fit properly. Always a challenge and I am just too lazy to search the shops.
Cameron is beside himself with joy because his bestest buddy is coming here tonight for a sleep over after having come here last Sunday for a play date for the first time. This is seriously awesome for him. I remember having sleepovers all the time as a kid and now its time for the guys to start. If only Ben could get along with someone long enough to have a sleep over bud. I had high hopes of two school mates but sadly this has been hampered by Ben's outburst of anger. Not conducive to close friendships. This will happen though. I have great faith in his abilities to become more in control of his temper. Eventually.
Ok..now I must vacumm my heart out and de dustify my maison. Tis sooo necessary. All THREE floors (basement, main, upstairs).
Happy Earth Day Tomorrow!!!!!!!
Earth day Earth Day Party Time Excellent!!!!! Woowoowoowoooooo
All is well. Actually all is pretty awesome. THE SUN IS SHINING! Thats a big one to the happyhappy mojo I am channeling today. Or maybe its the coffee.
Ok...where did I leave off..oy what a week of joys...
Ok: hmm The Sweater! I declare it will be done TOMORROW if i have to sit and knit all night.
I am inspired to recycle yarn. To do this one buys used (yes..USED..second hand) sweaters with non serged seams, takes them apart and the unravels them. Yes..I am serious. Tomorrow is Earth Day. Get inpired.
Uuumm. Ok..Today NO boat was changed to smaller trailer capable MUCH less expensive boat. Maximum fun, minimum pain in ass factor. I love this plan. MacGregor 26 is the current item of Husband Man's sailboat lust. I encourage this idea. He can trailer the boat and launch that baby almost ANYWHERE! how cool is that?
Hmmmm.....OH and this does not mean that I lose my kitchen Reno which was declared happening this year on Thursday night. Can I get a Hallelujah??!!!!!! My house is beautiful..not real clean and tidy because, hello!? I live here. But my kitchen and my bathrooms seriously suck. The kitchen drawers are literally falling apart repeatedly and I have been nearly brained by cabinet doors coming off the hinge. Oy!! So, HM had a drawer drop crap everywhere again and said Thats IT! When we know when he's getting his latest bonus I can commence to making reno plans. Right now I know that its pretty much getting gutted. That is all I know for sure.
HM is getting a newer car. His choice is a lovely and fuel efficientish 2002 Acura 1.7 EL Limited edition. Spoiler, front hood ding protector doohickey, tinted windows, leather upholstery.... and fuel efficincy not much different from the Echo! Sexay!!
The sundress for Hawaii formal event is being dealt with. Its top secret at the mo. Sorta. Secret from HM because he is all 'Buy one at a store'and I am all 'Having a dress made to fit me!' heh heh What he doesn't know and all that jazz. I can say it is '50's inspired and the fabric is a hemp/silk blend jacquard and will breathe beautifully. Color is as yet undetermined since the maker will be working on creating a colour that I want..either a darkish blue or aubergine. This sounds stuck up and snobby and expensive but actually may be same cost as buying a really nice dress and having it altered to fit properly. Always a challenge and I am just too lazy to search the shops.
Cameron is beside himself with joy because his bestest buddy is coming here tonight for a sleep over after having come here last Sunday for a play date for the first time. This is seriously awesome for him. I remember having sleepovers all the time as a kid and now its time for the guys to start. If only Ben could get along with someone long enough to have a sleep over bud. I had high hopes of two school mates but sadly this has been hampered by Ben's outburst of anger. Not conducive to close friendships. This will happen though. I have great faith in his abilities to become more in control of his temper. Eventually.
Ok..now I must vacumm my heart out and de dustify my maison. Tis sooo necessary. All THREE floors (basement, main, upstairs).
Happy Earth Day Tomorrow!!!!!!!
Earth day Earth Day Party Time Excellent!!!!! Woowoowoowoooooo
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Benoit's Birthday
Today is Ben's 10th birthday. I can hardly believe that its been that long..then again somedays it seems like forever. This is Ben in Grade Primary with his teacher. She was so nice. Ben was 5.
This is Ben in June 2005 and he was the FIRST one in the pool after we had openned it, got it clean and let it warm up. So, he was first born AND first in our pool at this house. There was a heat wave here that year and man, we made good use of 'er.
This is Ben last month. Almost 10 but not quite. He still likes the toys that come with Happy Meals.
Benoit Martin, you were my first baby. You taught me how to be a mother and broke me in for Cameron. I made more mistakes with you and sometimes I am harder on you but there is noone I love like you. Because of you I learned what selfless (and somewhat psychotic/ obsessive)love is. Thank you for being my child. Thank you for not breaking like we were so sure you would if they made us take you home from the hospital. US..who had no idea what the hell we were doing ...petrified of making a fatal mistake.... Turns out that while being a parent is the hardest thing I have ever done and ever will do, its also remarkably easy. The love keeps it going.
So even on those days that I'm screaming about how I understand why a wolf may eat her young, know that under all the Mommy crazy, there is a whole lot of love. A bottomless pit. All for you. And the drugs have helped with the psychotic/obsessive part so its all good.
Kisses, angel.
Love, Mommy xxxxxooooo
This is Ben in June 2005 and he was the FIRST one in the pool after we had openned it, got it clean and let it warm up. So, he was first born AND first in our pool at this house. There was a heat wave here that year and man, we made good use of 'er.
This is Ben last month. Almost 10 but not quite. He still likes the toys that come with Happy Meals.
Benoit Martin, you were my first baby. You taught me how to be a mother and broke me in for Cameron. I made more mistakes with you and sometimes I am harder on you but there is noone I love like you. Because of you I learned what selfless (and somewhat psychotic/ obsessive)love is. Thank you for being my child. Thank you for not breaking like we were so sure you would if they made us take you home from the hospital. US..who had no idea what the hell we were doing ...petrified of making a fatal mistake.... Turns out that while being a parent is the hardest thing I have ever done and ever will do, its also remarkably easy. The love keeps it going.So even on those days that I'm screaming about how I understand why a wolf may eat her young, know that under all the Mommy crazy, there is a whole lot of love. A bottomless pit. All for you. And the drugs have helped with the psychotic/obsessive part so its all good.
Kisses, angel.
Love, Mommy xxxxxooooo
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Lets go crazy..lets get NUTZ
It never rains but that it pours, wha'?
Now my appliances have decided to have break downs of a sort. My appliances that are only 2 years old..not EVEN 2. We bought them in March 2005 but they weren't delivered until we took possession of this house in May 2005. Ok..now that I see that in type, lets call 'er two years.
Thursday, washer decides its not gonna run. I fix it by draining it and cleaning the filter. Yay, Handyme.
Last night there is water on the laudry room floor. I did no laundry yesterday..whats up with that. Pulling out the washer shows a pool of water under the washer and dryer. We pull out both, wipe up water....pop of crap stick on tiles to see wet plywood with a bit of mildew. Heat goes up, fan is brought in, Lysol is sprayed repeatedly. It seems the hot water connection has been dripping. Today I cleaned intake filters (Yay, Handyme!) and we still are waiting to put the appliances back into place. Need some flooring or new crap tiles.
A while back a door shelf on my 2 year old beautiful Frigidaire came off. Yesterday it came off again.
This morning i slept in and when I got up I had the house to myself!! Wheee. then I saw the glass interior shelf of said Frigidaire is proped against the kitchen wall with the plastic framing of it all broken. My 2 year old Stainless Fucking Steel Exterior Frigidaire!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Breaking down like some old cheap ass piece of CRAP. Refrigerator people!! Oy! Put METAL framing back into your interiors PLEASE!!!!
There is seriously not enough coffee for this.
Now my appliances have decided to have break downs of a sort. My appliances that are only 2 years old..not EVEN 2. We bought them in March 2005 but they weren't delivered until we took possession of this house in May 2005. Ok..now that I see that in type, lets call 'er two years.
Thursday, washer decides its not gonna run. I fix it by draining it and cleaning the filter. Yay, Handyme.
Last night there is water on the laudry room floor. I did no laundry yesterday..whats up with that. Pulling out the washer shows a pool of water under the washer and dryer. We pull out both, wipe up water....pop of crap stick on tiles to see wet plywood with a bit of mildew. Heat goes up, fan is brought in, Lysol is sprayed repeatedly. It seems the hot water connection has been dripping. Today I cleaned intake filters (Yay, Handyme!) and we still are waiting to put the appliances back into place. Need some flooring or new crap tiles.
A while back a door shelf on my 2 year old beautiful Frigidaire came off. Yesterday it came off again.
This morning i slept in and when I got up I had the house to myself!! Wheee. then I saw the glass interior shelf of said Frigidaire is proped against the kitchen wall with the plastic framing of it all broken. My 2 year old Stainless Fucking Steel Exterior Frigidaire!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Breaking down like some old cheap ass piece of CRAP. Refrigerator people!! Oy! Put METAL framing back into your interiors PLEASE!!!!
There is seriously not enough coffee for this.
Friday, April 13, 2007
What a friggin' week........
Ben is still getting bad behaviour reports from school (except for today) and since this is going on HM decided in his infinite wisdom (sarcasm) that we should reduce Ben's meds rather than increase since his behaviour is still bad (anger issues). This after i spent 5 hours at the CLSC getting his prescription chnged for the higher dose... The new dosage helps his focus and attention for the school work but has no improvement on the hair trigger temper. Anyhoo, This creatyed a major rift in the ol' parental team yesterday but we worked it out and are seeking counselling/therapy for Ben and us for dealing with his temper outbursts etc. we found a learning disabilities association tooo!!!! YAY!!!! I can feel the hope rising..despair departing..
Also, there are summer camps for brats...I mean...special needs children like Ben. Cost a mint but the change of atmosphere and learning better social skills from someone else (might actually sink in???) may be of huge benefit all around. Which brings us to boats....
As in..Looks like this isn't the year after all. HM has been crunching the numbers..with needing to change his old beat up Echo for something more road worthy, needing counselling etc for ben, the fact taht the boats we looked at needed more work than we had hoped...its all adds up to him going mental trying to make it happen. I was willing to work in a strict budget for him to make it happen but he thinks its best to wait.
So, this year is no boat but less crazy man. Also, this year we can work at paying off more debt to loosen up the monthy coffers and maybe buy a NEW boat rather than a fixer upper next year.
I was wondering how he thought he was gonna make boat and newish car payments but didn't push the matter cuz he gets tetchy when I question his fiscal expertise. Its better for him to come to these realizations on his own.
Today I did a major grocery shopping in order to avoid trips to the market. I am trying to reduce our grocery budget to make Ben's help more affordable. Fewer trips means fewer unnecessary expenditures (in theory).
Also, I got a couple of new bras because my sister yelled at me for not using enough support. As if there is such a thing. Chyeah...right. Anyhoo, bought 3 nice ones at La Senza in an effort to boost these babies up where they belong so that unfortunate incidents like todays will not be so commonplace. What happened? you ask with concern...
Well, I'll tell ya what happened. I wore a blouse today. With buttons. Thanks to not enough boost in the bust the buttons were a bit strained...until they undid themselves without my knowledge. I discovered this at the check out. Oops a button undone..wait..another..and another...........
So, about 4 buttons in my blouse were undone in the boobular area at the grocery store. For an uncertain length of time....
I am sooo fucking cool.
Also, there are summer camps for brats...I mean...special needs children like Ben. Cost a mint but the change of atmosphere and learning better social skills from someone else (might actually sink in???) may be of huge benefit all around. Which brings us to boats....
As in..Looks like this isn't the year after all. HM has been crunching the numbers..with needing to change his old beat up Echo for something more road worthy, needing counselling etc for ben, the fact taht the boats we looked at needed more work than we had hoped...its all adds up to him going mental trying to make it happen. I was willing to work in a strict budget for him to make it happen but he thinks its best to wait.
So, this year is no boat but less crazy man. Also, this year we can work at paying off more debt to loosen up the monthy coffers and maybe buy a NEW boat rather than a fixer upper next year.
I was wondering how he thought he was gonna make boat and newish car payments but didn't push the matter cuz he gets tetchy when I question his fiscal expertise. Its better for him to come to these realizations on his own.
Today I did a major grocery shopping in order to avoid trips to the market. I am trying to reduce our grocery budget to make Ben's help more affordable. Fewer trips means fewer unnecessary expenditures (in theory).
Also, I got a couple of new bras because my sister yelled at me for not using enough support. As if there is such a thing. Chyeah...right. Anyhoo, bought 3 nice ones at La Senza in an effort to boost these babies up where they belong so that unfortunate incidents like todays will not be so commonplace. What happened? you ask with concern...
Well, I'll tell ya what happened. I wore a blouse today. With buttons. Thanks to not enough boost in the bust the buttons were a bit strained...until they undid themselves without my knowledge. I discovered this at the check out. Oops a button undone..wait..another..and another...........
So, about 4 buttons in my blouse were undone in the boobular area at the grocery store. For an uncertain length of time....
I am sooo fucking cool.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
I was Tagged....
Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog! OK, here goes:
1) For some reason people find me funny and the more they laugh the funnier I become. It might have something to do with liquor...I'm not sure.
2) I love my mother but she makes me crazy because I have no patience.
3) I consider myself fairly low maintenence but my husband does not. Baffling.
4) I love girly girl stuff like clothes, shoes, makeup and hair but am too fat and lazy to actually make an effort and use/do said girly girl things unless I really have to.
5) I drank an exhorbitant amount of alcohol in University. And not a giggly girly "Oh I am sssooo drunk after one beer" amount either. I drank like a longshoreman and I think I enjoyed it too. Its all a bit blurry....
6) I resent being treated differently because I am a woman but resent NOT being treated differently as well. IE) I like the nice stuff of being treated like a female but HATE the stupid stuff like the idea that I can't do something because of my chromosomes or won't understand something. Thats just gonna get you a whole lotta nasty from me. But thanks for openning the door for me, bringing me presents, or taking out the trash.
7) If ever I am single again I will NOT remarry. EVER. Seriously..never. HM feels the same way. Funny, no?
I tag noone but if those who swim on by would enjoy blogging their 7 factoids about themselves I encourage them to let me know so's I can read them.
1) For some reason people find me funny and the more they laugh the funnier I become. It might have something to do with liquor...I'm not sure.
2) I love my mother but she makes me crazy because I have no patience.
3) I consider myself fairly low maintenence but my husband does not. Baffling.
4) I love girly girl stuff like clothes, shoes, makeup and hair but am too fat and lazy to actually make an effort and use/do said girly girl things unless I really have to.
5) I drank an exhorbitant amount of alcohol in University. And not a giggly girly "Oh I am sssooo drunk after one beer" amount either. I drank like a longshoreman and I think I enjoyed it too. Its all a bit blurry....
6) I resent being treated differently because I am a woman but resent NOT being treated differently as well. IE) I like the nice stuff of being treated like a female but HATE the stupid stuff like the idea that I can't do something because of my chromosomes or won't understand something. Thats just gonna get you a whole lotta nasty from me. But thanks for openning the door for me, bringing me presents, or taking out the trash.
7) If ever I am single again I will NOT remarry. EVER. Seriously..never. HM feels the same way. Funny, no?
I tag noone but if those who swim on by would enjoy blogging their 7 factoids about themselves I encourage them to let me know so's I can read them.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Home Again Home Again Jiggety Jig
This is me and my gurrrls Marla and Barb...Barb is in the middle. She is a knitter extraordinaire as well as homesteader that I became friends with when I had my shop. She was just starting to get into the animals then and I had disposed of my flock. She's oringinally from Poland and a former Canadian Armed Forces member.
Marla is a sailor girl since she is married to a thoroughly boat addicted man. And she can fix just about anything!!!!!! We hooked up in Bridgewater to gab and rummage through the bins at Frenchy's. I got a garbage bag load of clothes for the kids for 53 bucks. Gap..Ralph Lauren..LL Bean..
This is my latest stash enhancement. While on our way to Bridgewater saturday morning after seeing a boat in Chester, we stopped in Mahone Bay for coffeee and since we were there I had to hit Have A Yarn on Main St, the best yarn shop on the south shore. Heather had box of Fleece Artist seconds and I could have spent much much more than I did. You know, I really need to be independently wealthy some day....anyhoo, at 85 cents per 10 grams it was a savings of more than 50% and I have enough Fleece Artist sock yarn now for 6 pair o'socks.
How luscious is THAT?? And FA seconds skein is better than anything at Walmart. Seriously.This is what we awoke to on Thursday morning, the day of the long drive East. Made longer still by.......
THIS!!!!!!!!! Lovely driving conditions we had as an April storm decided to hit Eastern Canada. Piss me offf.. It slowed us down considerably.
And going through New Brunswick was NO BETTER!!
Yet it was all worth it to sit at the table Friday morning, sipping coffee and gabbing with the mother of these gorgeous offspring Heather and Scamper.......
Scamper's favorite position is up on the shoulder so's he can be snuggled long time. He's no longer a youngster, being a much older brother to his human sister.
We basically vegged out Friday until Jessie called to say she'd returned home from an outting and then we descended on her and Harvey like fleas on a juicy juicy dog. All 6 of us. Jessie had handme downs for me and Julie and a lovely visit and wardrobe enhancement was thoroughly enjoyed. I got some kick ass stuffs and what was too small for my girth sometimes fit Julie. We are a similar build and size but my chest is broader. Friday night we hung out at Julies sipping shiraz and eatting and visiting with Julie's Pal Dawn who brought he daughter samantha with her. Sam is Heather's best pal so all 4 kids had a blast together. Once the kids were abed us two mommies stuffed plastic eggs with candy and laid out the Saturday Morning Mommy Made Egg Hunt because Heather would be off with her Dad the rest of Easter weekend. These guys had such a fun time!! Too funny.
Saturday: egg hunt...in the car boat "shopping"....Frenchy's and Yarn shop...errands.... Dropped the boys at Jessie's for the evening so HM, me, Julie, and her friend Janice could go see 300 at the Imax. What an awesome flick I must say. I was rivetted. But while we were enjoying ourselves the snow outside that had begun late in the day had gotten much much worse. We retrieved our kidlets from the spoilings of Aunty Jessie who had taken THEM to a movie, and went back to Julie's to feast on DONAIRS!!!!! and discuss the movie. Janice stayed over because of the snow and because..well, who'd want to leave such scintillating entertainment and company??
Sunday.. the boys found what the Bunny left them, we visited my brother Ian and his wife, HM cooked supper for us at Julie's while I visited with my sister again. An earlier night was had Sunday night and Monday morning it was back on the road to come home. How's that for a weekend????????????????
Dontcha wish your weekend was fun like mine? Dontcha wish your weekend was as hot as mine??(channeling the Pussycat Dolls right now)
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
New Show Alert
Sunday April 15th on Fox the premier of Drive will be on starring the yummy Nathan Fillion, formerly Captain Tightpants of Firefly.
YAY!!!!!!!!!! yayayayayayayayayayayayayay
YAY!!!!!!!!!! yayayayayayayayayayayayayay
Tuesday
Two more sleeps! We are all getting so excited. The kids because they get to miss an extra day of school even though it will be spent in a car, and also they love staying with Julie and Heather. They have also expressed looking forward to seeing Aunty Jessie, my sister, as she is their favorite aunty ever. She loves them SO much and it really really comes through. Kids respond to that so well. Plus of all the aunties she is the one that is most familiar.
We hope to go out Saturday night and see 300, leaving the boys with Aunty Jessie.
From topstitchgirl's blog I got this home waxing recipe http://topstitchgirl.blogspot.com/2007/02/sugar-waxingpilation-au-sucre.html
I am trying to work up my courage and try it. Hawaii is coming fast and furious as is summer and it would be nice to reduce my razor dependency..especially since I am semi forgetful and during winter thats ok but not so much in summer when one goes sleevless and pantlegless, and in bathingsuits. The thing is..I have an aversion to pain. Razors only hurt if you make a mistake. Waxing hurts when you do it right...how is this logical or an encouragement? Another reason guys should treat us with tenderness because being a woman is not easy and is very confusing.
So, I talked big on Saturday and said I'd have that sleeve done. Its not. BUT I will knit on it in the car. HM likes to do a lot of the driving (doesn't trust me) so I should have several hours of knitting time if I don't fall asleep. The car does that to me.
I am happy about a discovery i made yesterday. Since I moved here the only place I knew to find a good selection of English Language magazine was Chapters..down town Montreal or out in Pointe Claire. Yesterday I hit the Laval Loblaws and while perusing their sad selection I asked a stranger lady where the good magazine selection was in Laval. She told me to try Archambault. I had no idea what that was though I had seen the sign for that store. Turns out its like a french HMV but with magazines and books too. Even english language ones! YAY! I looked but I ended up not buying, though tempted by the current issues of Simply Knitting and Vogue Knits. There are some great knit tank topes etc in the pattern books these day to whip up for summer in cottons and silks. Tempted I am...fat assed arms I have. Knitting sleeveless tops I don't think I will.
So that is it for me for now.
I am hoping that Ben has a good day today. The three of us talked last night after HM came home and has time to destress after avery bad day at work. We wanted Ben to know that he is understood and that we have those feelings too so we know where he is coming from...that said we emphasized how lashing out is something he can not do and we need to find ways to control the urge. He has been given ideas and tools over the last 9 years of tantrums etc and we continue to advise him to use them and refresh his memory. Deep breaths, walking away, counting to 10 or higher, plugging his ears and closing his eyes to ignore a pestering peer..... He lost his bike for a week, computer priviledges and today he has already lost TV for losing it with Cameron at the bus stop. Hello brick wall? Meet my head..repeatedly.
We hope to go out Saturday night and see 300, leaving the boys with Aunty Jessie.
From topstitchgirl's blog I got this home waxing recipe http://topstitchgirl.blogspot.com/2007/02/sugar-waxingpilation-au-sucre.html
I am trying to work up my courage and try it. Hawaii is coming fast and furious as is summer and it would be nice to reduce my razor dependency..especially since I am semi forgetful and during winter thats ok but not so much in summer when one goes sleevless and pantlegless, and in bathingsuits. The thing is..I have an aversion to pain. Razors only hurt if you make a mistake. Waxing hurts when you do it right...how is this logical or an encouragement? Another reason guys should treat us with tenderness because being a woman is not easy and is very confusing.
So, I talked big on Saturday and said I'd have that sleeve done. Its not. BUT I will knit on it in the car. HM likes to do a lot of the driving (doesn't trust me) so I should have several hours of knitting time if I don't fall asleep. The car does that to me.
I am happy about a discovery i made yesterday. Since I moved here the only place I knew to find a good selection of English Language magazine was Chapters..down town Montreal or out in Pointe Claire. Yesterday I hit the Laval Loblaws and while perusing their sad selection I asked a stranger lady where the good magazine selection was in Laval. She told me to try Archambault. I had no idea what that was though I had seen the sign for that store. Turns out its like a french HMV but with magazines and books too. Even english language ones! YAY! I looked but I ended up not buying, though tempted by the current issues of Simply Knitting and Vogue Knits. There are some great knit tank topes etc in the pattern books these day to whip up for summer in cottons and silks. Tempted I am...fat assed arms I have. Knitting sleeveless tops I don't think I will.
So that is it for me for now.
I am hoping that Ben has a good day today. The three of us talked last night after HM came home and has time to destress after avery bad day at work. We wanted Ben to know that he is understood and that we have those feelings too so we know where he is coming from...that said we emphasized how lashing out is something he can not do and we need to find ways to control the urge. He has been given ideas and tools over the last 9 years of tantrums etc and we continue to advise him to use them and refresh his memory. Deep breaths, walking away, counting to 10 or higher, plugging his ears and closing his eyes to ignore a pestering peer..... He lost his bike for a week, computer priviledges and today he has already lost TV for losing it with Cameron at the bus stop. Hello brick wall? Meet my head..repeatedly.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Parenting Abyss.... Not a happy post.
I love my children. I really really do. Unfortunately I find the whole parenting gig really overwhelming and spend much time escaping to my happy place.
My happy place is failing me these days with my first born. He has had anger issues since...ummm...oh I dunno...BIRTH?? No, actually more like from the age of one. He was diagnosed in late 2004 as A.D.D ( and no it is not just a label or an excuse to medicate a child to try and fix them. Come at me with that tired rhetoric and I swear to your Jesus, Buddah, or whoever, I will bitch slap you into next week. Seriously. Do not go there with me. Seriously.)
The child has major frustration with the world around him. It takes almost nothing for it to overflow. Lately this has gone into the the realm of smacking kids at school that are "annoying" him. Kids tease. They bug. You ask them to stop and they are gonna do it even more. This is his situation. And he does not handle it well. I see his side of it and I feel for him. I really do. We have talked about no hitting. No lashing out when he gets so frustrated and angry. No hitting unless someone is hitting you. Yes defend yourself but teasing and pestering is not a time for hitting. Since Christmas he has had a few hitting situations. He brought home notices and recieved what we thought were punishments adequate to the situation. We have talked, cajoled, taken away privledges, and yes we have even yelled.
Its ...not...working...
I just want to sit and cry. For my child. For me. For our family as we weather storm after emotional storm with this person who cannot seem to gain the upperhand over his temper. I am tired. Tired of shielding his father from it because the man has enough stress and tired of shielding my son from the big angry yelly man called Daddy when yet another notice comes home. We are fed up and have lost patience. I have days where I do not like this person I gave birth to because of how he speaks to us or how he loses his temper over small potatoes even here at home, his sanctuary.
I think its time for therapy. For him and for us. Because nothing else is working.
I really really really want a drink. And lots of inappropriate unhealthy food.
My happy place is failing me these days with my first born. He has had anger issues since...ummm...oh I dunno...BIRTH?? No, actually more like from the age of one. He was diagnosed in late 2004 as A.D.D ( and no it is not just a label or an excuse to medicate a child to try and fix them. Come at me with that tired rhetoric and I swear to your Jesus, Buddah, or whoever, I will bitch slap you into next week. Seriously. Do not go there with me. Seriously.)
The child has major frustration with the world around him. It takes almost nothing for it to overflow. Lately this has gone into the the realm of smacking kids at school that are "annoying" him. Kids tease. They bug. You ask them to stop and they are gonna do it even more. This is his situation. And he does not handle it well. I see his side of it and I feel for him. I really do. We have talked about no hitting. No lashing out when he gets so frustrated and angry. No hitting unless someone is hitting you. Yes defend yourself but teasing and pestering is not a time for hitting. Since Christmas he has had a few hitting situations. He brought home notices and recieved what we thought were punishments adequate to the situation. We have talked, cajoled, taken away privledges, and yes we have even yelled.
Its ...not...working...
I just want to sit and cry. For my child. For me. For our family as we weather storm after emotional storm with this person who cannot seem to gain the upperhand over his temper. I am tired. Tired of shielding his father from it because the man has enough stress and tired of shielding my son from the big angry yelly man called Daddy when yet another notice comes home. We are fed up and have lost patience. I have days where I do not like this person I gave birth to because of how he speaks to us or how he loses his temper over small potatoes even here at home, his sanctuary.
I think its time for therapy. For him and for us. Because nothing else is working.
I really really really want a drink. And lots of inappropriate unhealthy food.
Musings.........
I did in fact have a rather sleepless night. The last time I got up and prowled was around 3ish AM. I camped out on the sofa in order to let HM sleep without my tossing or getting up repeatedly to wander around. BOY are floors squeaky at 3 am!!! Who knew.
So now I have some energy nectar known as coffee and am contemplating my day. I think I should venture to the wilds of Laval or Repentigny in order to visit a Loblaws which are almost EXACTLY like the Superstores back home. My favorite grocery store. HM did some grocery shopping on Saturday, picking up my slack, but he doesn't get all the right stuffs and in the right quantities. But thats ok because he does buy stuffs that I usually don't and variety IS the spice of life.
My 2 AM Poem that I kinda remember:
What made life grand for Mrs. Mimsy
Was infusing it with a touch of whimsy.
Things like: Twinklelights and fairies
For the scarecrows on the Prairies
And fantastical fish
Adorning her cat's food dish
Made her smile
And made a day worthwhile.
Yes, bits of whimsy
made life so joyous for Mrs Mimsy
But made the neighbors think her grip on reality
Was a little flimsy.
I had another that included a reference to Dennis Lee (poet) but I forget it. I don't make up good poems, I know but they are fun . I still remember a pinch of my Mrs Myra Mudbottom poem/story of about 11 years ago. I think I threw it out though in a fit of decluttering. I hate that I do that. I write a story, poem or lyric and then consider it worthless...only to need it months or years later. DOH. While I thoroughly enjoy my forays into rhyme most folk are not appreciative and tend to look at it as silly and lacking in proper meter or any other myriad of critiques. Alls I know is that I wish I hadda got up and wrote the Dennis Lee one down.
Something about how making rhyme is sublime blah blah and seperates us from species that fling feces...something something about cats yadda yadda And if you don't believe me, Just ask Dennis Lee. Thats the gist of the subject anyhoo.
Aaaah insomnia..the great inspirationer. (my blog..I am allowed to make up words)
So now I have some energy nectar known as coffee and am contemplating my day. I think I should venture to the wilds of Laval or Repentigny in order to visit a Loblaws which are almost EXACTLY like the Superstores back home. My favorite grocery store. HM did some grocery shopping on Saturday, picking up my slack, but he doesn't get all the right stuffs and in the right quantities. But thats ok because he does buy stuffs that I usually don't and variety IS the spice of life.
My 2 AM Poem that I kinda remember:
What made life grand for Mrs. Mimsy
Was infusing it with a touch of whimsy.
Things like: Twinklelights and fairies
For the scarecrows on the Prairies
And fantastical fish
Adorning her cat's food dish
Made her smile
And made a day worthwhile.
Yes, bits of whimsy
made life so joyous for Mrs Mimsy
But made the neighbors think her grip on reality
Was a little flimsy.
I had another that included a reference to Dennis Lee (poet) but I forget it. I don't make up good poems, I know but they are fun . I still remember a pinch of my Mrs Myra Mudbottom poem/story of about 11 years ago. I think I threw it out though in a fit of decluttering. I hate that I do that. I write a story, poem or lyric and then consider it worthless...only to need it months or years later. DOH. While I thoroughly enjoy my forays into rhyme most folk are not appreciative and tend to look at it as silly and lacking in proper meter or any other myriad of critiques. Alls I know is that I wish I hadda got up and wrote the Dennis Lee one down.
Something about how making rhyme is sublime blah blah and seperates us from species that fling feces...something something about cats yadda yadda And if you don't believe me, Just ask Dennis Lee. Thats the gist of the subject anyhoo.
Aaaah insomnia..the great inspirationer. (my blog..I am allowed to make up words)
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Sunday Night into Monday Morning
I slept in so good this morning and now I am paying the price. I am still WIDE awake as if I drank coffee allllll afternoon which I did not. Seriously. Not ALL afternoon anyways.
Ok..so yesterdays freakfest of parenting ended well. Ben now has a new independence of movement ..he is now able and somewhat allowed to go to the park and to some kids house to play and the kid was here to play too. I am still freaked out and tummyachey about the whole dealio but the kid IS almost 10 and should be able to leave the range of my voice. Which is actually quite a distance if I stop to think about it. Which I will not. So...day one of the new limits was a resounding success.
I told ya all about Friday's shoppin's. I also hit the Dollarama yesterday and got lots and lots of stuffs. Plant pots so my poor hoya can FINALLY be repotted. I thought I would divide it so I got two pots but then I didn't bother so i had a big pot leftover. I got yarns and needles for Marla's little knitter Maranda. Ummmm....lets see. Jeez louise I spent like 30 plus bucks but thats all I can remember. Oh yeah..magazine storage doohickeys for my cooking magazines, boxes to starts sorting photos into, a binder for Ben to store his artworkings from school, Page protectors for said art, a wee storage box for wee things which i will use for stitch marker makings, beads for said stitch marker makings.... I love Dollarama.
Today I slept in late late late...11:30!!! The day was half gone!!! I jumped out of bed and was leaving the bathroom when HM handed me the phone saying "Call for you..." I answered the phone to hear "April fools day Mommy!!!!!!!!!" in Ben's voice. he was on the other phone downstairs. Aaaahhhhh yes...the April Fools Pranksing began. HM got Ben but Ben was NOT impressed. Cammeron got HM with a little help from me and was thrilled that daddy ..." He fell fow it Mummy!! He weally fell fow it!!!" which may not be the actual full truth but it made his 8 yr old heart glad so we will leave it go.
The prank was to go outside where Daddy was cleaning the cars out and tell him that Mommy lost her chequebook at the mall. Then just as HM's veins began to bulge and throb at his temples Cammie was to yell April Fools! I did not watch the show as I was in the basement laundry room potting up today's exciting find..a 10 dollar Gardenia plant from Rona. I went forth today in search of cheap garden soil and found no Cheap ones. So I got a Gardenia plant...my first!! Good thing I got that spare pot yesterday!! Its all potted up and looking good in the green room's window.
HM and I cleaned the cars today. 4 More sleeps to NS so HM figured we better get the Volvo clean for the ride and he cleaned his Echo too. Cammie and I washed the outside of the big V and I vacuumed a bit. The tempo was also taken down until next Fall. The driveway looks so open and tidy now!
I Vacuumed the house a bit too. Was sorely needed. The laundry was piled up again so thats been attacked with gusto. The washer is still running as we speak..I mean..as I type. The sleeve on the sweater is over 6 inches long now and my concern is that its not reducing in diameter fast enough. I will not worry too much though. It is meant to be nice and loose/baggy.
It was a busy weekend but also very relaxed.
FOUR MORE SLEEPS!!!!!!!
Ok..so yesterdays freakfest of parenting ended well. Ben now has a new independence of movement ..he is now able and somewhat allowed to go to the park and to some kids house to play and the kid was here to play too. I am still freaked out and tummyachey about the whole dealio but the kid IS almost 10 and should be able to leave the range of my voice. Which is actually quite a distance if I stop to think about it. Which I will not. So...day one of the new limits was a resounding success.
I told ya all about Friday's shoppin's. I also hit the Dollarama yesterday and got lots and lots of stuffs. Plant pots so my poor hoya can FINALLY be repotted. I thought I would divide it so I got two pots but then I didn't bother so i had a big pot leftover. I got yarns and needles for Marla's little knitter Maranda. Ummmm....lets see. Jeez louise I spent like 30 plus bucks but thats all I can remember. Oh yeah..magazine storage doohickeys for my cooking magazines, boxes to starts sorting photos into, a binder for Ben to store his artworkings from school, Page protectors for said art, a wee storage box for wee things which i will use for stitch marker makings, beads for said stitch marker makings.... I love Dollarama.
Today I slept in late late late...11:30!!! The day was half gone!!! I jumped out of bed and was leaving the bathroom when HM handed me the phone saying "Call for you..." I answered the phone to hear "April fools day Mommy!!!!!!!!!" in Ben's voice. he was on the other phone downstairs. Aaaahhhhh yes...the April Fools Pranksing began. HM got Ben but Ben was NOT impressed. Cammeron got HM with a little help from me and was thrilled that daddy ..." He fell fow it Mummy!! He weally fell fow it!!!" which may not be the actual full truth but it made his 8 yr old heart glad so we will leave it go.
The prank was to go outside where Daddy was cleaning the cars out and tell him that Mommy lost her chequebook at the mall. Then just as HM's veins began to bulge and throb at his temples Cammie was to yell April Fools! I did not watch the show as I was in the basement laundry room potting up today's exciting find..a 10 dollar Gardenia plant from Rona. I went forth today in search of cheap garden soil and found no Cheap ones. So I got a Gardenia plant...my first!! Good thing I got that spare pot yesterday!! Its all potted up and looking good in the green room's window.
HM and I cleaned the cars today. 4 More sleeps to NS so HM figured we better get the Volvo clean for the ride and he cleaned his Echo too. Cammie and I washed the outside of the big V and I vacuumed a bit. The tempo was also taken down until next Fall. The driveway looks so open and tidy now!
I Vacuumed the house a bit too. Was sorely needed. The laundry was piled up again so thats been attacked with gusto. The washer is still running as we speak..I mean..as I type. The sleeve on the sweater is over 6 inches long now and my concern is that its not reducing in diameter fast enough. I will not worry too much though. It is meant to be nice and loose/baggy.
It was a busy weekend but also very relaxed.
FOUR MORE SLEEPS!!!!!!!
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