Gotta Love Saturday! Clemson's Fresh Air Walk, May the 4th Be With You

The Ridge

I woke up at 7 on Saturday, May 4^th and once more, I had a little fur ball curled up beside me. He crawled under the covers with me around 3 and once more slept through the night. It was 11 pm when we went to bed last night, watching yet another Clint Eastwood movie, Sudden Impact before I was tired enough to sleep. Well, once I was ¾ of the way through it, I was very tired but had to see how it ended.,

there were two, one jumped off and one remained for a picture

I made my tea since I couldn’t go anywhere as long as he was still sleeping. I read some blogs and comments, chatted with Bill and then hopped in the shower. It didn’t get as cold as they were calling for overnight so it was nice not to need too much heat on this morning. Clemson got up at 8:30 but my day was already in motion so no morning walk today. When he came inside, watching him, my heart was in my throat. 

Then he jumped off - you can see his wake

His back, right leg seemed to be unmanageable and yet I couldn’t find anything wrong. He was extremely agitated yet not seemingly in pain. He’d come to me as if to say ‘do something, Mom’ and all I could do was comfort him and rub his leg to ease whatever it was. He wasn’t even able to walk on it, hopping around on 3 legs so it might have been a kink. Eventually, after about 10 minutes, he seemed to be fine. Oh my.

I chatted back and forth with my buddy, Pat, about keto foods and helping each other out with food plans. Around 10, I set to work making Crustless Quiche, a new recipe that I found on line yesterday. I’ve made it before but the previous recipe was much fussier than I wanted to be. This one was so simple. I’m hoping it will turn out good so I can substitute between eggs and bacon in the morning.

Ready for the oven

Ready to eat

With avoiding breads, our egg omelette sandwiches and poached eggs on toast should not be a habit. In moderation, we’ll have them but I was making them 2 or 3 times a week. I don’t know if Bill will like this quiche but if not, I will still make his regular bacon and eggs w/toast if he wishes. Today, I swore I would get the dusting done yet I realized that I don’t have any Pledge or equivalent. After my quiche was finished baking, I blended Murphy’s Oil and water in the small sink to take care of the woodwork.

Yummy!

Finished the chore of the day, I cut and tasted my lunch. It looked wonderful and tasted great although a little soft in the centre. I popped it back in the convection oven for another 10 minutes hoping it would firm up.  That seemed to have done the trick. Yay! I had another project that I wanted to take care of, since it was another inside day, so got my Fabric Dye out that I’d bought in Arizona at Hobby Lobby. I have a white summer top that I would wear more often if it were a different colour.

I had 3 of these summer tops
Gave the beige one away, kept the orange
and decided to dye this one

Denim Blue, you say?

That turned out perfect! Even though I was a 'love child' during the 70’s, flower power and all that ‘cool man’ phase, I chose not to tie-dye the top. Although I could have! I love the colour it is now and I only managed to get a slight tinge of Denim blue on a couple of fingers. 

I love how it turned out!

Then I sat with Clemson and finished The Prince of Beverly Hills and it was another good one written of times in the early 40’s. I enjoyed it and now I have to move on to another one. That's the hard part.

I wanted to go into my Word document and update the latest books we’ve read but before doing that Clemson and I went for a walk. I took his retractable leash so we could go to the corner this time, rather than just to the mailbox. 

Off to a good trot here

He had a couple of stumbles over his own balance thing but for the most part, he ran ahead of me stretching the leash as far as it would go. 

Good thing he's on a leash or he'd be in the next county

Lovin' the walk

He was loving the fresh air. Back on our property, in the front field, I took the leash off and let him loose. God, how I love watching him run, then wait, then run again.

Off leash, he hitails it for the Suite

He was waiting for me and then came running when he saw me

Before turning tail and racing me up the hill

On the patio mat, he wanted to play ‘chase’ so we did that for a bit before he let me pick him up. Inside, we each had a drink of water and then I  made a cup of tea. It is Happy Hour time and even though I’m alone, I can still be HAPPY!    

Not ready for you to pick me up Mom
This is his "I'm ready to play" stance

And the 'Chase me' position

 Back to the laptop, I updated the book list and went to the cupboard to see what was left to read. I know there are still some James Patterson under the bed but I’d like to read these first. I found one that was recommended to me a couple of years ago by a friend at a clothing exchange. There were obviously more than clothes there to choose from and I thought I’d give it a try. It is called Shadow of the King and a story about King Arthur. Yah, I know. Totally out of character for me but we’ll see.

And finally, "okay, I'm ready to go in"

The sun was poking through the clouds while we walked and we actually had shadows of ourselves walking with us. By 5:30 it ruled the sky, for the most part. I took our California Duster and gave Ptooties a wipe. These dirty gravel roads had her looking anything but her finest. Now she looks sweet and I moved her back out of the way; Black Beauty will be home soon to park next to the Suite while Bill unloads. When I'm here on my own, I like to keep the vehicle, whichever I have here, close by – just in case.

And the Turtle Gang meets again

Clemson and I sat outside for a while around 5:30 – 6:30 and I noticed the Turtle Gang was out in full force again. I didn’t go close, just took a picture from up on the hill. Bill called at 5:45 telling me he was just getting on the 401 (similar to large interstates in the US) giving me a rough idea of his eta. 

And the geese come in for  landing

Can you see what I see?
I do believe someone is taking a crap in this picture!
(ps ignore the dust spots pls, I was using my big Canon)

nice sky after 5 and it only got better

We have a silly dog
He loves his sweater and fights to keep it on, so I got his legs out and let him
do the rest - you can't tell here but he actually has it in his teeth

And eventually shed it in favour of suntanning

He still had a burger left from what I had packed for him so when he returns it will be easy to warm that up for his supper. I fried the leftover pizza from last night and enjoyed it just as much as I did last night. I’ll definitely make it again!

Clemson is all in a dither tonight. It is as if he knows Daddy will be home. He is good with me but it is easy to see that he really misses Bill at certain times of the day. I cleaned up dishes, tidied the Suite and caught up on my post while I waited. 

Black Beauty backs in

What a beautiful evening. The temperature has reached 59F/15C but that is because the sun is shining directly on the area that our outdoor remote sits on the slide-out. In reality, it got to about 12C today which is an improvement from previous days here.

Bill drove in around 8:05, just in time to watch the sun set with me at 8:30. I missed him, we missed him, and we’re glad to have him home safe and sound. 

And a beautiful sunset

Tired, but safe and happy. 😊 This has been a nice day in all respects and we’ll sleep well tonight. I hope you’ve had a good day too. A personal note for our friend, Jim, Bill has been busy but will respond in the morning. All is well!

Good night y'all from the Ridge

Thank you for your visit.

Three Home Runs with Weather, Car Trouble, Rendezvous with my Sweetie in Stratford

I stirred in bed at 4:30 am and with a grateful glance at what the clock said, shifted my position and went back to sleep. Today is Thursday, July 20^th. I couldn’t move much anyway without disturbing my bed mate. Clemson was snuggled right up against my back as they seem to do. When I next woke up it was 7:10 so I opened my window blind and did my stretches. This woke him up too.

Didn’t know what the sky would be doing first thing so snapped this quick shot of the sunrise. I knew it was a forecast for rain at some point today and the white and gray clouds are skimming the sky. I’m thinking baseball this morning only because it seems God has hit three magnificent home runs in a row with weather. He had to strike out sometime.

Love the sun rays early this morning from that hole in the cloud

While I set the Keurig to make my tea, I texted Bill that we were up so he could call. I always put him on speaker and Clemson perks up at the sound of his voice. Where is July going? The 20^th already? It has been busy I guess, that must be why it has zipped by. We have some busier times coming up starting this weekend too.

Our friends, Kathy and Derrick, from London have invited us on Saturday afternoon for an evening dinner with friends and overnight. We’ve never stayed at their place before so a new experience and one we’re looking forward to. Seeing Jim, Sharon, Jeff and Lydia will be a lot of fun too.

The ends get scraggy, time for a cut

On Sunday, it is my sister’s birthday so we will be sure to leave London on time to join her and 2 other sisters in Walkerton for a birthday dinner. Not a special one, but wait, all our birthdays are special!

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is my time with my sisters in Chatsworth. The 6 of us have a multitude of fun things we squeeze into four days and we all look forward to it every year. Each year we try to do ONE thing that we have never done before as a group. You’ll have to stay tuned for those posts to see what we’re up to this year.

Much better with the touch of 'Brandy'
(you'll get this as you read on)

So, I had my first tea and caught up on blog posts, played my Scrabble and Words with Friends games before firming up plans for the day. Mostly this firming up is done in my head so I don’t lose track of time. Another visit, possibly the last one for this little job, with Aunt Mary this morning and then I’ll head to Hanover to the Bread Depot and The Source.

So, around 9 o’clock the skies darkened considerably and I could hear distant thunder. This was expected at some point today so Clem and I were not surprised. I had initially planned to leave the Suite at 9:30 but once the storm started, the winds increased bim-bam-boom and the rain pelted our home. I wasn’t going anywhere until that settled down.

Keeping it neat

By 10 I was able to run through the puddles and rain to the truck, the worst was over, for now. I went to see Aunt Mary one more time and within an hour and a half we were done what we needed to do. I’m not trying to be mysterious, this is a personal favour for family and Mary was happy to work with me. It has been a part of a few of my days so like to include it for my own memory bank.

When I said goodbye to Aunt Mary I decided not to stop in and see Mom even though it would have been brief. I wanted to get to Hanover and back before the heavy rain hit again. The weather guessers were calling for another bout of storms. I went to the Bread Depot first and decided while there to stop into the Flea Market. I didn’t have to move the truck, just walked around the corner.

I wasn’t in there 10 minutes when Donna texted and said she was coming over to meet me and pick up some online auction items at the same time. We perused the Salvation Army Centre and I found a few things that I liked. Seldom do I dislike what I purchase, if there is any doubt, it remains in the store.

Good deal, saving myself $30

From there I drove to The Source and although the staff left a lot to be desired, I picked out the new Fitbit Alta HR that I had researched. I’m in the process of adding it to my online account to replace my old dead one. First it needed to be charged. It is a slimmer model which is nicer, dressier and I can wear it anywhere. It was on sale and they actually had more than one in stock.

I then went to First Choice and was able to walk right in for a haircut. Well, a trim. I like the length but don’t like the feathery stuff at the ends so want to get better at having it looked after professionally or otherwise. 

Someone missed his Daddy

Brandy, yes don’t you love these names? She was new to this store and this was her first day on the job. I wasn’t worried when she told me she came from a salon in Hamilton. We chit-chatted and she seemed very attentive to what I was trying to do with my hair and didn’t go crazy with the scissors. I liked her and even though it was a simple cut, I hope she is working when I go back in six weeks.

Feelings mutual!

I didn’t have a lot of down time before Bill called at 4:10 to say where he was and that he was having some car trouble. The engine and low battery lights came on  so he hobbled into Stratford to the Toyota dealer on the west side of town. He called again once he got there and suggested I feed Clemson and start making my way to pick him up.

Charging my new Fitbit Alta HR

It is a wake up call after smooth sailing, when you think you are just getting ahead of the game and the dice rolls and you have to go back 4 spaces. So, I drove the hour and a half to meet Bill at the dealer’s and we turned around and made our way home again. The assembly that applies tension to the serpentine belt is in need of replacement which also means the belt is euchred.

Who knows what else they’ll find, what other damage has been done. Anyway, it is what it is and it won’t be ready until Monday. That unexpected expense makes a person grumble but that car certainly doesn’t owe us anything. It is a 2006 Corolla and has done us well for the past 11 years and has low mileage to boot. We’ll try to keep the grumble at a minimum.

It was after 8:15 when we arrived home and we had missed out on supper. Luckily there was some lasagna in the fridge and it was just enough for both of us. With so few dishes, they will wait until morning. Bill caught up on bills and posts and I finished mine from today. Lots of talk, not so many pictures.

Feels like a long day

It was a pretty good day, with a storm, success at Rockwood, shopping time with Donna and then it went downhill. The vehicles we own are necessary so we’ll get this one fixed up and put it behind us. I hope you’ve had a great day.

Thank you for reading.  Comments are always welcome!

Rainy Night, Rainy Day, Music with Mom, Memories,The Man of the House Returns

On Friday, June 23 I woke up at 6:30 to the sound of a steady hum. It was quite loud and it gave me a bit of a start because I knew I’d left nothing running before going to bed. I lifted my head and realized it was rain. I think it rained most of the night because at one point I felt rain coming in my bedroom window and shut it. I still say that is the best time for the sky to open up, not during our daytime hours.

This morning's sky

So, we got up, Clemson and I, and after opening the blinds I noticed that it was a nice-looking morning. 18C at 7:30 is pretty nice in my books. I contacted Bill and we chatted for a bit about the previous evening and upcoming day. He had a good night socializing with new Solitude owners from Peterborough who were staying the night too.

And finally I see that the small birds are enjoying their Niger bell

Last night, I was in bed at 10 and dropped off immediately with the little snuggle bum right close to my side. He is small but it is still a very comfortable feeling when I’m alone. Once more I think of the grass that I’d like to get cut today but it has rained lightly 4 times since I got up and it is only 10 o’clock. I had my tea, read the blog posts I didn’t read last night and hopped in the shower.

I was taking a picture of the seed bell and felt eyes on me

Without moving much, I slipped my phone open and caught Chippy
watching me

I’ve been focusing on pictures that I have of Mom and her family, me included. She is often asking about her Mom and finds it difficult to believe that she has passed. So, I’m compiling some of my own pictures hoping to perhaps show her one day with better information about when her siblings and parents died. It may not help for very long but that is okay.

The weeds are longer than the grass but it won't stop raining long enough to cut it!

After my shower, I washed and cut an apple from the fridge and sliced a few pieces of cheddar cheese. With yogourt as a chaser, this was my breakfast today, oh with a coffee and creamer too. It hit the spot and was tasty. Wednesday, after Bill left, I fried an egg and had a breakfast quesadilla with melted cheese. It was good too but sometimes it just isn't what I feel like.

Mom was giggly when I took a selfie of us

Ron McManus entertained a room full of elderly....and me!

So, still with the on and off rain outside, I’ve answered a text from our friends in London, texted back and forth a bit with my sisters, Wendy and Donna and made plans for the afternoon. It being a dull morning, I decided to take a trip down memory lane. Hold on to your hats!

The vault cupboard of memories

Up in the cupboard over the couch is where our ‘personal’ stuff is kept. The things that we couldn’t get rid of, all in one cupboard. Very small space, actually. I have 4 of my childhood dolls up there in a seagrass basket, a September tea cup and saucer that Mom gave me years ago. There is a beautiful soft suede purse with a wallet from Europe that my sister, Gayle, brought me from their honeymoon trip in 1972 (I think).

My childhood dolls, birthday teacup, purse from Europe and wedding bouquet,
the doll in the orange hat is 3 years younger than me and Billy (how is that for foresight?) is also at least 57

Also, photo albums, just a few with special family pics, the scrapbook that I put together for my 50^th birthday, our wedding and honeymoon pictures, Bill’s baby book, our certificates and report cards. We were very scrupulous in order to make this dream happen, yet at the same time we still kept important things close.

My attempt at scrapbooking at 50

So, I started snapping photos of things and had fun going through it all again. Before long, and after a few more showers, I went out and cut the remaining stalks of my drooping irises. I also got caught up in some weeding and hoeing in the veggie garden.

Charmer!

By 2:10 I was in the truck driving into Durham. I knew there was Music with Ron McManus and wanted to go with Mom. She loves music. When I arrived, she was already in the auditorium with the packed room. Singing along to Dream, dream, dream the well-loved Everly Brothers tune. One of the gals moved things around so I could sit beside Mom. She was surprised and held my hand for a long time.

3 sisters, my older brother and me (eyes closed)
1957

I need help from my cousins to name some of these
I'm here covering my eyes again, with 2 sisters, Gayle and Donna, brother Bruce
Bob, Sharon, Harvey, Stephen

In case you wonder why I so easily slipped into full-timing.......
I was introduced to camping really early - this is around 1960
My Dad beside the Fargo truck, a tent packed to the side, bed in the back and brother Bruce and I
peeking out of the homemade camper window

When it was over at 3:30 we walked back to her room and said our goodbyes. I think it was at least 10 goodbye hugs as she walked me to the end of the hall before a final goodbye. I peeked around the corner and watched her slowly find her way into her room. A few of the girls at the desk were chuckling with the antics and also watched her go.

Obligatory church and Sunday school with our Grandparents
Here is our Aunt Kay and cousin, Tommy
4 sisters and 1 brother here with me
The star is me, in case you wondered

A family reunion hosted at our house in Lucan - mid to late 60's
Too bad it is blurry - arrows are pointing to my brother in the back row, Mom on the right holding
our little brother and Patsy in the front with ponytails

My older brother, Bruce and I in early 1955

Bruce and I again with our little brother, Michael - 1967

Before leaving town, I stopped at McLean’s Home Hardware and picked up the MiracleGro that I forgot the other day. I got home to another bit of rain so this job will wait for another day. My guy is coming home tonight. It seems longer than 3 days, 2 nights but they have been fine. We just miss him around.

Home in Lucan with one of our foster children

A favourite of me with my brother, Bruce probably 1975

I’m not going to go on today, leaving just these fun pictures of my past. I hope some cousins in these pictures will comment and fill in the blanks of who’s who. Memories are so important and keeping the people straight in pictures is part of that process for me.

My parent's wedding day - Jan. 15, 1946

45 years later at their home in Vanastra, On

Supper for me will be left-overs. Mashed potatoes, corn and salad. I guess I’ll open up a can of tuna for protein. Bill won’t be home until late and will grab something to eat on the run. At least the rain seems to have stopped, I hope he isn’t getting any messy stuff while driving.

From a 1966 Chevy II Nova to our 1996 Ford Windstar van
Just a few vehicles I've either fully or partially owned

I hope you’ve had a great day. Someone told me tomorrow is going to be a nice one but we’ll see.

And here we are, little rugrats
6 siblings and our cousin, Carol on the right front
I'm the blondie in the front
Note the cloth diapers on the line
1955

Thank you for travelling down Memory Lane with me, I hope you don’t mind the old pictures. You may comment if you wish.