Happy Mother’s Day! Laundry and More Clouds

The Ridge

When Bill got up on Sunday, May 12^th it was around 6:15. I wasn’t ready and I could feel that my back was unhappy so I did some stretches and rolled over for another 45 minutes. When I got up, I debated on a walk but that is as far as it got. Instead, I made my tea, took a couple of Advil with my vitamins and sat at my laptop, admonishing my lazy self.

Mom's card and her repaired necklace

We read our friend’s blog posts to see what they’ve been doing. Bill went to the Hangar and shortly after 8 I started breakfast. Again, this girl wasn’t really hungry but then soon talked herself into a poached egg on toast! How does that happen? Just before serving things and calling down to Bill, my daughter called to wish me a special day – and visa versa. She always beats her brother by a mile with the wishes so it isn’t even a challenge for her anymore. Ha ha

LOL I forced the last few bites down as it would be a busy morning with no time to stop and eat until after 12 noon. Bill was my main concern, keeping him fueled up. He did dishes while I sorted a couple of loads of dirty laundry. I’m going to do that and before coming home, stop in to see Mom and give her her Mother’s Day card.

Bill fixed the necklace she was fiddling with on Tuesday so I would take it back as well. Cathy and I don’t remember ever seeing her with it on so don’t know where it came from BUT with a dementia patient, you just never know. It will disappear in one of her little stash-away pouches. 😊

And Sleeping Beauty didn't hear me come into the room

It was 9:30 when I drove into town. Thank you, dear for loading the basket into the SUV for me. I was pleased to see that the Laundromat was very clean. Oh! I guess I didn’t tell you who our visitor was last night. Jamie and his daughter, Emma came after 7. At first, he came in and Emma preferred waiting in the car. Emma is almost 16 so nothing more needs to be said. Teenagers aren’t really into ‘adults’ now, do they?

Jamie is the new owner of the Durham Laundromat and in response to a letter I left him, a very nice letter I might add, he wanted to come and meet me and chat about possibilities. I’d offered my services to help his family in any way I could to make it a prosperous business. At the expense of giving up some of my freedom and at the profit of having the assurance of a clean building when I need it. He has had praises as well as complaints and I now believe that the days I’ve noticed the uncleanliness was a day other than their cleaning days.

Long story short, we are going to keep in touch and he isn’t refusing my help just yet, he has another lady who has also offered the same assistance. (However, she is hoping for more $ than I would ever ask for) Jamie is a very nice young man and when Emma came inside, she too is a lovely young lady. We had a few laughs, some serious conversation about the place and his hopes for it and we also chatted about a few other things related to small town living.

Mom liked the picture of the dog on the front of the card

I love this one

I feel good, it wasn’t so much an interview as a learning experience for me. Now I know his situation and would never put pressure on him in any way. I wanted him to know my situation too and let him know that I would be willing to do what I can if he made the decision in my favour. It wouldn’t all be easy but it would be fairly flexible. Maybe I can just be a ‘fill-in’ if they were going away or something. Anyway, it is in his court, the ball, I mean. I will go one evening this week to walk through the laundromat with him and go from there.

So, the first one didn't turn out because of the blind being open

So, today I wasn’t surprised to see a nice clean place and a busy place at that! Before I left, I grabbed the broom and did a sweep in one area that needed attention but that could be from one or more patrons just this morning. It wasn’t a day for hanging them so after folding the clothes and loading them back in the car, I drove to Rockwood Terrace to visit Mom. I couldn’t find her at first, I walked every which way on the 3^rd floor and then finally I found her in the Sports Room, asleep in a chair. So peaceful.

and then we did it better when I moved over

I sat on the couch in the same room and waited. Soon she was whispering to herself that she was so comfortable but she should get up and move. 😊 When she woke, she was delighted to see me. We watched some of the League Soccer game on the tv, just because it was on, and then walked back to her room. Her spirits were wonderful and we had another great visit. I feel so blessed when they are this nice. There wasn’t any confusion about her parents this time, which has been a regular conversation. Such a strange disease.

When I left her at her table, she was smiling and waving AFTER multiple lip kisses for me, Bill, Bill again and once more for Bill and then two for my children. She was happy for the visit and loved the card with the dog on the front. I was soon back home and actually grateful that I didn’t have to hang the clothes. The wind had picked up and even though 51F/10.5C is semi-warm, they were gusting between 15 and 25 mph, making it quite chilly.

So, I started making the custard and had to put things
on hold until tomorrow

I made myself a coffee after going down to see Bill’s progress and then put my clean clothes away. He is almost done insulating and soon after came up and put his clothes away too. Now he has more dirty clothes for the next time, insulation that he is working with is better than the pink stuff for itchiness but still gets into the clothes you are wearing. At least he had a dust mask to prevent it from getting into his nose etc.

With some strawberries and bananas to eat up, I blended us up a tropical milkshake for later. I added milk, cream, yogourt and half a can of pineapple, one of Bill’s favourite fruits. Now, I needed to do something with the spinach so prepared another quiche to clean that up. While it was baking, I thought I’d try some Low-Carb Keto Custard. Sounded simple enough and who doesn’t like custard?

I got half way through the recipe and when it came to the final steps, I remembered that I don’t have ramekin dishes anymore. Or anything resembling those single serving baking dishes. Hmmm. Now what? They need to sit in water while they bake and I didn’t have anything else that would work, not even one pot. I put things on hold and decided to check with my buddy and see if she has something that I can pick up tomorrow to finish this off.

Around 3 pm, Bill came inside, done for the day. Where does he get his energy from? We sat together in our chairs and enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon. Clemson, of course, skipped back and forth between the two of us, unsure of where to settle. A snooze was in order for Bill, that’s for sure but I was hoping to get further into my book. I actually got quite a few chapters read before I, too, gave in for a snooze. It’s my day, after all, so why not?

I used up the spinach in my quiche
It looks yummy!

Clemson slept beside me until 5:30 when I moved to get up and start supper. So, Bill fed him.  He has been a very good boy about his mealtimes for the last few days. Bill earlier requested toasted bacon and tomato sandwiches for supper. I’d eaten enough bread in the last couple of days so I wasn’t keen on that. I decided to help Bill make it for himself and then warm up the hamburger stew for me.  That worked out well.

When dishes were done, we got into our recorded programs from the previous week. We had quite a few to watch. New Amsterdam, NCIS and The Voice for starters tonight. I didn’t get pictures today, as you can see, so I hope you are still awake. Not only did I either get a text or a wish on Facebook from my step-daughters, I was especially happy to hear from my son, Patrick, before supper tonight. I love it when my children call when I can't see them. Hearing their voices across the miles means everything.😊

Happy Mother's Day, Mom
As my card said, "You have my heart and I love you"
good night all!

Thank you for stopping by. We had a good day. Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day! Puttering Around but Mostly Just Enjoying the Day

On Sunday, May 13^th, I rose to a sunny Mother’s Day at 6:30. I’d been tossing and turning since 5:30. A new bout of shingles on my waistline yesterday makes certain positions uncomfortable. They will be better by this afternoon. I slipped out of bed without waking Bill but no sooner was I downstairs making my tea and he went from sleeping noises to sitting up on the side of the bed. He wakes up quickly.

We had our drinks together and he read blogs while I finished mine from yesterday. I was not in the proper state of mind last night to do my pictures. With my exhaustion, we’d added a Caesar before dinner while sitting outside at the fire so you get the picture. It was very good though, we haven’t had one in a while. I was in bed by 10, wasting no time at all dropping off to sleep.

Can't tell if this is Fred and Ethel or Desi and Lucy

But I'm pretty sure this is Fred patrolling the east pond where Ethel sits (somewhere)

Bill went outside and started more puttering. There are always things to do up here on The Ridge, some smaller than others so there is really no ‘end’ to the things we can get in to. While he worked in the storage shed, I put my garden gloves on and went about weeding some more and then transplanting some of my irises. They don’t need too much attention, they root so easily in very little earth.

At the back of the bunky, my shelf waits for ornaments

And this one on the east side too

Around 10, Bill said he was feeling peckish so I went inside and made breakfast. While cooking, my daughter, Bridgette, made her obligatory phone call to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day. Whether I’ll hear from my son is always a guess and if he misses, there will be some reason. I never expect it anymore and often am surprised. After dishes, he went back out I moved around the property doing odd things.

After some personal touches

Brenda, do you remember this? It was at your garage sale years ago

I have 2 ‘knick-knack’ type shelves on the outside of the bunky and always put the stuff away for the winter. I pulled the 2 buckets of ‘garden things’ (pretty official name, eh?) and took care of that. I rehung my sunflower thermometer and re-stabilized the metal weather vane on the cedar post. Lots of little things like that got done but it wasn’t long before I decided that I was done for the day. It is my day, after all!

One of my seating areas
I planted some irises at each sides of the bench
You can see daisies in the pot and chives plentiful

This old birdhouse needed attention so instead of replacing the
missing board on the roof, I stuffed it with dirt and more irises
We'll see if they root

My puzzled garden frogs got placed for the summer
Only 2 showing in this picture

Around 1:30 we took a drive over to the Acreage to see Donna and Gerry. Bill had a satellite cable for them and we thought we’d say hello to their company. Donna’s 2 girls and 4 grandchildren were out to spend the day with them. We had no intention of staying very long but someone twisted our arms (ha ha) and Bill had a beer before getting involved in helping Gerry with a few trailer things. 

Clemson and I walked the lane at the Acreage

Well, they couldn’t get the satellite to work so it was after the girls and families left at 3:15 that Bill drove Clemson and I home to pick up his toolkit. He went back and I lounged in the sun with my book.

The turbines changed direction a few times today and at one point there
was such little wind that they stopped

It was around 4:45 when he returned but he felt good that he was able to help them get things working. While Bill was there and I was here, Donna was able to get some of her dishes washed and put away in the cupboards. I’m hoping they stay out there overnight to christen it. Wink wink, nudge nudge. Ha ha, at least they are having supper in it tonight.

There was very little breeze for the best part of the day
At 70F/22C it was perfect!

Bill cleaned up the shed and put the garden tractor in for the night and then lit the barbecue for grilling. We had planned on strip steaks from the butchers for tonight’s supper so I got them ready while he cleaned the grill. I fried up the last of the leftover potatoes and a can of mushrooms. Yummy, it was such a great Mother’s Day meal! During the day today, I also heard from 2 of my step-daughters with good wishes on my special day. Thank you, Jessie and Krystal.

Thank you dear for a wonderful steak tonight
We even had some banana cake and ice cream for dessert

Once dishes were done I put my lounge chair and blanket away, closed the bunky and took a walk down the lane. No turtles on the log tonight, I wonder if something spooked them before I got there. This has been an awesome day from beginning to end. We watched a couple of episodes of The Voice as they counted down the contestants and set to record Madame Secretary at 10 pm. I doubted I’d be able to stay up.

You know by now that I love the pond reflections
The sun is slowly setting

I hope all of you Mom’s have had a great day too and you at least got supper cooked for you! Thank you for stopping in today. If you feel like leaving a comment, it would add to an already terrific day!

Happy Mother’s Day! Company at The Ridge

Sunday, May 14^th is going to be a special day because it is the one day for Moms everywhere to call their own. If you have borne a child, this is your day. It is a mixture of sun and clouds this morning and a starting temp at 6C/42.8F with a slight breeze. Enjoy your celebrations!

My walk along the country road 

I was up around 7 and the Suite had cooled down to about 12C overnight without the Blue Flame heater on. It wasn’t long and it was warm inside. After a tea, a nibble and post reading, Clemson and I took our walk down the road. As we get to the end of the lane, we see Bill as he starts to work on the fence out front.

This is a job that Gerry has wanted to get at since he bought the property, so the two of them decided to get at it this morning while Donna and I visit Mom. Of course, my eager beaver doesn’t like to waste a morning so he started around 9 tearing down the old cedar rails.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

I left around 10:40 to go to Rockwood Terrace. Mom was sitting reading her book when I walked in. Always surprised with visits, she had forgotten it was Mother’s Day. Gerry dropped Donna off about 5 minutes later on his way to The Ridge and Wendy arrived with Morgan about 5 minutes after that. We moved down the hall to a common room where we could all sit down.

She got a kick out of her hat

The hour went quickly and I got a couple of pictures of us all in our Sunflower hats. Sunflower was Daddy’s handle when he had his cb radio so it is a very special flower and name for all of us. I have a wee 2” tattoo of a sunflower as well. We all said our goodbyes to Mom as we left her at her lunch table. Waving until we had all exited, she would be distracted enough not to miss us.

The fence re-built

When Donna and I got back the boys had completed the front and driveway length of about 120’ of fence. All torn out (just the cross rails) and replaced and wired. Great job! There are cedar fences all around the property but only the back section needs any real attention. Bill will likely attack that when he is bored one day.

The clouds moved in before I left for Mom’s and continued to build up and darken for the rest of the day. At 1:30 the sky opened up and we got some hail but mostly heavy rain drops with strong 25 mph northerly winds. I put the chairs under the nose of the Suite and brought our name sign inside. What an odd day, it has gone from 13C to 7C and then back up to 9C. We have had better Mother’s Day weather, that is for sure.

Suzie and Clemson

And the Yates visit us on The Ridge
George isn't actually sleeping, I just caught him in a blink

Too many doggie kisses

Around 2:15 our expected visitors arrived. George and Suzie from Our Awesome Travels were in Durham at a visitation and stopped in to see The Ridge. It was great to see them after saying goodbye to them in March. We showed them around the property and then came inside for a cup of tea and some homemade fudge.

We had a great time catching up before they needed to get on the road for Arkona at 4:00. They had a 2 ½ hour drive ahead of them. Hopefully another time we can sit outside and have a real regular-type Happy Hour. Drive safe, guys!

Company comes and company goes

Around 6 I pulled down my rice cooker and started dinner. I didn’t have shake and bake for pork but used a chicken coating before frying our chops on the stove. Even though the temperature rose to 10C and the sun came out, we weren’t up for cooking outside. The chops were good, hey, I’m getting used to pork chops!

After dishes, I bundled up against the wind and I walked to the end of the lane way one last time. I try not to let the cool weather determine my walk schedule. When I returned we watched the last half of the movie Overboard just because there was nothing else on and it is a fun one to watch. Basically, putting in time until Madame Secretary comes on at 9.

This has been a good day. Seeing Mom, fixing the fence, entertaining company and finishing it up with a good meal and some quality time together. I hope yours has been as good.

Thank you for reading  today, I enjoy reading your comments if you care to leave one.