Sunday 3 November 2024

Beginning of November- goodbye pumpkin



 I’m someone who likes to put holidays away as soon as they are over, or as soon as possible. I had no Hallowe’en decorations up because we weren’t home for Hallowe’en. I did purchase one big pumpkin from the Amish down the road for colour in the porch but now it’s November ( we’ve already had Thanksgiving in October here) and it’s time to get rid of the pumpkin.

I carried it back to the chicken coop, put it in their run and chopped it in pieces with the shovel. As soon as I left the run, curiosity took over. Here are some pictures later of the hens enjoying their treat.



Thursday 24 October 2024

Beautiful colours and a Fresh Cut





It’s late October and we still have some gorgeous trees in the little village. I took some pictures on my walk this morning.








That last one is the burning bush on our property. 

I have been thinking about cutting my hair for a while now. In the summer it was easy just to throw it up in a bun but it had just become too long and unflattering and I wasn’t happy trying to dry, style, straighten it. 


That’s my “ before “ today. 


Here’s the after. I’m happy with the length and will play around with it and see what I can do with it. 

I hope everyone has a nice upcoming weekend!

Friday 18 October 2024

Friday, October 18, 2024

 I shouldn't be typing up this quick post. I should be standing in front of a bunch of small children, doing morning attendance. Alas, I had to cancel due to feeling really awful yesterday and not knowing how I would be doing today. I didn't want to cancel last minute, in the morning, because I know what a nightmare that is for principals or vice-principals to try to find a teacher in the morning. 

Yesterday morning I felt so horribly dizzy, the whole world was moving. I had a scheduled physio appointment and husband drove me, as I didn't trust myself to drive safely. The physio was part of my lymphatic drainage / post breast cancer and radiation treatment that I've been getting and I didn't want to miss it and have to reschedule and I knew I would just be lying down for it. 

The rest of the day was spent on the couch. This morning I am about 85% better with a hint of dizziness but I'd love to be 100% as we have two things planned this weekend. 

On better notes, our lagging Fall colour has certainly caught up and the colours are gorgeous! I never tire of seeing the leaves change and put on a beautiful show. As well it is the Full Harvest moon right now, or the "Super Moon" as some are calling it and it is gorgeously white and bright. We had our first frosty morning yesterday, but the temperatures are supposed to go up nicely this weekend, so we get a bit of a reprieve. 

Husband managed to investigate and diagnose a problem with our in floor heating system (our old house has had a few different heating systems over the years) which is good because the local company that he called and booked a technician with failed to show up and didn't seem terribly bothered that they messed up. So, husband ordered a pump, knows which pump needs replacing and will do so when it arrives. Handy guy to have around!

Chickens are molting. Cats are diligently catching mice, and bringing some to us (lucky us). Life carries on. 

Thursday 3 October 2024

October 3, 2024 - A Good Day

There were birds flocking on my lawn just a few moments ago. It's supper time and I looked out the kitchen window to see a large flock of, I think starlings, on the lawn. There was also a black squirrel and a cottontail rabbit. It's like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom out there. 

The weather was so lovely today. I've been cutting back the Black Eyed Susans from the perennial beds in small increments (so I don't wreck my back - again). They self seed so prolifically, I want to get as many out as possible before the seeds start to fall. I had already dug out the last three potatoes, and the remaining small carrots and beets from the garden yesterday. I had also gathered up the last little tomatoes that had fallen off and were starting to rot on the garden and gave them to the hens. I also pulled out tomato cages and nested them all together for storage during the winter. 

Today I picked the last of the green beans and pulled the plants. I rototilled the garden so that it would be lovely and ready in the spring. I hardly ever do this, usually because I have plants in the ground and then frost comes and it's just too much and too difficult to get it all done in the fall, especially when I was working full time. But this year, it was not too bad and I'm glad I did it. I also did something that I NEVER do, but thought I should, which was wiping down my tomato cages and other wire supports with soapy bleach water to kill any spores and plant diseases that could over winter. Where I got the energy to do all of this, I have no idea because it darn near killed me and I had to stop the rototilling for a couple of hours, and then I finished it later.

As well, I just could not be inside on such a beautiful Fall day. I purchased one really big pumpkin from the Amish down the road for $8.00 because I had to have something bright and Autumnal on the property. I would like to pick up a couple of brightly coloured mums and maybe a couple more smaller pumpkins to finish it off. 

Son has been in his new apartment for one week now and has started his new job, but so far he is just sitting listening to power point presentations. He and I text usually once a day or a bit more depending. He's been out purchasing a few more things for his new home (mostly kitchen-y things, garbage cans, rugs, ...) and he sounds like he is settling in well. A big thing for him was shaving off his beard (he's had a beard since highschool, he's now 24). He always kept it neat and relatively short, but for his new job, he has to be clean shaven ( I think he can have a moustache, but I'm not totally sure), so big adjustment for him. He won't send me a selfie - ha ha. 

It's almost time to check my potatoes (from the garden today), and sit down for supper, so I shall bid you adieu (did I spell that correctly?) and I hope you all have a very nice Fall weekend! 

Wednesday 18 September 2024

Catching Up...

 Blogging has not held the same interest for me lately (last few months). But to prove I am still alive, I shall do a quick catch up. We have been busy doing this and that to prepare for son's moving out of the house. He interviewed for, and got, a good job in line with what he went to college for (please note that in Canada, university is where you get a degree and learn to become a specific profession like doctor, lawyer, or you get a degree with which you can do nothing, like philosophy, and college is where you learn a specific skill and are more likely to get a job, but no guarantees). Anyway, he managed to find a one bedroom apartment in a city about an hour and half away from here and about a 25 minute drive to his new workplace. For interest sake, with housing the way it is in Canada, a decent (but not new, not fancy) one bedroom apartment will cost him $2,045 a month, all utilities included (except internet which I know is not a utility). It is insane. 

He has been purchasing some necessities like a set of dishes, a set of pots and pans (on sale of course at Canadian Tire), a set of glasses. He just bought a couch and loveseat (very used) for $150. I offered to strip off the cushion covers and give them a good wash. I'll be doing that today because I can hang them on the line in the sunshine. We have a toaster and microwave that he can have. He will take his current bedroom furniture. We have rented a small U-Haul to move him on the 26th. It's a three storey walk up. Oh my aching back! But of course, son will do most of the heavy work himself, or with husband. 

We are very happy for him. It has never been his life's dream to still be living at home at 24 years of age, (and he's been working steadily in construction - also not his life's dream, but still a good job), but now he can do his own thing, have his own life, be on his way to earning a better pay, have benefits... We will finally be empty nesters. We were for a while when he was in college, but then covid came and changed the world and screwed young adults out of a regular university / college experience and both of our kids came home from their places of higher learning and we were no longer empty nesters, but instead had everyone back together again. (Canada, especially Ontario, had extreme lock down measures). 

On other notes, summer has returned. It is gorgeously hot. I managed to process just a few bags of tomatoes (I just blanch them, so I can peel them, squeeze a bit of the seeds out and put them in ziplock bags in the freezer). It was not a stellar garden year unfortunately, but toasted tomato sandwiches have still been enjoyed, beets have been pickled, potatoes have been eaten, as well as carrots and green beans. 

I have taught three days now as an occasional teacher and have a few more booked for the next few weeks. I like being back. I will also like the pay cheque.  We have booked a week away later in November to someplace warm. This is an effort to also keep husband's seasonal affective disorder somewhat at bay, as well as just because it is cheaper to do in November. With son out of the house, we shall have to ask daughter to pop around to check in on the two cats and top up chicken feed, etc. She's very good to do that, and gets free eggs out of the deal! 

I've been trying to keep up with daily (or almost daily) walking. I am enjoying the newly changing leaf colours here and there. It is very cricket-y and a lovely time of year. 

Monday 2 September 2024

What just happened to my blog???

 Where's my header photo? Why can't I find the background I've always had in "theme"? I'm not in the mood for this. Anyone??

Labour Day - a key day

 For thirty some odd years, Labour Day has been a poignant day for me. As a teacher, it represented everything from excitement, dread, regret, and a colossal gearing up and organization of a great number of other human beings.

Many years felt like summer had slipped away without really having enough enjoyment and relaxation. This was always due to our self-imposed routine of using July and August to accomplish projects that we were just too exhausted to complete during the school year. As you know, if you are a regular reader, husband is not afraid to tackle anything and will never hire anyone to do something that he feels he can do himself. That meant that I was chief cook and bottle washer ( and child wrangler and yard worker and cleaner upper after the project…). We are well aware that we created our own hell with this practice and ironically we still fall into this behaviour even though husband is fully retired from teaching and I pick and choose when I want to work.

Of course, there was always the excitement, anticipation, and general inability to sleep on the night of Labour Day ( just like the students themselves). Some years were better or worse than others depending on the grade I was teaching or the group of students I was getting or the administrator I was working under.

As well, as a mom of two, it was the usual getting my daughter and son ready to go back to school- new school supplies, new clothes, trying to back up bed times and waking times, and probably a hair cut or two thrown in there. Of course there was less of this as they got older, but then it was moving into dorm rooms or rental houses and all that entailed. 

This year, believe it or not, I’m already booked to work on the Thursday and Friday of this first week of school. Normally I wouldn’t touch the first week with a ten foot pole. Lord no, let their regular teacher get them settled and into some kind of routine before I step foot into a classroom!! However, these two days will be for wonderful teacher for whom I’ve filled in before and she will undoubtedly have everything planned to perfection, so I’m confident it will go smoothly. ( or not, but I can handle anything for two days).

The day here is sporting a brilliant blue sky and wispy clouds. The breeze is a bit cool. I sat in the sunshine and finished an Ann Granger book. But I’m still feeling some of those same old Labour Day feelings. Husband even said yesterday that he had had a “ school dream” which I think perhaps only teachers can understand. I hope I can sleep well tonight.