Keeping in Touch

(Cathy) Hi all! How is everyone? This past week's weather has been amazing! I love it! (I did finally turn on the air conditioning for the men in this family who cannot sleep with the high heat and humidity) My garden is doing so well. Hey Carolin, the famous irises from me to you to me finally flowered this year. Guess what colour..... you got it.....yellow! The name of this particular iris is, " Iris Florentina". Aren't your Iris's always a different colour ever year?  I purchased it at Richter's in Goodwood, ON. Richter's is a garden nursery that specializes in herbs of all kinds. Click on the link above to see their web site. I love this place! I haven't been in a while because they always have a booth at the garden shows I attend. It's a nice drive.  (carolin) Have you ordered anything from them online?  I am interested in the Stevia seed packs. I think I have met the owner years ago while working for a photographer.  Caroline, you have had so many interesting jobs.  You are one of those people who never stops doing new and interesting things.  I didn't even know that you could buy a stevia plant.

 So, back to the iris. I purchased it as I was into making my own potpourri with flowers and seeds from my own garden. The root of the Iris Florentina is called, "orris root". Orris root when dried and ground up is used as a "fixative" for scents. In other words, it helps the scent last longer. So, mom and I would dry our flowers and seeds and then mix them with a few drops of whatever "essential oils" we chose. After, we would lightly dust our mixture with the dried orris root powder. It was a fun way to use our garden. We used to have old window screens supported on chairs in the basement. This was our drying factory. It took up a lot of space but it was a fun time. I haven't made pot pourri in a long time. I still have some essential oils and ground up orris root powder. Hmmmm....  Hmmm is right, you lost me on Orris Root, I don't know what you are rambling about. (Sunshine)  I am so lost, I thought that I was reading someone else's blog.


O.K., I think I have taken up a lot of space. Ladies, what have you been up to? It has been my first week of summer vacation.  I did alot of errands, and running around.  The little one finished school on Friday (22).  Grade six is behind us :)  . 

I went to the movies last night and saw Snow White and the Huntsman.  It was not bad as a story line.  I am not much of a fan of Kristen Stewart (her character style is the same as in Twilight).  It got a little long or maybe it felt that way cause I had to pee but was so cold I was afraid to move.  Why do movie theaters have the air conditioning so low.  I had a sweater on but my nose was frozed.  We saw the movie Brave on the weekend.  It was ok.  The story line started our really good but we all kind of lost interest in the middle and then the ending was better.  It reminded me of the Brother Bear Movie. 

I have been planning a Canada Day menu for 30 people on and off today.  The client wants the same as last year but different! 

This is the last week of school for :Little Miss Sunshine, and Miss Teen Sunshine starts work full time this week.  I am working all weekend.  I think that it is going to be a very different summer this year.  We will have to see how it all works our.  It is now four weeks until the knew deck goes in.  This coming week is a busy one.  Lot of running around and work.  I actually think that this week I may be logging in more hour then Mr Sunshine.




Enjoy your week everyone!

Keeping in Touch

(Cathy) Hi all! Hope everyone is enjoying the great weather! So, what is going on with me? Well, this Friday the boys are attending their Music Banquet. This is the only dinner and dance that their high school has and you can only attend if you are involved with music at school. The boys have attended every year and always have a good time. (Carolin) they dont have Prom? Only at the grade 12 graduation is there a prom. This school does not do school dances like the ones we grew up with. It's a shame really. I remember those dances where a lot of fun! I remember having bands at my high school at dances.  Teenage Head, Goddo, etc.  I don't think TWINATA had dances at her high school either, but I do remember a annual big football game at Ching park that she went to. You're right, I remember we always had Max Webster at our school dances and also FreeFall!  We had a lot of dances in high school and great music.  They were so much fun and also a little nerve racking considering who would ask you to dance.  It's hard when you really don't want to dance with a certain person and you keep hoping that the one you want to dance with will ask you.


This weekend is also my birthday and Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all!  Happy Birthday Cathy do you have anything special planned for your bd?  Happy Birthday to Cathy!!!!!!


We always go on a family picnic this weekend. This year we are going to the Elora Gorge: http://www.grandriver.ca/index/document.cfm?Sec=27&Sub1=124&sub2=0. It is a beautiful area and if the weather is good, one can go tubing down the river! Elora is also a beautiful village with great shops to browse through. It promises to be a great day!  We have been to Elora many times in the past but not in recent years.  I have some great pictures there of me and Mr Sunshine when we were dating and then of the four of us when the kids were little.  What a beautiful spot to go and have a picnic.  I didn't know about the tubing thing.  Do you girls remember our tubing adventure not too far from home about 11 years ago?  I am not sure where we were but it was a fun day. We were in Norval and who can forget the Tubing adventure when the taxi brought my mother back from who knows where. I remember that day. We didn't tube and I think Hubby was in a bad mood and we met for the picnic or did we just all go out for dinner?


Gardening update: Now that everything has been planted the main gardening chore is weeding, watering the containers, deadheading and pruning the overgrowth. I have a tub pond which I love and this year I bought a beta fish for it. I also bought a snail but it seems to have died. Not sure why but I will investigate. So far the beta fish is doing well. I spent close to an hour this morning weeding the vegetable garden and am half way done.  Man there is a lot of weeds!  We find snails around the property often so if you need another one I will keep a look out for them.  Mr Sunshine did a lot of weeding in the front garden when I was working on Friday night.  I don't know how he got them all out, they were taller then me.  I tried to wrestle with the weeds on Thursday but was unsuccessful.  It was great to have it cleaned up and that also meant that Grandma would not have to be picking weeds on her way into the house on Saturday for our Father's Day get together.

I am officially on summer holidays!!!!,  I have this one week on my own before the little one is also off school.  I have pretty much everyday booked with one thing or another.  Congratulations on your vacation.  I am very jealous.  Are we included in your plans for this week? (by the way, Cathy wanted me to ask you that question). Let's see; I can fit you in on Friday.  Today was to be Wonderland but the little one was not well on Sunday (fever, sore throat and ear). I took her to the Dr on Monday but thankfully no ear infection.  Tuesday I am off to Whitby (if you want to come for the drive you're welcome).  Wednesday is Strawberry picking and hoping to go to school and make jam.  Thursday is Dentist. 


If you read our last post you read my "arm update". Nothing new this week, same old story. 


Have a great week everyone!

Keeping In Touch

(Sunshine)  Good morning everyone.  For once I actually beat Cathy to the punch.  What wonderful weather we are having.  I am really going to miss having the summer off.  Carolin, you must be excited to be off soon.  Are you actually taking all summer off or do you have some other plans?

Cathy, how is the arm doing? Hey there, I am so sorry that I am late blogging this week. (Today is Thursday,   a day before we are to set up the next post!) 


As for my arm, the results of the MRI are in and they did not show anything major wrong! So off to my doctor again and both my doctor and physiotherapist now think it could be a case of RSD - Reflex sympathetic Dystrophy. This happens as a result of an injury. I read up on it and did not like what I read. I see the Physiayrist in two weeks and will see what she says. My doctor has started my on another drug to try and help with the pain. It's called, Lyrica:  http://www.lyrica.com/Default.aspx . It makes me really tired. Normally I wake up at about seven am or so. Now, with the Lyrica, I am sleeping in until almost eleven am! I feel like I have been hit by a train! Not good! 

Well it has been a long week.  I must say that working without a set schedule is a little difficult.  Some days I don't even know what day it is and weekends are busy and not just for leisure anymore.  That said, I still enjoy my job I just find it a lot harder to socialize and plan.  The group of people that I work with are fantastic and the job is still challenging so it keeps me interested and definitely on my toes. Welcome to my world of shift work! It's now me asking you when you work instead of you! I am glad you are liking your job. I still need to come and visit you there. 


Sunshine, it was great coming over to your home last Sunday! We all had a great time and it was good to see  Carolin and family. Thanks again!

Have a great weekend everyone.  Enjoy the beautiful weather!!!!

Keeping in Touch

(Cathy) Hi ladies! I have just finished another "pizza Friday". I wonder if they will ever, EVER, get tired of it! I know I am tired of making pizza each and every Friday from scratch! (although, the boy's friends think I make awesome pizza! Yes, I'm bragging, lol!) So, I hear you all.... stop complaining and be grateful that I do not have to think about what to make for dinner on a Friday night. I think that Friday pizza is the only meal that I reproduce on a monthly basis. Hubby and the kids always laugh that they never get bored of eating the same thing night after night, week after week, as I, for some strange reason, will not repeat meals. I always find a way to tweak them to make them different. I did try meal planning and it does work. It's just that when I got to the end of the ten weeks and would then start back at week one, I couldn't do it. It was just too soon to make those meals again! Hubby and the kids ask for "make agains" and I try, however, always with a twist. So, Hubby and the boys have stopped asking for "make agains" as they realize it will not happen any time soon. Is this a common problem, Benchers? How do all of you handle meal time? I do love to cook and have an extensive spice drawer and pantry which gives me the ability to cook meals from all over the world. The Younger One will come home and ask not, "what's for dinner", but rather, "what culture are we eating from tonight?". Thankfully, Hubby and the boys have an extensive palate and enjoy food from all over the world. Actually, the Younger One is a pretty good cook, too. The Older One can cook, however, he prefers to bake. He will probably be popular when he attends University this coming fall. He makes really good muffins.  (Carolin)  You're killing me!  Never repeat a dinner.  Are you kidding me!  It is a stellar night if I make a peanut butter sandwich to have with leftover soup. (funny!) (Sunshine) I only have about 20 good recipes that I repeat over and over again.  Once in a while and try something new but I must be doing something wrong as rarely does anyone like something new and different.  I commend you
Cathy for being able to cook so many different things so often.  I must say that even my tried and true recipes don't even turn out great every time.


To change the subject, It's raining! Finally! The weather people predict that we will have a very raining month of June. I am hoping to get some weeding done now that we have had rain. (later in the day)  The weeding is done and was very easy thanks to the rain.  We have rabbits in our yard and though they are cute they are also a pain in the butt!  I had about 25 yellow and green beans that had sprouted and were about 4 inches high and the next day when I go out to have a look at the garden all that is left is stems.  The rabbits have eaten all the leaves.  I have planted some more seeds and will look for the landscape cover we have used in the past to protect the beans till they get bigger. Can someone please come and weed my garden.  They are over taking any plants that are out there.

Arm update: MRI is set for tomorrow, (Saturday). I hope I am able to keep still long enough. I am not claustrophobic so I hope I will cope with being, "sucked into the tube". I will let you know the results when I get them.  I know a few people who have had MRI's and they said that it is actually not too bad but I think that I would be nervous too.

I am sure all will go well.  The husband is working Sat night, and the little one is at a sleepover.  I don't know what the TWINATA is doing but I am pretty sure she is going somewhere.  So I guess that leaves me home tonight.  I started watching Big C and like it so far.  Perhaps I will watch a few more episodes.  Does any one watch Mad Men?  I hear allot on the radio about it, I did try to watch the first episode last night but Netflix was acting weird and I could not watch the whole thing.  Caroline, I hope that you enjoyed your time off.  Isn't it weird when you are so use to having people around you to be by yourself?

Sunshine popped in for a quick visit on her way to a training class for her work. It was great to see you! You are looking really good! Cathy, it was so good to see you too.  The visits these days seem to be a lot shorter but i really do enjoy them.


Maybe, we ladies can get together next week?????  Yes please, I would really love that. 


Have a good week everyone!

Keeping in Touch

(Cathy) G'Day everyone! (memories of Bob and Doug McKenzie). I hope everyone is having a good week! It was great to pop in and see the Ladies last weekend. Miss Teen Sunshine had a birthday last weekend and Hubby and I interrupted the festivities when we popped in. It was really good to see all of her family. It made me remember the times when we all lived on the same street and would see each other and each other's family often. (Carolin) you forgot the 'EH', its G'Day Eh! (oops!) (Sunshine)  It was great seeing you and your hubbie Cathy.

How is the gardening coming along. I have been slow, but steady. I get Hubby and the boys to do my grunt work! It's fun directing them and hearing them groan and say, "why can't you move this or that yourself.......pause..... oh, yeah, you can't." Now it's the gardening tasks are just weeding and watering. I have three rain barrels that I use to water all of my plants in and out and because of the lack of rain they are all almost empty! This rarely happens. I am even thinking about purchasing another rain barrel and connecting it to one I already have. I think we are going to have a dry summer.   Wow, three rain barrels, I have one and don't think I have ever emptied it.  If your boys need more work send them over.  My front is done (just got to stay on top of the weeds) but the back is a mess!  My garden is a big disaster, both front and back.  There is no time and the little time that there is, there is no energy.


Have you heard about all of the forest fires up north? They are really bad and out of control. I have not heard how they were started. I hope it was Mother Nature and I also hope no one gets hurt bringing them under control.  Miss Teen Sunshine was informing about them the other day, apparentelly they are a direct result of not enough rain.


Well, this week the Older One sent in his acceptance for University. We have paid the deposit for residence and sent in the application for funding. (funding ?)He won't be too far away, however, it will be strange and new for all of us. But, that's a few months away yet so I still have time to live in denial that he's leaving the nest. (although, I'm sure he will be home on weekends for food and clean clothes!!!)  I think that I would be having a really hard time with the whole residence thing. 

Three weeks left of school!!! I am looking forward to the break.  We reached a milestone in our house this week.  The little one went away with her grade for three days and two nights without me!  This is a big deal as she has never done this and gets very upset when we suggest camp (without me).  Even sleepovers are a bit of a issue and it depends on who's house before she will go.  When she left Wednesday morning she was anxious but did say, "I want to go mom, I just want you to go with me".  Of course I could not go but I got No phone calls while she was away.  Her teacher did come speak to me when they came back.  Seems she had a melt down on the Thursday.  Crying, wanting her Mom, and she hit (!!!) another girl.  I was told it was all dealt with and things are fine but I don't know if I should get involved. (let it go, I'm sure it was an isolated  incident and will not happen again)  I know how difficult it is to have a child that won't do much of anything without you.  You must be so proud of her for managing to do those nights on her own. 

Well the husband is away this weekend and it is his birthday this coming Tuesday.  The girls and I are off to the mall to figure out what to get him as a gift. Happy Birhtday to the husband.


That's it for me!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Have a great week everyone!

Book Review:  A Mile in My Flip Flops by Melody Carlson.
http://melodycarlson.com/index.shtml

I don't know how this book ended up in my stack of to read.  I had finished the Hunger Games Trilogy and need something to read.  I wanted something light and the premise seemed fun.  A thirtyish women decided to buy a fixer upper and then flip it. 

I have never read Melody Carlson and didn't know she was a 'chiristan' writer.  I don't mine most christian books usually.  I would of enjoyed this book much more if the product placement wasn't so over the top.  I am not a big brand person, I wouldn't know a Jimmy Cho to a Payless shoe.  I do like quality but prefer quite quality over screaming brand name.  Anyway back to the book

Does the publishing industry get paid for product placement like the movie and TV industry?  This books name dropping was so over the top that I found it almost laughable.  It came to the point were I was counting how many brand names would be mentioned on a single page.  The most I counted was 8!
Sentence's like I needed to get more supplies but had maxed out my 'Lowes' credit card so I had to go to 'Homedepot'.  Good think I was wearing my 'Target' sandals and not the 'L L Bean' ones as I dropped paint on myself.   These are examples not actual sentence from the book

Would I recommend this book to others, if you want something easy and don't mind the product placement then sure.  Would I seek out a Melody Carson book to read in the future probably not. 

I am interested 'Benchers' is this style of writing (name dropping, product naming) normal in books now?  Should I expect more of this? 

I am 1/3 the way through David Cassidy's bio now. 

Carolin

Keeping in Touch

(Cathy) Yoo Hoo!!! Hey Ladies.... where are you?? This post is titled, "Keeping in Touch". I haven't heard from you Ladies all week. I hope all is well. 
Before I forget, I have a beefsteak tomato plant and a cherry tomato plant for each of you. If I can get a drive and if you are home I will try to deliver them to you both this weekend. Let me know.  I wish I knew sooner as I just bought a bunch tomato plants.  But you know me Cathy I can always take a few more.  The Husband cleaned the vegetable garden today so I hope to get some stuff planted tomorrow.  I still need to go buy a few more seed packs like peas, beans and carrots. The husband and I planted flowers at the front of the house today and also spread mulch in the front gardens.  (Sunshine)  Thanks so much for thinking of us and for dropping off the plants.  This will be the first year that I actually grow some kind of vegetable.  If it goes well, you may convert me for the future.

Arm update: no change and it sucks, (excuse my language). Today in physio my therapist did some doodad number on my neck and when I sat up I thought I was going to pass out! I had to rest still for almost twenty minutes until I felt almost normal. What does this mean? I do not even want to know. The medical community has deemed me an "interesting case". I do not wish to be an "interesting case". Feel better soon Cathy. 


Happy Victoria Day weekend everyone! What plans do you have? Tomorrow I am going shopping with my mom, sister and niece. My niece is in grade seven, however, the grade eight class at her school is small so the grade seven's have been invited to the grade eight grad to make up numbers. So, we are off to buy the "party dress". I hope we can find something that says "party" without being either too young or too old. (Carolin) Check out Sears, I have had good luck with dress' for the the TWINAT when she was younger.  The dress' are pretty, modest and under $100.00.  Have fun shopping  We celebrated Miss Teen Sunshine's Birthday on Victoria Day and I worked the rest of the weekend.

Yeah for a long weekend, only a month left of school!!!!!  I have gotten so much accomplished today but still have a list a mile long on what I still want to get done this weekend.  A few months ago I picked out of peoples garbage (yes that's me, a garbage picker) two bedroom end tables.  They don't match as they are from different homes.  I am planning to get one of them sanded down this weekend and hopefully ready to stain.  The second one needs to be sanded but will be painted.  The little one have been looking at different painting techniques that we are considering.  I will try to remember to take before and after pictures.  Of course only if I am happy with the results. Sounds like a good project. I have a plant pot that needs repainting, I had hoped to get it done this season. Hubby has been really busy with his "honey-do" list, so I have let the pot go for another year. Or I just might get a can of rust paint and spray it on. Only one hand is needed for that, right?  I love finding items in the garbage that I can breath new life into but Mr Sunshine gets very embarrassed when I drag things out of the neighbours garbage and bring them home.  Good luck with your project, if the results are good it will be very satisfying.


Ladies have you read the Hunger Games trilogy?  I finished the third book this past week.  That's probably why I have so much house work to do, as I have been ignoring everything and everyone for the past three weeks while I was  consumed by Katniss, Peeta and Gale. The Younger One has all three books and has raved about the movie. He wants me to read them, but the idea of reading about kids killing kids does not really interest me. I have been looking forward to reading them as Miss Teen Sunshine has raved about them for so long but my niece has borrowed the first book and I am waiting for it to be returned.  Caroline, did you like the book series? Yes I liked the series.  If KD hadn't raved about them I probalby wouldnt of bothered.  The first book took a couple of chapters to get into but then it was good.  I liked the second book the best, TWINAT liked the first book the best. 


Have a good week everyone! Play safe!