What's Happening in your neck of the woods?

Morning, evening, not sure which is which anymore, couldn't sleep so thought I'd get up and see what mischief I can get into!

Boy everyone is getting busy now.
M fridges are fun shopping for and I have a bottom freezer fridge. I love it. I am not in it too much so the bending thing is not a big deal but I wish I had the drawer freezer in stead of a door one. (mine is 14 yrs old already) I also have an upright freezer downstairs so I use that more. Just one note , do you prefer to occasionally go to a bottom freezer or occasionally go to the fruits and veggie drawers on the bottom?
As I am always in the F and V drawers I choose to have them at my hips , no more digging for them or the milk jugs. Also take care with measuring your space. New fridges come in many sizes for depth now. If you are tucking a fridge into a hole that was built years ago the size will be important. I needed a shallow depth but also not wider than 33 inches and not higher than 70 inches. So that limit's my choices. All fridge sizes are on line and most manufacturers have an extra button to click to see inside too. Then you can just shop for price with someone like Leon's or the Brick and sometimes Home depot have the best price. I have found that Sears seems to be a bit higher than these guys.
Just about all the fridges these days are Energy Star ones.

Have fun shopping!
Ann

I also have a bottom freezer fridge. Mine is a GE and it seems to be working fine. I like the fact that the crispers are BIG. I had an Amana when we did the kitchen in 1991 and I couldn't even get a decent size head of lettuce in them.

Am off shortly for the final portion of a Messiah marathon weekend. I did "Come Sing Messiah" on Friday evening at one of Ottawa's largest churches. It was packed with over 700 singers and the balcony was reserved for about 200-250 audience. I always play in the orchestra. It's a great "love-in". Everyone sings at the top of their lungs and applauds everyone else at the end.

Today is a fund-raising Messiah up the Valley in Arnprior in a large, old Catholic church which needs a new roof. We were up there all day yesterday in rehearsals. Need to be on the road in less than an hour.

Drive safely Ann, not sure what your weather is like, storming here!
You must feel in heaven and with the angel choir when you participate in such events..what sounds those who attend much hear. Do they tape, will some be on the news???

I've regular refrigerator but am thinking of getting an appt. size freezer, never seems even though it's just me in the house that there is enough room for freezing.

Back to playing inside now that I've been outside all morning putting plastic on the back screened in deck..thought that I might not have to but with fine snow and heavy winds think I'd best be safe than sorry..all done except for the door and I'm thinking on how to do it as I don't want holes in my new door..might have to though!!!

Good morning,

We had snow on the way home yesterday. Good thing I had sturdy black running shoes on. I had originally planned to wear dress shoes and just take some boots because it was absolutely clear on the way up there. But I decided quickly that the big toe on which I dropped a weight a few weeks ago was still too tender for dress shoes even though it no longer looks bruised in any way. Had I worn dress shoes, I would have had to send my passenger out to the car to get my boots and we weren't in the church parking lot, but a couple short blocks farther away.

We drove slightly more slowly than usual and still made it home in an hour. Messiah is finished for this year and I have a profound respect for the work. I've done it at least once a year for the past 19 years, but it's still full of traps with over 50 sections in different keys and speeds and each conductor does it a bit differently.

Ann, much the same when I go to different events run by Municipalities, know how much effort/work went into making it a pleasant experience. Glad it wasn't cancelled due to weather conditions..

Have a blizzard going on here, never helps when wind is up either..left 1 hr. early than normal and got in just a few minutes before 9a.m. start time..if it doesn't improve, hoping boss will send us home..suppose to be worse tomorrow..yikes, it's SEARS day for me, wonder if they will cancel, I'm like "M" was, sure could use my washer, lost without it.

On Saturday I finished another rag quilt and down to laundromat I went, no hesitation, think I did learn a lesson!

Betty - when we drove TO Arnprior, the weather was sunny and clear. The amount of snow while we were there was a bit of a surprise. Have been to aquafit. Need to get some laundry going.

Ann

WHOA ... spoke with Lorna's parents in King City, and then her brother Grant in Beeton .. seems there is LOTSA snow to contend with 'down east' .. 67cm+
We are putting up with COLD .. -27C at the moment and that will drop overnight ..

Spent the majority of my day in bed .. still feeling abit cruddy in the tummy .. no energy .. won't call it the flu ..

Susan .. how'd your first day at work go ? Always kind of a confusing day .. you get home, sit down, and start to REPLAY and just shake your head .. at least it always seemed like that for me .. each unit change in a hospital brings about a new BURGEONING binder full of 'policies and procedures' ..

Off to watch a movie .. take care out there

~M~

I had a Terrific first day at work. Because I'd worked at a "branch" of the company (worked at Calgary Lab Services admin, and now I work at their Alberta Health Services HR dept, who manages CLS), I found it relatively easy to "slip into" this role. Same job, with different bosses, at a different location, really........
For the first hour they took me around the floor, to meet everyone. Then I got a "Welcome" binder, and skimmed through it....... then I got on the phone to confirm accesses and got most of them resolved. It was funny when one of the tech support guys said "are you the same Susan MacKenzie...." yes, I am, so we chatted for a minute about that LOL
As for the rest, my boss Jerri was really pleased with the initiatives I took today, and the fact that I am already trying to get her office set up so she can turn her computer with it's back to the door and her facing the door (right now she has her back to the door and anyone can read from her computer.....)
They provided me with a cell phone, told me I may be traveling with them and other stuff....... kewl - how about Maui?!?!? lol Traveling isn't a definite, however. They'll provide me with a laptop as well.
All in all, a very productive first day.

"M" calling for much the same today, was a rough ride home last night!!

Transferred the telephones to here just incase the weather took another turn for the worse, snowing but doesn't look too bad, it's the wind that creates most of the problem, so glad my plowman came..

SEARS, trusted old SEARS called to give me a closer time for them to come and do the repair to washer, between 10 and 2 so if weather is bad the painting girls that I had hoped would be here to let them in will not come, Cathy called and said she come spend the time so all is well (I think)!

Susan, I'm so happy for you, they'll soon know they have a 'gem'


"M" hope you are feeling better today!

Best go listen to Breakfast Television to see what kind of ride in to work I'll have!

Good morning, all!! I'm off to another day at work :
I hope everyone's day is truly wonderful & blessed!!

Would imagine you've left Betty. Sure hope the ploughs, snaders/salters are out in force (or have been).

We have January weather here .. I thnk it's about -30C with the wind right now , had the poor wee doggies out at 6am and they just turned and looked at me as if to say, 'do we HAVE to' .. they were both little troopers though.

Plan is to get the shopping completed for Lorna's folks and get the parcel in the mail !! Had hoped to have it done a week ago, but, this bug (or whatever it is) that I have has kind of stopped up progress .. mind you, I do feel better today .. fingers crossed.

Susan wonderful news about day ONE .. can only hope it continues, but, am sure it will.

Off to make some toast

~M~

Good morning, all!! I'm off to another day at work
I hope everyone's day is truly wonderful & blessed!!

Taking the stairs at work - I'm on 2nd floor of a 2-storey building - no elevators, so good for me!! Lots of exercise LOL

Blizzard like conditions here, omg, some local areas got between 60-80 centimeters..now that means a whole lot of shovelling..Don't you be going out yet "M" or you'll be right back in bed.

Back to roost and beat myself about the head for NOT making a LIST !! What was I thinking ???
So .. after I get supper together, I am going to write a LIST as I am going to be going to town tomorrow either alone, or, Gordon may come with.
Lorna is going to stay and get 'THE BOX' ready for UPSing .. I would use Canada Post .. but .. there have been some rather unfortunate situations here and there over the last couple of Xmases , lost parcels, stolen gift cards .. UPS is a bit more pricey, but, they ARE reliable.

I feel about 78.6% better ^_^
Just seem to have NO energy, met a friend today who immediately said, Ohmigosh are you ever pale~~ chances are it might be my hemoglobin .. sometimes it takes a header for no reason at all .. have a docs appt tomorrow, so likely will be making some poor lab tech lose their mind trying to get blood from me .. few have succeeded on the first, second or third try .. the bruises are usually a lovely shade of blue purple though :-)

Sure hope you SUTHRIN LADIES have had enough SNOW .. we remain in the deep freeze .. don't have to shovel cold.

Had to send a sympathy card to a neice in law in Ottawa, her Dad passed away . Always think of Ann when I send stuff to Ottawa :-)

OK .. off to make my casserole, and then .. THE LIST !!!

~M~

Snowing heavily "M", I'll gladly take your cold temperatures.
Sears came, guess he took a bag of rag quilt lint out from under the machine, transmission went, boy was I lucky that he didn't charge me for the visit and the transmission..told the girls at the house to tell me to be more careful with what I'm washing..yikes, think over past 2 years I've made and washed about 12 rag quilts so there just had to be one in fabric under the washer..wish I would have thought to ask, after washing is there a place you can clean like a dryer?

I'll be good, laundromat for me from now on.

Glad you are feeling better "M" just don't go out before you are feeling 100%..

Sometimes I think what we ship cost more than the items being sent out..someone was saying they do ordering on-line and have them ship, less costly.

~M~ do you have GreyHound Bus Lines, or another one? I hear they're much cheaper than Cda Post, and reliable, too!

I second the bus parcel service.

Hope you are all ok, warm and cozy but more importantly safe..

Blizzards going on again this morning, fine in my neck of the woods but the Barrie area is being hit hard and calling for lots more to fall and winds picking up, you all know what that means for driving..

Keep hoping my telephone will ring before I leave to say 'stay home' but it's doubtful. Would leave 1/2 hr. earlier to give me extra time but with my luck he'd call during that last half hour sooo will stay home to the last minute and if I'm late, I'm late!

TBay USED to have GreyHound Service. At present we are in the midst of an 'on again/off again' renewing of their contract with the city .. I just can't figure it out.
TBay has in excess of 170,000 people .. add to that the surrounding district and we rise WAY up. In the last several years we have lost VIA Rail, to be a passenger on that train, which was a focal point in the city, you have to travel 200 miles NORTH of TBay to an EXTRA small community called Armstrong !!!! Sometimes governments, Provincial or otherwise, do the strangest things ..
SO .. unless Greyhound renews its contract (or whatever) I don't have that option, but, I will look into it today :-)

Betty .. fabric UNDER the washer .. holy cow .. how the heck does that happen ?? Re the dryer .. there is a 'kit' available at hardware stores.
http://www.flylady.net/pages/FlyShop_dryer.asp
Trust FlyLady to have something on her website LoL .. looks kinda busy to me though.

Up early cuz I am gettin'er done today .. am laughing at that remark .. I must be crazy if I think I'll EVER be DONE for Xmas before the 23rd .. a fact of life for me .. I have oft times mentioned that, PROCRASTINATION, is my middle name ..

Hope everyone has a super Wednesday ^_^

~M~

Got to work this morning and could drive into parking lot, infact still about 2 or 3 ft. of snow out there, waiting for mall staff to come and clean..was beautiful coming in, picture perfect, what you'd see on Christmas cards, even a rainbow, felt like a queen because my entire ride in was between the arches.

Paul came in today, a lot of us were asking when we were off..both his girls had save their vacation time to be home at Christmas so they are off on the 17th..Toronto and other offices most are working until Christmas Eve day and won't come back until Jan.3,2010

Paul asked what I'd like to do seeing I had 5 days left of vacation so we negotiated, my last day will also be December 17th, imagine a week this Friday, will transfer calls to my house, IF I want to go out at any time I can transfer them to him, did tell him I would not work Christmas Eve day though...looking forward to 2 weeks off.

Hi folks

Just a quick note here.
I have been in hospital since Sat night, went to emerg- long story short hav some bowel constrictions - just waiting to know if anything malignant or not. MIght not know until Friday, being kept in hospital in the mean time, as soon as results known will have surgery- just a case of how much or how little they have to remove. Probably no computer access untill I get home again, maybe a week or so!

Let you know as soon as I am home again!

What a bummer. Keeping my fingers crossed that any surgical intervention will be minimal. You'll be in my Ts and Ps for sure.

Jeeze Carol .. as Ann says .. you are in my thoughts and prayers as well .. huge hug coming from TBay ..

My day was so so .. no snow !!

GREAT news re your time off Betty :-)

~M~

Yikes
Carol
We are thinking of you!
Ann

Carol - bowel constriction? OMG!! I'll be thinking of you all the time.
Here's hoping that it's not that serious, and you can get home asap!

Perhaps it's an 'obstruction' .. symantics .. either way not something to take lightly. Know for a fact Carol will likely be 'NPO' = Nothing by mouth = NO EATING until the diagnosis is made and the plan is set.

My visit to the doc was YUK .. I have been diagnosed with 'psoriatic ('sorry attic') arthritis .. right now it is pitching a fit with my right hip, once it has done it's damage there it will go on to another joint .. lovely .. I was offered narcotics, but, I am stoic, will hang on without them for as long as I possibly can. Life is just so darned interesting ain't it ?

Off for bloodwork this morning, BOTH Lorna and myself ... and .. it has just started to snow .. NO major accumulation expected .. MAYBE 5cm ... a pittance compared to Lorna's brother and parents who got 3 FEET down Beeton/King City way !!

TTFN

~M~

I too have
C.......cis.I can't remember how to spell it.Mine is a result of my hypothyroidism.This happened to me four years ago and was really quite nasty. It hasn't progressed as far this time.I'll see my Dr tomorrow.
I have been a lurker on this forum for some time.My life is'nt very exciting now .I spend a lot of time on the computer.
Among a lot of the ailments that go with being 81 ,the lack of balance keeps me housebound. JOY

Joy, just love it when you drop by..if you are a lurker then you know quite about us chatty folk..lol difficult I'm sure having poor balance, don't want to get out and have a fall that's for sure..

Joy and "M" will have to go and look up the ailment..painful?

Carol, you still in the hospital, anxious to here the prognosis! Not a good time to be ill..drats and more drats

Hmmmm .. painful ? Well .. it's a typical arthritic type of pain .. but .. along with it goes some joint damage. As for the 'psoriasis' .. well .. that's a skin condition that flares up at the same time. Thankfully I have only one very small scaly patch behind my right knee. When the condition is in FULL flare up mode .. yeah .. it's painful .. but, antiinflammatories help .. ie Advil/Aleve/Motrin used along with tylenol. I have been offered narcotics, but, I won't take them .. I certainly do not need to be any SPACIER than I am without them .. LoL

We did get a nice snowfall (do those 2 words look odd beside one another) ? Everything looks CLEAN now .. perhaps 5cm.

Joy .. good to hear from you .. hope your docs appt goes well. Been lots of rain in NB ?

Would imagine Carol has limited computer access unless she has a laptop? She had to have written her email above some how. I know when Lorna was in Health Sciences in Winnipeg, I asked if there was computer access to the public anywhere in the hospital and, they looked at me as if I was a '4 eyed monster' LoL
Thankfully Echoes and Linda were able to keep folks informed due to the wonders of text messaging. Gosh .. seems so long ago .. and it has just been over a year .. hmmmmmm .. in the scheme of things, I guess that is LONG AGO ^_^

Off to do a bit of shoveling ..

TGIF .. have a splendiferous weekend all !!

~M~

This message was edited Dec 10, 2010 7:08 AM

Saturday .. and I am ECSTATIC because I am doing LAUNDRY ^_^
The house kind of looks like a non fatal tornado passed through it, so that's being addressed as well .. AND .. the 'harbinger' (at least for me) of REAL winter arrives today. I am changing the bed and when the clean sheets are insitu, they will be covered by .. drum rollllllllllllll ... the ELECTRIC BLANKET !!!
Have tried to avoid the inevitable, but, it isn't working anymore.

Weather here is wintry, no snow, just damp and cool .. birds are feeding like mad, have decided that even though I was told long ago that THAT was a sign of a storm, it does not often ring true.

Have been thinking about Carol and wishing I could send her a card .. hospitals are such crummy places to be at this time of year.

Time to put in another load .. YAHOO !!!!

~M~

I spent the Christmas of 2007 in hospital and had my aeortic heart valve replacement operation on New year's Eve - nice start to the year ! It was very quiet in the heart unit - I guess they were only doing emergencies -but everyone on the ward did their best in make it happy and a mystery santa even delivered a stocking full of goodies ! I was very disappointed when they admitted me but I knew that it was the best place for me to be and took a lot of stress off my family.
But on saying that, Carol, I certainly hope that you don't end up there over the holidays ! By the way the reason I look so "healthy" is because we had just came back from Mexico on the 23rd and I was admitted that night !
Heather

This message was edited Dec 12, 2010 10:19 PM

Yep I too, am thinking of Carol. I hope we hear from her soon which would mean that she is out.
I am having Bfast with Susan tomorrow as she is up for her hubby's Christmas party so I will ask if she knows anything.
I have a sister who volunteers at the children's hospital in Calgary but don't have an in at any others..

Carol! Carol! Can you hear us?? We are thinking of you.
(the other) Ann

I really should stop in here more often. I have missed so much of what is happening in the older threads.

Hoping we hear from Carol soon, with news of good results.

Mar, we bought a used washer and dryer of the same type you did. Think they are Samsung. I was very suspicious of the washer working right because it uses so little water. But, think I'm going to like it, and yes it does take a longer time for a load. Bought them on kijiji back in the summer but just started using them last week as my kitchen and entry renovations have progressed. I can't believe all the crap you went through with Sears.

I will only tell you the good news. I have a new grandson, 4 months old now. Haven't seen him yet, but we got a wonderful surprise when my son said they are coming for Christmas. We haven't had Christmas with them for three or four years. My granddaughter will be so much fun.

My husband has built new cabinets for my kitchen and I am so pleased with them. He did a fine job. Just finished installing them and still has quite a bit of finishing up to do for trim, floor, etc. But we are functional for Christmas so all is good.

Heather, thanks for posting that.

Susan, hope you have a great trip, and the roads are fine. Hear there is some yucky stuff happening in SK.

WOW ... nice to see posts from Heather and Brenda ^_^

Echoes, it sure seems you have been busy with kitchen stuff!! Was there 3 years ago, hate the confusion and kaffufle, but, survived to tell the tale and enjoy the kitchen !!
As for my washer and dryer .... gawd ... after all the intense stress and prolonged wait, I am thrilled with the set. Like you, I was almost in SHOCK with the incredibly small amount of water required, and detergent, but, the laundered items are clean, and, our well is HAPPY ^_^
How wonderful that your Xmas will be filled with the coos of a baby and the laughter of a wee one .. enjoy !!!

I think I posted yesterday with regards to putting the electric blanket on the bed. WELL .. I did so .. and I plugged it in, and the control kept flashing 'F2' .. after lots of head scratching etc .. Gord discovered that PIPER had chewed through the cord!!! So .. going to have to see if it can be fixed, I doubt that Sunbeam sells the cords seperately ...

Carol is most certainly on my mind, have a bud in Calgary, was going to ask her to call the hospitals to find out which one she is in .. but .. then I thought better of it. I don't want to invade 'her space' .. I think she knows we are all thinking about her and wishing her hearts full of best wishes.

Just had the dogs out .. so cold here the trees are snapping and cracking .. I do believe it is -30C .. won't have to worry about snow that's for sure.

Should make bread today, or bake, or not LoL

Have a fine day everyone ~~

~M~

Hello there, won't stay long, want to wave to all of you and yes nice to see Heather and Brenda post..wonder how the get together with Susan and Annabelle is going???

You know me, always rushing around, had company drop in, she's very unsteady on her feet, back steps (8 in total) were icy so of course while she got ready I decided to HURRY and get the shovel and get rid of the ice, first step went head over teakettle..yikes, how I didn't break my hip is beyond me, today I'm moving slowly, hip is paining along with back and neck so back to the couch I go..

Every once in awhile I get tired of sitting and go do something, someone says you can accomplish much by just doing tid-bits..let's see if its true..

Waiting to hear news of Carole as well?? Sending prayers Carole!

Snowing heavily here, I'm just like the school kids praying , "please Lord let me have a snowday tomorrow"

Well off to get some meds for pain..gab later

YIKES Betty ... I am crossing my fingers and hoping that you feel better
Heard for the third time in less than a month, of 2 relatives who have broken their hips !! Odd part is .. the docs told them that there is a HIGH incidence of hips being broken WITHOUT the person knowing it .. then suddenly, poof, the break faults to a point where it can't weight bear anymore. I still am not sure I believe that, but, it was relayed by a doc who has been an orthopod (bone doc) for years.
If your hip is really bothering you, perhaps an XRay might be in order ?

It is C O L D here .. have a busy day planned tomorrow, so, am hitting the pit !!

~M~

Hi ladies...
As a frequent lurker, I just thought I'd chime in and let you know that I have contacted one of Carol's other gardening buddies by email to see if I can get any information about how she's doing. I've been thinking of her too since I saw her post that she was in the hospital. I'll see what I can find out.

Joanne
(Jo North)

Hearing that Carol's in hospital seems to bring out all the lurkers. It would be good to hear some news about her.
~M~ I kept up with the w&d saga, maybe you can laugh about it down the road.Good to hear Lorna is progressing.
Betty, I get tired just reading what you do. You're amazing.
Susan, great news about the job.
I hope the rest of you are ready for Christmas and hope that all aches and pains are relieved.
We're above the local flooding here from the last rains, with more rain forecast. We're OK here.

Linda

Morning everyone, storm watch in our region..hope it gets just a tad worse between 7 and 8:30a.m. (aren't I terrible) but sure could use another day of rest, well perhaps not total rest, things to do!!!

Linda and Joanne, nice to see you drop in, know we would all appreciate hearing how Carole is doing so if any are able to be in contact please let us know..

Well seems blizzard conditions, freezing rain, high winds are the call of the day for most of us..please/please stay in/keep warm and be safe if you do have to go out..


Sure a winterwonderland out there
Off for coffee..