What's Happening in YOUR neighborhood today #14

Betty, you are indeed an artist! WOW.

Carol thank goodness you have your dog back.

Joy, I have several glorious amaryllis keeping me company this February.

Viola Ann, I am playing some gorgeous choral works this week.

Marilynne, are you a hospice volunteer? I watched my mom die of cancer at home, with the help of a few hospice angels. What amazing people they were.

Ann I saw some of that 'Unscheduled stop' footage last evening .. my goodness .. Obama is certainly an 'impression maker' :-)

Violist .. yes, I am a Hospice vounteer as well as a former Hospice nurse. Thnak you for your kind thoughts. For me it's a priviledge to accompany my clients to the end of their life .. to be allowed to share the good and the bad with them.

Off to a workshop today .. best get a breeze on ^_^

TGIF

~M~

Good morning,

Off to aquafit in a bit. Then, this afternoon, first meeting with the Raging Grannies. They appeal to me, but I'm not sure about SOME of the things they've gotten involved in. We'll see.

Theresa - what choral works are you doing? Gotta be lots better than Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Ann

Well I am home sick today.....not fun. I am off for a nap soon.

I will be dreaming of spring!

Morning girls...blizzard happening here think when "M" got the storm she sent it right back south for me to deal with..Friday-off at 3:00 so that's the good news..got everything I need except groceries to be able to stay in my jammies all weekend, calling for much the same weather...have that truted 'to do' weekend task list ..I'm all set...

Dawn sorry you are not feeling good..I'm dreaming of spring and I'm not even napping..lol

Hope you feel better Dawn ... never nice to feel yuk ...

Raging Grannies .. we 'had' them here in TBay .. not sure if we still do though .. actually it was a group of nurses from a hospital I was working in that formed the group here .. they were thought kind of 'off' for a bit .. until folks started to listen to what they were all about.

A gorgeous day here from what I saw of it .. when I came out of the University at around 4:30 it was ALMOST 'balmy' !!

The workshop .. arggggggggg .. I must be becoming 'addle brained' .. the young fella from U of Edmonton with degrees as long as my arm (in philosophy) spoke about ethics .. this is a BIG deal in health care these days .. bioethicists are becoming very prominent in most bigger hospitals .. helping consumers make wise health care decisions when faced with extremely difficult situations .. it was quite intense .. lots to think about fer sure .. AND .. don;t I have a fella sitting beside who decided to NOD OFF for about 10 minutes during the first presentation of the afternoon !!!!! I FAKED a sneeze and he roused .. only to fall back to sleep in 5 minutes !!!!
Anyway .. my brain is stuffed full of 'things to think about' !!

Off to get supper on the go

~M~

This is the Ottawa group http://www.ottawagrans.net/index.html

I had a bit more exercise than planned on today. Took the bus downtown because parking can be expensive and difficult around where the grannies meet. We still have only partial bus service. My DH had tried to take a morning bus downtown on Tuesday only to find out that the local doesn't run in rush hour. I complained to my city councilor and got a message back from his assistant saying that as of Wednesday the local WAS running during rush hour.

I shouldn't have taken her word for it. Discovered that the local coming home doesn't run at all between 2:11 and 6:41 pm. The first two major buses that came to the University where I was starting from were stuffed full and wouldn't take on any more passengers. I grabbed the next bus that went to the main transfer point - a couple of stops further.

And from there, I got another bus that went along the transit way to my local station. That's when I checked the postings and found I was out of luck. Was able to hop another bus that got me somewhat further, but I still had a 30 minute walk and I've sent a blistering letter to that assistant. (Don't much like her - dealt with her at the FC last spring and she's a bulldozer.)

Ann

wow, so much has been going on. I hope that those of you still fighting the weather and under the weather are through it soon.

Betty, wonderful painting, beautiful work.
Fancy, glad that you have your dog back.
I'm glad that Ottawa is over the bus strike and Obama's visit.
Marilynne, you've got to stay out of harms way!

not alot going on around here. The dog is feeling neglected so he's ripping apart one of his towels. He does it so well too.
I'm on my own for 3 weeks, my better half is in NZ for an 80th birthday celebration and family reunion. Spring is certainly here, if I had the camera I'd post pics of the snowdrops and the crocus, there's also a rhodo blooming by the university.
I was rear ended at a stop light today. No damage or injury, but the other driver was so stoned he could barely get out of his car. He was behind me for several more blocks. I was on the cell phone telling the police about an impaired driver, his plate number and where we were. He turned off but at the next set of lights there was a cop waiting for us. I was still on the cell phone talking to the 911 operator and I could hear her telling the other cops where he was. He was actually driving towards the police station so I'm pretty sure they got him.

Linda

Good Saturday morning all ^_^

GREAT to hear from you Linda .. and I am in heaven thinking about the crocus and Snowdrops .. I USED to have Crocus .. but for some reason or another they went away .. they were wild ..
SHEESH .. glad you weren't injured in the rear ender .. altho .. sometimes the 'day after' tells a different story.
Lotsa talk on the news etc these days about the increase in the use of drugs for recreation (ie pot) to replace alcohol which can be detected by a breathalizer .. just plain STUPID as far as I am concerned .. but .. it's happening ..

Ann .. I would have written a scathing letter as well .. goodness gracious .. good thing it wasn't -32C OR a bizzard !!!
Honestly .. I am glad you made it home .. totally unacceptable service !!!

Off to feed the deer and the bunny and the birds .. planning a kinda 'laid back day' here .. am hoping the sun will shine so I can put sheets on the line .. but .. I think I may just be whistling Dixie :-)


~M~

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Saturday was kinda dull here in TBay .. weather wise and event wise .. mind you .. the snow is melting and the temps were pleasant .. nothing like what anyone had to put up with down east.
Did a 'DUMP' run .. always a highlight of Lilly's week LoL .. it literally seems 'everyone and their dog' goes to the landfill site in our little township on Saturday, AND, they bring their dog for a car/truck ride. Does the excitement ever stop ^_^

Today is uncharted as yet .. but I guess housework will rear it's head .. weather is typical .. damp and windy .. Lilly will get lots of walks .. maybe TODAY we'll find some deer antlers .. there were 3 bucks at the feeder last evening .. still in FULL regalia. As well, we had 2 HOOTIE owls out in the back around 8pm .. no idea what kind of owls, but it almost seemsd as though they were talking to one another ..

Off to feed the deer etc and get the paper ..

ENJOY

~M~

A nice day here yesterday, we went to off leash in the morning. Have not been going much since early December - either too cold or too busy or knew it would be too slippery.
Yesterday afternoon we journeyed 'down south' to have supper with one of our latest adoptive families and my last foster Tango! He is just as cute and lively as ever and was all over me when we came in the door. This guy doesn't need an invitation to get in your lap and cuddle! Older 'brother' King ( 7)who is much more sedate took a long time to warm up but eventually came and sat beside me for a few moments and let me touch him. It has been a month since Tango moved in and I think King is still a bit bewildered by this whirling dervish!
Mom had a special cake made for us for dessert!

WOW .. what a nice cake Carol .. Tango's new 'Mom' is quite artistic to be sure.
Great news about him doing so well in his new home as well .. I'm sure King will get over his SURPRISE in a bit .. took Smokey almost 3 months !!

The sun is out here and I stripped the beds and did a BIG BOO BOO .. I hung them on the line .. completely letting caution re my left wrist .. fly to the moon .. lets just say I'll be layin low for the rest of the day WITH my splint on :-(


Enjoy your day

~M~

Hi all ..

YIKES .. everyone must be so busy .. not me .. well sorta not me .. cool cool (COLD) mornings here, and DAMP that bites the bone .. was supposed to go out with my Hospice client and she decided against it as she is bothered by the cold. So .. I took her some muffins and had a chat .. she really is NOT looking well. When I first met her .. she was a 91 year old looking maybe 75 .. now she's looking all of her 91 years ..

Not much more happening here .. hope everyone is okee dokee ^_^

~M~

Marilynne
Hi cupcakes sound great , do you deliver?
It's snowing here in Edmonton, I've done sidewalks all over . Since I'm not working I did ours, side neighbors, back neighbors and then it started up again!
Side neighbor is 75 and just got a computer! Every time I get home she waves me over and in I go to get her unstuck . Her attitude is when I get stuck I'll just get Ann over and she will show me one more thing! We are having a ball with her learning curve, I hope I have her sense of learning when I get to be that age. Any way I showed her how to "you tube" and now she's up all night looking at funny video's of Cats.

Carol .......That is one super cake! you lucky lady and Tango is lucky as well to find such a loving home.
Linda Hope the 3 weeks go by quickly and that Cooper starts to play with you instead of the furniture.
Cheers to all
Ann

Snowy and cold here - I did walk the dogs but skipped Curves ( which means I have to go tomorrow) and after I cleared the walks I stayed in all day, just surfing around on the computor mostly!

Baking in the future perchance? It's supposed to get ugly for the next couple of days.

you never know!

droooooooooooooooool ^_^

Cookies are only baked if the weather is so bad we dont want to go out!

Praying for a blizzard the day before the Foolys Party.... with immediate melt so we can all get to the Foolys party....

Jeepers .. sounds as though both the EAST and the WEST are getting buckets of SNOW .. will have to check to see if it's headed this way.
Right now we are going through the 'melt then freeze' cycle .. not too conducive to making me walk too much .. but .. I have the bad areas sorted out and have sand down on them.

TODAY (maybe) I am getting a dishwasher .. I KNOW full well .. the model I want will have to be ordered in .. seems most places do NOT keep stock on hand anymore (at least in Thunder Bay).
Ya gotta just listen to this one ... so .. I am online doing 'dishwasher research' .. I have decided on a portable that I will have permanently plumbed in ... I do NOT want to give up TWO full cupboards when I have a space for the dishwasher at the END of my counter. So .. I find a Maytag dishwasher that has all the bells and whistles .. and .. I want BLACK .. and they have black .. NOW .. are you ready for THIS!!! The FRONT panel is BLACK .. the SIDE panels are WHITE!! WHAT is up with THAT!! So .. I phone Sears (they advertise the model) the salesman won't believe me .. goes online .. sees I am NOT fibbin .. and .. is astounded .. he then goes to the Maytag Canada site .. sure enough .. black front, white sides .. neither of us can figure this out .. any of you guys have a clue ?
So .. I am on the search for a TOTALLY black portable dishwasher .. something tells me I am going to have a problem ..

YESTERDAY Feb.23 .. was NATIONAL BANANA BREAD DAY ^_^
I found that out this morning LoL

Take care out there

~M~

Since I can't seem to leave DG w/o being logged out, I knew that yesterday but there wasn't time to do anything about it. I think there are a couple of REALLY ripe bananas in the freezer. Maybe I should make banana bread.

Good luck on the dishwasher search, Marilynne. (Though having had dark coloured appliances when we bought our house in 1970, beats me WHY you'd want a dark colour).
You could always paint the sides with a melamine paint.

Ann

Ann .. I had the 'being logged out' episode a few days back .. since I never logoff it was a toughie trying to remember my password !!!

Re the dark appliances .. BOY do I hear ya .. but .. we had the kitchen renovated last year and I switched from an electric to a gas range .. and .. since the whole colour scheme of the kitchen had changed ..I had gone with darker countertops .. I chose a BLACK GAS RANGE ... WELL .. first of all .. I am becoming an UN FAN of gas .. find it heats the kitchen up .. and .. when the sun shines into my kitchen (I have a very large kitchen) if you look at the stove you immediately head for a dust cloth and a bottle of cleaner !!! Lordie does it show the dust etc. My other choice was stainless steel .. didn't really like it .. so .. now that we are replacing the dishwasher .. even though it's 8' from the stove .. any other colour but black would look odd. My fridge remains almond .. but it is not near either of the other 2 appliances .. and .. it's a waiting game with it as to when it's going to need replacing .. it's a Whirlpool (Kenmore) and, at 18 years of age .. still going strong.

Happy baking :-)

~M~

Morning, bet you thought I'd gotten lost, well almost did..went MIA..lol..
Loved to read all your stories..
Carol,yummy, look at that cake...did it taste every bit as good as it looked...

Friday in the post office the lady that takes in strays who will shortly be 80 is having difficulties..she's looking for homes to take in dogs/cat..will pay food and vet bills..was tempted but with Sailor growing more feeble got out of there without offering..I'll also not make a visit to her home as I know for sure one would be coming home with me..sad, people know her circumstances and yet early morning/late night she'll find an animal at her doorstep...

"M" that is weird is it not having white sides and black front..guess the front panel as with most dishwashers has inserts that you can unscrew the top panel and change color..could it be that same can be done for the sides?

Dahlianut did you get your storm..Linda

It's been extremely cold here, no snow though so it's bearable..sun seems to get warmer as the days go by...spring can't be far away...

It was quiet on the weekend, me,myself and I..did accomplish much..finished to 'cafe' birdhouse (must show you a photo) then did that silk curtain type canope..not quite sure if I like it, didn't take it down yet, came up with another idea..just need 4 more meters then I'll make my ultimate decision..just wanted something different..

Yesterday, OMG, had a headache like I've never had before..got up for work, and just before I was to leave I started to vomit..migraine..so back in bed for the entire day and evening..this morning I returned 1 call at 7:30..grandson Noah's birthday today..he's 11 - wanted me to come for supper tonight so that should be fun....

Hope it's sunshine in your neck of the woods...

Betty .. wonderful to hear from you .. and BOooooooooo to migraines .. or as my Irish kinfolk call'em .. "MEGRAINES'
NO fun at all and I am eternally grateful that I am not afflicted by them .. have cared for patients who have had them, and, as you know, QUIET is of the essence .. finding QUIET on a busy hospital unit is IMPOSSIBLE .. used ear plugs lots.
Hope it in the past and that you enjoy Noah's BDay dinner ^_^

I pick up my new dishwasher on Saturday .. VERY disappointed with customer service at the Brick .. stood in the appliance dept for 20 minutes .. finally decided I was invisible !!
Ended up at Sears and bought a TOTALLY black portable .. MAY have trouble with the display panel .. kinda teensie buttons .. !! The fella looked up the black and white Maytag online and was amazed !!!!! Had NO explanation for it.
My old Kemore ALMOND portable is being donated to my best buds son and wife who are expecting their first child in March (a boy they are calling 'Kingston') they had bought all their other major appliances, but, the dishwasher was a frivolous purchase .. mine works .. so I'm happy to hand it down ..

I hear there is a storm on the way .. right now .. I am sitting in a south window and it is VERY warm in the sun .. almost too warm .. have slid the window open .. mmmmmmmmmmm .... the air feels and smells like Lilly needs a walk :-)

Toodles

~M~

Snow here over night but not so bad that I stayed home and made cookies!
Maybe next time !

Good news on the DW. I've been in the Brick just once - looking at freezers for the FC some years ago. The sales pressure was so high I resolved never to return.

My car is in for service. I was getting a rattle under heavy acceleration. They tell me it's the water pump. They were SUPPOSED to have replaced the water pump last summer. Now they tell me that they didn't bill me for it - just for the timing belt that they did at the same time. Guess I'd better find that invoice. $$$

Have a student in an hour and a Horticultural Society meeting after that. Better go and make dinner.

Ann

Sunny day here today, think they are calling for +2..imagine, heat wave..much the same for all week..tomorrow few flakes but nothing major that will get us out of February...end is nearing, shortly to be in gardens..can`t wait..

Brought my workshop book in, there is an entertaining squirrel feeder in it..must make a couple..am sure it would be entertaining watching them..maybe if we feed them they won`t eat up all the birdseed...

Did have fun with Noah last night...

Ann do hope you find the receipt...nothing like having to pay twice..

Dullish day .. but mild .. got about 2" of snow that is already disappearing .. AND .. I am convinced the Chicadees are singing their Spring/summer song .. a good sign fer sure.

Sure hope you find the invoice Ann .. so maddening .. as DISorganized as I can be .. I do try to keep stuff like that in a place I can remember .. doesn;t always work in our NON paperless society !!!

Good heavens Betty .. we have had a virtual SQUIRREL EXPLOSION here .. can't keep up with them ..

Heading out for town in a bit .. on the search for a microwave stand WITH storage .. seems buying a dishwasher has caused ANOTHER domino effect ...

~M~

Isn't that always the way 'M' fix one thing and another item comes up...

Just think the feeder will be fun..drive squirrels nuts and entertain me..lol

Our big storm is over but the snow is lingering on!When you see these pictures you see why Joy

As you can see we had to be rescued by our neighborTo get out of the houseThe next picture shows the stranded family.

This shows the cleanup.I think they really enjoyed it.One neighbor came by to help but I think he wanted to play with the rest of "the Kids"

There's nothing like a good snowstorm to bring out the whole neighbourhood. :-)

That is amazing. So glad you had good friends and neighbors to help you out. C'mon Spring!

Wow, and here I was complaining..no more..looking on the bright side thanks to you..glad you are all safe...all the smiles show you took it in good stride...

DAWG Joy !!!! How amazing .. so glad you're OK as well as everyone else .. and I complained when we got 5CM !!

Canadians are HEARTY stock ^_^

~M~

Holy cow that sure is a LOT of snow!!! I do love that photo showing all the snow with you guys stuck in the house - that is a keeper! I am glad you are all safe....

Yes this type of weather really does bring neighbours together I find....at least where I am. When it snows a lot everyone seems to help everyone out which is great!

It's a mild day here in Barrie, overcast, the snow soon turned to light mist..slushy/slushy...gee I'm excited about that..lol

Good morning,

Been out to 8 am aquafit and then on for an allergy injection. Am now waiting for car dealer's driver to pick me up to get my car. It was done yesterday, but easier to connect today. It looks as though they actually didn't charge me for the waterpump last summer; so a charge is fair but NOT for labour which is significant because it shouldn't have quit so soon. And they did work to the CVS joints and suspension that needed to be done. Makes me wonder why they didn't pick that up in late November. I'm sure it wasn't a lot better than now.

Got this from a friend. Enjoy.