Woo Hoo Wednesday

Woo Hoo Wednesday is where I'll post whatever I've accomplished since the previous Wednesday.

First up...Wednesday is weigh-in day and, with the help of SparkPeople I lost 2 pounds this week. Woo Hoo!!!

I've tried 3 times, unsuccessfully, to post pictures. Things just freeze up and I have to ctrl/alt/delete to escape. So, sadly, no pictures this post. I'll try another day.

Update: Google tells me that Blogger and IE aren't playing  nice at the moment and to use Chrome or Firefox. Success!!!

Since it was too darned cold to leave the house the past week or so, I decided to try my hand at Tunisian crochet. I have a wooden hook that belonged to my grandmother and it was pretty cool to put my hands where hers had been so many years ago. I did a swatch in sport weight and one in regular worsted. I think the hook is about a 6.5mm and seemed to be too big for both yarns. The fabric really didn't feel any thicker than if I'd done single crochet using my 5mm hook, as I normally do for these yarns.  I'll make another swatch using a bulky yarn to see if I like that any better.

First attempt.

Second one.

I also made some hand/foot balm this morning. My poor hands and feet are so dry and cracked. Lotion is useless when they get this bad. I used to make, and sell, cold process soap as well as my foot balm and a few other personal care goodies but I got tired of hauling it all back and forth to Farmers Market so I stopped. I love my foot balm. It's better than anything else I've tried. I put some on this morning and already my feet are thanking me.

I crochet for an organization called Knit A Square which provides blankets for AIDS/HIV orphans in South Africa. In a nutshell, knitters and crocheters around the world send in 8 inch squares which are then sewn into blankets and distributed. I'll try to remember to do a proper post on this fabulous organization in the near future. In the meantime, do click on the link to learn more about them and the different ways one can help.

This week, for this group, I crocheted 6 squares and have the front of a go-over all but finished. The 2 rust coloured squares are for a memory blanket I'll send later in the year.

We have a condo in Mexico that we plan to snowbird to when Grampa retires next year. In the meantime, we manage to get down there for most of the months of March and November. The big city nearby has a hospital that does cancer treatments, specifically for kids. There has been a request for soft caps/beanies for the kids for after they lose their hair. So I've dug out my knitting needles and worked on those as well. This week I got one done and half of another. I took 6 down with me this past November and would like to have another 6 for March.

I also made myself a crocheted Swiffer cover. I'll need to do a bit of tweaking on the next one. It shrunk a bit width-wise and I would like it to be just a smidge wider. Four stitches should do it.

So...what were your Woo Hoo's this week?

A New Year, A New Start

I've neglected my blog so badly that I'm glad there's no Blog Protective Services to come take me away.


So, with the new year, comes the resolution to take better care of it. I retired the end of September, so I really haven't much excuse for not posting more regularly. I was thinking that having some categories for specific days might help. Maybe something like Debi's  WIP Wednesday or Foodie Friday. I'll have to cogitate on this some. If anyone has any ideas, do let me know.


Grampa had rotator cuff surgery in September and was off work for 7 weeks, giving me a taste of retirement together. All I can say is, that man better find himself something to occupy his time with. Something that doesn't include the TV going all day. Good grief. I was ready to throw that darned machine out.


His surgery went well but he has so much arthritic wear and tear that his surgeon told him he'd likely need a shoulder replacement in the future. Poor man has already had both hips replaced. He says, when they dig up his body a few hundred years from now, they'll wonder if we had robots and why would we bury them...lol.


In November/December, we spent 3 glorious weeks at our condo in Mexico. It was miserably cold, here in Canada, while we were gone and hasn't warmed up since. It's been cold all across the country without much relief in sight. I've only left the house twice since Christmas. I'm grateful, though, that we're not in any of the areas that were hit with the ice storm, blizzards and ensuing power outages. Those poor folks have sure had a rough go of it.


And that is about as exciting as my life has been.


TTFN

All By Myself

Grampa left on Thursday to visit his mom and sister who live in another province. I'm taking a few  days off, here and there, over the next month so I wasn't comfortable asking for more, especially since I'm retiring the end of September. So I've been "batching it" the last 3 days.

It's been an experience. I can eat what I want, when I want. Now, Grampa isn't a fussy eater. Not at all. I'm so blessed in that regard. But it's just different when I don't have to cook with him in mind. As in, tonight I had a few slices of deli meat and a couple of Nanaimo bars for supper. Don't judge me. I don't normally eat this poorly. But I definitely eat more nutritiously when he's here.

The house is soooooo quiet! No TV blaring away. His noisy smoothy blender thingy hasn't woke me up. All those little noises a person makes, that you don't really pay attention to, are absent. Like the toilet flushing, the shower running, his electric shaver, doors opening and closing, rummaging in the fridge or pantry, puttering around the house. Can't say I've missed his snoring, though...lol.

The biggest thing has been not having anybody to talk to. I'm an introvert by nature, but even I need daily contact with people.

I couldn't help but think about folks whose spouses have passed and how my life the past 3 days has given me a small taste of what it would be like should Grampa go first. I can sure see the need for a social network and how a person could go a little cuckoo if they don't maintain social contact.

I've enjoyed having this time to myself but I'm sure going to be glad to see him when he gets home tomorrow.

What a Day

It started out innocently enough...having breakfast, checking email, and texting back and forth with my 3 daughters, all trying to figure out where and when we would meet to watch the rodeo parade. I looked out the living room window and was astounded to see 2 fire trucks, the fire marshal's pickup and the smaller, bright yellow fire truck at the apartment building across the street.

Several fire fighters were gathered in a group on the lawn and another one was watching over a big fan that was pointed in towards the main door of the building. I didn't hear any sirens so I have no idea how long they'd been there. I opened the front door but couldn't smell any smoke. I haven't a clue what happened but it's a small town so I'll find out soon enough.

The parade had the usual contingent of horses, local groups and loud, honking trucks. Noticeably absent was the RCMP parade leaders and the fire engines. I suppose the fire engines/fighters had to do whatever it is they do after responding to a call and weren't able to be in the parade. But where were the boys in their dashing red serge?

Take a look at what WAS in the parade!

Yes, folks. That's a real live bison in that convertible! You can also see a dog on the back. What you can't see is the man driving the car. Only in small town Canada.

There was a little girl of about 8, and her mother, standing about 15 feet from us. While mom was busy videoing the parade on her iPhone, the girl was busy picking up candy. Now, I get that the candy thing is pretty much a free-for-all but this girl was aggressively getting all she could. She would swoop in like a seagull at a picnic, quickly scooping up all that she could get her hands on. As my grandsons, 6 and not quite 4, were reaching for goodies, she would dive in and snatch them right out from under their fingers.

The final straw came at the end of the parade when she bumped the 4 year old out of the way. I loudly said, "Seriously?!" I looked over at the mother who was now sitting down and said, "Seriously!" and gave her a withering look. She gave me a blank look like she had no idea what I was upset about. Well, of course you don't know. How could you when you weren't paying any attention to your little darling during the entire parade, to see what she was up to. ARGH! I wish it was possible to shake the stupid out of people.

It was cool and windy today so, after the parade, I pretty much hibernated in the house. Got some laundry and a whole lot of housework done.

I had planned on making muffins this afternoon but I had forgotten to take the margarine out of the fridge to soften. I did that right away and I'm baking the muffins now, in the evening. The first pan is out and they sure do smell good. I'll have to do some quality control tasting when they're cool enough..lol. I had some sour cream to use up and the over ripe bananas were starting to take over my fridge freezer so I'm using this recipe.

I'm currently working on a knitted blanket for one of the g'sons. I'm making it in four squares that I'll join together. Square #3 is on the needles right now. I want to get this square done this weekend, and I'm a slow knitter, so I'd better get back to it.

You all have a great weekend.

It's Raining

Finally!

It's the first real rain of the year and it's badly needed. Fields are dry. Forest is dry. My front lawn, which faces west, is brown and crunchy.

The timing stinks, though.

It's grad day for one of the schools. It's supposed to be rainy and windy in the afternoon. Those poor girls. Their Cinderella gowns will be muddy on the bottom and their expensive hairdos will be mussed up.

It's also rodeo weekend. There's always a pancake breakfast and parade. It will literally be raining on our parade. The arena is going to be a sloppy pit. I can't imagine it would be safe for horse or rider. We're not a rodeo family so I won't be one of the spectators getting soaked in the stands.

Rain doesn't normally excite me but, since I'm not involved with grad or the rodeo, I'm happy to see some moisture finally arrive. I'd prefer it was during the week instead of the weekend, but we take what we're given, right?

Who You Calling Old?

I've been MIA for a long time. Life just kinda got in the way, yanno? But I'm back. For now, anyways...lol.

My daughter called me this afternoon with a funny story involving something her almost 4 year old son said.

Their neighbour's dog passed away this weekend. Her boys, 6 and the almost 4, wanted to go over to play but DD said it wasn't a good time because of the dog's passing. Four year old wanted to know why he had died.

Because he was 13, she says.

Well, sister is going to be 13 next month. Does that mean she's going to die soon?

No. People live longer than dogs. They don't die until they're old.

Well, Gramma B is old. Is she going to die soon?

No. Gramma isn't going to die soon.

OLD?! He called me OLD?! Of his 4 g'parent's, I'm the youngest. And I'm only 52. And most people guess me to be 5 to 10 years younger than I am.

Sheesh!  LOLOL

How to Get a Telemarketer to Hang Up

Hahahaha!!!

So yesterday, I answer a phone call at work. The gentleman on the other end starts in...

"Hello, ma'am. My name is blahblahblah and I'm with blahblahblah and blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah..." with a voice that clearly says, "I'm working from an outsourced country." You know the kind...the one with an accent so thick you can't understand a word they say. And he's yammering on at 100mph so I haven't a hope of understanding him.

So I say, "Stop," but he keeps on going. "Stop! STOP! STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!!!" He finally stops.

"WHO are you with?"

"My name is blahblahblah and I'm with blahblah Yellow Pages blahblahblahblahblahblah..." and he keeps on yapping.

"I'm sorry. I'm not the one you want to talk to. I'm not the boss. She'll be back in September."

Click.

The rude b*****d just hung up. No "OK," or "I'll call back later." Just...click.

The guy was so fired up to make a sale that he didn't even take the time to find out if he was talking to the right person.

Idiot.