Posted in Family Fun on February 1, 2022| 1 Comment »
How has my precious little baby turned into a beautiful young woman of 16?
The time has gone by so quickly. Even having her home and homeschooling it’s gone by in a flash.
I am so proud of Ella. She is smart, loving, has a huge heart, and is a very good friend.
Happy Birthday Sweetheart!
Posted in Christmas, Family Fun, Holidays on December 25, 2021| 1 Comment »
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!! I haven’t fell off the face of the earth, it just feels that way. I’ll post soon, but it’s not for today.
Having a very quiet Christmas here at home with Colin and Ella.
Posted in Family Fun, Sewing, Sewing on June 5, 2021| 2 Comments »
What’s the weather doing where you are? It can’t seem to make up it’s mind. We got so cold last week that Colin actually lit the furnace again! We’ve got the a/c back on and I’m so very glad because they are already talking 35C/95F with the humidity. My asthma is acting up today, so I’m so very grateful that I don’t have to fight the humidity too.
I’ve got a bit of sewing done. So many of my dresses are getting worn out. Far too worn for going to town.
I had a lot of trouble with this dress. The original top didn’t fit, still not sure how considering it was a custom pattern? So I pulled out my old faithful Folkwear dirndl pattern and changed it to fit the skirt, which was already cut out. I hand inserted the side zipper, which was a first for me.
See these happy, smiling faces?? That’s because our whole family is now ‘half’ vaccinated. It has done a world of good for Ella’s anxiety. Colin and Ella had rather sore arms for a few days (couldn’t lift over their heads without pain/supporting the arm). I was fine. We also had really great people give us the needles. I’ve NEVER had a ‘shot’ that hurt as little as this one.
Now if only we could get some gentle rain in suitable amounts, everything would be great.
Posted in Crops, Family Fun, Farm on May 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I’ve been planning this post for a while. Colin had just started planting the wheat. Now I’m happy to say he’s one field away from being done with the soy beans. Colin finished up planting the corn on Sunday.
My Christmas/birthday present finally arrived…
Colin got us central air!! I will finally be comfortable in the summer. I will be able to cook/bake in the summer. And most importantly, I’ll be able to breathe in the summer. My lungs have such a hard time in the heat and humidity.
Elizabeth posted over on her blog the other day about how much she and her Grandma love the month of May. I do too (and not just because it’s my birthday month). Her post got me thinking, where’s our May? Ever since Colin got the wheat in (the end of April) it’s been cold and rainy (except the day we got snow!). It does not look like the middle of May here:
Leaves are starting and my tulips are loving the cooler weather, but the trees are still basically sticks.
Speaking of my birthday, I turned 50 on the 4th. It was quiet since we are in lockdown again.
Posted in Family Fun, Farm on April 12, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Spring has definitely arrived in Renfrew County. Hopefully it’s here to stay. Facebook has been showing me blizzards from years past. Meanwhile, Colin is talking about starting to plant wheat at the end of the week if it stays dry.
The snow drops and crocuses are finished. The bloomed nice and early. Now we’ve got ‘bluebells’, aka squill. They are really starting to spread nicely. I want the entire yard to be blue in the spring, just like the old houses in Toronto that we pass on the way to church.
So, I did a thing… I let Ella ‘trim’ my hair. Should have been about 3 inches. We started with wrist length hair…
My hair is now waist length! That’s a good 6 inches! Sigh, it feels short! But I will admit my braids look better because they are more or less the same thickness all the way down.
Colin’s been busy with his mobile seed cleaner. Last week he spent 3 days down around Carleton Place cleaning for his big customers. He loves those jobs. They are long days, but it’s large tonnage, good crops, and helpful famers. He’s actually short a few guys down there because their crops weren’t good enough with last year’s drought.
Gotta go and figure out something for supper. I’m still having so much trouble menu planning. Why? I’d really like to know…
Posted in Christmas, Christmas, Family Fun, Holidays on January 22, 2021| 1 Comment »
Wow, it’s been some start to 2021! I’m so worried for all you guys living in the States. Please stay safe and I pray this is all over soon and the United States can get back to itself.
Early January we had to take Colin’s Dad down to one of the hospitals in Ottawa to get a ‘thing’ removed from his eyelid. Ontario went into lockdown again on Boxing Day so we were worried about food and bathroom breaks. Luckily McDonalds and Tim Hortons are still allowing people inside (to order not eat) so it wasn’t a problem. We have to take him down again in February. My Mom had a health scare over the holidays but thank God that turned out to be nothing. As per usual though, the doctor didn’t call and tell her she was OK. Mom had to call the office and talk with the good nurse to get the information.
I just realized I didn’t share the elf mischief this year.
I made some new mice for Belinda’s cats -she only has 2 but these mice are addictive and I couldn’t stop. One morning we discovered Faith and Merry and Sheldon (looking festive this year) playing with the mice.
Christmas Eve morning we caught them with the phones. I’ll have to watch on my bill for any long distance calls!!
Auntie Belinda and Uncle Stefan came up on the 27th. It’s literally been a year since we saw them. Ella has missed them so much. Belinda is only going into the office (downtown Toronto) one day a week and Stefan is working from home. They wore masks and gloves and only stayed long enough to open presents. It was a good, safe visit but weird with no hugs.
Last weekend Colin and I went out to the usual B&B. It was one of my Christmas presents. They were allowed to be open under the rules at the time. I trust Carol had the place spotless. It was great. We didn’t see anyone the entire weekend and didn’t have to wear a mask any where.
Since I started this post, we’ve received about 6 inches of snow. So now we look like a winter wonderland too.
Something happened in December for the first time in 32 years. Any guesses??
Colin went to the eye doctor -yep, first time in 32 years! Surprisingly his distance vision hasn’t changed much. But guess who needs glasses for reading now.
Some excitement for Ella, Colin taught Ella how to drive the snowmobile all by herself.
Posted in Christmas, Christmas, Family Fun, Holidays on December 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Merry Christmas to everyone!! Hope you are having a great day surrounded by your loved ones.
Posted in Family Fun, Knitting on December 4, 2020| 1 Comment »
I could have sworn I did a post in November? If I did, I don’t know where it went. I don’t even have a good excuse for you. It seems like I spent most of November doing laundry and washing dishes. I did spend some time running lunches and people around. We’ve got all the crops combined and most of it sold. And to be honest, thousands and thousands already spent for next year’s cropping – it would be nice if the salesmen would wait until you at least had this year’s crops off before wanting your money for next year.
I stopped in at Value Village to see if any China needed rescuing. There wasn’t any plates or bowls, but I did find a cool serving bowl (and the pressed glass one in the corner). It’s called “The Hunter” by Myott. It reminds me of my Dad’s Mom’s china (I can’t find a picture). It makes me smile.
We had a good bit of snow this month, though it’s basically all gone now. I’m ready for the snow, I’m tired of mud and grey.
I finished my sweater and I LOVE it!!! It fits perfectly -a bonus from using a top down sweater pattern. Even better, it was a totally customizable pattern so I could use my measurements and the gauge that I wanted. Much nicer than trying to make my knitting fit the gauge of the pattern. If you remember the pattern that I ‘copied’, it had a hood. I decided not to bother with the hood. Not only am I 49 years old (a little old I think for a hoodie), but a hood would drive me nuts on days that I don’t have my hair up. It’s bad enough that some of my dresses demand certain hair styles (to avoid back zippers/buttons); I didn’t need a sweater doing it too. And you’ll notice, I’ve even got the buttons sewn on already -ha ha!
Hope you are all still there? And I hope you are all doing well and hanging on. Let’s see if I can find more things to post about in December.
Posted in Family Fun on August 24, 2020| 2 Comments »
Yesterday was our 17th wedding anniversary! It’s so hard to imagine it’s been that long already. It doesn’t feel like it. We had a bit of excitement leading up to the wedding. On the 14th there was a blackout that took out Ontario and a large chunk of the north eastern US. Thank goodness I only had a bit of handwork left to do on my dress. Though we got our power back quickly, we seem to be on the same line as the Base in Petawawa. This was great news because we had about 1000 pigs in the barns that need the hydro to keep the fans going to keep them alive! And man, was it hot and humid leading up to the wedding. Colin was busy combining the wheat and I was wondering how I wasn’t going to melt -ha ha! Luckily, there was quite the thunderstorm on the Friday and swept in a glorious cold front. I always joke and say Mom was chilly at the wedding which meant it was a lovely temperature for everyone else. The other bit of excitement took place during the service. Colin and I are standing to the side (must have been the lead up to Communion) and he sees this massive (probably a wolf spider) running across the floor and heading our way. He holds my hand even tighter because he knows I’m going to freak if it gets too close and I see it. He send death rays at the spider and the spider decides to change course and run away. I’m so glad I didn’t see it at all.
Not much of a celebration yesterday. We’re not comfortable eating inside restaurants yet, especially with as ‘cozy’ as our favourite place. We had lunch at the Chip Pit like usual for a Sunday and then we headed to Beachburg so Colin could do Mom’s grass. He took the scenic route and we stopped at the Westmeath Lookout.
This is the view looking towards Pembroke. It’s kind of cool, they have the “directions” labelled in the gazebo so that you know if you are looking towards Beachburg or Quebec. It was hot and muggy yesterday but for some reason the haze doesn’t really show up in the pictures.
And of course, he has his hat on…
Posted in Crops, Family Fun, Farm on August 14, 2020| 1 Comment »
Well, hazy yes lazy not so much -for Colin any ways. The dog days of summer are upon us and Colin has been busy combining our hard red spring wheat. He’s very happy with the harvest so far. Considering the summer we’ve had that’s a bit surprising.
Lunch in the field at the ‘back end’ of the Poff Farm. This farm is just around the corner from the Home farm, but it’s easier and quicker to bring lunch to the field. It’s been so hot this summer without any real breaks (I need more than one decent temperature day to consider it a break), but you probably know that already – ha ha! Colin had a thermometer in the combine yesterday (a decent day temperature wise) and it read 100F! Imagine, 8+ hours in the combine at 100F. No wonder he comes home with heat stroke some days.
We had an unexpected visitor Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. We were woke up at 3:30 by Ella pounding on the bedroom door with a blanket over her head. There was a “giant” bat dive-bombing her in bed. I peaked in her room and yes, there was a large bat hanging off the wall!! By now Colin’s dressed to come and investigate. He sees the bat and heads downstairs for weapons (broom and dustpan). Unfortunately, by the time he comes back upstairs we can’t find the bat. We search around Ella’s room and can’t make it stir, so Colin assumes it’s left by however it got in (we still don’t know how). Ella and I sleep the rest of the night downstairs on the chesterfield. There was no way she was going to sleep in her room not knowing where the bat was hiding. After breakfast we went up to have another look around and fix her bed (stuffies were everywhere). I told her to take everyone off the bed so we could straighten up her blankets too. Nearly everyone was off the bed when Ella picked up Lula
Lula has been Ella’s best buddy for most of her life. She enjoys snuggling and a good game of chess. But I digress…
Ella picks Lula up off the bed and guess what drops off Lula and onto Ella’s foot?! One large, terrified, screaming brown (I think) bat!!!!!
Ella’s screaming, bat’s screaming, I scream because she startled me. Ella runs for my room and I grab the dust pan. I corral the bat and Ella runs outside to get Daddy because I can’t handle this on my own.
Daddy takes care of the bat but Ella’s freaking out because it was in her bed. She made my Lysol her whole room. Even after all these years Lula is still taking care of Ella and protecting her from things that (literally) go bump in the night. To be fair to Ella, it was a really good sized bat. We’ve had a few in the house over the years, but this one was about 8 inches, which is bigger than most. We still have no idea how it got into Ella’s room. Hopefully that’s the last one.
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