Ya gotta love a man who gets up at 5am just to make some Early Morning Eye Opener in the juicer for ya! Some apple, orange, ginger, turmeric, kale and what have you... (great way to use up leftovers - I think a lime went in there this morning)! I can actually feel the energy from all the vitamins and anti-oxidants flowing out to my extremities - a bit like the amazing HULK (it's the kale!)! So far this school year I haven't had so much as the sniffles (but I probably just jinxed myself by mentioning it though!)

I have nothing in particular to say, have you noticed yet? Last night I helped Kazi study for another bar tending test, this time for Earl's, the restaurant she's working in. I'd name a drink and she'd list all the ingredients and the amounts - I felt a little lightheaded after a couple of hours! She passed with flying colours especially when compared to the other guy doing the test who couldn't remember anything! Did you know a Mai Tai has almond syrup in it? Now you do!

Tomorrow I'm throwing my last ever classroom Halloween party. I just know I'm going to regret not holding it on Friday (think kids on sugar overload!!) but  Halloween fell on a Thursday this year and I don't like having a party AFTER the holiday is over. There will likely be a few very hyper people in the classroom on Friday...and that's just the staff!! 

The students' Best Buddies are coming - 29 in all - that makes 40 kids plus 7 adults all in one not very big classroom. I have some crafts organized, some games (teams racing to wrap each other up with rolls of toilet paper!!), lots of snacks/drinks, someone burned a CD of Halloween music (Monster Mash etc) for dancing to, I have prizes and treats, lots of decorations - should be a blast! I feel a headache coming on :)

So off I go to bed to get my rest! I'll need a giant glass of juice tomorrow morning MICHAEL!!

Take it or LEAVE it!

 An easy post today...as most of you know Michael and I love to get out into the woods and by lakes to enjoy what nature has to offer - we find it heals our hearts and brings us great joy.

We also love to take photos...hundreds and hundreds of photos! This autumn has been spectacular - the weather has been mild and the change of colours very gradual.

 Most trees still have the majority of their leaves - when they finally all decide to fall, it will be a sad sad day.

 So, enjoy a walk through the woods and around a lake with us as we glory in the sunshine. You'll also see some wildlife - some turtles enjoying the sun before burying themselves in the mud at the bottom of the lake, a snake slithering up an embankment, ducks splashing and geese soaring.

Hearts are everywhere!

 Getting a different perspective!

 Fishing season is not over yet!

Not too wild :)

I already want to take a nap tomorrow....

 because I get tired just looking at these photos!  Above is Kazi's room, below is the cat's room, my former bedroom. (We have a 3rd bedroom in the basement which is where Michael and I sleep.) I wanted to show you a picture of the big desk in Kazi's room which Michael and his son Dane took apart on Friday...but it's kind of hard to see underneath the accumulation of stuff! If you look really hard in the upper right quadrant you can barely see it behind the mirror....well, anyways it's GONE!
It's hard to believe that in one more week her room will be empty. I just took a double dose of ibuprofin after yesterday's exertions left me with a sore shoulder - yes, the same one that was immobilized due to a pinched nerve in January, :( so I better get some help clearing out her room!

Our almost 20 year old cat Tisky did a great job of cleaning up her room...har har har! Just a few pieces of furniture to move out in preparation for new carpet laying taking place on Nov. 4th. Little does Tisky know however, that she will be moving to the laundry room - I'm not allowing one cat hair on the new carpet! Morbid as it sounds, I honestly, truly thought she would be in "kitty heaven" by now, buried out back with our 4 hamsters. I've had 3 other cats over my adult life with none of them living past the age of 11. Tisky will be 20 next June...who knew??

Ever wondered what was under your flooring?  Well, don't...it ain't pretty! I spent 2 hours yesterday vacuuming up the dust and dirt - YUCK!!

There isn't much living going on in the living room! It's been turned into a repository for the upstairs furniture while it gets newly carpeted.

Under the dining room table are the boxes of bamboo hardwood which we'll do after the carpet is installed - we'll move all the furniture upstairs and/or outside on the patio if the weather is ok.

The staircases look particularly ugly with the carpet ripped off of them. The one set below will be recarpeted as it flows from the bedrooms upstairs but the one to the basement...well, let's just say we haven't figured that one out yet.

So that's this week's update on the renos...hopefully the next update will show some completed work. I still have some wallpaper and border to remove but I'll either have to do it with my left hand/arm or wait til my right one feels better.

In other news...my daughter is planning a trip to Australia after Christmas! Yes, she wants to see a bit of the world and perhaps work there for awhile. Her best friend is there for the next two years in law school so Kazi is taking this opportunity to visit her and explore job prospects and a different part of the world. I'm excited for her - this is the time to do it and I hope her horizons will be broadened by seeing how other people live.

Patio Stones - GONE!

Going, going GONE!! That is the theme around here these days. I am quite enjoying the dismantling of the home I've lived in for almost 20 years and watching things disappear! Rereading the last sentence makes me wonder if I've lost it! Well, har har har, if I haven't lost it then I'm getting rid of it!! Good riddance!

The last in the long list of things to BEGONE are our old patio stones.

Remember these ugly things?

No, not my hand-me-down moccasins (I call my style "Early Kazi") but the patio stones behind them. Stained, not level anymore, ugly as sin patio stones?

 All 27 of them carried to Dougie the Dodge by Michael! #28 will continue to reside under the central air conditioner.

Only Michael could still muster up a smile when about to carry #27 to the truck! Honestly, we did try to borrow a wheel barrow with no luck. Michael also asked his son to come and help out but gave up waiting for him to arrive. Kids these days...

Once loaded Michael drove Dougie the Dodge to Bayfield and unloaded all of the patio stones at our old trailer, which friends of ours now own.  We thought they could extend the dance floor....

....which isn't nearly large enough once I get going!  And they could put them behind the trailer where the weeds are rampant...or both!!

I'm just glad they're Gone Baby Gone! (We watched that movie last night on Netflix! How apropos!)

Here's what we plan to do next....

...IF this were our yard...but since it isn't it'll look more like this...

...except we need to get more flagstones and fill in the spaces with something and of course it'll be a bright sunny warm day when we are ready to sell not cold and raining like today!! Hah!

So far we've purchased 1/2 ton of flagstones but they don't go very far. Each time we have to carry a load like that we are soooooo grateful for Dougie the Dodge. He's so big and strong!

And you too Michael, you too!!

No More Lazy Boys for Me!

 No siree bub!! They're gone - a matching pair that we've lounged on, read our favorite books on, cuddled on, even SLEPT on!! I listed them on Kijiji on Sunday and they were gone by Tuesday! We even delivered them thanks to Dougie the Dodge. We got $300 for them - they didn't even dicker and they were thrilled with them. Perhaps I should have asked for more.....?

But no, that's ok. They loved them, we saw them put in pride of place in their living room - they're just starting out together, furnishing their first apartment together. As Michael put it - they've found a new home and that makes me happy!

Now, if someone would only buy our dining room set!

The downsizing continues!!