Gratitude

Thanks go out to my readers for recent uplifting comments.

I feel inspired to carry on and start posting again.

It feels wonderful to know

that although we don't talk face to face

(well, thankfully sometimes some of us do)

you are in my corner

and I am in yours.

Some of us have been posting and 

commenting in the same family

of blogs for 8-10 years!

I think that's amazing and

I just want to say...

"I love you guys"!

This is a remark some of my family members,

including me, 

make when we've tippled one too many 

scotches :)

we get sappy and teary

but in a good way.

😁

Signs of Spring!!

The Ospreys are back!

Green - my favourite colour!

Leaves of an early spring wildflower - Trout Lily

The deer are loving the fresh new grass!

I don't like the smell of skunk cabbage
but I do love the colour and
the spirals!

Snowdrops

The wild snowdrops are much more vibrant than my domesticated ones.

Spring also brings out ladies who lunch :)
I was fortunate to meet three school friends in Hamilton
for a nice long catching up lunch.
I love these ladies!!!
Next time I need to wear heels!

Foto Friday

A year ago I was much more productive than I am currently. However, having to "rest" my eye and then wear a splint on two fingers of my right (dominant) hand has forced me to be more creative in choosing projects to work on. 

Here's Lily modelling a crocheted scarf I made a year ago. She doesn't look too happy!

It matches my favourite Mountain Equipment Company "Monsoon" coat that I wear year round.

Kilally Meadows looks about the same as it does now - just waiting for more sunshine before bursting into green leaves and grass.

Deer were on the move at this time last year; and on my many recent visits I've seen a lot of prints but not the real deal.  Soon, I hope.

My snowdrops were in bloom one year ago and are now as well. After the wild thunderstorm we had last night they're probably up another inch or two!

One year ago I fixed a friend's soapstone amulet.

And I shipped off this soapstone sculpture to a friend in the States.

Under the base was a secret spiral!

Sadly, at the moment, I am not crocheting or carving or playing volleyball - so what am I up to?

Well... I have combined mega reading with riding my stationary bike, I hike almost every day, I have this blog, of course, I have rejoined ancestry.ca to further explore my dad's origins, I planned my trip to Scotland, have upped my involvement with the Council of Canadians by attending more frequent protests, have spent a LOT of money on books (thank God I can read!!) from Amazon and also at my local Goodwill Bookstore (bought 9 books there yesterday for $27.00 - a bargoon!) and discovered a great series called "Justice" on Amazon Prime. I did my taxes and use Word to keep up with my journal.

I guess I'm still as productive as I ever was...

So much to do...so little time :)

Foto Friday

 A year ago today was the day of the BIG snow. A week before this my snowdrops were up a few inches as well as a few other perennials.  I was hiking in short sleeves.

This was the only significant snowfall of the entire winter.

I was really happy to be retired!

I could watch the snow piling up from the safety and warmth of my home :)

Dougie - you can stay right where you are!

Too bad sucker.....!

This year we sent our snow to B.C.!! You're welcome!

I took the photo below looking out across the street from my bedroom window and posted it on facebook last year asking if people could guess which of my favourite books was represented by this photo.

Can you guess the book?

Meanwhile the snow got deeper and deeper...

 Lily decided to ignore the weather from the comfort of her box!  Smart kitty!

I kept shovelling an area on my patio and tossing out birdseed for the juncos and chickadees and the doves...

This year we have next to no snow and what little there is should melt in the +7c temperatures forecast for tomorrow. We've had oodles of rain and very little snow. My maple tree has buds on it. Not good!

Just another Money Monday

Don't you just love the end of a month?  I put my nice clean (for now) budget page for March on my clipboard, forever consigning February 2016 to my filing cabinet. I know March isn't until tomorrow but I actually closed February last Friday. I had $60 in my wallet plus $150 in my snowflake box just in case of emergency. And I still had $120 in my chequing account.

So I did what any sane person would do - I went shopping!! No, I didn't go wild. I bought some super bulky yarn at Michael's for my next project - an infinity scarf for Kazi. And I bought a cute little book with a nice variety of crochet projects including a SUPER darling pair of baby shoes :) Well, I can dream can't I? I wonder if they have a kitty-cat version??

Now THERE'S and idea....nope, just couldn't do it!

I used money from my wallet for the yarn and book which came to about $22. Then I danced a jig over to the Currency Exchange store at Masonville Mall and purchased 100 euros!! Woo hoo!! When all was said and done I withdrew the $120 left over in my chequing account and put it into my snowflake box towards my next purchase of euros! I should be able to buy another 100 euros by the end of this week or next! As long as Murphy doesn't rear his ugly head! Thankfully the euro is dropping too which makes it a bit cheaper than a few weeks ago.

My February budget goals were met: a Christmas present for my great-nephew was purchased and I donated $25 to United Way. What really helped me out in February was the weather and the price of gas. We had a bad storm that kept me home for a few days - with another one due tomorrow!! And with the price of gas being at its lowest in years I only spent $68 for gas for Dougie the Dodge. Unheard of!

The big grocery shop in the middle of the month ($102) is still feeding us! And my heating bill was at its lowest in years as well (for a January!) I'm curious to see what my heating bill will be for February - yes, it's a shorter month but I tried something a little different. I set the thermostat at 19c and didn't touch it once! If I got chilly I put on a sweater or put a quilt over my lap. When we watch TV we have an electric fire to keep us toasty. So, happily, I ended up with surpluses in both the gas and grocery budget lines :) Yippee!!

Savings increased by about $550 which was then used to pay for some Ireland-related expenses. Easy come, easy go! Still awaiting my whopping tax refund of just over $200 plus I have some good RSP interest due this month. That will all go towards the trip. So that was February! I think March is going to come in like a lion according to the latest forecast. That's ok, let's get it over with - only 3 weeks til SPRING!! 

Once again my snowdrops are blooming but if tomorrow's forecast is accurate they'll be covered up for the second time. (Just checked - we're in for anywhere between 15 and 30cms)  Crap.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!

Phew! I had to let that out; now I feel much better. What's going on?

ANNIE AND I ARE GOING TO IRELAND!!! THAT'S WHAT!!

We'll be meeting up in Dublin, spending a few nights there, travelling across country to Galway on the west coast, spending a couple days on the largest of the Aran islands, then walking northwest of Galway ending up in Westport.  We'll go back to Galway spending a couple of nights, then heading to Blarney & Cork (have to kiss the Blarney Stone!) and then heading back to Dublin. What a trip!

More details to come! Wheeeeeeee!

Photos of my recent thrift store finds (by popular request!):

My new flannel sheet set - washed and on my bed already! Brand new - perhaps someone received them as a gift and doesn't like horses - who doesn't love horses?? Anyhoo I'm sleeping great for just a few dollars!

 A wispy summer top (50% off)!

 I like the little zipper detail in front.

 I love asymmetrical hemlines - this top fits well and looks great!

This has a similar hemline in black and white; very flattering. Also 50% off!

 My new black, grey and white quilt - $9.99 - I would have paid more, but glad I didn't have to. It's getting the sniff test by Luna and then she tests it for nap time coziness - PASS!

My favourite find - a green/blue/gold paisley blanket backed with sheepskin - oh so cozy! $5.00!!

Finally - what the heck is going on with the weather??  Looks like I could soon be seeing daffodils and snow drops! I took a lovely walk today in +6c weather and got HOT! Last year at this time we were in the deep freeze - around -20c and lower with the wind chill. Today's weather felt wonderful but makes me uneasy. Mother Nature will make us pay...somehow!

There were a couple more items - a few of those specialty hangers that hold 10 items and a huge piece of cloth as a gift for my friend Julie, the banner maker.

Oh, I bought another Christmas present today! At this rate I'll be done shopping by summer :)  I was at  Michael's buying yarn, on sale for only $1.49 per ball, to make Christmas scarves (I am on top of things!!) and I saw a bunch of science kits for making crystals among other things. Well, my great nephew, Ollie, loves rocks, fossils and things of that nature. (I gave him some fossilized POOP for Christmas - what little boy doesn't love fossilized poop!!) I had a coupon for 20% off of my whole order as well as the 10% off senior's discount. I'm on FIRE!!

Coming Soon to a Location Near YOU - SPRING!!

 This is what I woke up to on the 1st day of April - NO JOKE!!

But just a day or so later and the world righted itself once again. Today I got out for a walk and then decided to do some raking. My back is paying for it now - but that's my fault, I get so impatient! Some daffodils are popping up!

My favourite bleeding heart bush :)

Precious hardy snowdrops...

I uncovered a few purple myrtle flowers while pulling out dead leaves...

And a little rose bush that a friend gave me last June was still alive!! Couldn't believe it!

and the ever realiable columbines.

Plants don't lie right?