Little by little...

Left school around 1:30 today with head just a-pounding. Thought it would be a good idea to come home early and lay down for awhile - still feeling a bit weak and under the weather. However, the pounding continued...

but this pounding I can live with! My new bamboo floors are underway...literally! Gorgeous - the photos don't do it justice at all. There was a lot of prep work to do, leveling the floors and so on. Michael's son Dane and his friend Steve will be back tomorrow to finish this room, the hallway and the living room so more photos coming your way!

I couldn't remember if I had posted any photos of our new flagstone patio and I know you all love looking at rocks so here you go! We need another bag or two of sand to bring everything up to the same level.

Looked outside a little while ago to see the FIRST WHITE STUFF (I refuse to type SNOW...oops) falling onto our patio umbrella...perhaps a not too subtle hint to put the umbrella away for the NEXT SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS?? 
EEEEEEEEEEEEEK! 

Good thing we bumped our internet up to 100 gigs a month -  we've become addicted to Netflix, well "Breaking Bad" to be exact. It's giving me ideas of what I could do when I retire...

.....such as...

• have a baby
• build a meth lab
• collect rocks, minerals to be exact
• buy a car wash
• eat a lot of chicken

What should I pick???

Remembrance Day

In memory of my dad, Gordon Douglas Harrison, Leading Seaman in the Combined Operations of Her Majesty's  Royal Navy. 


Born Sept. 6, 1920 - Feb. 6, 2003.


Dad, you'll always be a hero to me. And like you always said: "old sailors never die, they just get a little dinghy!" 


Thanks for being my dad, teaching me how to throw a ball like a boy, dancing with me around the dining room table, crying with me to the soundtrack of The Sound of Music, teaching me an appreciation of gospel and country music, instructing me in the ways of bluebirds, keeping my first car on the road and always being there when I needed a helping hand or a kick in the behind. You provided both with heartfelt love. I will always be your jewel box. 


Soldier on dad, soldier on.

Muddling along...

Well, at least I'm not dead. 

I'm just in one of those low points right now. It's my own fault. I've been bragging about not remembering the last time I had a cold. Well, now I will be able to remember! We've had a lot of sick kids at school this past week - they should have stayed home, but anyways...now I'm sick and other staff are sick too. I stayed home from school on Friday and took Oil of Oregano and Vitamin C every hour or so. It didn't stop the cold dead in its tracks but as colds go I've had way worse. I must count my blessings I suppose...

 Speaking of blessings...
On the home front the new carpet has been installed and I'm very happy with it. It's nice and bland, a few shades of beige mixed together. I remember one of my sisters getting their house painted in preparation for selling. The shade of paint was called "Forever Beige"!! That's the look we're going for too - Forever Beige - as far as the eye can see! Blechh! But we are told neutral is best when trying to sell.

The next stage of the process is to move all furniture from the main floor upstairs or outside so that the ceramic tile and bamboo hardwood can be installed. That will be taking place next week. I hope. Michael says it'll be done on Monday but it seems to me like too big of a job for one day. But I suppose with enough help from our friends it can be done. I was thinking about taking another sick day on Monday but I have a feeling I'd be better off at school!

 There isn't much furniture upstairs at the moment. Just a chair, dresser, shelf and ironing board in one room and my daughter's bed, dresser, storage bins and yoga mat in her room. She's enjoying all the space, however, it's soon to get filled up.

I'm sitting in my little study right now - along with me and my chair this room contains a huge tire from the back of my truck, a drop-leaf table, a large book shelf, a small china cabinet, my doll stroller from a million years ago, a printer on its own shelf, an old secretary desk, a humidor which I use as a little side table for my chair, a straight back chair, a footstool and a 4 drawer wicker filing cabinet. Oh, and a few boxes of stuff. There's just enough room to walk through the muddle to get to my chair. 

Hoo boy! It's like an episode of Hoarders!!

It's also become the repository for all of our winter hats, scarves and gloves as well as a big box of boots. Oh well, it will all come together eventually! 

Right?? 

Cloud Porn

 I was going to call this post "The Calm before the Storm" but thought "Cloud Porn" was a bit more catchy!! I'm a big fan of "cloud porn" and have a huge folder stuffed with "sky" and "cloud" photos. All of these shots were taken at our place in PEI - the sky there seems ENORMOUS compared to the city of London sky which is filled with telephone poles and hydro wires.

 I was enjoying the calm of a peaceful Sunday morning - I was up pretty early due to the time change. I sat here in my favorite chair and got caught up on other blogs' posts. However, I now hear Michael moving about and soon his son, Dane, will arrive to get the final pieces of carpet up and furniture moved as tomorrow is NEW CARPET DAY!! Woot woot!

 My job will be to move everything that isn't TOO heavy - drawers of my daughter's clothes, boxes and bins filled with her memorabilia from the past 23 years and the CAT!!

I will attempt to catch and move our 19 year old cat to her new home in the basement. She doesn't do stairs anymore and has lived in an upstairs bedroom of her own for at least the past 5 years.  As I mentioned previously I thought she'd have gone to kitty heaven by now but no, she's hanging in there - deaf, riddled with arthritis but still enjoys being brushed and petted and made a fuss over.

So, I will finish my coffee and get to work. I need to try and maintain some sense of order in the midst of our mess as we still have to go to our day jobs and access the clothes and things that we will need tomorrow.

I'm down to 238 days until retirement! The Five Year Plan is unfolding as it should. Savings are on track, debt is paid off and renos and redecorating are underway. Hip hip hooray!

Hope you're enjoying your Sunday wherever you are - let me know how your day is going! Are you working or relaxing?? Or both?

If you haven't done so already please consider following my blog. I'm at 96 followers and would truly love to reach 100 (such a nice round number :)!

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 :)