Its That Time Of Year!!

Weee! Hi Everyone! So very excited today! And a little harried to, if I'm going to be honest! As you all know my past month has been a little rough between losing my sweetheart at the end of March, and having a real rough patch with my Fibro. But this past weekend things started to look up! So I hope you have your warm mug of something yummy and a few minutes to share your day with me.

This weekend the sun decided to finally shine like it was really Spring in our little corner of the planet! The golden rays felt so wonderful shining in my bedroom window and the breeze smelled like Spring. Ahh...FINALLY!! So I grabbed my proverbial whip, and started snapping my men into action because folks....its 'THAT TIME OF YEAR'

Ok..I guess I should actually clarify a few things in that last paragraph before the next entry in my blog is my obituary. I didn't actually snap my whip.I had been gently nagging on and off for some time (well...one of the jobs that got done had been on the list like 8 years but I don't care, it's done!!) But Ii digress...I didn't snap any whips last weekend because I was pretty much sound asleep most of the weekend. I woke up to all the jobs magically accomplished!!

Wow!! I hear all you wives out there saying that!! I know!! I was saying it too!! And you guys...I hear the grumbling...I know my guy made you all look bad. The man let his sick wife sleep the weekend away, and did chores without nagging!! Things like painting and trim work! (My bathroom looks fabulous!!) Why?! Why would he do such a thing to you guys?

Well..before there is a huge riot at our house and you men come dragging him out and demanding his Man Card, let me finish explaining the rest of that first paragraph...'THAT TIME OF YEAR' .

'THAT TIME OF YEAR' is that super special awesome wonderful time of year that my mom comes to visit. Which also equates to my house getting several much needed small renovations finished and tidied up. (My middle son remarked the other day as things were getting cleaned up and put into place that his Gramma should come visit more often!!) So this time tomorrow I will have picked my mom up from the airport and the fun will have begun!!

Oh...I mentioned I was a bit harried too, didn't I? Well...thats because the room my mom is supposed to sleep in I can barely see the floor! Argh..teenagers! I still have 24hrs...don't worry mom!

Plodding Along

Good afternoon to you all! Hope everyone enjoyed their over dose of chocolate from our favorite Easter Bunny last weekend. We had a fun time with a quick Easter Egg Hunt and then my guys (and the girlfriend!) all showered and shaved and got all handsome for me (well..the girlfriend didn't get handsome for me...but she did dress up pretty...) and we went out for Easter Brunch. We chatted and laughed and snuck wee mini bottles of ketchup into my purse. heehee! It was a wonderful day.

Last few posts I had been hoping to get more organized and cleaned up in my house and life. And to some degree I am happy to report that I have made some great strides. My paper work is not in the same shambles it was once in, and a few of my rooms have had quite of bit of stripping down and cleaning up done to them.

As the snow finally edges away from my yard I can see my gardens and see little crocuses and mini hyacinths peeking through the layers of mulch I left to protect them over winter. Now I see the next project on my list and am anxious to get out doors to begin it. My body and I have been at odds over these recent projects though, so this could be an interesting endevour!

It seems the days I hope to get the projects accomplished that require using my 'brain' such as my blog, or reading or paying bills or home work....my brain goes to mush, or better known as 'Fibro Fog'. Its kind of like a mixture of a head cold, hang over, head ache, can I go to bed feeling. Which sucks because you have usually been in bed for the last 2 days already. I sit down with the best of intentions to accomplish a task and the next thing I know I'm snoozing away and have lost several hours of my already very short day.

My other body 'trick' is the Buzz. The Buzz is sneaky because it can sneak up on me and strike suddenly or it can crawl up slowly and creep its way along your body. When its creeping I try to hurry because you know once its in full throttle you wont be able to work any more, and that probably makes the Buzz worse because you push yourself. Sigh...its a never ending cycle.

But I had a wonderful chat with my Uncle this past week and we decided that sometimes we may make 'poor' decisions and over do and end up paying for it the next day ( or two or three...) but ultimately, that day that we over did...those moments are usually well worth it. Those over done days were days doing things we enjoy doing, spending time with our family...gardening...even running errands!

So Mother Nature...please make up your mind! I did see grass for a whole day before you decided to snow again this past weekend. My seeds are sprouting and I'm anxious to get into my gardens! Even if it means I'm going to pay for it for a few days....

For all of you enjoying a nice warm Spring...I don't want to hear it!! Ha!! And mom..no laughing at me, you will be here next week freezing with us!!

Enjoy your sunshine!!

Changes~

Welcome everyone to my wild and crazy existence! Snow is melting, then falling again, crocuses are blooming, 'herds' of ducks, sometimes known as Canadian Geese, have been seen near our home! Actually as I lay here in my bed in the pre dawn I can hear some flying over head honking at eachother.

My youngest just returned from a 9 day trip to Victoria, B.C. with his Air Cadet Troop. Wow! The things he was able to see and able to do was amazing! He rode a Ferry, went in a light house, boarded a navel ship...it was a whirlwind trip. My young man came back home full of new life experiences.

Matt hugging a Red Wood Tree 

Also this past week, my mom has earned the wonderful bragging rights of being officially RETIRED! Not early retirement, not a package deal, not laid off, not pushed out the door....nope folks! She is one of those few people who has that rare honor and distinction of being able to say she did her job to the very last day and is now officially retired. The only thing that would make this moment any sweeter would be to have my Dad here to celebrate with us. Congrats Mom!! We are VERY proud of you!! 

Part of the 'retirement' changes  that happened this past weekend at my mom's house was my sister and her family moved out after spending several years living there while going to school. My sister and her husband finished their degrees and are now ready to leave the nest. So they packed up the dog, my nephew and niece and headed out to a wonderful new townhouse that I can't wait to see on my next visit out East! (Hey! Send pics when you are all settled in!!!)

Speaking of visits out East and changes...my next visit will involve welcoming a new niece or nephew for my brother and sister in law this Fall. Another little bundle to love and hold and cuddle! It was such a wonderful phone call when we received the news!!! I can hardly wait to meet the newest member of our growing family. ( I wonder if we should have a post on wives tales about pregnancy and babies? hmmm)

2012 has certainly been a year of change for myself and my family. While most of the changes have been wonderful and exciting, I have just one sad change to share. This past week we had to make the very difficult decision to put my very best and loyal companion of 13.5 years down. The house just doesn't seem the same with out my friend pattering beside me and truck rides are definitely not the same without her sitting 'shot gun'. I miss her less then feminine snore at night and her excited face when I would get home from anywhere. But most of all I just miss my girl.

So that, my friends, has been my exciting and eventful week of changes. Not all the changes have been great, but all have been life changing. All have been cause for celebrations...stories told, moments recalled and shared, tears cried & hugs given (thanks Bestie). Each of these changes were shared with loved ones. All the exciting moments with sweat and boxes (gee sorry we missed the move guys...) and celebrations with friends for my mom! Each of these changes (and more to come in the months to follow I'm sure) will set new and exciting moments and stories and friendships into motion.

“The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change -” 

― Heraclitus

Wow! What a week! I think I need more then a warm cup of something this week! Ha!!

Nala 1998-2012

Um Is It Spring Or Is It Just A Tease?

Hi everyone! Rumor has it that there are parts of this wonderful continent that have bragging rights to actually seeing Spring in March! People are getting a chance to rake their lawns & get their gardens ready at least a month a head of normal. I must say I hate you all. Ha!!

Where I live it was an extremely mild winter and I certainly wont complain....much!  We hardly had any snow and only a couple real cold snaps. And even those were short enough I could bundle up with my dogs and and hide by my wood burning stove and wait it out.

My Niece & Nephew Discovering The Mud Puddle 

But now this is just not fair and is ridiculous! Balmy mid 20c weather out East and here we had snow storms and received 4" of snow! Arghhhh! I neeeeed Spring!!! I need to play in my gardens and plant stuff and sit on my deck and get some color on my face. I look in the mirror and I'm sure Casper the ghost has more color then I do!!

I hear the chickadees chirping in the trees, and we found a lady bug on one of our windows yesterday. I have my trays of seeds started in my living room. (and sorry kids...no wacky tabacky in there for you!). All I'm missing is the heat and sunshine and SPRING!!!

And for all you folks out East...do you think its really safe to start your gardening? Or is Mother Nature waiting to pull a fast one on you?

Oh I get so excited this time of year...the new plants...new containers...new ideas for out side! And our season is so short I have to cram as much as I can into it. I guess thats why we all get so crazy once the snow finally lets go of our yards and we finally catch a glimpse of those first green shoots peeking through the warm dirt.

So Mother Nature, even though you have been really kind to most of us this past winter, I for one am more then ready to to get my shovel and rake out...paint brush and stain for my deck ( I need to finish that project from last year...yikes!) I want to have supper on my deck, sit around my fire pit and get sun burns while sitting with my Bestie drinkin our slushies! (Yup...another summer goal my friend!!!)

So Happy Spring to everyone! Here's hoping you all have a great mud puddle to enjoy!

My Niece in her puddle =)

ORGANIZE!!!

Hi everyone! Happy belated Pi day to all of you who celebrate it....to the rest of you who have no idea of what I am talking about, its ok, it just means you have a normal house hold with out geeks, Ha! Also want to say Welcome back home Bestie!!! I missed ya!!

This one is for you Alex! ;-)

                                           






 So it must be Spring because for some really really weird reason I have been bitten by the organize bug. I know...its supposed to be the cleaning bug, and be rest assured...along with the organize bug, the cleaning bug is right behind.

For instance, I shared with you all how I had a few unwanted visitors staying in my house. (which I believe we have gotten a hold of!! woohoo!) Well, I started going on a cleaning binge after that, well, because, hey....I found mouse poop in my kitchen!! So   I scrubbed and cleaned and moved things around (this bothers the men in my house hold very much FYI) and then as I moved the microwave to clean under it I hit a mother load of mouse poop. Welll...now the microwave is going.

So within a week, I sold the microwave, scrubbed entire kitchen, bought new microwave, cleaned livingroom, sold dining room set, replaced with a fabulous new one we actually sit at and spend time as a family. And as I clear out a room I see new possibilities for the next one...hmmm...sell this piece, move these pieces, clean this up, throw this out, finish this project up...organize my important papers! (this I started last night! fancy binder and everything!!) Phewwww!!!

So I'm hoping to get lots of this inside stuff organized before it gets really nice outside because I have big plans for outside this summer. I have a deck I need to finish staining, I have some new gardens beds to be built as soon as the snow melts so I can get my herb and veggies growing, I need to get my yard cleaned up and my flower gardens tidied up....and....and...and...

Geez what is wrong with me?? Why am I sitting here? I have a huge list to burn through!! See you this Fall! ( oh...after I get the kids off to school...and the gardens cleaned up...and the patios all tidied up for winter...and...and....)

HeeHee!! Enjoy your day and I hope you have warm Spring sunshine shining through your windows and not too many chores to get done!

Where Does It All Go?

Good afternoon everyone! Hope you are enjoying an afternoon break with a warm cup of something yummy. I also want to wish my Mom a super happy, slightly belated, 65th B'day!! WooHoo!!She is officially a sexy senior and counting down the days til she can retire. Wish I was there to help count down and celebrate Mom!! I Love You!!

  I am sort of finding the closer I get to needing my infusion for my R/A next week, the later my day is starting and the less I have been getting done. So I apologize for not blogging lately, but I'm backkkkkkkkkk and here we go! heehee!!

I can not believe it is already MARCH!! Holy Moly!!! When did that happen?? It barely seems like we were putting Christmas decorations away. And this past solid week we have had snow and it looks more like Christmas out there then it did at the holiday itself.I wish I had taken a before and after picture of the house. The amount of snow out there is crazy. Ugh! And my 8yr old nephew from out east gleefully told me it as 16c over there. Grrrr.

Oh well...summer shall be here soon enough! I even ordered seeds yesterday, been lingering in the gardening sections in the stores, mentally planning new garden layouts, out door  projects, summer escapes...sigh! Melt snow!!! MELT!!

These last few months seem to have been rather expensive months also. It almost seems like every time one of the boys walks in he has a sheet from school asking for money for some trip or camp. My youngest alone has a ski trip ($300) Spring Break trip with Cadets($200) needs a deposit for summer camp ($200) and I just saw his glasses last night...YIKES...the middle one needed glasses($300), some fancy calculator($125), football registration ($300), and thankfully he works so he pays for a lot of the extras like his clothing.

 My husband looks at me after every paycheck and says "where did it all go??"I always feel so bad because he does works so very hard and he makes a good wage, it just these things just are so incredibly expensive and the schools hand out these forms and expect all the kids to participate. I felt horrible telling my youngest he couldn't go skiing. Thankfully there were 3 of them not going to we are not the only rotten parents in the class.

I look back to my childhood and some of these kinds of opportunities were offered to us but I don't remember that the majority of the school went on the trips. And travelling out of country?Ha!! Not a chance! Our family didn't have the money and it didn't bother me. That was just the way it was.

 I was chatting with my mom the other day and she said to me that she had to wait til she was in her 60's before she got to travel, why should I feel bad if my kids don't get to travel before I do? Why do we, as parents, feel compelled to sign up for everything their little hearts desire? Why do we need to get bank loans just so little Johnny can run around in some fancy pair of cleats and fancy sports wear (in our house, Under Armour is the only thing they will wear!) and you know the following year they will have out grown it all and you will have to buy it all again.

I'm fortunate as my boys are finally working and buying their own special stuff and not growing so much any more. Its still hard to say no or I'm not sure to an anxious kid who desperately wants to do these exciting opportunities. Argh! if only I had that money tree those kids seem to think we have...

Have a great afternoon!! I think I hear a nap calling me....

I Miss My Bestie!!

Hi everyone!! No I'm not dead...just feeling a wee bit over whelmed. Life seems to rush by sometimes and I feel like I am in the exhaust fumes right now and have no idea where my days have gone. But I have grabbed my tea and plan on enjoying a few moments with my friends.

So a quick update on my unwanted guests! After my cleaning and searching we seemed to have found their 'door way' into the house. So we jammed it full of poison (YES poison, all you environmentalists can comment later, and then come scrub cupboards after your comments!!) and sealed it up. Laid a few traps in front of the hole, snapped a few unfortunate victims (sorry dudes...really I am) and FYI boys...mom REALLY didn't need to see the bodies! and we seem to be rodent free. Yeah us!!

On Friday I was playing away on my computer as I am known to do,when I heard we were expecting a huge snow storm. Not a big deal  in Feb. usually but we have had such an incredible winter and it honestly was starting to feel like Spring. In fact a couple days earlier my son and I drove by one of the ranches near us and I saw a baby calf in the field which is my 'official' sign of Spring. So snowstorm seemed unreal to us.in fact I believe our last one was in Nov! )

It was to start late Friday afternoon....nothing....Friday evening...nothing...my Bestie and I thought haha!! Maybe it will miss us. Which would be great because they were leaving for vacation on Sunday. So off to bed we all went with nary a flake in sight

 

 Well Saturday morning I looked out my window....HOLY CRAP! That was a serious amount of snow. Now before all you Easteners start telling me how you get ten feet of snow in an afternoon yadda yadda...I am just saying we went from NONE all winter to almost as high as the windows on my F-150 once the guys finished shoveling. And that took almost all weekend because it came down Foomp! over night then didn't let up til Sunday.

So my Bestie and her family shoveled a bit that Saturday, finished packing their shorts and bathing suits, and drove off early Sunday morning before the winter sun had poked over the horizon. She left me the key to her house to feed and love the kitties, but I think in all fairness if she left me behind in all this cold and snow I should do something evil to the house like bring over some of my unwanted guests.(Insert evil laugh!!)


But seriously..I hope she and her family are having a carefree wonderful time frolicking on the beach drinking fancy drinks in coconuts and pineapples. And I hope she's having one for me!! And while I bet she looks like this dancing on the beach I will continue to try and keep myself entertained until she comes back!! I miss ya Bestie!!!