Abbie Goes Shopping

Abbie's conversation with me tonight...  

 "So what do you think? How do I look? I don't look fat do I? If I sit like this do you think that I'll impress the fellas?"

 "What are you laughing at? You told me in the store that orange was my color and I looked beautiful."

"That's it, I'm NEVER talking to you again, EVER!"

Abbie sat this way for about five minutes, I couldn't get her to look at me at all, she was seriously mad at me for laughing at her! lol

"What's that? You're sorry for laughing at me and you were only laughing because I look so cute? Awww shucks. Yes, I love you too and I know that you're sorry... now can I please have that treat you promised me?"

Grounded?

If this child was grounded from their bike and the bike was hung from a tree can you just imagine the fun the parents will have when the child is driving a vehicle... then what will they do with the car or truck when the child misbehaves? Hang the vehicle from a tree as well? 

Yes I know, some strange stuff goes through this head of mine, I post it just the same for sheer amusement. As I've said before, never a dull moment in my world. :-)

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Well it's that time of the week once again, Sunset Sunday which Scott has inspired. This photo and my mood reminds me of the song "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" by Elton John. Tonight I didn't want the sun to go down on me, I have so much work awaiting and haven't been doing too much of anything these past few days and the days are ticking away before I begin university, but oh well... such is life and one day, one wall, one more box unpacked... it's going to come together. Now I'm going to have that cup of tea and think about painting a wall, one that's easy to roll out. :-)  

I hope you all have a fantastic week, I know that I'm going to! :-)

Study Buddy

Today Abbie came to live with me, she's the sweetest, cutest dog and extremely well behaved... so far. 

When I was doing papers for college I always liked to read my writing aloud when I do the final edit, this is where I pick up on any changes or grammatical errors that require fixin'. So now Abbie can be my new study buddy. I love her already. 

Finally after all these years I believe in love at first sight, I used to be a skeptic but nope, not anymore. 

Livin In The Sky

As I was stopped at a red light downtown by these condos I looked up... way up, and became extremely grateful. I can't even imagine living way up in the sky, the first strong wind would freak me right out. I thought of the sitcom which I used to watch years ago, the Jefferson's, and the theme song "Movin On Up" came to mind. I don't mind if I don't ever get a piece of the pie, I'll stay right where I'm at thank you very much.

Redneck Country

This towtruck advertises unwanted vehicles, towed for free. What cracked me up today was what his back window says!

Ten and a Sneak Peek

Now here's an interesting feat, I was over to Scott's blog last night to check out his post which led me to David's blog and there's a challenge for posting 10 photos on October 10th, 2010... 10/10/10. Check out David's blog, he explains it there. I don't have a clue yet what my post will be, I just hope that I remember to post it! :-)

And here's a sneak peek at what's going on in my humble abode...

I almost gave up incorporating the rust color into my dining area, it's a wee tiny area but plenty big enough for me, then I came up with an idea (Insert bright light bulb here)... I've painted the upper portion of the wall a soft khaki and the lower portion I incorporated the rust. I'm going to either use a chair rail or run a border to tie the two together. I'll do the before and after thing if there's ever the after.

I just glanced at the photo here again and the table is one of the taller tables, I didn't only paint a foot off the floor! :-) Actually I broke up the room, the lower portion is 3' 3 ticks. lol yes, I'm off to bed now.

Until tomorrow, goodnight and God bless.

Granddaughters

"Granddaughters are angels
Sent from above
To fill our hearts
With unending love."

                                           Author Unknown

Busy as a Bee

Today I was with my niece and brought her over to my new home, on the way in she noticed this bee. Cheryl being Cheryl she picked it up flower and all and the bee never moved which we found odd. The bee was transfixed on the flower so much so that we thought it might be dead. After I took a few shots my niece shook the flower and the bee was alive proving that even bees take breaks... tonight I followed the bees fine example and am taking a well deserved break.

Sunset Sunday

This sunset photo was captured this summer while I was out at Gooselake, I was hoping to get out to take a photo of tonight's sunset but no such luck, it was way to foggy. Sunday Sunsets are inspired by Scott, he takes some astounding sunset photos. If you haven't checked out his photos I strongly encourage you to, I can almost guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

Time Savers

I purchased a palm sander today, I'm now into finding shortcuts to get my house into shape. I've been here for 3 weeks already and it seems that the progress is slowing down. I have a few more weeks before I start university and somehow, someway this place will be painted, unpacked and look like a home. 

This little sander is a huge time saver, I like it and even if it's small it does a fantastic job...hey, something like me! :-)

Who Cares?

While I was coming home from work today and stopped at a red light on Jasper Ave. (the main street in downtown Edmonton) I noticed this ladies boutique. The name is what first caught my attention and now I want to go and check out the store to see what styles of clothing they carry. With a name like "who cares" I would only imagine that anything goes and brand names are left behind... I'm only guessing, but whoever named this store knows their marketing strategies, they sure have my interest piqued.

A Look Inside

I've been taking photos of the old vehicles from the outside perspective, today I thought it might be fun to show the inside of some of these vehicles. This one is the grain truck, from the early '50s I believe. 

I think that this was an old school bus but will have to check on this, it would be one heck of a ride without a bit of work!

The old Chev, the newest old Chev... there's now 2 of these old trucks at the farm. I wouldn't have a clue how to drive any of these vehicles, I'm an automatic type of girl.

Smoky

This morning I woke up, glanced outside and it was extremely smoky, I could even smell the smoke. Later on today I heard on the radio that there are 285 fires burning in the next province west of Alberta. Apparently British Columbia has an astronomical amount of forest fires and the wind was carrying the smoke into Alberta. We went into town today and the following photos will give you an idea of how much smoke filled the air. 

This is a photo of some of the flowers which adorn the town, on the top of the post is the Blue Heron, the towns official ... hmmm...mascot, for lack of a better word at the moment. 

 ... one of the grain elevators in town. The wind died down and the smoke lifted later on in the day which was nice, I hope that they get the fires under control in BC and some of the 600 and some odd families can return to their homes soon.

This next photo has nothing to do with the smoke today, I just like it. 

I call this one "Work In Progress" ... notice the sledge hammer, makes me wonder what in the heck Herb does to these old vehicles although he must be doing something right, they seem to run when he's done tinkering with them.

Back at the Ranch

After all the home renovations I've been doing I decided to take a break for a bit and came out to the farm. I arrived here and pulled out my camera, I was taking photos and having my own fun wondering where Herb was. I couldn't help but notice the "new" grain truck, it's a 1952 International... now why on God's green earth would Herb want a grain truck, he's quit farming! After a while Herb surfaced, he was changing the oil, and puttering around with this truck. He told me that these old trucks need an oil change once every 40 years, keeps them running if you look after 'em.

 

I'm pleased with the flowers I planted out here, less the weeds that is. I particularly like this upside-down flower, the name has left me right at the moment. 

And there's the sunflowers which are almost as tall, if not taller, than I am... 

Now if I'm going to get up with the roosters I'd best call it a night... tomorrow it's a gardening day.

Mums

While I was out and about today I spotted some pretty yellow Mum's. I love the flowers and the brilliant colors but resisted buying these, I'll wait until the work is done and I can sit back and admire them.

Any Suggestions?

I have a dilemma, I want to paint one main wall in a rust color, the rust by itself is too much. I want to attempt to either marble or sponge paint this wall but have never done this type of painting before. I've googled the methods, I went to the library today and found this book and now am wondering if anyone here has ever tried to do this and has any pointers for me. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

And the Work Continues

Today the cupboards came down, I'm had them lowered so that I don't need a stepping stool to reach my plates. Most cupboards are high enough as it is but these cupboards seemed to be exceptionally high.

I was up on the cupboards on the opposite side of the guys and noticed that there was something up there, well other than the dirt and the grime. Why is it that some people fail to notice the the tops of cupboards need cleaning? The grease and dust combined over years has to be one of the largest germ collectors in a home in my opinion, maybe I'm just a clean freak but I've totally regressed here... the item which was on top of the cupboards was hilarious and it was obvious that it had been there for a number of years, the grease and grime on the VHS was just as bad as the cupboards themselves. Here's what I found...

At least it was out of reach of children and it gave us three a good old belly laugh! And it's said if walls could talk, my cupboards told me more than I cared to know today! 

And now on to Sunset Sunday which has been 100% inspired by Scott, I'm actually posting it on Sunday instead of a Monday. This is my city sunset photo, I can actually see the sunsets now that I'm further away from the downtown core of the city and I'm lovin' every minute of it! 

An Angel Watching Over Me

 

Tonight as I was cleaning up a few things I came across an angel my son and his wife gave me some time ago. I feel that my entire life I've had angels walking alongside of me, not to say that I always listened to them, but nonetheless I know that angels exist. 

I love the symbolism of this figurine and will always treasure it.  Now to find my angel a home here in this house, she seems to be headed upstairs so maybe she'll find a special place in my bedroom to watch over me while I rest my weary head.

Stylin'

It was that time of year again, my yearly ultrasound to ensure that everything is functioning fine. This is why I'm stylin' in hospital blue. Seriously, who makes these gowns? I hope that "they" have to wear them when "they" go in for tests or if "they" are ever admitted to a hospital. I can only imagine that it'll be back to the drawing board in a heartbeat when "they" see how these gowns do not fit everyone and they need more than three small stings to keep them closed. A housecoat would also have been nice, being warm might make these tests a bit more endurable. Oh well, that should be out of the way for another year. Now to sit back and wait for the results and hope for positive news.

Progress

I'm making some headway here, it's not all play and no work even though some days it's not as productive as others it's all going to come together. The old pink walls on my bathroom have changed into a deep green and a cream color. I've changed the lighting fixture over the vanity...

  
I've also changed all the light covers, the vent and ceiling fan. Now to get the new mirror on, put on the new towel bars and get the doors back on the vanity and it's a done deal, well if you're counting the door and door frame that's a future project. I've even painted out the baseboards, I love the way I've crossed colors, the cream walls have the green base and the green walls have the cream base. This next photo reminds me of one I posted some time ago... the under over question. 

Next it's time to unpack the office/study and I'll post before and after photos of this room. What a difference a bit of TLC, a can or two of paint and a 12v DeWalt drill can make! :-)

Girly Drill

I now own a girly drill, it's only a 12v DeWalt but what the heck the price was right. I can only foresee me using this drill for hanging pictures, curtain rods or taking apart cabinets. I'm currently waiting for the vanity cupboards to dry, then I'll second coat them and put them back on tomorrow after I pick up new hinges and hardware... with my new girly drill naturally!  Now if I do some serious reno's I'll save up for a Makita 18v, now that's a drill in my opinion. And who needs a hammer when you have a nailer, right? :-)

I wonder what my kids will say when they ask me what I want for Christmas this year and I tell them power tools.... hmmmm.

Life Is Moments Like This

When I think of my life I realize just how blessed I am. Tonight I went to spend some quality Gramma time with my granddaughter while my son and his wife went out for dinner. My granddaughter was a little angel tonight, she was full of enthusiasm, a few smiles, almost a laugh and she was such joy to spend time with. I had put her on the floor on her playgym thing and she was having a blast playing with the toys, she was trying to catch and eat them. I wanted to see what she saw so I came down to her level, it's pretty interesting from her perspective. Yup, life is all about moments just like this!

Frustration

I got up this morning in a positive mood  then after trying to figure out my electives through the second university I will be studying at I became extremely frustrated. Everything today is done via the internet, if one doesn't know where they're going online then the problems begin. After a few hours I walked away, I went and ran some errands, picked up my middle son and cleared my head. 

While at my son's place he was showing me one of his new hats, I laughed and told him that this Ninja Turtle hat looked EXACTLY what I had felt like a few hours prior to seeing it. Tomorrow is another morning...  I'll try again I am going to figure this out!

Nonna and Michelle

Today was a special day, I went out for lunch with Michelle (my daughter) and Nonna (her Grandmother). We went out to Red Lobster, Nonna loves lobster and it had been ages since she's had one of her favorite meals. Lunch was fantastic but the company by far outweighed the lunch, I am extremely blessed to be surrounded by such fantastic people in my life.

After lunch Michelle took her Nonna back to her home and came back and helped me out once again with the never ending work in this house. One brush stroke at a time, one bead of caulking, one room at a time, this house will get painted and fixed up before I go back to school. 

M was Here

Another day brought more painting only today I had some help. My daughter Michelle came over to lend me a hand for the afternoon, the help was so welcomed but better yet... I got to spend some time with my girl. It's uncanny how we have so much in common, it was almost like spending some time with a younger version of me. :-)

Tomorrow, another day and more painting, hopefully with a few helping hands. Covering up this pink is a bit more of a challenge then I expected it to be but it'll get it done, one wall at a time. 

University

Today I had a busy, busy, busy day with appointments to get registered in classes for my upcoming fall term in university. I was full of apprehension yet I pushed through the fears and did it anyways. I will be attending the University of Calgary extension for my Social Work courses and now I'm in the process of choosing my electives at the University of Alberta, the U of A is HUGE!

The following photo was the building I was in today to see if I could still get in as a visiting student. I was so confused, still am a tad bit, but the student adviser was such an immense help. She took me from one building to another where I met with a wonderful employee of the U of A, he explained to me how he could still get me in as a visiting student. I have my work cut out for me, now I have to work in my electives around my social work courses... it's coming together slowly but surely. 

I was told that the  Pembina Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus, it's exquisite and intimidating... no worries though, I've experienced much worse intimidation than the enormity of this university in my lifetime! Now to google what "Quaecumque Vera" means, if you enlarge this photo it's right above where it says Pembina Hall.

 Wooohoooo... big girls school! :-)

Save The Trees

I have been meaning to put a "NO FLYERS PLEASE... SAVE THE TREES" note on my mailbox but it's slipped my mind. Today I counted the flyers, 22 flyers in total came to my house. Now if you multiply that by all the homes in Edmonton who receive flyers that's a lot of wasted paper when one can go online to look at what's on sale. 

Note to self, put the sign on the mailbox!

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Today I found the coffee tables that I had in mind, the price was right but I had a concern how I was going to get them home. After looking at my car I figured that if I put the back seats down, angled the coffee table just the right way that this set would fit...as the saying goes "Where there's a will, there's a way" and now my new tables are sitting in my living room. The song "I Did It My Way" by Frank Sinatra just came to mind! :-)

Before and After

 

 This is the bedroom I'm converting into my office/study. Yup... another pink room!

The a  following photo is a part of this room that I've done some work on, I'll post more once the room is done to my liking which won't be too long in coming.

 

...note the clean desk! :-)

And the Wall Comes Tumbling Down

 

Today was another hectic day, for some reason I foresee many of them in my near future. Herb took out a wall which was separating two small bedrooms, now I have one large master bedroom and I love the space! Yup, I'm tickled pink... but the room's not going to stay pink! I don't care right about now if I never see this color again, it's an alright color but every room in an entire house is a tad bit redundant.