Busy Saturday

Yesterday just flew by !!! GD was the first up and ready to eat ! The last thing she said to me before going to sleep was what did I have planned for breakfast ! Usually I make waffles, but she didn't get up til after eight so that didn't happen. EGS decided to stay here instead of going home so Yd picked him up around noon. Laundry was done, my bathroom cleaned and the kitchen floor washed for the second time in as many days.

I finished a stocking, got the names on and fixed an error in the name of one I had done last winter. In English we write Maxine and in French Maxime. Then I thought I'd make two for the YGS's maternal grandparents so I'm nearly finished the names on them. A brain wave~~ one of my sons' friends has an emergency order to protect his daughter who has been hit by her mother. As she cannot be closer than 200 m, he keeps both children together and has a good lawyer from the same firm ES used. I'll find out today if the uncle wants to buy two stockings for them !  It would mean knitting one more and then names and appliqués.

I made another batch of Red Onion marmalade. It takes a long time, but I sure love it and I could give some to the maternal gps for Christmas .We had leftover ribs for supper. Well, Hubby and EGS did. He was very excited to have them again and ate more than his grandfather ! Today I'll make a big stew- remembering not to overlook it ! last time, I simmered too long and the meat almost dissolved ! I may do some baking, that will all depend on how the day goes.

The bed linen is to be stripped , washed and put back on. I want to cut out and sew the appliqués on at least two of the stockings. I like to have an assembly line going so the mess disappears  quickly !  My paper whites I bought and planted last week are growing gangbusters. We've had only one day of sun so that is quite amazing.

We still marvel how blessed we are to have YGS in our lives. He is charming, funny, polite, well behaved and loving. He was not that way when both parents were together. She had a weird way of disciplining and was great at undermining the other parent. Spoiled with trinkets, but not love.

So I guess I'll watch some more Longmire while I sew and sew and sew.

Home Base

This weekend, we are 'home base' for three of our children. Last night we had our celebratory meal to mark the three years that ES has had full custody of his son.  It was delicious and there are enough leftovers for supper tonight with a salad. Shortly after they left to go home, YD and SIL dropped off their two children after swimming practice. SIL was taking YD out for a surprise supper for her birthday.  One child had ice cream and the other a piece of the celebration cake !  Both went to sleep at their appointed time and are still in dreamland. They both have to be up, fed and dressed as one has cheer practice and lessons.

YGS has swimming lessons to which his maternal grandmother will take him. Then he has a birthday party after which he'll be here for a sleepover. It is a baseball night; bowling and laser tag.

ED appears to be having a good time at Gray Cup in Toronto. They will be exhausted when she arrives home on Monday as they put in 18 hour days !

Today I'll try and get the three stocking done. At least I'll finish knitting one and then get the names on. I may end doing the appliqués as well. We'll see because I do want to work on the quilt as well. I knit a fair amount at one session yesterday. I hope that is the last county wide PD day this year.  I need to put the ham bone on and get some soup made. Tomorrow I have stew planned.  Hubby will get the laundry done and we may even get some housecleaning done !


Onward and upward !

3 Years !

Three years ago today, the egg donor dropped of her son, ostensibly for a week, and has not been seen since. It was the best thing that could have happened to my son and grandson. We have celebrated the 25th of November as the start of their new life ! tonight we had ribs and chicken with fries, salad and chocolate cake !

We were so lucky and blessed !

Why are Short Weeks So Long ?

Why are short work weeks so long ?  The kids were loud and hyper on Wednesday, tired and cranky on Thursday and still out of sorts on Friday? Probably because  they stayed up too late, ate too much junk, played too many video games and a change in the weather. Hopefully this week will be better.

On Monday night we picked ED up from the airport. YS didn't even know we had left the house. She had no problem with customs and we delivered her and her suitcase with 8 bottles - 7 wine and one Port, home safely.Tuesday I got my haircut [ got my flu shot on Monday and boy was my arm feeling bruised for two days ! ] When I got home I started my dark fruitcake. I timed it so YS would be home from work to help with the final stirring. Just like last year, the wooden spoon broke !  The cakes took an extra 30 minutes to cook. probably because of the booze we used on the fruit !

I've another two stocking orders. I had one stocking already knit but needed to go pick up a red. While I was at the store I met the other grandmother. Now I really didn't have a whole lot of time to chat as Hub was in the car with the motor running so the fresh veggies wouldn't freeze. Yes, it is that cold. She no longer can make phone calls to her granddaughter. She has phoned and phoned, written e-mails but no answer. She has been sending the girl a care package every month. I am sure the amount is around $ 100 as she includes gift cards, books, clothing and games. Never has she received a thank you. She says one more smaller package and a Christmas gift and if there is still no acknowledgement, there will be only two gifts a year. I told her that the girl would look upon her as a moneybags... And she said yes and as a bad mother. She then told me that she had wanted to take 'the egg donor' to a psychiatrist when she was seven, but he husband wouldn't do it. But even back then, she knew that there was something wrong with her. She also said that if she ever came back to try and disrupt ES and YGS's lives, she would kill her ad willingly go to jail. She said she would not let her daughter ruin any other lives !! This she said in a normal voice in the store !!!

I made my get away because I had a lie of housecleaning and cooking to do for ES and YD's birthday dinner ! There was a lot of prep for a meal for 10 !! Hubby went to the swim meet to see EGS  who had 4 personal bests  of 6 races. His last race was 5:45 so I had to change when I put the ham into the oven. We had Baked ham, mashed potatoes, Brussell Sprouts,  different raw vegetables all cut up, devilled eggs  a ginger sesame salad, pickles and olives. Chocolate cake with two different ice creams for dessert.  I thought I had peeled and cooked enough. Potatoes to have leftovers for today . However EGS thought they were delicious and had two huge helpings. SIL also enjoyed them !! Fortunately there were a couple of tablespoons left for ED. ED arrived late as she had to wait for one person [ out of 24] to bring their beer for their beer Advent Calendar. She passed 3 big accidents on the way home, Yes, the roads were that icy.
Everyone was gone by 9 as YGD has a Cheer event today.






I'm on the 6th row of the quilt !! I've checked out what she of needles I need for the stocking so I've lots to do. I don't think I'll get around to making any Christmas runners. Today I am making Port Red Onion Marmalade. There was such a deal on red onions !! They sure were strong , though
!! My eyes were sure watering.

YGS asked his uncle yesterday when they were going to do their Gingerbread House so that is what they've started now. I think the kits are two years old ! We buy them after Christmas for 1/10th the price !  YS just picks up extra candy. He put two houses together and at this moment they are decorating.

We had ham sandwiches for lunch. Supper will be  hamburger patties and bootlegger beans for supper. I have to pack up the rhubarb apple sauce that I made. YS buys yogurt with apple and rhubarb so I decided to Mae my own as I always buy just plain yogurt. The rhubarb and apples were free so of course a cheap way to dress it up.

ED sent over her extra hair straightener for me. The older I get the curlier, frizzier my hair gets. We'll see how that goes. I am not a hair person. I'll wash my hair tonight and see what happens.


I've put the slipcovers on so the couches looks better. I can hardly wait to get new furniture.  Hubby has been working slowly on the basement.

We have a PD day on Friday. It's a county wide one which we all hate. !!

And so it begins !

And so it begins !! No, no , nothing political ! Hubby is starting to work on the basement ! Two years, or is it three > since the basement has flooded. I'll get the living room back ! I'll be able to get some new furniture !! I'll be able to put up a Christmas Tree !  Maybe not this Christmas , but next year ? Hubby is getting old so he can only do a little at a time. This is very hard for him to do. He likes to go gangbusters but he has finally realized he can only do a little at a time so he doesn't ruin his back. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Yesterday I got my flu shot, did some grocery shopping and popped into Value Village. My arm was sore last night though. I don't remember it being that sore in former years. Today I went and got my hair cut and have made my Christmas cakes done. Well they're still in the oven for another 40 minutes. This is the first time I've soaked the dry fruit in Sherry and cherry bounce, I'll have to see if that increases their cooking time. I've sliced the beef with garlic, fresh ginger, and soy for a stir fry this evening. Just have to put the rice on, slice the onions and peppers and bowl the salad.

I've mended YGS's backpack, planned the birthday meal for Saturday and worked on the quilt. Fall break is over. Tonight I must get out a baby afghan for a teacher at work and a safety pin.


I wrote a member of an Internet group that I have known for 12 or more years. She is a black woman living in Stockton California. She has not been vocal on FB, but I realized that from the posts she had liked, she was certainly not a DT supporter. so I wrote telling her how I felt, how the world felt with snippets of conversations ED had with others at the conference. There was silence for a couple of days so I thought that maybe I had misjudged ! She w rote me back saying that my letter had made her cry. She is frightened, her 8 year old daughter had wakened the next morning and when she heard who had won, she started to cry, saying ' He's going to kill us ! "  For all those that say they are not racist, but voted for DT , THIS is what they did !  The only pleasure I get is how there is a 'knife fight' or Game of Thrones going on with the transition team.

Last night we picked ED up at the airport. We park in a subway parking lot so we don't have to pay for parking which is absolutely atrocious. She is exhausted from the flight- from Lison to Munich to Toronto to Edmonton. But she was back to work this morning although she came home to sleep this afternoon.

Saturday we will celebrate ES's birthday with the whole family. I'll bake a ham with all the usual sides. On the 25th we'll celebrate YGS's start of his new life. It'll be 3 years since he was abandoned by his mother. He hasn't heard a word from her since. and that has been good.

Now I'll sit and enjoy a cup of tea and check on the dark Christmas fruit cake.

A Catasphrophe in the Making

As the world watched, Americans voted in a racist, bigotist, sexual predator, liar extraordinaire , cheater, vengeful uneducated, non reader president.  BUT he is going to make America great again. It ain't gonna happen. America hasn't been great since the Second World War, it only thinks it was.

ED is in Europe. She was having a meal with some Germans who were blown away by the fact that DT was running. " Did they not learn anything from us ? " they asked. Americans at the conference were horrified as much as the other international participants. In a marketing session, many countries were mentioned , but not the States. It w as as if they were closed for business.

Many Republican friends are the most vehement about 'others' criticizing their country. How bad is it that the Americans go to other countries as election observers and have  one of the worst election processes in the world ? Look at North Carolina ! Voter suppression ! Look at the long lines at polling stations. Why were there not enough polls ? Why were they made inconvenient  for voters ? They laugh and deride Canada, but we do do a few things correctly.

DT supporters picked and chose those parts of his rhetoric that suited them, sloughing off the others as campaign banter. They are in for a surprise. The coal jobs will not come back. The world is leaning towards clean energy. Do you think DT will help retrain the miners so they can have productive jobs in the clean air industry ? Oh right, he doesn't believe in climate change. It's a myth perpetuated by China.

Ten years ago , my Republican friends were hurting. They have bec one prosperous in the last few years. All but onwhoImightsay,lived a lifestyle with their huge boat and house which were heavily mortgaged. Sure, they still complained about prices going up etc etc, but so is the rest of the world. They complained about Obamacare, but they do enjoy having it. They  are travelling, redecorating and socializing in clubs and at concerts. They will not recognize the stats that Obama really did improve the economy.

I don't see greatness. I see hatred and fear and loathing. I do not want my grandchildren who will be moving to the states to be brougooht up in a culture that teaches them that their great uncle - a Canadian born Japanese is any less than any white man. That carrying a gun is normal.

There is an America out there that the world knows nothing about - and it is frightening. DT has given license for this America to do whatever they want in whatever hateful way they want.


How long will he be given ? Will the miners and factory workers still think he is the answer when the jobs don't materialize ? 'Cause the world has moved on. . Will they still think he can clear the swamp when they lose healthcare ?  the poorest voters are in Republican states with Republican governors. what have they been doing to help the poor and disenfranchised in their states? It is said that they want less government. Seems to be that the state governments haven't done anything to help them.


The world watches and waits.

The End Is Near

The end is near......the end of the American election, that is. YS and I are going to plunk ourselves here in this room, order in Chinese Food and colour in our maps ! It has been such a soap opera, but sadly this soap opera will deeply affect their country and not in a positive way . However as I have read so much and watched soooo much, I need to see it through to the end.

It is pouring rain today. the leaves on the birch tree are falling as fast as the rain drops ! Hubby owed the lawn one morning and by the time I got home the lawn was again completely covered with leaves ! We've been having some lovely warm weather. It is predicted to go up to 17* on Tuesday ! I'll take it !

Yesterday I finished the stocking for a former colleague . We went grocery shopping and the laundry w as done and put away. This morning  I've mended two tops, made an apple crisp for tonight, washed a couple of floors and back working on the quilt. I've also spent quite a lot of time  talking with ED in Lisbon. I sure enjoy the pictures and videos she sends and posts. My youngest sister has a meeting with a surgeon on the 17th about  her knee replacement. Good thing it w as her phone as we were on the phone for a long time.Watched The Crown which w as a very good series. I spent a lot of time researching things they had brought up in the program that I never knew.

School was as usual; the errant EA was as usual. Sloughing off, taking 50 min breaks !! It is unbelievable how quickly she fell back into old habits. But this week is a short week because of Fall Break and then next week is even shorter ! Only 3 days.  While on Fall Break I hope to actually do some housecleaning and I need to get my flu shot.Hubby got his last week.


Tonight is my night for tv so I'll soon put the roast on.