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.

What a Bother !

It has taken forever to get onto the blog. Since I don't use the blog daily, I have no idea what went wrong !!

We are having a lovely autumn day; clear blue skies with a crispness in the air. After all the snow and cold, I an aged to get the tulips that my ED bought for me. Canada 150 are a white tulip with red markings at the bottom that look like a maple leaf. I still have quite a few plants that are still flowering. We are gradually getting the yard winterized. The most important thing was to get the winter tires on the car ! Two of our trees, the birch and the Evans cherry are still holding on to their leaves. We use the leaves as mulch on the gardens. Looks like hubby will be raking a lot more !

Three years ago was the start of our nightmare. As ES said, it some ways that seems so long ago. Less and less has YGS ever mentioned his mother. Right now he just misses the idea of having a mother.

ED is off to Spain and Portugal this week. As sil is now in Memphis, we are helping out with picking up kids and driving them to swimming.As we just got this week's schedule, I have to redo the menus as they'll be staying one night for supper.

I managed today to repair some jewelry. I think I'll have to go to Michael's and get some studs for my earrings. Don't where they've gone. I've also finally written a letter to an old colleaque; it's only taken me a month !One of my favourite tops somehow reappeared from the wash with a little hole. It must have been snagged by a zipper or something . I shouldn't have hung it up and p it it away in the closet because now I am too lazy to walk upstairs to grab it ! Next time I am up, I'll hang it on the railing so I'll remember to bring it down and stick it in the sewing room The quilt is coming along nicely. It is going to take forever though !

Tonight is lasagne and an apple crisp. We have to choose names for Christmas. We do want an early supper because all our shows are on tonight ! I'll watch PBS and then the rest of my shows I'll watch on demand.

Our 'errant' EA is supposedly coming back tomorrow for half days. We are taking bets as to how long she will last, or til the teachers decide that she can't do her job. Will be interesting to see what happens.

I'm still watching and reading about the American election. Not only was the last debate atrocious, but the charity dinner was absolutely awful !  Their future is grim.

I Just Don't Get It

I'm shaking my head in regards to the American Election. How could the GOP not know what Trump is ?? People all over the world knew; Canadians knew and have known for a long long time. Personally I could never stomach the man and I would think there were many in the GOP  who have felt the same way. Their good common sense was ignored because of their hatred for Clinton and the Democratic Party .

I have been shocked  with the Trumpettes and the surrogates. How easily they have believed every rumour about HC without proof ! How they wished she was killed. And now, with audio and visual. Proof of their leader boasting about his sexual power over women-- they don't care ! How do those Evangelical pastors reconcile their Christian beliefs with his tapes ? How can they preach the Gospel and accept his criminal behaviour ?

I just don't get it !

Too Soon !!

I feel like I am preparing Christmas Dinner instead of Thanksgiving !! We've at least 4 inches of snow on our deck and it is still coming down. Roads are wet, but the bridge decks are slick. Thankfully we are all in town and don't have to worry about travelling.[ But I should have dug my parsnips up on Thursday night :( ]
 
My ED is in Palm Springs where it is going to hit 36*C today !! Hopefully by the time she comes home the snow will have disappeared. She made such good friends when she travelled in Europe and ended up stranded in Budapest because of the volcano in Iceland. They still travel to events/ countries together.

YGS is spending two nights with his other grandparents. Last night they phoned ES to have him speak to YGS as he wouldn't eat the pizza he had asked for. This is so symptomatic of their relationship. They do not discipline him [ didn't discipline their daughter either] Part of that is that they want him to like them ! ES is going to speak to them about this. He is such a good boy because our family does discipline when warranted. As I said, as a mother and grandmother, I do not care whether I am liked or not. That's not my role/ job. I'm here to teach, guide and love. It won't be a surprise if he returns home tonight !  He's old enough and smart enough to ' play' them if they do not nip this in the bud !

Well, well. Isn't the American Election the biggest soap opera ?  IF anyone had written a book with all these scandals, no one would have bought it. It would have been 'too far fetched hed' Well folks, this is real life. This is the American sense of entitlement. This is the Evangalistic Christian outlook on life. Where are all these ' Christians'  decrying the debasement of women ? Where are these good men defending their mothers, wives, and daughters against this sexist, vulgar sexual predator ?  Where are these men declaring that they do not want their sons to treat women as DT does ?

Oh so now Pece is distancing himself ? When he previously has denied things DT has said  ? Which were on video, in print etc. He and the surrogates have lost all credibility. Pence's political career should be OVER. Forever !

 I finished all 28 blocks now I have to start cutting and basting the pink hexie fillers. In the meantime I have knit one stocking and halfway through another. I delivered the six I did for a colleague who was very pleased with them, very pleased. One of the EA's came over and asked where I found the pattern. Never seen her move so quickly ! I said it was MY pattern !!  Now if she wanted to, she could google it. Or she could buy one and figure it out as I have done with other patterns. No way am I giving 'my' pattern away !

GD is coming over for the afternoon so I got out some glitter pens for her to play with. I've got one pair of pants to mend and on Monday I'll tackle the jewelry mending. Today I'll finish the floors, knit , read and relax !

And Boom !!! It's October !!

While some of the days in September dragged on and on, the month flew by !! And now here we are in October , which arrived with a cloudy, grey rainy day. Some of the street lights came on in the middle of the day ! Today was bright and sunny. We made a quick trip to do our grocery shopping stocking up on vegetables and picking up a turkey for next weekend. Then Hubby went to Canadian Tire as they had our coffee on sale.So full freezer, fridge and pantry. All the laundry was done and put away yesterday, vacuuming was done. A good way to start the week.

Our 'injured ' EA returned this week. In one conversation, she had a sprain, then a broken ankle, then a break on the top of her foot. She has a walking cast that is way too big, has crutches but is afraid to use them as se might trip. She walks from the north wing of the school, through the library, down the halls Ito the office and sits and puts her cast on. Complains no one will help her and that adjusting the air cast is so difficult. ow we've had broken ankles and an air cast in our family. You take it off to shower; you do not walk on it. You wear a shoe which has the same thickness as the cast - not flip flops !  And if you are at work, you do your job !! She didn't show up for classes. Teachers were fuming !! And after two days, she's taken off another week and a half !!  Most say she didn't really break it; many are saying she won't be back. Time will tell.

I'm on my last hexagon block. Once that is finished I'll finalize how I am going to lay them out, choose the 'background' hexes and cut them out. I've a couple of things to mend, but chose to read instead ! They are not going anywhere. One of the sweaters I bought in the summer has a little hole on the cuff of a sleeve which is easily reparable. I've gathered some jewelry to mend with some gorilla glue. I have another stash somewhere that needs doing; just have to remember where I put it !

The funeral we attended last Monday was the saddest[. Not in a sorrowful way] funeral we had ever been to. The pastor was terrible and G was not honoured, nor was her life celebrated. Our staff former and present, numbered around 50. After the service such as it was, the two children stayed outside the church while everyone went downstairs. G's mom was all by herself, a lady in her 90's ! It was awful. Just cemented my wish not to have a funeral.

Although we have so many apples I picked up an apple pie on sale !! Time to go have some !  Oh we also bought a new shed to replace ours. The squirrels have eaten through the roof, sides and floor !! It's held together by foam insulation and chicken wire ! It'll be put up in the spring but with 20% off, it was the right time to buy it.