Rain or snow, Mom, make up your mind!!

November 27, 2007 at 12:03 AM (Aylmer pool, notes and thoughts)

Good old mother nature is having some fun.  Don’t know if Emma needs her snowsuit or her umbrella.  That’s November for you.

We went swimming again today after school, and we went as a family yesterday too.  I actually tore Todd away from Eve!  And once again, my lovely little van decided to give me a scare.  I ran into Loblaws on the way home, and Todd and the girls waited in the car.  The battery died.  Arrghh!  Poor Todd walked home to get the other car and the battery pack, and thankfully it was fine.  But once again, I’m a little leery.  And we are going to visit Grandma Monica this weekend, just me and the girls.  So I’m a little worried about that.  I really hope nothing happens.  We took it for Thanksgiving, all was good, so knock on wood, it’ll be fine.  So far so good.

Well, not much else is going on.  I’m watching the movie “Borat” again, don’t ask me why.  I didn’t find it that amusing the first time, although the out-takes were hilarious.   It’s the old 400 channels and nothing on!  Go figure.  Maybe I’ll go find a book to read in bed.  Sounds like a plan.

‘Night All!

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Let it snow – part two

November 24, 2007 at 3:14 PM (notes and thoughts)
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Winter has hit something fierce! Snow, and bloody cold. Brrr. I guess this is normal for this time of year, but I was caught by surprise. Still have stuff to put away outside, and now it’s under a blanket of snow. Ooops. But apparently the forecast for next week is rain, rain, and more rain, so the snow will probably disappear and I’ll still have a chance to clean up outside.

The kids had a ball at the parade. We met up with their friends, which made it that much more fun!

santa-parade-005.jpgThe Fearsome Foursome

Watching the Parade

The parade itself apparently received five stars from these critics. And now we know that Santa is at the Mall, so we will have to go visit him there of course. I wonder if this year they will be brave enough to sit on Santa’s lap by themselves. Last year, the two of them would only go together, but the look on their faces was priceless. They were just in awe of Santa Claus. This year, Emma is also questioning the logistics of Santa being able to deliver all those presents in just one night. I don’t think it will be too long before the truth comes out. That is happening too fast for me. I want my little girls to stay little, and to believe in Santa forever. I can’t remember how old I was when I stopped believing, but I’m sure it was sooner than later, probably grade one or two, cause I do remember the existence of Santa arguments that would rage at school around Christmas time. Philosophy for grade school!

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Here little fishy fishies…

November 21, 2007 at 8:19 PM (Aylmer pool, notes and thoughts)
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Ah, we finally went swimming. Emma hasn’t forgotten a thing, she can do the backstroke, the front stroke, and swim underwater. Jumping off the diving board, and practicing her diving off the side of the pool, she did great. Meg was equally impressive. Swam under water, swam across the short side, and went down the slide without hesitation. My muscles kind of went “ah”, I remember this. We almost didn’t go, because my ear is still plugged and I’m still on the extremely-tired-because-of-this-darn-cold side, but both girls really wanted to go, so we did. So glad cause it felt great, and I’d almost forgotten how much I enjoy swimming and watching my girls conquer the water. So it’s back into the swim of things for us!!

The powers that be have added some new swim times as well, although unless you actually go to the pool, and get a schedule, there’s no way of finding out what the hours are.

So I will post the time table here, and please, I’ll try to be accurate, but if there is any omission or mistake, don’t get too mad at me. I just want to help people find out about the pool and the hours, and encourage people to use it, so they don’t cut back on free swim time again!! And there is no place online you can go to find out the hours (which is ridiculous!). And if you’ve stumbled onto this blog, looking for the location, it is right across from the Loblaws, on Rue Principale. You really can’t miss it.  Look under my pages for the hours.

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Santa Clause is coming to town…

November 20, 2007 at 12:59 AM (notes and thoughts)
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The Annual Aylmer Christmas parade is this Friday evening. We’ve been going every year since the kids were old enough to appreciate it, and they just love it. It starts down at the marina, and winds its way up Rue Principale. I swear all of Aylmer turns out for it, the streets are so crowded. But it kind of signals the beginning of the Holiday season, so we go. Life in a small town…Sometimes it is sweet.

Laugh of my day: Kids are ’sleeping’ i.e. giggling, talking, and it is wayayay past bedtime. I walk in the bedroom, to see Meg not lying down, not under her covers, but hanging off the side of the bunk bed. Me: “Meg, what are you doing?! Go to bed!! Get in there!” Meg: ” But, Mom, I just wanted to hang around for a little bit!” Literally!!! Oh My Flying Spaghetti Monster!! Sometimes these kids just kill me! Maybe you had to be there, or you need to have kids to appreciate the humor, but some days I have to try so hard to be mad, and not laugh.

Well, I’m feeling better. Still not %100, but better. Just takes time, and lots of rest, so I’m off to bed now.

I should mention the parade starts at 7pm (I believe), but never seems to start on time!  It is supposed to be pretty cold, so bundle up and bring hot chocolate.

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Little bugs that won’t go away…

November 18, 2007 at 7:48 PM (notes and thoughts)
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No, I’m not talking about my children, although I guess it is applicable. I’m just feeling sorry for my sick, earachy, cold self. It seems that Emma brings home every little virus known to school children, and being the sweet caring sharing child that she is, gives them to me!!

Every time I get a cold now, it seems to go in my ears. Nothing is worse than an earache. Honestly, I would almost rather give birth again than suffer these damn ear aches. So my wonderful weekend was pretty much shot, although I did manage to putter with my plants and got most of my brug cuttings potted up. I even repotted a few other plants that needed it, and some African violet cuttings and planted some tomato seeds, to do a viability test. Maybe I’ll try to grow them on in my sunny dining room and see if I can get some tomatoes this winter! Once I get into the zone, I do manage to get stuff done. I just have to find the zone first. At least I can say the weekend wasn’t a total write-off!

We also got our wood today. I will put a link up for any one interested in Eco-lution wood. It is great stuff! Thirty boxes, took about ten minutes to pile it in the house, and voila. We have our wood. So much easier than when we used to order cords of real wood, and have to pile it in the wood shed. And it makes ecological sense, as it actually recycled hardwood, formed into these little logs, and boxed. It’s clean, easy, and earth friendly.

We have been using the stuff for 4 years now, and really like it. We still get whatever wood we can to supplement.

You can find them at www.ecolution.ca

Well, I’m hoping I’ll feel better soon. Then maybe I’ll have more to write about, or at least feel like writing. My tomato blog is a work in progress, but I did manage to update it a little while ago. Promise more to come.

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What Would David Suzuki Do…..

November 13, 2007 at 12:43 AM (stuff)

Sung to the tune of the song from South Park “What would Bryan Boitano Do”.  It runs in my head at times, but I can’t seem to finish the lyrics.  But, you know the saying, if it’s yellow, let it mellow?

Well, what do you do??  Ask yourself, what would David Suzuki do, next time you drive the four blocks to the store to pick up milk, or turn up the heat instead of putting on a sweater.  I ain’t saying I’m perfect, but with that damn song running in my head all the time, I think I’m doing little things that make a difference.  If everyone else would do them too, what a difference the little people could make.

I know the big problem is the pollution from the big business, but every little bit counts.  I have to believe that for my own sanity.  So next time you flush, you turn up the heat, you use your dryer, turn on your lights, sign to  yourself, ‘What would David Suzuki do’?  And sing it in tune,please!!!!!

P.S.  I’m copy-writing that so I can make T-shirts and a million dollars. ahhahahahahha

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Move over Julie Andrews…

November 8, 2007 at 9:40 PM (animals, notes and thoughts)

Do you sing in the shower?  Well, I don’t.  At least not often.  And not when anyone else is home.  My husband, on the other hand, does occasionally.  Very loudly and very off-key.  Yesterday morning Meggie and I were treated to a rounding version of the Sound of Music.  Now who wakes up in the morning with that in your head?  I have to admit, I wish I’d had a tape recorder, because it was pretty funny, and would have made a good blackmail card.

It is pretty cold now, and with the clock turned back, it gets dark so early.  The one consolation I have is the fireplace.  I love a good roaring fire, and last night was the perfect night for it.  Another one tonight.  It is cold enough that both Jing and Tye are coming in at night, despite the kittens.  Simon doesn’t know what to make of them, Cherry just kind of looks curious but unconcerned, and Mina, well she hisses and spits, but she’s so little no one takes her seriously.  Jing could care less, and Tye was hissy at first, but has pretty much gotten over it.  So I guess everyone will have a warm place to sleep this winter.  I’m glad nobody minds too much, cause it does get damn cold during the winter and I feel so bad for the cats outside!!

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The Nutty Professor…

November 5, 2007 at 10:04 PM (animals, notes and thoughts)

 See anything funny about this pic?

Our good ol’ Sasha dog, sharing her dindins with Cherry.  Looks like Cherry’s getting more than her fair share.  Bunch of goofballs.  I think either the cats think Sasha’s a big mommy cat, or else that they are dogs who meow and can climb trees, (oh yeah, and ignore humans on a whim!!).  Kinda like dogs with superpowers!!

Okay, before I explain the title of this post, I just want to say, please don’t be offended. My husband has an incredibly strange sense of humor, which I love and share, so of course I laughed my ass off. But he has been bugging me about when am I going to get the cats fixed, and this is Simon’s new nickname. At least until he (the cat – not my husband) gets fixed. They have just turned six months old, so it’s time for them to go under the knife. Simon will be first, not only because it’s easier to get done (i.e. cheaper), but he is the largest of the three. And I really don’t want him to learn about any special talents that he may have (spraying!). Once a male learns that trick, even once when they are neutered, it can be hard to stop that behavior. And he is the only boy. The other two can wait a little longer, especially Mina. She is still such a tiny little thing, I don’t want her to get spayed too early, but obviously I don’t want either girl to get knocked up. But she is half Simon’s size, so health wise, I think she’ll be the last to get done.

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My list of Tomatoes

November 2, 2007 at 8:24 PM (gardening)
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Okay, okay. I know this took a while, but here goes.

The List of Must Grows For Next Year

1. Galina’s Yellow – a delicious yellow cherry, fairly prolific, one of Meg’s favorite Indeterminate, 70 – 75 days. (Siberia/Russian origin)

2. Black Cherry – a tangy, almost smoky, flavorful cherry, another favorite Indeterminate, 65 days.

3. Zigan – black slicing tomato (more of a dark purple, kind of uneven color), smoky flavor, very distinct, medium size Indeterminate, 75 days (Zigan means Gypsy, Russian heirloom)

4 . Stupice – red slicing tomato, small , about the size of a golf ball, but very prolific and early, this was the best tomato in my yard Indeterminate, 50 days. (Czech heirloom)

5. Vova Yellow – smooth, yellow slicer, almost plum shaped, another good producer, nice flavor Indeterminate, 65 days (also know as Uncle Vova’s, Russian heirloom)

6 . Orange Jubilee – another gorgeous orange tomato, baseball sized, good production, good flavor, Indeterminate, 65-70 days

7. Giant Italian Paste – this is the biggest paste tomato I’ve grown, outclassed and outperformed all the other pastes. Indeterminate, 70 days.

8. Rhoade’s Heirloom – a large, bi-color, very unusual looking, didn’t get a lot of the plants, but the ones we did were very nice. Indeterminate, 75 – 80 days.

9. Purple Prince/Black Prince – medium sized dark purple tomato, received one plant in a trade, but saved seeds from it. From what I understand, the same tomato goes by both names (but I could be wrong). Good production. Indeterminate, 70 days.

10. Russian Persimmon – another sweet orange tomato, almost tennis ball size, very nice flavor, Determinate, 75 days.

This is only a partial list, and I will give a lot of other tomatoes a try next year. But these ones will definitely be on my grow list. Some, like Black Plum and Reisentraube were very prolific, but I’m not sure if I want to grow them again. There are better options, I think. We didn’t have the best summer for tomatoes, the weather was very inconsistent, and there was little rain, even though we had a much longer season than usual, so I may still try some of the other ones that didn’t make this year’s list again. I still have lots of seeds left over from the wonderful gardenwebber who sent me a huge variety last year. And I’ve been perusing BakerCreek’s selection…Right now, the Canadian dollar is at such a record high, it’s an ideal time to order seeds from a US company. (Yeah, yeah, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!!) My main bone of contention (with myself) is the lack of pictures. Why didn’t I take more pictures!?! Oh, yeah, I was sans camera for a while, because some bonehead dropped the camera in the lake while on vacation! (In case you missed it, the bonehead was yours truly!) But we recently replaced it with another Fuji finepix, which I love. It take fantastic shots and was a great deal. I’m still learning all the tricks, but it’s safe to say that I won’t go near the water with it!

           

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We wish you a merry Christmas!!

November 2, 2007 at 4:27 PM (stuff)

The marketing machine is hard at work, already.  Only 53 shopping days left to show your loved ones just how much $$$ you love them!  It’s like two days after Hallowe’en, and already the new slogan is spend, spend, spend.  But it’s pretty funny to walk into a store that’s all decked out, and walk back outside into the brilliant sun, and no hint of winter.  It’s kind of like taking the girls to ‘Santa’s Village’ in July!!(Todd and Grandma Monica did that last year.

As for Hallowe’en, the girls had fun.  Meg changed her mind at the last minute, and wore her tiger costume (why did I bother???) and Emma was a vampire witch.  Ah, well, it’s their day, they can wear what they want!  I’ll post some pictures soon!

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