Here I go a-gravelling.....

Here is my pile of gravel at the end of day yesterday.

This is the back yard after so many wheel barrow loads, I lost count. Most of it was piled high across the back against the foundation of the house. I lay down most of the landscaping fabric that I bought yesterday.

Now I realize I don't have enough fabric either, so I will need to pick up at least one more roll.

This is ME at the end of day yesterday, just before I crawled into the shower. I was so tired I could barely walk.

 I was expecting rain today. I was kind of looking forward to having to take some time off  from the work detail. But alas, the sun was up this morning. A few dark clouds moved in shortly after 9 AM, and I got my hopes up again. It didn't last long, so I buckled down and got to work.

When I quit for the day at noon, the pile of gravel was gone. As a reward, I got on the phone and ordered 3 more yards....that is more than I ordered the first time.

This is what 2 yards of gravel looks like after it has been shoveled, wheel barrowed, and spread out. It didn't go nearly as far as I had hoped. But then, I am laying down more than 4 inches thick in a lot of places, trying to even out the landscape. I am hoping the new gravel will be delivered before the long weekend, so my son can give me a hand. I am also going to ask him to help me fix the back steps. I somehow raised one side, so now the door will not open.

I have eaten my lunch and am now waiting for a call back from the "gravel people". Even if they deliver it this afternoon, I will not be going back out there. I just want to take my shower and have a rest this afternoon. I may not take a nap, but I would like to work on some cards or my Christmas card list. I have a lot of address changes to record. Then at least I can say that I scratched off one of my items from the Grand Holidays plan. Fa-la-la-la-la.

Tuesday

 When I first got up yesterday morning, I hung out my son's two huge loads of washing on my clothesline. He didn't have time the day before to get everything put in the dryer because he was making my dinner for me. Did I mention how yummy that eggplant parmesan was? It was perfect drying weather and it was a small price to pay for dinner. I posted my Daybook on my blog and then I headed into town. I ordered my gravel and paid for it. It was only going to cost me $113 instead of the $160 I was quoted because they would deliver it in a smaller dump truck. I picked up the gasket for the dishwasher which cost me $90.40 with tax. Then I drove over to my optometrist's office. I didn't have an appointment, but I picked out a pair of frames and the doctor took measurements and I was out the door in five minutes. They should be ready for pickup on Friday. With all the running of errands I did in the morning, I did not feel like working outdoors yesterday afternoon. I stayed inside and puttered in the kitchen, starting with the dishwasher.

I removed the old rubber (that's it on the right hand side) and replaced it with the new one after I cleaned the door the best I could with my Miracle Clean spray and baking soda and lots of elbow grease. Can you believe that piece of rubber cost me $90?

It was a very easy job to do. Then I ran the empty dishwasher through a normal cycle with baking soda and vinegar before running a full load of dishes after supper. 

 

 

 This morning saw me outside again pulling weeds and laying down mulch. I only did part of the garden bed at the end of the driveway. My Snowball Hydrangea is still blooming, so I will not be pruning until nearer the end of October or even November.

I will finish this bed much later in the Fall, but I wanted to get some mulch down on the end of the garden that I did weed.

Next, I moved my efforts to the back yard. Woohoo! This itty bitty garden took almost 2 1/2  hours to complete. (I need to replace those rotted garden ties bordering the garden.) When I went in at 12:30 for lunch, I was tuckered out. I thought perhaps I might take an afternoon nap, except that I saw a message on my phone. The gravel was ready to be delivered. So I moved my van to the back of the property to clear the driveway just before they arrived.

Doesn't look like much. I don't think I have enough. Even though I was worn out, I decided to move 5 wheel barrow loads to start the back corner of the house. I had just enough landscaping fabric to cover that little corner. I am very sure I don't have enough. 

 
So can you guess what I will be doing tomorrow and for the rest of this week?

Daybook: Monday, Aug. 27/17

Outside my window.....it is sunny and warm (but not hot and  sticky). The lawn has been cut again and the flower beds are tidy. I hope they will stay like this for a while. Last week I had hoped to work on my driveway and the bed in front of the fence, but it was too much to expect.

I am thinking.....I will do well to move the big delivery of gravel I am expecting this week.

I am thankful for.....my son and his fiancee coming over yesterday afternoon to remove the pool liner in the back yard for me, and also making Eggplant Parmesan for our dinner last night. Yummy!

From the kitchen.....I made nothing over the weekend. Friday was leftover salmon (not tilapia, as I first reported) with broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini in a mustard cream sauce. Saturday was one of the cabbage casseroles from the freezer, and last night my dinner was made for me. The only thing I made was another large container of Miracle Clean spray cleaner.

I am wearing..... a pair of denim capris and a blue T-shirt.

I am creating.....a few birthday cards with paper cupcakes I made last week. This will start going into a box of homemade cards I will prepare as Christmas gifts. I received my first alert from Holiday Grand Plan yesterday. I reprinted my Christmas card list so that I can update the list and check to see if I have correct addresses for everyone. This week is "List" and "Front Porch"  week. I will see how much if anything I can accomplish this week.
                                                                    
I am going.....to pay for my gravel and arrange delivery, pay and pick up my dishwasher gasket, and go to my Optometrist this morning.

I am hoping.....I can get all my gravel moved this week.

I am hearing.....heavy trucks moving by. There is construction of new houses going on close by. We will have blasting going on over the next 5 to 6 weeks. 

Around the house.....there is lots to be done both inside and out. I will work in the yard when the weather is fine, and I will try to follow the Grand Cleaning Plan laid out by the aforementioned website.

One of my favourite things.....this week will be my trusty wheel barrow. 

A few plans for the rest of the week....do not include going out anywhere after today.

Here's a picture I am sharing.....

Here is the hole left in my back yard after having the pool liner taken out, and the flat rocks taken away from the perimeter.

                                                                   

Saturday Summary

I stripped my bed this morning after awakening and washed two more loads of laundry. The sheets and quilt went into the dryer, but everything else was hung out on the line to dry. The bed is now made and all the laundry from the past two days has been folded or hung up.

I spent the majority of today outside pruning back and/or pulling out all the Globe Thistle from the front garden space. There will still be some growing next summer because some I was unable to pull out the roots and because there will be seed in the ground. However I was able to lay down mulch and make sure all the weeds were pulled. Slowly but surely, my flower beds are being prepared for the Fall.

The only things left blooming in this bed are the Autumn Joy in the foreground, my pot of red and white portulaca, sea lavender (or statice) pink coneflower, and pink potentilla.

Where I removed the Globe Thistle up against the front of the house, I have tried to transplant some Blue Flax and hope that some of it will take root.

While I was busying myself with this, I noticed a really pretty butterfly enjoying the red verbena of one of my planters. I have no idea what kind of butterfly it is, but it was rather large.

Are you noticing how long the grass has grown in the last couple of days? It needs to be cut again already. Sheesh!

Another No-Spend, No-Drive Day

I stayed home today and worked outside some more. I didn't spend any money as a result. I washed up two loads of laundry in cold water and hung out to dry. I used up 7 bags of cedar mulch from my stash out beside the veggie garden and "wheel-barrowed" it up to the front yard where I spread it over two and a half of my flower beds. The perennials and shrubs  in those beds have been pruned back for winter.

I ripped out most of my Snow-in-Summer overhanging the rock border. I lay down my vinegar and salt water solution over the gravel to help prevent them from growing back too quickly and overtaking the sidewalk again. I also lay down some new mulch here to contain the plants. Next, I will take out most of the Globe Thistle that is growing in the background up against the house. Then I will lay down mulch over that entire area. The gardens look so much nicer with a thick layer of cedar mulch, and I still have 12  more bags of the stuff. 

My planters filled out quite nicely with my red and white flowers this year.

My glasses fell apart late this afternoon. Wouldn't you know it is a Friday and I will have to make do until I can go to my eye doctor on Monday. The new prescription I received at my last eye appointment is on file for 6 months, so I should just be able to pick out new frames. In the meantime, I have glued my lens back in the frame, but I am still missing an arm. I cannot attach it.

I called a local aggregate company to find a price on a delivery of gravel. Over the phone, he estimated the cost around $160  to fill the area behind the house. They will need to dump it in the driveway because they cannot drive into the back, and I will "wheel" it back where it needs to go. Free exercise. I think he has overestimated the amount, so I am sure I will have lots to fill up some other areas I am considering, like the hole that will be left when I remove the pond liner in my back yard.  I can always rake any surplus over the rest of the driveway, as it is bare in places. So on Monday morning, as I drive in to my eye doctor's office, I will stop into the Aggregate company, pay for the gravel, and set up a time for delivery. Further down the highway, I will stop at the appliance store to pick up my dishwasher gasket and pay for that.

So although I technically didn't go out today and spend money, I know that my Monday morning will be a humdinger when it comes to forking over the cash. In the meantime, I will enjoy my weekend. And I hope you all do to.

I've Earned My Keep This Week

It isn't yet Friday, but I already feel as though I have earned my keep. I got my front lawn finally trimmed and so for a few days I will be able to look out at my front lawn and not feel defeated. Ha. I finished taking all the weeds out of the second bed, and yesterday I took out bushel loads of "Snow-in-Summer" from the front flower bed. If I don't pull it back at the end of each summer, it will eventually take over the whole bed. I never got to it last summer, so I had to pull it out from between my irises and from the front of the bed where it was sprawling out across the sidewalk. It had already choked out my pink aubretia deltoids. They were nowhere to be found this past Spring. I pruned back hard another shrub (my pink Spirea). When I lay down mulch (hopefully tomorrow), I will take a photo. I was going to lay down mulch yesterday after lunch but suddenly realized at 1:35 that I had a doctor's appointment for 2 o'clock. I didn't have time to wash up or eat.  I just took off the really muddy working clothes I had on and put on clean ones over the dirt. I was only 8 minutes late. All the traffic lights were working in my favour. Phew.

After returning from town, I fried up some ground meat and made up four cabbage casseroles from the cooked cabbage made the day before (2 Italian and 2 Asian) I had one of them last night for dinner and lunch today. The other three are freezer meals. Tonight I will cook some tilapia with broccoli and mushrooms in a mustard cream sauce. Breakfast is nearly always an omelet. Once in a long while, I will have oatmeal, which I am allowed sparingly.

Omelet with zucchini, mushrooms and cheese.

 This morning I went out to the back yard and moved several hundreds of pounds of rock from around my pond in the centre of the yard to the top of my "mud hole" that used to be a deck. The largest, heaviest rocks are at the bottom of the incline, with the rest of the rocks fitting in like a jig saw puzzle towards the top. I will rake the gravel (when I order it) so that it fills in some of the gaps between the thinner, smaller pieces at the top of the gradient. I won't plant any ground cover until after  the stones settle in somewhat...perhaps the Spring. I am so exhausted after doing that work, but once I started, I didn't want to stop. The clay was wet again after a torrential rain yesterday, and I was caked in mud. I wanted the job DONE. So now I have showered and changed, and I want a nap on the couch. Don't ask me to do another thing today please.

Now I just have to rake and clean up the garbage before ordering in some gravel.

My Doctor's Visit

I was awakened this morning by a clap of thunder and pouring rain, which kind of matched my mood. It stopped raining long enough for me to take out the dog and get ready for my appointment this morning, but I was unusually anxious driving into town this morning. I guess I was afraid the doctor would not be wholly impressed with the .2 drop in my blood sugar results and I thought maybe she would assume that I hadn't tried very hard. I was disappointed. She would probably think I failed. I was wrong. She was ecstatic with the results. She told me that had I come in with another 6.5, or higher, she would have to tell me that I had Diabetes. The fact that it went down, showed her that the diet was working.

Next, she had me go on the scales. I kind of protested. I told her I hadn't been trying to lose weight. I had eaten so much high fat dairy and meats, it was possible I had even gained weight.  For example, last week one of my dishes was two thick burgers swimming in a cup of heavy whipping cream coloured and flavoured with a little tomato paste. I poured everything over a mountain of mashed cauliflower with loads of butter. How does one lose weight eating like that? I have no idea, but I did....12 pounds. My blood pressure was also down. Huh? She was beyond happy with the results. So now I am clearly motivated to keep going, and I will visit her again early in November.

Yesterday I put too much expectation on what I might achieve, but I still managed to accomplish a lot. I finally trimmed out my front lawn and managed to take out a few more weeds from a flower bed out front, but I came in before two hours were up because it felt very warm and humid outside. The lawn looks good though. I managed to re-read some blog posts and comment on them finally. I wrote letters to accompany cards I mailed out before the mail pickup. I took out the kitchen compost and scrubbed out the pail. Two heads of cabbage are shredded and cooked ready for me to turn into casseroles. I still have to process the broccoli.

The grass trimmed out, and in the foreground is a pot of red shamrocks that I have potted up to give away.

Daybook: Monday, August 21/17

Outside my window.....the sun is shining. We have had a steady stream of traffic go by. I am wondering if the main highway (the 401) was shut down this morning because of an accident?? We are the alternate route or detour route when that happens. My front lawn still needs trimming out, but I did cut the lawn yesterday.

I am thinking.....about the great time I had at my son's on Friday night. I was NOT the first guest to leave, like I thought. The conversation was very interesting and as it turned out, I was the last guest who left except for the two long-time friends who were going to stay over the weekend. My son's fiancee made a pizza with a cauliflower crust just for me, and her. They served regular pizza to the remaining guests, but the cauliflower crust was such a success, the men finished it off that night. It was yummy! Now I have the recipe from here.

I am thankful for.....having some savings from which I could draw money for the added and some unexpected costs this past month.

From the kitchen.....I made a batch of dog treats yesterday. I made a Tex-Mex casserole for my dinner last night, and I made a homemade veggie soup with stock I had in my freezer. This will be lunches this week. I bought two heads of cabbage yesterday that I need to shred and fry to make ahead more dishes for the freezer. I also need to cut up a lot of broccoli into florets to freeze. I peel the tough stems of the broccoli and cut up into coins to add to future homemade soups.

I am wearing.....my usual summer working wardrobe. I have on my blue capris and a printed t-shirt. I plan to do some yard work today.

I am creating.....more cards. I made up some "Thank you" cards that I needed to get in the mail. I also made up three "Thinking of you cards". One is for my mother and one is for my step father. I am attaching notes in them and some printed out photos of their great grandchildren taken while they were here this month. I will send them separate cards because although they are in the same Long-term care facility, they are on separate floors. I have not yet visited them since they arrived to this place. I try to send cards from time to time.

I am going.....outside in the yard today.

I am hoping.....my doctor can reassure me on Tuesday morning that I should continue with this new way of eating. My blood sugar levels are still high. The results of my blood analysis shows I have only gone down by .2 points (negligible) I don't understand it because I have been as true to this diet as I have ever been....no flour, no grains, no sugar AT ALL. It has been 6 weeks. I could definitely carry it on, but I would like some explanations of why I was expecting greater results.

I am hearing.....my window fan beside me, my tinkling chimes, and the occasional sound of heavy trucks passing by.

Around the house.....there is food preparation to do in the kitchen and more yard work outside. I would like to get started on laying some flat stones on the inclines out back where the deck used to be. I want to lay down some mulch on the beds as I clear them of weeds.

One of my favourite things.....is the food processor that "Dee" brought down for me two weekends ago. It makes the job of shredding the cabbage much easier.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include  doctors' appointments on Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon. Dinner out on Tuesday night to celebrate a friend's birthday. I want to get outside as much as possible.

Here's the picture I am sharing.....

The cauliflower pizza I enjoyed on Friday night was topped with mozzarella cheese, peppers, chunks of tomato, zucchini and slices of kielbasa. Mmmm good.

First Grocery Shop For September?

Yes September. I have blown August's budget clear out of the water, so I need to "take a cash advance" on September's allotment. I still have lots of meat in the freezer, but my fresh veggies are getting low, and the ones I have...well, I am not supposed to eat those. I froze the last 5 cauliflower I bought and I still have some of those left, but I needed avocado, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms....stuff like that.

Non-food items cost $84.89

 My first stop was Staples where I needed to buy more toner (black and colour) cartridges. My printer finally gave up on me last night because I ran completely out of toner. The package of Post-its I didn't have to buy but I have been looking for the full adhesive post-its. You cannot buy these at the Dollar Store. When I found them, I felt I should grab them. I need them to make "masks" for my stamping. There are 4 pads in the pkg. for $4.92   The ink cartridges cost $70.20, and 13% tax brought the total to almost $85

Produce cost me $27.62

My best deals here were probably the 3 bags of broccoli for $5, 3 cartons of cremini mushrooms for $5, and the four avocados for $1.97

Dairy cost $22.90  Not pictured here is another dozen eggs for $1.97

Meat cost $37.24 when you add in the cost of two trays of lean ground hamburger. They are not pictured here because I had already divvied them up into one pound freezer bags. The split package of pastrami was on sale for $4.49 The frozen chicken fillets cost $1.88 a pound and the lean ground beef was $2.88 a pound. I paid $3.79 for the kielbasa and $6.49 for four salmon fillets. The only pantry item I bought was a box of Stevia (100 packets) for $4.49  There were no taxable items, so my groceries cost me $92.15

Starting with today's shopping, I need to keep track of all my food receipts until the end of September. I don't know how much more or less my food budget will be for the new diet. August was kind of a wash because I was buying groceries for my company including the kids, plus I was buying ingredients to follow the new diet. Anything I bought for my company that I wasn't allowed to have, I have since given away to my son and his fiancee. From now on, I should be restricting my food categories to just produce, meat and dairy.

Friday Recap

I did get out Tuesday like I planned and pruned back the rose bush into oblivion. It may look drastic, but mark my words; it will be just as big and full next summer as it was this summer. I did not trim the lawn and it desperately needs another mowing. But I did start on pulling weeds from another bed in the front yard and also cut back the perennials that are finished blooming for the year. It will take another full morning to finish the job. Next week I may be able to clear the driveway again and the flower bed at the end of the drive.

About one third the size it was.

Here is a picture of the mess behind my back door now that the deck has been removed. I need to order in some gravel so I can lay down a good layer to cover this mud hole.

The wooden deck ran across the back of the house and along the length of the addition, about 20 feet by 24 feet. This is on the north side of the house and  was shaded most of the day, especially when we also had a six foot high fence for privacy on the deck on the right hand side.

The problem I ran into was this steep embankment down the side of the back room addition. The deck used to cover this area and there were steps down to the sunken patio. Before I can lay down gravel, I have to come up with an idea to keep the gravel from spilling out onto the lower patio, and keep that area at the bottom of the foundation clear as it is the only access to the crawlspace under the addition. It is built on bedrock.  This morning in the hot sun and humidity, I was shoveling wet clay to figure out how I was going to accomplish this myself on a small budget. I don't want to rebuild a deck or lay a patio until next Spring after I have considered my options. I lay down those four cinder blocks at the end of my flower garden so the rain doesn't take any more of my garden soil away. Notice all those weeds that need pulling. I uncovered some railway ties that I can probably add more 6x6 railway ties to by nailing spikes or reinforcement rods through. When I checked at Home Depot yesterday, they had the ties but they will not cut them. So I will have to make those walls 8 feet long or find someone who can cut them for me with a chain saw. Anyways, I am still considering temporary solutions.

Update: My friend just suggested that because I already have some flat pieces of limestone that I need to move from around my pond liner, I should lay the stones on the slopes leading down to the sunken patio and grow some ground cover between the rocks. Great idea. These photos do not show just how steep the incline is, but I am sure this will work once I rake the ground out a little more evenly. Then I will put together a kind of frame made with two by sixes on the top of the incline to hold about 5 inches of gravel. I am starting to see a solution to this problem.


I might have gone out to pull some weeds on Wednesday and Thursday but my hamstring muscles hurt so much on Wednesday, I figured I could stay inside and get some of my cards made ready for the mail. I also had four bags of garbage to take to the curb (filled with yard waste) and the Blue Box for recycling. I didn't go out Tuesday for the hamburger that was on a great sale and Tuesday was the last day for that sale. I just felt too tired; but Wednesday I had to go out for eggs, so I went to Shopper's Drug Mart and spent over $50 on items that were on sale. I also had some things in my cart that I reconsidered and put back on the shelf,  like some toiletries and paper towels. I can do without for a little while longer and they are often on sale.

Yesterday I drove into my doctor's office to pick up a requisition for blood work, then drove to LifeLabs to get it done. On my way into town, I stopped at an appliance repair shop and ordered a gasket for my dishwasher. I need to do this, as my dishes are being covered by small black spots of rubber that is disintegrating from the seal around the door. This will cost $80, but I hope to replace the gasket myself. On the way back from town I stopped at Home Depot to price their cinder blocks, railway ties, and just had a look around to see if I could come up with a couple of solutions for maintenance problems that need addressing. I took a gift card for $50 with me, but I walked out with nothing. I needed to think about it a while longer. I then drove to my small engine repair man's business. My roto tiller, pressure washer and riding lawn mower are done, but it cost me $478 ...gulp. I am bleeding money here folks. This week I have really been missing Rick. He was so handy to do things on his own, and saved a pile of money. The two of us would talk and bounce  ideas off each other and  then share the work together.  Of course, not every month will be like this, and I have made it through a difficult week and lived to tell the tale.

On the bright side, my daughter has offered to look after my dog at her house for the three weeks I am gone out West in the Fall.  It would have cost another mortgage payment to pay boarding charges for Satchel. So now I won't have to worry about that problem. It just seemed to be a tough week for me, but that's life. I usually experience the blues once company leaves. The house was so alive, and now it is just very quiet again. I am very fortunate to have family and friends that think to call me and listen to me moan and make helpful suggestions. I appreciate all of them. I am going to get ready now to go to my son's birthday party. I really don't know why he wants me there with all of his young friends, but I will go and wish him a happy birthday, eat some good food and take an early leave. Hope your weekend is restful and relaxing.

Daybook: Monday, August 14/17

Outside my window.....it is a lovely sunny day. I was out this morning in one of my front flower beds pulling weeds. I spent a couple of hours out there until it felt too warm to continue. I took 3 laundry baskets full of weeds back to the compost pile...just from that one flower bed. It isn't finished. I have yet to pull up my sprawling "Snow in Summer" and pot some of it up for my SIL in Smith Falls. Tomorrow I want to prune back my rose bush to almost nothing and trim out the front lawn. I mowed it just a few days ago, but it is looking really messy.

I am thinking.....I want to get down some mulch this fall after I get these beds cleared out. But first I need to thin out quite a few areas. So much to do and so little time left this season. I am hoping the weather co-operates.

I am thankful for.....a lovely visit with family members these past two weeks, and more opportunities to connect in the next few months.

From the kitchen.....I made more dog treats on the weekend. I have been true to my new diet and I am fortunate to still have a couple of frozen meals left for myself. Before my company's arrival I was able to make shepherd's pie and chili con carne for my son, and vegetarian versions of the same thing for my grand daughter. She finished off her Shepherd's Pie, but I had to give my dog the rest of the hamburger pie so as not to throw it away. The uneaten chilies went back into the freezer. I can't eat them, but I can warm them both when my son and his fiancee come to visit. She is eating more and more vegetarian meals. No waste.

I am wearing..... blue capris and a printed T-shirt (working clothes). The knees are dirty from when I was kneeling in the dirt this morning.

I am creating.....some cards this week. I need to send out a couple of "Thank you" cards and also a couple of  "Thinking of You" cards. I will be using a couple of new stamps I bought.

I am going.....probably nowhere today. I am feeling fatigued right now, especially in my legs. I do need to buy more eggs however, so maybe tomorrow morning I will head into Giant Tiger in Napanee. Their packs of ground hamburger are on sale (4 lbs. for only $8 for lean ground beef)

I am hoping.....to be able to replenish my savings account in short order. I had some extra expenses during this month. The van needed a new muffler. I bought two twin beds (I researched many, many beds before deciding to purchase) I don't regret buying them. Even if I decide to move from this house in the next year, I would rather have the twin beds in a spare room. Not that I plan on moving, but who knows where my future might lie? I also bought two more electric tabletop fans for less than $25 each. I will definitely be using those in the really hot summers.

I am hearing.....nothing from the dog. He is fast asleep at my feet. I have the window fan on beside me while I work on the computer. I am listening to the chimes blowing in the breeze just under my verandah.

Around the house.....I could be vacuuming, stripping the beds and doing up the laundry; but I am not expecting company again any time soon, so it can wait for a rainy day.

One of my favourite things.....is knowing I have a frozen meal to heat up when I don't feel much like cooking.

A few plans for the rest of the week.....include making some cards to get into the mail. I need to go to the Labs for blood work for my Doctor's appointment next Tuesday. Fingers crossed that the diet is working. Dinner later in the week at my son's apartment. He is celebrating his birthday.

Here's the picture I am sharing.....

These are called Globe Thistle. They are very striking in the garden, but they spread very quickly by self-seeding. My front flower bed is very full and I need to pull these out after they have bloomed, so I can prepare the soil and put down mulch before winter. In the Spring, I will be better able to keep them under control.

3 Weeks Later

I mentioned in my last post, my Daybook Monday, that you probably wouldn't hear from me for a while. And I was right. The first week was spent cleaning and organizing and cooking ahead. The last two weeks I have been enjoying my company. They actually left yesterday morning for Bradford (north of Toronto), but I took a day off. I did not clean. I did not cook. Instead I played with a new stamp set that I received in the mail during my company's stay. I have a few thank you cards to make up. It feels like a whole lifetime has happened since I last posted. I dipped into savings this month to buy two single beds for one of my spare rooms, a new muffler on my van, two new electric fans and extra food. My riding lawn mower, pressure washer and roto tiller are at the small engines mechanic, but I don't know the damage yet. I will be working hard to replenish my accounts ASAP.

I decided one of my spare rooms should have single beds instead of having all queen-sized beds. This room that we had finished for my son and his fiancee, is big enough for two beds.

I feel so fortunate to have made up a few freezer meals in advance. Our days were so-o-o-o incredibly  busy, it was wonderful to be able to reheat things in the oven. The young cousins got along famously (5, 6 and 8 years of age) and pretty much entertained themselves. My son, myself  and 14 year old grand daughter took the kids swimming two days and to the combined playground/water park twice. Grandma has a sandbox in the backyard, which they played in, and she has a toybox in the cupboard. There are lots of craft supplies and her TV has Net Flix, so amusing them was no trouble at all. My son took the older grand daughter shopping and to the Go-Cart track. She also had Net Flix, her lap top and her cell phone. My son and his GF had us all over one evening for supper, and we spent a lovely day in Smith Falls at my brother's house for a swim in their pool and a barbeque supper. My Dad and 'Dee' came down from Northern Ontario to surprise my son. It was a great visit.

While in Smith Falls, my son and his GF announced their engagement. I have known for quite some time, but they didn't have a date until just this past week. So now I will have to refer to my son and his fiancee. It will be a small intimate wedding in the old primitive forests of Northern California (Sonoma County) next July 20th. They are NOT expecting anyone to attend except their parents and witnesses, but some of my family is planning to go as part of their holiday excursion next summer.

So now the house is strangely quiet once again. The yard is beckoning me outside. While he was here, my son organized a work party to tear down the deck on the back of the house. He no longer thought it was safe for me, and he was right. Many of the old joists were rotted through. So now I will bring in a load of 3/4 inch gravel to lay down temporarily over the winter. I will decide whether I want to replace the deck or go with a patio of stone or concrete in the Spring. The weeds have completely taken over my garden beds, and I do want to remove them and lay down mulch over August and into September. I also have to start working on my Advent calendars and gift making for Christmas. At the end of September, I will be making a cross-country railway trip with my Dad and 'Dee' to Vancouver. They are renting a time-share on Vancouver Island. I will be staying with my son and my DIL in Burnaby. My oldest grand daughter is graduating from University with her Bachelor of Arts degree though she is currently enrolled in her Bachelor of Education program. Then we will all spend the Thanksgiving weekend with my Dad on Vancouver Island. I would dearly love to be able to come back here afterwards and not have to worry about doing any more yard work this season. 

Despite the weeds, my late summer perennials are still blooming.

Echinacea or pink cone flowers

Pink phlox

Black eyed Susans or Rudbeckia