tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83842142093712951722012-02-12T19:51:06.259-07:00Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.comBlogger3241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-83369059779623523242012-02-12T19:51:00.000-07:002012-02-12T19:51:06.272-07:00

Okay, so I managed to get some alone time this week and it was good.  And what did I do with it? Exercising.  Even on a Friday night!  I am finally starting to feel like the exercising is starting to benefit.  I've been exercising with a friend 3x a week since September.  It's been time-consuming and kind of fun, but I'm not losing any weight whatsoever.  While that's disappointing, I've lately

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-60786195751778416492012-02-06T00:00:00.002-07:002012-02-06T00:00:48.566-07:00

It's been an odd week, child-wise.  Sometimes I feel like I don't get any time to myself.  It's not true really.  I get lots of time after the kids are in bed, and sometimes they all go to school, but it just seems like they are stealing my time when it doesn't work that way.  It's selfish of me, but I love my lonely times. Monday and Tuesday turned out to be PD days for Beth.  Originally I

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-8664592222823335112012-02-04T19:01:00.000-07:002012-02-04T19:01:41.837-07:00

I always go into a bit of a slump after the Christmas gift-making.  Only the deadline of Christmas keeps me going through that, because the lack of light in this country kind of gets me down.  I don't necessarily stop creating, but my heart isn't always in it. The light is increasing and changing and I love it!  And it only gets better as well.  The weather feels like spring too (unseasonably

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-25287630971766261322012-01-25T22:54:00.000-07:002012-01-25T22:54:11.513-07:00

So, now that it's finally winter and the weather matches the blog header I've had for over a year, I'm sick of it.  I commissioned Laura to design one for me and this is what she came up with.  She pretty much covered everything I write about.  Sewing projects, family, gardening and cooking. I love it.  Thanks, Laura!

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-83912287302061757402012-01-23T23:29:00.002-07:002012-01-23T23:35:32.698-07:00

Eleven.  I'm already seeing signs that this may be an odd age.  An age where some teenage activities are desired and some childish ones as well.  Example:  A purple cow birthday cake, an elegant lunch at The Creperie followed by a spa birthday party.  Who is this middle child of mine?    This was a great party and she's still young enough to not mind if I tag along and hang out with her

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-88022940881275071422012-01-23T15:26:00.000-07:002012-01-23T22:57:44.677-07:00

It was a fun week, but I'm still kind of glad it's over.   Birthday week.  Two birthdays in one week and unless we schedule their parties close to each other, it can feel like the whole month of January is focused on those two special days. I'll just tell you about Alice's birthday today.  The tradition is for us to take the birthday girl out for lunch to their restaurant of choice. 

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-62869237908639265542012-01-15T22:10:00.000-07:002012-01-15T22:10:33.073-07:00

Before Christmas I made another fairly quick bag.  I loved the fabric that I used.  I almost always use stash fabrics from past projects, planned-but-never-finished projects or donations from others who know I'll eventually find a use for it.   It was nice to sew with new fabric for a change. The idea was to create a knitting bag.  The request was for "something to carry projects in that

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-25754379150670399532012-01-12T14:34:00.000-07:002012-01-12T14:34:01.628-07:00

The last of us finally got her hair cut.  It's not a huge change because she is growing her hair.  She's had short hair since she cut the back herself when she was 3.  She's the lucky one.  Barbie will never again have long hair.  But that was more than half a lifetime away, so I can understand why she might want a change.  I've always loved her hair when it was cut really short.  Oh

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-60963613640742202502012-01-11T14:10:00.000-07:002012-01-11T14:10:32.315-07:00

11 years ago today I dropped little Beth off at the neighbour's house.  I'd just had my 8th month pre-natal checkup and had no reason to think that these were anything more than Braxton Hicks, but it was best to check into the hospital and see.  My doctor had only hours before told me that all was well and we had a few weeks to wait.  Laura was due on Feb. 9, possession day of our new house, and

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-64590071972138578902012-01-06T17:00:00.003-07:002012-01-06T17:00:40.339-07:00

Today the hairdresser had time for two more of us.  Before: After: I think the biggest difference in Beth is the natural light.  It makes our skin look better, but Beth couldn't keep a normal face while squinting into the bright sun.  I'm not actually sure about my cut.  It's assymetrical and not really me, but because I'm virtually blind while getting the cut, I wasn't able to see

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-41918426449336024682012-01-05T13:59:00.000-07:002012-01-05T13:59:04.576-07:00

By the title of my blog and the frequency of my posts lately, you'd be tempted to think that Ev has no life, no times and no thoughts.  It's not true.  I have so much life, so little time, and tons of thoughts that I don't make time to record them for you.  Actually I do have time, but I'm not using it by blogging.  We're happily playing with a borrowed Wii today and because of our basic lack

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-31474908242575874432011-12-11T06:32:00.001-07:002011-12-11T06:57:52.943-07:00

I really don't realize how much I rely on the internet until we don't have it anymore.  We went for about a week with really intermittent internet availabilty, and then finally none at all.  I do any new product research, blog reading, recipes, looking up phone numbers, etc. on the internet.  It's weird to search out my paper telephone book or hope I wrote down my favourite recipe, or try to

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-53382749819493259232011-11-25T19:47:00.001-07:002011-11-25T20:11:02.388-07:00

Although we are all thinking of and planning Christmas presents, none of our latest crafts have been for Christmas so I can still share them here.  Yesterday was our last day of Zumba.  The community league offered 10 sessions over 10 weeks, and Laura, Beth and I learned to dance and had fun with our 68-year-old instructor.  Her energy was inspirational, for sure, and I thanked her for her

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-90046093178242213652011-11-20T21:21:00.001-07:002011-11-20T21:32:33.076-07:00

I think it's a bit unfair that I expect other bloggers to blog every day.  Or every other day, at least.  I love to have new things to read. I don't always have anything new to write though.  I've been thinking about Christmas gifts a lot lately.  Last weekend I sat with Rosa at a table at a craft sale selling all sorts of things that we had made.  I had hoped that our first snow would make

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-27056178878861792392011-11-08T13:41:00.002-07:002011-11-08T13:41:57.099-07:00

I don't mind having kitchen toys if I use them.  I thought my pasta maker might become one of those unused toys, but I've made lots of pasta with it.  Especially since I have yet to see gluten free lasagna on any store shelf.  This current new toy cost more than I think I will use though, so I only bought one quarter of it.   Rosa and two other deer hunters will own the other three quarters.

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-17294940907853923652011-11-03T09:28:00.001-06:002011-11-03T09:28:15.234-06:00

I've still got apples in the basement going bad (I hate wasting food!) and tomatoes in bins and in the freezer that I'd prefer to be in jars.  However, I'm feeling done.  I don't feel like boiling the big canner up again.  I think I'm just going to use them as they are and if some go bad, so be it.  I've got the processing blahs. On the other hand, I'm hoping to try making sausage again

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-55227219973145197942011-10-25T00:10:00.002-06:002011-10-25T00:11:02.128-06:00

So, this year I had access to part of a garden down the block from my house.  Although I was late getting it in (while waiting for approval to use it), weeds took over while we went away on vacation, and it was tougher to keep up with it because it wasn't under my nose the way my own yard is, there were some successes with this plot.  For one thing, I had no bugs or pests at all the way I did

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-71510915025097094052011-10-21T10:11:00.002-06:002011-10-21T10:11:46.428-06:00

 Unless I'm with close friends or with the hippies of the new millenium, I usually lay pretty low about the ladies in our yard. However, today they deserve a post of their own and my readership of 2 is likely sympathetic to the backyard chicken. For the last few months, the ladies haven't been producing very well.  Usually one a day between the two of them.  That's not terrible, but for a

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-41317690066112855812011-10-14T20:25:00.001-06:002011-10-14T20:25:32.941-06:00

Birthdays do that to me.  Keep me on my toes.  I knew Beth had a birthday party to go to tonight, but somehow that didn't translate in my mind to "That girl will need a present".  And it didn't occur to Beth either.  However, I had a bit of time tonight to create this little book cover.  Quick and easy and it turned out great.  Phew.  Just a bit of panic, but all is well.  I can't

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-54911250054016741592011-10-14T10:16:00.000-06:002011-10-14T10:16:20.320-06:00

I've been remiss. A lot has been going on around here and I haven't been sharing. My parents came up over the weekend and we had a really good time together. They came primarily for a wedding, but we saw them much more than the wedding couple did. We celebrated our 17th anniversary over the weekend too, and Mom and Dad took the kids to A&W for supper while Yvon and I had a little date

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-89126032747773446022011-09-30T22:45:00.000-06:002011-09-30T22:45:03.198-06:00

I tell you, I was so happy when I could see the bottom of the pear box.   I managed to can all 35 lbs of pears during the hours the kids were in school.  It helps that I can talk on the phone and continue working.  I also fit an hour break in, so I wasn't feeling that overworked.  Imagine how productive I could have been without the Zumba-induced soreness that I'm suffering from!  Our

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-56325471950630264142011-09-30T09:07:00.000-06:002011-09-30T09:08:01.537-06:00

I don't know how much a bushel is, but I think I have enough apples in my house to start measuring in bushels.  We go through a lot of apples in our house.  I think most homes with kids do.  And the cheap (frugal, thrifty?) person within me cringes when I see apples selling for $1.29/lb while trees all over the city are dropping them to the ground where they remain unused.  I picked a 

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-56063739433912721822011-09-23T14:33:00.002-06:002011-09-23T14:37:17.474-06:00

It's not that I've got nothing to do, but waiting makes me restless. Waiting for: pears to ripen in their box (35 lbs of them in my living room) tomatoes to ripen in their boxes or on the vines beans to dry up a bit on the vines carrots and beets to use as much sun and moisture as they can in the ground corn to soak up more sun and moisture leeks, kale and chard can just sit pretty for as long

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-36782591468936593402011-09-20T22:51:00.003-06:002011-09-21T16:58:32.428-06:00

The weather is gorgeous.  The annual Indian Summer that still comes as a surprise every year.  While I watch daily for the frost warnings and pray for additional heat to finish up my corn and dry my beans out a bit, we finally get some heat.  I had a few things to celebrate. The fact that all three girls were in school.  For a full day.  No early outs.  No sickness.  No field trips that I

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-3135315845729984702011-09-14T19:31:00.001-06:002011-09-14T19:31:50.274-06:00

Lately I've been immersed in a lot of things.  Apples from my in-laws farm and from OFRE, which became juice and cider so far.  More apples should be ready this week, but I'm too sick to pick them (just a bad cold or flu, I never properly differentiate them).  They are large and perfect for easy peeling, drying and making applesauce.  I've still got lots of pie filling from last year.

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-62253701442536333492011-09-12T19:18:00.003-06:002011-09-12T19:19:02.506-06:00

A friend came over today to show me her produce. Oh, how different than my slug-eaten vegetables. Much larger than my tiny garlic, and mini onions that are mostly lost in the forest of greenery. And my tomatoes that look more like cherry tomatoes than beef steaks. I do like my carrots a lot, but these large ones would taste fabulous too.  And her peas were so cute!  I took

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-11656291698181902572011-09-01T09:46:00.001-06:002011-09-01T09:46:33.743-06:00

This morning was harder for me than kindergarten ever was, although the big girl was still just as calm and confident now as she was seven years ago.  Maybe that makes it worse.  Or maybe it allows me to be the weak one.  This morning, bikes and backs laden with all of the new school supplies, Beth and I rode to her new junior high.  There was too much stuff for her to take alone, plus I

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-16089320238312083412011-08-29T17:53:00.001-06:002011-08-29T18:20:03.510-06:00

I rarely take a big-picture photo of our back yard because there is little of beauty there.  However, this is a beautiful sunflower.  It's actually two plants growing mighty close to each other, but both are impressive in terms of the number of flowers on each plant.  Usually I see little out of my kitchen window beyond the 15 foot above-ground pool.  And it's not pretty.  However, this

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-42653086584501157652011-08-26T22:33:00.000-06:002011-08-29T18:17:58.343-06:00

I enjoy writing a blog.  It's a great place to share stuff that I care about or am thinking about.  It makes me feel productive if I record something I've done.  It's a great forum for sharing creative moments or moments of children's sillliness or brilliance.  But sometimes it comes back to bite me. My sister was here for three full days before she said "You make some nice bags right?  And

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-24340786936216317682011-08-15T23:09:00.002-06:002011-08-15T23:09:45.937-06:00

I read a lot of pre-adolescent books these days.  Partly it's because there are a lot of well-written books out there, but mostly because if I don't read them, I'll get a play-by-play of the entire book anyway.  When Beth gets a book out of the library, the whole family might as well listen to the audio book.  This week I read "The Manny Files", a humorous little book.  First Beth read every

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-88528377891062476742011-08-09T22:53:00.003-06:002011-08-09T23:01:05.791-06:00

There are three things on my mind right now. 1.  We've increased from one bed to 5 beds in 12 years. 2.  We never have enough bedding. 3.  I want to make a quilt. It's the quilt draped over the chair in our living room that brought this on.  When we first got married we just had our own double bed.  It was easy to buy a few blankets and we were done with bedding. After tiring of the

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-66016575355535185962011-08-03T19:06:00.002-06:002011-08-03T19:07:13.785-06:00

Without leaving the comfort of my home, I woke up yesterday in Smalltown.  It's a pretty little town, sparsely populated but all of the inhabitants are very helpful and pleasant.  Signs were posted all over the house.  Blanchetti Plaza, McMaster's Drive, Freezing Fuzz Crescent, Purple Smurf Road, Couch Potato Square.  I started the morning at the Pure Yumminess Restaurant in Blanchetti Plaza.

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-6508422687242514512011-07-27T11:01:00.003-06:002011-07-27T11:01:51.031-06:00

Harvesting and filling the pantry and freezer, that is.  Rosa and I tried to go strawberry picking at a U-Pick this week, but it didn't work out.  Their strawberries were tiny and once you cut off the tops and the some of the seed-condensed bottoms there wasn't anything left.  I know the weather has been weird, but my strawberries at home are much better.  However, there will never really be

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-4892361265049836002011-07-21T09:25:00.001-06:002011-07-21T09:25:16.596-06:00

This man is celebrating his 50th birthday today.  Happy birthday, Yvon! Incidentally, I don't mean "great" as in a "great number of years". Besides, I don't think he looks as old as that.  They've just been really good years.  The ones with me have been great anyway.  I am in no way responsible for the ones before that. Here's praying for lots more great years!

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-4511688921916069042011-07-18T22:58:00.000-06:002011-07-18T22:58:46.135-06:00

We've been gone for two weeks.  We headed south to Yellowstone, passing through my parent's place on the way there, and stopping into my parent's "vacation home" on the way back.  It was a great time, but towards the end of it I started to have dreams about the garden.  My waking thoughts were worries about weeds, hail damage, continued deaths at the hands of the evil cutworms, etc.  My sleeping

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-68190924323275963372011-07-10T14:21:00.003-06:002011-07-10T14:21:00.459-06:00

Mom has probably shown you a few of my awesome pictures I took of plant and flower close-ups. Well, today right after lunch I went outside to take a few pictures of roses, lady's mantle, peas and beans.Can you guess what's what?                                       1.                                                      2.                                        3.

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-45056800813470064262011-07-06T14:10:00.002-06:002011-07-06T14:10:00.514-06:00

What do you do when someone gives you many pounds of asparagus?  You say, thank you.  Thank you very much! Then you proceed to chop and chop and chop and boil it up with some chicken stock and some salt.  That's about all it takes to make a great batch of asparagus soup. Whiz it up in your blender (or in small batches in my Magic Bullet) and freeze.  It's pretty concentrated, so each pint

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-27538702887055786612011-07-03T13:47:00.002-06:002011-07-03T13:47:00.397-06:00

I seem to be running out of blogging energy.  I've got ideas in my head, but they don't get onto the screen and suddenly weeks go by with nothing to show here.  Sad, really. But I knew I had to do a post about the Easter Seals to thank everyone for their donations.  Yvon raised his personal best this year and that's awesome.  To my mind, the event seems to dwindle in popularity in competition

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-75213429416988403482011-07-01T14:19:00.006-06:002011-07-01T14:19:01.092-06:00

We're usually travelling on Canada Day.  Last year we were en route to a campgound, slowly meandering through some small towns in the hopes of finding a parade or BBQ going on.  We only found some private family functions.  It was quite disappointing.  Where is our Canada spirit?  Once we were settled in our tents and trying to fall asleep, the fireworks started nearby.  Not near enough to

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-32820318867669783312011-06-30T18:41:00.006-06:002011-06-30T18:41:00.215-06:00

It's far from perfect, but it makes me happy and I gaze at it often from the viewpoint at our bedroom window... I'm almost done laying bricks along all of the pathways.  I'll save some extra bricks for stacked tables on the patio.  I may need them because my paths never seem very permanent.  This was one of five bouquets that the kids picked for their teachers on their last day of school

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-12193776439957298082011-06-29T13:44:00.003-06:002011-06-29T19:37:33.522-06:00

I wish they'd just let the kids off of school sometime in mid-June. There doesn't seem to be much curriculum that needs covering and they just spend their days having fun. Maybe that's so they'll remember school as being fun and want to return in September?  In order to have fun with them, I find myself volunteering for field trips. I spent a wet, rainy day getting close and personal with

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-21386545827575832322011-06-24T17:44:00.005-06:002011-06-30T22:59:46.099-06:00

Hi, this is Beth. Did you read the post called: Toilet humour? If not not, you should before you read this. It's one of mom's most popular posts. Read it? OK. Read on. The poem "Sam, Sam the Lavatory Man" is actually a song that you learn at camps. It's just one of those songs that camp councillors teach you. Laura and I went to a camp with our Girl Guide troop, and our camp councillor taught

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-23896760007938368102011-06-16T01:24:00.001-06:002011-06-16T01:27:07.055-06:00

When Yvon first started working at his first non-paint-related job (and may I say - Yay!), he started a role within an administrative group. I don't know why it is, but admin people tend to have to organize all the events, and because of that, they also tend to be key participants in the events. I've been there too. When people don't sign up as volunteers, you tend to sign yourself up. The

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-14445809071914321132011-06-12T15:13:00.005-06:002011-06-12T15:33:05.954-06:00

It's not everyday that couples make it to their 60th Anniversary. Many marriages don't make it to their 3rd anniversary. But my in-laws are celebrating their 60th Anniversary today and still seem pretty happy about being together. :-) Yvon spent many hours cross-stitching this hanging for their present. It lists all 14 grandchildren in order of birth and it turned out great.My contribution

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-62192939691677721292011-06-10T13:48:00.005-06:002011-06-10T14:11:42.322-06:00

This is my new borrowed garden bed. I've now got it fully planted up with peas, carrots, leeks, potatoes and corn, with a few flowers, a tomato and some peppers. The renter has a few perennials in the triangle at the top and a large empty plot along the house to fill. I decided to measure all of my beds and add up my veggie gardening space this year, out of curiousity, but also because

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-57958096600784597392011-06-07T20:44:00.002-06:002011-06-07T21:03:31.309-06:00

Well, it would have been all in. It was all in, but I did a crazy thing tonight and expanded my available land. I hate to see bare soil. It sucks up rainwater and does nothing but produce weeds. It's ugly. It screams for plants and it will grow whatever seeds are thrown in its direction. Dandelions, camomile and other weeds are the most readily available and the space gets filled. But I could be

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-82598216957144527852011-06-02T10:16:00.005-06:002011-06-02T10:46:20.911-06:00

I managed to get it all in by Saturday night so that I could offer to bring my leftovers to church on Sunday. Although the great giveaway didn't happen on Sunday, it was still nice to have a firm deadline for myself. The lovely fencing around my back areas have been successful so far for keeping both the ladies and soccer balls out of the baby plants. Rosa kindly donated her wickets for the

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-512417379987689362011-05-31T09:02:00.002-06:002011-05-31T09:22:42.704-06:00

Yesterday I took four girls to the local outdoor pool for the first time. At only 19 degrees or so, I wasn't that interested in jumping in, so I read my book on a comfy deck chair. The smell of the chlorine, laughter of the children and Janice Joplin and Rick Springfield on the radio all reminded me of my years at the Riverside Swimming Pool where I grew up. I think the pass cost in the

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-28884460949685614882011-05-25T10:28:00.005-06:002011-05-25T11:05:14.227-06:00

A friend of ours says that you can't win the lottery if you never buy a ticket. That is the only vice he claims to have: 1 lottery ticket every week. It would definitely increase your chances of winning that kind of lottery, however I say that there are other lotteries worth winning and your chances are much higher as well. The only lottery I ever enter are of the blogging kind. I used to enter

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-64279108801516192782011-05-22T20:15:00.003-06:002011-05-22T20:40:03.257-06:00

Just a quick view of all of the flowers currently blooming. This is the first year that all of our columnar apple trees are blooming at the same time, so hopefully we'll actually see a few apples.View slideshow

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-69840585496791955372011-05-17T10:15:00.004-06:002011-05-17T10:53:11.049-06:00

That doesn't mean that I've passed Gardening 101, 102, 201, 204, or 1001. It's just a date. I'm not qualified to take the course. However, even if I'd fail the course due to poor design, soil quality and weed tolerance, I'm enjoying it a lot. It gives me great pleasure.This is the area I like to work on most. The back yard only has a rectangular functional garden and a load of play equipment,

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-36799864243120818132011-05-16T15:03:00.006-06:002011-05-17T11:02:44.736-06:00

I spent Friday with Beth's class at a flying school.I figured it might be one of my last field trips with this class. Ever. I can't believe they will all be splitting up and going their separate ways next year to deal with junior high. I've been field tripping with these kids for 7 years and it's almost over. It made me sad.They are a great bunch of kids and they have definitely grown up a lot

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-72716576456244598822011-05-10T11:28:00.001-06:002011-05-17T10:57:25.823-06:00

I had given up, frankly. Laura is 10 this year and has shown no interest in riding a bike. Only fear and eventually maybe some embarrassment, so I've tried not to talk about it in front of her friends or even in front of her anymore.Yesterday she did it!I was grinning from ear to ear as I walked all around the neighbourhood while she rode everywhere, stopping at every corner to wait for me to

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-3347368612332989992011-05-10T11:02:00.006-06:002011-05-17T10:59:29.694-06:00

Bloggers always only show you their successes. Everyone has enough snippets of success in our lives that we can all look perfect in a blog.But you guys mostly know me, have seen my weeds and my messy house and my unbrushed children.I have yet to make a successful batch of gluten-free cookies. I don't like to bake if I can't partake, so the kids have eated a lot of Girl Guide cookies. There comes

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-78575403943010587562011-05-09T10:47:00.004-06:002011-05-17T10:59:43.346-06:00

I read about it everywhere. Avenue Homesteader just wrote a post about it this weekend, Kevin Kossowan has a series of short films about local farms, the permaculture group and the Eat Alberta group have all talked about it. The disapearance of the family farm (or the difficulty in surviving on one) and the city paving over the best agricultural land.Being the cheap person I am, I didn't want to

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-27181538127159374492011-05-04T11:55:00.006-06:002011-05-17T10:59:56.169-06:00

I've been getting strangers to my blog lately, and I think it's because of a few comments I made around local blogs regarding the Eat Alberta event I attended over the weekend. Welcome to my blog! There are many awesome foodie blogs, local eater blogs, excellent photography and recipe blogs around. I'm not really one of those. I'm just, you know, me.I don't really know why I've not been motivated

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-48803191956837443792011-04-25T16:38:00.007-06:002011-04-25T17:10:16.183-06:00

Hi, this is Laura. I'm blog-jacking mom's blog.Today I went outside and took a bunch of spring pictures. (this is mom's favorite) Tulips, tulips, and MORE tulips! This is Bugsy. Bugsy says "hi".(also mom's favourite) Can you guess what this is? If you said a pussy willow (or a true sign of spring) you are correct!Good bye and I hope you you had a good Easter weekend!

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-23897344527607856552011-04-18T19:04:00.003-06:002011-04-23T20:17:32.703-06:00

Last weekend was Laura's final spring concert. Part of it was dedicated to songs about God's creation. A typical theme in the spring when (normally) we would be seeing new life emerging in our gardens, spring lambs and calves. Or in the miracle of Christ's resurrection on Easter.But this song was amazing. I listened to them sing it through about three times and then just quietly said "wow". As

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-60612881859776256512011-04-13T15:43:00.009-06:002011-05-17T11:00:15.119-06:00

One of the things I love about staying home is that I can get a fair bit done without stressing about any of it or planning it.Have you heard the alzheimer joke that's been going around the internet for years? I can't remember it exactly, but basically a woman starts off with one task in mind. Let's say it's taking out the garbage. While reaching for the garbage bag, she sees that the bin needs

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-56693138338114655022011-04-08T09:41:00.001-06:002011-05-17T11:00:29.924-06:00

It's Random Friday. Did you not know that? I just thought of it while I sit here watching TV on this fine sunny morning. My kids are on Breakfast TV this morning. I wonder who watches tv at 8:30 in the morning? See? That was random, right? This randomness is mostly inspired by Blogger in Draft, which isn't allowing me to move my pictures around in a logical order. You can think of this post as a

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-80346501719628400372011-03-30T23:07:00.004-06:002011-04-08T16:30:09.273-06:00

It's Spring Break this week. My kids are home with me, spending time playing together, sewing doll clothes, reading a lot and generally enjoying each other's company. Tonight I was speaking to a woman with older children who commented that so many people overschedule their children's time. One of the effects of that is their inability to entertain themselves. I'd have to agree with that and we've

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-27995883687656159922011-03-19T19:24:00.002-06:002011-03-19T19:30:04.198-06:00

Oddly enough, I occassionally eat dinner without my camera. The camera might be somewhere hidden among the barbies who pose for stop motion films, or I'm simply too distracted or hungry to think about a picture. Go figure. So, on Red Meat Wednesday we ate a beef stoup. That's a Rachel Ray word which is pretty easy to figure out. It's too thick to be soup, too thin to be stew. It was too

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-26066100174352091332011-03-17T21:53:00.000-06:002011-03-17T21:53:33.317-06:00

These are some of our favourite games and we've lucked out on some of them by finding them at thrift stores or at the Reuse Centre, which basically gives away other people's "junk", saving it from the landfill.  I quite like that place although the finds vary each time.  Some of these were unknown to us, but a couple are classics.   Probe:  It's basically a version of hangman, but it works

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-84168735886915524952011-03-16T16:00:00.002-06:002011-03-16T16:05:19.605-06:00

Lots, of course.  And it's mostly been interesting and good.  Even if these food posts are only interesting to a couple of people (if that), it makes me serve good food to my family and try new things. Thursday:  Salmon and rice with veggies in it.  The last time I bought lemons I bought a whole bag of them, juiced and zested them, and froze it in ice cube trays.  That made it easy to put lemon

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-59532631888605787722011-03-15T11:59:00.000-06:002011-03-15T11:59:39.309-06:00

This is very exciting and I registered as soon as I found out about it from the Dinner with Julie blog.    Blogs are where I get all my news, it seems.  Rosa and I will be attending the Eat Alberta: A Celebration of Our Local Food Heroes.  We're going to learn to make sausage and cheese and who knows what else.  It sort of depends on what sessions we sign up for and it looks like we have to

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-25822881475163318442011-03-14T10:45:00.000-06:002011-03-14T10:45:49.198-06:00

Over the weekend the topic came up of how to keep your home organized, tidy or otherwise not overwhelmingly chaotic.  I don't know how we got on the topic anymore, but I know it wasn't because my friend was amazed at my cleanliness. There is a blog called Fly Lady that someone had recommended to me in the past.  I looked at it, thought it was mostly common sense and never went there again.  But

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-89220328974490321942011-03-11T14:32:00.000-07:002011-03-11T14:32:25.447-07:00

Are you feeling it?  Me neither.  But in the basement things are happening and that will get me through this last part of winter.  I'm trying onions and shallots from seed this year and maybe I'll do them from bulbs too and see which way works best.  In the picture are basil, parsley, thyme and leeks.  I am trying celery again, but even with the warmer location of my lights I've gotten no

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-91375351421874980392011-03-11T14:25:00.001-07:002011-03-11T15:57:13.580-07:00

It's been a couple of days, but I've been pretty good about using leftovers and doing a version of the plan.Wednesday night: Chicken nachos. The only interesting thing about this is the guacamole. I had purchased some cheap avocados on the edge of being bad, ate lots right away and then decided to try my luck with freezing them. It worked great. I didn't dip them or anything - just halved them

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-32534381859266345162011-03-10T09:53:00.002-07:002011-03-10T13:06:45.042-07:00

It's our tradition to start birthday's on our bed opening presents. That way, no matter what the rest of the day throws at us, we started the day acknowledging the special day. As far as I know, my parents started that. I don't have many memories of the master bedroom because there was rarely reason to be in there. It was a toy-free zone and not generally much fun. But birthdays always

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-64518744251921019202011-03-09T11:16:00.000-07:002011-03-09T11:16:23.020-07:00

I saw an eipisode of some spice lady on the Food Network who made some awesome refried bean burgers last week.  However, I can't remember when I saw it, what the show was called or many of the ingredients.  I remember thinking, "I'd never have thought to put those spices together in one meal".  So, of course I couldn't recreate the meal the way she did.  However, I did remember the refried beans

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-28459389512420816942011-03-07T17:31:00.005-07:002011-03-15T14:15:01.514-06:00

I figured out how to post the videos! Mom told me to post them on YouTube and her blog. This one is Me Stealing Laura's Hat. You can click on the link below to watch.Beth Stealing Laura's Hat.It's awesome!:)And it was our friend Ella's birthday. This is for her!Happy B-day Ella.

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-33881008594077248602011-03-07T16:15:00.003-07:002011-03-07T17:31:57.866-07:00

Who knows what's for dinner. I'm totally winging it these days. I discovered a good recipe for GF pancakes, so we had that twice over the weekend, once for dinner with meat and cheese. And on Friday we went to Red Robin for a surprise birthday party. They'll create a lettuce wrap for any of their sandwiches or burgers, so Yvon and I were both happy with our meals there. They don't really have a

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-9462454412169707752011-03-03T17:27:00.000-07:002011-03-03T17:27:47.606-07:00

 Maybe not, but I do get to sing with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in this place. That's going to be me up there in (hopefully) a new black dress.  Many moons ago I used to sing with a pretty decent local choral group, Da Camera Singers.  It's the only group I ever had to audition for and I still think I got in only because I knew the conductor at the time and he knew how I can sing when

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-70474123112199562072011-03-03T16:16:00.000-07:002011-03-03T16:16:39.488-07:00

Nothing special.  A pork version of sloppy joes on bread.  With highly processed Cheez Whiz.  Cheez Whiz adds personality, doncha know? Is pork still considered the other white meat?  We keep eating it on Red Meat Wednesday in spite of my scheduling of meals.  Oh well. 

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-89676615912683469912011-03-02T11:38:00.001-07:002011-03-02T11:42:48.019-07:00

Last night did not play out the way any of us planned, but I learned a few things about my girls. 1. Beth is the typical oldest child. Responsible, level-headed, practical.2. Laura will never be an ER nurse or paramedic. Empathy is way too deeply embedded to not come to the forefront in a crisis. 3. Alice lives in the moment like most little kids and is hanging onto her childish ways longer

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-38675580638394106132011-03-02T10:47:00.000-07:002011-03-02T10:47:08.223-07:00

It's not a very balanced meal and it wasn't on my plan.  However, it was cheap Tuesday at Save-On-Foods and they had a deal on things I wouldn't normally buy.  $10 shrimp, and free linguine, baby veggies and alfredo sauce.  It sounded like an easy meal that would take no thought and my pork in the crockpot was really big and not quite finished anyway.  Meal plan, schmeal plan.  This was a

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-37657658101386570152011-03-01T09:18:00.000-07:002011-03-01T09:18:29.387-07:00

On the menu tonight:  Sausage and cheese quiche, orange slices and sauerkraut, with apple pie for dessert.  I've tried gluten free pie crust before and it was quite disgusting.  One particularly horrible chicken pie that caused me to grind up some of my own rice flour, smell the purchased flour and my own and promptly throw away the purchased rice flour.  When you buy it you have no idea how

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-91524572647212469652011-02-28T11:31:00.000-07:002011-02-28T11:31:50.598-07:00

You will meet someone tall, dark and handsome. (That's always true.  Who doesn't know someone who's tall, dark and handsome?  I didn't marry him though.) You will marry someone strong. (He's always surprising me by being strong.  It's handy when the yard needs tilling or a tub needs yanking out of the bathroom.) You will marry someone who likes his drinks strong and dark. (True. Beer, coffee and

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-53029413748644185202011-02-27T20:33:00.000-07:002011-02-27T20:33:08.307-07:00

While everyone was away last weekend, I took the opportunity to go out to a neighbourhood Indian restaurant, a place the kids wouldn't enjoy.  They made me wheat-free roti which was nice of them. I love these little deep-fried cheese balls drenched in honey, but I limited myself to three and made myself eat some fruit too. And I ate leftovers, but I got to eat in front of the TV because I

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-12195626291985289922011-02-24T16:47:00.002-07:002011-02-24T16:54:25.943-07:00

Okay, it's back from the doctor's office, but I'm not entirely trusting of it at the moment.  That virus made me a bit nervous.  It's been a busy week, even without a computer though.  After my lovely weekend alone, a friend called to break the news that her daughter-in-law passed away during the weekend.  Now I can't stop thinking of her and the family she's left behind.  Even though I

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-25835556211994048182011-02-21T12:57:00.001-07:002011-02-21T12:59:46.319-07:00

My laptop (with all access to work files, homework assignments, ability to watch movies, listen to CDs, etc.) is currently at the doctor's with a nasty virus. Well, I'm hoping it isn't that nasty that it can't be cured relatively quickly without harm to some of it's functionality and files.However, no pictures for now and limited posting because this old machine is SLOW!I've just had the most

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-67318597021878828842011-02-17T11:18:00.000-07:002011-02-17T11:18:09.283-07:00

I'm way off the plan now and all because we missed the potluck on Saturday.  The plan is apparently too tight, relying on leftover meat from previous meals.  Lots of meals rely on other meals happening as planned.  Whatever.  We still eat. Chicken and hot sausage in a creamy sauce, mashed potatoes and salad. 

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-50211896155889506582011-02-15T22:13:00.000-07:002011-02-15T22:13:05.530-07:00

I really dislike Tuesdays, starting at about 3:30.  It's gotten a bit better since January, but this is how it usually goes. At 3:30 I start looking out the window and watching for the girls, as if seeing them two minutes before they arrive at home will make things go more smoothly.  It doesn't help, but I sort of brace myself a bit. I have snacks ready for grabbing on Tuesday and my mouth frames

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-86974240912708599422011-02-15T13:15:00.000-07:002011-02-15T13:15:40.788-07:00

This weekend we went to Arizona.  And to Australia.  And to Spring. I'm planting some things under my lights today.  Because spring will come again.  It will.  Occassionally I feel it in the air and in the light that's returning to the late afternoons. 

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-10469550783549021192011-02-15T11:57:00.000-07:002011-02-15T11:57:33.209-07:00

Nothing special, but I was doing some work yesterday and I finally managed to fit a walk into my day. And it was Valentine's Day.  That means many parents send their kids to school with plates of cupcakes and cookies to share with the class.  And two of my girls get a box of Smarties from the teachers desk rather than risk an allergic reaction to some lovely homebaked and well-meaning gift. 

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-65116324773612719842011-02-13T19:14:00.002-07:002011-02-14T12:16:30.208-07:00

It was not on our plan, but if I didn't have a plan neither of these meals would have pulled together so easily. The plan was to go to a potluck dinner with the church, but at 4:30 our volunteer (and much appreciated!) plumber was still not ready to leave. I had SO hoped to have my first bath in the clawfoot tub last night, but the tightness of the space made installation of the plumbing much

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-27967479015420474672011-02-12T03:22:00.001-07:002011-02-14T12:16:54.594-07:00

My menu plan said to make tartar sauce but I got lazy.  After all, what is tartar sauce?  It's basically just relish and mayo mixed, so I just put both on my fish.  We were missing two children at dinner tonight, so I didn't even get any complaints about the fish.  Yay!  We really should eat fish more often but I hate the whining that goes with it.  (Oo, maybe a white wine sauce next time!)

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-54330082101363367502011-02-11T10:12:00.001-07:002011-02-11T10:16:15.130-07:00

I went to the library for the first time in a while this week, taking out two new cookbooks. One was a gluten free one which used a lot of weird flours. I'm probably not going to use that one because I prefer to use a GF flour mix that I've made and I can't make the conversions well with this. But the other was about creating cheap dinners under $5. I didn't get it because of the cheapness,

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-61402446719965459052011-02-10T14:50:00.000-07:002011-02-10T14:50:27.201-07:00

Okay, I'm still playing with this "Blogger in Draft" thing and I'm not totally convinced it's a good thing.  However, I did get my meal plan inserted.  Can you even read it?  I'm hoping it expands when you click on it.   The idea ot to organize myself and get food out of my head a bit.  Some days it seems like that's all I think about.  Not that I'm actually eating all day, but I'm think about

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-36591034011845065822011-02-09T10:11:00.004-07:002011-02-09T10:58:43.622-07:00

Because I want to encourage you to spend as much time on the computer as I do, I thought I'd share my favourite blogs with you today. I've discovered a few new ones lately and just updated my list in the sidebar. Here are the ones I've either subscribed to or check daily: Diary of a Middle Aged Gardener It's not that I can't just pick up the phone and talk to Rosa. I do that too, but I like

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-26398041933151267512011-02-08T18:57:00.000-07:002011-02-08T18:57:57.866-07:00

Hmm.  I wanted to show you my new thing but this weird Blogger change isn't letting me insert the image.  I've been trying to put in a few more paid hours this year and so far that has been the case.  However, I'm finding that it means I might have to be a bit more organized in other areas of my life in order to still accomplish the same things.  Eating is important to me, so I thought I'd

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-87218329846467968832011-02-08T12:40:00.004-07:002011-02-08T12:57:06.745-07:00

I've been blogging for two years already and I've decided that the time has really come to add some labels. My "classic" template didn't allow me to do that, so I'm playing around with some new templates, replacing images and colors, and fooling around with HTML. There's a bit of guesswork involved for me, so I apologize for the horrible look at the moment.And it may get even more horrible before

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-9717767802273152702011-02-01T09:53:00.005-07:002011-02-08T12:57:35.056-07:00

During the dark months of December and January I find I have no creative juices flowing at all. If Christmas and birthdays didn't occur to give me deadlines, I wouldn't create anything in those months. I'd just read, find new blogs and do the minimum to get us through each day. Each lots of sandwiches and eggs, pasta and potatoes and other no-think meals, do the launddry and make the bed.There's

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-58558428994365538852011-01-26T13:28:00.007-07:002011-02-08T12:58:30.420-07:00

I awoke yesterday to a dull, dreary day. It was warm, but the sun refused to shine through my window.And it wasn't the sun's fault. It was shining, but the 1980's version of a low-e window refused to let it into the house through it's icky film, broken seal and reflective coating. But NOW...Look at the difference a window can make? It's lovely! It's inspiring!When asked if they saw any difference

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-67606120898839868072011-01-25T14:27:00.005-07:002011-02-08T12:59:33.373-07:00

My first job of the day, before I get to shower or eat, is to make lunches for the girls.I must say that I've always hated this job, but it does get a bit easier with time. I've got a bit of a formula. A sandwich (usually cheese and a meat if I've got one that they like), fruit, and something sweet or dessert-ish. It's that "dessert-ish" thing that tends to stump me. Because Yvon and I are

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-67806527177989412662011-01-17T18:58:00.004-07:002011-02-08T13:00:24.563-07:00

This is the possible cause of my current pain.Lovely, isn't it? I'm almost tempted to sit in those lawn chairs and enjoy the sunshine.Humph. This is a bit misleading though. The kids spent a lot of time digging and piling snow in the centre. After a few days a crust formed on the top and they dug an igloo out of it. This is something I would never have thought of. After yesterday's snowfall the

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-27848452921012193462011-01-17T14:48:00.003-07:002011-02-08T13:00:42.524-07:00

This is how I feel today.And I had a bunch of things to do on my list, including preparing for yet another birthday. Sorry, Alice! I had a lot planned but it's tough to function like this. "Get back to normal. Whatever your normal is." Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-86696398597669819132011-01-14T12:52:00.004-07:002011-02-08T13:01:23.827-07:00

Random thoughts for today:In spite of yesterday's post, I'm not really too bummed about my height or weight. On the whole, I like my height. I hate shopping for it but that's how I feel about shopping anyway. My weight isn't great, but if it stayed where it is I'd be okay with it. It's the upward trend that isn't good.I'm not done with Christmas this year. Usually I need to take down the tree

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-47920162274003652362011-01-13T09:02:00.003-07:002011-02-08T13:01:45.398-07:00

It's a pity I do this, but I do. I live my life in comparison to others. Not so much in terms of "keeping up with the Joneses" because I'm not really very materialistic, but I do that a bit too. However, look at this.I took this picture a few minutes ago. There are days when I feel overweight based on the fact that I've gained 40-45 pounds since I got married 16 years ago. And on the fact that my

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384214209371295172.post-42253714275746589472011-01-06T11:36:00.004-07:002011-02-08T13:02:18.786-07:00

It's still moving along.We've had our 14 days off of progress in order to travel and visit and celebrate Christmas and the New Years. But that's over now and work has to continue again. Everyday something has to get done in there to keep it moving.It looks kind of artsy right now with the door leaning against the wall. I like that, but it can't stay that way. It needs shortening, hanging,

Evelyn in Canadanoreply@blogger.com4