Gardening Part 2

We've been discussing it over the past couple of days and have come to the conclusion that, while my ambition to have a vegetable garden is good, it's a bit premature and would result in great disappointment. As we haven't had the house through a full gardening season just getting the yard and gardens in decent shape for flowers and other types of plants will be a full-time job. I think I'll focus on that and leave the vegetable gardening for next year or for a couple of years down the road.

You may be able to tell from the picture of our house in the sidebar that there were a horrendous amount of weeds growing in our garden beds. Well, just before the snow fell we pulled them all out so at least that's done but there are grading issues and we want to widen our front path and plant big cedar hedges in the back to block out the traffic on the busy road behind our house. There are lots of projects. Big projects. I don't need to be stressing and fiddling over vegetables while all of that is going on.

Here's the preliminary sketch courtesy of my Dad.

Gardening

I would really like to take up gardening this year. I do not have a green thumb so this will really be a challenge. Thankfully, both my father and my sister, Diana have green thumbs so I expect to get lots of advice from them. On the sidebar, I've started a list of links to help me remember sites I've found that could be useful. I've also just checked the average last frost date for Ottawa and it is May 5 so I have just over a month before planting begins.
I love the idea of eating fresh veggies straight from the garden. I think that I will start out with just a few different kinds so that I am not overwhelmed. We already have a rhubarb plant on the side of our house and since this garden gets the most direct sunlight, I think it will be a good place to have a vegetable garden. Right now the soil in that area is very low and looks like it drains towards the house so we are going to have to add a lot of soil to make a proper bed.
I would like to have lots of wonderful flowers, as well. I will leave that up to my dad for now, as he is already drawing diagrams and plotting in his head.
I'll try to keep you posted on this endeavour. Any advice?

Oma - 89 Years Young

My Oma is now a great-Oma. 4 times over (with number 5 due in 3 months). We celebrated her 89th birthday over the Easter weekend. To me, she doesn't seem a day older than when I first became aware of her existence.

We spend a lot of our weekend with Mike, Diana and Hadassah (and little Nemo, who stopped moving everytime I tried to get near:)) Here are a few pictures.

Hadassah's hair is getting longer and fuller. She is also working on her 8th tooth. She walks around a lot now and is starting to form phrases of words. Not real words but if you could understand her I'm sure she is saying some pretty profound things.

Diana and Mike just finalized the purchase of a new home. We went to see it on Saturday and were duly impressed. Too bad it isn't any closer to Ottawa.

Seeing Hadassah only every 6 weeks makes me wonder if she'll ever really know us. I'm pretty sure she doesn't remember us when we see her although she warms up to us pretty fast.

I resolve to make sure she knows us even if we live far away.

Heard in an Elevator

So, Reuben and I got on the elevator with an elderly couple (65-70?), minding our own business when out of nowhere the woman says "You are the hippest looking couple I've ever seen!!"
What could we say?

Rachel and Martin Come to Town

Recently, we had visitors. My cousin and his wife were in town and they brought with them second cousins. Here are some pictures! Rachel seriously watching my Dad seriously play the organ.

Little toque I crocheted. Too little even for the tiny newborn it was meant to fit. You live and learn or should that be; you crochet and learn.

Martin - Brilliant smile!

Cousin and second cousin.

I couldn't resist throwing in a picture of Elyssa!

Rachel loving her dollies. They really were real babies to her.

Oh wait! Another Elyssa pic ... how did that get in there?

Pretty girl!

Of Alligators

My parents are in Myrtle Beach soaking up the sun, playing a little **ahem** golf and discovering the wildlife. Who knew? I thought they only inhabited Florida. Well, apparently they inhabit South Carolinian golf courses too as they found out when trying to find a ball in a marshy area.

Did you know that there are only two kinds of alligators? The American kind and the Chinese kind and they only live in these two countries. All the rest are crocodiles. Well, that's what Wikipedia told me anyway.

I wish I was down there with them . . .despite the wildlife.

The Aftermath - A Documentary

Turn up the volume! It's The Acorn singing about enjoying the snow and ice in Gatineau. Check out Reuben's blog for more info.

Snow .....again

Well ... this is how we weathered the storm. This is what we woke up to on Sunday morning. Our front walkway was impassable. We're all shoveled out now. We spent yesterday evening with friends who are within walking distance and when we finally trekked home our road was plowed so we were up late digging ourselves out ... again. I had Reuben guide me out of the driveway this morning because I would not have been able to see anyone coming past the huge snowbanks. I am thankful that Reuben is able to shovel so much. I would not have been able to do this myself.

Elyssa - March 5

Look at this picture of my niece! Isn't she beautiful? She looks so grown up in those overalls. And yes, I do have gushing Aunt syndrome. I'm so proud of both my little nieces. I can't wait to meet the next one due at the end of June. Which reminds me, I better get started on that cross-stitch I promised to make:)

Another Snowy Post

As I trudged laboriously through 15 cm of overnight snow with snow and ice pellets ummm, well, pelleting my face; I wondered again, why do we live in Ottawa, Canada???

While the wind whistled around our heads and our faces slowly begun to experience the first touches of frostbite as we waited for our bus (which was half an hour late); I wondered again, why do we live in Ottawa, Canada???

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/03/05/snow-east.html?ref=rss#storycomments

Ta Da!!

We bought a mirror and light fixture too. They will both be returned because they just don't seem to fit but at least the door is on and we can hang a towel. The toilet tank is back on and the toilet paper holder is affixed. YAY!!
Do you like the color?

Bathroom Update

And I also want to update with pictures of our bathroom as we finally picked a color and finally painted it!! We still need to buy a light fixture and mirror. We also need to hang the bathroom door, put the toilet tank back on and affix the toilet paper holder to the wall. It's coming together ... finally!
I will try to post a picture of the wall color, at least, soon.

Hair Update

I really want to post a picture of my new do but I haven't had a chance to download the pictures off our camera yet. So I just wanted to let you all know that it's coming up . . .



And here they are! That's sweet Elyssa... I predict toe-chewing in the near future:)

Commute #2

So this morning on the commute to work, I was listening to Feist. Wow! She's great! So dynamic and quirky yet easy to listen to. Her songs speak to my heart. Anyway, I was on the train and it's so dreary and rainy outside that when I closed my eyes I was taken back to another train trip. This one was our journey from Zurich to Geneva. It was sooo rainy that day. As we gazed out the window we saw such wonderful landscape. This time it was mountainous hillsides planted with grapevines that dropped down to a lake. Little towns nestled into the hillside and great expanses of farmland. And when we arrived in Geneva, we found this great, bustling city just being drenched in rain. Geneva is at the tip of Lac Leman on the border of France. It's a very multiculteral city compared to Zurich because the United Nations is located there. We splashed around in the fountain outside the UN building. We also visited John Calvin's church and the Reformation Wall.

Dogs

In this modern world of crazy, obsessed dog owners should I be consistently trying to rid myself of my irrational fear of these furry creatures? Some say yes (Carrie!). It is rather inhibiting. But why succumb to pressures? I'm too stubborn for that. Did God actually mean for humans to have animals as domesticated pets when he originally created the world? Did Adam and Eve have pets? While, I definitely agree that dogs bring great joy and affection to their owners, I don't agree that we should all accomadate these smelly beasts. And those who equate their dogs with their children or replace children with dogs are even more irrational than I am. Everything in it's place.

Poop and scoop ... I rest my case.

Commute

Listening to music during the commute, not just in your car but through headphones as you navigate the transit system, can be really magical. I do see why so many people own MP3 players. It’s soothing.

There is something to be said about light rail. As I was listening to Craig Cardiff while being rocked by the gentle motions of the O-Train that was taking me to work, I closed my eyes. And all of a sudden I was brought back to a different time and place. I let my mind go and I was on a train travelling from Lyon to Nice through pretty towns called Orange(read with French accent, please) and Avignon. The sun was shining. There was green grass and rolling hills. It was warm. The sky was blue. And I was being gently rocked towards the glistening blue-green sea. Even the O-Train announcements are done in a British accent in French and English. That definitely helps with the illusion. The music of Craig Cardiff is haunting and magical.

The announcement sounded above the music “Next stop, Carleton. Prochaine arret, Carleton” and I opened my eyes and was shocked to see snow and I was brought back.

Hadassah - February 9

Some pictures from our last trip down to visit our niece. Unfortunately she was a little ill while we were there, as you may be able to tell from these pictures. But the visit was worth it anyway.
Here she is opening a present from Grandpa and Gramma.


Here she is modeling the hat that Gramma crocheted.
Delighted with the wrapping ... of course!
Modeling the outfit she got ... not too sure yet.
Happily playing with her cellphone and pager. She loves those things. But she won't talk on the phone when we call. :)

Inspiration

I often check out www.purlbee.com and wish I could be so crafty. I would love to make these.

Friday Observances

A few quick things ...
Thanks to my husband for a relaxing Valentine's evening.

I guess the snow heard my cry of love yesterday morning because it has decided to grace us with it's presence again. It's currently falling in huge flakes already having accumulated on the ground to the tune of 5-10 cm. There is talk of this being a record winter of snow fall and I believe it will be if things continue the way they have. I suppose all the snowplows out there are not making money anymore.

I am currently drinking a cappucino made with soy milk. It's wonderful! It's different. It's fibrous which makes it taste healthy. I used brown sugar to sweeten it. Mmmm! It's also cheaper than a latte and I like it better.

Tomorrow I am forced to face Winterlude in all it's frigid glory as the in-law siblings are coming down to visit. They will want to skate on the canal. sigh! It's supposed to be cold tomorrow; just my luck.

As it would be to everyone's benefit that I end on a positive note, it's Friday! Happy Friday!

The Snow

It's time I wrote about the Snow. The snow and I have a love-hate relationship. Well, mostly a hate relationship. I guess you know from earlier posts how much I hate the season of Winter.

Yet, as another storm swept through our fair city yesterday morning I pondered to myself " You know, the snow is actually quite pretty!". And as I waded through the unplowed parking lot in my winter boots and snowpants I thought "This is kinda fun!". Kicking up the clean, white powder I glanced up at the snow laden trees and thought "Wow, what a Creation. As if anyone else could have thought to create such a wonderful thing as snow than our Creator and Awesome God". And though I do battle with Winter every year I can't help thinking that if I didn't have it, I'd probably wish for it.

So, this is my moment to stop and be thankful for the snow. When I rode the O-Train into work today, the sun sparkled on the snow so beautifully that I was almost glad I was there instead of snuggled up in bed. Being there gave me a chance to see the sparkly snow and I am grateful for that small Wonder.

At Long Last

I painted with a vengeance last night.







The disappearance of that blue paint was so satisfactory.



I always hated the countertop but now that the clashing blue paint is gone, I see it in a whole new light.

Elyssa's Bonnet Part 2

I don't know why I'm calling it a bonnet. It doesn't even have strings. Anyway, here's a picture of Elyssa wearing the toque I crocheted for her. I want to try it again in different colors. I'm not too enamored with this traditional yarn.

Some pictures

Ok. So I've been going a bit crazy with the posts lately. It's mostly due to the fact that my work tasks are few and far between. I'm mostly here as a point of contact and reference for the departments and since they are so small, there aren't many contacts happening during the day. Anyway, I finally took a picture (or Reuben did) of our new dining room chandelier. I didn't blog about it earlier because I didn't have a picture to go with it.

The chandelier that came with the house was original (ie. circa 1982). A small gold and glass wonder of ugliness. It was attached close to the ceiling and didn't stimulate any sense of romance, which a dining room should be able to evoke because there are times when the evening meal needs ambiance. So we were wandering around Home Depot last month and came across this beauty in the clearance section. I was getting impatient while Reuben browsed when I stumbled across it. I looked at it twice, glanced at Reuben and said "hmm... I kind of like this" and then he says, consideringly "I kind of like it too". It was very much on sale so we decided to snatch it up. The next night, Reuben had it affixed to the ceiling and dangling at the perfect height. We've been enjoying it immensely since. Especially everytime we pause to remember what used to be there!

This is the curtain that my sister, Karin, miraculously whipped up in a matter of an hour a couple of weekends ago. The fabric choice is just temporary since we don't know yet what color we will paint the hall but our front door was looking so bare and unfriendly that I just couldn't wait any longer to put something up. It's a bit too frilly and flowery for Reuben's taste but it's just for the interim. I think we'll end up with wood horizontal blinds later on. We don't have a lot of frill in our house because it's not really either of our styles; but I'm quite enjoying this little bit.

Bathroom Renos

Let me take you on a little journey called bathroom renovations. We have been living in our house for 4 months now and while I'm not sure exactly when it started, I believe our powder room has been under renovations for more than half of that time. It all started when I was at home full time and decided the tiny little bathroom would be a good project to work on. It would spruce up the house without taking too much effort or money. Boy, was I wrong!!

It turns out that there were some bulging tape joints that we needed to fix up before repainting. This required us to break up and pull off the old tape and mud on two walls and two corners. While it may sound easy, this was not an easy task as much of the mud was stubborn and wanted to stick to the drywall as it was meant to do. Finally it was all off and cleared up and then came the job of retaping and remudding so that we had a smooth wall surface again. This is not a job to be taken lightly and after toiling at this for many nights and weeks, Reuben has finally perfected it. I am now in awe of all those drywallers out there. And in awe of my husband, who figured out how to do this stuff with advice from his father who is many miles away.

When we were almost done with this preparation we noticed a puddle on the bathroom floor one evening and realized that our toiled upstairs had slowly leaked so much water that it had seeped through the tile, floorboard and ceiling drywall and was dripping slowly out of the powder room ceiling. Reuben punctured a bigger hole in the ceiling and water came pouring out. We were amazed that this had happened without our notice. Thankfully, after much taking apart and putting back together of the upstairs toilet the problem has solved itself. The water was leaking out of the tank where it is attached by a huge screw to the base of the toilet. We try not to jostle the toilet so as to prevent this from happening again.

So now, we had the dillema of whether to replace the whole ceiling or just repairing that small patch. Although we realized how much mold there probably was in the ceiling, we decided to just patch the hole. So Reuben set about chipping away at more mud and tape and repairing with many layers of mud until it was perfectly flush.

Then the job was to sand all of the surfaces so that when we paint no bumps will show up. This was a big job not only because of all the new mud and previous nailholes but was compounded because of the ugly chair rail we ripped off and which left a sold line of paint dividing the wall in half. The bottom half of the wall was painted this thick navy blue color (quite hideous). So we had to sand the line where it met with the much less thickly painted top half of the wall.

It's now been sanded and is ready for it's first coat of primer. I'm quite excited. I want it to be modern, cozy and relaxing. Sort of spa-like.

I am thinking of this color for the wall, it's called Creek Bend by Behr.

Or maybe this darker grey with either the brown or red for the cabinet. Aren't paint color names so great!! It's hard to tell colors on the computer but you get the idea. Whatever I do it's going to be better than what is there, that's for sure.

It's still me

Don't worry, it's still me. Just trying something new. What do you think? Usually I don't go for pink. I never liked pink growing up. That was my sister's color. But it's starting to grow on me. At first I was going to change everything to blue or green but I think I'll try this out for awhile.
Stay tuned for a post about our bathroom renovations.

Elyssa - 3 months old

On Saturday evening, I spent some time with my Mom, Sister and Niece. We went shopping, put together a high chair, sewed some curtains, crocheted a hat, knit a sweater and appliqued a quilt. It was a very productive and creative afternoon/evening. We also watched Hope Floats, one of my all-time favourite sappy movies! Elyssa is now 3 months old and growing like a weed, despite the fact that she is constantly emitting white liquidy stuff from her mouth. One lady in the store just oohed and aahhed at her for the longest time and finally came up with the fact that her head looks like a grapefruit!!:):) Here are some pictures. Unfortunately, I only thought to take a picture of my finished crochet project and the high chair; not the other things we did.

Everyday in Photos #6

Evening Project - Elyssa's Bonnet