And that's the month that was.....

Wow. It's February. Where the heck did January go, anyway?

Well, for starters I spent the first three weeks waiting for the Curves place to reopen after being destroyed by the same devastating fire that hit Deslaurier Custom Cabinets and four other businesses. They have moved to a spot just up the street from where I work, which is so handy I LOVE IT! So I am back getting some exercise again, at least a few days a week.

We have had some nice outings over the last month: a fun time at the Rotor's where we saw lots of friends we hadn't seen for a long time; trying to figure out the Mystery Meal at church (watching Lisa eat her spagetti with her fingers was....interesting); and an evening celebrating Mac & Sherry turning 60. Whenever possible, though, we have been laying low: reading, doing needlework (me), canoe building (Iain), and exploring Little Big Planet (both of us).

It hasn't been the busiest month ever, but it has had lots of those cozy twosome on the couch moments; and that makes it a good one.

Christmas Wishes

I'm wishing this year that everyone will love their neighbour, and treat them with the kindness that love demands. Things are getting tough for a lot of people, and are going to get tougher in the new year. I'm resolving to help whoever I can, whenever I can, even if all I can offer is a smile.

God bless us, every one! A merry Christmas to all.

It's Baking Day, again....

News Flash: I have a day off today! Not that I will be spending all my time blogging and otherwise wasting time on the computer: no, today is my Baking Day, when the orange wreaths and gingerbread men make their appearances.

But really I am just SO HAPPY to have a day off, because work has been getting busier and busier, and that trend is not likely to change.

If you haven't received my Christmas card yet, it's because I haven't mailed them....they are (another) work in progress.

I hope you are in a better state of preparedness than I!

What's a little scoliosis among friends?

Well, a little scoliosis is what I have; just enough to give me life-long back problems, but not severe enough to require intervention through surgery (by the time it was discovered, I was already in my 20's, so bracing for correction wasn't an option).
However, if you suffer from this (or know someone who does) you will find this link interesting. Will is the son of friends Dave and Elaine Rotor, and his story leads one to think his name should be Will Power.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a lovely dinner on Friday night courtesy of Mom. Visiting was Ian (a nice guy, even if he does spell his name wrong) from New Zealand, an acquaintance of Rod's and Sheila's.

We also visited with Craig and Karen on Saturday, after a nice walk down Sparks Street(had to hit the Clinique special at Holt Renfrew) and a drive down the Parkway.

Lots of geese this weekend!

Our resident spider has been working on her egg sac daily, and today she had a nice bug feast. Happy Thanksgiving, beautiful little lady!

Thanksgiving dinner at Dodie's and Myles' place, attended by our little man Mason - who is gettng bigger and cuter all the time!

Today will be a relaxo day - just a bit of yard work and then a soft chair and good book! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Somebody came to visit!

Just thought these were so cute! Mr/Ms Raccoon paid us a visit Thursday morning. I'm sorry to say there were no treats available on our front porch, just some flowers, so our visitor was gone by the time we took this pic. We are hoping he/she has not taken up residence under said porch (or the back deck, for that matter).

This weekend will be a bit hectic, but enjoyable: my nephew Les is tieing the knot with his lady love Janice. Nuptials to take place at our cottage. Exciting! We are hoping the predictions of rain are exagerrated, but if not, well, we do have the gazebo!

Next increase: taxes

Anyone else unhappy with their property assessment? We saw a huge increase in our cottage property: up about 120% over the previous amount. We owe it all to having waterfront, or so I understand.

We love the place, but Iain will be more than happy to tell you about all of the work that needs to be done on the cottage and outbuildings! People seem to be desperate for waterfront, however, and that is driving the prices up in the valley.

If we get another algae bloom next year like we did this one, however, I may have to contest the assessment after all.

Completed Swing

Well, almost. The roof will go on next year, and we'll paint it then too, but it is ready to use. And Iain decided to try it out. But he won't let me put the picture here, because he doesn't like it.

Judy's Fish

Just have to show off another example of Judo Kuno's talents! Judy has a home near our cottage, where she is happy to try her hand at all sorts of creative pursuits. Above are two of her latest efforts. A friend of hers showed her a fish made from a large plastic soft drink bottle, and she decided to try to make them herself. I think she did a great job!

Grrr..Telus is making me very angry.

For my birthday, Iain bought me a lovely new phone from Telus, an LG Keybo. It's really nice, and I thought I'd be very happy with it, but I'm starting to wish I'd stuck with Bell.

I'd heard good things about Telus, and thought I'd give them a chance. Plus I like the ads: brightly coloured reptiles and meerkats bring a smile to my face.

When purchasing the phone, one of the questions I asked specifically was "Can I use Windows Messenger?" The answer was yes. They lied. Or, at least, they exaggerated.

After trying to download the damn program about 10 times (yeah, I know the definition of insanity) I finally gave up and called Customer Service. After getting dropped once and going the round of the automated system about three times, I finally got someone who knew the answer. The answer was kind of like this:

"Oh, well, the Keybo, they don’t have messenger for it just yet, it was supposed to be ready by end of August, but it isn’t out yet....I can’t give you a date, unfortunately."

And the email (which also refused to download)?

"Yes, unfortunately it is also not available yet."

And Telus Navigator, which is supposed to be available for short periods, or for a modest extra monthly fee?

"Actually, that isn’t available for the Pay and Talk."

But your website says it is.

"Unfortunately, it is not available."

So, it seems I own a phone which is supposed to have a number of very desirable features - but it doesn’t really have any of them.

So now I have to cool off and try to decide whether to go back and demand a refund, or just be patient. But I’m not happy.

Labour Day weekend always seems to end up being very, very busy. Why is that? Well, partly because it's Kyle's birthday on Friday, my birthday on Sunday, and my mom's birthday on the 3rd (and due to the busy schedule everyone has with the Renfrew fair, we had cake and prezzies for her this evening), and much celebrating must be done all round.

I'm happy to report that Iain spoiled me on the whole weekend, starting out with a raspberry mousse cake, suitably decorated for the occasion, on Friday night. Saturday we attended a couple of auction sales, at one of which I purchased a very decrepit (but usefully large) cocktail shaker. Saturday night we had the best prime rib roast ever, barbecued by Iain using the Weber and with the assistance of an interesting bit of technology supplied by Carl.

On Sunday we came home from the cottage, dropping Mom off and heading into Ottawa to see Kyle and Sheila. First however, a little shopping! Iain gifted me this little item, and I am still getting used to how to use it. Lots of bells and whistles to explore.

Sheila treated us to a great dinner and we hung out for the evening, heading back to Renfrew this morning. Today was rest and relaxation!