Busy slapping the watermelon............

For anyone who lives in Canada and America you will have no doubt seen or heard of those strange photos of weird and wonderful people who shop in WalMart (here is the link), well I have a feeling if they bring out video's of people doing strange things in WalMart, yours truly will have a star role.

I don't know about you but this years crop of watermelon's have been very hitty missy.  I have yet to have one that is good.  I have had to take one back as it was very mealy and soft inside.  So last Thursday we had our condo phase BBQ.  I had to take a dessert so slices of watermelon sounded like a good plan, plus it required minimum preparation from me.

Off I go to WalMart and decided to ask the produce guy for tips on how to buy the perfect watermelon.  His advice was slap it?  I was a little puzzled by this as I normally knock on it with my knuckles.  So I asked him to help me.  There we are standing over the bin of watermelon's slapping them on their butts.

After a few seconds I turned to the guy and said:

"you do know that if the security guys are watching us on their camera, they are going to be wondering what we are doing; and you do know that we could end up on Facebook or Youtube!"

I could be famous one day.....but not for the right reason though!!




P.S. The BBQ was actually pretty good.

Another quilt block:

This month's quilt block is a Pinwheel Variation:

We have decided I will make dd quilt with this block as she likes it, as I do and it's not a difficult block to make.  Just need to remember to iron your seams the right way and match your seams up.  I just need to order some cream material as the background material from Fabric Spot.

I have made a start on the rabbit cross stitch (the photo turned sorry) :

One of the things you have to remember is that the back has to be as neat as the front.  I am mediocre to say the least at keeping my back as neat as my front!!!

Still feel as though someone has just sucked the energy right out of me.  I did manage to clean the bbq, so that was a good job, jobbed.  I also got two big loads of laundry washed and dried outside.  Plus got the bathrooms cleaned and our bed changed.  Also took off one of dh's blankets and turned off the heating!!  Not sure how long the last two things will last as I know dh feels the cold.

Our Little Princess

I haven't seen our little Princess in a couple of weeks now, as I don't want to go near when I am sick.  Her mummy sent me this photo and I can see such a big change in her.  I love the outfit she has on (Joe Fresh), and her eyes are just gorgeous; but then I am biased!!

She is 3 1/2 months old now and sleeps through the night, plus has two naps during the day for a total of around 14 hours sleep per day.  She is a good baby and can hold her head now.  Fingers crossed I get better soon, so I can see her.  She'll be getting her ears pierced anytime.  They also have a custom in their religion to shave the daughters hair; thankfully our little Princess' parents won't be doing that.  If she were a boy they would shave the boy's head on his first birthday.  (On a Hindu child's first birthday, his or her head is shaved while being held by a special fire. Removal of the hair cleanses the child of any evil in past lives, symbolizing a renewal of the soul.)

Friday took it out of me, so on Saturday I ended up doing not a whole lot which was a shame as the weather actually got nicer in the afternoon.  I did spray the BBQ, so that is this morning's job sorting that out, so I can start using it.  As from the 1st of May the electricity times change so when it's more expensive I am generally cooking supper.  Need to polish up on my BBQ skills though, as generally it's either burnt, very burnt or just plain old charcoal when I BBQ!!

(source)

A first and a last..........

I'll tell you about the last first as that is a shorter story.  On Monday the weather was lovely so I barbecued for the last time this season.  I had three more burgers left in the freezer so it was a perfect time to cook them.  I am not one to barbecue during the winter season; and to be honest if I barbecue once a week in the summer months I am doing well.

Now for the first, I used a power tool for the first time on Monday, along with other regular tools.  For anyone who knows me, I do not use any type of tools normally; I was not put on this earth to use tools, so for me to use tools is a major deal.

Anyhoo....when dh pulled the old stud walls out of the new basement, we decided to burn the wood.  Before we can do that though, we have to pull out a million and one nails.  So dh got out the correct tools for the job and proceeded to take out the nails of some of the wood and cut them up with an electric saw.  We have been burning that wood since Friday and it is really good wood to burn and burns really hot.

So on Monday I decided to have a go at removing some nails.  I used a hammer, a crow bar thingy, and a pair of pincher thingys.  I thought I did quite well, so decided I would have a go at sawing it up.  After a long while I finally figured out how to turn it on, but couldn't figure out how to bring the blade down.  So decided to wait until dh came home to give me a lesson, as I was concerned I may end up chopping my fingers off.  Anyhow after him telling me what to do I think I have mastered it.  I ended up chopping up a bucket full of wood, so was quite proud of myself.

When dh came home we also cleaned out the leaves in the gutters as all the leaves have more or less fallen off the trees now.  We cleaned out the gutters using a leaf blower; we got it from Canadian Tire and we got it on sale for $40, I think it is this one  it is a Yardworks one, and works like a dream.

I also got the garage swept out on Monday and got a pile of leaves mulched with the tractor.  I also got the garage door frame primed, I plan on getting a top coat of paint on it on Tuesday.  I also plan on getting more wood cut on Tuesday as there is a pile still to do.  It's never ending around here at the Acreage, but it keeps me out of mischief!!

Monday nights sunset:

Wish me luck and another project........

I am heading to the dentist this afternoon for my 6 month cleaning.  I can see it is going to be an interesting visit, as I have toothache all the time on my right hand side where I had the root canal.  Needless to say I am not a happy camper......

I have been busy with this cross stitch card that I got free in a cross stitch magazine.  I have no idea who this card is for but I do know it's not for dd!!  I have started one for her and will show you it next month.

Should say although the cross stitch is finished I still have to adhere it to the card stock.  It is from The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady.

The weather was really strange on Monday.  It was warm enough to be outside with a t-shirt on, as there was no need for a sweater or jacket.  I even barbecued at supper, yes that was why there was smoke in the air!!!  I even got into the garden and pulled up the canna lily bulbs  I also picked the last tomato of the season and enjoyed it on our burgers.

I also meant to say the material I got from the show on the weekend, was from Red Rooster Fabrics and is called Neutral Territory

Some photos and other things....

I mentioned a while ago how when we built the new closet in our bedroom, there was a small closet to move.  This is it below.  It had the one shelf in it and some hooks.  Basically useless, but very decorative.

So I got dh to make some shelves, which I covered in plastic paper.  I made a curtain for the mesh window.

And voila this is what it looks like now.

Now I took these photos on Wednesday afternoon, and there is still another coat of paint to go on the walls, and actually at that time I still had to do the final coat on the ceiling.  I ended up choosing a lighter colour than the closet, as the imperfections on the walls was crazy and it's drywall/plasterboard walls.  Who ever did it, couldn't drywall.  So I knew the darker the colour on the walls the more the imperfections show up.  Also with having so much dark wood in the place the lighter the walls the better.

So I went with a colour called "Light Sugar."  It's darker than a Magnolia colour, more like a cream colour and it looks good!!  I have discovered however I dislike painting ceilings.  Dh normally does it, but with him working so many hours, and me being at home, I had a go.  I generally love painting, but painting ceilings are a whole new kettle of fish...LOL

I bbq-ed cremated again on Wednesday night.  I even followed your tips, and made sure the rest of supper was ready (potato salad, coleslaw, and mixed bean salad), so I could concentrate on cooking the burgers.  However I still managed to slighty burn the burgers.  To be fair they weren't as burnt as they normally are.  So there is hope for me yet!!

Today is the start of a new month for the Daily Savings Club.  Did you remember to put your money in your daily savings pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Right after you open a can of paint,  take a nail and hammer a hole in the dip of the rim, this way after you pour your paint, the paint won't pool up in the dip, it will drip back into the can. This way you won't have a mess when you go to put the lid back on and it will be easier to reopen.

Oh, and keep an eye on my weather icon, as we are having some gorgeous weather at the moment and it's just glorious..........almost summer like.

Bits and bobs.....

It was another glorious day on Friday, and I got my first true load of laundry hung out. So I had to take a photo of it. I was extra careful not to include my bloomers in the shot..........don't want to frighten y'all!  It was blowing a gale so was dry quite quickly.  Do you see the snow still in the background?  We are supposed to get some more snow next week.  Hopefully it won't amount to anything..........

My column for next week on the Eden Valley Messenger is about Barbecuing, so I thought I'd take a photo of our barbeque, and then I found a joke about men and barbecues..........

Definition of Barbecuing ... It's the only type of cooking a "real man" will do.

When a man volunteers to do the 'BBQ' the following chain of events are put into motion:



1.The woman goes to the store.


2.The woman fixes the salad, vegetables, and dessert


3.The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils, and takes it to the man, who is lounging beside the grill, beer in hand.


4.The man places the meat on the grill.


5.The woman goes inside to set the table and check the vegetables.


6.The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning.


7.The man takes the meat off the grill and hands it to the woman.


8.The woman prepares the plates and brings them to the table.


9.After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.


10.Everyone praises man and thanks him for his cooking efforts.


11.The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off."


And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.

Did you remember to put your money in your daily savings pot today?  We are more or less two thirds through the month of March, it's flying by isn't it?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Make your own laundry detergent and fabric softener its a heck of a lot cheaper than buying it.

A few firsts this week..

Monday night was the first night since last Fall that we didn't have the fire on; and as I write this on Tuesday night, I haven't lit the fire.  Its been lovely through the day, though below freezing overnight, so of course the heating is still turned on, though not on as much.

Tuesday I got the laundry hung out on the line for the first time in 2010.  Granted it was only Molly's bedding but its a start.

For those of you who live in Canada, that smoke you saw in the sky on Tuesday night.............it was me barbquing......or in my case cremating the burgers for the first time in 2010.  So be prepared for smoke on a regular basis now!!!

Monday I started taking Molly out for a walk after supper.  Remember I am one of those fair weather dog walkers.  I only walk Molly when it's not too cold, not too hot, not wet, not humid, and on and on I go with excuses.  Luckily Molly has clicked this is not the most energetic of households when it comes to exercise!!

By the way I said a quick hello to the tread mill as I passed it the other day, poor thing is still hibernating, so I had best not disturb it for a few more months!

On Tuesday morning I saw a raccoon on the back deck, for the first time since we have moved here.  I knew there were raccoons about, I just haven't seen any up close and personal.

Did you remember to put your money in your Daily Savings Pot today?

Today's Money Saving Tip:

Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs and replace your most commonly used incandescent bulbs with these more energy efficient bulbs. Each bulb can save about $30 over the life of the bulb.

Today's Flower and other odds and ends

I popped some Morning Glory seeds in an old frozen yogurt container and put them outside, not knowing if they would grow or not. Here are the results, I had hoped they would grow large enough to drape over the old gate, but I guess not?

(click on the photos for more detail)

For more Today's Flower photos, please click on this link

I had another first on Saturday, I made cement as we put the second hearth in to bring the fireplace up to code. Its not finished yet, so I will take photos when we are finished, which should hopefully be this week.

Got more problems with my car..........this time the a/c. Luckily dh thinks he can mend it himself, as this problem has happened before.

Had a company bbq for the company I work for occasionally on Saturday............and they picked on me!!!! So if they are reading this I AM NOT COMING TO ANYMORE BBQ'S!!! LOL Don't worry I WILL make them suffer next time I am in work!!! Believe me THEY WILL SUFFER!!

Otherwise Saturday was pretty uneventful......