What that's it?

 I hope not!!

(First of the daffodils flowering)

Friday was a glorious day.  I spent most of the morning in the basement, stripping down the basement windows and washing everything.  Not sure when washing three windows became a tiring job, but it was!!  I was pooped afterwards.  However I did go outside and did some tidying up on the front porch and in the garden as it's yard waste week, and honestly it was so nice outside, I just wanted to feel a bit of sunshine on my face.

Fast forward to Saturday and it poured down, I mean really poured down.  Perfect weather for ducks but that's about it!  I hope that the one day of nice weather isn't it, before the summer heat hits.......just saying!!  Spring is a bit of a one day it's here, and then the next day it's gone situation!!

Do you clean windows at your home?  Or do you get a service in to do them?  I clean ours though not every other week, like I was taught to do while living in the UK.

Toronto kid ‘exhausted’ and going viral after shovelling rant

This happened in 2022, BUT I think this is how we are all feeling about the winter we are having here in Southern Ontario this year!!!  Only 63 days until March 20th, 2026 and Spring!!!

Sign's of life.........

Finally the garden is starting to come alive.  We still have a little snow left. (as of Sunday afternoon)

Front of the house

Back of the house:

The only real colour in the garden other than some green at the moment:

Some daffodils coming through:

Sunday was bitter cold, hoping it will warm up as the week goes on.

I am guessing some people's spring bulbs have already bloomed and are over?

First day of Spring.....

Spring, you image warm days daffodils flowering, lambs frolicking in the fields........

Meanwhile in Southern Ontario, the sun is shining, the skies are blue, the winds are bitter cold and snow is on the ground🙄

I went for my first walk of 2023 on Monday and thoroughly enjoyed it, despite the back of my thighs and the back of my knees saying otherwise.  It was nice to walk around the subdivision to see what was going on.  To the east of our subdivision they are building another 600 houses.  I see they have made a start:

It doesn't bother me, and although there will be a road through at the end of our street, we shouldn't see much of a difference in the traffic by our house, as there are quicker ways of getting out of the subdivision than via our house.  Plus there will be other ways of getting out of the new subdivision.

The temperatures are supposed to be getting warmer for us throughout the week.  I hope that results in getting rid of this snow.  I am over winter now........just saying!!!

Batten Down The Hatches........

In for high winds, rain and snow..........

I guess it's only April and we do live in Canada, but even so, do wish Spring would arrive!!

Just saying..........

M.I.A. not really

I know I haven't posted in over a week, so this is a catch up post.  

I have been sick with a head cold thingy.  Felt rotten for a few days; over it now, still a bit tired, but that could also be due to the clocks changing.  I don't do well with the time changes at all; in fact I am worse than a child with it.  My body just does not like it.

I had my birthday last week.  At my age, over 29, it's just another day, although dh did spoil me.  I started off my birthday by having a mammogram.  Nothing like getting your boobies squished on your birthday!  Haven't heard anything, so everything should be alright.

Got my new sewing machine, now to train the person using it how it all works!  So far so good, I will post more about all that in the next few days.  I have a couple of neat things to show you.

If you need me this afternoon I will be in the bathroom, as I am prepping for my first ever colonoscopy tomorrow.  I am having a rip roaring exciting month aren't I!!!  Should have made an appointment for a pap smear then it would have been even more perfect!

We are over half way through the month, so I am hoping everyone is keeping up with their walking?  I have around 80 miles in, so am keeping up with my challenge this month.  Just going to head out for my morning walk when I finish this post.  I have lost my half pound so finally got my 40 lbs off.  Sort of hoping to lose another pound or two over the next day or two with the clean out I am going to get over the next 24 hours!!!!

Weather up and down, but the spring bulbs are starting to peak through the soil.  As today is the first day of Spring, about time I say!

What's happening in your neck of the woods?  Off for my walk now............enjoy the rest of your day.

In like a lion, out like a lamb?

I know it's an old wives saying, but I do believe it when they say:

"If March come's in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb."

(image credit)

So I am guessing after seeing our weather forecast for Thursday March 1st it will be going out like a lion, as 6 oC with sun and clouds is not a bad forecast for this time of year.  In fact it's balmy!!

I am not sure if it's a British thing but  we seem to be fascinated with the weather.  It's always a subject we talk about if we have nothing else to say.  Making plans, always depends on the weather.  Got all excited yesterday to see some bulbs popping through on someone's garden.  Nothing at our house yet.

Will say I am looking forward to the clocks springing forward on March 11th, are you?

Are you obsessed with the weather?

Quick and Easy Makeover

Popped into the garden centre on Sunday and they had buy two get one free on all silk flowers.  So I spent under $25, as I needed florist wire as well and did the following:

Started out with my plain wreath:

Bought three stems of silk Forsythia, cut them down into individual stems; only used two of the three stems:

Ended up with this, very Spring like:

Put the third stem in a vase in the house for a little Spring colour in the house. 

I was looking at Spring wreaths and they were $50 + for the nice ones.  My Spring bulbs are finally peaking through the soil.

Book Club and more about Spring?

I am a member of a book club called Book Ends.  We have 12 or 13 members all who live in our subdivision.  I have been a  member since July.  I have yet to go to a meeting where every member attends as like everyone we all have busy lives and especially during the winter people want to escape the weather.  In summer we also have members with cottages who also go away for the summer.  Overall though we are a great mix of ladies who have something in common, we all enjoy reading books.  

I am probably one of the weaker members as the majority of the books we read I would never ever have thought of picking up and reading, but this is what I love about the club it makes me read things I normally wouldn't have.  I have yet to see a book that we all agreed we loved, but again that's what makes this fun.

I thought I would list what we are going to read over the next few months, so if you want to join in feel free.  We meet the second Monday of every month, so if you want to post a review feel free to do it on my book review blog, where I post all my reviews. I usually read the month's book ahead of time and review it well before the meeting.

There is a link on my main page of my regular blog, or here is a link.

Just so you know if you click on the title of the book it will take you to Amazon where you can read more about the book.  All members take turns choosing a book.  I haven't chosen one yet, but I do have this one in mind as it sounds good for when it comes to my turn.

March: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - you can read my review here

April: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

May: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

June: The Rosie Project By Graeme Simsion

July: The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

I think we will choose the next few months worth of books around June.

In February 2015 the book was: Tomorrow Their Will Be Apricots by Jessica Soffer - I did not attend this meeting nor did I read the book for various reasons.  It got mixed reviews by the members.

January 2015: The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. You can read my review here.

December 2014: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. You can read my review here.

November 2014: The Storied Life of A.J. Firky by Gabrielle Zevin. You can read my review here.

October 2014: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. You can read my review here.

September 2014: No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay.  You can read my review here.

August 2014: A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews.  You can read my review here.

July 2014: The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell. You can read my review here.

I posted another book review yesterday here; this is for the regular books I review.

I know a lot of information to take in at once, but you know the post is here so you can come back to it again and again.

Okay when I watched this I wasn't overly happy.  By the way if you live in the Great Lakes area of the States, you will be no more happier than me either!!  I love an hour and a bit North, North West of Toronto.

I guess what this is telling us we need to be patient.  The better weather will come it's just delayed.

This is more Spring like.........

We went to our "local" Garden Centre on Saturday for a ride out.  They have lovely, albeit pretty expensive stuff.

When we walked into the store, this is what greeted us.  A truly spring-like display.  The bright yellow's were just stunning.

As red is my favourite colour I loved this display.  The seating set, and I think the table in the middle cost $2,999.99 

Those little arrangements with the blue primulas were so cute, but were $19.99 each! 

I am a sucker for red poppies.  I loved these pictures and the cushions were as lovely. 

 More primulas,ranunculus, along with heather, and other spring bulbs.

A pop of pink and Easter Bunnies here.

 This blue set was in one of the greenhouses. 

Yes that outside set is leather and for the price of $4,499.99 you get two chairs and two ottomans!!! 

Finally the greens, love the green "grass" bunnies on the right hand shelf. 

We are going back there next weekend as they are having a Spring home and garden show there.  We go every year and have a super time, well worth going.

Signs that Spring is on the doorstep.

Had to get the hand held vac to hoover up cluster flies, as there was more than the usual couple out.

I can see something outside that isn't white; it's a dirty looking colour......yep, that could be bare ground.

There are buds on the maple trees.

The lights don't need to be turned on until nearly 6pm.

HOWEVER....with the amount of snow we do have, we have bets on that it will be May before the final snow melts and our driveway is now shot ice all the way down........that is so an accident waiting to happen for me!!

Lots of photos to share with you.

We went to a Home and Garden Show in Barrie at the Garden Gallery garden centre.  It was free admission and is always a pleasant couple of hours.

The store was decorated beautifully as always and I thought I share some photos.

Do you have a favourite of the photos above?  Mine is the first one.

It was a lovely day on Saturday with temperatures above freezing.  Although it is starting to melt the snow, as you can see from the photos below it has a ways to go to look like Spring!

I will share a couple more photos from the Home Show tomorrow as well.

I'm still alive.......

and I am down to my last day of work on Friday.  It's surprising how you get into a routine, but I am still tired and other than making supper and keeping up with laundry that's about all that's getting done.

Work wise things have come back to me and it's been nice to catch up with everyone.  Oh and it turns out if you're in a grumpy mood you can collect more money...LOL  I have been busy chasing up people to pay their invoices and have enjoyed every bit of it despite my feet!

However I am hobbling around like an old woman as my poor feet are killing me especially my right one.  I have a case of plantar fasciitis and it bloody well hurts.  My feet have been bothering me for a couple of weeks and I have been wearing my crocs in work; but today it took a turn for the worse and it is very, very painful.  

It must be sore as I have a full day planned of being out and about on Saturday and am thinking of cancelling that and putting my feet up to rest them.............so yes for me to turn down a day out it has to be bad.

I am continuing to drive like Miss Daisy and haven't had any more incidents with my friends the police!!  The weather has been nice all week which has made the commute a lot easier.  It turns out it is costing me around $10 a day in gas for the car.  I get gas down the road from us as it is around 3 cents cheaper a litre than in the city.

I am seeing signs of Spring in the city with lots of Canada Geese flying around.  Meanwhile here at home there is still lots of snow and the driveway is still like a skating rink!!!

Got a couple of busy weeks ahead of me, with a number of things planned to do around the house, including finishing the baby quilt.  The top is sewn just have to sandwich it together and quilt it.  Have a couple of chairs to recover, and I would like to get the stairs varnished this month also.

Hoping to get back into routine of blogging and visiting everyone's blogs again next week.

Last day of February........YEAH!!

Well I have survived the longest horrible-ist (no such word I know) month of the year.  If you read this blog on a regular basis you already know I detest February, because of the rotten weather we always get.  March generally brings forth brighter warmer weather.........I am touching wood (my head) as I write this.

I bought some Bee Pollen on Sunday.  Bee Pollen is the only known food which contains every essential nutrient needed by mankind for perfect health.

The overall benefits to taking Bee Pollen are:

• Increases the bodies resistance to stress and diseases and speeds up the healing process in most conditions of ill health.
• Possesses age-retarding and rejuvenate properties.
• Great energy booster.
• Appetite suppressant.
• Weight management (weight loss & control)
• Help relieves "seasonal allergies."
• Lower blood pressure.
• Asthma.
• Fatigue.
• Pre-menstrual & Menopause.
• Skin Conditions.
• Feeling of Well Being.
• Alertness.
• Sexual Desire and performance.
• Athletic Endurance.

Now if all that happens I am going to be a new woman!!!

I give Molly 1/4 tsp of bee pollen every day, so if its good enough for her it's good enough for me!!

While I was looking at the Royal Doulton site yesterday I noticed that Wedgwood is bringing out a line of Royal Wedding commemorative pieces, here is a link to them.  Funny thing though it's only showing on the UK site; not that I have any desire to buy one.  Not really into that sort of thing.


One thing I have done though is made dd a fan of Wedgwood, she has dibs on my Wedgwood Christmas ornaments when I die she says!!!!   Like me she loves Jasperware; I only have around nine pieces plus my Christmas ornaments, and infact my Jasperware plates are still wrapped up in boxes from when we moved as I haven't found a suitable place to put them up yet.

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