Oops, I did it again!

Today is our 41st wedding anniversary.  Got up this morning and saw that hubby had put an envelope on top of my laptop.  He leaves the house by 4:30 am for work.  My first words out of my mouth when I saw that envelope was *hit, *hit, *hit!!!  I had forgotten to pop his envelope with card in it on his lunch box for him!!

So I go and get the card to write it.  As I am writing it I am reading the verse and thinking what a lovely verse it was, then right at the end it says: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Again, *hit, *hit, *hit!!

So I call hubby to "confess" that yes I had forgotten our wedding anniversary and I had picked up a birthday card for him, instead of a wedding anniversary card!!

This is not the first time I have forgotten our wedding anniversary; but what's worse is I was just talking about it on my blog yesterday afternoon!!  Is this the beginning signs of memory loss do you think???

Happy 36th Wedding Anniversary to us

It was actually a hot sunny day when we got married which was a minor miracle being as we were married in the UK.  We actually got married in St. Lawrence's Church in Appleby (hence Appleby Lane!!) and here is a link to the church and it's history.  It earliest part of the church was built around 1150 and added on from there!!  Yep, the British have some old buildings!!

So back to us, 36 years later, two children, moved to another country and we are still married. 

As dh always says, "if he had killed me right off he would be free now!!"

As I point out; "no one forced him to get married...LOL"

At the end of the day we would be lost without one another.  We are as different as chalk and cheese, him being quiet, me being the opposite.

I dedicate this song to him!!






(The dancing sucks in this video though doesn't it?)

The good thing about decorating....

well other than finally there is some actual white in this house along with some colour.........I mean builder's beige does get old fast believe me; is that when I decorate I have Stingray Music on the TV and listen to the oldies station.  It's good to catch up with all the great tunes and hear ones you haven't heard in a while like this one:



Dinner on Friday night was good.  I didn't take any photos, but I will describe what we had.  We started with a platter of assorted starters, basically samples of various things, which included pickerel in a tempura batter, antipasto, chicken and pork kebab, and a giant shrimp with seafood sauce.  That was okay, not the best but not the worst.

For our main, I had sesame seed crusted salmon, with jasmine rice, various steamed veggies and a "salad" of mini sprouts.  It was all perfect, right down to the steamed veggies, 10 out of 10.  Dh had bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.  Again dh said it was really good.  For dessert, dh had Lindt Chocolate cheesecake and I had the Bailey's Irish Cream creme brulee, that was 100 out of 10, I could have just eaten that all night.  Gosh it was good.  Dh had a couple glasses of wine, while I had water with my meal.........I am a cheap date!!1

A bit of a sad note.  There was a funeral party there and the deceased was a young man in his 30's.  They were all on the patio drinking and then came into the restaurant to have their meal just as we were going.  Always sad when it's a younger person who has died.

This is the third year in a row we have been to the same restaurant for our wedding anniversary, we both decided next year we need to try something different!!

Do you dine out in a fancy restaurant's for special occasions?

It's one of those month's.........

(Image credit)

Every time I turn around another bill pops up.  I had to pay a years bill on the water heater this week.  Long story behind this, from now on it will be around $30 a month for the water heater, which I think is expensive.  At the old house it was $165 a year.

Now the year's warranty is up on the furnace.  There are five years warranty on certain parts but its prudent to have it serviced yearly etc, so that will end up costing well over $300 a year I can see.

Oh well on wards and upwards as they say..........

On a brighter note it's our wedding anniversary.  We have been married 32 years.  Happy Anniversary dear and here's to another 32 years!!

(image credit)

We are having a dinner out on Friday with a gift card the kids gave us at Christmas.  So that's a good thing as they say!

Away on Friday to Niagara on the Lake.........

We were given a gift card for a nights accommodation and a meal to one of the Vintages hotels in Niagara on the Lake by the kids for our wedding anniversary.

Dh took Friday off work as we had some jobs to be done that could only be done through regular working/opening hours.  So we were on our way to Niagara on the Lake before 10am and were there before 12 noon.

We were staying the night at The Prince of Wales hotel and having dinner at the Pillar and Post Inn. Our room was not in the main hotel but in the building next door.  We were on the ground floor next to the main door in and out of the building.  As hotel rooms go it was nice; but have been in hotel rooms just as nice.  The shower in the bathroom was my favourite thing and I had two long and luxurious showers while there.  We had a King Bed room and it wasn't that big, but adequate.  There was only one "comfy" chair and there wasn't room to move it so you could watch TV.  There were two bottles of water and three oranges in your room as a gift.  Plus Keurig coffee and tea making facilities.  I went back to the front desk and got tea and a jug of milk for our room.

When we got back in from dinner we discovered dh must have a girlfriend as there was this on his pillow!!

Personally I would have preferred chocolates, but that's just me!!

The dinner at The Pillar and Post was gorgeous.  The meal itself was perfect and here is the menu we got to choose from.  We had an amuse-bouche of watermelon and grapefruit drink.  If you like pulp in your juice then you would have loved this.  Dh does not so I got to drink his also!!!  Dh had the romaine salad to start, and I had the The Seafood Sampler Platter, of a crab cake, a white cheddar and lobster souffle and two lemon and garlic jumbo shrimp.

Dh then had bacon wrapped Beef Tenderloin with mushrooms, beets and baked potato.  I had White Crab Cannelloni: Hand Rolled Ricotta Cannelloni with White Crab and Sweet Corn Sherry Cream, Rocket Spinach and Crisp Fennel.  That was so good and dh really enjoyed his. This was the only good photo I took of our meal.

For dessert I had creme brulee with cherries and dh had amaretto cheesecake with warm strawberry sauce.  I also had an Irish Coffee and dh had wine.

We ended up having our dessert in the bar, as it was hot in the restaurant and a large investment company was having a family getaway weekend for it's employees and 150 of them including their children (lots of young babies) were having a buffet in the other end of the restaurant, so it was also noisy.

The meal though was just perfect.  However between me and you when we walked back to the hotel, someone had made the foot path windy while we were in there having our meal.  As I know it wasn't windy on the way there.  All I had was the Irish Coffee to drink, but again between me and you, I think they poured the whole whiskey bottle in my glass!!  It doesn't help that I rarely drink alcohol.

When we got back to our hotel we sat outside of the hotel having a cup of tea and a cup of coffee and here are some photos I took:

 This was in the main foyer of the Pillar and Post hotel, lovely painting.

You could have a ride in a carriage around town, we saw a party of four give her $70 and they were only gone half an hour.

 This was in front of The Prince of Wales hotel.

 This was one the way to the building where we were staying, that fountain is to the side of the main hotel building.

This was in the main foyer of the Prince of Wales hotel and was stunning, my photo does not do it justice at all.

Although we had a lovely time, I honestly think the hotel is over rated and very pricey.  The service was impeccable and its those little extra touches that you pay for.  I have stayed in "regular" hotels where the rooms were as nice for a fraction of the price.  However, we are so grateful to the kids for giving us this experience as it's somewhere we would never have gone if we had, had to pay for it ourselves and they knew that. 

We looked around Niagara on the Lake on Friday afternoon but it got hot and humid.  On Saturday we decided against paying $14 each for two fried eggs, a sausage, bacon and potato pancake at the hotel, plus $3.50 for a cup of tea and headed to Tim Hortons for breakfast............I know how could we eat anything after having that huge meal.  For me all I wanted was a decent cup of tea!!!  We headed home and were home before lunch time, as again Saturday was hot and humid and I do not like that type of weather.

Got more to share with you, but this is enough for one day I think.

30 years ago this fresh young couple got married:

We're neither fresh nor young anymore, but we're still married.  As dh is always saying, it's better the devil you know than the one you don't...LOL  Still love my bouquet of red carnations, still enjoy my "Farrah Fawcett" hairstyle, not keen on my wedding dress though.  Still got it in the closet.

The kids surprised us with a night in a hotel dinner included.  Not just any hotel mind you we will be staying at the Prince of Wales hotel in Niagara on the Lake, and having dinner at the Pillar and Post restaurant, The Cannery.  We're not going until July for one reason or another, but must say we're looking forward to it.

We are going out for dinner tonight, but otherwise it's just another day; dh at work and me doing my own thing at home.  

Been busy..............catch up time........

Spent all day Thursday in the garden, which resulted in me catching too much sun and me being in bed before 8pm.  Still got a lot achieved and the garden looks sort of tidy.  Still a mountain of work to be done but better than it has been.

Friday spent all day in the house cleaning......I know shocker......but even I was fed up with wading through the mountain of dust!!  When dh came home he said he was going to do some sanding..........I gave him "the look," and suggested he wait until after the weekend!!  He agreed..........pleased to say "the look," still has the desired effect!!!

On Friday night we attended the Strawberry Supper at the church, yes I persuaded dh to go along.  We had ham with various salads and strawberries, cream, ice cream and a sweet scone, it was yummy.  Plus there was juice to drink and tea and coffee.  Purchased a lemon meringue pie from the bake sale and a couple of things, all in all a good night.

Saturday was our 28th wedding anniversary.  We set off with one plan in mind and ended up doing something completely different, which included going grocery shopping, looking at a couple of stores for a garden swing and various other things.  We got home around 1:30pm and decided to go to the local pub/restaurant for a late lunch.  We have been here before and as the weather was just wonderful we sat out on the patio underneath the magnolia tree, it was perfect.  We both had a lamb burger with goats cheese, mint and capers, with a Cesar Salad.  Dh had a couple glasses of Strongbow Cider, I had orange juice and soda water.  For dessert I had Pavlova with exotic fruits and cream, and dh had rhubarb pie with ice cream.

It was so relaxing and peaceful and a perfect meal.  We got home around 3:30pm. 

We decided to have a go at chopping/shredding some more twigs.  That bloody machine is dangerous.  I kept well back out of the way.  It says it can chop 3 inch twigs.........in reality I would say 1 inch twigs is quite wide enough.  We managed to get three bags done which I want to put underneath my strawberries.  Mind you something is eating my strawberries, and I have a feeling I know who/what.  It has four legs and hops around a lot!!

My dad is coming up tomorrow for Father's Day so I will discuss the ins and outs of this with him.  The kids are also coming up, I am making lunch for them all.  Nothing exciting, just burgers and sausages in the grill, with fingerling potatoes, Cesar salad and coleslaw.  I have to bake though in the morning as dd is having a bake sale at work and nominated me to make something.......thank you dd!!!!  As I pointed out to her she is as capable as me to bake something, but she just doesn't feel like it!!!???!!!

Anyhow to all the dad's out there Happy Father's Day to you all............

I am so annoyed........

I was busy tidying up the ditch on Friday, but had to pick the garbage up first.  I know it's not Tim Hortons fault, it's their lazy customers fault, but I am so fed up of picking up empty coffee cups from oury property.  Those along with water bottles, juice boxes and beer bottles are thrown down on a daily basis.  I would dearly love to put a big sign up saying:

I DON'T THROW GARBAGE ON YOUR PROPERTY, SO PLEASE STOP THROWING IT ON OUR PROPERTY! 

As dh says that would only make matters worse, but even so.

Then when I went to watch Eastenders on BBC Canada at 12 noon, only to discover it wasn't on.  Would  you believe they have taken it off the air until September????

"EastEnders will return to Canadian television exactly where it left off in Sept. 2010 – please check your local listings at that time for more information."

What the heck, it's bad enough we are already over two years behind as it is, now we'll be even further behind??  I should send them an email.

I only watched the last three minutes of the England vs Algeria game and honestly it was three minutes too much.  I mean what on earth is wrong with them, the English Players?  They seem to be half asleep, or totally not into the game at all.  Unless they pull their socks up and knuckle down I don't think they will be going anywhere in the World Cup!!

Other than that though, things have been super busy again on Friday.  I was busy again in the garden edging and cutting grass.  Managed to get two big loads of laundry washed, dried and ironed, and some tidying up done.

We had an anniverary dinner at Swiss Chalet, nothing exciting, as we had a few errands to run in town, including doing some grocery shopping.  The rest of the weekend is going to be busy, but I am hoping to pop in to visit everyone's blogs at some point.

Enjoy your weekend,

Gill

Busy, sorry, happy anniversary....

Thursday was a super busy day, I never stopped all day.  What with trying to get some grass cut, tidying up around the new cedars I planted. Writing the column for the Eden Valley Messenger and submitting it; never mind it was three days late this week....oops!  Actually doing a little tidying up in the house.  Going to the church hall in the afternoon to help with prep for the Strawberry Supper on Saturday, then travelling 50 minutes to Brampton, to meet dh at the doctors to get his results for his CAT scan; he's fine just has to keep on taking his puffers and nasal spray?  Then driving back home (we got fish and chips for supper on the way home).  Back out in the garden for an hour of edging the grass, barely made a dint in the edging.  Then making a start on cutting the field, I don't feel as though I have stopped all day.

So I'm sorry but I just haven't had the time to visit anyone's blogs.

Then today Friday June 18th is our 27th Wedding Anniversary.  Gosh the years have gone by fast.  No plans on doing anything.  Dh finishes work at lunch time to get home in time for the England vs Algeria game which is on at 2:15pm our time. Me, well I will no doubt be cutting the grass or ironing!!

Oh and a sort of sad thing.  I was watching Coronation Street on Thursday and it was when Rita told Emily that Ramsy had died on his way to Australia.  Emily put on a cd of Australian songs, and it played Waltzing Matilda,  I haven't heard or thought of that song in many years.  Poor Emily looked so sad and so old when listening to this song.