Snow and More Snow

This is being written on Sunday, Dec 21. We had a few inches of snow last night and more is coming as I write. Four more inches are supposed to arrive by evening. What a beautiful morning and as it turned out, it was a good decision to take in the Kid's Choir program at church last night (Saturday). If you dare enlarge the photo of me, you will see a look on my face that says, " Alright already, so hit the shutter".

Here is my Snow Slave who voluntarily came out to help. It would have been better if she had come out before I was finished. We went for a walk in the snow afterward and both commented that it was like walking on the beach at Banderas Bay in Puerto Vallarta. The consistency of the snow and the depth at which our feet sank and slid back, were similar. What was not similar was the temperature. ( about 36 degrees Celsius difference)

Our wonderful neighbours were out a bit earlier than us, and helped shovel our sidewalk. They are very giving people. We could not return the favour because their driveway was already cleaned off, so we went to the neighbours on the other side and cleaned off their driveway and sidewalks.

Sleepover

Friday night we had our two grandsons to do with what we wanted. After rejecting the idea of taking them to the Thrift Store (and leaving them there) (hey, I'm just kidding, I wanted to leave Lis there,) (hey I'm just kidding, they know me there too well because of all the Christmas shopping I did there) (hey, I'm just kidding, OK?) we ended up doing some Christmas shopping at the mall. Now I know why I only go to the mall once a year. We did meet some lovely friends there and actually bought a few things. This is unusual because when Lis and I go shopping, we do just that. Shopping is not necessarily buying.
Anyway, after all that strenuous work, us guys were ready for some hearty food so we all went to Chad's "best restaurant in the whole world, White Spot" and had burgers and "pirate paks".
After a night of movies, popcorn, and computer games, we hit the sack but were up bright and early for the Christmas Program rehearsal for the kids at church. But before heading out, Lis threw us a 'waffle party'. Living like kings the way we did, makes me think that we should have them over for night more often.

Closed for the Season

There may never be enough Thyme in the garden but there is, at thymes, more than enough snow. This birdhouse just outside our kitchen window, is closed for the season. I was watching a few Chickadees trying to get into it today. I realised that they were the only birds I had seen in our garden for quite some time. They are hardy and appear to thrive in the cold when there seems to be no water or food for them. They travel in happy little gangs, flitting from one tree to the next, poking here, nibbling there, and doing a lot of it up-side-down. Of course they are happy. They don't have to shovel snow.

The Snowman Who Came in From the Cold

I have been putting off buying a new snow shovel for the last few years. It proved a good decision last year as I did no shovelling at all, although it was a tight call for a while. Would global warming save me from this detestable winter necessity? When I read earlier this fall that 80% of the earth recorded cooler temperatures than normal in '08, and Scandinavian scientists discovered that sun spot activity had virtually ceased, I connected the dots and my heart fell. And yes, it started snowing this week. When I arrived at the local store that was most likely to stock snow shovels, I was a bit concerned when I approached the entrance and three customers were coming through the door with new snow scoops. I needn't have rushed because there was a bin with probably 50 shiny new shovels waiting to be chosen. I hefted a few as though choosing a hockey stick or new set of golf clubs and decided on one sturdy looking fellow that had a straight and true grain in the handle and no warp in the scoop end. It looked quite capable of absorbing my blood, sweat, and tears. There were four others in the line at the checkout with the same purchase and I thought that a few hours later I would have been out of luck. I asked for a bag and fortunately I had a cashier with a sense of humour. She replied that it was good thing that they had doubled the price just the day before. I smiled as I wondered if it was really true.

I slipped and slid home, anxious to try my new tool. OK. I am exaggerating. I was hoping the temperature would suddenly rise and I could go back and get a refund on my purchase.

As I scraped and shovelled, I was quite pleased that I had 'taken the plunge' and bought a new hi tech shovel. It was going so well and I was not exerting myself as hard as in years past. Then it occurred to me that it was not the shovel, but the consistency of the snow. It was cold dry snow, very light and fluffy, not the cardiac arresting wet snow of years gone by. Maybe I could have used the old shovel one more year.

Mission Accomplished

There is accessorising left to do, and some wallpaper below the chair rail.

The new faucet against the new tile.

Here you can see that the blue cabinet doors are no more, the old hardware (hinges and door knobs) are gone and replaced with white, the range hood is replaced with a shiny new one (and very quiet) and the tile extends behind the stove.

New counter tops, new dishwasher, and new tiles against freshly painted (inside and out) 'White Down' cabinets.

The new colour, Bar Harbour Beige, more neutral and easier to live with.

In the Middle of it.

The new pot lights are in and it is like the sun came out!

Plenty of wet oil paint as we paint the cabinets.

More wet paint.

Lis finally gets her yellow Kitchen .......

And promptly hates it. It actually shows up so good in the photos that I might just change it back.

Getting Started

The pot light holes are cut. There was extremely limited working room in the attic.

Protecting the existing floor from dirt and wear.

The old kitchen faucet that had been repaired once and was leaking slightly underneath.

Say goodbye to the old grungy range hood and the tired blue cabinets with their dated hardware.

The cabinet had to be extended and everything plumbed and wired underneath to accommodate the new dishwasher. The old floor was in not bad shape but had a few bulges from some water spills over the years. It was also yellowing just a bit in places.

Only in Canada Eh?

The weather is cold and miserable. I came in from a bit of work outside and got this little poem emailed to me. How appropriate for a day like today.

WINTER Poem

It's winter in Canada and the gentle breezes blow,
Seventy miles an hour at thirty-five below.
Oh, how I love Canada when the snow's up to your butt,
You take a breath of winter, and your nose gets frozen shut.
Yes, the weather here is wonderful, so I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Canada,
'Cause I'm frozen to the ground!

Before and After

What we started with!

Behold! The new kitchen.

Hey, I'm just kidding. But here is the funny part. Lis just walked in the door as I was putting on the last roller full of paint. She caught a glimpse of yellow from the front entry and exclaimed that finally, after all these years she got her yellow kitchen. She came running and stopped, like the Road Runner, just before it runs over the cliff. She was silent.

We have been married for 38 years and I can read her body language with amazing accuracy. I knew she didn't like it and I simply went and got the colour fan deck and we sat down to choose another colour. Most people re-decorate their homes every 8 - 10 years. We do it every 8 -10 hours. Pictures to follow.

Yearning for Warmer Days

Looking out into our frozen and barren garden, it is hard to believe that this flower was growing there only a few months ago. Right now, there is no living organisms in sight. Our power has not been interrupted since the 6 hour outage yesterday, and I have been able to complete the kitchen project.

The river is choking up with ice and the Albion ferry has been taken out of service for the first time in seven years. There is more snow forecast for tomorrow. My cousins in Saskatchewan tell me it is a deep freeze there, so I am happy to be confined to the refrigerator.

I look at all this and I cannot help but think of sunny Mexico. Or the palm lined beaches of Hawaii. I thought we would be booking that vacation right about now, for January, but because we had no work in all of December, and just picked up a big job for January, I now have to have my eye on February for the getaway. Our life has always been full of uncertainty, just like Forest Gump's box of chocolates.

Failure

I cannot remember the last time I was ill enough to spend the day in bed, but I can remember what it was like when I did. There are things that had to get done, but you lie there frustrated. You eventually give in to it, but it is not easy.
Yesterday our power went off and it was the same feeling. My intention was to finish the kitchen redo and I was anxious to get at it. I was just getting the tools ready and it went dark. Yes, it was a sunny bright day, but there was not enough light on that side of the house to see what I was doing. We are in an extended cold period with howling east winds and cold temperatures. This is unusual for our part of the country, but not unheard of.
I cranked up both gas fireplaces and managed to keep the indoor temperature at 18C. I thought it would be a good opportunity to detail the poor grout job I did on my tiles. Then I remembered that I needed power for the Dremel tool. Oh well, I can blog. Oops! That will not work either. I could not even phone out as we changed over to digital phone service a few months ago and it requires power. By this time it was getting brighter in the front room so I bundled up, got out my 1000 page novel and read, but all the while thinking that the power would go back on at any minute and I could resume my day. Well, it did. But not soon enough to get to the painting as the chief cook showed up from her busy day and began using the kitchen. "We have to quickly cook dinner before the power goes out again!" And here I thought that was what "Wendy's" was for.
So now the furnace is re-warming the house, the refrigerator and freezer are running wildly, and all the clocks are blinking. And we wait, as the wind howls, for the next outage.

Liam in a Box

My little grandson, all gift wrapped and boxed, ready for shipping ...... to my house. Sorry, he is one of a kind and you cannot order one for yourself.

Stay Out Of The Woods

When it happened, the parents of the two children were very reluctant to allow it to go public. It became common knowledge after some time, but the story was always told as a rumour, or a legend. The old woman who had kept them captive for several weeks, recovered from the burns she received during the escape attempt and was not seen for many years. If indeed she did return, she did not have the energy or the willingness to restore her house to its former condition. Those who saw it, say she had decorated the outside with the specific purpose of luring young children. It obviously worked, if the stories are true. Today, parents are especially safety conscious and would never let their young children play in the forest, even though I did it all the time as a young boy. What became of the two youngsters is not well known, but it has been rumoured that they took business courses at Grimm's College and soon after that opened a Bavaria style restaurant that served excellent schnitzel. They named it "The Hansel and Gretel".

In The Woods

This is where it happened. It was quite some time ago, or so the rumour goes. It could have been recently, and by all appearances, it could happen here again. There was an attempt to burn the old shack down, but the owner said she would come back one day, when she was ready. Not many people know of this place, and indeed many say it does not exist. I stumbled on it one day while searching the countryside for photo opportunities and knew right away that this was the place. There is not much evidence now, however, if one lets their imagination run wild, it is obviously the location. I did not dare go any nearer. Was it fear? Was it respect? I simply snapped the shutter, and with a shiver running down my spine, I crept back through the forest to the road. Upon close inspection of the photo, enlarged several times, I was half expecting to see her face in the window. It could be there, obscured by the old brittle panes of glass and by time.

Ground Hog Day?

Again, this photo has nothing to do with today's post, but is just a good reminder of the magnificent autumn we had in '08.

Last night we enjoyed the annual musical drama at our church. It is known as NBC or 'Night Before Christmas'. It is performed 12 times over 8 days and more than 10, 000 tickets are sold. It is a 'home grown' production with the drama being written by cast members, as well as some of the songs, and arrangements of musical offerings. The title of the drama this year was "All I Want For Christmas" making reference to the song about 'two front teeth'. The play opened in a dentist's office which made for a lot of laughs. It was about a fellow who got to live the same day over about three or four times until he got it right. He had the help of his own personal Angel but still had difficulty. It was very well done. The purpose of all this effort, of course, is to spread the true message of Christmas. Every year there are many folks in attendance who never darken the door of a church and they hear the gospel for the first time in their lives. There are always wonderful stories that come out of that. Our guests were a cousin of mine and his wife. We had a very interesting discussion later over a cup of coffee, that related to the issues brought up by the drama. It was a very good evening, time well spent and another time of bonding between my cousin and I.

Now, back to my kitchen. And yes, there will be before and after pictures. Just a few more days to go.

Another Interruption

I had another surprise interruption yesterday. I was in the midst of the kitchen face lift when my brother-in-law called and said he was in town. When he lived nearer, we used to love going out to see a movie on occasion. So, last night we went to see "Australia" What a pleasant diversion from painting cabinetry! The movie is actually quite good and quite a spectacle. It reminded me a bit of "Gone With The Wind", but in Australia. It shows off the country nicely and the little 'creamy' boy will absolutely steal your heart. Go see it.

PS The photo is not mine. How could it be, I have never been to the 'outback'. 'Outhouse' yes, but not 'outback'.

Interruption

I was in the middle of a stressful job Monday afternoon. I was grouting the tile I have installed in the kitchen and it was getting away from me a bit. Good thing I mixed only a small batch. The door bell rang and I was about to fire off a few expletives to the salesman I thought it might be. We have been getting a few of them lately. Before I could clean my hands and go to the door, a friendly voice called from the front entry and it was my grandson Liam. Well, not HIS voice, but his mom's. You see, he brought her along. A few minutes later I was taking a Liam break, holding him and watching him smile at me. Ya, I know, I look funny. I get such joy seeing him about once a week and being amazed at how much he is changing. I have to hold him and talk to him at least that often or he will forget me and I will become a stranger. A few minutes later they were gone and I was back to my grouting.

Strange how the rest of the afternoon went so much better.

Double Standard

So, now that Mr. Dion is gone, it seems that the Liberals are in the mode for picking a leader without a vote from the party he leads. If the coalition can do it, why not the Liberal party. The caucus will be choosing Ignatieff any day now, but poor Mr. Rae of former NDP fame is not liking it one bit, and I quote the news article I just read:

Despite rumours that Ignatieff would be installed as interim party leader, Rae said that he's still in the race to win.
"We've been whacked in two elections, we've got to make a comeback," Rae told reporters in Toronto Monday afternoon.
"I think that it's in the interest of both Mr. Ignatieff and me to have a process that's democratic," said Rae, who was joined by supporter and MP Gerard Kennedy.
Rae added that many Liberals reject the prospect that Ignatieff could be installed as leader without consulting with the party's grassroots.
"It's something that outrages people," he said. "That's a very widespread feeling."


I absolutely cannot believe he said that!! How does he think we felt about it when he and his coalition chose to run the country without a "democratic process"? "Widespread outrage"! Was this man not paying attention to what was going on in the country last week?

OOOps! How quickly things develop. Mr. Rae has dropped out and Mr. Ignatieff will be crowned sooner than later. This means that the coalition idea is as good as dead. But now what will Ignatieff do? He enthusiastically endorsed it only days ago, and now he has to distance himself from it because it was such a bad idea. ( He has been listening to the public) This will come back to haunt him. The poor Liberals. They are broke, have leadership problems, and now more baggage. How did they ever expect to run the country? If our Prime Minister plays his cards right, he will have a majority government in the next election.

The Last Warm Day

Yesterday we had a brief period of sunshine that was only slightly reminiscent of the warm day in fall that was recorded by this outdoor thermometer. After church and a light lunch,we went for a vigorous walk. After a few miles, our metabolisms got revved up and we threw open our jackets, deceiving ourselves into thinking it was fall again, or maybe early spring. The things we do to avoid winter.

Later, it was off to our second Christmas Season feed in two days, at our good friend's Frank and Elma's. They put on a great spread with plenty of good food and warm hospitality. With our stomachs full of natural sedatives (abundantly contained in Turkey meat) we sat around a table of more nibblies and played games and had a lot of good belly laughs. What would life be without good friends? I shudder to think.

The Old Blue Bicycle

This photo has nothing to do with my post for today. I just did not want to start in with Christmas theme photos just yet. But we did start our Christmas feasting last night. Now that one of us is employed by a rather large organization, we are tapping into some benefits. Our extended medical/dental etc will kick in any day now, and another perk was being invited to the Annual Christmas Banquet held in appreciation for the management and staff. I do not know if we have ever attended one of these before because we have always been either self employed or worked for a firm that only had a small dinner for staff without spouses. We had a great time and had a lot of laughs. I met some co-workers of Lis's, and saw some people from my past. The food was great and overall we had a good time. They are bunch of good people and as always, meeting new people is a pure joy.