2019 beginning to end

December 23, 2019

For the last few of you who actually read my posts...of which there Have been pathetically few this year, here is an update.

January, we had a fairly cold month and not much going on. I was doing some general research for a company out of Tobermory...mostly at home - reading and scanning documents. In the spring we decided that we were not going back up to Tobermory...Rick's boss had decided to hire his daughter instead, so there was no point in me going back if he wasn't working.
We found what we thought would be ideal jobs...a boat tour company closer to home on the Sauble River...was not to be...the hours  were few and far between and it was not a very lucrative venture for the  owners. Rick enjoyed driving the tour boat, and I was in the ticket booth but it just didn't give us enough.  In the fall we found other jobs. I am currently working in a nursing home as a resident services worker...LOVE IT!  And Rick is installing for Shaw...he hates it...piece work covering hundreds of miles a day and no pay for  driving. He will be looking for something else.

Last February,  Rick had bladder surgery to remove some small tumours. We didn't say anything because we didn't want to alarm those who were far away.  He will be having the same surgery in January ...two more small ones, but the doctor assured him that these ones are not cancerous, but it means he will be off work for about 5 weeks.

I am having cataract surgery on January 16..yay! which means I will be able to see better and hopefully be able to enjoy picking up my paint brushes again. I can still see to sew and write but its just too frustrating to focus on colour and detail.  Luckily for my job, eagle-eye vision is not a requirement.

So the most excitement ...fun...we had this year was going to the Robbie Burns dinner last February; Rick trying to learn the bagpipes and going to the Fergus Festival for the 2nd time and meeting new Erwins/Irwins. My sister and her husband moved back to Ontario  and we became great- again. Rick's nephew in BC had beautiful twins and my nephew in Ontario had a gorgeous little girl.

Also the completion of the new galley in the boat!! It is truly an awesome piece of carpentry and he  did a fantastic job! This winter project is building the fridge and installing it this summer.

spare room in the apartment

Some other excitement [not the good kind] was watching Quentin struggle with his first year of college and deciding to postpone it for  awhile. He's now working at Tim Horton's in Owen Sound and just bought his first car.  He loves working the cash, and is okay with the rest of it. He struggles with the up selling.."Would you like a donut with that?"... because he doesn't drink coffee or eat donuts! LOL

So here are some pics from the year... and have a Merry Christmas and a safe and peaceful New Year!!

Great drawers for all the dishes and drop downs at the bottom for tray lids etc

New sink from Ikea [restore actually] and new counter tops

New flooring- vinyl that looks wood grain - everybody has this stuff now!

I'm in  my Erwin tartan and he's in his Wilson tartan  [paternal grandmother]

Quentin's new [old]car  2005 Honda Civic

our apartment living room...uh oh..I'm really liking this

January 2019

Happy New Year..mine starts today!

Good morning! I haven't been posting lately for several reasons...

1] my keyboard is making me crazy..I'm not the best typist but some of my keys are getting ornery and I spend as much time inserting missing letters as typing the words;

2] most of the time my computer is on, I am working on the research project or my boss. It's an interesting 'search and find' combing through documents and putting an order to them...right up my alley!!!

And 3] you all are having so much fun and adventures and what we're doing is pretty boring.

However, today is the first day of my new year, and as soon as I can get over this little bout of pneumonia, we are heading back to "boat and body works", preparing ourselves so the doctor will let us "out" when it's time.

Rick went to the Toronto boat show this week and got some really positive advice on the frig construction; we have torn out the galley again and found a lovely bright Arborite to replace the cool, sexy but useless black counter. Man repairs like rudders dodgers and bimini will have to wait until warmer weather or at least until I start poking him with a bigger stick.

I notice that some of you have missed the snow and cold as much as we did and are enjoying a real winter [Brent and Mary] and I see you posts and think I could do that...20 years ago!

They say age is only a number, and I believe it, but every time I see my doctor he tells me I am in really good shape...for my age. Whaaaaat?!?!?

We are going to Robbie Burns night with Rick's new friends- the McLaren Pipe Band next weekend. Love those pipes and drums!!!

Today we are all going to a Park restaurant for our birthday lunch with Liz Geoff and the kids.

Happy Winter!

Merry Christmas 2018

T'was two weeks before Christmas and as we looked 'round,

We suddenly realized that we were snow-bound!

No sea breeze, no soft sand, no dazzling sunlight,

Just grey clouds, snow-rain storms, and really cold nights!

No sailboats or conch horns to greet the green flashes,

Just car horns and crowded last-minute mall-dashes!

We dream of warm water, and yoga on the beach;

Of meetings on Sundays to hear Cordell teach;

Of baskets, of dominoes and volleyball - what fun!

Of winning Rum bottles. Has "Trivia" begun?

The "Land" friends and family we cherish are here.

The grandkids, our treasures, are happy we're near [?]

We'll miss the Straw Ladies and this year's Junkanoo;

But mostly, our Warm -Winter friends, we'll miss YOU!

Work on the boat; keeping busy's the trick,

It's only two winters... but I sure miss KALIK!!          ©SMS

Winter's here! and so are we

Today is November 11. Remembrance Day.Sadly I am not anywhere where there is a service going on. We are in Ignace Ontario and it is minus 12 C. We are visiting with my brother and his partner, Sonya. After I finish this post we are going to attempt to go for a walk.

We finished work in mid-October although we were expecting to work longer...fickle boss. I am still employed on a special project for my summer employer...a history of the area. So I can work from home or a space about 10 km from where we are living, which is in Hepworth ... in Quentin's room...til he comes home.

We left Nov 1 to come north for a visit and arrived in Thunder Bay on the 3rd at my best friend's house where we have been staying. We've been visiting and Rick has been working with Les on some of his handyman projects.  Sue and I went with her daughter Megan and friend Teresa to Vanderwees Gardening Centre Ladies night. It was great fun...fashion show, band, free wine and food and LOTS of shopping ideas. This place has grown from a garden center to to a centrepiece of unique things!!! Clothes, boots and bags, Christmas decorations of all sizes ...like Bronner's in Frankenmuth Minn.

We went to a hockey game last Wed. night to see our nephews Alex and Ben play...Ontario Junior Hockey League. [College aged kids] Alex scored the second goal with Ben assisting and Ben scored 4 with Alex assisting on 3 of them. Tonight we will watch them on TV...yes their games are televised!!!
Monday we are heading to Kenora to see Aunt M and cousins then we will head back to Thunder Bay , track down some more old friends and then head on home. I have to go back to work at some point.

And we are anxious to get settled in at Liz's...kinda just threw our stuff in and left....

 Ben and Alex...unless you can see the numbers, its very hard to tell them apart!

Last week at the trailer

Last day of work was yesterday  quiet boring; today was rainy and cold this morning with a great wind, but by the afternoon late the wind died down ad we went for a walk. Missed dinner yesterday because we both worked.

So this week, we close up the trailer and head down to Hepworth. Rick is working until next Saturday so we'll get as much done as possible. THen we'll head out for a three week trip to visit everyone between here and Kenora...hopefully before it snows! After that it's job hunting time!

Our lettuce garden kept us in saladall summer; the cage kept the rabbits out

Herbs:chives, rosemary,thai basil, oregano, sage and thyme

September

Got a message from work last night...actually woke me up...asking if I wanted the day off. Apparently enough people felt sorry for/ or actually complained about my hacking and coughing that the boss thought I might want a recovery day...hell, yes!! It's very cold here today [okay, it's not swimming weather] and I appreciate another day to schlep around in my fleece jammies and veg. Lots of Buckley's cough drops, lemon tea and juice! I have no fever...my temperature is about 10 degrees below normal [okay about 3 degrees...I'm freezing] so I will sit and watch painting videos, do some sketching, and writing and imagine this fabulous fabric magically turning itself into a perfect kilt..or long skirt and vest...or coat...still can't decide.
My little friend was sleeping on the fence again this morning. Don't know why the howling gale didn't knock him off!Looks like he's not feeling well either!


Yesterday [Tuesday] while we were in town doing chores, we checked the mail at Hepworth and found that a parcel had arrived from BC. Rick's sister Ann used to weave many years ago and I have an extraordinary collection of tea towels and table mats that I love...but now she quilts and this was in the package!!! If it ever stops raining I will hang it on the line so you can see the full effect but its gorgeous!the back side is red waves that look like bird's eye views of hurricanes, the quilting is done in waves and the squares are the complete alphabet in signal flags> Perfect boat accessory!! Thanks Ann, we love it !!!

So I'm off today [Saturday] and it was supposed to be DK Day...dye kilt day... I love my white utility kilt but it's white ...'nuff said. I picked up the dye...blue jean colour. I was going for grey or black but thought I'd start with a softer one first...you can go darker but not lighter. The process is an all-day affair and I have to work 4-10 today so I'll wait for another day off...😥😥 I really don't want to dye it but blue is better than dirty white, and being a utility kilt means I wear it like jeans ...EVERYWHERE I CAN

This is a weight-loss kilt...it weighs 8 lbs. with all the hardware attached to it!It has detachable pockets, as well

And here's the back of that exquisite quilt [not to be confused with kilt] thatAnn Arsenault sent...it's redder than the photo...camera keeps adjusting the light...see the mini hurricanes on the back?? Very apt right now, watching Florence and Helene. And the four corner squares are cool fish ! Love it!

End of summer we know it...

Wow. September already. every time I say how fast the summer went, people keep reminding us [not kindly either] that we didn't actually get here until mid-July...minor detail.
So Rick wears glasses all the time now; I apparently have developed carpal tunnel, so wear hand braces at night to help stave off surgery; the Summer fairies left me with a goodbye gift...a raging summer cold. 
On a brighter note, Quentin is having a good experience at Fanshawe College [ok only one class so far but still...]  He move into a house with 4 other guys...older than him and international students working to their master's degrees. As  his mother says..."Not a bunch of teenagers...these guys didn't spend 3-4 years at university to move across the world and screw it up by partying all the time...they will set a good example for him, and he 'll get a good cross-cultural experience."
 
Our Todd is playing football this year on the high school junior team and so far [yes, only 3 days in] is enjoying high school. It's sad that the bar is set so low. Orientation consisted of a trip to Wonderland and first day classes were "get to know everybody" 
Natasha is is Grade 7 and her day was pretty much the same as TOdd's. They are both going to Air cadets now, and she is turning into a giraffe...not sure where those height genes come from although her cousin Willow, is also a ...willow...very tall and graceful. I'm hoping next summer Tash will fall in love with highland dancing.
We spent the last two days on the boat, cleaning,  removing stuff and planning our attack. When its 37 C it's hard to get much done. I have finally been ready to give in to swimming this summer but with the cold now, I have no energy for it. 
I've become obsessed with the heritage thing...Scotland, clans and tartans...so I found on-line a place to order tartans and [Lindsay, forgive me] I bought the last 3 meters of "Erwin weathered tartan" that was available. It's a rare tartan [nobody orders it...not enough of us,  so it was in the "Clearance " section] and its beautiful! So I will stare lovingly at it for a few weeks before I summon the courage to pick up the scissors. It's going to make really hot shorts being 100% wool...just kidding, but I'm trying to decide if I want a full kilt or a suit. 
Oh and Rick bought his practise chanter ...he wants to be able to play bagpipes by next summer. Anyone have an old set they aren't using?
Yes, living on land HAS affected us but it's probably a temporary condition and reversible when we get back out to sea.