Hello. Well yesterday was hot, hot, hot and Mark and Mary Jo came over to share Marks birthday dessert with me but wouldn't come inside because with Derek's move back loads of people were in and out of their house such as removal men and all of Derek's old friends turning up to welcome him home.
Derek tells me he is very glad to be out of the city, it being Ontario's hot spot for the virus. The dessert was icecream which melted in the heat, dripped everywhere and made Jilly Bean one very happy little dog!
Cooler today and Michael and the grocery delivery man both turned up on the doorstep at 9 o'clock.
Michael was super helpful. We re-arranged the back room and I like it. This is not for us, it's for Beanie Shorty Pants to climb up on the old sofa back, peer out the window, and bark at foxes, bunnies, squirrels and Harry who might wander into the back garden. Then Mike cut up a very large sweet potato which was so difficult to peel for me. The yam was cooked for Jilly and then we piled into the car, the three of us, to buy Jillys treats.
We spent quite a bit of time yelling across the road to Darren who gets out of quarantine on Tuesday. They are back because although they liked England just as much as Canada they felt the education here is better. This surprised me. Also Darren lost his job at the university because of the virus. Mike then cut the grass so Jilly wouldn't get lost in it being very short and after three long walks with Michael she reluctantly said goodbye to him. She barks at him when he leaves and rushes over for me to try and stop him going. I guess I'm the leader of the pack, in her eyes anyway.
So today was all about one demanding small creature who I must admit amuses us no end.

The good news, she had so much fun playing zoomies hide and seek with Mike and going for walks that she has slept all afternoon exhausted thus allowing me to bore all you Sneakers in peace and quiet.

"See" ya all,
Anne. 🙃🐶❤️

Nice day. So glad to be back at gym! 2 walks and hit 10,000 steps by 12pm. Stopped at my older (72) sisters house with Jean. She recently started intermittent fasting and doing well. Love her to pieces. Seriously - You could knock on her door in need of a bed & food…and she would give you hers (for real). In non-COVID times she has Sunday dinner for church friends/family – roughly 50 weeks a year (25-40 adults/children). The day flew by…even stopped at McDonald's so Jean could enjoy her fav Cheeseburger. I haven’t indulged since May 2019 and don’t miss it.

Anne – That sounds like one heck of a cruise and certainly can relate. To be honest, I don’t see any cruises in the near future. Once all this is over, I am hoping we can just plan a vacation spot to hang our hat on…I only know it won’t be any place cold given our generally long winters.

Glad U liked the family pics. So funny about your 56 yr old “baby”. We must all do it. When my daughter hit her 40’s I still would think of her as 30-something. I still tell her I can’ believe she caught up to me and we are now about the same age – I love denial. LOL

Jackie – Hope you have a nice “Summer bank holiday” – that’s some weather you are experiencing! Glad you liked the family pics. Glad you got to enjoy some French bread bagels!

Sandy – Thrilled your car turned out so great… nothing like before and after pics. That was an awesome price you got. I definitely would have had it repaired to…it would have bothered me as well. The weather made all the difference with the “masks.” It wasn’t real hot and there was a nice breeze. QM2 was huge and beautiful. Like you, we love a balcony and use it. If and/when we cruise again I think it would be on Royal Caribbean. While we lived the NCL Gem (small ship)…the NCL Breakaway wasn’t as enjoyable and thought they weren’t always the best. But no plans at this point…just some kind of vacation once the masks are gone and somewhat normal.

Lin – We love the zoo and get the annual membership so we can just stop by for 45 min or so when the mood hits. It’s also part of the kids Christmas present each year and they look forward to it. The animals are treated well etc., but I think I am more of an animal preserve kind of guy. Ha ha on the camera… the youngest only got with the program in the last year…before that….well… not so much. LOL

Time to watch a bit of TV before hitting the sack. Enjoy the weekend. Bob

I got a call yesterday that my line dance teacher friend died in the morning. She was the teacher when I started line dance in 2004 and she turned her class over to me in 2013 when her health started to fail. I had been calling her every Wednesday afternoon since 2012 when I started helping her teach the beginning line dance class. She had had a fall that injured her shoulder and broke her hip but when I talked to her on Wednesday she was cheerful and feeling positive about her recovery. She added so much to my life and I'll miss talking to her, but I will always have the line dance joy she brought to my life.

Barbie

Morning teapot.

“Sadler Bicentenary Commemorative teapot for the 200th Anniversary of US War of Independence.”



❤️❤️

PS. I posted a photo some time back of my hour of glory when I played "Aladdin". I look as if I'm singing. Actually, although the piano was thumping away, I spoke the words of the song in a sort of sing song way. Just in case you wondered. It was English pantomime, comedy, and as long as you don't mind making a fool of yourself you can get away with murder. I did act in more serious roles, Ophelia in Hamlet springs to mind, and you can't get much more serious than that! But, comedy was my real thing.

Another quiet day with no incentive to do anything in the way of DIY. Lots that should be done But instead I’ve been looking online for a freestanding broom cupboard, as you do, and a new tv stand. The shelf unit the tv currently sits on has to come out because old plaster Is crumbling behind but I’ll buy a new one before that happens. I did find one I liked and got as far as checking out so about to pay when I noticed anticipated delivery between January 11 and 17. The furniture is made to order but really, that long a wait? Back to the drawing board.
It’s certainly cooler today so I sit in my conservatory with the door open rather than on the deck and luckily was doing just that when rain suddenly hammered down and I heard it and ran out to unpeg washing that had just about dried in previous sunshine... now hanging on a dryer in front of a heater!
It’s a northerly wind, always cold as Anne will remember, but I had an enjoyable walk on the moors and met all sorts of people I’ve not seen throughout lockdown. Also George’s groomer with her husband and 2 extra dogs that they are fostering through a charity that supports women in violent abusive relationships who don’t tend to leave if it means leaving a pet behind. Two very nervous but beautiful Cavalier King Charles pooches that are loving walking off lead for the first time in their lives. Then I saw a lady who, the last time I saw her had recently lost her husband and oh my goodness, another tragedy. Yesterday she took her 2 dogs to the woods I often used to take Betty and George and apparently both went into the river which is running high after all the rain we’ve had. Her granddaughter noticed the older dog was struggling to swim so they had to go in and pull him out but once on dry land he couldn’t walk so she did her best to carry him to the car until another dog walker helped. Got him to the vet and an examination showed both hips dislocated so it was decided the kindest thing would be to put him to sleep. To cap it all today is the anniversary of her husband‘s funeral. She is the nicest person so it seems particularly cruel that life is not being kind to her.

Barbie, I’m so sorry to read about your line dancing teacher but perhaps you can get a tiny piece of comfort from the fact she was cheerful when you spoke to her in the week. Truly good friends aren’t easy to come by and are sorely missed if they are taken away but I’m thinking you have many happy memories to hold on to because you love your line dancing so much.

Bob, your sister sounds delightful and giving so I can imagine how much you and Jean enjoyed your visit yesterday. Do you know I’ve never in my life eaten a McDonalds burger and at the moment one isn’t on my bucket list although I was amazed at the long queues when they first reopened after lockdown here. Perhaps I’m missing something!

That’s a chunky teapot Lin. Who won that war then? 🙃😜🤪. If I want a blast of music going on in the background I always choose Shirley Bassey. There’s a great you tube video... Shirley Bassey BBC Electric Proms 2009 that you can possibly view in the US should you want a blast yourself!!

Oh dear Anne, you did make me smile when I read you put the furniture back where it was. I’m sure a Jilly won’t mind losing her vantage point!

Sandy, still no new hens because it seems breeders stopped due to lockdown but hopefully I can get some next month.

Brrr, the wind is turning cold although I’m still sitting In my conservatory so I think I’ll test the log fire then get a meal organised.

Jackie

Hello sneakers! Sunny day today but a bit warm. We are to have a warm weekend so the town is full,of tourists and visitors. It does make me nervous because they seem less inclined to wear masks. Not sure why but it is true.

I am still dealing with internet issues. Currently at least for a few days we have internet. We never realized how important it has become. Can you believe it...there was a time when we didn’t have a phone. It was when I lived on the ranch with my grandparents. I remember the big todo when we finally got hooked up and it was a three party partyline. Glad to see those days are gone! Such frustration to make a simple phone call.

Shopping is not my thing so John gets to do most of the supply trips. He is much better at it than I am. He gets better produce and better prices on things. I grab and go. Not the best shopping strategy.

Yesterday was sort of scary. I was busy and didn’t eat much at all. BUT I took all my meds. I started to have a really low Blood sugar readings and almost fainted. Not good. And totally preventable but it requires attention to responsibility and not acting like a dodo. Lesson learned Again!!!

Jackie: I have lived happily in a construction zone many times in my life. It is not my favorite thing to do but I confess to feeling excited with each new improvement or renewal. Picking out door knobs and light fixtures were exciting wonderful events. John installed everything and I was his handy assistant. We built a 1800 sq. Ft. Home on the crystal river in western Colorado.
Patsy☘️

Reading Barbie's and Anne's posts and rendering my sympathy to both. At this time, I'm in great shock over a dear couple who just sent me an email telling me their darling daughter had a heart attack, followed by 2 more, and had died. Not a good time for several of us. I'm really not in the mood to chat but want to send love to all of you.
Buzz

Hello Anne and everyone. We are back to beautiful weather so I took the pooches to the top moor and spent an hour ambling, mostly because George found so many blades of grass to sniff! Lots of strangers and their dogs in the area that need checking out!
To share the view I tried the panning button on my iPhone camera

Slow to upload so may not work!

I’ve also visited the allotment to check for any storm damage but everything is still standing. Came home with beans, beetroot, courgettes, cabbage and turnips as well as some fennel to make a sauce with.

Patsy, I must say the thought of what was ahead of me and the work and mess required was daunting but now that the walls are back to their original state I’m excited to plan what can be done to bring them sympathetically into the 21st century. Small details like uncovered remains of wooden beading round the window alcoves have got my imagination buzzing so I’ll have to add a carpenter to the ever expanding list of tradesmen.
Each of them that’s worked here so far has told me it will be lovely when finished so patience required!
I remember a party line here when I first moved in and certainly all the modern techi items available today make a huge difference to our lives. Like Lin, I’ve a friend who refuses to engage in any discussion along those lines, asks friends to buy items online for her so she doesn’t risk her bank account being hacked and pays a small fortune to an IT engineer to hook up a new printer. Not easy to explain over the phone Lin and it’s a shame social distancing gets in the way of you visiting your friend.

Hopefully Anne your change in weather is just a blip. I lit my fire yesterday because it was so cold but today, although only around 18c, we’re back to summer.

Found another brilliant BBC documentary last night, this one about the wonderfully talented Carol King. I was sure I had her Tapestry album in my collection but it appears not. I’ll have to buy a CD or hunt for a vinyl copy on eBay! With no programmes other than news being produced during lockdown the ferrets have been burrowing into the BBC archives and coming up with some gems.

I skipped breakfast and now just eat crackers, cheese and an apple for my lunch. I settled on the deck but had hardly sat when a wasp came in search of the Apple. Now that is a sign of Autumn! Might be a fasting day if not tempted by a chocolate digestive with afternoon cuppa.

Time to muck out the hens who won’t be happy at being turfed out as they’re still broody. Hello to everyone I missed and a special hug for Buzz 🥰

Enjoy Sunday peacefully and safely.
Jackie

I think your cottage will be wonderful when finished JACKIE! What an exciting project. Sort of going back in time but with everything new and modern as well.

I wouldn't like to do it with this old house though. It was originally a box built for returning WW one wounded soldiers. The back room and back entrance was added first and later the front wall demolished and added to. So, I've ended up with a very odd house indeed. A long living room with a small bedroom off it at the front and the bathroom off the LR in the middle. The kitchen is quite a big square and off it the master bedroom. What was the stairs leading to the basement is now the bedroom clothes closet. The stairs now lead to the basement from the back door to the side of my PATSY style dungeon.

Nevertheless I've always enjoyed living here, the longest place I've ever lived in! Biggest disadvantage is the close to the LR bathroom. Not for lonesome me, but guests!

This is one of the reasons the family was going to tear it down and build anew for Derek before the virus put a stop to that idea. A difficult house to sell as is!

Jilly is ever hopeful Michael will pop by. She is waiting by the back door as I cook a bean stew for lunch.

Anyway, just wanted to say ENORMOUSLY interested in your exciting project Jackie.
Anne.