Well thought I would blog this morning as it is raining and the day I have decided to tackle the taxes again..yuck!! I have issues with getting motivated to sift through receipts, and filling in the books. But I am also heading in the "tax Go(R)d's" direction next Saturday so it is probably better to give them the books early this year instead of late....motivating motivating grrr!!!!
It was a good and lazy weekend this weekend. Lots of just doing nothing for a change. tooo cold outside really, and tooo much ice!! I want the kids to play outside, but don't want the bruise and wines that come with it when they forget they are running by three inches of slick shiny ice!!! Aspen ended up with a black eye after illegal use of the hammock........Mama had to run thru the rules again if they want to play!!!!
Earth Hour Saturday night ended up being...slept thru by me! LOL I was up at 8pm when the kidlets ran around trying to find lights to shut off..there was only two on and the TV. i remember them harping on Daddy to shut down his computer, and Daddy saying NO! I remember them saying they were going to play checkers...but thats it zzzzzzzzzzzz.........I was out like the lights!!!! When I did wake up, the kidlets were asleep, it was midnight and all you could hear was "ding" the now familiar poker bell of the computer. When I asked my love if he shut down for the kids....he said "no??!!! it takes a half an hour for the damn computer to turn back on, WE conserve every day not just one hour, AND I figure since we lived for four and a half months without any hydro at all....I can skip this dumb ass commercial hour the yuppy's are celebrating" hmmm....I am guessing he didn't get the "message" But really I have to wonder if many people do? I heard of many poeple that shut things down for the night, right after dinner, which is great I think. but is it going to make a difference today or tomorrow?
i would like to think that it will, that people took the hour to think about how much energy they use, the coveniences they run in their households daily that have become necessities in life. We conserve cause we are cheapskates, and do not want to give any more money to the power company, but mainly because we want to teach our kids....happiness doesn't always come plugged in!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
The day the Moo Moo went Mad!!
ok so yesterday was a beautiful morning to wake up, sun shining and temps of minus five!!! A sure sign of spring...a great day for the first Day of the Moo Moo 2008!!! I love my Moo Moo, bright flowers and the ultimate comfort zone. In the summer it is the first thing I put on, and sometimes depending on the day...I might even stay in it all damn day! (Needless to say the nieghbour smiles and waves at seven am when I am out feeding the chickens in my Moo Moo and rubber boots!!)
But it was also the day the Moo Moo went Mad! It was four thirty, kidlets watching the TV, and I was lounging. Phone rings and it is one of our new small friends calling to come and play. Of course I said come on down. After the Egg Hunt last weekend we have found three of them that migrate down now. First it is Tara, and then shortly after Aiden and Brady bike into the driveway. This is not a problem for us, we love kids, love that Aspen and Ryki can make local friends, and I love watching them run around the yard playing. But then of course Tara will start...."can Aspen come down to our place and play?" hmmmm...nope! Tara's "place" is our neighbour's...her Uncle where she gets dropped off when her Mom is driving cab. Her Uncle, someone we hang with and consider a friend.....admits to me everytime I see him "I am not a role model for kids" and when there are kids there...chaos is what is permitted. So I have told Aspen and Ryki...no not without your parents. Next, they decide to stay and come inside. Minus the boys who opted to just play outside...they have now discovered the playland of the Shoeless Acres, including the "secret fort" in the pines, and the bike riding trails...aka skidoo trail. So there I was explaining to Tara...this is my house not "k's", so while I am cooking you pick a spot to play and carry on....no running, no up and down stairs, simple stuff right??? Nope, started with the stairs....6times in five minutes right past my stove and my pasta sauce. Strike One Next it was dropping stuff down the vent from Ryki's room to mine Strike Two Then I heard "bang Bang" when I asked? oh nothing...just playing when I investigated...they were in my room slamming the mirror doors open and shut...including slamming Aspen's finger. Strike Three....you are outta here!!! I 'calmly' with an 'angry voice' explained to my kids...you know better than that and thats not what we do in our house" and to Tara that she is welcome here anytime...but my house is not a circus room, so she needs follow the rules or else" so I asked Tara to leave as dinner was ready, Aspen was whimpering (which I shut down quick...play the game take the pain) and off she went. I hate being crusty to kids, but holy crap something tells me the Shoeless Acres is going to be a busy place this summer now that everyone knows what is down at the dead end so I needed to get the crusty out now and let them in on what's what.
But the smile at the end of this all??? When I went back to finish up dinner and hubby came in to comment on my lecture???
"do you think yelling at the kids wearing a Moo Moo is really effective????"
ahhhh.....its Friday!!!!!!
But it was also the day the Moo Moo went Mad! It was four thirty, kidlets watching the TV, and I was lounging. Phone rings and it is one of our new small friends calling to come and play. Of course I said come on down. After the Egg Hunt last weekend we have found three of them that migrate down now. First it is Tara, and then shortly after Aiden and Brady bike into the driveway. This is not a problem for us, we love kids, love that Aspen and Ryki can make local friends, and I love watching them run around the yard playing. But then of course Tara will start...."can Aspen come down to our place and play?" hmmmm...nope! Tara's "place" is our neighbour's...her Uncle where she gets dropped off when her Mom is driving cab. Her Uncle, someone we hang with and consider a friend.....admits to me everytime I see him "I am not a role model for kids" and when there are kids there...chaos is what is permitted. So I have told Aspen and Ryki...no not without your parents. Next, they decide to stay and come inside. Minus the boys who opted to just play outside...they have now discovered the playland of the Shoeless Acres, including the "secret fort" in the pines, and the bike riding trails...aka skidoo trail. So there I was explaining to Tara...this is my house not "k's", so while I am cooking you pick a spot to play and carry on....no running, no up and down stairs, simple stuff right??? Nope, started with the stairs....6times in five minutes right past my stove and my pasta sauce. Strike One Next it was dropping stuff down the vent from Ryki's room to mine Strike Two Then I heard "bang Bang" when I asked? oh nothing...just playing when I investigated...they were in my room slamming the mirror doors open and shut...including slamming Aspen's finger. Strike Three....you are outta here!!! I 'calmly' with an 'angry voice' explained to my kids...you know better than that and thats not what we do in our house" and to Tara that she is welcome here anytime...but my house is not a circus room, so she needs follow the rules or else" so I asked Tara to leave as dinner was ready, Aspen was whimpering (which I shut down quick...play the game take the pain) and off she went. I hate being crusty to kids, but holy crap something tells me the Shoeless Acres is going to be a busy place this summer now that everyone knows what is down at the dead end so I needed to get the crusty out now and let them in on what's what.
But the smile at the end of this all??? When I went back to finish up dinner and hubby came in to comment on my lecture???
"do you think yelling at the kids wearing a Moo Moo is really effective????"
ahhhh.....its Friday!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Double Dipping today LOL...a story about what funny things kids will say
Ok I know I already blogged this morning...but I do want to share a story that happened on March Break. The story of three Mommies. One mommy with three little ones in the back seat of her car, reading out an easter card received in the mail from two mommies in the making.
The day I found my fantastic Easter envelope in the mail from Virginia and my two mommies in the making ,we were on our way to town for some chores. The kids in the back excited to hear the rattles of chocolate, me excited that my friend Kim could be sooo thoughtful. I passed back the card to Alex(age8) to read out to his little sister and bro.
When he announced that the card was from "KIM"
Aspen replied with..."that's Mama's friend Kim she is trying to have a baby!"
Alex with a look of puzzled on his face asked "but it says here Kim and M??.....that is two girls"
Aspen "ya Alex so what so they are gay!"
Alex "well...ummm.....how do two girls have a baby then?"
Now picture Mama Loony with a puzzled look thinking to myself...hmmm???
So I told Alex that Kim and M would have to go to a special doctor to get his help to make a baby...to which he said
"don't you need a man and a woman to make a baby though"
now backtrack to the Saturday before where the kids spent the day watching Alex's movie from home Austin Powers....and I said
"remember when you asked what was the Mojo that was stolen?, well Kim and M have to find some Mojo and then the doctor will help them make a baby"
Alex "oh I get it now....I think???"
Ryki's turn to add to the conversation as he jumped in with...
"Alex it is like this......when you have two peaches in love, they still need to find a banana and coconuts to get the job done!"
this is why I almost peed my pants giggling on the way to town that one sunny day of March Break, and why you can never know what will come out of the mouths of babes!!! (btw...the peaches, banana and coconuts are how the kidlets talk 'politely' about the "private zones if you didn't get that already LOL)
The day I found my fantastic Easter envelope in the mail from Virginia and my two mommies in the making ,we were on our way to town for some chores. The kids in the back excited to hear the rattles of chocolate, me excited that my friend Kim could be sooo thoughtful. I passed back the card to Alex(age8) to read out to his little sister and bro.
When he announced that the card was from "KIM"
Aspen replied with..."that's Mama's friend Kim she is trying to have a baby!"
Alex with a look of puzzled on his face asked "but it says here Kim and M??.....that is two girls"
Aspen "ya Alex so what so they are gay!"
Alex "well...ummm.....how do two girls have a baby then?"
Now picture Mama Loony with a puzzled look thinking to myself...hmmm???
So I told Alex that Kim and M would have to go to a special doctor to get his help to make a baby...to which he said
"don't you need a man and a woman to make a baby though"
now backtrack to the Saturday before where the kids spent the day watching Alex's movie from home Austin Powers....and I said
"remember when you asked what was the Mojo that was stolen?, well Kim and M have to find some Mojo and then the doctor will help them make a baby"
Alex "oh I get it now....I think???"
Ryki's turn to add to the conversation as he jumped in with...
"Alex it is like this......when you have two peaches in love, they still need to find a banana and coconuts to get the job done!"
this is why I almost peed my pants giggling on the way to town that one sunny day of March Break, and why you can never know what will come out of the mouths of babes!!! (btw...the peaches, banana and coconuts are how the kidlets talk 'politely' about the "private zones if you didn't get that already LOL)
BLOG #50!!! I have posted here 50 times!!! WOW
Well another long weekend over, another year visited by the BUNNY and another year with way toooo much chocolate in the house!
Overall a fantastic weekend, besides the freezing morning we woke up to...minus twenty five???!!!! The kids were full of excitement all weekend busy planning the next 'mess to make' We baked more stained glass cookies in the shapes of eggs and bunnies (no pics the ears were bitten off right away!!!) We colored our eggs, and attended the local hunt at the community centre.
My parents arrived on Saturday just in time for dinner, roasted pork loin potatoes, and asparagus along with a bunny cake my mom brought along. A good visit with the folks, funny how gramma tends to go with the flow in our house and not be so...hmmmm anal mom like LOL maybe its cause she always stand by the phrase "if you are under my roof you are under my rules" But they still managed to take the kids to McBarf's for breaky Sunday morning. Something my kids have come to expect when gramma and grampa visit....a meal at McDonald's (the one with the playland) Of course hubby and I are always invited too...but yuck and barf...no offense to any McD fans out there....but I enjoyed my leftover roasted pork on toasted Rye with Mozza cheese much much more! About the only time we grace McD's doorstep here is on a four hour drive...and even then I am more likely to stop at a grocery store and make food on the road LOL. I will give some credit to the local place though...they had choc eggs hidden all over the restaurant for the kids there to hunt for...making it the second hunt for the kids @ 8am!!!
The third hunt of the day was 11:30 (conveniently for me after Cornation Street!) @ the community centre run by the town. They always put on a halloween night and Easter Hunt. This was the first year we attended, and it was nice but low key compared to the hunt we usually attend back home. The "easter Bunny" seemed to be more like the cruster bunny when Ryki ran up to say hello and beam at the basket full of chocolate she was holding. Her response? "hey kid you have to go find two plastic eggs before I give you chocolate...go find them but only two!" wtf?? "where's the happy easter little guy???? and what fun is it to find a field of eggs and be told only pick up two??!!! smarter back home where the kids can pick up as many plastic eggs as they can carry and trade them in for chocolate....I guess here you keep the plastic ...hence limit two! oh well... I am still happy knowing that the kids know...that is not the real easter bunny just one of his helpers cause he is sooo busy. I think it was Jake that asked me how I view the whole Santa thing and such. Well my theory is that my best memories of a child involve the fantasy world of Santa and the Easter Rabbit. We love to imagine, believe and fantasize about the fairies that live here around the Shoeless Acres, and hope to build a fairy garden this summer for them to play in. So for as long as my children choose to believe and fantasize...the better. Cause when reality sets in and real life hits...it can be a real bitch sometimes, so we will enjoy all the fun while it lasts!!!!
On the dog front, of course no matter what I do or how I try there is always something!!! Being Easter Weekend, I made sure to release the hounds early in the wee hours each morning, and kept them tied up during the day....cemetary next door and lots of visitors that tend to freak out when they see Nishka and her "vicious black and tan' plus she tend to bark alot (like the toy dog that raised her) So Saturday nite, it was 6:30, sun going down and temps at -15.....I let my old girl out for a run. I could hear her barking towards the only living neighbour's house we have close. Between us and them a small valley with the beaver pond and creek running through. I didn't even know the house was there till winter time because there are soo many trees. So I watch as Nishka suddenly runs down the hill to the open water. Knowing she doesn't do this EVER, I put on a jacket and boots and SLID all the way down to the creek....it is solid ice...I had to crawl hands and knees back up!!! So as I am peering through the bushes to see what is up? I find Nishka barking at a young girl (I am guessing maybe twelve) dressed in shoes and a jacket climbing down on her side standing right at the edge of the damn and the open water. Nishka of course being the NANNY barked until the girl back up...stuggling to crawl due to the ice. I apologized to the girl as I heard "gramma' shouting from the window..."get inside that dog will bite you!!!" Now I realize that she is a "big scary dog" but I also believe she might have just saved that family from a scary moment. Where the girl was on the edge is where the damn opens up. The current is very fast in that section of the creek, and by our estimates about four feet deep. Where were the stupervisors here??? sitting in their warm house celebrating while the girl was exploring????? she told me she just wanted to look cause it was so pretty. I warned her the ice is not safe, and deceiving with ledges over the open water. augh...still it will be my dog that gets the blame for barking....???!!!!
On a cemetary note....I am considering a little vandalism next door. What is up with people and graveyards??? I understand dropping the flowers, and trinkets to mark a grave. We go over in the spring to plant some seeds at the graves of the previous owners here as a thankyou for the Shoeless Acres. But noma moonrays????? do the dead really need nightlights?????? All I know is when I release the hounds at night it just drives them crazy....!!! They don't understand while suddenly there is lights on over there, like someone is there that shouldn't be or that wasn't there before. So I am now in a personal debate....do I go and unplug the annoying little bulbs inside and give the neighbour some peace from the barking???? I am not joking when I say there are six new lights beaming just after this weekend alone...I counted!
Overall a fantastic weekend, besides the freezing morning we woke up to...minus twenty five???!!!! The kids were full of excitement all weekend busy planning the next 'mess to make' We baked more stained glass cookies in the shapes of eggs and bunnies (no pics the ears were bitten off right away!!!) We colored our eggs, and attended the local hunt at the community centre.
My parents arrived on Saturday just in time for dinner, roasted pork loin potatoes, and asparagus along with a bunny cake my mom brought along. A good visit with the folks, funny how gramma tends to go with the flow in our house and not be so...hmmmm anal mom like LOL maybe its cause she always stand by the phrase "if you are under my roof you are under my rules" But they still managed to take the kids to McBarf's for breaky Sunday morning. Something my kids have come to expect when gramma and grampa visit....a meal at McDonald's (the one with the playland) Of course hubby and I are always invited too...but yuck and barf...no offense to any McD fans out there....but I enjoyed my leftover roasted pork on toasted Rye with Mozza cheese much much more! About the only time we grace McD's doorstep here is on a four hour drive...and even then I am more likely to stop at a grocery store and make food on the road LOL. I will give some credit to the local place though...they had choc eggs hidden all over the restaurant for the kids there to hunt for...making it the second hunt for the kids @ 8am!!!
The third hunt of the day was 11:30 (conveniently for me after Cornation Street!) @ the community centre run by the town. They always put on a halloween night and Easter Hunt. This was the first year we attended, and it was nice but low key compared to the hunt we usually attend back home. The "easter Bunny" seemed to be more like the cruster bunny when Ryki ran up to say hello and beam at the basket full of chocolate she was holding. Her response? "hey kid you have to go find two plastic eggs before I give you chocolate...go find them but only two!" wtf?? "where's the happy easter little guy???? and what fun is it to find a field of eggs and be told only pick up two??!!! smarter back home where the kids can pick up as many plastic eggs as they can carry and trade them in for chocolate....I guess here you keep the plastic ...hence limit two! oh well... I am still happy knowing that the kids know...that is not the real easter bunny just one of his helpers cause he is sooo busy. I think it was Jake that asked me how I view the whole Santa thing and such. Well my theory is that my best memories of a child involve the fantasy world of Santa and the Easter Rabbit. We love to imagine, believe and fantasize about the fairies that live here around the Shoeless Acres, and hope to build a fairy garden this summer for them to play in. So for as long as my children choose to believe and fantasize...the better. Cause when reality sets in and real life hits...it can be a real bitch sometimes, so we will enjoy all the fun while it lasts!!!!
On the dog front, of course no matter what I do or how I try there is always something!!! Being Easter Weekend, I made sure to release the hounds early in the wee hours each morning, and kept them tied up during the day....cemetary next door and lots of visitors that tend to freak out when they see Nishka and her "vicious black and tan' plus she tend to bark alot (like the toy dog that raised her) So Saturday nite, it was 6:30, sun going down and temps at -15.....I let my old girl out for a run. I could hear her barking towards the only living neighbour's house we have close. Between us and them a small valley with the beaver pond and creek running through. I didn't even know the house was there till winter time because there are soo many trees. So I watch as Nishka suddenly runs down the hill to the open water. Knowing she doesn't do this EVER, I put on a jacket and boots and SLID all the way down to the creek....it is solid ice...I had to crawl hands and knees back up!!! So as I am peering through the bushes to see what is up? I find Nishka barking at a young girl (I am guessing maybe twelve) dressed in shoes and a jacket climbing down on her side standing right at the edge of the damn and the open water. Nishka of course being the NANNY barked until the girl back up...stuggling to crawl due to the ice. I apologized to the girl as I heard "gramma' shouting from the window..."get inside that dog will bite you!!!" Now I realize that she is a "big scary dog" but I also believe she might have just saved that family from a scary moment. Where the girl was on the edge is where the damn opens up. The current is very fast in that section of the creek, and by our estimates about four feet deep. Where were the stupervisors here??? sitting in their warm house celebrating while the girl was exploring????? she told me she just wanted to look cause it was so pretty. I warned her the ice is not safe, and deceiving with ledges over the open water. augh...still it will be my dog that gets the blame for barking....???!!!!
On a cemetary note....I am considering a little vandalism next door. What is up with people and graveyards??? I understand dropping the flowers, and trinkets to mark a grave. We go over in the spring to plant some seeds at the graves of the previous owners here as a thankyou for the Shoeless Acres. But noma moonrays????? do the dead really need nightlights?????? All I know is when I release the hounds at night it just drives them crazy....!!! They don't understand while suddenly there is lights on over there, like someone is there that shouldn't be or that wasn't there before. So I am now in a personal debate....do I go and unplug the annoying little bulbs inside and give the neighbour some peace from the barking???? I am not joking when I say there are six new lights beaming just after this weekend alone...I counted!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The Babblings of a Mama on March Break
Well this morning I am a very thankful girl. Thankful once again to "ro" for giving me the gift of Flickr, but even more greatful to my stranger friend, and now American sister Kim!!! I was not surprised yesterday to find an envelope in the mailbox from virginia with the sounds of candy, because it just seemed like one of those sweet things that Kim would do, but shocked I was when I opened a small wrapped package to find...."Minding the body, mending the mind" a fav. book of mine that i had lost many moons ago. A book I am sure I have only mentioned online one time, and yet my dear friend Kim found it in a store, all the way down in Virgina, thought of this loony cannuck and sent it my way!!! The book itself, was something that helped me years ago to find a balance in my life that I had lost....and now a refreshing read again...reminding me to just breathe! Thank you Kim and M (again and again) your yellow has reached me, and I feel it in my heart! Now if only I could send the yellow gift of life to you....I would in a heartbeat, for now my positive thoughts and love are sent daily to Virginia.
But back to my weekend adventure back home. My fav place in the world, and the only place I stay when we travel back home...Uncle Fred's Farm. Technically of course, it is Ian's farm and huntcamp. Uncle Fred is the resident keeper of the farm, tracker of the wildlife, and hunter extordinaire (teaching all the city folk where to go) It is the place where my dogs are always welcome, my kids are spoiled, and free to run, play, and explore ... not to mention learn how to drive a bulldozer!!! My Uncle Fred...the perfect picture of a redneck. Red/grey curly hair, freckles, flannel checkered shirts, and camoflouge jacket, and three teeth...LOL. A carpenter by trade, he has become like a father to my husband, and a grandfather to my kids....needless to say we love our Uncle Fred.
The farm itself is now buried in snow, three feet deep in most places...or more, and of course as usual visiting in the winter you always get storm stayed...that was Saturday for me!!! It is amazing how you wake up to clear skies and sunshine, yet thirty minutes later...alll hell breaks loose and you can't see the driveway!!!! In the house there are treasures galore. I believe decorated years ago by Ian's wife, who has since passed away there are collections of Budha high on one shelf, and pickled bums on another.
And the best part....my sweet dog Liberty. My Daisy's gramma! Year's ago (four I think?) Fred's son Luke arrived home to the farm with two puppies in toe....Liberty and Chancey. Lib being black with white spots, and Chance being White with black spots. It didn't take long for the girls to become Fred's. But after a summer of camping on the farm....Liberty became my girl. "spoiled as Fred would say" Chancey sadly, met an unfortunate end after a run in with a truck. Being on a redneck farm, when it comes to the animals going to the vet is not an option, survive or don't that's it. But since there has been Sabbath come along Daisy's mom. Smaller than Liberty who at first was quite skinny, boney and small...but now is a machine, strong enough to knock over a large man LOL...which she has done leaning on them for some love. Fred has taught them both to hunt with him, amazing both the citiots and my hubby with their talents. The girls tend to eat more wild meat on the farm I think than dog food!!! Which I discovered coming home to the farm friday afternoon. "whats that on the road?" I thought "Good grief I hope it is not Daisy!!! has she been hit??" as I came closer to the furry mess at the end of the drive I realized...no it is not my Daisy...it is the remnents of a deer!!! A small one at that, but soon there was Sabbath running out to the road to protect her catch!!! Yes there girls had taken down a fawn!!!! (yuck!) Spending their day on the road munching on their prize!!! Boy were they pissed and confused the next day as the huge grader came down the country road to clear the snow...taking with its blade most of their score!!!
The menonites back home seem to be taking over as well to the dismay of some locals, including my mom! A whole community had moved to Grey County years back after their homes were being surrounded by the urban sprawal of the Kitchener and Guelph, where new bylaws were announced reducing what they could do with their land. Funny how when they first came they were welcomed by most of the community, yet now...complaints are brewing. It would seem the community has recently OK'd the use of skidsteers...which now many of the farms have towing thier haywagons, and using to travel to town to get groceries. It is funny to see actually a horse and buggy going down the road loaded with a brand new washing machine...which like their cell phones may enter the property but not the house, they have mailboxes, and cellphone boxes outside their homes! My mom complained to me, how the kids will use the horse and buggies to ski up and down the road, using the banks as their hills....not safe for the people driving....my question would be perhaps how fast were those people driving??? cause i know that speed limits and stop signs are not always adhered to back home!!! My theory on the matter....... I have always said were it not for the religion factor...I would love to go the way of the mennonites. But also, I welcome more menonites to the area!!! The more farms they gobble up, the less space there will be for citiots to invade the beautiful countryside with their yuppy homes and subdivisions. And really what could be better for the farm land??? Some rich folk from the city who buy the 100's acres farm only to do nothing with it??letting the wild seed blow all over, causing the real farmers to spray their fields for control? or menonites who actually work the lands and respect the county around them? So ya, I am pro menonite!
Oh well back to reality on the acres...kidlets are outside playing in the snow, and as usual...I have some dishes to do!!!!!!
But back to my weekend adventure back home. My fav place in the world, and the only place I stay when we travel back home...Uncle Fred's Farm. Technically of course, it is Ian's farm and huntcamp. Uncle Fred is the resident keeper of the farm, tracker of the wildlife, and hunter extordinaire (teaching all the city folk where to go) It is the place where my dogs are always welcome, my kids are spoiled, and free to run, play, and explore ... not to mention learn how to drive a bulldozer!!! My Uncle Fred...the perfect picture of a redneck. Red/grey curly hair, freckles, flannel checkered shirts, and camoflouge jacket, and three teeth...LOL. A carpenter by trade, he has become like a father to my husband, and a grandfather to my kids....needless to say we love our Uncle Fred.
The farm itself is now buried in snow, three feet deep in most places...or more, and of course as usual visiting in the winter you always get storm stayed...that was Saturday for me!!! It is amazing how you wake up to clear skies and sunshine, yet thirty minutes later...alll hell breaks loose and you can't see the driveway!!!! In the house there are treasures galore. I believe decorated years ago by Ian's wife, who has since passed away there are collections of Budha high on one shelf, and pickled bums on another.
And the best part....my sweet dog Liberty. My Daisy's gramma! Year's ago (four I think?) Fred's son Luke arrived home to the farm with two puppies in toe....Liberty and Chancey. Lib being black with white spots, and Chance being White with black spots. It didn't take long for the girls to become Fred's. But after a summer of camping on the farm....Liberty became my girl. "spoiled as Fred would say" Chancey sadly, met an unfortunate end after a run in with a truck. Being on a redneck farm, when it comes to the animals going to the vet is not an option, survive or don't that's it. But since there has been Sabbath come along Daisy's mom. Smaller than Liberty who at first was quite skinny, boney and small...but now is a machine, strong enough to knock over a large man LOL...which she has done leaning on them for some love. Fred has taught them both to hunt with him, amazing both the citiots and my hubby with their talents. The girls tend to eat more wild meat on the farm I think than dog food!!! Which I discovered coming home to the farm friday afternoon. "whats that on the road?" I thought "Good grief I hope it is not Daisy!!! has she been hit??" as I came closer to the furry mess at the end of the drive I realized...no it is not my Daisy...it is the remnents of a deer!!! A small one at that, but soon there was Sabbath running out to the road to protect her catch!!! Yes there girls had taken down a fawn!!!! (yuck!) Spending their day on the road munching on their prize!!! Boy were they pissed and confused the next day as the huge grader came down the country road to clear the snow...taking with its blade most of their score!!!
The menonites back home seem to be taking over as well to the dismay of some locals, including my mom! A whole community had moved to Grey County years back after their homes were being surrounded by the urban sprawal of the Kitchener and Guelph, where new bylaws were announced reducing what they could do with their land. Funny how when they first came they were welcomed by most of the community, yet now...complaints are brewing. It would seem the community has recently OK'd the use of skidsteers...which now many of the farms have towing thier haywagons, and using to travel to town to get groceries. It is funny to see actually a horse and buggy going down the road loaded with a brand new washing machine...which like their cell phones may enter the property but not the house, they have mailboxes, and cellphone boxes outside their homes! My mom complained to me, how the kids will use the horse and buggies to ski up and down the road, using the banks as their hills....not safe for the people driving....my question would be perhaps how fast were those people driving??? cause i know that speed limits and stop signs are not always adhered to back home!!! My theory on the matter....... I have always said were it not for the religion factor...I would love to go the way of the mennonites. But also, I welcome more menonites to the area!!! The more farms they gobble up, the less space there will be for citiots to invade the beautiful countryside with their yuppy homes and subdivisions. And really what could be better for the farm land??? Some rich folk from the city who buy the 100's acres farm only to do nothing with it??letting the wild seed blow all over, causing the real farmers to spray their fields for control? or menonites who actually work the lands and respect the county around them? So ya, I am pro menonite!
Oh well back to reality on the acres...kidlets are outside playing in the snow, and as usual...I have some dishes to do!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Our Trip Home
Well after four sleeps we are home on the Shoeless Acres once again, following a weekend trip back home to Grey County. I refer to it as Grey County because the whole county is really home, not just the small town of Dundalk I grew up in.
Me, the kids, and Daisy left Thursday at lunchtime luckily having clear roads and sunshine the whole four hour drive. Overall a fantastic weekend, with the usually bumps along the way of course, but sooo many things to "chat/babble" about in my loony way....get ready it should be a busy week on my blogLOL.
So lets start with....the breaking news! We arrived home to find the local paper in the mailbox and my little Ryki made the front page with his new pole and trophy from the fishing derby!!! Talk about putting a smile on his face!!! You would think he hit it rich!!! that is until he realized that page ten also had a group photo including him, along with a photo of the prize winning pike....including Aspen gasping at its size!!! They both made the same paper!!!! As well....we heard news from the neighbour about a new addition to the street...MOFO has a new 6wk alaskan malmute husky to call a roommate!!!
Onto the disappointments of our trip..get them overwith! Sadly there were no ski passes available to us (YET!!) and hubby ended up working all weekend, including Saturday during the snow storm.
Also one of the biggest...I never made it over to hang with my new friend Bev on her farm!!! I don't know what it is about going home and not making it to do the things I want to do????!!! Wait yes I do...I am MOM and I get suckered every trip into doing what the kids want first (ie/ visiting all the cousins and staying for more than the planned hour!!) So first on my list for the next trip (ie/ when I make the guy give up some passes in the next couple of weeks) will be a trip to Bev's. We were going to try to go for coffee on our way out of town (hubby is anxious to see Bev's glass shop!) but seeing as there were me, hubby, three kids and a dog packed into the Hyundai like sardines...I was afraid to open the doors once we got in!!!
And why were we packed in like sardines? and not have the convenience of a second vehicle??? Because twenty minutes into hubby's journey Thursday night (with Nishka) his truck broke down on the highway! Luckily a friend driving by stopped and picked my dog and hubby up, and our neighbour agreed to drive them down south (also working for the weekend for us) but to add to the maddness, when "k" had to leave Sunday at lunchtime, they took Nishka to work with them as I had no room and he was taking her home......"k"'s truck broke down on the way home leaving him and Nishka waiting in a Cdn. Tire waiting room for two hours for the truck to be fixed!!! LOL On the good news both trucks are now repaired and it didn't break our banks!
So onto some fun stuff! My nieces!!! Illonna and Adannia!!! I had the pleasure of visiting them Thursday afternoon and Friday too!!! Too cute for words when you walk into my sisters salon and find Lonny playing in the back room in her cardboard box..."its a castle!!" and little Danny playing at the manecure table organizing the polish! They go to work with Mommy every day, and let me tell you how ticked her clients can be if they arrive to their appointments and find out the the girls are NOT there!! My sister had the pleasure of torturing me in the waxing chair with all the kids standing around laughing..."look she is gong to cry again!" while Adannia stood beside me holding my hand and stroking me face "you will be ok" she told me! I swearr for anyone feeling down, this little beauty at the age of almost two is constantly babbling and singing away! A hour recording of her could cheer up anyone! I almost peed my pants more than once just listening to her all day...she never shuts up!!!!!
My kids had the pleasure of sleeping over at my other sister's house, and now the temp. residence of my parents Thurs, and Fri. Lots of fun for Nadine as she doesn't see them often, and for my parents as well...a couple of daze with the grandkids. Ryki skunked gramma at the full size shuffleboard table Nadine has in her dining room...amazing all with his talent on the board LOL. But to be honest by Saturday I wanted my kids back..I am MOM and really I was bored, almost lost without them LOL I called every two hours to chat with them, and come Saturday when the snow storm hit....I called and requested my parents bring the kids to me!!! Being from the sunny north I am not used to the hazardous winter driving conditions down south anymore!!!LOL Not to mention after a full day of hanging with my mom....I didn't want to get stuck there!!! Love the woman...she is MOM, but damn we are different in a lot of ways, and one afternoon is about all I could take. Little things that get my goat!!! ie/ the word "please?!" why are people so anal about kids saying please all the time?? does it really make them better people? do they mean it when they are ordered to do it??? I consider my kids to be very polite, they almost always say please when asking for something, and respond with thankyou when given something.....so why is it necessary when gramma is doling out supper that they must say please for the 1. potatoes 2. broccoli 3. meat 4. pickles and 5 . gravy Its only ONE freak'n plate food do you have to say PLEASE five times for it?????????????????????? but i chewed on my tongue, said nothing and waiting for the time to leave LOL all the while thinking hmmm?????? oh well the joys of family, the bonus of living here in the north, visits back home are few and far between so exposure is minimal LOL
ok, so there is a start of our trip home...still waiting on this slow ass damn computer to load pics...good grief it takes forever, and so far i have only loaded to flickr!!!! still to come....Daisy's reunion with her gramma and mom....along with some wildlife story of my girls on the farm.....the farm!!! I love the farm/hunt camp and I have missed my Uncle Fred. The freak'n snow!!!! They have much more than us!!! some local ramblings of Grey County and other little tidbits of our visit
Me, the kids, and Daisy left Thursday at lunchtime luckily having clear roads and sunshine the whole four hour drive. Overall a fantastic weekend, with the usually bumps along the way of course, but sooo many things to "chat/babble" about in my loony way....get ready it should be a busy week on my blogLOL.
So lets start with....the breaking news! We arrived home to find the local paper in the mailbox and my little Ryki made the front page with his new pole and trophy from the fishing derby!!! Talk about putting a smile on his face!!! You would think he hit it rich!!! that is until he realized that page ten also had a group photo including him, along with a photo of the prize winning pike....including Aspen gasping at its size!!! They both made the same paper!!!! As well....we heard news from the neighbour about a new addition to the street...MOFO has a new 6wk alaskan malmute husky to call a roommate!!!
Onto the disappointments of our trip..get them overwith! Sadly there were no ski passes available to us (YET!!) and hubby ended up working all weekend, including Saturday during the snow storm.
Also one of the biggest...I never made it over to hang with my new friend Bev on her farm!!! I don't know what it is about going home and not making it to do the things I want to do????!!! Wait yes I do...I am MOM and I get suckered every trip into doing what the kids want first (ie/ visiting all the cousins and staying for more than the planned hour!!) So first on my list for the next trip (ie/ when I make the guy give up some passes in the next couple of weeks) will be a trip to Bev's. We were going to try to go for coffee on our way out of town (hubby is anxious to see Bev's glass shop!) but seeing as there were me, hubby, three kids and a dog packed into the Hyundai like sardines...I was afraid to open the doors once we got in!!!
And why were we packed in like sardines? and not have the convenience of a second vehicle??? Because twenty minutes into hubby's journey Thursday night (with Nishka) his truck broke down on the highway! Luckily a friend driving by stopped and picked my dog and hubby up, and our neighbour agreed to drive them down south (also working for the weekend for us) but to add to the maddness, when "k" had to leave Sunday at lunchtime, they took Nishka to work with them as I had no room and he was taking her home......"k"'s truck broke down on the way home leaving him and Nishka waiting in a Cdn. Tire waiting room for two hours for the truck to be fixed!!! LOL On the good news both trucks are now repaired and it didn't break our banks!
So onto some fun stuff! My nieces!!! Illonna and Adannia!!! I had the pleasure of visiting them Thursday afternoon and Friday too!!! Too cute for words when you walk into my sisters salon and find Lonny playing in the back room in her cardboard box..."its a castle!!" and little Danny playing at the manecure table organizing the polish! They go to work with Mommy every day, and let me tell you how ticked her clients can be if they arrive to their appointments and find out the the girls are NOT there!! My sister had the pleasure of torturing me in the waxing chair with all the kids standing around laughing..."look she is gong to cry again!" while Adannia stood beside me holding my hand and stroking me face "you will be ok" she told me! I swearr for anyone feeling down, this little beauty at the age of almost two is constantly babbling and singing away! A hour recording of her could cheer up anyone! I almost peed my pants more than once just listening to her all day...she never shuts up!!!!!
My kids had the pleasure of sleeping over at my other sister's house, and now the temp. residence of my parents Thurs, and Fri. Lots of fun for Nadine as she doesn't see them often, and for my parents as well...a couple of daze with the grandkids. Ryki skunked gramma at the full size shuffleboard table Nadine has in her dining room...amazing all with his talent on the board LOL. But to be honest by Saturday I wanted my kids back..I am MOM and really I was bored, almost lost without them LOL I called every two hours to chat with them, and come Saturday when the snow storm hit....I called and requested my parents bring the kids to me!!! Being from the sunny north I am not used to the hazardous winter driving conditions down south anymore!!!LOL Not to mention after a full day of hanging with my mom....I didn't want to get stuck there!!! Love the woman...she is MOM, but damn we are different in a lot of ways, and one afternoon is about all I could take. Little things that get my goat!!! ie/ the word "please?!" why are people so anal about kids saying please all the time?? does it really make them better people? do they mean it when they are ordered to do it??? I consider my kids to be very polite, they almost always say please when asking for something, and respond with thankyou when given something.....so why is it necessary when gramma is doling out supper that they must say please for the 1. potatoes 2. broccoli 3. meat 4. pickles and 5 . gravy Its only ONE freak'n plate food do you have to say PLEASE five times for it?????????????????????? but i chewed on my tongue, said nothing and waiting for the time to leave LOL all the while thinking hmmm?????? oh well the joys of family, the bonus of living here in the north, visits back home are few and far between so exposure is minimal LOL
ok, so there is a start of our trip home...still waiting on this slow ass damn computer to load pics...good grief it takes forever, and so far i have only loaded to flickr!!!! still to come....Daisy's reunion with her gramma and mom....along with some wildlife story of my girls on the farm.....the farm!!! I love the farm/hunt camp and I have missed my Uncle Fred. The freak'n snow!!!! They have much more than us!!! some local ramblings of Grey County and other little tidbits of our visit
Monday, March 3, 2008
The sleep coutdown is on!
We recieved confirmation this morning via the email that Friday is my beach boy's last day of school before the March Break!!!! Alex will be home for the whole week...YIPPEE!!!! I can't wait, and neither can his little brother and sister!!! They have already marked the countdown on their calendar's...which fingers crossed they won't be too upset if we have to add a day or so. We are making a trip south this weekend for a job anyways, but I think we will wait to pick the beach boy up till Sunday as we are staying at my Uncles farm, and sometimes my patience runs a little thin with Alex there...he is a city boy at heart and gets bored easily LOL.
On the wildlife front here on the acres.... I am ready for spring and the time when the felines in the house move back outside!!!! They are driving me and my sense of smell crazy!!!!! We made another attempt this weekend ice fishing with NO success!!! grrr!!! but we are still determined, and maybe going to try some eveing fishing this week. I need to go out to the shack ASAP too ...I think I forgot my sunglasses there (damn it!!) but as weather would go, it poured rain last night melting my fresh white powder, and the snow on the road...leaving my skidoo stranded here once more. The melting snow is also revealing the distaster zone on the yard...sooo many bones every where, my prize winning fish and something I am suspecting might have once been a cat???? The dogs were able to meet a new friend yesterday to as Mofo has company for the week, a female who looks much like my Nishka but with a tail. Daisy did not seem to impressed with her Mofo bringing around another bitch! but behaved and was a fairly good hostess to their new friend Lexie. Now lets just hope the rest of the week goes smoothly!!!!
On the confession front...a story about a little girl and her tail, and the tricks this Mom has played. On of my greatest joys of being Mom is the things you can feed a smile child's mind, giving a little giggle to you day, and enjoying the fantasy world of a toddler. When Aspen was young, she amazed me from the start, she spoke right away, and was a constant bundle of smiles and curiousity. I am not sure how or when it happenned exactly that I 'gave her a tail" but from an early age she would proudly show off her back to all that would listen bragging of her beautiful tail. I even had our family doctor join in the fun at a check up when Aspen asked "how's my tail look???" and with a big wink and a nod from me she replied "it is the best looking tail I have seen" Over the years, Aspen's tail became a memory, not often spoken of...I thought forgotten. That was until we bought our Shoeless Acres here, and this Mom was busted! Dennis had hung a large mirror from his collection and we were playing with reflections, using a smaller mirror to see. Aspen suddenly pulled up her shirt reaching behind her back trying to see. "what are you looking for Aspen" I asked....'well my tail Mom! I am a big girl now and can see my back now, but not my tail!" I really had to hold in the laughter at this point trying to decide how far can this trick really go, she was five now! So I tried first..the cover up and explained "when you get older, you lose your tail" Not good enough for Aspen as she touched her back "but I would have found it in my bed, and I don't see where it was..there should be a mark' So the game was up...it was time for me to confess, and i told my girl that her tail was actually a bit of a trick that I played on her, a little Mom joke that I had pulled. I will never forget her face in that moment, her eyebrows crunched together and her face going red....she stormed right up to me and yelled "but that means YOU LIED!!! and the rule in our house is that you SHOULD NEVER LIE!!!!!!!!! " and with that she stormed off with tears in her eyes to her dad crying and explaining "that she really just wanted a tail!!!" Mom learned a lesson that day that even the funny little lies and tricks you can play will one day (maybe even years later) come back to bite you in the ass!!! Aspen has forgiven me for tricking her, and breaking the family rule, but I think deep down inside.....we both miss that tail!
On the wildlife front here on the acres.... I am ready for spring and the time when the felines in the house move back outside!!!! They are driving me and my sense of smell crazy!!!!! We made another attempt this weekend ice fishing with NO success!!! grrr!!! but we are still determined, and maybe going to try some eveing fishing this week. I need to go out to the shack ASAP too ...I think I forgot my sunglasses there (damn it!!) but as weather would go, it poured rain last night melting my fresh white powder, and the snow on the road...leaving my skidoo stranded here once more. The melting snow is also revealing the distaster zone on the yard...sooo many bones every where, my prize winning fish and something I am suspecting might have once been a cat???? The dogs were able to meet a new friend yesterday to as Mofo has company for the week, a female who looks much like my Nishka but with a tail. Daisy did not seem to impressed with her Mofo bringing around another bitch! but behaved and was a fairly good hostess to their new friend Lexie. Now lets just hope the rest of the week goes smoothly!!!!
On the confession front...a story about a little girl and her tail, and the tricks this Mom has played. On of my greatest joys of being Mom is the things you can feed a smile child's mind, giving a little giggle to you day, and enjoying the fantasy world of a toddler. When Aspen was young, she amazed me from the start, she spoke right away, and was a constant bundle of smiles and curiousity. I am not sure how or when it happenned exactly that I 'gave her a tail" but from an early age she would proudly show off her back to all that would listen bragging of her beautiful tail. I even had our family doctor join in the fun at a check up when Aspen asked "how's my tail look???" and with a big wink and a nod from me she replied "it is the best looking tail I have seen" Over the years, Aspen's tail became a memory, not often spoken of...I thought forgotten. That was until we bought our Shoeless Acres here, and this Mom was busted! Dennis had hung a large mirror from his collection and we were playing with reflections, using a smaller mirror to see. Aspen suddenly pulled up her shirt reaching behind her back trying to see. "what are you looking for Aspen" I asked....'well my tail Mom! I am a big girl now and can see my back now, but not my tail!" I really had to hold in the laughter at this point trying to decide how far can this trick really go, she was five now! So I tried first..the cover up and explained "when you get older, you lose your tail" Not good enough for Aspen as she touched her back "but I would have found it in my bed, and I don't see where it was..there should be a mark' So the game was up...it was time for me to confess, and i told my girl that her tail was actually a bit of a trick that I played on her, a little Mom joke that I had pulled. I will never forget her face in that moment, her eyebrows crunched together and her face going red....she stormed right up to me and yelled "but that means YOU LIED!!! and the rule in our house is that you SHOULD NEVER LIE!!!!!!!!! " and with that she stormed off with tears in her eyes to her dad crying and explaining "that she really just wanted a tail!!!" Mom learned a lesson that day that even the funny little lies and tricks you can play will one day (maybe even years later) come back to bite you in the ass!!! Aspen has forgiven me for tricking her, and breaking the family rule, but I think deep down inside.....we both miss that tail!
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