2018-04-11 02:41
Pithy HumorToad finally was able to sleep after going to bed at 2am. I had read a few more chapters of the Maud Lewis book aloud to him and then we talked for a while until he felt sleepy. I… Read More
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2018-04-10 02:24
Today was cold but sunny. Everyone I hear from complains about the cold but I prefer it to high heat and humidity, just as long as the sun is shining. The sunshine lifts my spirits. And the… Read More
2018-04-09 02:14
"Life's a shit sandwich, and I just took a big bite." I learned this saying forty-five years ago and have felt the sentiment several times since then. Today I took two big bites. My nerves a… Read More
2018-04-08 04:23
...Falling, Falling, Falling, Falling, Falling, Falling, Falling, Falling, Falling from the sky...Snow fallingSome of our lovely snow-flocked evergreensCouldn't sleep last night, was up unti… Read More
2018-04-07 06:35
The highlight of my day was the Skype visit I had with my daughter and grandsons during the mid-afternoon. Until then I had been feeling so low that I couldn't do anything but doze. D decide… Read More
2018-04-05 06:08
And I look back a lot. Snow and freezing rain today kept me from driving to my appointment at the pain clinic this morning. Not a good day to be on the roads. I tried to get psyched to do so… Read More
2018-04-02 03:50
My day in a nutshell, as of 8pm: ShittySlept poorly. Bad dreams. Sinus headache. Beautiful day. Drove, with Toad in tow, to pick up a prescription and buy some groceries. Bought… Read More
2018-04-02 03:49
Que pouvons-nous espérer ? I hope so. No fooling.When my children were at home I used to celebrate this holiday with Easter baskets full sweets, including Cadbury creme eg… Read More
2018-03-31 05:50
I identify as a misfit.Brrr! It was cold when I woke this morning shortly after 9am. The woodstove was cold and difficult to light. I tried on and off many times throughout the morning to ge… Read More
2018-03-30 01:54
Not a cloud in the sky!What a joy it has been today to have sunshine and temperatures warm enough for me to be outside and comfortable in a t-shirt and sandals! We had a high of +7C (44F) th… Read More
2018-03-29 01:47
Stoat aka Ermine (source) Our ermine's coat (or stoat's coat) is changing from winter to summer. Here's an interesting fact about the word 'ermine': Ce mot est d'origine français… Read More
2018-03-28 04:22
Surprise!There were three main highlights to my day, in addition to the weather being sunny and warmer, even though my afternoon was not so great. I spent a long time this afternoon at Toad'… Read More
2018-03-26 23:16
That is the question. While I very much enjoy chronicling my thoughts and activities daily with the tools provided by Blogger, I worry about oversharing publicly, should anyone I know… Read More
2018-03-26 17:04
After being up until 4am this morning instead of going to bed early last night as I had planned, I slept until 12:26pm, with one break of about half an hour at 8:26am when a noise woke me. I… Read More
2018-03-25 01:05
My typical view when GC is permitted to "hold Nana" during our Skype visit; he sets the cell phone on the floor near him and either plays with a toy or monkeys with the cell phone, which is… Read More
2018-03-24 03:30
Toad having lunch at the casino March 20thOur chickens having lunch on the back porch March 21stThe start of the latest spring snowstorm on March 22nd One week ago today, at 7:30pm EST… Read More
2018-03-15 01:59
Large snowflakes falling mid-morning (and throughout the day) filling in the plowed areas.The nor'easter forecast for our area arrived during the night and continues as I write this at 1:30p… Read More
2018-03-14 16:27
Woke up with this horrible headache (mal de tête) even worse than it was last night. I believe that it is a combination of sinus pressure and tension/stress. Had two Tylenol first thin… Read More
2018-03-13 15:44
It is 12:11pm and so far today, after getting up at 10:00am, I have only had enough energy to feed the cats, try twice in vain to get the woodstove going, check my email, do today's jigsaw p… Read More
2018-03-12 02:57
We had more snow during the night and it is still snowing lightly.Clearing the snow again today, in advance of a big snowstorm on the way Tues-Wed.He's warm in the cab.He is quite proficient… Read More
2018-03-11 10:18
After last night's snow, before the clearing began this morning.Snow-blow-pro at work. Note how deep the snow is!Well, it snowed a lot overnight. Our snow-blow-pro came back this morning and… Read More
2018-03-11 05:40
Glorious fire in our woodstove during the power outageThis morning I resolved to get at least one thing accomplished in the house and one thing accomplished on my list of things that require… Read More
2018-03-09 03:59
Snowstorm beginning, March 8, 2018 AMLa neige tombe/Snow is fallingThe snowstorm is upon us--blizzard conditions. A good day to stay indoors. I've struggled with getting the woodstove going… Read More
2018-03-08 03:21
There's a big snowstorm headed our way, supposed to hit tomorrow. I worry about the lack of firewood in the house. Toad refuses to fetch any and when I mention it, says "Will you leave me al… Read More
2018-03-07 07:44
Yes, another dreary winter day here. Not much going on. Routine household and pet care chores mainly. The only extra thing I accomplished today was doing two loads of laundry. My dryer is no… Read More
2018-03-07 06:17
My headache has diminished somewhat this morning, as has my neck ache, but my gut hurts and my mid-to-lower back is extremely painful. I can barely bend, and not without groaning in pain, bu… Read More
2018-03-05 04:51
Another dreary, raw day outside, though I doubt that it would have made much difference in the scheme of things had it been sunny. I had hoped that I would feel much better today, but instea… Read More
2018-03-04 04:04
Horrendous tension & neck headache today--so much pressure it feels as if the top of my head is trying to blow apart, and my neck aches so badly that I could cry. I actually am weeping a… Read More
2018-03-03 04:08
Toad moving the wheelbarrow through the snow before the snow blower arrives.A wintery sceneIt snowed last night, enough that our snow-blow-pro came around this morning to clear our drive an… Read More
2018-03-02 23:55
Today I finally had enough energy and focus to make significant progress in the kitchen, filling a recycle bag with rinsed containers, finding homes for a few of the items cluttering the tab… Read More
2018-03-02 05:49
Doop, doop, doop, looking out my back doorIt's snowing and blowing outside. March is coming in like a lion, so is supposed to go out like a lamb. It's been a helluva day so far and it's only… Read More
2018-02-28 05:08
Whew! It is 7:00pm--where has the day gone? It's not been a very productive day but we're both still alive, as are all of our creatures, so that's something. Toad is in bed, as usual.I was u… Read More
2018-02-27 05:19
Happy Toad after I got the fire goingSlept until 10:49am, longer than I thought I would, but not a restful sleep. The fire went out during the night and it was cold, yet I was unable to rall… Read More
2018-02-26 03:40
Woke up weary. Laissez-moi expliquer le problème.The weather is a raw cold that makes me long for a warm home, but the house is cold. I am cold. The stove had gone out sometime a… Read More
2018-02-25 04:16
Mom and 6-month-old me (July 1953)Mom (right) and me wearing identical blouses (May 1993)Headache all night and all day today so far. It's 4:11pm.The stove went out sometime after I hit the… Read More
2018-02-24 01:57
Was up until 3:15am this morning tending the woodstove and monkeying online. Slept until nearly 11am holding Tommy. Poor Tommy is feeling poorly and not eating much; he just wants me to hold… Read More
2018-02-23 06:22
When I saw this meme yesterday it triggered a good memory.Thirty-two-and-a-half years ago I craved the sweet scent of these leaves when I was pregnant with my son and actually had my then-hu… Read More
2018-02-23 05:02
"The armed school resource officer assigned to protect students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School took a defensive position outside the school and did not enter the bu… Read More
2018-02-23 04:27
My fire this morning; the photo doesn't do its beauty justiceThis is what my fire really looks like!Up at 8am, hearing Toad fumbling around trying to start the stove and unable to get the fi… Read More
2018-02-22 16:05
Some Blue Sky Can Be Seen Despite The CloudsBeatrice and Birdie with a bunVern on ice, asking himself if it is worth it to walk onwardTogether again at Bunfest while their meal is cookingUp… Read More
2018-02-21 02:58
Our Sociable ChickensThis morning I drove Toad to his follow-up appointment with our family doctor. He finished his course of antibiotics and needed to be checked to see if he still had shor… Read More
2018-02-21 00:56
View from my back doorSunshine on snowToday is the newest statutory holiday in New Brunswick. It is called Family Day, meant to give working folks and children a day to spend with their fami… Read More
2018-02-19 05:43
Light snow, dreary skies and viewIt's not that I get nothing done. No, I do get some things done each day. It's just that there is so much to do that what I get done is just a drop or two in… Read More
2018-02-18 05:19
Up until 4am tending the fire, watching a long video on YouTube, reading the newspaper, holding Tommy, reading a new library book, eating, feeding the cats, thinking. And then sleep. Weird d… Read More
2018-02-17 04:22
After being up until dawn tending the fire, I was able to sleep for about 5 hours this morning before getting up for the day. When I woke I saw the sunshine and felt positive about the day… Read More
2018-02-16 05:14
Today is my son's thirty-second birthday. He was born six weeks premature, and so was rushed off by his pediatrician to be assessed. He was small, but at 5 pounds 2 ounces he was not as smal… Read More
2018-02-15 04:01
And so it goes. A good, or even fair, day is followed by at least one miserable day. Yesterday I was up, today I am down. Slept poorly, cold, tossed and turned. The fire went out, figurative… Read More
2018-02-14 03:09
Sing it, Ella!The clear blue sky was beautiful today, the sunshine so uplifting. It was cold, though, and the wind went right through me. Currently it is -13C (9F) with windchill of -17C (… Read More
2018-02-13 03:24
Sunshine and blue, partly cloudy skies todayI kept the woodstove going all night to let Toad rest and, although I dozed for a bit, at 6:45am I finished the murder mystery I've been reading:… Read More
2018-02-12 04:36
We had quite a bit of snow fall yesterday and through the night. Our snow blow pro was here around 9 am to clear the drive and paths in the backyard to the chicken coop and the woodshed. I h… Read More
2018-02-11 00:34
Keeping the home fires burning this eveningEven though one good day deserves another it doesn't often happen. Yesterday was a welcome reprieve from the funk I've been in. It was the sunshine… Read More
2018-02-10 04:34
The sun shone all day today! What a mood lifter! I was up earlier than usual, which felt good, and had a bit of energy. Perhaps the B12 is helping, along with the sunshine. In addition to co… Read More
2018-02-09 03:37
Toad's laptop was simply unplugged. Sad, isn't it?! Even sadder is the fact that when I told him to plug it in he did not know how and sat there holding the plug in his hand. Helpless. He go… Read More
2018-02-08 05:33
Yesterday was definitely non-routine. I had an appointment with my doctor at the pain clinic, and was scheduled for two steroid injections into my sacroiliac joints. The weather cooperated t… Read More
2018-02-08 01:38
I love Absolut Vodka even more after seeing this delightful ad! Kudos to the employees so committed to their product that they showed the world they have nothing to hide. Beauti… Read More
2018-02-06 03:49
Birdcages, turtle tank and citronella plant on wrought iron stand, should be firewood belowFeb 5, 2018Yesterday evening, just before the time I begin to write something here, I had a wave of… Read More
2018-02-04 03:29
Brrr! It has been a bitterly cold day again. It is -20C (-4F) sans wind chill, -26C (-14F) counting wind chill, outside at the moment, 9:30pm. Tomorrow's forecast is for warmer temps a… Read More
2018-02-03 08:32
A: You write a good suspense novel.I finished The Child Finder, by Rene Denfeld, at 4am this morning, unable to put it down. Wow! I can easily see this book being made into a movie, although… Read More
2018-02-03 08:03
A short post tonight. It is very cold outside and snowed all day. Sometimes I feel as if we are living in Siberia. Instead of watching the last two episodes of Wycliffe season one last night… Read More
2018-02-02 03:11
It felt good to get out of the house today and drive on beautifully clear roads to run some errands. It was not so cold today, so was actually fairly nice considering that the sky was cloudy… Read More
2018-02-01 03:34
We had a snowstorm yesterday evening and throughout the night that blanketed the yard, porch, car, and everything else with about a foot of snow. Our trusty snowblower guy arrived at 8:40am… Read More
2018-01-31 03:58
Well, crap. Instead of immediately putting in a Wycliffe DVD I decided to save the URLs and close a couple of browser tabs first, which led me to click on a link that opened up Facebook. I h… Read More
2018-01-30 23:54
2018-01-30 04:32
Toad has been dreaming a lot lately and even remembering some of his dreams, which is unusual for him. Maybe it is due to the Aricep he has been taking for the past couple of weeks. I woke h… Read More
2018-01-29 04:31
We had nicer weather today, warm enough to melt more of the ice and snow. By the time I woke up today at noon a lot of thawing had gone on. I hurried to cook for the chickens and had Toad le… Read More
2018-01-28 05:53
During the night I finished the Ruth Galloway mystery; I can't put down a good mystery during the last half of the book, and sometimes will read a book cover to cover in one sitting. I'm sta… Read More
2018-01-27 05:43
My mother meant well by taking me and my siblings to a dentist, getting us dental care that her family had been too poor to afford during the Depression and afterwards; she had to have dentu… Read More
2018-01-26 05:40
I had a better day today. Perhaps it was because the sun was shining. For whatever reason, I felt like working in the kitchen. And I did. I cleaned out two cabinets and reorganized their con… Read More
2018-01-25 04:34
The wind is howling outside this evening as the temperature drops severely (-7C, 19F). Our driveway and backyard were ice-skating rinks this morning. Very treacherous. But this afternoon it… Read More
2018-01-24 02:13
We are experiencing freezing rain again this evening. Sigh. We did not get a lot of snow last night and early this morning, however. I was able to drive through the few inches we did get and… Read More
2018-01-23 01:31
The highlight of my day was a Skype visit with my daughter and grandsons. The lowlight of my day was the mess Toad made in the bathroom while I slept this morning (after another night stayin… Read More
2018-01-22 03:09
Our only toilet has quit flushing all of a sudden. I used the plumbing snake on it to no avail. Crap! Or, rather, don't crap--at least not in the toilet. Unless something was inadvertently f… Read More
2018-01-21 05:43
A good day, overall, once I got fully awake and past the disturbing dream that stuck with me for quite a while after waking. A cooked very pale fish with a big mouth on a plate in front of m… Read More
2018-01-19 22:57
photo taken Aug 13, 2017 after 12 years of marriage, spruced up with frame yesterday Read More
2018-01-19 22:28
The only excitement here today so far is the surprise appearance of a NB Power truck in our driveway, come to cut a branch off our poor birch tree in the front yard, a victim of the freezing… Read More
2018-01-19 03:58
What I woke up to this morningWe had enough snow blanketing the ground to warrant our snowblowing neighbor to do our drive and paths to the chicken coop, shed, and woodshed this morning befo… Read More
2018-01-18 01:14
I had stayed up very late last night since my daughter had promised to call me back on Skype; she did, after midnight. I enjoyed seeing the boys playing well together, having a picnic on the… Read More
2018-01-17 03:15
This afternoon Toad and I binge-watched Season 1 of As Time Goes By, a BBC romantic sitcom starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, two "wrinklies" who meet again after 38 years. Lots of hum… Read More
2018-01-16 16:08
Yesterday evening was trying. I had just finished telling Toad about the blow-up with my brother when my brother Skyped again. He was calm and wanted to let me know some further info about t… Read More
2018-01-15 23:07
As I had feared/suspected the car was encased in ice when I tried to get in it today. I had started it from inside the house with the remote starter thingy on my keychain to let it warm up… Read More
2018-01-15 03:16
We have had "a spell of weather" that is playing havoc with our Internet access, although I am not complaining, at least not too much. Others in the province have been without electricity in… Read More
2018-01-11 03:53
What a luxury it was to sleep in this morning and wake up almost rested for a change. I have always been a morning person, at my mental and emotional best soon after sunrise, but for the las… Read More
2018-01-10 07:22
Today I had to renew my driver's license and pick up a prescription, and wanted to have a nice lunch, so I took Toad with me to help me celebrate. He always enjoys the prospect of a good mea… Read More
2018-01-09 04:48
While talking to my brother via Skype this afternoon about things I need to do but am dreading I realized that my driver's license expires tomorrow, January 9th. Yikes! I recall getting a no… Read More
2018-01-08 00:23
I made Toad a happy man again today. No, not THAT way. I was able to restore his laptop to its original factory settings (WIN 7 Professional) so that he could get back online and monkey arou… Read More
2018-01-07 06:08
The highlight of my day was a group Skype visit with my son, my daughter and my two grandsons. We got together for the momentous occasion of the boys opening the gift their uncle sent them… Read More
2018-01-06 03:50
We had quite a snowstorm, as forecast, with high winds gusting and lots of heavy, wet snow. Fortunately we have a wonderful young man as a neighbor who has been driving his snowblower tracto… Read More
2018-01-05 04:24
It is after midnight and we still have power and Internet despite the gusts of wind. It's a balmy 35F (+2C) at the moment. Freezing rain is forecast for the night and then:Here it is again… Read More
2018-01-05 02:40
Anxious about the weather forecast, this morning at 8am I had Toad go with me to fetch the mail and run some errands before the 'weather bomb' hit. I felt terribly unprepared, expecting our… Read More
2018-01-04 01:05
'Weather bomb' heading for New Brunswick may bring 40 cm of snow, 90 km/h gusts of windResigned seems to be the most fitting word for the way I feel right now. We are in for it. We'll probab… Read More
2018-01-03 04:58
A satisfying day despite the weather. Stayed indoors all day again due to the bitter cold, but my spirits are up a bit. Had a slow start to the day after staying up very late tending the fir… Read More
2018-01-02 04:03
This has been a very quiet day. Subdued. My gut gave me a very painful afternoon, so I was not very active. I did manage to do a few things and plan to start reading another book from the li… Read More
2017-12-31 03:40
I want to start blogging again. I've missed it--the writing, the photos, and the documentation of what I was doing and thinking about when I wrote posts. A lot has happened in my life during… Read More
2017-02-07 02:29
imageFor quite a while now, years, in fact, I've had problems with my gut. It's gotten to the point where I am very limited in what I can eat so as to avoid a lot of pain and anguish. Once i… Read More
2017-02-06 00:35
I can't even remember the last time I felt like posting anything to my blog. I've continued reading other blogs and have been enjoying them so much that I have begun to regret letting my own… Read More
2016-05-22 22:03
Our darling son Dudley died today, May 22, 2016, after a short illness. He stopped eating, walked about his yard from time to time, enjoyed lots of attention from his daddy, and then went to… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
Recently I finally began in earnest to tackle a project that means so much to me that I can hardly stand to do it--organizing, scanning and somehow preserving thousands of photographs I've a… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
It's been a tough winter for me and I haven't felt much like posting anything here until now. Even now I don't feel much inclined to write, but perhaps once I begin the words will flow. It's… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
Toad discovered Thomas Toad while mowing the last of our yard this afternoon, just before a thunderstorm hit, and brought him to visit me for a few minutes Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
The magic button — Make Everything OK Works for me! Read More
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