Wow....

You don't realize how much time goes by until you're so busy and look back and see that months have gone by without a post. I'm so sorry! With birthdays, Thanksgiving, Halloween, more birthdays, the Holidays and dealing with elderly parents' problems and sickness... before I knew it we hit a new year and I hadn't posted in five months! I feel horrible.

It's not so much big things, though there have been a few of those, but sometimes we get overwhelmed with a mountain of little things and they just take over and we get so busy trying to deal with them and getting our life back in order that we forget to do other little things that keep us healthy, happy and going strong.

It's too easy to become overly stressed and start to suffer anxiety or panic attacks or depression. And it's sad to say that that's how things are now. More and more people are so frazzled by trying to survive that they forget how to live. We don't eat right, we don't sleep right, we don't remember how to just chill and take it easy. More and more of us are medicated, over-worked, about to burn out and it's not right. Even kids are now suffering depression and anxiety. Suicide rates are up, everyone is on some kind of medication for some problem and families can't get time or energy to get together like they used to.

Is this really how we wanted it? Is this really what we envisioned for our children and their children? I don't know about any of you, but I wanted my children to not have to suffer the difficulties I had, to have a good life where they were secure and happy and healthy. And I wanted their children to have even better than that if it was possible. Instead, it's like I set them on a collision course with hell in a hand basket that has holes in it! And it's not necessarily my doing.

Higher costs for rents, utilities, food, healthcare, etc... and less jobs, less pay, more taxes.... People working 60 or more hours a week who can barely make a living. New math and new ways schools are trying to educate where now kids cannot even turn to their parents to help them understand when the teachers are too busy to do so. Not everyone learns at the same speed or level. But they expect them to, and if they don't and act out from frustration and stress they want them medicated because obviously they're a problem. Most college grads can't use proper grammar or spelling anymore. Hell, most people can't write cursive anymore because no one wants to try to decipher their writing. "Who cares about knowing grammar and spelling, spellcheck will do that for me." I remember being told by the principal of the school that if my children couldn't use the computer to do their homework they'd fail. I had rules. They had to earn their computer time, and they only got an hour. I didn't want them dependent on the computer to do it. But the school had other thoughts. Instead of homework where they had to look in a book for the answers they were expected to go online to find it. I refused. The principal gave me that speech. I told him they'd fail then. I had rules for a reason and I refused to bend them for a school system too lazy to teach them properly.

Parents stressing over how to pay bills and keep food on the table and dammit, suddenly Charlie needs braces and Pamela's school is demanding she get new indoor shoes with white soles so they don't leave marks on the floor. And don't forget to pay their school fees and you haven't gotten all their supplies yet. Pamela is upset because she has to still wear some of the clothes she wore last year so other students are bullying her for it, and Charlie's friends are trying to push him into using weed because it's not as bad as other drugs and everyone does it. Grades are going down and kids are getting attitude because they're only kids and it's not supposed to be THAT stressful and parents are getting warnings and the boss is getting fed up because they had to miss work due to problems with kids and....

Is it any wonder we're all worn out and so uncaring of what the hell goes on in the world anymore? "I have my own problems." So we don't care about the big things that we should be outraged about. I've said it many times; that leaders were changing laws and using media to dumb down the populace because if you're worn out and can't think for yourself then you can't oppose them when they oppress you.

Don't believe me? Talk to people. See how much they understand. See how much they give a crap about real issues. See how dumbed down they sound when they talk or in their beliefs. It's sad. It's scary. It's real. It's happening all around us, but we're too busy being worried about how to survive to really notice.

Pumpkins and Painting Oh My!

We had horrible weather nearly all summer. It was first week of June or so before I could put my herbs out and plant in the garden because we were still having frost overnight. Then out of nowhere ~ BOOM! ~ summer hit with a vengeance. No in-between. We had extreme heat and humidity. So bad that it was like how my friend described it, "like being in a dryer with wet clothes." Very apt description. I would go out very early in the morning to weed the garden and since it was so dry despite all the humidity... (How the hell can it be 85% humidity with 0% chance of rain?! Aish! ),.. I would go out just as it was starting to get dark and hopefully was cooler to water the garden. And since we have no hose hookup, it was several trips around the house with a big watering can.

Things are starting to finally really grow. It took two months for my carrots to look like carrot tops and not weeds! My onions are still looking like chives, though. The lettuce did fine, but... I think my pumpkin plants ate my spinach.

So bear with me for a moment here. I've never grown pumpkins before. I should have researched it like I do anything else. I never would have put them in the garden. I'd have put them closer to the rhubarb. We had to build, what I now affectionately call The Trump Wall to try to contain them! They're mutants!

Tiny garden with huge pumpkin plants. 

 The Trump Wall. But the plants will not be contained.

The flowers are closed due to rain, but look at the size next to my grand-daughters!

So I've been really wanting to get back into painting. I enjoyed it when I did it years ago. So I got some supplies. I'd lost many of them over the years. My kids borrowing brushes for projects, some lost in a move, etc... I still have more to get, but I'm really excited about getting to it again.

I had already bought a portable easel during the winter. Comes in a case and everything. Today some more supplies came in.

Yes, those are Bob Ross paints. I like them.

 This little bit was almost $200 with the shipping.

So now I need paint knives, more brushes, a big clear palette, more canvases, and a few more colours I forgot to get, and odourless turpenoid.

I want to play with them now, but I'm not ready supply-wise. So it's killing me to look at them and not touch them. 

Living With Stickers.

I feel like this is going to be a post about some incurable disease and how I've learned to live with it or am trying to live with it. It's not. But it is something I've learned to live with.

Stickers.

If you have young children or young grandchildren then you may know what I'm talking about.

Stickers.

Everywhere.

On everything.

Little kids' way of 'blinging' up normal everyday things so no one can deny you have young children or grandchildren around.

The signs are unmistakable. Sudden appearance of colour on things that didn't really have pops of colour before.

On what used to be a pristine white tower fan.

On an HP printer.

On and inside a laptop.

On a mobile phone case.

The stickers can appear at any time when you are not looking, and even, in the rare occasion, when you are.

The stickers are unmistakable: bright, in several shades of colour, more times than not can ruin your adult reputation with other adults who grin and comment on the stickers. 

Removing them can lead to questions of  "Why did you take my stickers off?", disappointment, and in a few rare cases tears and the re-appearance of more stickers. So tread lightly. I've learned to leave them there until a day they fall off or I can sneak them off, but they often are replaced by new stickers who bring all their friends to the sticker party so there is less chance of them being kidnapped and their bodies dumped in the trash.

They may clash with your decor and are prone to bring on chuckles from other adults. Men can also suffer from stickers. 

Stickers can last years until the child(ren) is old enough to understand that not everything should be 'blinged' up. Oftentimes this will happen naturally as they age and want to appear cooler and more mature in front of their schoolmates.

Note: though some stickers are easy to remove, there can be those who would survive a nuclear bombing and any attempt to remove them could prove challenging. They are especially stubborn to remove from dressers, refrigerators and desks. Proceed with caution.

This has been a public announcement on living with stickers. 

To Touch Or Not To Touch... That Is The Question.

I have a touch-screen laptop, a nice little Lenovo Flex that I love. My grand-children love it too. They love that they can play games on kids' sites and just touch the screen rather than try to use the mouse. So I'm often cleaning fingerprints off the screen. Some of those have been rather sticky. Sigh.

Sorry the screen is so bright. I did that on purpose because I was replying to a private email. Notice the pretty stickers my grand-daughter put on? Yes, it's a thing. You have to pretty up stuff with stickers. 

My eldest grand-daughter playing Nick Jr games on my pretty laptop. She still doesn't like using the mouse, and prefers just touching the screen. 

There are so many reasons to like touchscreens. Batteries in mouse died? No problem! Touch the screen until you change the batteries. This is particularly useful if you're in a game in the middle of a battle or something or doing something that is timed. In an awkward spot with the laptop and nowhere to use the mouse? No problem! Fingers on screen or touch pad (I don't really like the touch pad myself, I can't use it right). Dropped the mouse and too lazy to pick it up? No problem! Finger on screen... You get the picture.

Now here are the drawbacks. You get used to it. You get really used to it. My sister asked me to help fix her laptop, and she watched me try several times to swipe on the screen or touch something to make it work. "You can't do that on that one." Crap!

Trying to do something on a desktop for someone (I'm the family techie so everyone comes to me to fix things or do things on computers for them) and start cursing because nothing happens when I try to poke at the monitor screen! "What the hell are you doing? You're going to put a damn hole in that!" Crap!

Any screen becomes fair game for touching. I've tried pausing a movie in my blu-ray player not by the remote, but by walking up to the TV and touching the screen. "Was there a bug?" my sister asks. "I didn't see one." Crap! Of course I'm not going to admit to anything she could laugh at. "I got it. It was annoying me." Use remote to pause movie. "Be right back, gotta go bathroom."

I touch the screen on my smart phone, my laptop, my tablet. I go to the store and many of the debit machines ask you to touch the screen. Bank machines do as well. My HP printer has touchscreen. Is it any wonder my brain thinks all screens are touch? Sheesh! I'm just waiting for the day I got to Best Buy or something and stop to admire the TVs and just reach out a finger and start jabbing at the screen. "Ma'am? You break it you buy it." Crap! Then again, they may soon have touchscreen TVs. You never know.

My lovely printer. I have grand-daughters so they like to put stickers on things to pretty them up. I don't mind. Whoa, I need to dust!

I know there are others out there who are like me. There have to be. I can't be the only one. Can I?

The "Progression" of eyesight.

So our glasses were in. Whoa. If you ever see someone walking and moving weirdly, and they wear glasses, then know this: they just got their new eyeglasses. Sympathize with them. Be patient with them. Okay, giggle a little, but help them if needed.

I've had mine for four days now. I'm nowhere nearer being used to them. Progressives are like being on a roller coaster ride without the cart to be securely tied into. The world tilts, sways, goes blurry before clear before blurry again, suddenly appears nearer or farther... Yeah, real trip. My knees gave out halfway up the stairs when I got home. Never mind trying to wear them in the mall right after putting them on for the first time. I found myself putting them up on my head and going blurry just to stop the nausea. Think I'll just sit on the floor over here and hug my knees, thanks. They told us it could take up to 2 months to get used to it. If we really can't handle them then to let them know and they'll try to think of something. At the price they were, I'm going to get used to them whether I want to or not!

I'm Canadian. Yesterday was July 1st, Canada Day. Something like the US, we have backyard BBQs, drink, go fishing or after the parade to the local fair grounds or wherever they have events. Most businesses are shut down for the day.  I spent the morning watching my eldest play back to back ball games. They lost the first, though they did get warmed up by the end of it, so they were hot by the time the second one started five minutes afterwards, and they won it, securing their place in the semi-finals.

She made a catch at home plate to get a guy out that was a beaut! Brought her whole team bench to their feet cheering her on. Did I mention I was sitting in the shade of a tree behind the opposing team's bench yelling my cheers to her? I got some weird looks, I tell ya!

After the games it was lunch time and my grandson wanted a Happy Meal. I wanted some DQ afterwards. It was hot yesterday. 

BTW, those of my new glasses. It's not so bad in the car, wearing them. It's bi-pedal movement that really screws you over. LOL Isn't my grandson a handsome little man? He was certainly enjoying that cone. 

After getting home I made a cheesecake with vanilla mousse on top and tons of fresh berried layered over it. It was good. We BBQ-ed in the rain. The food was still good despite the thunder and lightning that started. No fireworks that night due to storms, but we needed that rain. We'd had a fire ban due to the weather. Not enough rain, too many sunny heatwaves. Grass everywhere was yellow, gardens dying... But now it looks like no more rain for a few weeks again. Nice. We move to this house and plan all kinds of outdoor work and gardening and heatwaves keep up inside and no rain kills my garden before it gets anywhere. Screw you, summer!  This is why I prefer Autumn.

Heatwaves and Sunstroke and Eye Exams, Oh My!

Apologies for not posting in a bit. Things have been crazy. And it's not so much one or two big things going on that get in the way, but mostly all the little things that happen on a daily basis with a few bonus events that keep you running for days.

A week ago my baby sister and I went to get eye exams. We had been putting it off for too long due to financial issues. But we finally went. No cataracts, no glaucoma or other eye diseases. Well that's great! But... we both need progressives. I was warned I'd need some. My sister wasn't expecting it though. So did you know progressives are basically $250 per lens? No? Neither did we, until they totaled that cost with the cost of new frames that would be possible to hold progressives. So you can imagine our shock. I feel bad for others who need progressives. I mean, by the time you factor in the lens costs and the frame costs and the exam cost... You're looking at $1000.00 or more for glasses. I had hoped to get Transitions or maybe prescription sunglasses. Er, no, thanks, I'll suffer the sun. What the hell?! They're definitely taking advantage of growing old. How many retired elderly people can fork out that kind of money on top of other medical prescriptions and possibly other costs to make living at home easier? That's just horrible.

On the way back from the city we stopped at a store so I could get a little something for my eldest grandchild who graduated pre-k that day and who's grad I was missing due to the eye exam. Went into an Ardene and got all kinds of pretties for her. She's such a girly-girl. Loves dresses, makeup (she's allowed perfume and nail polish and lip gloss) and all manner of jewelry and hair pretties. They had a sale on most of that 5/$10. I also got her hair chalk so we can bribe her to cut her hair. She wants it long like Rapunzel, but hates to brush it. We figured if she could colour it with chalk she'd want it to look nice all the time and might get it trimmed or thinned and brushed daily. They had these "surprise" bags 2/$5. So I got two. These had socks, sunglasses (ironic, but they're not prescription) and hair pretties. She was spending the weekend with me while her mother went out on an early birthday weekend celebration so we had some fun fixing her up.

After the Ardene shopping spree, I only spent $40, we drove around our old childhood neighbourhood. My baby brother was driving. I don't drive. I want to, but in this province taking the course is mandatory and that's $1200. Anyway, the house we had lived in burned down years ago and a pretty new house is there now. But it was nice to drive around and go, "I remember I had a friend who lived here..." or "We played here all the time" or "OMG, nothing here has changed! The houses are still 70s-ish!" After all the reminiscing we headed home. We stopped at a park along the way we had gone as children when our father was still alive. 

We were not exactly dressed for it, I wore sandals and dress pants and a blouse because I had hoped to make it to the grad for an hour, but couldn't. We hiked up the path, careful of bears, and went up nearly all the way to the first waterfall. The path goes up the Laurentian Foothills. Beautiful area. Streams, dense woods, a few breaks in the trees, a rock wall... More reminiscing, more flooding of memories. But we had a heatwave starting that day so we didn't get far and promised we'd come back someday with our kids and my grandchildren so they can enjoy it.

The weekend with my grand-daughter over was horrible in the sense that it was a heatwave and all we had are fans to try to keep us cool. We had prepared with lots of bottled water and cold cuts and microwaveable meals so we didn't have to cook. Try explaining to a five year old why you can't make Kraft Dinner during a heatwave despite that being what she wants to eat. Bribery with ice cream after she eats her sandwich helped. 

After the weekend, on Tuesday, the heatwave broke. It was a sunny yet cool day so out I went to get some work done. Our summer had been late in that we'd had really cold weather until the second week of June. So I wanted to get some gardening done. My strawberry plants were finally starting to show new growth. Our garden is clay so I had found a great deal on black earth. Nine bags for $10.50! Four of them went into the garden and my step-dad brought me a rake and shovel. I worked there, and then started on our walkway. Part of it was leveled so I dug out one side and started to re-fill it for the white stones my sister wanted (we are roommates). Then weeding out back. My two eldest grand-daughters came for the day while their mother went to the hospital. 

I coldn't continue with the digging and white stones until my brother came to level the walkway you see that's overgrown with grass and sinking. He's since done it, but I don't have enough white stones. I'll need another six or eight bags to get it all done. Sigh. The planters of earth will be for herbs and patio climbing mini cucumber plants. 

A full day outside and I never realized that I had a bad sunburn. I've spent the past three days inside, feeling icky and asking my sister to put something on my burn. Why oh why did I not think of sunscreen and a hat? I had that itch to get working and I did. Well, I'm paying for it now. At least the place is looking good. Hahahaha.

Get The Ball Rolling.

Since this is a nice house and we're happy here and we have more room, we want to decorate it pretty. Things we couldn't have in the tiny apartment. Some things we still can't have because some of our cats are little assholes, but some we can. So I thought I'd make some of those balls with thread and/or string and balloons.

Blew up a bunch of water balloons and got everything ready. You know what? It's not as easy as they make it look in the videos to roll these babies! Don't let those videos fool you. I had to re-attempt the first one several times until it was looking somewhat acceptable. My visions of perfectly formed balls are nothing more than dust in the wind. 

Ran out of black floss to make another or two of it. I'll have to get more black. They're going to go into a tray I spray painted with that fake stone stuff in an ivory that I'll trim in espresso and gold. Should look good. When I'm done all of it I'll proudly show it off. But in the meantime, I had one heck of a mess to clean up. These will take a day at least to dry completely. I need another coat of stone paint on the tray, but it's been raining for two days so I have to wait for a less humid day to do so. I don't like to spray paint indoors. 

Before that I helped my eldest grand-child, Malory. While visiting her father, he got her a book she must have chosen. It's like a diary and there are pages to put in photos. So onto Facebook we went to find the photos she wanted from her mother's FB as well as mine. I printed them out and I should have known she wouldn't just choose a few, but want them all on the two pages. 

I had to wait until she was gone before I could even start on my own crafts. Had I not, 90% of my stock of crafting things would be used by her for "pictures" she makes or leaving in a bag with her to use at home with her sisters. Sigh. I love my grand-children, I do, and maybe that's why I can't resist their pleading faces. So I've learned to wait until they are not present to do certain things or bring out certain things. I've also learned not to take them when I go shopping. I learned this the hard way. I learned this when I went $52 over budget because my grand-daughter loves craft things and hand lotions and lip balms and snacks. Yeah.