Sleep easy...

I remember when my boys were little, and there seemed to be so much to do in a day, I never seem to be done.  I waited for nap times to catch my breath.  Little did I know, those were the good old days.  Often times when I'd visit my mom, I'd find her fast  asleep in the middle of the afternoon.  I always thought  this was a sign of approaching the big sleep.  Well here I go, it doesn't take much for me to sit down and doze off... I know that I don't sleep well, it's such a precious time, and yet such a waste.  We miss so much sleeping, sleeping 1/2 our life away.  I hate dozing off in the middle of the day and yet it's the sweetest sleep. Does this mean I'm prepping for the big sleep.  Perhaps.  Usually my son is around and he'll say "mom, it was only a few minutes" but none the less, with the shape my house is in "still" sleeping in the middle of the day is not a option.  We are not even getting a fix up started until the end of the month, and then a rebuild.  So if I'm exhausted it's because I keep looking at all the crap I'm still going to be doing in the fall weather, not to mention the windows will probably have to be closed.  I seem to have missed summer.  Hate that. I always think, "Oh I'll sleep in tomorrow" and then the phone rings at 6 a.m., usually just when I've fallen asleep, so it's no wonder the noon nap is so tempting.  I'd give anything to snuggle up with that cuddly baby in the photo. I am still moving around his lego, although look what the lego he'd like to be playing with now,

This is his army unit, and while this is not the bridge he was working on, he did do one in New Brunswick "practice makes perfect" while on coarse.  Too bad he's moving in another direction now.  I'm sure big boy lego will be involved.  It would be too bad if he dozed off, like I do before taking the time enjoy things.  I'm so glad he's taking some time this summer from working WAY to many hours to enjoy some warmth.

Meantime, I'll go looking for a spot to hide the lego bins.  Have a good sleep for me, if you can.

Saturday Snapshot... the sky is blue

*The sky is blue the grass is green and there's a whole lot of "Sun"shine sandwiched in between.

I'm coming down with some bug or something so yesterday I spent my time between the washer/dryer and the couch.  I watch t.v. between dozing off and one of the commercials strongly suggested talking to your kids about joining the army.  I'm trying to talking him out of it... but you know boys will be boys and he joined anyway.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce from at home with books.

*when my boys were little and they still wanted to say grace before meals this was a favorite, had nothing to do with food but...
I seem to be posting a great many more pictures of "Sun"shine #1 over that of #2, well I really miss him, and #2 is sitting next to me most of the time and underfoot, hasn't given me much chance to miss him.

Saturday Snapshot.. you're a sweetheart

what did you do with your laptop MOTHER?

I'd like to say I've been absent from my blog because I've inhaled so much chocolate and flower fumes that it's made me mindless, I'd like to say that... but truth be told I messed up my laptop and it's in the capable hands of my eldest (pictured above,) I have to cook something before I go pick it up, and I just don't have that "cooking" feeling.  My little princess chair, of last weeks post, is no further along, I drilled my new holes a little off, like by 1/16 of an inch, and it bothered me, so I filled and glued again, waiting to dry it up. (the story around the workshop is I like the smell of the glue) But, I did finish my little cork foot stool and as soon as I'm not carrying stuff home I'll bring it to show and tell.  I'll be working on the princess seat this week, while my glue dries, I do hope I brought the horse hair home to wash.  My book "Corked" is well underway and I'm only missing one or two photo's of finished projects. 

Don't forget to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend.  It's fun and very important to our environment. For more info check here. At the moment I don't have a single bird visible in my yard.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce from at home with books.

Wordless Wednesday

The King when I still liked him

Wordless Wednesday...

The King

This was an exhibit at the Light Box, for the Game of Thrones?

Tuesday Thoughts of ... cake

It's been a very hot week already, and I'm still painting my first floor.  My cat has been extra curious and climbing all the furniture I've stacked in one corner.  I keep running out of paint.  I'm expecting a very busy fall so I thought I'd get this all out of the way before then.  Hope I finish before "duty" calls.  I think as I age, I don't want as much colour on my walls, I want statement, but not colour. so I'm going boring.  I could never imagine myself doing that in a million years.  I'll keep the red powder room and the hot chocolate kitchen, and maybe add a little hot chocolate in the dining area, but it's Kansas Wheat everywhere else.  The front door on the inside is white (boring) and the exterior is Black. Not much reading happening... to tired to see. After I finished for the day, (because my body couldn't do anymore) I made a couple of dishes to take to my son's place this afternoon, it's his girlfriends birthday.  Don't know how old she is, but she invited me to join them for cake this evening.  (And them we might go to a bar) Not likely, me anyway.  I think I find this part the hardest, he finds a nice girl, I start to really get attached and then... I think there should be rules. No introducing your mom until you're sure.  I was told there would be cake.  Happy Birthday to Carolline.

P.S. see how boring my walls are, this was at Christmas. My son is blocking the tree.  I decided in 2010 that from that year forward I was just hanging my "own" work on the walls, (hence the boring).  There is usually stuff all around drying or waiting for me to declare it finished, but only sometimes makes it to the walls and that was going to change.  Now that I look at it, it MUST change.  

Saturday Snapshot...

I'm not sure if this was after Danorama or not, but it's quite likely. This is my snow angel. I can remember my mother freaking out when we did this, of coarse five kids, covered in snow and no dryer. I'd freak out too. And I can also remember DANiel trying to fit in with his lifeguard buds and doing this in their bathing suits after the first snow fall. I was sitting there waiting for him and he and his buddies ran out through the fire exit, (life guards need to make a big splash in other areas than the pool) and making snow angels in their half clothed bodies, and then jumping/cannonballing it into the pool. Aren't boys silly?

The good thing is, I don't do DANiel's laundry anymore, so it didn't matter if he made a snow angel and came home wet, the bad news is I don't get to do DANiel's laundry anymore, so I know his whites aren't that white. Aren't mothers silly?

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home With Books.

Happy Birthday Dude!

Well it's that time of year again, yup it's Danorama, you see Dan is having a birthday (I hate calling him Dan, he's Daniel to me, and I only let him get away with calling himself Dan because of a certain Dan that I loved, not romantically, just a nice man).  Dan works at the Ram thus Dan O Ram a.  All his friends or anyone who can get to the appropriate Ram comes for a party.  Will Dan be able to pay his rent this month?And since I've been lurking on facebook, I see Dan has taken the week off work. Some party huh! Anyway... this is my Daniel turning 25 today.  We as a family, celebrated on Wednesday last week, before we all had the flu.  Good thing.  I'd planned on meeting DANiel on Wednesday of this week for a little mother- son celebration, but just as the day he was born, we are suppose to get a whole lot of snow.  Maybe I'll be stuck at the train station and have to stay at the Royal York Hotel.  (wouldn't that be neat.) DANiel's parties have always been extravagant, they've always been themed.  The one pictured here was a 007 theme, obviously.

I had to post the lego guy, once when trying to avoid going to sleep, and it was late for a little guy, we got into a discussion about heaven.  Our personal heaven.  Daniel's idea was that the room would be large and would hold unlimited lego pieces.  Wonder if he still thinks that, probably, he always wanted to be a lego designer, until I took him to a very large lego exhibit.  He thought it would spoil the fun if you had to actually finish it. 

Speaking of Hamburger...

Just before the big bite...

all chewed up...

I don't know if I've ever mentioned, but I don't do hamburgers.  Whilst painting away last weekend the subject somehow came up... I think it might have been just before lunch, and one of the ladies, I think Ruth, had brought a slow cooker filled with tiny little meatballs, with a wonderful sweet sauce.  This brought to mind my mother in law.  Whenever we have a family gathering and I ask what she would like me to bring, it's always the same, sweet and sour meatballs.  32 years of sweet and sour meatballs.  I protested silently for the past couple of years and refused to do them.  I hate making meatballs.  I didn't get the call to come to dinner this time, my husband did. Now understand that when I say get the call for dinner, it only means we're eating there, we bring the food.  Above you'll see a delicious burger, that my son Daniel introduced us to.  After his army graduation he suggest food, what student wouldn't? We went to Burger Bar, yummy.  My husband had a buffalo burger, Daniel had the Kobi burger, and I had a turkey burger, with yummy cranberry relish.  Delicious.  The only other burger I've eaten recently was one we had and Five Guys on our trip to Virginia.  We'll be getting a Five Guys soon here in Mississauga, just up the street from Leslie. Hmmmmmm. Enjoy your day.  I'm hoping to finish Musashi today.

Mellow Yellow Monday

How much more mellow can one get?





Welcome!
I chose yellow for this photo meme because it's my favourite colour and I think the world is always better with a splash of yellow ... whether it's in your home or in nature.

The rules are pretty simple:
1. Every Monday post a photo with a little or a lot of yellow.
2. Please only post photos you have authority to use.
3. Include a Mellow Yellow Badge or a link to this blog in your post.
4. Leave the link to your Mellow Yellow post below on Mr. Linky.
5. Visit other blogs listed ... comment & enjoy!

When to Post:
Mister Linky will be available every Sunday at 5:00 pm EST and will remain open until Wednesday.

Sunday, November 15, 2009
Mellow Yellow Monday #43

Theme Thursday, Rhythm

Theme Thursday this week is Rhythm. For me the beginning of the new school year also means the return of rhythm to my life. While I love having the freedom of summer, of late it has been a tossed salad of schedules and events to fit into my day and still have a glimpse of "family time". My kids are men, my husbands is a retiree with too many part time jobs and I'm a tired co-ordinator. I'm tired of keeping count of 3 different schedules, 3 different meal choices, and 3 different uniforms to wash. So when we return to school where I can write down everyone's (except the retiree) down on my fridge schedule it gives me some sense of organized life. What am I saying, the more organized I think I am the more things get scrambled. Oh I so long for the days of,off to elementary school, and be gone the days of juggling menus for the multi diet preferences of my household. Oh well life goes on, and I suppose I shouldn't sweat the small stuff...Ok. now what to cook?

Theme Thursday, Kiss

I'd like to participate in the Theme Thursday and this week it's a Kiss. However, I just don't have the same skills these writers do to portray some wonderful imagine so here's my little version



When my kids were little this was a favorite show, so I HAD to post this version of the KISS. What's in a kiss? Much I should think. I certainly knew that's what tied the knot for my husband and I. We didn't live together or anything like that, just not something that you did 31+years ago. I'm not sure he's as good at anything else as he was at planting one on me, I'm sure that was the only reason I went out for New Years Eve, the thought of getting an all out New Years kiss was GOOD. And then there is the kiss on the boo boo, it heals everything. And yes of coarse "you get enough germs to catch pneumonia"| But if ever you are in doubt, it is in his/her kiss.

He's back!

You know how I did the little quiz on ten things you like about the letter, and my letter was "D" Daniel was the ten things I did. Well the little pain is back in action. Schools out for summer and he's ready to come home and "work on his car" Yes the one in the picture is all in bits an pieces all over the yard and now entirely, (except for the T roof, which is in his room)in the garage. He called. Now that is scary in itself, Daniel only calls when he needs something. Well this call was to let me know he'll be coming home to work on his car. For most of Daniels life I've been moving around my house to make way for his adventures. That's why I needed a hidey hole. Well today I did it. I've made a hidey hole big enough to keep all those tubs, large tubs, well labelled, 14 of them, with all the lego, transformers, ninja turtles etc. I'm absolutely brilliant. I could put a chaise in there and hide myself. Now on to finding a space for my messy husband's office, you know so I could close the door and never know that crap is in there. I just told my husband that if it's his space he gets to clean it. Huh! On with the purge.

Ten things I love about the letter "D"

A few days ago Joni and Annette started this game of ten things I love and they were given a letter to write ten things they love beginning with the letter. Well I jumped in. My letter is "D". Those of you who know me well will know there is only one thing beginning with the letter "D" that I love and that is DANIEL. So I'm posting ten things I love to remember about Daniel growing up.

Daniel is my first born. He never was a good sleeper so when he finally slept it was a momentous occasion and I had to take a picture. I waited for him for a very long time, and sometimes I thought he was going to be a miracle of science, I know better now, he was a gift. My son shine was born in the middle of a snow storm. It was a P.D. ( Professional Development Day, for teachers so students were home) and I was looking after my two nieces at my mothers house and cleaning as usual. When my sister picked up her girls I told her not to make plans that evening because likely we would be going to the hospital. My husband was on night shift (what else was new) and he wasn't answering the phone. At 11:40 p.m. Friday January 31st. 1986 I gave birth to a beautiful, perfect little boy, 6lbs. 7 oz. My life changed forever.

This is Daniel asleep as a Easter Bunny.








As I say Daniel didn't want to nap, so the routine was I took him for a walk and he would fall asleep before we hit the corner of our street. approx. 3oofeet. if I took him out of the stroller that was it so he slept at the front door in his stroller.



Daniel loves cats and cats love him. When he had a paper route the cats of the neighborhood would follow him around, and he then would have to take them all back home. Quite a ritual.









Probably the most significant period of Daniels life was the "Ghostbuster" years. He hadn't even seen the movie, but he knew all about it just from the trailers, and he was hooked. When I was expecting my second son my neighbor thought she would give me a break and invited him over for a play day with her children. He wore his equipment and checked every inch of her home for ghosts. He changed his name at school to Peter (Vienkman). The school called to see if a correction was needed. You can see how significant a part of my life this little being had become.

When he was five he wanted to go fishing, well my husband again was working nights so we know where there was going to go. So we took a fishing course. Before we knew it Daniel, Sasha and me were tangle in vast amounts of fishing wire. We took the bus to the lake, a very deep lake, (I can't swim) and the fishing began. I think I had a small stroke that day. And then he went to school. Of course that was a extensive negotiation. He felt he could learn everything at home with me. And as flattering as that sounds, I needed him to go to school. He was a good student, bright and eager, but still insisted I be around him. So he volunteered me. This is a photo of Daniel at his First Communion, I did all the pew bows for that event. and some of the banners and part of the retreat. He sure thought I needed to keep busy.I remained a library volunteer for 16 years, long after Daniel graduated.
Then there were the rocketry years. Sasha and I travelled with Daniel by bus on Thursday evenings so Daniel could build rockets. He did very well. I bought insurance, because I just thought one day when I least expect it he'll set one off in the house. He never did, he did take every precaution, he assembled all his stuff in my dining room, and he continued with other hobbies still in my dining room.

During the summer between grade seven and eight Daniel decided we needed a pond in our backyard. We dug for two months. Sept. 12, 1999 we filled our pond with water and fish. Even though it has evolved somewhat over the last nine years it's still Daniels pond. He really doesn't do anything with it. It's all natural. Huh!

Then of course he had taken so many swimming lessons he became a lifeguard. He decided he needed to change his hair colour. To Ketchup RED. That has always been his favorite colour, and that was what is his little swimming team was the red something or others.

Above all the things Daniel has been interested in cars were a very central part, from his little hotwheels that he wished would grow up along with him, to the Ghostbuster wagon, or micromachines. He now has gone on to teaching himself how to build a car, so he bought this baby. RED of course.
It doesn't look like that anymore it's in bits and pieces all over the place. So here are 10 things I remember about Daniel, even though I love everything about him. He is cute when he's asleep, he has outragous ideas, he always keeps me busy, wheather it's cleaning up after his wild schemes, or looking for strange pieces for his inventions, or travelling to the ends of the earth for courses, taking busses all over the place just to check something out. This Christmas I gave him a set of salt and pepper shakers because he has always been the spice in my life and most certainly the best "D" I can think of.