Cranky

So I wake up before 5:00 am this morning.
I KNOW that cause I had to get the wind up clock out of the bathroom and get it to my purse in the entry, so I could check with my flashlight!
No damn power!
I set the wind up clock, and crawl back into bed.
Nothin'!
I get up and check out the blizzard outside, the dog was having fun with that!
No power means, no SHOWER, no PHONE, no HEAT and no COFFEE!
Ray wakes up around 7:30 am, and tells me that the power's been off since 2:00 am for sure.
I tell him to call them! THEM being the R.E.A.
So he does.
THEY say, "Check the pole, you're the only ones that have called."
I STOMP out to the pole, cause that's what I do when I'm a little testy, and flip the switch to OFF then back to ON!
Nothin'!
No little dials turning....NOTHIN'!
I STOMP back in, and tell Ray, "There's nothing wrong at the pole, phone THEM back!"
He does.
THEY say, " Since you called there have been other complaints."
What the heck time do people get up!?
I started my car, and shoveled 4 inches of heavy wet snow off of it, and left.
Remember...I've had no coffee!
I had 10 peeps from the OFH signed up to go to WalMart, so off we went!
Of course I bought scrapbooking stuff! I also bought the crochet cotton to get busy with my flowers I need before the end of the month!
Also got a new water cooler for the lodge, and their Halloween Treats to pass out already! Hey, there might not be any available when we want them!
We then had to check out Shoppers Drug Mart, cause it's new.
Got back to the lodge.
I had to drive my car over to the garage to load it with my purchases!
Came home, burnt the garbage, cleaned the snow off the roof under the sky light on the north side. It hadn't melted!
Came in, set some clocks, started a load of laundry, got on here to order the AVON, and my coffee maker beeps like it's done!?
Set the damn clock wrong on it!
I CAN'T drink coffee now! I'll be up all night!
ARGHHH!
And, it is 1.9 DEGREES C. I'd better trot the fan over to the pump house and plug it in and turn on the heater, before the water freezes up!
Oh well, at least I'll have a warm place in the morning to have a smoke!
Unless the power goes out!
I'm still not done typing up the meeting minutes either, so I'd better go!

Darn It's COLD!

Just so you know....I'm talking to you and the furnace (*gasp*) is running!?
I've had a busy few days!
I only have the patio doors left to wash, and the door windows! Oh Yeah, and the skylight, but I'm not going UP THERE with the wind at mach 300!
Saturday, I went to my 'other' job, and left at noon!
No one was around, and I was caught up!
Washed more windows!
Still too windy for a fire!
Sunday, I baked, washed MORE windows....just want you to know, that you can NEVER just wash windows!?
I still have drapes to put back up (well, fake ones) etc.!
Then around 6:00 pm on Sunday I realized I wouldn't be home ALL DAY MONDAY, and hadn't got my stuff together for my other craft projects!
So I spent 2 hours cutting out the stuff for these!

Aren't those just the cutest!?

Craft thingy was fun. There were 7 of us. Those red 'things' are a wreath. Remember doing the green garbage bag thing years ago!? Well, one lodge gets red garbage bags!

Yesterday I was at my 'other' job for about 4 hours.

Then went to town, and did my errands, running around, and had coffee with a friend I have not seen FOREVER!

Then, I had a meeting at 4:30 pm.

That ended at 6:30 pm, just in time for me to get to my first Stamp Club!

I love it.

We made 4 cards.

Now, if you KNOW me at all, you have to know that I was a little disappointed not to have made any Halloween cards, or Thanksgiving. But I'll get over it!

It is, and I hate to say the "S" word in September......snowing down the Forestry road! Yup, thought you'd be thrilled!

It's drizzling here. I'm supposed to take my peeps to WalMart tomorrow, so hope that's all it does!

Oh and guess what!?

My 'O's" finally made it to Texas!

Yesterday!

Finally!

I signed up for another swap! Home made flowers....15 of them. I got some patterns off the internet to crochet. Better get busy! Gotta try to get them sent earlier than the mail date of November 5th! These are going to California.....I figure it's the same distance as Texas!

Took some pictures tonight when I got home.

That's the ranch from the road! Thought the trees would show up more!

This is where the camper lives when we're not camping! Oh, I see the stool still has to go in, and the frames for the comfy camping chairs!

I tried to get a picture of the wind blowing the flag straight out! Think I need a new flag!

Won't be long before the leaves are gone if the wind keeps up!

Better go, I have meeting minutes I have to type up!

Out next Stamp Club is October19th, and I get to be the hostess!!!!

......Long and Winding Road....

This was the driveway last night in all her glory!
All right, I admit Fall is pretty, but it leads to WINTER!
The Outhouse was spendid in all her glory too!

Sure wish the Spruce Tree and little Lilac would grow faster!

That's gonna be one good smelling outhouse!

I didn't get the car cleaned last night!

I got side tracked!

I need to organize my scrapping stuff!

I think my problem is that my craft room isn't always a craft room! I clean it up when the snow goes, and it becomes a spare room.

I think my next craft room will be more organized, with everything in it's place, but with a desk and stuff, and I can go in there any time and make stuff! It WILL NOT be a spare room!

Mine looks nothing like a craft room when it's all cleaned up, and everything is put away!

Then,  when I want to be creative, I haul it all out to the kitchen table, and I'm forever looking for stuff.

So last night, I decided I needed to (at LEAST) organize my paper by color!

There were quite a few, "I didn't know I had that"!

So I stopped a Fields after work today to ssee what they had for clear containers, cause now I need to organize my embelishments!

Oh brother, what a time I'll have with that.

I didn't get started on that tonight!

I got side tracked!

I really wanted the to wind to quit, so I could have a fire, and sit out there to drink my beer!

That didn't happen!

I washed some windows.

I can just hear my friend Shirley..."Oh you know me, have to get off every mark, and every speck of fly shit!"

Well that's what I was doing......ONLY, I decided to wash the blinds too!

They're metal.

How do you get them dried so you don't have all those water marks on them?!

I'll tell you how!

Short of using a towel, and trying to get every slat, and it worked for the little blind.

I used a clean swiffer duster!

Water/gone! Worked real slick!

So I told you about doing windows in the public places of my home!? Well....they get done twice a year.

I don't care if you know, that the other ones no one sees but me, get done once a year!

And Kalen said to me a week or so ago, "Isn't it time for you to come and wash windows at my house?"

He bought a house last fall, and it needed scrubbed, and fumegated, etc.

There's a reason when you buy a place for the 'walk through' PEOPLE!

Anyway I told him, "One free window washing from me is all you get!"

I don't know what his plan is now!?

I always have fun trying to wash the window to the bathroom that is right on the stairs for the little deck!

I'm a little short.

Well....OH & S would have had a hayday with me tonight!

I.........I'm not even gonna tell you what I did to get up there! And you sure don't want to know how I reach the inside of the sky light in here! And the outside of it needs washed too!

It'll be a change climbing up on the roof when there's no snow!

Bummed!

I am Bummed with a CAPITAL BEE!
The swap I was in for the Halloween Banner from the Fiskateer site......she sent out today.
I was on the list of 3 out of 14 she didn't get product from.
Remember, I told you earlier I was doing the 'O's for the HAPPY HALLOWEEN Banner!?
I mailed my stuff on September 1st, just like I was supposed to.
I can't find my post office receipt.
She's not returning my e-mails.
I just e-mailed her today after I seen that she sent them out and told her I was sad that mine hadn't arrived yet.
I did send her an e-mail last week when she said she had got 1 more in the mail that day.
I said, "I hope it was mine. It's taken over 2 weeks to get there"!
No answer.
My package had to go to Texas.
I'm hoping it wasn't held up at Customs for some reason!?
I did participate in 2 other swaps.
One was a ribbon swap, but I think the person I had to send it to was in Canada.
The other was a punch swap, and that package went to North Carolina.
No problemo!
Oh well, just hope it shows up and she can see the date sent on it.
Just hope she doesn't tell people that I don't get my stuff done on time.
I was even excited about this!
Now I'm just bummed...........

I've been working like crazy the last couple of days!
When I got home from work yesterday, I put things in the yard away, and piled all the left over, (not that it's done or anything!) siding & assessories in the woodshed.
Avon was in today.
BUT......I wanted to get the pump house cleaned out before winter. Everything that didn't need to be in there got hauled over to the other shed, a lot hit the burning barrel, and a lot went outside! I even gave the little heater we use a bath!
We just need new insulation in there now, as it got water inside in the Spring.
We also need to fill in the hole on the north side of it,which is why water got in there in the first place!
Mushrooms were growing in there for Gods sake!
AND there was a wasps nest! Hopefully, they've left, and aren't waiting for us to turn the heater on!
We smoke in there in the winter!
I got bit by a wasp last night too! On the leg, just under my shorts cuff!
I DID get the Avon sorted, and hauled out to the car (another reason I'm not fond of winter!). Can't leave it overnight in the car.
I'm hoping to clean my car tomorrow.
I want to order a window washing dohicky from Regal.
Should have done that online tonight!
It's for car windows, special microfibre rags, that you only need to put water on, and the handle swivels etc. to scrub car windows! That'd be handy! My arms are too short to do a really GOOD job on the windshield!
I'll let you know!

Just Another 'Manic Monday'!

Alrighty then!
Wanted to leave my 'other job' after about 4 hours.
Didn't happen! Was there for 7!
I had BIG plans!
Well, kinda like yesterday, where the only things that happened after I was on here were; the dog got a new step!
And not just any step, a designer step! Okay, so I ran out of treated lumber! I just put some nice plain stuff in the middle. It also started raining while I was doing that! The dog almost bowled me over in her haste to get into her nice cozy house, with a half finished step!
I did get a nap, not a very long one, but a nap!
I come home today, and did a load of laundry....I'll have to rescue it before it rains!
Yup, it's looking like that!
I went out and cleaned the camper. You heard me!
Food is in out of the pantry, and put away!
Clothes are out of the drawers & closet, and in here and put away!
The basket out of the bathroom that holds everything you need!? Brought in and put away!
Feather bed (hey I'm not freezing out in the wild!) and mattress cover, you got it, in here well, that will have to wait for clean sheet day!
Food is in out of the fridge, and put away.
The stuff in the freezer!? That's right, put away!
The fridge and freezer are even cleaned out and turned off!
I washed cupboards, floors, and the outside of the last 2 windows!
I washed the outside of one window on the house too.
So it's NOT in a public area! It's the craft room that I haven't used all summer!
I can do the inside anytime, and the public areas have to wait until October, cause winter's soooo long, they don't get cleaned for 6 months!
I'll get around to the other non public areas this weekend (I hope)!
Ill even do the inside!
I also scrubbed and emptied the birdbath, and put some of the garden tools away in the Cat House (slash) Garden Shed!
Then Jason came out. He let Spencer play with Shadow for a while, and he brought a Keith Urban T-shirt that Vanessa had got me!
I  A M  T H R I L L E D!
Now I'm talking to you, and doing the AVON, then I actually might go watch TV!
I'm hoping House hasn't started without me! Or Two and a Half Men. Are they even going to be on this fall!?

My Life Is Based on a True Story

I just read that this morning, and thought, "You don't know the half of it!"
It's 10:34am.
I have already- cut all the bookmarks for my little project.
Cleaned out the doghouse and put straw in for Shadow.
It's September PEOPLE, and I'm already getting the dog house ready for winter!
Cleaned out the smelly old couch cushions from the cat house, and made them a winter house of sorts; with a box and straw I had to go fetch over by the (non-existant buffalo) enclosure!
I have washed 2 loads of laundry and hung them outside.
I've cleaned all the dirty rags out of the pumphouse & shed, and they are now in the washer.
Our bathroom is clean.
I've had breakfast.....Ray is in the shower.
On my agenda today; is to make Shadow a new step for her house. She has a pallett, but it has sucky thin plywood on top.
Ray & I were in the back 40 the other night and I found some treated 2 X 6's.
I'd also like to get my birdfeeder stand sanded & painted.
I have been up for the last 4 sun rises!?
Don't even ask!
Fridays was awesome!

Yesterday was ho hum, in the east...but look at the western sky!

It was raining for this one, and the sun was shining!

I had a busy day yesterday!

I was at my 'other' job by 8 am.

I left about 12:30 to put a load of clothes in at Kalens. He was sleeping, as he's been working nights.

I ran over to Jasons' to let the dog out, then went for my 1:30 pm hair appointment!

I got a cut and color! (The usual)

I took a picture of my new do, but you know I don't take good pictures!

Anyway....after my appointment I went back to Kalens & got the clothes out of the washer, then over to Jason's to let the dog back in-out-in-out!

Did some laundry at his house, swept the floor, did the dishes, while him & Vanessa are off to Edmonton to see Keith Urban! I KNOW!

There really is no resentment folks, Vanessa did call earlier this week to see if I wanted to go with her! Alas....I'm behind at my 'other' job, and have a million things to do before winter. And HEY! I don't think it's Fall yet!

I think I got home after 6:00 last night....exhausted! Then I was up around 5:30 am. I have NO CLUE what's with that!

And not even a spectacular sunrise!

Gotta go get some clothes off the line, and get busy!

Better go, hoping to get a nap (ha) in today too!

Gawd

Some days are just a make work project!
Oh the OFH was all right. I started decorating for Thanksgiving.
I even went to a ladies luncheon with a speaker, called "Lighten Up".
THEN I CAME HOME!
I started one of the crafts...you know for the activity co-ordinators get together that I'm hosting on the 29th at the lodge.
Gotta come up with a couple things to do. So I started that.
Threw a load of clothes in the wash.
Then decided we probably weren't going to go camping any more this year, what with having to get the awning fixed (which will be next spring), I thought I should clean it out. Put the slide out and got all the stuff out of the cupboard that you can't get to when the slide is in!
Then I thought; 'I should get these windows washed.'

I washed 4 then was coming to change my water, when I heard the washer thumping like it does when the load isn't even. Dropped the beer and pop I was packing in, and opened the door.

The washer had thumped it's way across the entry, and before I could get there to shut it off, it was done.....BUT, not before it had gone far enough to dislodge the drain hose from the wall!
I hung the clothes out, and decided that I could clean that mess up when I was done with the windows, so back out I went.
I had the 4 windows on the slide done so went in the camper to put it back in.
IT RAINED THIS MORNING PEOPLE!
The awning over the slide ran water down one of the windows I'd already washed!

That sucker camper has 8 windows I only did 6, well 7 if you count the one I had to do over. Still 2 left, maybe tomorrow will be a better day!?

Cleaned up all the fuzz & water from under the washer, that lead to doing the whole entry, folding the clothes that were in the dryer, then sometime in the last week or so the dog jumped up on the door and got it all muddy.......you know how it goes!

Anyway, I did get one of the projects done! This is the front.....I used another pic taken at the maze when Kalen was trying to make friends with "Donkeys" friends!

This is the other side!

I guess it doesn't matter what side is right or wrong!

It's a picture holder made out of one of those big paper clips. I really wanted to get to Staples, cause they have some really BIG ones!

Good thing that didn't take very long!

Gotta get my other craft done. It will be book marks.

I'll keep you posted!

WTH

I woke up this morning to my alarm (odd!).

And to the sound of Ray stirring coffee in his travel mug (odder!)

I get up, and he's by the door ready to go (Oddest!)

Me, "What are you doing?"

Ray, "Going to Fort St. John this morning with Cliff."

Me, "What for?"

Ray, "They're tearing down a seed cleaning plant, and Enders want the separator."
Now, you must know that there's not a lot that gets Ray out of bed at the crack of dawn!
And, I finally remembered what I was so excited about! It's called 'Stamp Club'! That was hard hey!? No wonder I couldn't remember it!
Took the peeps shopping today! Now that's an experience!
We're also reading the book "My Stroke of Insight!" It's by Jill Bolte-Taylor. Read 3 Chapters today, and they really like it.
Hauled up the Thanksgiving decorations, so might start this afternoon, or wait until tomorrow. Supposed to do supper tonight with Dianne, Pat & Gloria. Weight Watchers is starting in town, so they aren't going until about 6:30. I'll have to see if I can stay busy in town until then! I DO KNOW my car needs washed!
Nope....didn't stay in town!
Gotta get the AVON ordered. I see they have a new look website, might take me all night! Thing is, I only have until 11:00 pm.
Here's a picture of my lovely pepper jelly i made last night!

I also wanted to come home because I've been thinking about scrapbooking a page for Kalen from when we were at the Kernel Korn Maze. We had fun, and since he liked his birthday card I made for him, I thought I'd try a page!
Who knew you could get frames for a scrap book page!? I saw them in a Michaels flyer, and sent Vanessa right off to the store!
They only had the red frames, but I think it looks all right!?

I hope he likes it! Thought, I'd make him pages now and then, and eventually they could go in an album!
He might not like the 'Pucker Up Buttercup" part, but I think the whole thing turned out great!
Didn't even take 2 hours to do! ;)
I need to get a life!
Found a new blog today too. Yes I DO work!
I don't know where it popped up from, but I checked it out, and it's funny. I will some day get it to Blogs I Follow, then you can all check it out!
Better get the AVON thing done, I'm finding the new site is more user friendly...believe it or not!

Tired, Tired, Tired!

Alrighty then!
I'd like to say "another day another dollar", but I don't think it works like that!
I'm working on my October calendar at work.
Where does the time go!?
I'm going to drag up the Thanksgiving decorations, and maybe mix in the Halloween, cause you KNOW that stuff's out in the store! I've already got my costume! How many times do I have to tell you guys that it's my FAVORITE holiday!?
Here's a pic of us Rec. Ass.es from last year!

OK, it's from the year before, only cause I don't have all night to find the darn thing! AARRGGGG! I think it might even be from 2006! Oh well, they just get better! Last year I was Satans' mistress! Oh the fun to be had!
OK, I found one....Facebook, don't be groaning, I was putting lots of pics on there until it just became too painful with dial up! Another reason for the needed lottery win!

We sided the naked side of that shed for 2 days! It's done up to where the
soffet(sp)needs to go on. It really looks way better than that grey plywood, although I was getting used to that!
Ray had to work today so I had a reprieve!
I came home and made pepper jelly.....red and green!
My recipe calls for 'Apple Cider Vinegar'! I've looked and looked and can only ever get 'Cider Vinegar'! Is that the same thing? The jelly turns out awesome anyway!
I've decided I could make that any time of the year though, as it only takes 2 peppers in each batch...TOPS!
My mom sent me money for scrapbooking. She's an enabler! We were just on the phone discussing how I was sooo darn excited to sign up for...and it has a name......and it will come to me eventually, but it's to make cards once a month at my friendly Stampin' Up ladies home! Only 6 people get to sign up, so every one gets a turn to be hostess and qualify for free stuff. ( I get October, think of the fun I'll have with my lunch I'm supposed to take!)
Anyhoo.....I told her I had to spend $40.00 a month, and she said, "Holy that's a lot!"
I said, "Mom, some punches cost that much!"
Mom, "Well, what kind of things can you spend $40.00 on?"
I gave her the condensed version, guess I'll just have to save her a catalogue, which by the way, I left at work. I could be sitting here drooling over things in that instead of talking to you!
I did buy a couple stamp sets earlier this year(ME, who was never going to get into stamping!) that were being retired.
I didn't have the heart to tell mom that I spent WAY more than $40.00 a month last winter on scrapbookin', card makin' stuff!
Camp Tamarack with my peeps was cancelled. It was supposed to be this week. I'd already made plans for Friday afternoon, cause YOU KNOW I don't EVER work the day after we come home from camp. You think camping with kids is exhausting!? It's fun, but I think maybe it's a little stressful, which is what wears me out!
Better go, it's getting late, and I still have to find something to wear for tomorrow!
No, I'm not gonna iron a shirt!

SSSSSuper sunday!

I only call it that, cause I'm wondering how much longer I can work like crazy around the house on my one day off a week!? (And stay sane!? Too Late!)
Last weekend, the kids & I went camping!
Ray didn't want to come and by the second day I was thinking there was a method to his madness! OK, it wasn't that bad.
We went (again) to Hilliards Bay, to Wayne & Elaines'. Rays sister Marlene and her husband Randy were there too!
Went fishing once Saturday afternoon. So, games were played.

This is Kendras "I hate it when I'm not prepared" face! She sang for us....hey I didn't ask, it was Marlene!

Sunday it was windy, so we never went fishing until about supper time!
Then we ALL caught a fish! I never thought to take a picture in the boat when Kendra & Jason caught theirs, so I asked at the fish cleaning stand if they wanted to hold one for a picture.
First the instructions on how to hold it:

Then, and I must tell you, this lovely photo was taken

after a LOT of these! hahahahaha

Jason read a lot

Paul Bunyon was there

Fun was had by all! Well I haven't asked anyone, but I had a great time.
We came home to find that Ray had planted the forest I had brought from moms!
So we had the Great Grandpa & Grandma Extravaganza at the lodge on Friday night.
Today was Grandparents Day.
We had a campfire sing a long

And a lot of other shananigans! Hopefully fun was had by all, cause only 17 participated! Darn rights I'm counting!

So anyhoo, last night when I got home from my other job, I mowed ALLL the grass! Cause that's it, mower's getting put in the shed, and the snow blower will be parked in the woodshed in it's place!
Today, I got supper ready, did laundry, hung it out, whipper snipped for 2.5 hours....you heard me...two and a half hours.....with the gas guzzling Stihl that will go back tomorrow! It was sent out to be fixed, cause I couldn't start it, and it was some kind of spark arrester in the muffler. Well since it wouldn't start, I guess they thought it should run...really fast! OK, Ray says the idle is set too high, but I even had to shut it off to get the string to come out!
Then it just quit, and I cussed it out....and had to take it all back when I realized it had run out of gas! They use every drop...it was dry as a bone!
It was another hot day too! I BBQed for the second day in a row, and while supper was cooking, the dog and I fought over the little bit of shade the clothes on the line were providing!
Kalen & Jason came out again.
Ray had brought over the rest of the siding for the poor shed that's sat half naked in the yard for, oh I don't know....3 years. So I said lets put it on. 3 sides are done, just the front, and fascia, etc. isn't on. Note to self, always start at the front! Then it will look done!
He's built some more shelves in the shed, cause the pump house needs cleaned out, and new insulation etc. before winter.
Thursday, he said that Ronny had told him it was going to freeze. So we picked the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and peppers. I said, "I don't know what Ronny was listening to, cause I never heard the "F" word!" And it hasn't.....yet.
Well better go iron a shirt, the accountants are coming to my other job tomorrow....sure I'll still wear jeans, but I should iron a shirt!