We aren’t what we ought to be. We aren’t what we’re going to be. We aren’t what we want to be. But, thank God, we aren’t what we were. - Anonymous

Ok, got a minute....haha, you know this post will be anything but short!
Got home yesterday at 1:30 pm.
Yeah, got up in the middle of the night to leave Rocky Mountain House!
The roads for 2 days in 2 provinces were skating rinks for a ways!
The first accident, in B.C.

There's a semi on the left, behind the one you see, sucked up against the mountain, and those people are picking up his load of plywood!

This next one was in Alberta.

I'm thinking that trucker on the left; his second trailor went to pass him and swatted the pickup on the right into the ditch!
Good thing the cops were busy while I was driving & taking pictures!
Pretty sure that qualifies as 'distracted driving'!
When I got home, I did 4 loads of laundry, installed a motion light, emptied my vehicle, got the 3 windows on the outside that I'd missed, and helped Ray unload a load of wood!
I'm so tired!

The drive to moms was beautiful!
There's snow on the mountains.....

but the leaves were still on the trees!

These next 2 are in my moms yard!

Kalen planted this following tree on the right when he was about 15!

These next pictures were a yard we saw in Creston!

We went around the corner, and saw this yard!

We helped the G-ma cross 3 or 4 things off her list!

But here she is on her roof!

YIKES!

I volunteered, then volunteered Kalen, but she said that she'd have to come up and show us what she wanted done anyway.............YOI!

And look what I got in my travels!

Gloves!

Apparently the kids in the USA work harder than the women in Canada, cause I have a heck of a time finding gloves that fit!

We introduced Kalen to second hand stores....he was impressed!

Especially when his mother got a set of 11 dinner plates for $2.75! hahahaha

6 were porcelain, and 5 were Noritaki!

We hung out with family & friends, made new friends, shopped, etc.!

I had a van load coming home, but only apples, pears, & peppers to do something with, and I'll be starting that tomorrow after work!

I had an amazing surprise at my moms at Monday!

There was a lady loitering by the fence!

AND OMG IT WAS MY BLOG FRIEND MYRNA!

We had a wonderful; albeit short visit, and I hope to do it again sometime!

Hi Myrna!

It really was great to meet you!

It was even made funnier because we're both from Alberta!

So, I gotta go...here's what my desk looks like!

Blurry picture and all!

Gonna clean it off so I can do something!

Talk to ya later!

Ta ta for now!

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.-Zig Ziglar

Well, I've certainly been motivated this last week or so!
Hang on to your hats, it's gonna be a bumpy ride, cause it's probably the last time I'll talk to you until I get home!
The O/S got leave, so meeting him at the g-ma's!
I'm leaving Friday!

The potatoes are dug, the lawn mower's put away, the snow blower is out (Did I say the S word outloud?), went to the hair dresser Saturday; so when Curt makes a comment about my hair, I'LL KNOW IT LOOKS GOOD!, and I'm packing my bag!
I know Friday is 3 sleeps, but I got stuff to do!
And the 3 windows that aren't done? Might not get done...........
We've been hauling wood.
Here's a couple pictures of the place from the back 40!

We're hauling the wood from our backyard! hahahaha

First we have to cut it down.

Here's Ray eyeballing a tree.

And here it goes!

He cuts it up, we load up the wagon behind the pickup; I bring the quad & wagon, and toss odd branches & crooked pieces in it!

I'm SO over being stiff!

I did say, "Why don't we do this once a week in the summer, then the woodshed would be full!?"

Here are the treats I made for my stamp club Thursday night.

That's a little busy with the wall hanging behind...so here ya go!

In my best Halloween dish! (Plastic from the $ store!)

There's a small chocolate bar, and small bag of Cheezies in each!

I got the inspiration for this cute little bag here!

And remember this post?

About the wedding card, with the gift card holder!?

Gift card I made here!?

Well it's OCTOBER people!

So I made some Cranberry muffins, from homemade cranberry sauce...

I know, I know, I'm such an over acheiver!

Then I made some of these.....!

Gumdrops!

I got the recipe here!

Of course I made orange & (I tried for) black for Halloween, threw in a jar of homemade Strawberry jam, Halloween treats & called it good!

I'm delivering it tomorrow on my way to work!

I say I tried for black, but there's not a black food coloring, so they're a really wonky dark greeny/blue,  they are licorice flavored, so I should be forgiven!

And I didn't have orange extract, so I used lemon...I'm hoping the color throws them off!

HA!

I've also rounded up the last 3 people needed to work the casino between Christmas & New Years for friends of the Library!

I called our president to tell her she could sleep at night cause we had enough volunteers, and she called me a 'good friend'!

You bet I'm patting myself on the back!

It'll last until I p*$$ her off again, and she'll want to unfriend me!

I've got AVON to sort & deliver tomorrow night, and dinner out with the GF's, then stamp club Thursday! And Friday about noon, I'm off!

Better go!

We're still crazy/busy at work!

I don't know what's going on!

There's usually a lull after the spraying & farming until the end of November, but we're just moving right along!

Oh yeah, farming isn't done for a lot of people.

Talk to ya later!

Behave while I'm away!

Ta ta for now!

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round-October Challenge

OK, we all know that there's another "holiday" in October and that's Halloween. So... your Christmas cards this month need to have at least one of what are considered Halloween colours (orange, green, purple, black). We'd also like to see a punch or die cut somewhere on your card and this can mean regular punches, Spellbinders dies, border punches, something that was purchased pre-done, etc!

These are my cards for the October Challenge at CCAYR!
I was going for elegant; think I missed!
Put vellum over the 'Black' horrors snowflake to tone it down.
Had to sew on my lace & pearl ribbon cause it wouldn't stick.
And, embossing on vellum is not easy!

The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of good ideas.-Linus Pauling

I just don't know where to start.
There's no 'normal' at my house!
Kids were home on the weekend.
Here's Vanessa, ready to go quading.

We had awesome food, and got a lot of work done!

Winterized the camper, folded & put away tarps, planted a shrub, etc., etc.!

Visited and laughed!

Here's one of the things we laughed about.

Vanessa's footwear!

Here's what she brought me (said it was from Kalen for doing the house)!

Isn't it A-MAZ-ING!

I LOVE IT!

It's been another crazy week, even though it's been a short one!

I went out for dinner with the GF's last night instead of making salsa.

I came home with salsa as my mission.

The bags of cat food were still on the step, so I delivered them to each shed, fed the cats & put the food in the containers.

Fed Shadow.

Put wood in the outdoor furnace....yeah, it's running already...gonna be a long winter!

Gave a lot of the trees & shrubs a pail of water, then emptied the 250 gallon (or whatever) water tank.

I came in, and dealt with the left over turkey....it's in the freezer, it will be soup this weekend!

I then put ALL my tomatoes, skinned and not into freezer bags, and hauled them out to the freezer.

I did the dishes & thought about baking for the Open House at the library tomorrow night.......and that's all I did! Thought about it!

Decided I took my Silent Auction item in today, I shouldn't have to donate an item & baking!

So tomorrow night I'll stop at the library, bid on a few things, play nice with everyone for about 45 minutes, then I'm going with some GF's to the movie!

It's THE HELP!

Got one more busy weekend then next Friday I'm off to my mother's to meet with the O/S!

Hopefully by the time I come home, the woodshed will be full! hahahahaha

Like it will do that by itself!

Been working on a few projects, one Christmas related, and one Halloween!

Better go, talk to ya later!

Ta ta for now!

The only way to pass any test is to take the test.- Anonymous

I'm having a beverage!
Today was the first time in a week I've been home while it's still light out!

Kalens' house is sparkling from top to bottom!
Next time I gotta do that, the soldier will be taking leave!
I hired a girl to help, and she went through a 6 pack of paper towel, 2 bottles of Fantastik, a bottle of Windex, a can of Comet, 1/2 a bottle of Sparkle( the evil toilet bowl cleaner), and I don't think she used any water on her rags I took her at all!
Saturday I picked her up and we were at the house by 9:00am.
We worked (well I did!) until 7:00pm.
I picked up the vinyl tile to do the entry.....$100.00 for 14 boxes....garage sale!
When Kalen moved in; we ripped out the cat pee carpet, and it's been cement ever since.
Sunday, I laid tile. It's 120 sq. ft.
Here's some pics.
Do ya know ya start in the middle? (I'm a girl...I read the directions!)

This is one whole box!

3 to go!

Dun!

I don't know how many hours later!

Notice my knee pads in the previous picture!

Monday, my knees looked like this!

I WAS wearing those knee pads!!

Swollen; with what looked like rug burn, and water blisters!

Which only got worse as the week went on!

My knees have been gauzed and taped for days.....so they don't rub on my jeans!

GAWD! The things I do for the children!

Monday, I cleaned!

Tuesday I told 'the help' she was done, and for pizza and a beer  a GF and I put the trim in the entry!

Which entailed wearing the knee pads again!

I told Kalen I didn't care if he didn't like it!

He said it looked "awesome"!

Even from this distance, I can strike fear in the heart of my children!

Ray had to do the carpets on Wednesday, cause when I was leaving Kalens' house Tuesday I bent over to pick something up, and there went the back!

Don't worry, I'm hopped up on pain killers, and anti inflamitories (the good ones)

hmmmm,

maybe I should rethink the beverage....NOT!

Vanessa & Shawn are coming tomorrow; we're having turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving my Canadian peeps!

I've already made the potatoes, cranberries, and my famous Double Layer Pumpkin Pie.

Oh all right! I'll put the recipe at the end!

I'm still going to cut up the onions & celery for the stuffing when I'm done talking to you!

Haven't been home for a week, and my house is a disaster...oh well, the girl can clean it!

We've been really busy at work too.....oh yeah, we've got a website!

Nothing like plugging the great white north!

http://www.buchinski.ca/

It needs some work, but we're getting there!

I've been checking out your blogs & stuff from work when I get a minute! Hahaha!

Usually at lunch, I snack at my desk.

I can show this card now....she got it in the mail today!

I'll let you try & guess who it was for!

Her favorite color is pink, and she doesn't do Halloween!

The inside says 'Ghouls just wanna have fun'.

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

Gingersnap crust:

1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs (I scrunched cookies up in the food processor)

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

1 TBSP. Sugar

Spread in bottom and up the sides of pie plate.

1/2 package of cream cheese

1 TBSP. each milk & sugar

1 1/2 cups whipped topping

Mix cream cheese, milk, & sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Spread on bottom of crust.

1 cup milk

2 cups canned pumpkin

2 packages instant vanilla pudding

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

Mix all together until well blended, about 3-4 minutes.

Pour over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

I slap some more whipped cream on top when I serve it!

Easy Peasy!

Better go, hopefully things will get back to normal (whatever that is) by about Sunday!

The weather's been crappy, but the farmers are back at it today!

Gotta go get my stuffing ready to be put in the bird tomorrow....I know you're not supposed to, but it's just better!

I tried to take a moon shot, but it wasn't quite dark.

But I did get a Halloweenie shot for you!

Can you guess what it is?

Hahahaha, ok, really I gotta go!

Hope you're all well!

Talk to ya later!

Ta ta for now!