Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

So Long Summer, I’m Sad to See You Go!

Today is the first day of school here in my little area of the world.  It doesn’t matter what I do I’m always nervous on the first day.  This year may be a bit different than most though, I’ve taught the better part of my class, either last year or three years ago, so I have a pretty good idea as to what I have to look forward to.

Of course with the first day of school comes the crashing end to summer and not just summer vacation.  The weather this past weekend was very much autumn-like with cooler temperatures and the sure sign that summer is coming to an end.  The leaves have started to change colours and are even starting to scatter the ground.  We have had a hotter than average summer, but I am honestly sad to see it go.  The long days of sunshine does a body and mind good.  I love the longer days, I’m more awake, I get more done.  With the end of summer comes the end of productivity.  Sounds pretty pathetic doesn’t it?  It’s true, especially once winter comes around.  I go into hibernation mode.  But we’re not quite there yet, so I have some hope left in me.

One thing I think I will miss most is all the time I have been able to spend bouncing through blogs, seeing what’s up in people’s lives, what people are creating, what people are sharing.  I found some really awesome blogs over the summer and I very much see my Reader being very full during the week.  I guess the good thing will be some relaxing time on the weekend getting caught up with everyone.

I am going to try and keep as caught up on my writing too. I have enjoyed writing as much as I have this summer.  It’s been very enjoyable for me.

It’s not all doom and gloom though.  I’m looking forward to this school year.  The group I have will be a bit of a challenge, half are in a testing year, half are in a different division (my split, crosses the line between junior and intermediate grades).

I’m looking forward to teaching what I have planned, it’s going to be a busy and exciting year.

I’m looking forward to the one field trip I have planned.

I’m looking forward to working with a new teacher at our school…it’s his first year with his own class and the enthusiasm is almost sickening, but also the most invigoratingly, positive attitude and you need that sometimes.

I’m looking forward to red and yellow leaves (although I’m not looking forward to clearing them off the yard).

I’m looking forward to snowy white fields (although not yet and not long).

I’m looking forward to watching my students grow into a new maturity (although the hormones can stay outside the door!).

I’m looking forward to Christmas presents being wrapped.

I’m looking forward to hanging with Hubby during his Christmas break.

I’m looking forward to the reading conference I’ve been doing to for four years, in February (already letting my principal know I’d like to attend a day…even though it’s NOT on a PD Day this year).

I’m looking forward to reading a few books over the coming months (I’m optimistic…hopefully 3 or 4, which is really quite sad).

I guess the end of summer isn’t so sad after all…I mean another one will come around again next year.  Right?

Another great Tuesday linkup or two…

We got back from our yearly NASCAR roadtrip yesterday to find…

That the raccoon had decided to take out my hummingbird feeders once and for all. The raccoon came for a late night visit several weeks ago and we hadn’t seen it since, but I guess with the dog visiting my in-laws the raccoon knew it was time to try again. The worst part…the stupid thing broke my favourite feeder. GRRRR! Stupid raccoon!

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This has been the year of the bugs inside my house and I am waiting now on the plague of locusts. We had ants back near the end of the winter. Near the end of June, early July it was earwigs – and the jut creeped the heck out of me. Now…it’s spiders! Oh my goodness the spiders. I came to the spider web (actually I think it was more than one) strung out the length of the bottom cupboards. It was just crazy! I had cleaned up all the webs and spiders (or so I thought) before we left so to come back to this many webs was a bit surprising. At least it was my friendly spider who resides outside the one window (I will share that one later…it’s HUGE!).

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I just came in from hanging out the first of many loads of laundry (the disadvantage to trailer camping as opposed to hotel…no one to clean your towels) and there is this crazy bird out there. I can’t see the thing, but I can sure as heck hear it! The bird keeps screeching like mad whenever I am out there.

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The animals seemed to have a great visit with the in-laws. The dog didn’t seem to like being dropped off this time – which also happened to be the first time she’s been there since the in-laws dog died. )Perhaps there is a connection there.) The cat, she apparently got on perfectly fine with my in-laws cat and only snarled once at my FIL. This is a much better track record. Her hind legs though, are still pretty bald! She took to licking them excessively a few weeks ago now – I thought it was a reaction to a new sample food but perhaps now. She looks absolutely ridiculous too! At least she’s not licking them raw now, so it’s not as bad as it was.

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I almost forgot about the mouse. There was one that decided to take up residence in our trailer and I thought I had gotten rid of it – dryer sheets to run it off seemed to be working, except for when you are trying to get said trailer ready and you take them out. Now, we’re not sure if the mouse travelled with us, or if we picked one up on our trip. Both Hubby and I think it came with us. Needless to say I was less than impressed when I opened a drawer I had cleaned to see dropping in said drawer. I ended up buying some new silverware because disinfecting is a little hard when you’re camping. But the topper…going out in the trailer last night when we got home to see droppings in the kitchen sink. I can only imagine what this mouse had been going through riding around in the trailer as we bumped down the road. Perhaps we scared it off, but something tells me that’s not so. So…it goes the dryer sheets again…just as soon as I finish clearing everything out and cleaning up all the newly left gifts.

So what about you…anything random to talk about this week? Well, why don’t you join in on the fun. Or perhaps stop by and see what others are writing about.

So this past weekend was the 40th Biennial Family Reunion of Hubby’s mother’s family, and…it rain! And rained. And rained some more. I gotta tell you though that it didn’t make that big of a difference in the festivities. The food was plenty and then some. I cheated, sort of, and bought these freakin’ awesome ginger snaps, because I wasn’t turning on the oven this week with the heat (okay fine, I was being lazy…it was actually cool for a few days). I did however decorate them!

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I’ve also spent a bunch of time getting our trailer ready to go for our yearly trip to Michigan. Yep, if you haven’t picked up on it, we are a NASCAR family. Yep, it’s completely against the environment. Yep, the cars go around in circles (well ovals) for hours. Yep, there are a lot of drunk people (we are actually not among that group…I can’t stand the taste and Hubby just can’t be bothered). But you know what, it’s bloody AWESOME. There’s just something different about being at the track. Not to mention it’s a few days for Hubby to sit and relax…no working on the garage, no working on the truck, no working at all. Although what’s really funny…he does a lot of the cooking. He doesn’t cook all that often at home, but when we’re gone, he cooks. So, it’s a nice break from cooking for yours truly.

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With our trip this weekend comes the end of summer for me. When we get back I’ll likely head into the school for a day or so to get things set up for September. It may seem really early to some but I want to get everything set up before everyone else is coming in and wanting to chat. We also have PD Days before the Labour Day weekend, so there won’t be much time to set up the classroom during that week.

I’m one of these people who would really like year round schooling. I’m ready to go back, sort of. I’m still hoping to win the lottery this Friday – $50 million, not that I need anywhere near that much, but let’s be honest, I’d happily take it!

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This has been one of the hottest summers in years. Since Mother Nature and I don’t have a great relationship most of the year – too cold, too wet, too snowy. I’m not easy to please when it comes to weather apparently. Well, let me be honest here, I really haven’t had much to complain about this summer. Mother Nature has treated us well. Thank You. (Now watch, it will probably snow next week just to make me bite my tongue for even putting this down here).

There is absolutely no randomness to this post today.

I don’t know what’s going on this summer here in Ontario, but it seems not a week goes by when there isn’t a drowning story on the news.  As a matter of fact with the number of drownings I could almost say that there doesn’t seem to be a day go by with out this being a news story.  So far, since the spring there have been 43 drownings (as for July 29…and we have  a long weekend coming up).  43!  That is just far too many!

It’s been children, it’s been adults.  Drowning does not discriminate.  They have all been accidental, although for the most part preventable.

Parents do not take your eye off your child when they are near the water…any water.  It doesn’t take but a few inches of water to drown a person.  Put them in a lifejacket.  Teach them the basics on how to swim.  Take the steps required so as not to add another person to this list.

If you’re a non-swimmer, take lessons, it’s never to late to learn to swim.  Where your lifejacket when you’re out in a boat!  Don’t be stupid, just wear the damn thing if you can’t swim.  I don’t care how uncool you may think you look.  It’s better to look stupid than to be dead!

It always drove me nuts when I was working at daycamps and sleep-away camps and the staff didn’t wear their lifejackets in the canoes and kayaks.  I was there to set an example and I always wore my lifejacket, it didn’t matter how warm it was outside or how ugly the jacket may have been.

A lifejacket sitting in a boat doesn’t do you any good if you boat goes over and you can’t swim.  Exactly how are you going to get that jacket on while trashing around for dear life.  The jacket sitting in the boat also doesn’t help you if you are hit on the head when being thrown out of the boat.  It’s pretty hard to swim when you are unconscious.

One of the drowning victims was out with his children.  He drown and this children (thankfully) were found floating around in the lake hours after the fact.  They had their lifejackets on.  The father was smart enough to put a jacket on this kids, but not himself?  Doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever.  I cannot even imagine what it was like for the kids, the oldest being 10.  Those children are going to remember that forever, FOREVER!

I’m going to be blunt when I say I don’t get parents who won’t/don’t put their children in some sort of swim lessons just because they, themselves are not swimmers.  How does that make any sense?  You don’t swim, so your children don’t swim!  HUH?!  How does that make any sense? Find a way, get your kids some lessons, have them learn the basics, do something.

I can swim, although if I’m honest, I’m not the strongest swimmer anymore – I don’t get to swim 3 days a week like I used to.  Either way, I wear my jacket out in the boat, I just don’t want to take the risk, my life is worth more than that.

Another thing you can and should do, especially if you are a nonswimmer.  Go into the water with your lifejacket on.  Go out to shoulder depth and then…lift your feet. Yes, lift them.  You need to realize that your jacket can and will hold you up if you do end up in the water.  When you can’t swim and you end up in water over your head you are still going to panic, especially when you realize your jacket can and does move around a little bit – especially if you are wearing those gawd awful orange ones that are very boxy.  They will ride up.  You need to hold onto the shoulder area and relax (I know kinda hard to do when you can’t swim!).

I’m speaking for experience.  I have worked as a lifeguard/swim instructor.  I have also watched Hubby unexpectedly get dumped in his kayak and panic because of the lifejacket moving.  I ended up getting Hubby a better fitting jacket to make him more comfortable in the water.  And the first thing we did with the new jacket (and I wished I had done with the other one)…got him in the pool and told him to lift his legs.  I admit it was priceless to see him bobbing around realizing he was being kept up by the jacket.  And the next thing we/he did…he took off the jacket and asked me how to swim.  And then he practiced a bit.  It was an ugly dog paddle, but he was trying nonetheless.

It’s never too late to learn…and please, please, be safe by the water.

Yep, that’s what it is.  I’m having one of those days.  I have no desire to do much of anything.  It’s not like I had a bad night sleep or anything, although I didn’t turn the fan on and I do wish I had, I’ve been sleeping better with the air moving.  But lack of sleep doesn’t explain the ugh of today.

We were busy yesterday that’s for sure.  It started off with making a pasta salad, that I found out hours later I didn’t actually need to make – or so I was told after I made it.  But…people enjoyed it and I came home with none so that’s good.

After the pasta salad, we had a funeral to go to.  Losing track of time didn’t help us, but we managed to get there with second to spare.  And weren’t the last ones to arrive.

Then it was back home to cut some peppers and make some dip for the BBQ we were going to.

The BBQ was great.  Had fun with my cousin, her kids and husband and my aunt, uncle.  There were many others there, but before others arrived this is who we hung out with.  I ate, and ate and ate – lots of veggies and dip, a maybe a few desserts.

Just before it was too dark to go, we went out for a bit of a kayak.  It was great.  The lake was incredibly smooth.  It wasn’t too hot.  It was just perfect for paddling.  We finally thought better of it and got off the water before it became too dark to see us.  I did have a beacon on the back of my jacket, but still.

We didn’t even get home overly late.  As a matter of fact I was in bed by midnight.

And today…nothing, that’s about what I’ve accomplished.

Okay, maybe not nothing.  I did get a Christmas gift almost made (it will be finished by the end of the day, but the NASCAR race took over), I did get a load of laundry done.  Maybe a bit of vacuuming.  I did get a bit of work done in the trailer (NASCAR weekend i a few).  But really, I haven’t done a whole heck of a lot.

The kitchen…it’s a mess!

My craft/computer room…don’t even ask.  It’s still usable though.

My vehicle…I did get some stuff out of it, but the half case of Gatorade is still in there (the other half went in the trailer).

And dinner…I’m trying to figure out if I have enough desire to go to town and get dinner.  Otherwise, it’s 4:36 pm and I have no idea what to make.

Yep, yesterday was great and busy.

But today, well today is just one of those days.

Fresh burgers, potato salad and dessert.

Hanging out with family and friends.

Just having fun and enjoying myself.

See relatives I don’t see often (enough).

Maybe a bit of swimming around.

Probably some kayaking around the lake.

Taking lots of pictures of everyone.

Yep, sounds like a good day!

I hope you’ll stop by and visit some of the other people participating in 6 Word Saturday.

I need to play a little more with night photography…or at least remember to bring my tripod.

Also being linked up here and here, among other places that I really need to remember to copy over to here.

I hope you’ll join in on the fun. I got to visit about half of the people who linked up last week…thanks for linking!

My little area of the world has been under a heatwave for a week now. Just over a week ago our daytime temp reached a high, A HIGH of 14C.  Yes, that’s a little cool for around these parts, especially for the end of June.  I wasn’t complaining though, I’d much rather have to add a layer or wear jeans, as opposed to trying to figure out how to stay cool when really that seems to be impossible.

The only heatwave we had last summer was when Hubby and I were on our roadtrip to Daytona Beach and Atlanta.  We expected the heat there and actually relished in it.  I mean we planned mini golf in 36C temperatures and didn’t bat an eye.  But back home, the AC didn’t even get turned on, heck it didn’t even get put in the window last summer.  So, this past week has been a little unexpected and well, HOT!

Monday I took the dog in to my parents for a swim.  Last summer was so blah that I didn’t take her in once, I didn’t even feel the need to go in the water.  After an hour of playing catch and swimming she was finally tired.  I say finally because really, my dog is never, NEVER tired.  She was so tired that when I took her out to the end of the dock so I could finally dunk myself, she wouldn’t even jump off the end to join me, she just gave me a pathetic don’t leave me look.  Not only do we have heat, we also have humidity that is building with each passing day.  Four hours after the swim and some of her fur was still so wet that my hand was soaking when I touched it.  Just a bit of humidity!

Yesterday, while Mom and I were making our second trip across the border in less than two weeks the temp topped out at 35C. That’s just plain crazy around here.  It wasn’t too bad though, the car had AC, the stores had AC and at Mom’s insistence we parked as close to the doors as possible.  Granted, at times that was not good enough – Mom wished that Target had valet parking at one point.  BTW, the shopping was great and I didn’t even really blow my budget, which was even better. Okay, I blew it a little, but I finally found golf shoes that fit and that I liked… sandals actually.

We did drive through one are on the way home where in a matter of a minute the temp dropped 9C and the rain came pouring down.  Nothing like going from 110 KPH to 80 KPH is the blink of an eye.  Mom flipped on the four ways while I tried to find the road and avoid other cars.  It was raining that hard and that fast at one point.  We drove under a bridge where heading into it wasn’t too bad (it was raining hard) but on the other side (I’m talking four lane bridge here) it was like you drove through a waterfall, it was raining that much harded (yes, it’s a word in my world).   I also got to experience my first hydroplane there was so much water on the highway.  Just a bit of a rush, but it wasn’t too bad.  Less than five minutes up the road the temperature was back up in the 30s and we needed the AC again.  It’s crazy how those storms can make such an impact.

It doesn’t look like today is going to be any better.  I definitely see another trip into my parents with the dog.  Both of us need it.  All in all, I’m not a huge fan of this type of heat – hot and dry is one thing, but hot an oppressive humidity is another.  The cold seems all but gone until I step outside.  There’s a reason the health officials are warning people with breathing problems to stay inside.  I wasn’t outside anymore than the time it took me to grab a few things out of the car and walk to the end of the driveway to get the mail and my lungs are all raspy sounding again.  Despite this, we’ll go swimming, we need to cool down somehow.

My real concern in this heat, well other than the heat…the actual weather.  The have been forecasting rain since Monday to break this heatwave and with each passing day we haven’t seen it.  (The rain I drove through yesterday was 2 hours from here).  We haven’t been seeing the rain, which means the humidity keeps building.  When the humidity builds and the temps are high that usually only means on thing – bad weather to follow!    It’s been just over two weeks since a tornado hit close to home, I’m not sure those people are ready for another potential storm…let alone this heat.  (I have nothing to complain about in comparison, that’s for sure!)

I guess there is also the possibility of another Black Out!

Update: The heat broke this afternoon.  It is glorious outside and you can actually get out there and do something!  It’s just fabulous!

Thank you for your patience…I’ve been too tired, too busy and not home to be able to post over the past few days.

It’s the last day of school for the kids today and boy oh boy is everyone ready for it.  I have to go in again tomorrow and finish up but it should be a pretty easy day.  I also have a few students coming in to help me out.  How crazy is that…they are willingly coming in on the first day of their summer holidays.  Gotta love them.

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I finally got my US shopping itch resolved this weekend.  I wasn’t planning on going until later this week but when my mom called asking if I wanted to go on a roadtrip to drop off my brother and sister-in-law I really couldn’t say no.  Beside she paid for the gas and the hotel! I definitely scored there.

I couldn’t believe how quiet it was going over the border.  There was one car in front of us going in and four or five coming home.  It took less than 15 minutes to come back.  And I learned something coming back.  Aside from never admit to bringing back dairy products…don’t ask, how of all the stuff I brought back cheese and yogurt were the two things I mentioned.  And my mom…she told the guys she brought back…butter!  So I learned that we can only bring $20 worth of dairy products back during a visit.  Good to know, but also kinda sucks.  Milk is so much cheaper, like half the price.  So is cheese.  And we don’t have Yoplait yogurt up here and I LOVE the Key Lime flavour!

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Sometimes it pays to complain on Twitter about the service of a company.  I posted a tweet about the bad service, well actually it was refusal of service – because it was too close to closing (10 minutes from) at New York Fries.  Guess what?  They started following me and asked me to follow back so they could get more information.  I feel for the poor girl who refused to serve us…I highly doubt she’ll have expected me to post on Twitter, let alone have someone from the company ask for more info.  I don’t think she’ll know what hit her, but I bet she’ll just make the fries next time.  (I only made a stink about it because my sister-in-law is allergic to just about everything and it was the only thing she could eat.)

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I’m somewhat disappointed to be Canadian after this weekends G summits.  The G8 appeared to go off without a hitch or so much as a protestor.  The same can’t be said about the events in Toronto.  As a matter of fact on the way home from Niagara Falls we saw the caravan of buses flying down the highway.  Little did we realize until the 11 p.m. news that the buses were full of police officers being brought in as back up.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out this little video.  I’ll take a bit of comfort in knowing that some of the more aggressive protestors weren’t even Canadian.

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I’m looking forward to the summer break…a bit of Key Lime yogurt and a long weekend with the Hubby!

Won’t you join in on the weekly Tuesday random ramblings…or check out what others are rambling on about.

Just a simple post to wish my dad a Happy Father’s Day!

That would be my dad on the left.  He has the ability to talk to anyone and everyone and it’s a fabulous trait to have (at least as far as I am concerned).

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!