Weekly Musings of the 29th

I started writing this blog early this morning but got called away as we cleaned and rearranged the livingroom.  It kind of snowballed as we went along and now it is late afternoon and I am just now getting back to my writing.  

Hubby and I had decided that this year's birthdays and Christmas presents were going to be a loveseat recliner and rocker recliner to replace the most uncomfortable full size couch and chair we had ever owned.  We lasted a bit over five years with them but our backs and hips could no longer stand it and so we went shopping.  We always do our bigger shopping as our gifts and we really don't need anything so it makes it really hard to shop for each other, a house gift such as couches, etc. makes a great gift to each other.  Most years there is nothing we need for the house but as the old couch and chair got harder to sit in the more it became clear that we needed to do something about it.  

The Brick had a really good sale on the items that were not part of a set although they look very similar, they aren't.  Since we couldn't pass up the great price of them.  Both were less than the cost of one couch.  So, Christmas will be stockings and a nod to our livingroom changes.  Of course that meant we had to rearrange the livingroom because... well.... we just had to - LOL.  

The first rocker recliner that came on Tuesday with the loveseat was actually broken and would not recline.  The Brick was very good about it, arranging that we would get a new one on Friday, so we kept the rocker that would not recline until they came with a new one, took the broken away and put the new one in place.  The one delivery guy noticed that we had switched things around since they had been here on Tuesday and commented it looked good.  

Well, it did expose a new hitch that the cable plug that we used to have the internet attached to was not working.  A quick call put in a check and he saw it was no longer connected so a work ticket is set up for after the long weekend.  Until then we plugged it back in across the floor and put tape down so we would not trip until the other plug is fixed and we can have it back against the wall once more.   There is always little hiccups in life so no big deal.  

I did work on another puzzle this week while hubby had fun working on his train set.  I think it is perfect that both of us are rediscovering our hobbies besides reading. 

I also started one of the on-line courses I wanted to take.  As I expected it went on sale in the month of August from $34 to $15 so being 21 lessons I thought it was very much worth the cost.  

 What an eye-opener this course is.  A lot I knew was society shoveling it deep but actually discovering the facts over the fiction has been refreshing.  The great part is there is a great deal of information that if you wish you can go look at the sources yourself and see where it comes from.  It isn't debunked because we said so but here are the sources of why it the lie is a lie. 

Nice thing of the courses is that you can keep the transcript by downloading a PDF so that if in the future you need to refer to it, it is yours to keep.  

One of the many courses offered by Good Catholic I have never been disappointed by any of the series that they offer and always learn something new. 

So, that was the week that was!

Have a wonderful Labour Day Weekend!

 

Weekly Musings of the 22nd

 

Another week behind us.  I started off this week visiting an old friend of my father's.  She had a carving that my father made and wanted to return it to me.  I was very pleased with the thought as none of the figures that he carved had survived over the years.  Given, forgotten or lost.  My sister may have one but I hadn't so getting the first one he ever made was pretty nice.  I went over in the morning and we had a lovely visit and when the time came for me to head home again I did promise I would come again in September because it was so nice to chat with someone who remembers the things I remember about our home town when it was busy and full of businesses and activities.  

It is a cute, quirky little figure and I was happy to put her in a place she could be seen.  Dad used to carve them while he watched his hockey games.  I think it was to keep him awake as he would fall asleep so quickly watching TV.  Over time he got pretty good at it but this first one has become my favourite.  

Hubby spent most of the week working on his bedroom.  He wanted to raise the bed frame and sand it down as well.  

He arranged the pictures and items he liked and chose and worked hard to make the bed frame more the height he needed it to be.  

 I had wondered if he wanted a bigger bed but he said no, that he was really happy with his bed and it was just the way he wanted it and it made room for his model train work too.  That was the promise we had made to each other.  Our rooms could be and have whatever we wanted no questions asked.  

Me, I wanted my queen size bed and I wanted some changes in the pictures plus some things that were just me.  

One was a bedspread that was more me and bringing my Nancy Drew collection into my space too.  We are both really happy with our own rooms and hubby really is enjoying working on his favourite hobby once more. 

As hubby worked on his room I worked on another puzzle. 

One thing I have found is that I prefer 500 piece puzzles.  The days of enjoying 2,000 or 1,000 are past.  They were okay but working on the smaller ones gives me more pleasure.  I tucked a few on my wish lists for future projects - LOL.

This brand of puzzle had one huge challenge.  The complete picture is not on the lid of the box.  They have a few very tiny images on the side but the detail that you want to see is missing.  I found it on the internet and printed the picture in order to work on it.  These are the DiXit collection so if you ever see these ones, you may find yourself needing to find a bigger picture to work with.

Anyway, that was our week of visits and hobbies and making our rooms our own.

  

Have a great weekend. 

Weekly Musings of the 15th

 

So another week flew by and I blinked and nearly missed it - LOL.  Well, I did get to meet up with my girlfriend and catch up once more.  We usually meet at the Gibbled Goose almost halfway between us but since they didn't have A/C we decided to try another place in the same town - Swazzee.  Funny thing was as we had decided this a notice came up in my FB feed that the Gibbled Goose had sold their business and is closing their doors today.  That was a surprise but I do find that many people that opened a family business when they get to the age of retirement their children really don't want to take the business on and so the only thing one can do is sell up the business and close down.  

We did have a lovely meal at Swazzee and are happy that this can be our go-to place and that their fries and gravy are the kind that my sister will like when she comes to visit.  BFF and I caught up on all our interesting stuff and musings, usually it takes only about 20 minutes or so to enjoy the meal and 2 hours to 3 hours to chat about everything.  

The same day was Tigger's 12th birthday. 

So on the way home I picked up a DQ cake which she loves to share with hubby.  He has a way of sharing a spoon with her that keeps her from getting too much of a good thing.  

She was a pretty content old lady, 12 years being 64 in cat years.  She was named Tigger for her bouncyness when she was young but that has gone a bit by the wayside now.  She use to jump halfway up a wall to reach the red dot, I don't think she can manage any big jump now.  

She does love to sleep holding her favourite toy we call her Eboo, it is stuffed with cat nip inside which I can change for fresh as it gets stale.  After her birthday cake she was happy to have a nap with it. 

The next day we took our drive to the reserve to fill up the car and for other purchases.  I love to check out the gas prices on the way - the most expensive was $1.39.9 per litre, the next in the town close to the reserve was $1.29.9 and finally at our favourite place on the reserve was $1.11.1 per litre.  Filling our little car only costs $25.00 each month so very much worth the drive there and back.  

The heat has finally lifted in the night which is wonderful.  Still hot during the day but at least we can easily open the windows at night and let cooler air in.  

Last week I told you about the 2 book series that I really hope goes to many more which started with Jonah.  

Once more the author does an amazing job telling the story of Elijah.  I just enjoyed reading every page. 

'Elijah: Fire from Heaven is a cinematic, faith-filled novel that brings one of the Bible’s most powerful stories to life—Jezebel’s palace intrigue, betrayal, miracles, and a battle between light and darkness.

“Barbera brings the prophet Elijah to life with intensity and depth. This isn’t just a biblical tale—it’s a sweeping historical narrative that reads like a movie. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended for fans of biblical fiction and epic storytelling.”'

Just as it says above in the blurb written on Amazon, I couldn't put it down either.  Just another great read.

I really do hope that there are more books coming in this series. 

And so that was it for me this week and here comes another weekend ahead and I wish you all a great one!

Weekly Musings of the 8th

 

My friend and I always say good morning to each other and several mornings she sent me this greeting, I just loved it so much I just had to add to the blog.

So on Saturday we went over to the Friendship Festival in the park. It was a lot of fun listening to the music, looking at all the things the vendors brought as well as enjoying the food. It is really like a mini fair, with all that is missing is rides but one never know, they might do that too in the future. Just a few pictures of the event.

Hubby is really enjoying a room of his own and now setting up a table that he made for a small train set. Tigger always watches the trains as he runs them. We went to another train shop but although their stock of model railway stuff was really huge. It was all new stuff, no starter kits or older items and the staff really were no help if you were needing advise on what would work best. Hubby asked about a car to be similar to the one in his hand and the person just kinda waved him off and said she would have to look it up and then never did. Construction in the town of Paris or not, we will go there in the future to the hobby shop that was a great help in the past. Just thought with this shop being closer it might be easier but lack of service kinda made it not worth the saving of time.

While he was having a good time with the train set up I finished up a puzzle I had been working on. It was a challenge but fun all the same.  Including trying to get it to turn right side up here but you can see what it was. - LOL

On my morning walk I went by our church and saw how beautiful the petunias are in such a lovely pink. The walks in the morning have contiued to be cooler than the previous week but I am sure it is going to head back to hot, hazy and humid soon. We were lucky in our town that the smoke from the wildfires did not bother us as much as it did in the cities of Hamilton and Toronto.  

 

This building I walk by after enjoying the petunias and I was remembering when I was a girl was a convent and the sisters were the Sisters of St. Joseph. They not only had a convent here in Simcoe there was one in my home town of Delhi too. This one is now a group home I think.

Well, that was our quiet week as Back to School sales are now in full swing. These sales always remind me how happy I am that I am retired now and no longer need to prepare to head back to the office the week before the kids start.  

The book this week is part of a series that I really hope this author goes beyond just the 2 books.

'Jonah takes you on a miracle-filled journey from deep within the whale's belly over 500 war-torn miles and into the heart of ancient Nineveh. Here, the Bible’s most improbable hero discovers a path to redemption in a story of defiance, grace, and transformation.  Feel Jonah's love for his beloved Naomi and his best friend, Amos. Tremble before the King and Queen of Nineveh. Jonah In the Time of the Kings, gloriously unveils God's tender heart, a love that reaches the most broken of men, delivered by a prophet as flawed as he is extraordinary.'

Another wonderful book built on people of the old testament. Completely worth the read, 5 stars in my books.  

And so I wish you all a wonderful weekend and week ahead as I leave you with a smile.

 

Weekly Musings of the 1st

 

So, that ended up a 'no' on hubby's part to the queen mattress.  As the days went by it got a bit softer that hubby didn't like it.  He maintained that he likes his foam pad and that it was the best.  I had to remember what I keep telling myself over and over.  It is HIS room and HIS bed and he should have what he wants.  He also didn't want a queen bed.  So, there was some moving around.  I took the new Endy mattress and absolutely love it.  It is the kind of mattress I like and so out went my old mattress and then we booked an appointment with Got Junk to come and take away 2 single mattresses, two single box springs and one very heavy queen mattress.  

At first we thought Thursday would be good as it would give me a couple of nights on my new mattress just to be sure.  After those items were taken away then hubby could work on his bed frame to fit his mattress that was his choice not mine.  Sometimes I think we cause ourselves more problems assuming that a person wants this or that than just believing what they are telling us.  Anyway the pick up was booked on Tuesday for Thursday but then we got a text on Wednesday saying that they were in our town on that day and would we like to change our appointment, we didn't have to but we could, since I was still loving my new mattress we said yes.  They were there within 25 minutes and cleared out all the items, hubby's room was now pretty empty and he was pretty pleased to be able to get to work on his project to make his bed exactly what he wanted.  Not what I thought he wanted but remembering it was his first room of his very own.  The guys that did the work were really great and we can't say enough about that end of the business.  The cost, well, that was another story.  Let's just say I am really glad that we don't need to do that very often because it is expensive.  Almost half of what it would cost to move, well, maybe the last time we moved as I know moving has gotten way higher.  We just took it because it was still cheaper than buying another mattress and all that goes with it so it was still cheaper in the long run.  

Yup, it is a single and it is low to the ground but it is what hubby wanted and is very happy with it because his back it good with the foam mattress on a board.  He now says he is happy having more room to work on a train set up once more.

Oh, and the curtains we wanted came on a really great sale, I mean super great so we replaced all our curtains as you can see on hubby's window.  Listening to him, I know he wanted short curtains and of course, I wanted long so that is what we got.  These things have wonderful black out lining that really keeps the hot air out (I assume cold in the winter).  That really helped keep the place cooler this past heat wave.  BTW the blanket on the bed during the heat wave is only there during the day because it is Tigger's favourite blanket and as everyone knows she is the boss around here.

The boss

  So, the bedroom changes are nearly complete and both of us pretty happy about it.  I remember as a kid wondering how my grandparents could stand not being in the same bedroom anymore and now that hubby and I are in the age category now I know exactly why and it has nothing to do with how much one loves one another in fact it is a deeper love knowing that the love one will get much better sleep if one just let's go a little bit and listen to what the other person is saying.  And visiting it a lot of fun too - LOL.

The book this week is the last of the Wives of David trio. 

'Bathsheba is a woman who longs for love. With her devout husband away fighting the king's wars for many months at a time, discontent and loneliness dog her steps--and make it frighteningly easy to succumb to King David's charm and attention. Though she immediately regrets her involvement with the powerful king, the pieces are set in motion that will destroy everything she holds dear. Can she find forgiveness at the feet of the Almighty? Or has her sin separated her from God--and David--forever?

With a historian's sharp eye for detail and a novelist's creative spirit, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the passionate and emotional story of David's most famous--and infamous--wife. Smith uses her gentle hand to draw out the humanity in her characters, allowing readers to see themselves in the three-dimensional lives and minds of people who are often viewed in starkly moralistic terms. You will never read the story of David and Bathsheba in the same way again.'

That last line is really true as I had always pondered this story, wondering how could one do these things but as the author makes these flawed people come to life you can see how things could have unfolded that way.  After all we have all made choices that seemed necessary but was a big stumble in life.  Really worth a read, well all three in these series are worth it.  Five stars for sure. 

I also went back and started rewatching my most favourite show - The Chosen. 

Season 5 is out on Prime and I decided to start again at 1 and work my way through it.  If you haven't watched this show.  Do give it a try as it really gives a depth to the gospels.  Making the apostles real people with real flaws and the actor that plays Jesus is completely amazing in the role.  Matthew will become a favourite as well.  I read a post once that a teen who watched the series saw himself in Matthew and told his mother that Jesus loved Matthew and that means he can love him too, the teen thought he was too broken to be loved.  

And so that was our week of changes and reading and watching our favourite show.  

Long weekend here and so will be keeping out of stores for sure.  

Have a great one!

Actually I was thinking I would just like to see that so I probably wouldn't have to be pissed off - LOL.