Sunshine Rocks!!

I am having SUCH a good day today! A large contributing factor to this is the blue sky and fierce sunshine. It is still chilly, but you can't tell from inside!

Today is a whole day at home!! What has the world come to that I am just relishing this day to such a degree?!? I am doing laundry and hanging it outside, using the good basket (We all have one that is falling apart and caves in on every side when we tuck it under our arm!!I know you do!!!) I am working on the school fundraising Spring Drive lists and revisions. We raised almost $35,000!!! That is so amazing! I guess it boils down to just feeling very blessed today. I am thankful for the little blessings of being able to be home for a day and for the big blessings of a bountiful fundraiser.

If I get all the revisions finished this morning then I will make some cards this afternoon. Yesterday I put all my card and layout idea pages in a binder. Over the years I have accumulated quite a stack of samples that I printed from the Internet, and pages that I cut out of magazines. I borrowed a binder from Ray's stash and organized the pages into cards and layouts, techniques and elements....and such. So next time I get stuck on something I can just page through and get some inspiration.

I added a new link yesterday too....I just love all the creativity you can find out there!!! I love having that set of links there...I can just click and check every day. The "sketch this" blog publishes a new template every Tuesday, along with examples. And "Out to Impress" has a new stamp simply challenge every Friday. I wish I could participate in all the challenges but there simply isn't time. Oh, how fun that would be. I participated in a layout contest once at our local scrapbooking store and that was a lot of fun! Great to send your creative juices churning!!

Last night at baseball, Eddy made it home!!! Joe got on base but got hurt early on in the game with a ball on the hand and sat out for a few innings. They're having so much fun.

Well, my lists are calling....

Pancakes

Today I made Nasi for supper and Korean pancakes....which are basically vegetable pancakes. Eddy gave me two thumbs up! I got to try them a few weeks ago when a Korean friend came over and made them with me. Yummo!! I made them with zucchini, thawed frozen carrots, and onions. Add some flour, water, salt and pepper and voila!! They're best served crispy....with dipping sauce made of soya sauce, some chopped garlic, onions, and some sugar.

It was a really warm day today...last week the nights dipped down to 3 or 4 degrees and today it was 30 degrees. A storm was supposed to blow in but missed us completely!

We went to Niagara Falls this weekend with all the Keystone kids and most of the homestay families. We went on the Journey behind the Falls and on the Maid of the Mist boat tour. It was fun to be a tourist and dress in garbage bags....nice yellow and blue ones of course!

Much fun was had by all! But if you ask the boys and Ray what the highlight of their trip was they say it was visiting Ray's cousin . We stopped at their house on the way home and had supper together. It was such a great way to end the day. They have lots of room out in the country and the boys could just scatter for a bit. There were two week old baby bunnies and they were soooo cute and we got to see the deer, which all came near because it was feeding time! This is their stag and our Korean son, Eddy. The three boys played with their kids which were fairly close in age, and they really enjoyed it. And we just sat and visited for a while over coffee and dessert. The cousins plan to go out East in the summer and they would love to see a potato farm!! I mentioned that I know a couple of farmers out there who might be up for a tour. 8D I always think that the drive out to the farm, from where ever people stay on the Island, is one of the best ways to see rural PEI. You get a little bit off the beaten path and many people say it is one of the most scenic areas! I always send them to the harbour and the breakwater, and fishing with Joey.

Well...I should finish up the chores....some laundry and ironing... I tweaked my back this morning so I traded doing the dishes for vacuuming. Craig didn't mind trading at all. Hope it goes away soon. Today I made a card and finished a mini album, so the trilogy of that box set is complete. (No, Marten, it's not a movie.) I went to my friend Nancy's house this morning for cardmaking. Helina was there too! It was so nice! Nice coffee, nice friends, and nice cards....

Don't Be Afraid

Today's blog is aimed at all you readers who don't have a blogger account. You know who you are! I would love to hear from you....leave a comment sometime! Actually...I don't think you have to create a blogger account in order to do so since my blogger account allows anonymous comments. BUT....if it does ask you to create a blogger account....just click on "Create blog" in the blue bar at the top and follow the instructions..... Don't be afraid!!! I never get junk mail from blogger in my hotmail account. Come on....it'll be fun! You don't even have to start a blog!!! But I know you'll want to....it's way fun!!

It's very low key here today. I took Craig to London to a friend's house. He was so excited and we happened to have Grandma and Grandpa's car because Grandpa is in Algonquin with Ray. It is quite chilly today and cloudy, but that doesn't indicate what the weather will be like over in that part of the world. I did find a note on the grocery list that mentioned they would stay longer if they became wind bound. So I won't dispatch a search party if they don't return by Monday night.

Friday was our turn to have Joy, the Keystone supervisor over for a visit. She is sweet and funny and we love her company. It was a busy day, with painting and cleaning at church. We ate something easy for supper, bahmi goreng, with eggs and peanut sauce. It was so delish and everyone liked it. Ray was already gone.

It was great to have the car! I had to paint in a bathroom in an apartnment. First I had to prime the piece that was mudded, and the piece of trim beside it. Leave it to dry and go back to church to clean, hang up a banner at church with my friend Winnie. Then I had to go back after I finished cleaning but before I went home for lunch and put the first coat of bathroom paint on it. Then I snuck home and picked up an old tube of silicone, not like it has a best before date on it or anything....to put a blob of silicone in the tub area. Then home for a sandwich, write out some thank you cards, make up the deposit, pick up an envelope for the Spring Drive, and back out to put on the second coat of paint and finish sealing the gaps with silicone. Two coats are better than one right??? I have a funny feeling that the silicone is just a tiny bandaid on a real gusher....but time will tell. It was fun to schedule all those things and get them done. There really was no other way to get it done...and I could submit my invoice for the hours worked now that the jobs were done. And GREAT to have the car!!! I arrived home just in time to tidy up the bathroom and get some things put away before the bus dropped Joy and the boys off. Things were not really under control but....anyway.... we had a great visit. At the door, I asked Joy if she came to see me or my house. If she was coming to see my house, she would have to wait outside for a few minutes, but if she came to see me she could come right in! So she came right in :):)

So that brings us Saturday. I had to finish hanging a banner and the boys helped to weed the garden. It was Eddy's first encounter with weeding. Joey was Eddy's coach. Let's just say that Joey has a new appreciation for how Ray feels when he is teaching Joey a new job. I think Eddy will need some more exposure to green things. His first handfull was a just ready to bloom Columbine. Keep at 'er. It was great to have all the boys help!! I also got to have the fun of doing a scrapbook page. I have another one half done. I'm working on an oldish album of a holiday from years ago. I shall plug away at it and finish it....

Craig went to his grass cutting job. He went earlier in the week as well and went to finish today. They are very pleased with his work and his work ethic. That is nice to hear.

I also had a really great talk with Joe last night about how people treat each other. It's neat to see the boys mature and see the deeper side of them. Sometimes they have more insight than we give them credit for....they just seem to be videogame playing, eating machines....so it's neat to see their human side once in a while, that the things you try to teach DO rub off, and that they ARE able to have a viewpoint that is contrary to what their peers think.

AND....Helina might come home tomorrow!!! Is that great or what! She's starting to want to help the nurses in ICU so I guess that's as good an indicator as any!!! Her daughter lives right next door so being home won't be too far away from someone to help. I'm so excited!!!!

Much Better

I am feeling much better today!

I had a splitting headache yesterday, the worst I've had in years! Advil wouldn't even touch it. Not until the end of the day...when I maxed out my dosage did I take some Tylenol Ultra for migraines... I only had two of those in a sample pack and they did the trick. What an unproductive day, it almost makes you feel like you are wasting a day, but I was in the perfect place to keep up a steady stream of prayer. Hmmmm. Coincidence? I think not. (But I am going to avoid spending entire days painting ceilings....some people don't do windows...I think I don't to do ceilings ....ouwie)

Today was, therefore, much better. I had a nice time doing some painting for a friend, with a friend, and should really fire off an email to send our hours in. The sun was shining...outside...and we were painting...inside. But the sun was shining. I painted until lunch time and then I went to the church to clean. It was fun, but lonely since by that time, everyone had gone home already. That's what happens when you keep these crazy hours!

Last night I made a card for Helina, and it made its way to her. I have word that she is doing well. As well as can be expected. And that is such a relief for those of us who love her so dearly. She has some tests and things tomorrow but is doing much better today than she was yesterday. Thanks so much for all your prayers!!

Please Pray

Just wanted to ask you all for prayer for my sweet friend Helina. She had a heart attack this morning. She was already at the hospital when it happened. She is in ICU now and will be for a few days. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. She isn't allowed any visitors yet....

A Fun Morning.....

I went to cardmaking this morning on a mission: To make some thankyou notes. I had a sketch to start with and got to Nancy's and found this keeeeeeey-ute birdie stamp!

Just wanted to share them!!!

Saturday....

What a profound title!!! Or did it almost make you scroll down....

It has been a fun day. A friend came over to play with Joe and Eddy. Nice low key kind of day.

I moved the scrap stuff back to the "studio" and resetup shop. I had found a little shelf thingy and got to rearrange my creative world.... My friend Winnie just called to say that some goodies came from Close To My Heart from her last party....woooohooo. I feel a creative moment coming on. For some reason....moving all the stuff made for inspiration. Hmmmmm. Tonight I'll get my new goodies.

I made one layout last night about one of my favourite songs. It was nice to scrapbook again. I have about 5 songs done now. I only do these when the Spirit moves.... There are no pictures involved and that makes it easier but also harder. I really like it. I also made a couple of cards today, and that was fun too. I made a triple foldout card earlier in the week.

First though, we are off to the great hockey BBQ tonight....the lads and I. I wasn't going to go because I'd have to leave them home alone, so they were invited to come too. They must have REALLY wanted my potato salad.... I hope we're not home too late since it's an early day tomorrow too.

This morning was my morning to sleep in. I heard the furnace kick in and thought....oh it must be 7:00 already! So I rolled over and went back to sleep. When I got up a lot later (I thought) I glanced at the clock and.....6:45! Stupid furnace! Actually.....I really like my furnace. I am glad I am not camping....especially if my furnace has cause to kick in at the lower than minimum setting. It's all in your perspective. Nice furnace!

Hope you all have a great Momma's Day tomorrow.

Whatever....

It's that kind of day.

I finished at the church yesterday after having lunch with some friends to celebrate a birthday. So today was an empty day. Until you fill it with stuff. I could have easily filled it with just scrapbooking.... As it is, I am just setting out on my first layout in a long time. The lads will be home soon and so much got done in between that's not scrapbooking....but still soooo worthwhile. Things to do don't feel so burdensome when an empty day stretches out in front of you and you can seize the opportunity to help out enthusiastically. Energetically. Upliftingly.

I got to paint a living room with Helina, I got to heat up left overs and have lunch with a friend, I got to go to the church and finish the visuals for Pentecost, and still have a half hour of silence in which I don't feel the need to lay down and have a nap. That was the past two days....

Ray and Craig are off to Algonquin. They drove up there last night, straight from work and school. I really hope it goes well, Craig is a bit nervous and hasn't slept well. I think also he is missing his momma. Ray hid a little Mother's day something and left a message as to its whereabouts on the machine. He does that!! Funny man! Today they will set out bright and early, put in a full day's paddle and set up camp quite a ways into the park, which is why they slept over at someone's house up there. Our neighbour's parents' house. Sun is predicted until Sunday-ish, with high teens during the day and 6-8 at night. I was thinking how that might feel last night when I let the dog out.....brrrrrr. So I have the little boys home and we are not planning tooooooo much. We don't have a vehicle, but anything we might need is within walking distance.

I keep finding really cool cardmaking sites. The first ones I found were in PEI when I googled my favourite paper line and clicked on 'images' instead of regular browsing. That's when blogs started popping up. Before that I only ever hit webpages with URL's. Sometimes you only find ones about scrapbooking but most of these are JUST cards AND I love the ones with sketches. A sketch is a template. Often one of the gals will make up the template and then there will be five cards by other designers using that template. Everyone gets different inspiration from that sketch, has a different style and uses different materials. I like checking out the links these ladies have on their websites. If you own a few Stampin' Up! stampsets...you should check out Splitcoast Stampers. They have their gallery organized in such a way that you can alphabetically find your stampset. You'll find tons of cards made with just that set under its own heading. Great for instant inspiration.

I have an idea just about ready to explode. I laid out the ingredients just before I left for church....

Just Home...

How nice to just be....

I am at home this week and have had 3 mornings with no where to be. It has been refreshing. I got caught up on paperwork of all sorts and email. Meetings done and minutes written up. Take all my turns on Scrabulous. And catch up the blog.

You should check out the new links section I added!!! Mostly it is a shortcut for me. I especially love Sketch This!. I get so many great ideas and then go and do my own thing. I have been feeling like I want to scrapbook again. That comes and goes....but I have a special book I've been working on about my favourite songs and that one is beckoning. I have a sketch in my mind, not one I've seen while I was surfing. So...I should give in and accomplish that one of these days.

Today is Grandparents day at school and Ray's folks will join us for supper. They're bringing supper, that's the best kind!!!!! Tonight will be our turn to see the Spring musical and it will be lots of fun to see everyone sing, wearing their Sunday best.

House is tidy, bathroom clean, paperwork caught up....I guess I can go read a book. Wow that sounds so foreign. It will feel good because my back is a bit sore, and seems to get worse from sitting. I have a card idea that should be tried. I'll pump that one out and be on my way. I thought I had lots to tell you about but I seem to have run out....


Oh yeah, Blixie is all over her allergic reaction, whatever it was. I suspect it was a bite of some sort. If it was something she ate it probably would have manifested itself in some sort of gastric distress....and that ain't no fun to clean up.... So after 3 days on Benadryl she is no longer puffy or itchy. Hooray for her.

It's Time Again....

It's Saturday again. Only 2-ish.

I'm so excited! I got some new cardmaking stuff in my mailslot this week and I have a bit of time to play with it!

This morning we had a Cadet fundraising breakfast at the local retirement complex. The people LOVED seeing the boys in their uniforms!! The parents scooped the eggs, sausages and hashbrowns and the boys were in the dining hall clearing the dishes up and setting the tables with fresh cutlery and cups. It went so well! All the food was ready on time and the people trickled in slowly so there were no long lineups... I stationed myself at a sink and kept the coffee carafes full. Other moms were pouring coffee as the seniors sat. I think it was very gezellig. I really love working in the kitchen on days like that. I love serving too but today...the sink was fine. It was the boys day to shine.

We also have an extra Korean son for the weekend. This boy goes to the same school as Eddy, in Korea. They are playing Guitar Hero right now, experiencing part of North American techological culture. It's very important that they have a well rounded experience right?! They might all go to a movie tonight....it depends on Ray's finishing his prepacking for Algonquin. He is going up North for the next two weekends.... He came late to the breakfast this morning and the other dads were joking that Ray was probably home waxing his canoe...they all wanted to be golfing...but duty calls. Eddy went to bed with a headache and a scratchy throat and coughing last night. ....but was fine this morning. I let him sleep in and they came a bit later. Ray got quite a ribbing. The neat thing is that the guys all went father-son Cadet camping last weekend. Neat how far the bonding goes....

I get to make some thankyou cards for the food donors to the breakfast. Duty calls, people!!!

I have all the laundry done, I painted a whole apartment with my friend Dianne, (Helina was in Holland), cleaned the church, cleaned for Pastor Koole, set up for the breakfast, made breakfast and cleaned up and now....I GET TO MAKE CARDS....