Mcgrath sisters talk

  Staying cool seems to be paramount these days, but that means that there is more time spent in the basement and I can't complain about that. Cathy, I got your e-mail, and it looks like you may have a longer recovery time that we thought.  Please take care of yourself, and let us know how it goes. Otherwise there really isn't much going on around here.  The neighbour toward Munroe is getting his basement windows replaced today.  A troublesome job on an older house, but it's going to look good.  Makes our house look like a dump.  If you remember, he painted the house and changed all the windows on the main floor a couple of years ago.  David has been slowly doing work in the garden--a little bit every day.  I try it catch up with house work, but that is a futile effort.  Our standards have certainly changed over the past few years.  However, I did arrange to have the living room and hall rug professionally cleaned later in the week....

  Tuesday, David asked me to drive him to the 4R Depot at Panet and Mission, after he'd cleaned out the garage. It's just a couple of blocks beyond the Starbucks store that I like.  Got there and they wouldn't take anything except a few paint spray cans.  We were instructed to take everything to Brady Road, off the South Perimeter, just west of Waverley.  The South Perimeter has a reputation of being a hellhole with fast speed limits frequently interspersed with slow ones ( just to keep one awake), as well a multiple construction areas and heavy traffic containing lots of heavy truck and semis.  Perfect afternoon driving for someone like me. We missed the turn-off, and had to drive the best part of a  mile further before I could pull a U-turn.  Found the right road which was decorated by red ribbons tied on everything, a Tipi, and signs reminding us of the missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls. The road took us back almost to the point w...

  Good Wednesday Mid Week kind of day,  There is a program on the CBC Radio that I listen to on occasion named What The Duck. It is about interesting and perhaps even strange stories from around the world. Very appropriate title (perhaps with a slight variation haha) for how things seem to be going here right now especially with the weather and how it is impacting my day to day life as it relates to the garden and plants. It is difficult to predict what the temp will be from one moment to the other and thus th e roller coaster ride to protect all the growing plants that are all over the yard and hanging in trees and on shelves and even some still in the greenhouses. Protect them from sudden frost warnings even though one has been following the Weather Network on an hourly basis and thinks they have a handle on the situation...not! Two more nights and maybe, just maybe things will get better. It brings me to mind of a hot pad that I have hanging on the handle of a kitchen cupbo...

 I had the MRI last Thursday and this Thursday I see the doctor. Hopefully he will have some news for me. Meanwhile today Jim gets to drink laxative (oh boy!) and gets the colonoscopy tomorrow. Then maybe we can settle down again. I try to do something everyday. I have also figured out that if I walk Lucky first thing in the morning (before I get too sore) he gets a decent walk. Not the two miles we used to go through the bush, but still a longer walk than he has been getting. It is super windy again today and the wind is supposed to continue for the rest of the week☹️.  I plan on getting my garden planted by next weekend. It will be much smaller than in the past, but I will still have something. I fully expect that once I have it in I will think of something else I want to plant😜. This weekend is the Neepawa Fair. We usually go and walk around the midway and visit the petting zoo. And depending on what food trucks are there we might grab something.  In the last few days...

  We're both feeling better, but we're not at the finishing line yet.  One good thing that's happening is that we're able to sit in our garden and read.  We also watch the neighbours across the back getting their garden ready.  So much work!  We also watch the bird feeder and work out what sort of routine each individual animal or bird has established.  There is what appears to be an elderly grey squirrel who comes in the late afternoon for food. He moves slowly but is as quick as a snake if some other creature attempts to eat or to chase the grey away from his chosen feeder.  Yes, we have two feeders going, one for bird food and one for peanuts in the shell.  The grey took awhile to figure out how to get up to the peanut feeder, and he always looks awkward doing it, but once he's there it's his, and woe betide any red squirrel that might attempt to chase him off.  There are also a pair of Blue Jays that like the peanuts and show up twice a d...

  It sounds as if you are back into the swing of things Pati after your cold took over. If written words reflect actual feelings that is. Can the written word actually "sound" like how one is feeling? I think so, as I read your blog entries - both here and in your Studio blog. Upbeat and happy. And back at it in the studio creating your collages which are brilliant.  Here, I just wait for the weather to decide what it wants to do, and then work with what I get. The outside needs so much work but when it is cold, I tend to back down. Lately I have been feeling really cold no matter what it is like outside.I put on my toque and winter jacket to take the dogs for a walk, and observe others in their shorts and tops and wonder what they think of my get up? I think it is partly the wind though - it tends to blow right through me. We go to the South River park to walk the dogs and this weekend is a big International Tournament for Disc Golf.  All week, they have been getting the...

 Last night was a low temperature here and the house is cold this morning, but not down to the temperatures you're talking about Beth.  I know I woke up cold during the night and thought of getting another quilt.  Today just looks dull and dreary.  Perhaps best spent in the basement?  We're just about caught up with the housework, but neither of us is really well.  I gave Lorette a pass again yesterday, as I just didn't feel sure about my ability to drive out and back.  Nor did I want to perhaps pass it along to another person. Yesterday I started to cull my winter tops from my wardrobe, and then ran out of steam.  The pile was still sitting my bed at bedtime, so I just picked them up and dumped them on my dresser.  That will have to be dealt with today, but I've culled so much junk out of my dresser that there's plenty of room to store the sweaters there for the summer.  I've bought 4 new summer tops at Giant Tiger, all of which will go...

  ....what else is new? Much time spent yesterday putting away all the plants that we had previously pulled out of the greenhouses back into the greenhouses, and when room ran out in there, covering all those left outside with blankets and sheets. Tonight the heaters will also be put on as temp going down to minus 2 C. Thought it would be easy going after this but according to the forecast Sunday night is also going down to 0. Nice ....eh? Physio appt this morning and we completely reviewed the exercises to date and he added some in attempt to continue to challenge the muscles to improve. I felt I was in a bit of a plateau so asked it we could kick start something new. He continues to tell me I am actually improving but that it will be slow. Yes, I agree, it is slow. And this afternoon we headed over to the Arena for our next Covid 19 Booster - Pfizer again this time and now a total of seven vaccinations so far.  I tested myself last week with the rapid test kit and it was neg...

  It's been a week since my last post and most of that time has been occupied trying to talk, breath or sleep.  Yep, caught one humdinger of a summer cold at the sale last week--the kind that has one wandering around, all day, in a nightie, asking if it's bed time yet.  Not that the time bothered me, I slept whenever I felt like it.  Started feeling  a little better on Thursday, but Friday morning David announced that he's caught it.  I got the laundry started Friday morning, and tried to start some sort of work in the studio, but ended up dozing in front of the my little tv instead.  Between the two of us, we got the most important laundry done--sheets, underwear and shirts--and a quick trip to the grocery store and pharmacy, but I can't remember if that was Thursday or Friday--probably Thursday.  I didn't even get out of the car, just sat there while David went in.  By Friday, my cold was worse again, although not quite as bad as before....

We got up early because Kellie had to be back at her place before 8am for the furnace installation. Then a little after 9am we loaded the compressor into the car and headed to Jean’s to blow up the flat tire on the car. We left the compressor there just in case she needed it again. While we were there Jim got a call that the tiller was fixed and ready for pick-up so we headed right to town and loaded it into the car. Good thing I still had some of the money I collected for the meat we ordered in my wallet so I had the cash to pay for it. We realized we were low on gas so we filled up before heading home. We unloaded the tiller, but I decided I really had to do up the minutes from the museum meeting. (Not that I felt like tilling by then) I knew I should have done the minutes right after the meeting cause I don’t remember half the items I’d written down. (And deciphering my own notes!!). Two hours later I sent them off. If they are wrong no one will remember what happened anyway😜. I to...

  Not much really but nice to read both of your messages. I am suffering through a nasty cold...haven't had a cold for ages but here it is in full force. I want to put a sling under my nose to catch the drips which are running constantly. I know, too much info! Taking time outside to clean up and filling brown leaf bags and clearing some of the flower beds. It is so nice to see the flowers coming up -the primroses are especially gorgeous this year and so glad i am uncovering them from their cover of last falls dead leaves. Of special note is my rhubarb - I have never seen it come up so well and big full leaves with stocky stocks already just begging me to think of all the baking I could do. I know I still have jam in the basement so i wonder now if I will not do any this year. No point in stocking up but then, I have not been using it much either. Maybe I should treat myself to some jam on toast for breakfast... yummy. One thing I am remiss on lately is my daily exercises and for t...

As Beth noted, this has been a busy week.    Wednesday was the day David went to MPI for his computerized assessment of driving ability.  For a variety of reasons, he found this difficult, and didn't do well.  But they have offered him another option-an on-road driving test, but not the one we remember.  Rather it will involve simply following whatever instructions he's given.  Unfortunately it's in a part of town neither of us is familiar with--the area off Waverley and Bison Drive.  So we'll have to make sure to go on a familiarization trip over there before the test.  We are to get a letter with his computerized test result, and info on the driving test.  So right now it's "wait and see". Following the test, it was out to Lorette for the regular meeting and to discuss the final arrangements for the sale on Saturday. Thursday, the group was again invited to the Collegiate in Lorette for a luncheon.  Not as many students this time, but ...

  Will it never end?!  Lawn Chairs are tipping over and scooting across the yard and the empty 5 gallon pails are into the garden and down the driveway. We intended to take Lucky to the off leash park today but when we got there there were already 5 big dogs. 4 were obviously acquainted and were running around with 3 kids. The 4th was sitting very close to his person and obviously unsure of what was happening. lucky was excited to see them and wanted out, but since he is not socialized with other dogs we passed and took him to wander in Riverbend Park. He walks slowly there cause there are so many smells he keeps his nose to the ground and zig zags along.  he wanted to go down to the river but I knew I would never be able to climb back up so I had to distract him. So tonight, instead of sitting outside and reading, I am in the house watching the trees bend in the wind☹️. And there is rain in the forecast. I know Beth has had more rain than she ever wanted but we can use i...

It appears that this date has officially been named Star Wars Day.  So--a salute to the times in which we live--May the 4th be with you.  

  Hi to you both, I see the sun in the sky this morning and thought it was worthy of  special mention haha! I am so excited although there is more rain forecast for today - it is always nice to start with some sunshine. I just booked us both for our next Covid 19 boosters, as we received a message from the Ministry of Health saying we were now eligible. And it is nice that we can just go over to the local Arena as we have done before as the Health Unit is having a Clinic on May 17. I had thought we may have to drive up to North Bay but not necessary. In my sorting through and moving this and that in the basement, I finally got to see inside my cedar chest which has been hidden away since about 1988 when we finished the basement..... really ! I was very excited to open the lid as I had no idea what I had hidden in there - I thought it was just my old Nursing Student uniforms and grad uniform that I saved (for some reason unknown haha). Guess what..more fabric and patterns and b...

  I think the Powers That Be do not appreciate my sense of humour. I tried to post twice and it disappeared on me!  All I wanted to do was comment on the difference between the forecast and reality. We have a wind chime outside the kitchen window and it was rotating so fast I thought the window would break!  I intended to stay home tomorrow since I want to go to the  legion on Wednesday for Barb’s birthday, but Jean wants to meet us there so she can borrow our beater. Her car is sick☹️. Hopefully Jim can handle it cause I know that we will have to pay for the repairs. (I love our family😤) We buy eggs from the Hutterites and their prices have gone up to $2.75/ dozen!  Up from $2.00 but still cheap. I read the flyers and the sale prices are so much higher than the regular prices used to be. But I noticed that my OA S cheque was up $4.00 from last month. That will go a long way to offset inflation 😤. So, so much for bitching. If only the wind would die down I cou...

  Great to log on and read all the chatter and get a few laughs as well. Really......"bum walking" you say? When I was at my worst, I struggled to even get up after many a fall but never thought of bum walking as an alternative... thanks. I have not seen the sun for awhile..is it still there? I read your weather forecasts and see that you both have monopolized it. There is so much rain and the ground seems to be swallowing it up which is good I guess. In the meantime we struggle to keep the plants healthy and make space for them to grow as many are now too big for the greenhouses. I opened up the white shed and put tables in and Harry has moved many there - it cannot be heated and so hope colder night temps will not develop anytime soon.  Some of the outside planters have already been planted with kale and garlic which can take some cold. There are already tomatoes growing on some of the plants and little flower buds on others - too early but there you are. Pati so happy you ...