Time for Planting & Refreshing

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Late spring is always a busy time of planting both indoors and outdoors. Since my patio is not ready for summer enjoyment (the timeline for completion is end of June though I have my doubts given the pace of progress) I just have the community plot at the park and I'm doing a bit of indoor planting.

All these plants were purchased on clearance so they weren't in the best of health. Usually when I find plants on clearance they are quite root bound and in need of larger pots. So I went in search of plastic pots that would be large enough and also have some drainage trays. I put some stones at the bottom to help with water drainage as well.

These plants were on my mantle when they were in smaller pots now they are too large for that. I really can't buy anymore unless and until I have more shelves because the flat surface space here is extremely limited.

Once the indoor and outdoor renovations are done and more decluttering is done, I may consider getting a plant stand where several plants can be housed together. Time will tell whether these plants will even live long enough because so many have died once winter draughts begin.  I enjoy them while they're alive though and I'm hoping the ones I put in the hanging baskets will last longer because they should be out of the pathway of any draughts that come through the windows.

More hanging baskets

In addition to buying pots and planters, I found a few things I need at the thrift store. I wasn't expecting to find these but these items have been on a wish list for some time. First is a set of bed risers.  These come in handy when you want to store things under the bed. 

The price I paid was $6.99 Canadian

I've been using bed risers for a few years already but these new ones should work much better since they are higher than the ones I have.  They also appear to be unused and came in the original box though the photo on the box looks old fashioned so the items may be older but still new and sturdy.

New risers (L), old risers (R)

I also found these double hook shower curtains for the main bathroom. The current ones are getting quite rusted after many years of use.  The original price was $14.99 and they have not been used.

I still have no word on when the repairs will be done in the master bedroom but it will be lovely to have the walls freshly painted and the carpets freshly cleaned.  Everything has been moved out so it will be much easier for the work to be done. It will be wonderful to have a refresh of the master bedroom and some updates to freshen the bathroom such as new door handles and new faucets. I'm thinking to update the toilet handle and perhaps a new sink. I do need to also plan for converting my bathtub into a shower rather than a combined shower/tub.  It has been too difficult to lift my legs into the bathtub every time I want to shower. We never use a tub anyway. DH and I always shower.  The main bathroom will remain with a tub. I do have a faucet and a new shower head for the main bathroom which need to be installed. The door knob has already been changed & the light fixture has been well cleaned. I'm thinking of adding a towel shelf in the main bathroom. Slowly changes are happening.

Thanks for stopping by! Please come again soon. Leave a comment and let me know you were here and it will help me to go and visit your blog too.

Sales, Promotions & Stocking Up

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

How are you today?

I'm writing this on Saturday and I'm feeling very tired.  I even slept in until quite late which I haven't done in a very long time. I mentioned in a recent post that my body has been wracked with aches, pains and inflammation.  In addition, I've been out and about virtually every day running errands. Then at home I'm doing all the daily work and a few projects.  I've also read a number of books in a short space of time. I guess all these activities wore me out, especially the reading when I stay up too late to finish reading books, lol.

So today I'm taking it easy. 

I have an errand to run and bedding laundry to do. I will make a simple dinner of hamburger patties, seasoned potato wedges, veggies and fruits. I'll relax by reading my last unread library book, Reckless Daughter by David Yaffe. It's a biography of the Canadian folksinger icon, Joni Mitchell.

DH had to wake early and go to work.   I showered and changed quite late in the day. The sky has clouded over but the forecast says only a 30 percent chance of rain so we'll see.  

I'm going out to buy a big box of paper towels. I'd also like to buy a box of toilet paper. They are quite large boxes and they are on offer for about a third to a half off the regular price depending on where you buy them.  I'll try and buy one box today and one tomorrow if there are any left.  I bought such boxes last time they were on offer and I've just run out of the paper towels. We bought several boxes of toilet paper and we still have a few packages left. I like buying these things in bulk so I'm not running errands to buy these items every week or so.  

As for other household needs, I've cut back on buying too much because it often goes to waste. I came to this conclusion after all the decluttering I've been doing. I have to keep reminding myself not to over buy things though as I seem to like to buy things, lol.

How about your dear reader? Are you someone who stocks up on everything? Only some things? Or not at all?  Most of my friends do not buy anything to keep on stock. They prefer going out to buy daily for their food and also buy the household needs when and if they need them. I was raised to do the opposite and it's hard to change. In fact, I feel it can be cheaper to purchase things when on offer and have them on hand. In addition, I don't want to have to leave the house to buy something because I've run out. I like being prepared. I still remember those days not so long ago when it was even hard to buy toilet paper.  Though it isn't the reason I like to stock up a bit, it's one more reason not to be caught empty handed.

New Faucet Installation ~ Part 2

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I've been wanting to change the faucet in the master bedroom for quite some time.  I finally took the plunge and bought a faucet.  Actually I purchased two of the same kind, one for each bathroom since both bathrooms are in need of a refresh.

The cap came off the faucet in the master bathroom many years ago.  I kept putting it back on and it would fall back off again so I gave up trying.  Unfortunately the way the faucet is constructed it makes it very difficult to clean properly.  The only way to properly clean it is to unscrew it and clean all around but that is too much work on a regular basis. Hopefully the new one will be easier to keep clean. 

It's so difficult to make this faucet look clean.

I decided to try and change the faucets myself; at least the one in the master bathroom and save myself the plumber expense. However I didn't bargain for it to be so very difficult to remove or unscrew the hoses under the sink. That should have been a relatively easy job, but the whole piece containing the hoses and nuts kept turning around and around.  I couldn't get any leverage to apply the proper pressure.  I also couldn't remove the nuts from the bottom end near the water shut off valves for the same reason. I was afraid if I applied too much pressure at the shut off valves, the plastic piping near the valves might snap and break and that would of course cost a lot to get a plumber to repair. 

I finally managed to unscrew the 'silver' nuts (as in the photo below) almost to the end of the threads. I finally asked my dear husband (DH) to try and do the last bit. With my knee and muscle issues it's very difficult to maneuver into the small space in the master bathroom or lie under the sink and do what needs to be done. I could only do it for short periods and after 5 attempts at loosening the nuts, I'd had  enough. 

These nuts were very difficult to unscrew

The rust looks terrible but thankfully the nuts came out easily

I don't know why, but several women on You Tube have said that it's easy to change out the faucets. I guess they have a different set up under the sink. One of my blogger friends tried to encourage me by saying one of her granddaughters was able to change one too.  I've heard plumbers on YT say that they've run into challenges removing faucets and have taken up to one hour to undo a corroded screw.  Others have said that it is very difficult in tight spaces to get enough leverage to loosen certain nuts. I guess my situation falls into that category.  I either had to get the job done, find a way to do it or call a plumber.

DH did what I asked but didn't have much patience. He noticed the same problem I had though I didn't tell him in advance about my experience.  When he realized what was happening he found it useless to continue. Being a handyman is not his forte, nor frankly his interest.

So I called a friend who works in construction. I thought if he could at least loosen the nuts, I could do the actual installation and I wanted to do it.  He came over and within 10 minutes or less he managed to to loosen the nuts.  He used 2 wrenches to gain leverage.  One to hold the moving pipes and one to loosen the nuts.  Frankly, I thought he was genius.  I know this strategy would take more strength than I have because one of my wrenches is rather heavy to hold especially while working upside down.  

The old faucet

The rusted parts

The new faucet

After the nuts were loosened, I told him I would finish the job but he didn't want me to get down on the floor again so he said he would do it and he did. Afterward, we tested the set up for leaks and all seemed to be working well. I had placed a yellow tub under the pipes and left it there after testing.  Then I went to Home Depot and out for dinner. I was gone for several hours. When I returned there was quite a bit of water in the tub. Oh dear. There is a leak after all.

After a bit of investigating, not much because it was quite late, I think that I must have damaged the flexible hoses when I was trying to remove the nuts.  I was thinking to buy new hoses but after discussions with my friend we agreed I should just reuse them.  

I'll do more testing over the weekend to see if this is really the cause of the leak.  

Oh yeah, when I went to Home Depot, I purchased a new tool but I realized I forgot to buy some clear silicone.

This tool by Rigid, is supposed to make the job of replacing faucets in tight spaces much easier. It also provides a mechanism for immobilizing pipes that go round and round while trying to unfasten tight nuts. Time will tell whether it works as well as I've heard. 

I have another bathroom faucet to replace but I think I'll give it a bit of time before I attempt it again.  There are lots of other things to get done.  I also want to enjoy a bit of summer since it seems all I've been doing is working or dealing with major projects (patio renovation and master bedroom leak and repairs).

The Sky on Summer Solstice

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Happy Summer Solstice (Thursday at 1:50 p.m.) the longest day of the year.

The sky was bright as I was out and about on Thursday night running my errands and stayed bright until late.

Looking northwest. Cranes are everywhere in the city.

The mountains are to the north as is the downtown core.

I captured the sun going down before continuing to shop.

I stopped at the DT near by looking for planters

On my way home, I stopped to rest at this public rest area.

I enjoyed the flowers, the trees and the sky.

The time was about 9:45 p.m.

These last 2 photos were taken on Wednesday night.

I'm joining in with Skywatch Friday today. Thank you for stopping by!

New Faucet Installation ~ Part 1

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope your week is going well.

The other day when I was out doing errands I purchased new faucets for both bathrooms. 

I couldn't wait to install them. I've never installed faucets before but I've heard it's a simple job.

Have you ever changed a faucet? Was it a simple job?

When I started the installation I found it very difficult to loosen the big nuts.  I could also see that the small bolts holding the faucets underneath the sink are completely rusted so that might make them difficult to remove (as in the experience with changing the toilet lid cover in the main bathroom recently).

This simple job is going to take more time than it should.  Normally my brother would help out, but he's very tall and it's a very cramped space in which to work.  There's no way he will have room to splay out in the tiny bathroom or be able to fit underneath the sink.  My husband might fit, but he's not home until quite late. I hope I can manage it myself. Wish me luck or say a prayer.

A Bit of Hygge

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Some of you will have read my story here about the lost and found item I picked up late Saturday night. I tried to go to the local police station on Sunday but it was closed by the time I arrived. I went again on Monday and thankfully made it before closing. I left the wallet with an explanation of where I found it and my name. Now it's in the hands of the police and hopefully the person who lost it will find their way to the police station or maybe the police will somehow locate him/her. I don't even know if the person is a male or female because I'm not familiar with the names.

I got a long-ish walk in over the span of several days going on errands and going to and from the police station over 2 different days.

To be honest, my body is really suffering from aches and pains and inflammation in the neck, back and hips. I wanted to get a body massage or a get in a foot reflexology session but the timing didn't work out. So instead, I have been trying to have moments of hygge by relaxing and revelling in some of life's quieter pleasures.

Like reading good books.

I was able to complete Crow Mary (favourite) The Paris Assignment (2nd favourite), and Miss Morgan's Book Brigade (3rd favourite)  I enjoyed all of them and would recommend them all.

I spent some time caring for my plants, watering them, removing dead leaves and transplanting one of them into a larger pot.  I also purchased a new plant. I think it's called a Kangaroo Fern but I'm not 100 percent certain since I've never seen one before. All of these plants were purchased on clearance over the past month or so and were in rough shape when I bought them. I'm trying to bring them back to life but they need more sunshine. I'd like to take them out to the patio but need to wait until the workers are gone.

I have this one in a hanging basket.

I just transplanted this one.

The fern on the left is new

I'm going to buy another hanging basket for the new plant on the left in the photo above. I can also see that the aloe vera needs dividing as it's gotten too big for the pot it's in.

I always enjoy seeing pockets of beauty when I'm out and about. I found this cute gem of a restaurant on Sunday and hope to return one day when it's open and when I have more time. It has a cute little patio on the other side.

I did a bit of shopping. I've been thinking about changing the bathroom sink faucets and saw these ones when I was browsing in the stores.  I think they'll do for now.  I purchased two sets, one for each bathroom.  I'll only open one until I see how it looks after installation.

When I'm out I like to dine by myself.  It allows me to rest my feet and catch my breath since walking and shopping takes a lot out of me. I also like to read while I wait for my dinner. This Bento Box is called a Nigiri Bento box for the raw fish (salmon, tuna and prawn) but it also had tempura, beef teriyaki and a dynamite roll. It came with the customary Miso soup which I love so much.

All in all I enjoyed my outings. Thanks for stopping by!

Wild Animals ~ Tuesday 4

Tuesday 4 is here once again. 

Summer brings us out of the house and we spend more time outdoors, weather permitting,  and have an opportunity to see animals and birds that live around us.

1. Do you see many animals where you live? Is your answer a good or bad thing? 

In the immediate vicinity of where I live I don't see many wild animals except for a few types of birds, the odd squirrel and the occasional mouse.  That's a good thing but I wished I saw a lot more variety of birds. Oh once I saw a coyote down a dark alley when I was returning home very late from work one night. Fortunately he was further away and didn't follow me.

2. What kind of animals and birds are around your area?

In the broader city area where I live there are all kinds of wildlife and sealife. There are wild bears, mountain lions, coyotes, squirrels, birds, racoons, rats, mice and possibly other critters. In the ocean there are all kinds of fish which I never see but occasionally I will see orca whales and sea lions, the latter like to sun bathe while sitting on logs or rocks on the seashore. The bird life is prolific but I seldom see them unless I go out farther afield. In my immediate area I only see the occasional robins, sparrows, chicadees, pigeons, crows and sea gulls. If I go to the park I see swans, geese, ducks and all the others I've mentioned and sometimes bald eagles. If I go to the university or other outlying areas I will also see a lot of bald eagles.

3. What kind of animals and birds could you do without and what kind would you love to see more often?

I love all birds but can do without the coyotes, wild mountain lions, cougars and bears. These animals have been increasingly forced out of their natural habitat by human encroachment so it's only natural they now roam the areas where humans have moved in. Thankfully in my immediate, I only know of coyotes that can pass by. Apparently several hundred of them live in the city.

4. Do you feed wild birds or animals?

I do not feed the wildlife. It isn't good to encourage them to rely on and get habituated to humans. It's especially bad to try and feed bears when you see them in the park but people do it all the time. 

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post today. Please come again soon.

Lost & Found

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I was busy the whole weekend cleaning, running errands and reading the latest books borrowed from the library.

Saturday evening I ran an errand to the pharmacy to pick up milk and cream. On the way back I found a wallet sitting on the sidewalk in the corner of a very busy intersection. I was just about to cross the street when it caught my eye so I went back for it.

I opened it at home to find cash, a debit card, some health cards, but no information to help me locate the owner. I had a name and a country (Hungary) so I went on line and wrote a message to a few people to see if they might be the right ones. But these folks were not active on social media so I don't think they ever saw my message. 

Sunday I decided to go to the police station but when I got there kind of late in the day I saw that it was closed. I tried buzzing but there was no answer. Outside I ran into a police officer and told him my dilemma. He suggested I return tomorrow or go to the police station's property office. I asked him if he could take the wallet and he said no because he didn't have the right paperwork to complete. 

I expressed concern that the individual didn't have access to money or debit card and he assured me that the main thing was that no one was using their ID. So I had no choice but to return home with the wallet and hope I can make my way back to drop it off on Monday. 

Who knew it would be so difficult to return a wallet? When I picked it up I was assuming it belonged to a local not a foreigner. I hope the foreigner has a place to stay because they don't have their debit card or cash right now.

After the stop at the police station I decided to go to a nearby retail store to look for bathroom faucets. I found one at a good price and bought 2 of them, one for each bathroom. I also bought a fern that was on clearance. I intend to hang it from the ceiling since I don't have any flat space to put more pots.

More Books

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

How are you doing today?

This week I'm reading a lot. I completed The Paris Assignment by Rhys Bowen and have started reading all the other books except for Laura and Emma.

I can highly recommend The Paris Assignment if you like reading historical novels about heroines of WWII.  I found it very engaging and quite realistic about the horrors of the war without getting into too much gory detail. It was also very touching and moving in parts. Overall a very satisfying read.

Right now I'm making progress on Crow Mary, inspired by about a real life, 16 year old Crow woman who marries Abe Farwell, a white fur trader.  It's the late 1800s and he takes her to his trading post in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan Canada. 

Reckless Daughter is a biography of Canadian folk icon, Joni Mitchell. I've just gotten through her early years with friends and family, Joni's early forays into art and music and her graduation from high school.  Already I would say that Joni Mitchell's early years were not the norm, especially for a young person from Saskatchewan, Canada.

The Three Sisters Bar and Hotel is another book with dual narratives. I purchased it at the thrift story mainly because it is set in Canada and it looked interesting. The first story deals with a family headed by a widowed professor.  It is 1911 and they have just arrived in small town, Gateway (real life Canmore), Alberta, Canada where they are lodging at the Three Sisters Bar and Hotel. In the second story set in the current times, we are introduced to an elderly couple who have purchased the very same hotel and informed their 3 grown daughters that this is their gift.  Needless to say this is a shock and surprise and not welcomed by all daughters.

No sooner did I get these books home when I received a notification that another book, Miss Morgan's Book Brigade, was on hold for me. I love to walk to the library as often as I can for some exercise so I walked there and picked up the new book on Friday.  I began reading it before I got home. It's a book of dual narratives.  The first story involves an American woman, Jessie Carson who goes to France during WW1 to establish children's libraries. Then she disappears. The second narrative is set in the late 1980s, when another librarian and aspiring writer, Wendy Peterson learns about Jessie Carson and becomes obsessed by her story.

This is as far as I've read for now. I'll probably reserve Laura & Emma until I've completed the other3 library books. I can take my time reading the thrift store find and once I'm done I can give it to someone else.

What about you dear reader? Have you got any good book recommendations for me or have you read any good books lately?

A Trip to the Garden

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I finally made it to the community garden plot the other day. It was over due for some weeding. It was already getting late but there were still people enjoying the park.
 

 

After plucking all the weeds, I harvested some chives and some strawberries.  The chives are well past their prime but I think I can salvage some of them.

I could see the sunset and the clock on the city hall building in the distance. The time says 9:20 p.m.

After my work at the garden I took a walk to the local grocers to pick up a few things. On my way to the grocers I passed another clock. The time was around 9:40 p.m. 

I ended up buying more than a few things when I only really needed bananas.  The ground beef was on sale and I only buy it when it's on sale. I bought 2 packages as well as some mangos, strawberries and bread.

How about you dear reader? Do you go to the store for one thing and bring back several items instead?