OUR WEEKEND AT THE LAKE

Two of our children came out to the lake for a visit.  So that made for a really full weekend for us. Our oldest daughter Tracy Elisabeth and our oldest son Jim spent the weekend with us.  It was a little windy and cool on Friday night, but we huddled around the campfire and had a great visit anyway.  

Elizabeth has been diagnosed with stage 3-4 Ovarian Cancer and is still in the investigation stage with a CT scan planned for Monday and surgery planned for the following week, so she was in charge of what she wanted to do, and this was the first thing on her bucket list.  " I want to sit around a campfire out at the lake".  She was hoping for a swim this weekend because once she has her surgery she will not be allowed in the lake for weeks and weeks.  It was much too cold for that. 

But they did get to go for a long walk and wonder the beach and talk and talk.  We Bar-B-Qed Steaks on Saturday night and drank and talked and talked well into the night.  

We all have some serious stuff to go through in the next little while, and we are going to have to gather around and help each other through it and acquiesce to Tracy's wishes.  

Sunday was a little bit cooler, so it was another day of having a few drinks, listening to some tunes and sitting around and talking and talking, but this time it was done indoors.  

And look what I got.  My son Jim, brought me this very unique birdhouse for my new deck.  Isn't it cute?  I just love it.  

 

After a nice dinner, it was time for them to pack up and head home.  All in all, it was a really nice weekend although the sad news is never far from our minds.  

 I think we all felt a bonding and supportive attitude that we can lean on.  So that was our Sad/Happy weekend. 

   

 

SEA-ENNA's BATHING SUIT

It all started when we discovered our dog loves to swim.  Sea-Enna is a Golden Retriever and the first couple of summers she seemed to fear the water.  

 We could understand that in her first summer as she was only 8 weeks old, but in her second summer when she was just over 1 year, we began to wonder if we had some kind of dud retriever. 

Well, in her third summer, when she was just over 2 years old.  My daughter visited us with her Labrador retriever Daisy, who followed my daughter into the water without hesitation and Sea-Enna followed along without a thought, and she loved it.  All she needed was someone to show her what to do. 

So, now we had a problem.  We live in a harbour.  We live on a boat.  And we certainly did not want to have to live with a constantly wet dog.  The first time we let her swim off of the boat, we also discovered it was difficult to get her back up onto the swim platform.  Even at 2 years old she was over 55 pounds.   

Her "Bathing Suit" became the solution to both problems.  It is a large strong dog harness that has a good strong strap across her back and under her belly so that when she swims up to the boat Dan can heft her back up onto the swim platform. 

We have been very consistent in never, never, never letting her go in the water without that harness on. 

Even if we are going swimming at a beach, she must have her "Bathing Suit"  on.  Not that she NEEDS to have it on then, but it makes her associate it with being allowed to go in the water. 

That consistency means she never goes near the water around the harbour.  No jumping off docks, wading into the mud or reeds, nor do we have to fear her jumping off of the boat without permission.  It also means when we get out her "Bathing Suit"  she gets very excited and can hardly contain her excitement. 

If we pull out her "Bathing Suit" while we are in port she runs to the truck the minute she gets it on, because she knows she is going to the beach. 

Or if we stop on a cruise and get out her "Bathing Suit" she knows she gets to swim off of the boat.  It works great. 

All in all the "Bathing Suit" harness and consistency, have been a wonderful solution to what could have been a BIG problem for us.

SEA-ENNA LOVES TO SWIM

I'M LOOKING FOR SOME INPUT ON A DECOR CHOICE

I've always loved the idea of naming cottages.  I grow up with all the cottages at the beach having names.  In fact, I stole the name I'm going to use from my Aunt and Uncle, Marg and Jim Lough's cottage at Grand Beach.  As it is no longer being used, I've laid claim to the name.  So, Our little beach house is going to be called "ANCHOR INN" 

Needless to say, there will be a number of nautical decor items around that I have collected over the years.  These are some that I have in the kitchen.   

My kitchen accent colour is the dark green as in the bell rope,  and the plants and I also like the idea of the dark wood accents, plus there is the brass.  Now here is the thing that I am trying to decide on.  I am putting a little wooden anchor on each of my kitchen cabinet doors and I am trying to decide what colour they should be, against my golden oak cabinets.  

 So I have taken a few of the damaged ones and painted them to see how they look so I can make my decision. (There will only be one on each cabinet door plus the brass sample doesn't look as brassy as it should), but you get the idea.    

ANYONE HAVE AN OPINION?  

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HAVING A WONDERFUL MOTHERS DAY

Went to my Daughter Tracy Elizabeth's yesterday and had a wonderful visit.  And received a beautiful oil painting of Lake Winnipeg from her.  It is by a local Winnipeg artist and really captures the essence of my memories of my childhood at Grand Beach.  

Then last night we went to my son Jim's place for a wonderful turkey dinner and a great visit with Jim and Rachelle and my grandsons Alex and Matthew.  And I got flowers too. 

And today the weather has finally improved enough to sit outside a bit and enjoy my yard and make plans for summer. And Dan is going to Bar-B-Q burgers for us later on.  

ALL IN ALL A GREAT MOTHERS DAY 

BUILDING A SHOWER

I have decided to do this post because this is something that has bothered me for years. The first time Dan and I did a reno where we totally gutted a bathroom, ( back in the '60s) we argued about the positioning of the taps and shower controller.  I wanted them near the outside edge of the shower curtain and he said that was too much extra pipe to run. I won that argument and after the job was completed he agreed that it worked out well. 

 So here's the thing.  The above picture is of a typical shower stall that we see all the time.  This particular one was in one of the motels on our journey home from Texas.  You will notice that if you want to turn on the water adjust the settings and get it to the desired flow and temperature, you have to get into the shower and stand under that spray (hot or cold) until you get it right.  WHY?  Because men make these decisions rather than women. 

 Now when I design a shower, (as above) I design it so that you can open the shower door, reach the controller, which is right close to the door, stick your hand under the shower head until you have adjusted it to your desired settings, then and only then, get into the shower stall.   I watch all these fixer-upper shows and I still see the same mistake being made over and over again. 

WHY ???

JUST PLUGGING ALONG WAITING FOR NICE WEATHER.

Well, the snow is all gone from our yard and all the leaves are cleaned up.  

Last years ashes have been cleaned out of the fire pit, so it's ready for the first fire but we haven't put out the lawn furniture yet.   

We got the Bar-B-Q out, but we only used it once.  The weather just has not been co-operating.  

We've had a couple of nice days here and there, but nothing consistent.  And the forecast for this week is not looking good.  They are predicting rain for almost every day this coming week and into next weekend.  

 We'll just keep plugging away with our endless list of chores  

SUMMER WILL ARRIVE SOONER OR LATER

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE.

  

I am having a really great Easter.  

But it has nothing to do with the religious holiday.  Since my cabinets have been installed these two cabinets have been planned as my pantry.  

One cabinet has standard shelves on rails that can be pulled out if you can't reach something way in the back.  

And today Dan installed a complete set of four file cabinet type roll out shelves in the other pantry cabinet.  So, that was my Easter present and I am very pleased.  It sure didn't take me long to get everything loaded in there, which of course makes the rest of the kitchen function so much better without all these things stuffed in here there and everywhere.  

Time to put the turkey in the oven and prep the vegetables

He certainly deserves a good home cooked meal after all that work.  

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!  

(I hope your's is as happy as mine)