27 July 2017

Hello From the Top of the Hill!

We live way up on a hill, so when there is flooding, sometimes we can see little rivulets far beneath us in the neighbours' yards.  We're pretty safe.  I think about a half cup of water got into the basement right where the main water line meets the ground - not even enough to worry about, thankfully.  Other people in the area are not so fortunate!

In other news, we've had our old deck torn off and we're replacing it with an Azek stairway.  It's pretty much a wooden frame and then over that we'll have this plastic-y wood.  Which I think is pretty nifty.  If you live in the US, they will send you a few samples and that's how we picked our colour.  (Deck-builders don't always have samples in the full range!) I'll show you a picture later when it's all finished and the ground dries up enough to wander into the back yard.  Presently the contractors are out there getting rained on and working with power tools (really).


Unfortunately we had a little damage when they were putting in whatever they attach to the house to keep the stairway/ deck in place.  Not a big deal - it's not structural, but it's not going to match once it's repaired.  Look how close they got to the electric lines contained in that metal pipe, though!! Oh well.  Always something when you own a house, eh?  I'm grateful they didn't zap right through that and kill themselves/ knock out our power indefinitely.

And the tree guys come soon, too.  And then that will be it for projects and big outlays of cash for a good while (knock wood/ plastic simulated wood).

23 July 2017

Roller Skating Outfits



Thought I'd share photos of Rose and Woodjie in their "roller dance" practice outfits. It's really a sport and you do it with quad skates. They will be a dancing pair in an invitational event this October. The "stuff" you buy is really pretty much identical to the stuff you get for ice skating in terms of little skirt outfits, etc. Woodjie is basically wearing a jogging shirt/ compression pants outfit I bought him for practice.

19 July 2017

Orgy at My House

Getting it onnnn... I never thought I would feature "bug sex" on my blog, but here we are.
Yep, I'm hosting an orgy for Japanese beetles.  It's been going on for WEEKS and there is no sign of it letting up.  I've done the expensive sprays and yes, they WORK, but if you live on a little suburban lot as I do, what happens is the bugs just fly in from up the street and you start over again.


 I mean, there are thousands of them.  If I had a brave and willing partner, I could film whilst someone shakes my apple tree and hundreds will fly out with an angry "bzzzt!"


 They seem to not only destroy every luscious apple on my property, but they've also eaten up every green leaf on my apple tree.  Do they want to nibble on the oak trees in my yard?  You know, the ones I wanna get rid of anyway?  NO. They're just like spoilt kids who chuck dinner in the trash and eat ice cream right out of the freezer.  And they double-dip with their drooly spoons.  They get me so mad.


What a mess.  But I'm  not alone!  Apparently just about everyone else who is growing vegetables or roses is dealing with this.  People with useless ornamental plants don't seem to be affected at all.  Stupid bugs.

03 July 2017

Love Letters From God: Bible Stories for a Girl's Heart


Love Letters From God:  Bible Stories for a Girl's Heart, a "lift the flap" book for littler girls, features short stories and friendly "notes" from God.  Some of the Biblical heroes include Deborah, Hannah, Naaman's servant girl and of course, Mary. This book's a little "young" for my nine-year-old, but it was so friendly-looking I picked it out anyway and of course she enjoyed it.

One of the things you'll appreciate about this book is the way it's cheerfully put together.  This isn't boring 12-point type on plain paper.  All the pages of the book are pretty similar to the cover - it really looks three-dimensional.  I would say it's about a second-grade reading level if your daughter were reading this to herself.

This is a nice, "happy" book to pass along to a child.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Bringing Garbage Home

Some people up the street were throwing this table away. It was in pretty bad shape and one of the legs was off. I've glued the leg back...