Fall Day and those bloody leaves

Well we love all of our hardwood trees on our property both front and back but of course at this time of year it is a lot of work raking them up. Ralph was out yesterday and again today. They are still falling so he will be out there for a while yet.

Jake lays in the piles as he rakes them up so he is not really a big help :-) It was beautiful and warm today...I know that this weather cannot last forever but it is sure nice while it lasts.

Hallowe'en in a few days. I don't know where the time goes. Seems like it was just Hallowe'en a few months ago. Still strange to me how time speeds up so as you age.

Velvet and Donna and maybe my sister Doreen and her daughter Debbie are coming up next weekend to go to the Christmas Craft show at the Forum. http://www.christmasattheforum.com/ We went last year and it was a lot of fun. I made lasagna for supper last night so we are having it tonight again and as we know it is always better the second time around.

Happy October

I assume that all of you have had as nice an October as we have here in Nova Scotia. This is a picture of Velvet's twin boys, Brett and Drew. They are featured in this posting (along with their wonder dog, Buster) because it is their 12th birthday on Friday. Happy Birthday Brett and Drew. I am getting so old as it seems like just yesterday that I was driving through the early morning hours to Yarmouth hospital trying to make it there for their birth. I didn't make it by the way...turns out that they were making their appearance as I was backing out of my driveway in Dartmouth. The other picture is Ralph at his annual Finance Mess Dinner last Thursday. He organizes the whole thing every year so this year they presented him with a 1961 Black Hawks cap (last time the Black Hawks won the Stanley Cup), and as you see he wore it proudly with his official mess kit.

By the way this picture is taken outside Velvet's front door. Quite a view huh? I think that they take the view for granted :-)

San flew up to Ontario today. She is there for a conference on the weekend but is going to see Trish and Joe tonight and tomorrow and is making a quick shopping trip to the U.S. with her friend Sarah on Friday, conference starting Friday night and back late next Monday night. I will pick her up at the airport as Ralph will be curling. I had my first session with my learner in Literacy last night. I will tutor him each Tuesday from 4- 6. I meet him right after work. I am also volunteering on the crisis line with Feed Nova Scotia one day a week for five hours. We have to do what we can and this is my little part of helping.

Got my candy bags ready for Hallowe'en tonight. Last year we had only seven kids so this year I thought I would be safe with 12 bags. Ralph reminded me that five families with children moved in to the new Cul-de-sac across the street so he is going out to get backups.

Have a good week everyone. Enjoy our beautiful Fall.

Rainy October Saturday

A friend sent us this web address. Check it out if you want to see some beautiful pictures of the Fall in Cape Breton. http://www.paulillsley.com/ns/capebreton/

Not much going on this morning. Ralph has ventured out in the rain to pick up a few groceries. My cousin Cora and her husband Randy are on the way here to spend the day and night. We are going shopping this afternoon and then supper out and the casino tonight. I have been playing with our newly installed "DVR" since we got it yesterday. That is a Digital Video Recorder and as Mama used to say "it is a keen rig", meaning it is pretty awesome. It is so easy to use compared to a VCR. I find the show I want to tape on the Guide and press record. That is it. I can press stop on live T.V. shows as they are playing (if the phone rings or whatever) and then go back and pick up where I left off. I love it! Trish had it on her t.v. when we were up there last week and that is what convinced me to get it. Glad I did.
I gotta get upstairs and make soup for lunch, chocolate chip cookies for dessert and then clean up a bit, shower and get dressed, all before my company arrives. Since I had a quote from Mama here is one from Daddy, I'd better "get my ass in gear" :-)

Reach out to Nova Scotia

Air Reservist of the Year

Hi,

Just got back from Ottawa and Oshawa. Ralph and I were in Ottawa for the Air Force Association's National Convention. Ralph was given the award for Air Reservist of the Year for 2007. Quite an honour and here is a picture of Ralph, myself and Ralph's boss, Lt.Col Don McLeod at the dinner last night. Also put on a picture of the plaque he received.

We were at Trish and Joe's from Tuesday until Friday. Had a great time with them. They are doing well. Ralph and I set in on one of Joe's first year Physics class. Needless to say what he lectured on went over our heads but he did a really good job. He sounded just like a real university professor :-)

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. November 1st I can start playing my Christmas music and that is not far off. Take care everyone....I am tired tonight so will not write much but wanted to put up the picture.

Long Time, No Post

Hi Everybody,
I have been spending my time on Facebook so sadly neglecting this blog. Let me see....what to bring you up to date on. I don't know if you knew but Ralph applied for the job of Recreation Director for Barrington Municipality and he had an interview last week. He will hear this Wednesday rather or not he was successful. He will have to call from Tricia's in Oshawa as we are leaving for her place tomorrow. We are staying with Trish and Joe until Friday and then going for a conference in Ottawa. Don't know what we are going to do if he did get it. Oh well, one step at a time.

We have had a lovely Fall so far. Lots of sun and nice temperatures. It did get colder today...only about 13 degrees. Apparently it was 30 degrees in Toronto today, don't know what to take for clothes for this week. I guess that I will have to take clothes for all seasons.

Ralph is going curling tonight, won't get home until midnight and we leave for the airport at 7:15 am. so he will be cranky and tired by the time we get to Oshawa :-)

Gotta go and pack.