Sus en So

Haven't posted in a while. My sisters and I just finished 4 days of catering this week and 2 days last week so we've been a little tied up. It was a great job. We'd start the day around 9:00 AM and be finished by 3:00, with enough leftovers to feed our families. Pretty sweet, I'd say. And it's always fun to hang out with my sisters.

Our lunches are usually buffet style and we serve. I just love doing that. And people are almost always appreciative-even the woman who didn't want to eat the Chickpea Curry because she didn't like curry. She happily ate more salad and took an extra roll. If she were my child, I'd tell her to try just a little bit because this chickpea curry is really good.

Had 3 showings for the house in the last couple of weeks. This house is clean! Before a showing, I get pretty anal about the house which is very much out of character for me. I like the clean and clutterfree look but we'll relax a bit once the house is sold. That will make everyone happy, I'm sure.

Tim moved out and has set his apartment up quite nicely. He has the important things a young adult needs, like a TV (no cable), computer, toaster and microwave. He also has a Playstation (and game chair) as well as a red and white Canadian lawn chair. I visited him today and was pleased to see him cooking Chicken Curry with Vegetables, one of his favourite dishes. He still could use a couch, kitchen table and some chairs but he seems very happy with what he has. I noiced that his bed was made too. That sure makes a mother proud.

Eric moved too. To Southern Ontario. There will be some adjusting to this by both Eric and me, that's for sure. I think he'll start a blog, just to let us all know how he's doing.

A week or so ago, Kristen found this note on the windshield of her car:

It says: I'm sorry, I did not mean to but your car. You did not leave me your phone number. How ever, my question is, are you perfect?

Do unto others as you want others to do unto you. I take that you are a Christian. I'll be praying 4 U

To say that this note is puzzling is an understatement. Kristen was afraid that she may have hit another car but did not notice it. She assured me that there was nothing on or in her car to show that she is a Christian. She was also worried that this person would take down her licence plate number and report this non incident to the police. I told her not to worry. All we noticed on her car is that there is a scratch on her brand new bumper, the one that was recently replaced.

What she should worry about is that someone as confused as this man or woman is, is out there, still driving.

A Few Pictures

These are a few pictures of our "model" home. They look so lovely!

One Lazy Dog

I thought dogs always stood while they ate their kibbles.

Perfection

By this time tomorrow, my house will be perfect. Every surface dusted, all light fixtures shining, every hole and chip filled and painted, no clutter, stove clean, fridge clean, laundry caught up...

This place has never looked this good, ever before.

I want to buy it all over again.

Changes Again

We spent a great weekend in Ontario at Easter. My parents in law were celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary and we all (that is, Wes, all our children and me) flew down for the festivities. There are things that need to be celebrated and this was one of them.

One of the things I loved best was seeing my children connect with their cousins, who they do not see much. Eric especially seemed to really enjoy the aunts, uncles and cousins. When he asked me, "Mom, why did you move away?" I think he was trying to understand what would possess us to move away from such great people and such a beautiful area.

Why did we move? We had pretty good relationships with our families and the Niagara area certainly is beautiful. I am reminded of that every time we go back. And now, our family bonds seem to be growing stronger. I think we moved because we, like so many young adults wanted to try it on our own. Start our own lives, away from what was familiar; have an adventure that included some risk but not too much. Besides, Wes was offered a great job here and we felt we could not turn it down. And, we were pretty sure that within a few years, we'd be back.

It's been 29 years since we first moved away from there, to here. With telephone, email and inexpensive air travel, it has been easy to stay connected.

But now, the tide has turned. Eric has been offered a position with Sun Media in St. Catharines and will be moving out there around the middle of May. I'm happy for him. The job sounds like it suits his talents and abilities well. The family will love to see him and I'm pretty sure they'll make sure to keep him connected.

People have been asking me how I feel about this. Sure, I'll miss him but I also know that this is a great opportunity for him, both professionally and personally.

And it's good for Westjet too. I just might have to take an extra trip or two now and then.

Warning

If you ever decide to get extensions in your hair....

The installation of said extensions is WAY easier than the removal of same. Why is it that the friends get the fun part (putting them in) but the mom has to do the gross part (loosening the glue and pulling out)?

You read that right.

Glue.

Could have been worse

It's a phone call every parent fears.

"Uh, mom? Can you come and pick me up? I've been in an accident-I'm okay, really I am, but I can't drive my car."

I pulled a jacket on over my pyjamas, found a pair of shoes and ran out the door. As I neared the intersection that Tim had directed me to, I saw a fire truck, ambulance and police cruiser. My heart sank right down to my feet. I parked my car and hurried over to the scene of the accident, my eyes searching the crowd for only one face. And then I saw him, standing with the paramedics, a little subdued but otherwise fine.

Neither Tim nor the other driver was really sure who had the green light. One of the firefighters told Tim that she smelled alcohol on the breath of the other driver. We're not sure because the police were questioning him as we were leaving. All they would have smelled on Tim was coffee breath as he was on his way home from work.

We got home just after midnight and I gave Tim a kiss and a hug-something I don't usually do before bed anymore.

It's possible that the car will be a write-off. He may feel a little stiff and sore this morning. This will set him back financially. But all that matters today is that he is here, at home, safe and sound.

And I have once again been reminded of how precious life is and how much I love my kids.

In Limbo

I suppose I should post something. I have a few regular readers who remind me that it's time for another post, even though some of those same people are lurkers, not even leaving comments for me!

Problem is, there doesn't seem to be much happening in my life worth writing about. I could say something about the cleaning, culling and organizing I'm doing but that was the subject of my last few posts. I could say something about selling the house but I've written about that too. I feel that my life has been put on hold, that I'm in some kind of no man's land. Got to get the house ready for showings in a few weeks and then, wait, how long? till someone buys it. In the meantime, it must stay in model home condition. Sigh.

And then there's the nagging feeling that maybe nobody will want to buy this house. It's a gorgeous house and it has been a wonderful place for us to live. And I know that it's time for us to move on. And what if nobody wants it? What then? How long will we stay here?

I'm not even entertaining the thought of where we will live after this place is sold. Well, maybe entertaining a little. That's something I'll worry about when this house is sold.

There's also the likelihood that Wes and I will be empty nesters come September. Just like that. Tim really wants to move out and Kristen's been accepted to the Outtatown program. All wonderful stuff but more changes for us.

For the next couple of days though, a bit of a reprive. I'm going to Fargo for some cross border shopping. It's something that I don't care to make a habit of but there aren't too many Canadian cities close enough to Winnipeg for a 2 day jaunt. It will be fun. A road trip with some of my favourite people. I'd love to take a few more of you too but then we'd need to rent a van. And the only rooms available in Fargo are the ones with one bed. Seems that there are more people from Manitoba making the same trip during spring break. Somehow Yvonne, Chelsea, Kristen and I will have to find a way to share one king-sized bed.

I hear toilet paper, aluminum foil and canned fruit are pretty cheap in the US. Maybe I'll stock up, even bring some back for Michele.

So long!