I'm Feeling PE = Pure Energy. AND It's Great

I can't get over this.  I was up at 6:22 am.  Mixed dough for dinner rolls and bread; took a walk at 7:15 for an hour; put the dishwasher on before I left; started the laundry when I got back; kneaded the dough for a second time and let it rise; washed two floors; and hung out laundry.


The rolls and bread were done by 11 am.


The dishes were done within an hour of starting.


The laundry was all done by supper time.


J. spent the afternoon at school.  I ran errands.


We drove to the dyke to find P. and then we did a coffee run.


Came home and heated leftovers.  It was great with the salad.


J. had a great afternoon.


It's been a wonderful day where I got a lot done.  I feel like I accomplished something good today.


And, I feel physically good too; and all day long.

Hurrah It's the First Day of Something Great - SUMMER!!!!

I have to write today.  


These last three days have been busy.  They've been domesticated. I am wondering if this is domestication at its very basic and very best.  It's been a while since I've visited domestication.


 I spent 4 1/2 hours in the kitchen today.  I made two - count'em - TWO - Ski Cakes.  We had a mishap with the first one and so I made a second one.


The first one will stay home and husband will enjoy it.


The second is going out to a relative as a birthday cake.  


They sure did smell delicious as they baked.  The great thing about the Ski Cake is that it bakes in 30 minutes - yes!!! 30 minutes!!! All done and the icing is so simple to prepare and spread on the top of it.  I love the creative freedom I have with the topping.  After all, it is supposed to look like a ski hill.


I did a lot of dishes today in addition to the fun we had in the kitchen.  J. helped with the first one.  I did the second one.


I washed the kitchen floor again.  Two times since Sunday is a new record for me.  It is a light coloured floor and was grunchy from all the spills and tramping about.


Now, I am supervising the six year old.  NO easy task when I am tired and want a break.  So much for me.  And to think I grew up in the ME Generation of the 1970s.


The sun has been out all day.  It is cloudy still and we had a small drop or two of rain a few minutes ago.  It's windy and breezy and really nice after being in the kitchen.


Our lawn is getting mowed.  It's looking so very nice on this first day of summer.


I am so glad it is here ... finally!!!!


And as an addendum, on Sunday I baked dinner rolls and a small loaf of bread.  That took time as the dough needs to rise.  

Note to self:  Remember that the dough continues to rise as it bakes in the oven.  I did all of these in the oven at once and totally forgot about the rising until I saw the bread.  I really like the convection oven.

Men-O-oh- Pause

What a last 24 hours it has been!!!


I must say that I certainly had a pause in my life these last few hours.


This change of life is something else.  At about 2:45 am this morning, I awoke with a headache on the upper left side of my eye.  I was unsettled and couldn't sleep.  I didn't feel right.  Then came the sweats and the chills all at once.  It was awful.  Then I was sick.  It took over an hour to begin to feel better.


Today I have eaten every little.  I had a drink of diet Sprite and within 45 minutes I threw it up.  I managed a piece of toast with butter.  It stayed down.  Then I had chicken noodle soup for supper and a half cup of tea with milk.  I am beginning to feel better now.


I find it has to run its course.  I haven't had an episode like this in about a year.  It's calmed down quite a bit in the last years or so.  I remember there was a time when it was every 3-4 weeks.  It was horrible.


J. graduated from play school this morning.  Paul came to see her.  I got some pictures before the batteries died.


A school mate came over this afternoon for a while to play and visit.  It was good for J. to have someone in her peer group to play with.

A Nice Relaxing Day

It was a lovely Saturday.  The sun shone and the breeze was gentle and soothing.


We took a day trip to visit family.  It was wonderful.


We relaxed outside talking and laughing with each other and chasing the six year old when we lost sight of her.


We cooked lobster for Grampy to enjoy later in the day.  Here are some pictures:

Hard Work Makes for Enjoyable Work

It was a cloudy day until 3 p.m.  Now it`s sunny and still windy.  It was great working in my various garden spots this morning.  The temperature was right.


I admit I know very little - really next to nothing - about gardening.  All I know about it is that I love doing it.  I love the physical dance that I must do in order to create something pleasant and beautiful.  There is something rhythmic and in sync when I do my bit for the flowers and plants that bring me so much enjoyment.


Of course the actual growth and subsequent reward is out of my control.  But I sure do love helping it along.


I managed to dig around some of the young plants so that I can put dirt and manure on and top with mulch.  I fixed up a little spot in the back yard next to the house, and discovered a little stem peeping out through the weeds.  It`s all cleared out and fed with the dirt-manure mixture.  I can`t wait to see it in its prime.

I noticed 8 green stems coming up around our sidewalk.  My husband said they are coming up now because the soil had been too cold.  It makes sense to me.  I planted the bulbs this spring and didn`t know if they would sprout.


The burning bush has tripled in size.  It`s taller and healthier than it was last year.  I turned the soil over around it so that I can add my dirt-manure mix along with mulch sometime next week.  I am really pleased with its progress.  


Nothing works out the kinks and stiff limbs as digging in the dirt and lugging it.  


I also managed to plant my little Joe Pye.  I looked in Plants for Atlantic Gardens by Jodi DeLong (pp. 152-153) about Joe Pye.  They can grow from 2 to 7 feet tall.  I hope I do good by it.  I`ll have to check on it.  It`s only a little wee seedling right now.  But I look forward to seeing it grow and grow.


I also transplanted two little beebalm.  They produce beautiful flowers at maturity and can be from 2-5 feet.  I look forward to these two.  I need to be diligent about caring for them and helping them along.


My cone flowers are growing beautifully this spring.  I planted three little bunches and they have doubled in size since last year.  I am so looking forward to their beautiful purple petals and brown middles.  


Lastly, one of my indoor garden challenges is growing aloe vera without killing it.  Right now I have had a piece someone gave for for 8 days and it`s turning brown on the ends and looking a bit shrunk up.  What to do.  I will have to google it and find out what to do to keep it alive and well.


Signing off for now.  Have a great weekend.

Our World Turns

Happy Tuesday!!!


Another day almost done ... for some of us.


The sun is out!!!  The sun is out!  Finally! At Last!!!  I waited the whole day.  While I waited there was much activity around me.


The first cut of hay happened behind and beside us.  I wondered if it was going to rain while they were cutting.


Husband is planting soy on the dyke.  Now it is beautiful.  That saying that you have to make the hay while the sun shines (or it's NOT raining) is so very true.  The seasons wait for no one.  Work must be done when opportunity knocks.


Can you find the tractor?

Here`s a beautiful rogue Hawthorne tree that grows in the back.  We have another smaller one elsewhere on the property.

It is a beautiful tree but has many prickly thorns all over it.

June Comes In with a Flurry of Activity

June came in fast!  J.'s b-day meant two days of activities.  An official b-day with five little friends on the one day and then another b-day with mommy and daddy on her day.  It meant lunch out and gifts from us.


It's hard to believe that she will be in school in the fall.  Orientation was this morning.  She took the bus without any difficulty.  I was really proud of her.  She had an excellent morning.


I cleaned house so I could keep busy and productive.  Besides the house needed it.  What a way to get work done. Be up early, get child out the door, and return to roll up sleeves and clean, clean, clean.


Here`s a picture of her unusual hot dog cake.  It was delicious and sold at the local Sobeys store.

It is cloudy again and we are expecting rain.  We had quite the thunder and lightning storm two nights ago.  It kept J. awake and frightened her.  I did not think of taking pictures.  I would have if I had thought to do it.


Hubby is planting corn before it gets too bad.


I think living is all about attitude.  Maybe it is true that positive and negative attitudes affect the karma that surrounds us and that it impacts on our relationships with others.  I think I will contemplate that one for a while.


I do like the concept that Gawd is love and light and that Gawd dwells in us and we in Gawd.  Thus, we possess and are love and light.  How much I wonder.  How do we let love and light flow from us without feeling crapped on by others.


I have attitude but it is not always good. That I am very aware of these days.  I wonder how much my attitude is shaped by my actions.