Whoo Hoo!!

I got a brand new school bus yesterday.
It. Is. Awesome!!!
If Henry hadn't commandeered my camera for his hunting trip there would be pictures.
Lots of pictures!
The things I want to tell you about this bus. . .
But it's going to have to wait I'm afraid. This has thrown a wrench in my bazaar schedule and I now have to spend today cleaning my old bus as it will become the school's spare and has to be brought to the school asap.
Sigh.
Those centerpieces I planned to make to decorate the bazaar and then sell off, are looking more and more unlikely.
BUT. . . I am Warm on my new bus!!!
It doesn't get better than that!

Busy Days

Wellingtons Garden Center

It's getting busy around here.

My cousin Leona and I are organizing the Sinter Klaas Bazaar again this year and there are just five days to go until the big day.

There are so many little details that need to be taken care of for a big fund raising event and I keep track of them in my special note book.
You know, that books of lists that functions like my brain. (except that it's more reliable. . .)
The book that never leaves my sight.
Except that it did. Leave my sight I mean. . .

It has disappeared!!!

I am madly trying to recreate all my notes and I'm so sure that I've forgotten at least one person who wanted  to rent a table that I'm going to have to have an extra 'vendor' table or two just to make sure. . .
I sure hope that book turns up soon!

I'm also in charge of decorating so I've got a few ideas that I've be trying to scrounge up bits and pieces for. I've picked up the table cloths and we will be covering all the tables with plastic burgundy and green table clothes and I bought coordinating napkins for the kitchen as well as the dessert table.

Of course I wasn't thinking about the bazaar yesterday when I decided to decorate the front garden for Christmas while it was still some what warm. I worked on my own all afternoon putting up the greenery and Jesse and I worked well into the evening putting up the lights.

It looked great! (I'll be posting pictures as soon as I get a chance. We won't be turning on the lights until December and I'm hoping for a bit of snow to cover the ugly stomped on garden.)

Then I realized that I had just used up a lot of the bits and pieces I had intended to use at the bazaar!

Sigh. . .

That's what happens when I lose my book of lists!

Ah well. . .
I'm sure everything will work out one way or another.
Anyone have any good, quick, cheap and fabulous decorating ideas?
I think I might need them!

It's Warming Up!

It was another cold morning and it took quite some time for my feet to warm up once I got home.
Poor Jada had to miss out on a walk again today, but I just didn't have the oomph to go for a walk at -24C !
I had a nice nap today, made icing for the cinnamon buns I made yesterday and chatted with family and friends. (What did people do before phones?!)
It's time to leave for my afternoon run but my feet are mostly thawed out and it's a balmy -14C on this beautiful sunny afternoon so I'm looking forward to a nice bus ride.
There will be lots of fun things going on at my little house for the next while as we head into the holidays and I'll do my best to keep you posted.
Perhaps you might even get a good idea or two for your own holiday celebrations!

Frigid Temperatures

How do frigid temperatures affect your life? I start to get rather uptight when the thermometer falls below -25C.
Last night they were calling for -31C and I jumped into action.
I laid out my knee high ski socks and an extra pair of warm fuzzy socks to go over them.
I set out my white Sorrels (Rated to -40C)  and extra warm green turtle neck.
In the kitchen I got my travel mug ready to fill with piping hot hot chocolate just before I had to leave in the morning. I also set out my wheat bag hoping it would stay warm enough to keep my hands warm while the bus warmed up. ( that doesn't happen at these temps until I'm be driving for about an hour.)
Fleece lined jeans?
Check.
Long johns?
Check.
Toque?
Check.
Tow pairs of gloves
Check.
School is cancelled when it drops below -37C or -41 with the wind chill out at the International Airport.
I just checked.
It's -27C and -33C with wind chill  over there.
So I had better bundle up and get going.
Stay warm every one!

Frosty Days

Does anyone here know what happens when you stick a wet tongue to a frosty metal post  16 degrees below Celsius?
A nine year old boy on my bus does. . .
And right about know he's probably wishing he didn't have an enquiring mind!

A Dog's Life

Sick Over Here. . .

I have been battling both a bad cold and what seems to be intestinal flu for the past two weeks.
It's not quite bad enough to stay home from work and sleep all day so you just keep doing what has to be done at a much slower pace.
Hence the lack of blog posts. Every time I sit down I end up taking a nap!
I've been in the garden

 nearly finished my kitchen (pics coming soon!),

attended Farm Fair with Ev,

worked on the Sinter Klaus bazaar and spent the last day and a half shopping for my Operation Christmas child shoe boxes.
We have Thursday and Friday off this week and the plan is the take advantage of the fact that Jesse's not working at the moment and in desperate need of money!
If I can just shake the sickness we are going to be twin whirlwinds getting all those little projects that refuse to get off my mental To Do list and have the house ready for the Christmas season by next week.
Ambitious I know and I can she Ev just shaking her head now. . . ( she thinks I should learn how to relax.)
I`m working on it. . .
Sort of. . .

Wild Life

I had just gotten  on to a quiet street in St Albert this morning when, without warning, a moose trotted across the street! She (no horns) wandered around for a bit and then headed back into the bush towards the river which would take her back out of town. (I hope!)
My first reactions were both delight and gratitude.
I mean how often do you get to see a moose up close like that?
Henry never does when he's out hunting, that's for sure!
I sent up a heartfelt prayer of thanks for such a lovely gift and hard on that, came the thought. . .
"Where's my camera? What kind of a blogger doesn't carry a camera 24/7 ?!!"
The fact that it was pitch black at the time was irrelevant.
After all a picture of a moose in the dark would be better than no picture of any kind of moose at all, don't you think?

Jesse's 'Go To' Outfit When Talking On The Phone With A Pretty Girl. . .