The joys of owning a home.....

If anyone wants a good crash diet, just buy a house. I haven't had a real meal since I started working on my house. I am just too busy with projects. I do not like painting but I like the results so it is worth it in the end. So many various things to do, but I just keep telling myself that finish one and then move on. I have to keep telling myself it doesn't have to get done in one day. There is joy in the journey, or so I am told, so I am trying to find it. Below is a picture journal of my last few days.
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Please note, this is before today.


Timber!


After........ 4 trees, 4 shrubs removed and the maple was limbed up a bit, sucker branches were removed. Quite a difference. Now I can see just how dirty my house it. It needs a good power wash. Any takers?


I have started my painting with the worst room of the house for painting. The walls are so high and there are just tons of windows. Don't judge the color just yet. I was unsure until I got most of the room done but now i am liking it. Definitely darker when it dries. I am a terrible painter. I am not neat and I feel like I am getting drips all over.

Can't decide if I like this here.

I am trying out various locations for all my pots. I have moved them a ton so far. Mom dug out this little patch of dirt today. What you can't see is the beautiful clematis in the background.

My yard is a jungle. There are beautiful perennials mixed in with weeds. Mom is gathering all the random hostas and creating a little hosta garden outside my back door. It will help to soak up rain run off near the foundation.

Home Owner

Today was the day and it is official. While normal people move furniture to their new home, I moved plants and outdoor stuff. The furniture will come later. It was a good day. Don't know if it has sunk in yet but we moved some stuff over from my parents. Don't worry, the Uhaul trucks behind me are not mine. They belong to the previous owners. My stuff should be here at some point in the next several weeks. That is it for now. I am exhausted and off to bed.

hiking

Today we hiked Cascade Mnt, one of the 46 high peaks in the ADK. It was somewhat of a challenge to both of us but it was fun to talk and monitor the dogs. We had four with us and I think that was a little scary to some at times but we had them completely under control every time we came across other people.
We reached our goal,,,, the top.

We made it through rain and mud and steep inclines to the top and it was beautiful. Completely worth the effort. Where are Christian's long arms when I need them for self portraits. Mine are a little too short and always seem a bit awkward.

He looks completely fine. not even a tongue hanging out.

We made it to the peak.

What is he looking at.... a bear, a wolf....who knows.

Grady is so cat like but this picture doesn't capture it quite right. The eyes are soooo scary!

Oh, Canada

Rachael and I took a trip up to Ottawa today even though the weather was terrible. Raining most of the time. But it reminded us of Europe a little with the buildings, the markets, the pastries and espresso. It was a fun day. We are going to the ADK tomorrow and a visit to Lake Placid. Should be a fun trip. Hopefully we will have a rain free day.

Saturday

Rachael is quite the dog whisperer. There are only four dogs in this picture but at one point she had all 5 sitting at attention, waiting, drooling for a treat.

Here are a few pictures from our morning out in Potsdam. Mom, Rachael and I attended the Potsdam Garden tour. It was 9 gardens and each garden was beautiful yet different from the next. We found lots of fun new plants and got some great new ideas. I can't wait to get started at my house.


I really like this. What a fun piece for the garden.

Friday

These are some of the chairs that go to the set I bought at the auction last weekend. I steel wooled, metal brushed and washed them. They don't look so back from a distance but with the primer and first coat of black on, they look a 100 times better. I am trying to get fabric for the seat cushions. Fun project.

This is what happens when I invite people up for a visit. We hang out for a day or two and then I put them to work on my projects with me. Perhaps this is why Rachael is heading out before the painting really gets started once I close on my house. We have the sorest index fingers around for all the spray can tops. I told Rachael she would never make it in a graffiti gang due to poor finger muscles.


Looking pretty good after the first coat. I am glad I decided to go with the black.

Doesn't my mom's garden in the back look so nice. It has grown in so nicely in the last 2 years. Hard to believe that it was only 2 yrs ago that we were hard at work on it, feels like a life time ago to me.

Randomness

I just had to document this note I found on the kitchen table yesterday from my dad to my mom. When I am gone the dogs have the freedom to sleep where they please and when my dad gets up early, they think the day has begun and want to go out. But once they go out they feel it is immediately time to eat. 7am is way too early for them to be having breakfast. But they become like little pests when what they want involves food. I was telling my mom this morning that they are taking complete advantage of them since Christian used to get up at 5am and they stayed on their bed in the basement until around 7:30 or 8 when I would get up. Hummmmm..... they are found out. The key is using a firm, rather angry, I don't want to get up voice and say "Get back on your bed!" That usually does the trick for a bit longer.

This photo documents my highest scoring board in speed scrabble ever! That 3 mile run today did my mind some good- increased O2 perhaps.

I think this is the very first time that I won Speed Scrabble. It was only because we were not going at warp speed like some other people I know.... FYI my score was 346 not 246. I noticed a math problem after taking the photo.

This is Bella on our way back to Canton yesterday from Buffalo. She was very curious about what was happening in the front of the car.

This is what happens when 3 grown up women head off to an auction together in one car and find lots of great deals! Good thing we were only an hour away. The part you can't see is that the cargo doors could not close- they were tied shut. We made it home just find with everything and everyone. I can't wait until June 28- this time the auction is closer to home in Potsdam.

A trip to Western NY

Rachael and I just got back from a trip to Western NY to visit another spouse who lost her husband in November and who just had a little baby boy. He was so sweet and such a good baby. I think he only fussed once the whole time we were together. So, it was good to be together and talk. I am glad we went. The trip went overall very smoothly. There was crazy hail on Monday and cool temps the last 3 days. Strange, strange weather patterns. We ate out, talked a lot and visited Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.


Bundle up everyone. 54-62 degrees and rainy- I mean really. It felt like fall but we were determined to see the falls and it was definitely beautiful from the Canadian side. This was the baby's first international trip. Rachael and I were glad to be a part.


My hair just looks terrible! The hotel we stayed in was to say the least a growing experience for me. I won't go into the specific details but I will say that I have never stayed in a place that didn't have a blow dryer. Not good for us with super straight hair. But I guess it was ok since it was cold and rainy all day and the midst from the falls won't have been good even if I had good hair to begin with.

Father's Day

The next few pictures are of mom and dad participating in the activity that mom gave dad for father's day- Kayaks. They were so cute. They came out after church and went around the flow for a bit. No one tipped and both of them enjoyed it. Perhaps we have found a form of exercise that dad will do and he and mom can do it together. Rach and I tried them out on Friday. She has never been before. It was fun, a little less wavey on Friday then today but I think it will be a fun activity for those who come to our camp.



We were invited over to the Tomford's farm tonight for dessert and a bonfire. The beginning of our time started with a tour of the farm and mom helped collect some eggs. Rachael, is a woman of many talents and hidden knowledge. She was helping me figure out which bird was the rooster. My favorite piece of knowledged she shared with us was that you can burn cow patties for warmth. I might just rememeber that next january.

We joined in and patted the floppy eared rabbit. He was friendly enough.

Mom in her wellies collecting eggs with Marky on the Tomford family farm

Nothing like a good fire

A Friday at Camp

Just hanging...

Dogs swimming

A new doggie life vest.


Cute Pic except for the spit all over his head.

My visitor from the Lone Star State

My friend Rachael arrived from Texas yesterday afternoon. She brought with her beautiful weather, except for the crazy storm yesterday, and two very cute little pups. We have been having a great time here, 4 dogs at Main Street Canine. The Watson's thought we got a few new dogs until I introduced our visitors. We took the two youngest, Grady and Bella, when we went for a run this morning. Then it was out to a few stores and on to camp. We had dinner out back on the brick patio and took a nice evening stroll to the local ice house for a creamy dessert. All and all it was a good day but we are both very tired at this point. I am charging my camera now so I can continue to document our time together. I couldn't believe that my camera ran out of batteries today. I never let that happen. Oh well.

For some reason these two were doing this a lot today. Looking at the ball if it was really close to the deck and debating on who was going to go and get it. It always ended up being Dyllan since she would jump. Grady only used the stairs to enter the water.

Two of the four are trying to cheer Dyllan on as she swims to shore. I think Grady just wants the ball from her. Rachael and I spent several hours up at camp today just hanging out and playing with the dogs. I think Dyllan was in the water for almost 3 hours straight.

The new deck that my dad has been working very hard at finishing on his week off. I think it came out great. It will be a great spot for sunbathing.

Hard to believe

Sunday night. A beautiful day here in NNY. Hard to believe that 7 months ago this crazy, fun loving, "I have to drive otherwise I am going to be stressed", handsome, energetic, "what are we going to do next", guy was taken.

I almost didn't realize what day it was. When he first died I was so acutely aware of each and every date. Now, today I felt a little off but it wasn't until I was driving home from camp that I realized that it has been more then half a year since I have seen him or talked to him. I miss him terribly. He was so many things in my life but today I remember him as the fun in my life. He helped me to be a little less serious and a little more spontaneous. He forced me to be a bit more flexible and embrace the joys of things not going exactly as planned.

Here are a few videos that I took going to and from Budapest. It was one of our best trips I think that we took while in Europe. It was my idea to drive and I told him that it would only take us about 5 maybe 6 hours to get there. It was a solid 7 or 8 hours driving FAST (I so miss European driving laws and speed limits. They are such better drivers then Americans). We went one way and came home another way, equal distance. Although the trip was longer then I/we had thought, it was an amazing weekend. What other guy could pull off those sunglasses?

YARD SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SATURDAY JUNE 7

As you can see, WE ARE HAVING A SALE. This Saturday morning in Canton, my parents house on east main. We will start at 8. Please come and shop. We are cleaning up and organizing.
Some of our wonderful things for sale are as follows:
-twin bunk beds. Great condition and we have the hardware to put them back together
-3 bikes of varying quality.
-a rocking chair
-lamps
-purses
-lots of clothes.... Ann Taylor, Gap, Banana Republic, Lands End, Columbia etc....
-shoes size 8 or 8.5
-a decorative tree
-an Amish made quilt with dust ruffle and matching curtains- queen size
-beautiful custom drapes and matching bedspreads for 2 twin size mattresses
- other various bedding items
-bedside stand
-toaster
-shoe holder
-wheeled package holder- never been used
So much more.....See ya Saturday. Lots of bargains to be found.

Let the training begin

I love to see this, especially when it is 10:30 am and he is already a bit worn out. I am not deceived, his energy will return in no time but at least I made a small dent in it for the moment.

I've decided to run the Army 10-Miler in October in honor of Christian and Grady has been nominated by me to be my training partner when I run outside. If you didn't get my email and are interested in knowing more, click on this link...

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=273178&supid=223186702

... or click on the title of this post. Should take you there.

A trip to the Island...just the 3 of us

As you can see from the pictures below....there are only 2. Sad to say, although I tempt myself, I was able to resist the cuteness and cuddleness. 2 reasons I was able to say no to my impulsive self......
1) My dear friend Sandy so wisely put it...All puppies are cute so you don't kill them the first months of their lives. Then she went on to remind me of all my trials and tribulations with Grady for the first year of his life. It was good for me to be reminded! That is truly what good friends are for- reality checks!
2) I really am hooked on the name Thor. And as you can see below it is a masculine name and I think it goes more with a black dog. Perhaps when I get settled in my own place I can get another one. I really want to but I also don't want to break my mom's sanity.

THOR
Gender: Masculine

Usage: Norse Mythology

Pronounced: THOR [key]

From the Old Norse Þórr meaning "thunder", ultimately from the early Germanic *Þunraz. Thor was the Norse god of strength, thunder and war, the son of Odin. He was armed with a hammer called Mjolnir, and wore an enchanted belt which doubled his strength.

Anyway, here are some pictures from our swim outing to a little island here in town. I can't keep Dyllan out of the water and Grady is doing much better with his swimming abilities this year. Much braver then last year, I am so proud of him.



Grady is so worried about the water in his ears, Dyllan beats him to the floaty toy every time. We need to work on focus and how to avoid distractions. But I really don't think he will ever beat her when it comes to swimming. Dyllan swims for any toy like her very life depends on it. What passion!

I don't know what happened in this picture. They look possessed with their glowing green eyes. Scary!

They look like 2 drown rats!

Did I or didn't I?????

Nothing like a new puppy to cure a bad day. How could you say no to a face like that? Looks a lot like Dyllan when she was just a wee pup.