Holy Smoke!

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Ice Storm 2.0.23

Here we go again! Freezing rain began early in the morning the other day, accompanied by lightening and loud thunder. I don’t ever remember a thunderstorm in early April! Our cats were terrified of the house-shaking booms of thunder and ran downstairs to hide. The wind was also pretty wicked. By early afternoon, the ice rain coated everything in site.

The first tree to lose its battle with Mother Nature was a neighbours tree just over the property line. This tree had a bad lean over our yard and was already dead. I was going to ask our neighbour in the spring if we could cut it down because it posed a threat to me every time I went down that side of the yard. Mother Nature took care of everything and this tree fell over onto my white picket fence and landed on my precious lawn swing. Because of its soft-fall, the lawn swing wasn’t completely destroyed and can be repaired. The fence will require repair as well.

Both of these seemingly insignificant things are very meaningful to me. Chris bought me the lawn swing after an exhaustive search for one in our area. I’d always loved the lawn swings my relatives had Down Home. Having my own makes me feel like I have a part of the Gaspe with me here. Kristi spotted one while on the school bus into her city high school one day. It didn’t take Chris long to buy it and bring it home for me. The fence is another thing that shows how thoughtful Chris was. I dreamed it would be nice to have a white picket fence…… so he made every single picket by hand and created my fence in 8 foot sections. He was irreplaceable. I have some spare pickets he made so repairing the fence won’t be difficult.

After the first tree fell, 6 or 7 other mature trees came crashing down due to the weight of the accumulating ice – 38.5 mm (1 1/2 inches). Many large branches fell too. The “playhouse” was damaged but we can fix it I’m sure – Chris built it by hand like a brick sh*thouse. Now my yard looks like a tornado went through with trees and branches everywhere! When the temperature rose above zero, the ice dangerously fell off all the trees.

Last fall, we cut down several huge trees (The 3 Climbing Trees) and raked/burned the branches and twigs that littered the yard then. Well THAT was for not! The yard is covered in downed trees and branches again!
At this time of year, the river begins to melt and open up. The Channel opened up last week. Spring has been a slow melt with cold temperatures and little rain. Until now. The river is rising and now past the firepit in the backyard. The freezing rain and rain have filled the yard with swimming pool size puddles. The ground is mostly frozen so there’s nowhere for the water to go. And now Mother Nature has blessed us with a Flood Warning.

Of course, a good Storm wouldn’t be complete without a power outage. People from all over had no electricity for days. Some are still waiting for the power to come back on. After a few hours, we decided to start our generator to empty the water in our sump pit in the basement to prevent flooding. We were able to plug in the fridge, freezer, and just started the pellet stove when the power came back on after 28 hours. I also have a small 200 Watt solar generator to run our internet exclusively – heaven forbid if we don’t have internet! Our cookstove keeps us warm all winter. I knew there was an ice storm coming so I filled up several 5 gallon buckets with water for flushing the toilet. I also filled up several jugs of water because no electricity = no well water pump.

The yard is a real mess! We have weeks of cleanup outside AFTER the flood water subsides. Oh spring, how I love your promises…..

Easter 2017

Chris 1960-2008

The 3 Climbing Trees

When we first moved here in 1981, most of the trees around us were small little saplings. They’ve grown ALOT in the 41+ years since! I’ve planted hundreds of root bare native trees and fruit trees too. But the trees that stand out the most are fondly known as the 3 climbing trees in our backyard. We trimmed the lower branches to make handles to help the young kids climb up and over the years, they got lots of use. You can see for miles while perched up in those 3 trees!

In 1998, the great Ice Storm wrecked havoc on my trees. They were covered in thick layers of ice for weeks. Some were even bent over with their tops touching the ground. It took 2 solid weeks to clean up and burn all the branches that fell off. Through it all, the 3 climbing trees faired very well and continued to thrive for another 20 years. They were always the first to start losing their leaves in early September, fluttering down on me as I cut the lawn – my first sign that Autumn was almost here.

Getting Ready to Cut down the 3 Climbing Trees

But their life started to wane two years ago, likely due to the Emerald Ash Borer. Last year there was hardly any leaf growth. This year there was none. Dead branches were always falling off all over the grass beneath them. So I decided that they had to come down before they fell on someone.

Thanksgiving weekend, my grown kids and grandkids who live nearby, gathered to say goodbye to their 3 climbing trees and cut them down. Each tree was evaluated as to where it would fall to avoid hitting the playhouse, shed, or pond. Once felled, the trees were “de-branched” and these large bonfire pieces were stacked along the side. The trunks were cut up and stacked for future firewood. It took ALL day!

Trees, trees, everywhere!

The next day, we tackled some other dead trees including the two that had bent way over during the Ice Storm. We kept the bonfire going for two days burning twigs and small branches. The entire backyard needed to be raked up of all the small sticks because these can get caught in the blades of my lawn tractor and break the belt (ask me how I know!).

Meanwhile I was running back into the house preparing a turkey dinner, cutting/cooking carrots, turnips, and potatoes. As the day progressed, Darin fired up the chainsaw again to create “lawn art” from the 3 Climbing Trees stumps – a chair and a table/footstool. A perfect tribute to our much loved trees.

Memory Chair

Thanks Darin, Taylor, Nellie, Melvin, Cassidy, Kristi, Benji, Josh, Jasmine, and Hailie!

1960-2008

Chris

GHOULash Recipe

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Even though my kids have all grown up now, I still love to celebrate important events that have coloured my life. Halloween is one time of the year that we’ve had fun with over the years.

As always, food plays a major role in our family celebrations and Halloween is no exception. I’ve made a simple, nutritious recipe of rice, hamburger, tomato sauce, and spices and served it hot in a freshly scooped-out pumpkin when the children were young. The idea was that they had to eat first before they went trick-or-treating for candy.

This year, I’d like to share my easy and yummy recipe for GHOULash – a nod to all the goblins and ghouls out there on Halloween. I like to make this recipe throughout the year too but especially on a busy Halloween Day.

I boil the macaroni pasta first thing in the morning then put it all together 15 minutes before supper – I use only 1 pot for quick clean-up. It’s easy for a family during the busy time of getting costumes and make-up on for Halloween.

GHOULash Recipe serves 4-6

1 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni

1 1/2 lbs. local ground beef

1 can Tomato Soup

1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash spice

1-2+ teaspoons Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil macaroni in water in a large pot. Drain. Use the same pot to fry the ground beef thoroughly. Add cooked macaroni, soup, and spices. Mix well. Heat on medium for 5-10 minute while you set the table. Serve.

Leftovers taste great the next day!

GHOULash

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Living In The Covid Era

It’s been a year and a half since our world was turned upside-down with Covid-19. We have been through three waves of this terrible virus, so far. The first wave began in March 2020 when the Sars-Cov-2 virus spread around the world and invaded every continent. We went into lockdown which included the closing of all businesses except grocery stores and pharmacies, and shutting down travel. Wearing a face mask became mandatory and now feels like the norm.

Backyard Easter Island Head – everyone wears a mask around here!

March Break 2020 for schools was actually the end of the school year and children did not return to school until September. This also meant that there were no graduations or proms. Parents scrambled to care for their children now home 24/7. Churches, playgrounds and parks were closed and everyone was cautioned to stay at home. Citizens were told to stay 6 feet apart from anyone outside their household while grocery shopping, wash hands frequently, and wear a mask. I remember the feeling of astonishment and disbelief when I heard that singing out loud was strongly discouraged. Singing, for heavens sake!

In a blink of an eye, our world became very different.

I felt isolated from family members who I couldn’t visit or who couldn’t visit me – my sisters, grown children, and grandchildren. Worse of all, I couldn’t hug them! Or see them smile behind their mask. I was thankful that I still had 2 grown children living here.

Then last summer (2020) things started to get better – not as many people where contracting Covid-19 and dying. But that was just a warm-up for things to come. Restrictions eased around here and shopping opened up, allowing a specific number of patrons inside at a time. Luckily, I learned some new skills, like online grocery shopping. I could place my order online and go into town to pick up my groceries without having to even get out of my car! At first it was challenging to navigate the online thing, but I’m a pro now. It’s really a great service offered by many grocery stores and businesses.

It’s a good thing I became skilled at it because the second wave of Covid-19 outbreaks hit us right before Christmas 2020 and lockdowns began again. And it was even harder. It’s the first Christmas that I didn’t have our traditional family dinner with my grown kids and grandkids who live nearby. It was different, even stressful. But I did manage to see most of them at different times when they came to visit separately for gift opening. I didn’t get to see all my grandchildren though.

But we all got through it safely! And the best news was that several Pharmaceuticals had a vaccine developed for Covid-19! That’s a story in itself…… There was hope that we could beat this insidious virus.
As the second wave began to wane near the end of February 2021, things began to open up again. However, only a few select people had received the first of two doses of the new vaccine – people in long term care homes and frontline health care workers. Supply of the vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna was constantly interrupted or slowed down. I continued to avoid anyone from outside our household, which was very difficult when it came to family.

It didn’t take long before a third wave began, fueled by a new variant of the novel Coronavirus originating in the United Kingdom, officially known as B-117. Other variants also popped up including a Brazilian variant, the South African variant, and a new one in India which devastated that country (Delta variant). These variants soon made their way into our country and became the dominant strain of the virus. These strains were more transmissible and more deadly. Back into lockdown for the third time. And this time, I felt even more isolated, maybe even disappointed that the end wasn’t as near as I wanted it to be, as I needed it to be.

When my well water pump needed replacement, I was lucky to have grown children who could do the job without having to put us at risk with a stranger. Again schools were closed after a delayed Spring Break, in April and will remain closed until September. No commencement or Prom for my grade 12 granddaughter Kalia – I can’t imagine what that must be like. Kids are SO resilient! The International Border with the U.S. has been closed since last March 2020 and the provincial Borders were closed during this third wave.

One thing that IS positive is that the vaccine rollout has been accelerated. At first, I was thrilled to be eligible for my first shot by the end of July. I was ecstatic that my age group was moved up and I received my first vaccine in mid-April! Last month, I got my second (booster) shot so now I’m one of the 20% of Canadians (at the time of this writing) who are fully vaccinated. We still have a long way to go!

Speaking of vaccines, I can say that I am not a supporter of routine immunizations – in the past, I would have been referred to as an “anti-vaxer” simply because I made an informed personal decision about routine vaccinations that was not the status quo. I’ve continued to research the new Covid-19 vaccines – exactly how they were developed, their trials, exactly how they work at the cell level to fight off Covid, etc. After months of research, I decided to accept the offer to be vaccinated. The whole world was fighting this virus and I wanted to be part of the solution. At my age, I don’t mind being a “guinea pig” and I trust the science that I studied. By the time I got my first vaccine, millions of others worldwide had received theirs with the statistically usual side effects.

The good news is with all our spare time during the Stay-at-Home order, we expanded the garden all along one side of the yard and added 8 yards of organic triple mix soil. My daughter Nellie and I also started ‘Acrylic Pour’ painting on canvases which has been lots of creative fun.

I can’t wait to be with my family again! Hug my grown kids and grandkids. Visit my other grown kids and grandkids who live on the other side of the country. Visit and laugh again with my two sisters. Hugs, hugs, and more hugs! A normal Christmas! I actually hope that things don’t go back to the way it used to be: people treating our planet and each other carelessly and thoughtlessly. We have an opportunity to turn things around. To be more responsible. THIS is our moment in time for this generation to make a difference now for generations to come.

What a whirlwind these past months have been! I almost can’t believe that the world’s humans were at risk of annihilation. 185 million people around the globe have contracted Covid-19 and nearly 4 million have died so far. We have all been part of living history.

I wonder what it would have been like to read this post two years ago…… probably unbelievable.

Garden

Covid-19 Pandemic

You can’t see it. Or smell it. Or taste it. Or hear it. Or feel it. But make no mistake. Covid-19 disease has changed the world as we knew it. Nobody alive has ever seen anything like this before. We are living in unprecedented history. THIS virus does not discriminate – it’s an equal opportunity killer.

I have been following this novel (new) coronavirus since I first heard about it at the end of December 2019 in a brief news clip from China.  By January, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Health Emergency because there were SO many people in China infected and dying…..and it was spreading rapidly. The DNA was sequenced and discovered that this novel coronavirus was similar to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – another type of coronavirus) of 2003 BUT different/new. This virus was named SARS-CoV-2 (SARS, Coronaviris 2) and the disease it causes is now known as Covid-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019, the year it was discovered).

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared Covid-19 a global Pandemic.

SARS-CoV with corona

 

It’s an impossible scenario to comprehend. Covid-19 has now spread from China to the rest of the world infecting OVER 1.3 MILLION people and killing 71,000+ humans (as of this writing). The United States, our neighbour to the south, is the new epicenter of the world.

Almost a month ago, the Canadian Prime Minister asked all citizens abroad to please return home NOW. The government and health authorities then asked people to
* not travel outside the country
* use “social distancing”, a new buzz word for keeping 6 feet apart from each other
* STAY HOME ~ now indefinitely. No visiting relatives or friends.  Social Isolation
* No gatherings of over 50 people ~ now 5 people
* No school
* Parks and recreation closed
* Restaurants closed down
* work from home if they were lucky enough.

Others got laid off or lost their jobs because their workplace had to adapt/close. My province of Ontario declared a State of Emergency followed by almost every other province and territory in the country.

Spring is still spring

 

Panic shopping ensued with manic people buying excessive amounts of toilet paper (don’t ask me why) and cleaning out shelves of canned goods and disinfecting supplies.
It was insane.

The Canadian Government prohibited travelers outside the country from coming here; then they closed the border with the United States (except for Canadian citizens arriving home, for now) and trucking with essential goods like food and medical supplies.

What does all this mean? People are going to die. Some people STILL believe that it’s all media hype. Others refuse to STAY HOME and instead, use their down time to socialize and shop. A couple of weeks ago, online pictures appeared of throngs of people packed tightly on beaches in Vancouver and shopping center parking lots full of cars. Now drone footage shows empty streets in our biggest cities. And people can now be fined for gathering or not “social-distancing” in some cities. The province of Quebec is turning back vehicles of non-residents.

Tomato Seedlings

 

As usual, I’m staying home. I’m not even ‘allowed’ to do the grocery shopping anymore! We’re even being extra careful with the mail: it gets quarantined in the garage for a day before we open it. I’ve started my tomato plants for this summer’s garden and plan to start squash and zucchini inside soon. I’ve tapped my Sugar Maple trees and I’m boiling the sap on my cookstove daily like I do every year. These little things seem like the only things that are normal! I grieve that I’m unable to visit my kids, grandchildren, and my sisters Faye and Betty any time soon. I AM thankful that I have grown children still living here – we’re taking care of each other. The whole country, in fact the whole world, has come to a halt. Many families are re-discovering each other again.

I could never have fathomed the magnitude of this pandemic! Now we are all living it – making history that future generations will read about and study forever. I remember exactly what I was doing when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated; I’ll never forget my Mom dying; I remember when the Space Shuttle blew up; I’ll always remember September 11, 2001; and now I’ll never forget the Covid-19 Pandemic and the ensuing “Greatest Depression” that is on the horizon.

Take care everyone and for now, STAY HOME!

Halloween

Blast from the past ~ Halloween!

Grammomsblog

This year I was reminiscing about past Halloweens.  We’ve always celebrated ‘All Hallows Eve’ with family and friends in a number of ways.   I’d like to share some of those hilarious events with my readers of Grammomsblog:

When I was growing up, I used to love creating a ‘haunted house’ in my family basement to take all my blind-folded friends through.  It was very low tech with peeled grapes for eyeballs, cooked spaghetti for brains, jello for it’s feel, and an electric chair (don’t ask).

Chris had his own teenage Halloween stories, like the Great Pumpkin Caper,  that you can read about here.

When my children were little during the ’80s, we’d often have daytime ‘dress-up’ parties with friends in our parent’s group.  There would be a scavenger hunt, bobbing for apples, and ‘catch-the-donut’ where we’d hang a day-old plain donut on a string and suspend it – each…

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House Painting Renovations

We’ve been busy painting! Well I SHOULD say my daughter Nellie has been busy painting. I tried to help her paint her room a few years ago and I got ‘fired’, sort of. She kindly asked me to sit down and relax and just watch while we listen to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone audio book, hahaha.

Our recent painting blitz started all because of a flood downstairs – a pipe broke in the bathroom upstairs and soaked the carpet downstairs just before Christmas. We quickly moved four bookshelves full of books and all the furniture off the soaked carpet, shop-vac’d up the water, ripped out the sponge underlay, bought a carpet shampooer, and shampooed the carpet. Luckily my son Darin fixed the broken pipe too.

Now that the bookshelves were moved away from the wall and the furniture all moved around, Nellie said that it was a good time to paint! And so began the painting frenzy! She painted the entire wood ceiling by hand, twice. And the walls downstairs were painted a light grey. Darin, Taylor, and Nellie also finished the ceiling in an 11×11′ area over the bookcases, with a beautiful suspended ceiling (to allow us to access electrical and plumbing). I didn’t sit around watching either! My job was to go through ALL 8 bookshelves! I donated 22 boxes of books to the youth book fair and whittled my collection down to 4 bookshelves. I’m still working on trying to part with some of my collection of books and magazines, like years worth of Harrowsmith, Organic Gardening, and Mother Earth News.

After a break to help me garden, Nellie was ready to get back to painting. She finished painting the dining room and kitchen walls then made her way down the stairs painting all the wood pine paneling by hand – it looks so bright and fresh! We only had one mishap when one of our cats decided to walk on a newly painted counter then run all over the place leaving ‘kitty footprints’!

 

We celebrated the freshened up house with new furniture too. Our old stuff was, well, old so it was time to retire it.  Nellie assembled all the furniture and tables that we bought at IKEA, too.

It looks amazing! I’m SO proud of her – she really has a knack for painting just like her Dad. I could NEVER have painted the entire house like she has. Next she plans to paint the pine kitchen cupboards white, which will be a monumental job. And after that, paint the mudroom mint green and spare bathroom leftover yellow.

Paint is the most cost effective change you can make to your home and it looks fantastic!

Here are some before and after pictures:

Downstairs1 Before

Downstairs1 After

Downstairs2 Before

Downstairs2 After

Livingroom1 Before

Livingroom1 After

Livingroom2 Before

Livingroom2 After

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After, with more to come…..