Family, Fights and Fall

My sister and her husband came to visit us last week and we had a blast.  We went to the Parliament buildings again but this time we took a tour of the main building.  I may not have explained this before but the Parliament buildings are like our White House and Capitol buildings.  They are so beautiful every time I go but the beauty of the outside pales in comparison with the beauty of the inside.  We saw inside the House of Commons and the Senate and then the library.  Oh the Library.  I can't even describe it so here are a couple pictures of the library.

I definitely want to go do the other tours, including going up into the Peace Tower.  It is neat to see all of the royal history and influence but even some funnies.  The buildings burned down at one point and so they had to rebuild well the sculptors that were sculpting some Viking heads in one area actually sculpted self portraits and it wasn't discovered until it was too late to change so there are some viking heads and then some obviously not viking heads, one even has glasses.

My sister and I went and explored another small town, Merrickville.  This town again had some cool shops, including "Millers of Merrickville".  We thought that was cool since our maiden name is Miller.  Very cool store.  This town has a Christmas transformation so we will be heading back there shortly.  Connie and I took the girls and we also checked out a Victorian house museum that is in Smiths Falls.  It is an old Victorian house built by one of the original settlers in Smiths Falls, that the town has bought and renovated.  A lot of gorgeous antiques and a great story.  We learned more about the town we live in and got the taste for a small town museum.  There are two more museums in town that we will have to visit soon. 

One thing I am learning, is that I don't have any clothes suitable for layering and my fall/winter Colorado clothes are not warm enough.  So my sister was coaching me on things to look for and to invest not go cheap which is my inclination.  I did find this adorable sweater/jacket that I love...attractive and warm.  I bought it but passed on a gorgeous plaid skirt...thinking about going back for it.

I worked two more days this week at the new job.  It will be a fun job but it is challenging to learn.  Things are very laid back and it seems like alot of questions I ask are answered..."well it depends".  AAAHHHH!!  One thing I learned is if I don't go to work early, I park several streets away and walk.  When they built the building, I am not sure what they were thinking but there isn't any parking for staff..well there is parking but if staff parks there, then patients have no parking so staff parks on side streets.  Right now not an issue but when it snows, it will be a bear.  Oh well, if that is the worst part then no problem.  It is really busy when we are seeing patients but the days go by fast which is nice.  It looks like I will be working Tues, Wed and every other Fri starting in November.  They ended up offering me $24 an hour so I chuckle a bit at that.  After 9 years at the ortho office and being and office manager of 50+ employees, I was making just over $20 so this is AWESOME!  It takes me about 15 minutes to get to work so that is great for the fact that I am in a rural area.  Challenges? They want me to organize their office and rework some things.  I can do that no problem but how with the other nurse that has been there for 30+ years feel about that?  I hear she doesn't like change so that should be interesting.  My first goal?  They do all their appointment scheduling in a hand written book, then put it in the computer.  That is so redundant and inefficient.  All of their records are electronic...their EMR (electronic medical records) system is great.  They do everything on the computer so it doesn't make sense to do the scheduling this way.  We shall see.

Wil has been working on a snow blower attachment for our lawn tractor and with the help of my brother in law and one of Wil's friends, I think he finished it tonight.   So that is good news for him as winter is coming fast.

Tiana and Tabitha both had sleepovers this weekend so they are both tired tonight but they both had fun.  Tabitha had a friend here on Friday and Tiana went to a friends house yesterday.  Hopefully they will rest up because they are going to Canada's Wonderland for an overnight with their youth group on Friday.  Canada's Wonderland is a large amusement park in Toronto which is about 3 hours away.  Then Halloween on Sunday.  Busy girls I tell you.

Well, remember how I said that Wil and I bought season tickets to the Jr A hockey team in town.  Well they have been building a new arena and Friday was the first game in the new arena.  We were so excited to go check out our seats.  We had picked seats in the first row behind the players bench, so we could see the players and hear the coaches.  Great seats but there is one inherent problem with sitting that close to the players but I will let you guess what it is and tell you next time.  It was a great game and we WON!  You know the saying, I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out...that was it!  Lots of fighting...it was awesome.  These players obviously have alot to prove and they play so hard and it shows.  Lots of fun.  I miss football but I do love hockey and in person even better.

I have been having a hard time getting into the habit of working out.  Man I miss that lunch hour work out at the district.  There are so many distractions at home so as a reward for me working, I have decided to join Curves.  There is one in town, very close to the house so I am starting tomorrow.  They are very friendly and it will also give me another opportunity to meet some people and they even call you if you miss too much time.  I need the accountability so that will be good. 

We have all been battling the fall illness thing.  Tiana had it, Tabitha had it, Wil and I are fighting it hard and now Tiana seems to be coming down with it again.  Oh well, what can you do.  I got my flu shot last week and the girls will get theirs in a week or so at a clinic.  I doesn't help that it is rainy and cold right now.  The amount of rain we have had is just amazing and I guess unusual for the area but it rains and rains and rains and rains and rains.....and rains.  It is the end of October and our grass is as green as ever...weird.  The fall colors are pretty much gone because the leaves have fallen off most of the trees but we still see an occasional pretty tree.

I found a garden consultant who has been helping me identify what we should do on our land. She brought me some trees and large shrub starters so yesterday Wil helped me dig holes and I got about half of them planted.  We are planting sumac and false spirea around the edges or our property as a pretty natural border and then some amur maples.  Our house is surrounded on 2 sides by hedge cedars so we want to continue that on the 3rd side but our ground is SUPER rocky so digging holes is very tedious and time consuming so we won't get as much done this year as I wanted but we will just do what we can do.  Wil bought me a large DIY cedar container garden that we will have to figure out where to put and then put it together next year.  So right now I need to get the rest of the shrubs in the ground and then I want to outline my garden area and put a bunch of newspaper down to inhibit plant growth for next year.  Then if I have time maybe some bulbs or a couple hedge cedars.

I think that is it..until next time....Happy Halloween y'all.   Below is a pic of my sister, me and the two girls on the steps of the main Parliament building.



Back in the Saddle Again

Well, today was the day.  I started the new job.  I got up got laundry sorted, got the dishwasher unloaded and went and put my scrubs on.  It has been several years since I have regularly worn scrubs.  It was a familiar feeling but also very strange.  The medical field has been very good to me over the years but I also enjoyed taking a break and was very spoiled at the school district with a great job and a great boss.  It is hard to think I could find that again.  But here I go.  I left for work and figured it took about 15 minutes to get to work, very easy drive.  So I got in, and found out that there were no patients this morning.  That was really nice because I was able to play with the computer system and get pretty familiar with the basics before the craziness started.  Here is the run down.  It is one doctor and one staff person handling all the patients and phones and stuff.  At times this afternoon, it was very casual and smooth.  At other times it was super chaotic.  I have to get used to the different "issues" of a medical office in Canada.  The issues with provincial insurance and the different requirements.  I am walking into an office that is extremely well established.  The doctor is over 60 years old and I am replacing his wife who has been his nurse for 30 years.  The other lady that works the days that I don't has also been there 30 years.  So one of my big challenges is getting to know the patients and all there personalities.  The doctor has "trained" his patients well and the ones I met today were very friendly.  The nice thing is that it seems this doctor is pretty self sufficient and if I am busy he picks up and does what is needed, taking patients back etc.  I have to refresh myself on giving injections of all sorts, but that doesn't worry me.  There are a few nice things though, they don't have an answering machine so if you don't pick up a call then the person needs to call back.  Sucks for the patient but super nice for the staff.  Also I never work Friday afternoons.  So I will be working Tuesday and Wednesday and every other (or so) Friday morning.  That is perfect for me.  It should still give me a morning or two to volunteer at the shelter and still give me some time to work around the house and do some projects.  We shall see, I still worry about not being around enough for the girls but I will take it as it comes and go from there.  It seems like a nice place, a friendly place and an accommodating place.  From what I understand, finding a job local to where we live is really rare, so I praise God for providing this for me.

On another note, working at the shelter finally took its toll.  We adopted a cat.  His name is Simba.  He is a Himalayan mix.  He was a stray that was picked up with a bad flea infestation.  They had literally eaten most of his hair off.  So he is a little scruffy looking thing, but I happened to mention him to Wil and Wil fell in love.  He is adorable and so friendly and the dogs are doing pretty well adjusting.

That is a quick update.  Tomorrow I work at LAWS for the last time then I will just go work there for free..lol.  Then my sister is coming on Saturday, I think.  My brother in laws mother passed away yesterday so I wouldn't be surprised if they have to cancel.  My prayers are with them.

Until next time...blessings to everyone!

Colorado comes to Smiths Falls

Well I had the wonderful blessing of having a friend come visit me this week.  My friend Michelle from Colorado came in last Thursday and man, I was excited to see her.  I drove down to Syracuse on Thursday to pick her up.  It is about 2 1/2 hours.  It was a beautiful drive..lots of fall colors.  I was so excited to see her.  It was great to have a friend to chat with and cry with and just be.  It was wonderful.  Here is what we did....

We went and explored a little town called Westport.  Another friend who has been here over a year told me that it was a cute town and it was.  We looked at some cool little shops...one of them was a little shop face but inside kept going and going and we actually got turned around and lost in it.  Fun, unusual items..some neat clothes although quite pricey, but I got some ideas for some gifts for people.  We even found a candle with the scent of wood fire so you can have your house smell like campfire every day...really?  I love camping but really??  lol..   The colors were in full splendor and sooo beautiful. 

That night we went out with my other 2 friends for ladies night....had some green apple martinis, dinner, hot tubbing and lots of talking.  It was wonderful.  Then we came home and took her out for some really yummy poutine.  That night we went to Saunders farm with the girls.  It is a farm that has 11 mazes grown out of a variety of things, spruce, grape vines etc.  Then we went in the Bloody haunted Barn and the Haunted Hayride.  Really cool!

The next day we went to church and then headed into Ottawa to show off the Parliament Buildings and some of downtown Ottawa.

Monday was Canadian Thanksgiving so we cooked a full meal.  Turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, cranberries...all made from scratch...no cans!  Pumpkin pie and homemade whipped cream for dessert.  The pie was bought because I couldn't find any pumpkin and making it from a pumpkin was not an option.  Then we played a little Boccie, and some board games and then watched a movie and ate orange popcorn.  It was a great Thanksgiving! 

Today I had to take her back to Syracuse for her return trip to Colorado.  Oh how sad, the tears came easily.  It was wonderful to have someone to confide in and someone to see your life through a different set of eyes.  She was very encouraging and I have tears in my eyes as I write this...it was a wonderful visit and I will miss her dearly.  Thanks Michelle...you're the best!

As I was teary and driving back.  I heard a couple more songs that hit home.

Out of my Hands by Matthew West-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYST3RIcmWg   

                Wow-that is all I can say-Wow

King of the Jungle-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZFwLYvPi4c

                 Tiana sang this in a musical at church and it was on the ipod...interesting how these things come back to you when you need them.  It may be a kids song but it really hit home today.

When I call on Jesus by Nicole C Mullen-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpHSGP6U1Ws&ob=av2n

                  I really need to just listen to this song on a regular basis and maybe post the lyrics EVERYWHERE!

Funny story- so on the way back from the airport, I stopped in Watertown, NY to do a little shopping.  Specifically I was looking for crock pot liners...I am addicted to them and I haven't found them yet here.  So as I am going through a couple stores, I keep seeing Halloween stuff.  What was weird was none of it was on sale.  I kept thinking how weird that was...usually after Thanksgiving Halloween stuff is on sale.  It took about 3 stores for me to realize that even though we had Thanksgiving, we haven't had Halloween...I laughed and laughed.

Luckily I won't have any time to be too sad for too long.  I work at the shelter on Wednesday and Friday and I start my new job on Thursday.  Then Saturday my sister and bro-in-law come for a visit.  I have a fridge full of leftovers so I won't plan dinner until they are gone and that will give me time to plan and grocery shop for my sis.  I want to explore another little town with my sister and we will head to downtown Ottawa again and who knows what else...I want to do something we haven't done yet...so we shall see what I figure out.

How to speak Canadian:

Pasta/Mazda- the first a is short like the word at.

Needles-this is what they call shots or immunizations.  Has you daughter had her needles yet.

Hospital-He was in hospital for 4 days (not THE hospital, just hospital)

                            ..............to be continued

Ch..ch...ch...ch....Changes!

Well it has been raining here alot.  I mean like ridiculous amounts of rain.  So much that our flags got so weighed down that it broke our flag brackets.  So I have a couple perennials in pots that I wanted to get in the ground and we are getting so close to first freeze.  So today was partly cloudy and so I decided today was the day.  We have an area of the yard that we have set aside for a flower/rock garden but it is full of rocks so it can't be rototilled and so it is a slow manual process.  (I think God is teaching me patience again)  But Wil got me one corner of it dug up and we sifted it and cleaned it up so I had just enough room for my pansies and my mum.  The mum actually taught me a lesson.  I was lounging one day in the morning, in my sweats and shirt and looking pretty ragged when the doorbell rang....I went to the door and it was a lady from our neighborhood.  She is the oma (grandma) of the little girl that Tiana is babysitting.  She apologized for not getting over here sooner and gave me this beautiful mum.  We talked and her husband has Alzheimer's and she is definitely a Christian.  Lovely lady.  Lesson??  Get up and get dressed and be prepared for visitors.  LOL.  So if you look at the picture below you will see a colorful stone in the lower left corner.  It is a memory stone.  My family made it for me at my going away party.  Everyone put a stone in as they told a memory of me, Tiana, Tabitha or Wil.  It was very sweet and lots of tears and there is even a little fingerprint from where my little grand nephew poked his finger into the cement.  I am not sure it will stay right there but it will be an important part of my flower garden as I create it.

Now my newest news.  I have a new job.  Let me back up.  So as soon as I got my Social Insurance number, I half heartedly started looking for a job.  Not that I wanted to work but I felt I needed something to get me out of the house a couple days a week.  So half heartedly, I would look through the paper.  Well I sent a couple resumes in...not hoping for anything.  Smiths Falls supposedly has a high unemployment rate.  Well then I fell into the job at the shelter and was perfectly content.  I was a little worried about doing the job in the winter but figured I would do what I had to do until it was obvious I couldn't.  I mean you can power through anything a couple days a week.  Well last week I get a call about one of my resumes.  It is from a small doctors office in Perth which is about 5 miles away.  The doctor is a family practitioner and he has 2 nurses both of which have been with him 30 years.  His wife is one of the nurses and she is retiring so that is who they were replacing.  We did a phone interview and she asked me questions and I asked her some but when she asked me if the starting rate of 20-25 an hour was acceptable, I think I almost fell off my chair.  So I went for an interview on Tuesday and I know there were at least 2 other candidates and for once in my life I was not confident.  New country, different health system...I don't know...the devil has definitely been attacking me.  The interview went well and it seemed like a neat place but I was not going to get my hopes up.  The next day Anne (the doctors wife) called me and said they were really happy with the way the interview went and they needed my references and then they asked when I could start.  Wow, that was hard, I have a close friend and my sister coming in over the next 3 weeks and I didn't want to work while they were here so I told them I would start on the 20th, they were a little bummed which made me feel bad but I told them I would look at the calendar and see if I could squeeze them in.  The problem is I still have the job at the shelter.  So I dropped my references off with a list of 3 days I could work in between my other job and visitors.  Then I started thinking, do I want to work at a real job.  The shelter is a job but if I guess I kind of considered it a transitional, what the heck may as well, job.  This was a real job, like with lots of responsibilities and such.  How would it affect the girls next year when Wil goes to sea...oh the doubts went on and on.  Then after talking to the family, I did some thinking in the hot tub in the rain (that works really well by the way) and decided and told God, if they offer it to me I will take it and if they don't then it wasn't meant to be and I became very peaceful.  I also felt that not taking a job, this close to a small town with the good pay and part time was probably SUPER SELFISH and maybe even irresponsible.  So then the call came today, she didn't even ask if I wanted the job.  She told me my references turned out very well...thanks Jean, Mike and Tom.  She just asked me if I really wanted to work on one of my added days, I said sure and she said great well then we will see you then.  Cool!  So now the sad duty of resigning at the shelter although I am going to try to keep volunteering for them as I can.  I really like that place and will miss it but I think this is a better long term option.

That is the update for today.  I need to go buy mulch and an Ontario gardening book and some scrub pants that fit my expanded waistline.

My love to all and PTL!!!