Spring is Here???

I've been so busy with the new job and trying to close out the old. But in the midst of all the hussle was an overwhelming JOY that spring was finally here.

WAS HERE!

Look at what got dumped on us yesterday.

What an amazing storm it was!  Violent and brisk and noisy with white-out conditions on the roadways and huge drifts of snow across the streets.  The kind I remember from my youth in Newfoundland. The streets and lawns were bare Tuesday night; not so by Wednesday at noon.

Nova Scotia all but shut down completely -- schools, businesses, malls, buses pulled off the road.  I had walked to work that morning (15 min) when it was just beginning to snow.  And I wanted to walk home from work in the midst of it.  My boss insisted that he drive me.  And as we were crawling home in his 4 wheel drive, he said to me:  "Did you really want to walk home in this?"  "Well", I said.  "Part of me did".  "What part?" he said in amazement.  "The 12 year old part of you?" 

School was closed again today.  But business resumed for the rest of us, and by 3 pm today, the sun had melted the snow off the streets.  I tell you:  this was just a wee bit discouraging to those of us who want to wear our trainers and jackets.

But it doesn't keep us down for long.  

After all, we are Maritime Canadians!

The wearin of the Green!

Happy St Paddy's Day from Beani and Buddy, the little dogs that always greet me when I go for a massage.

As well as it being St Paddy's Day, it's my daughter's birthday --- 27 years old today.  (Can you remember that age?)

She's thousands of miles away in Toronto, so we won't be together physically.  But together in our hearts .......  She's a darling girl! 


I'm in the process of changing my work somewhat.  Instead of working 2 office jobs, next week I cut one out and go full-time at the other.  That's very exciting for me!  I've worked 2, sometimes 3 jobs continually for the past 13 years.  And as my aging brain doesn't convert from one set of books to the other as easily as it used to, I'm really looking forward to being able to focus on just one.  

In the meantime, last week and this, I've been trying to tidy up everything at my other part-time position.  Twelve years with a most wonderful boss! So I want to leave him with all the loose ends tied up.  Mind you, for the short-term, I'm not completely leaving him:  I'll go in one evening a week to do payroll etc until he gets someone else.  

So, I've been mad juggling for the last 2 weeks, working some days 7 am to 5:30 pm, driving between jobs, eating lunch at my desk, rushing home to cook dinner, collapsing on the couch for the evening!  (Well, I guess I do that last one anyway.)  

But I'm okay.  Besides -- it's the better paying job that's now full-time ...........

so, I'll be seeing a little more green on my cheques.  

(I like the pink and brown ones best!)

So, eat something green today, drink some green beer, and I wish you all the luck of the Irish today.  I'll catch up when I can.

Are you Sprung?

What a "large" day out there in Bridgewater NS folks:  blue skies, sunshine, positively balmy at -1 degree C.  Gorgeous!


The electric heat is turned off upstairs and the windows are all open just a crack to let in some fresh "air, air, air, for Lord's sake!" (in the words of Eloise's Nanny).


I'm spending the day gloriously alone just puttering around the house.  The laundry is in the washing machine --- and I may even hang a thing or two on the line (and bring it back in later stiff as a board).  I think I'll also shovel the snow off the back deck ... in anticipation of near(??) future blanket-covered, hatted 'n mittened coffee breaks.  Short coffee breaks. YES.  But ohhhhh!  The joy that thought brings to my heart.

We have sprung forward, people.  

No matter that we will see snow again this week:

We have sprung forward!

Spring Forward" by Mary Robertson  
http://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Spring-Forward/293334/1926925/view

Shrove Tuesday in My House

I've always had pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.  I have lots of great recipes.  But when I came across a recipe for cheddar pancakes from Marie , I had to try them.  

They didn't let me down.  Delicious!  Look at that cheesy goodness!  The only thing I would caution you on is perhaps increase the liquids; I added at least another 1/2 to a full cup of water ..... and I hadn't even added the bran. 

We did the "full meal deal" for tonight's supper:

Cheddar Cakes w/ Apple Syrup (& maple syrup), hash browns, baked beans, caesar salad and sausage.  

Marie also had a recipe for Rice Pudding pancakes which I'll try next month perhaps.  

What did you eat tonight?

Hello Sunshine!

This bundle of sunshine is what I had to leave behind in NL.  I cried on the plane and several times since then.  This grandma needs to be with the boy.  (Working on that one, aren't we God.)

I had a wonderful trip; it was the first time in over 20 years that I'd gone home in the winter.  And wow!  There sure was lots of snow; you couldn't see over the snow on the sides of the road where the plow had gone through.  Nor did it stop falling while I was home. Spring is always later on the west coast of Newfoundland than here in Nova Scotia.

So in spite of my aching heart (and arms), it was so pleasant to come back to bare pavement and smaller snow piles.  We've also had a couple of days of beautiful but cold sunshine which just lifts my spirits and makes me breathe deeper & sigh.  I can "feel" that spring is on its way. 

This is what adorns my office desk this morning.  An unnecessary extravagance because a girl needs to be reminded that winter is on his way out ....... especially when she had a week's backload to catch up on.


I hope there's lots of sunshine in your life today.

A Short Trip

Farewell for the next 10 days. 

I'm off to snuggle with a younger man!

My wee grandson, Dante.

See you soon!

I'm ALWAYS feeling blue!

Yes, I'm always feeling blue .................... 
meaning that I always feel in the mood to wear blue. I have a lot of color in my closet, but you don't need to look to closely to see that it's predominantly blue.  I look good in the color, and I just feel wonderful when I wear it.  I'm drawn to the blues on the racks before any other color (although that harlot red often seduces me, especially in a shoe or purse).     

I walked into our local Atlantic Superstore early the other morning to deposit my cheque into the ATM machine ... which is right next to the clothing department who've begun to receive the new spring line.  What gorgeous colors!  And oh dear!  The blues were abundant! They were in front of me on racks; there were shelves of blue shoes; there were blue coats & sweaters & pants hanging above me.  I felt light-headed with glee; I was floating in a beautiful sea of azure!  

I've had myself on a very tight shopping budget since Xmas because there's nothing I really need.  I hadn't thrifted since then and have done fine on my shopping sabbatical.  But spring is coming. (Repeat this mantra as necessary!).  And as I stood there surround by blue, I remembered 3 things:

1. I had found $25 cash in a last-years purse when I switched last week.
2. I probably had some PC cash points on my account at the Superstore.  (Yep.  When I checked, I had $40 worth!)
3. I had an unused $25 in my thrifting budget for last Jan.

So, here's what I bought :  

Some pieces were on sale (like that awesome charcoal grey poncho/sweater for $4.94! the blue pants for $14.94 and the baby blue open weave sweater for $15).  Some were just great prices (like the powder blue sweater bottom left for $16 and the gorgeous blue cloth ballet flats for $19).  And the center Indian cotton blouse for $29 was just irresistible.

Once I added in February's $25 thrifting budget, I didn't overspend. 

Well done, Sandy!  

• Good budgeting
• Great clothes
• Gorgeous color!  

What's your Achilles heel color?