Odds and Ends

Happy Friday!  It's cloudy and breezy..but no rain in the forecast.

Mr. Seventies hooked up the pool pump...some bolts and washers needed replacement...no big deal. Tomorrow he plans to top up the pool water and turn on the pump.  Monday I will take a water sample in for testing...purchase what is required to balance the water.  Once the water is balanced...then we are good for the swimming season,  I even love hearing the water circulating from the kitchen!

We've ordered two end tables for the family room.  I've never been able to find exactly what I was looking for until now....

I love the wood and industrial feel of them...and the best part....they open for storage!  They are available at a local furniture store...with 15% off...win-win!  The are not over sized...18" wide...the same width as our bedroom night tables.  So many times furniture or tables are monster size...not suitable for a home built with small rooms in the early 70's!  Very pleased smaller pieces are being offered...and some are geared toward condos.  When we downsize...a condo will likely be our preferred home choice.  We are a few years away from that...condos are going up everywhere here...as our population ages....condos are in high demand. 

A little over two weeks ago...we discontinued our land line.  Only people who contact us...were telemarketers...we either text, email or use our cell phones.  I upgraded my cell phone as well...a Samsung A8...this is a stock photo...

While I love this cell phone, since obtaining it...I have been unable to receive calls!  When a call would come in...it would go to our old land line number!  Now that was a head scratcher!  I contacted our provider...and was informed it would take three days to resolve the issue.

Late yesterday in the afternoon...I called cell phone tech support...and within ten minutes I was able to receive calls.  It seems the Volte button on the phone...was not turned on!   It is a standard for high speed communication on cell phones.  More than I needed to know...but now I am able to receive calls!  I requested a credit on my monthly bill for the two weeks I was unable to receive calls.  We'll see if that is done. 

Since this phone is a different size than my previous phone I purchased a new one....from where else...Amazon.  My friend purchased hers at her phone store...and paid over $40 for one.  This is mine...for $12.99 and free two day shipping.  It opens up and debit cards and credit cards can be slipped into slots.  I don't use the wrist strap..the magnetic close is awesome too!  My daughter is using my previous one..it fits her phone.

I'll wrap up with my review of my TENS machine.  One knee is giving me grief...arthritis...and we are trying to avoid a knee replacement.  I did a bit of physio which required 15 minutes on a TENS machine and leg exercises.  Now I can do both at home.  I purchased this particular machine from Amazon as well.  The reviews were great and I had nothing to lose. Does the machine help?  

It sure as heck doesn't hurt.  I set it for twenty to thirty minutes once daily.  I ordered replacement pads as well...they can lose their stickiness over time so it's good to have new ones available. 

So that's everything in a nutshell!  Have an awesome weekend!!

Driveway Repair

The company that delivered the shingles called Mr. Seventies and is going to send someone out to assess the damage.  He knows which paving company did the original work...so he said they would use them for the repair.  I hope I am home when the hardware rep comes...Mr. Seventies would be content to repair the lawn himself..but I've asked that he let them do the repair.  Fingers crossed.

I continued with the purging in the kitchen yesterday....Liesel and I had a trunk full of items for the Mission Store.  I felt if I hadn't used an item in the last two years...I probably didn't need it.  A huge, family size crock pot, a dehydrator (only used once in five years), two family size casserole dishes (too big for two people), lamps, a bag full of odds and ends, travel mugs, old coffee mugs and so on.
Purging does not mean to go out and purchase replacements...hahaha.  I have some things set aside to pass on to my daughters....they will thank me later for clearing out a lot of stuff now.

On our way home from our delivery to the Mission store...we stopped in to Home Sense and Michaels.  Both stores welcome dogs...Liesel is good for quick trips around.

Lamps, next to cushions is my obsession as well.  The ones I kept for the family room have withstood just about everything...namely when chucking Liesel's ball down the hall.  Most lamps would crash to the floor...but the ones we use are darn near bullet proof.

No sense kissing up to me now Home Sense...while this is adorable..it is not the one I let get away.  Still stinging over that loss....

Oh my gosh...how adorable is this?  I had a great chuckle...this unicorn is too cute.  And colourful.  We have an abundance of pool floats...this one was hard to leave behind.  But sense I was able to get one for my little grand daughter to use...we left this one for some other lucky person. I think this one too was smaller than the one I purchased...so still pretty happy with that one. 

We are finally getting some sun and warm temps!  And you know what that means?  Yup...the pool is going to be running!  Mr. Seventies will hook up the pump, make sure everything is a-ok, top off the water level and bring the totes up which house the chemicals and pool vacuum.  

Once the pool runs for 24 hours, I will take a water sample in for testing...so we can balance the water and start the bi-weekly maintenance.  I put in a chlorine puck about every 3 days and shock every two weeks, then add the Algicide. 

Mr. Seventies tilled the vegetable garden....and planted three rows of potatoes.  Onions and beets to follow...and the rest will get planted in June. 

I will be thrilled when we can give the decks a fresh coat of stain...winter and shovels are hard on them each winter...and then our new wicker furniture can be set up.  Yay..  Outside is where we spend the bulk of our time during the summer...we love being outdoors.  As does Liesel....she finds a sun puddle and flops down!

Mr. Seventies wants to take our annual pilgrimage to Kool Breeze green house in Summerside...and then York Greenhouse....closer to home.  

We have officially become his parents!!  And that's a good thing,

So Then This Happened

As posted on Friday...we had a new roof installed.  The roofing company did a great job...roof looks great..and clean up was to perfection.

Then this happened....the hardware store delivering the roofing shingles.  What could possibly go wrong?

This damage to our newly paved drive and lawn....is what went wrong,

Yup...those are cracks and tire marks on our lawn....

Needless to say...we are not happy campers.  Apparently this was not the Hardware store's "regular" driver...he was more concerned with overhead electrical wires...(which were no where near the truck).  

The roofing company owner was furious...and said this was unacceptable!  He contacted the hardware store and took photos on his phone and sent them to show the damage.   

The hardware store is to facilitate  and cover the cost of the repairs...stay tuned.  

In other news, Mr Seventies tilled the vegetable garden...and planted three rows of potatoes, beets and lettuce.

The stakes are to remind him he has thing planted there...I offered to get some pretty row markers...but he stays the stakes work fine.  The odd flower you see...were annuals planted last year...because we had early snow...he didn't have a chance to clean out the flower bed completely.  The annuals came up for a second time I guess 

Yesterday was much like today...gloomy and overcast.  I thought we could all use some "pretty"...the front gardens are coming to life...

Hyacinths, tulips and daffodils are cropping up everywhere....

The yellow/golf Forsythia is showing off her early splash of colour...

A pretty coral tulip...ripe for the picking!  I have a beautiful bouquet of tulips picked...they are my favourite early flower! A coral gal just showing off her colour!!

Switching topics we discontinued our land line a couple of weeks ago.  Best decision ever btw.  The next day I upgraded my cell phone with the same company.  Fast forward to a couple of days ago...and I seem to be getting a lot of voicemails.  

No big deal at first...I thought I was just either on my phone or busy at that time.  Our daughter made me aware she kept getting my voicemail, I called my number from Mr. Seventies cell phone...and got the voicemail recording for our old landline!!  There is no call forward feature on my phone...so I knew that wasn't the issue.  I spent 55 minutes with our provider...and it's going to take three business days before they can fix the issue. 

Somebody somewhere got their wires crossed.  While they discontinued service to our land line...they somehow screwed up my new cell phone...which happened within 24 hours of each other. 

I'll let them sort the mess out...I'll give them the three business days.  And see what happens...

It's a toss up to see what gets repaired first...the driveway or my cell phone service.  Going to be a great week!

Perfect Day for a New Roof

The roofers arrived this morning....

They are currently taking the old shingles off.  It's not as noisy as I thought it was going to be...Liesel was scared to death at first...but now she is snuggled up tight beside me.  If it becomes unbearable...we will vacate to our daughter's house.

How much am I loving my Google Mini assistant?

I received her for Mother's Day...she's a handy little assistant to have.  

Mr. Seventies received his order from Vesey's...weather permitting....planting will get done tomorrow.  These are roots and bulbs for the flower gardens.  The vegetable garden has been turned over...but not tilled yet.  Be a few more weeks before he will get that done.  We need some sun, wind and dry temps!

We're downsizing a bit...it is amazing how much "stuff" we gather.  Completed three drawers in the kitchen...99.9% of the plastic ware...is my friend's.  We don't need that many plastic containers...I filled a large bag and dropped them off to her.  I did this one other time....and over the months...it seems to appear here again.  She loves to bake....and we love to eat...so it's a win-win!

I had planned to pack some items to donate to the Mission store...but decided to put them on Marketplace...and within 1/2 and hour...had sold four chair cushions and a chair and footstool from the lower level..that we never use.

Will continue to purge over the weekend...have a great one wherever you are!

On The Hunt

Ever since we returned from our awesome trip to Ottawa...I am obsessed with these two pieces in my nephew's home...

The mirror is exactly what I am hankering for...with or without the star cut outs on the shutters.  The dresser underneath would be perfect for storage.  They are not pieces I have to have tomorrow...but I'm keeping my eyes wide open....

My favourite store is having an awesome on-line sale.  And contrary to what Mr. Seventies thinks...I do "need" clothing...now nod knowingly.  They are clothes 50% off...mostly for fall and winter...but the way our weather is these days...they may be worn anytime now!

A couple of things I ordered...this sweater dress with a cowl neck...will be perfect with tights or leggings...

I'm not a pj gal myself...but love them for lounging about in the late afternoons and evenings...and this two piece set is perfect for doing that.

In other news...Mr. Seventies is a die hard gardener.  And with that comes our annual trek to Vesey's Seed store in York.  I was raining the day we went...as you figured I stayed in the car..with Liesel while he picked up what he needed.  Like a kid in a candy store he is...or like I am in a home decor store!  We all have our vices! 

And now we have seedling trays and grow lights..he is so his Mother's son.  She was an avid gardener and he gained so much knowledge from her.  And like her...he loves to be outside puttering in the dirt.  

I'm 100% okay with it as well, he does an amazing job keeping our flower gardens looking beautiful and we have a bounty of vegetables in our vegetable garden.  There is nothing like eating a fresh vegetable that was growing 1/2 hour before being cooked!

If this weather continues the planting and opening the pool will be delayed!  As a rule we open the pool the long weekend (last weekend)...but until we get into some warmer temps...that won't be happening.  Our farmers are waiting as well to get their crops into the ground.

It's cold and windy today, the sun is slowing coming out.  Liesel and I are curled up beside a warm fire.  Where we will be most of the day.  

Long Weekend Road Trip!!

Happy Belated Victoria Day!  We took advantage of the long weekend and made a road trip to Nova Scotia with Liesel in tow.  She travels well in the vehicle....and after a couple of stops along the way...she settled in her car seat for a snooze.  On the marshland between the New Brunswick/Nova Scotia border are wind turbines.  Probably the first time we travelled by and there was no wind!   Usually they are beautifully churning away...but it was extremely calm.  So calm, in fact...the flags were hanging straight down!  Usually they are flapping wildly about!

First stop was the Tourist Information Centre...our usual stop to get out and stretch legs and Liesel has an opportunity to check things out, have a snack and a cold drink.

She and I wandered about..there were a couple of other dogs and their owners doing the same thing...Mr. Seventies snapped a photo of myself and Liesel before we continued on.

I realized, while some love Ikea...I really am not a fan of the whole concept.  I expect their niche market is geared towards young people with young families...as they seem to be the bulk of the customers in the store.  I find the store overwhelming and confusing, but then again we do not have an Ikea store in PEI...therefore I've only visited their stores in other provinces.  That being said...who doesn't love a farmhouse sink?

I luv, luv, luv these light fixtures!  They don't suit our home...but in the right place...they would be amazing!

And their line of Ektorp slip covered furniture!  I had hopes of hopes that their slipcovers would fit my furniture...as it would certainly be an economical way to switch out slipcovers...but my furniture is a bit larger.  *sniff*.   Maybe when we downsize to a smaller home or condo...but for now...I'll be happy with my slipcovered furniture. I particularly liked this fabric!

Popped into Pier 1 (my go to store)...I'm in hopes Pier 1 will have an on line store or bring one to Charlottetown!  A girl can dream....

My favourite time to visit is in the fall and Christmas seasons...summers are short here...fall and winter are much longer.  That being said, I won't post many photos from there as the lighting was horrible and distorts the true colours.  A couple of....what else...but cushions!  Luv cushions..I think I have mentioned that....

I was crushing hard on this owl lamp...perfect size for a bedroom or small side table.  If this is available in Moncton....I may pick one up for our guest bedroom, next time I visit Pier 1 there. 

Great architectural items..and the red clock would be awesome in a large family room...

Stopped in to Home Sense for a quick peruse...and found a gorgeous canvas of Diesel!!  He could have sat for this canvas photo...even his Dad (my nephew) thought so too when I emailed a photo to him!  French bulldogs are the cutest characters...I love watching them.  Now...their snorting...is a whole other topic!  And they snort...and snort..and snort....lol.

But of course, my first love always has and will always be...dachshunds!  Home Sense usually has a great deal of doxie sheets, towels duvet covers, and so on. 

It's overcast here...again but fairly mild.  We need to run some errands this afternoon...so let's hope the rain holds off!

Have an awesome Tuesday!!

Long Lost Bath Mat

Did you ever order something and then forget ordering it?  Ya...me neither!
Seriously though....remember when I ordered the heart shape bath mat from Bed Bath and Beyond?  The date was February 7, 2019

Surprise, look what arrived a couple of days ago!

I love it....the mat is so soft and pretty.  It's wonderful when Canada Post leaves a package that I have no clue as to what it is.

Ok, the next photo may offend some...so if you're one of those people who offend easily...maybe scroll on by!   My new mug for a steaming hot cup of tea!!

I wish my sister was still with us,...she would love this mug as well!  As a nod to her....and her wicked sense of humour...bottoms up!  I've not met anyone with a sense of humour we shared. 

Raining... (again)...over cast and cool.  The pellet stove is still in operation...my only consolation to this miserable weather is for it to come now and not in June!   As a rule, we usually open the pool the Victoria Day weekend (which is this weekend)...but we'll not be doing it this year.  Mr. Seventies did remove the pool cover...but that is as far as it has gone until we see double digit temperatures and some sun!

Another Monday in May

Happy belated Mother's Day!  We celebrated a low key day....I received beautiful cards, a gift card to Hone Sense and a Google Home Assistant,,,can't wait to try that out...

First barbecue of the season...hubby cooked delicious pork chops.with mashed potatoes and vegetables.  Daughter and her husband joined us at a pretty table complete with miniature tulips from our gardens...

I have been searching for a suitable container to store Liesel's kibble...and I think I found what I want on Amazon...the Bergan Stack-N-Stor....it has excellent review.  It will allow us to purchase larger bags of food...and keep it fresh and handy to use. 

I saw this adorable mug at Home Sense the other day....luv it!

I found these great oven mitts...I like that they are shorter mitts...they don't go way up my arm...just above the wrist area...they are so easy to use....

I fell in love with these adorable glass sheep!  Are they not the cutest thing ever?

Sign of warmer things to come...hopefully.  

Now I am a lover of all things cow..but this one is a little strange.  Wings and a halo?  Not sure about this canvas..enuf said....

Same for this yellow dachshund...I know some of us doxie folks can be a bit fanatical...but I am not crushing on this colour....at all...

Lets talk hanger for a minute.  I dislike wire hangers...and seldom use them...I prefer wooden hangers or velvet covered ones..which are not expensive. I found these at Wal Mart...10 for $7.99 or 20 for $12.99.  Easy choice there.  You would think will all the closet purging I did I would need less...but that is so not the case....

Today is going to be the only day we sun this week...according to Environment Canada,  Plan to get out and enjoy it while it is here.  

Beautiful Townhouse

From our recent visit...a beautifully decorated three storey townhouse...gorgeous!  Just inside the entrance to the left is a powder room...the beautiful tile floor installed by my nephew.  He is very handy and when his father-in-law visits, they usually have a project on the go.

When you take two steps up to the main level...to the right is this foyer setting...I am crushing so hard on that mirror and shutters!

Directly across from the foyer...a beautiful staircase to the second level...

You can see a window and an alcove where a couple of great pieces nest...and the lantern houses mini lights...that light up at night.  An alcove large enough to set a full size milk can, large welcome sign and lantern...

The guest bedroom we stayed in....quilt and draperies compliments of my nephew's wife..she has so many talents....

Back on the main level...off to the right side...an antique sewing machine and typewriter...

And the most beautiful wood burning fireplace...is that mantle not drool worthy?

A custom cabinet to hold treasures....

Across from the cabinet...a quilt rack...with special throws.  The first throw my nephew's wife stitched and gifted my sister.  The burgandy and ivory throws were my sisters as well.  

This photo was taken from the kitchen...which looks into the family room.  Sumptious leather furniture....so comfortable and cozy.   I love leather furniture...and if I had my way...I'd have it again in our family room.  I love the upholstered pieces we have now...but leather is what I long for...

I didn't get any kitchen photos...seems like someone was always in it and one time or another...

so we head downstairs to the lower level.

This dry bar was built by my nephew...such a talented guy...

A second fireplace in the down stairs family room...the stacked stone and beautiful mantel were also handy work of my nephew.  The fireplace is natural gas burning.  Notice that arch beside the fireplace...when we were shopping at the prim store, my nephew's wife purchased a second one, 

She has a cute wooden sign (to replace the current painting) to put up...with an arch on either side.  The industrial floor lamp....a Costco find!  You can see part of the painting...which will soon be donated.  The room is large and a huge soft sectional for lounging about and watching Netflix!

So, there you have it!  It's a beautiful end townhouse they have made their own,  It's warm and inviting....and we hope to return for a visit soon!  

Have a great weekend!