Shovelling Ice Again

 Yesterday was sunny and warmer with a high of -4C (windchill -9C). This morning it is clear and -7C (windchill -13C). Today is suppose to be sunny with a high of 0C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning, I did a load of laundry before going to physiotherapy. I was happy to get that done. Physio was great. I did the exercises in the gym area before seeing the therapist. She did her alignment test on me and all is great. Then it was time to do some manual work on me. It was more to see if I was still flexible and I am back in the normal range. 

We talked about my fall and she feels when I landed on the basement floor, I put something back into place that was slightly out. We talked about me not having a flare up shovelling snow and ice and she is excited about what I am now doing. I am in good shape and will see her in 6 weeks. From there it will be longer between visits unless I have a flare up or my SI joints decide to act up. 

On my way home I got more cough medicine as I really felt my cold was going to my chest. I also looked for salt -- none to be found in the store. So I came home a bit unhappy but determined to scrape ice off the driveway. I worked on it for a good 30 minutes before having lunch. I was making progress as the ice was melting in the sun. 

After lunch I had a short nap. I literally fell asleep sitting up. Once I woke up, I felt much better. My cold seemed to be much better than it was in the morning. I actually felt like myself again. I got up and made my dinner for last night and tonight. 

I was back out to chip away at the ice. It was coming up in big chunks with water running underneath. I now have about 75% of the driveway clear of ice. It was a big task but I got lots of ice moved. It would have been worse to deal with if I hadn't had help on Monday. My neighbour came over to inspect my work and to tease me about salt. We are both going to start stock piling 10 bags for next winter. Like many others, we got caught having to a bag of salt each during the storm. 

I went to visit my friend after I had shovelled ice and we had a great visit. She has been home for a week now due to the storms and has spent most of it quilting. She has been fighting a bit of a cold also. We took her dog for a short walk on my way home. It was cooling off and the water had turned to ice. We were both being careful. 

I slept poorly last night. Most of it was from something I ate and it flared up my IBS. I have an idea what it is and will be eliminating it from my diet. Part is the stress of having a driveway of ice and not being able to clear it right away. I will be fine as I am settling down and feeling much better. Tired but fine. 

Today

I am out soon for blood collection. Once that is done, I will come home and eat breakfast and decide what I will do. If I need to nap, I will. I do want to remove more ice from the driveway this afternoon. I know I won't be sewing or knitting today as I will be outside this afternoon and resting this evening. 

Until the next time.............................................................

A Day Out Shopping

 Yesterday was another cold windy day. The temperature hovered around -9C (windchill -17C). The coldest it got was at 9 am; -12C (windchill -23C). This morning it is cloudy and -10C (windchill -16C). Today is going to be cloudy with flurries with a high of -1C (windchill -7C). 

Lifestyle

I vacuumed the living room and most of the dining room before having to charge the battery on the Dyson. I did mop the living room and some of the dining room. It was nice to get that done. 

Daughter-in-law arrived to take the car for osteopathy as her car needed to be charged. She had gone to New Minas to pick it up. She said the drive was horrible -- windy with white outs. She sat, rested, and relaxed for a bit before we took off for her appointment. I decided to go with her and do a bit of grocery shopping afterwards. 

The drive to osteopathy was windy but the roads were bare and mainly dry. There was very little blowing snow also. We were both happy that the roads heading to Halifax were in such great condition. 

After osteopathy, we headed into Bedford to get groceries. We did Walmart only. I did look and found no salt in the store. We had lunch and headed home. 

Once home, I put away the groceries and looked at the driveway. The ice is still super glued to the ground. No chipping ice was happening. I was also super tired as I am still fighting this cold. I feel it wanting to go into my chest. All I wanted to do was rest. I didn't nap but I sure wanted to. I did cough a lot yesterday. It is a bark that I didn't want to hear. 

I looked at the knitting briefly in the late afternoon but I had no energy to work on it. 

Thoughts

    This cold is driving me crazy. My head is clear but my chest is a bit sore from coughing. I just wish it would go away and let me get on with life. I am done with being sick. 

    With the weather getting warmer (near freezing), I will have to go out and start chipping away at the ice on the driveway. This morning I looked and the pathway seems a bit wider than what we made it. I am hoping that I can do some each day until I have it cleared off. The snow we were to have on Saturday is not happening so I can take my time with this job. 

    I have been emailing the company I bought the plate I wanted from. They have told me I will be notified when another plate comes in to stock. I am very annoyed that they are not reshipping the plate back to me but will sell it to someone else when it returns. I call this poor customer service. Once I get the plate, I will give them a poor review and will not recommend them to any one. It has been a circus with them not shipping it after I bought it, then shipping it with the wrong address which I let them know twice, and then putting me on a waiting list. They do know I am very unhappy with them but I want this plate so my daughter has a serving for 4 in this pattern. 

Today

I am going to do a load of laundry before I go to physio. Once done, I will be checking to see if there is salt in town. If there is I will be buying several bags. I have to make dinner and I will probably rest today as I am fighting this cold. If I have the energy I will do a bit of chipping of ice if I think I can move any of it from the path edges. I also have to drink lots of water today as I give blood tomorrow. 

Until the next time.............................................................

A Horrible Ice Storm Hit Us Hard

 Yesterday was cold, windy, and snowy. The temperature dropped all day to -6C (windchill -16C) at 5 pm. This morning it is cloudy, windy, and -11C (windchill -20C). Today is going to be windy, snowy, and cold. The high is to get to -8C (windchill -22C).

Lifestyle

As I was getting dressed (early) my neighbour texted me for my salt so he could salt the driveway. I rushed and gave him the one bag I had. He poured it down the driveway so we could scrape a trail from the garage to the street later on. It was at that point I wished I had gone out at 6:30 am to shovel slush. The weather had turned colder and the slush froze solid very quickly. Our neighbour said his driveway was freezing quickly as he was shovelling it. By the time he got to the top, it was frozen. 

While I waited for family to come over, I ate breakfast and then folded laundry. It was put away. When they arrived, I got dressed and went out. (Okay, I had been out earlier to see if the Dutch hoe would move the ice and it did.) Family started from the street with the ice tool and I started from the garage with the Dutch hoe. We slugged away getting ice chipped off the driveway. Our friend came over to help with his metal shovel. We worked away realizing that we could only do a pathway down the driveway where it had been salted earlier. We had to give up when we couldn't get the ice off easily. We tried really hard but to no avail. 

Once we were done, I rested. I was tired from all the work I did. I am sure everyone else was tired also as they worked really hard also. I did recover but I had aching muscles from using the Dutch hoe. I did sit quietly and watched the snow fall silently saying nasty words under my breath. By the time I went to bed, I was a bundle of nerves from the wind blowing so hard. We had gusts up to 75 km/hr and it was noisy out there. I did sleep better than I had thought but I am tired this morning from all the activity I had done in the morning and having my nerves rattled with the wind. 

Elliott spent the day under a blanket sleeping only to emerge to eat. Last night he wanted to have the blanket tucked in around him and he slept peacefully by my side. He was cozy warm. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday. I got the base sewn into the body of the rabbit. It was a difficult job as the legs were an annoyance. But I got it done. I didn't take a picture of it as I needed to work on the shirt. 

It was time to work on the sleeves of the shirt. I spent well over an hour printing the designs and trying ideas. Daughter finally decided on these for the sleeves. 

This sleeve is the first I have ever done with lettering and I am a bit worried about it. I also have to do 2 hoopings for this sleeve which is a bit nerve wracking. 

The other sleeve has 3 sprays of flowers on it. It is also a double hooping. I am a bit worried about it but think I will have it under control when I print the small flower once again so I know where the center of it is. 

Once I have the designs done correctly, I will lay the sleeves side by side and tweak the placement. Then I can start embroidering them. 

Knitting

None done last night. I may pick it up this afternoon if I am too tired to sew. I was tired last night and I may be procrastinating on picking up the stitches. 

Thoughts

    I was so grateful that family and friends helped me get a pathway down the driveway. It was hard work. I didn't want to give up but knew we had done all we could. We laughed as the Spousal Unit would have worked at it for hours to get the driveway cleared. I also learned that I will have 5-6 bags of salt in the garage during the winter. One never knows when a storm like this will hit us again. This is the 2nd time since we moved here that we have had this type of freezing rain. 

    I watched some video clips on the snowfall in Ontario and Quebec. It is unreal how much snow has fallen and how high the piles of snow are and how people are struggling to deal with it. And to top it off having a plane overturn at the airport in Toronto must have been the worst thing to hear about. 

    I am very disappointed that a plate I bought daughter was not delivered as the company put the wrong address on it and ignored my email about that. The parcel is now being returned to them and they have refunded me my money. I can order it again they said and I will. But this time I will nag them from the time I order it until it is delivered. One thing I have learned is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. 

Today

I am going to do a bit of housework this morning and make two meals so I have something to eat for the next 2 days. If I have the energy I may sew, if not I will knit. I will probably be in bed early as I am tired as I didn't sleep that well last night. 

Until the next time....................................................................

More Done On Luna Lapin

 Yesterday the weather was a combination of sunshine, clouds, snow, and freezing rain. The temperature got up to -4C (windchill -7C). This morning the wind is blowing and it is 2C (was up to 7C at 4 am). Today is suppose to have wind and flurries with the temperature dropping to -2C during the day and -11C tonight. The windchill could be as cold as -18C.

Lifestyle

I had energy yesterday and put it to good use. I did 3 loads of laundry and put clean sheets on the bed. I scrubbed the bathroom and mopped the floor. It was nice to get that done. 

I also did the balance sheet. It didn't take long to do and I am happy with how I have stayed home so far this month. Basically I have only bought food and over the counter meds for my cold. Between the weather and this cold, I have had no interest in shopping. 

 I made a pot of chowder. This recipe is similar to the one I make. I put in Italian seasoning and don't put in anything spicy. I also cleaned up the kitchen and took out the recycling. I stopped at that point knowing I had done enough for the morning. I wasn't tired but knew I needed to rest.

The snow started to fall around 2 pm and it was pretty heavy at times. I went out at 4:30 pm and shovelled the driveway. There was a good inch of snow on it. Two children (ages 6 and 7) came to help and mom came over to supervise them. They scraped the snow off the driveway and I busted up the ice along the edge of the driveway. The boy decided he could bust the ice off one spot and he got most of it off. I was pleased with how the driveway looked and called it done. 

The snow started again after I got inside and then came the freezing rain. The temperature rose during the night and it must have rained quite a bit. I am itching to go out and shovel but have promised family I will stay inside until they come over this morning. The roads were plowed at 9 pm so I know they are safe to be on. I think I heard the salt truck during the night. 

Sewing

I sewed yesterday and enjoyed myself. I worked on the Luna Lapin rabbit's body. I was very careful while sewing making sure I did a good job. The legs were hard to sew in as the fabric wanted to pleat over on the back. I finally got it done. 

The video on how to do the body is on the tv. The next step was to sew a 2" seam so the bottom of the body was joined. Easy. Then it was time to put the bum in. That seemed to take forever. I pinned each section carefully making sure there were no pleats and then hand basted it in place. That was another slow job. 

The legs are now put through the opening and the base is ready to sew together. 

I stopped at this point as I knew I had to go and shovel snow. 

Knitting

None done last night as I was tired from being so busy. The tiredness hit me like a ton of bricks at 8 pm. 

Thoughts

    I was really impressed with how much energy I had yesterday. I am also surprised at how strong I have gotten shovelling snow and ice. The cold didn't weaken me too much as I rested and did what I had to do. I have to say that I enjoy being outside in the fresh air shovelling snow. The only time I don't want to go out is when the wind is cold and nasty. 

    My hip is not bothering me as much. I am not sure if resting longer periods and working hard outside has strengthened it or if it has decided to give up being sore. The only aches I have are when a weather system comes in. I am not taking Tylenol very often now. I know both legs are stronger than they have been as I am able to walk more during the day. 

    I have slept better the past two nights. I am not waking up to blow my nose or cough. I have felt more rested and my mental attitude is good. I want to do things once again. 

    I am hoping that this is the last bad storm we will get this winter. Two freezing rain storms a few days apart was quite the surprise. The temperatures seem to be creeping back to normal this week. Everyone is done with these storms and are waiting for spring to arrive. 

Today

 I am going to fold laundry this morning and wait until someone comes to shovel the driveway. I promised family that I wouldn't shovel until they arrived. I am going out to help as I want the fresh air and exercise. I hope to sew this afternoon and maybe knit tonight. What gets done depends on snow removal. 

Until the next time................................................................

A Day Of Rest (Again)

 Yesterday was sunny, cold, and windy. The high got to -6C (windchill -15C). This morning there are some clouds and it is -7C (windchill -14C). Today is suppose to cloud up, snow and then turn to freezing rain. The high is supposed to get to 4C. 

Lifestyle

I was tired yesterday and really felt lethargic. I keep thinking my cold is getting better but I am wondering if it is slowly going into my chest. I am hoping not. Most of the symptoms I had are gone but I am still coughing and blowing my nose. I am hoping that I am at the recovery stage. 

I was out after lunch to get my prescriptions. The wind was cold. The store was busy not crazy busy. People are buying as the stores will be closed on Monday. I got what I needed and left quickly. I just wanted to be at home not out with people. 

I did not touch the driveway yesterday. I did watch the sun melt some of the ice that is along the sides of the driveway. I made sure I was not out there getting over tired. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday as I had no spare energy for anything. Truth be known, I ate horribly yesterday which didn't help. 

Today

My goal is to make a pot of soup, do a bunch of laundry, a bit of housework, and try to sew this afternoon. I want to stay up until by usual bedtime so I may try to knit tonight. I am going to pace myself so I don't get exhausted. 

Until the next time.............................................................

Shovelling Hundreds of Pounds of Ice

 Yesterday was cold and windy. There was even a snow flurry with big fat snowflakes. The high got to -5C at 6 am and crept down wards all day. The windchill was horrible. This morning it is clear and -11 (windchill -21C). Today is suppose to be sunny and windy with a high of -4C (windchill -13C). We are under another freezing warning for Sunday night and Monday. 

Lifestyle

It was a busy day at this house. My two jobs of the day were to cook dinner and do ice removal. I started with ice removal. 

I started with the front landing knowing that the ice doesn't stick as hard to the composite deck boards as it does to the cement driveway. I opened the front door and began the job. It was harder than I had thought. I got the shovel under a bit of the snow and ice and tried to get a piece loose to throw on the lawn. The whole slab wanted to move. I carefully moved it a bit not wanting to hurt myself. When it started to move, I kept pushing it slowly and it slid off the landing and broke up on the sidewalk. I carefully shovelled it off the sidewalk onto the lawn. The pieces were over an inch thick. 

I went back inside and out into the garage. With the garage door opened, I could assess the situation. The driveway was sheer ice. I chipped a bit at the door but to no avail. I threw a bunch of salt on the driveway and went inside. 

While inside, I made dinner. I had decided to make Betty Crocker's Spaghetti 1950's style. I had seen it made on a YouTube video and it looked good. I didn't use the bacon as I had none. I used a different pasta which I like. I spent my time chopping and dicing and cooking this dish and had a nice pot of sauce. (I made a half batch). 

Once the sauce was made, I got dressed and was back out the door. I was able to shovel a lot of ice off the driveway where I had salted. It came up in good size chunks that I could handle easily. When I had finished that part, I salted the ice that was left on the part I had shovelled, the sidewalk, and down the driveway. I was ready for the afternoon. 

The afternoon session of ice removal was brutal. The wind was blowing harder and it was colder. But, I kept at it as the salt water had run down the driveway under the ice and it was lifting quite easily. I spent a lot of time shovelling and got most of the ice off. I am going to say I got 80% of the driveway cleared off. 

The shovelfuls of ice were heavy. I could barely lift them but I had to as I wanted it off the driveway. What I got onto the lawn slid down into the ditch. What I pushed off at the ditch went sliding into it. The ditch is quite full now as the snow plow put the road's ice into the ditch also. When I could no longer chip ice off the edge of the driveway I salted those areas and stood back to admire my work. 

The white patches are dry salt and the bottom of the driveway has a bit of snow on it. It is basically dry this morning. The sidewalk is bare and salted. 

When I got into the house, I was tired. I had shovelled hundreds of pounds of ice off the driveway. I didn't rush as I needed to make sure I didn't slip and fall. I walked only on the cleared driveway. I sat and drank liquids as I had sweat. My muscles let me know they had a good workout. 

I didn't sew or knit yesterday as I was tired and a bit sore. I knew it would be a long stretch if I got much more than I did.  Resting was on higher up on the list.

Thoughts

    I am late posting as I had to go to the community hall to make 2 batches of sandwiches. They were short on help so I was out the door is less than 30 minutes. We got done in good time even if we were still down one person. 

    I am proud of myself for what I did yesterday. I was careful and made a plan so I wouldn't fall. I did get a talking to today for doing it but if I can do it I will do it. My helper is in PEI for a hockey tournament this weekend. I am also ready for the next go round of freezing rain. Plan is to salt the driveway tomorrow afternoon in hopes that the ice won't stick as solid to the driveway. 

    My cold is improving. I have less symptoms than I had. I am over the worst and now need to get back to normal. I feel that going outside most days and keeping active when I could helped me a lot. I also rested when my body told me to. I found a balance I could live with. 

Today

My body has said to rest again today. I am tired as I didn't sleep as well has I had hoped to. I need to get my prescriptions this afternoon and will buy another bag of salt. If I have the energy I will sew and knit and if not I will vegetate on the couch. 

Until the next time..............................................

A Messy Storm

 Yesterday started off cloudy and ended up with snow, rain, and freezing rain. The high got to 2C at midnight. This morning it is clear, windy, and -5C. Today is suppose to be mainly cloudy with some flurries, and windy with a high of -5C. 

Lifestyle

I started the morning off with cleaning the dining room table and vacuuming a bunch of floors. None were mopped which I want to get done. I did spray the house with Lysol to help kill any cold germs that might be hanging around. 

I was out just after 10 am to order my prescriptions, get a couple of things for my cold, pay the water/sewer bill, and mail a letter. The grocery store where I order my prescriptions was busy. People were panic buying as we were having a storm. The aisles were full of people and the line ups were super long. I went to self check out and got a till quicker than I had thought -- 5 minute wait. I was out of there as fast as I could get my items paid for. 

At the municipal office, it was dead quiet. I talked to the two tellers for a bit. One helped look after Elliott when he was really sick. She told me the other grocery store was getting busy also when she stopped in on her way to work. The post office was also quiet and I found a parking spot on my first attempt driving down the street. Usually you have to park in the back lot of the post office but not yesterday. 

It started to snow lightly on my way home. The amount increased as the day went on and then it turned to a messy mix of snow and rain. After supper I could hear the ice pellets hitting the back of the house as the wind was blowing from that direction. I looked out at the driveway to what seemed to be an icy mess. I was glad I had no where to go yesterday afternoon. 

I was in bed early last night. I was listening to some music on a YouTube video and fell asleep on the couch. I slept well last night which was wonderful. I was awakened at 3:30 am as the plow vehicle was doing our roads. The usual time for them to do one round of plowing. It isn't quiet but you know the roads will be in good shape for the morning commuters. The roads had been salted during the day so I am assuming they didn't do them during the night. I could be wrong. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon stuffing the rabbit only to look at it and hate it. I will take out the stuffing today and toss the body into the trash. It is not something I am proud of. But, it kept me busy. I am sure most of the "ugliness" is from me working on it while fighting the cold. There is absolutely no way to fix it to look better. Part is the pattern has no shape to it at the neckline. Part is me trying to make it look better and failing. I am okay with failures as it is part of the learning process. 

Knitting

None done as I could barely keep my eyes open. 

Thoughts

    My cold is improving some though I am still worried it could go to my chest. I know it wasn't the flu has I had my flu shot. It didn't turn into pneumonia as I had that shot also. Not covid as I was not near anyone who had it. I am sure I got it at the arena using the elevator. It isn't kept as clean as it could be and I probably got the cold virus on my hands and wiped my face getting myself sick. My last cold was in Dec. 2020. I am back to wearing masks and using a lot more hand sanitizer so I can stay healthy for the rest of the winter. 

     I am trying to balance doing things and resting. I get frustrated as I want to do more each day but my body is saying to rest in the afternoons. I am noticing I can do a bit more each day as long as I have a good night's sleep. If I don't, I have to rest more. 

    We are to have more snow on Sunday. I am not looking forward to that but I will deal with it when it comes. At least it won't be cold and there won't be freezing rain. 

Today

I am not sure what today is going to look like until I assess the driveway. I want to clean it off and salt it. I do have to make dinner for the next 2 nights plus soup. I may not get any sewing done and I will probably not knit tonight. Cleaning the driveway is the big job for today. Cooking is 2nd and sewing and knitting are at the bottom of the list. 

Until the next time......................................................