Creating Our Paradise

 Buddy was caught checking out Mom's Mother's day gift on Sunday before we went over and visited in her yard.  One small frugal accomplishment - all wrapping was recycled.  I received a gift when I left my job in Alberta before we moved out to Vancouver Island in 2012.  I rarely spend any money on new wrapping, and if I do these days it is in the thrift store.  I bought her a hummingbird feeder similar to the one hubby bought me a couple of weeks ago for our anniversary.  I also made her a card keeping me out of a store and less money spent except on the actual gift.

 Sharing some pictures of my various pots - the calibrachoa is so pretty.  I think it's my new favorite flower.  I bought purple, pink, white and the cool pink/orange coloured one below (candy is the colour according to the pot).  The little black plant stand was bought at a garage sale in 2018 (see this post).  It is starting to get a little rust so a Rustoleum paint job is pending.

 I have two strawberry pots I bought on our Facebook bidding site last year (see this post - only $33 for 2 and a lot of scrubbing) are looking good and some of the flowers are starting to bloom.  The pot itself is 2.5 feet tall, I added the spike for some drama.  There are 3 strawberries and a row of blue lobelia which hasn't started to bloom yet.  The bottom row is empty as I had white lobelia in it but it was too long and didn't like the pot so I retransplanted that to some of my other pots so it could thrive.  My plan is to try and find some small succulents at a reasonable price for the bottom rows - but that hasn't happened yet so they will stay empty until I find the right plants.

 We used to have several overgrown rhododendron bushes in our backyard which were pretty for 2-3 weeks then just a blob of green bushes we had to mow around.  I don't hate them but they were put in the wrong spot and had to go.  We like our back yard so much better without them - even though we put in the patio it still feels like we have a ton of green grass too, and mowing is easier.  I still have one rhodo in the front yard though, my favorite of the lot that is just starting to bloom this deep red colour below.

We had a very nice Mother's Day.  I got up and made two chicken and cheese enchilada pans, one to take to Mom's and one for us for supper.  They were a big hit.  I've never tried to make them before and while I used two different recipes to make it (guideline really) it is a definite make again meal.  All the kids called me and it was a good day.  We were pretty exhausted though as the two days prior we probably did 10 hours of yard work plus I spent 2 hour painting.  On Friday Hubby decided to rent an edger (cuts the grass to a straight edge, $28 for 4 hrs) and try and clean up the grass that has been spreading into our flower beds and yard.  After you cut the grass you then have to dig out the offending extra weeds and grass - that is what took so long.  He underestimated the entire job and so when I finished painting I helped him for 4 hours then on Saturday we went at it for another 4 hours until it was done.  Holy cow, never again.  Anyway, the yard is looking pretty good these days and with it raining every few days or so everything is so nice and green.  It got up to 27 degrees Celcius on Sunday and was a lovely warm and beautiful weekend.

The company is slowing down, some of our clients have canceled but we still have a little business.  We've decided to take Fridays off as a result.  If we have to make less money then let's have a little more down time.  Except Hubby sees that as project days :(  Oh well, this weekend is Victoria Day Weekend in Canada and I have asked him that other than feeding ourselves (and Mom one day) and maybe mowing the lawn no "work" will be done.  We shall see how successful this is.

My oldest stepson is trying to become a police officer, has been for years.  It isn't as easy as one would think in Canada, especially right now.  He did 3 years in the Army as was told he was too young, then he attended 2 years in policing at college which he just graduated with honors from (online for the last month). Police hiring has been frozen during lockdown as they don't want training to occur right now, although his application is still being processed in their system (a many month affair).  He then got hired by the largest security firm in Canada, did their 2 week course and then can't get a security license (given by Province of Ontario) as can't take the required test due to the lockdown.  He has now applied for and got hired in a homeless shelter, about as high risk right now as you can get.  He has chosen a preferred life of public service and this is just one of those hazards.  He and his fiancee already volunteer in Ottawa for a charity that helps battered men and women move from their unsafe home, including packing up and physically moving everything for free.  His last job which is now closed was working part-time at a recreation centre working with underprivileged youth in after school care (help with homework, play basketball with them/ anything to keep them out of trouble).  We are concerned for his welfare but then again, all our other kids are out in the public still working and taking transit, trying to be as careful as possible.  They are all adults and these are the lives they've chosen.

Anyway, that's what is shaking here.  Stay safe everyone!