For the birds!

Five minutes ago, Mich was going up the stairs to shower and stopped to ask, "hey, is my bird feeder going to be illegal?" (Though it does cause a mess for my very understanding and kind neighbours.)

It will shortly be illegal to feed pigeons, stray cats and well... anything, anyone decries a nuisance! It will be up to the by-law enforcement to determine "nuisance." Great eh? Gotta love these clear cut, definitive laws!

Ah the joys of Windsor, Ontario a city racing to the status of Flint Michigan... way to set those priorities!

Us

I really like this pic! (Thank you Sandra.)

OMG

Here's a pic of the moment I walked in the door on Saturday and everyone yelled "suprise!" Lucky I didn't drop that carton of $3.00 USD, ($2.80 Canadian,) Coca Cola on my foot!

Caught by surprise!

It turns out, Bob, Michelle and my friends and family are a sneaky, (and secretive,) bunch! A couple of days ago, Patty asked me if I wanted to go shopping in Detroit. Hello? Stuff at half the price it is here, only one 6% tax and using a dollar worth $1.07... of course I wanted to go. One problem, Robin was making me work Saturday. I started bugging him, (nagging, whinging and meanly demanding according to him,) to let me go home at about 1pm. I finally left at 1:30. I was worried about keeping Patty waiting. I come home, Patty comes to get me and off we go to the USA.

Three hours later, we're coming home, I'm hungry, I offer to buy her dinner. Nope, she wants a glass of wine. I tell her Sam's is just up ahead, we can have pasta and a glass of wine. She just keeps driving.

We get to my house. There's a giant wooden duck on my lawn that says "happy 50th birthday Pat." I am confused. My birthday is the 10th, there's a party on the 10th. I ask Patty why there is a birthday duck on my lawn. I wonder if someone got confused. I tell her I hope not everyone is confused otherwise a slew of people are going to show up tonight and I won't be ready. We grab some bags and go to the door.
(Oh, I should mention that Patty had been texting and told me it was to Dan.)

I ring the bell, Michelle opens the door, I walk in and hear people yelling surprise! OMG... I had no clue, none.

I look around, My brother-in-law Mike and my nephews David and Danny from London, My sister Sandra from Sturgeon Falls, My sister Sarah, brother-in-law Claude and nephew Patrick from Montreal, my friends Ann, Joey and Tyler from Toronto, my friends from here on Elm, The whole Anber clan including a sick, but adorable Aryanna and Nanny are all here. My sister Barb had a business trip in Halifax and couldn't come but hey, she got to enjoy the hurricane that hit there yesterday. Now, Mario, Sandra's spouse, had to be elsewhere too and I find that highly suspicious and think maybe he and Barb...? hehehe Erin, my niece had to work, but she called. My Auntie Kay in Calgary sent me a card earlier in the week, Auntie Lorraine in Montreal and Auntie Sheila in Calgary sent cards with Sarah.

I was gobsmacked. I cried. As I looked around and saw one by one who was here, I was more and more surprised.

Debbie made all my favourites, her famous spinach dip and humus. Chinese food was delivered, much wine/rum/beer was imbibed and fireworks may have been involved. (unless you reading this are a Windsor Fire Department Inspector then of course there were no fireworks, that would be wrong!)

This morning, Robin and Debbie made us their famous Christmas breakfast of eggs Benedict, asparagus, fresh pineapple, bacon, sausage and my cheesy potatoes.

Maybe turning 50 isn't so bad if this is how it starts!

I just wish my Dad had been here.

thirty pounds of cat - Zapato visit!

Just another reminder of just who the muse of this blog really is! Isn't he a cute little thing? You really need to click the pic to get Zapato's full majesty!

Maisy Toal as Shrek for Halloween!

hehehe...

The countdown begins

T -9 days to 1/2 century... 50 years... 600 months... 2,600 weeks...18,200 days (not counting leap years)... 436,800 hours... 2,620,800 minutes... sigh, I need a nap!

Robert Goulet - swiftly go the days...

I was living in Germany when I was 4 until I was 8. My Uncle was a teenager. He used to dance and sing to Elvis Presley records. I did not, (and still do not,) like Elvis. I would run into his room and stomp on his blue suede shoes. Yes, my Uncle Heine had a pair and he loved that song. I, disliking it made every attempt to step on them as long as Elvis music played. He called me a "kleine teufel", "little devil."

When we moved to Canada, I joined the Columbia Record Club. What albums did I get? Well two are pictured above. I loved, (and still love,) Robert Goulet. I knew every word to every song. Camelot was magic because of him. I, at 8/9 years old was belting out... "if ever I would leave you..." while my friends were barking about hound dogs and such. hehehe...

I also ordered, Andy Williams, Petulia Clark and my all time favourite, Frank Sinatra. I still have these albums.

I think now, that we've lost Robert Goulet I'll have to get myself a turn table and dig out my vinyl.

...to fight, the unbeatable foe...

Crime spree in my neighbourhood!

Early Saturday morning I got a phone call from a neighbour telling me Bob's new truck had been broken into. Now, I've been sick in bed since Wednesday but had finally gotten up to take a bath. I wrapped my hair in a towel, grabbed a jacket, woke up Bob and out we went. Well... it wasn't just Bob's truck, the Malibu got hit too. And really, it wasn't just two of our cars, there were about 46 more up and down our street!

It's not just the windows either, they've been pried at, scratched, trim ripped off and the interiors tossed and likely broken some bits. We figure our damage at about $3000.00 for the two cars. So if you average $1500.00 a car times 48 cars... That's $72,000.00 folks... (that does not take into account the cost of rental vehicles while repairs are being done or whatever was stolen from the cars.)

My Antique Empire chair

I posted about my orange chair in March. Yesterday I found an identical settee on line in a NY Antique shop. I emailed them. Today they answered. They too think it must have been a set. They are identically carved and date from about 1820. Furniture back then was "one of" not mass produced. If not a pair, they were certainly made in the same shop.

So one ended up in London Ontario, one in New York...

Back away from the screen! I may be contagious...

Sniffing, sneezing, coughing, my head is going to explode and I think my eyes are going to pop out of my head ... but hey, other than that... life is grand!

I am at war!

Me and the fluffy grey squirrel, it's war! Nothing I do keeps that little bugger out of the bird feeder. I tried an aluminium pie plate... he figured out he could climb the skinny metal pole, reach up with one arm, pull it down and climb over it. He scares away all the birds and feasts! Now this was going on at 8am, with me in my pajamas! I stormed upstairs, grabbed the Vaseline and greased the pole! HA!

To be extra sure, I bought chili powder. According to my resident ornithologist, Michie, squirrels hate it, birds can't taste it! So... we'll see what happens tomorrow morning.

Autumn?

Hello? 26.5 Celsius, (79.7 Fahrenheit for you non-metric types.)

While I was in the kitchen cooking sweet potato fries, (which are a lot of work and well... just ok,) I wanted to turn on the air conditioner! I was vetoed.

Bob, who didn't want to add to the hydro bill and the thin skinned, obviously very hot blooded Michelle who's wearing a hoodie with the hood up, both nixed the idea.

Now I am in favour of MILD weather but almost 80 in Mid October? I'm too old, too hormonal, (or lack thereof,) for this kind of heat without air dammit! hmmmm, that may be just a bit too much information eh? sorry! ;)

My wasted day... not such a waste afterall!

I got up at 8ish, late for me, and played on the computer until about 11am. I took a long bath and read in the tub. I then decided to waste my day as I've been working so hard on the house. I got in the car and went to a couple of antique stores. Looked around, didn't buy anything.

I started driving out into the county and saw the Racetrack/Slots on my left and decided to go in. I called Michelle on my cell and told her where I was. Ten minutes later, I called her back and said, "my work here is done." I played the above machine, it's poker, Jacks or better. I got four 4's! It paid $200.00! woo hoo... I took the money and left. Well I got $221.00 so I must have had some credits there too.

Then I carried on into the county, went and visited my Sister-in-law and Brother-in-law. Then I came home. $200.00 richer, happy and relaxed. Now poor Michelle had been studying all day for a fish exam and Bob had been slogging in the new rooms upstairs. I popped a couple of pizza's into the oven, (not wanting to spoil my "do nothing day" by cooking,) and fed them.

I may blow my $200.00 playing real poker, instead of the on line pretend money kind? I've never played poker in the Windsor Casino. (Don't get the idea I make a habit of this gambling thing. I've been in Windsor Casino twice and the Track maybe 3 times over the many, many years they've been around!)

"Toal" Google Alert... Auntie Sheila, you're famous!

I subscribe to "Google Alerts" one is for the name Toal. Look what came in my mail today! Ha... see not being treated like "chopped liver" at all.


Click the pic to enlarge to reading size!

A new Trudeau!

This is a Christmas card I got from Pierre Trudeau in the 70's. I can still remember how excited I was when it came. I have a couple of letters from him also. One from the Prime Minister's Office and one from his law firm after his leaving politics. Now the reason I'm posting it today...

Justin Trudeau's first child has been born. Xavier is his name and... he was born on his Grandfather, Pierre's birthday!

Félicitations Justin!

ps; I just realized that I have a pic of Justin's Mother, Margaret in my profile pic. (I changed it last night.) The whole family is here now. :)

The coolest fish and I want one!

Ok, a few months ago I posted I wanted an arctic ice fish, the one with no red blood cells. Last month I also wanted an albino white spotted ratfish. Now I have my supreme fish want... this is it for sure, (I think.) The mangrove killifish, (Rivulus marmoratus, for those of you who happen to be my daughter and are studying fish biology this semester.)

This little fish lives in shallow, swampy areas and when the water dries up, goes for a walk, (well it goes for a slither,) and goes and lives inside dead fall trees in the tunnels caused by insects! They switch from their gills to breathing through their skin and can stay there for months!

Imagine the aquarium I'd have with those three little buggers! That's assuming I didn't kill them all like I did the last batch? sigh... Well, I still have Fluffy living in my neighbour's pond. He will be 5 years old in about 2 months and he's huge!

The Toal toll is rising! Welcome Auntie Sheila

Ok, my Auntie Sheila, who lives in Calgary, has visited my blog. I want to and will post a pic of her soon but, ummmm... due to the home renovations going on, my photo albums are up in the attic with my yearbooks. Now you can read, a post or two below, what happened the last time I went up to the attic at night trying to find something.
I've learned my lesson, you don't have to whack me with a 2x4! (twice)

The Tell Tale Nose... (paraphrasing Edgar)

The bridge of my nose... has a pulse :(

My new stamp find!

I was going through my stamps, (again,) the other night... look what I found! A 14cent, 1978 issue cameo Queen Elizabeth that has a major printing error! woohoo... You can see that the error existed pre-mailing as the cancel goes right through it... now if I could only find someone to tell me if it's special?

High school yearbooks & 2x4's are dangerous things! BEWARE!

So... Patty was over last night and I decided I needed to find my high school yearbooks. Now... due to the major reno's happening here, they have been moved to the attic. It was dark. I went up the stairs most of the way, stopped a few stairs down from the attic floor and started swinging my right arm around to feel for the string attached to the light. I couldn't find it. I leaned in closer. I hit the bridge of my nose on the 2x4 cross beam of the opening into the loft. I saw stars, white flashes and well... it was distinctly unpleasant.

I now have a cut across my nose, it's swollen, my upper gums in the front are slightly numbed and I think it's broken. No one else does though and they are laughing at me. I, however, fail to see any humour in this!

I'd snort in disgust but I'm pretty sure snorting would hurt!

Just because

House painting

My house has been under renovations for, well, ok fine, about 18 years, which I, until now, thought was a really long time. But... thanks to a lot of work on Bob & Matthew's part, and now my friend Shelley, (who's doing a fantastic job!) it's almost done!

So as I'm surfing the net and thinking about my new paint... what do I find? OMG... they've unearthed a painted wall in Syria that dates back to 9000 B.C.! Now I wonder what my paint job will look like in 11,000 years? Hmmmmmmm Shelley?

Nostalgia

Left to right; Barbara, Sandra, Mom, me

Christmas in the 60's. Dad was serving in Cyprus. He sent the doll I'm holding. Sandra still has her Drowsy doll and Barb, well I'm happy to report her front teeth grew back in eventually! Note the Barbie case under the tree. Sure wish I still had my shiny black one! I think Sandra still has her blue one. I also want to know why everyone has on fancy, shiny black shoes and I'm wearing slippers?

Another one, for the birds

Took this one this morning. Click it to enlarge. They are such lovely birds. I promise this is the last one unless something really unsual happens along! :) *click the pic

Hansel & Gretel update! Tidings of great joy!

They have a home, together! They just drove away lying on the dash of a minivan with a young family. Husband, wife and a little girl. They're going to take pics and send them to me. I shall post them. Happy dance :)

It's been busy here!

I love this pic... Zapato, (the thirtypoundsofcat,) and Licorice, (the other 12 pounds,) brushing up on their homework! Nothing to do with the post but a great pic nonetheless. Michie emailed it to me at work with the title, "why I'm going to fail this year!" ps. That's her homework table, not our dining table!

It's been a big 3 days here at the Bondy/Toal house. Bob, (husband, not next door,) got a new truck. Well used but new for him.

We got 4 new windows installed, with two more on order. That's 8 done, 2 on order with a mere 12 more to go, for a total of OMG... 22! Then we'll talk about the 3 doors. We won't talk about the attic and basement which would add another 6 or 7! *Edit* oh and Michie wants to know what we are going to do with all the superfluous wooden spoons we're going to have. (Most of the old windows are held open by them.)

The cable guy, (who called me "cutie" hello? he was about 16!,) came and switched us to cable phone so now I can call everywhere free and I have a fancy new modem to boot.

The downstairs is re-painted, Michie's new "suite of rooms" is almost done and well... all is right with the world at the moment, well, my little part of it.

Ornithology, our new hobby (and one of Michie's classes)

Michelle's feeder is a success as you can see. What you can't, completely see is the Finch sock hanging on the other hook of the thingy on which the bird feeder is hanging. We've had sparrows, jays, grackles, mourning doves, house finches, goldfinches and purple finches. I think Doug, the Emerald Ash Borer threatened Pumpkin Ash Tree is enjoying the company. And yes... those are shiny Easter Eggs hanging in his branches! Oh and a pink flamingo, (courtesy of Susan and Bob, {next door, not husband,} standing guard under Doug.

Thanksgiving dinner 2007

The turkey didn't explode! All was well and we five had a lovely time. Me, (not in pic as I was taking the pic,) Michelle, Bob, (husband, not next door,) Jenny Le and Carla Jones. Yes, that is a Koolaid cup in Michelle's hand. It's her favourite...

Welcome Auntie Lorraine!

Left to Right;
pic 1) Auntie Kay, me, Auntie Lorraine
pic 2) Auntie Kay, Dad, Auntie Lorraine

Pics that make you say hmmmmmmm?

Click to enlarge, look closely...

I've been thinking...

Since August, the following has gone wrong.
My car blew it's heater core.
My washer died bringing 3 fire trucks and a Cheif's car.
My oven element became posessed and hell fire spewed.
My favourite pot tried to kill me with schrapnel.
hmmmmmmm?

That's just the big things. The little ones? Well, I think blogger may have a limit on how long post can be.

Afraid of Turkeys?

Happy Thanksgiving?

Well, I'm slightly nervous when it comes to holidays that involve turkeys! Let me just say I have a history of mishaps that well... are family lore.

It used to be that we could tell the turkey was done by the sound of the explosion. A few years ago, we were all in the living room when I said, "what was that noise?" Everyone heard it, no one could identify it. Why not? How many of you have heard the sound of a turkey blowing up in the oven? Keeping in mind the oven muffles the sound? I opened the oven door and there it was, everywhere. The bulk of the bird was still in the pan and well... no need for carving that year! I now do not attempt to stuff every last scrap of bread into the bird.

One year the turkey escaped my jinx, the ham however, was less fortunate. I had about 7 things in an oven meant for 5 tops. They were covered in foil, on top of each other and to me, perfectly fine. The last thing in was the sweet potatoes covered in butter and brown sugar. Now comes the part my family insists is germane to the story while I strongly refute the claim. There may have been 1 or 2 or 6 glasses of wine involved, (damn those, oh too convenient, boxes 'o wine.) All of us could smell a sweet burning scent. I kept telling them, "don't worry about it, it's the yams they're dripping a bit in the crowded oven; lets have some more wine." Come time to eat we unpacked the oven. Sweet potatoes ... fine, turkey... fine ... coming to the last item, ham... OMG! it was a giant lump of charcoal! Apparently the sweet smell was the honey ham burning to a crisp. Now I was able to cut away on all sides leaving about a 6 inch edible square so not all was lost! A new family tradition was born. Every holiday Michelle says... (in the same tone as, 'and God bless us everyone,') "remember the year Madre, (she thinks she's Spanish,) got drunk and burnt the ham?" Everyone laughs and we drink more wine.

On to this year, skipping a few as this posting is already too long. It's 9am. I'm getting the stupid turkey ready for the oven. On the stove I'm sauteing onion, butter and seasonings. I'm using my favourite pot. The last piece of a set I bought in 1979 when I moved to Windsor. It's orange, cast iron with an enamel coating. I love that pot, though at my age, lifting it has become a chore. I had just walked away from the stove when... a huge popping sound, (similar to an airbomb for you fireworks types,) resounds through the kitchen! I turn around and there, all over the walls, stove and side of the fridge are jagged chunks of the interior enamel coating! I could have lost an eye! NOTE* it was 9am there was NO WINE involved... yet!

Housework!

This post has nothing to do with the pic! I just wanted to keep the little buggers front and centre. Please... someone... look how cute, adorable and homeless they are. They are far more interesting than what I'm doing at the moment.

Ok, on to my day. I'm scrubbing floors. On my hands and knees... Yippee for my days off eh?

signs, signs, everywhere the signs...

heh!

Free Burma

I am just 1 of over 8300 bloggers posting this message today. How many thousands are reading it? How many thousands of protesters in the streets of Burma will it take? How many human rights abuses? How many more beaten or dead? How many voices?

*Edit - 12:30pm - 9776 bloggers*
*Edit - 4:00pm - 10,819 bloggers*
*Edit - 6:32pm - 11,392 bloggers*


One blog post for Burma!

http://www.free-burma.org/

ps I did not post on Wed., Oct. 3rd, I wrote a draft to post today, Thurs., Oct. 4th. Did not know it would post with yesterday's date.

Hansel & Gretel found in the woods!

Michelle was in Ojibway Park a few days ago and in the parking lot were these two adorable little kitties! They must have been "dumped" there shortly before Mich arrived. They were just sitting there, waiting for someone to come back! She, of course, named them Hansel & Gretel. They are not feral, they are tame. They are litter trained and friendly. About 6 - 8 weeks old and healthy.

A friend is taking care of them until we can find them a home. He, (Jim,) is the same one who rescued Licorice, our black cat. (Bringing our "take in strays" total to two. We took her in and well... look how well that turned out!

If you are interested in one, or both of them, leave me a comment with your email!

Happy Thanksgiving... can you give them a home? How cute are they?

CNN video of Burma

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2007/10/02/rivers.myanamar.beatings.cnn

Disco oven update!

My element, (this is a google element,) was far more spectacularly deformed by the conflagration that happened last night.



It is actually broken right apart, melted, bumpy and well... non elemental!

The good news... a mere $49.00 and I have a new working one!
The bad news.... while cleaning my oven, the light bulb blew!

I'm afraid to replace the light bulb, what if, oh I don't know, the clock stops?

It's me vs appliances, I SHALL prevail!

The US Government was here!

Domain Name loc.gov ? (U.S. Government)
IP Address 140.147.154.# (Library of Congress, Information Technology Servic)
ISP Library of Congress, Information Technology Servic
Location Continent : North America
Country : United States (Facts)
State : District of Columbia
City : Washington
Lat/Long : 38.8874, -77.0047 (Map)

OMG!

Almost called Windsor Fire Department... again!

Yesterday I bought "fine grind" coffee. The coffee maker came on at 4:30am, yep that's when he gets up for the day shift. Well... fine grind is too fine, apparently it was all over the counter the machine... everywhere! Not a pleasant way to start your day at 4:30am!

This evening I was making dinner and talking to Bob, (husband, not next door.) We were talking about how old the coffee maker is. I said... "you know, other than the dryer, (see post of August 15th,) we've been lucky with our appliances." (BIG MISTAKE!) I had just put dinner in the oven. Suddenly I see bright flashing light, sparks...it was like an alien had taken over the kitchen!

It was coming from the oven. I looked in the window, there was a rather large fire. It was coming from the bottom element! It was melting, smoking, flaming, sparking and well, just doing stuff oven elements shouldn't do!

I yelled to Bob, "the oven's on fire" and turned it off. The element is now all melted and deformed! So... other than the dryer, to which 3 fire trucks and a Chief responded and now my only 5 year old Frigidaire glass top stove... my appliances have been good to me!

Hello... It's Thanksgiving week! Melted oven? I envision a cornucopia of pizza!