This Valetine's Day I got up early to make Peter and the kids heart shaped baked omelettes for breakfast. They loved them! Thanks to Emma for the fab heart shape cookie cutters.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Summer Catch up
This week has been kind of chillaxed. We are home from our travels, over jetlagged and really all settled in, but work hasn’t yet ramped up again. It’s a bit like we’ve had that holiday everyone says they want, extra time off to get grounded after having been away. Time to unpack, reorganise, attend to domestic tasks. We’ve ordered some new furniture (a couch and TV unit), rearranged the living room (twice - as the first delivery was faulty and required a do over – the second part of which we are still waiting on).
The garage has been cleaned, stuff that’s been sitting there for months thrown out, and is now full again of the relocated ‘old’ living room furniture. We have house guests (professional contacts of Peter’s) staying for 10days at the end of September so that’s been a bit of a motivating factor to get some of these home tasks done. The backyard paving is a work in progress, but a slightly more developed work in progress than it was a week ago. With all this time, and no time sensitive work, Peter and I have also rediscovered the joy of exercise. No wonder we’ve both grown so round of late – we’ve really done absolutely nothing.
The garden comes along. I’ve been rearranging that too. I mentioned to Peter at breakfast today that we’ve been in our house over two years now, which is about as long as I’ve lived anywhere as an adult. Rather than move, some of my innate restlessness seems to be satisfied by rearranging, as well as through travel.
The tomatoes are doing well, and I’ve slowly working out the best plants for the kind of low maintenance garden we’d prefer. Some people spend a lot of time tending their garden – planting annuals for colour at three different times through the year. Since the seasons are so extremely different, different plants do well for colour at different times. Us? We’re trying for the ‘plant it, it grows’ simplicity, of either evergreens (for year round colour – all that white gets a bit monotonous in winter), or hardy lush summer plants that survive the winter but reappear from the same roots in the spring and summer. Bright yellow black eyed susans, chives and thyme have been successful in past years. This year, we’ve added some lavender for its fragrance and colour. Luckily my favourite roses seem to do well here, albeit different varieties from back home.
The cats like having us here and pottering outside, as that means they get more garden/outside time too. At this time of year though, with the garden fairly lush and thick, they sometimes forget they are in the yard with a friend. Just this morning Venus got spooked by Merlin and seems to think she’s a stray, judging by all the growling and hissing. Cats might be keen hunters but perhaps not as smart as thought?
The kids are with us, enjoying their time off, working a bit here and there. We’re all learning to juggle schedules – with just one car (Peter’s), sorting out who’s going where and when requires pre planning.
We all love the new couch, but still with one telly, there’s juggling in terms of whose watching what and when as well. Nonetheless everyone gets a turn at some point, and with the internet also being a source of entertainment there’s plenty to keep everyone occupied. The kids have taken up a free offer at our local gym for the summer, and particular Claire has gone quite regularly.
Ironically I tried to go (for the first time in months) on Saturday morning, only to show up and find the 9.30am Pump class I was all excited for had been cancelled for that day only due to a fitness conference in Toronto. Not sure if I should take that as a sign?!
Blogger seems to have changed - they call it upgrade?! - the blog program and I have yet to work out how to post pics. Stay tuned!
The garage has been cleaned, stuff that’s been sitting there for months thrown out, and is now full again of the relocated ‘old’ living room furniture. We have house guests (professional contacts of Peter’s) staying for 10days at the end of September so that’s been a bit of a motivating factor to get some of these home tasks done. The backyard paving is a work in progress, but a slightly more developed work in progress than it was a week ago. With all this time, and no time sensitive work, Peter and I have also rediscovered the joy of exercise. No wonder we’ve both grown so round of late – we’ve really done absolutely nothing.
The garden comes along. I’ve been rearranging that too. I mentioned to Peter at breakfast today that we’ve been in our house over two years now, which is about as long as I’ve lived anywhere as an adult. Rather than move, some of my innate restlessness seems to be satisfied by rearranging, as well as through travel.
The tomatoes are doing well, and I’ve slowly working out the best plants for the kind of low maintenance garden we’d prefer. Some people spend a lot of time tending their garden – planting annuals for colour at three different times through the year. Since the seasons are so extremely different, different plants do well for colour at different times. Us? We’re trying for the ‘plant it, it grows’ simplicity, of either evergreens (for year round colour – all that white gets a bit monotonous in winter), or hardy lush summer plants that survive the winter but reappear from the same roots in the spring and summer. Bright yellow black eyed susans, chives and thyme have been successful in past years. This year, we’ve added some lavender for its fragrance and colour. Luckily my favourite roses seem to do well here, albeit different varieties from back home.
The cats like having us here and pottering outside, as that means they get more garden/outside time too. At this time of year though, with the garden fairly lush and thick, they sometimes forget they are in the yard with a friend. Just this morning Venus got spooked by Merlin and seems to think she’s a stray, judging by all the growling and hissing. Cats might be keen hunters but perhaps not as smart as thought?
The kids are with us, enjoying their time off, working a bit here and there. We’re all learning to juggle schedules – with just one car (Peter’s), sorting out who’s going where and when requires pre planning.
We all love the new couch, but still with one telly, there’s juggling in terms of whose watching what and when as well. Nonetheless everyone gets a turn at some point, and with the internet also being a source of entertainment there’s plenty to keep everyone occupied. The kids have taken up a free offer at our local gym for the summer, and particular Claire has gone quite regularly.
Ironically I tried to go (for the first time in months) on Saturday morning, only to show up and find the 9.30am Pump class I was all excited for had been cancelled for that day only due to a fitness conference in Toronto. Not sure if I should take that as a sign?!
Blogger seems to have changed - they call it upgrade?! - the blog program and I have yet to work out how to post pics. Stay tuned!
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