CAT HERDING AT IT'S WORST!

I have nothing but respect for those who teach teenagers or should I say young adults who are going to be let loose on this world in June...

;}

I am referring to our "Friday the 13th Ghost Tour" in our haunted court house.

I had figured on there being around 20 kids or so...well the or so turned up to be 29 total! Add some chaperons and we ended up having 38 in all!

Wanna see what I saw...

PoD is holding the door open while I am in my favorite spot...taking pictures. There were a few others [chaperons] not in the shot...[if you were counting those in the picture that is]...;}

Forget any other pictures after this...not possible, as it was absolute chaos after that shot!

Okay...now take all those kids and squeeze them into this building and expect to scare them. Wasn't possible, except for one poor girl that was too terrified at the end of the tour to retrieve an object she had left in the safe room by herself. PoD had to go with her so I guess we managed to scare one for sure.

But it really wasn't about scaring that we had intend to do when we gave this tour. Our intention was to open up some eyes of the really skeptical ones and judging by the question period at the end, we had some people going away with thoughts of maybe there is something to what we are finding about the paranormal in there.

As for the tour itself...never that many together all at once! At least for this age group! I would ask for the interested ones be in one group and the bored ones to be in another group. Although I do have to add that these kids were pretty wound up from their trip and that didn't help with some of their short attention spans!

One girl from Toronto kept us on our toes with questions against what we were doing and that was fine...she had some very intelligent questions that happily we were able to raise some doubt in her skepticism.

PoD did most of the talking, which was okay with me, as I found that this age group had a tendency to annoy me with their antics! I found that I had to do more watching for them handling the artifacts, which they were told not to touch or pick up! The rooms were too crowded for any control even with the presence of their chaperons.

To tell you the truth...if I had been one of the ghosts, I would have stayed out of sight with all those hormones in one tiny room...I tell you! There were times that I wanted disappear!

We started are tour by showing them the safe room or the "Control Center" where the research teams set up their equipment. Then up the main foyer stairs to the law offices and court room where we give another long story on what happened in those rooms. That ends with the tour through the Judges Chambers and down the back stairs to the basement.

By the time we have toured half of the basement, my throat hurts so much from trying to make myself heard over the over active kids! I was so thankful for remembering to bring my water bottle with me. But that didn't help completely with the hurt on my vocal cords. I wasn't doing as much talking as PoD but her voice sounded better than mine did. But then, she still has kids at home that makes her vocal chords in much better shape than mine...;}

It doesn't get dark here until 9:30 or so, so we weren't able to show them just how dark it is while we do our investigations. This might have added more chaos tho, as there were some boys that were trying to scare others and that can get out of control quickly in the dark! So I'm glad that it wasn't dark too?

One neat part is that PoD got to show her half-sister and half niece what it is that she does in her spare time. You see, PoD's half sister didn't want anything to do with her biological father's family as she felt that he abandoned and her kids, for his new family? It's a very messy story that hurts all and hopefully one day maturity might happen and things will be better. It's none of my kids or my fault as we have tried to mend fences without any results. My grand daughter is in the same class as her son and she didn't want her son acknowledging having a half-cousin...etc. So they haven't conversed.

Until now...

She asked PoD a few questions...

I know that sounds small but it's a step forward...

So in all, I say Friday the 13th tour offered up something different for us...or not, we'll see?

Anyways...

The tour only took an hour...felt like 3!

We were told that all had enjoyed it and they thanked us...

So hopefully it was true and we haven't hit their record books as being crazy?

One question that stuck out mostly in my mind was...

"If this place is so haunted why isn't it famous or on TV?"

Our response was...

"We're working on it"!



Other than that, the day was uneventful and things weren't unlucky in my mind...

Except for the next morning at 4:00 am when I was awaken by loud people noises and got to watch the drunk antics on the porch roof next door at the party house! There is no balcony or porch...this is the ROOF of their porch. There were 3 of them [2guys/1girl] sitting all wrapped up in blankets [it was pretty cold out] drinking and passing a joint, being really loud, while watching the sunrise! I stayed up to watch them...to see whether any of the idiots would fall off but I was disappointed. Although, it would have been pretty gruesome if they had fallen on my side, as there's a pointy fence and sidewalk within their fall zone that might have caused some pretty serious damage if they had!


The other eventful thing was three garage sales in which I got PoD to attend with me [I'm too crazy a driver for her] and she picked up an elliptical trainer really cheap...she was looking for a treadmill so she was happy. I came away with some crafty stuff and office files for pennies!

Did I ever tell you that I LOVE garage sales!

;)

Then later that day my nap was interrupted by my son-in-law-landlord and my grand children ripping the back deck off the house!

This has been in the works for awhile as it was badly in need of replacement!

My job is to draw up building deck plans that will pass inspection...

This will be my second experience in deck building. The other one was in Kelowna 1980! That one was much larger so this one shouldn't be too hard...

We'll see...

It's been many a moon...

Photos to come...

WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO....


Well this morning I woke at 3:30 am wondering what kind of snow fall was awaiting my shovel...as yesterday's forecast was for 5 cm with more during the day!

This what Mother Nature had for me....

All the hearts [that I could find] had been collected from the outside and with the melt, there were none to been seen!

This is a light plastic item and with the wind we had last night it's amazing that it stayed at the front door!

This was also the only bit of snow that had to be swept away...
Of course, PoD had to go and ruin my happy thoughts with her comment of my Valentine's Day suitor leaving me a little reminder...:(


I rather think that it was nature telling me that this was okay for the heart....?



Anyways....


Been busy designing, inventing and putting together cardboard diamonds as props for this year's Grad....which is about "Diamonds in the Rough".

Diamonds were never a favorite stone of mine...too cold looking, plus out of my pocket range. What fancinated me was how they went from such a raw ugly stone to something so beautiful by cutting and polishing them.

Trying to make these cardboard props look like diamonds, took me back to when I was 20 yrs old [in Edmonton/AB] and my [first-ex] husband encouraged me to take up gem stone cutting. He bought me this amateur lapidary machine that looked something like this....

This is what my first attempt looked like...

The one next to the cut one was going to be my next venture only we ended up leaving Edmonton for BC and then my enthusiasm dwindled...plus it was too fricken hard!

I have nothing but respect for those who do this for a living! With all of those facets to cut with precision is amazing and worth the pretty penny they cost!


As for my puny attempt...the cardboard ones were just perfect for my idea of what a diamond looks like...granted these ones are very simple.

The grad committee wanted to have these diamonds on very slender poles with tulle draped between them. I opted to make the diamonds see through and they will house a flashing LED light or one-color LED light.


The rest shown on the table are proto types and they are to remind me that you can't make them out of card stock.

During the photo shoot Thumber wasn't too crazy with the flash disturbing her sleep...

Not only did they want pole diamonds but floor ones to cover the stage and photo OP area. Thing was...what size? Thus the variation of sizes.

I brilliant idea of mine was to make a photo OP Diamond Stool for the grads to pose with and even sit on. I just so happened to have a stool with no seat laying around that suited just fine...


16 hours later and arms that are going to fall off...sees my dream idea to completion



The stool is not completely covered in vinyl chrome...need to order more if necessary. Odds are no one will photograph the backside anyways...


Only thing left to do is prepare them master copies to make more cardboard diamonds...

That will be their job to make the rest.

Up next will be the archway...?


Heath Wise:

Thinking has been hard due to my sinus infection. Not much to do for it but put up with it! It's a good thing I can't type nasally because answering the phone to customers has been even harder to make them understand me...

My brother-in-law gave me a great "old time" remedy for sinus headaches...rub "Vic" mentholated ointment on your forehead...it works [for about 4 hrs] and then he said for full body aches with a cold...rub the stuff on the bottoms of your feet. Will give that a try next!

Other than that...I am still happy to be above ground...:)

SKIES ARE A LOT BRIGHTER...

Well for at least a little while...work has slowly started


All of the old sayings held true for long weekends...especially this weekend...

"Wait 5 minutes and the weather will change"


It did!

Many times!


We went from "oh my god it's SO FRIGGIN' HOT OUT HERE... and if you smile at me one more time, cause you like it, I'm gonna hit yah", type of weather

to..."what the hell it's cold/rainy enough to turn the heat back on...

to it's SNOWING!


?...that leaves only June and July that I haven't seen it snow....




I'm so happy that I wasn't away camping like most of the fools people from here were...;)!




AND the town was SO QUIET!!!!




The town kids like this weekend to do some "partying at the lake" so I enjoyed that part of this labor day weekend!




My plans were to plant sweat peas in the front under the awning and sunflowers along the side of the garage.

Maybe kill some ants along the way...


Sounds easy...it wasn't...as usual!



Both had to be prepped...




Under the awning I had made a walkway [2009]out of re-cycled bricks salvaged from the pile left in the back yard. The old woman that previously owned the place had placed these old bricks along the length of the garage and fence at the other side. So I had made the pattern the same...only it was too narrow and hadn't quite finished it.


The plan was to remove the bricks from the side of the garage and use them to expand the walkway...

Last weekend I got my grand kids to do that heavy stuff like breaking up the soil and removing the bricks...;)

But I did all the rest...

Which sounds easy...but WASN'T!

I liked the look so much better but wasn't quite satisfied...

Another thing that annoyed me was how narrow the walk was up to the door. The crumbling concrete slope is unfix able due to the pine tree next door [the soil is too acidic and eats away at the concrete] and is a hazard so maybe some added width on the other side?

Not to mention cutting back on the weed growing area...;}

Did I mention the rotten weather?

The 2 day torrential rain did help soften up the weed bed and I was able to sink the bricks into the muck...did I mention I love playing in the mud...;}

I must have been great entertainment  for the neighbors across the street...this chubby old lady putting something on the ground then jumping on it or trying to balance on one leg...;}

Did I mention it was raining...

The snow did finally drive me inside!

And the sun did finally shine...

For, I was able to do this later...

 

Did manage to tucker out with only 2 more feet to go.

DIDN'T manage to get the seeds into the ground yet.....ran out of steam!






Did I mention ants?




The ants have started marching in one by one lately...




I think I live on an ant hill!


THEY! ARE! EVERYWHERE!




One of the reasons on the walkways are to stir up the colony the lives around my front entrance. I've put out bait traps but they give me no visual satisfaction. But BillyRoo found these little beauties that causes me great joy....

WARNING ANTS WERE HARMED IN MAKING THIS PHOTO!

Can't express enough my joy in seeing that!

Sorry you bug lovers...but this way is more humane on the birds who might catch the ones that carry the poison bait back to the hill...so see I'm still thinking on some ways to not harm birds.




So I managed to do some labor on labor day




Got a sore back




No seeds in the ground.....




Maybe next weekend....




Oh...I managed to get some garage sale items too...






Hope you enjoyed your time off.....;)

BUILDING PROJECT... MY GIFT TO MY GRAND KIDS...

I love artwork that is called "Trump O Leil"....translation: "To fool the eye". I prefer large wall murals that make you think you could walk right into them.

This is what I had planned for my painting of the kids room, play area and stairwell.

The building progress took quite a long time and the kids had to live with sleeping in one room downstairs while it was being done. PoD was working nights at the local mart and I babysat [Trebor works out of town] the kids while she was out. We both worked during the day at my business so the evening work was taking it's toll on the both of us! While I babysat I spent most of the time painting upstairs...thankfully the kids didn't need constant attention. While I was painting the kids weren't able to see my work until I had progressed far enough for them to get the idea of what I was doing.

All of this sounds so easy to say but the building took about 8 months to complete [remember...we did this part-time because of our work schedule] and painting took about 16 months! The kids were able to move into their rooms after I had finished painting them but still had to be careful and not play upstairs until I was done.

I think it was well worth it!

The kids got their own rooms, platform beds with a "safe" stairway to access them, cubby space under their stairs for toys, a desk that had a built-in cubbies & shelves for nick-knacks and lots of closet space/dressers for their clothes.

They just love their rooms! All of their friends want to come over and play in them because the theme takes them back in time....

I started with JD's room first and used one style and changed the style when I did AJ's. Both have a huge tree and flowers in their room. The play area has a smaller tree with a "Koi Pond" and a place to hang their own artwork/school stuff. PoD and the kids both share the storage space with a place they can put their books in.

I call this project my "Castle in the Air"....The tour starts at the downstairs entrance way...

The next ones are of the stairwell and storage space to the right...

Maxi just had to get into the shot...he too missed being able to come upstairs to hang out. These shots are of the entrance way to the play area and the kids rooms....

The first bedroom is JD's...he is a "Harry Potter" fan and the add-in's are just stickers that he can move around in his room. He has since changed his obsession to "Ninja Turtles"....

These ones are of AJ's room...her's had to be more girly so I change the wall design and added more flowers. JD wanted flowers too so I added just a few around the tree...I didn't want him hating me when he got older or have his friends call him "girly"....

All in all I think we made a nice area for thee kids to spend time.

If they don't like the upstairs [which is not the case] it's still a great resale addition to the house, not to mention a great time spent with my daughter and a learning experience for all!

Do I want to do it again.....NO!

It took too much out of me and I did it just for my kids!

More Building/Painting Photos...

PoD did all of the crack filling [Trebor helped a bit] and priming after our building was done. Both kids were asked what color they wanted to see in their room. JD picked blue and AJ wanted a hot pink. This was going to be the color painted on the platform beds, stairway, cubby holes under the stairs and their desk area. Notice the storage hole access in JD's closet space and what it looks like after I finished doing my painting.

This is JD's room before painting: PoD and Trebor were pretty tired after all of the building and they lost all of their energy to finish the crack filling properly...but that didn't matter as I was planning something very special for the kid's rooms. I have photos of the blue color being added to his room but they also show my special idea and I want it to be a surprize for the next blog.

These next photos are of AJ's room. Her room also has a storage access door and we hid it by recessing her dresser into this hole. Her dresser is moveable and can be removed to access this storage space. Putting it in the wall also gave her more floor space. PoD painted AJ's side and I painted JD's side.

This photo is of their play area