So Jacob got me thinking about what on earth I'm going to do next. As of September Rose will be in full time education and unless we buy a house that needs a lot of sorting out I don't have many excuses for mucking about at home all day everyday, I'm not even sure I'll enjoy it. The question is what do you do in Canada with 2 degrees in European Archaeology and years of field work experience on British prehistoric to medieval sites? Perhaps Jacob is right and being a janitor is a realistic aspiration.
Looking at my current skill set I am inclined to think that I emigrated about 150 years too late. I can grow my own vegetables, bake a pretty good loaf of bread, make my own clothes, knit socks, clean houses (thanks for highlighting that J), quilt, canoe, light a fire, track a raccoon and tell the difference between a dog and coyote print. I should probably have been a pioneer but there aren't too many situations vacant for those these days.
Speaking of raccoons, we have one living in the loft at the moment. Oh my word they make a racket, this one plays with the electrical wires I think, it sounds like he's having some sort of rodeo up there. A man came and set up a humane trap outside yesterday but the 'varmint' seems to be adeptly ignoring it, either that or it doesn't like sardines. We'd better get rid of it soon as the soffits under the dormers have taken a real beating and I haven't slept properly in nearly a week.
Saturday, 2 March 2013
Thursday, 28 February 2013
Jacob's Thoughts on My Career
Yesterday Jacob and I had a nice mother/son chat about my career. This came about because Jacob wants us to stay in Grand Bend and I was explaining to him that a major problem with this area is lack of job prospects for me. He suggested that I started up my own 'little' business, when I asked him what it would involve he informed me that there is a demand for house cleaners around here. Do you think 2 degrees in Archaeology would be useful for that? I told him that I didn't think that would be for me because I get bored cleaning my own house so any more might be too much. He gave this some thought before deciding that I could be a school janitor, that way I could turn off the fire alarm after fire drill and I couldn't possibly be bored then!
Enough of that, it's too depressing. Today I went for a walk on the frozen planet Hoth and remembered my camera. This is where we swam all summer.
If you look really hard you can just make out the lake in the distance, and probably the odd polar bear.
Shame, it was probably the perfect day for one.
Enough of that, it's too depressing. Today I went for a walk on the frozen planet Hoth and remembered my camera. This is where we swam all summer.
If you look really hard you can just make out the lake in the distance, and probably the odd polar bear.
Shame, it was probably the perfect day for one.
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
New Hairdo
I always feel like I've brought the circus to town when we go to the hairdressers, it is a small salon and seems even smaller when filled with Jacob and Rose trying to outdo each other in the noise and smart departments. It was fairly calm today, Susan was prepared and gave them both a rather fetching pen to keep them occupied, the flamingos on the top light up when you write, very cool. I wonder if Jacob will take his to school.
So here is the newly shorn boy.
And here are the pens. Don't ask about the dressing gowns, they were pretending to be robots called Zog and Electron. I would ask what sort of robots wear dressing gowns but I think it may be the sort who aspire to be brightly coloured emos.
So here is the newly shorn boy.
And here are the pens. Don't ask about the dressing gowns, they were pretending to be robots called Zog and Electron. I would ask what sort of robots wear dressing gowns but I think it may be the sort who aspire to be brightly coloured emos.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
A Week in One Sitting
Fancy that, I took a week off so now I shall give a brief summary of anything of interest that has happened. Not much really and somehow it seems even more uneventful from a distance, anyway here we go.
Jacob and Rose got their report cards from school. Rose got UD (usually demonstrates) and CD (consistently demonstrates) in all her 'subjects' examples of which are 'follows one- and two-step directions in different contexts' (shame she doesn't for me) and 'uses specialized vocabulary for a variety of purposes', I wonder if this included shooter-lasers, toilet monsters and 'the force' as it does at home. Jacob got As and A+s in everything except PhysEd for which he got a B- and I think that was for joining in! So well done children.
I finished 16 blocks of a quilt top and thought I'd broken the ancient sewing machine, I think it maybe overheated a bit as it seems fine now. Here's the unfinished top without sashing, it looks a bit like a very rustic Mondrian but its supposed to represent Southern Ontario, specifically around Petrolia and Forest, as seen on the satellite view from google maps.
On Friday Gary came back from his trip to Seattle and on Sunday it was Tom's birthday so Gary minded two super excited, Grandpa deprived children while we went out for lunch. We had an excellent lunch in a local pub where they were selling Boddingtons, Old Speckled Hen and Hobgolin beers by the bottle and used the word 'butty' to refer to a sandwich on the menu, if they'd had mushy peas I might have risked it with those great British credentials.
No interesting photos except this one of Rose wearing my clothes.
Jacob is getting his hair cut tomorrow for the first time since October so tune in for a before and after.
Jacob and Rose got their report cards from school. Rose got UD (usually demonstrates) and CD (consistently demonstrates) in all her 'subjects' examples of which are 'follows one- and two-step directions in different contexts' (shame she doesn't for me) and 'uses specialized vocabulary for a variety of purposes', I wonder if this included shooter-lasers, toilet monsters and 'the force' as it does at home. Jacob got As and A+s in everything except PhysEd for which he got a B- and I think that was for joining in! So well done children.
I finished 16 blocks of a quilt top and thought I'd broken the ancient sewing machine, I think it maybe overheated a bit as it seems fine now. Here's the unfinished top without sashing, it looks a bit like a very rustic Mondrian but its supposed to represent Southern Ontario, specifically around Petrolia and Forest, as seen on the satellite view from google maps.
On Friday Gary came back from his trip to Seattle and on Sunday it was Tom's birthday so Gary minded two super excited, Grandpa deprived children while we went out for lunch. We had an excellent lunch in a local pub where they were selling Boddingtons, Old Speckled Hen and Hobgolin beers by the bottle and used the word 'butty' to refer to a sandwich on the menu, if they'd had mushy peas I might have risked it with those great British credentials.
No interesting photos except this one of Rose wearing my clothes.
Jacob is getting his hair cut tomorrow for the first time since October so tune in for a before and after.
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Winter
Well it's snowing again, that's getting pretty dull now isn't it. So far I've enjoyed winter over here, I don't think it's been a particularly bad one but neither has it been a non-winter like last year. Since Boxing Day we've not really been without a sprinkling of snow but the house is warm and now we all have the right outside wear its just fine.
I think the big difference between here and the UK is that they are excellent at keeping the roads open, at least in this area anyway, and businesses are also very good at ensuring that their car parks and pavements are safe. It makes life much easier if your car isn't snowed in, up a side road when the county council runs out of grit, especially when you've only got 5 nappies left.
Yesterday was Family Day which is a bank holiday here. I googled it to see if it has some interesting historic origins but it seems to have been invented by the Governor of Alberta in 1990 because there was no other statutory holiday in February, whatever I suppose.
In Grand Bend it was also the annual winter carnival this weekend. We accidentally saw the parade while sitting at traffic lights in the car, it was quite strange and seemed to consist mostly of firemen, people in lion costumes and pick up trucks with step ladders in the back. Rose's 'only wish' was to go on a very cold horse and carriage ride in a blizzard which made me glad that cars have been invented, especially ones with heated seats. Rose thought it was brilliant and was the only person who responded when the driver asked if there were any questions, she wanted to know where the horses went to bed and was amazed by the idea that they sleep outside in summer.
I think the big difference between here and the UK is that they are excellent at keeping the roads open, at least in this area anyway, and businesses are also very good at ensuring that their car parks and pavements are safe. It makes life much easier if your car isn't snowed in, up a side road when the county council runs out of grit, especially when you've only got 5 nappies left.
Yesterday was Family Day which is a bank holiday here. I googled it to see if it has some interesting historic origins but it seems to have been invented by the Governor of Alberta in 1990 because there was no other statutory holiday in February, whatever I suppose.
In Grand Bend it was also the annual winter carnival this weekend. We accidentally saw the parade while sitting at traffic lights in the car, it was quite strange and seemed to consist mostly of firemen, people in lion costumes and pick up trucks with step ladders in the back. Rose's 'only wish' was to go on a very cold horse and carriage ride in a blizzard which made me glad that cars have been invented, especially ones with heated seats. Rose thought it was brilliant and was the only person who responded when the driver asked if there were any questions, she wanted to know where the horses went to bed and was amazed by the idea that they sleep outside in summer.
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| Goldie and June |
Saturday, 16 February 2013
A Walk on the Beach
We went for a walk on the front in Grand Bend today. The views were fab so I'm going to inundate you with photos, at least you won't have to listen to me wittering on. This is the beach from the viewing platform, all those little people were having a game of football, brrr.
This is looking the other way, that white stuff is where the lake should be.
Here's the pier.
It was enclosed by pack ice.
Despite their best efforts the children did not fall in.
Jacob and Rose found a 'volcano', guess what happens next...
The magma chamber was very deep and Rose had to be rescued.
It was very, very cold but Rose could not understand why the splash pad was not working. Jacob told her it would be too cold in her bathing suit so she said she'd wear her tankini instead. The obvious answer. When we got back to the car I got an overwhelming urge to eat proper, greasy, English fish and chips with too much salt out of folded newspaper. I think it must have been triggered by the idea of swim suits on the beach in sub zero temperatures reminding me of Scarborough (the English one) at the height of the summer season.
This is looking the other way, that white stuff is where the lake should be.
Here's the pier.
It was enclosed by pack ice.
Despite their best efforts the children did not fall in.
Jacob and Rose found a 'volcano', guess what happens next...
The magma chamber was very deep and Rose had to be rescued.
It was very, very cold but Rose could not understand why the splash pad was not working. Jacob told her it would be too cold in her bathing suit so she said she'd wear her tankini instead. The obvious answer. When we got back to the car I got an overwhelming urge to eat proper, greasy, English fish and chips with too much salt out of folded newspaper. I think it must have been triggered by the idea of swim suits on the beach in sub zero temperatures reminding me of Scarborough (the English one) at the height of the summer season.
Friday, 15 February 2013
Happy Valentines
So here is another native custom that is different over here, Valentines Day seems to be a sort of friendship day for children. I had prior warning but I kind of ignored the lists of who's in who's class that we got from school last week, this was a mistake as it seems that the giving of valentines to all your classmates, be they girl or boy, is vital until you are about 10.
I discovered this truth on Wednesday morning so Rose and I hastily made a lovely card out of hearts cut from a floral calendar, she wrote her name 'Roze' (very rock and roll) on it and I photocopied it until we had the required number. She brought home this big bag of stuff, there were presents and sweets and all sorts in it.
Jacob insisted that he didn't need to send cards and was the only child in his class who didn't, oh dear, I know to nag him about it properly next year. Not giving didn't stop him receiving though.
This is all a far cry from the furtive, teenage 'secret, but really I want you to know' cards I recall from growing up, only the 2 prettiest, most popular girls in class ever got any and it was very important to not care when you didn't. My only proper Valentine was from Jimmy Nail (It's ok Jimmy, I know it wasn't really from you) The romantic rhyme in it is so good that I still have it.
Perhaps now it has been recorded for posterity I can throw it in the bin. As you can see I cleared out all my unnecessary stuff very efficiently before I exported all my worldly goods to Canada.
I discovered this truth on Wednesday morning so Rose and I hastily made a lovely card out of hearts cut from a floral calendar, she wrote her name 'Roze' (very rock and roll) on it and I photocopied it until we had the required number. She brought home this big bag of stuff, there were presents and sweets and all sorts in it.
Jacob insisted that he didn't need to send cards and was the only child in his class who didn't, oh dear, I know to nag him about it properly next year. Not giving didn't stop him receiving though.
This is all a far cry from the furtive, teenage 'secret, but really I want you to know' cards I recall from growing up, only the 2 prettiest, most popular girls in class ever got any and it was very important to not care when you didn't. My only proper Valentine was from Jimmy Nail (It's ok Jimmy, I know it wasn't really from you) The romantic rhyme in it is so good that I still have it.
Perhaps now it has been recorded for posterity I can throw it in the bin. As you can see I cleared out all my unnecessary stuff very efficiently before I exported all my worldly goods to Canada.
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