Some Canada Day Fun

Yesterday was Canada Day. I talked to Michelle in the morning and she told me she and Barry were taking the boys bicycle riding and then to the Canada Day festivities.

About 3:45 pm, Jordan called and asked if we could go to the farm. I told them that the farm was closed because of the holiday. Well, Jordan wanted to go somewhere and he thinks his big brother has extra clout, so he put Brandon on the phone. He was also a bit disappointed that there would be no farm and asked if we could do something else. Since everything was closed for the holiday, I told him I couldn't think of anything.

After I'd hung up, I got thinking about what a nice day it was, sunny but not excessively hot and a cool breeze was blowing. I phoned Michelle back and asked her if I could take the boys strawberry picking. She said yes.

We headed out and yes, I did have the camera, but forgot all about taking photos in the strawberry field. The berries were juicy, large and easy to pick.

We paid for the berries and the boys took them to the van while I asked the farmer a few questions. Yes, it was a good crop this year and the berries would last for about ten more days. Whoohoo! We only bought enough for eating this time, but Michelle wants to make freezer jam and I would like a few more for eating. I don't make jam because I'm diabetic and Dwight is allergic to strawberries, so I just enjoy them in season.

Anyway, while I was talking to the farmer, Jordan found my camera. Since he loves taking pictures, Brandon was the subject of most.

Here is the first one. Brandon professes to hate his photo taken, but notice the smile on his face.

This one looks like he got a little more cooperative. It's unusual to get a nice photo of Brandon smiling, so Jordan did a good job with this one.

The game is over and Brandon has had enough. He's totally ignoring Jordan. However, secretly he was having fun because they were both laughing and cutting up when I got back to the van.

When we got back to their place I asked them to stand in front of the tree in the front yard and have their photo taken with the berries, since we didn't get any of them in the strawberry patch. Amid groans of protest, they agreed.

Still being a little devilish, they decided that they would have their picture taken but stick out their tongues while I was doing it. They took turns doing this until I had taken three photos. I told them that they had to stand there until I got a good one. hehe

Finally they behaved for me to get a half decent one. They are still in being devilish mode, but having fun is what life is all about. I can hear them in 20 years laughing about how they pushed Grandma's buttons and tried to make her just a bit crazy. (If they only knew.)

Here are some of the fruits of our labor. An entire pail of strawberries. They are big, juicy and sweet. It only took us about 20 minutes to pick four quarts and in between the boys were tasting and having fun.

This was the perfect outing to top off Canada Day. We had fun and made a few memories. What better thing to do on our country's birthday. ~Blessings, Mary~

Happy Birthday, Canada!

Tuesday July 1, 2008 is Canada's 141st birthday. Believe it or not, Canada is not just a land of ice and snow. In the summer, southern regions of the nation can see temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, though this is rare. A hot summer day is usually in the high 90s.

Here are a few more facts about Canada:

* Canada is located on the North American continent and is the second largest country in the world.

* Canada is bordered by the United States of America to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

* Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories. The newest territory is Nunavut, pronounced Noon-a-voot, was established in 1999 and consists of two million square miles.

* Canada's capital is Ottawa, Ontario.

* Stephen Harper is the Prime Minister of Canada. He is leader of the Conservative Party, also known as the Tories.

* John A. McDonald was the first Prime Minister of Canada.

* Canada's most prominent emblem is the maple leaf. It appears on our flag, which you can see at the top of my sidebar.

* Another Canadian emblem is the beaver. When Canada was young, there were millions of beaver here. The skins were highly sought after in England for beaver skin hats.

* Other symbols of Canada include the Bluenose II and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. People also associate moose and the Common loon with Canada.

* Canada's motto is: from sea to sea. Her national anthem is O' Canada.

* Canada has six time zones.

* Over one million aboriginal peoples, consisting of North American Indian, Metis and Inuit live within the borders of Canada.

* Canada is home to one quarter of the world's fresh water supply.

* Over two million lakes are situated in Canada and were formed millions of years ago by glaciers.

* Half of the nation is forest region.

* European settlers first arrived in Canada in the 1500s. It was named Canada in 1535 by explorer Jaques Cartier. He heard Native Canadians say the word Kanata, which means village and thought they were referring to the country. Instead of pronouncing it Kanata (Can-ah-ta) he called it Canada.

* Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. For many years it only had four provinces; Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec.

* At one time the region that is now Ontario was Upper Canada and Quebec was Lower Canada.

* Canada sells electric power to the United States.

* Canada has 42 national parks. These were established to protect plant and animal life. The largest national park is Alberta's Wood Buffalo National Park. It is the only site where whooping cranes nest and is home to the world's largest herd of buffalo.

* Canadians invented the light bulb, television, the electron microscope, the snow mobile, green garbage bags, basketball (a Canadian invented it in the US) and the baseball glove, among other things.

* Hockey is Canada's national sport.

* Canada is a bilingual and multi-cultural country.

* Canadians celebrate Canada Day by going to celebrations where there are activities for the entire family, food and, after dark, fireworks.

I could go on and on with other facts about Canada, but that is enough for today. I wish my Canadian friends a Happy Canada Day and my American friends a Happy Independence Day. Enjoy the festivities and stay safe. ~Blessings, Mary~

Happy Birthday Griffyn

Hi Everyone! My name is Griffyn and welcome to my 1st Birthday party. Great-Grandma, Great-Aunt Mary, Uncle Dwight, Brandon and Jordan came for supper with me, Mom & Dad. I had lots of other company earlier in the day.
This is the card that Great-Aunt Mary and Uncle Dwight gave me. It has Winnie the Pooh and some of his friends on it. I like Pooh a lot and I see Aunt Mary has added a black and white picture to the back for Mom & I to color. I like to color and can do it with a little help from Mom. Great-Aunt Mary and Uncle Dwight gave me this Wonder Pets Flyboat. I love the animals and enjoy watching this show on TV. I'm going to have lots of fun with this. I can chew on the animals and everything. They can help me cut the rest of my teeth. They are also bobble heads. Daddy told me I must read all the cards. He helped me because I'm too small to read yet. It won't be long though. I love books.
Besides a card, Brandon and Jordan gave me a Thomas the Tank Engine board book. As I said, I love books and squealed with delight when I saw this.

Barry & Michelle bought me two wooden puzzles and I love them. Wooden puzzles are cool because they have handles for me to use to pick up the pieces.

Boy these things are heavy but I can pick them up all by myself. I'm going to be strong when I grow up.
Oh my, Great-Grandma certainly gave me a big gift. Wait until I get the paper off. Oh, it is a Rock Roll and Ride Trike. It has 3 stages. A rocker, then I can be pushed on it and then when I get bigger, I can ride it like a trike. I will have fun with this when Daddy gets it assembled.

I sure like wrapping paper. Cars wrapping paper, Winnie-the-Pooh wrapping paper and Thomas the Tank Engine gift bags. All the cool things that I like. My family sure is smart.

Isn't my diaper shirt cool? It says, "I'm 1." Mommy bought it and used fabric paint to put the words on. I like it a LOT!

I am going to use these puzzle pieces to make music. If I clap them together they kind of sound like a drum. I will have fun with these. Maybe one day I will play in a band.
Oh my! What is that stuff on my finger? I'm not sure if I should put it in my mouth or not.

Maybe if I take a little bit more I will know what it is. I have never really seen anything like this before. And that other stuff on the plate is cold. What could that be?

It is eatable and good too. Mom says it is cake and ice cream. Mmm! I wonder how often birthdays come along. All of these neat toys and books and then cake and ice cream. I could get used to this special treatment.

I just realized that I can use a plastic fork to feed myself. I wonder how come Mommy always does it when I'm perfectly capable of doing it on my own?

This stuff sure makes a guy sleepy, or maybe it's birthdays that makes a guy sleepy. I've had visitors all day and haven't had time to take a nap. I'm still hungry for this cake and ice cream but my eyes won't stay open. I can still find my mouth though.

Well, I think I've had enough of this for now. I'm just going to lay my head down on my high chair tray and take a little nap. Maybe I can finish it when I wake up.

Just before I drift off completely, I'd like to thank everyone for coming to my 1st Birthday party. Great-Aunt Mary told me she would put these photos on her blog so everyone could enjoy my big day with me. Anni, she gave me a hug from you and I sure do appreciate it. Now, off I go to sleep. ~Love, Griffyn~

What I'll Be Doing Today

Good Saturday morning to my friends and readers. I haven't been online as much lately because of all that's going on here. We're gearing up to start rebuilding all that we've torn out. Once we get the bathroom wallboard up, we should be well on our way. Then there is the taping and mudding and then the plumber will come in to put in the bathroom, toilet and vanity/sink. When he is finished, we will prime and paint. In fact I might prime before we get him to come. It would be much easier and I don't want primer and paint all over the new vanity/sink and tub. I wish that the painting could be done before it goes in, but am not sure about that. I'm still thinking about it. It would be a lot easier. What do you think?

Today is Griffyn's birthday. For anyone who doesn't know, Griffyn is my great-nephew. His mother, Melissa, is having a birthday party for him. He will be one and that is reason for celebration. So this afternoon, we will be heading out for a couple hours of relaxation and fun with family. I will be try to remember the camera so I can get lots of photos.

Have a terrific Saturday. Just touching base. Maybe next week I will have some photos of how the work is progressing. ~Blessings, Mary~