My Cat Likes To Hide In Boxes

As a child one of my favourite picture books was titled "My Cat Likes To Hide In Boxes". As an adult I have cats who do exactly that. This is also an example of a cat disdaining the polyester mat in the window in favour of the aran wool sweater in the box.

Surgery Furniture

Well, since we spent a large amount of un-budgeted for money on Isla's surgery we don't have money for furniture. Heading into this renovation we got rid of the too big stained couch and we'd earlier gotten rid of it's companion chair. All with thoughts of getting new furniture that would suit our newly renovated space. Well, that's not going to happen. So yesterday when Chris and I were heading out for a walk and we ran into one of my colleages from work who is a yardsaleista extrodinaire and she mentioned that she'd seen some furniture on her explorations we turned right back around and got the truck, a map, cash, and the yard sale list.
We are now the proud owners of a new to us couch, 4 kitchen chairs and a stool. Total cost? $65+labour and maybe some other bits and pieces. The couch I already sanded and finished with danish oil. The cushions are in really good shape, we just don't like the colour of the covers. For now, we'll fix that with a drape of fabric. Later I might re-cover the cushions with some charcoal grey wool. The stool I need to get some new foam and fabric to give it a new seat. The kitchen chairs I'm not sure if I'll strip and re-finish, or just leave as is.
Isla's health is good. Her broken leg is healing well. She still isn't allowed to move for the next 8 weeks. We hope at the end she'll be ok emotinally.

Autumn Bounty

The garden beds have produced enough lettuce and leafy greens over the last months to keep us happily in salad. Today we roasted a turkey that didn't fit in the freezer and accompanied it with fresh garden potatoes, beets & beet greens. Lovely to have after all the time of watching it grow.

Isla's OK

Isla was operated on yesterday by a orthopedic vetirinary surgen who was able to put her broken bone back together with a few screws and pins. There was some concern that she might lose her leg because of possible nerve damage. Happily there wasn't any nerve damage, she was just in a lot of pain. Chris is visiting with her now in the vet's surgery in Calgary.

Isla Broke her leg

Yesterday Isla slammed into a hole returning a fetch and broke her leg. Unfortunately she broke it in a way and a place that requires surgery. She just arrived in Calgary with Christopher after a sleepless night here in Whitehorse. Wish her well.

Cats know Quality

It has always been my thesis that cats will choose to nap on the nicest thing available. I call this the 'cat nap test'. If I'm unsure about the fibre content of a sweater for example (where this test is almost 100% accurate) I will lay out the questioned sweater on the bed along with a few other choice garmets of known fibre content. The cat nap test will tell me which has the most expensieve fibre. My new to me danish modern chair I can now report has wool upholstery based on the latest results of the 'cat nap test'.

Measles, Mumps & Rubella

So, almost two weeks ago I had a booster for measles, mumps and rubella. Short version of the story is that I had a bad reaction. I ended up in the emergency room where I was given a shot of 'epi' along with a nice walloping dose of benedryl. I'm pissed that the public health nurses didn't mention that 1 in 4 women get stiff swollen joints and that 1 in 20 people get a rash. I got a lovely all over itchy rash and my knees swelled up so much I couldn't bend them. i try and console myself with the fact that I am now completely immune to measles, mumps and rubella. The rash has been tamed by large doses of benedryl, the swollen knees are starting to reduce, either due to the well known healing effects of time and rest or the walloping dosss of ibuprofen and acetaminophen. All the bed rest has been very good for my sore back. Now I just need to get back to work and my exercise regime ...

Latest Pics - The Waiting Game

We are both impatient to move in and exhausted. Unfortunately the delays caused by Frederick Robert of Beauvais flooring mean our painter has other work and so the waiting continues...

We hope Paul will be able to come through for us. We have to be patient and not move furniture etc in until the floors have cured. We are moving into the kitchen finally.

Dad has headed South again and managed to put the back deck back together, hang the new front door and do the upstairs trim and baseboards. Our fabulous friend Eric Roche from Locksmith Services put in a new door handle and keyless deadbolt system.

Sarah's work early in the summer has paid off to build a beautiful garden beside the new shack.

Are we there yet?

It seems to me that we've been 'almost done' for a very long time. I'm exhausted and finished mentally. I've hurt my back twice in this process which makes everything just that little bit less fun. Frankly, I don't think we will ever be done. We are just going to move back in and say; "f**k it". The equivilant of planning a journey to Florida and stopping in Georgia or even Massechussets.