I like the old fashioned look to my flower boxes, so I shop online to find what I am looking for.  It is difficult to find just the right thing when I shop only at the local shops.  There are so many places to search and shop on the Internet.

I have some hanging baskets as well, and they are okay, but I have to walk a distance to be sure that everything is watered, pruned and fertilized properly each day.  With a windowbox, all I have to do is open my window, and it is right there for me, without having to walk outside.  It makes it so convenient for me.

This blog has been brought to you by your friends at Window Box Planters.com.  Thank you!!

I went to Target to spend a $30 gift card that I had received for Christmas, I tend to hold onto gift cards for awhile and I just had not had the opportunity or the need to go to Target.  I then went to Martin’s grocery store and picked up a few things I needed to refill the pantry and fridge and then drove home.

No sooner than I had gotten the groceries unloaded from the trunk, my cell phone rang.  It was the groomer.  I asked “She is done already?”, to which I got a “No, it is not going to happen”.  Apparently, she got her bath and was dried off, but when they tried to clip her, she freaked out and they were afraid she was going to injure herself, so they did not clip her.  If they had only called me 10 minutes earlier, I was still on the other end of town, near the store.  So, I put the food away and drove back to the other end of town to pick her up.  She was so happy to see me!!!  I guess I will have to try to clip her myself and just get her toenails clipped at the groomers or the veterinarians office. Wish me luck!!

We could pay bills, but that would be dull, don’t you think?  We have been wanting to remodel the bathroom for awhile now and never had the extra money to do it.  I picture a beautiful vessel sink, they are available in glass, stone or porcelain, and are absolutely beautiful!!  Then, we need a vessel sink faucet to complement the sink.  The vessel sink faucets are very unique in style from the standard faucet that we are all used to.  We can get an oil rubbed bronze or brushed nickel finish.  They really do look great and I can’t wait until we get the bathroom finished.  We may even get a custom made copper bathtub to complete the look.  I am so excited.

Mary stopped by the other day and said that she accessed the Internet and visited http://www.rentedmonton.com to see out a home.  She said that the website was very helpful and there were several places that she and her husband were interested in looking at.

They are going to take a trip up there next week to look at homes and hopefully they will find one that suits them.  I am sure going to miss her.

I asked a friend for her suggestions and she suggested that I get some rain chains.  I had never heard of or seen a  rain chain and asked her what it was.    The chains rain water down from the top creating a beautiful effect.  They are a nice alternative to the old plain jane rain spouts found on most homes.   I looked around at several different websites and found that rain chains come in various sizes and shapes.  I think that a rain chain or two or three would make a great addition to my exterior home decor this year, and help me get out of my winter doldrums.

She said that she would call me and we could have coffee and look for a new temporary home for her together.  I love shopping for houses, especially for other people!!  She will be there for 6 months to a year and needs a place to call home. Just a cozy 2 bedroom house with a small yard would be perfect.

I asked her how she was going to find a place to live while she is here in the U.S., and she told me about a website that her company had told those chosen few about, where they could “shop” for homes in Canada right from her own home computer.  Well, pooh. I thought she meant we could take a trip to Canada together and look at houses!

I wish her all the luck in the world and can’t wait to go visit her in our great neighbor to the North.

So I hit the good old Internet and low and behold, I found a  site where I could get a USB battery charger!!!    The prices seemed reasonable enough and they had so many items to choose from.  I  I cannot wait until it gets here here, so I can continue to capture Roo’s antics to share with the world.

I couldn’t see spending all day at work stressing over what I could not get done within the short work week and then coming home, taking care of our little Roo and Pooh bear (two cocker spaniels – for those of you who are not familiar with the family yet), and then trying to cook a big dinner, get pies made, etc., just to get frustrated and tired out.  So, I did the pies on Thursday for Friday dinner.  It worked out great!!  I had a 20 lb turkey to cook for two of us, so I froze a lot of leftovers.

I tried something new this year.  I made the stuffing from whole wheat bread, instead of white bread; I made my pie crust from whole wheat flour (a little tougher to roll out) and made sugar free pumpkin pie.  The entire meal turned out to be very tasty.  We did not do the traditional sweet potato pie or scalloped corn, since we are trying to watch our diets a little more closely these days, but we did not feel we missed out on a thing.  The pie was great!!!

                                                                                         The Wooden Bowl
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.  The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.  The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult.. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.  When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.  The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.  ‘We must do something about father,’ said the son.  ‘I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.’  So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.  There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.  Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.   When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.  Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence.  One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.  He asked the child sweetly, ‘What are you making?’ Just as sweetly, the boy responded, ‘Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. ‘

The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.  The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table.  For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I’ve learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.