September: Progress and Lack Thereof

So...Remember how at the end of August we started renovating our bathroom? And then there was the unexpected replacement of toilet and sink, which then did not match tub? So we decided to go ahead and replace that too. We had to order the tub, wait for them to actually make it an ship it, which was supposed to take 3 weeks...And then they lost it! How do you lose a tub? They are not small.

So we are still waiting.

Our house is still a disaster because everything that was in our bathroom is now strewn all over the house (amazing how much stuff we had stored in that one little room), plus we were going to have the flooring replaced in Husband's den when we did the bathroom floor, so that stuff is all over the place.

And...the weather turned suddenly cold. It is is cold in our bathroom, because the radiator was ripped out in anticipation of being replaced by radiant heat tile, and the switch for the fan is gone, so we've been opening the window when we shower. And then the weather got colder and we realized the breakers were turned off for all the rest of the heat sources in the house as well. We did get the heat for the kitchen floor turned back, which made a big difference.

All in all, I've been a bit frustrated and stressed.

There has been some stress eating. And stress shopping. Neither one of those things is really all that helpful. Not going to beat myself up over it, just going to carry on. Hopefully a tub will show up soon and we can get this show back on the road.

Exercise-wise:

• Still enjoying Les Mills Pump. I actually had thoughts about that that I had planned to write here, but I feel like I've used up most of my text for this post already, complaining about my bathroom.
• Did not get very far with CIZE. Unfortunately, I just find it kind of tedious. I end up wishing I was doing Zumba. Though I did like the 8 Count Abs workout the one time I tried it. I should do that one again.
• Overall, I was happy with what I did. Even bumped up my weights for a couple of tracks in my last Pump & Shred session. Hoping October workouts go as well.

This past week kind of went off track - just too many other things going on, but I plan to get going again, starting tomorrow.

September Workouts
02: LM Pump & Burn
03: CIZE Crazy 8s + 8 Count Abs
04: LM Pump & Shred + 5 Zumba Songs
05: PiYo Buns + 25 min Treadmill Walk
07: LM Pump & Burn
08: 25 min Mall Walk + 25 min Treadmill Walk
09: LM Pump & Shred
10: 25 min Walk
12: 25 min Mall Walk + YDL Gentle Hatha #1 60 min
15: 45 min Treadmill Walk
17: 25 min Walk + LM Pump & Shred
19: LM Pump & Shred
21: LM Pump & Shred
23: 20 min Mall Walk + PYL Pilates
24: 25 min Walk + LM Pump & Shred
26: LM Pump & Shred
28: 20 min Mall Walk + Moon Salutation Flow

September Photos
I can't believe September is over already! 

Had to get creative with some containers and old bits of fencing after some of my pots and plants got knocked over. Notice those plants growing in the gravel? They came up from seed and actually produced tomatoes this year. I've had little seedlings start before, but they don't usually produce anything.

Peppers grew really well this year lots of jalapenos!

Random chickadee, just because. :)

This would be one of the tomato plants that came up from seed.

Things were really starting to ripen. It turned cold so suddenly though; still a lot of green tomatoes out there that will probably not ripen now.

At least I managed to get something though - wondered if I would with the deer and raccoons making themselves at home in my yard.

Bundled up and watched the lunar eclipse from our deck (the first phase anyway, then it was late and I had to go to bed; I'm a wimp). The moon looked amazing that night, so large and clear.

September 27, 9:07 pm

September 27, 10:11 pm

September 27,  10:50 pm

 September 27, 11:10 pm

Welcome to March

I picked these up at the Superstore weekend before last and I’ve been enjoying the colors and the scent every time I walk through the entry way.

The weather for the last bit of February was quite mild and it’s been so easy to think that spring is right around the corner.

This morning we woke up to winter again though.

I hadn’t actually seen any weather forecasts all weekend, and it was a bit of a shock to see first thing this morning, I have to say.

But, but the end of the day it had warmed to rain and all the new snow is pretty much gone – though we may get some more flurries tomorrow morning.

As much as I would have liked to crawl back into bed and hide from the snow, we had to head off to work. We left Zappa, looking very smug that he did not have to go out in the weather…

And Frank hiding in the closet, firmly in denial. Snow? I don’t see any stinkin’ snow!

Where did February go?

When I said that I was going to be blogging less, I did not intend to disappear altogether. The past couple of weeks have been kinda crazy ‘round here. I’ve been stressed out and exhausted and the days just seemed to disappear on me.

I finally started to feel more like myself this weekend, thankfully. I actually had some energy to get some things done around the house – and things were in pretty desperate shape. Hopefully I’ll catch up one of these days.

My workouts suffered somewhat, along with everything else. It was a bit of a tough schedule in February, but I did the best I could.

February Workouts:

Feb 28: Cardio Intervals[35 mins]
Feb 25: Supersets + Abs
Feb 24: Cardio Intervals[35 mins]
Feb 23: Hyperbolic RT + Abs + Steady State Cardio
Feb 22: Steady State Cardio [35 mins]
Feb 18: Supersets + Abs + Steady State Cardio
Feb 16: Cardio Intervals[25 mins]
Feb 15: Hyperbolic RT + Steady State Cardio + Abs
Feb 14: Cardio Intervals + Steady State Cardio[45 mins]
Feb 13: High Intensity Circuit x1 + Abs [35 mins]
Feb 10: Supersets
Feb 09: Cardio Intervals + Abs
Feb 08: Hyperbolic RT + Steady State Cardio
Feb 06: High Intensity Circuit
Feb 05: Cardio Intervals + Abs
Feb 03: Supersets + Abs + Steady State Cardio
Feb 01: Hyperbolic RT + Abs + Steady State Cardio

The workout schedule for March is even tougher. I’m a bit scared to tell the truth, and starting to wonder if Lindsey is trying to kill me.  Ok, not really, but the schedule looks kinda painful.

I survived my first workout after work today – the first of two High Intensity Circuits on the schedule for the week. It took me about 55 minutes to complete. At which point I was ready to collapse. Fortunately tomorrow is just Hyperbolic Resistance Training and Cardio. Just, I say. Ha!

Now it’s time to finish up a few little things and crawl into bed. Good night everyone!

Countdown to vacation

Yesterday started out dreary but turned into a beautiful day. It was warm & sunny when we got home. We BBQ'd supper. I puttered around, started getting organized for my weekend away, did some laundry, spent a bit of time outside and got my weight workout in. It was a nice evening - busy, but no rushing around or stress.

Finally got around to taking my cat statue out to the garden.



Plus, I had two new fairies to add.



Because I apparently don't know when to quit.



Day Lilies have buds now.



And these are my three other little pea plants, that are growing in the flower bed (can't remember if I already posted a photo of these).



Last day of work and then I am off until next Wednesday. Happy dance over here.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.2

BF: Crumpet w/strawberry jam, coffee w/cream

Better now

Had a good night's sleep and starting to feel better.

By the end of the day yesterday, I was ready to collapse. My ears were ringing (well, they always do that a bit but this was the deafening high-pitched whine that tells me I need to slow down and get some rest). By this point, I was so tired I could have cried; felt I was on the verge of tears actually. You know how small children get over-tired and cry over nothing? Apparently I have not outgrown this tendency.

I had been trying to convince myself all day that I was going to go home and do a weight training workout. I'd just had 3 days with no workouts (Never mind that I was running myself ragged - there were no workouts! Perhaps I am a wee bit obsessed). In the car on the way home, I said to Husband that I was trying to convince myself to work out but wasn't sure I could do it. He said: You were busy all weekend. It's not going to hurt to take a day off. Sometimes he is actually sensible.

I confess, I was easily convinced to hit the Wendy's drive-thru for supper because I just didn't want to have to do anything. Took my fast food, plunked down on the couch and sat in front of the TV and watched two episodes of Gilmore Girls. I felt better after that, I have to say.

I decided I could manage a walk outdoors.

First, I went out to check on the state of my garden since it had been pouring down rain for most of the morning. I was excited to see my very first tomato blossom of the year!

Scotia Tomato


This is one of the plants that I started from seed. I wasn't sure how my seedlings were going to do this year, was afraid that they would die when I transplanted them actually. Normally, I start seeds indoors then I bring my mini-greenhouse out of the garage, set it up on the deck and transfer my little seedlings...Except when I went looking for my greenhouse this year, it was nowhere to be found. Though Husband says no, I suspect it must have been a casualty of his garage cleaning frenzy last fall (long story). So, I ended up keeping most of the seedlings inside until my little garden patch was created and I planted them directly there. Not the best plan, but so far things have survived.

However, the Scotia tomatoes did get treated a bit differently. I had started them in peat pellets, then they were getting big so I planted the peat pellets in bigger pots and placed them on the floor by the patio door. Then when they got bigger, I did move them out to the deck. So they'd already had some exposure when I transplanted them to the garden.

Most of my other plants are looking ok though, so I am cautiously optimistic.

One of my Cayenne Pepper plants also has a blossom.

Cayenne Pepper


This is one of the plants I bought at the nursery. It came in a packet of four plants. If all goes well, I am envisioning homemade salsa with my tomatoes and peppers!

My peas and beans also seem to be coming along.

Sugar Snap Peas and Kentucky Wonder Green Beans


After I checked all that, I did go for a walk. It wasn't the nicest night, but it did feel good to get some air and stretch my legs.



I was all tucked in bed by 10:00, I read for half an hour, then I passed right out.

I have to start getting packed and organized for my trip. That will be tonight and tomorrow night. Should be plenty of time.

A Garden Story, Chapter Five

The Live Garden Ornaments

Of course, the best things in my garden are not plants...They are Fabulous Felines!

This seems to be Fred's favourite spot. I've seen him curled up and napping here on sunny afternoons. See that plant next to him, with the pale purple flowers? That is a Catmint. And the cats are not at all interested in it, so don't let anyone tell you that Catmint is the same as Catnip.



I've noticed in the evenings, Fred likes to sit out by this tree. I think he enjoys the view of the wild outside the fence; he is usually looking off in the direction of the empty lots and the trees. Most evenings, if I'm out there at the right time, I'll see our herd of deer out there.



George likes to try out different spots. Though, he does like to crawl in under the bush by the gate. The bush has grown in so much it's hard to get a picture of him in there now. It's actually hard to see him when he's in there (You can see a picture from last year here). P.S. Did you notice in this first photo, you can see Fred in the background, in his favourite snoozing spot?





This is Fred discovering the new catnip plant I got on my trip to the nursery on Sunday. He made a beeline for it, soon after I had set the tray on the ground. It was funny to watch him sniffing around all the plants until he found the right one. Good nose on that cat. He loves his catnip.



This is Fred going in for a taste test.



Who? Me? I am just a Fabulous Feline, minding my own business. Nothing to see here.



Later on, I was working on my vegetable garden, putting in the new plants. The tray was sitting behind me, and Husband was sitting on the ground chatting with me (rare event - Husband does not often venture outside, he must have missed me, what with me spending so much time out in the yard lately). George came along and took his own little nibble of the catnip plant, but I didn't realize until Husband said something. The camera was out of my reach, and by the time I got it, George had moved on. But both cats had nibbled on the plant before it even got in the ground.

A few years back, I had a pot of catnip on the deck all summer. It produced lots of little seeds and we ended up with quite a crop of catnip growing under our deck for the next couple of years. Last year I tried digging some up and moving it directly to the garden, but the cats pulled it out before it had a chance to establish any roots.

I had three catnip plants in the garden last year, bought at the nursery, and I'd hoped they would spread, but they never had a chance to go to seed. Fred & George kept them well trimmed. I was hoping to get three again this year, but there was only one left.

I have a pot with catnip growing on my kitchen windowsill, started from seed. So that will end up in the garden eventually. Plus, I found one growing in the gravel by the deck last night, so I dug it up and transferred it to a little container. It is now on the windowsill as well. I'll give it some time to get established and move it to the garden as well.







My garden, like everything else, seems to be designed with my cats in mind. :)

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.7 lb

BF: Kashi Granola Bar, PC Yogurt & granola
Lunch: 1 cup Basmati rice w/leftover green curry sauce
Snack: Yogurt w/raspberries & coconut
Supper: Salad, White Chicken Chili

Workout: Burn & Firm Pilates DVD

A Garden Story, Chapter Four

Closer Looks

Taking a closer look at a few things today. Because you absolutely must know every detail about my garden. Plus, I am determined to stretch this series to 5 days. No, I don't know why. I just am.

So, the red flowers here are new, just planted this spring. Asiatic Lilies from the Superstore garden center. The big mess of green leaves is a patch of some kind of lily - they are orange. They were one of the few things that were actually in the garden when we moved in. I had to dig some out this year because they have been spreading a bit every year and they were starting to take over. And let me tell you - these suckers are not easy to dig out. They really do not like to let go.



And a close up. The new red lilies add a little splash of colour, until the orange ones bloom.



These purple irises came from my neighbor. The first fall that we were in our house, she was separating her bulbs (thinning them out?) and she asked if I'd like some. I think this year I am going to have to dig them up and thin them out a bit as well. I love these flowers though - I think in the garden, purple is my favourite colour for flowers. They really seem to stand out against the foliage and house.

As an aside, my neighbor has an outstanding garden. Obviously she has been working at it for a long time and it is beautiful. On the weekend, Husband came out to see what I was doing. Looking around, he commented that aside from our neighbor, he thought we had the nicest garden in the neighborhood. That made me feel good!



My mother-in-law gave me a trellis one year, so then I had to find something that would climb it. I ended up getting this honeysuckle. Originally, I had this in front of the house, between the two windows. It had a hard time the first couple of years, being nibbled on by the deer. Last spring, when I was redoing the gardens, I decided to move this around to the side because I wanted to put other plants out front. It's been doing quite well here, though this year it is rather crowded by the irises.



Back behind the irises, there is a patch of comfrey. My sister dug some up from the back yard at home in Nova Scotia and brought it over a few years back. This has gone through a similar transition - was in front of the house, got eaten by the deer. Last spring I moved it and I cannot believe how tall these plants grew. It is also spreading, so I may have to dig some up. Not sure the best time of year to do that?



The comfrey plants always make me think of my grandmother. I grew up in a two generation home, with my grandparents right next door. I have memories of my grandmother, out working in the gardens. Also, she was into natural remedies and I remember comfrey being one of the things she would use.



And this is a little patch of violas in front of the cat door. I just love the little splash of colour there. These things pop up all over the place. I suppose someone who prefers a tidy garden might not like that, but I think it's great.




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Daily Record
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BF: Muffin, coffee
Lunch: Corn & Black Bean salad, cottage cheese
Snack: Vanilla yogurt w/raspberries & coconut
Supper: Green Curry Chicken & Basmati rice, a wee bit of ice cream for dessert

Workout: Treadmill session - 1 hour

A Garden Story, Chapter Three

Accessorizing the Garden

My collection of garden ornaments has been growing slowly over the past few years. Every so often, I see one that just seems to belong in my garden and then I must have it.

I first saw this plaque on my trip to Whitehorse in 2006. It was my last day there, and I'd already done plenty of souvenir shopping. I wanted to bring it home, it appealed to my sense of whimsy, it fit in so well with my other garden ornaments...But it was quite heavy and I was concerned about lugging it all the way home. So, reluctantly, I walked away.

Last spring, browsing around a local store, I found another one. This time there was no hesitation. Disclaimer: This is actually a photo I took last year, because I didn't think to do a closeup again this year. But it's in the same spot this year, by the front step under the rhododendron.

This is not the first ornament I added to my collection, but I'm starting with this one because, to me, it seems like an invitation to explore the garden.



This one may be a little hard to see. It was found at one of the stalls in the Saint John City Market. I think it was before I even had a garden. But I liked it. My parents were visiting for the weekend and we were being touristy and shopping around.



These next two came from the SuperStore, though not the same year.

The first one is sitting by my little Bog Rosemary plant. I got this plant I think four years ago now. I saw it at a garden center, then I went home and looked it up (forget the exact name of it now - Blue Ice Bog Rosemary? Something like that. It gets pink flowers). According to what I found, it should survive the winter here so I went back and got it. After the first winter, I thought it might be dead. But I left it alone and started seeing little bits of green here and there. I pruned it, fertilized it, and gave it some time to see what would happen. It's been looking better and better every year, so I'm glad I decided to give it a chance.



In the background here, you can see 3 trellises close together. I wasn't sure whether I was going to get my vegetable patch or not this year, and I was determined I was going to plant something, so I have 3 little sugar snap pea plants growing in my flower garden.



And this one from another little Saint John shop. I love her wings!

Back behind her, you can see one of two little lanterns (the second is under the other forsythia bush, in one of yesterday's photos). They came from a dollar store, I had three but sadly I broke one. In the past I have used them on the deck with candles, but this year I decided to put them in the garden.



Last summer my parents came for a visit and we went to King's Landing Historical Settlement. In the gift shop I found this little bird bath. I saw in when we first got there, and I thought "This belongs in my garden." I thought about it for the afternoon, while we toured around, and on the way out I decided to buy it.



And I am now realizing I forgot one, probably because it is sitting on the hearth by the fireplace. I am not going to take it outside today, because it's pouring down rain. But you can see it here. Looking back at those pics, which are from last year, I can certainly see how much some things have grown and bushed out. Guess that's why I didn't think much about pruning last year - things really grew like crazy this year!

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.4

BF: Muffin & Coffee
Lunch: Corn & Black Bean Salad, cottage cheese
Snack: grapes, yogurt & granola
Supper: Multigrain breaded Tilapia filets, salad, fries

Workout: Weights

A Garden Story, Chapter Two

We now resume garden tour. I meant to post pictures of each garden last night, but forget these two. Guess that just shows how tired I was.

I really have not done much to this first one since we moved in, other than edge and mulch. I'm not crazy about the plant in the middle, but the deer never chewed on it so I can see why it was planted. One of these days I may move it to the bed out by the road.

An anecdote about this one...I once fell through the lawn, right by that tree. This was before we had the fence and I used to take the cats out in harnesses. I was walking up to the tree to attach Fred's leash so he could lounge and I could do work around the yard, and the ground went right out from under me. In an instant of panic I managed to throw myself backward and land on my butt on the edge of the hole. I landed hard and my back didn't feel right for a couple of weeks after. It was pretty scary, having the ground give out like that. It was a fairly deep hole too, though sloped, and ending in big rocks. Now every spring I tend to explore the yard quite gingerly at first.



This next one is sort-of brand new. The first fall after we moved in, my parents came to visit and my Mom brought little roots from the lilac bushes at home. We planted them at the edge of the lawn. Eventually I added other plants along the edge, to make a bit of a division since the lot next door is empty and growing wild. I went and scavenged rocks to make a bit of a boundary. When we put up the fence, everything was all squished up against it, though my lilac bushes finally started to thrive once they were safe from being deer food.

Our friendly landscaper asked if we'd like them to fix that up and make a proper bed out of it, since they would have the equipment there to make my little vegetable patch anyway. They dug up all the plants, cut out a new bed and replanted everything. It definitely does look better now, and I no longer have to worry about the lilac bushes growing into the fence - they have lots of room. You can just barely see them at the far end - with all of that green, they do tend to blend in.



Cats in the Garden
Putting up the fence was great, because it gave me a deer-free space and eliminated the frustration of trying to figure out what I could plant that would be safe. I have researched plants that deer supposedly will not eat, I have bought plants that were labelled as deer safe, and more often than not, the deer still ate them.

But the best part? My best garden pals can come and go freely, hanging out with me while I putter around the yard.







This corner is a little wild. Must prune that forsythia bush this year. Once the fence went up, it grew like crazy and I didn't give it the attention it deserved. It's done flowering now, so I must get around to giving it a trim. There's one on the other corner that is in the same state. Again, these are from cutting that my Mom brought. Little pieces of home.

Also, note the little garden ornament under the bush. I finally brought out my garden ornaments this weekend as well. They do add little finishing touches. If you look closely in yesterdays photos, you can probably find them. But have no fear! I feel a garden ornament post coming on for tomorrow!

In the meantime, check out my wild ones.





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Daily Record
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Weight: 144.1

BF: Muffin, coffee w/cream (Must stop doing the muffin thing before it becomes a habit)
Snack: grapes
Lunch: Greek Salad(made @home last night), multi-grain bread w/hummus (Salad was pretty good, it held up overnight in the fridge. Bread with hummus was really yummy, had two slices which was maybe more than I need? But I have these little pre-portioned hummus packets and it's too much for one slice of bread. I feel satisfied, but not stuffed though, so maybe 2 slices is ok).
Snack: grapes
Supper: BBQ Chicken, Corn & Black Bean salad

Workout: 1 hour treadmill session