Month: February 2015

Exactly one year ago today, I announced my new initiative to begin a daily Blog called Life Unfolding. I write about whatever happens to be on my mind at the time. Here’s a link to that very first one:

I intend to keep writing my daily blogs because I get enjoyment out of doing it. It causes me to reflect on the things that happened the days before and to be grateful for the wonderful and, oh so happy, life that I now have with MY Jane.

Yesterday morning, MY Jane and I went over to Ted’s to be there when the Rogers man came to check on her phone problem. He had it fixed in short order and then I called the Alarm Force people to get their system working properly. 

Once again, I am using the Kreg Jig for the joinery. It makes it so easy. In the pics above, I am securing the sides of the cabinet so I can use my router to make rabbets (slots for you folks who don’t know woodworking) into which the shelves will fit. Doing it this way makes it much more secure and stable. Here’s what a rabbet looks like.

While I was out in the garage working, Barrie Glass and Mirror called to say the beveled glass panes for the glassware cabinet had come in. Jane and I went up there to pick them up. It’s only a short distance from where we live (Oh, how I love living in Barrie). I took the door frames with me and I’m glad I did because when we tried the panes, both of them had been cut about a half inch short for the width. They had to re-order them.

In the meantime, we’ll prep the door frames by applying two coats of verathane and attaching the hinges. That way, once the glass is in and secured with silicone, they can be fastened to the cabinet and it will be 100% finished.

And when we checked the mail, my first issue of Wood Magazine, a Christmas gift subscription from Jane, had arrived. Nice!

This morning, MY Jane are at Teds to meet with the Rogers tech because of phone problems.

MY Jane and I have decided to sell Georgian Spirit. In the next week or so, Jane will be writing up a description and putting together an ad for Boat Trader and Kijiji. Those of you who know us will also know that we share a deep passion for Georgian Bay. “So why do you want to sell your boat?”, we are asked.

Last night, MY Jane and I began watching a series that is written and produced by the same guys that did Breaking Bad. This one is called Better Call Saul and the star is the man played the lawyer, Saul, in Breaking Bad.

Apparently the firs one played on February 7, but we have managed to catch up. It’s on AMC TV.

I recommend this program.

Yesterday, after Steven and Chris left to return home, MY Jane took Ted back to her place and to get groceries. I stayed with Minnie and tidied up a bit although, considering the number of us here for the weekend, there was very little to do.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I took Steven  and Chris ice fishing on Lake Simcoe as part of Steve’s birthday weekend. We rented an ice hut near Lefroy and were taken out onto the lake in a little makeshift buggy by Rob, the owner.

Inside there were two benches on either side with room for 3 people to sit side by side. A propane heater provided plenty of heat despite the fact that it was -15C. There were six holes in the ice which looked to be about 18″ – 24″ thick. When inside with the door closed, the water in the holes looked luminescent as anyone who has done this kind of fishing will tell you.

All of us caught some perch with Steve catching the most and Chris catching the biggest.

We fished all afternoon and then headed back to the house where Jane had prepared some appetizers which were devoured very quickly. She had left the ice hut early to go to pick up Ted and bring her to our place. We then went to the Barnstormers Brewery in Barrie for dinner and beer tasting.

Had a great dinner there and finished up back home to try playing a game that Steven had received for his birthday. A blast of a day. Everyone said they would do it again.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I prepared for the arrival of Steven  and Chris for the weekend. It’s Steven’s birthday and we’re having a little get together to celebrate.

You can see some of the live action for the Air Hockey by clicking on the link below:

http://youtu.be/R-HVHayRWQ0

The Kareoke was a blast too. Listen to why I never became an entertainer:

http://youtu.be/VK8eHXG8eH4

Thankfully, that video was cut short.

Hers a shot of Steve hamming it up.

Today, as part of Steven’s weekend, we are taking him ice fishing on Lake Simcoe near Lefroy and then to the Barnstormers Brewery for dinner. It’s shaping up to be another fun day!

Happy Birthday, Steve!

Yesterday, while MY Jane was busy in the kitchen, I went to Barrie Głass and Mirror to pick up the glass shelves and mirror for the bottom of the glassware cabinet. Then Jane and I put Varathane on it to dry overnight. 

Here’s what it looks like so far. Once the beveled glass for the doors arrives ( takes about two weeks), I’ll install them and it’ll be finished.

I’m happy and so is Jane.

Yesterday, I completed the face frame and doors on the glassware cabinet. MY Jane and I stained it and we ordered the glass shelves and beveled glass for the doors. Today I will install a little light in the top inside of the cabinet and then we’ll verathane it. 

The shelves and and mirror for the bottom should be ready today, but the glass for the doors takes about two weeks.

Jane and I are preparing for Steven’s birthday this weekend. One of the things we will be doing is ice fishing, so we went to get licences and gear yesterday. It’s shaping up to be a fun weekend.

The past couple days I have been busy working on the glassware cabinet that MY Jane suggested. I spent a lot of time sketching out plans and measuring carefully. I feel pretty confident because I have a helper that has pretty good eyesight. Of course, I am speaking of Minnie. Here she is pointing out a measurement that she wanted me to double check.

So far I have the cabinet frame, top and back done. Today I will be working on the face frame and doors. Jane has agreed to come with me to choose the hinges and knobs as well as the stain. We would like to get a colour that is compatible with the curio cabinet just to the left.

The bottom shelf in the cabinet is going to be mirrored glass (that’s why I used cheap knotty pine there) and there wil be two glass shelves which will rest on adjustable shelf pins. There will be an overhead light inside the cabinet which will be hidden from view by the face frame.

The doors will have glass inset into a rabbet and the wooden door frames will have the same profile as the top of the cabinet. Here’s a shot of the edge profile.

I’ll order the glass shelves and mirror today so hopefully this project can be complete before the end of the week.

Yesterday, I had to go out to get a couple of lengths of wood to use on the glassware cabinet project. MY Jane asked me to pick up some lemons and eggs for a cake recipe that she was going to try. The local hardware is near a wholesale foods place, so I decided to go in there. Being unfamiliar with that store, I had to look around the produce section and I even had to ask a young stock boy where their kept their eggs. 

Well, I got the eggs! And these……..

Now don’t be too hasty to judge my memory capabilities. After all, limes do begin with the letter “L” as do lemons…and they’re both fruits. And because they looked small, I bought four. And I had a lot on my mind…..I had to get two pieces of wood from the hardware store. And, oh yeah, I had to get gas on the way home. And another thing, I had to stop at Timmys to get a coffee. That’s a lot!

Somehow Jane changed the recipe and ended up with this delicious cake which we had for dessert last night.

I love MY Jane!

I have always had a big interest in woodworking and love making things. I think one of the things that made it so enjoyable in the past was the fact that you ended up with something I could see and hold – something I made with my own  hands. I got a great deal of satisfaction out of doing that. It may have been partly due to the job I had. In Corrections you didn’t make anything and never knew if anything you had done actually made a difference. 

Because most of my projects these days involve making some kind of cabinet, this is the ideal thing. It allows you to quickly join things and makes such a sturdy joint that, in many cases you don’t even need glue. Even if you do use glue, you don’t have to wait for it to dry before moving on.

Yesterday, in just 15 minutes and using scrap material, i tested out my new tool and I put together a very sturdy frame using this jig.

I am a very happy camper. Now if it would just warm up a bit in the garage, I could get going on that glassware cabinet that Jane wants.

MY Jane and I had a great evening out last night. We drove to nearby Cookstown and had dinner at the Iron Horse pub and then went to see a play called the Fox on the Fairway at the South Simcoe Theatre.

The theatre itself was built in the 1800’s and you had to walk up a couple of flights of stairs to the stage area. The seats were those old style wooden theatre seats, hard as anything, but they did provide cushions if you asked for them.

The actors did a good job and it was an entertaining two hours. A great Valentine gift to each other.

Yesterday, MY Jane and her Mom, Ted, went shopping. Boy did they go shopping! Georgian Mall and Bombay!

Everything was on sale, so Jane managed to save us a whole bunch more money. She’s so good that way.

I’ll have to get moving on the glassware cabinet now.

Later today, MY Jane will be taking Ted shopping in Georgian Mall and I’ll be finishing up plans to make a wine glass cabinet. The current arrangement  has the wine glasses out in the open and, inevitably, when a glass is needed, it’s dusty. 

Jane suggested making a custom cabinet in a nearby location next to the curio cabinet. It’s the perfect place. I had been planning on trying some marquetry on the space under the counter to match our buffet but came the realization that the pattern was too hard to replicate. Jane’s idea will fill in this space perfectly and be practical too. Here’s the spot it’s going to fit into:

Yesterday, after breakfast, MY Jane decided that she needed to take inventory of what we had in the fridge. That led to a major cleanup of said fridge. Everything was taken out and all the shelving units and trays were removed and cleaned. It’s surprising how much space can be gained by doing this. We found partial containers of many things which were put into more appropriate sized ones.

We put the more frequently used stuff on the fridge door. Things like milk and butter.

Big improvement.

Last night we watched three episodes of True Detective, an HBO series, that Steven downloaded for us. Fascinating program with great acting. We would have watched more but by the end of the third episode, we were too tired. More tonight.

It’s quiet here today! A great birthday celebration weekend with Chris has come to an end. Just MY Jane, me and Minnie, of course, here now. Already we miss them. (Minnie prefers the quiet…lol). And now we are planning for Steven’s birthday. He has said he would prefer not to be surprised, so, in keeping with his wishes, we have told him what to expect. 

It will be a four person hut that’s heated similar to the one above and it’s only about half an hour from where we live.

After the afternoon of fishing, we’ll go to Barnstormers Brewery here in Barrie for dinner and beer ( just in case we don’t catch any fish…lol).

It will be a blast!

As a surprise for Chris’ birthday, we took him just outside Barrie to Wolf Den Sports where we had him try out a couple of different bows. The first he tried was a Crossbow which shoots much like a rifle. But then he tried a compound bow which is more toward the traditional bow in that the bow string is pulled back and held at arms length and then shot.

Chris had no idea he was going to be doing this and it was his first ever time shooting bows like this.

He did remarkably well. He grouped all his arrows very well and within five or six shots, was loading arrows and pulling back like he had been doing it for years. I was impressed.

 Of course, Jane put together a great dinner of seared cod, rice, green beans, BBQ steak and chicken, finishing up with a carrot cake that she decorated in the shape of a crossbow.

He’s delighted with his gift. It was a great day!

MY Jane and I were very happy last night that Chris and Tonya and Steven all made it to our place from Toronto despite the traffic being very slow.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I were sitting at the kitchen table discussing plans for Chris’ birthday weekend which is starting tonight. He and Tonya and Steve are coming up from Toronto to our place. We are excited at having them with us again as we always are. We have a nice surprise for Chris. He has been trying to guess what it is, but he has no idea.

Here’s some pictures of the cool dude himself.

It’s going to be a busy day tomorrow!

Once again, I am sitting at my favourite spot – the kitchen table – having my morning coffee. It’s cold out there today at -20.

It snowed overnight and the backyard looks pristine. A mourning dove is hunkered down in the bird feeder. This one must be the boss bird because every time another one tries to get in the feeder it gets chased away.

It’s one of those days where you’re happy to be inside where it’s toasty warm. 

Even Minnie won’t venture out. She just sits and looks out the window.

MY Jane and I will be busy the next couple of days preparing for the arrival of Chris & Tonya and Steven who are coming up tomorrow and staying for the weekend. It’s Chris’ birthday on Saturday and we have a surprise planned for him. It’s gonna be fun!

I was chatting on Facebook yesterday with my sister, Terry. She asked me if MY Jane and I would be coming up to camp this coming summer. We call it the “camp” – most people refer to similar places as a cottage or summer home.

Now my sister Terry and her husband, Dan continue to enjoy summers up there. It’s only about 20 minutes from town but it’s a different world.

I put out the idea to Terry that maybe it might be an idea to have a fifty year celebration up there. She was all for it. 

When I look at these pictures from up there (from Terry’s Facebook album) my mind drifts back to those wonderful days with my Dad. Clearing the brush from the land, working from sunrise into the dark every day, the good times and the deep satisfaction that comes from a hard days work and seeing the fruits of your labour every day. The laughs and good times. 

To this day there are things that I learned from Dad that I still remember, especially in my woodworking endeavours. 

I remember the times down at the beach with a huge roaring bonfire under the stars sitting there for hours staring into the flames. Sometimes nobody would say anything for awhile. From time to time one of us would stand up and throw another piece of wood on or poke at the fire with a designated stick. The sparks would fly briefly and then settle back to that mesmerizing flame.

It’s up there that I saw the Northern Lights, one of two times in my life. What a sight!

I remember starting a Guest Log up there in 1965, a log that continues to be used to this day and that contains memory after memory.

So this summer, on the weekend of August 16, (Dads birthday) we are going to have an anniversary celebration up at the Camp. I’m excited!

Yesterday, while MY Jane was getting her therapeutic shoulder massage, I went to work making turkey pot pie. 

I used a few tips given to me by Jenny, our neighbour across the street. She told me she uses part butter and part lard in her pastry, so this time, I did the same. I put in 1/4 c of unsalted butter with 1/2 c of Crisco. The rest of the Crisco recipe was the same.

I had been having trouble getting the rolled out pastry from the counter to the pie dish, but her demo of how she does it by using the rolling pin to drape the pastry over and carry it to the dish worked very well. 

I did notice that, upon taking the chilled dough out of the fridge and rolling it right away, that it seemed to crack around the edges. I think maybe next time, I’ll wait until it warms a bit before rolling it out.

We had some for dinner and both Jane and I really like the taste with the butter. I think I’ll use this pastry recipe from now on.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I decided that we were going to have a Games Tornament night. Air Hockey (Jane won the last time 10-9), Yahtzee, and Rummy 500.

I won that game 10-3!

Then we played Yahtzee. We each won a game and then I won the tie breaker.

Our last game, Rummy 500, was won by Jane. I had a commanding lead from the outset, but she battled back to win by 30 points. It was a fun evening!

Earlier in the day, we had taken a spin down to Cookstown to pick up some theatre tickets for this upcoming Thursday. We are going to see a play called The Fox on the Fairway. Looking forward to it.

Right after that, we went to the Cookstown Mall, now called Tanger outlets. Jane had never been there before and I wanted her to have a look.

A couple weeks ago, the City of Barrie introduced a new garbage pick up schedule. Now, they pick up trash bi weekly instead of every week. The recycling and organic garbage continues to get picked up once a week.

Jane put those decals on the inside of the cabinet door to help remember what’s what.

We used to include organic waste in the regular trash category ( the one they reduced pickup frequency for) but now, we are separating the organic out. We find that, by doing this, the amount of regular trash us reduced significantly. The only thing I had to do was install a small organic bin on the cabinet door under the sink.

Now all I have to do is try to remember which items go into what category.