I Was NOT MIA This Time!

We have been sans internet and phone for four weeks. FOUR. WEEKS. Painful. Do you know what life is like without Kijiji, MapQuest, 411.ca, and Google? I wont even tell you, it's far too dreadful. I had to go garage saling, stop going places I don't know how to get to (FYI, that's a lot of places), use a big yellow phone book, and go weeks wondering about various things, recipes, home remedies, etc... The phone I don't mind not having, I am not a phone personality. At all. There are very few people I enjoy talking on the phone to, mostly because on phone convo involves more discussion between me at the LP's than me and the unfortunate soul on the other end. That, and I'm a phone-o-phobe ;) Mr. Pretties makes the phone calls in this house...

What a month. I spent days with thoughts popping into my head like 'Omg! I wonder if Wendy got her referral from Korea, I might have missed it!!' or 'I wonder how little Gabby's doing, and how Cam's dealing with preschool coming to an end' and 'I wonder what new words Mamalicious has added to her vernacular, that I must then in turn add to mine??' I'm all caught up now though, whew!

I've been enjoying the Aberfoyle season to the max, and if I were a smart individual my seasons pass would have paid for itself by now... except for the part where I didn't get one... I know. But I'm also finding that the weather a few short 20 minutes away is almost always extremely different than here, which is frustrating when you don't have Weathernetwork.ca or the Weather channel! We went at the beginning of the month and I think we're just all now recovering from the hypothermia we got from the frigid temperatures and excessive wind! No joke it was 25 here, a lovely balmy Sunday morning, we pile into the car in our capris and T's (I did bring our spring jackets because it does tend to be slightly windy there due to the open fields) only to get there, get out of the car and have my nose immediately start running and my lips turn blue! I was the only one who braved it that day, Mr. Pretties and the littles stayed in the car while I did a run through. The second time we went was alright, not too extreme either way, but still a bit chilly (we've been having pathetic weather here lately... someone needs to page summer weather ASAP) and then this past Sunday I dressed us all in two layers and packed out winter jackets because it was 16 here and windy like mad. We get to Aberfoyle, and, surprise! it was 23, Sunday, and not a whip of wind in site. Seriously. I don't know why I've never noticed in the past, but it's a little crazy!!! Then again I find Aberfoyle usually has 1 of 3 weather options: Raining and miserable, cold and windy, or stinking hot. Usually one of the first two though, what's up with that?!

We drove by a church sale last weekend and did a walk through, and found this ugly guy:

He was painted the worst brown you can imagine. It's no wonder that after Mr. Pretties and I left the sale (without him) that when we decided we could use it after all and went back four hours later at the end of the sale, he was still there for $20. Obviously he couldn't stay like that, that was out of the question! But he's a well made fellow, dovetailed throughtout, keyholes galore (that I happened to find a key for at Aberfoyle!), hand planed sides, and the original back. After introducing him to a fresh can of French Cream paint and a little hand distressing I think he looks far more attractive, and maybe even worth the $20 price tag LoL It's funny what a different a little colour makes! Plus, he holds as many clothes as our enormous long dresser did! I especially love the wee knicker drawers at the top, something about that just strikes me as fab!. Here he is all spiffied up in our bedroom(PS. I just went to take a better photo, dropped my pink camera and now it needs to go in to be repaired. Crap):

We also just bought that chair beside the fireplace. I'm in desperate need of chairs (Or so I tell myself. And my 18 other chairs in my house...) just because it was the right colour, kind of interesting, and because I have a problem (mostly because I have a problem. Obviously).

I did a redo of the previously black washstand, it is no Penelope Pink (as in white, but let's pretend it's pink) and I picked up an old Eastlake chair at Aberfoyle last weekend that I'm recovering the seat in a B&W toile (I was just testing the fabric out in this picture... it's going to be a balloon top, so ignore all the extra fabric in there, and up close that chair is MEGA cool, all carved and detailed. I hate it when I take sucky pictures AND break my camera so I can't fix them). Oh I painted our old depression era dresser too, but alas, since I just managed to kill my fairly new camera, I can't photograph it today. Ignore all the crap in my bedroom too. It's currently the 'catch all' for the extra furniture in our house ;) We need to switch some rooms around, but it hasn't happened yet.

Preschool was done on May 27th, no one thought to inform me that the last day of school (I suppose it may only apply to grades like Preschool, Kindegarten, graduations, etc...) is as emotionally stressful as the first. Thanks guys. I was all about the last day of school, sweet, no more rushing around, baking cupcakes, etc... and then it came. And then I realized 'Hey! This is the last time we'll be in here, the last time we collect our snack and back pack, the last time I grab a painting of the easel (Incase you haven't noticed, I'm HUGE on 'lasts' they kill me)' and after I managed to get out the door and to the car I had myself a wee cry. Mr. Pretties has himself a large laugh. Go figure. But it makes sense if you think about, the first day of school is monumental, omg, my child is going to school/grade/etc... but then the last day is like 'Omg... my child is too old for -----' it's like another step away from babyhood... I know kindy and preschool aren't that far apart, but I'm just an emotional fool ;) At first I was totally disappointed that the preschool wasn't doing a graduation like some of the other ones (as in the one that LLP is going to this year) but now I'm greatful, I don't need to attend an event coordinated simply to make me cry like a baby LoL God help us next year...

This was BLP on the first day of school and the last day, and yes, those are even the same pants! Trust me, she's changed SO much in just a short time :(