Thirty Eight years, still going strong

Happy Sunday to all! A beautiful sunny day, a bit windy, which makes our 22 degree celsius feel a tad cooler. We can handle that. We're outside, enjoying every bit of what is left of Summer....so not ready to let it go yet. I am wearing my Uggs as my feet are feeling a bit cold but that's OK.

This last week was good although it feels like a blur. I do recall though that we celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary on Friday. We had a wonderful day. We had lunch at a great restaurant in Pointe-Claire Village, Le Gourmand. We ate on the patio and the food was delicious, paired with a couple of glasses of bubbly. When we got home, our pooches continued the celebration with us by showering us with kisses. We sat on the deck and thought back about our wedding day. We remember every detail, as if it was yesterday. We specifically remember spending our wedding night at Le Chateau Mirabel, north of Montreal. We flew to Montreal for our wedding as we were living in Edmonton then so it made sense to spend a few nights "up North" before flying back to Edmonton. OK, back to the honeymoon night at the hotel....a great bottle of champagne was sent to our room, courtesy of Jim Holle, Russell's former Director of Sales. What else do I remember from that night?  Oh yes, it was pre-season NFL....the Raiders and the Rams were playing. Russell can't remember who won the game that night.....wink wink!

Back to last week. My good friend and former co-worker, Anne Bergen, was able to get some Havanese fabric and made me wonderful Havanese masks. They are so beautifully made and I wear them with pride. Anne is very talented and is more than happy to do her part in keeping her friends and family safe.  I had a few extras made for my Havanese friends. It gave me an opportunity to meet up with Wanda and Lillian. They got their masks and we got to chat for a bit. It was a nice reunion.

Russell is doing good, always. He got himself a griddle for his Weber Kettle Barbecue...today he seasoned it so it's now ready for "smashed burgers". This coming week, leading to Labour Day Weekend, will be a week of fun eating. Love it!

Tomorrow, I will meet up with my sister and brother at the Pointe-Claire waterfront park. We will have a nice socially distanced picnic lunch. It will be good to get together.

That's my blog for today, the last one of August. I wish everyone a great week. Stay well and stay safe.

Cooper and Spicy relaxing on the deck after a
romp in the yard.

A nice close up of Spicy, deep in thoughts

Cooper also deep in thoughts, when is my next meal?

Happy 38th Anniversary!

Cooper & Spicy approved my new Havanese pattern mask
Thanks Anne Bergen.

The new griddle for the Weber arrived...
pristine and not seasoned.

The Weber griddle 'seasoned' and ready
for non stick smash burgers.

Slowly inching towards September

Happy Sunday everyone! Our day started with rain but we're now sitting outside, enjoying every bit of some sunny and warm weather.

This past week was good but awfully quiet on all fronts. We didn't feel like doing much. We did not workout once, neither did our pooches. It was just one of those weeks where we felt a tad lazy. Nothing wrong with that. We had some nice walks with Cooper & Spicy then spent most of our afternoons on the deck. Our weather was nice for the most part but cooler than what we've had lately.

Our flower beds are doing well although some of our Purple Cone flowers look like they've had it. Our Rudbeckias are in full bloom and our Hydrangea is doing really well. I haven't bought any Fall planters yet but will get some for Labour Day Weekend.

Our pooches are doing great. Last Thursday, Spicy had her Wellness Exam and her rabies shot. Our vet was pleased with her overall health and thought her teeth were very clean. Thanks to Russell for brushing their teeth every single morning. Cooper's blood work came back normal except for a few values. We're on top of it with our trusted vet. Nothing too worrisome but nothing to ignore either. Cooper also started his heart meds on Friday. So far so good. When Spicy got started on those last year, her appetite was not as good for a few months. Coop is such a food hound that we will be very surprised if he looses his appetite as a result of the medication. Time will tell....

Russell is doing well. His dental hygiene appointment went as planned. My great husband came up with this wonderful idea...a getaway to Chateau Montebello in October, around Thanksgiving, for a few days. He did his research.....very dog friendly resort! This will be the first time that we go away with our pooches. It will be a fun getaway in such a lovely setting. We can't wait, neither can Coop & Spicy!

Before I end this blog, I have to tell you a little story about "loosing" Spicy in plain sight.....yesterday morning, after breakfast, she went to the front room, as she always does. She normally either goes up on the couch or lies down in her doggie bed. As I was making our breakfast, I went to the front room just to get a hug from Spicy and couldn't find her. I thought maybe she decided to go in the TV room, the guest room or our bedroom. No Spicy. I started to panic, knowing full well she was in the house, not outside, but I panicked anyway. I then called her name and she came running from behind the living room arm chair.....for some strange reason, she had decided to lie down behind that chair.  She's never done that before so I didn't think to look there. She's a funny girl that Spicy!

Have a great week everyone. My thoughts are with all the parents who are getting their children ready for school. A different return to school year for sure. Stay well and safe!

We all know that special look and these two characters
have it down to a science.

Our sweet boy Cooper enjoys his deck time and a comfy chair. 

Spicy also enjoys her deck time and makes herself
 at home in a vacant chair where she
surveys her kingdom. Our little princess.

Hydrangea in full bloom in the front bed and the Rudbeckias
are doing nicely too. The Japanese cut-leaf maple is
about to turn red.

First delicata squash of the season....yum! I'm happy!

Yoga by Lake St Louis...these seniors were fit and flexible.

Life is good

Hi everyone and happy Sunday! Another beauty of a day, hot, sunny and not humid. What a beautiful Summer we've had so far. Except for one or two very humid days, it's been wonderful and we have enjoyed every day. Let's hope for an equally beautiful Fall.

This past week was good and busy. We both had a full, very comprehensive physical and both received a clean bill of health. I had my dental hygiene appointment last Thursday and it went very well. I was a tad apprehensive about going but once I got there, I felt very safe. The dental clinic that we go to is now equipped with the best HEPA air filtration systems in each consultation room, in addition to the PPE for the staff and hand sanitizing everywhere. For the actual cleaning, the hygienists have reverted to the good old picks and scalers instead of using the ultrasonic tools. A little longer on the chair but that's OK with me. My cleanings never take long anyway....you see, I'm a three times a day flosser, a bit extreme some would say, but that's just me. A clean freak maybe, LOL! Russell has his dental appointment tomorrow.

Our Cooper also got some blood work done on Friday. He's lost a kilo since March, without trying, but his weight has been stable since July so we're not too worried as he's his old self on all fronts. But better be safe than sorry so our vet recommended a full blood panel. Our little Spicy will get her wellness exam on Thursday as she is due for her rabies shot. It's all good. Life goes on for all of us despite the pandemic.

On Friday, we received the plans for our awning. Next step is to get the Town permit. We will make an appointment tomorrow. We're told it takes about two weeks to get the permit. If we're lucky, we may get the awning installed before the Winter. It would be nice to have it all ready for next year. In anticipation of the awning, we moved the VegTrug to its new location, just down the steps from the deck, against the brick wall. It will get lots of sun.

We're already in the middle of August and sure enough, as predicted, the Fall Mums are out everywhere. I haven't bought any yet but will do so in September. I'm also anxiously waiting for my favorite squash to be out...the Delicata Squash. I'm told very soon..... I cannot wait.

As we're slowly heading towards another season, we're also starting to think that maybe, just maybe, we will travel in 2022. We will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary in August of that year so we're hoping for another trip to Italy. Without hope we have nothing so we're hoping.

That's my blog for this week. Continue to enjoy the Summer, it will be one for the books for sure! Have a great week, stay well and safe!

This is a hava-pile of dogs...Spicy and Cooper stick together.

At the Park on our walk...Spicy saying "look at my beautiful teeth"

Lake St. Louis from the point where the old Edgewater
Hotel used to sit.

The little pier in Pointe Claire lets you have nice views...
Cooper and Spicy agree.

A  yellow garden spider...waiting for lunch to pass by...
bon appetit.

Mums....already...time has flown this year....
some things are predictable.

A quiet August Sunday

 Happy Sunday everyone! Our day started sunny, then it became cloudy and it's now raining just a bit. I could have stayed on the deck, under the umbrella, but decided to come in. It's days like today that we will truly enjoy our awning next year, rain or shine. Beautiful weather in the forecast for the week though.

All is good with us. Our week went by quickly, as always. On Tuesday, it rained cats and dogs, all day. Miss Spicy wasn't a happy camper. I've said it before, she doesn't like the rain one bit. Russell took her out throughout the day...carried her with a golf umbrella over her head, put her down on a nice patch of grass and she did her business. She came back in the house totally dry. She's so funny, in every way. Here's a fun tidbit about the Spice girl....she only, and I mean only, drinks from the right side of a water bowl, any water bowl. Always! Back to the rainy day, Coop doesn't care about the rain. Having said this, he's usually in and out pretty quick and we have this big bath towel ready to dry him. A little tidbit about the Cooper boy.....at night, when he comes in from doing his last business, he will always, and I mean always, walk through the living room then on to the bedroom, rather than going the direct route of going through the kitchen. Little quirks that make us love them even more!

Our newest kitchen gadget came on Wednesday...a Cuisinart Yogurt/Ice Cream Maker. Thanks to my friend who posted pics of her incredible ice cream creations, we decided that we should get one also. Why not. We made strawberry gelato. An easy recipe but very tasty. We had 6 servings out of it. Yummy! I have many recipes that I want to try so stay tuned.

On Wednesday, Cooper & Spicy had their follow up echocardiograms. Yesterday, our vet called with the results. Spicy's Mitral Valve Disease has progressed mildly, nothing worrisome. Her medication will remain the same. Cooper also progressed mildly but he will now require medication, same as Spicy. We were not surprised as he was on the edge last year. All things being equal, we would have preferred no progression at all but we are somewhat relieved that the progression is considered "very mild", as per the cardiologist report. We will do everything we can to keep them healthy. They are our world and deserve the best we can give them. They, in return, give us so much.

In my blog last week, I mentioned that I was working towards Cooper being able to jump through my arms. Well, it happened yesterday morning. I was over the moon happy that we could achieve this goal together. Cooper is a really smart boy and loves to learn. This particular exercise took a few weeks to learn, I watched a zillion videos online but we did it. Well done sweet Cooper!

I'm almost done with my blog for this week but I have to share this......remember when toilet paper was in high demand and short supply back in the Spring? Well my friends, charcoal briquettes are now in high demand! Granted, most people use propane, we do to, but we also have a charcoal barbecue that we bought this year. It seems that some of us want to take the time to barbecue, get the charcoals going, want the flavour....so the briquettes are now scarce. We bought eight bags today LOL!

On that funny note, I wish you all a great week. A busy one for us, we both have our physicals and I have my dental hygiene appointment on Thursday. It's all good. Stay well and safe!

Stand Up Paddle boarders and kayaking all on Lake St. Louis
 while on our walk.

Rudbeckias in full in the backyard.

Ever watchful and hoping for treats, Cooper and Spicy are BFFs.

Cooper has an angelic look especially when he wants something.

Spicy is all tucked in for her TV time nap.

The Yin and Yang of Havanese...Spicy and Cooper style.

Hello August!

Happy Sunday to all! A rainy day for us, we haven't had many of those lately. A good day to bathe the pooches. Once again, Russell did a wonderful job. Cooper & Spicy are smelling and looking very delicious! Also a good day to watch the safe return of the Space X Crew Dragon. Splashdown occurred at 2:48 pm and I watched it all. I just love that stuff!

We had a good last week of July. On Wednesday, I had another hair cut, three weeks after my last one. I decided to go back to shorter hair. My hair grows so darn fast, I couldn't stand it. Russell called it....he knows me so well, he just knew that I wouldn't handle longer hair for long. Russell also had a pedicure to finish off the month. His last one was in February so he was due. He has the nicest feet, truly!

Our VegTrug is done for the season. By mid-July, I had used up almost all the herbs that I planted. I tried to find new plants but there were none to be found. Since we will have to move the Trug when we get our awning, I decided to let it go, dry out the soil so we can move it later on. We found another spot for it, below the deck, close enough to the kitchen.

Our pooches are doing well. I did some fun training with them this week. Today, I continued to practice the "jumping through my arms" with Cooper.  I decided to change my strategy......he is learning to jump through my arms while I'm sitting on the floor, close to a wall. The progression will be jumping through my arms while standing up. We're getting there and we are in no rush.

This new month is going to be the busiest in terms of appointments since the start of the pandemic. On Wednesday, Cooper & Spicy will have a follow up echocardiogram. It's been just a little over a year since they were both diagnosed with Mitral Valve Disease.  The follow up echo will determine the status of the disease, whether it has progressed, stabilized or slowed down. We are praying for good results. They both show no signs of slowing down, that's for sure.

Next week, both Russell and I will have our physical, including routine blood work. We are due and we know it will be done in a very safe environment. We also have a dental hygiene appointment in the next two weeks. We debated about putting it off, not exactly something that we look forward to during these pandemic times. A good friend of ours, who is also a physician, suggested that perhaps it would be wise to keep the appointments in the event dentists return to emergency procedures only should we get a second wave. We thought it was good advice so we're going ahead with it. Once we get those medical appointments out of the way, we will finish off the month on a high note....our 38th wedding anniversary. It's all good.

Those are my little news. I leave you with a few random photos, the main photo being the wonderful water colour of Coop & Spicy that Russell gave me for my birthday. We had it framed and it is now hanging in our bedroom. Sweet dreams to us! Have a great week everyone and stay well and safe!

Spicy and Cooper watercolour, framed and hung in our
bedroom...now they watch over us.

Cooper loves the grass between his toes.

Spicy, the Diva...you going to carry me or what?!

Ahh...the table, what is for dinner?

The snooze patrol below the table on deck.

A common garden spider spun its magical web.