purple room vents: KIND OF A DOWN DAY TODAY

Thank goodness my down days don't quadruple into weeks. I just can't imagine what people with depression go through. I am just down, not full blown depressed and I can't wait til tomorrow or for something to come along and magically turn me around.

I think it is a combination of knowing a lot of my family is camping together this weekend and I am coming to the realization that I am getting unable to keep up with everything entailed in running a household. It is overwhelming. There are so many things that need doing, from household chores to fence building. I have a list, arranged by priority, a mile long...both expensive and/or physically taxing. I lay awake at night worrying about it.

Anyway enough of that. I am pretty sure everyone has a list like that! One thing I am doing right at this moment has helped my brain somewhat!

I actually asked Monte to unload the dishwasher last night. Asking him is not something I like doing. But that bending over ends my activities for quite a while. My back has become a real nuisance. So this morning I was able to load that sucker up to the nines and get it going. Then I took all the stuff out of the oven, pots, pans, cast iron, wok, xmas lites,....you know! Figured out how to set the clean function and judging by the smell right now it is functioning. First cleaning since I bought the piece of crap.

Speaking of which I have bought a new stove. I figure I have only so many cooking years left, I am NOT doing it on that glass top crap stove. God I hate it...we all hate it. Poor April bought one exactly the same at the same time as us. She hates hers every bit as much as I. The avocado stove I mentioned before became unavailable. So....

We went to the Brick to have a look at new ones...ones with warranties. They all were 900 bucks and made of thin aluminum! They were no better than my glass top for cheapness. And in the centre of each coil was a big silver button. It is a safety switch off in case it gets too hot...which would def happen with a giant canner. We walked out of there.

We went straight over to a restore and found the perfect stove. It is pristine white (I have a ridiculous kitchen so my appliances do not have to match), not too old as the oven self cleans, sturdy as heck and has a three month warranty and cost half the new one...395 plus delivery and taxes. It is being delivered and set up on July 2. July 3rd we will be canning salmon!!! Jonathon has already been contacting me about more fish!

We want to do more canning too. I want to can my baked beans, bbq pork, spaghetti sauce, pea soup, applesauce, apple butter etc... The biggest issue though is getting jars. They are expensive and hard to find in this town. And one thing there is in abundance in the fall is apples and pears. We can just cross the street here and pick as many as we can handle. And given the guy that lives with us, we don't need a ladder!!

Speaking of whom, Monte had his 34th birthday on the 27th. Ange and I took him to Little Bavaria...our go to restaurant for birthdays and company. We had such a lovely time. They brought him a piece of Black Forest cake with a candle and before that we chowed down on schnitzel, rosti, sauerkraut, red cabbage, spatzel, vegetable, Russian salad, chowder soup and best of all, for me, the only place in town that serves it, ESCARGOT!!!!!!! I could live on those soft chewy little critters drowning in garlicky butter. Mmmmmmmm

One little tiny comment about Floppy. He has to wear a cone to stop licking and chewing on his operation site from being fixed. He is ruining himself but holy Hannah!! he is knocking this house six ways to seven with that big floppy cone!!! And one more tiny thing..I promise. I bought a mouth organ. This dog is a howler and mouth organs and howlers just go together!!! OMG!! I just pick it up now, never mind playing it, and he starts in. And he is so loud!!!!! It just makes us laugh!!!

Well that is it for today. I think I shall go check on my stove. It could be on fire for all I know...and truth be told, care. Stay safe! TTYL

'The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it.' Eckhart Tolle