elle midge

[ellemidge]

COVID-19

I kind of enjoy how much I neglect this blog and every few months I look at it and see how long it’s been since I posted. A LOT has happened since my last post in August. I don’t even know where to begin...

We’re currently in the middle of a global pandemic, COVID-19 or coronavirus. The entire country has shut down. My mom is currently traveling home from Australia and will have to go in to isolation for 14 days. My aunt and I did some grocery shopping for her yesterday and will probably have to do more at some point. Schools, restaurants and bars are closed. In some provinces the school year is over. This is like something out of a movie. People are panicking over toilet paper and it’s next to impossible to find. They’re driving up here and emptying the shelves in our grocery stores because theirs are already bare. We’ve been instructed to self isolate and stay away from people, work from home when possible. I’m glad to live here I do, in a small town, so the risk isn’t as high, as long as idiots stay in the city and don’t bring sickness up here. We still have ice so I wouldn’t mind having to self isolate and spend my days fishing, but I really like getting pay cheques. All professional sports have come to a halt, as well as concerts, shows and anything with groups of 50 or more people. That number has gone down from 250. 95% of emails I get now are from companies telling me what they’re doing to protect their staff and customers. There is no end in sight, but we will get through this. 

For now I will continue to try and stay healthy and keep away from people. I may also have more time to update this blog! 

[ellemidge]

Re-cap of the 368 Days

It has been exactly one year and three days since my last post on here. I’m not gonna lie, I had completely forgotten about it. I guess a lot has happened in a year so I’ll try and re-cap. 

∙ One morning late last August I woke up to feed the chickens before work. Over the past few weeks we had lost a bunch to bears and raccoons, so I’m always prepared to go out there and find them either dead or gone. On this particular morning, they were dead. All except for two. One was fine, maybe a little traumatized, but the other’s head was dangling at a sickening angle, so put it out of it’s misery. I can’t remember if it was a fisher or a marten (I always forget), but it broke all of their necks and sucked the blood out. The one that survived I gave to a friend who has chickens, because I knew it was just a matter of time before it saw it’s end too. So, now we have no chickens.

∙ In October we welcomed out first nephew, Elijah.

∙ Winter arrived in November and didn’t leave until closer to May. I was ice fishing at the beginning of November and on the first of April there was still 17′ of safe ice on most lakes. It was a long, glorious winter.

∙ In February I turned 33 and we got a beagle puppy named Winchester - Winnie for short. He’s now a year old and will hunt with us this fall.

∙ On a cold stormy March evening I laid down on the couch to read and watch TV when a mild stomach pain crept up on me. This is something normal I’ve been experiencing since high school and several doctors have told me it’s nothing. Slowly the pain moved to my lower right abdomen and I prayed it wasn’t my appendix. Eventually the pain was so unbearable I had to go to the hospital. After several hours, lots of morphine and a CT scan it was confirmed that I had acute appendicitis and would need to have my appendix removed. I slept in the ER that night and the next afternoon I had my appendix taken out. I spent that night in the hospital as well, went home the next morning and spent the next week recovering. It’s hard to believe that was already five months ago.

∙ Over the Victoria Day long weekend we borrowed a trailer and camped in a friend’s pit for three days. I was hooked and we decided that we’d borrow the trailer again if the opportunity presented itself, then we’d buy one next spring. There was a 5th wheel for sale just outside of town that would be perfect so I inquired and learned that the price was very reasonable. Two weeks ago we went to look at it and last night we brought it home! We still don’t have the fifth wheel hitch hooked up so a friend towed it for us. 

∙ I’m going to be an aunt for the FIFTH TIME in February! My younger sister is pregnant. She lives in Australia and I won’t see the baby until she comes to Canada next September for a friend’s wedding.

∙ I got a new motor for my tin boat and am enjoying fishing from it much more than I did from my kayak, though I still use the kayak for smaller lakes I can’t get my boat on to.

It’s hard to believe 2019 is more than half over. Before we know it it’ll be fall and then Christmas! I’m not wishing for winter but I won’t be upset if we have a repeat of last year.

[ellemidge]

BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA

Last week my sister got married in Whistler, BC. It’s where her and her husband met so they thought it would be appropriate to get married there too. They flew in from Australia a week before the wedding and just hung out. I flew in the day before [Monday] and left early Friday morning. I had no intentions of going out west and I won’t lie, when I first heard the wedding was going to be there I looked for any way to get out of going, but in the end I’m glad I went. 

Green Lake isn’t far from Whistler so I took a drive to check it out. It’s a glacial fed lake so the water is freezing but the air temperature was around 38 degrees so it would have been refreshing. I wanted to go back and swim but didn’t want to go searching for a dock or beach alone and since no one would come with me I went to our condo’s hot tub instead.

We had a lot of time to kill between checking out of the condo and our flight in Vancouver so we went to Stanley Park and walked around. Sea planes were landing every couple of minutes [the base is nearby] and it was cool to watch.

This is the view of the mountains from the backside of our condo. Having never seen the mountains in real life before I really didn’t know what to expect. It was truly breathtaking.

We could see the Olympic rings from the balcony of our condo in Whistler Village.

This was up Whistler Mountain.

A group of bikers posing with the Inuksuk at the top of Whistler Mountain. The suspension bridge is to the right.

Four of us walked across the newly opened suspension bridge. The views were incredible, I could have stayed up there for hours. The turnaround wasn’t open yet so it was awkward, once you got to the end you literally hit a wall and have to turn around. I think it’s open now.

Having now been to BC I would love to go back. I took hundreds of pictures but obviously couldn’t share them all. I’m hoping I can convince my husband to go to Lake Louise, Alberta someday. 

Leaving was sad but I was so glad to be home.

[sweaterweatherisbetterweather]

[veuveclicquot-deactivated202311]

#ClicquotintheSnow, Woodstock

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[ellemidge]

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas has come and gone once again.  Today was my first day back to work in ten days and I dreaded it.  Over the past week I got in the habit of sleeping in so this waking up at a decent hour thing isn’t much fun.  Besides going to hockey I didn’t really do much of anything when I was off, but I did finally get off my ass and head back to the lake behind my house, even though I didn’t make it.  I took my gun to do some partridge hunting and was unsuccessful at that too.  

Christmas was pretty uneventful, we spent some time with my family and then with my husband’s family.  Christmas day night we got hit with a massive snow storm so my husband had to plow all day boxing day.  In the afternoon my mother in law, sister in law and two nieces went tobogganing on the local toboggan hill so my nieces could try out their new GT Snowracers.  Then we went for a walk behind the skating rink on the Lions Club’s new walking trail.  It was the most perfect day to be outside.  Afterwards we went to my in law’s for turkey dinner then headed home to keep warm on the couch.  When I woke up at 7:45 this morning the temperature was -29 degrees.  It’s currently at -22 at noon.  The next week is supposed to be much of the same.

View of the rink from behind on the walking trail.

The bush behind the skating rink.

The skating rink from the far end.

The skating rink from the walking trail.

I recently started feeding the birds again and we’ve got quite a few blue jays and chickadees that hang out.  Someday I’d love to get a photo of an owl, everyone else seems to have no problem doing it, but until then I’ll settle for these birds and my chickens.  

I’m looking forward to 2018 and making some positive changes.  The new year is already looking like a busy one and I look forward to seeing what 2018 has in store.  

[ellemidge]

It’s Beginning To Look A  Lot Like Christmas

It’s November, it’s cold, there’s snow on the ground, but I have yet to hear Christmas music on the radio.  This Sunday is the Pavilion decorating, tree lighting and dinner in town, and it’s always nice to have snow for that.  One of my favourite things about Christmas is the food, and next week a friend is hosting her annual girls only Christmas party and everyone brings an appetizer, dessert, whatever.  For the past three years I’ve brought a crab dip and it always gets eaten, but this year I’m going to try Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls for a bit of a change.  

Doing things a little differently this year, putting Christmas lights on the Pavilion.

Two months ago my husband and I got six chickens.  They were a day old when they came to us and have grown so much in the past eight weeks.  Once they start laying eggs in a few months we’ll sell the eggs and I’ll borrow a rooster from someone and have more chickens!  

A couple of weeks ago I got my hunting license, something I wish I had done back in the spring when I did my gun course, but I’ve got it now so it doesn’t matter.  My husband and I went deer hunting during the second week, but all we saw were tracks.  I was only able to go out for one day because of work, but we’re going to get a couple of stands for next year and try to take a bit more time to go out.  I’m really looking forward to turkey hunting in the spring.  My husband’s never been because up until this year you needed to take a separate course and he never did.  Because he already had his license, he was grandfathered in.

Once again I can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by.  In just over a month it will be over, we can all move on, and hopefully 2018 will be better.  

[ellemidge]

elle midge turned 5 today!

[cozy-fall-halloween]

Hello September moodboard🍁 (Neither of the photos is mine)

[ellemidge]

Summer, Summer

Since 2010 I’ve been driving a 2009 Chevrolet Aveo that had less than 450 km on it when I brought it home (it was driver here from a dealership in Ottawa).  A week after I got the car it ran out of oil, and the local Chevy dealer made me out to be an idiot because I put oil in it to drive it there and I couldn’t prove that the oil wasn’t already in the car.  From that day on I had nothing but problems with the car.  I’ve been wanting to get rid of it for a few years now, and especially lately because in the last year I’ve put over $4,000 in to it and it’s not even worth half that.  A couple weeks ago my husband and I bought a mini van for $1,000 and it’s in way better shape than the car.  It even has a trailer hitch so I don’t need to borrow other people’s vehicles when I tow something and I can store all my hockey gear in it and still see out the back window!  My dad has owned the same van throughout the years so I’m very familiar with it.  We still have the car, haven’t sold it yet, but I’ll put it on Kijiji in the next couple of weeks and at least try and get what we paid for the van.  Otherwise it’ll go to the scrap yard.

This past weekend we went to the cottage with some friends, we’ve been doing it for four or five years now.  I had the whole weekend off which was nice, and we spent it drinking and floating in the lake.  On Saturday I tried to wakeboard for the first time in a long time and couldn’t get up, but I fucked up my back trying.  It’s starting to feel better but I’m thinking the $600 physio my doctor recommended might be something I have to seriously consider now.  

I hit my 2017 Goodreads reading challenge goal of 100 books six months early.  I’ve slowed down a bit on my reading since then, I’ve been so busy this summer.  

[071501]

[ellemidge]

HERE COMES SUMMER

How crazy is it that it’s almost June?  I’ve made no time for this blog but I’ve decided I need to start writing more.  About a week ago I had another panic attack that really messed me up.  After spending years trying to get off my medication, I decided I might need to up the dosage, so I made an appointment with my doctor and told him what was going on.  He gave me a “rescue pill” for when I have panic attacks, it will calm me down immediately so I can get through it.  So far I haven’t needed to use them.  I’ve been using the Breath app on my Apple Watch and it helps.  I also agreed to go to counselling, this time I don’t have to pay after four sessions, which is why I stopped going before.

I’ve seen sooooooo many articles lately on what to read this summer, so this morning I downloaded a bunch and what I couldn’t download I ordered from the library.  I recently started going to the library here in town and it’s pretty awesome.  It’s small but anything they don’t have you can order in from another library and it doesn’t take long to get here.  I’ve already ready 67 books this year so I’m well on my way to my goal of 100, which I can easily achieve with my summer reading lists.

Tomorrow my niece, my cousin, her daughter and I are going to the Science Centre in Toronto.  I haven’t been since public school and I can’t wait to go tomorrow.  We also went to the ROM in school but decided a 3 and 5 year old are probably too young to go right now, so we’ll wait a few years.  The weather has been all over the place lately so I hope tomorrow is warm and sunny.

[ellemidge]

SO MUCH TO DO

This weekend was our year-end hockey tournament.  My team lost all three games but we had a lot of fun.  The third game was our best and I got MVP, decided by my teammates which was awesome, because I’ve taken shit from so many people all season about being a terrible goalie.  I’m in a tournament in North Bay at the end of April and I have shinny on Thursdays so the season isn’t over yet, but I’m glad we didn’t make it to the finals because I’m aching all over this morning. 

Sunday night was my friend’s bachelorette in Barrie.  Everyone met at Holland Marsh Winery where they went on a tour, then came back to an Air B&B house we rented for the night.  I had to work Sunday so instead of getting to the wine tour late I decided to go directly to the house and help one of the other girls set up.  The tour didn’t end up being as long as they had planned so they made it back almost an hour earlier than expected.  

We sat around drinking and eating, then headed to the Keg for dinner.  The food was amazing and it wasn’t real busy because it was Sunday night.  Afterwards we went to a bar downtown where we stayed until just after 2 AM.  I wasn’t drinking so I was able to drive four people, and when we got back to the house I was so looking forward to crashing in the nice comfy bed, which turned out to be an air mattress on a box spring, and was not comfortable at all.  I fell asleep just after 3 and woke at 7:30 to drive home for work.  By the time I got home from work I just crashed.  It was a long weekend and I’m so glad I don’t do stuff like this often.  In fact, I was called lame a few weeks ago because I don’t drink every night!!  At 40 I’ll still have a working liver, so I don’t give a shit.

For the first time since I’ve been at my job we’re ahead of schedule for the Cottage Life Show.  In previous years we’ve stayed until well after the sun goes down and printed the brochure while enjoying some much needed beverages.  Today I’m alone in the office so I don’t need to worry about anyone using the printer, and I think I can get most of it done today.  

[ellemidge]

STRAYS

I was sent a copy of the book by the author and while this isn’t normally a book I would read, I agreed, in an attempt to mix-up my reading.  From the moment I started reading it I couldn’t put it down.  

I often don’t like the female characters in books because they all seem to be the same, and at first I felt that way about Jackie.  She was too involved with Tyler’s life and when she got mad at him for running off with the Red Kings it didn’t even bother her that she could have gotten them both in trouble and possibly make them lose any respect they had for Tyler.  When Jackie said she didn’t want a relationship with Dean she meant it and I liked that about her.  

I would have liked to know more about what Tyler was involved with, because early on it was mentioned he was a hacker, but once he joined the Red Kings nothing much more was said, and Jackie didn’t seem to question it.  

Overall is was a great book, Emma Kendrick (@officialemmakendrick) really knocked it out of the ballpark with this one.  I will definitely be first in line to read her next book.

four point five/five

[fuckyeahyoga]

moby released 4 hours of free yoga/meditation music

get some 

HERE

[ellemidge]

THIS & THAT

The dentist’s office finally called me back this morning and said that it’s not a good idea for me to be awake for the removal of my tooth.  Not what I was hoping to hear.  On Sunday I came home from hockey and laid down on the couch, curled in to a ball and cried.  I couldn’t find my Orajel and the stuff I bought that morning didn’t help.  I decided to check my car again and this time I found it.  Along with the boating license I was in the process of replacing. 

On Friday I submit my first article for two local newspapers.  I’m nervous and excited at the same time.

A few weeks ago I was approached about doing a talk for a local Horticultural Society on How To Take A Better Picture on April 6.  I happily agreed and I’m working on putting my Keynote (Mac’s version of PowerPoint) presentation together.  There’s no time like the present to overcome a fear of public speaking.

My friend gets married in less than a month and my bridesmaid dress that I ordered in the fall just came in.  I hope to God it doesn’t need any alterations.  Thankfully my weight hasn’t changed much since being fitted all those months ago.  Besides, I can’t afford to have it altered right now.  This should be the last wedding I’m in. 

I played two of the worst games of my life on Sunday and I’m sad the season is over after this weekend.  Shinny continues for a few more weeks and I have a tournament in April, and as much as I want summer to come, I can’t wait for next season.  But I’m sick of winter. 

My hair’s almost long enough to put it up.  I cut it in June and then again in September and I’m regretting the second one.  If I hadn’t touched it I could put it up by now.

Less than a month until the Blue Jays Home Opener.

[ellemidge]

BEFORE I FALL

I started reading Before I Fall about a month ago and put it down because it was terrible.  Last week I found out it’s a movie so I decided to give it another try.  I started to get in to a bit, but around the third day I was ready for it to be over.  

The book is about high school senior Sam Kingston who dies in a car accident and relives the same day seven times, with a different outcome each day.  It’s sort of Groundhog Day meets Butterfly Effect.  Just when Sam thinks she’s changed her fate, something goes wrong and someone dies.  Around the sixth day the author started focusing more on the end of the day instead of the beginning.

I made it to the end of the book but I’m not sure if I’ll go see the movie now or not.  I’m not a fan of books where absolutely everything that could ever possibly go wrong does, but everything works out in the end.  This was not one of those books so I give it credit for that.  

STARS:    two/five