Furniture repairs and a visit with Sylvia

I headed to the city last week to spend a few days with Sylvia.  While I was there we did some repairs on her wooden glider and her two wooden chairs that originally came with her small Ikea table.  The table has been replaced with a larger one and the chairs had been side lined because they were a bit wobbly.  We found they needed to be tightened so she found the Ikea tool and got that done.  After a bit more inspection we realized that the glue on the front leg assembly of one of the chairs had let go so we repaired that with some wood glue.  The glider had an upper tenon what let go and needed to be repaired.  We worked the tenon out of the mortise a ways and applied glue to all the surfaces and used a piece of wood and a hammer to get get it back into place.  On closer inspection, we discovered that the lower tenon had obviously let go in the past and screw had been added from the inside to keep it in place so we did the same.  We found four screws in her little stash, drilled some pilot holes and put in the screws.  We left it to dry 24 hours.  So the repairs have been a success and the furniture is back in use.  We also discussed her condo renovation - kitchen cupboards, flooring, etc.  We visited several second hand store after her appointment and lunch on Tuesday and returned home with a few little items that fit into the scheme of things and were on our lists.  We connected with Loraine on Wednesday morning so I could pick up my Pampered Chef order.  Mom called saying that Artemis had been airlifted with Madeleine from Bonnyville to Edmonton.  After a few texts they were waiting for test results before they could treat him.  In the end, all is well and everyone was back home withing a few days.  Thumbs up to Madeleine for being an "on the ball" grandma!!!   We talked crafts and did a bit of brainstorming on some of the projects she was working on.  It was a great visit and the weather was much better than the previous weekend.

Therese

Romeo Dallaire in town!

We attended a lecture by Lt Gen Romeo Dallaire at the LMC on Monday evening!!  The place was packed with lots of people standing at the back.  He spoke about his experiences with war and of his initiative with Child Soldiers.  He spoke directly to being diagnosed with PTSD and the stigma that is often attached to being treated by a mental health professional.
War is changing and we need to be proactive to stay ahead of the ever changing face of it.  Technology will be a huge component of that strategy as we move ahead in this global world and young people will have the knowledge and expertise to lead. They will need to become engaged in the process of leading and that starts with voting and caring about the future of Canada.
He challenged everyone to rise to the challenge of being a Canadian and in doing so, upkeep our reputation with many nations around the world.  It was so good to have been there and I look forward to having a bit of a discussion with our friends, Tom and Peggy who attended with us.     Therese

Amaryllis is blooming!

 Oh, my goodness!!  My amaryllis is blooming!!!  It has decided to be very stylish with its presentation and is leaning way out there with its stalk!!  The beautiful red flowers are 6" around for sure and four of them are fully open with the other one in the next day or so!!  They are gorgeous!!  It is growing a baby on the side so I am not sure how that will go but for now I am enjoying the colour of this beauty!!  The other bulb has not flowered though it does have several sets of leaves - one set from the center of the bulb and several coming from the side so I will have to read up on how to handle those side shoots!!  Anyway, a really bright spot in a snowy day!!              Therese