Thursday, January 2, 2014

Surely my Ancestors had a choice?


They did not HAVE to settle in Montreal ( although on my Mother's side the large Irish population here at the time must have had something to do it )

What were they thinking?
Was this a conversation that was happening around the dinner table?

Husband - Not potatoes again, listen lass, I'm fed up to here with potatoes
Wife - Well it's potatoes or nothing
Husband - That's it - we're setting sail for Montreal - at least we can throw a hot dog in the mix
Wife - What's the weather like there?
Husband - A wee nippy - but nothing we can't handle

TODAY - MY FRIENDS - IT'S -40 ( WITH THE WIND CHILL FACTOR )

MINUS FORTY........................

I'm terrified to go outside - in case one of my limbs just snaps off.

I'm terrified to go outside - in case my eyeballs turn to snowballs

I'm terrified to go outside - in case my blood freezes and I fall down like a piece cardboard

I passed by a Snowman last night - and I swear to you - I heard him mumbling

Suzan says - Excuse me?
Snowman says - This is just ridiculous
Snowman says - I need a hot chocolate
Snowman says - Can ya fix my scarf for me - I'm freezing my carrot off

I'd cry - except I've been cold so long - I'd be crying icicles instead of tears (the singer Meat Loaf must be from a cold climate - only someone subjected to this crap could come up with such a great line )

For those of you that follow, you know how I feel about squirrels - ( you can read about my near escape from death by squirrels HERE)  but if one of them showed there little face around here today I'd invite it in for a cup of tea and a muffin - NOBODY - NOTHING should be out there.  Period.

I was going to make something to eat - but bought an Eskimo Pie instead - seemed more fitting.

Does anyone know where I can pick up one of these?  ( maybe in pink? )


Electri - O - Phobia
The overwhelming deep rooted fear of losing power during a cold " snap "

Butane - O - Phobia
The overwhelming deep rooted fear of running out of butane for the fire place during a cold " snap "

I placed the furniture in the living room yesterday - leaving 2 beautifully ( perfect ) gouges in the freshly done floor.

John says -
NEVER MIND -  YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHAT HE SAID - IT'S UGLY

But I'll tell you there's no easier way to forgive yourself than have your better half mad at you for the same reason - it cancels it out entirely

The walls aren't even painted and I'm ready to decorate lmho



It's coming - ( like a slow train to China - but it's coming )
I really just wanted to see how the furniture would fit - the magic will only happen once it's finished.
BUT when you've been living out of boxes for a month - trust me - just having couches in the room is magical in and of it itself:)

And this week I'm extremely grateful for that fireplace - let me tell you!

If you're in Canada or the Northern States - I sympathize - stay warm - please.
If you're from the Southern States - NO GLOATING - it's bad enough you were lucky and had
ancestors who actually " thought " before getting on the boat - there's no need to rub it in :)

Time to sign off - a hot chocolate is waiting for me

SOURCE

Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative.
Oscar Wilde  

But it's just too cold to use my imagination Oscar - if you lived here - you'd get that.

Have a great day !!!
Much love,



36 comments:

  1. Suzan,I'm sorry but I haven't stopped laughing reading your post. I even read it out to my hubby who is Scottish with Irish ancestors (hence our name O'Donnell) He agreed with you and didn't laugh,because he can't understand why his parents left to come to Australia. He absolutely can't stand the heat,and we have been in and out of one since October and Summer didn't start until December. Seriously though (I came from England) We are in one of the best places really. Stay warm and we will try and stay cool. PS sorry for laughing :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I won't tell you what our weather has been like and please don't laugh when I tell you that we have the heater on right now and a fire in the fireplace because it is 53 degrees out right now. I guess my ancestors left Kansas and Oregon because they were a bunch of wusses and couldn't stand the cold.

    I love, love, love the clock table.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Susan, I say the same thing 8 months of the year. We moved from northern England to Texas. Egads! It's bloody HOT ! Our winters come in 2 day blurbs. I pray for cold weather. I'm so sick of summer clothes all year. To wear a sweater is a treat. I think most places have goofy weather anymore. Seems either too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry. I guess we bloom where we are planted and make the best of it. I do agree it's too cold for anything alive where you are. That's like living on the tundra. Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I completely understand your losing electric fear! It is 12 degrees here now. I think I saw -4 will be the low on Monday along with more snow. I like snow. l think I will still like snow in 2 weeks. That probably is because I won't be seeing the kind of snows that they are having further north. If I had the ambition I would get dressed and go out to measure the snow but I don't even have the energy to go look for a ruler. I am planning to work from home today. 61 year old women have no business digging a car out (or even shoveling a sidewalk IMHO!) Stay warm, kiddo. Sorry you screwed up the new floors. I imagine there isn't anything John said that made you feel worse than you probably already did. Call your flooring contractor and find out if there is a suggested gouge filler.
    XXOO

    ReplyDelete
  5. take car Suzan the end is getting closer each day then you will be sipping cocktails on your cruise-love deee x

    ReplyDelete
  6. -28 in Oshawa this morning, with the wind chill it's -37! Not fun! I completely sympathize with you. Don't know if you had that crazy ice storm 10 days ago but we were without power for nearly 17 hours which pales in comparison to some who just got power back yesterday, but it was a miserable and cold 17 hours I tell ya. LOVE the fireplace and the clock table! Stay bundled and if the hot chocolate doesn't work...try a Hot Toddy! XOXO

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my Suzan.....I can't imagine. My cousin who lives in Houston, B.C. has been posting about the cold on Facebook. How y'all stand it I'll never know. I do envy the snow around Christmas but that's it! Prayers for the electricity and butane to hold out. Try to stay warm by thinking about your upcoming cruise! Love the living room so far.....it's going to be gorgeous.....:) Blessings, Vicky

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh Susan, I love the way you write! We're in the midst of a blizzard here in NS today; a great day to stay inside and lounge about. Our daughter and husband have been honeymooning at Mont Tremblant this week. When they told me of their plans I immediately thought are you crazy? What is wrong with Barbados? I mean a woman only has a few really good years in a bikini, LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh Suzan...I totally get the cold, we have it too. Horrible, and I love winter, just not with this frigid cold. Even our cats don't want to go out to hunt. Stay warm...time to go get another tea.
    Debbie :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Still laughing but right there with you freezing my buns off. I have friends in Australia who do not know why we live in such a cold climate, they just don't understand it. Well today with the minus 40's I don't get it either. My ancestors were Native, and have always lived in Canada, but my Mom was Irish, and I am thinking I didn't get the Indian blood that doesn't feel the cold. I am sitting here wrapped up in a blanket in my jammies with socks on and a hoody. I also have the gas fireplace on and I am still cold. Ventured out yesterday and it was freezing. Car doors frozen, ice frozen on the mud flaps rubbing against the tires. You know the cold where as soon as I step out your noise hairs freeze, yep that cold. Australia and California is looking real good right now.
    Sorry about the floors hun, can the scratch be fixed. I get your eagerness to decorate and I would have done the same thing. One can only live in Kaos for so long. Stay warm my friend. hugs Tobey

    ReplyDelete
  11. It was -36 here last night. I have not checked yet this morning. Yesterday morning it was
    -31 and that does not include the windchill which puts it into the -40. When I walk the dog my coat is making that strange "crunch-crunch" sound. :)
    Stay warm.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This morning my garage door opener is FROZEN so I had to close the garage door manually. Not a huge problem - until I crushed my fingers in the door. Now I have purple fingernails and it hurts to type. It took everything I had not to yell swear words in the alley.

    My car's power windows are frozen SHUT (thankfully not open) and the car doors have to think about it before they open.

    Oscar meant when the weather wasn't ghastly. It's ghastly, Suzan. There are tickets still for sale at Lambeau Field for the playoff game on Sunday. I am not even tempted to go, even though it's not often that seats are available for games. I will stay home and fret over the welfare of the players instead.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, it's sure been a cold week there and here. Monday it's going up to +6 if that's any consolation. For a few hours it will be mild but probably so damp the chill will go right through you. It's going to snow and rain too. Lovely. You must be so excited to get decorating your living room. I love your coffee table. Have a great weekend and stay cozy.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Woke up to -40 this morning, it's sinced warmed up to a balmy -20...the snow sounds like styrofoam and we've been having frostquakes which I've never even heard of before. At least we're not in Manitoba, where they say it's been colder than Mars this week!

    ReplyDelete
  15. my ancestors relocated to Toronto way back when, and then sometime after moved south, to Buffalo NY. Not much warmer, so I decided to move even further south, to North Carolina. and guess what? It's cold down here too! I love the look of your room, and that clock face on your coffee table is AWESOME!!
    debbi
    -yankeeburrow

    ReplyDelete
  16. We are at -40 as well. If people haven't felt that temperature, they have no idea. You have to dress completely covered, skin freezes in minutes. It's too much, but I am grateful for a warm house.

    ReplyDelete
  17. wow what a great dinner party idea. What if your ancestors did not chose Canada... where would you be? After reading your post, my husband and I played the what if game.... we ended up realizing that if his father had chosen the US over Canada then he would have been drafted to Vietnam by the US. We decided our ancestors chosing Canada meant that we were able to connect and he was not required to join the military .... as much as I am absolutely frozen.... we will endure this weather. Thanks it was a fun game.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Uh, I've had that thought in the summertime… what were they thinking of when they settled where it's 100 degrees in the shade…where you're terrified of the A/C going out…ok, I'll take the heat over -40, I'll admit. That is terrifying!!
    Love how the furniture looks in the room…it's going to be beautiful! Your coffee table with the clock face is fab! Hope you can fix those scratches in the floor!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Well, I'll try not to complain since it's not -40 degrees here in a southern state, but it's pretty cold for this southern girl. Wind chill this weekend around 0 and for us THAT'S COLD...Brrrrrrr. Stay warm and decorate on!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Suzan you are truly a riot!!! My John is Irish but they settled for NJ. 40 below OMG I can't even begin t o imagine. We thought it was cold in NJ today but I am not going to have the nerve to complain, no way!!! Hang in there girl and tell John you are truly sorry about the floor and hide it with a rug.

    Cynthia

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love how the furniture looks in the living room and the fire looks sooooo warm and inviting.
    OK, I won't gloat, because it is cold here today as well. Forty degrees F is painful to us and today I am in pain.
    xoGinger

    ReplyDelete
  22. I heard about the cold in your area on tonight's news. I have the same fear you have about electricity, but here it's not linked to snow, it's linked to the strong winds that are frequent in my area at this time of the year... And I also decorate my dining-room even if it's not painted and won't be before my next summer holidays! Enjoy your hot chocolate before any squirrel drinks it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Suzan, Can you get a flight out and come visit me while I still live here in Puerto Rico? Reading your post makes me wonder if I am crazy for wanting to move back to Missouri where my family is. There are some things I need that I cannot get here on a little island off the main island of Puerto Rico, however, it is in the 80's today. I am enjoying every day because I know when my house sells, I will be dealing with a much different life style. In the meantime, I have extra beds should you want to come. Blessings

    ReplyDelete
  24. brrrrrr love the floors and how it is coming together slowly but surely

    ReplyDelete
  25. Loved this post because I can totally relate. We will be experiencing -40 wind chills by Sunday in Central IL. I am officially hibernating in my house until it warms up next Thursday. Stay warm and cozy. Your house is looking wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  26. all i'm gonna say is: "come visit" right now it's like your summer weather. high temps in the 50's??????????? that's like 70 degrees colder than what i'm used to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    lovin' the new house of yours though!!!! stay warm!!! (guess i said a lot more than "come visit" -- but you expected that, right?!?!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I know how you feel...it was -15 here to with the wind chill. We are going to get 6 to 10 inches of snow on Sunday. Plus they are calling for wind chills of -30 to -40 this coming week. Ohio weather is always crazy, but these are the colder temperatures we have had in 20 years.
    ~Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  28. I totally understand your fear of losing electricity. Our AC went out last summer on the day that we were moving into our new "old" house and it was dreadful as well as dangerous. It was only 113 in the shade. A new heat pump later and all is well. We have room if you and John want to head to Arizona for a little dessert time before your cruise. Just remember that the cruise is coming.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I do feel for you and we aren't gloating in Texas. We are chillier than normal but it takes away our fear of summer. 110 in the shade. The fear of no A.C. The fear the A.C. will go out and there will have been a run on fans at Walmart. There is always weather to talk about in every part of the country. Stay warm! I hope the electricity stays on.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Now THAT was fun to read! Not so fun to be living it though! We had a blizzard here last night and it's really cold. The kind of cold where your nose hairs stick together!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi Suzan!!!!

    My mom and sisters live in Edmonton and they are freezing!!!! They've had snow since
    the beginning of November and are sick of it already. I dare not mention what our weather is like here in Vancouver...If I want to live. So, I don't. My uncle in Hudson has been telling me how cold it is and how much he appreciates his fireplace.

    I love the way the room looks!!! Now, if that's put together quickly, I can't wait to see what you do to it in time!!!

    Try to survive the cold with a little bit of Baileys or Kahlua in your hot chocolate!!!!! Better off there and not to be in Toronto!!!

    Have a warmer weekend!!!!

    Pam
    xox

    ReplyDelete
  32. Oh my...I guess I'll stop complaining about 4 degrees.. Your living room looks awesome! Mine is full of lumber and tools.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I understand the need to see how furniture fits in a room!! Floor scars are just part of the course; they add character. BTW, the room looks great!
    I totally get it. Back to nasty road conditions and blustery cold. The highway was so icy yesterday it was downright scary. A truck was rolled over in the ditch about 5 kilometers from home. I thought for sure we would end up there too.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Ummm..I GET the gouges- I may have placed a couple of those myself-while swearing it wasn't me. Yeah...looking good there, kiddo- cold but cool, ya know? xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
  35. I can't even imagine that kind of cold. It was 7F here yesterday morning. That is quite cold enough! Glad you now have comfy couches to sit on in front of that gorgeous fireplace! Stay warm!!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Ah ha ha ha! That looks like me at that computer Suzan ! I can so relate!! When snow squeaks under your boots you know it's cold.Too bad about the gouges, but it could always be worse I suppose. Stay warm by that lovely fireplace.

    ReplyDelete

Due to a large amount of spam ( that I'm tired of going back to posts and deleting ) I'll be using comment moderation from now on !!!
Can I beat these spammers at their own game? Probably not - but I'm going
to try my damnedest !!!
xoxo