I have been working on the fish condo for weeks now… spent a good portion of a day cleaning the fish tank… lots of scrubbing and emptying…
I researched a second tank and we went out and got the tank and two pumps so that they were on the ends as opposed to the back of the tanks…
after numerous measurements, we set the new tank up on the counter along the North wall of the dining room… then the bottom was filled with rocks and water and the new pump set up… this tank will be for the baby fish as the other tank won’t be able to hold all of the fish…
I worked with my grandson and we were able to move the big tank to the spot beside the small tank… it looks good there and it almost appears like one single very long tank…
after putting river rocks in it, I ran the hose from the outside tap through the house and was able to fill it up in nine minutes… it probably took me that long to fill the small one as I used a pail and walked back and forth to the kitchen sink for that one, lol…
had a bit of an issue with the pump as there wasn’t quite enough room in the large tank for it on the edge, but we were able to remove a piece of plastic and now it fits perfectly…
once the water was in and circulating for a few days we began catching the fish… we have been at it for quite a while… we started on October 22nd and today I think we caught the last one… I had to break ice for the last few collections, lol…
it was quite a process because since about the middle of October the water has been brown as leaves have fallen into it so it has made spotting fish difficult…
we also brought in some of the water lilies, which hopefully will survive until next spring when they can go back into the pond…
the tanks look great and I am pleased with all of our work…
I’ve spent the last two days building a coffee table… well, putting it together, lol…
I’ve been thinking I would like one where the top lifted so that I could work more easily on my laptop as well as use it to put my plate on when I am eating in the den…
I spotted one a few weeks ago and decided to order it… yesterday, it arrived, in a flat box… it hadn’t said anything about that when I ordered it but I figured this is how it would arrive…
I learned, after about 45 minutes and some YouTube videos, how to change the bit on the cordless drill… I learned that a rubber mallet is a handy tool, and I shouldn’t get rid of it… I learned to read between the lines when following picture directions… I also learned that it isn’t likely going to work out perfectly the first time…
but, after two days, and a lot of putting in and taking out of screws, I have a table that I am very happy with…
I’ve been thinking how my beloved would have had it together in a short time, and also how proud of me he would be…
we took a trip to the East Coast in 1988 or 1989 – amazing what I forget these days, lol…
the four of us, plus my beloved’s mom… we had bought a tricked out van and the trip was great…
when we got to the coast we had lobster at every stop because the four of us loved it… George’s mom couldn’t figure out why we kept eating it as she didn’t like it that much, lol…
while we were there, we found a beach that had coal all over it… we had such fun collecting a bagful to bring home to use for first footing…
I’ve been down to one fairly large piece for a a few years now, so I’ve been careful with it…
as I was working away in the garage, cleaning, sorting, dumping stuff, I found the original bag filled with a whole lot more…
had a burst of energy and spent a couple of hours in the garage cleaning…
was able to give away a few outdoor games to a neighbour… filled up the garbage and recycling bins… and cleaned off about half of the bench and one shelf…
they brought me a bunch of mums for the garden… I had been collecting parcels for them over the last few weeks, so we traded, lol…
we ate in the garage as it was a bit cool out and rain threatened… I am still nervous about having people in the house for any length of time…
even put one of the plants on the table to provide some ambiance;-)… looks good with the tablecloth, but we won’t mention all the “stuff” that is everywhere…
we spent time remembering how grandpa knew where every single thing was located and planning the organizing and decluttering that has to happen…
the Olympics have been a distraction as this day has come closer – what would have been our 51st wedding anniversary…
I’ve spent the day thinking of some moments with my beloved…
the everyday things: changing up the configuration of the ponds; working in the garden as it changed over the years; caring for his lawn, trimming the Virginia creeper, fixing whatever needed attention; making the world’s best French fries, fried egg sandwiches and salads; driving the girls and I everywhere; reading and playing with our grandsons; cleaning the garage, packing the car, barbecuing; the strength of his hands that could wring out a cloth so it was dry, massage a sore neck, scrub a pot perfectly clean, and gently hold my hand when we were out walking…
so many little things…
I’ve been remembering our 40th anniversary… I was in the hospital for an extended period of time and he came every day and brought me pictures he had taken of whatever morning glories had opened on that particular day… I took this photo just yesterday…
he also sent me a basket filled with 40 roses… each night they had to be moved into the hall because their scent was so strong I couldn’t sleep with them in the room, lol…
a friend recently lost his partner and has decided to refer to their anniversary as the first celebration of their 41 years together… what a lovely way to describe it…
today I am also enjoying the sentiment of this beautiful card which I recently received in the mail…
