Meet Poppy:
Bowser has been spending even more time at my house this past week, to give each dog a break from the other. I can’t say that I am mad about that 😉.
It’s been an interesting week! Who knew Bowser could appear to be practically zen-like, in comparison? 🤣
Rock on,
The WB
Read about Part 1, here.
Funny story about my fireplace…I can’t have a wood-burning or gas fireplace where I live so that leaves me with electric as the only other option. I’ve had an electric fireplace before, and it was…OK. Pretty, but noisy to run and very obviously fake flames. So last winter I researched electric fireplaces and decided that the Dimplex Revillusion fireplace was the realest fake on the market and the one I was most interested in. However, it is not to be found IRL (in real life) anywhere near where I live. I didn’t want to buy one sight-unseen as they are not cheap. So I shelved the idea and went on to other projects (of which you might rightfully guess I have many! 😉).
Then I went back to Ontario in June to attend a special event for a friend’s daughter and while I was there I visited my good friends Kenn and Jonathan (who now live in my old apartment, above their museum). They show me all the changes they have wrought in my old place (all magnificent!) and lo and behold they had built an electric fireplace into a wall of bookshelves and IT. IS. THE. DIMPLEX. REVILLUSION. I practically screamed when I saw it. (Another funny story: they had also bought the exact same washer/dryer unit as I did. Can you believe it? What are the chances???).
Anywho, I got to see it in action and was convinced it was the unit for me. So I ordered one in late August.
Now I had to find a mantle to fit around the firebox. I went to good ol’ Facebook Marketplace and searched and searched. Nothing would fit it exactly. Then I found one that almost fit…and it was FREE. What did I have to lose? I could try to fix it and if I failed… well, it was FREE! I picked it up.
I had to remove the shelf in order to fit the firebox so that means I needed a new front piece. I went to Home Depot to buy a piece of wood and the helpful guy in the lumber area suggested a piece from the “FREE pile” (did you know they had one???) and he cut the perimeter to fit. So far so good! My expensive firebox is getting enclosed in a free mantle with a free front piece. Whee!!!
And here’s where it started getting expensive…Home Depot couldn’t cut out the inner piece to make it snugly accommodate the firebox so I ended up buying a jigsaw so I could do it myself ($75). And then I bought some peel and stick stone tile to decorate the front (2 x $60).
And then I stupidly bought way too much paint for this project ($85). But I was able to use it for the long overdue painting of my 2nd hand drop leaf dining table, and I will also use it to paint some other 2nd hand cabinets I have (yet another future project…sigh).
I am so pleased at how this turned out. The DIY gods were certainly smiling down at me for this project. Or maybe it was Beginner’s Luck. I hope I am this lucky with my next project: The Cloffice. Stay tuned!
Rock on,
The WB
p.s. for those wanting to know without doing the actual math:
My FREE mantle ended up costing:
Grand total: $280
I’ve been in my little cottage just over a year now. During that time I’ve had the kitchen renovated,
and new flooring laid,
painted walls, and created a new laundry room and a backyard oasis. Also on my to-do list for my home this year was finishing off the unfinished entryway and getting myself a fireplace before winter.
Here is the entry way, before:
And here it is after engaging the services of a talented family friend to finish the space, and painting the walls myself:
I’m super pleased with how this turned out. And how much more spacious my entire place feels with this area finished and providing extra storage for me. My entryway is now so much cooler in the summer and I anticipate will be warmer in the winter, thanks to insulating and finishing off the ceiling and walls.
Stay tuned for Part 2, and my fireplace dream come to life!
Rock on,
The WB
Bowser’s Mommy is taking over ye olde blogge this week! Last weekend, Bowser went with Mommy and Daddy for an overnight camping trip to Ucluelet and to visit the beaches of Tofino. All pictures and captions courtesy of Mommy Bowser.
I hope you find something that tastes great this weekend!
Rock on,
The Bowz 🐾 (and Mommy!)
After being in extreme drought conditions since July, the island is once again experiencing the rainy weather it is known for. And we couldn’t be happier.
We hope you are enjoying whatever the weather brings you. Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my fellow Canadians!
Rock on,
The WB
Well! This month came and went in a flash as evidenced by the lack of journal entries AND lack of progress on my To-Do list for September:
In my defense, my TV died suddenly at the beginning of the month and that got me to thinking all sorts of thoughts…like:
Also, I received much-anticipated guests at my place part-way through the month (and we had a blast whilst together, so much so that I don’t have any pictures of what was on my plate during this time).
All of this to say: I was relying on past favourite recipes – my tried and trues – to feed myself and my houseguests.
Such as Greek potatoes and Air Fried Chicken. Both were received very well. I also made a killer beef roast in the slow cooker…no recipe, really. Just brown the meat (blade roast or cross-cut rib is best), then throw it in the slow cooker with beef broth, fresh ground pepper, lots of garlic, generous lashings of Worcestershire sauce, and let cook on low for at least 8 hours.
That’s it for me for this time! Pardon me as I have a free fireplace mantle to paint (more on that coming up on the blog if it turns out OK).
I would love to read what you’ve been eating, in the Comments. And please join my co-host Donna as she managed to put together a delicious dish in her challenging month as well!
Here is the Link Up party link, should you care to visit there:
Rock on,
The WB
I had some lovely company (my childhood-and-STILL friend and her sister) come to visit me recently, so I gave up my bed and the day bed to them and headed next door to sleep at my daughter and son-in-law’s place. Bowser was so excited that this was happening that he wouldn’t settle any longer in their bedroom, so his dog bed and his little self moved into the room I was occupying. He stayed in his bed all night, but in the morning it was a different story!
Once Bowser determined I was absolutely not going to rejoin him in the bed, he quickly changed tactics and followed me over to my house…no doubt hoping some of our breakfast would be dropped in his general direction. Dream on, Bowser. Dream on.
Rock and dream on,
The WB
The past week was mostly sunny and warm during the day and Bowser and I made sure to make the most of it.
Are you ready for and welcoming autumn? Did you enjoy the last week of Summer 2023?
Rock on,
The WB
Bowser went to the groomers last week.
Before:
And after:
Here’s a better shot, a few days (and adventures) later:
We hope you clean up as nicely, and are having adventures this weekend.
Rock on,
The WB
Kayak school, that is! Last Saturday I partook in Basic Kayak Skills – a Paddle Canada course taught by the talented and friendly instructor Caroline Ross of Crosscurrents Kayak. Although I’ve been using a kayak for almost a decade, I’ve never had formal instruction in how to use one properly. In my former life in Ontario kayaking only in the flat waters of lakes and the Speed River, I could get away with this. But now, with so much ocean coastline to explore (and a brand new sea kayak), I decided it was time to get serious about improving my skills assuming I actually have any and my safety.
We started the day with on-shore instruction about the kayak itself and then it was time to head into our boats to learn and practice basic kayak strokes.
After lunch came instruction on how to make a controlled wet exit. Caroline led us through each of the actions we’d have to perform upside down and under water in order to let our companions know we were fine and going to free ourselves from our boats using the controlled wet exit process. I declined the profferred goggles and nose plugs, figuring if I capsized one day I wouldn’t be wearing them at the time so best to experience what that would be like.
And wouldn’t you know it – I got water up my nose and came up sputtering and coughing, but hey! I came UP!
The next item on the day’s agenda was to learn and practice the Assisted T Rescue. Something strange happened to me while Caroline was teaching this part – I began to panic. All I could see in my mind was a flashback to the Broken Islands Lodge: watching 2 young staff struggling (and failing) to get back into their kayaks from deep water while they practiced. Never mind that they weren’t doing what we were going to attempt – my mind was racing with thoughts like: I’ll never be able to get back in the boat; if those young people couldn’t do it, how could I possible do it?; I’m going to hold up the whole class; how do I get out of this?!?!?! Those of you who know me know I don’t panic easily, if at all. I was free-falling (in my mind) and I didn’t know how to get out of this spiral of negative thinking.
Thankfully, both Caroline and my rescue partner were so supportive and encouraging that I didn’t head back to shore in defeat retreat like I desperately wanted to, and instead successfully completed both parts of the rescue TWICE!
I’m so happy that I was able to successfully complete this course and can’t thank my instructor Caroline and the rest of the participants enough. The instruction and support I received made all the difference and helped me to get past my sudden-onset bout of panic.
Now I’m excited to go for my Paddle Canada Level 1 Certification in 2024!
Have you ever been overcome with panicked thoughts, like I was? What did you do to get past it?
Rock on,
The WB
