Good news! New toys...And new free pattern preview...

GOOD NEWS!! I received a phone call from the town today regarding our request to purchase 10 feet into that lot (see previous post about The Pit Next Door). The town has hired someone to assess that 10 feet, and when the assessment is received, the town will call us about the sale.

Can we say YAY??? Of course, if they would have done this 2 years ago when we first asked, that line of evergreens would still be there, but this means the few that are left will be saved, and we can plant new trees.



New toys: our Kodak EasyShare that we purchased for about $350 plus taxes 4 years ago has been giving us a hard time lately. It refuses to turn on when the lens is open, and the lens doesn't want to come out. Shutting and opening the lens cover a couple times and waiting would usually mean we could take a picture or two. We do have a cheaper camera...but darned for the life of me I can't figure that one out.

So, we splurged, spent $135 plus taxes (please note the price difference) for a much better, newer, more features Kodak EasyShare 7.1 mega pixel camera. With video. With sound. Easy to use ( a definite plus--and no, Kodak is NOT paying me to say this). I loved my first Kodak digital cam, and I know I'll love this one, too. I've already taken pics, including the one below...



Free Pattern (click picture). I'm hoping to get two simple snowflake patterns, typed up
tomorrow. They will be free patterns. The patterns for sale include a snowman (watch for his girlfriend next month...and some strange twists on snowmen in the coming months), a table set, a granny lapghan with a bit of a uniqueness...

Another post of Just Stuff

I just had to show this off! From my biggest fan, my 9yo daughter, who loves to help mom out, and loves to play around with making graphics on the computer. I thought the slogan was kinda cute, too!

An update on the Pond Next Door...well, we can't call it the Pond any more. The water was pumped down the sewer last Friday. So, now if some child happens to break through the flimsy fence, at least they won't drown. And no water=no mosquitos laying eggs! I was told they would be filling it soon. We put in yet another letter requesting a measley 10 feet into the property, and we are HOPING that this time, they grant it. Heck, it would be nice after what they've put us through to just GIVE us the 10 feet. But, they've lost so much money waiving fees I'm sure they'll want to try to recover some of it.

And yet another creature was spotted: my husband and I witnessed a turtle walking in the mud towards a small puddle still left. I am trying to figure out just how he got there, there are no creeks or waterfilled ditches close to us. Where did I hear: Leave it wild, they will come?

Now for an update on my website, I will be adding buttons for Canadian funds. Because there is so little difference in the dollars, this will be at par. I'm just trying to create my own buttons now to use, or maybe I'll just let my 9yo, the budding graphics designer!

Life Beside The Pit

Not-so-fondly referred to as The Pit Next Door, then (when wildlife arrived) The Pond Next Door, I am sharing my ugly mess with you. Keep in mind, we had offered to buy part of the property from the town BEFORE they announced selling it, and we could have been looking out our windows at a line of evergreens, rather than THIS:




Although a building cannot be erected within 10 feet of the property line (the orange snow fence is pretty much on it), the digging did have to come closer. But, INCHES from our property?? We park a tent trailer and two cars in our driveway. Let me rephrase that. We used to park a tent trailer and two cars in our driveway. Now, with only a few feet between our car and the Pit for the front half of the driveway, we've taken to parking one car on the road, the other at the back half of the driveway closer to the road, where the Pit is not quite so close.



What happened? The town sold their property to the Youth and Family Resource Network for transitional/low income housing. For a song, I'm sure. And not the long-lost-worth-a-million kind of song, either. Sewer connections were put in, with the fee waived, then the digging started. Ooops, contaminated soil was found, they can't build. Apparently now, the builder, the YFRN and the town are all in talks, with lawyers involved.
How long has the Pit Next Door looked like this? Well, basically, since last September. Wish I could remember exactly what day, we could throw an anniversary party. I say basically, because...well, the sides are eroding. Scary thought. Even scarier is the fact that behind our house runs a walking trail that used to be a railway. Along that walking trail, they are putting in a sewer line. Which means heavy equipment shaking the earth. Which could mean MORE dirt from the sides falling into the Pit. See where I'm going?