Grandma, I need help...

There's a scam out there targeting grandparents. Someone calls, claiming to be the person's grandchild, in need of money for lawyer's fees or bail - or maybe even medical treatment. Sometimes the person says they're a lawyer calling on behalf of the grandchild who's in trouble with the law.

I read in the local news that one couple lost $8000, another $9000 in the scam. How can people be so gullible...? I wondered.

But I was caught off guard when the call also happened to me!

I was looking after my grandson J when a phone call - with a blocked number - came through. I couldn't see who was calling.

Hi Grandma, said a mature female voice. How are you?

I quickly assumed that my daughter-in-law was checking to see how her 3-year-old was doing. Otherwise why would she call me "grandma"?

Do you want to talk to J? I asked.

No. I want to talk to you. I have a big problem.

What? I asked.

I'm not feeling well, she replied. 

I'm not feeling great either, I said. In fact, I did a Covid test this morning before J arrived.

I made an appointment to see the doctor, she said. As I was driving over, my phone kept dinging. I quickly looked down to check it and I ran into a little old lady...

WHAT?!!

I rear-ended her car. I stopped and called the police. When they arrived , they arrested me for distracted driving. Now I'm in jail.

At this point, I became suspicious. That just wouldn't happen...

I have to go now, I said quickly. I'll call you right back. 

I immediately called my daughter-in-law, the person I thought I had been talking to.

Are you okay? I asked.

Yes, I'm working from home today. Why?

Someone just called - I thought it was you. They said they'd had a car accident and were in jail...

I'd been scammed! All day long I kept thinking about how easily and smoothly that stranger - that thief - had won my trust.

I had been tricked... I had been gullible, too!

Mosaic Crochet Project Update

A few weeks ago, I started my first mosaic crochet blanket. After reading, here and there online, how "surprisingly easy" it was, I started out, not knowing what I was doing... until I watched several YouTube tutorials for beginners.

At that point, I started over. 

But, as usually happens when learning something new, I made a lot of mistakes, (which I only realized later)...

So I started over again!

Now I've gone this far on my third try. But I'm running low on purple yarn! I purchased some, but the colours don't match perfectly... What to do?!

Should I tear my earlier attempt apart, to use that yarn... even it won't be enough?? At best it will be enough for one section... 

(Decisions!!)

That's my latest dilemma!

Welcome, Spring!

Today is the first official day of spring...

To celebrate our warmer weather, my older son and and I had a traditional family favourite... "Blizzards"!  (There's definitely a bit of irony in the name!)

(Years ago, we'd buy large ones - now, the smallest size is plenty!)

"Three Sisters" Gardening

Is it too early to think about gardening?

I haven't bought garden vegetable seeds in a very long time.

When my kids were young, we did have a vegetable patch in our side yard, right next to the fence. I wanted them to know how food is grown.

One memorable year, we had a prolific harvest of yellow pole beans - so prolific, in fact, that our neighbour Bill, who lived across the street, came over to check them out. Bill himself had a large garden. He had enough tomatoes, zucchinis and cucumbers to share.

Earlier this year, I bought a few packets of seeds. In her book, The Light We Carry - which I read recently - Michelle Obama mentions the "three sisters " garden they planted in the White House grounds. Following a traditional native gardening style, they planted pole beans, corn and squash together in a mound of soil. The "three sister" plants help each other. The beans climb up the corn stocks, and the squash plants spread their leaves around on the ground, keeping out weeds.

This gardening style worked in Washington, DC. I wonder if it will work this far north in Canada. I plan to give it a try.

Around the Corner?!

I remember - as s child living in Hay Lakes, Alberta - being confused when someone once commented to my mother that spring was "just around the corner."

I remember running quickly to the corner to check. But no - everything looked the same there. No spring that I could see... What did that woman mean?!

All these years later, I'm still looking around the corner for spring - this time, around the corner of my driveway!

No ice that I can see on the street - that's encouraging.

But still lots of snow on my flower beds.. I expect that it will be a while for the first spring flower to appear.

But I'll keep looking! One of these days, the snow will all be gone And I'll walk through the park again.

Before ... and After

A week ago, the whole family painted pottery at a studio called "Color Me Mine." 

Yesterday I picked up our finished creations.

Here are the mermaid statue; the ice cream bowl (just waiting for a generous scoop of chocolate ice cream); and the ice cream (jar) - with its base (cone) and lid (soft serve look alike).

Mug and wine goblet....

And my sunflower plate.

Can't wait to go back and do it again!

Equinox … Here … Now

Today - not March 21 - is equinox here in Ottawa…

According to my weather app, sunrise and sunset both occur at 7:11 (AM and PM). 

I wonder where the March 21 date originated…

It’s forecast to be a snowy - then rainy - day here in Ottawa today. A bit of winter… followed by spring showers?! Sounds about right!