Monday, May 18, 2009

Victoria Day

It's Victoria Day in Canada.

The day most Canadians spend camping and drinking or gardening and drinking and generally making fools of themselves to honour the Queen's birthday. (Well, except in Quebec - they use a different excuse for camping and drinking, but the Bag Lady's French is quite rusty and she can't exactly figure out what their excuse is! And, of course, the French don't really need an excuse to drink - but they need an excuse to go camping!)

The long weekend is early this year (it usually falls closer to May 24th) and has been quite cool and damp, at least around here. The Bag Lady is glad she is not camping this weekend. She doesn't even want to go outside and check cows because it is quite cold. The forecasted snow has not yet arrived, but it could at any time.

She got a new washing machine (All Hail VISA, All Hail VISA) and has been happily washing clothes and bedding and towels and almost threw the cat in by mistake. (such a curious little guy, he is.) She bought a front-loading Inglis and keeps thinking there is something wrong with it because it's so quiet. And doesn't seem to use very much water. But her clothes are clean, and smell clean, so it must be okay! And it's far better than a washtub and scrub board. Really.

What about the rest of you? If you are Canadian are you camping and drinking this weekend, or are you content to stay at home and put in a garden and drink this weekend?

Happy Victoria Day! Cheers! Skol! L'Chayim! Sante!

22 comments:

messymimi said...

Happy Victoria Day, Bag Lady!

Congratulations also on the new washer.

Veni, Vidi, Visa : I came, I saw, I charged it!

messymimi

the Bag Lady said...

Thanks, messymimi! (And that cracked me up - thanks!)

Leah J. Utas said...

Your forecasted snow is here with us. I'm making borscht and some sort of berry crumble/grumble thingy. (Is grumble a dessert title, or did I wake up on the wrong side of the thermometer again?)
Happy Victoria Day.

Vee said...

Yahoo for the visa. Glad you're able to launder again.

I'm not canadian but gonna comment anyway: I used to take my toddler camping all of the time, but haven't in the last 6 or 7 years. Would like to again, but, er, gardening takes precedence!

Vee at www.veegettinghealthy.blogspot.com

Missicat said...

Happy Victoria Day! Our party, er, Memorial Day weekend is next weekend so we can compare notes then!

solarity said...

I grew up with a front loader (on a well) and nothing else will satisfy me. Happy washing! (I have used a washboard in a sink to hand wash things. I looove modern technology!)
I spent the dog fence money on a new dryer when we moved into this house. I had meant to wait a year or two, but I had an extravagant moment. Then, I used the new dryer for a week or so and realized how much better it worked than the old one, and it no longer felt extravagant.

Not Canadian here, but putting in a garden soon.

Mary Anne in Kentucky

Terrie Farley Moran said...

df Bag Lady,

Happy Victoria Day! Enjoy the holiday and don't forget to celebrate.

Terrie

the Bag Lady said...

dfLeah - I hope you won't think I'm ungrateful if I tell you that I don't really want you to share that snow with us..... :)

Vee - gardening takes precedence here, too, nowadays. We can camp later, but I like to have the garden in so we can have our home-grown veggies!! :)

Missicat - Thanks! Ordinarily, our holiday weekend would be next weekend, too, but because it is supposed to be held the Monday BEFORE the 24th, it falls a week early this year!
The forecast for next weekend is much nicer, so I hope your holiday weekend is better than ours!

Mary Anne in Kentucky - so far, I'm happy with the front-load machine. It certainly does NOT use a lot of water, but the clothes are coming out clean, so it's all good!

dfTerrie - Thanks! I will certainly try to remember to toast the Queen's birthday sometime today. I may even think of a few more reasons to make a toast..... perhaps I should raise a glass to the new washing machine, just to be on the safe side!

Reb said...

You are going to love that washer Sis! Make sure to buy the laundry soap that says HD on it though, because it uses less water, it uses less soap too. You should also be using less dryer time to get them dry, such a bonus!

Happy Victoria Day!

the Bag Lady said...

Thanks, sis! I have cut way down on the soap, and the clothes still seem to be coming clean!

Emily said...

How is that new washing machine working for you? I laughted when you wrote that you almost threw the cat in- now that would make an interesting post (with picture of course!)

the Bag Lady said...

Emily - it works great! I quite like it so far. It works in a very different manner from a top loading machine, so it took some getting used to.
And that cat was very curious about whether it would be a good place to sleep (he's been known to investigate the dryer if I leave the door open)... Fortunately, he decided he didn't really want to be in the washer!

Redbush said...

You hit the nail on the head with your no camping, and drinking in this kind of weather! I mean it's been so cold my shepherd sticks his nose out the door, then comes back to sigh and lay down on the mat for yet another snooze. I think your old washer jinxed my washer, or maybe yours was the same age as mine. Mine hasn't got many more days left, I'm thinking as it has developed an oil leek. Enjoy your Victoria day, and happy washing! We haven't washed clothes for a year, so we're coming over!

the Bag Lady said...

C'mon over and try it out - see if you like it!!

(A whole year's worth of laundry? Better bring a lot of beer! :)

Anonymous said...

We had a front loader in Germany and I LOVED it! My next washer will be the front loading kind. I just have to wait a few more years.
God Save the Queen!
I spent my weekend in Texas, with 2 girlfriends in a rented house on a lake. Drinking. It rained (in Texas and here at home, too).
Our kickoff to summer is next weekend (Memorial Day). It is tradition for it to rain, and so far the forecast is cooperating!

the Bag Lady said...

kcinnova - I'm jealous of your girly weekend! That sounds like a hoot.
The best I can do this weekend is a little Bailey's in my coffee! And I'm surrounded by stinky guys. Sheesh.

JavaChick said...

My sister (in Nova Scotia) went camping. We had sun on Saturday, but yesterday and today it poured down rain. No camping for me! I was happy to have a relaxing weekend at home though; I've been really tired and needed some time to relax.

the Bag Lady said...

JavaChick - a relaxing weekend at home is always good! Hope you got some rest.

Geosomin said...

I spent the day relaxing and bbqing...it was chilly but relaxing. We got the snow a few days earlier.

the Bag Lady said...

Geo - it's snowing gangbusters here right now. *sob*

P.O.M. said...

Visa is my friend these days. Althought I will probably hate her at the end of the month when I see the damage.

the Bag Lady said...

Hi, POM! I haven't used VISA for so many years, I was afraid she would have forsaken me.... guess not.

I'm taking the Scarlett O'Hara approach to this - I'll think about it tomorrow (or whenever the bill comes!)