A day in the life of.......

Every day is a lesson in life, whether we want it or not!

2011-01-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

"Good judgment is learning from your mistakes,

which are usually caused by bad judgment"

Sunday - When you see Christmas chocolates on sale for 50% off, don't buy a box to take to friday's card game night, because it won't last that long in your house, even if you hide it in your desk drawer.

Monday - When your child loses his coat in school and can't find it for weeks, remind him to check the gym.

Tuesday - when shovelling snow, if there's a sudden wind, stop shovelling and wait for it to pass.....do NOT, under any circumstances, throw the shovel load into the wind.

Wednesday - You can't hang shelves with only two hands.

Thursday - When the overnight snowfall is 10 cm, and your teenager refuses to wear boots, don't even bother shovelling a path for him to the car while you are waiting for it to warm up, he doesn't care if he has wet feet for the rest of the day and doesn't care if you care that he has wet feet; he would rather you didn't care that he has wet feet.

Can't wait to see what I learn next!

flickr credits here

Room With a View Please

2011-01-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

There's something to be said for being happy with the place in which you live

Sometimes I think that if I ever won the lottery

(As my better half is positive we will one day)

I wouldn't want to move

I like my property

Its not ocean view

that would be kinda hard as the nearest ocean is a 6 hour drive from here

Its not even lakeview

although I live in an area where you can't drive for 15 minutes without seeing a lake

But its 10 acres and all ours

(at least it will be in 7 years when the bank is paid out)

Our street has four 10 acre parcels on it

2 belong to our neighbour - we can just see his lights through the trees at night

1 to us

and the last parcel is just forest

belonging to somebody who may one day build there

I even like our house

although its kinda small and is technically a mobile home

I suppose I'd consent to building a new house

But there are more memories here

I am satisfied

More than satisfied

I love my home

And there's a lot to be said for that.

Missed moments

2011-01-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

As photographers

(and I use that term very loosely with respect to myself)

We do capture some great times

Sometimes though
We are just not prepared
And we miss moments that won't ever return

The other day my mom and my 16 year old

Were watching a hockey game
The Canucks just may make to the Cup this year
The possibility is there anyways

Anyhow, mom & Trevor are great Canuck fans

And were watching the game as I sat nearby reading or knitting
Or whatever I was doing - it doesn't matter

The Canucks scored a goal

First goal of the game
And my mom and my son yelled and jumped out of their seats halfway to the ceiling
(Keep in mind my mom is 70)

They turned and gave each other a high five

It was so special to see

We didn't even mention it later
It was just one of those things
That they will probably remember for the rest of their lives

The day grandma and I watched a hockey game
The day my grandson and I watched a hockey game

For that moment in time, 16 and 70 were united in a common love

A Narrow Escape

2011-01-01T15:48:00.001-08:00

No matter how hard we try

We can't keep their wings clipped forever

Sooner or later they have to fly

Preferably later rather than sooner

My boy's friend , a girl friend but not a girlfriend

Is moving to Edmonton to live nearer to her dad

She didn't want to go alone

And so asked Jeremy to go with her

no no no no no no no no no

But you can't say no to an 18 year old

Because that automatically means yes

As far as I'm concerned, he's too young

He has a good job here

He's saving his money here

Edmonton is an 8 hour drive from here

He won't have anyone to snowboard or bike with

He will have to bus to work

It's darn cold there!!

The more reasons we give

The more determined he becomes

Then, plans changed

the moving date changed from the 28th to th 30th to the 3rd

I think he started having some doubts

but wouldn't give in

After much soul searching (I hope)

He decided to hold out a little longer

And I...

I can hold on a little longer

But I know I have to get rid of my clippers

Soon

Mrs. Scrooge??

2010-12-29T10:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over

THANK YOU!!

Only a few more days until I can clean Christmas up and stick it in the shed

for another year.

I am not a Christmas person

Not a holiday person of any sort

I much prefer ordinary days

However,

there are some parts of Christmas that I do like,

One of those being my village.

That is one of the things I wish I could keep up all year round.

If I had a bigger house, I would devote one room to a village

I've always loved making miniatures

Model train sets, Lego villages, doll houses

So, this would be my favourite Christmas "tradition"

I do want to make a Christmas scrapbook

the pages featuring my favourite ornaments and other parts of Christmas that I do enjoy

So as I pack away Christmas for another year,

I may have to photograph the special things

Because, although I started out writing as Mrs Scrooge

I have to concede that

even I

enjoy some parts of Christmas.

And if that wasn't a rambling conglomeration of thoughts with no direction to them whatsoever

Then I don't know what it was

Apologies!!

Harlem Crowns

2010-12-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

A night on the town

At the expense of the P.S.O. boys basketball team

The Harlem Crowns

A downscaled version of the Harlem Globetrotters

This is my son warming up ....little does he know!!

These guys were absolutely hilarious

They had the girls laughing at the boys

The little kids laughing at those big teenagers

The parents laughing while trying to hold their cameras steady

The refs had to throw the rule book out

And the boys were able to laugh at themselves

After they got through with being embarrassed

If these guys come to your town

And you need a laugh

You've got to go

And if your kid thinks his team can beat them cause they can beat all the local schools

Tell him to think again!

because these guys will run circles around

Those big macho invincible

testosterone overloaded

High School Boys!

Biting off more than he can chew

2010-11-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

Monty, my big brave dog
*

He loves to play

Hasn't got a mean bone in his body

But it seems he has no sense of danger

Either that or he likes to live on the edge

Cause a big cow moose

with her baby nearby

Is not the best play mate

I guess he's like me

And lives for danger!!

(And, this is not the best laid out post

But my intentions were good

I've been at it for over an hour

And I need to get dinner on

And that's why I stopped blogging in the first place

So, sorry I didn't get a chance

to visit the rest of you

I'll get to it

I promise)

The real McCoy

2010-11-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

I'm a dollar store fan

I could probably spend more in a dollar store than in a fine clothing store

Last week I saw these snowflake window clingons

And since I don't know what happened to the ones I had last year

I picked up a couple

Then the weatherman said that our unseasonably warm November was coming to an end

Arctic air was heading our way

Bringing snow and cold temperatures

I don't mind either, after all,

We were long overdue

The thermometer dropped steadily every day

Snow shovels, boots, mitts and toques were brought out

Cars and trucks were being plugged in over night

And

I didn't need those dollar store clingons

Jack Frost did my windows for me!!

I'm back

2010-11-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

I think I may give this blogging another shot. I've probably lost any followers I had, and I haven't got anything awe-inspiring to say today, and I forget how this even works, but, what the hey, we'll see where this takes me

Sun, o glorious sun!!

2010-04-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

There are lots of "feelgood" sensations

To me, one of the best ones by far

Is the warmth of the spring sunshine on my bare arms.

The first day of the year that I can be outside

in just a T-shirt

And not have to shiver

To feel the spring sun's warmth on my skin.

To lay on the trampoline & watch my son try to convince Monty to bring the ball back

To gaze around my yard and think of all the projects I have for this year

To lay my head down on my warm arms,

close my eys,

and give into the sun.

MMMMmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Wishing you all sunny days ahead!!

Only the best

2010-04-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be great if we could choose, before we are born

which of our parents' characteristics we wanted?

If we could, in effect, from a limited list,

choose who we are to be?

What would you choose?

From my mom, I would choose

creativity

the ability to speak up for myself

the ability to make friends easily

to connect with strangers

honesty

determination

sense of family

and her pleasure at simple things

From my Dad I would choose

knowledge

humour

down to earthedness

determination

honesty

openess with affection

creativity

sense of preconception

and being secure in the knowledge that he can do anything he sets his mind to

What would you choose??

image credit here

Look what I see!!

2010-04-08T09:07:00.001-07:00

Can spring really be here??

The pussy willows seem to think so

(And, if I do say so myself, this is a great picture in which my camera behaved as it should)

Can it be...can it really be......my tulips coming up!!

(Tulips in the garden, tulips in the park, but my favorite tulips, are two lips in the dark)

((sorry, that was written in my gr. 9 yearbook, have never forgotten some of those!))

And, even the daffoldils seem to believe its time to wake up

(And my camera was not behaving here!)

Green onions grow plentifully here, probably because no many other kinds of vegetables do.
You won't see any cucumbers or lettuces or cabbages in our neck of the woods!

What do I predict will be my biggest garden pest this year??

Monty!

Playing in the last remaining snow patches

Or so I thought until I got up this morning

and opened my bedroom curtains!!

Hopefully, by the end of the day, it will be all gone,

allthough, as I look out my window at 9:45, it's still snowing lightly

That's okay, its just because I, along with half, make it three quarters, of our town

took our snow tires off last week.

'Till next time!

Life gets in the way

2010-04-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass,

It's about learning to dance in the middle of it"

I've been kind of in and out of storms lately

Once in a while there's an hour or two when the sun breaks through

Then the gales come back in double force

Its been hard to hold my breath

And then to keep breathing again

This has put me behind in my schoolwork

(Didn't feel like doing much of anything last week)

So now I'm playing catchup

I'm going to play a quick catchup in blogland

'Cause darn it all, I miss you all!

((xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox))

photo credit here

Happy Weekend!!

2010-03-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

We don't get many rainy days here, but today we are having one, half mixed with snow. I had an adorable, cheerful, pink picture I had cut out of a magazine to scan in and post on just a day like today, but my scanner does not always like my firewall protection, and is being finicky. So, I took these out of an email I received, and, without further adieu, Happy Weekend to all!!!!!!

Hump Day (as in over the hump of midweek)

2010-03-24T10:38:00.001-07:00

Coffee and the paper

That's my wednesday morning ritual.

Good rituals are good habits

Wednesdays are the days that our local paper comes out.

Most often I go to town,

Pick up the paper, go to Timmie's (Tim Hortons, for you uncanadians)

Have a coffee & a bagel & the paper.

This morning I didn't go to town,

But still had my ritual.

(I may need 2 cups this morning)

I have almost an unreasonable anticipation for wednesdays

There is hardly ever anything in the paper that I didn't already know

Small towns being what they are

I already knew about the state of the timber industry, the new drama lady who had come to town, the fact that we will likely have a harsh fire season because of the dry winter, the occurance of the banker's variety show this past weekend, that there had been a charge in the sinking of the "Queen of the North" in which 2 local residents were never found, that the grad fashion show is coming up, that the Taskeo mine project is controversial, that local teenager Taya is in the children's hospital with cancer, that Art had turned 90, and that our friend Bud had died peacfully.

I did not know that an impaired driver drove into the ditch, that a home in Forest Grove had burnt down because of a chimney fire, that the Garlic Festival was being resurrected, that 2 local girls had been invitied to play in an elite Vancouver spring hocky league, that there had been a fire drill at the junior high, or that the South Cariboo Idol search is underway.

I do know that this post will likely have bored you all to tears.

Sorry 'bout that.

That's life in a small town.

And I love it.

(What I don't know is why when I tab to the next line, there is a space between the lines, does anyone else know??)

listen to me, go away, i hate you, dont leave me

2010-03-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

how do i deal with them

those demons in the night

i toss and turn

they wont leave me alone

these demons in the night

they settle in my head

and whisper in my ear

do it do it do it do it

no one will know

my soul screams in return

at those demons in the night

my hair is twisted

my pillows are balled up

i'm tangled in the sheets

my cat takes off tired of my thrashing about

will they go away tonight

will i give in to them

or can i appease them for one more night

they know my weaknesses so well

those demons in the night

they know the inner me

the real me

the me that hides away from the world

the me that no one really believes is me

they know just where to find me

they know just what to do

they know more than i

because i know not what to do

why am i me

why cant i just be

why wont they let me be

they exhaust me

i want to give in

temporary measures are temporary bandaids

and just don't cut it

thoughts of my children

help me to fight them off

my children

if i didnt have them

i wouldnt be here

tonight i say to them

those demons in the night

go away let me sleep you dont need to feed on me

not tonight

let me put you off for one more night

i will not give in to you tonight

and tomorrow will be a new day

Launched

2010-03-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

Trevor's Acting Debut

Some of you may remember a post I wrote in August

featuring my son & his first acting class,

& his ultimate goal of being a professional actor.

One of the disadvantages of our small town way up north,

Is the lack of options for that kind of thing.

We are, after all, 5 hours north of "Hollywood North"

aka Vancouver.

Yes, they have drama classes in school,

but because I wanted him to take a "learning strategies" class,

Trevor was not able to take drama this year.

Anyways, this wonderful gal named Sheila moved to town

Her loves are teenagers and acting

And she opened a drama "business" (for lack of a better word)

And put on a spring break drama camp, every afternoon for 2 weeks.

The kids wrote a play, produced it, did "head shots" & practiced auditioning.

Some did it for the fun of it, but for Trevor it was serious stuff.

He blossomed & bloomed in the compliments,

And his self-esteem rose up through the roof.

He played a grumpy, mouthy, teenaged murder suspect,

which, I have to admit,

wasn't a great stretch of the imagination for him.

But he did it well, I was proud of him,

and best of all....

He was proud of himself.

Mirror Mirror on the wall....Who's the prettiest of them all?

2010-03-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

"My mommy's the prettiest girl in the world"

"Well, my mommy's prettier than even a princess!"

"My mommy's prettier than all the princesses in the whole wide world"

Remember those days?

The days when fathers were heroes and mothers were goddesses?

Doesn't seem like all that long ago.

And I know that reality sets in as toddlers turn into teenagers.

And we're not quite as high on that pedestal as we once were.

Still....

You're reasonably sure you're not,

the ugliest creature on our little blue planet,

Third from the sun

Then your teenager says to you....

"Mom, don't you wish you were as pretty as Demi Lovato?"

That's the nudge that knocks you right off of any precarious hold

you still had on the aforementioned pedestal!!

demi lovato

2010-03-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

Please ignore my fiddling around...I am trying to figure out how the heck to make this picture bigger.

2010-03-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to focus on the main thing lately...

rather...

the main things..(with an s)

Problem being, I have too many main things.

I have had to sort through my life

And look at my priorities

Unfortunately,

Blogging has not been able to be one of them

That doesn't mean I've gone for good

Nor that I don't think of you all, and wonder how you're all doing

'Cause I surely do.

And it doesn't mean I've gone for good,

Hopefully when spring break is over, I'll have a bit more time

For my creative self,

For now though,

my spirit flies on the wind of focus

(Is there such a thing?)

Show & Tell

2010-02-19T16:34:00.000-08:00

Some of you that follow my blog

Also follow my cousin Dagmar's

She commented on mine the other day

Remembering when we were kids

///

I was looking through my pictures,

I wanted to find something to crete a new header with

Also a new avatar.

\\\

I came upon this:

///

Dagmar & I and the rest of our cousins on that side of the family.

Can you pick us out?

(Hint...we're the oldest

Well, except for the one in the red T-Shirt - our Aunt Tonny,

who passed away a few months ago.)

\\\

This was probably one of the only times we were all together,

As they all live in Holland,

And my brother & I grew up in Ontario.
We were on a holiday in Holland

And it was my 9th birthday

///

I was so incredibly shy

With all these cousins, who grew up blocks away from each other

I hardly knew them,

couldn't talk to them very well.

As we got older, they learned english & I learned dutch

And communication became a little easier

\\\

I remember another time in Holland...I was 14,

we were in a deli, & I got up the nerve to ask, in dutch, for a "vlees-kroket"

(A yummy dutch meaty deep-fried thing [who's spelling I probably butchered]that I never get enough of and if you could send frozen meat products in the mail Dagmar would be mailing me every month)

And they laughed at me.

All in good fun, but I was mortified.

It took a long time before I dared to do that again!

///

But in this picture, Dagmar & I are obviously sharing some kind of joke..

Don't ask me what it was...

Maybe Dagmar remembers

(She's younger than me, so has a better memory...

That's my story & I'm sticking to it)

\\\

Anyways, the pointof this story,

Well, there isn't one

I just wanted to have a

"show and tell" day!

///

\\\

///

2010-02-18T18:59:00.000-08:00

Caterpillar in a tree

How you wonder who you'll be

Can't go far but you can dream

Wish you may and wish you might

Don't you worry, hold on tight

I promise you that there will come a day

Butterfly fly away

Flap your wings now you can't stay

Take those dreams and make them all come true

Butterfly fly away

We've been waiting for this day

All along and knowing just what to do

Butterfly, butterfly, fly away

Isn't that a tearjerker?

My son is graduating this year, and any verses I hear about growing up & growing out

Make my chest all tight inside.

You know the feeling.

I can't take credit for the song, its Miley Cyrus's,

And the Flickr credits are here

But as I passed by my son on his computer

On my way to toss a piece of wood in the stove,

(not the one who's graduating, the younger one)

He was singing to this

And I've heard him sing it a thousand times before

But this time it caught my ear

And I had to come back into my office & write it down.

Olympamania

2010-02-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

(No, I don't like this layout, I'll have to mess around with it when I have time)

There's got to be some parable about people following each other blindly to their deaths

Like lemmings over the cliffs

I' just to lazy to go searching for one

I did just spend more than 1/2 an hour

Looking for pictures to accompany this post

Without any luck.

People must be so crazy over it all,

They haven't had time to upload their pictures

So you'll have to listen to my rant & rave without them

Except for this one:

I'm sure the world knows

that the Olmpics are being held in Vancouver this year

My home province

I wouldn't go anywhere near the place

Even if I was paid big money to do so.

I have nothing against the Olympics per se,

Nothing against a celebration & competition of amateurs at sports

Nor am I unpatriotic

I am proud to be Canadian

And wouldn't have it any other way

What I am against is the gross commercialism

The gross misrepresentation of government over the last 10 years

Of how much money was to be spent

The schools that are being closed all over the province,

Because of budget cuts

The rural areas that "don't count anyways"

6 years olds having to spend 2 hours each day in the school bus

The cuts in medical care

Women in labour having to travel over 120 km.,

To deliver a normal, no risk baby

Because our hospital cannot afford to emply an anesthesiologist

The Vancouver Public Library

having to put masking tape

over all the labels of the electronic equipment they own

which is not manufactured by Panasonic

Because Panasonic is an Olympic sponsor

People being asked to refrain from wearing any clothing or drinking any beverage in public

That bears the logo of any competitor

To any Olympic sponsors

Those are just to name a few

I simply cannot grasp the mindset

Of the thousands of people celebrating right now

Downown Vancouver,

Only a block away from Canada'a poorest district

Filled with homeless, forgotten, drug addicted human beings

That everyone tries to sweep under the rug.

Have they all been brainwashed?

A lot of the people I speak with

Feel the same way I do

So it was surprising to hear of the large turnout

As the torch passed through my hometown.

I've never been one to involve myself in protest rallies

But I am so utterly and vehmently opposed to this

That if I lived in the Vancouver area,

I would protest with all my might.

Consider this my protest.

Viva La Canada!

My Old Man

2010-02-03T09:40:00.000-08:00

Today he turns 50

That old man of mine

"You're only as old as you feel"

He always says

How does it feel

To be 50?

That's like, half a century

Half a dollar

He was 26 when we met

(Almost half of 50)

I thought he was old then,

I was 17

Eons ago

Half a lifetime ago

We've changed since then

Both of us

For better or worse

We're not who we used to be

For better or worse

His daughters, 5 & 3 at the time

Are grown women

Our sons

In a few years, will be grown men

We've built a life since then

Moved away from the city

Built a life in the Cariboo Country

The place we call home

We've bought & sold homes & cars & trucks & vans

Along with kids, we've raised

Dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, birds & fish

One thing that hasn't changed

Is our committment to each other

We're not as "lovey dovey" as we used to be

And I miss that

But our love has always been there

To pull us through

My old man

I love you

Guilty as Charged

2010-01-29T13:05:00.000-08:00

Look at this adorable guy
His big brown eyes, in which I detect a hint of defiance

His "please love me 'cause I'm so darn cute" expression

Also his "I'm innocent, I didn't do it"
expression

Uh huh.

Let me back up a bit.
We have a big property, 10 acres.
About half an acre of that is a fenced-in dog pen, built by the previous owners.
It kept our older dog contained for the 6 years he was with us here.

Monty, however, learned at about 6 months how to pull the wire fencing lower down and clamber over it.
No amount of reinforcing will keep him in..
He absolutley hates being away from me and won't put up with it.
Which is why the pen could be useful, because if I have to go out somewhere where I can't take him along, he won't "stay", but will follow me down the road.

The other night my son & I went to the movies. I had put Monty in the kitchen with his usual night-time barricades in place.
He was not impressed.
He pushed over the wooden-chair gate, & got into the living room.

When I got home, I saw what he had done, gave him shit (which was probably useless at that point), put him out & took some pictures, intending to share them with y'all.
Alas, I didn't know at the time that my camera card was not in the camera

So, I can't share the pictures unless I re-create the mess--------
plant stand pulled down & chewed on, pot of lilies emptied & half digested, lotion oozing out of its punctured tube,
and,
that innocent face.

Use your imagination!

You'd Think........

2010-01-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

This is my kitchen stove.

Nothing special, somewhat outdated.

Not likely to get a new one till this one finally goes kaput

And since things were made better a few decades ago,

That's not likely to happen.

Seen it all before, right?

This is my kitchen stove from a differnt angle

Not so flattering, right?

Those pretty little things

Designed to hide the ugly coil elements

Those handy little things called burner covers.

They are my nemesis

If you've ever bought them,

Take note that the package does not come with a warning,

an advisory,

A do not handle if incompetent disclaimer.

You know why that is?

Because they know that simple-minded folks like me

Who refuse to learn from their mistakes,

Will make the same mistake over and over.

And they will profit.

At least once a month, when I'm making some delectable delight,

I'll have turned my back for an instant.

Maybe to go water a plant or two,

Or fold a couple towels,

Or do any of the other number of things that women do

When we are "multi-tasking"

Suddenly, the air is pierced by the screech of the smoke alarm.

I instantly know what happened.

Into the kitchen I run,

Pull the pan off the burner

Burn my fingers trying to flick it off

Cause where the heck did all the oven mitts and kitchen towels disappear to?

The cover lands on the floor

The dog tries to lick it as I keep him away with one foot

(Thank god I have no little kids crawling around in the way)

I may get a nice little moon-shaped tattoo

On the floor.

Matches the other ones.

But, I do learn from my mistakes

I do, I swear I do!!!

Because tucked in a cupboard

I have all the other covers I bought at the same time.

I may not be the brightest crayon in the box,

But

I have foresight!

(And maybe some stock in the burner cover makers' companies

Might not be a bad idea!)

And, by the way, I did not format this in the run-on style with no breaks between the paragraphs in which it appears.

My blog has a mind of its own!

The Mirror

2010-01-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

When I look in the mirror

Who's that I see?

That's not me

Looking back at me.

That's my facade

It's the cover of my book

It's the cloak surrounding me

I'm buried there

Way underneath the wrappings

Hiding that me

Call it ironic,

But only those

who don't give a damn about me

are allowed to see me

The real me

To allow those who care

To have more than a passing glimpse

Is too much of a chance

For the real me

A risk I won't take

I am the Master of Disguise

the expert at Hide 'n Go Seek

The hidden object in Hot or Cold

The elusive goal in I Spy

I am me

Not the me in the mirror

But the real me

I'm honoured!

2010-01-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

I have been honoured by two nominations for the kreativ blogger award. My dear cousin Dagmar, and our friend in blogland Debbie (Ols). Thank-you so much Dagmar & Debbie! In order to accept this, there are some steps I must follow:

1. Thank the person who sent you the award.....done
2. Copy the award to this blog.....done
3. Place a link to that blog....ok, hang on...done
4. Name 7 things people don't know about you.....oh boy! To follow.
5. Nominate 7 bloggers whom you admire....that will be tough, only 7?
6. Place a link to these bloggers...will do.
7. Identify these bloggers of their award.....will do that too.

Okay........7 things people don't know about me:
This is really hard, the things that people don't know about me is because I don't want people to know them about me! But in the spirit of the award, I will list a few "less damaging to my reputation" ones!

1. I like Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus)
2. My dad is my hero
3. I would like to try being a hermit for a month
4. I can live with most kinds of music, pop & folk are my favourites, but I abhor country! It just makes me wince.
5. I suffer from BPD, and struggle daily with it.
6. I still have all my childhood collections....stamps, dolls, cigar bands, joker cards, post cards, rocks, books.
7. I couldn't care less about nutrition, just give me what tastes good!

Sheesh, that was tough. Okay, bloggers I admire:

I admire all of you because you are all so unique and talented in your own ways and you all open up your world to us all. But, since I have to choose 7, here they are in no particular order:
1. Holly at "Your mother knows but won't tell you so I will"
2. Beth at "Be yourself, Everyone else is taken"
3. Dagmar at "Barefoot from Heaven"
4. Jeanie at "The Marmalade Gypsy"
5. Mrs. E at "Easy Street"
6. Peter at "A Fine Thought"
7. Kamana at "Journalling Through Photos"

I thank all of you who take the time to share yourselves!

All out of words

2010-01-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

I don't have any clever words today

I am a person of little words to begin

Never could get the knack of small talk

And the thought of talking with strangers

Fills me with dread

These pics are of the same waterfall

Which I took in the fall

And promised to take again

When it was frozen.

The perspective isn't great I notice

They look much smaller than they actually are

Even with Monty in front

The tiny footprints at the bottom help a bit

It was eerie walking through there
The creek, usually bubbling like crazy
Sometimes even a small river
Is silent under its icy covering
Except for the occasional burp
Which made Monty jump everytime
How to explain to him that the ground is not crumbling awa
under his feet?

Anyhow, enjoy the good life!
Till next time.

Up for Air

2010-01-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

Its all over

The hustle & bustle

The messes & the beauty

The trimmings and the trappings

I can breathe

My house is back to normal

(except for the rows of pretty Christmas cards

that I don't want to take down yet...besides, I'm still expecting a few latecomers..

ahem, ahem Dagmar..but you're forgiven because although I missed your birthday, I did not forget!)

I can breathe

The tree is outside in the snowbank

Offering its remaining tinsel to the birds

I can walk barefoot in my living room again

Without sharp little fir needles piercing my feet

I can breathe

The cookies and the fruitcake are all gone

As are the turkey soup, the turkey sandwiches, the turkey pie

and the turkey casserole

And even that little bit of cranberry sauce that got shoved to the back of the fridge and crusted over

And I can breathe

I am going to find time tomorrow to catch up on all your posts

I promise

And I will breathe some more

Safe in the knowledge that I'm

..........hold your breath now......

ALL CAUGHT UP!!

flickr credit here

Sunny with a 50% Chance of Flowers

2009-12-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

For a whole year I kept two Christmas plants

Amaryllis, and her adopted brother, Cactus

Tucked away in the dark closet

Keeping them so dry they must've believed they were in the Sahara

Must've thought I had forgotten them

In the glory of summer's gardens.

Then, when my plastic stick and the paper note,

taped to the inside of my cupboard door

Said it was time,

I brought them out

Though still in a cool location with at least 12 out of 24 hours of darkness

Just as I was told by the foremen,

Mr. Stick,

& his equal partner in the business,

Mr. Paper.

Watering them sparingly,

As one would give water sparingly

to a man

About to die of thirst

So as not to overwhelm them

With too much of a good thing.

Amaryllis began to grow her long green leaves

So fast that I could almost watch them stretch out longer every day

Christmas Cactus began to show little pink blushes

on the ends of his darker green leaves

Then it came time to bring them out

To put them where they would hopefully

Display their full glory in colour

Cactus was ever so grateful to be out in the brightness again

And showed his appreciation by spreading wide his lovely red petals

Amaryllis grows ever longer

Somehow though,

I don't have much faith in her

She's a little more revengeful

And won't let me forget the long lonely months

She spent banished to the closet.

There was one more though;

One who was treated differently from the others

Pointsetta, left over from last Christmas

Was left out in the open all year long

I watered her, gave her light.

Allowed her to take part

As spring turned to summer, and fall turned to winter

She grew bigger and never lost its greenness

I was proud of her

Not many would've done as she did

Sadly though

She was so used to being the only child

She couldn't face the competition

Of the showy new addition to the clan

Within 5 days of her bigger brighter sibling coming home

She shrivelled up and died.

I felt her pain,

and my guilt.

Sibling rivalry can be rough.

But most of us learn

To love our fellow man,

And yes, even our siblings,

Even though we may feel jealous of their beauty

Isn't that what Christmas is about?

-The End-

Thankful in the Dark

2009-12-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

"The moon was abreast on the new-fallen snow

Gave a lustre of midday to objects below"

Those two lines of "The Night Before Christmas"

Often run through my head

I never gave them much meaning,

Just a part of another Christmas Story

Memorized by children before they can read it

But lately, I have been thinking of how apt they really are

As I walk through the night in the new-fallen snow

When there's a full moon, there really is a luster of daylight

To objects below

And what to my wondering eyes should appear?

(No, not a miniture sleigh and eight tiny reindeer)

But a really big moose, with no reasons for fear!

I stopped in my tracks

To my dog gave a whistle

And away the moose bolted

Like the down of a thistle

I continue onward,

Monty now securely on his leash

As the moose may not feel like playing

with an exhuberant full-grown but puppy-minded dog

And as I head home

I give thanks that I live in a part of the world

Where one can walk at night

Guided only by the moonlight or starlight

Sure of the ground beneath my feet

With no fears of muggers or rapists or serial killers

The only thing I have to be aware of

is making sure I don't startle those moose!

This is a terribly fragmented post

But I don't apologize

Its how it came out of my mind

and how it stayed.

None of these are my photos,

I don't usually bring my camera at night

One of these nights I should,

But I don't have the photographic skills

to do the beauty justice.

credits here and here and here

I Heard How Your Day is Going........

2009-12-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

First you had trouble getting out of bed,

You had a stiff neck.

You washed your hair and couldn't do a thing with it

Your new diet really doesn't seem to be working out

You pulled a muscle when you tried to exercise

And your new hat looked better on you at the store

You keep misplacing things

You got caught in the rain at lunchtime

Then the lunch you had didn't seem to agree with you

You feel trapped

Uninvited guests showed up at dinner time

On top of that you think you're coming down with the flu

And when you're finally relaxing alone at night, you think you hear a noise in the basement!

Just remember, handle every stressful situation like a dog,

if you can't eat it or play with it,

Just pee on it and walk away.

The magic number

2009-12-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

Most of us don't like the cold
Not the kind that makes your nostrils stick together,
The kind that makes it impossible to take a big breath
The kind that freezes your water pipes if you forget to plug the heating tape in
Makes your car impossible to start if you forget to plug the block heater in
and forms ice on the insides of your windows.

But there is a select group of the human race
(okay, that part is debatebable)
who pray at night, if its going to be cold anyways,
dear god, please let it be -32C.

For -32C is that magic number that all kids look forward to
They peer out the window every 20 minutes all evening
Excited at every drop in the temperature
Even the teenagers
More excited than the on night before christmas

Kids who live in less wintery parts of the country
Sometimes get "snow days"
A day off school because the inch of snow that fell overnight
Has completely snarled the traffic

We don't get snow days.
We are prepared and accustomed to it
We prefer driving in the snow
Because it fills up the potholes in the road

But we do get "cold days"
When the mercury drops below that magic number - -32C
The powers that be have decided that is the point
To call it off

And,
today is a cold day!

I'm late, I'm late, I forgot the date!!

2009-12-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

One cannot manage too many affairs

Like pumpkins in the water

One pops up while you try to hold down the other

(Chinese proverb)

To do two things at once

Is to do neither

(Publius Syrus)

Take care of the minutes

and the hours will take care of themselves

(Lord Chesterfield)

I am overextending myself

I cannot say no

I am close to using the stress management skills

Which have been tried and true

But are unhealthy all the same.

Instead, I am using my blogging

If I'm not careful,

Like a spent bulb

I will soon burn out

(But I will visit your blogs as soon as I can, I miss y'all!)

Poss...the ImPossible

2009-11-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

I know I have mentioned my Poss......Possum that is.

Let me paint a picture:

I am trying desperately to finish the chapter I'm working on......Microsoft Word...Boring!

Almost anything is a welcome distraction.

Possum decides to help me out.

He does his graceful cat leap onto my desk, and settles onto my binder.

I pet his head and turn back to the keyboard.

He wants attention.

He hooks his claw into my sweater,

pushes his head under my chin

(giving me a noseful of hair on the way)

I tell him he can't be doing that cause I really need to work.

He gives me the most utter look of contempt

Turns his back to me

Lifts his hind quarter

And begins his hourly cleaning ritual,

showing me what he thinks of me.

Butt end first.

Of course.

End Note: As I finish this, T comes home from school, checks his Facebook first thing.

(He's grounded from the computer but I let him on for 5 minutes to do that.)

I hear a crash

And a yell

"POSSUM"

"What did he do?"

I holler at him,

Curious because of what I am writing.

"He knocked the speaker behind the desk

Where I can't reach it....

and...

He didn't even say sorry!"

So, Mr. Poss, you don't have to wonder why I posted these embarrasing and unflattering pictures of you, (which definitely do not show your handsome side,)

On the World Wide Web

For everyone to see!

The Good For You Lesson (aka Healthy Living)

2009-11-18T12:59:00.000-08:00

First, I will explain my absences, which are not going to end anytime soon, unfortunately.
I am back to school....which involves 30 hours a week, plus my home business hours, which are 2-3 a day, plus family, housework, me time....you get the idea.

More on that later.

It so happened that today I could devote my morning to studies...3 hours.

Things I learned this morning....

Don't fall back asleep after the kids have gone to school
After one hour of computer learning, take a 5 minute break
Use that break to perform small household tasks.....put away a load of laundry, fill sink with hot water & dirty dishes, feed the dog, sweep the kitchen floor, etc.
Don't grab a snack out of the cupboard everytime you get up
At lunchtime, don't give in to the desire to take that nap you missed this morning, find your boots, toque, mitts, and go for a bushwhacking walk. Your dog will love you for it.
During that bushwhack, you may find within 15 minutes of your home, a beautiful view that even after 7 years you didn't even know was there! (note to self..take camera next time)(note to self again...I bet Dagmar knew it was there!)
When you get home, having 2 pudding cups would destroy any benefits of the walk & just make you feel guilty....you'll feel better after having some carrot sticks.
Finally, get back to the job at hand.

Blinded by the Light

2009-11-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

Its all in the wording.

In the adjectives you choose.

Stark or Striking?

Golden or Glum?

Isolating or Inspriring?

Its all in the attitude

I'll never be happy here

I'll never get the job

I'll never have enough money

I'll never meet Mr. Perfect

I'll never kick the habit

As T.V.'s Jake Harper says

"Not with that attitude you won't"

Time Wasted

2009-11-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

I am one of those people who go by the adages

"If you have nothing to do,

Don't do it here"

and

"Idle hands are the devil's workshop"

and

"To fill the hour, that is happiness"

So, I was not happy that I slept away the last two weekends, that's four days!

Think of what I could've gotten done!

I could've finished my cross-stitch stocking

Finished my summer scrapbook

Pulled all the solar lights out by the driveway

So they don't get in the way of the snow shovel & get ruined

Washed the dog

Blogged

Gone for a walk or two

Attended the craft fair in town

I suppose I could've even vaccuumed, washed, & dusted

(How likely is that though?)

Now those four days. never mind the evenings of the days between those two weekends

Are gone forever

Curses to the God of the Flu!

May he never return!

I really do apologize for the constant theme of my last few posts

Next time will be better

I know - Famous last words

But they're true I say!

They're true!

Sometimes I Get it Right

2009-11-05T14:14:00.001-08:00

Most often,
when it comes to scheduling out of town appointments,
If you need to do 3 different things,
You can count on 3 different days.

Not often does it all fall into place
As easily as it did yesterday...

My son needed to go to the orthodontist to get his braces off,
Then wait 4 hours while they made his retainer
And come back.
He also needed a follow-up CT Scan
From his springtime accident
(which thank-god, is hardly more than a memory now)
Besides that, I needed to take an "Accuplacer" Exam
Which, put simply, is an exam to prove to the funding department that since I graduated more than 20 years ago,
I am still smart enough to succeed in upgrading my education

All this needed to be done in Williams Lake, an hour & 15 minutes drive from here
(If you do the speed limit......so it doesn't take me quite that long)
So I, by some stroke of good fortune,
Managed to get it all booked for the same day.
The Gods were shining on me.

The only kink in the armour was that I am still slowly recovering from the flu,
And can barely keep my eyes open & my body upright for more that 2 hours at a time.
Whether or not its H1N1 we don't know as the docs have given up testing everyone
They just hand out the presriptions for Tamiflu
Which didn't even help.

But there was no way I'd get all those planets lined up so perfectly again,
So I told Jeremy, make sure you've got your license,
Cause I may not be able to drive the whole way.

Anyways,
The braces came off,
The exam was written (& passed with flying colours except for the algebra part)
The CT Scan was done
New snowboard bindings were bought
The Superstore was visited
And the retainer was fitted & placed.

Supposedly, when I am supervising Jeremy driving,
I'm not supposed to fall asleep.
Well, it doesn' exactly say not to in the manual,
But its probably one of those "givens"
I couldn't help it,
and anyways,
we made it home in one piece.

And I went to bed!

Williams Lake, BC

Its here

2009-11-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

We may live out in the in the boonies
But it came anyways
As we all knew it would.....
Eventually.
It just took a little longer to find us is all
But it's here now

Rampidly & rapidly making up for lost time
In our town
In our schools...
and
In our home

Tagging Baby Bears

2009-10-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law sent me a link to this video, which happens to be on another blogger's website. I don't know how to add the video to my blog, I think I have to somehow save it to a file and then put it in, but I don't work with videos and I haven't got a lot of time right now to do that.

So, I'll just post the link, that should work too.

To watch an amzing video of collaring and tagging baby bears who are so little their eyes aren't open yet, for the means of tracking them in a Provincial Park, not for any hunting or injury purposes, that you all just HAVE to see, click here.

The Hard Lesson of Equations

2009-10-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Last night my husband was at work, one son was at his girlfriend's, and the other went to a friend's at the last minute.

I was home alone for dinner.
Yeah! I don't have to cook tonight!
I can eat whatever I want!
That's where the trouble began.

I knew one thing I wanted for sure...a bag of Maynard's Wine Gums
I went to the corner store
(which is not really on a corner but you know what I mean)
Picked up a bag,
But I had no money, only my debit card.
I didn't want to pay for two bucks with a bank card, cause that would look dumb,
so I looked around for something to add onto it.
A litre of chocolate milk should bump it up a bit.
Those bags of kettle corn at the the till look really good too
Might as well pick up a bag for desert.

Well, the kettle corn became dinner
Washed down with chocolate milk
And the wine gums became desert.

And I proved once again
That I can't be trusted home alone,
Because......

PLUS

EQUALS

On Kids & Questions

2009-10-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

We all know kids have the knack of asking the wierdest questions that require the most inventive answers. Note to parents with young children.....WRITE THEM DOWN! Because you won't remember them.

My 15 year old asked me one yesterday though, that was one for the record book. We had our dog neutered yesterday, and he was full of empathy for the dog & wondered if he knew what had happened, if he felt different now that he was a "eunich", etc.

Then he asked.."What do they do with the balls after they cut them off?"
I almost choked on my coffee. I told him they put them in jars & pickled them. He didn't fall for it.

So, if anyone knows what they do with dog balls.....let me know!
(I put J's picture because I couldn't find one of T looking "inquisitive" in a rush)

Forever More

2009-10-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/cayusa/2051756510/

Mrs. E, at Easy Street, is a teacher and has handed out an assignment...a short list or essay on the simple things in life, the things we enjoy & would miss if we were to die.

So here's mine:

"If today were my last day,
And tomorrow was too late
Would I say good-bye to yesterday?"

What would I say good-bye to?
What would I miss?

The pleasure of seeing others smile, even more being the cause of their smile.

A nice hot cup of tea in the evenings,
And an ice-cold glass of lemonade on a summer afternoon.

The pleasure of reading, the pleasure of crafting
The pleasure of learning.

Hot candlelit bubble baths in a deep tub,
Singing in the shower.

Walks in the hot summer nights, in the crisp scent of fall,
In the briliantly blue winter skies, and in the promising renewal of spring.

Feeling a cat sleeping on my legs, seeing a dog ecstatic to see me, and hearing the never-ending chirp of birds.

The ability to use all my senses, to see unlimited shades of colours, to smell freshly cut sawdust, to hear the quietness of falling snow, to taste riches like chocolate, cheescake, and fuzzy pork chops, and to feel the warmth of my husband's skin next to mine.

There is so much I would have to say good-bye to, so much I must appreciate time & time again
Forever more.
credit here

(the first 3 lines are from a song....by Green Day I think, the whole song would be perfect for the occasion)

The Connoisseur of Comfort

2009-10-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

There are cat people
And there are dog people

As much as I do like (okay, maybe even love) my pup
I am most definitely a cat person

Dogs are fun to be with and good for walks,
But you, or at least I, can't sit there and watch a dog doing his thing
And marvel at his muscular liquid beauty
In awe of his being
Amazed at every little part of his body
Just like a parent watching a newborn baby
Only a cat has that ability
Even the big mean cougars & panthers
inspire the same alluring awe,
Display the same admiration
For all that they are

Cats can find comfort anywhere,
As I was thinking out this post
Inspired of course by my cat lying in the sun
I thought of the cats I've owned
And where they found comfort

As a teenager I did a lot of jigsaw puzzles
And Ceaser would lie in the open box
Come to think if it
I'm lucky he didn't think it was kitty litter!

Cypress liked to lie in the bathroom sink,
And also cuddle up to our shepherd-sharpei dog
Jasper would crawl into the open topped guinea pig cage
Again, I'm surprised he didn't use the shavings as litter
Blue would find the highest perch possible
and look down on his kingdom
and its subjects
Snoopy would invariably locate the empty baby-carrier
And Possum, shown here, absolutely loves the fleecy blanket
we use for napping

The one thing they all had in common though,
Is the knack they had for finding the lone patch of sunlight in the room
How can a cat, sleeping on someone's bed
Instintively know, in his sleep,
That if he gets up & goes to the living room
Pausing for some kibble on the way
He will find the sunshine that wasn't in the bedroom?

Cats are truly amazing
And if reincarnation is a reality,

I want to come back as a cat

Three hours I'll never get back

2009-10-21T14:11:00.001-07:00

I aplogize to you and me for disappearing over the last week. One of those break from blog times.
When I logged on this morning, I did not intend to spend so much time, in fact, any time, rearranging my blog. But it looked too summery, with the blue colour scheme & bathing suit picture.

Oh well, it is what it is.

How do you like my "new look"? It still needs some finishing touches, like unblurring the header photo (How do I do that without making it smaller?), but its getting there. I notice I still don't have the option of "centering" my text as I'd like to.

The Russell Fences are typical for my neck of the woods, I always like them. I think it was an ingenious way to build fences without tools. And this picture is from last year, most every year it looks like that in the fall, but this year, with the unseasonably warm early fall and then the drop to -15C within two days, the leaves basically turned black & died on the trees, and have only now fallen down. Makes me wonder what kind of suprises Mother Nature has in store for us this winter!

We really don't live in igloos.....

2009-10-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

A misconception that Canadians believe about Americans, which may in itself be a misconception (are you following me?) is that Americans don't know a heck of a lot about Canada. This could in part be perpetrated by Rick Mercer's "South of the Border" TV Interviews, which consisted of interviewing Americans on the street and convincing them to agree with ridiculous statements about Canada. The intent was to satirise American ignorance of its neighbour and the world in general. Examples included:

-Persuading Americans to congratulate Canada on adopting the twenty-four-hour day,
-Congratulating the Canadian government on building a dome over its "national igloo" (apparently a downsized version of the United States Capitol) to protect it from global warming,
-Asking Harvard students and professors to sign a petition asking Canadians to discontinue the practice of abandoning the elderly on ice floes.
-Asking presidential candidate George W. Bush – who had previously stated that "you can't stump me on world leaders" – for his reaction to an endorsement by Canadian Prime Minister "Jean Poutine". Bush responded diplomatically and said he looked forward to working together with his future counterpart to the north. However, the prime minister's name at the time was Jean Chrétien; poutine is in fact a French-Canadian fast food dish of french fries, gravy and cheese curd. Also, Chrétien had not endorsed any candidate at the time.

Anyways, we don't live in igloos, but my walk today, which planted the seed for this post, could almost convince you we do. Mind you, this is the middle of October! This is the same park I featured in a previous, fall-time post: (Oh crap, I forgot to change the settings on my camera..these are taking a while to upload)

Does this or does it not look like a giant toothbrush???
You wouldn't catch me wading in there for a drink!!
The waterfalls aren't quite frozen yet, but they will be soon!
We left our marks (although as you can see I wasn't wearing my winter boots yet)
The leaves aren't even off the trees yet, in fact, some are still green!

Tim Horton's was great after the chilly walk, although I took this picture because it really looked like all 4 vehicles were attached to each other...ANd I knew that really couldn't be!

Wrong Way

2009-10-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

This sign about says it all.

It seems every single choice I have made last week is the wrong one.
Whether its what to make for dinner
Whether to allow my son to go to his girlfriend's after school
Which day to make my doctor's appointment on
Whether or not to go for a walk even....
Whether to allow my pup to chew on his leash
(he had it chewed in half in 10 minutes!)
Whether or not to put my seatbelt on driving from one store down a block to another
Whether to wait till the weekend to clean out my gardens & plant my spring bulbs
(Although maybe that was a good choice since the ground is now frozen so I don't have to plant my bulbs!)
!!Aaarrgghhhh!!

This week has got to be better.
I'll start it off with a couple of funny signs I found:
(although the first one is also quite realistic in my neck of the woods)

Mother's Curse

2009-10-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

If men are indeed from Mars, and women are indeed from Venus, then teenagers surely are from another galaxy altogether.

This is my son, one of my favourite pictures of him.
He was so carefree, filled with laughter, love, cuddles, but yes, with a streak of the devil and the beginnings of being a handful even back then. But you never met a more cuddly little gaffer.

He cuddliness lasted a long time, past the age of most boys. And I revelled in it, knowing it would soon end. His gift of cuddliness outshadowed the times we wanted to a Homer Simpson act & strangle him.

This is him now, in a good moment. They are few & far between. What is it with teenagers? My older one went through some nasty times, still does, but nothing like his darling little brother. My mom says he takes after me. She doesn't hesitate to remind me of the times I made life miserable for her. She says well, now you know how I felt.

Yesterday he was watching Pirates of the Caribbean. He has watched all 3 of them so many times he has the whole movie memorized, and when he thinks no one is watching he walks around like Captain Jack Sparrow...if you've never seen the movie you don't know what I mean, but if you know Johnny Depp at all, you may be able to imagine. Anyways, he was watching it and had calmed down a bit towards me from earlier. Enough to allow a tiny bit of civil conversation bewtween us. On the show they were talking about "The Curse". I said to him:

"All mothers have the capability of laying one curse on their child during his lifetime. I am laying my curse on you now...my curse is that if you have children of your own, they will be exactly like you!"

This is the word of the mother.

Amen.

Mugs & Memories

2009-10-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Be honest...the title caught your eye, didn't it?

What's more comfortable on a cold winter's day than being wrapped up in a blankie sipping hot chocolate in front of the fireplace? So quitessentially comforting. In theory. Personally, when I come in from the cold & snow, into a warm house, I generally want to rip all my clothes off & lie on the bed until my body, with its annoying tendancy to "hot flash", becomes accustomed to the indoor temperature. But that's just me.

Mugs represent friendship.
My dear friend Fran gave me this one year at Christmas, filled with her homemade spiced nuts.

Sharing a mug of coffee over the kitchen table with a friend, pouring out your woes to each other. Or when in an uncomfortable situation with another person, say, a counsellor, or a stranger you've agreed to meet for a particular reason, a mug gives you something to do with your hands, and eases some of the discomfort.

My friend Dianna gave me this one filled with flowers once during a hard time to cheer me up.

Mugs are great reminders of places you've been, people you used to know, times you've had together.
This is bought when I was 14 and spent a few weeks at a dairy farm on Vancouver Island.

These were given to me on my 16th birthday as a start to my "Hope Chest" by my Uncle Mac & Aunt Gladys, who weren't really my aunt & uncle, but close family friends. They've both passed on now. These are my favourite mugs.

This was given to me by old family friends whom we've lost contact with, Denis & Kathy.

This was a mother's day gift when the boys were little,

And this was from this past mother's day.

It brings strangers at a resort together, bridges the gap & creates a sense of familiarity.

This I bought last summer at Silverstar Mountain resort in Vernon where we spent a weekend in luxury.

You can talk for hours with a dear friend (or a cousin you only see once every year or two!)in a coffee shop, preferably one that offers free refills.

Mug: noun "A drinking vessel, usually cylindrical with a hnadle and no saucer.
Enjoy your mugga coffe today!

I am SO not ready for this...........

2009-10-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is what we woke up to this morning. Flakes are still swirling through the air outside my window. I know it won't last, by this afternoon it'll be gone again, but it is a not so subtle reminder that we need to clean out the gardens before the ground freezes (I always seem to wait too long for that!), put the winter tires on the vehicles, haul our winter coats & things out of the shed, make sure the ice scrapers are in the vehicles, get the sand bucket out by the front steps, Take the water hose off & turn the water line to it off........ugh!

Maybe I need to try to win a free pair of boots at this place, thanks to homespun living for the link">

5 little words.......

2009-09-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend in blogger land, Holly, accepted a challenge yesterday and passed it on to me. I am to use 5 certain words to "weave" (her word) into a description of me. Also, if anyone else would like to participate, email me and I will send you some. I'm not quite sure how they pick them, so if I get any requests I will open my dictionary to a random page and let my fingers do the walking. (remember those old yellow pages commercials?)
Okay, enough bullpoop....These are my assigned words: urge, season, manifest, goof, and dualism.

URGE: Well, this is a biggie for me, I can't believe she picked it, it must've been preordained. Urges are something I have been battling for a long time. I am extremely impulsive, as I might have shared, when the thought or desire pops into my head, I want to do it like NOW! Only sometimes that's not a good thing. As much as I like y'all, I'm not quite ready to hang out all of my dirty laundry, but suffice it to say that the word urge translates to the biggest battle of my life.

Next on the list...SEASON: Well now, obviously we are in the change of seasons, which is looking really wierd this year, a lot of the trees are going from green to brown with no golden yellow inbetween. My knowledgeable now 17 year old tells me its because we had such hot weather, and then it turned cold so suddenly. Huh. Makes sense. But I'm thinking of season as in seasoning spices. How much seasoning to use? How do you please everyone? I like lots of garlic & onion (in fact I bought onion & garlic flavoured potato chips... haven't tried them yet. I also like ginger & cinnamon, not really one for nutmeg or cayenne pepper. Parsley and dill have their places, as do cloves & basil. Too much seasoning can drive people away from you...there's gotta be a life lesson in that. I'll let you figure it out.

MANIFEST: As in ship's manifest? I've never had the pleasure of being on one. It kind of sounds sinister....the only time I hear or read about it is in a mystery...as in there were two people on the ship's manifest who were not found after it sank. The ship that is. Not the manifest. Hmm....this exercise is great for babbling on and on. I could get into this. Ideas just seem to manifest themselves in my mind. Manifest. When you say it over & over it takes on a different meaning....like mania at a feast. Manifest. Or men at a feast. Maybe there can be manic women at a feast who manifest up some men. Did I even use that right?

GOOF: Okay, stop goofing off! I'm starting to feel goofy. Aw, I'm such a goof. Oops, I goofed. Hey Dagmar, when my mom says Trevor is a "mop" does she mean he's a goof? Goofy, goofier, goofiest. The glue was gooey because of their goofing off with the guavas. What else can I say? I'm never goofy!!

Okay, last one...DUALISM: Sheesh Holly, what in god's name can I write about dualism? Whaddya think I am, a literary genious?? Or a master of philosophy? :) Dualism..it would be easier without the ism at the end.
du·al·ism (d-lzm, dy-)n.
1. The condition of being double; duality.
2. Philosophy The view that the world consists of or is explicable as two fundamental entities, such as mind and matter.
3. Psychology The view that the mind and body function separately, without interchange.
4. Theology
a. The concept that the world is ruled by the antagonistic forces of good and evil.
b. The concept that humans have two basic natures, the physical and the spiritual.
Okay, as I read that, I guess I would go with 2 and 4b. They make the most sense anyways. It really is a concept that may require further study.

But, one thing I do know, I have a dual personality, being a gemini that's inevitable. And on that note, enjoy your coffee or tea, and your day!

September 28...Will always be special.

2009-09-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

17 years ago from today my life changed forever. I became a mother of a beautiful baby boy. I couldn't have been happier. Then we decided our baby boy needed a younger sibling to play with. So, 15 years ago from today, we gave our 2 year old a special birthday present...a beautiful baby brother. We really didn't expect it to happen on the same day, but the baby had other plans.
Sharing a birthday, I only had to do birthday parties once a year for the first little while, until they got older and wanted seperate parties. Now, neither one want parties, but it is still a special day for us.

September 28, 1992

September 28,1994

If I had a baby picture of Dagmar's husband I would put it on here too, because it is also his birthday. Happy birthday to you, M.!

They're all mixed up...

2009-09-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

By now I've gotten resigned to the fact that it really is fall
That summer really is over
And I'll have to wait 8 or 9 months before I can "Tiptoe Through the Tulips"
Its like jumping into a lake of icy glacier water
Takes your breath away
Until you get used to it.

But,
Because until yesterday we've had uncommonly warm weather
Summer weather,
(And I'm not complaining, but once you have resigned yourself to fall, it might as well come)
These little twin rosebuds got themselves all mixed up.
Their elders are nothing but bulbous rosehips by now
Some are still wearing their pink summer coats,
All wrinkled with age.

The optimism of these little twin rosebuds
Has kind of amazed me!

Day is Gone

2009-09-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

When I was little I belonged to Brownies, and then Girl Guides.

We sang a lot of songs, catchy songs, some silly, some serious, that stuck in my head all these years.
Like
Magdalena Hagdelena
The Ship Titanic
He Jumped the Forty Thousand (and forgot to pull the cord)
And, "Day is Gone" or "Taps"
I think its a well known military song,
But when I see a sunset like this I always think of it.

Thes pictures were taken by my son, I took a few but decided there would be a better view from atop the roof
So I called him away from his video games.
There's not much that would tear him away from that,
But a request to climb on top of the roof did it.
Anyways, they're a little blurry, because he was standing on a slope
He said he didn't want to lean back & steady himself
Cause he might've leaned too far
And tumble over the edge.
And since I've already had one son literally break his neck this year,
I forgave him for that photographic error.

How Does He Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways.....

2009-09-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have been together for 23 years, and in a lot of ways we are polar opposites. He is not a demonstrative person, in thought or action, but once in a while he catches me by surprise and makes my heart melt.

Like when he bought a huge bouquet of purple flowers for our anniversary, and said, "as soon as I saw these I didn't look any further, because these were perfect for you"

A few weeks ago, I was having some serious internal struggles. I will share the fact that I have a mental illness, which I can usually keep under control with the aid of meds. But, about a month ago, I had the coincidence of two triggering events taking place in my life, plus the fact that I forgot my meds a few mornings. It often puzzles folks why "we" stop taking them, when we know it will cause a relapse. But, we forget a few times, the level in our system decreases, and the more it decreases, the more we say to hell with it and stop taking them intentionally. Its a vicious circle.

I shared with him that I was getting "antsy", that I had to stop this before it got out of control, and that I was needing additional help. When I stop the meds, he, and everyone, gets frustrated, because they don't understand. With him, the frustration comes out as anger, which in turn, in I interpret as lack of care.

I have regained control over my emotions & impulses, with help, and for the last few days he has been asking in the moring...did you take your pills? This morning, when I stepped into my office after he'd gone to work, I saw this on my bulletin board"

Its little things like that mean so much.

I Believe

2009-09-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Mrs. E wrote about an assignment she gives her students, about what they believe. I was inspired to write my own belief list, & print it out to hang in my office. Its now friday night, but it may take me the weekend to write this. Or, I spill it all out in one shot, we'll see how it goes.

I believe in family, in the importance of trying eveything possible to keep a family together, instead of giving up during the period between the end of "falling in love" and the beginning of mature loving as you grow love.

I believe all parents have an innate desire to do what's best for their children, but sometimes get mislead onto the wrong path.

I believe in second chances, and in the ability to change oneself for the better, and sometimes, for the worse.

I believe in one day at a time, or, sometimes, one hour or even one minute at a time.

I believe that a desire to learn is crucial to success.

I believe that men indeed are from Mars, and that some jobs are better suited to men as some are better suited to women, but that we need each other to make an equal balance of yin and yang.

I believe that there is a higher power or presence out there somewhere, and that when we die our spirit lives on in that presence.

I believe that all people have good in them, some just try to keep it locked up and hidden.

I believe the only true miracle is the miracle of conception & birth.

I believe that I could live without electricity without being bored.

I believe that every person has the right to choose his own beliefs, but not the right to try to push those beliefs onto others.

Just a walk in the park with me & my dog.

2009-09-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I needed to pick up my son from school, and bring my other son his bike so he could bike around with a friend. So, I went a little early, with the intention of taking a stroll through our hidden jewel....Centennial Park. Here of some of the things I saw:

The waterfalls, almost dry at this time of year. I'll go back when they're frozen & take pics then.

Evidence of romance

"Stumbling blocks"

Plenty of pools for Monty to splash in, and splash me with. (Sorry for the blur that is him!)

A faerie's crown made of foam

A Warning not to sue the Village if I fall & break my neck

Some really big trees!

Last fall's leftovers

Frustration as I tried to focus on the rosehips but could only focus around them (help!!)

Ditto for the thistles

A dirty snout (what were you thinking Monty?)

Trying to get him to wash his snout

And a mirror in the sewage pond (Yuckky Monty, don't go in that one!)

2009-09-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Most of us are experiencing the beginning of the fall season
Perhaps with some regret
That summer is officially "over"
Except for those who live "down under"
Who have the summer to look forward to.
(Does that seem wierd or what??)

Here in the Cariboo,
We don't have seasons
Not in the traditional sense
We have "Colours"

Green, Yellow, White, & Brown

Our aspen trees will soon be brilliant yellow gold

Then we will have white (and blue, since much of our winter skies are brilliant blue)

Next comes the season of hope & renewal.........brown.
Brown you say?
When four feet of snow melts in 3 weeks, everything, everywhere, is mud.
Double that if you have a dog. Or little kids. Or big kids who haven't yet learned to take their shoes off at the door. Or a husband who looks at the bottoms of his boots and says to himself....."they're not too bad", and traipses to the sink for a glass of water....

And finally, the lovely emerald green of summer

And,
I wouldn't have it any other way!!

I messed up the flickr credits, but here they are anyways...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mhchipmunk/1471182390/http://www.flickr.com/photos/barrons/18435623/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastpole/135540401/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phourie/3902731472/

Cross this off the "list"

2009-09-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I wrote about unfinished projects
And about black cats under ladders
The project requiring the ladder is complete
(sort of)
It was only a weekend job,
But you know how it is...
Hard to get started.
Now it just needs a little stone wall
Incorporating the big rocks
Knee height
In which a little flower garden can be made.
(Or shall I make one out of vertical tongue & grooved wood?)

In any case, that'll be next year.
Next on the list,
Paint the garage.

2009-09-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

Why is it that immediately after Labour Day
Summer knows it must come to an end?

The weather changes overnight
And smash boom bang.........its fall
Tank tops & shorts get ignored
Sweatshirts, jeans & socks make their yearly debut

Suddenly, the garden doesn't need watering
Even if it hasn't rained for a week
It retains its moisture
Some hardy souls keep blooming
But most are slowly shutting down for the season

The kids are back in school
And after the first few days
Life falls back into its normal routine
After the summer hiatus

It seems like it was just spring,
With its quickly melting snow
Then summer
The wonderful lazy barefoot days of summer

I wish it would last forever

But, then we wouldn't have our brilliant golden fall
Or our crisp snowy winters
And so
We must grin and bear it
Appreciate the beauty of each day
In this wonderful part of the world we live in.

Swimming through life.

2009-09-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks I've been thinking...
No more blogging!
Takes too much time
Don't know what to write
Who am I doing this for
What's the point, anyway.

But here I am again
Thinking as I write, writing as I think

I'm a pretty impulsive person
Which has caused me and my family
its share of problems.

I have a tendancy to embrace new projects
I think...wow...I'd love to do that
That looks so cool!
And in the pool I go, blindfolded, plunging in with both feet
The shallow part is not for me,
I flounder in the deep end
Until I understand the basic principals
Of staying afloat
I stay in the water
Playing with other swimmers
Having fun
Learning new strokes
Until I'm cold and tired and wrinkled as a prune.
Then I climb out
Go hide in a big fluffy towel
Until the next pool presents itself.

I was invited into the blogging pool
By my dear cousin Dagmar
And I'm glad I dove in
Every now & then I pop out to take a breath
Somehow though, I always seem to
Jump back in!

2009-09-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is my desk.

This is my desk on drugs.

Not funny? Sorry...you have to know the old commercial.
SO, why I am sitting here uploading pictures & doing finger exercises on the keyboard? Good question. Lets take a closer look at what I could be doing with my precious time. Keeping in mind that these are only the projects on my desk, not the rest of the house.
This is what I'd really like to be doing...scrapbooking.

And this ties in with that...I would love to earn a bit of cash doing scrapbooking for people who aren't into that. I would love to spend my working hours doing something I love. I just don't know if it will work.

This is just something I need to take a picture of & post it on EBay....because its not what I thought it would be when I bought it:

And this is what I am supposed to be doing...my work. Which I will do as soon as I'm done with this.
Adieu, Adieu, its off to work I go.

Thunder and Lightning and Cameras....oh my!

2009-09-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last night we had the thunderstorm of all time
Compared to what we usually have
I couldn't take my eyes away from the windows
Afraid I'd miss seeing something
Worse than a little kid eavesdropping
Afraid to miss hearing something

Had to try to capture it on film
(okay, digital film, if you will)
But I hadn't the foggiest idea
of which settings to use.
Why oh why didn't I learn about it earlier??
I tried all the automatic settings I could think of,
But I knew that for this I needed to do some manual fidgeting
But with what???
Shutter speed was the key...I think
And I found the screen that displays speed
Along with half a dozen other things
Which is which
How do I change them
And what do I change them to?

I should be standing outside, not behind a window
That much I knew
But do I want to risk my life for a cool picture?
Not today.

Finally, after dozens of black as night shots and dozens more shots of brilliant white windows reflecting everything in my living room,
I gave up.

I'm not a dumb person
Some call me smart
(And some call me smart-ass....you know who you are...dagmar!)
But for the life of me I can't seem to retain any knowledge of photography.
And it frustrates the hell out of me.

flick credit here
and speaking of flickr.....when the pics are really small, like this one, how do you make them bigger (I don't mean clicking on them, I mean bigger to begin with?)

Through Moon Coloured Glasses

2009-09-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

"The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas"

...or so wrote Alfred Noyes.

When I lay me down to sleep
On a clear night
With a full moon
A shaft of moonlight shines through my window
And slants across my bed.

There's something romantic about falling to sleep in a moonbeam
The word moonbeam in itself
Opens a world of imagination

And I lay back on my bed
Measure the moon with one eye open
Close my eyes
Think my bedtime thoughts
Open one eye again
And see how the moon has silently slid up & over
In that short time
Amazed at its speed, I keep watch this time
Watch it creep closer to the window frame

As I watch I can actually see it move
See the last tiny sliver of moon
As it slides out of sight

But not out of mind

Emotional Turmoil

2009-08-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

I feel a little shaky, I can't control my nerves
I know you think I'm fakin', but can't you feel the curves?
I swear to you I feel it, it scares me half to death
It gathers in my throat and it gathers up my breath

I'm picking up the telephone, there's no one I can call
I need somebody bad tonight, can't find no sleep at all
I wish I could relax, I just can't stop my mind
I wish I could collapse but my body's not that kind

Anxiety - Got me on the run
Anxiety - Yeah, I just need someone
Anxiety - Can't get nothin' done
Anxiety - Spoils all the fun

Sometimes in the city, sometimes in my car
I pound on the windows like a bee inside a jar

Anxiety - Got me on the run
Anxiety - Yeah, I just need someone
Anxiety - Can't get nothin' done
Anxiety - Spoils all the fun

flickr credit here
lyrics...Pat Benatar

Happy Week - Friday

2009-08-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, its the last day of happy week.
Ironically, I have not had a happy week
Have had a really rough week

But, today I am going to focus on the small things,
The things that usually do make me happy,
The little things that I enjoy.

Having a whole day ahead of me
With nothing that absolutely has to be done
Is the best.
I try to reserve one weekend day for that purpose

But that's not a little thing

Okay...little things......think..think..thinking

Singing along to music on the radio
Having my morning coffee
Driving by myself
Lunch with the gals
Playing with my puppy
Stroking my cat
Playing ping-pong with my boys
Savouring a strawberry cheesequake blizzard from Dairy Queen
Card night with my friends
Gardening in the spring
Having a cup of tea
Walking in the snow on a crisp sunny winter day

And then of course there's all the hobbies I enjoy
That's like a special category on its own:
Scrapbooking
Knitting
Cross-stitching
Card-making
Computering

Those are the things that make me who I am.

Happy Week - Thursday

2009-08-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

What makes me happy??
What fills me with joy?
What is a sight I could never tire of,
and don't see nearly enough?

Laughter in the faces of my guys.
They all have absolutely beautiful faces
When they laugh
Their eyes brighten up their whole face
When they laugh.

Harder to capture on film
Than birds & butterflies
Is when they laugh

They ease & frequency with which they laugh
As well as their willingness to be photographed
Goes in order with their age
My 14 year old
My 16 year old
And my 49 year old

Which is why I can't find
Decent pictures to post
So these will have to do
And I will have to concentrate
On really capturing their sparkling eyes
Blue for Jeremy, chocolate brown for the others

Or maybe I'll just have to hire Beth!

Happy week - Starry Starry Night

2009-08-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

I can't remember the rest of that song right now,
But I want to write
now
while the feelings are still there
Because this makes me happy
And if they go before I'm done
I'll just go back outside till they come back.

There's a gazillion stars out there
My grade 2 teacher used to tell us that the highest number in the world
is a "googooplex"
Well, there's a googooplex and one out there

here
credit here
I stood and watched and stood and looked
Saw two and a half falling stars
Plus the ones I could only catch out of the corner of my eye
When I looked
They were gone

I saw a happy face
The Big Dipper
The North Star
And Casseoppia
(That's the extent of my stellar knowledge)
I saw one that looked like it was flashing blue and red
Like a police car
(Maybe it was speeding!)

And though I am not an extremely spiritual person
Once in a while the spirits hit me good
I felt like all the stars were spirits
Watching me
Giving me strength
Knowing what a hard evening I had
Struggling with my "stinkin' thinking"

And I thank the spirits
For watching over me
Showing me that I am not alone in my struggle
That a higher power is there

If I choose to accept it.

Now that its morning I discovered that my aunt, and Dagmar's aunt, passed away yesterday. Is there significance in what I felt yesterday as I was star-gazing? I definitely believe so.

credits here

Happy week....may I join in?

2009-08-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Sun in a smoke-filled sky

What makes me happy??
That's a tough question right now.
I've been "feeling the blues"
Not sure why.

What makes me happy?
Well, my budgies are twittering away in the background.
My radio is playing the song "Doing it Right"
Its kinda upbeat.
Its quiet in the house,
Hubby's at work
The kids are still asleep
Which is a good thing.
I'm in my favourite room...my office
Filled with my books & remembrances of the past.
I'd take some pictures, but I left my camera battery behind in Vancouver,
Have to wait for it to come in the mail
And the battery is as dead as a doornail.

What makes me happy?
I wanted to join in Happy Week
Wanted to chase the blues away.
Can't quite do it.

I may just push readers away today.
I'm sorry.
Sun gone down, in a smoke filled sky

Eagles in the City

2009-08-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

One of the most interesting things in Vancouver this year, I thought, is the "Eagle in the City" program. They have done it in previous years with Orcas and with Spirit Bears. Its a program where volunteer artists are commissioned to paint the approximately 7 ft eagles in any manner they choose. They are then placed around the city & province for a year, there are 102 in Vancouver alone, then are auctioned off, with proceeds going this year to the Children's Hospice. Here are some of the ones we found:

You know you're in Vancouver when:

2009-08-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

-Grown men wear cats on their heads

-The skyline is misty & gray

-The old mixes with the new

You see pigeons & seagulls and instinctively duck for cover

-You take pictures of things you could only dream of owning

- Bikini clad drug addicts on downtown streets pick a fight on with you if you look at them
- The graffiti is artistic and not just messy
- Its always rush hour, in any direction
- You can sit on a bench and hear 20 different languages in 5 minutes
- You keep your purse tucked close to your body at all times
- You gawk at the humungously tall buildings mirroring each other
- Every souvenir shops sells the same stuff
- You carry an umbrella as a necessary accessory
- you pay 4.00 for a coffee
- you realize it takes all kinds to make the world go round
- you go home glad that you went, but oh so glad to be home, where you have trees, clean air, unlocked doors, wildlife that are not human, no neighbours, and you feel thankful for all you have, which most city folk would find terribly boring and uneventful.

The fragility of puppy love.

2009-08-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend my youngest son and I went to Vancouver. He wants to be an actor, is passionate about wanting to be an actor. Vancouver is the Hollywood of Canada, the place to be. Which happens to be 500 km from where I live. So I enrolled him in a weekend beginner's workshop for teens & adults. This is him leaving on day one:
There were only 2 teens & 5 adults, so naturally he was paired up with his 16 year old classmate. A very pretty girl. The first day when I picked him up I noticed how she said goodbye to him & how easily he answered her, which surprised me because he is quite shy. The second day he was pretty quiet after I picked him up, which lasted throughout the evening, and I won't betray his confidence in me by telling all, because confidence between a 14 year old boy and his mom is a fragile thing, but suffice it to say that he did tell me he's never met a girl like that before. I comforted him by telling him he'd see her again, they can talk on the computer, yadda yadda, but, I have to say, I'm so glad I'm not a teenager anymore!!

This is on the famous Robson Street....the "Rodeo Drive" of Vancouver, where I picked up a poster of his idol, Johnny Depp, to commemerate his first acting class. I have a great story about this experience, which I'll save , but I might have to bore you with some posts about our weekend, while T was at his class, I played tourist with my mom. (The short one is her!)

For Tommy

2009-08-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

photo credit

Where does a soul go
When he wakes up in the morning
Not knowing it will be the last time he wakes up?

Where does a soul go
When he closes his front door behind him
Not knowing he will never see his house again?

Where does a soul go
When he gets into his car
For a routine trip to town
Not knowing he will never drive that road again?

Where does a soul go
When he is suddenly yanked from his body
Without any warning?

It must be terribly confusing
To look down at the carnage below him
Thinking
"What the hell just happened?"
Perhaps knowing the answer
But not wanting to believe it.
Feeling an irresistable force
Tugging him towards that soft warm brilliant white light
Unlike anything he's ever seen before

Does he feel torn
Between what is so familiar
And what is the unfamiliar?

Does he feel sorrow and grief for what he leaves behind
And floats upwards
Into the welcoming essence
Of everlasting life?

Home again, Home again, Jiggity Jig

2009-08-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a long weekend for us here in BC, the BC Day weekend. We took advantage of the extra day and went 500 km southeast to where my dad lives. We had a great time. Its a beautiful part of the province, hot and deserty surrounded by mountains and filled with fruit orchards and wineries. Its cherry season, which is my favourite time. The weather was brutal though, over 40 every day (Which is 105 F for you americans), and because of the hot weather all over the province, there are huge forest fires everywhere, which make a smoky haze hang everywhere.
We spent time at the beach(es), at the farmer's market, at the amusement centre, at the famous Tickleberry's ice cream parlour.
I always love visitng my dad, he has one of those voices that you could listen to forever, telling all his tales. I used to fall asleep every night to it when I was little. His dad, my grandpa, was the same. As I sat across the table from him in the twilight, he looked exactly like my grandpa, time could've dropped back 25 years.

All in all, we had a weekdn filled with love & laughter, which is the best kind.

(Click on the picture to "embiggen")

Friday Faces (and maybe some help?)

2009-07-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here's hoping these friday pansy faces will brighten your weekend.

And, if anyone would care to give their opinion as to why some of these flowers are so clear and others just wouldn't focus, in the exact same conditions, I would love to know why.

Superstitions?

2009-07-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

1. Black Cats: In ancient Egypt, the Goddess Bast was a black, female cat. Christians, wanting to rid society of all traces of other religions, convinced the ignorant that black cats were demons in disguise and should thus be destroyed. In the process, they also destroyed the kindly ladies who cared for the cats, believing them to be witches. Being demons, a black cat crossing your path would create a barrier of evil, cutting you off from God and blocking the entrance to heaven.

2. It's bad luck to walk under a ladder: A leaning ladder forms a triangle with the wall and ground. Triangles represent the Holy Trinity, and violating the Trinity by breaking it (walking through it) would put you in league with the devil himself. Considering what Christians did to those who were considered to be in league with the devil, it's hardly surprising that leaning ladders were avoided at all cost.

Bearing that in mind, this is Blue, my completely black except for a tuft of white on his chest cat. I don't let him roam outside because the rural area I live in is full of wild animals which might prey on him. So I built a fairly large enclosed pen for him and my other cat, Possum, which Blue absolutely loves being in.

And this is one of my projects, I want to take down this old TV antenna and turn it into a flagpole with maybe a little circular garden around it, or white landscape rock, or whatever. It doesn't matter right now. In any case, I put the ladder up to take it down, thinking, "I know I can, I know I can, I know I can", but I couldn't, because I am afraid of heights. I can't ask my older son to get it down, because already has a collar around his neck from a fall. I asked my younger son, but he couldn't find the right bit for the screwdriver. I asked my husband, but he hasn't gotten around to it yet. (You know how that goes!)

So there the ladder stands. And right under it I walked as I brought Blue inside, holding that black cat. I think I really need to watch what I do for the next little while, because I'm not really superstitious, but there's no point in tempting fate, is there?

Thank-you for Asking

2009-07-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Trevor asked if we could go to the beach.
I said, not today, but maybe tomorrow we can.

We used to live 15 minutes away, now it's double that
(I know, big deal)
But the kids were little then,
One summer we went almost every day
Now its been a few years since we were last there.

The small beach has changed a little
The firepits are gone,
And so are the few aspen trees that provided a little shade

But the essence was the same
The smell of the water
The heat of the sand
The prickly grass beyond the sand

And the feeling of family & togetherness
That doesn't come as often
When your boys are teenagers.

So Trevor,
Thank-you for asking
And we'll do it again soon!

2009-07-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.
Peter Drucker

The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right.
- William Safire

You will be confronted with questions every day that test your morals … Think carefully and, for your sake, do the right thing, not the easy thing.- Tyco International CEO Dennis Kozlowski, commencement speech at Saint Anselm College. He was indicted for tax evasion 17 days later.

Its all fine and dandy, but its not always so easy!!

Go Fly a Kite!!

2009-07-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

I love the wind.
I love to walk in the wind.
Last night was "blustery"
To say the least.
I took Monty for a stroll,
and,
upon returning home,
Monty & I beheld a strange sight.

My husband was attempting to fly
my mosquito tent!
Or so it seemed.
Monty took one look and thought
"What fun!!"
And pumped his puppy legs over to help

I thought
"What fun"
And had a serious internal debate
over whether to run for my camera,
or run over to help.

Because,

In reality,

He was attempting to anchor my tent
back to the ground
from where the wind had lifted the pegs right out

He was holding a corner rope,
trying to pound in a peg with his foot,
And trying to keep Monty from attacking the "kite"
All at the same time.
Who says men can't multi-task...if they really try??

Since it is my tent,
I figured I'd better go help
Cause if he saw me with my camera,
He was liable to let the thing fly
With the two of us it didn't take long
To gather up the blown away chairs
and anchor it firmly back where it belonged,

But it was funny
While it lasted!

On a Summer Sunday

2009-07-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

If I could only hold on to this day,
Make it last just a little longer,
Enjoy the moment
For a few extra hours.

Sitting outside in my yard
One chair for my butt,one for my feetAnd one to spare, in case my son comes by
to sit for a few moments

What am I hearing?
The chirping of my budgies, enjoying the fresh air
The breeze blowing throught the "whispering aspen", which surround our house
The rythmic boing boing boing of the trampoline
The occasional tinkle of the windchimes
The background hum of the odd vehicle on the nearby highway.

Its a perfect summer day
Sunny, with enough clouds & breeze
to make sitting in the sun
bearable.

I even dared to haul my bikini top out of storage
where its been for a few years
I couldn't figure out why it would "sit" properly
(I had it upside down!)

So here I sit,
Bikini top and all
Working my cross-stitch,
Enjoying the moment.,

Its Friday!!!!!

2009-07-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Hooray for Friday
I've been watching the clock
It's finally after noon
Haven't felt much like working all day
But have forced myself to do some things that
have dealines.

I was getting frustrated, hot, and cranky,
And yes, it is PMS.
Deal with it, world.

I went to make an iced latte,
And sip it outside
Sit with my husband, playing with the dog.

There's a wind,
Its mostly cloudy, just a thin layer.
Perfect weather to be outside
To hell with work.

My gardens are lacking colour
All except for this oneAs, with the economic crunch we all face,
I didn't want to buy a lot of colourful annuals this spring.

But now the nursery,
Within walking distance
(if you walk empty-handed)
Has everything 30% off.
So over I go.

Should've taken my camera
Didn't think of it till just now.
Anyways, got a flat full of
pinks, reds, purples, and a splash of yellow.

To my delightful surpise,
There was a "freebie" table
Mostly with cauliflowers,
Which aren't gonna grow unless you have a green house
And who wants to grow vegetables anyways?
Boring!
But there were a few red snapdragons,
And some kind of vines,
I added them to my wagon
And off I went.

So now, I have an hour and a half
Free Time
And I will be
On my knees
Stinking like mosquito spray
Puhing the puppy out of my way
Maybe getting sweaty
And enjoying myself.

I'll show the improved gardens another day.

What else could a gal ask for??

The Omniscient Mom

2009-07-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

My kids must think I know everything
Where would they get that idea?

"Mom....where's my work-pants?"
"In your closet"
"No they're not"
"You have to open your eyes when you look"
".............Oh........."

"Mom...where's the remote?"
"Under the middle cushion on the right hand side"
"Oh."

"Mom, where's the keys to the garage?"
"In the bottom of the shoe bin"
"Oh."

My cell-phone rings.
"Mom...where's the dishcloth?"
"In the laundry, get a clean one"
"From where?"
"The cupboard above the dryer."
"Oh."

My friend hands me the phone...its for you.
"Mom.....where's that movie you rented?"
"In the DVD player."
"Oh"

"Mom...where's your wallet
"In the car."
"Oh."
"..............Wait a second......
why do you need my wallet?"

credits here here

Celebrating 100

2009-07-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

Sandy K has issued a challenge to celebrate her 100th post. We are invited to write about the number 100. (Oh boy, the way I'm going I'll have to write about the 100 spelling errors I'm making as I write this!) Anyhow, at first I thought ...100...what can I possible write about 100?. So I thought I'd see how many things of 100 I could find in my yard:
100 logs ready for the winter, 100 purple geraniums, 100 wild strawberries in a bed of 100 landscape rocks, 100 aspen leaves attacked by leaf miner surrounded by healthy leaves.

Then I thought...what an idiot I am! What does 100 mean to me?? It means my hometown, my wonderful hometown where I want to live all my days even if I make it to 100!
Our town was created during the mid 1880's gold rush. Miners poured into the area following the news of gold in the Cariboo. A wagon road was created to manage the traffic, from Lillooet on the Fraser River to Barkerville, through Bridge Creek House, which was then renamed 100 Mile House because it was 100 miles from Lillooet, or Mile 0.
We boast a population of around 1,900, but the population of the surrounding rural areas (of which I am part of) & unincorporated "towns" which call 100 Mile House home is closer to 17,000.
We are an 3,050 feet (930 metres) above sea level, and do have some harsh winters where the average temperature is -15 celsius, but can go -40 or lower for days at a time.

We are very much a western community, with forestry as our main industry,
surrounded by cattle ranches

and hundreds of lakes, which attract fisherman from all over.

So, to sum it up, 100 means, to me, home.
(And I do apologize for the "hurried" look, but I am in a hurry, and my internet is running super slow, so I am getting more than a little frustrated. One of the joys of rural living!)

Children of the 80's

2009-07-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

I was adding to an old scrapbook of mine
Which in itself I should feature on of these days,
When I came across this.
Its kinda long, even though I cut parts out, but if you were born between 1965 & 1977
You will really identify with it.

"I am a child of the 70's & 80's.

When I got home from school I played Atari 2600.
I spent hours playing Frogger, and I never did beat Asteroids.

Then I watched Scooby Doo. Daphne was a goddess, and I thought Shaggy was
smoking something synthetic in the back of the Mystery Machine. I HATED Scrappy!

I never beat Rubik's cube, unless you count taking off the stickers,
or breaking it apart & putting it back together.

I got up on Saturday mornings and watched Hanna-Barbara cartoons.
In between Jabberjaw and Thundarr the Barbarian I would watch
Schoolhouse Rock (Conjunction Junction, what's your function?)

On Friday night Daisy Duke was my idol, and Bo Duke was my future husband.
Did your dad turn from mild-mannered Bill Bixby into the Incredible Hulk
when he got upset?

I watched Indiana Jones save the Ark of Covenant,
Marty go Back to the Future, and Bill Murray form the Ghostbusters.

Ronald Reagan was cool, Gorbachev was the guy who built McDonalds in Moscow.
During family vacations we collected Muppet Movie glasses, and found creative uses for Connect Four pieces.

I listened to John Cougar Mellencamp sing about Pink Houses and Jack & Diane.

I drank Dr. Pepper. I'm a Pepper you're a Pepper, wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too? Shasta was for losers. Tab was a labratory accident.
Orange Juice wasn't just for breakfast anymore. Bacon had to move over for something leaner.

My mom put a thousand Twinkies in my Flintstones lunchbox, and our world was the backyard and it was all you needed.

With your pink portable tape player Debbie Gibson sang back up to you. Everyone wanted a skirt like the material girl and a glove like Michael Jackson. When we were older we were going to be amazing breakdancers.

Today, we are the ones who sing along with Bruce Springsteen and the Bangles and have no idea why. We subscribe to the Retro Channel and watch the A-Team and Knight Rider, and laugh with the Cosby Show and Family Ties.
"What you talkin'about Willis?"

We hold strong affection for the Muppets and Care Bears, and why did they take Smurfs off the air? After School Specials were about cigarettes and step-families. The Polka Dot Door was nothing like Barney. Why couldn't we all be in Romper Room, and not just in the mirror?

We are the ones who still read Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the Bobbsey Twins, Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume.

The backdoor was never locked and mom served only the red Kool-Aid. You never drank the New Coke.

Entertainment was cheap and lasted for hours. The Sit'n'Spin always made you dizzy, but never made you stop. Big Wheels were the ultimate driving vehicles, and if you couldn't fishtail one, you weren't worthy of driving it. Bicycles were made to see who could make the longest skid mark in the street, and we all practiced for the roller derby.

In your Underoos you were Wonder Woman, Spider Man, or R2D2. Pogoballs were dangerous weapons and Double Dutch was a feat only the class goddess could master.

We didn't start the fire Billy Joel.

There was always that one field that could be used for baseball, football, soccer, or just a place to hang out. That was my Field of Dreams Mr. Costner. We could trick or treat at night without fear of being killed. We loved orange race tracks, until our mother realized she could smack us with them.

We collected Cabbage Patch kids and baseball cards, and stuck our favourite players in our spokes to make them flip.

Going to get a Happy Meal on Saturday was worth waiting the other six days of the week.

"Hey my mom will take if your mom picks up!"

This was our generation....and we had way more fun than today's kids who spend all summer at their XBox 360's while texting their buddies next door.

Wildflower Friday (ok, I made that one up!)

2009-07-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

My region of the world....the "Cariboo" region of BC, is full of beauty.
At this time of year the wildflowers bring a rainbow of colour to the forests.
I wanted to share them with you, because yeah, I'm proud of where I live!

A few of them I just learned the names of now, after living here for 20 years! The Balsam Root has had me puzzled ever since we moved here. All of these pictures, except the daisies,and the dogwood were taken in the forest on our property, those I got from flickr, but they do grow on our property as well:

Tiger Lilies

Wild roses - rosehips

Indian Paintbrush

Oxeye Daisies

Lupines

Deltoid Balsam Root (my camera wouldn't cooperate on the fuzzy close-up...sorry!)

Yarrow

American Vetch

Dwarf Dogwood (The regular sized dogwood is my province's flower)

I tricked my son into walking with me & my camera.....

Thanks for bearing with me and my showcase!!

Return of a Good Friend

2009-07-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

I never knew how much you meant 'till you were gone
And now you're back

I apologize for ignoring you
There were times when I did not recognize
your full potential
Did not see you
for all you truly are
I know better now

I've missed you so
What did I ever do before I had you
Life did not have the same meaning
Beauty was not seen with the same eyes
Now beauty again, is everywhere

Thank-you for returning to me
None the worse for the wear
Even better than before

My Camera!!

Mosaic Monday...Cherries & Cheese

2009-07-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll bite into the mosaic monday theme. Even though its almost noon & I haven't accomplished anything yet.

I love cheese
I love cherries
Cherries & Cheese....not really the first combination that comes to mind with either of those great foods.

But there's a method to my madness.
A theory I need to share.
A revolutionary way to fine dining

If you eat a huge bowlful of cherries, you'll soon be running to the bathroom
If you eat a big plate of assorted cheeses, you won't be needing the bathroom for a long time.

My hypothesis, therefore, is as follows:

1 or more bowlfuls of cherries & 1 or more plates of cheese = a well balanced meal!!

Help me, I'm melting!

2009-07-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those hazy summer days when the entire outdoors feels like your bathroom after a hot shower.
When you can see the moisture in the air.
When you need to soak yourself and your dog with the hose
Just to stay sane.

Its one of those days when you thank god that someone thought to invent the blender.
You rummage through your fridge to find whatever looks good.
Hmmm....there's seven strawberries left, might as well use those up.
Some cranberry yogurt...why not?
Blackberries would go great, but they don't grow here.
Grab the vanilla ice cream, can't make it without that.
Off to the pantry....let's see...
Orange drink powder, coconut,
And a banana for good measure.

Pour it all in,
Give it a whirl,
Pour it in a frosty glass
Plunk in a straw,
And there you have it -

The Hot'n Hazy Summer Delight!!

Photo credits Kiwi & Strawberry Smoothie - setting up, 2. Jumbo-size strawberries, 3. Honey vanilla ice cream, 4. Coconuts">here

Gung-Ho!

2009-07-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Do you ever hear about an idea
any idea at all
and think, I want to do that!!

Or read about something
that looks like so much fun,
so interesting
and immerse yourself in finding out
all you can
so you can do it too?

I'm like that
I have so many projects,
yet to begin, on the go,
not so many completed projects.

There's just so much I want to do..
Even as I write this,
I look at that first picture and think
how cool is that....
a string of lights,
one for each idea!

I was reading the "Idiot's Guide to Scrapbooking
I'm not really an idiot
(in that regard anyways)
but I was looking for new ideas.
I got so many ideas....
I can't wait for weekend.

But I also want to make
three cross-stitch stockings
by christmas
I'm only just now finishing one
and the year is half over

I want to paint the garage,
Cream with a silhouette mural of a
forest scene on the doors

I want to take down our old TV antenna
And turn it into a flagpole,
with a little circular garden around it
That was supposed to be done by Canada Day!

I want to make a book of all the cards we got
when our sons were born...
eons ago!

I have half a dozen manuscripts begun
I really want to publish a book.

And there's all the knitting projects
I want to make.

I sure hope I live to be 100
And be able to say
I did it all..
And I did it...
My Way!

It's List-Time

2009-06-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

I think I have to accept it
I'm getting old(er)
My mind is no longer "tarp as a shack"
And I have to start making....
Wait for it.......

LISTS

It seems that wherever I go, whatever I do,
I forget things
My husband says...make a list
My mother says...write it down
My sons say....you're getting old
(thanks, I needed that)

Even this blog,
I had a wonderful idea yesterday
I was going to write it down
But I thought...
No, that one's to good to forget
I'll remember it for sure
But, I can't remember what it was.

I tried picture/word association
There was something I needed to tell my hubby
And I had an image to associate it with him
So I wouldn't forget
But, I forgot.

Whenever I visit my mother for a few days
As she lives 500 km away,
She has lists everywhere
Post-its, scraps of coloured paper, fancy notepads
And I would think
Can't you remember anything??
She wasn't ashamed of it
I would never have to do that!!

As usual, mom knew best
And as I was searching through Flickr for the perfect photo,
(because my camera is still out for repairs)
And by the way, I really wish I knew how to write
"click here", and the here would be underlined
to credit the photographer,(http://www.flickr.com/photos/28307215@N07/2811807545/)
I found this photo
It was not my first choice,
The first two were protected
But this one...I looked at it further
And I thought...
If I have to makes lists,
they're going to be all in one book
they're going to be creative
And one day I'll look at them with my sons
And they'll say....
Sheesh mom, can't you remember anything?

Monday Crazy Questions

2009-06-29T09:11:00.001-07:00

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1Py0GD7yVA/SkgDJk59ndI/AAAAAAAAASk/7gNs4YjyRBQ/s1600-h/mondaycrazyquestions+purple.jpg

Thought I'd give this a whirl, not sure how it will work out! I see though that the above link doesn't look like it should.
I actually followed it from Lani's site, but I still don't know how to properly insert a link.http://lanisramblings.blogspot.com/

1. what would you say is your biggest blessing ? My kids
2. do you shop on line...Home goods or personal items? Can you tell us what personal items you look for?? Very seldom, once in a while on EBay, or VistaPrint
3. Name a song from your past that you have always loved. what year was it recorded? American Pie & Paradise by the Dashboard Light.....don't know when they were recorded.
4. If you found out there was a pedophile living in your neighborhood, would you take any action or ignore the fact?? Have to think about this one....I guess it would depend on what he'd done, some poeple are labelled as pedophiles for a single sexual act with an underage, but still basically adult, teenager. But if he really was a bad guy, I guess I'd ensure that everyone knew he was here and keep watch on their kids and everbody else's kids.
5. If you could live in any city In the USA...what would it be. I wouldn't live in the USA. (Sorry to all the Americans out there!)
6. what is the one city you wouldn't live in even if you were paid to!? Tokyo
7. If you were strapped for cash would you ask a parent or sibling for money? If I needed to do that, I would ensure that there is legal documentation setting out the fact that it is only a loan.
8. what is your most favorite thing to do to relax when you are not working? Crafts

Six Word Saturday

2009-06-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Idle hands are the devil's workshop

From Lani (lanisramblings.blogspot.com)

....the idea is to describe your life in exactly six words. Sounded like a challenge to me. So, after much contemplation and inner sould searching (not really, actually just had to find the words for what was already in my mind), this is what I came up with. Those who know me know that I am always doing something , sometimes my son askes...can't you just sit here and do nothing?" To me, doing nothing means time with nothing accomplished. With respect to myself...others like to just relax and do nothing, and that's okay too. But if I don't keep my mind busy, its not good for my well-being. Anyhow, so there it is. Anyone else care to join in?

The originater asked to post a Mr. Linky when you do it, but I have no idea how to do that, if anyone knows - maybe a hint?

And this is the flickr pics link, I don't know how to do that properly either!
1. Busy Hands, 2. Busy Hands, 3. busy hands, 4. 100dpi not my busy hands, 5. Busy Hands, 6. Busy hands

Mrs. Baynton & the Stars

2009-06-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

This is a tribute to someone who meant the world to me when I was child, growing up in small town southern Ontario. It may get a little long, there's so much to say about this woman, and her husband, I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. They were like a 3rd set of grandparents, but they didn't live halfway across the world. As a child, there were 4 main things that occupied my time, baseball, my treefort, reading, and visiting my neighbour, Mrs. Baynton. This picture is from the last time I saw her, before we moved across canada, when she made a special dinner for us.

She loved gardening, and I was allowed to pick the rhubarb and throw the leaves into the compost pile, long before compost was fashionable. And kohlrabi!!! Its a turnip-type vegetable, kind of uncommon, but she grew them and let me eat them raw & whole, like an apple, and to this day, when at all possible, when I serve raw veggies with dinner I have kohlrabi in there. And I think of her every time.

Her other love was baking, a love I learned from her. I can't count the times I "helped" her make cherry struedel.
Rock collecting was a hobby she and her husband shared, and taught me. Sometimes I would be allowed into "Clyde's room", a dark, den-type room where the collection was kept, and once in a very blue moon I was allowed to pick out a rock to add to my own collection.
Clyde was Mr. Baynton, a huge shy guy who spent all his time in his workshop.
Every Christmas though, he would produce some kind of homemade wooden toy for my brother & I. A toy boat, a wooden rifle that looked so real it would never be allowed as a toy nowadays, a sword & scabbard, and this little sewing kit.

Yes, she taught me many things, but the thing that stuck with me the most was her "stars".I had a nasty habit of picking at my mosquito bites, and she used to say "Don't do that, you'll have stars all over your body (meaning scars) and when you grow up the boys won't like you." Well, having stars all over me sounded way cooler than having the boys like me, so I scratched & picked at every mosquito bite I got!
I have no idea whether or not she's still alive, but Mrs. Baynton.....thank-you for your everlasting friendship which I will never forget.
Until we meet again.....

Track of No Return

2009-06-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

I like trains, which is a good thing.

because
I live really really close to the tracks,
a fact which the realtor who showed us the place,
6 years ago,
did not disclose.

In the morning's wee hours we'd hear it
It woke us up every time.
And we said....
Things not fit to print.

But I digress

Have you ever wanted to just hop onto a flat car
as it swooshed by you, (it's quicker than it looks)
Just to see where it would take you?
Me too.
Where would I end up?
Where is the end of the line?
Would I even still be in my own province,
in my own country?
And how long would it take?

But, I suppose,
ignoring the fact that it's probably illegal,
it's also not the responsible thing to do
A parent,
I suppose, must be responsible
at least some of the time.

But I can imagine.
Maybe it would be a good theme for a book,
or another item to add to my
"things to do before I kick the bucket"
bucket list
For now, I guess I'll just walk.

His bike

2009-06-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

My son, like most boys, has always loved his bike. So today, this post is about him. It may not be interesting or inspiring to you, but, this is a journal of sorts that I would eventually like to print for myself, and it's important to me. So bear with me for today.
Today he had to sell his most prized possession:

He saved his wages for a year to buy this bike, finally, in the spring he was able to. He was so proud of it, the first time he had been able to get a brand new bike, as these types of bikes are extrememly expensive. It's specially made for jumping. He was able to take it to "The Bike Ranch", a popular place for teenagers to hang out & practice their jumps in Kamloops, one time, then the following weekend he had a terrible accident which resulted in no more of that type of biking for him. He finally accepted that he should probably sell his bike.

I feel so bad for him, it hurts my soul. My son, I love you.

Crayons' Lessons

2009-06-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

We could learn a lot from crayons.

Some are sharp,
Some are pretty,
Some are dull

Some have wierd names

Some are broken
Some are whole,
Some are old,
Some are new

And all are different colours
But they all have to live in the same box.

Teenagers ('Nuff Said)

2009-06-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is my youngest when he was still a sweet little darling.
People would say...boy, he's sure got devilish eyes,
gonna cause a lot of trouble when he's a teenager!
And I would be proud and say...yeah, I'm sure he will!

He would pull all the tape out of cassettes,
Empty my paint bottles on the floor
Take books away from his older brother
All in the name of fun.
He even fell through a floor vent from upstairs
and landed on the couch beside me.
Somewhere I have pictures.

Now he's that teenager.
He's 14.
I should've bought stock in "Nice 'n Easy" hair colour,
Cause man, I'm getting gray!
And his dad is totally bald.
He has retained his love for cuddles,
He can be my little sweetheart,
Hold my hand on the couch together,
Lets me tuck him in at night,
Looks to me for reassurance that all is well
When he's in the mood.

Last night, he was in a different mood altogether
I would gladly have posted him on EBay
Sell to the highest bidder
Hell, to the first bidder!
Is this payback for my teen years?
Surely I wasn't that bad??
Was I Mom?

Nothing to Say

2009-06-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

I have absolutely no inspiration
But feel I must write something
Its been days since I last posted

They've been good days,
Make no mistake.
Work, play, relax, & sometimes sleep

Weather's been great,
Hot & sunny till midafternoon,
Then clouds & thunderstroms with rain every evening
Blowing over through the night
Sunny again in the morning

I need to send my camera in for repairs...
How will I survive a couple weeks without it?

Have been trying to fill it up with pictures,
things to write about,
Tried to take a little walk through our property last night with Monty
But the pictures are blurred,
mosquitos swarming over me with every 5 second stop
they need a lot of editing,
which I don't have time for right now.

Must work, must work, deadlines, must work
Time will come later.
This has taken too long
And write, I will
But not today.

(ps, these pics except for the koolaid guy came from flickr)