Lady P's Cozy Corner

I HAVE MOVED TO WORDPRESS!!

2008-08-24T13:16:00.002-03:00

*** I have switched my blog to:

http://patriciaspage.wordpress.com/

Please update your links and visit me there! ****

I will leave this one up for a while so you can find me at my new location.

The City Market

2008-08-22T11:49:00.008-03:00

Welcome to The City Market! Here you can purchase all kinds of goods from wine and cheese to shirts and fake lobsters... we took Alberta friend to check it out before she left.

There are many quaint little places to eat ~ with choices ranging from Mexican to Korean to the standard Sandwich shop.

If eating isn't your thing then you can check out the many shops or kiosks filled with colourful souvenirs ranging from windchimes or stuffed animals to... (that's the back of hubby's head there!)

the souvenir shirts tucked away beneath the whale.

Our mission this day was to find something with a local flavour for Alberta friend to take home with her. I had the PERFECT idea - Dulce!! What is dulce you ask? Well check out the following photo. Dulce is another term for "seaweed". Here in the Atlantic provinces (of Canada), with the proximity to the Atlantic ocean, dulce is in great supply. It is harvested and sold in plastic bags or, more often, in small brown bags. Many Maritimers just LOVE this stuff and chew on it like gum. To be honest I've never eaten even a piece of it. I suppose I had to scrape too much off the boat I lived on...to relate it to something you EAT. Alberta friend was game and picked up a bag for her parents.

While we were looking for the vendor to pay for the dulce I saw the cutest lobster trap with a stuffed lobster in it. Teasingly I coaxed my very reluctant daughter to "catch" the sea critter which she did with usual teenage enthusiasm....

Luckily though, Alberta friend jumped in to catch herself a little one too. And she smiled too!

Well! Not to be outdone by a Prairie Alberta friend, daughter found herself the LARGEST lobster to "catch" and smugly hammed it up for the picture.

*Whew*! We found the vendor before the girls got down and dirty in a scrap over their lobster catches! Here is a happy Maritimer harking the virtues of dulce. He embodies the spirit of where I live, bright, colourful and friendly. He certainly made our day!

Alberta friend looked for locally grown fresh fruit to feed daughter. Daughter has been reduced to eating grocery store fruit that doesn't quite have the freshness or taste of locally grown produce. They were hunting for blueberries and blackberries ~ Daughter hasn't tried blackberries and both Alberta friend and I are convinced she'd like them if she tried them.

The girls check out some of the food vendors but didn't find anything they wanted to buy on this occasion.

The jewellery was fun to poke through...and hey ~ check out those puffer fish hanging from the beam!! These dead fellas had those plastic eyes glued on (souvenirs) but I told the girls about swimming by puffer fish in Mexico and scaring them, so they'd blow up like these guys did. Boy the fun I had swimming in tropical-type waters!!

Oh no! I forgot to mention that HUBBY came out that day! We enjoyed ourselves more than the girls did - they noted that it was "just another market"...and if you've seen one, you've seen them all. Oh to be blase at such an age! Hubby and I enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of the stalls and decorations. Obviously the older we get the more the little things enthrall us!

The girls are heading back up the second aisle looking for a way out. It was a beautiful day outside and they wanted to get back there!

Hubby was hungry and checked out the Korean eatery. Although he looks happy here the ending wasn't quite as nice. Hubby wasn't SUPER hungry so did not want the huge meal usually available to customers, by way of one of those combination plates. A discussion ensued between the shopkeepers (whom we took to be a married couple) before they decided that hubby could have 1/2 the serving size...but for the same price as a whole serving. Hubby politely declined and went off in search of nourishment. I don't know what he ended up chowing down on as the girls and I went one way and he went the other. Bye hubby!!

Oh look! The girls found their way out!

They are headed to the city centre's lovely park. I took some great and interesting pictures in the park...so stay tuned for the next post!!

The End Of The Trip

2008-08-21T22:50:00.004-03:00

While in Lake Placid daughter had wanted to check out the Ben & Jerry's ice cream place. Once she finished supper however her stomach had other ideas and convinced her to walk away...to just walk away from those calories in a cone. Once on the road again the car needed to be gassed up and daughter found a small treat that made her day.
Even after all this adventure she is still happy and relaxed.

Now we jump forward again, to sleeping in a strange hotel in a strange town. After a good night's sleep in the hotel, Alberta friend and I found a bank to exchange some Canadian funds to American money. Lucky for me there was a "Micheals" craft store right next door! That is one of my alltime favourite stores and there it was laid right in front of me. The girls sighed collectively and pulled out their books to settle in and read while this Canadian chick did a little R&R shopping. *sigh* American prices beat our north-of-the-border prices all to s***!!

Then it was time to hit the road. Some lovely scenic driving and some speedy driving once we hit a major highway heading to the coast. We ended up north of Boston and stopped in at a beautiful beach area around Kittery (I'll have to check the map; although some of the American readers might recognize the pictures).

This was a gorgeous place! I definately want to return and see more of the whole area. But for this day's pit stop, we wanted to walk out on the rocks and check out the lighthouse we saw from shore.

Tourists are not permitted on the lighthouse island and I could not tell you if it is a working lighthouse. I think it might be as there weren't any others visible to the naked eye. This was just such a photogenic spot!

The girls, being the intrepid & invincible teens that they are, clamoured over the rocks heading as close to the water as they could. This made me nervous as occasional rogue waves washed a little higher over the rocks. There was also slippery seaweed and moss clinging to the rocks. The girls pooh-poohed my concerns but did hang back, away from the water, when I foamed at the mouth politely requested they be a bit more sensible.

While admiring this area and munching on some hot food, the weather crept in from the sea. Uh...actually it was more like rolled in and fast! As visible in this picture a wall of something could be seen heading our way. It actually unnerved the girls! I lived on a sailboat when I was a teenager and am familiar with some water weather patterns, so I knew this was a squall headed our way.

I'm amazed at how the weather snuck upon so many unsuspecting people! The little cluster of folks you see on the rocks below the building (a hotel) seemed completely unaware a storm was headed right for them. They ran like mad to take cover when the rain hit. And it hit like the wall it was! Isn't that little door in the hotel wall just the cutest thing? It opens to the rocks...makes me think of all those horror stories about big homes on the lonely cliffs...secret doors...murder... oops; wrong idea!

Here is Alberta friend tentatively smiling at me. I wanted her picture BEFORE the storm hit in case she was swept away or anything so exotic. Her and daughter were trying to get into the vehicle before the blackening sky overtook us however I was all game to snap away! Right after I took this picture a little girl started screaming hysterically to Alberta friend's right (off to the left side of this photo). A man shouted to stay put and someone would come to help. A bit of excitement then! Apparently, this child's mother was following said child across the rocks and up towards the parking lot, when her hand slipped on one of the slippery rocks. Her face hit the rock and she slid down between a couple of rocks.
Fortunately for her and her family, it appeared she either cut her lip and/or got a bloody nose. She made her way out and they walked over to the visitor shop/information store which probably had some sort of first aid station. It poured on them as the skies opened up before they made it to the information store.

With the rain we decided to head north. We drove and drove and drove some more through some beautiful countryside. We actually ended up at Portland...and I ended up circling the freakin' runway about 4 times. I think it is one of the few times I actually lost my temper and my alter-ego made a hysterical appearance. By the time I found an hotel with lodgings available I was wiped out. So were the girls. But we needed to eat. Out we went. Again.

By this time there wasn't a lot of vim and vinegar left in anyone. We ate a decent meal in a decent restaurant late at night. We did a bit of shopping at a favourite American store after ~ "Borders". Then we went back to the room and hit the sack. The following picture shows the last morning...and the sheer enthusiasm the girls had by now. Daughter wanted to hit her favourite stores in Bangor and then go home!
Due to the fatigue felt by all of us, the shopping, eating, driving, border crossing and subsequent boring drive back to home, I did not take anymore pictures of this particular adventure.

We.Were.Tired.Out.

Upon arriving at home we three looked forward to crashing in our comfortable home and just relaxing. That was not to be. As luck would have it hubby didn't expect us home for another 24 hours and so the next day he had arranged for the exterminator to fumigate against those *(&*#%@ ants again. We had to get professional help last summer after moving in, against these puny and totally annoying critters. Seems that lot left some family behind that came out to torment us again. We had to vacate the house for at least 4 hours.

Four hours! I didn't want to go anywhere ~ except for my soft & fluffy bed! Instead we dragged our sorry butts down the road to our family, where we could sit up or crash, as the case may be. I fell over in a drool-induced sleep until I culd get home.

So that ends this summer's great adventure. There is still more to come and reflections to muse about but it is late and I'm going to fall asleep at the computer if I stay here much longer.

Moving Down Across the Border

2008-08-18T20:47:00.012-03:00

To finish the Ottawa farewells (from the last post), here are the girls:

Bye Ottawa! See you next time!

Off we set on our next destination: the Canada/US border. Ottawa being in one of its 2 road seasons...construction (the other being winter) I got temporarily lost, heading west and had to backtrack. Road signs were missing at crucial arteries so I listened to my gut and pulled off to check the map. Curses!!

It was a beautiful day for driving and within an hour we drove over the bridge linking Canada with the U.S. We sailed through the border and entered the U.S. The first thing that hit me was the change in speed from kilometers to miles per hour! Then I noticed the price of gas in gallons not litres! Which then made me realize that I had not changed any money to US funds!!!!

Oh great.

I decided we would head for Lake Placid. There were no major arterial road heading west-east in that neck of the woods so we meandered on secondary roads the whole way. It was quite scenic (would have been MORE so if not for the low clouds on them thar' hills!) as we twisted and turned and drove up and down valleys. We were good and ready for a pit stop at Lake Placid! The weather threatened to get us wet but for the most part held off.

The lake itself is not very big. The entire lake is pretty much within the pictures you see below. Lake Placid earned its place in history because the Olympics took place there back in the 1980s...and yes, kids, some of us ARE old enough to remember them!!

This is the left half of the lake or to the northern side.

This is the right half of the lake or the more southern part. There were houses or cottages dotting the landscape and they are not cheap.
One real estate company on Main Street spotlighted a few lakeside properties for close to a million dollars or more.

Here is daughter encouraging Alberta friend to smile.
Daughter found those psychodelic socks in the pyschodelic 70s shop. I swear we entered a horrible time warp when we stepped across the threshold of that hippies place! I did note I still looked like my 44 year old self though....

Daughter didn't realize the significance of this bobsled sitting out on the sidewalk but was game to hop in. Alberta friend simply REFUSED to get in the thing even with our coaxing. While I took this photo I told them that it was the WINTER olympics held at this location and who knows, perhaps that very bobsled careened down the local mountain in a race!!

This is one shot of Main Street, Lake Placid. It actually reminded me very much of Banff or Jasper in the Rocky Mountains (in Canada, folks. In my homeland!!). If you took off the "Lake Placid" signs and stickers on the souvenirs and stuck on "Banff" or "Jasper" instead, why you'd think you hit a weird time warp.

Here's another portion of the street. Very pretty isn't it? Perhaps the town/city wants it to look this nice so you won't gasp at the prices of accommodations or meals. Or souvenirs.

This next photo is the outside of the restaurant we ate supper in. The front area had a couple of couches and a very small bar. You walked through to the back half where the dining part was built. It is quite narrow; either 2 or 3 tables wide. What sets it apart as wonderful were the huge glass windows at the end overlooking the lake. What an absolutely wonderful view to enjoy while eating good, but pricey, food. The girls are smiling because their tummies are full. These two were like Jekyll and Hyde when they got hungry! In fact, they got downright chatty for a while after eating and it was the only time they'd carry on a full and legible conversation with their chauffeur (me).
As evidenced by the bag(s) we managed to fulfill our tourist duty and purchase some souvenirs and books.

The girls do not appreciate the very fine things in life yet; such as the beautiful scenery. Little spots tucked to the side of the stores were nicely decorated, such as this walkway up to someone's apartment.

While souvenir hunting, we wandered out of a store and into a mini-mall when what did we see but an enormous bear! Daughter was game for a picture with our fuzzy friend but geez...Alberta friend.... relax! Get goofy girl! We had to pull her almost kicking and screaming to just get her to stand beside the bear! It was a huge stuffy, HONEST. It wasn't going to eat you!

Our brief stay in Lake Placid over, the ladies posed with the town clock on our way back to the car. We decided against spending the night here and headed on. That might not have been the best idea though...

I spent the next 3-1/2 hours driving on winding secondary roads, often being the only, lonely car on a dark road with nary a gas station in sight. It was an awfully long day of driving and it seemed to take forever to get to the next town that had a nice looking hotel.

Farewell Ottawa & Family Photos

2008-08-17T01:12:00.006-03:00

Why is it when we say good-bye we like to punish ourselves by taking family photos? Let me show you what I mean...

It came time for the girls and I to depart Ottawa and head on down the highway. I thought a nice photo of my sister and her family would be the order of the day.

Ha!

Niece and nephew weren't exactly cooperating for ANYONE on this day...

So I gave everyone a breather and tried again. Even worse! Now I'm down to only ONE person smiling at the camera! Squinty eyes at that!

Someone suggested hugging to brighten the mood. Little nephew was game but niece put a pout on and wouldn't have any part of it...there goes another photo!

Right. Surely to god everyone can cooperate for one, miserable, stinking photo???

That.Was.It. Enough effort! This shot will HAVE to do!!

***********************************************************************

Moving on, my sister and I wanted a picture together.

Great. Who would take the picture?

Brother-in-law? What?

But I haven't SEEN what kind of pictures he takes!

Geez...does he even take any?

Ok ~ let him this once. How bad can it be?

WELL....since you asked.... **WARNING** ...what follows is NOT pretty!!

Hmmm...extra couple of chins, kindofasmirk...excess arm skin. Oh no you didn't!!

Take #2 is better. Check out the face on me - not even my mother could love that! Does Brother-In-Law even like me? I'm beginning to wonder!

Right. We lost one.

The other one is not having a photographic moment.

Auntie isn't doing great either; dig the bent neck and big arm hanging out front!

And why didn't you tell me that my hair looked so awful? Looks like a freakin' MOP and THAT ARM IS HANGING OUT THERE AGAIN!!

Okay...so let's turf the niece and get a "sisters" picture going, 'kay?

oh boy, like that improved anything! This is not a look I want to see A-N-Y-W-H-E-R-E let alone in hardcopy for everyone and his DOG to smirk at!

Uh ~ HELLO THERE! Since WHEN does ANYONE photograph two larger women from an unflattering angle and then NOT CROP the bad stuff out??!!

Specially when one IS YOUR WIFE and the other is your v-e-r-y scary SISTER-IN-LAW!

Funny. Very funny.

'Scuse us a moment while I have a word with my dear, dear brother-in-law.....

....

.....

......

I'm back! We came to an understanding; we found a very nice photo and he gets to live another fun-filled day with the kids.

FINALLY. A worthy picture.

...and now if you don't mind, I'm going to crawl into a corner with my bottle and have a nervous breakdown while I smash the camera to bits and pieces and drink whisky straight up until that second-to-last photo looks like the last one ~ or until I pass out.

Either way this night is going to end on a luvly note...*hiccup*....

What In The Tarot...?

2008-08-17T00:40:00.002-03:00

My sister and I grew up in the same household...but worlds apart. Where I like true stories, science, down-to-earth no-nonsense kind of stuff she doesn't. She was always one to read up on dreams, back-to-nature kind of stuff and tarot cards. I'm personally not a great believer in this but don't mind some fun now and then.

When daughter, Alberta friend and I were visiting in Ottawa my sister held court one evening with her tarot cards. According to my sister we walk this earth with some spirit animals and we can learn about ourselves through recognizing what type of animals accompanies us. We were game and her cards were brought out.

Let me show you....

It was a dark and stormy night... oops ~ wrong story! It was a threatening kind of evening (as per rain clouds) but that was it. I had to retouch the photo below to make it dark and mysterious as circumstances lent to a seance type of atmosphere.

The girls are eagerly anticipating their readings. Hmmm...well, actually ONE is ready to jump in with enthusiasm. The other, well...? Engrossed in a dark, mysterious type of magazine perhaps?
Nope. Just some hardcore brain candy - "People Magazine".

Daughter went first. She shuffled the deck, cut it into 4 piles and then selected her pile. My sister laid out the cards in a 7 card semi-circle and then began the reveal. It is quite in depth and complicated...stuff about east, west, above ground, below ground, etc. Each person took notes for future reference. Here you can see daughter just beginning to write about her animals. By the time my sister was done, daughter had written to the bottom of the page!

Next up was Alberta friend. She had finished the fluffy, light reading and turned her attention to more serious matters. She had some cards that I wanted but you get the cards you deal. The deck used by my sister is North American animals so nothing exotic or particularily poisonous showed up ~ proving we're just good ol' Canadians! Alberta friend also took copious notes which she tucked away in her suitcase.

While my cards were being shuffled (and during a dessert break where we pampered ourselves with strawberries and whipping cream), daughter caught my speeding nephew. He is still in that cute, cuddley and kissy-pooh stage much to daughter's delight. She grabbed him up and gave him a squish-a-bug-hug (our name for happy, squeezable hugs).

As for me no one took my pictures during my reading. I don't mind. I have some pictures that were taken when we left and I've got to have a word with my brother-in-law about that. He has not yet learned that to live long and peacefully he must beware of unflattering camera angles....wide-angle shots...squinty eyes...

My sister's kids popped in and out to see the animals we dealt ourselves. There are a couple of my animals I'd like to trade for something cuter or scarier, like the turtle or bear, but apparently wishing it doesn't make it so. I figured that being a Taurus, born the year of the Dragon, with a name that means "Battle Maiden" that I'd score some ferocious animals but no, my walk with animals spirits is a lot tamer than I'd expected!

Although dealing myself a whale didn't improve the self-image much! Especially after I saw brother-in-law's photos! Note: people do NOT resemble the animals they deal!!!

Any "Heroes" Fans Out There!

2008-08-15T01:43:00.002-03:00

Oh I just got hooked on the t.v. series "Hereos"!!

Luckily the first season is for rent at the local Blockbuster so I've been on a Hero-type binge for the past few days. Boy are there twists and turns on every episode!

They didn't spare the gory details either, did they?

I'm done disc 4 out of 7, in the first session.

So now, of course, I want to yak with someone about what I'm seeing.....

any fans out there?????

Kids At Play!

2008-08-15T01:12:00.003-03:00

Once outside the Museum in Hull (Quebec), the Parliament buildings are visible across the river. Thinking the little ones needed a bit of fresh air and room to move after the museum, my sister and I sat ourselves down and relaxed. The kids, on the other hand, moved. I took out my camera to see what kind of pictures I could get of these two MOVING and some turned out quite well!

Little nephew is all about motion when he is up and about. He has 2 settings: full throttle or stop. Not much in between! Here he starts his motor up with a warm-up session....

and he proceeded to run circles around his mother and I for a long time!

Eventually he settled for a quick rest on his sister's lap. He ADORES his older sister and checks with her when he's doing something or asks her to help him when he gets stuck playing a game.

The quiet didn't last long before he threw himself back into play (and I do mean that literally)

He and his sister took off running together, in some sort of tag-like game. They ran this way....

and they ran that way...

and eventually ran very close to me. Finally though...

Little nephew had enough and just plopped down. He was ready to leave.

As soon as they were settled in the car, tucked and buckled into their car seats and the air conditioner was blowing back a cool breeze both of them conked out and slept for the drive back to sister's place.

More Children's Museum

2008-08-14T01:11:00.002-03:00

To continue off from yesterday's post...

The "Bob the Builder" corner of the kids' museum was an HUGE hit with the little ones! They spent more time in that exhibit exploring all the different activities than anywhere else!

In this photo little nephew is driving one of Bob's buddies. (I don't watch the show as my kids are now teens but no doubt some mothers out there know who these characters are!)

Little nephew then went to another character - I'm not sure what this guy does. Little nephew decided to stack bricks along the dashboard and here you see him hard at work. His big brother moved some of the bricks in between little nephew's trips to bring more back and *whew* was he upset when he got back! The bricks had to be STRAIGHT mister! When he was finished stacking them 4 or 5 rows high he then carefully carried them back to put them away.

This contraption was fascinating to all the kids. On this side the child pushes the ball into a hole and then suction grabs the ball, forcing it up the pipe you can see behind my niece's head. Then, on the other side of this box, there is a spigot the child must turn for the balls to fall out (into a waiting bucket). It's up to the kids to bring the balls back and repeat the procedure. Which they did quite happily. Over and over and over and.....aaaarghh!

Eventually Big nephew and I were successful in sheparding the kids to other areas. Next up were a couple of vehicles - Little nephew's passion. Obviously not just his as Big nephew is doin' some dreaming in the back there! Keep up your dayjobs, boys, that pretty toy is pricey!!

Another area was the ship centre. The kids could grab some cargo and move it to the dock. You can see niece hard at work while little nephew looks on. After this shot he jumped down into the cargo and didn't wait for his turn. Little niece is a serious girl who concentrates on the task at hand. The cargo made it safely to shore.

Next up was a mini car of some sort ~ I'm thinking it was a mini Cooper. Little nephew LOVED this car as it was just his size! He actually persuaded his big brother to get in so he could drive him somewhere. Big brother (big nephew) is a bit tall to fit comfortably as plainly visible. It required some great contortions to get himself out of there. He's game for it all though - no wonder his siblings adore him (and Auntie too!).

We also hit up the bakery. While big nephew and I sat at one of the tables the shop's staff went behind the scenes to cook us up some pizza and fruit. Little nephew was hard at work creating some bread rolls for us to munch on before our meal arrived.

Meanwhile my niece was busy preparing the dessert. My did we "eat" a lot at that place! The kids loved creating dishes from the food, utensils and cookware. There were chef hats but there weren't any spare ones for my little ones; some older kids did a fair bit of hogging of everything until I stepped in and liberated some items for my niece and nephew.

Fun displays like the one here were placed in strategic spots to gaze at. I can't imagine the hours of work that went into this miniature house! It was behind glass as were the other miniature dioramas around the museum.

Moving on to another little building we came to the clothing design shop. Looking up was colourful with much for the eye to see. In this place happy green bugs held tight to fabric. No matter where your eye rests in this museum, there is an explosion of colour and knick-knacks. Truly amazing!

Bringing the eyes down we come to the one of the fashion design areas. Niece was quite busy designing some new clothing for the coming season. With the different stamps and colours available all kinds of fabrics and textures might be rolled out for the fall season! In the foreground a couple of dummy models are visible, for trying on various clothes.

While niece was designing away in one part of the "showplace" the boys were busy in the other half. As a purchaser for my clothing store, the two were responsible for bringing samples of their wares to me, so I could peruse the selection and make my choices. The mirrored wall behind them was indeed warped and my goodness, I liked the skinny frame! I could almost picture myself QUITE a bit lighter!

Little nephew also did some design work in between ringing up customers. Here he displays one of his latest designs for the fashion shows to note.

Then we went tropical long enough to take another picture. Little niece was bright and colourful that day so I shoved her in with a bunch of palm trees and told her to smile. Being quite a good sport, she did. I told her the picture would look like she was in a jungle and indeed it does. I'll be making some hard copy prints to send her shortly, where she can clap in delight over her "travels" that day.

Here we were done with the children's museum. We were waiting for my sister to show up after work (she worked close by) and niece was a little tired out. I just quietly called her name and she turned to look at me. Before you think she never quite lightens up scroll down to the final picture....

Where she broke out into a grin at something I said. Don't you love those eyes??

Thus ends the tour of the kids' museum. These pictures are only a fraction of all the exhibits in there and if you have kids and ever visit Ottawa be SURE to put this on your list of places to see and do. It truly is a magical place for little ones and those who bring them there (although daughter and Alberta friend got some passports and cruised through the place too).

Next up will be when we moved outside for a little R&R. The kids ran and ran and ran. I turned the camera on to high speed and snapped away. Stay tuned....

The Children's Museum in Ottawa

2008-08-13T11:59:00.002-03:00

May I introduce you to subject museum? It is actually the Museum of Natural Civilization...or something like it!...but it has within its walls, the BEST children's museum EVER. I took little niece and nephew there one day, along with Big nephew (older brother of 2 little ones) and my daughter and her Alberta Friend.

We only made it through the children's museum that particular day; something to do with the whims and energy level of little ones. Today's post captures the first exhibits we ran into...

The Theatre is first. It has an audience area where I was sitting and a complete backstage area. All the kids came out to perform for me, including totally grown-up Nephew who rather drolly pointed out that he was a "tree".

Little niece and nephew were much more game about performing so I focussed on them. I believe little nephew is actually a Joker here... and isn't he quite the charming devil too?

Once the theatrics were over, well of course the little ones had to rest and recline on the sofa backstage. Look at the sofa - it's kid size! That is one of the truly neat things about this museum; everything is set up for kids and not adults!

Next stop the travelling bus! Little niece loves the bus; it is absolutely covered in glitter and sparkles. She drove daughter and Alberta friend to wonderful imaginary places. Here the girls are looking in their passports for the right page to stamp. After visiting each place in the museum there is a stamp box, to mark in your special passport that you visited the place and participated in the activity.

p.s. that guy behind the girls? We call him the scary man.... he doesn't look very happy and he wasn't with us.

So ends the first post for the museum. There is plenty more to follow but I have to run. It is Alberta friend's last day with us and we are heading downtown to the market to buy some special local "food" to take home with her. In case her parents see this I won't divulge the nature of this interesting stuff.... but stay tuned - much more to come!

The Ladies Dine Out

2008-08-10T00:35:00.006-03:00

Following our walk to Parliament Hill, daughter, Alberta friend and I met up with my friend (Fairy Godmother) from days gone by. We were on the prowl for a place to eat in the BIG CITY. Where to go? So many places, so many choices! Fairy Godmother has scouted many restaurants during her time in Ottawa and was able to help us narrow the list down considerably.

At first we leaned towards a funky menu and colourful venue....
... but the menu didn't appeal to everyone so we strolled on down to the end of the street and headed to a place that serves up great steak...
at a place called the Empire Grill. Inside this restaurant there is a wall covered in real cow hides but we settled out on the patio outside.

Fairy Godmother and I had a BLAST catching up on times & gossip. The younger ladies were highly entertained by the conversation between us old and er...more mature types... yeah, right, mature ~ that's what we were!

And even though the girls were h-u-n-g-r-y they smiled for the millionth photo. It was probably a lasting effect from one of Fairy Godmother's endearing stories that kept us in stitches. The lady can tell a story!

As with everything, all good things must come to an end and the lingering laughter kind of petered out as dinner still did not show up! By now Alberta friend was ready to shoot me for snapping yet another photo, but what am I to do? We were ON AN ADVENTURE!!

Daughter was more in the spirit of things...at least until her dinner was served...

Now before everyone comments on what a bad mother I am for just letting her have meat on daughter's plate, it was her choice. I repeat ~ that is what she wanted! The girl does not eat vegetables and has not since the ripe old age of 3 or 4. Since all the accompaniments consisted of mashed potatoes or fries or a salad or vegetable soup she politely declined these extras. The result is the meat on her plate.
Daughter had the filet mignon with sauce on the side. What we didn't know when ordering is that the meat itself is either marinated in something spicy or cooked with a hot sauce. Daughter likes a bit of kick and spice but this meat left her mouth burning. So if you ever eat at the Century Grill beware your meat could be very spicy. Alberta friend chose a milder, pasta-oriented dish that smelled and tasted very nice.

Now MY dish was something to rave about! Fairy Godmother highly recommended it and I boldly went where she previously dared to go. It looks awesome doesn't it?
The meat melted in my mouth and the taste of all the extras was incredible. I was nicely satisfied after finishing that pile of food but not overly stuffed. (I do confess that I didn't eat that green leafy fluff at the top of the pile.)

Once we finished at this place we moseyed on over a street or two and hit a lovely dessert restaurant...whose name escapes me right now. Fairy Godmother is currently restricted in what she can eat so she inhaled vicariously through us that evening. After slobbering, er...deciding...on which dessert to have, daughter eventually chose the Baby Chocolate Truffle. Which she was going to share with me, I might add. I was supposed to get half. I ordered a hot chocolate and Alberta friend went for some tea.
Yeah, daughter - about that sharing? Can we go over the rules again? Half means HALF, NOT one itty-bitty half spoonful. And scarfing it all down while your Mother takes pictures? NOT NICE!

Alberta friend relaxes with a spot of tea to finish up her excellent meal.

A slow walk back to my vehicle followed dinner and dessert. Downtown Ottawa comes alive with different features as the night wears on and by the time we left some places were changing into music and dancing. We also glimpsed the nightly light show on Parliament Hill. We were sorry we didn't stay to see the whole show because the changing colours and scenes playing across the Parliament building looked like quite an event. Perhaps next time.

Good night everyone! Hope you had as good a night as we did.

SSHHHH!!! Quiet Time!!

2008-08-08T06:24:00.003-03:00

By now it seems like the girls are on a capacity-overload-sightseeing trip! Not so. Just to show you there is also plenty of downtime....

A morning at the lake. Look closely ~ the girls are at the end of the dock.

Geez, still can't see them? Let me help -
Don't think it's them? Hey girls - OVER HERE!
Here both indulge in a favourite pastime. I almost fainted to find 2 teens relaxing and reading QUIETLY in my house! I had to capture the moment! This scene does not play out frequently in the living room while son is awake and moving about. Of course, the girls shut and locked the door to keep us out.
Carry on you two. I'll leave quietly and shut the door behind me....

St. Martin's and the rocky beach

2008-08-08T05:34:00.005-03:00

Digressing a little, before leaving on our Ottawa trip; daughter, Alberta friend and I headed out to St. Martin's for a little cave exploring. Although the girls could access the bigger cave when we first arrived the tide rose quickly and before we left the area, that cave was no longer accessible by the beach. Exploring was cut short when threatening storm clouds dumped rain on us.

St. Marten's caves. This picture was taken while walking back to the car. The big cave is not accessible any longer; but it sure was a magnet for the girls to explore when we first arrived.

See the biggest cave in the above photo? Here is a closer shot of it.

The tiny white blur in the very back is actually either daughter or her friend; the 2 individuals standing are other tourists to the area. The girls are way, WAY back. You can see both of them crammed into the back crevisse.

Even my dog didn't want to go in the very back. It felt claustrophobic and I was nervous about the girls being wedged into the rocks so once I took this photo I asked them to remove themselves from the ledge. It was cold in here and clammy from the salt water.

Here daughter and friend left the cave and moving closer to shore, explored an indent in the red rock layer.

The rock slivered off the ceiling and wall easily and crumpled in their hands. So of course I was nervous again and hovered until they left this shallow cave.

It didn't reassure me at all when they started to climb up the rocky slope. I could see evidence of rock slides and mini-avalanches all along this area and nervously voiced my concerns about how they would get down if indeed, they succeeded in climbing to the top. Good sense prevailed and they slipped and slid back down.

That didn't deter them for long. Daughter found yet another cramped space to squeeze into and scrape away at, while Alberta friend tapped on the wedged rocks.

All the green algae/seaweed that you see in these photos is VERY slippery, making any trek treacherous. Daughter demonstrates another use for the green slime however; and molds her feet into a mermaid-type creature.

After this the weather turned and we made our way back to the vehicle. Before leaving St. Marten's however, daughter spotted an old church advertising a book sale. What luck! Who could resist?! We found good reads and hard-to-find sequels among the displays.

The backseat was very quiet on the ride back to "chez moi".

Hey-Ho To An Adventure We Go!

2008-08-08T04:42:00.006-03:00

Early on a recent morning daughter, her Alberta friend and I packed up our red Toyota Matrix and hit the road. We drove off into the sunrise cruising down the New Brunswick highway headed towards Ottawa, Ontario.

We did some serious driving! The first pit-stop was for breakfast in Edmunston. All that napping and reading in the backseat made the girls hungry so they ordered up a hearty breakfast. Daughter and Alberta friend wait for breakfast to be served.

The kilometres sped beneath the tires and after one wrong turn in Montreal and about 13 hours of driving we arrived at our destination. That night is a blur as the travelling exhausted us and we conked out early.

The next afternoon the girls headed to downtown Ottawa and I joined them later in the day. We were meeting up with a friend of mine but had some time to kill, so we wandered over to Parliament Hill.

First we came across the monument to "women becoming Persons in Canada". Daughter and Alberta friend met with their predecessors...

and contemplated life with these great ladies over a cup of tea.

Moving on from there we met up with our first representative of Parliament Hill.....
this fat...er groundhog...gopher? The fattest such critter I've ever seen. Seriously people - tourists - he doesn't need all your scraps! This guy is gonna BURST at the seams if you keep feeding him like this!

He lumbered about looking for handouts and let daughter and Alberta friend get close before deciding they didn't have any snacks for him.
His hidey-hole was underneath the bushes and he could move when required. The girls didn't give serious chase for fear he'd keel over and croak in front of them. Canada...about that Participaction fitness thing? Ya' might want to start practising it in your own backyard before encouraging the masses with your advertising slogans....!!

With groundhog back in his cubby hole we moved on to the building itself. We were thirsty. It was very hot and muggy and nowhere outside could I find a water fountain (hint, hint, Parliament Hill!). The only one available was inside the building.
Our Canadian flag atop the nation's parliament building.

Some scary beaver statue carved into front entrance of parliament building. Yeah, that'll scare away potential bad guys who want to take over our country, all right. Scary fangs and all.

We ended up going through insane security to access some drinking water. Security was just like that at the airport, including checking all cellphones and x-raying bags and emptying pockets. Police and security were everywhere and access was limited to a small area unless you joined a tour. After gulping down quantities of cold fountain water we wandered back outside....

where the girls displayed their intense enthusiasm for all things government.

Seriously though, the girls were exhausted from the travelling, sight-seeing and heat by this time. From here we headed over to my friend's place for refreshments and later, dinner out. Stay tuned for that post....

Catching Up A Little - Inner Tubing

2008-08-08T03:55:00.007-03:00

Now that I'm back home it is time to catch up on everything. First on the agenda was a birthday fun day!

River Tubing Fun!!
The Saturday before the girls and I left for our trip, sister-in-law celebrated the little "4-0" in style and invited everyone for an adventure & a bbq. The sport was inner tubing down a local river and what a blast! The ladies tied the tubes together so we could drift and visit while the teens floated down in little groups on their own.

The birthday girl!

Sitting in my tube I snapped photos whenever my tube swung around enough to catch someone in the camera's frame. See for yourself some of the fun memories of that day...

Son tubes away. At first he was very nervous and his tube was tied to mine. It wasn't long before he grew confident enough the "bonds were severed" and away he floated to join his cousins further downstream.

This niece did not like the inner tube at all and was rather panicked until husband offered up a tube he had brought. It had a netted bottom so she could sit safely and lounge about. Once settled into this float she enjoyed herself immensely.

Daughter, her Alberta friend and my nephew prepare to float away at the start of tubing. They flew down the river and often stopped to swim until the tied-up convoy floated within range.

The problem with having many tubes inter-tied is that we got hung up on anything... rocks, branches, shallow water... husband and his brother were our guides, pushing and pulling our tubes as necessary to get the posse floating away again. Here you can see husband navigating the flotilla away from the shore.

One of our pit stops was for a lunch break and the other was to swim. This is the second stop and the 3 littlest ones tested out the water. There was a cute little cove just off to the right, with warm and shallow water. The girls paddled in there and one niece gave me a "spa" treatment by scrubbing my arms and feet with sand (lucky her, huh?)

Nephew enjoys the lunch break. The tubes doubled as comfy seats during the meal.

The birthday girl's son. Isn't nephew a handsome fellow? Whether playing or working he takes a serious outlook to his life and squeezes every moment out of life. He not only tubed but also brought a net along to catch and examine stream critters. He explored both the water and water's edge. Given this is the same kid who caught the only snake EVER to slither through my backyard I didn't even ask him what he found on this trip (remember my butt is sagging in the water below the tube!!)

Here daughter semi-poses for me. Although she appears serious she wasn't. Need proof? After this stunning photo she needed a drink.... (not THAT kind folks - she's just 14!!)

Hey birthday girl ~ you know how to throw a party! How about turning 40 again next year and doing this again?? We're in!!

We're Doing Some Travelling

2008-08-03T11:02:00.002-03:00

I'm on the road which is why I haven't posted at all lately.

Last Wednesday daughter, her best friend and I headed on a road trip. We drove for over 13 hours and arrived in Ottawa the same evening. It was a beautiful day for travelling. The girls were excellent travellers; they read in the back seat or napped.

We've been in Ottawa since and are leaving today. The past few days have been spent enjoying some quality time with my niece and nephew and exploring Ottawa. I've taken plenty of pictures and will post some upon our return to N.B.

Yes....I'm ashamed to admit but yes.... I did help my sister wipe out her blog...we were working on changing her background and even though we thought we had saved a backup turns out we didn't. It was late at night when it happened. I considered sneaking away in the dead of night with the girls but sister has wooden floors that creak something terrible and we'd be busted. I'm still here so that's something I guess. If you do read her blog, she is trying to get everything back....

Today the girls and I are heading south of the border on our way back towards New Brunswick. We had a great time in Ottawa and *gasp* even had our Tarot cards read by my spiritually-inclined older sister. Pictures to follow!

Stay tuned!

Happiness Is....

2008-07-24T11:51:00.004-03:00

Hanging out with your best friend.

Daughter's best friend finally arrived from Alberta for a visit. For her first full day here in New Brunswick daughter took her to the shores of the Bay of Fundy/Atlantic coast. The water was freezing and rogue waves had the girls sprinting for higher ground.

They quickly toured the wetlands sanctuary by the beach...

and had a great day.

Life is perfect.

Some Folks I Know

2008-07-17T01:33:00.003-03:00

Recently a parade of family traipsed through our area. We were lucky enough to have a gathering or two chez moi and I broke out the camera to catch some "locals" on tape, so to speak....

Here is one of my nieces, on our trampoline. Our trampoline has a security net which makes it easier for the wee ones to safely jump to their hearts' content while making sure their mommies' hearts don't stop in panic!

Piggy back rides were the order of the day with each little girl taking a turn hiking the others on her back. More often than not one or both riders ended up crashing to the trampoline floor in giggling fits...

Here a few of the visiting ladies enjoy some quiet moments on our dock, as the sun sets. There were kids at the raft and others in kayaks. Keen eyes watched through the splashing and fun to ensure everyone arrived safely back to shore.

One of my nephews makes his way back to shore after exploring the lake in a kayak. This handsome fellow had a bit of adventure prior to launching the boat out on water; he spotted a...er... snake in our lawn...and received a nip or two when he tried to catch it. It was a garden variety and aside from exciting the mothers for a few moments while we determined the severity of the situation (and what his parents' reaction was going to be) all turned out well. Little snake carried on his way and my nephew opted to head out to open waters...

Here is hubby relaxing after a Bbq with family. Hubby has worked many overtime hours the past couple of weeks and the chance to relax with family and chat about life was a welcome break for him.

Here is daughter with her beloved Nana. This photo was taken on Nana's porch - and didn't I tell you in the last post that more pictures were coming from her beautiful grounds? Her back deck is the perfect backdrop for portraits and family shots.

Here Nana enjoys the three littlest girls who also happen to be her youngest grandchildren. The girls were good sports as I rustled and hustled them around Nana and encouraged them to relax and look natural. These little beauties are going to break a lot of hearts when they get older - just check out the eyes and the smiles!!

Here one niece rests from the trampoline and enjoys a very lady-like moment with some Cream Soda. She needed no encouragement to pose like this; she's a natural for the camera!

Two cousins beach their kayaks after a turn around our lake. Honestly they make it look so easy but if you've ever tried a kayak, those suckers tip and sway just by the operator BREATHING! I've only tried it once and did not feel comfortable away from the shore.

Little niece borrowed my daughter's glasses and she thought it was an absolute HOOT to look through them! All the little fingerprints on the glass didn't help but she sure liked what she saw!

A Special Place

2008-07-16T11:52:00.004-03:00

If you are ever in our area and want to enjoy a wonderful place to visit and create some golden memories, then you simply must stop by our Nana's garden. Being from Ireland, she has the green thumb and whimsical imagination to create a little piece of heaven of earth.

Nana's garden is not the same kind I would create or grow and that makes it more special to visit. Today's tour takes you around the grounds - her back porch, where family gathers, will be for another day as it is special too.

A casual stroll around the sides of her home displays the most delightful characters peaking out from the plants and flowers. Some of these creatures have spent many years travelling through life, while others are relative newcomers to this place.

Whether it is a person smiling out at you, or an old chair....they all sit comfortably in her forest as though made for that very place.

From beneath the lush green leaves you may find little frogs gathered to discuss the intricate details of catching flies...

to a single, brilliant flower spotlighting a watering can. If these were placed in my garden, it would look like cluttered garbage ~ but over at this garden...well, magic happens...

There is the quaint little shed hiding out back,

to one of the numerous birdhouses lurking behind some flowers. There is willow accenting the birdhouse stand, another classic touch from this accomplished gardener.

My favourite stop around the corner are these two little guys. A cute little pig telling a funny story to his friend, the hen. Neither mind they are getting on in years or that they are a bit weathered...like any old and dear friends, they enjoy each other's company and feel fresh and young when sharing stories.

Here and there splashes of colour wave in the light breeze.

These gardens have a cottage-y, English-garden feel to it. Today I gave you a glimpse at one of my favourite place's around here; a place where the atmosphere is as warm and inviting as the gardens that surround Nana's (and Poppa's) place.

How To Have Fun Kid-Style

2008-07-02T13:10:00.006-03:00

Today's lesson can be learned from our children...

Take one inflatable toy...

Add 2 kids (cousins in this case)...

And send them on their way!

The kids will try everything with this wheelie-thing! Here you can see daughter on her way OUT and DOWN into the water

This one shows her cousin trying to twirl in a loop.

Playtime was shortened because the sun dipped beneath the horizon and the temperature cooled off. The kids came back tired and happy.

Daughter warming up on the dock.

Now, let me show you the fun the adults were having!

Scroll down....

way down....

Tah-dah! Can you guess which one was relaxing with some beer?

Just kidding! There was much laughter to be heard in between the photos. Even though it seems such a serious group, it wasn't. My poor nephew, here seated on the white chair ~ later in the evening he leaned back in the seat and due to the soggy ground, the chair flipped over backwards! Thankfully, aside from a bruised ego perhaps, nephew was fine. The chair however, came to the end of its life and is now waiting for the garbage truck. See the little black dog? See the box of timbits on the chair?? Well a little later on someone put that box on the ground and the next thing you know the Pug's head was in the box trying to help himself!

Here are Nanna and Poppa relaxing by the fire, along with sister-in-law-to-be (to the right of Nanna) and my neighbour (seated to the left of Poppa). That is my neighbour's house in the background.

This photo was taken before....someone...who shall remain nameless...had the nerve to ditch this great gathering for Gordon Ramsey's "Hell's Kitchen" ~ on T.V.!!

There was a LOT of smoke from our first "family" bonfire - we used some old wood behind the barn and it was still soggy from recent rain. The fog lifted long enough for our little Canada Day celebration and then it crept back during the night hours.

Happy Canada Day!

2008-07-01T12:31:00.002-03:00

Today is 1 July 2008 and it marks my country's birthday!

The last few days were foggy and blah. Bright and early yesterday morning there was a small disturbance as a 5-minute storm blew through, complete with thunder and lightening. That was our area's wakeup call as 6 a.m. marks the beginning of the day for a lot of working people. It did seem ironic that one of the few lightening strikes in our little physical location.... was the local police station! No need to dispatch the police to the site but please do call the fire department!

Aside from that the summer has started. Son is bored but truly fights doing any housework. Apparently that isn't what his idea of summer holidays means! The weather did pick up enough for him and some cousins to swim for a couple of afternoons in the lake. It hasn't been hot enough for me to want to do so yet.

Daughter is busy with her school's theatre department. Just because the school is closed for the summer does not mean the theatre isn't being used. If the theatre is in use then the staff is needed to run it. The staff is comprised mostly of students and daughter is more than happy to keep busy there. She works the lights mostly. The countdown has begun to her friend's arrival from Alberta in 1 month. Her friend has never been to the Maritimes before so it'll be a fun trip for her. For part of the visit I'm taking daughter and friend to Ottawa to let them loose on the city. Look out nation's capital! No telling what 2 teen girls can get up to!

Our front garden is showing off beautiful plants and colours. I'm blown away by what grew unexpectedly this year ~ this is the same garden where we dug out the three bushes last summer. The three evergreen bushes that blocked our view and had grown too tall for their location. We did not know that other plants were "trapped" beneath the large bushes and only needed some space and light to burst out this year. One of the more spectacular plants is a Peony bush! The enormous pink flowers are just blooming now and they have the nicest, faint fragrance about them. There are 2 unknown plants growing great guns; they will probably bloom in another few weeks to a month. There is a small rose bush sprouting up and yet another unknown plant. The potted Mum was transplanted to this small garden a few weeks ago and it is taking off! I had no idea that Mums in the right growing zone are actually perennials! I bought some black-eyed Susans and they have taken root as well.

I'll be taking some pictures to post shortly...maybe even today if the sun stays out long enough! Fog, fog, go away!!

Have a great day everyone and happy birthday Canada!

Tired and Not Loving It

2008-06-24T00:14:00.001-03:00

Have you ever had those moments or days where it takes so much energy to do anything? Where you just don't have it in you to do things that normally fill your day?

I've been having a few of them lately; in fact, every day in the last while! If you wonder where I've been it's that I'm using all my energy to get through the days and that includes my work.

The kids both completed grade 9 successfully. It is most likely that son will be spending time with a tutor this summer as his math mark showed how much of a struggle he had. He does not have much confidence in himself and tends to give up rather quickly rather than spending more time on a math problem. He also tends to rush through the questions and it is difficult to re-read test questions or homework.

Daughter finished with excellent marks and will spend her summer doing "Tech" things and spending time with her best friend from Alberta. Friend from Alberta will be joining us for 3 weeks in late July and we intend to do a little travelling. Oh yeah - sis in Ottawa....that means we're heading your way for the last week in July - you can be a hard person to get a hold of! It will be me, daughter and her friend descending upon your home.

The heat and sun are trying to make a dedicated appearance in our area. Seems the fog has taken offence to that and in the city, where I work, the fog ebbs and flows daily. Sometimes the sun peeks out for an hour or so before being obscured once again by the creeping fog. Some fog is refreshing especially during some of the warmer and muggier days we've seen out here. Out in the "valley" where I live, we are outside the fog belt (hubby made sure of that) and the weather is usually 5 degrees warmer (Celsius, that is) and muggier. Son, his cousin and my hubby have actually swum in the lake....proclaiming it to be warm. Ha! I'm not buying into that just yet! I plant myself into a chair beneath the maple tree and carry out lifeguarding duties.

I drove daughter's friend home today and the route took us the OTHER way around our lake. While driving past the second (and smaller) beaver dam at the far end of the lake I was amazed to see a painted, WOODEN ROOSTER planted on the top of the dam! I'm going to break out my camera and snap a photo or two because it is a funny sight! I have no idea how long it has been there or if there is any particular reason why someone stuck it on top of the dam (gee...maybe the beaver borrowed it from someone's back yard??) but it is quite a sight!

Gardens are a-bloom with the early summer flowers and folliage. We planted most of the annuals and moved around perennials. Last summer we took out the evergreen bushes in the front gardens and this year the most amazing plants sprung to life! In the front garden there appear to be an azalea bush, a rose bush, some lilies in addition to the irises; the mum from the pot grew back with a vengeance. Why would the previous owners want to cover all that up with ugly evergreens? We put in some black-eyed Susan's and I want to transplant a pink potentilla bush from the backyard to the front garden. I shall take pictures shortly and post some "before" and "after" pics for you to see.

Son likes to be engaged constantly and does not like being on his own. Which is the reason why I changed my working hours to part-time evening and weekends. Only I didn't mean every.freakin'.weekend! Except that is what is happening. Work is going very well as a part-time occupation. A bit of time away from the house and a little money on the side. For the most part it is the customers who make the job fun for me. I get to indulge in my "gift of the gab" and the customers respond in kind. I do get grouchy ones and occasionally it feels like they all stood in line together to be nasty all at once. The people who become the angriest, actually, are the ones I ask for I.D. because their signatures don't match their credit cards at all. Not even remotely. Boy, do some of them get ticked off when I keep the card until other identification is shown. It appears that my doing this is the uncommon and unheard-of procedure. The ones who have had their cards stolen previously are thankful that someone is checking....

So far I've worked the front cash, in the tool section (tool corral it is called) and outside in the garden centre. The garden centre is quite nice and you aren't watched as closely out there. With some store managers you feel like you are back in kindergarden again! Some of these people need to chill out and relax a little - if we don't have enough staff to efficiently help everyone when it is busy, don't freak out at me! I'm going to snap right back at you! There are a few people on the staff that I try to avoid and don't care for at all. There are a lot of younger people, teens, working there and it is interesting to have them around. They sure can make you feel your age!! I had my first "round table" meeting last week. That's where miscellaneous employees sit with a couple of the managers and go over procedures and bring any problems to light. I brought forward some of the concerns I've seen on the cash register line and it remains to be seen if anything is resolved.

On top of this I have a small and ongoing medical concern that is starting to affect my life in an increasingly bigger way....*sigh*..... nothing is easy, is it? This is when I really miss having a family doctor; one who is familiar with my history and situation. I've been in this province a year now and am already sick to death of the health care system. I've had to make use of the emergency care system and the after-hours clinic and I have grown to hate them so much I'd rather endure any health concern than use those services. I am tired of being treated in a condescending manner, by abrupt and rude doctors who are overworked and tired. And who usually don't want to be with me as much as I don't want to be with them. So it will be interesting to see what happens if this minor health concern doesn't take care of itself. I'm not about to subject myself to the whim of a so-called professional who believes they know best - and are shocked when I say "no". The word "no" is very liberating and enjoyable and is partially responsible for why I come across as cranky and eccentric with some. I love "no". After years of being the "yes" woman and going along with what anyone and everyone said and wanted, I am LOVING the "no" effect and using it wherever possible. Perhaps it is a sign of maturity? (Immaturity some would probably say) I'd say by my age, 44, I have the knowledge and power to make decisions for myself rather than be swayed or led into one or another. Oh, the power of "no"!!!!!

Oh, we found out that the new SUV needs a cadillac converter. The vehicle is still under warranty and will be repaired once the back-ordered item actually shows up out here. Now really, what were the chances of THAT failing on the first day we took possession of the vehicle? My faith in mankind - or car salesmen in particular - took another spectacular hit after that!

so that is my ordinary world for now. Not enough energy to be hip-hip-hooray but still enough to enjoy the early summer and blooming flowers. I do hope to drop in often and to take some colourful pictures to upload.

Oh yeah, and Nana and Poppa return home tomorrow! Yeahhhh! We all sure missed them. And no, I didn't "shop" for flowers in Nana's garden while she was away....she knows where to find me folks; and I'd be the first stop on her way to get the plants back! Ha ha ha, the Lupine flowers are looking mighty fine right now though....

Oh Crap - School's OUT!

2008-06-12T14:25:00.001-03:00

I'm crying but it's not tears of joy! Thus begins 2 months of, "I'm bored; what are we doing today?". Structure is important to kids with Asperger's Syndrome and the longer I am subjected to it the less appealing it becomes. I have one child who is easy to entertain and doesn't need a lot of stimulation or support to fill her days. She has quiet hobbies, as well as the drive and interest to keep busy most of the time. The other one however, wants - demands actually - to have "fun" constantly. It's now a word I'd ban from our vocabulary if the chance ever comes up. It means I will fill our days doing as many things as possible to entertain his days and keep him somewhat happy. There are so many things I'd rather be doing that shall be set aside in favour of helping him cope. I love to read or garden. As they aren't on his list of favourite activities..... guess what? On the other hand we do see more and keep busier because I try to plan excursions to see new places and do new things. It was easier in Alberta however as we lived in a very large city that had more available activities than where we are currently located. Mind you, should the summer get hot and muggy we are located on a lake and swimming is an activity we both enjoy so although I'm not a fan of really hot and sticky days let's hear it for swimming and the lake!

I'm sick still and so is hubby. Dang those summer colds ~ you think you've made it past cold season then *wham* some random little bug knocks you off your feet. Something nasty is going around my workplace but due to understaffing, clerks and cashiers are reporting to work sicker than dogs and puking. It is a sad state of affairs when hard-working folks such as these are taken advantage of to the point they feel they MUST work to help out. I have some scathing remarks on that subject that are best left unsaid...you never know who is reading a blog these days.

This is the first week of part-time work and it is working out much better than the last 3 weeks. Son is happier with me here throughout the day and I've been able to provide dinner before I head off to work. The four hour shift goes by much better for me and I'm not worried about those dreaded calls from home (cripes....there goes "Mom of the year award" AND "employee of the month"!!). It is fortunate I have today and tomorrow off so I can simper and whine and try to get over this darned bug that is making me miserable.

I have had some time to do a bit of gardening. It is good for my soul to putter and dig. The flowers seem so vibrant after the long, white winter and the explosion of green vegetation and the rainbow of flowers is a happy sight for all of our tired eyes! I'd like a word with whatever force of nature invented "humidity" however....that great energy-sapper that it is. I grew accustomed to the low humidity levels during the 10 years in Alberta and the pampered princess is having trouble adjusting to sweating, er perspiring??, when moving about on hot days.

Before closing and heading back to bed, I'm sending a "shout-out" to my in-laws who are presently in Northern Ireland. They have not been back since landing in Canada 33 years ago however the illness of a family member back there inspired the quickly-arranged trip. We hope that health matters improve for those concerned and this walk down memory lane provides happy memories to recount when you come back. We miss Nana and Poppa already and I know their children can't wait to hear stories about their childhood haunts and homes upon their parents' return.

Whooaaa ~ What a week!

2008-06-08T20:16:00.002-03:00

You know how some people are born with that proverbial silver spoon in their mouths? Everything they touch turns to gold? The ones who make a billion dollars from 2 nickels they rubbed together as kids?

Well...that's NOT us. We are somehow related to "Murphy" and his stupid laws. I'm not sure where in the family tree there is a connection but it's there. If unlucky had a name it would be us. We just brought home our new "used" vehicle yesterday. A 1995 Hyundai Santa Fe. While taking it for a spin today what do you know; the ENGINE light came on ~ as in, "check your engine"! The SAME FREAKING thing happened when we bought our van some years back; it cost $500 plus dollars to fix brand new "used" vehicle before its engine purred. That was the same van that started itself during the cold winter; freaking us out at 1 in the morning when it started itself while we were sleeping in the house! (The garage abutted the master bedroom).

When we bought the Toyota Matrix we'd been assured everything was hunkey-dory with it. Then we found out it had been in an accident. When we bought the SAAB years ago, we found out IT had not only been in an accident but the seat warmer had caught fire with the previous owner!

I am officially working part-time hours at the store. The full-time gig didn't work out; son just couldn't deal with the time home, alone. I got more than one frantic call from him at work. Which meant that he called the switchboard, who then passed the call to my supervisor. Who then tracked me down to give me her phone or to send me to a phone to call him back. So everyone could hear our conversations. Yeah that was fun, all right. To make matters "Murphy-lawish" of COURSE dear son had to take quite ill just a day before my full time hours ended. Which was the same day hubby had to drive an hour north to purchase our lovely black SUV that has the "check engine light" on. Today hubby and I are sick. Thanks, kid. I hope we don't get the sinus infection you have because those yellow horse pills you are taking are gross and I just know I'd puke them back up!

The kids are done classes, if you can believe that. Whatever happened to a full semester of school? June 6th the end of classes? What the ~ ?!! Exams run this week and then the little darlings are all mine for the summer. Yahoo. I'm relieved I switched my hours to nights and weekends only; that way I can spend time with them and make sure they don't kill each other.

As I write this there is a nasty little thunderstorm coming. Could this be mother nature adding to our misadventures? Like, building a new bathroom to replace the leaky one from the winter's storms isn't enough? Next we're gonna get zapped by lightening or something! Oh wait...that already happened, what am I saying? Been there, done that, don't want to experience that again! Oh I know what this little weather system is all about....I FINALLY got my flower pots planted! It's going to absolutely HAIL and kill every little flower I lovingly planted this afternoon. Just you wait! It's been THAT KIND OF WEEK around here.

I best go batten down the hatches and close the garage doors. Of course the lawn tractor is in the garage so we can't park the vehicles in there. Hubby's motorbike is in the other "bay", apart, because the last time he drove it the engine shrieked at him. So I had to rescue him one chilly morning last week. It's getting quite black out. Maybe I will crack open the garage door and actually pull my flowers inside. I know for sure something has it in for us if anything kills my flowers in there tonight! (uh...except for the one my mother-in-law gave me. I think it died. I forgot it was real and er...didn't water it. In the hopes of a near-death experience I've planted it in one of the front planters. This, after I killed the flowered plant hubby gave me a month or two ago. People you need to know that I've moved on to plastic plants for a good reason!)

So long from the front line......!!

One Year and Counting....

2008-06-02T00:13:00.001-03:00

The first anniversary of our arrival in New Brunswick happened a couple of days ago. One year since we left Alberta. How did one year go by so fast?

Hubby asked me yesterday, if I missed Alberta or if I wished I was still there. I replied that I do not think about moves and changes in those terms. If you spend much time dwelling on past things you might start regretting things. I try to stay focussed on where I am and what is going on NOW. My here and now is New Brunswick, for better or worse....richer or poorer...heh heh heh!! There are things I miss and always will, about Alberta. What I miss most are my friends. My cherished buddies with whom I could visit and discuss life and events, perhaps catch a movie or do some eating or shopping.

Life slowed down once we moved here and perhaps the hardest thing for me was the lack of friends. My kids are older and one, at least, has established her own life now and is busy with it. When they were younger it was us parents who arranged playdates and activities and so met others by these social outings. Working also created other friendships. As I have neither here, it was the loneliness that I didn't like.

So I recently took a job at a "home improvement store" much like Revy's or Home Depot out west. I'm a cashier, out there on the front lines....talkin' my heart out to customers. It was also a trial for son as the hours required him to be home alone for periods of time. Two weeks into the experiment and it is evident of FAILURE. For someone who NEVER used to use a telephone, he figured out how to call the store and get connected to my pretty quick. The call is received by the switchboard then transferred to my supervisor who then notifies me of the call. She then either transfers it to the phone at my cash or I have to close it temporarily and walk to the customer service desk and answer it there. Either way it is a very public place I receive a private call from a distraught and panicky child. Out of desperation I then call on my hubby's family to help and am eternally grateful they have been able to thus far.

Then it suddenly HIT ME last week....school classes finish this coming week! A couple of exams the following week and then school is OVER for this academic year! Holy cow, when did that happen? For someone who can barely handle one afternoon alone ~ to be suddenly faced with every.day.all.day..... well, I don't even want to pretend to go there.

I sent an email to my employer this evening requesting a reduction in hours to only evenings and weekends. This was identified as a possibility in the first few days I worked, after I received a frantic phone call from home during training. I do enjoy meeting the public and seeing a few people I recognize here and there.

It seems strange that, after a year of living here, I can still go days without seeing any familiar faces. It still feels foreign in that respect and like it will never change. I'm not sure how many of you out there truly understand what that is like, to not see anyone familiar day after day, week after week. After 10 years living in Alberta, I truly enjoyed stopping to chat with people I knew in the grocery store, or while shopping at Walmart. I still feel like a stranger here and not embedded in the community at all.

So join something, someone suggests. This brings me back to our situation. Nothing is easy or normal when there is a disabled person in the home; a child in particular. Everything we do is scheduled around him and his needs still. After 15 years of it with still no end in sight. It didn't get better; it just changed. It is one of the hardest parts of raising a child who struggles with developmental issues. The nature of Asperger's Syndrome, for instance, makes it difficult if not impossible, to make or keep friends. Even though they often crave companionship. This means Mom and Dad become that companion by proxy. These kids crave structure and activities to keep busy. Well hubby's job is unpredictable and so are my hours. We now live in a small community and it does not offer any of the specialized activities that were available in Edmonton. That has been rough on him. Guess who provides the activities and entertainment now? Yup, us, his parents. Son always wants to know what he is doing at least a day in advance and look out if nothing "fun" is planned. He loses his cool and his temper. Basically that happens at least once a day. He isn't good at knowing what this "fun" is and it does usually entail spending money. Every family knows the need to budget by reducing outings and money-costing activities.

Are you getting a picture of what happens every day now? I usually try to plan some errands and drop-ins to places son likes to see or visit, in order to get him out of the house on a daily basis. It is very tiring and some days I do deeply resent it. A day of relaxation? Doesn't happen often. Today for instance, was my "day off". Well, hubby has been entertaining son while I'm working so I wanted to give him a break. I was exhausted from work but rest was out of the question. Son demanded my time and that meant keeping busy. So I didn't get necessary chores done, am still exhausted and sore, and spend a great deal of the day with son. Entertaining him. Please don't tell me he'll be grown up soon and I'll miss these days....

He IS grown up. He's 15-1/2! This is the age where teens start demanding that independence and alone time. Where they hang out with their friends, their books, their room; whatever. I'm saying that isn't happening here and is unlikely to soon. Again I've had to adjust my life, my work around him. It's hard. It is a whole lot harder than you can even imagine. It is hard not to resent the fact that I still have to worry about him and be his company for so much. That what I do and how I live my life is connected in such detail, every day, to his needs and happiness. You cannot imagine what effect this has on you, year after year. I've had so many calls from him over the years. Had to leave work so many times. Had to adjust my work, the hours....everything. A year ago I had a break-down from the unrelenting stress of this kind of life. It had led to severe problems with my employer and work environment and after 9 years of it, I was frazzled and basically snapped.

I had a year off work and can feel that I've recovered somewhat. I am not the person I was though and will never be again. Something broke during those last couple of years from the extreme stress; although my health has recovered somewhat who knows the permanent damage from those kinds of emotions day in and day out? I took a small step back out into the workforce 2 weeks ago and got another heavy and immediate dose of reality about our life again. I should say his life and mine. Although my hubby endures the fallout of this, his work life has never been affected like mine. I suspect that for families with disabled children, it is the mother whose life suffers the most. It's not about a contest to see who is the winner; I'm talking about the direct impact on your life directly. It was MY worklife that was affected; I'm the one who had to arrange and re-arrange my work around my son. When my employer and I were kind of forced into a mutually acceptable working arrangement, I had to listen to the words and barely concealed anger of coworkers who thought I had received special treatment and an easier life. They imagined, when I was teleworking, that I'd mosey on down to my office in my pajamas whenever I got around to waking up, coffee in hand....and plunk down to an hour or two of work a day. The reality was starkly different but they didn't care to see or hear that though. If someone's spouse had cancer or was seriously ill, coworkers were sympathetic and the employee had plenty of time off to tend to the needs of their spouse, child, etc. It is the nature of life. It always seemed like I had asked for a disabled child and that I enjoyed the challenges and struggles that it brought on.

I can guarantee you that isn't the case. I worry endlessly about how he will survive when his father and I are gone. In particular when something happens to me. He is obsessively attached to me; don't ask me why. I don't have any answers and he certainly didn't come with any guidelines!

Anyway it is very late and I have to work again tomorrow morning. I still have to get the dogs out for their last bathroom excursion before hitting the sack. I hope that life balances out more after this coming week; when either my hours are cut in half....or I quit. One way or another, school is out soon and for this summer at least, the kids still need me at home....

I may not post much for a week or so; so much adjusting to do right now and so little time for it all to happen!

It Is A Busy World

2008-05-27T09:16:00.001-03:00

Hello - long time no hear! Sorry... I started working again and things are chaotic. On top of that, I.am.tired. Long shifts standing at a cash register. It reminds me that I am actually in my 40s now and no longer 20-something. Ouch!

For what is considered a minor position, there was 4 straight days of orientation. Cripes I didn't even have that when I worked for the Federal Government! The training was full time during the days which created its own stress; son had an anxiety attack the second day I was gone. The schedule meant I was gone before the kids got up and didn't arrive back home until the supper hour. For someone who goes to school only half days, this made for long and lonely afternoons.

My employer is trying to accommodate my needs and we are still working on a 40 hour a week schedule. The full daytime hours are limited though; making it possible to be home in the morning or in the afternoon.

Since starting this work however I am zonked by the time I get home. A quick supper and then you will find me dozing somewhere - anywhere - in the house. I now have 2 days off and then back to the "grind". The customers for the most part are very friendly and understanding. They are a great bunch of people coming through there.

With 2 days off there is so much to do and just not enough hours! I may be just short & sweet here until I get things running smoother...

God Bless America!

2008-05-19T10:22:00.001-03:00

No one who knows me would expect a headliner like that! It came about in a funny and unexpected way and if you read today's post you will know why I wrote that.

The family and I made a swift trip to Bangor Maine last Thursday. We spent the night, shopped 'till we dropped then headed back north of the border. It was quite the learning experience in different ways!

The first is related to the post's title. Daughter has rather unusual-sized feet (thanks Mom!) and finding shoes that fit is almost impossible here. On a whim and remembering I've found good shoes in the U.S., we popped into a shoe store where daughter discovered many pretty shoes that fit her feet! She was estatic! Thrilled! She found 4 pairs of trendy, comfortable shoes and clutching them to her chest, while dancing down the aisle she proclaimed, "God BLESS America!". Or in other words....THANK-YOU-fate-that-American-women-have-big-feet-like-mine-and-like-to-wear-pretty-shoes-too! I loved the price! There was a sale of course so the 4 pairs of shoes cost $100 American, which is the same in Canadian dollars right now. Compare THAT to the last time we found shoes that fit her - in Alberta at the West Edmonton Mall. We found 2 pairs that fit, and they were $120 and $140 A PIECE. God bless America, indeed!

Daughter also discovered "Khols" which was very good to her. A brand new wardrobe came home with her; well needed as she has slimmed down noticeably and needed smaller clothes. We also stumbled across that brilliant hair dye she's been seeking up here to no avail. She settled for blue and pink dye and also purchased the bleach kit. She streaked her hair blue, although there is violent debate if the colour is actually "blue", "green", "aqua" or "turquoise". I think it is a turquoise colour myself. Hubby isn't keen on the hair colour but it doesn't bother me. I suppose that is because I used to experiment with MY hair and turned out a few shades of red, orange...black or blonde.

Son did not cope well at all. Crossing the border frightened him. Due to his nature of being inappropriate at the MOST inopportune times we did have to warn him to keep quiet and that may have increased his anxiety. He was overwhelmed for much of the trip and acted out quite a bit, making shopping difficult. We did find a store that had many logo shirts that fit him so he was happy while shopping in "Hot Topics". Aside from that he really didn't relax until we returned to the Canadian side of the border. He does not want to go with us the next time we head south. Oh darn. Heh heh heh.

We picked up chicken and milk on the way back; both are at least half the price of the same groceries in Canada. Outrageous! Gas on the Maine side was $1.06 while it was just shy of $1.29 on our side. There were so many stores we didn't even have time to drive by during our rushed trip -- another good reason to go back!

With Asperger's Syndrome one never knows how it will act out with the one having this disorder. Sometimes son does handle changes well but not so much removing him completely from his environment. This was the first time he could verbalize how he was feeling which helped considerably (my blood pressure shot up faster so I had to act on his impending explosion sooner!) . Small, day trips in our local area are much more manageable for him. He was sorry for not coping better but I know there are some things you can't reason with. I took it as a great learning experience as to what his limits are.

Hubby hates to shop. He was grumpy a fair bit and probably needed a pretty spot to sit and put his feet up. He was my shopping monitor; he accompanied me when I peeked into craft stores to ensure I came out in a reasonable time. The trouble was determining "reasonable time". Oh I could've stayed a few more days easily!!

To all you American women with larger-than-average feet; "bless you!"

It's Busy Out Here

2008-05-13T23:46:00.001-03:00

To get things started here's a bird or two seen recently about my property -

Ducks are territorial! The little couples visit their favourite spots and squabble with other ducks in the area. You'd think there would be enough water and shoreline for all but some of these guys are quite greedy!

This next colourful duck is a wood duck. Although it is quite late

and maybe my facts are screwed up. I like these guys; apparently as little fluffy babies they like to follow their mothers and so hop out of their nests after mom-bird goes off. Only thing is, their nests are off the ground sometimes to the tune of 15 feet! Not to worry though...apparently they bounce. Yes, the fall and bounce a few times and off they good, as good as new!

I enjoy sitting on my deck or in the backyard, watching all the wildlife living in and around our lake. All the breeds, colours, shapes and sizes. I haven't seen this in over 10 years! It is very relaxing.

I like relaxing. There isn't enough of it right now. Things are a bit hectic, what with me starting work next week and car-hunting. I'm not sure which one is worse. The price of vehicles is absolutely ridiculous! We can't decide between a SUV or a minivan or just a big car. Can you believe I actually judge the backseat by how close my kids will have to sit together? Most often when they are both in the same vehicle as either me or hubby, or both of us...one adult and one kid per row of seats. The further apart those 2 are, the better!

For my sister: daughter went to "Dramafest". This is a 4 day event where many different schools came together to show their acting/stage production/theatre abilities. This year the different schools stayed at a smaller university that is situated on the University of New Brunswick campus. She had a lot of fun but that's all I know since I'm her mother so she doesn't divulge much information my way.

While I am excited about working for the first time in this province, the anxiety and stress builds daily. Son is realizing with each passing day that the time of independence is growing very near...and he's not comfortable with it. I am slowly creating the resource book for him, with his schedules to emergency contacts and so on. I'll have to have a lunch ready for him and also a snack for the afternoon. He isn't comfortable using any kitchen appliance, aside from warming something up in the microwave. Son discovered this morning that he'll be in the house by himself on some mornings ~ starting Tuesday morning. He's quite upset and that builds his anxiety level, and so on and so forth. I wonder what a few days of being by himself in the afternoon will do? Oh, I hope he's mature enough to handle it!!

While trying to sort out a resource book for him, I'm also trying to finish the wedding scrapbook for my girlfriend, while also shopping for a new vehicle ~ plus get everything ready for the job.

AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!

A Job and a Test....

2008-05-09T00:41:00.001-03:00

Oh this is a good one, folks. You aren't going to believe it.... I had a drug test today as part of the application process for a job. Yes, a job as a cashier. Can you believe it? I couldn't. It is company policy. That included leaving my coat and purse behind, her not only taping the tap and the soap dispenser after I washed my hands (before the sample collection), but also putting some dye into the toilet water to make sure I didn't flush or contaminate my sample. Holy cripes! She did not stay during the....ah.... procedure because that would have been the.final.straw.for.me and I would not have gone any farther.

I didn't make it the most comfortable sequence of events either. I inquired as to different scenarios, what this strip was for, what that box was for. I asked if she wanted to take a souvenir home with her....geez, and they still offered me a position after that?!

"After" involved hanging around while we waited to see if the sample would show a positive result ~ as in drugs in my system. Oh yeah and there was a strip that took the temperature of my sample...to make sure it was nice and warm. Because a cool sample would have been something I sneaked in under my shirt or something. I have never had such a detailed or paranoid procedure done for an urine sample. I can only shake my head in amazement.

I was offered 2 positions, combined for full time work. Except that 40 hours a week will be considered part time by the company for the first year of employment. Which means no benefits, no vacation days or earned sick time.

There is plenty of room for advancement and hard work. I will not provide further details because this company has a lot of presence around here and I will be gainfully employed. You know, cover my ass for a while in case someone from there stumbles onto my blog. Wouldn't that be fun??

The dark side of this is working 40 hours a week...and my son. This has been the stress of the past year since arriving here. What to do with son and how him being on his own will work out. The flip side is not working but stretching our budget to every penny, which doesn't serve my needs or interests very well. Like all of us I want to have some money left over after the necessities are taken care of and to pay down our remaining mortgage as fast as possible. Oops, almost forgot about that new used-car payment too. Yeah....

Some day I will tell you about the other crazy, crazy application procedures for this job I have. I will also tell you what the job is and what company it is for.

Not today though. I've got to see how everything works out first. With son I plan to create a handy reference guide for him, to keep on his person at all times, to walk him through whatever situations he might find himself in. I hope he has matured enough in the past while to handle being alone for a while on a daily basis.... life is just never easy or simple. It's a matter of exchanging one stress for another, isn't it?

Of New and News....

2008-05-09T00:16:00.001-03:00

What a week. Scary thing is, it isn't over yet! I just might go stick my head in sand and stay there until a new week rolls around! Let's see what has been going on in my not-so-cozy-corner now!

First, we are shopping for another vehicle rather unexpectedly. When we moved to New Brunswick last summer we sold one vehicle in Alberta and shipped the other with us. We kept the Toyota Matrix. We then purchased a truck here. In New Brunswick - UNLIKE Alberta - vehicles must have a safety inspection every year in order to renew the vehicle's registration. Our new (er, used-but=-new-to-us) truck will not pass that inspection without significant work. As in, more money to fix it than what it cost to buy it! Being gone from the land of sea and humidity and salt on the winter roads....we forgot the impact that this environment has on vehicles. That would be r-u-s-t, the number 1 enemy of all vehicles. It seems the body of the truck is rusted badly. Oh I miss Alberta on days like these!

The price of a brand new vehicle is sickening. So we are shopping for a new-but-used car or truck again. A bit of a blow as it was unexpected. Apparently our new lawn tractor just isn't a good enough vehicle to drive to and from work on....

Yes, we bought a lawn tractor. Mowing over 1/2 acre of lawn every freakin' week in this humid and hot climate is brutal. I should know, I did it all last summer. Hubby ordered a red tractor, that being his favourite colour and all. I'm sure I'll look so cute driving around on a bright red tractor with my new diamond earrings sparkling in my ears. Or better yet, every neighbour and his dog will see the crazy woman careening through brush and over bumps on the bright, shiny tractor. And these neighbours will wince and murmur prayers for my poor hubby who must put up with Rambo on a pint-sized machine.

I did finally get my diamond earrings after nearly 23 years of marriage. Fortunately for me my girlfriend, who understands about me and shiny things.... recently vacationed in Dubai and did a little shopping. I got a beautiful pair of diamond studs out of her trip - paid for by hubby's overtime, of course! I ADORE these sparkly gems. On the day that I got them I asked hubby if he minded if I loved my girlfriend just a little more than him on that particular day.... hee hee. Now maybe I should shop for a pair of stilettos to round off that sight ~ a woman, her sparklie ears, wearing stilettos and driving a red, shiny lawn tractor. Oh wait, I'll have to toss on a feather boa too, just to complete the picture. What a sight that would be! There would be one or two people who would cease boozin' on the spot with that image swimming about!

If that weren't enough to keep us busy this week, we then had one of those parent moments that sharply defines the life you had and the one that is coming. I'm talking about kids and independence, of course. Our daughter does not understand that she is our girl, whom we swore to serve and protect...oops, wrong form...that one was when we joined the Canadian Forces! I mean, the love and raise your child to be independent chapter!! We did a good job. Apparently we did an outstanding job.... you see, daughter left us yesterday for a 4 day adventure in another city. Without us. Without any emotional good-bye. Without one freakin' tear I might add. So much for sweet sorrow. I gave her the cellphone and we went over all the scary scenarios she might encounter and hovered...er, I mean WATCHED, as she packed her suitcase. Then she left. Happy and excited. Hubby is having some problems adjusting to the fact that daughter hasn't called. She probably doesn't miss us. Oiy, but that's a tiny prick to the heart - our baby doesn't need us! (Oh MOM she'll shriek, I'm NOT A BABY!!)

I know, I know....but I remember.... *sigh*....as I told hubby, we did our job. We did our job so well that maybe we did it just TOO darned well! Our job as parents is to raise healthy, adjusted and happy individuals. The teen years are when our little beloveds stretch their wings and prepare to fly from the nest and set out on their own. Yesterday is the start of that journey for our girl. There was a time when she was attached to my ankle and leaving her ANYWHERE without me traumatized her. When she was a toddler. Now she is a secure teen who is eagerly awaiting life and these short forays have given her a taste of youth and freedom and fun. She did ask if she had to call us once daily (imagine the NERVE of parents horrible enough to want THAT?) and I said no. I told her that if there was a problem we would know about it and if we didn't hear that means she was having fun and everything was fine.

Everything is fine. AAAAAaaaaarrrgghhhhhh!! I'm going nuts here! Kid, can't you pretend...just a teeny, tiny bit? You know, start training US???

We have one (her) who can't wait to fly the coop. Then there is the other one....who states he ain't leaving. Ever.

Oh, I don't know which one is going to make me cry more!!!

A View of High Water

2008-05-08T23:48:00.001-03:00

To get an idea of how high the water levels rose at their peak, here is a photo I took in February. It shows a local landmark (lighthouse) at a small park on the river. To the right is a playground but I'm not sure you can see it. In front of the lighthouse is a lower level with grass and a concrete walkway. The distance from the base of the lighthouse to the level of the ice is approximately 10 feet.

This is at the peak of the rising water. It is the same lighthouse as the photo above. I doubt those puny little sandbags have much value in keeping the water back...

This is the playground that you might be able to see in the first photo. It is slightly higher than the lighthouse. The second and lower level is completely submerged as is the wharf, boat launch area and part of the small boat club located nearby.

This is along the Kennebecasis River, just outside of Saint John, NB. Hubby and I had looked at a couple of homes along this river when we were house-hunting last summer. I'm very happy we chose the house on the lake instead!!

They Came - We Saw - They Left

2008-05-06T10:40:00.001-03:00

I refer to Entertainment Wrestling of course. Son's birthday gift from us was a ticket to see the WWE when they came to town. That happened on Sunday and hubby and I accompanied son to the event.

Matt Hardy. One of son's favourite wrestlers. Look at the luggage for one show!

Son had a great time and was enthralled with the live vs tv action he watches often. I was worried I would turn into one of those wrestling freak fans who scream and wave huge signs. It turns out that honour went to the woman beside me. She practically screamed my ear off during the 3 hour show. She was chaperoning two tween boys and quickly became enraptured by the flying bodies.

Findlay is a wrestler from Ireland and Hornswoggle is his diminutive sidekick, kind of a leprechaun. Findlay is the fellow wearing the green outfit in the ring and Hornswoggle is the short fellow in green beside the "W" sign.

I am not, and never will be, much of a wrestling fan. I work on the enthusiasm and interest because I love my son and this is something he wants to share with me. Along the way I've picked up the lingo, the theme music for individual wrestlers and their particular stats. I know Hornswoggle is a miniature wrestler who is Findlay's sidekick; he pops up as a cute little leprechaun during Findlay's matches. I know Big Show is 7 feet tall and over 400 lbs and that Kane is almost as tall but a whole lot scarier looking. I know more than I want to, believe me.

Ouch! That's gotta hurt! This is a tag-team fight; there are 2 teams and only 2 are supposed to fight at one time. These guys had a lot of fun with the crowd and seemed to enjoy themselves. Although that fellow in yellow probably had a sore throat after this! The "flying" fellow launched himself off the corner pole in order to get this height.

I took pictures for son. My camera tells me there are 513 photos that I snapped during the 3 hour event. A quick scan shows me that maybe 13 are decent photos and the other 500 are headed for the garbage can. I'm more intrigued by the wildlife in my backyard, truth be told.

Oh yes. The Divas. What show would be complete without the requisite boy toys? All these women did was walk around the ring, take off their wraps and model their bikinis and spiky footwear for the.... audience? If you look at the ringside you can see the men who rushed ringside to ogle...er, ADMIRE, their favourite femme fetale. It was one of the long-legged blondes who won "The Best Body" or something. Gee, girls, I hope you got paid well for this. And please don't mind me for NOT wanting my daughter to be like you. She has terrific looks and a beautiful mind. I would hate to see it wasted in such a time-warped wretched manner as this.

Here is Matt Hardy raising his arms in victory, after winning his fight with MVP . Matt Hardy is one of son's favourite wrestlers (today anyway!)

What a life these guys have. They had a show an hour up the road, earlier that day. Most pulled up in rental vehicles, unloaded their baggage shortly before the show and went in to perform. As soon as their 15 or 20 minute match was over, back to the dressing rooms to change back into their "street" persona...load up the rentals and drive off into the night. To another gig in another city. To another day and another fight or two. I don't know how lucrative this career is but there must be some passion for the sport and entertainment to put up with the travelling and time away from friends and family. It is not the life for me!

This is CM Punk with his adoring fans. This is another favourite wrestler of son's.

See CM Punk fly?

An ordinary person would never get up for more. Wrestlers however, seem to thrive on pain. What else would explain this next feat?

CM Punk dive-bombs OVER the wrestling ring and onto his opponent!

But wait! CM Punk still isn't done with his bag of tricks! Did this fellow come from a circus or WHAT??

Holy cow, another acrobatic feat! Is there anything this guy CAN'T do??

Yeah, he can't win....for all that effort and pain there was no gain. CM Punk's opponent, a fellow I nickname "Mr. In-Love-With-Himself" (for obvious reasons) takes home the victory today.

Our flying hero lies in a ruined heap on the mat. Er, maybe next time buddy, ok? The tricks were pretty cool though! Ya might want to get an icepack or two for later...

You did a decent job, guys. Some wrestlers put on a thoroughly enjoyable show; they worked the crowd and appeared to have a great time. Others just did the job and left. Your fans responded in kind and I've no doubt that a few more new fans joined the club.

Here's a hoot - and a typical setup in a show. Two hulks vs a little, puny fellow and his buddy.

The incredible hulk and his freaky partner are Big Show and Kane. The 7 foot 440 lb gorilla and his matching sidekick, Kane the Insane.

On the left is Chavo Guerrerro and HIS partner.... I don't recall his name. Now come on you guys. You really think we haven't figured this one out already?

D-u-h. See Kane move an arm. See Chavo fly.

Hey Chavo, all the bravado in the world isn't going to change the outcome of this fight! There's just something about the size of those 2 big fellows and come on~ did you really think you had a chance in this next situation?

As in really....what were you thinking?

Son knew this was going to happen ~ he told me when to get my camera ready for the shot! I'll let you in on a little secret for next time Chavo. There's this really BIG guy in wrestling, I mean even BIGGER than these two...The Great Khali. Give him a ring and see what he's up to the next time you come up against these 2 guys. Now THAT would be a match to see!

oh yeah - we never saw that one coming!

But wait ~ don't go yet! There is still "the feature event" of the evening: the best and the last! Here you thought you were going to escape pretty quick, huh, didn't you? Oh no you don't. I like to SHARE my misery wonderful experience with my loyal readers!

Meet the hero and the loser. It was a no-holds match, meaning the wrestlers could do what they liked, where they liked ~ so part of the fight ended up in the stands, much to the delight of the crowd.

Edge is on the left and Batista is the hulk on the right. Edge is a Canadian and is the evil guy. He insulted the crowd and hollered out that he was going to renounce his Canadian citizenship, he was so disgusted with us....and the crowd went wild! The fight had already been underway for a while when I took this photo. Here Batista is dragging a snivelling Edge back to the wrestling mat.

Not to fret though because Edge did get in a good whack or two with a chair....

Bad guys have to be really, REALLY bad. Edge has been on the "wrong" side ever since I was dragged into watching wrestling around 6 years ago. He's never one to let an opportunity to slip by so after the chair he moves on to ~

Some steps....

If that isn't enough to rile the fans then he moves along outside the ring to throw Batista into the protective fence. The guys wearing the yellow shirts are security. Otherwise zealous fans would get carried away and probably carry away a wrestler or two!

Alas ~ heroes must prevail and this story is no different. The happy ending was a bit rough though as our cheating low-life wrestler took his share...

...of smacks to the barrier...

Even though you KNOW the hero is going to get up after that beating it never fails to engage the crowd as if it were a completely new experience and it hadn't ever been seen before. Oh, did I mention we were in the no booze section? Poor hubby, he really wanted to suck back a beer or two, presumably to heighten his enjoyment of the show. Maybe that explains the behaviour of some of the crowd.

...high dives...

Booze, wrestling fans, booze, hyseteria. Oh yeah, I can see why the wrestlers don't mingle with the attentive crowds and throngs of fans watching them arrive and depart the arena (ok, guilty on this!).

...and finally, the ultimate finisher, "The Batista Bomb". The lucky recipient of this move basically gets a power-bomb drop on his head. He's usually down for the count once his head makes contact with the mat!

All that's needed to officially end the fight is the ref's 3-count and the bell ringing....hang on...here it comes...yes...yeeesss....and....

It's over! Hooray ~ the hero wins again! We can now go home!

This event might be over but son's enthusiasm certainly skyrocketed!

Son and hubby express delight following the final bell.

*sigh*....see you wrestling folks around....could you make it another 4 years before you come back again though? It'll take that long for my hearing to recover from the screaming fans and to review 513 photos and print the best for son's keepsake.

Thanks!

2008 River Watch

2008-05-06T08:57:00.001-03:00

I live in New Brunswick, Canada, along the Fundy coast. This is the worst year for flooding since 1973. We are so far not affected, thank goodness, nor should we be. The flooding river is "over the hill and down the valley" from us so this whole region would be affected before we would worry. It would require an ark to help us at that point as the water would have to rise awfully high to get past that little mountain.

Some people know that we had some minor flooding during two severe winter storms that passed through within 2 weeks of each other. That was due to unusual conditions - namely, heavy rainfall and ice. The drainage systems were unable to work properly with the ice and amount of sudden rain, so everything basically overflowed throughout the cities in the region.

We have renovated the area in the lower floor that presented the water problem and it should not happen again....

You might also wonder if we could flood from our lake. The answer to that would be "possibly" ~ where there is water there is the chance. The levels would have to rise to a height never seen before and the calamity needed to cause THAT to happen would devastate the entire
Valley region.

So thank you for your concern, to all who inquired. It is a nasty blow to the homes and businesses who did flood as it is likely they also suffered from the winter weather I mentioned above.

A Drive and A Bird

2008-05-03T17:38:00.001-03:00

Okay I want some help identifying the bird you about to meet!

There I was, driving down my street, heading towards home on a beautiful afternoon. Last weekend it was. When I spotted that same sight that makes hubby and I quite curious...

That bird. The strange looking one. Again! I threw the camera at my daughter and ordered politely asked her to take some photos while I drove after the bird.

I hope no one was watching us at this point because my driving was rather erratic. I was looking up at the bird and trying to follow the bird rather than the road. There might actually be some tire treads across a lawn or two....some dirt kicked up in a ditch somewhere..... but none of that really matters does it? I mean, we actually got some pictures I could BLOW up!

Here is a decent shot. The sun is shining on half of the bird and the colour division is clearly visible.

This is the same bird at a different angle. The shape of the wing and feathers are clearer here, although the picture itself is a bit blurry.

Does anyone have any idea what it is? I'll be looking through my bird books again. He appeared in a flock of approximately 12 to 15 of these and they were gliding in circles. I believe the beak was an orange-y colour.

A Great Day for Jumping!

2008-05-03T17:25:00.001-03:00

It is so hard to sit when you are a child ~ especially when the weather is fabulous and there is a TRAMPOLINE nearby!! We put ours out last weekend and our niece loves it. She bounced by today for the express purpose of jumping to her heart's content. I could not pass up this photoghenic opportunity and so, I give you... PICTURES!!

There is my niece bouncing circles around...could it be... YES IT IS! She's bouncing circles around my DAUGHTER!! Sighting confirmed folks!

Daughter obviously didn't cooperate to my niece's satisfaction, so here is niece showing Kristen who is boss!

Well that obviously worked! Now daughter is giving niece a lift! Uh...but exactly where are you two headed?? In circles perhaps??

Do you remember the fun and enthusiasm of youth? Remember when you would go and PLAY? Trampolines weren't available

when I was a child. The only jumping we did like this was when the fair came to town. There was a place called the "Moonwalk" and it was my absolute FAVOURITE! It was similar to a trampoline except that its surface was held up by air. You bounced and jumped through your time, which seemed to fly by. Do you remember that ride/adventure at the fair?

It was a feeling like no other ~ your hair would fly all around, if someone fell to the ground a huge indent would usually suck you in, so you would roll down to whoever was at the bottom. Then you'd have to climb and jump your way out. No WONDER we slept so well after going to the fair! Not to mention all the other rides of course.

As parents we hope for that same joy and fun for our kids. As our kids get older it takes more for that happy abandonment to fill even part of a day. For little ones though, whatever they are doing they are absorbed in it! My niece jumped until she had enough and then she came out for other adventures. Behind her she left one tired puppy!...

...shhhh! A teen needs her beauty sleep! DO NOT DISTURB! This one bites!

Here is my niece.... it looks like she's resting! So THAT's how kids recharge their batteries so fast ~ it's those freakin' minute long meditations they do! Actually, she was throwing the ball for our lazy dog, who is partially visible on the left of the photo. The pug in the background doesn't chase balls. Gee, that would be WORK for such a creature as himself!

Here she is using her... her... what the heck WAS that word she called it? Her "elli-opters" to look for the train that was about to go by on the other side of the lake. When I inquired as to what an "elli-opter" was, she described it as "those circle things you can see with!"....aaahhh.... binoculars!.... well, I kinda like her word for it. Makes it sound more round and appropriate. She did eventually see the train because it went by...and went by....and went by.....

and just kept going! Here she is watching the final cars go by. Boy, I see the future here. Zoom forward some years and she is standing and waiting for her kids, or her friend, or her dad to HURRY UP!! A mini-me! That exact same pose struck by mothers and women everywhere. I knew some things are just naturally part of being a girl!

You know you are a popular destination when your niece informs her mother that "she just LOVES it when she (mother) leaves!". As in, go away and leave me here to have fun! Don't worry small one, I have a craft corner just itching for little hands to make stuff. And yes, there is always the trampoline!

Some Winged Friends Drop In.

2008-04-25T15:00:00.001-03:00

Not only water creatures have popped by, but a plethora of birds are flying by. Spring has come and l'amour is in the air. Here a pair there a pair, everywhere....birds, birds, and more freakin' birds!

You have to remember that there wasn't a huge amount of wildlife where we lived in Alberta. There were no trees in the vicinity of our house so not a lot of variety ever graced our yard. There wasn't any water close by either ~ some man-made watering holes in town...the OTHER side of town....so imagine my excitement with all the different species and colours landing everywhere here! I've been busy with my camera and now, for your viewing delight....BIRDS From My Backyard!

A woodpecker - can you see him in the middle? His tap-tap- tapping caught my attention. It took a minute to pick him out from the tree though!

If you can't see him then here is a better photo where his stripes are visible.

Next is one of the first signs of spring....my favourite....

The Robin! I love their round, fluffy bellies. They are such curious birds too. I recall in Alberta, our neighour's had a bird feeder on our adjoined fences. It would attract these guys ~ as well as my cat George. Remember him? All 17 pounds of him? In case you've forgotten...

Meet George. He can't jump. At least it has never occurred to him that he can. Don't ask me why. Well those Robins in Alberta caught on to that fact and when they fed at the bird station, they'd sit on our fence and chat down at George. He'd sit on the grass below, yacking back at 'em ~ and it was the come on closer ya' chicken, kind of talk. Once I caught the birds pecking on our grass in the back....and no word of a lie...one robin was standing on our back porch eyeballing the door!! Maybe waiting for George to come out and play???

Oh...sorry... back to my bird post....

It wouldn't be much of a post without the ol' blackbird. I'm not exactly sure what it is but will check it in my bird books. These guys are the nosy ones around here. If something is going on in the neighbourhood you have only to follow the flock of these guys. They like to sit in the trees around the "event" and spectate.

Oh yes, the pigeon. I've no doubt this one was aiming to shit on my head but the camera flash made it blink and I escaped its drop zone. "Nuff said about this bird....

This next bird I'm not familiar with. He's got some bright red on his head. I haven't got a picture that I can enlarge without it turning fuzzy. Stay tuned for an update....

Now how about this strange looking fellow? A BLUE head of all things! I didn't even realize it was blue until I checked my photos!

Oh look, another Robin sneaking in! Yes we see you ~ you are probably the same one from above, aren't you? Now quit hogging the limelight!

This bird is all black. There are a lot of these around. When they all suddenly leave in a hurry I know there is an eagle or something else just as big about to swoop by.

Speaking of which.... an eagle who flew by today. With the pesky bird zooming in behind. There must be some good food around for that eagle to continually put up with all the harassment!

Here's an interesting looking bird. It might be the same one as above but this one's tail feathers are also noticeably blue. Check out the beady eye on him ~ giving me the eyeball or what?

Here is one of those birds you see EVERYWHERE. Guess what? I don't know their name either!

Not sure what this guy is either....I'm beginning to sound like a broken record! Once I get some of these developed I'll be checking them against my birdbooks and then I'll be smarter! (for 5 minutes or so...)

Uh-oh birdies.... I spy with my little eye... a kitty who sees YOU. Now Spook, behave and stop scaring the birds away!

Although, if I looked down from my perch and saw THIS sight, I'd be inclined to scatter too! The feathered friends must know that this one still has all of his claws....

Not only THAT, but now someone else is watching too!

George is watching and he is going to give ME a heart attack sitting where he is! It is time for me to run and coax him back from his suicidal ledge seat....

Is he SERIOUSLY trying to give me a nervous breakdown? What if one of the dogs runs over to see what that blob is? One gentle nudge or puff of wind and my senior citizen with 4 paws is over the side! I swear he's got food in his supper dish!

Next post....water fowl!

A Favourite Guest Pops In.

2008-04-25T14:10:00.001-03:00

Well, look who came to visit us on Sunday! She was so excited to come over and we were happy to have her. She marvelled at the ice-free lake and viewed some birds through binoculars with her cousin. She saw a bird (Osprey I suspect) dive-bomb the lake for food and checked out the ducks puttering about our cove.

Here she is with her snack. I like to spoil her (who wouldn't want to spoil this cutey??) however recognize the need to limit certain food groups ~ like pop for instance. I still wanted to make it special for her and found the cutest little coke glass....a miniature version of what I used as a child! This special "pop" glass caused a bit of anxiety though.....

Hubby first gave niece her snack but put the drink in a sippy cup with a lid. Now my niece is 5 and is adament she is a "big girl" now and so no little baby things for her! She requested her special glass but hubby didn't know what she meant. When I came out to join her I immediately corrected THAT problem much to her relief. She looked at her uncle and said,

"SEE? I TOLD you I had a special BEER glass!"

(I hastily corrected her and pointed out it was a POP glass not a beer glass....one of these days I'm going to get a concerned call from her mother...!!)

Here my subject strikes a favourite pose for my camera.

She was such a sport! She even let me get in close, REALLY close for yet another shot....

The macro feature works well, doesn't it? If I had her beautiful eyes and young complexion I'd plaster my walls with my pictures! But for this uh...um..."older aunt" I'll settle for photo of the photogenic kids in the family. Some of the older kids "of the clan" are a bit camera shy but the younger ones are still willing to ham it up ~ thank goodness!

Once snack time was over well it was time to check out the ducks in the cove and the dock! Here is Uncle John (my hubby) with our niece.

So this is the same guy who let our dog run off the dock the previous weekend.... feel safe there? I was watching! (just kidding, hubby adores kids ~ it's ME I have to worry about!)

They did a bit of "fishing" niece-style...throwing in pieces of reeds and imagining the colourful fish they were catching. They did a little rock throwing as well; there is some kind of magnetic attraction to tossing in stones and watching the splash and ripples, isn't there? It doesn't matter how old or how young you are. Just set out some water and some rocks and you just know that sooner or later, rock will meet water!

Here's hubby keeping a firm grip on niece's coat. Just to make sure that little feet didn't lose their balance or move forward!

I told my niece she was good luck for us; during her visit an osprey flew over the lake and did some dive-bombing for fish. That was quite a sight for all of us to see!

See you later, alligator! Until next time!

The Beaver and the Eagle.

2008-04-25T13:56:00.001-03:00

Once the ice melted on our lake last weekend, all kinds of creatures started showing up. Here are 2 animals, both back from the fall from what I can tell. The first visitor is the beaver and it is nice to see him again!

Here is the beaver showing up his backside & tail on my neighbour's lawn. He appeared last weekend and swims by in the early morning and at sunset. On this trip he swam in and out of everyone's waterfront ~ maybe to check on the availability of wood? This is the same backyard that he (or his predecessor) cut down a willow tree 2 years ago.

He was busy in this spot for a few minutes then he left. His next destination....

....over to our place.

That's our dock; it took quite a beating this winter and some repairs have to be made. Next winter I think it'll be pulled out along with the raft.

Our backyard certainly didn't excite him!

He didn't stay at all, just circled and left right away. The final picture of him below, is of him heading on his merry way down the lakeside.

Some neighbours further down couldn't resist throwing a rock or branch in the water after him...but that didn't set well with the beaver at all!

He slapped his tail, hard, on the water and it kicked up a lot of splashing! He swam right up to their shore and smacked his tail on the water surface again and then again as he swam off. He didn't appear to be afraid of them either!

*********************************************************

Here is the Bald Eagle, landing on the beaver's dam.

Maybe this is what persuaded the beaver to come out for spring? An eagle landing on MY roof would surely do the trick! I wonder if this is the same eagle who parked himself in that very spot last fall?

The eagle was scouring the lake for fish and when he caught one, he'd fly off to the tree below and eat it, before returning for another one. After a while though he was joined by other birds.

These weren't your happy neighbours though, in fact they ganged up on him and drove him from this tree.

Here is the eagle and another bird in flight. The bird in the back

was swooping and dive-bombing the eagle so it wasn't a pleasant afternoon tete-a-tete between these two birds!

After various flocks of birds harassed him in the air the eagle landed on this tree across the lake, presumably for a rest. One brave (or stupid) bird joined him, continuing to bother the eagle with his cries and screeches.

Here the eagle is peering up at his unfriendly neighbour.

You would think a smaller bird would have a healthy respect for the beak and claws of the eagle - when he stretched his wings out the span was mighty impressive from my side of the lake!

Not so this black bird. I suspect the birds were defending their nests and territories. The eagle had to keep an eye out for this fellow and sure enough, he left after I took this picture.

Here he is seen leaving our lake. Personally I wouldn't have minded that annoying black bird leaving and the eagle staying, but no one asked me!

Ogopogo was Here!

2008-04-19T15:04:00.001-03:00

So the heritage fair came and went! Here is son's presentation on the elusive Ogopogo:

Ogopogo is our Loch Ness monster, remember? I wrote about it a few weeks ago. I don't have close ups of the 2 models we...er, HE...made (too blurry). Maybe the picture above will enlarge if you click on it and then you can see the mighty Ogopogo swimming through Lake Okanagan (in B.C.)

Above is son at the school fair. He was up until 2 am, stressing about this project and presenting it at the fair.

I called the school in the morning and let them know I would bring him just prior to the fair starting, so he could sleep in a bit. Otherwise, those headaches he's prone to getting? Major problem when he's tired!

The school was awesome, as always. I am so impressed with their thoughtfulness and appreciation of the problems son faces. They set up his display in a quiet place, next to a window. That window was a godsend as the library was VERY warm with all the people in there! Not only the students and their displays, but school staff, then the judges and THEN family and friends!

We were fortunate enough to have not only Nana come by but also Aunt Wendy and her boys. I sent out a special invitation to the boys as they are starting regular school for the first time next fall after being homeschooled for the past 8 and 10 years. I was delighted that their mother also attended ~ she was able to show the boys her alma mater and they viewed the wall of shame fame (the walls bearing graduation pictures of hubby and his five siblings...)

Son did not win this fair, thank goodness. We were more than happy to dispose of the project and know that is finished, forever and ever. Yeah, staying up until 2 am stressing over presentation is as bad as me staying up for hours on end, FINISHING the damn thing....oops, did I say that out loud????

The best news? No more heritage fairs in high school!! ....THE BAD NEWS? SCIENCE FAIR NEXT...

Daughter spotted again!

2008-04-19T14:46:00.001-03:00

Oh, how exciting! I haven't seen her for AGES! Here she is grabbing breakfast on her way through, with her backpack fully loaded and ready for another long day.

I know, I know. I'm a bad mother ~ taking a picture instead of cooking a hearty breakfast for my poor kid! I needed proof that she is passing through once in a while though....it is such a rare event!

Tonight is to be the worst. She'll be gone from 11 am to 3:30 am tomorrow morning (er, late LATE tonight)!! There are 2 shows of the play today, a matinee and the 8 pm show.

The matinee runs as I type. I intended on going to this show but have been under the weather this past week. Some "gurgling" type problems with the guts. Maybe all this running her back and forth at weird and late hours had something to do with it? Unfortunately I'm not able to sit anywhere for three hours this week, or today so I will have to miss the play this year.

I apologized to daughter this morning. I did want to see her "spotlighting" talent & watch my niece as well. I'm sure there will be a lot of teens lounging around my town tomorrow as they recover from long and hard work. Well done guys and girls!!

Birds of a feather flock together....

2008-04-19T14:37:00.001-03:00

In the previous post I wrote about how the ducks are fighting over our cove. This morning while hubby, animals and I were enjoying some warmth and sun in the backyard we witnessed a surprising sight.

ALL the birds in our area suddenly fussed loudly and all took flight. Looking around to see what caused this commotion our eyes went skyward and saw this first picture:

A large bird was coming across our lake and ALL the other birds were flying near it ~ and some were dive-bombing the bird! These other birds were trying to drive this larger creature away!

Even our friendly neighbourhood ducks banded together and took flight after this bird! I could only get a couple of pictures before it was too far away for a decent shot. It is a bald eagle! Not the baby bird kind I posted about last week, but one with its distinctive head and tail! I trimmed the photo above and his white head is evident:

You could see the distinct white head and tail. It did a full sweep of the lake following the shoreline. I didn't get the sense it was particularily disturbed by the birds fussing about it.

Here is the last shot I took of the eagle in flight:

In this photo the white tail is clearly visible.

This bird was magnificent ~ and huge! You cannot appreciate its size without something to measure it against and unfortunately there was nothing in my viewfinder to use as a marker. Last fall we were fortunate enough to see one of these huge birds sit for a while, on top of the beaver's dam. With a little luck perhaps this will happen again ~ only this time I will be armed and ready with my new camera!!

YAHOO ~ A BIT OF SPRING!!

2008-04-19T14:21:00.001-03:00

Oh wow, just when I was ready to give up on EVER seeing nice weather....here it is! A few days ago our lake looked like this:

Then it slowly started to melt. Yesterday about 3/4 of the lake had a thin sheet of ice left. Overnight ~ I kid you NOT ~ it melted and now the lake is clear! If you look at the next photo, I took it about an hour ago! Look Ma, no ice! Hubby and kitty (Spook) ventured to the end of the dock to have a look about.

Spook is peering over the edge, rather nervously, literally glued to hubby's side. This is NOT accidental, I assure you, and he was the only animal brave enough to go out there with that particular man. What's the story you ask? Well funny you should want to know...

See this darling dog? This is Jasmine, our husky & Border Collie cross. She is a sweety-pie and adores hubby.

Or at least she did until a few days ago.... it was another sunny day and hubby took the dogs out back after their dinner. The ducks were out back close to our shore, which excited everyone! Hubby got to running and that made Jasmine speed up....

So they both ran on the dock ~ but only one stopped on time and it wasn't the poor dog. In her chasing enthusiasm she forgot the dock ended; just as she neared the far end she applied the brakes to no avail.... she shot off the end, hit the ice and went through. Hubby had the grace to look alarmed and bent over to help Jasmine out. Fortunately the ice was thin and it shattered so she was able to swim out under her own power.

She was thoroughly wet and her fur stank! Hubby admired her pluck to get herself out and I think, was a bit relieved he didn't have to go in after her. If she was in trouble and he didn't go in, well, I would have pushed him in to help her; seeing as he arranged her "accident". She remained in fine form although she hasn't been back on the dock with him since. I've always said she's a smart cookie!

This is one sight that makes my dogs tear down the back lawn! The geese haven't been by in the last couple of days so perhaps they've continued on their journey north.

What doesn't go anywhere are the ducks. In fact you'd think our little cove was actually called "Cupid's Cove" the

way the ducks are behaving right now! There are 3 or 4 pairs of ducks vying for our cove...er... for private conversation maybe?

Here is couple number 1. For a while it looked like they would be the winners of our ultimate honeymoon spot and they swam about for a few days. The dogs bothered them somewhat so maybe they had a few complaints about the place...

Here is couple number 2. I think these are from last year's babies; there were some tiny ducklings and another bunch that were bigger but still not fully grown. I think that bunch grew up but a few of them didn't feel the urge to move far from home!

Couple number 3 are wishy-washy and only drop in to cause trouble. They are hard to nail down for a picture so I suspect they are fugitives on the run from some other location. They are certainly annoying the other 2 couples and regularily all three sets of ducks quack and flap at each other. This morning, in the wee hours of 5 am, they were all out there fussing about....boy, someone needs to buy those ducks a CLOCK!

Random Chat

2008-04-14T23:24:00.001-03:00

What do you think of this charming house? I'll have to get more photos of it because it is straight out of the Swiss Alps. It is actually my neighbour's house, 2 doors down.

Whereas our house is on a the barest lot of all hers is on one of the most natural looking of all. It is certainly amazing to have such different houses and landscapes within a house or two of each other!

Don't you think this could be the house from Hansel and Gretel? If only it were covered in candy...

At this very moment I am waiting for daughter to call for a ride home. Tonight is the last night of rehearsals for the school play before they perform in front of a live audience tomorrow. Oh daughter is not IN the play, she's part of the supporting crew that helps to make it all possible. Remember, she's the one all in black working the lights and sound system? Her part for this play is actually working one of the spotlights. Another niece of mine is actually in the play so I might just go watch it.

It's 11:30 pm...and yes, I do know where my daughter is. She has MY cellphone and calls me to rub it in....OOPS, there's the phone and it's daughter looking for a ride!

Good night everyone and may we all please, PLEASE have a restful night's sleep that lasts longer than 2 hours!!

A Lovely Visitor Pays a Visit

2008-04-14T23:07:00.001-03:00

A little cutie dropped in for a visit recently. She was dressed in her finery, spreading her cheer and smiles with her auntie.

First she played the piano. For special effect the fan was blowing, perhaps to encourage a little hair movement?

We played Barbies for a while then our dog lured her with one of his toys. Nothing like a game of tug-a-war!

Looks like both sides were trying to get the "edge" on each other... poor Bosco, it sucks to have wood floors with nothing to grab! Little niece however, has NO problem finding things to grab onto!

Minutes later neither side had budged much and both were getting just a little tired.

Shortly after this photo they decided it was a tie and both dropped out, pooped, to rest in their perspective corners... Bosco LOVES kids that play with him!

You may or may not have noticed that my niece's leotards are no longer on her during this playtime. At the tender age of 5 this child has incredible tact..... she was sitting on the floor shortly before playing with my dog when she looked at her nylons and then she told me she was "quite warm" so could she take the leotards off, please? No problem I replied, so off they went. A short time later she went downstairs and was bouncing on our couch when her brother noticed she was bare legged and wondered out loud hadn't she come with leotards on?? That darling little angel, jumping happily in all her glory, hollered across the room to him, "Yeah but they were COVERED in dog hair so I had to get 'em off!!".

It was very funny and she is on her way to being quite the courteous little lady....just needs a little more fine tuning to have it perfected! You have to wait until auntie has LEFT the room before blurting out the real reason you took the leotards off! (although I did have a sneaky suspicion....)

Here she is, washing her cute little hands before we had a snack.

I like to sit and watch her play, remembering when my daughter was her age. Where did the time go? When did my daughter stop playing with her Barbies and Little Pet Shop animals? When did she stop looking like this with those little hands and feet, wanting to dress up and dreaming up the wildest stories for us to play?

Niece of mine, I know you are in a hurry to grow up and do "big girl" things but please, not too fast. You are the youngest and we all know what has already come and gone with our other children. We'd like you to just take your time and let us enjoy this briefest of time in your life. It is a great joy for us and we don't want it to end too soon.....

Guess what this bird is?

2008-04-14T22:34:00.001-03:00

I believe we have an answer to the question!! My in-laws popped by for a visit and I showed my father-in-law this photo and he indicated it looked like an eagle. So I brought out my bird books and what do you know... it perfectly matches a young Bald Eagle! How about that?? It makes sense because the Bald Eagles do nest in this area and have begun to populate the area over the last 10 years. In fact, hubby and I saw a fully grown Bald Eagle perch on the Beaver's Dam in the fall!

Apparently the Eagles don't fully develop their white heads and tails until their 4th year or so. My picture is more what they look like as after they are babies but before they are fully mature. I am so amazed! I have another picture that I have to get off my camera. It shows the beak as well.

If someone wants to correct me please do! Or verify that it is indeed a young Bald Eagle I'd welcome a message to let me know.

Some views around home

2008-04-10T23:56:00.001-03:00

This first photo is of a barrel in the marsh in the lake. I have no idea how it got there or how long it's been there ~ once the vegetation died off in the fall it became visible. A nearby stream empties into the lake where the seagulls are resting....the water is open there but I don't know what is attracting the birds.

Here's a picture of our backyard 3 days ago. The water to the dock is pretty much gone now. That's our raft to the left. I'm not sure when it will go back in the water.

Here's a cute tweety bird! He was singing away and I tried to mimic his call/whistle. He turned and if I could have seen him close up....I'm sure it was a baleful glare I got, for interrupting his important song!

Our house a few days ago. All of the snow by the driveway is gone now and a lot of the stuff to the left.

Here is panther cat, stalking invisible through the...hey, Spook, wake up! You're entirely visible. Sorry pal, to break it to you like this but that skulking you're doing? Looks a bit silly in the middle of the lawn!

Happy spring to you all!

Of Geese and Ducks

2008-04-10T23:42:00.001-03:00

Well what do you know? Spring is here after all! In just a few days it warmed up and the snow melted! The ice on the lake is shrinking daily and the Canadian geese are back! The geese are visiting the backyard again and a pair of ducks are thinking about having some offspring back there. As much as they are cute and fun to watch it wouldn't be wise to park a nest right behind us. Our outdoors cat and 2 dogs can't pass up the chance to run and bark after the fowl. Mind you, when kitty tried to stalk the ducks a few days ago those 2 ducks quacked and squawked at the cat until they were good and ready to move on!

Here are some pictures of our 2 legged visitors.

In this first picture if you look carefully to the left you can see our black cat. He actually crept down the lawn...in the wide open...thinking no one could see him. I gather the concept that he is black, black, BLACK and everything else is much lighter...is lost on him. He was lickin' his chops for dinner but boy, did those 2 ducks chew him out! They had just chased another pair of ducks away from their wee watering hole and were probably ticked off at this new nuisance to their sanctuary.

There is a marsh area adjacent to our property. These fowl were on the ice just next the marshy area. Those are more ducks to the left of the Canadian geese.

I'm quite fond of this pair. The fellow marches across the ice first, looking for a new cozy spot to swim and then she follows. The ice is melting right now so every 3rd or 4th step their little webbed feet sink and they lose their dignity again.

Those ducks just KNOW when I'm snapping photos of them!

Duckies, I hope you find a safe place for your eggs. And please poop somewhere OTHER than our backyard; I've been picking lots up again since the snow melted...

Can Someone Identify this Bird?

2008-04-10T23:30:00.001-03:00

These are the only pictures I've been able to get of them so far and neither hubby nor I can identify it. Here is what I've observed so far:

These birds arrived in a flock of approximately 14. At first they appeared about an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. The glide overhead, in circles, as they head to their destination. They are silent, which is why I haven't got many pictures ~ you don't know they are there. Hubby thinks there is white on the wing feathers.

Anyone have any idea?

Daughter was Spotted!

2008-04-10T23:22:00.001-03:00

This is very exciting because, yes....daughter was spotted passing through. We're sure it is her because her favourite stash of frozen dinners is disappearing from the freezer!

Word on the street is that I'm making a dessert for the theatre's potluck dinner on Sunday night. Seems they like to live it up BEFORE the play runs to the public....worried about bad reviews or what, guys? Anyway I might see daughter as I pass through with dessert. I better make it something she likes ~ you know, draw her out of her hiding place? Works with stray cats, doesn't it??

He Gave Me Such a Fright!!

2008-04-10T12:22:00.003-03:00

The problem with Asperger's Syndrome is that you never quite know what is going on in the person's mind or how it works. In the case of my son, he also has bits and pieces which are developmentally delayed. He still acts like a 5 year old and yesterday it could have had frightening consequences.

We used a staple gun to complete his school project. Remember the Heritage Fair project; Ogopogo? It looks good, by the way, and I took pictures of it ~ to be posted later. Anyway, I set the staple gun on the kitchen counter underneath some things, so I could return it to the garage. Later on I turned around to find my child, my precious child, had that thing pressed to his head with his hand wrapped around the trigger!!! I screamed ~ or tried to ~ at him to drop it.

My throat gets irritated very easily and if I yell or raise my voice, I cough. I can't shriek in other words, so my message yesterday was garbled by choking and coughing fits. He must have got the message though as he took the gun away from his head and started to apologize profusely. He said he didn't think about what he was doing and he didn't know the danger he was in!!!!! I told him that ordinarily you have to squeeze the trigger quite hard for the compression to fire off a staple but that it comes out with such force that it would have shot into his head and possibly right through it.

This kid of mine is so safety conscious! He can't break rules because they cause him such anxiety - good grief, he gets upset if his cousin tries to watch a PG 14 rated movie because he is only 11!! I spend a lot of time explaining the circumstances of whatever we are doing to him because he doesn't pick up things easily by just watching. As with a young child you warn them about the dangers of things around them... but I honestly don't know if he knew what he was doing. He does have a habit of doing strange things with objects....

At Sobey's 2 weeks ago he and I were picking out bread rolls from the bins. We were using the tongs provided for sanitary reasons when I looked over at him. He was using the tongs to pinch his nose. The man behind the bakery was thoroughly disgusted and said something as he grabbed the tongs from my son. I had to explain to son why you can't do that....ever....not even in OUR kitchen...

This is part of the social awareness that is missing in people with Asperger's. Those unspoken, hidden rules of society? Of course that incident was embarrassing but not horrifying like it was with the staple gun. Last night I told hubby what happened...sometimes it seems like we are making progress and then these things happen. To remind us that even when it looks like our son is learning and maturing, making sense of our world is not a natural progression for him.

I had nightmares last night because for that instant or two yesterday afternoon, I clearly visualized what would happen if he had clenched the trigger. It is a very vivid reminder that our cozy safe lives can change in a split second...and for too many people it does.

Have yourself a SAFE day and watch over those kids!!

My Night Out....Didn't Happen!

2008-04-04T23:39:00.001-03:00

This was definately one of those days I should've stayed in bed. Even though it was sunny and warm this morning events always seem to conspire to sucker me in before throwing a monkey wrench into the plans!

I was ready and raring to head out this afternoon with Son, to start our afternoon/evening out. Well the phone rang and our 3 o'clock appointment got moved up to 2 o'clock. An hour difference shouldn't throw everything into disarray but then, we're talking about me, aren't we?

We left the house, we returned, we left the house ~ getting AWAY from our street was quite the task! Seems my memory hung up with the phone receiver, changing the appointment time. Son and I actually made the autism appointment which was impressive when you figure that I got lost and zipped around various streets, tearing out corners and almost driving over curbs trying to find the darn place on time. So much for pride as in, "oh sure I remember where you are located". Yeah within a 5 mile radius though. Let's not bring up the fact that the office is situated in a small school that is in itself hidden on a hillside.

Following the visit, during which time son must have handled every freakin' thing in that place (the director noted how busy he was. No kidding lady - I LIVE with the boy!), off son and I went to the mall. The idea was to shop, eat and then head off to the movies.

Ha ha ha. Trouble brewed almost right away. We actually made it into the mall and had eaten a small snack and we were perusing the music store.... when son's eyes popped open and he clutched his stomach and nether regions and indicated frantically that something bad was about to happen. It always happens when there is no bathroom nearby and the closest one is in the furthest corner of a big department store. It was a nasty walk there, folks. Wondering if he'd make it, even. Details about the next half hour will remain vague except to report that it involved son sneaking into ladies room and sobbing because he wasn't a girl but needed some help and I absolutely refused to go into the men's washroom..... you`d think in this day and age every place with a bathroom would also have the separate handicapped/family washroom? Hello? Zellers, are you listening??!!

Okay, so after we survived that fiasco, we started back with Plan A. Back to the music store to carry on. The reprieve lasted but a minute before son turned splotchy red and white and announced he was going to throw up and probably shit himself at the same time (his words, not mine). We made it half way down the mall before I basically pushed his head into a garbage can and he started puking.

I just love young adults or people who have no kids. They still have shame and ideals they dearly hang on to, and NOT barfing in public is one of them. Given how frequently son used to puke everywhere, I no longer have any shame or sense of embarrassment. They were lucky I thought to dunk his head into a garbage can so they were spared being spattered by projectile vomit. I asked the nearby kiosk for a bag and the sales clerk actually had the gall to look offended.

Gee.... how dare I ask for a bag when I hadn't purchased anything from them? I smiled sweetly and said either my son could hang around and puke his guts out in front of their customers,or they could give me a bag so I could sheppard him out of the mall safely. I got a bag. The social skills training we've been working on hasn't covered this scenario so he's racing down the mall with his head in his bag and his other hand holding the seat of his pants in case liquid expelled from that end. I'm hissing at him to remove his hand from his butt because people were staring enough already and who knows? Someone might actually KNOW us!!

We made it out of the mall and even home before he was sick again. Poor thing. He'd been looking forward to this evening with me all week and was quite upset our plans were flushed down the toilet, so to speak. So instead of dinner and a movie, I ended up hitting the dollar stores looking for stuff to make his Ogopogo social studies fair display. We are making an actual model in addition to the bristol board presentation.

You people out there with cute babies? You have NO idea what you are in for. NO idea at all. Send your baby back ~ NOW, before it's too late! School projects might just as well be called Mommy-and-Daddy-projects-with-kiddy's-help-so-his-project-looks-as-good-as-all-the-other-displays-made-by-Junior-but-really-by-his-parents-too. It's a competitive world out there and there will be late nights and all-nighters for reasons you are NOT going to believe!!

I learned something important about a sister-in-law yesterday. Open wounds make her very woozy, very fast. She had just begun to pet our kitty George when I warned her to avoid the gaping wound on his neck. She then glimpsed it and I haven't seen anyone move that fast in a looooong time! She isn't quite like her brother (my husband) though. HE used to pass out at the sight of blood. She only needed a chair and some air. SIL, I apologize for your trauma and will make sure never to expose you to such a horrific sight again! (The sore was supposed to be out of sight as I purchased a toddler's size 3 white t-shirt at Walmart that fit him very well. Except he wasn't wearing it this morning when I got up and I couldn't find it until I cleaned the kitty litter this afternoon. Yuck. How did he get it off in there anyway? No...no... don't bother answering that, George. Some things I just don't need to know.)

So my day finished sooner than expected and certainly not how I planned! The icing on the cake is that it is SNOWING again out there.... geez, enough already! I have some pictures to post which I will do in another day or so, depending on cranky I get. Son does a good job of grinding me down when it comes to homework and school fairs...that translates into not so pretty arguments and usually some shouting. Except I can't shout because all I do is cough instead. That sucks! What kind of a mother am I that I can't yell back at my kid? That's an unfair advantage on his side if you ask me! If we survive the upcoming weekend ordeal and have a presentable Ogopogo (Canada's version of the Loch Ness Monster) then I'll post a picture or two of that as well. Just as a treat. For sticking with me through the bad stuff and hanging in there and admiring the nice stuff. It's fun to blog and post pictures ~ makes me think someone actually cares about what's going on at our house!! Hope you have a decent weekend and please don't post any pictures of spring or flowers where you live.... I couldn't handle that given our grey, bleak weather again!

School News...

2008-04-02T04:19:00.001-03:00

This is darling daughter. We think she still looks like this but we're not sure. We haven't seen her since rehearsals for the school play started a while ago. Although she and I did have that quality evening at the ER the night her toe was x-rayed a week ago. For someone not actually IN the upcoming school musical play she sure is doing a lot of preparations! The technical crew assists with painting backgrounds and setting up the stage in addition to operating the lights and sound equipment. The crew watch the rehearsals and take notes on what lights and sounds they have to provide and when. I must warn you though that she is hard to see ~ her techie work means she must be invisible to the audience. To minimize the chances of being seen the techie's wear black from their shoes to their hats. If you do spot our shadow on your travels please tell her to send a postcard or call home ~ her kitty misses her!

Spook. Daughter's lonely kitty waiting for a sign of the only person who gives him treats.

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Son is wrestling with the concept that most of school learning actually takes place at home and NOT at school. To help ensure academic success we have implemented a daily scheduled homework time. Whether or not he brings work home from school there is a review of math and reading. Hubby helps son with math and might I interject here....the kid has better marks than I ever did in math! Grade 9 students are learning all kinds of weird concepts right now. Some of it is familiar but is disguised with fancy words like "polynomials", "transformation", "factoring". As math reduces me to a babbling mess, I help son with English and reading instead. Son struggles with reading and does not enjoy it too much unless it is one of his wrestling magazines. In preparation for grade 10 and a possible move to regular stream English we are trying to instill regular reading habits.

Son struggles with a learning mental block that developed during the elementary years . The bullying and teasing on top off learning difficulties certainly affects a young person's desire to learn.

On Friday son and I head off to the Autism society to meet the woman who runs the local chapter. There is a surprisingly high number of autistic spectrum kids and teens in this geographical area. From this meet and greet the aim is to arrange get togethers with other Asperger Syndrome teens with similar tastes and hobbies as our son. Those with Asperger's Syndrome lack social skills not the desire of company! Following this meeting son and I plan to dine out and then go see a movie.

Uh-oh...it is almost time to get up for the day! Yikes.... now the hurting tummy has moved on to ominous gurgling from other regions.... excuse me, but I must run...RUN now...!

It's the Middle of the Night and all is Quiet....

2008-04-02T03:21:00.001-03:00

Okay, so maybe not so quiet. The animals are restless looking for a reason to bark, hiss and run for cover as I sit here at the computer at 2 am. My poor stomach is turning cartwheels and I can't decide if I'm going to be sick or my body is just practising for something better!

Update: For all of the treatment it doesn't really look like George's neck is getting better. He is acting more like himself however.... so I can't say for sure. I did put a doll's t-shirt on him but he needs something a little bigger. As soon as I put it on he stiffened out as straight as a board then turned into a puddle on the floor. Efforts to encourage him to walk, sit, roll over were met with the continuing limp noodle effect. He looked hysterical. I'm actually going out to shop for a shirt for my cat tomorrow (today actually, isn't it?) to protect his sore as we think the other cat may be licking it. There'll be photos forthcoming...some of which he will probably never forgive me for! No wonder it looks like he's shooting daggers at me in the above photo!

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Health note: Poppa is under the weather with kidney stones. He's resting...uncomfortably?...at home . As this pain is rated right up there with childbirth, our thoughts and prayers go out to him for a speedy recovery.

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It was a foggy, rainy day today. It is great to see the dirty snow and ice melting away but I have to tell you that when I see heavy rainfall I get nervous. Very nervous. Bathroom renovations, er new bathroom building... has started but until it is completed with the new plumbing working, then another severe rainfall will cause more sewer backup. That rates right up there with root canals, colicky babies and puppies who crap in their dog kennel then sleep in it.

What's that last comment, you ask? Oh...nothing much really... hubby looked after younger brother's dogs over the weekend. One totally rambunctious black lab and the biggest German Sheppard puppy ever! Of course, all German sheppards look pretty big to me since one bit me in the ass when I was around 4. (The nightmare became firmly entrenched when I had to get a tetnus shot ...I was one of those kids who shrieked and went hysterical at the thought/sight of a needle)

So, meet Charlie. Cute huh? Check out those paws though and don't let the "cute" fool you! Since this photo was taken in February this "little" fellow has grown. A LOT. Bigger dog means more food and bigger poop, right?

Meet hubby. Looks relaxed and mellow ~ HA! This is NOT a dog lover folks! Imagine his joy upon arriving at brother's house to let puppy out in the morning, only to discover that Charlie had pooped in his kennel and then....uh... er.... slept in it? Charlie spent the day gaily frolicking in the snow which apparently did a good job of removing leftover crap on his fur while dear hubby cleaned out the cage. Later that day when it was time for the dogs to come in I made SURE I was "too busy" to go! Just in case ....

Poor hubby. He really has tried to understand the psyche of an animal lover as we will be celebrating 23 years of marriage soon. Those first few years were pet-less bliss (on his part). Then the animal takeover started with cats. They came and went for a number of years before I suprised hubby with an iguana.

Except I was the surpised one - how could I know hubby had a rabid fear of reptiles until Iggy came home? And what were the chances that our itsy, bitsy Alberta town (in the middle of NOWHERE) would have a freakin' fully-grown iguana lounging in the main street pet shop window?

Or that we would unknowingly take a casual stroll on a warm, sunny day past this window and that hubby would actually LOOK in the window? What happened next is still too traumatizing to bring up, even years later..... suffice it to say, Iggy was sent packing back to the pet store.

I did move on to puppies. For anyone knowing us, you already know about our terrible string of bad luck regarding animals. In fact, if I were an animal and was being considered for inclusion into this household, I'd run. The other way. As fast as my 4 legs would take me, howling all the way. Let's just say that we are on a lucky streak at the moment. George has been around for 11 years and the other three animals for 4 years - a record. This is it as far as the zoo express goes though. Hubby just hasn't developed into an animal lover I'm afraid. So I have promised once these animals are gone that is it.

....except maybe a cat or two? Maybe? Please??

Uh...I love you honey? Does that help?

Friday Morning and All is Well...

2008-03-28T10:30:00.000-03:00

Meet George.

George is my 11-year-old Snowshoe Siamese Cat. He is the most laid-back, mellow kitty you will ever see. There are only 2 things that excite him:

1. An empty food bowl. This is cause for alarm and immediate action! No matter the time he will hunt you down and behave erratically until you clue in that he has no food. Now, George is a tad overweight...and don't say FAT because that will hurt his feelings! So he wouldn't exactly starve to death were he to miss a meal or two. In his eyes however an empty food bowl is a TRAGEDY.

2. Other animals getting into trouble. He loves it. It's better than being brushed, eating or any other exciting thing in his life. The second he hears a scuffle, a reprimand, or a scolding going on he IS THERE. Usually he'll hop up on something and then flop down, casually peering over the edge so you think he was there all along. He doesn't want you to know he just appeared in time for the show. If he could smirk or smile he would. He knows he is pretty much exempt from getting into trouble, based on age and longevity in our house alone. Besides that, if you are so laid back, how do you ever get riled up enough to get into trouble anyway?

he has been a part of our lives since we moved to alberta 10 years ago and now for the last year back here in n.b. imagine my horror to discover an enormous sore on his neck that seemingly came out of nowhere earlier this week!!

It first appeared as a smallish clump of fur and skin matter; perhaps a small injury occurring during a scrap with our other cat - who HAS CLAWS!! In the space of 2 days however this spot grew to enormous proportions and then George did a horrible thing...

HE STOPPED EATING

Oh, that felt like the kiss of death! Without a moment to lose, I rushed him to the Vet. Thankfully it is a skin infection and it was caught before it became very serious. This patch on him is termed "a hot spot" on a dog....however it doesn't normally spread as fast as it did on our kitty. Any nick, big or tiny, can let bacteria in and depending on the animal and its immune system, the infection can be slow and mild or fast and scary, as with George.

A cleaning, some ointment and a run of antibiotics were the order of the day. George took everything in stride and just kind of flopped on the table and let the Vet do her thing.

He is feeling so much better today and is much more like his regular self! I am sparing you the grisly sight of such an ugly area on such a beautiful cat. All of us (yes, including you rotten-good-for.....dogs) are relieved and happy to have our old boy back.

Here's to many more happy, relaxed and illness-free years buddy.

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As if that weren't enough for one week my daughter gave herself quite a scare earlier this week. As you know she belongs to the theatre technical crew at her high school. On Monday (yes, EASTER Monday) the crew was out in full force, painting props and doing other tasks for the upcoming play on site at the school.

My fearless daughter was at the top of a ladder...not exactly sure if she was painting or what... but she fell off. At the precise same moment her teacher told her to come down as she was too high!! Nothing like perfect timing. She fell about 6 or 7 feet. Her toe got a bit smushed up so on Tuesday we went to our local outpatient ER to make sure it wasn't broken. I snuck a peek at her xray... such cute toe bones! All in one piece though, I am happy to report. So, aside from some bruises and sore muscles (and toe) she is in good form.

Tonight I join her at her school, for a fundraiser the tech crew is holding. They are showing a movie in the school theatre, complete with popcorn and cotton candy! For $5 you and your loved ones can enjoy a theatre experience of seeing "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" and support a good cause.

Oh ~ me? Heh heh heh.... I'm security. Don't worry. I make sure yer leetle ones behave. Hands to themselves, no hanky-panky or loud noises allowed. Loving daughter has requested we be assigned different areas of the theatre so we don't argue. Gosh....argue? We never do that! One of the grade 12 teckies thought it might be even more fun than the movie to put her and I together and see what sparks fly..... seriously though, I have to behave. She doesn't want me to embarrass her. *sigh* No fun for this Mum.

She does plan to take me on a tour, to expressly show me the evil ladder that booted her off. A righteous dignity and an unforgivable offence in her mind. And look ~ I thought the school was KIDDING when it sent home the health insurance coverage information when she first started this job!!

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Hey - don't go! I'm not done ~ the week isn't finished YET....next I'm going to whine about the weather again since winter came back. Not that it ever left....but it has been 7 weeks since that nasty, rotten, little groundhog saw its shadow. Math could not have been its strong suit because it said 6 weeks more of winter...not 7...not 8, do you hear me you wretched little animal??

Granted we do not have this much snow anymore but we're getting the big, wet flakes! The kind that sticks to everything and makes it seem so dull and grey out there. Hey, give it a REST already! We get it - this was a fallback to old winters and YES, we have suffered enough, thank you very much! Now I want to see some of those buds and daffodils that are popping up on blogs from warmer places!

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That is STILL not all folks!! Son is sick again. NO school on Monday, came home sick yesterday and is off today. He still sleeps as I write this. The flu has hit the area and the seniors homes have been locking their doors to visitors off and on for the past month or two, to keep the germs from spreading. Whatever son has, as much as I love him....please keep it to yourself! My week has been hard enough without adding anything more to it!

I am looking forward to what is hopefully, going to be a relaxing weekend. Somehow in the past few weeks I did manage to read a couple of Jane Austen books, for you book lovers out there. My favourite is still "Persuasion". Has anyone else noticed that Jane's characters seem to be quiet types? That they get pushed around and looked down upon? A reflection on what type of women stayed single perhaps? Although in Pride and Prejudice the main character isn't shy or retiring at all....never mind, ok, only some of her characters are the quiet types! I have a few more to go before I look at all of them and decide which are my favourites and why. What a shame Jane's life was cut short by illness. Who knows what further works she could have produced with advancing wisdom and experience if she had lived longer?

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Another Birthday snuck through!

My nephew turned 14. He is part of the "second pack" of grandkids, as I call them. My daughter starts the second group, with her birthday on 26 Feb. Then comes this cousin, followed by 2 more boy cousins, in June and July respectively. Starting in the fall, 3 of this pack will be attending the same high school. All I can say....is knowing this lot..... the high school has NO CLUE about what is about to hit it!

This birthday boy is quite a character. He loves to joke and kid around. You just never quite know what he is going to do or say next.

He is an active teen and enjoys playing hockey. I had the privilege of watching him play a game and as any good auntie does... I got very vocal in cheering him on!

Here is the birthday boy with my daughter - and George! - looking at her like she is CRAZY.

It is amazing how fast these people are growing! I remember when these 2 first met when they were about 5 months old. Two babies eyeballing each other curiously. Nephew was a BIG baby - my SIL had HUGE babies, while I thought my daughter was huge at 9lb 4oz!! As you can see, birthweight does NOT predict later size!. I know these 2 are checking to see who might be taller....depends on those genes, kids. There are tall people on all sides of the families ~ it's all about how they got distributed!

It can be a challenge catching my nephew long enough to get a picture of him! He is always busy doing something.

So happy belated birthday (it was last weekend) and we are happy to be around to watch you grow. Even if you don't remember to call me "Aunt". Or hassle me when I insist that you do! It is an honour for me to be your Aunt, and I want the title so others recognize I'm related to a great person like you. Although once you start high school next year, all bets are off.... you can advertise being related to your cousins but we'll have to rethink the auntie thing then.... your mischievous nature... propensity for stirring the pot here and there....ha ha, just kidding.... I think!

Many very happy returns of your birthday ~ Love your Uncle, Aunt and cousins

Easter Greetings to You!

2008-03-24T13:17:00.003-03:00

I hope the Easter Bunny found all the kiddies out there! That ~~rotten~~ cute fluffy critter skipped past our house but that's okay. We are all ~~cry-babies anyway~~ mature, responsible people who can handle disappointment well!

Hubby worked Friday and Monday; being in a 24/7 industry now....someone has to man the equipment. In lieu of these 2 holidays he gets them as floaters; he can schedule them throughout the year.

Hubby started renovating the basement over the weekend. The basement bathroom is being moved and updated. It might have something to do with ~~the second sewage backup in a month with that second freaky storm~~ updating that place. It is moving from its current location to another part of the basement and will be bigger and much nicer with no freakin' chance of another backup....

It is beautiful, sunny weather just perfect for gazing out of your windows. Unfortunately it is cold, as in very cold. I saw some Canadian Geese honking as they flew north ~ indicating the beginning of spring for us. Ha! Mother Nature fooled them too! The forecast is for snow or rain later this week. Wait...oh freakin' great... that'll be when the kids are back in school oh how wonderful... trapped inside on another rainy day! No wonder I am losing it and have spring fever...

Now back to reality. It is 1pm and I have just a few things left to do today:

- wash breakfast dishes

- fold and put away that ~~mountain~~ pile of laundry

- drag something out for supper

- wash a stuffed bedtime bear before it walks away on its own

- finish a scrapbook I promised someone months ago....

- wash the floors

- wash off the cat drool, dog slobber and kiddy prints from the walls and windows ~ oh, and the floor too.

- entertain bored 15 year old son

- pick up dog poop in backyard

- exercise

- try not to hyperventilate when reviewing above list

OR......

Drink until i'm happy and forget the list!! Ha ha ha...*burp*...off to relax now...hiccup....

Have You Ever Heard of Ogopogo???

2008-03-21T12:02:00.004-03:00

Please tell me you have heard of Ogopogo - especially if you are Canadian!! I say this because my son has chosen Ogopogo as his project for the upcoming school social studies fair. He had to choose something Canadian and when he submitted his choice, his teachers and classmates looked at him blankly. They had NEVER HEARD OF HIM!!

So ~ Have YOU??!!
Here is Ogopogo as depicted at a park at Lake OkanaganOgopogo is a water creature who lives in Lake Okanogan. This lake is situated in British Columbia, Canada, by Vernon and Kelowna. The lake is 169 km long and almost 1,000 feet deep in some places. It was believed Ogopogo resided in an underwater cave at Peachland as most of the sightings take place around that area. Part of my childhood was spent in Vernon and I grew up with Ogopogo as part of my Canadian culture. It is my duty to let all other Canadians know about him!!

The Salish Native people first described Ogopogo over 100 years ago. They called it N'ha-apitk or "Devil of the Lake". They travelled the waters carefully and sacrificed animals in the hopes of keeping the water creature happy.

The first documentated sightings came from settlers in 1860. The first mass sighting happened in 1926 at Mission Beach. Approximately 30 cars full of people claim to have seen Ogopogo at the same time at the beach. People who have seen him say he is a greenish-like serpeant with a large head a several humps. Witnesses seeing Ogopogo swear by the sightings but others believe it is only a myth. Sometime in the first half of the 1900s he was renamed Ogopogo. I don`t know how that came about, so if someone out there knows, let me know!

I have seen bits and pieces on tv about Ogopogo (as well as the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland) and some believe he might be a prehistoric fish that got caught in the lake and somehow survived. Or perhaps an enormous Sturgeon fish. There are a few kind of blurry photos of Ogopogo and the argument continues as to whether these are real or fakes. Here is one such existing photo of Ogopogo...

Do you know Ogopogo?

Ice Fishing Update

2008-03-20T06:57:00.012-03:00

Today is the first official day of spring. Yahoo! Can someone please let Mother Nature know ~ as our area undergoes yet another winter storm, I fear she forgot...

In February I showed you the temporary fishing village that sets up yearly on the frozen Kennebecasis River. Saturday was the cut off for removing the fishing shacks as the ice on the river is supposedly soon to start breaking up. So, on Sunday I went back to see how the place was doing.

Here is a "before" photo, when the fishing party was in full swing:

This is what it looked like on Sunday:

Most of the shacks were gone and the rest were removed that day. In the centre of this photo you can see a couple of people on the ice...fishing. More on that later. On the right side of the photo you can see some sheds in the process of being removed. Next I will show you those sheds actually coming off the ice.

These sheds are almost off the ice. The truck is about to drive through a depression in the ice, filled with water. I wondered if the weight would cause the ice to break up but it did not. Some shantys were dragged off the ice without anything beneath the structure ~ once on the concrete, they were pulled to the side until something with wheels could be shoved underneath the structure for the road home. Another structure was on skiis!! Once that one moved onto solid ground the harsh grating sound caused your eyes to water and your ears to cringe with the frightful noise.

Here another shed is coming off. This fellow had a bit of difficulty when his building tipped a bit going into that hole in the ice. When he tried to gun the engine the vehicle's wheels spun madly and the truck slid backwards towards the shed. I was hoping for some true excitement for your viewing pleasure but ~ alas ~ he got everything under control and drove off safely with his ice house. Sorry, no drama here!

Remember this photo our intrepid fisherman? I introduced you to Norman last month. He is a die-hard fan of ice fishing and is one of their champion fishermen. He assured me last month that he would be still out there on the ice when the village was removed. Let's go see if we can find him...

...wait a minute...LOOK! Look what I see in the distance!

...holy smokes, could it really be Norman??

It is! Hi Norman! Still sitting on his white pail and catching smelt! He and his buddy were pulling in a LOT of fish; in the few minutes I visited he caught these ~

They made eating these little suckers sound so good I almost convinced myself to try one someday. Note that I said ALMOST...

Now Norman worked hard to clean up his fishing area; earlier that day he had tried to burn his leftover wood and other stuff. Someone, he never said exactly whom it was, ran out horrified and said he couldn't burn anything on the ice: an environmental hazard apparently. By this time the fire had reduced his leftovers to ashes so no problem. He threw water on the fire and kicked some snow to douse it. So, think about that for a minute. He had some ashes left over. That might blow about, sink a bit.

What about this stuff?

I'm not referring to the chair. Look at the other garbage left out. Is that left to sink to the bottom when the ice breaks up? Who cleans that up? How is it anyone is allowed to leave their site with any garbage/wood/hay left behind?

Norman thought about dragging that chair over to his fishing hole, for something nice to sit on. Although it looked inviting, I couldn't help but wonder how many birds might have thought so too.

Thus ends the ice fishing season for this winter. This is what some Maritimers do for fun during our long, cold winters. Those who love this sport, swear by it and already look forward to getting back out there next winter. For the rest of the shivering folk, like me (your friendly tour guide), I'll keep to my camera and hot chocolate if you don't mind!

When Irish Eyes Are Smilin'

2008-03-17T21:28:00.005-03:00

Yes, you might enjoy your Green Day with fanfare, green beer and Irish drinking songs.

But I have my own Irish eyes....

Which belong to a special fellow of mine....

My fifteen year old son (on his birthday)...

and you can't get more Irish than that!!

A Very Pink Party!

2008-03-17T19:32:00.015-03:00

Someone turned five yesterday –

and we were invited to her party! She was definitely the princess of this party…check out the cutest throne a little girl dreams of! This nifty chair hid jewels in special places; there was a tiara, earrings, rings, a mirror AND a key for a special hideaway beneath the chair!

While the adoring masses feasted on chilli and stew in the royal kitchen,

the princess and her very special guest were served a delicious banquet in the party hall.

There, the two lovely ladies snacked on delicacies such as fruit AND whipping cream, jelly beans, little cakes

and their substantial meal of chilli.

Following the meal the royal cake was delivered by the Princess Mum –

and who knew she had sliced strawberries hiding in that very yummy Kim Possible Cake?! The candles were blown out with much fanfare and then the par-tay continued in full swing.

NO party is complete without gifts and what treasures this princess received!

The princess and her special cousin danced away with the Enchanted Barbies while the

chain-gang crew removed packaging and twist ties from each freakin' teeny, tiny package…until even our fingernails bled the scissors became dull! Finally all was unwrapped, untied, uncut. Then everything had to be put together. Have you ever tried to build those cute little Barbie rooms? It was sheer hell delight! It was about then that the party wrapped up with out-of-town guests beating a hasty retreat retiring first. Why those no-good….oops…uh… let's see, what came next…

Oh yes, a few random shots of the Princess's adoring fans...

What fun to watch these two enjoy their special little party! It would have been perfect if the third little cousin was there, but that sweetheart lives in that far, far away land of Nova Scotia.

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So Much for Graceful!

2008-03-11T17:54:00.000-03:00

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

Happy Birthday To My Son!

2008-03-10T22:12:00.003-03:00

Today is son's birthday; he is 15 years old. Yes, that is 2 weeks after daughter turned 14! For 2 weeks they are the same age and neither like it much...they don't care to share much these days!

Fifteen years ago today my boy showed up early - almost a month early. Hubby and I had moved to British Columbia, Canada from Germany 3 weeks prior to this date and had only purchased a stroller for the baby. Fortunately I had received a nice baby gift from my workplace in Germany, and it included some baby clothes... we were not prepared for his arrival, AT ALL. I missed the signs of impending labour; that very nasty, low backache? Yeah. I missed that chapter in the baby book. My water broke with no warning and that was the beginning. He still wasn't in a hurry to show himself and 23-1/2 hours later I wondered if we would EVER meet. Less than half an hour after that he finally decided it was time to meet the world.

The first month he was quite ill and was hospitalized twice. From there he made progress and things went quite well until he was 1. At his checkup the doctor noticed he hadn't passed certain milestones. That was the beginning and the tip of the iceberg. Who knew then it would take 8 years of various hospitals, doctors and specialists before he was finally diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and an Anxiety disorder? Who knew the 8 years of wretched bullying and taunting he endured until Feb 14 of last year when I finally pulled him out of the regular school system in Alberta? Who knew how utterly heart-wrenching and difficult those years of violent tempers, explosions, migraines, and frustration would be? I'm glad I didn't know. Sometimes ignorance is bliss and when I look back at all the years.... how did we get through it all in remarkably decent shape?

What a journey we are on! It started by letting go of our dreams and hopes and accepting what is. We learned to push on long after we wanted to quit, to adapt our home and life to our situation. Our beliefs and values were stretched, snapped and re-aligned through the years. I learned tolerance, understanding and developed a sense of humour. Gifts from him to me.

No one outside of a special needs family can understand the terrible days or the difficult decisions and unpopular actions we took. Imagine spending years not knowing what the developmental issues are or how to help your child. Or being told there was nothing really that you can do but knowing the family unit is falling apart with the status quo.

Somehow, along the way, we found a formula that works for us on most days. Our lives changed from the mundane to the humungous. I dropped out of University when he struggled in school; I couldn't focus on my studies and help him at the same time. Those were the days when homework took 2-3 agonizing hours a night and the screaming and tears because he was completely overwhelmed. The sudden, violent tempers that erupted without warning or seeming reason. The days of his headaches and severe migraines. The many, many days when his peers were cruel and hurtful to him.

He has taught us so much along the way. I learned to push for more when faced with "no" and "nothing"...and discovered there is always something beyond "no". I learned that I'm tougher but more fragile too, than I thought. That even though something breaks my heart I put on a brave face and teach him how to accept what life throws at him. He taught me to take my time and to decide what are the most important issues and values in raising a child. We learned a lot about Asperger's along the way and discovered another side of life that the average family never sees.

I, for one, am a better person because of my son. As with any child, or teenager, he can drive me crazy sometimes! He is a kind-hearted, friendly person who cannot break the rules because of his neuro-development. He has a particular sense of the world that is endearing and funny to those who know him. He has a kind heart for babies, kids and animals. He is a gentle spirit, who spent many years enduring the horrible treatment by his peers, who has battled depression, anxiety and fear on a daily basis.

This year he had one of his best birthdays ever. He wanted a party this year because we were with family and for the first time in years, he knew people wanted to celebrate with him. He spent a long time deciding on the menu and type of meal we would have. He wondered daily what his relatives would get him although he knew it would come from his list he gave them. He really wanted a cheesecake for his birthday but insisted on another dessert/cake for everyone else because he knew they didn't like cheesecake. He wanted to be the centre of attention, for a good reason, for once in a very long while. He wouldn't let anyone sing Happy Birthday to him and he didn't want candles on his cake for that reason. In his world it doesn't make sense and so it was done his way. He loved his party. He also loved this evening; he and his cousin went to see a movie together. As an adult I wasn't permitted to sit with them, that would be embarrassing! I still had to be in the theatre though; he still needs that security blanket! He laughed with his cousin and they thoroughly enjoyed the movie, "Road Trip". When the evening was done he crawled into bed, tired from the time change and his long day....but happy for this great birthday this year.

So, in closing I'd like to take this opportunity to thank our extended family for showering him with love and attention this year and for making him feel special. It breaks a parent's heart when no one wants to be with your kid on his special day and we had quite a few of those in Alberta. Out there I'd pull him out of school for the day and he and I would cruise the West Edmonton Mall for the day, hanging out and shopping. He loved doing that too, but this year he got his "warm fuzzies" (feel good moments) from family and although he cannot express emotions very well or even appropriately, I know this meant everything to him. And that means everything to us, his parents. Thanks you guys, we love you all!

A VERY Funny Website

2008-03-08T21:02:00.002-04:00

icanhascheezburger.com has some very funny pictures to lighten up your day. This one was darned tootin' laugh out loud funny! The picture is a bit bigger than my column, so the first line reads "2 of us look stupid"...

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

Spring Break is Here

2008-03-04T18:55:00.002-04:00

The kids are off school for a week. I'm being run off my feet ~ so I will take a break from posting this week and should be back after 10 Mar 08.

See you in a few days!

OOPS!!

2008-03-02T01:02:00.001-04:00

Geez, talk about egg on my face. You know that post below, the one where I talk about hubby's work? Well...hmmm...apparently that is the POWER plant and NOT the pulp mill.

Sooo...let's just say where he works is really close to that building....

and I'll just mosey along and find out where exactly he does work and get back to you... soon...

A Hilarious DVD to Rent!

2008-03-02T00:51:00.002-04:00

It isn't often that a movie will have everyone in this family laughing themselves sick. "Death at a Funeral" is one of those gems.

This is a British movie...and if you object to foul language then pass up on this one. Otherwise, this is a devilishly fun movie! It exemplifies why I love British movies so much and find them hysterically funny.

Let me know what YOU think of it!

Making Winter Look Pretty

2008-02-29T13:24:00.004-04:00

Here's what cheers me up. Many bloggers have done the same thing with spectacular results.

Take an ordinary view (in this case, a kind of blah looking winter backyard). Then look for moments or times, or scenes that change it to become something special.

It was morning last week and the sun was coming up. The above photo I took after I had snapped the following 2 pictures. As the sun touched on the brush in the water it was such a contrast in rich shades and shadows...

This is the neighbour's cove, under water. In summer those stumps with the rope sit on a strip of grass bordering the water. Moments after I took this picture a breeze started up and the mirror-effect was lost when the water rippled.

This last photo was taken in late afternoon, shortly before another storm blew through and changed the landscape to more water (the above photos). The frozen lake reflected the light blue sky and produced this pretty pastel landscape. The animal tracks add a nice, final touch.

A Visitor to My Yard

2008-02-29T13:13:00.003-04:00

I love birds...they are too messy to have as a pet, however they are funny and engaging creatures. One of the reasons I asked for a better digital camera was to be able to photograph wildlife and enlarge it. This is my first attempt.

The Black-Capped Chickadee

This fellow showed up on the tree in my backyard, along with 2 buddies. They are curious birds and will land on a tree limb to have a closer look at you. This one made a clear whistle noise of fee-bee, with that second note sounding lower than the first. It reminds me of spring....*sigh*....s p r i n g ...

You will see this fellow and his family at your birdfeeder especially in the winter. The following is from the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Eastern Region, "They often feed upside down, clinging to the underside of twigs and branches in their search for insect eggs and larvae."

Hubby's Workplace

2008-02-29T11:19:00.003-04:00

This is the Irving Pulp Mill in Saint John, NB (Canada) and is where my hubby works. An EXTREMELY wide angle camera lens would have produced a picture that would have included the Irving Paper Mill located to the left of this photo. The 2 structures are linked as pulp is made in this building and then fed to the adjacent paper mill for processing into products you use on a daily basis: toilet paper, paper towels and kleenex. Hubby is an Instrumentation Technician and works/fixes the computerized controls on the equipment. It is physically demanding work and as about as far from being a soldier (hubby`s previous profession) as one could imagine.

This is an extremely noisy, hot and dangerous environment, with a lot of steam and high pressure in the pipes and valves. Equipment breaks down often because it is old and operated on a 24/7 basis. It is certainly not a place for the faint of heart.

A Very Special Birthday!

2008-02-26T19:53:00.007-04:00

Today my daughter turns 14 years old. It has been an incredibly wonderful journey watching her grow from a giggly, happy, baby to an awesome young lady.

A few reflections of years gone by....

My daughter is excellent at self-photos and they often turn out better than anyone else's! Here she was drawing with chalk in our backyard in Alberta. She was about 10 years old.

This was taken 2 years ago...we were fishing at a local pond and she fell in. It was quite chilly that particular day but she stuck it out ~ wet and all.

This beautiful photo was taken by my 4 year old niece two summers ago! With this kind of talent in the family I should just hang up my cameras right now!

Kristen and a friend back in Alberta

Our princess grows up!

Last summer in our New Brunswick backyard

Happy Birthday ~ Love your family

DVD Reviews

2008-02-25T16:50:00.002-04:00

I watch a lot of movies. It is a hobby that son and I can enjoy together. He eagerly looks forward to DVD release day at Blockbuster (on Tuesdays) and plans what we will watch. Fortunately he is willing to watch quite a wide selection of subjects which makes my life a little easier. I thought I'd share our opinions...if we have any... of some of these. I'm throwing in a bunch to start the list and then hopefully will update as we get them. I can be YOUR local guide to what to watch - or not!

Let's Begin:

I am a fan of Jane Austen's and of anyone who puts in a true effort to keep to her era. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Son passed...his range of interests does not include this kind of film! Some might argue that it is presumptuous for anyone to guess why Jane Austen never married but what I got from the film was more of what might have led to her reflections on her society. It was only a short time ago that women faced challenges like Jane, if they wanted to work outside the home...and if she had been born now, she could have persued her dream vocation without all the husband and family issues she wrestled with.
Hubby and I watched this film and we both liked it very much. It takes place in a small sequence of time so you don't wonder how many days/months have passed and everything ties in nicely.
Although this DVD was good, her first Elizabeth movie was better. Here you can see how her position was lonely and I'm not sure how true to actual events this follows. Still, it shows a remarkable woman and her story. She ruled for many years at a very unstable time in history. Geez...maybe she should've taken husbands and cut off their heads if she didn't produce a female heir? Now THAT would've have been very interesting!
An excellent story, showing how she slowly becomes a queen in more than just name and how she comes to realize the burden of the crown. Again, son did not watch...this genre isn't usually of interest to young teens...
Okay this is just a fun movie. You won't lose sleep over it! It does a good job of poking fun at traditional fairytales and you just have to love the moment when potential human love interest puts a screeching halt to her singing moments.

Of Lineups and Waiting Rooms

2008-02-25T11:51:00.004-04:00

This weekend the weather was actually fabulous ~ the sun came out and warmed things up. I didn't get to see much of it....something to do with lineups and waiting rooms, both of which I hate.

The Weekend Part I: Saturday and the Lineup
Saturday I crawled out of bed at 6 am for a special event. Wrestling - the entertainment kind that Hulk Hogan and The Rock participated in - is coming here. We decided to buy tickets for son's birthday. Now, the tickets were going on sale at 10 am on Saturday and could be bought on-line, in person, or by phone. We never have much luck with computers or phones so I hauled out my foldable chair and went to get in line. I was about 35th in line, and did meet some nice people...although a little freaky on the INTENSE FAN side...but my son has done a good job of training me. With all those little updates and stats he likes to tell me, I was able to spout off names and dates with the best of them. I did NOT, however, have PSP video or cellphone recordings to play and play...and replay again. So I know that I am no psycho fan (*whew*).

At 10 am hubby called on the cellphone. (The people in the line up were permitted a 60 second time advantage over the computers and call-ins. Yeah, like that bought us a lot of time to secure seats! This great advantage was the only length of time WWE would allow) We decided hubby would try online and see if he could get tickets ahead of me; the long-suffering mother who had waited in PERSON, at the VENUE....cold, hungry and thirsty...for 3 HOURS!! Guess who got tickets FIRST???? Not me! Even with 4 windows open at the venue and with hubby's transactions crashing twice, he still beat me to it!

So, fair doesn't seem like the word of the day. What then becomes the worth of waiting in line? On the offchance the phone or the internet doesn't work? Is there no "reward" for people who take the time and effort to stand in line the old-fashioned way? Something does smell rotten here. I reached the box office just after hubby completed sale of the tickets, so I ensured it went through. Anyone behind me was about out of luck for getting good seats; they were mostly gone already.
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The Weekend Part II: Sunday and the Hospital ER

How to improve on Saturday...why, just read on. Saturday for son...and Sunday for daughter! Daughter and I need to see doctors. We moved here in June 2007 and no family doctors are available and there doesn't appear to be any coming on the horizon either. So normally we have to go to the after hours clinic. There's a catch to that, of course. You are only permitted to talk about 1 thing and it has to be a small item. The clinic doesn't touch many subjects or handle the lengthy subscriptions on their "forbidden" list. Sedatives, antidepressants, etc, are on the banned list. In this province of Canada, apparently, whoever gives you an original prescription for one of those drugs, has to also be forever and ever, amen, the one who rewrites and refills that prescription.

Now, where was I? Right...back to whining...having started at said after-hours clinic, I was directed to the emergency room at a local hospital....that isn't the REAL emergency room it's more like cold out-patient care. Given the burden on our health-care system it wasn't a place I really wanted to go to. But daughter has had problems sleeping for years and it is getting worse. She's exhausted and is struggling to stay awake at school and wakes up as tired as when she went to bed. She has always been this way; I remember years ago when I'd put the 2 kids to bed for the night...son would drop off to sleep and be out until morning. Daughter though, at the tender age of 3, would be playing with her Barbies for another 2-3 hours most nights. When she learned to read, she'd be up reading. It hasn't changed and now she's using over-the-counter medications and ear plugs to help. Except they aren't.

I figure time to visit the specialists. Off we go. The ER definately looks at us strangely because we are the only NON-SICK patients in the place; or at least we WERE until we breathed in all those sick germs... We waited a good 3 hours at least. Then our attending physician was a female whose command of the English language faltered a bit. As in communications did not go well and she had a difficult time understanding why we were there. By the time the doctor and I were done discussing MY situation I was ready to go on a rampage out of frustration. It didn't improve with daughter's case!

We left more confused than when we went. We were given some phone numbers and clinics... and there might be referrals but no follow-up care, as I understood her, with those specialty clinics/doctors. Daughter might be referred to a pediatrician who could then refer her on to the sleep disorder clinic. We're not sure. The doctor seemed to change her mind a lot. Neither of us are clear on what my situation is. Neither path I'm supposed to take has any follow-up...no one is monitoring my medications or what they are for (like...high blood pressure! Which was VERY low yesterday, given the circumstances...). The physician was horrified when she found out no one is monitoring my health and multiple medications. When I requested she solve my problem though...she had no help to offer. So actually I'm still VERY agitated and frustrated by spending our day in the hospital yesterday. On a gorgeous day...with a bunch of sick, sick, SICK adults, kids and BABIES...breathing in all that air...

We have no private health care in Canada. There is no where to go. The doctor's lame suggestion to us? Try to "sneak" along with a family member who does have a family doctor and see if they will see us! Yes and that is exactly why there is this registration list you have to call when you get to this area. So you can be added to the approximately 5,000 people in this area (alone) without a family doctor. Because you aren't allowed to see specialists, etc, directly without that doctor "feeder". Son's psychiatrist wants him to have a family doctor and keeps pushing me to find one. Other than bopping little shrink on the head with an old-fashioned phone or stick, which would make ME feel better, what does he expect me to do? Wave my magic wand? Son is on medication that needs to be monitored but goodness, no one in this province has looked at him, let alone check his blood pressure, kidney function, etc.

Ok, ok...I have to calm down. I have a bunch of numbers to call and sort out what exactly I have to do so we get the attention we need. Here we are...in the 21st century (or is it 22nd now?), an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and I'm doing my best to support that belief - where every person is entitled to health care... HA HA HA HA HA!! That's the joke for this Monday!

Storm Update

2008-02-22T13:25:00.005-04:00

Well another record rainfall last weekend; 60mm fell. That came a few days after the downpour record of 80mm which I mention in an earlier post. Our house stayed dry and warm...although I was checking all through the night, so I was tired and cranky! What a relief.

The word is not that wonderful for another home on our street. Conversation through "someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows the owners..." is that the sewage backed up into their home. Apparently it started with an onimous burbling noise and then all hell broke loose, in the form of sewage spewing forth from the toilet, etc. Renovations, or repairs, started right after the first storm with the huge hoses sucking stuff out. Those same hoses appeared again after the second rain (mentioned above). The huge garbage bins that appeared in the driveway are now full of discarded gyproc and wood. My heart goes out to the homeowners; it is such a horrible, nasty thing to happen to your home. I don't know if there was a backwater valve on their sewage line or not. We are going to install a second one backwater stop valve, within the house, on the off chance that the first one ever fails.

Now, as this area slowly heads toward springtime, there is a danger of flooding due to ice. It always happens this time of year when the thaw starts. There was a warning issued last week because the warm temperatures start the rivers and streams flowing until the chunks of ice pile up into a natural dam. Then the water backs up and looks for other ways to continue flowing. The years we lived an hour up the road, in Fredericton....I remember some serious flooding on a few occasions!

For now though, the last gasps of winter insist on hanging on. We're due for 2 cm of snow tonight; hardly worth shovelling for. This is one winter I will be very glad to see the end of...my back and shoulders will thank Mother Nature when the shovels are put away. Wait a minute. That means....that means.....crap! Mowing again!

AAARGHHH!