TOO COLD TO POST

Last night I shut my window down to about half a foot.  But it got so cold in the night I just couldn't get up to shut it!  I kept waking up, freezing!!  And when I did go to sleep I dreamt about stealing Hudson's Bay Blankets!  Seriously!  I was stealing them from tents, from hotel rooms, from people's bedrooms…every time I went back to sleep I would have a different dream about stealing them.

So tonight I closed it down to about 3 inches and now as I type this, I can see even that is too much. It is so flipping cold!  And I can't find the water shut offs to the outside taps.  I had Myles look, Bradley and Aryn have looked and we simply cannot find the outside tap shut offs.  And now the outside tap downstairs has already frozen.  The one out front hasn't so I have turned it on to a trickle, just to keep it from freezing.  Tomorrow we shall look again.

Today Aryn, with the help of Monte, completely reorganized the garage.  And now I know where everything is.  She lined up and organized the food and it looks like I am one of those extreme couponers.  And worse than that…my back is so bad right now I couldn't move.  Ibuprofen isn't helping much…which is scary.  So I sat in a chair while Aryn sorted a thousand things and made piles and put stuff away…and I totally felt like I was in an episode of Hoarders.  You know, those big old fat ugly women, missing teeth and big dirty ugly hair?  Well that was definitely me out there today.  The only difference was I was hollering at her to throw everything out rather than keep it!  But the final product was truly amazing and comforting.  I can sleep a bit better now.

When Bradley was finished in the bathroom downstairs, gyprocking, people…not the other!, we hopped into the truck and went to a signature liquor store.  Wow!!!  Lots of goodies I have never heard of before were in there.  I bought lots!  We then hit super store for a few things and then Millstream market for smoked salmon and then home.  Aryn made chicken pot pie and I made a snack tray of smoked salmon, onion, lemon, mascarpone, capers, brochette, pepper spread and crackers.  We watched cooking shows and ate.  We did get a few Christmas things up but tomorrow is the big xmas decorating day.  

Now my fingers are so cold I can't type.  TTYL

a couple of pics here for my friends that are not on facebook:

SEE HOW COLD IT IS IN MY HOUSE?

YOU CAN SEE HIS BREATH!

SHOPPED TIL WE DROPPED

I don't even remember what happened yesterday.  And last night, after a loooooong evening of watching Breaking Bad, I was so sleepy I decided not to bore you with a boring post.  And thats not to say today's post will be much better.

First thing this morning I ended up having to clean my office and organize every piece of paper.  Aryn texted me really early asking for another piece of income tax paper she needed from me to do with the purchase of the house.  I could not find it.  So I literally had to go through about three thousand pieces of mail and papers and it was literally about the last thing I looked at.  So I hopped down to the post office and faxed it to her.

About noon Monte and I went shopping.  Man did we ever have fun!  I went to Winners and picked up all the christmassy things for decorating that I have never been able to get before.  Spod would not have approved!  But maybe he would have in the end.  He kind of liked whatever made me happy.  Anyway I am going to spend next week putting it all together in the right way.  This place will be spectacular!

Tonight Aryn and Bradley arrived and we had fun eating and visiting and listening to music.  Bradley is a world renowned DJ.  He has almost retired from it to grow his painting business.  But he knows so many of the greats and knows so much about music.  As a result its so much fun 'doing' music with him.

Now its off to bed.  Big day tomorrow!  We are going to be doing so many different things.  I shall be reporting and hopefully there will be pics too.  TTYL

FIBBER McGEE AND MOLLY

Years ago we listened to CBC radio.  Up north where I grew up there was no TV.  The radio was a very pivotal part of our life.  Hockey Night in Canada with Foster Hewitt.  Opera on Saturdays.  Paul Draney's lunchtime stories, Just Mary etc….One of those shows was Fibber McGee and Molly.

At some point in the half hour show the McGees would open a certain cupboard.  And for the next 1-2 minutes solid you would here crap falling…all kinds of stuff would fall and fall and fall until anyone who was listening would crack up laughing!

Well that happened to me today.  Jessie put up shelves and hanging poles with brackets yesterday.  So I loaded the shelves up.  Today in purple room closet I was pulling a box down for something when the whole kit and caboodle came tumbling down onto my head!  Stuff just kept coming and coming and coming.  At least three boxes emptied their contents onto my head.  And they were boxes full of a million little things…one was full of all the stuff from the truck clean out…leashes, lighters, lotions, cans of dog food, books, rocks, cups, empty mcd's bags etc…  Another box was full of bathroom goods…brushes, combs, toothbrushes, deoderants, jewelry, hairpins, ponies, toothpastes, dental flosses etc…..Another one was full of at least a thousand tea light candles.  Ach jeez!!!  What a ridiculous mess! 

 Turns out he just used nails…into gyprock.  He didn't even use gyprock screws, which wouldn't have worked either.  So I went out to the garage and found a stud finder and gave Jessie a lesson on how to hang shelves!

Today was my new housekeeper's first day.  She is the cutest little Filipino girl.  She was so fast and thorough.  By the end of her two hours she had the house sparkling!  And the bonus is that I have asked her to remind me that Thursday is garbage day so I will be sure to get it out there and not miss.

Monte came back with Molly tonight.  She is on antibiotics and is already looking better.  She is still having an awful time eating.  We have to take her back on Monday to have her teeth cleaned and pulled. 

 Monte and I are watching Breaking Bad.  And I know I might make some enemies here…but I find the show  good…but very slow.  And I can't stand Walter.  He drives me crazy with his bumbling, uncomfortable in my own skin, silence.  I keep wanting to smack him and its hard to enjoy a show where you are always wanting to crack the protagonist over the back of the head.  We are half way through the second season and I am hoping it will pick up a little.  Someone warned me that it gets a 'little slow' in the fourth season.  What???  Any slower and we will just be sitting there watching the tumbleweeds blow by!

Okay.  Last poem.  Not posting anymore after today.  Lucky you guys!!!  TYL

FAVOURITE  THINGS

these are a few of my favourite things

I love the tree tops as they sing

gently soughing in the wind

I love the white dots upon the green

fluffy grazing sheep so many I’ve seen

I love the mountaintops all glistening white

when the sun shines, such a magnificent sight

I love little babies’ chubby feet

their dimpled toes oh so sweet

I love to swig juice right out of the carton

it tastes so much better, I can harken

I love it when my telephone rings

its music to my ears when it sings

I love  my boots, so easy to wear

ready for me, always there

I love my hair, my big grey poof

when I drive it snags on the car roof

I love grape vines row upon row

undulating lines gently flow

and last of all I love my life

its exactly what I want, there is no strife

CRAFTY TIME!!!

At least once a year I make some kind of attempt at making something.  I feel really artsy and have magnificent ideas in my head…but rarely has it ever turned out.  At least not what I had envisioned.

So this year, only because I can't find any, I am going to make glass blocks into lighted blocks that look like Christmas presents.  The first ones I ever saw were at niece Jeni's place at xmas time.  Her mom had bought them at a craft sale here in Victoria and I have not been able to get them out of my head.  So this year I have decided to make a couple.  If it works out I shall make a couple every year until I have a lovely collection.

Today ended up being a shopping day.  Firstly Jessie and I hit home depot, successfully.  I brought him home and took off again.  I found glass blocks at Michaels for a ridiculous price (shovel list…Michaels has the most stupidly inflated prices ever).  But…their beautiful beautiful ribbon was 70% off so that kind of made up for it.  I bought a ton.  

Went up to Costco and bought one of their live wreaths.  They smell so good.  At Home Depot I bought little strings of lights that operate on two double AA batteries.  Such a great idea.  I can wrap them around the other wreath I have on the front door too.  And tonight I watched a youtube on how to make big bows.  Now I have to go back to Michaels to buy the right kind of pipe cleaners.  Always one more thing needed.

Monte, April and Molly left very early this morning for Van.  Monte took Molly to our vet over there.  She has conjunctivitis in her good eye, rotten teeth (we think, she had them cleaned and some pulled recently), some kind of allergy that makes her chew her feet til they bleed, and an infection generally which affects her nose and breathing.  I think that last stay at the kennel was truly hard on her.  She has steadily gone downhill since we got home.  On the other hand Parker totally improved.  He has stopped scratching, stopped shedding insane amounts of hair and is playing with his toys. I think he was just happy to get home!

I cannot get over the amount of paper work, phone calls and emails that have to happen when someone dies.  And Aryn is doing a huge portion of it.  We were both named executors so I am doing all those picky  things like the credit cards, BCAA, bank and she is taking care of land titles and government stuff.  Its a lot of work.  Some of it gets complicated too.  But its amazing how everyone I talked to, the BMO guy, TD guy, etc were so kind and sympathetic.  I am warming up, just a tetch, to humanity.

Now for the next awful poem.  I think I will put only a couple more on here then call it quits.  But thanks to those that are reading them.  My brother told me he ISN"T reading them…thanks a bunch Bro!  But I totally get it!  TTYL

PULL DOWN YOUR SKIRT

I was walking along in my local park

I overheard a father to son remark

The little boy was in midst cry

I am not sure, I don’t know why

I heard the dad say “suck it up, its only dirt

knock it off...pull down your skirt!"

Pull down your skirt? I know I heard

what kind of remark is that? thats absurd!!!

I turned to the dad and asked “what did you say?”

how can you talk to your son that way?”

Did his mother not go through extreme pain

birthing him, simple and plain

And I’m sure every time she was hurt

if her family needed her she pulled down her skirt

And I’m sure every time she was sick

she’d climb out of bed and suck it up like a brick

so on one hand you make  sense when you blurt

to your crying son to pull down his skirt

It simply means that women are strong

and acting like one cannot be wrong

PRODUCTIVE DAY!

Jessie, Bradley's helper, came over this morning and dug in at a hundred miles an hour.  Man…he covered so much ground so quickly.  All the ugly checkered tile is now gone.  All the measurements for the closets are done.  The garage is totally organized and clean.  The whole long driveway is completely clean.  Tomorrow he is coming over and we will be going to Home Depot for the stuff he needs to finish the jobs.  Its going to be so nice to have this stuff done.

Marilyn dropped by this afternoon, complete with ipad with tons of interesting pics.  I love other people's pics!  We had a lovely long chat.  I think she is a very busy person.  I admire everything she is into and she is an amazing grandmother.  I definitely could take lessons!  

Monte stopped at Costco for us on his way back from dropping Jessie off back at home.  Chicken pot pie and caesar salad..mmmmmm.  So good.  We watched Frozen.  I must admit I was expecting it to be better than it was and there were way way too many not very nice songs in it.  The little snowman saved the movie in my opinion.  I give it a 5.  

Now I am tired and going to bed.  The kids are leaving at seven thirty in the morning for Vancouver.  Monte is taking Molly to our vet over there and taking April home.  Its going to be very quiet.  Austin and Emily dropped by tonight with awesome speakers to go with the turntable and even more amazing records.  I am going to be submerged in music once again!  Its been a long long time.   TTYL

ineed

I love my phone.....love my phone

No no no...you don’t understand

I love my phone, more than you can know

If I can’t take my phone, I just won’t go

not that long ago I did criticize

people with their phones, I would roll my eyes

I have a life, I would declare

who needs a phone?  Really, who cares!!

And then one day upon a whim

I purchased a cell, so smooth so slim

I entered all my numbers with glee

and started to call my friends just to see

And now there is no going back

my phone is my life, I will always pack

If I forget to take it with me

I can’t even think, I am so not free

I love my phone, more than you know

with me I take it where ever I go

take my wallet, take my watch whatever the cost

my phone will be with me,  never to be lost.

CINNY BUNS AND CHARADES

Great day today.  I managed to stay in my chair on my laptop reading my book and drinking coffee until 11 am.  Then when I emerged April had cleaned the kitchen and made a delicious breakfast.  After that Emily and Austin arrived.  And Austin, bless his heart, brought his turn table, tuner and a bunch of lp's!!!  I was in heaven!!  Its so amazing to have music back in my daily routine.  I have missed it all these years.

Then I showed Em how to make cinnamon buns.  And they turned out beautifully!!!  Plus we made a loaf of bread to go with the dahl we had for supper.  Monte arrived and we all poured ourselves a drink and played charades…band names.  Jeez it was so much fun!

Tomorrow, Jessie, Bradley's employee who is kind of laid off for the moment and lives here in Victoria, is being picked up by Monte first thing in the morning.  He is coming here to get started on all those little jobs.  Thank God!!!

So here is another poem, I am contemplating not putting anymore on.  Its too embarrassing.  And a couple pics from today.  TTYL

THATS NOT WINE SHE IS DRINKING.  ITS TEA AND THE WINE BOTTLE IS THE ROLLING PIN

DELICIOUS BREAD!!!

BOND

Bond.  James Bond, thats who I want to be

bash me down, blow me up , break my left knee

Throw me in a dungeon, tie me up with rope

and leave me in the inky dark bereft of any hope

But...and this is the part most important to me

no matter how battered, pounded or unfree

I bounce right back, and spring to my feet

completely uninjured able to retreat

Without a bruise or broken bone

without a timid hesitant tone

I can carry on with my normal life

as thought no exposure to any strife.

SALLY FORTH TO SALLY ANN

First of all, April is fine.  They think it was a bursting cyst on one of her ovaries, painful but not life threatening.  She needs to have an ultra sound done next week just to check things out.

Due to not getting to bed til three in the morning, we slept in a little this morning.  After a few chores, (April did chores), she and I headed off to do some Christmas shopping at the Sally Ann.  As I mentioned before, due to the family being on severe money constraints, we are doing our shopping at thrift stores.  Its hard.  If you are lucky you will find the perfect thing (as I luckily did for Myles!)  You just have to keep going back and checking things out until you have it covered.

So off we went.  It was packed in there!  The people were a funny mixture of far too well dressed to be shopping there, to the really odd and strange.  Scruffy unshaved ballcapped men shuffled down the aisles, eys down and shifty.  Old old people hobbled along, picking up nothing.  Several overweight young cranky moms with  an unruly kid or two in tow.  The odd middle aged woman, well dressed, condescending looks upon their faces.  An emaciated half dead looking woman sat at the old piano at the back, carefully playing her way through a very long playlist of songs we all kind of hummed along to.

Then there was April and I, pulling little shopping baskets along behind us.  I couldn't believe how excited we could get over very used crap.  And the further into the store we worked the more excited we got.  First this went into the baskets then that and then more and more.  Finally our baskets were completely overflowing.

  We went and payed for the stuff, took it all out to the car and then went back in for more!  Eventually the back of the car was full of really cheap good scores.  And maybe two of the items were actually gifts.  All the rest was stuff for ourselves and stuff for Christmas decorations.  Honestly!  Two gifts!  Methinks some self discipline is in order!

We went to Six Mile Pub for a delicious lunch of seafood chowder and calamari.  Then home for naps and general relaxing.  Pizza and How To Train Your Dragon 2 for dinner and now its off to bed.  Tomorrow Em is coming out and we are having a cinnamon bun making lesson…if I remember how to make them. I shall take pics as we go and post them here.  

 Since Spod and I got so fat I quit making anything like that.  I used to make them all the time.  In fact I used to make all our bread every week.  I remember one bread in particular.  It was an Irish Soda bread.  Spod's nephew Jeff's (he used to work with us)first wife Heather gave me the recipe.  This was one of those breads that tasted better cold than hot and was so easy and fast to make.  But the recipe, which was taped to the back of the baking cupboard, burned when the house burned down.  And unfortunately by then she was no longer in the family and reachable to get that recipe again.  It was sooo good.

Here is another poem.  God they are so bad.  I think is a good lesson for me on how to deal with humility!  TTYL

BIG BROWN EYES

I have a dog who talks with his eyes

I understand him which is no surprise

A dog whisperer I am not

But I understand his every thought

when he stares without a blink

I know exactly what he thinks

Its time to go and get his dinner

dried food and tuna is the winner!

when his eyes are all a dancing

and his feet are all but prancing

I know its time to find his toy

and watch his eyes fill with joy

when his eyes totally drill and bore

and he runs  to the back door

I know its time to let him out

We all know what thats about!

But it is when he won’t look or play

eyes cast down and head turned away

I know him well  and I can see

He has something sad to tell me

He misjudged and made a mistake

His puddle was as big as a lake

I could see he felt so bad

his eyes could not be more sad

So I give him a hug and I forgive

We all make mistakes as we live

Its  the love that really  counts

That we share in huge amounts

HOSPITAL AGAIN

Well, the hospital is back in our life tonight.  April…she and Myles arrived around nine thirty tonight.  It was so good to see them.

Shortly after they arrived April was suddenly in terrible terrible abdominal pain, not on the appendix side.  It got so bad she finally succumbed and agreed to be taken to the hospital.  She texted me and said there was a three hour wait.  We are getting too familiar with that institution.

Good day today.  I picked up my 134,770.00 dollar cheque this morning!!  Glad to have that house out of my life.  Its deposited and about to be on its way to Kamloops to help purchase a certain house up there.

After Spod passed, late one night, I made a list.  It was a list of first times doing something without him.  Things like going to Costco and sharing a poutine.  I did this but had to throw out half the poutine, I couldn't eat it all.  Going to a coffee shop like Starbucks without him, sitting there and know he wasn't coming.  We always waited for each other in coffee shops.  And going to a noodle house for lunch.  And driving out to Goldstream to see the creek and take the dogs.  And going to Lee Valley tools just to look at stuff.  Anyway, I am slowly but surely working my way through the list.  Now and then something comes along and blindsides me but thats to be expected.

Today it was the coffee shop.  After the bank I went into Serious Coffee, got a coffee and muffin and sat in the corner and tried to read my book on my phone.  (shovel list)  My eye has become so bad I can hardly read that tiny print any more.  Its all double.  So instead I watched a parade of ladies about my age come and go, all looking amazing, skinny and in awesome outfits.  At least this place wasn't full of strollers bigger than limos and a load of mummies getting together to spend an hour juggling baby, designer diapers, toys and mistos.  'Twasn't easy but its done now.  It gets easier each time you do one of those things.

Well I haven't heard again from April.  I won't be able to sleep until she is back.  Poor kid…she looked so pale when she left.  And there is definitely something wrong with Molly.  She is chewing her feet, moping around and now when I feed her (canned food) she mushes and mushes it and spreads it all over the floor and herself and dish.  WTH?  The only thing we can think is that maybe she has an abscessed tooth.  We don't have a vet here.  I think I will take her over to our vet in Vancouver.  Even adding on hotel stay and ferry its still cheaper to go to Atlas.  Plus they know her there.  We'll see.  I am not one to run off to a vet but I think maybe this time she should see one.

So here is my next awful poem and I shall TTYL

SAVED AND EARNED

I see over there upon the ground

a raggedy penny all dirty and brown

I bend down and pick it up

I hold it close and ask “wassup?”

Well, that penny looked at me

took a breath and sang out free

It sang out loud in a boisterous voice

“You have just made a fabulous choice,

I’ve been everywhere man.

inside smelly coffee cans

inside pockets of bright red pants

and outside in a lightening dance

I’ve been used as chump small change

and I was an ante in a poker game

I came close to being squashed out flat

When a kid laid me on a railway track

I’ve been used in parlour tricks

and a wobble table short leg fix

I’ve been put on a deadman’s eyes

used in cake as a birthday prize

Little kids in candy stores

use lots of me to buy even more

I’ve been melted down to mush

reformed into lovely stuff

I have hung from ladies’ ears

I have hung from chains so dear

but most of all, in my own mind

I am just a cliche find

WELL THAT FINALLY WENT THROUGH

I think I mentioned the other day that the people buying my Nanaimo house asked for an extension.  I don't like extensions.  They always mean trouble.  I usually just say no, but against my better judgement I said yes to two extra days.

And…you guessed it…trouble.  I went in to the notary yesterday, signed everything, but….there is a note on the title that the house is inferring a bylaw contravention.  Its to do with the suite.  The suite is totally legal but because the city couldn't tear down walls and actually have eyes on pipes and wires, they just want peeps to know this, suites okay but they couldn't actually do the behind wall inspection.  Its a pretty common occurrence that doesn't mean much.

But Mr. Alberta (thats where the buyer is from), at the very last moment, gets his lawyer to demand that the price he accepted be even lower to compensate him getting that off the title (which he would never do).  So I told them to get stuffed..either buy it for what we settled on or move on and I will sell to someone else.  

Well long story short, I will be picking up my cheque tomorrow morning.  Mr. Alberta caved.  To the bank I shall be going.

Today was a pretty low key nothing day.  Its a good thing April and Myles are coming over tomorrow night.  Kind of forces me to clean a little!  Monte went up to Port by himself.  I just can't get away at the moment.  He will be back Saturday.

One thing I am doing differently this year…I am going to either get Jessie, the handyman I am hiring, or someone from a poster on a telephone pole I saw, to put up Christmas lights on the house.  I have always wanted to have Christmas lights on the house but Spod was having none of that.  So this year, seeing as how it shant be bothering him, I am going to do it!!!  I am excited!  I love Xmas, which was not a time of year that Spod liked.  It will be very untense this year!

Well its bedtime.  TTYL

SLEEPYHEAD

I lay me down to go to sleep

and into dreamland I go so deep

and as my body flattens out

a little spark starts a scurrying  about

in no time flat I am flying high

above the mountains up to the sky

and just as suddenly I am cast so low

sliding down a massive rainbow

then I see I am swinging a spade

the biggest hole ever to be made

but just as quickly I am scrubbing pots

grabbing pencils, connecting dots

in the morning I get out of bed

a sorry groaning sleepy head

I have had the most exhausting night

cant I just go to bed and sleep tight?

I WANT A BATH

I really do want a bath.  But you may remember, my bath is made for midgets, and only skinny assed midgets at that.  When I sit in the tub, which I did once, my thighs are higher than the tub.  Who makes tubs like this?  Before, I was willing to take the chance that I would need help getting out of that tiny piece of crap.  But that was when Spod was here.  I didn't mind him seeing me starkers, stuck in a tub.  But tonight?  Its only Monte here and there is no way in hell would I ever let him help me.  I would make him call the fire department.

 And I know that they help out fat broads in those delicate matters.  One of Spod's nephews is a fireman.  When he came to visit Bill (I am pretty sure it was him, some things are kind of foggy from right around then)  Johnny told me that a large woman, naked and fat, fell between the toilet and tub and got stuck.  It took his fire department to get her unstuck.  It was such a funny story!!  And 'fat naked lady stuck in tub' is almost an urban legend.

Well I got another visitor in the night.  Just outside my window, my wide open window, there is a table.  On that table is a vase full of old dead flowers.  I say 'is' cuz its still there.  But what woke me up was that vase crashing to the ground, and how it didn't break is beyond me.  I woke up with a jolt, whipped around and there was this giant huge racoon half in my window!  

I am NOT one of those people that think racoons are cute.  They are horrible nasty ill tempered hump backed ugly vermin and it was not leaving.  I yelled and swung my arms around.  Nope.  So I grabbed my shoe, the nearest thing I could grab, and threw it as hard as I could.  Keep in mind I was only about three feet from him.  I hit him.  Hard.  Right in his ugly mug.  He flipped over backwards and took off at a hundred miles an hour.  There's times I feel the need for a shotgun.  Racoons and deer would be gone.  Oh and noisy blue jays that hog all the birdfeeder food.

And while I am in a killing mood…I might as well shoot the neighbour dog who won't shut the hell up!!!

A lot more dramma than I needed happened today.  But I will talk about that tomorrow.  TTYL

BARKING

I truly want to kill that dog

You know the one, it sounds like a frog

It barks all day and especially at night

I tell the owner…this isn’t right

I hate that dog and all its crap

all I want to do is take a nap

but obviously not!! I cannot sleep

Silence is not something he can keep

No matter how I scream and yell

that stupid dog takes me straight to hell

it barks and barks and won’t shut up

oh how I hate that noisy pup

Gimme a shotgun

And not just for fun

gimme the ammo

my job will be done

BOB

When my father died, about a year later, my mother met Bob.  He turned out to not be our most favourite person in the world.  I think we felt he stole our mother's happiness and free spirit, not to mention a lot of my dad's and her money.  But she ended up living with him longer than my dad.

The reason I bring this up is because, for some reason, I always always, never miss, remembering his birthday on Nov. 18th.  Of course he has long been dead but I never forget it.

The poem I wrote three years ago was about Bob.  It's partially true.

Tomorrow I meet with the notary and sign the final documents and I will finally be rid of that stupid house in Nanaimo.  There was a last minute glitch which of course a lawyer caused.  JEEZ!!  If there are any lawyers reading this…well don't.

Right after the appointment Monte and I are heading off to Port Alberni.  He gets a shot from his dr. and I need to scope out how much stuff will be moved from his place to Kamloops when the time comes.  I'm taking my camera, we will be listening to music all the way.  So today's post is mercifully short, probably longer tomorrow night with pics.  TTYL

MY UNDER FIVE DOLLAR SURPRISE ARYN BOUGHT ME.  IT CHANGES COLOUR AND IS SO PRETTY!!!

DEAD BOB

Today is dead Bob’s birthday

Not a man we wanted

He never had anything nice to say

but right now I feel haunted

I wasn’t very nice to him

It was easy to be mean

but one day, just upon a whim

On him I decided to lean

I asked him if he could help me

untangle a mess with my kin

I needed his specific expertise

to solve the dilemma I was in

Bob made wooden boxes 

he had so many from his past

my cousin was having a birthday 

and I needed a gift super fast

So I approached dead Bob and asked him

Can I have one of those boxes you’ve made?

Of course you can! prideful to the brim

My angst with him began to fade

So now hes dead and no longer here

and my memories of him are dim

I do remember to none of us he adhered

But I have the littlest fondness in me for him.

SHOP.CA AND RANDOM THOUGHTS

It just dawned on me that if I am planning on buying things online for xmas I had best get to it.  We are thrift store shopping for the main present this year but I always do a big giant full of presents stocking for each of them.  Those, I am not getting at the thrift store. 

My fave site to go to is shop.ca…mostly cuz its fast and the shipping is free!  And then when the stuff starts rolling in its so much fun!

Have you tried Meyer lemons?  I bought some at Costco and they are so damned delicious.  I can actually eat them straight up.  They are sharp but not sour, kind of sweet.  I have started to squeeze that stuff on everything. 

I love love love my new kitchen.  Bradley and Aryn have worked so hard on it and other than the electrical and countertops its almost finished.  Bradley is coming back on Monday to finish up some of it.  He has a fellow that works for him when they are busy.  He is available right now and will come to the house (he lives in Victoria) and do all the things us non-handymen can't do.  Such a relief.

I'm hitting the piano once again.  I found an awesome, missing for a long time, stack of music books.  A couple of them I used to play from but the pieces were really tricky and hard so I am reacquainting myself with them and believe me, its not like riding a bicycle!!!  Pretty soon it won't just be Monte playing the piano at gatherings!!  And I will have moved on past 'Hallelujah'!!

Well its almost one in the morning.  I shall post another poem…its slow going getting to the better ones.  Sorry.  Don't read it.  TTYL

HUNGER

Hunger is invasively powerful

It can motivate, debilitate,  instigate

all consuming, all exhuming

anger fear it permeates

I cry, I writhe, I whimper, I scream

the need I feel is beyond the dream

I grasp, I grovel, I fall to the ground

one little crumb I have not found

my mind grows weaker

my body shrivels

reaper is waiting

I am even meeker

I am controlled, I am confused

my will is unpowered and I am used

no more compelling  the enemy within

this is a battle I will not win

THE BUTCHER

Here in Langford, we have the most amazing butcher.  Glen something or other.  That is where Aryn and I went to get our sausage meat that week end.  

Today Emily and I ventured forth to find the place and secure a pork shoulder roast.  As usual the place was packed.  So, I bought this giant huge pork, which turned out to be butt not shoulder, roast, beautifully tied and a lovely cap of fat, scored and ready to be turned into crackling.  It was huge…pics below.  I also bought a half pound of english bacon for Bradley and a half pound of brown sugar bacon and a whole cow's tongue. 

 I expected the bill to be near 100 to 120 bucks…in that range.  But this butcher prides himself on keeping prices totally competitive with local grocery stores.  And it came to only 58 dollars!  I couldn't believe it.

Back at home Aryn and Bradley were super hard at work in the kitchen.  I absolutely love my kitchen.  Its coming together beautifully.  And then the two of them cooked dinner.  You wouldn't believe what Bradley did to that roast.  Between the garlic, onion, rosemary and seasonings..it was a work of art when it entered the oven, and even better when it came out.  He also made the best cheesy potatoes I have ever eaten and eggplant and zucchini done on the bbq.

Sometime in the afternoon Cousin Dorothy (or big Dorothy as we call her) came over for dinner.  And just before dinner Monte came home from Port Alberni!!!Geez!  we visited and told stories and laughed.  She is such a fantastic person.  We all love her to pieces.  And needless to say dinner was beyond delicious.  He even made a tasty applesauce to go with it all. Mmmmmm.  Popsicles for desert!!

And now after an evening of PVRed shows we are all tucked in and ready for sleep.  Such a warm and fuzzy day.  So good.

And now for pics and poetry!  TTYL

SOMEONE  PICKED UP THE LARGE CASE OF BITS AND PIECES THE WRONG WAY!

BEST CHEESY POTATOES EVER

GIANT ROAST READY FOR THE OVEN

MMMMMM   ALL DONE AND READY TO SLICE

COW TONGUE ALL SET TO BE COOKED.  WE USED TO EAT THIS ALL THE TIME!  SO MANY PEOPLE ARE ALL SQUEAMISH NOWADAYS!!!!

WORKING HARD

WHERE?

The crooked twisting winding road

disappears, just over there

its full of promise, full of hope

I wend my way along with care

I come across a little bend

a broken arrow off the track

I veer off into the unknown

and cannot find my way back

at first I stumbled and I scrambled about

lost in a fog of serious doubt

but then I slowed and looked around

and was so glad to be unfound

HANDLES AND CHECKERED FLAG

Good day today!  Aryn and Bradley arrived around two o'clock this afternoon.  They swung right into action, and put handles and knobs on the kitchen cabinets.  Wow!  What an ordeal, making sure they were exactly where they were supposed to be, drilling the holes, screwing them on.  And there were soooo many of them.  Whilst they were doing all this I finally managed to wash my hair.  Feels so good…and so curly.

We went to the Chequered Flag for dinner.  Nothing beats their shrimp club house.  And its such a homey friendly place.  I love it there.

Tonight, when we arrived home, Emily had arrived.  It was so good to see her.  So we all caught up on news, had a drink and settled in to watch cooking competitions.  A little Bobby Fley goes a long way!

Then after Aryn and Bradley went off to bed Em and I had a long awesome visit, as usual!  Tomorrow morning we are going to Floyds for breakfast!  Yummmm!!!

Now I am tucked up in my purple room with two dogs snuggled under and around me.  Parker was exceptionally happy tonight.  He even tossed one of their toys around the room.  He isn't stress scratching and panicking.  Molly on the other hand isn't well tonight again.  Thats been three days now.  If this keeps up I will have to take her in.  She ate though which is a good sign.

So here is the next poem for those few of you still reading them.  Mercifully this one is really short.  TTYL

ANOTHER WORLD

tiny little tippy toes

dance across the sky

big snorting dragons

wings so big to fly

floating over the horizon

fat lipped fishies swim

fluffy pillowy fuzzy sheep

bleating and baaahing out their hymn

as I lay upon the earth

I gaze up to the sky

and see a world like no other

all those clouds in my own minds eye

COSTCO - SANS SPOD AND WAITING FOR GODOT

I got a call this morning from the real estate guy handling the Nanaimo house sale.  The people buying it wants an extension.  I hate extensions.  It turns out his lawyer needs more time to get the paperwork together, seriously.  Stupid lawyers.  My notary, who had the same amount of time, not only had to get the papers together, but had to change the title from Bill and I to just me, an extra step.  And they managed to be ready.

I said yes, but it means that papers for this change have to be signed and initialled so how the hell is that supposed to happen?  I figure its the sellers problem, not mine.  So poor Dale, real estate guy, had to come all the way down here to get them to me and signed.  

I got the house all cleaned up.  But I didn't get my hair done.  Again.  (shovel list).  After Dale left I decided that seeing as how I was dressed and my chores done I should make my first solo trip to Costco.  I have gone back with the kids but not by myself without Spod.  He so loved going there and sharing a poutine.  So off I went and I have to admit it wasn't easy.  Its funny the goofy things that trigger such sadness.

Yesterday, or the day before, I was picking up stuff and emptying bags in my purple room.  Suddenly I found Spod's black sweater.  I instantly burst into tears.  I am tearing up right now just writing about that sweater.  He wore that sweater almost every day, even in Maui.  One time I told him it was getting all pilly and ratty and he spent the next three hours picking little balls off of it and sticky thingy rolling it.  He wore that sweater until after he died. 

 It brought to mind the time we went to visit Brad and Dana at their cabin.  We were up in her Grampa and Gramma's big cabin and in the kitchen there was a woman's sweater hanging on the back of one of the kitchen chairs.  Dana told me that that was her Gramma's sweater, just where she always hung it when she wasn't wearing it.  Her gramma had been gone for sometime.  I loved that.  The significance of that sweater to that family was amazing.  And clearly thats how I feel about Spod's sweater.

But I won't be crying anytime soon again.  The very moment Parker heard me he did the same thing Sadie did when Aryn was here.  He came flying into purple room, bashed and bashed his head on me, licked and licked and then he actually put both front feet up on my lap and tried to climb onto me.  Holy Hannah…total distraction!!!  Such a funny dog and so sensitive.

Myles's mommy Helen (her name is Helen too!) phoned me tonight and we had such a lovely long chin wag.  I think she and I are very much alike!  We aren't too worried about how many filters we do or do not have in place!  During the conversation we discovered that we own native masks, some with horse hair!  So I took a picture of a couple of them and I am posting them here so she can see.  Helen, there is one that has visible shorter pieces of hair, that mask lost some of his hair in our house fire years ago.  So here they are…oh and I added a couple of pics of my 'hobos'.  I love my hobos.  I have set them up to look like they are sitting under a tree at a very isolated crossroads, "Waiting For Godot!" But first my next stellar poem.  TTYL  (my apologies to anyone who has ever given me flowers….this is just a poem, not reality!)

WE ASKED THE FIRST NATIONS CARVER WHAT KIND OF HAIR THAT WAS.  HE TOLD US IT WAS HORSE HAIR.  SHORTLY AFTER HIM TELLING US THIS WE HEARD ON THE NEWS THAT SOMEONE HAD SNUCK INTO THE STANLEY PARK HORSE STABLES AND HAD CUT THE HORSES TAILS AND MANES!!  JUST SAYING!

FLOWERS

Flowers frigging annoy me

whether they are in the house or outside

no matter how pretty

when you aren’t looking…you will find them dead

when we go out for a long walk

and I am enjoying how my arms swing free

someone inevitably picks a flower

and hands it over to me

now I can’t swing them

I can’t even hang my hands loose

I have to pinch my fingers tight

until those little buds turn to pink juice

theres a knock at my front  door

why theres a sparkly green van

and a whole whack of flowers

held out to me by a man

one week later, sitting on my bar

wilting and drooping, dropping petals to the floor

All those stupid dead flowers,

garbage bound they are

Flowers annoy me, 

any time any where

do not pick them

I prefer them stay there