ANOTHER ONE

Well today its my other son's birthday.  He is 46!!!!  And he's another one that was very premature.  He was 5 lbs 4oz when I brought him home.

Back in those days things were a little different.  First of all I was in the hospital for ten days, not one.  And about the third day they brought me a wee unhappy bundle, they had circumcised him, without even talking to me first.  That would never happen today.  And when they sent me home with him they sent along enough formula and bottles for a month, no breastfeeding, and a cardboard apple box for a baby bed.

He was so tiny and fragile.  He had a hernia (so did Monte) and they told me to go get a button, the kind that is rounded.  They had me push the button into his outie and tape it there.  Eventually, about two months later his hernia was all gone!

I called him to wish him a happy birthday and we visited a while.  So nice, I don't take THAT for granted anymore.  And it makes me so happy to know how he is spending his day today.  Tandy and the kids are going to Kelowna (always fun, like us going to Port Alberni in the summer from Bamfield).  Kevin was staying home and a bunch of his homies (all board game freaks) were coming over.  They were going to spend the whole day playing games and eating crap!!!  He will be so happy.

Other than that not much to report.  I haven't been feeling all that great since I got home.  So I have been kind of laying low.  I have to go out today though.  Things that can't be put off any longer.

I did manage to actually clean my house this morning, and it isn't even an Alice day tomorrow!!!  And whilst I was doing that Taylor did the dishes!!!!  What a treat!  I almost never ever go into my living room and its a shame.  I have that spectacular view!  When Graeme and Anton were here we would sit in there and visit now and then.  I miss those boys, although I do talk to them now and then.  I miss cooking for Anton!

Well now I am into boring rambling so I shall sign off.  Gotta go do things.  TTYL

MY BROTHER HOLDING AN EIGHT MONTH OLD KEVIN

A TEN MONTH OLD KEVIN EATING AN ORANGE

ABOUT EIGHTEEN MONTHS

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY

RECENTLY....AT BURGER 55 EATING A SLOPPY BURGER

SEVEN BUSY BUSY DAYS

I just walked in the door.  Took my time driving home from Vancouver.  I had a great time down there, split between the girls.

But first, today is kind of a sad day for me.  Its Monte's birthday and for the first time in 28 years I can't wish him a happy birthday, at least by voice.

Twenty eight years ago, after 65 days in the hospital they handed me a tiny scrap of a human.  He was 6lbs 12 oz, which wasn't bad for a 32 week premie.  Thats because I spent two months laying flat on my back or sitting in a wheelchair and eating my face off.  The head chef in Grace Hospital was a smackdown awesome chef.  He had even written cook books. Mmmmmmm......

Anyway that was the start of a life with an intelligent, interesting, mischievous, crazily talented son.  I think now what I miss the most is how we shared music.  No matter what we were trying to do or talk about, it always ended up about music.  And Monte was incredibly funny.  He could have a room full of people in stitches.  Especially when he was mimicking a situation.  Jeez, we would be laughing so hard.  I had a wonderful life with that kid and I sorely miss it.

I had a great time in Vancouver.  The first day down there Bradley, Aryn and I went down to False Creek to the Tap and Barrel for brunch.  As it happened the dragon boat races were running so we had front row seats!  The food was tasty, the drinks even tastier (I had a gin and tonic, even though I DON'T drink, with mint and cucumber in it...delish). 

 After that we caught one of the little false creek boats that toot you around.  And, all the little boats were told to go to the side and wait until the next dragon boats finished their run.  So we were REALLY front and centre as they all rowed past...PULL PULL PULL PULL...to drum beats.

We got off at a very busy crowded exciting Granville Island market.  I felt like I was back in China...not because they were Asian but because we were all smooshed up against one another.  We bought salamis, pickles, cheeses, olives, lox, breads, tarts....amazing incredible tarts, oil.  We went back to the  loft and Aryn produced the most beautiful delightful bunch of snacks.  We put them out on the deck, invited a couple they know and had a lovely afternoon.

Over at April's, the three of us did something so exciting and unbelievable.  We made the decision to go to Paris and London the end of August.  So the day was spent looking at hotels, making decisions, looking up flights, looking and booking.  We are so excited!!!!  I can't believe they are going to take me along!  I am so pokey and slow.  I have two months to shape up and walkity walkity walk walk walk.  Wrangler won't know what hit him.  And lose a hundred pounds.  Hmmmm fifty pounds a month...I will get right on that!

So now I am going to take a nap.  I don't feel well at the moment and I need to kick it, I have cards with surprises in them to send to Monte...gotta take care of that asap.  TTYL

WAITING FOR OUR DRINKS

OUT IN THE LITTLE RUNAROUND BOAT

PULL PULL PULL

THEIR BEAUTIFUL DECK

LIKE MOTHER

LIKE SON!!!

GIANT CINNAMON BUNS AND CRAZY EXPENSIVE PEARS

Last Sunday Kathy and I got up obscenely early for a Sunday morning, and headed off to Cache Creek, Horstens Farm more exactly.

Aryn and Bradley were coasting in around the same time and we had planned to meet there.  I was, am, taking Molly til I drive her back on Sat.

Well, we got there early enough to have an awesome huge gooey, buttery, carmely, giant cinnamon bun.  We only got one thank goodness.  It was beyond delicious!  Actually at the risk of sounding superior, (not necessarily on my shovel list, sounding superior that is) its the first time I have had a cinnamon bun that is close to the ones I make.  Dense, yeasty and butter forward! Mmmmm.....

We had an hour to kill so we drove to Ashcroft.  I had never been there before.  What a little gem of town that is!  I was so missing my camera...which I had forgotten in Vancouver.  I have to go back and do a picture shoot.  It is the quaintest wee town.

We went back to Horstens and picked up Molly.  It took two nano seconds to remind why I can't stand that dog.  And now I have spent some days with her, its clear she should not be alive.  The fact that we spent so much on her to remove a cancerous lump is just wrong.  Sorry Aryn if you are reading this and don't tell Bradley, he loves her and it would make him feel bad.

But that frigging dog is pretty much completely blind and deaf.  She pisses everywhere...no control.  And the most annoying thing...she snorts, and sucks air in through her nose, and snorts some more, and makes a loud gurgle noise in her throat...til I want to kill her.  Over and over and over until finally I grab her and yell really loud right in her ear to stop.  Which she does for a while.  I do not understand what the hell she is doing that for.

On the more positive side, she is incredibly cute.  She really is.  Everywhere we go people go nuts over her.  Okay I sat here for two minutes trying to think up something else positive about her and I couldn't.  I was thinking of going on tinder and offering her to guys as a babe magnet...for a price of course...it could go to cover the cost of keeping a should be dead dog alive.

And Wrangler does NOT like her.  He is okay with Emma but he doesn't like Molly.  Hah!!!!  So even Mr. Friendly with everyone and every dog, doesn't like her.

Back to Sunday, we came home through Ashcroft to Logan Lake to Lac Le Jeune and to Kamloops on the Lac La Jeune road.  It was a truly beautiful day and it was virgin territory for me.  And my awesome sister offered to drive so I could look around.  I truly appreciated that.  We stopped in Logan Lake for a little lunch in a local rustic cafe. The whole day was just the kind of day I love.  Its what Bill and I used to do and stupid me so took it for granted.

Well Alice the Scary Housekeeper just left.  I spent a good amount of time cleaning the house getting ready for her to come.  Its never enough though. First thing she said when she came through the door was "Are you aware that that mat right there at the bottom of the stairs doesn't vacuum?  You should either put it outside or get rid of it!!!!"  Well gee, let me get right on that.

I am starving so I am going to head downstairs and take my doggies with me and scrounge up something.  I can't really go anywhere.  Its hotter than the hades out and I don't trust the Wrangle Dangle with Molly.  When I go out I have to lock him up in my bedroom and he gets so upset.  And its not really fair.  It should be her but she just mindlessly barks and howls.  Stupid dog.  Going to bounce before I start in again on her.  TTYL

ps: sorry to all you dog lovers out there...some of us just aren't...unless its Wrangler.  Hahaha!

SORRY....BORING POST BUT SOMETHING TO THINK UPON

I just heard a most interesting (to me)item about Eric Fromme...a philosopher from the sixties.  My mom loved his writing.  And it went like this:

He forecast a society that was possessed with possessions. He said that humans have two basic orientations, having and being.

A person with a having orientation seeks to acquire  and possess things, property and even people. I know someone like that.  Everywhere she goes she talks to people and invites them to visit, or stay in contact.  And they do.

A person with a being orientation, focuses on the experience.  They extract the meaning of their life from the give and take, exchanging and sharing with other people.

Fromme also predicted that a society that lives in a commercial driven society like we live in today, is doomed to become a having society.  He believed that this would lead to dissatisfaction and emptiness.

In 1960 there were absolutely no storage units.  Today there is over two billion feet of public storage.  

I learned this on a CSI episode about a hoarder.  Thought I would get it down on virtual paper so I wouldn't forget it.  Throw your crap out people and stop buying more.  Be a being person!!!!!  Says I who pays 75 bucks a month for a storage unit.  Sigh.  (shovel list)  TTYL

DAMMITTYDAMMITTYDAMMITTY!!!!

Well, I just got back from the doctor's.  Sigh.  Although, I have a nice system going.  I need pill refills every three months.  Your A1C (blood sugar average) is checked every three months.  And after today another thing is going to be checked.  So when I go in I get my refill prescriptions and a requisition form for labs.  When the labs are done they call the doctor to get him to make an appointment with me to come in and I don't have to stand outside for an hour at seven in the morning!!!  Win win I say!!!

Now I am in a conundrum.  I have high blood sugar so I can't eat sugars or flours or starches.

I have high cholesteral so no meat, but I have to eat fibre carbs which I can't eat because of diabetes.

I have blood pressure issues which means eating high potassium foods...like bananas and potatoes...not allowed on diabetic diets.

So I googled all this.  I can eat salmon and sardines and tofu with the occasional tablespoon or two of psyllium thrown in.  Oh and I can definitely eat KALE.  I freaking hate kale in any way shape or form.  I'd rather eat construction paper.

Anyway dinner tonight was cut up yams, onions and carrots and celery.  I put the tiniest bit of olive oil on it and sprinkled it liberally with roasted pepper and roasted garlic powder.  Mmmmmm....not.

I think I will go out and have my yearly chocolate milkshake from McD's before I get serious about all this.  (shovel list to the power of infinity)

I just did...slurp  TTYL





  
  

TIP ME OVER POUR ME OUT

A few years ago our whole family was in Port Alberni.  We were on our way from Bamfield to North Van, home from another stellar week end.  We had stopped at McDonald's on the busy street out of town to pick up some road food.  Next door was a KFC where we got chicken, McD's for the drinks.

As we came together beside Big Red (our Ford Diesel 250) we heard sirens and saw a commotion across the road on the corner.  Upon closer inspection we saw a largish woman had tipped her wheelchair over and she, well basically, had fallen and couldn't get up.  An ambulance was there helping her.

Well a very similar thing happened to me a couple days ago.  After seeing the notary, I whipped up the hill to get a couple of things at Sally's, a store that sells everything beauty....hair stuff, make up, mirrors, etc....I parked down a ways passed the store. 

 As I came out and headed along the sidewalk to my jeep, I had to pass a little dead end alley.  I happened to glance that way as I crossed the alley road and lo and behold I saw a pretty crazy sight.  A very very huge, like six hundred pound huge, lady, had somehow gone off balance and gone over.  She had kind of poured out of her chair, her massive huge chair, and was sprawled out on the road. 

 Oh Lordy!  And she was NOT happy!  I think actually she was in a lot of pain.  I know from watching My 600 Pound Life on TLC that when these huge people move around their skin doesn't necessarily move in tandem and it stretches and tears (does that sound like I might have some bit of personal experience?  NO!!) Hurts like hell.

I dashed over there asking the usual inane question, "Are you alright?"  Of course she wasn't.  So I said let me go get help and she yells "Nonononononoooooo, I don't want anyone around!!!!"  So I tried to help her...yeah.  That didn't work.  It was like grabbing a melting cornstarch ball.  Anywhere I grabbed my hands would just sink, and sink and sink some more.  There was nothing solid to grab.

I finally told her "I have to get you help.  I simply cannot lift you."  She kept howling in pain and saying no.  I was beginning to get annoyed.  If you are incapacitated in some way, then accept the help you need.  And that lady was seriously incapacitated.

  But then I started to notice things.  There was a lot of merchandise laying around.  Books, note pads, pens, hair rollers, brushes, office supplies....Now I ain't no detective but in this little area there is a Chapters, Staples and Sally's.  I think I was picking up on why she didn't want anyone near her.  Methinks she was helping herself to stuff!

  So I went around and picked up all her stuff and piled it on the sidewalk.  And when she wasn't paying attention I went back around to the front of the store where she couldn't see me and phoned the fire department.  I told them no siren and no fanfare that she was highly embarrassed (which she wasn't) and to just come help her back into her chair.  And a few minutes later a firetruck pulled up and some gorgeous guys hopped out.  "Hi Gladys.  You did it again, eh?"  WHAT????  They frigging knew her!!!!! So very kindly they had her back in her chair lickettysplit. Actually thats not really true.

It took six of them.  They rolled her onto a tarp like thing and got her into the sitting position. Then they all grabbed a piece of the tarp and dragged her to the front of her now righted chair.  Then they all grabbed a piece of her, slung a wide strap under her butt by rolling her back and forth then on the count of three hoisted her up on the chair.  Clearly they had done this before!  She screamed like a banshee the whole time, cursing at them like the proverbial sailor.

They piled her stuff back onto her chair in the back and down the sides in hanging bags.  "You paid for this stuff didn't you Gladys?" And without a thank you or a look back she buzzed off.  A very massive unhappy woman, and ungrateful I feel.  I wish I was unfeeling enough to have taken pictures.  They would have been doozies.  But even I have a boundary....maybe....TTYL

ps:  I tried to be empathetic, after all I am a large woman (not that fecking large though) but she was a cow, pure and simple.

GOOD FOOD, GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD TIMES

Well we are all back and everyone, I am sure is all unpacked, all the gear put away, except for me.  My jeep is full to the brim with all the camping stuff and I ain't unpacking until tomorrow.  I am not only tired but I am freezing and I can't get warm.  I have on jeans, boots, shirt, sweatshirt and a big fuzzy blanket and I am still freezing.

I left the campsite up by Clearwater, got home with just enough time to dump the dog, brush my hair and take off for a three oclock appointment with my notary.  I didn't have time to change and I am pretty sure I smelled like an old pioneer woman who had spent days cooking over a smokey fire.  I didn't look much better either.  I wasn't in there long though.

  I am signing a mortgage discharge, a mortgage that is paying out.  The lawyer on the other end only sent the one sheet that needs to be signed, no info, no cover letter, the people's name wasn't even on it.  So my notary had to contact them and they are faxing the papers now.  So another appointment tomorrow morning at ten.  Sigh.

Camping was fun.  But it did rain a lot.  Really rained.  A few times I climbed into my cozy snug jeep with our dog and just snuggled in whilst the rain thundered down on the roof.  My phone was dead (I keep forgetting I have a usb port in my jeep and could bring my phone charger cord to use) so I listened to a lot of CBC stories.  Learned a ton I must say!  I could have spent the whole weekend like that!  So comfy and cozy and a dog for company...what more could one want.  Well food, good company, funny little kids....so I did climb out now and then.

This morning the glorious sun came and shone down upon us.  It was beautiful.  Kathy made us breakfast.  Well she made breakfast for the three of us but Kerry took a cup of coffee and headed over to the mother site.

Meanwhile back at our spot, she opened a can of alphagettie (yum!!!) and a can of baked beans (double yum) and combined them in a pot and threw in a huge chunk of velveeta cheese for good measure!!!!  We toasted a couple of buns and proceeded to have the best breakfast one could have.

A while later Kerry returned and came over to show me a picture on his phone.  A picture of a plate.  On that plate was a perfect steak and egg breakfast.  Perfect.  Thats what he had.  He shunned Kathy's perfect concoction and accepted neighbourly offerings.  The bugger!!!  But Kathy told him he was getting the leftovers for supper tonight!

So now its late, I slept for a while this evening I must say.  So I am off to bed.  TTYL

LOOKING LARGELY LOVELY HAVING A FIRST COFFEE IN THE MORNING

MAYBE I HAVE IT ALL WRONG HERE

Lately I have been taking some time here and there to read blogs....blogs that win awards.  I want to see what they write about that gets them those coveted awards.  And just to clear up something here...I AM NOT after any award.  Not only is that laughable but that would completely change my off the cuff writing, which I enjoy.  But for curiosity sake I took a look.

And Wow!!  My blog is so completely pedestrian compared to those!!  I am embarrassed!

Those blogs are intelligent, meaningful and important.  Every single one of them had a theme, or topic that they stuck to.  The blogs were political, or foodie, or mommy advice, or mathematics and science, or gardening, or knitting (shovel list), or our stupid pets (double shovel list), or some topic backed up with a ton of investigation and info.

Then I re read mine.  Oh lordy.  Like I said mine was aimless, diary like, humiliating, and certainly not intelligent.  It isn't even well written.  Thank god for little red lines or it would be unreadable.

So I gave this a lot of thought, especially in the middle of the night.  Which is probably good because one's brain definitely takes off on its own, outside the box.  I trotted through a number of topics that I felt like I might have interesting info on, enough to write a blog about.

The first one that came to mind was downsizing and reorganizing one's domain.  After all I have moved three times in the last four years, each time seriously reducing my detritus.  But then my present day cupboards came to mind.  Yeah.  One thing I am absolutely dedicated to in my loser blog is honesty.  I try hard not to exaggerate (see? red line on that one.  Who knew there are two gg's in exaggerate?) or twist the facts to enhance the story.  And to pretend I was successfully organized would just be too hard for me to put across to readers, cuz I am NOT.

Then the topic of tv shows came to mind.  I am an avid tv watcher, I am not going to lie.  After spending the first 12 years of my life deprived of tv, only imagining it in my mind, (there was no tv up north in the fifties), television is still a god, a miracle, a major influence in my daily life.  PVR was invented just for me.  But then I discovered that in the entertainment blogs I have read, those bloggers personally know the actors and producers and can get onto tv locations and sets.  I have no connections that can compete with that. And I resist leaving my house so getting to know actors etc is not appealing.  I have been seriously  entertaining the idea of agoraphobia.

I resist a food blog.  There are soooo many of them out there...all pretty smiley face ladies, they're hold mixing bowls in their arms, whisking away with big cheesy smiles on their faces.  And as much as I love to cook, I am a plain down home farmhouse cook...mac and cheese, shepherds pie, roast chicken, beef stew etc....  food thats been around forever.  And I don't have any kitchen hacks at all.  Not one.  I don't even know how to use a braun hand blender, or a spiral thingy or anything.  So no food blog.

Politics.  Oh geez.  I am waaaaay too opinionated for that one.  For sure I would lose half my readers.  And I am unable to tone down my stand on the issues.  So no, no political blog.

I could write one on schizophrenia (no red line there, that word has been bandied about a lot lately here in my life).  I could include advice on how to lose one of your children.  How to come to terms with finally accepting that you will never have him back and to stop hoping.  Hope just keeps the wound gaping and raw.  How to remember how it was years ago when you were so close to him and ......Okay now I am crying and I can't get my head around writing a blog that makes me cry every time.   Way too dark and way to boring for readers.  Onwards.

I could definitely write a blog about dieting and how unsuccessful the act of dieting is.  I started seriously dieting in 1977.  I lost a hundred pounds and kept the weight off  until I quit smoking in 2009 ish.  Up and down, but always got it back down.  Two babies, a huge abdominal tumour removal, hormone replacement and quitting smoking finally defeated me.  So I am fat again.  So that wouldn't be much of a blog.

So back to square one.  My blog will continue to be mundane stories about daily life, falling down, occasional trips, complaints about everything, the exciting topic of my trials and tribulations with my hair etc....  But you folks should go and explore real blogs.  They are well written and very educational.  There is always a 'take away' from every post, unlike mine.  But thank you for reading.  It means a lot to me.  TTYL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARNIE!!!!!!!

What a roller coaster life I have had with that awesome daughter of mine.  Right from the moment I knew I was pregnant to right now as I hung up the phone from talking with her, my life has been incredibly enhanced with love, dirt, humour, food, animals, money, boyfriends, kindness, forgiveness, did I say dirt?  And she was actually born with a black eye...from the forceps.  

That child has been my rock, even before Bill died.  She is the kind of person that everybody leans on.  I bounce everything off of her before I do anything.  Actually I am pretty lucky.  I have two girls, April too, as my chosen moderators.  April may be more my emotional rock, Aryn my daily living rock.  I am soooo lucky.  And Aryn is able to put my dogs down when necessary...thus the nickname..."Dog Reaper".

One little story....when Aryn's eleventh birthday approached, it was decided she would be allowed to get her ears pierced...first one in the family!

Out at Mom's log house we were getting ready to go to town for this momentous event.  In those days all the kids were wearing different coloured 'rugby pants'.  They were just cotton pull on elastic waist pants.  As Arnie came out of the house we noticed very dirty green grass stains on her knees. Well fer geez that would never do!  Especially for such a grown up event.  So we sent her back into the house to change into clean ones.

Later, in the mall parking lot, we were all walking into the mall for this big important step in ones life, and Mom and I stopped short.  Aryn, walking ahead of us, had dirty green grass stains on the back of her knees!!!  She had just turned the damned pants around!

One more...and this tells you about Aryn more than any other story.

Right after Bill died, within a few months, I moved to Kamloops.  It was May 6th, (I am pretty sure...sorry Arnie if I am wrong), Bill's and my anniversary, the first one since he died.

Around ten in the morning I was sitting in my purple room blogging when the doorbell rang.  I went out and opened the door and there was Arnie and Granddog!!!!!!!!  I almost didn't recognize her at first it was such a shock.  That girl got into her car early early in the morning and drove up to Kamloops, just so I wouldn't be totally alone on such a momentous first.  She could only stay a couple of hours and she drove back to Vancouver a little later.  But my day was made!!!!  Like who does that?  Arnie does.  I love that girl and if you are reading this Aryn, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!  TTYL

ARYN DOES TEND TO BE THE MORE NORMAL ONE....SOMETIMES

OKAY I TAKE THAT NORMAL COMMENT BACK

TENT CITY

OMA AND HER LITTLE BUTTERFLY

MY LITTLE INDIAN

WITH HER MAIN SQUEEZE AND HER STEPDADDY SLEEPING IN THE BACKGROUND

HERE COMES THE CHOOCHOO!

SOME BROTHERS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN OUT..ESPECIALLY FOR WINE TASTING

AWWWW...HOLDING A WEE COUSIN EMILY

UMMMM YEAH.......

JUST THE OTHER DAY AT HY'S....ANOTHER ANNIVERSARY DAY IN HONOUR OF OUR BILLY

A MAUI BIRTHDAY

OBVIOUSLY IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY