A SORT OF HEAVEN AND HELL

Hey there Kathy if you are reading this please take it the right way.  The hell part is actually the best part.  The heaven part is predictable!

First the heaven part.  My sister and husband are coming!!!  I am so excited!!!  They haven't seen my house or my brother's...who lives a couple of hours from here.  They will be here from Thursday til Sunday.  I get to plan three, count 'em, three dinners. Woot woot!!!!  So I have already done the planning part...thats when insomnia is handy as hell.  I have made the very detailed list of groceries for  a Wednesday shopping trip.  They don't get here until late afternoon Thursday so I will have all day to prep and cook.  And that is heaven to me.

Now for the hell part.  The guest room was in no shape for guests.  April made do when she was visiting and I felt bad about that.  I have been putting off sorting out the acres and acres of stuff in that room forever.

So I pulled my socks up yesterday and got started.  Other than making up the bed I got the whole room done!!!!!!  I feel like a hundred pounds have washed off me.  And I swear to the powers that be, I am not going to casually and lazily put crap in there again.  What a good feeling!!!

And today I need to do the kitchen, dining room and living room.  It always seems like such a big job but it never takes long.  The housekeeper, and I use the term loosely, comes tomorrow so by this time tomorrow night my house will be ready to show off.  Also yesterday Monte and I did the laundry room.  That was a pretty massive job.  We ploughed through a lot of stuff, cleared out a ton of things and organized.  I actually enjoyed that job.  I found stuff!  As I said before, I am going to make a sign that names this house and I shall hang it over the front door.  This house is going to be called, 'I CAN'T FIND IT'.

I love having people come.  That is when I do my best cleaning and organizing.  The only part I ain't touching is the deck.  It is just too huge.  The bigger a space, the bigger the mess.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day.  It is Monday.  I am meeting Stan and Antonia at Pescadores for breakfast at nine.  They stay in the most delightful little motel by the river when they come to town.  It's the place where, if I disappear by my own accord, that will be where I will be holing up!!!  Peskies isn't very far from there and they are the go to place in town for breakfast.  If it is too full we can go to my actual fave place, Smitty's!  Smitty's will always be connected to my dad in my mind.  I am so looking forward to seeing them.  I always have a great visit with them.

Then the housekeeper, again loosely, will be here for two hours, which usually ends up with her leaving at one and a half hours.  I pay her 35 bucks an hour.  I am a wimp.  Sigh.  At 2:30, which is actually when she should be leaving, Ange and I have to go down to Shoppers for our vaccines.  Booster time!!!  And that basically takes care of Monday.  I am not cooking and messing up the kitchen til Thursday.  Tuesday is laundry day. And that will be the cleanest most organized this house has been since the day I first saw it, and it was empty!  Hahaha!!!!  

This really is a shitty little shit box of a house.  It is ugly on the outside and old lady pink on the inside.  But the way prices all across BC have exploded, I am very grateful to have a house at all.  And most of all, the three people living in this place all individually really needed a house to live in. Home is what you make it...to quote a cliche...even if it was a nasty cold cave.

Well I need to quit talking with you lovely folks and go get atter.  Kitchen first.....   TTYL

'The cruel irony of housework is that people only notice when you don't do it.'

Danielle Raine

' I reserve the right to be a mess and completely unlikeable.' Viola Davis

ALL I WANTED WAS A RARE PIC OF ME AND MY FOUR KIDS. ONE WAS NOT CO OPERATING...STILL SLEEPING.  THIS WAS A CAMPING TRIP IN 2019

 

THESE ARE OUT OF ORDER..THANK YOU FREAKING STUPID BLOGSPOT...HERE WE ARE WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING FOR APRIL WHO WAS NOT HAPPY

JEEZ!!!!  WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LOOK HAPPY......THE OLDER KIDS LOOK HAPPY BUT THE YOUNGER ONES?

AND WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING

HUGE SURPRISE!!!!!

 A lot of you already know of this surprise but for those that don't I shall mention it here.  On Thursday morning there was a knock at my door.  I almost didn't answer it because we have a lot of deliveries and the drivers just knock and walk away.  But I didn't see a delivery truck and the door was locked so if it was friend, they wouldn't be able to come in.

I went down opened the door and....there stood April!!!!!  It took me a few seconds to register that it was her.  She was executing a surprise birthday weekend!!!!  I was shocked, gobsmacked and sooooo happy!!!  I do not see my kids very often.

We had a fantastic time!  On Sat., my actual birthday, she and I went to Nanaimo.  Firstly we went to Costco to get hot dog stuff (for my birthday dinner) and a tuxedo cake.  We then went to Eithne's, she lives right there.  After coffee and fun with Noah who is now fourteen months old!, in separate cars we went to a lavender and petting farm in Nanoose.  Man!  what fun that was!!!  

We then made our way home and proceeded to have a fantastic dinner of potato salad, hot dogs, green salad and tuxedo cake.  Best birthday ever!!!!

April had to leave to Eithne's the next day (Sunday) but we had time to go to China Creek, along the road to Bamfield, to see the fall trees and get some driftwood.  But, the road down to the campground at China Creek was gated off for the winter.  So we decided to go out the other side of Port Alberni to Stamp River fish ladders.  Maybe we would see some fish jumping and boy did we ever.  It was such a beautiful day.  We walked out along the river to the ladders and watched those intrepid amazing fish battling their way up the river.  What a fabulous day!!!  She left early afternoon and it felt pretty empty here.

Last night I was sitting here reading in the living room when I heard an almighty thump and then some banging and more thumping.  I recognize that sound!  Monte wasn't home and Ange doesn't thump.

  I roared over to the bathroom window which just happens to be above the three garbage bins.  I looked down and sure enough a nasty bear was tossing those huge wheelie bins around, thoroughly pissed off that he couldn't get them unlatched.  I yelled really loud out the window, which is on the second floor, and he flew around and jumped and lunged up at the window, which of course he couldn't reach.  He growled and snapped and then went back to thumping the bins.  I yelled and yelled and he finally took off.  Stupid freaking bear.  He never got anything either.  I am going to start putting bleach on top of the compost and garbage each time we add something.  They don't like bleach.

I think we are going out to the fish ladders again today.  Ange and Monte are going too.  It is so beautiful out again today and I hope this time we see a bear, eating what he should be eating and leaving the damned garbage alone.

Thats it for today.  It was a wonderful birthday!!!!  TTYL

Pics today in place of a quote.  There are two bear pics buried in there somewhere that says it all.

THE FIRST AFTERNOON WHEN SHE ARRIVED, WE WENT OUT TO NESGAARDS FOR VEGGIES.  BUT FIRST WE WENT THROUGH THEIR AMAZING XMAS TREE SECTION

LATER WE STOPPED AT DOG MOUNTAIN BREWING FOR A COUPLE OF FLIGHTS AND A MOUNTAINOUS PILE OF NACHOS

HIKING OUT TO THE FISH LADDERS

SUCH A BEAUTIFUL HIKE

STAMP RIVER

LAVENDER FARM STORE...AN ENORMOUS HORSE LAMP

SHACKET GIRLS

STAMP RIVER

THIS AMAZING HIBISCUS HAS FIVE FLOWERS AT ONCE!!!

THE GEESE FOLLOWED ME AROUND AND HONKED AND HONKED!!!

IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A WEEK HAS GONE BY!

 If the war in the Middle East continues for very long it is going to eventually come up here in this blog.  I try pretty hard to skirt political talk but this event is truly affecting me.  So in the need to be super clear here, and I will completely understand if I lose readers from this, but I am going to take a firm stand behind the Palestinians.

In my opinion  what the white movement by the Israelis and the Americans is enacting, is no different than what we whites did to our Indigenous peoples.  We pushed and shoved until they were off all the land onto tiny little reserves.  Call it what you will, colonialism, apartheid, bullying....it isn't right and in this instance completely unbalanced.

  You push a people hard enough and long enough, there will be a severe reaction.  This time called the Hamas.  So there it is. I am continuing to read books written by Jews and Arabs.  It isn't simple but I cannot abide unbalanced warfare attacking refugees and children.  Especially when one of the involved is backed by a country that has no business being involved, especially when they print billions of dollars and send it over.  And that is just an opinion.  If you disagree with me I can totally respect that and I will try not to ever bring it up again here.  That is not what this blog is about. This blog is about me and my life and this opinion is totally a part of that.

On to other things. After the fiasco that thanksgiving dinner was I felt the need for a happy event.  Monte had purchased tickets to a small, fifty or so people, concert by Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade.  This musician is Monte's hero and because I have been listening to him over and over and over for many years I have become super fond of him too.  

The little event was held in a small studio (like someone's big living room with four chairs and a couch in it).  Very intimate!  The tickets were 15 dollars and there was no booze sold, just pop and drinks and bags of candy. 

This event was held in Duncan, two hours away.  Levi drove up from Victoria and met us there and he and I snagged two of the armchairs and didn't move from them! There was no question I was the oldest there by at least thirty years.

I have been to several small venues, this one was by far the smallest, where I find a chair or table and I stay there.  As a result I end up being the coat and purse holder for the crowd and this time it involved a smuggled bottle of Crown Royal...which I was offered a slug of now and then by that extremely happy young man!  Mostly though people were hopping out to the awning just outside and smoking weed....the new event enhancer which has replaced booze, thank goodness.  Such a nicer happier crowd than a drunk one and .....yes I am going to say it, I love the smell of weed and hate the smell of booze.

The music was awful.  Not because he isn't a consummate professional, not because they didn't play and sing amazingly well, I just really dislike that kind of music.  But don't tell Monte.  I love Spencer's past stuff he has done, in fact he made my desert Island album.  I just don't like the direction he has gone lately, except for his incredible lyrics.

The drive home was hair raising.  The atmospheric river dumped an incredible amount of water on us!  Thank goodness Monte is a good driver!  Gladys used to sail through the giant puddles but not so much Smudge.  We had to slow down to a crawl as that standing water wasn't visible until you were plaining back and forth through it.  But we talked and listened to awesome music, Swans and Circle.  Much more my style of music.

We did make a stop at Costco on the way down to Duncan.  All I wanted was bread for Ange and turlett paper and paper towel.  Three hundred dollars later...dammit!!!!  Best of all though we had a hot dog and poutine!!!!  What an awesome treat and we saluted Spod.  It was the anniversary of his death yesterday, nine years, and he and I ALWAYS had a hot dog and poutine when we went to Costco!!!  Always!!!!  Even when we were dieting!  Especially when we were dieting.  Sometimes I think we conjured up a shopping list just to go and get that hot dog!!!

I think I am going to try to come up with one happy event per week as a distraction.  The first one on the list is going to be a drive up the highway to get pics of the colourful trees.  I love the fall!  We also have a couple of new stores to check out.  Xmas time is coming!!!!

Thats it for today. Be happy and hug your dog or cat.  TTYL

'I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.'  Tom Waits

But...the little concert I went to was the opposite.  It was beautiful words and terrible melodies!!!  Hahahaha!!!!

THAT IS HOW SMALL THE VENU WAS

MONTE AND LEVI

LEVI AND I

SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COOK DAY!!!

 I am a happy camper right now.  It is 2:30.  The turkey is sizzling away in the turkey roaster that I have owned forever.  I do believe I bought it in Woolco in Kamloops a million years ago.  It was 19.99.  Now they are a ridiculous price!!!  And the house is full of yummy smells!

I am in heaven.  I have cleaned, finished the table, got the sweet potatoes covered in salted caramel and ready for the oven.  The Brussels are all olive oiled, nestled with crispy bacon in the cast iron ready to be cooked.  The bottom of the steamer is full of carrot circles and the top part is full of petit pois waiting to be steamed.  The crock pot is full of the left over stuffing. The caesar salad is all prepped and ready.  And I am about to cut up ten pounds of spuds.  Like I said I am happy.

  The sad part is that when it's time to eat, I can't.  I am never able to eat properly right when I finish cooking.  But I load my plate up, take a gluttonous picture and make sure the dishes people don't throw it out.  I eat it later.  Jeez it smells good!!!

I think I mentioned my left butt cheek is horribly sore, to the point I may want to tell the doctor.  Maybe.  Yesterday it got to the point where I couldn't do anything but sit in my chair...and that hurt like hell.  I finally did something I never ever do.  I took pain killers.  Two extra strength tylenol and two extra strength aspirin.  One hour later I was dancing!!!  Holy Dinah!!  What a difference and what's more it has lasted til about now and it's only a 2 to yesterday's ten.  Go figure!

Well I gotta get back to potatoes.  My mind is already on New Years dinner.  Prime rib and yorkies and all the trimmings.  If we can afford it by then!  I shall be back later with pics.

Dinner didn't turn out quite what I was expecting.  Ange was a huge help.  She ended up cutting up all the spuds and then she helped dish up the food and get it on the table.  By then I was in a tired fog.  Dinner was good but the star of the dinner, the stuffing, didn't have any flavour.  I put over a half of one of those envelopes of poultry seasoning in it, double my normal amount, but there was no flavour. And it wasn't an old poultry seasoning either.  

The guests weren't happy either.  One was suffering a panic attack and anxiety to the point where he left and more than half of his food wasn't eaten.  The other guest was telling her current life story and ended up crying.  Only one at the table finished her food!  The only way I can describe the dinner is that it was 'off' on all levels.  (shovel list)

Anywhoooo, it has been quiet since.  I am going to go dig an extra turkey out of the freezer outside and cook another one.  There were no leftovers from the first one.  It was disappointingly small.  And as Monte says he can sit down with any size turkey and eat the whole thing!  So another turkey is needed.  I shall try to put a couple of pics below.  TTYL

'If I were invited to a dinner party with my characters, I wouldn't show up.'    Dr. Seuss 

THE OLD TURKEY ROASTER...HAS NEVER MADE A BAD TURKEY...EVER AND THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF THEM.  ALLOWS ME TO BUY THE CHEAP, REALLY CHEAP, TURKEYS AT WALMART RATHER THAN THE HUNDRED DOLLAR FOO FOO ONES.

ALL COOKED.  I COULD BROWN IT UP IN THE OVEN BUT BY THE TIME THE KITCHEN CHAIN SAW IS THROUGH WITH IT YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW..A WASTE OF TIME

THE TURKEY WAS STUFFED WITH THE DINNER STUFFING.  THIS EXTRA IS FOR THE LEFTOVER CASSEROLES FOR THE FREEZER.

CANDIED YAMS ALL READY TO GO

STUPID BRUSSELS.  AFTER ALL THAT WORK I FORGOT THEM IN THE OVEN AND THEY BURNT TO A CRISP

THERE WE ALL ARE, ALL SET TO TO TUCK IN.  THAT IS DEF A WINNERS SET TABLE.  THE PLATES, BOWLS, TERRA COTTA BOWLS AND MATCHING LITTLE ONES, THE CASSEROLE DISHES....ALL WINNERS OVER THE YEARS.

YUMMMMMM..THE GLUTTONOUS OVERLOADED PLATE THAT I ATE LATER IN THE EVENING, I LOVE CONGEALED COLD TURKEY DINNER, IT'S ABOUT THE ONLY WAY I HAVE EVER EATEN A TURKEY DINNER

NO ROOM ON THE TABLE FOR THE SALAD AFTER WE ALL DISHED IT UP

TURKEY TIME!!!!!

 Again, my apologies for the distance since the last post.  I will admit that this has been a pretty tough week.  I can't go into details, it involves another to some extent, because I let it, so I won't bore you with that stuff.  It left  me really down, not something I feel very often if ever.

  I am one of those extremely lucky peeps that doesn't emotionally dive very often, if ever.  But this week has been a tough one.  Thank heavens Ange lives with us now.  I didn't say anything to her but her cheery self coming up the stairs a few times a day really really helps.

As the week passed though I came to a new understanding on how horrible and awful depression must be for those that suffer from that particular illness.  I just can't get my brain wrapped around that.  To be fighting off that dark feeling (and I only surfaced it, not down to the depths like those poor souls go) I can't even imagine it.  And I was able to recognize what I was feeling (effing shovel list) and unlike seriously affected people, was able to take control and shake it off.  I just can't imagine not being able to do that.

Part of that shaking off is current activities.  I am about to execute my most favourite activity!  Actually I have already started.  Big dinner time!!!  I have made the lists, the timeline, cleaned most the house, set the table and done the shopping.  Now it's time to start organizing serving dishes and early prep.  Unless you absolutely love doing this you just won't get how very happy this makes me.

  And do you remember, some of you might, at the beginning of my life here in Port, I would have a 'twelve to dinner' party every month?  I loved loved loved that.  Then that bully Covid came along and put a halt to that.  (shovel list) Three of those people are coming Sunday!!  One of them even asked me if I was making dinner and if so could he come!!!!!  I was very honoured.  So six to table this year.

This year its a fifteen pound turkey year.  Plus a ton of sides and a boatload of gravy.  I want to send home food with some of them.  Being on disability with food prices what they are is a true difficulty.  People helped me out many times back when my older two were babies and I was on welfare.  I am very grateful to be able to pay it forward now.  Oh god!!!!  I sound so freaking noble and I am NOT!!!  I am just happy again.

An interesting note here...five of the six of us on Monday are musicians!  We have three pianists, one guitar player...a good one, and one very good strong singer!  And just on a side note we all play and sing pretty much on the regular (except me, I need to play more, but I have a roomie that might get annoyed LOL!!). What none of us do is sports.  It would have been nice to have music as prominent in our schools as soccer.  Just sayin'.

I hear this morning that the Hamas have invaded Israel.  This is not going to bring any good.  I understand their motives but this is kind of bringing back a lot of fear us seventyish year olds went through back in high school days.  The thinking and talk, back in the day, when teens actually talked with each other face to face and conversed with adults about world politics etc., was how THE atomic war would rise out of the Middle East.  We didn't fear Russia....we feared the Middle East.  It brought about a lot of post apocalyptic literature, which was on our high school reading lists.  Animal Farm, Chrysalids, Brave New World, Martian Chronicles,  On the Beach, 1984 etc......This is still my fave genre of reading.

Well damn!!!!!  Ange just came up to tell me that Sunrise turkeys have been recalled.  We checked and in my fridge is a fifteen pound Sunrise turkey.  Fuckadoodle!!!!!!  Monte is out and about so I phoned him and he is coming home to pick it up and take it back to Quality Foods.  Luckily I bought a second fifteen pounder for the freezer, not a sunrise.  So it is now out and thawing.  

Every house I have lived in long enough, I have watched the regular walkers walk by.  And every time I have become super familiar with them.  And every time there would be one that gradually got slower and slower until they no longer came by.

When I moved in here four years ago there was a woman about my age that walked steadily by every day.  She never lifted her eyes off the sidewalk.  She was always bundled up, even in the summer.  And, again, bit by bit as time has gone by, she has become slower and slower, now going by every two days.  Today I happened to see her and not only has she slowed to almost a crawl, but she is using a cane.  I am so impressed that she is walking at all.  This has happened in every place I have lived long enough to see the slowing down and disappearing.  

Well it's time to wrap this one up.  I will take unnecessary pics of the dinner and guests and post them here.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Make it a happy thankful one.  TTYL

'I hate turkeys.  If you stand in the meat section at the grocery store long enough, you start to get mad at turkeys.  There's turkey ham, turkey bologna, turkey pastrami.  Someone needs to tell the turkey, 'man, just be yourself,'     Mitch Hedberg 

SUPER MISSING PAT.  DINNER WON'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT HIM.  ANGE WAS JUST SAYING THAT IT HAS ALMOST BEEN TWO YEARS NOW SINCE HIS PASSING.  LOVE YOU PAT!!!