I FORGOT TO HIT POST. JEEZ!!!!!!

 I actually did that last post on the 26th.  Then didn't hit post.  I would love to blame Blogspot, but I can't.  Too much happy happy!

Well I am now home, ensconced in my chair, tv going as per usual and pea soup on the stove.  I brought one of the thanksgiving hambones home to make the soup.  I froze it at April's.

Pat died the next day, the 27th.  I have to admit it hit me a lot, a LOT harder than I had expected.  Things were not particularly good near the end but I think that had a lot to do with covid bringing up a lot of conspiracy theories and it truly affected him.  He simply lost all reasoning.  They had him extremely sedated so he will have gone relatively peacefully.  Now it's time to turn our attention to Ange and help in any way we can.  I am meeting with her on Sunday to start the arrangements.  She isn't sure what to do I think and I have arranged more funerals than I like, what's one more.  Sigh.

I came home to a relatively clean house.  A few things to do but all in all it was pretty clean.  But it smelled like boys.  Not in a bad way but no lovely aromatics blended in.

Just now Graeme and I unloaded the truck.  Every closed rubbermaid in the back was full of water.  There goes my crock pot.  The guts of it is full of water.  Everything was soaking wet. And to top it off a certain person gave me a load of shit to bring down to her son.  He was to pick it up at Aryn's and I completely forgot.  So guess what is still in the back of the truck.  Grrrrrrrrr.....I am going to start saying no to people getting me to take crap from one place to another.  It always happens and there are usually consequences.  A large part of it was a giant bag of shoes, and not even for her son but for someone he knows.  Maybe it makes a difference WHO is asking.  99.99% of everyone I know I would gladly move their whole house for them.  But there is a teeny tiny amount of people I know that I just don't want to do it for.  I know.  That sounds super grinchy.

Off to Costco tomorrow. I have lost my Costco card so I shall have to battle my way in and get a replacement.  And Nanaimo Costco is a veritable zoo on Saturdays!  And for some reason the boys have decided we are going to Carlos O'Brians for a meal.  They want something called pachos, a brown food, deep fried potato product.  Geez!  I read the menu and unless I want a salad, which I don't, it's all brown food and meat oriented.  I wanted to go to an Italian restaurant that Peter showed us a few weeks ago.  Oh well.

So that is all that is happening in my world.  I hope your world is as happy as mine is right now.  Stay safe and healthy.  TTYL

“Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.” — Mark Twain

SOME PEOPLE JUST MAKE A PARTY....AND I KNOW TWO OF THEM

 What a fantastic time I am having.  I am not home yet.  I am sitting in April's living room, blogging, listening to David Bowie's Earthling (sooo good), just totally enjoying the moment.  Although, of course as life goes, it isn't all great.

I got a call from Ange this morning.  Pat went off his rocker last night.  Completely.  He had a butcher knife to his own throat, threatening, then he turned on poor Ange.  He told her he hated her and all sorts of hurtful things, started throwing things around etc. This was ringing a big loud bell in my head.  A certain other person in my life acted totally out of character and exceptionally mean and hurtful.  There was no doubt in my mind that Pat was having psychotic break.  I guess if you are a supremely anxiety sufferer and had a previous break and you are told you have less than six months to live and was forced to sign a DNR by the doctors you might get a little crazy too.  

This morning she finally had to call the police.  And let me tell you a story that you rarely hear these days.

The police, four of them, came into a dreadful horder home that smells so bad Monte can't go in without gagging.  (Pat's doing, absolutely not Ange) Upon entering they are confronted by a crazed large man holding b.b. guns and threatening to shoot them with them.  He started throwing mugs and glasses and objects at them.  They stayed patient, knew he had heart issues so did not taze Pat, and talked calmly and listened to him and actually talked him into letting them cuff him.  Then when Pat told them step by step how to cuff him the right way, they totally thanked him and told him he was a bright man, feeding into his ego which of course made him more cooperative.  They were just plain amazing.  We don't hear those stories in the news do we?

Long story short he is now in the psych ward in the hospital and not long to live.  Monte and I will do everything we can to help Ange clean out that house and move her to a smaller cleaner place.

Now for the best part!! My 69th birthday was the best party I have ever had or attended since I was a kid.  Holy crap!!!!!!

During the afternoon, whilst we visited and Arnie made dinner, Bradleybe put on a fantastic dj show.  Fantastic! He is so gifted, definitely born to be a dj!  And he is beginning to get connected to the world's famous dj's.   Then DINNER!!!!

Dinner was spectacular!  Maybe some of you have seen the pics on fb.  An 11 pound prime rib (4 boner plus), best horseradish ever, beautiful creamy mashed potatoes, thick delicious gravy, endless yorkies and sticky garlicky Brussels.  OMG!!!!  There were eight of us and we all got to sit at the tables together.  There was Bradley, Aryn, April, Myles, Dorothy (Kathy's), myself and two neighbours from down their hall.  Heather and Matt.  

Matt was fantastic.  He absolutely had the party hopping I tell ya!  He was so funny and outrageous and playing all our favourites, ones we could sing and/or dance to.  Then Bradley, bless him, took over the song choices and really played the stuff I love.  God we had fun!!!!  I even drank about four glasses of wine...not something I ever do.  And somewhere in there I had a cake with a crazy rendition of Happy Birthday sung to me. 

But I have to take a moment to mention Heather and Matt.  Sometimes having 'unknowns' can be a little intimidating.  But....Heather was a true gem.  She brought the Brussels...so good.  And she was soooo easy to talk to and just simply fit in.  I really liked her.

And Matt.  Oh boy!  What can I say?  Except without him there Heather would have been able to relax a bit more but the party wouldn't have been quite the same for sure.  He's a wild one but a lot of fun.  And very very funny.  He cracked me up more than once.

And the presents!  I got a beautiful bundt pan, a pasta extruder, a wooden rack to hang the pasta, a fantastic WE LOVE HOUSE mug from Bradley, pretty Van Gogh and Monet napkins and Dorothy bought a beautiful basket and filled it with a silicon bundt cupcake type of pan, sprinkles and a POUND OF BUTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!  Only she would understand how awesome a present that is!!!!!

All and all it was an amazing time at her place all week.  I went more places in Vancouver than I ever have.  We went out for two lunches...amazing lunches, went to a Japanese pottery store, twice, Super store, Stongs, Everything Wine for Elysium, Whole Foods (be still my heart...the prices!).  And, oh the food....one night we had Chinese, one night we had Indian, one night we had TanMan noodle soup she made (to die for) and one night we had sushi and leftovers....Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian and Japanese all at once.  LOL!!  And tv, of course, we watched our fave shows!!!  Such a good time.  I love being at their place.

And now I am here at April's.  She is working away at her animation stuff while I sit on my lap top.  I got to pick dinner for tonite...again.  So spoiled.  We are having pork chops from a butcher, applesauce, fingerling potatoes and tomato onion salad.  Another fave dinner!

So I made reservations on the one o'clock ferry tomorrow (Wed).  My work is done here.  Had thanksgiving with the family, buried Mom, place a headstone, stayed with April, visited Cookie for a weekend, stayed at Arnie's, got my hair done properly, revisited Ape and now home James.  I am looking forward to seeing all my boys again.  Thursday we are heading to Nanaimo so busy days ahead.  Stay safe, TTYL

“Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life.”  – Kitty Collins

VANCOUVER

 I was happily ensconced at April's, playing with her crazy dog as she worked away on her Troll farts.  It was time to pack a wee bag and head to Cookie's.  I was pretty stoked.  I haven't seen Cook since she visited us just before covid hit.

Due to absolutely no parking I have to drive up the street, away from their complex and try to find parking way up the street, which I did.  So Ape and I took my stuff and the dog and walked up to  where I had parked my truck....and it wasn't there.  Seriously!  Gone.  Shit!!!!  So one has to conclude that either it has been towed or stolen.  After standing there in disbelief for a few minutes scratching our heads we were about to head back to her place to make some phone calls when I noticed a fire hydrant peeking out of a person's garden up and away from view on the street.  A right money maker that thing!  Eventually we found where the truck had been towed and April drove me there to pick it up.  And may I add that it was absolutely raining in sheets and sheets of rain the whole time.  It all took so long I ended up staying at April's one more night.

I am interrupting here for a moment...I am watching the morning news with Aryn.  A woman is being interviewed..her name is Juggy.  And her eyebrows are unbelievable!!!!  She must have used half a bottle of black paint!  What is with some women painting these massive fake eyebrows on their faces?  Do they not know that a pretty large majority of us just point and laugh when we see pics?  Cuz we do!

Any way I finally made it to Cookies.  It was, as it always is, so awesome to walk into her arms then into her place.  I love it there!  We immediately started talking and catching up.  At one point in the afternoon her mom from Merritt showed up for the week.  She is 91 and sharp as a tack and quite the talker!!!  I always love seeing her.  And on Monday I ended up unexpectedly staying an extra day and she was babysitting one of her grandchildren.  He is a fire engine red headed four year old.  It was so fun!  She also had a surprise I can't talk about just yet!!!

Now I am at Aryn's.  I parked my truck over in North Van by April's and Bradley picked me up bless him.  There is zero parking here at Aryn's so I park way over there and they come get me.  I think we are going to a few places today to do some shopping.

I must remember to take a mask with me.  I always forget.  I am getting very weary of this covid.  But then I think of my awesome step daughter who is going through hell right now and realize that putting on a mask is nothing compared to what she is dealing with.  I talked with her yesterday on the phone.

  Her 14 yr old son had his first shot about a month ago and he immediately developed myocarditis.  It's very very slowly improving but not to the point where he can go back to school. She has enrolled him in the provincial home schooling program but getting a very reluctant sick fourteen year old to do the work is quite the chore.  And she is scared for him.

Then yesterday her twenty year old passed out at work, he is a welder, and they took him to the hospital.  In there investigation they have discovered that he has lymphoma.  Jeez!!!  This is just terrifying!  And then whilst I was talking to her her other son came to her to tell her the washing machine had broken...wouldn't spin or drain.  And....she is on disability because of a degenerative disc in her back...very very painful and limiting.  I mean how much more can one take?  She lives in Alberta so I can't be of much help.  Today we should find out how bad his lymphoma is and what treatment will either cure it or put it into remission.

So now here I sit typing away on my lappy.  I am going to have to remind the boys at home to clean the house today...Millie is coming tomorrow and they need to be ready.  Monte roasted a chicken for dinner last night and made brown rice.  Hopefully the kitchen isn't too bad.  I will have to text her today and warn her!

Well that is it for today.  Next post I will tell you about Aryn and Bradley.  In the meantime send Jenjen positive thoughts and courage.  She is going to need it.  She is such a strong mamma but we all have our limit.  Stay safe.  TTYL

“Mamas don’t sleep. They just worry with their eyes closed.” anonymous

“You don’t realize how many people you dislike….until you have to name a baby.” anonymous

BRIAN EATING  HIS DINNER

COOKIE'S HOUSE......JUST KIDDING BUT IT IS HER NEIGHBOUR

ARYN'S TANTAN MAN SOUP SHE MADE FOR DINNER LAST NIGHT--UTTERLY DELICIOUS

COOKIE'S LATEST QUILT SHE IS MAKING

 TAKE A LOOK AT EACH SQUARE..UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

AN ATTEMPT AT A SHORT ARM SELFIE

GRAMMA OR MAMMA SURJIT

THE ROTI BEFORE IT IS KNEADED TO A SMOOTH BALL

ROLLING OUT THE BALLS

FLAPPING THEM BACK AND FORTH

PUFFING THEM UP OVER HIGH HEAT

EGG AND POTATO SUBJIT

  

AND A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL

At the last minute the mandate was all changed to only five people over your household number were to gather.  Well...too late.  People were already on their way to Kathy's.  So fine us.  We were all double vaxxed and total rule followers....before this week end.  The real purpose of this past week end wasn't Thanksgiving, it was giving Dad a new headstone and burying mom's ashes with him.

We had a most successful and fantastic time.  It went off exactly the way we planned.  Most of us gathered Friday night and spent Saturday cooking and seeing unrelated friends and a girl trip to the mall and some hot tubbing and later in the evening some awesome djaying in the living room by BradleyBe.

The turkey was cooked in one of those turkey roasters you plug in.  I have owned that thing for many many years.  I was thinking of buying a new shiny one with more options than 350 to 450 degrees, but on the outside they are the same size.  But if you lift the lid and look they have totally downsized them!  I can fit a 25 pound turkey in mine.  You wouldn't be able to fit a twelve pounder in the new ones.  And that def will not cut it.

Anyway the turkey was delicious, there was a ton of stuffing, delicious candied yams, cheesy Brussels, delicious green bean casserole, turnip poof, cheesy mashed potatoes, cranberry, gravy and pumpkin pie. And the most bestest pickled beets...by Kathy.  Seventeen people to the table.  There was a lot of laughter and stories and one by one individually stated reasons to be thankful.  It was lovely, all the way around.

The next day we all headed off to Hulcar, Armstrong  cemetery.  As the pics below will show (probably not in order but you folks have big smarts and can figure out the supposed to be order) we all arrived and set to work cleaning, moving the old headstone, installing the new and burying Mom in a very deep prepared by the gravedigger hole  ON TOP of dad.  She would have loved that and Dad would not have minded a bit!!  Lol!!!

The whole afternoon was just amazing.  You would think with that many rellies in close contact for three days there would be some kind of drama.  Actually there was one incident but I can't write about it here. Eventually everybody finds a blog and reads it.  Can't have that now!!!!

BradleyBe was IN THE HOUSE!!!!!  He set up his equipment and did his Twitch djay show from Kathy's front room.  It was totally awesome!!!  There was dancing and drinking and more dancing.  But Anne and I went home.  We were super tired.

I left Tuesday morning and had a fantastic easy trip to April's.  And that is where I am as we speak.  I think I will stop this here to accommodate a few extra pics.  Just let me finish with saying it was a fantastic amazing thanksgiving and send off to Mom.  Here are a few pics.....

AUNTY ANNE AND ME

THE WHOLE CREW

L-R..BRADLEYBE/MYLES/APRIL/ELISE/KEVIN

IT WAS FREEZING

US THREE KIDS..I AM HOLDING MOM

INTO THE HOLE SHE GOES

PUT

STOMPING DOWN THE DIRT

AINSLEY EATING ELISE'S BIRTHDAY CAKE

KATHY LEANING DOWN TO STRAIGHTEN MOM IN THE HOLE

OUR LEFT OVERS DINNER

THIS STUPID BLOGSPOT WOULDNT LET ME MAKE COMMENTS.  THESE ARE PICS OF KEVIN AND THE GRANDCHILDREN.  NOT THE BEST BUT THE ONLY ONES I HAVE.  ALSO BRADLEYBE GIVING DOROTHY A DJAYING LESSON.

 

AND ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE

 Well not really.  But stuff happened.  Plans were all in place then a curve ball happened.

As I have mentioned the whole family was gathering at Kathy's for not only thanksgiving but also to make a day trip to Armstrong to place dad's new headstone and to bury Mom's ashes under said headstone.

We all planned the dinner, each of us contributing our particular speciality.  Stan to bring a special 22 pound turkey.  April to bring her turnips for a turnip poof.  Monte to bring sweet potatoes.  Bootles taking care of the Brussel sprouts.  Arnie to bring a green bean casserole.  Me to bring stuffing, mashed potatoes and the gravy.  Someone to get pumpkin pies from Costco.  Etc....all planned.

Kathy got all the sleeping plans in place and emailed everyone.  She also planned out Friday nite dinner and picnic stuff for the burial day at Hulcar in Armstrong.  And then....

On Wed.  I got a call from Kathy...she is sick...with just enough covid like symptoms to be a little alarmed.  So she did what any responsible person would...called us all and let us know then went and got tested. She drove to Merritt early on Thursday morning for a test, rather than wait a couple of days in Kamloops.  They told her that only 25% of people testing positive have her symptoms.  And they told her that if its negative they would text her or post it on her lab page overnight.  So....here it is five in the afternoon and no text or report.  And if she doesn't hear, to phone them after 72 hours.  So now here we are...all in limbo.  Kathy is feeling so so bad about it.  I feel so so bad for her.  It's not her fault.

I had a reservation on the ferry for 11 this morning.  I had to take it no matter whether we had heard or not.  If I didn't take it then I would not be coming.  The ferries are FULL!  Plus I was bringing Austin with me to Vancouver.  So Thursday nite (last nite) I packed everything up as did Austin and we loaded the truck all ready to leave at nine in the morning.  So off we went this morning.  I dropped Austin off on first Ave. and quickly back tracked to April's.  I shall stay here until we have heard one way or the other.  We have made a plan b...a turkey dinner at Arnie's.  Heaven knows we have enough stuffing (8 loaves of bread worth) two giant hams, eggs, butter, almost twenty pounds of potatoes, two bags of yams.  I mean we were planning for twenty people!!!!

And......just this very second Kathy texted....NEGATIVE!!!!  Game on!!!

Thank goodness!!!!  We were all so looking forward to this and I am so relieved that Kathy is okay.  I think she would be so upset if it couldn't go ahead.  Well we all would be but she somehow would feel a little responsible, even though she totally wouldn't have been.  I felt so bad for her when I was talking to her today.  And any event we have had jeopardized or had to unexpectedly work for is always more special later.

I am staying at Anne's.  I have never, in 48 years of knowing her, stayed at her house for even one night. She has stayed with me many times but me at hers never.  Plus she is going to come with me to Kathy's on Saturday and she says she will be my sous chef...just like the old days!!  And I invited her to come with me to Armstrong the next day as well.  I hope that will be okay with everyone.  She was very close to my dad and would love to see where he grew up and where he is buried.   She will be good company.

Then when I leave there I will be coming to April's til Friday.  On Friday I will head over to Cookie's!!!!  I haven't seen Cookie for way over a year.  And she is going to teach me some curry dishes, especially ones I remember from when we were teens.  I can't wait.  After the weekend I shall be going to Aryn's.  And she has some food plans that I am totally looking forward to.  Next blog I shall tell you about their news!  Some exciting things have happened to Aryn.

The next weekend Aryn is planning something for my birthday.  I shall be turning that magical number 69!!!!  I have waited a long long time to be 69!!!!  I will be coming home with April after that for a day or two then back home.  

So it's going to be a busy couple of weeks, a very fun couple of weeks!  It is so nice to be out of my chair and out and about.  And it's awesome to see my girls and my other son (he is bringing the kids to Armstrong) and the rest of the family.  It will be Elise's birthday that day too!  Anne doesn't have wifi.  So my blogging might be a bit spotty...what am I saying...it's already spotty.  But I will post pics of everyone and dinner and Armstrong on Monday.  Take care folks.  TTYL

"After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations." — Oscar Wilde

“I got to go home for Thanksgiving and sit at the adults’ table. That’s ’cause, you know, somebody had to die for me to move up a plate.” —Andre Kelley.

My apologies for this next one:

“I celebrated Thanksgiving the old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.” —Jon Stewart

SPRING ROLLS, POLICE AND UNNECESSARY SHOPPING

 The other day Austin took a trip to Nanaimo.  Monte was going to go with him but didn't feel well enough.  When Austin returned, he had gone to a Vietnamese restaurant he was familiar with, for lunch and brought home some salad rolls and peanut sauce, the best freaking peanut sauce you ever ate!  Then he told us about the rest of the food there.  Pho!!!  Oh yes!!!

They have a smaller version of the restaurant in Parksville  On Tuesday we decided to hop into our vehicles and head over for supper.  Peter and Austin went in Peter's car.  They wanted to go for a hike near Rathrevor beach after, not something Monte and I would be doing.  :( Off we went.  Peter and Austin left ahead of us, us not far behind.

Just at the edge of town the two main roads out of Port converge in a V shape and morph into a four lane highway.  We had been following a very slow logging truck so as soon as we got to the merge part Monte pulled out and passed the truck.  And as soon as he pulled back into the right lane a police car pulled up behind him and put her lights on.  Dangit!!!!!!

Long story short he apparently  pulled over to pass the truck whilst the line dividing our two lanes was still solid, not dotted yet.  She was super nice about it but...you know.  Then when she was checking his license she discovered it had expired back in June on his birthday.  Dangit again!!!!!  335.00 bucks later....check your licenses people!

  Fortunately, because we were going to a restaurant I had taken my license.  I don't always.  Monte is driving and I don't pack a purse and often no wallet.  So by the time we were finished so much time had gone by we turned around and went home.  Wed. morning we went straight to Service BC and got him a replacement.  And he paid his fine immediately to get 25 bucks off.

I think, and this is only my opinion, covid has caused a few shopaholics.  Online shopaholics.  It's so much fun!  I have talked to a few people that had never ordered anything from anywhere on line before and now they are doing it all the time.  I shop mostly at Amazon, or at least I did until they put their prices up so high they are ridiculous.  But I discovered another place.  Wish.  And if you haven't been on Wish, don't.  It's so cheap you can't help yourself.  But...and this is a big but, the stuff is crap.  Occasionally you would get something good, but not enough to outweigh the bad.

Anyway, this morning I was having a look and I snagged a few pics of some items I thought I would share with those of you that have never been.  This will help convince you to never go there!

AHHH, LIGHTS ON YOUR FINGERS, JUST WHAT YOU NEED IN THE DARK!

OF COURSE I WANT A BIGGER ASS...WHO DOESN'T

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS...BOOTS WITH A BIG AIRY GAP RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE

HAVE YOU NOTICED THE TREND LATELY FOR WOMEN TO MAKE THEIR EYEBROWS LOOK LIKE  LARGE BLACK UGLY CATERPILLARS?

I'M TOO SEXY FOR MY SHADES, TOO SEXY FOR MY SHADES

I HAD TO READ ABOUT THIS ONE....IT'S A LIGHT BULB THAT HAS A PRETEND FIRE IN IT...AT LEAST I HOPE IT'S PRETEND.  WITH WISH YOU NEVER KNOW.

NOW JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE FIRST ONE OR YOU THOUGHT IT WAS TOO MEEK, HERE IS ONE THAT MAKES THAT STATEMENT...UGLY EYEBROW TREND, EVEN BETTER!!!!!!

JUST IN CASE...YOU NEVER KNOW...MAYBE COUGAR PROTECTION? I MEAN... MILLIONS OF VOLTAGE...MILLIONS

SOME CERTAIN CULTURES HAVE A FIXATION FOR THEIR BUMS

YES!!! AN OOZIE NECKLACE...JUST WHAT WE ALL WANT

YAY!!!!  I CAN SAFELY START SMOKING AGAIN!

HOLY HANNAH!!!! A MAGNETIC EARRING THAT MAKES YOU SKINNY IN JUST ONE WEEK!!!!! I WANT ONE, BAD....

AND IT'S A CREAM?  A SLIMMING CREAM?  MY FAT WILL BURN?  IN FIVE DAYS?  OH....BE STILL MY HEART!!!!

Okay Peeps!  Will wonders never cease!  I can get skinny, protect myself, boost my butt, and get massive ugly man brows, all in one place!!!  Take care, stay safe and TTYL

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination". Oscar Wilde