SOON TO BE NEW GRANDMA

My baby is going to have a baby. I can hardly believe it. I don’t think it has sunk in yet that she is even married. Now everyone thinks they got married because they had to but that is not the case. All year they had been planning to get married before December. They had so many things going on at the time that they never got around to make any arrangement. They moved their wedding date to March 5 and told us about it way back in last Sept-Nov. Then Christmas came and went and they never got around to making any arrangements again. I told them they should just elope or they would never get married at the rate things were going.

They began telling us "You’ll never know."

Around Christmas Angela was having some problems and was put on a medication that counteracts birth control. Wouldn’t you know it - baby on the way. They didn’t want to tell me till at least they had gone through the first trimester.

Now if anyone from my family has any extra cribs, strollers, clothing, blankets, etc. Let us know. They are willing to pay for them if need be. They are going to be going to garage sales and such to look for stuff in good condition that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

So now I have to learn to be a grandmother. What do they do besides loving and spoiling them? Hee Hee.

I have to quit smoking, get healthier, declutter my house, paint all rooms inside, have a huge garage sale, get new carpets so the baby can crawl on my floors, start sewing again, learn about kids all over again and be ready for anything. You think I can do all that before the middle of August? I’ll give it a good try and see what happens.

Have a heart felt day for this grandmother to be, and a good one for yourself as well.

HAPPY EASTER

Easter represents new life in Christ. He rose from the dead proving that He IS God. It is by his death and resurrection that we can now be born again into God's family.

Well we will have another new life joining our family this summer (the Lord Willing) My youngest daughter announced today that she is expecting a baby.

I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER!
I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER!

VISIT TO THE BIG CITY

I went to the Big City on Wednesday and spent the day at my daughters house. Hadn’t been there since before Christmas I think. I’ve seen her a couple of time since then when I go over to my mother’s place.

I used to go to the city about once every two weeks and would go to my mom and dad’s. Then they moved closer to the other edge of the city and I went to my daughter’s place. Now I try to alternate back and forth.

This winter, I haven’t been into the city hardly at all. Just a few times for Doctor’s appointments and such. It has been way too cold. My husband has to go into the city every day to work so I tag along with him when I go in. Then he has to drive me to which ever place I am at and pick me up after work so we can get home to our little doggie. My daughter works all day but I get to spend a few hours with my best friend in the afternoon. Then when my daughter gets off of work I spend a couple of hours with her before my husband picks me up. My parents are home most of the time so I spend the day with them when I go there.

I find the long drive soooo tiring. I usually spend the next day sleeping most of the day and trying to recooperate. I’m weird, I know.

Yesterday was Good Friday and my husband was home all day so I didn’t really have any time to sit and blog. Today he has to work and then he gets Sunday and Monday off.

So now I have written half a page of nothing again. I seem to do that a lot. There isn’t a lot that happens in my life so I can’t write about all these amazing things I do.

When my daughter first moved out here, I had someone to do stuff with. Nearly every night we would go out for coffee and talk and talk and talk about all kinds of things. My husband never wanted to go out so we left him at home. She started making more friends out here and started hanging around with them. He started taking me out more. That didn’t last too long though as he isn’t the greatest of talkers. If he does talk it is all about work or stories I’ve heard a million times before. What do you expect two old crows to talk about?
I guess come summer we will have more to do and talk about. Winters are pretty dead around here. I think we only have a population of about 600 during the year and it goes up to about 3,000 people in the summer time. Then they all come out to their cottages and stay most of the summer. Only a few businesses stay open year round and the rest are only open during the summer. If you want any entertainment you have to travel to a little bigger town about 11 kilometres away.

I enjoy living out of town though. If you forget what you are doing all the neighbours will let you know. Everyone knows everyone and news spreads like wildfire. They greet you by name at the local Handi Mart. Phone numbers are easy, they all start with the same three digits. We have a beautiful lake at the end of our street. In winter it is just snow as far as the eye can see. We don’t have salesmen coming to the doors or phoning all the time. Life seems slower and more relaxed.

Have a countryfied or cityfied day, depending on where you live.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW JESUS?

I once read something that asked "How well do you know Jesus?" You were asked to talk about Jesus for about 25 minutes without mentioning any of the things He did in the Bible. It had to be just from your own experience and what you know about him.

In this blog I am going to attempt to do that. I have never tried it before and always meant to. I probably wouldn’t even scratch the surface.

I met this man called Jesus about 32 years ago. I was intruduced to him by an uncle. There was something about this man that stirred something deep within me. It seemed I just couldn’t be around him enough. I wanted to really get to know him well and wanted to listen to everything he had to say.

The first day after I met him I realized how well mannered he was. I said a swear word and in the gentlest of voices he told me I shouldn’t do that. I was a bit taken aback by the remark but didn’t think a whole lot of it. I hardly ever swore like that again because it just didn’t seem proper in his presence. A few days later he confronted me on my behaviour again. I had a fight with my mother and hung up the phone on her. He very lovingly told me I should phone her back and apologize. I argued that she should apologize. Then he repeated that I should phone her back and apologize. He had such love and caring in his voice and asked me if I loved him. I said yes and phoned and apologized.

That’s how our relationship has been. Whenever he asks me to do anything, I want to do it as I see so much love inside of him. And he is always doing things for me. Sometimes I don’t even notice the things he has done till months after. Like certain habits. I used to love going to socials, I lived for socials. Then about six months after meeting Jesus, I noticed I hadn’t been to a social in ages. I never really missed it at all either. He just filled my time with such stimulation that I never even realized.

I went through a very bad spell for a number of years. Jesus was the best friend ever. He stood by me the whole time and kept reassuring me that he loved me. There were times I didn’t even want him around but he stayed anyway and I am so glad he did. He didn’t try to tell me what to do or what to think. He just went through it with me and that was exactly what I needed.

I’ve also found he has a great sense of humour. A few times he has let that side of him be seen. One time he got even with a guy for me and it was the funniest thing ever. His revenge was the best revenge and no one was hurt in it and it showed his sense of humour.

When I lost my son through still birth, Jesus went through it with me. He gave me one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. The Peace that Passes understanding. You can’t describe it to someone else. You have to experience this yourself. It was great. He was a great comfort during that time.

I used to get this unusual fear when I would be in church sometimes. I didn’t really know what it was or what was causing it. One day Jesus asked me if I wanted the fear removed. I said "Yes." and he took it away. It seemed he not only took that indescribable fear away but also a number of other fears I had over the years. I used to be so very shy and that fear of people has left. I am more open and outgoing now than I was before. Crowds still bother me, but it isn’t a fear anymore.

He is kind, giving, considerate, very loving and also a great doctor. He has healed me of a number of ailments. His discipline is alway given fairly and with much love. He is a miracle worker and has surprised us with a few of those. Being around him is a constant joy. He never gets boring and I have learned so much from him. I have much more to learn yet but I know I can count on him to be there to love and teach me. I know others may come and go and leave me alone, but I know without a shadow of doubt that no matter what happens, Jesus will stick by me.

I have so much more I could say but I guess a blog isn’t the best place to do it.

If you’ve never met Jesus, leave me your email address in the comments and I’ll introduce you to him.

WOULD YOU LIKE SOME TEASE WITH THAT ROLE?

Years ago I read a book called "Games People Play". I can barely remember anything from the book now. There was a part in there that talked about the various personas we take on. The book said there were only three and I think they were ‘Adult, Child and Teacher.' Anyone can be in any of these personas at any given time. Children go into adult and teacher roles at various times, while many adults live in their child role a lot.

Being in a child mode does not necessarily mean that you are immature, just like being in an adult mode does not make you more mature. It is just various roles that we all tend to function in.

We don't tend to consciously choose these roles. They just sort of happen and we can be jumping back and forth for hours and not even know it. It is only when you stop to think about it that you realize what mode you are in. In trying to explain all of this, I have slipped into a teaching role. What have I got to teach? Nothing, nadda, zilch, zip, zerro. I can't even remember the book but I thought it was interesting and something I might like to blog about.

If you sit back and watch people, you can often see them playing out their various roles. A young girl might want to impress a boy so she automatically goes into a type of child mode , he will automatically respond with the adult role. Then he might do something that ticks her off and she goes into adult role right away thinking he is so childish.

Why do we like hanging around with certain people more than others? Could it be because of the various roles? I like being around people who have a good balance of all of the roles at the proper times. Is the stuffed shirt, pain in the butt boss so used to being in the adult role that he never lets go? Is the happy go lucky guy, who doesn't seem to have a care in the world, just stuck in his child role?

To me, the teaching role, is when you get down to the nitty gritty of things. You look inside and learn about yourself and others. It also includes real teaching, like showing someone how to do something or stuff like that but the deep things in life come in the teaching role.

To me, the adult role is where I am in life. It's the regular day to day stuff like cooking, cleaning, etc. But I love slipping into my child role every once in awhile and just having fun.

To me, the child role is all about having fun. It is the person with a good sense of humour. They just seem happy all the time and they make others around them happy. They are not afraid to do spur of the moment things.

What causes us to change back and forth from one role to another? It seems to happen automatically without our thinking about it. Why do some seem more stuck in a role than others? The book claimed it was because of games we play with each other some how. I guess I should re-read the book.

Have a Balanced Day.

TO COMMENT OR NOT TO COMMENT,

I just finished reading Paula’s blog and I was fascinated by a blog she wrote earlier in the week. It seems her and another blogger were discussing weather or not people commented because they felt they had to or because they really wanted to. That’s my take on it anyway.

It got me to thinking. Why do I comment? I have read every single blog that Darlene has put up and if you’ll notice, I hardly ever comment. I enjoy reading her blogs and do it because I like it. I do comment every once in awhile to let her know I am still reading her. I think we all need to know that once in awhile.

I have also read every blog of Stephanie’s and every blog of Tilly’s. Again, I don’t comment on every blog but I do once in awhile to let them know I am reading.

I just started reading John and Paula’s blogs recently and again you will see that I don’t comment all the time. Sometimes everyone else seems to comment what you want to say anyway and it is just repetition.

I like that Paula is blogging for God. Steph was also doing that. Others blog about other things. There is a wide variety on the net. I read Darlene’s because I always get a laugh and now I am reading her new one to get to know my own sister better.

I love that some of you have commented on my blog. It lets me know that I am being read the odd time. I hope you don’t feel like you have to read and comment. If you like to - then by all means do it. But if you feel pressured to write anything, please don’t bother.

Sometimes there just isn’t anything to say to what I write and I wouldn’t be offended.
I’m the one needing to write. You on the other hand may not NEED to read.

Have a "Do what you want to do" Day.

OLD MOVIE GOT ME THINKING

Now that the commercial is over, we can get back to our regularly scheduled program.

Last night I didn’t do much of anything. Just sat around watching t.v. They had an old John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara movie on called "The Quiet Man" I was watching that and really enjoying it till my husband got home. Then he wanted to watch "The sum of all fears" so that is where the t.v. went. I ended up taking a long bath hoping the show would be over by the time I got out. As luck would have it, it wasn’t so I ended up watching the ending with him.

I love watching some old shows. Especially family type. The other day I watched the original version of "Cheaper by the dozen". I love that movie. It brings me to times when there was no t.v. and families spent time together. They didn’t have anything to do so they would read, learn how to play instruments, write, visit, sew, (what we call crafting today) and make things. They would sit and TALK to each other. Imagine that - talking. I wonder what they would talk about for hours on end.

People seemed to spend a lot of time outdoors and used their imaginations a lot more. A lot of our great story writers came from those days. Different writers of the classics and writers of our famous nursery ryhmes and fairy tales. They would sit around the fire and make up stories to tell the children and some they would want to hear over and over again. Eventually they wrote them down and we have the benefit of them today.

My dad was and still is a great story teller. He can take something he did as a kid and weave the greatest story around it. He doesn’t have to make up stuff, he just tells his stories so good that they keep you interested and a lot of them are very funny. He did make up stories for us when we were children. He would love to tell stories of poor little girls that no one loved and I would bawl my eyes out. They I’d ask him to tell me another sad story. If he ran out of stories to tell, he would begin to sing the saddest songs and I would cry and cry. I loved those times.

Every once in awhile my mom would pull out her guitar and my dad would pull out his violin and we would have a great time listening to them play and singing along. Those were times I loved the most and they really bound us all together.

Of course that was all in the early days when t.v. was just getting it’s start. It didn’t take long before t.v. took over the lives of most families. Now, if you aren’t watching t.v. you are playing video games or on the computer. I am no better. I used to use the t.v. as a babysitter quite often when my children were little. I wish I could turn back time because I think I would do things much differently today. I did hear once about making the effort to make memories for you kids. I went through a period where I was conscientiously doing that.

One night I decided to have a restaurant night for my oldest daughter. I bought some stuff to decorate the table with and I made her a menu to choose her food from. I told her she could invite her grandma and grandpa and have dinner with them - all by herself. I would be the maid and her dad would be the servant. The evening went o.k. although my parents felt strange having us not sit with them. I wonder if my daughter even remembers that time.

Why is it that just because they are older now, I don’t think that I have to create more memories? I think I will try to think of something and do it for them. After all, I want them to remember some good things about their mom now that she is older. They might think I’ve gone into my second childhood, but who cares. Anyone have any good ideas for something different and memorable?

Have yourself a memorable day.

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY

VITAMIN B100


Good Morning to all my loving fans. Rahhhh Rahhhhh, I can hear the cheers from all 5 of you. Hee Hee. As you saw from yesterday’s post, I can write - not good mind you- when I have something to write about. So what have I picked for today?

I want to introduce some of you to Vitamin B100's. If you have never tried them, I can guarantee they will make a difference in your life.

I suffer from Clinical Depression and on top of that I get S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) every winter. Now I am not saying that it is a cure for SAD but I am saying that this winter has been like no other for me and I believe it to be the Vitamin B100's. I have suffered from SAD for years and it isn’t a pretty picture. I end up sleeping away most of the winter till the sun starts coming out more. I have no motivation, no desire or any energy to do anything. This year I started the Vitamins B100 in September and I have been crafting and blogging and doing other stuff since.

My mother intruduced it to me about a year ago. She said it takes four days to start working. At first I didn’t really notice a lot of change because the sun was out a lot more. Then I got phenomena and onto medication. That lasted about three weeks and I was just getting over it and decided to go outside with my daughter. Well wouldn’t you know it? I tripped on the dog cord and broke my left wrist. More medication and a cast on for two months. With all the medication I had been taking, I forgot to take my Vitamin B100's. During that time, I sat around doing nothing. I would play games on the computer and sleep a lot but that was about it. I just felt blah and down in the dumps all the time. No motivation, no desire to do anything and no energy.

This went on for part of June, July and August. In September I was complaining to my mom over my lack of energy and such and she mentioned the Vitamin B100's again and asked if I had been taking them. I told her I forgot over the summer but would start back on them. Boy am I glad I did.

Suddenly I was motivated and energized. I had loads of craft supplies I had saved. I began crafting and crafted all my Christmas presents as we couldn’t afford to buy anything. After Christmas I thought "Oh boy, the SAD is due to come back shortly" I just kept on crafting and kind of expecting my mood to change any day. Here we are in the middle of March and I am blogging awy and still crafting. Looks like the Vitamin B100's worked better than I thought they would. They are the greatest thing since toilet paper.

I don’t want you to think they are only for SAD because they aren’t. I just found that to be a pleasant side effect. Besides being great for your body, they are great for you mind. The bottle says they are for "Energy production and stress relief." I’ve always suffered from lack of energy and I don’t have tons of it from these pills, but I have a lot more than I used to. Besides that it seems to help you get motivated easier. You feel like doing things that maybe you have put off. That’s how they have been working for me anyway. Maybe it works differently on different people. You should try them. They can’t hurt you - they are vitamins.

Have a motivated, and energy filled day.

To those celebrating St. Patrick's day

May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.

May you be in Heaven
a half hour before the
Devil knows you're dead!

FINALLY, I CAN SPILL THE BEANS

I am so pleased to announce that my youngest daughter Angela got married on March 5th of this year to a wonderful man named Robert. They eloped and shocked the heck out of me. I was not allowed to tell anyone till they had the announcements out in the mail.

She had been living with this guy for the past year and being a Christian, that didn’t sit right with me. They had first planned to get married in Dec/2004 but there were so many things in their lives that they didn’t get around to making any arrangements. Then they planned for March 5th of this year but again things weren’t happening. Too many things they had to attend to first so they put it off. The way things were going, I thought they might never get married or if they did it might be way off in the future some time.

On March 7th was our anniversary. Well on March 6th they came over for the evening to bring us an anniversary present. They never mentioned a word or even hinted that they had been married the day before. We invited them out for supper with us the next night.
My husband and I got there just a few minutes before they did. We were already seated and they walked in. I saw my daughter carrying some sort of bag with her and wasn’t sure what she had. We ordered our drinks and meal and then she took out the bag and slid it across the table to my husband. He took out this binder type notebook that had flowers pasted on the front and the date March 5,2005 on it. When you opened up the cover the first page says "Welcome to the wedding of Angela and Robert". I thought she had made up this book to show us what she had planned to do for her wedding when they did get around to getting married. I was thinking "What a cute idea"

Then we looked at the next page. There was my daughter and her husband all dressed up in wedding clothes with flowers all around. My first thought was "How did they do that? Did they transfer their heads on someone else’s bodies by computer?" It slowly started to seep in.

I said "Did you get married?"
She said "Yes"
"When?" I asked
"March 5th" she responded
"Where" I asked
She answered, "At a marriage commissoner’s house. He has his basement set up for weddings."
I said "So you are really married now?"
"Yes" they both said
"And you are really my son-in-law now". I said
"Yes" he said.
At that point I reached over and gave him a great big hug and kept saying "My son, my son."

Needless to say, I was so excited after I got over the initial shock. I stopped the waitress dead in her tracks just to be able to tell someone. That’s when they told me I couldn’t tell anyone till they got their announcements out in the mail. Do you know how hard it was keeping it a secret?

So now both my daughters are married to the greatest son-in-laws I could ask for.

And they all lived happily ever after.....NOT

Have a surprisingly good day.

MY SISTER

Today I was reading my comments and I decided I wanted to write about one of my sisters in particular. I’m sure my other sisters will agree with everything I say about this sister.

Her name is Elizabeth Susanne but we call her Betty. We used to call her Betsy when she was younger but this one uncle of ours always called her "Betsy the Moose". One day mom decided that was enough so she asked us all to start calling her Betty. We called her Betty and the uncle dropped the "Moose" part.

Betty was born third out of six. (3 of 6) so she was never the oldest or never the youngest. (Except for short time after her birth). She was a very stubborn girl while growing up. I guess she wanted to be her own person. When it came to spankings my dad would never like to spank her. She reminded him too much of his younger sister that had died when he was just a child. We older girls didn’t think that was very fair and we got more than our share of spankings.

Betty grew up to be a beautiful woman. She is married to a great guy and has three grown up kids and one grandson. She works as a teachers aide with young children and she is a whiz with all young children.

So why did I want to write about Betty? Well, there are many reasons. One of them is that Betty has a servant/helper nature about her. She sees things that need doing and she gets in there and does them. There have been a few times my other sister has been overwhelmed by her four kids, so Betty comes in and takes them off her hands for awhile to let her get some rest. Betty is the type that brings food with her when she comes to visit. She is always bringing pies and things over to my mom and dad’s. One summer she brought hamburgers, already cooked and wrapped, when she came out to visit us. She didn’t want me to feel like I had to make something special for them.

When it comes to faithfulness, (not sure if that is the right word for this) again you look to Betty and her husband. There are five of my sisters living in the city and my parents. When I go into the city and ask my parents if the rest of the girls have been over lately, I usually get a comment like "Well we saw so and so last week for a bit, haven’t seen so and so for awhile, and well Betty and Wayne are here most Sundays." They visit my parents regularly. If they can’t make it one day, they usually make it on another. It’s the same for us. We have lived out of town now for 5 years and Betty and Wayne make a point of visiting us at least once or twice a year in summer.

As I said earlier, she is great with kids. She’s the mom that had all the kids hanging out at her place. She even had some living with her for awhile. She would take my daughter out on camping trips with them. She would take her and my other’s sisters kids out for lunches and such. She loves kids and she is so great with them.

She is also a helper in so many ways. If someone needs a volunteer for something - Betty is Johnny on the spot. She’s helped my mom with painting and who knows what else. You need a batch of pie crust? Betty will whip you up a batch in no time flat and you can freeze it so it doesn’t go bad. You need a tip on how to clean something - call Betty - she has amazing tips for nearly everything.

Her husband Wayne is much the same as she is when it comes to doing things and being generous. He’s a cabinet maker by trade and has installed, built and put in many things for our families over the years.

There is much more I could say about Betty but I will leave it for now. She gives and gives of herself and never expects anything in return. If you try to acknowledge what she does, she just kind of shrugs it off as nothing. That’s why I’ve chosen to write about her on this blog. She can read it privately and not get so flustered. Betty, I really love you and look up to you a lot. Wish I had more of your strengths.

Have a Blessed Day.

P.S. Wish Darlene could take all this and rewrite it so it sounded a lot nicer.

Extreme Makeover

One of my favorite shows on T.V. lately is Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I love the show and I love Ty. The show ends up being a real tear jerker when they show the finished house to the recipients.

For those who have never seen it, let me quickly enlighten you. People write in to ABC telling them why they think they deserve a home makeover. From there a selection is made and the Crew comes in and surprises the people. Usually they send the family away for a week's vacation somewhere while they work on their house. Then at the end, the family comes home to a huge crowd of people, a completely new home, bedrooms designed with each in mind, and fully furnished. Many times other great perks are also included like a new car or truck, scholarships, mortgage taken care of, etc. Famous people often guest appear like Randy Travis, the muppets, or some sports celebrity. If you've never watched this show you should, as it is truly amazing.

Last nights show had a little girl who wrote in to ABC. I missed the beginning of the show, but apparently this little girl, I think she was 8 years old, had cancer at some time and spent a lot of time in the hospital. Since then she has been making beaded necklaces and bracelets for cancer victims. She asked if they could do a make over of the hospital ward where she had stayed. She figured that if the ward looked enjoyable, then people would have a better chance of getting better.

They decided to do something special for this little girl as she wasn't asking for anything for herself. They sent her family, her and a crew to the hospital to get the work done there. The little girl was in charge of the crew at the hospital. I missed most of that part. Anyway, they decided to surprise the girl and her family with a home make over of their own.

Besides making a five bedroom house for the 5 kids and mom and dad, they made the little girl her very own craft room - totally loaded with supplies and every kind of bead imaginable. They also found her a place that would sell her beads and donate the money for Cancer research.

There was a lot more but I'm not going to get into all of that. The house they made ended up being 5,500 sq. feet and I know they loved it. Then there was the furniture and all the extras including remodelling the hospital.

I look at that and think "Yes, it is extreme, but couldn't they spread the wealth out a little more?" I think we have nearly 1000 sq. feet in our home. It sure would be nice to have our home redesigned and about 500 - 1000 sq. feet added. Heck, I'd be glad if someone came in and painted it for me.

With what they spent on that show alone, they could have made about 4 or 5 smaller houses, fully furnished and made a lot more people happy. Mind you, then they couldn't call it "Extreme" make over.

In another show on television, they have some decorators go in to people's homes and they totally transform a room for only $1000.00. Imagine taking the money from Extreme Make over and putting that into renovating or redecorating some other homes. Before long we wouldn't have any homeless people or people living in poor conditions.

If someone came up to you and told you "I have $10,000 to give away. I can write out the check for the whole amount for yourself or I can write out 10 checks for $1,000 each but you have to give them to 10 different people? Which would you choose?

Have an Extreme day.

GONE TO THE DOGS

I asked my husband what I should blog today and he told me - Dogs. So here I am talking about dogs.

The very first dog we owned was a mutt we called Mouchy. I was afraid of dogs and wanted to get used to them so my children wouldn't be afraid. Well this dog had run of the house for the first week. I would sit on the couch with my feet up - so afraid of this little mutt. Soon my fear turned to anger and I would chase that little mutt with a broom.

We really knew nothing about raising animals when we started. This dog would poop anywhere he wanted to in our house. We would continually "ask" him if he wanted to go out but we didn't get any kind of response. Being a pup he loved to chew on things. He chewed on anything and everything. Even chewed through a plugged in extension cord one time.

We went out for a few hours one evening and left the dog home. When we came home we were greeted with garbage spread all over the house. He had eaten some and then thrown up a lot. He got into the baby diapers and had them spread everywhere. It was a disaster and time for that dog to go to the human society.

It was quite a few years before we got another dog. This puppy was so cute and it was summer so we could have him outside a lot. We let him sleep inside in the evenings. This dog began to grow and grow and grow some more. He was part Samoa (sp??) and part Labrador. Much too big for our little house and much to big for my little daughter. We ended up giving him to a guy who wanted to mate him with a female Samoa.

Years past before we got any more dogs. Along the way we learned that you should always get a kennel/cage for your dogs. It is both for your sake and the dogs sake. They like having a place of their own to go to. Also, we learned that dogs usually do not make a mess in their own kennels/cages, as long as you let them outside first thing after letting them out of their kennel/cage. It is much easier to train them that way. As for training, it is never too early to start and some dogs love the time you spend with them.

We now own a Lowchen, (not sure how it is spelled) also known as a little lion dog. He is a very rare breed. My parents bought it, named him Boo Boo, kept him for awhile, and ended up giving him to my husband and I. He is a small to medium type dog with whitish fur. Sort of looks like a Bichon Freeze but cuter. He has been the best dog we have ever had and we've had quite a few.

He is a character though. This dog loves my husband. He will sit by the window waiting for him to come home every day. As soon as he sees his car turn in the driveway, the dog goes nuts. Up on the furniture, down on the floor, up and down, to the back door barking, back to the living room, back to the back door, barking all the time. Then, the first thing this dog does, is ask to go outside. He is so strange. He can go all day without ever needing to go outside. I will ask him but he just ignores me. He will wait for my husband to let him out. It is like he thinks that letting him out is my husband's job and no one elses. When my husband has a day off, the dog needs to go out several times a day. It is unbelievable.

One day my husband had to spend the night in the city as the roads were too bad to travel on. Well the dog kept waiting and watching. I kept trying to get the dog to go outside but he wouldn't hear of it. Finally about 15 mins to 10 at night, the dog agreed to go outside. I nearly had to force him to go.

Another strange thing this dog does is a type of chin up. If he wants to get up on a chair or the sofa, he has to practice it a number of times before he will actually jump. Sometimes he will do this up down thing about 20 times before finally getting up. Other times he will try it about 10 times and then move to a different location and start there. Lately he has been going over the arm of the chair in just one jump - like it is easier or something. We don't know why he does this. My parents said he did it ever since they first got him. If he doesn't think about it, he is fine and can clear it in one jump with no problems (like when excited that hubby is coming home)

He seems to be a very smart and obedient dog. He loves doing tricks for treats and will get very excited and go through his whole repertoire before you even get a chance to ask him. His favorite spot, when he is not laying in a sun beam somewhere, is sitting on my husbands right hand side, squished between the arm of the chair and my husbands hip.

Have a dog gone good day.

WHAT ABOUT ME?

I was born first of six girls. I really wish I looked like 7 of 9 but only in my dreams. ( As you can see, I am a Star Trek lover from the original series.) Actually I look like a big fat frumpy old lady with graying hair. I lost my original teeth years ago and have worn glasses since about 5 years old. The picture on my sight makes me look gooood!

I have been married now for 35 years to the same man that I met in my final months of school. I’ve been pregnant 4 times, had my oldest daughter, had a miscarriage, had a still birth and then had my youngest daughter. I fostered teen-age girls for a couple of years but then my husband had a heart attack and we had to quit.

One of the reasons we got into fostering in the first place was because of this very special girl we knew. She didn’t really know her father and her mother was out of town for long periods of time. We would babysit her. She became a part of our family as she lived there most of the time. I still hear from her every once in awhile even though she has moved provinces. She now has a life with her husband and two kids of her own.

I’ve enjoyed reading most of my life. When my eyes started getting bad, I started reading on the internet and large print books. I learned how to sew and cook in school but at that time didn’t really like sewing but I did love cooking. Now I am reverse. I especially loved sewing when my girls were growing up. Then I could make them the prettiest little dresses.

I also got into crafting way back when. Every kind of craft imaginable I think I have tried. I call myself a Jane of all trades, master of none. Maybe I’m not so much a crafter but more of an inventor. I always need to be doing something new and interesting. I get bored easily and can’t stick with just one type of craft.

I’m also into painting. I paint some of the crafts I make but I enjoy oil painting. I used to watch Bob Ross on t.v. and that is the only training I’ve had. I can’t draw worth a darn but I can fake it fairly good with oils. I started with about 8X10's then moved up to 12X16's and now I have been working on 16X20's. I have about 7 finished paintings of varied sizes already done but I need some frames for them, plus I have about 5 blank canvasses to get busy on. Some are not too bad if I say so myself.

I am self taught on the computer. I started years ago and learned as I went along. I can remember the first week I had a computer that I bought second hand. I worked on that thing for days and days and couldn’t get it to do anything. Finally I phoned the guy I bought it from and asked him what I was supposed to do. He said, "Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you to press comma 8 to open the programs." Well after that I was away and running full tilt. Now a days computers are so user friendly that you just turn them on and away you go. They sure have come a long way.

I worked outside our home until the kids started coming along. With my first daughter I had a lady that babysat while I went back to school to get some upgrading. Then I found a job and worked there full time. We decided it wasn’t good for the baby so I ended up leaving my job and became a stay at home mom. She was about two by then. After that I always had some sort of job from my home to help pay the bills. I sold Tupperware, Genieware, and Avon for awhile. I babysat, worked in a bar, and in a restaurant for awhile. As my kids got older I took in other kids before and after school and for lunches. When I first got to the beach here, I worked in a restaurant until my feet started giving out on me. Now I sit around doing crafts or writing on the computer.

Now is when I should really be out there working. My husband got let go from his job after being there umpteen years. There wasn’t a lot out there for someone his age so he had to start at the bottom of the ladder again. It’s a good thing the kids are grown and moved out or we’d need to be on welfare assistance.

My health is not so good as I never really took care of myself over the years. I have peripheral neuropothy in my feet and legs, swelling, high blood pressure, erratic heart rhythms, arthritis in my neck (and elsewhere), I’m overweight, and my kidneys are starting to go on me. I am slowly making changes to try to get in better condition but it is really hard after a lifetime of living a certain way.

So now you should know everything about me - NOT.

Have a healthy productive day.

I HATE INJUSTICES.

I hate injustices. There is nothing that gets my goat more than unfair treatment for certain things.

You hear of the poorer man who gets sent to prison for umpteen years for a crime he didn't even commit. Then you hear of a rich guy, who can afford expensive lawyers, and they get him off on some technicality. Doesn't matter if the man is guilty or not - his 'rights' have been violated. Where is the justice in that?

Then I hear of the homeless. There are a few that choose to live that way, but a majority of them would rather not. These are smart intelligent people who held down good jobs and now because of cut backs or for whatever reasons, they are out of jobs and homes. The government can't give them welfare unless they have a home address and they can't get a home address because they don't have any money. Something is pretty screwy there.

Then what about abortions? Thousands of abortions are being performed each day on women who don't want their babies. I see hundreds of women who are trying to get pregnant and can't. They want babies so badly some have stooped to kidnapping them. Why can't the ladies that are getting pregnant just give their babies to the ones that want them.

And what about minimum wage. The standard of living jumped at least 8% and yet wages were locked in at 5%. Then there was the year they brought in the G.S.T. and P.S.T. I don't know if it was that year or the next, but they said there hadn't been any standard of living jump. Well, sure there had been - at least 14%. The more forward we move, the behinder we get. What's an extra 7% to someone who can afford it? It's the little guy that struggles.

Then there are cutbacks at jobs. You can work for a company for twenty years but does that count for anything - no. They'd rather get some new guy in that they can pay a lesser wage to so they can pad their pockets with more cash. Loyalty at a job doesn't count for anything anymore. The big shots get special bonuses and deals and even retirement options while the little guys gets zilch. After twenty years of working for the same company, this guy has age working against him. Even though they claim you can't discriminate, people want to hire younger guys. They can get them cheaper.

Then there is auto pac. What a laugh. You can get demerits for nearly everything but you have to wait years and years to get merits. Then when you finally get up to five merits, they cut you off. Why? Why shouldn't the good drivers be rewarded while the poorer drivers lose their merits.

And what about older women. What have they got out there for them? Say you have been living as a stay at home mom for the past 20 - 25 years. You have no skills and no money to upgrade. The kids are grown now and you'd like to work to bring in some extra income. What is out there for them? Supposing they wanted to leave their husbands, where could they get work to support themselves? And what if there are health problems as well. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

And what about Welfare. I know that they barely get enough to live on, but some have really learned to use and abuse the system. Their kids get new clothes and get to go to the circus for free while the poor shmuck toils away and can't afford such luxuries for his kids. Maybe things are different now a days but when I was younger the welfare kids lived better than we did.

There is going to be someone out there that reads this and says I've blown it all out of proportion. Well, please fill me in as I hate feeling this way about "THEM".

Have a good and just day.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

I sit here at my computer day after day wanting to talk and have a good discussion but I get here and I go blank.

Years ago, when my sisters lived out of town, I could write and write. I would send them pages of writing. I would tell them everything I did from the least little thing and sometimes my letters would get about 25 pages long. Some of the sisters didn’t like the long letters while others enjoyed them and would write back pages themselves.

Now I have this thing in me that wants to write and write and write some more, but I don’t know what to say. It is laughable and heart breaking at the same time. I know I am not a good writer yet I want to write - to share. Sometimes I sit here for up to 9 hours by myself so you’d think I would have lots to share when it is time - but No. What can you share when you don’t do much of anything?

I could share that I can tell the day of the week because of when the train comes. It comes on Thursdays. I'm sure you are all so glad that I shared that bit of information with you. I could share about the weather, or junk I watched on t.v. but that is boring. I want to share Deep things, INTENSE things, things that make you say "Oh, I didn’t know that." With the computer, everyone knows everything or can find out easily enough. There isn’t a lot new you can up with.

I love a good discussion. I’ll even discuss the side I don’t believe in just to have a good discussion. My mom used to call it ‘arguing’ and we would tell her we weren’t arguing, just having a LOUD discussion. She didn’t like joining in because her views were somewhat different than ours and it would seem like we were ganging up on her. (My dad, husband, and I)

So what do I share? A lot of nothing. I can fill up pages and pages and not really say anything. Oh, I am saying something. Don’t get me wrong. But I’m not saying a lot of anything in particular. Just rambling around in cyberspace like my brain. If you see it float by, grab it for me and send it home please.

No, I don’t talk sports or politics because I don’t know much about either. I’ve given up talking about sex as well now that I am ‘older’ and wiser. I remember getting an obscene phone call many, many years ago. I’m not sure if it originally was supposed to be an obscene phone call or not. The guy who phoned was doing some sort of survey and said the phone numbers were dialled automatically so he had no idea who I was. He said he liked my voice and would I mind talking with him for awhile so he could take a break. I said sure. (I was young, what do you expect) He said I could pick the topic and he named three - sports, politics or sex. Not thinking much of it at the time I chose sex. First mistake. He started by asking very innocent type questions and I was carelessly answering them. Before too long they took a turn and I had to let him go. How foolish I was back then. I wonder if I had picked sports or politics if the conversation would have gone on normally or if at some time it still would have turned.

When I was younger and we would go visiting. The ladies had a habit of gathering in the kitchen with the children and the men sat in the living room. I would sneak out and see what the men were talking about. I found the women’s conversations boring. All they would talk about was cooking, sewing, fashions, raising kids, etc. I wanted to listen in on meatier conversations like tools, cars, and of course the dreaded sports.

So here I sit, ending another blog with not much said. Maybe I’ll get a brain storm and come up with something new and exciting next time. YEH RIGHT!

Till then, have a non boring day filled with good things to talk about.

SURE SIGNS OF AGING

You finally reach the top of the ladder, and find it leaning against the wrong wall.
Your knees buckle and your belt won't.
You just can't stand people who are intolerant.
You burn the midnight oil after 9 p.m.
The little grey haired lady you help across the street is your wife.
Everything hurts and what doesn't hurt doesn't work.
The gleam in our eyes is from the sun striking your bifocals.
You feel like the night after and you haven't been anywhere.
Your little black book contains only names ending in M.D.
You become winded playing chess.
Your children begin to look middle aged.
You join a health club and don't attend.
You begin to outlive enthusiasm.
Your mind make contracts your body can't meet.
You know all the answers, but nobody asks you the questions.
You look forward to a dull evening.
You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.
You regret all those mistakes, resisting temptation.
You are 17 around the neck and 42 around the waist.
You're 42 around the waist and 96 around the golf course.
You stop looking forward to your birthday.
Long distant dialing wears you out.
Your back goes out more than you do.
A fortune teller offers to read your face.
You turn off the light for economy rather than romance.
You remember today that yesterday was your wedding anniversary.
You are addressed as "Old Timer: for the first time.
You sink your teeth into a steak and they remain there.
You get your exercise acting as pallbearer for your friends who exercised.
You have too much room in the house and too little in the medicine cabinet.
The best time of your day is over when the alarm clock goes off.
Old age is when a person notices that his shoe lace is untied and asks himself: Is there anything else I can do when I'm down there.
You know you are getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.
Somebody said, "Frequent naps will help you keep from getting old, especially if you take them while driving."

Author Unknown


Wisdom From Senior Citizens

1. I started with nothing. I still have most of it.
2. When did my wild oats turn to prunes and all bran?
3. I finally got my head together, now my body is falling apart.
4. Funny, I don't remember being absent minded.
5. All reports are in. Life is now officially unfair.
6. If all is not lost, where is it?
7. It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.
8. If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished.
9. The first rule of holes: if you are in one, stop digging.
10. I tried to get a life once, but they told me they were out of stock.
11. I went to school to become a wit, only got halfway though.
12. It was so different before everything changed.
13. Some day's you're the dog, and some day's you're the hydrant.
14. Nostalgia isn't what it use to be.
15. Old programmers never die. They just terminate and stay resident.
16. A day without sunshine is like a day in Seattle.
17. I wish the buck stopped here! I could use a few.
18. Kids in the back seat cause accidents; accidents in the back seat cause kids.
19. It's not the pace of life that concerns me, it's the sudden stop at the end.
20. It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.
21. Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a trip around the sun.
22. The only time the world beats a path to your door is if you're in the bathroom.
23. If God wanted me to touch my toes, He would have put them on my knees.
24. Never knock on death's door, ring the bell and run (he hates that).
25. Lead me not into temptation (I can find the way myself).
26. When you are finally holding all the cards, why does everyone else decide to play
chess.
27. If you are living on the edge, make sure you're wearing your seatbelt.
28. There are two kinds of pedestrians. The quick and the dead.
29. An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys.
30. A closed mouth gathers no feet.
31. Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
32. Its not hard to meet expenses; they are everywhere.
33. Jury: Twelve people who determine which client has the better attorney.
34. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

Author Unknown

Have a young and vibrant day.

MY DARLING DAUGHTERS

I am so blessed! I have an excellent husband, two of the most exceptional daughters in the whole world, and a very well behaved little lion dog. Who could ask for anything more?

I've already written about my husband so I think it is time to write about my daughters.

My first daughter, Sharleen, came two years after we were married. This little bundle of joy loved her daddy right from the start. I think the first words out of her mouth were "daddy do". Daddy had to do everything for her. Only daddy was allowed to put on her snow suit. Sometimes, only daddy was allowed to change her diapers. (That part I didn't mind at all.) For awhile it was so bad that I became jealous of daddy. Here was MY daughter and she loved Daddy more. I didn't really mind a lot. I was glad to see her loving her daddy and so glad to see him loving her as well.

She was our first born and we learned how to be parents through her. No matter how tight I would put those diapers on her at night, come morning she had gotten the diaper off and proceeded to play in her own poop. She would cover her bed as well as her body from head to toe. I couldn't even find a clean spot to touch to pick her up. I don't know how many mornings I woke up to that mess but eventually it ended.

Sharleen was a very strong willed child. If you told her not to touch something - she just HAD to touch it. We had to baby proof our house from top to bottom as there was nothing she couldn't get at. We knew we had to break her will but not her spirit. It was hard and we made a lot of mistakes and were even cruel at some times but we learned and she survived. She is still strong willed but that has turned into self-reliance and independence.

In Sharleen's teen years, the two of us became good friends. She has turned out to be a beautiful women with a handsome husband. I am so proud to have her as my daughter and my friend.

My second daughter, Angela, came after a miscarriage and a still birth, six years after Sharleen. She is the baby.

Now I don't know if we just learned how to be better parents with Angela or if she just had such a different disposition than Sharleen. We never had to baby proof anything with Angela. If you said "Don't touch" she didn't touch. She would get up in the mornings and watch cartoons and I could sleep in if I wanted to as she never got into anything.

She had a very strong consciences even from young. If she told a lie, I would say "Truth?" and she would tell me the truth. If she wouldn't then, she would come and tell me the truth before she went to bed at night. She would just feel so guilty about it. To this day I know I can believe what she tells me as she cannot lie easily.

Angela loves music of all kinds. By the time she was about three years old she knew hundreds of songs already. She would love to sit on my lap and sing. Her favorite expression was "What I sing mom, what I sing?" She can hear a song played maybe once or twice and can remember the words and tune to it. She is like a song magnet.

In elementary school Angela was one of the most popular girls in her school. Then they had to change schools for junior high and she became the school joke. Every one picked on her. It really affected her a lot, although her good grades never faltered. She ended up with very low self esteem and a lot of heart ache.

Over the years, Angela and I also became good friends. She turned into a beautiful woman and one I am so proud to have as a daughter and friend.

There is so much more I would love to say about my darling daughters but time and space do not allow. I am more than thankful for the two of them. They have made my life a joy worth living. They have blessed me beyond measure. They brought two GREAT son-in-laws into my life and they continue to be my friends. I am SO VERY PROUD of them both and what they have made of their lives. There isn't a thing I would change except to maybe have them closer to each other as sisters. I love them both with not only a mother's heart but also the heart of a dear friend.

Have a blessed day.

35th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

I met my husband when I was 16 years old, through a friend. I was sitting at home one night when I got a phone call. Mary was asking me over to play cards as she had a bunch of guys over and needed some girls. I didn't live far so I agreed to go. That night I met Val, my future husband, and I didn't really like him. All he was doing was bragging about the big drunk he had been on. I thought he was a young punk that got a hold of some alcohol and thought he was a big man. Later I found out he had just turned 21 and it was his first big drinking episode.

As a group we went midnight bowling a few times and one night we had a party at my house. I had this old badge on that I had been wearing. It said "Kiss me you Fool." I didn't think anything of it. All of a sudden Val and this other guy had me cornered and the next thing I knew Val was kissing me. I was shocked and confused. Suddenly it dawned on me what had happened and I went running upstairs yelling "Oh no." I was so embarrassed. I didn't want to rejoin the party as I thought that they would think that I was wearing the badge on purpose. (Of course they all do to this day). I finally had to lay down my pride and rejoin the party.

Some time later, I ended up asking Val if he would take me to our prom as I didn't have an escort. He quickly agreed and we sort of became a couple from then after. A few months later we began going steady and he gave me his ring.

I was out of school by then and got my first job in the city. On the weekends I would go to the beach (so I could see Val) and got a part time job there. We spent most days together and after work at night he would pick me up and we would drive around and talk. Come September, we saw each other nearly every night or would talk on the phone. The following April we were engaged and the following March, we were married.

Val was/is a very good looking man with a great body. He used to visit me in 3 piece suits and drove his dad's fancy "Parklane" car. He was always bringing me little gifts and would treat me like a princess. (Little did I know at the time that the gifts were from the crane machines at the beach) We used to talk and talk and he seemed to care about what I had to say. He always treated me very lady like and he was a gentleman at all times.

How quickly things change. You never really know a person till you marry them. Val is still good looking and still has a fairly good body but the rest is all history. The last time I saw him in a suit was for someone's funeral. Gifts are for birthdays and Christmas, although he does buy me the odd snack as a gift every once in awhile.(then complains about my gaining weight) Talking is replaced by the t.v. and then during commercials I can say a word or two - IF the commercial isn't overly interesting. Now the lady like treatment is down to "Hey lady, get me a drink while your up."

I can't really complain. Over the years he's been VERY good to me. We've had some major ups and downs and yet he has stood by me. As far as I know, he has always been faithful to me. He doesn't physically or mentally abuse me. He loves his daughters and has been a good father to them. We agreed when the kids came that I would be a stay at home mom and for all these years I have been, while he continued to work and support our family.

There was a time when I thought I really didn't love Val. I think I married him out of fear of being an "Old Maid". It doesn't matter now as I have grown to love him over the years. He is the boy of my youth, my companion in old age. He is my stability, my stronghold. He is my little irritations, my worry, my concern and yet he is my calm, my comfort, my steadfastness.

He is my husband and I am his wife. Bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh. Not made from the bone of his head to be above him, or from the bones of his feet to be below him, but from the bone in his side to walk along side of him. To be cradled in his arms. To be one with him till death do us part.

We’ve come a long way Val. Happy 35th Wedding Anniversary to you. I love you.

ALIENS, GHOSTS, REINCARNATION.

I just don't understand some people! Some people have loads more faith than I do. They believe in Aliens, Ghosts, and even Angels, yet they have trouble believing in the devil or demons. I don't get it.

From what the Bible says, the devil and God have been at war since the beginning. There was a third of the angels that separated from God and went their own way. These are what we call fallen angels. The Bible says that the fallen angels mated with the human women and some of their offspring were giants. The earth was so filled with these demon children that God had to literally destroy the earth except for a few. Even after he destroyed everyone, a few continued to mate and have giant children because the Bible tells us there were giants after the flood as well.

To me, these fallen angels and the demon children answer to the whole issue of Mythology. The Greeks and Romans saw these fallen angels as ‘gods’ that came from the sky and mated with human women and had offspring.

When these demon children die, their body dies but their spirits live on as they are the spirits from the fallen angels. They are all evil spirits in the sense that they are the progeny of fallen angels, but that doesn’t mean they always do evil things. Some will give prophecies, healing advice in trances or help a physic find a missing person or other seemingly good things. The fact that they are not 100% accurate all the time, shows they are not from God.

These evil spirits are constantly looking for bodies to inhabit because they are kind of caught between two worlds. This answers to the issue of demon possession, ghosts and re-incarnation.

In demon possession, some people open themselves up to possession through various means. Drugs, alcohol, involvement with the occult, invitation etc. In re-incarnation the spirit attaches itself to someone either at birth or at some time later in the person’s life. It sticks with that person at all times through out the persons life. It knows everything about that person - even the most intimate details that no one else would know about. When that person dies, the spirit may remain in the place where the person lived - hence haunting and ghosts or it moves on to another person. If this new person is receptive, the spirit can feed it all the information of the former person down to details that no one else would ever know. This new person thinks they have been re-incarnated.

As for Aliens and UFO, they are really demons or fallen angels in disguise. People have been seeing UFO’s for centuries and yet this so called advanced civilization has always only been one step ahead of mankind. Why have they never made contact with us? Why are they only one step ahead of mankind? If they are from other planets, why not make contact? If they are trying to teach us something, why don’t they make it plainer? If they are just checking in on us, why not be less visible than they are? It is more like they are playing games with us and our minds. When a rash of sittings were spotted over the white house the air force sent out planes to fight these UFO. As soon as the air force was air bourne the UFO disappeared. Then when the air force came back to base, they appeared again. Why the cat and mouse games?

What about UFO abductions? Again I think these are spirits (of the spawn of the fallen angels mating) doing experiments on humans, trying to make a body that they can inhabit, and roam the earth in. Who knows, maybe they are trying to clone people so they can inhabit them with their spirits. Whatever the case, I still find it easier to believe that these are demons or fallen angels, rather than believing that someone travelled billions of miles through space, for centuries, and when they get here, they don’t want anyone to know about it.

I have also considered that maybe Big Foot, Yeti, chukaberra (sp??) Etc. may be the offspring as well and somehow they can appear and disappear at will in our dimension and another dimension. That’s why we never seem to be able to catch them or have any evidence of their existence.

These are my thoughts. Take them or leave them.

Have a Faith Filled Day.

MEMORIES

My grandparent grew up in the dirty thirties. With 18 kids to feed and clothe they were very poor and re-used everything they could. This became a lifelong habit with them. One winter they were living with us in the city. For breakfast we had oatmeal, which was our usual meal. There was quite a bit left over. Sometimes we would eat it the next day for breakfast or throw it out. Well this one day grandma made us our lunch. We came in from school to find she had taken the leftover oatmeal and made little patties out of them and fried them up for us. Needless to say, we all went to school hungry that day and our garbage had a weird meal when grandma wasn't looking.

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One summer my mother decided my sister and I needed a haircut. My sister was only about 5 years old at the time and I was about 8. Mom took us to a hairdresser and the hairdresser began to give us the latest cut. A duck tail haircut. I was o.k. with my hair cut but my sister absolutely hated hers. She ended up wearing this woolen babushka for the rest of the summer. Even at that age she was fashion conscious. The worse part was that she would follow me around where ever I went and I had to explain to people why she was wearing this stupid babushka in the middle of summer. To this day, she very rarely cuts her hair.

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When I was quite young I was not the brightest colour in the box of crayons. One day I ended up falling out of my high chair. I was crying and when my dad came I told him what had happened. He said "How did you do that?" So I proceeded to show him by climbing back up, ready to throw myself down before he stopped me.

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He would buy bubble gum on his way home from work and hide it in his pockets. He used to hang his coat in our bathroom at the time. After supper, he would go into the bathroom to have his daily you know what and would come out and give me bubble gum. When I would ask him where he got it, he would say "I pooped it." I would believe him. Then I would beg him to go poop me some more bubble gum and he would say he didn't have to poop then and would wait till the next night.

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I would believe everything my dad said. Like the time he had me believing I could pee music. I would go into the bathroom to pee and he would whip out his violin and play while I was in the bathroom. Then when I came out he had the violin hidden again. I actually believed I was peeing music.

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One of my most embarrassing moments happened after I gave birth to my last daughter. I was determined to breast feed as I hadn't with my first born. So I was breast feeding. I guess I hadn't prepared myself right for this as my nipples were extremely sore and cracking. The nurses said we could put tea bags on our breasts to help the pain. That morning I ordered tea for breakfast. After the tea bags had cooled I placed one tea bag on my left breast and one on my right breast. There I was laying naked from the waist up letting my boobs have their morning tea. I had the curtain drawn so no one could see. In walks the doctor and with a look of shock on his face he says "Oops pardon me." and backs out of the opening. Then when I got myself together he came back in. It was only later that it struck me that I could put the tea bags IN MY BRA to ease the pain. The look on the doctors face - Priceless. My embarrassment after I realized - extreme and funny.

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Have a very memorable day.

THOUGHTS ON FORGETTING

I enjoy writing. I don't do it well but I still enjoy it. I'm not a great writer like some but I think I can get my thoughts on paper as well as the next guy. I have a head full of knowledge and no where to share it. That is sad. All these years of studying and learning and reading and living to get wiser and where does it get you? At an age where you begin to forget mostly everything. Old Age - is it a curse or blessing?

Young people look at us and think we've lost all our marbles because we are old now. They don't seem to realize that inside us is still a young vibrant person wanting to do all the things they do only our bodies wouldn't let us. Anyway, I don't really want to talk about old age today.

So what do I want to talk about? Hmmm, let me see. I just like to write whatever comes into my head. If I can catch it before I forget it, you might have something interesting to read. Talking of forgetting, my 25 year old daughter complains that she keeps forgetting things. It is so bad that she was talking about it with her boss the other day. She said something like, "I keep forgetting things. My memory is as bad as, what were we talking about again?" That's about it too for me.

This has literally happened to me. I go into the kitchen to get a drink. When I get there I think I wanted to go to the bathroom so I go and then go back to the living room and sit down in front of the t.v. Oops, I forgot the drink. Get up, back to the kitchen, humm, what was I there for. Straighten a few things up, back to the living room. Sit down. A few mins. pass and oops, forgot the drink. Back to the kitchen. get a snack. Back to the living room. I have done this up to four and five times before I finally get what I originally wanted. I'm tempted to wear a notepad or a tape recorder around my neck but I would probably forget to use them or put them on. It becomes kind of funny after awhile. Most of the time now, I wait for my husband to get up and get him to get it for me as his memory is still great.

I guess there are many types of forgetfulness. There is the kind my daughter has when she gets over stressed at something. Then there is the kind you get when you just have too many things going on at once. Then there is the old age type, the menopause type and then Alzheimers or as we like to call it part timers or old timers. Oh yeah, I forgot the teenager type. That's when you ask them to do something and they say "I forgot." They seem to get that kind for quite a few years and it seems to only happen in certain situations.

One time I called the doctor about something and when she asked for my phone number I went totally blank. I began crying and said "I can't remember." She said it was o.k. they would look it up but I was so upset about it. I must have been under a lot of stress that day and just went blank but I was so afraid I was getting Alzheimers and didn't even think of stress.

With all this forgetfulness, I forgot what I was originally going to write about. Next time.

Have an unforgettable day.

FAVORITE THINGS.

Today is a down day. Two of my blog buddies are gone so I don't have them to read anymore and that makes me sad. A friend of mine found out bad news about her husband. He is dying and there isn't much the doctor's can do about it. He has heart problems and his arteries are so blocked and damaged that they can't even do a by-pass on them. If that wasn't enough, they found out that his neice was killed this weekend in a car accident. Her emotions right now are a wreck and when she is upset - it upsets me as well. Please pray for Tilly and Pete when you think of it.

Mary Poppins says: "When I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things....and then I don't feel so bad." So maybe I will give it a try. These are some of my favorite things.

• Touching a baby all over - they are so soft.
• A soft rain on a partially sunny warm day where you can run through the puddles barefoot.
• The smell of home made bread baking.
• A really good t.v. show that stirs you to laugh out loud or cry uncontrollably.
• Getting a parcel in the mail that you didn't expect. (Especially if it is loaded with craft supplies)
• Spring time when the bugs haven't really started yet but the flowers are coming up.
• Hoar frost on everything when you first wake up in the morning.
• My girls calling or visiting.
• Unexpected company when my house is clean.
• Crafting, sewing, painting, stitching, etc.
• Watching fireworks in a bug free environment.
• The wind gently blowing through my hair.
• Standing under a shower and just enjoying the nice warm water.
• Getting a parcel in the mail that you didn't expect. (Especially if it is loaded with craft supplies)
• A special cup of tea in fancy china.
• A good mystery to solve.
• Doing things that no one knows about.(like sending flowers annonymously)
• Playing good humoured practical jokes on family members.
• Surprising people.
• A good in depth discussion.
• Having my mother make my favorite meal.
• Going for long rides through bush type country.
• Getting a parcel in the mail that you didn't expect. (Especially if it is loaded with craft supplies)
• Looking at the stars outside of the city on a clear night. Wow.
• Looking at a mountain. (we live in the prairies)
• Snuggling under nice warm blankets on a cold night.
• Walking hand in hand with my husband.
• Getting unexpected money from somewhere.
• Finding a great bargain.
• Going to do a discusting job only to find someone else has done it for you already.
• Losing weight unexpectedly.
• Did I mention getting a parcel in the mail that you didn't expect. (Especially if it is loaded with craft supplies)?

Well, those are some of my favorite things and they really don't cost a lot. Why is it that people think we need all these big fancy things to be happy. It is the little things in life that make us the happiest.

To all reading today, have a Supercallafragilisticexpealidotious day and list some of your favorite things.

HAVE A COKE FREE DAY.

Yesterday I went into the city. I live out of town so I don't get into the city very often. I leave early in the morning with my husband, get dropped off at either my mom's or my daughter's and then spend the day at their house. Quite often I meet my best friend for lunch when I am in as well. When I come home in the evenings I feel like I have been gone for about a week.

Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment. For a change I got good news. I found I lost 12 pounds without really even trying. (I need to get my weight down as my blood pressure is so high.) Last month I lost 3 and 1/2 pounds. I found out that just by not drinking any kind of pop any more, I am losing weight. The doctor said being hooked on pop can be worse than being hooked on smoking. Can you believe that? I can.

You see, I have been a coke addict for most of my life. Ever since I could afford pop, out I would run and buy it. First thing in the morning there is nothing like having a coke to cut through jungle mouth. Ummmm Coke. It's the refreshingest.

I used to drink regular coke till I started gaining weight. Then for some reason, I thought diet coke would help. It didn't. Then I thought caffeeine free would help. It didn't. But I kept drinking it anyway. I ended up with some disease called Peripheral Neuropothy. It is where all your peripheral nerves start to die. They never told me that coke could possible be causing it. They thought it was from Alcohol and I kept trying to tell the doctor's that I didn't drink alcohol but they didn't believe me. So now I have barely any feelings in my legs or feet. Since then I changed doctors.

The latest thing that finally got through to me was when I found out my kidneys are starting to go. Doctor said no pop, no coffee, no juice, nothing but water. I found that a little harsh to do all at once so I cut back. I drink only 2 cups of coffee in the morning, kool-aid made with artificial sweetner, loads of water and a coke on the weekends or when I go into the city. Sort of like a treat. I look forward to the weekends and my treat now and I'm losing all this weight to boot. Yipee!

One question the doctor asked me that made sense is "Have you ever seen anyone that drinks diet pop that has lost weight?" To tell you the truth, I haven't. Most people I know that drink alot of pop have gained weight. Pop has alot of salt in it and it causes you to retain water. If you must drink pop, then by all means drink loads of water to wash the salt out of your system. At the very least double the water for the pop intake.

I think that is all I will say on this blog. Have a coke free day.