Every year I say that time flies faster every year and 2009 has not been an exception. It seems as if it was yesterday that everyone was wondering what 2009 would bring. It wasn't the greatest year for us. There were a lot of deaths in our family and in the family of our friends. Some were not unexpected. My mother was 96 and we knew that she would not live much longer but it is always a shock when you lose a parent. A lot of our friends also lost a parent and there were also some sudden and unexpected deaths. Two of the deaths were very young people. I sent more sympathy cards out this year than in the rest of my life total.

This was also a year when many of our friends developed cancer. This disease still has the power to strike dread into the hearts of those diagnosed and the ones who love them. Another awful disease is Alzheimer's. We have four friends and two cousins living with this and it is awful. The disease robs you of your memory and the connection you have with friends and family.

On the positive side, we took my sister out to Calgary to visit our grandchildren and the Rockies. This was a real treat since we had been out west in 2008 and usually can't go every year.

We also had some awesome landscaping done in the backyard. Although actually GETTING it done was frustrating, the final product was lovely and should get better every year.

Despite a car accident and having to move unexpectedly, my daughter went back to school and completed the first semester of an 911 emergency response course.

What are my hopes for 2010?

Well, first I would like to do more reading and writing and spend less time on Face Book.

I would like to be more proactive in my community. There are many needs all around and although we do help out now, I think there is more that we can do.

I also want to pursue a new ministry at our church. One of the groups I am involved in has been very challenging this year. I need to talk to one of the "leaders" and see just what is going on. She seems to discount all my ideas and seems to be angry (in a very subdued way) with me all the time. I may be wrong but I feel there is something wrong between us although I have no idea what it could be. If we can't work this out. I may need to move on. I have already put out feelers for a new ministry with a couple of our pastors and they seem to be supportive.

I would like to publish some of my stories, poems and devotions in book form. I know I would have to self-publish but I really want to pursue this idea.

I also am going to work on developing better ways of reacting to events that annoy me. I realize the world does not revolve around me and my needs but sometimes when I am tired or in a lot of pain, I do not react well to unexpected challenges and disappointments.

I guess that's enough food for thought for me!

Christmas Gifts

My overall favourite gift this Christmas was from my husband. He arranged to have this loveseat and chair recovered for me. This is the "Before" shot.

I bought this set several years ago and we moved it to this new house about 8 years ago. I love it. It is very comfortable and I sit on the loveseat every day and watch TV, read or do writing.

The arm on the left side of the seat where I sit was wearing very badly. In fact, the stuffing was beginning to come out of it so it was time to either replace the cushions or buy a new set.

I really didn't want to replace the whole set so we looked for an upholsterer. We found a great one down here who was able to get almost exactly the same patterned material. I hope that the "After" shot appears at the end of this blog so you can see what a close match it is. I really liked the original material and was thrilled that we would not have to repaint the room a different colour or replace the carpet.

The new material has been discontinued but he was able to get just enough fabric to do the job and he did great work. He even was able to replace the material on the little stool.

Christmas memories

Tina wrote about her favourite memories so I thought I would add a few of mine here too.

My dad was the greatest fan of Christmas. Every new invention that came out, he would have. I remember the pink tree, and the blue tree and the white tree. These were not plastic but spray painted. To a youngster like me they were magical. Then he got some candle lights that had liquid in them and bubbles would rise up when they got warm.

Mother knew how to celebrate Christmas, too. We would often have 20 or more people to dinner. She would start in November making her Christmas cakes and puddings. Not many of us really liked Christmas pudding but she would wrap coins in waxed paper before cooking them and so, there was added incentive for us to actually eat some. She made the best shortbread cookies I have ever tasted and I am not the only one. Many people recalled eating these treasures when she died this year. She also made hermits and rum balls and ice box cookies. The turkey was stuffed with sausage dressing which I loved. I remember when I was 4 or 5 telling my aunt that Mother's dressing was MUCH better than her bread stuffing. My poor mother nearly crawled under the table in embarrassment but I was only telling the truth.

Mother was also the very best at filling our stockings. I don't know where she got the stuff she put in them but many years opening our stockings was the best part of the day.

I remember when Jennifer was 2 and my mother-in-law had bought her a teaset for Christmas. Unfortunately Jennifer opened a teaset from a dear neighbour first and wouldn't open any other presents because she wanted to play with it. It was my turn to be embarrassed.

I remember when Jonathan was 6 months old, we bought him a stuffed bear that was bigger than he was. I still have that picture somewhere.

I also remember my husband and mother-in-law staying up until all hours of the night trying to put toys and a huge playhouse together.

I remember the year when it rained so hard for so long that the power went out while the turkey was in the oven. Fortunately it came back on it time to cook the bird OK.

Christmas should always be about making precious family memories. If you are able to be with family this year. appreciate them. As we have found out, they will not be around forever and you will miss them.

Food for thought . . .

Where are you?

I seem to have lost all your blogs. My page says I am not following anyone. Blah!

Last Blog

I think this will be my last blog on this site. I really enjoyed blogging on Yahoo 360* and when everyone left that, I did mostly lose interest. I don't find this site as user friendly and there are few who read or comment on what I write so I think the time has come to move on.

Pretty much everyone on here is on Face Book and it has a "Notes" section that is much the same as a blogging site so I think I will use that to communicate for a while at least.

Hope we can still keep in touch.

Autumn 2009

Autumn colour in Southern Ontario doesn't get much better than this and this tree is located right outside my front door. We have, in my opinion, the loveliest tree on the block. The fall colours have been a bit muted this year but little rivals the Canadian maple tree for spectacular hues of orange, red, yellow and brown.

The pumpkin producers have been complaining that there might not be enough pumpkins to go around for Hallowe'en. Apparently our cool, wet summer made for a poor harvest. You couldn't prove it by us though. I took this picture this morning at our local grocery store and the display was easily twice as big when I walked by on Friday. Somehow I don't think we are going to run out.

The big controversy this month has been about the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 (also known as the swine ) flu shot. The strain of both is supposed to be mild this year and I guess that's why some people are not getting either. I would ask you to think again about this if you have decided not to get either.

My husband and I managed to pick up a flu bug when we were away for the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. We probably had the 24 hour variety but we were sick enough and the lack of energy lasted for over a week after the flu symptoms went away. I am not so much concerned about me, although I don't want to get sick, but I am concerned about the people I come in contact with. I might escape with a mild does of the flu but it might be fatal for someone else.

I believe that the more people get both flu shots, the less people will end up in the hospital or just miserably sick at home. If you're afraid of needles, take a deep breath and close your eyes. The prick is hardly worth worrying about. And, an added bonus is that they're FREE!

Food for thought . . . 

Autumn

I call this the last rose of summer although it really is an aster and and I took this picture in October. It is unusual because most autumn flowers tend to be purple or orange or yellow. We've had this in our front yard for several years now. It is very hardy and has green leaves all summer and these lovely red flowers in the fall. A nice splash of colour.

The leaves in S. Ontario have started to change although around here only about 30 % of the leaves are turning from green on any given tree.

We are going to take a short holiday and drive to eastern Ontario for a few days. We are hoping to take some pictures of the lovely fall colours although the weather doesn't look too promising at the moment. There is a lot of rain in the forecast. Ah well . . . there are always malls to explore.  

It is going to be very cool so I have decided to give in and take my winter coat although I really resent wearing it before November. Needs must, I suppose!

Well, fall is certainly here. Today is very cool and the strong wind has the bite of winter in it. There is always something a bit sad about fall in Canada, I think, at least for me. I love the fall flowers. The top two pictures are two of four types of asters that are blooming at the moment. Then there is one of three butterfly bushes. One is the same purple and the other is pink. They do seem to attract at least one butterfly, so I am pleased about that.  The cosmos in the background of the fourth picture are almost 6 feet tall. I guess that's the difference when you grow things from seed. The nursery-grown plants are only about a foot tall at best. The sedum is a very hardy plant and the two I have come up faithfully year after year with no fuss.

The sadness comes in because the rest of the garden is dying. We have harvested most of the vegetables and the fruits are finished. In fact, the garden looks a bit tired.

It doesn't help that the daylight hours are fewer and fewer and I really don't like getting up when it is still dark. When I put the light on early in the morning, it is a real shock to my system.

So, it is time to put away all my summer clothes and get out the heavier, warmer outfits. That's not such a bad thing as I like a lot of my winter outfits and my summer ones will have a rest until they are needed again hopefully in April or May at the latest.

The good thing is that even though many plants are hibernating for the winter, I know that next spring they will be back - or at least many of them -  and their colours will be a welcome sight after the white and grey winter.

Ted Kennedy's funeral is on television right now but I can't watch it. This has been such a sad year with so many deaths that I thought I would just write about him from a Canadian perspective.

I have always thought of the Kennedy brothers as being part of my generation but actually they were more my mother's generation. Ted was the youngest brother and was only 36 when Robert, his last surviving brother was killed. The Kennedys had and have wealth beyond the dreams of most of the rest of us. After Robert's murder, it would have been quite understandable for Ted to take that wealth and live behind barred gates in seclusion for the rest of his life. He could have become very self-indulgent like Howard Hughes or Michael Jackson. For a time, he did live a very wild life-style but soon found out that this was not the way he wanted to be remembered.

Perhaps because of his three children and his innumerable nieces and nephews, he decided that drinking to excess and womanizing was not the best example to set so he really settled down to make a positive impact on his generation.

He was called the "liberal lion" by some and, even when the far right held power in the US, he was not afraid to push for reform in the areas of women's rights and policies to help the poor. This did not make him very popular with some but I felt he was courageous and determined to make life better for those who had little or no influence to speak for themselves.

Ted Kennedy was surely a flawed hero. No-one who lived through the 1960s will ever forget the tragedy of Chappaquiddick and the death of a beautiful young woman. I feel this is the main reason that he would never have become president of the US. Nonetheless, instead of becoming bitter, he turned to a different path of trying to make life better for those who face more challenges than he did.

From a Canadian point of view, this man was larger than life: larger than his wealth and power and the world is poorer without him.

Food for thought . . .

Musings on a Summer Day

These images are in reverse order. I cannot figure out how to put them right so you'll have to pretend. They do tell the story of our adventure the last couple of weeks.

Many of you know our daughter, Jennifer, and the red car shows what happened when she was hit by a dump truck. God was gracious to her and she managed to escape with just a few bruises - no concussion, no broken bones, no open cuts. I am very thankful to two young Chinese women who stopped when they saw the accident and called me twice on their cell phone to let me know what was going on. They are truly good Samaritans.

The car is a total write-off. It was a very faithful member of our family for 15 years. Jennifer had it for about a year but before that, it was Dad's. Our Toyota dealer was able to find her a low mileage (24,000 km - about 10,000 miles), two year-old  Yaris that you see in the top picture. It is a standard which is what J. wanted and very well looked after. Hopefully it will serve her well for 10 or more years.

Dad has to have minor surgery on one of his toes on Thursday. I have to drive him to his former doctor in Newmarket since this has happened before with another toe and he feels very comfortable with him. On Friday, he has to go to the dentist. He broke off a piece of one of his front teeth. Our summer has been one exciting round of medical appointments. I am glad, however, that this kind of care is readily available to us.

There were a couple of interesting articles in today's paper. One was about a small town about 2 1/2 hours drive away from us called Smith Falls. Smith Falls is near Ottawa but was more famous for its Hershey factory. We used to go there two or three times a year to stock up on their very fresh chocolate products. Even though the factory made a profit and had been there for 46 years, the main office in the States decided they could make more money elsewhere so they moved this operation to Mexico and the States.  Smith Falls is a lovely little town so I hope it can survive this blow.

The other article concerned our army. Now, Canada has a VERY small army and with the war in Afghanistan, we are pretty much stretched to the limit. We have small numbers of soldiers serving elsewhere as well in a peacekeeping role but with the Olympics in British Columbia in 2010 and the G8 conference of world leaders in Ontario in the summer of 2010, the government is afraid that our army will be too small to handle everything. Instead of training new soldiers and thus supplying employment during this recession, it has decided to send civilians and retired soldiers to take on some of the less dangerous jobs the army is doing now. Not my idea of a great solution but they didn't ask me.

Well, I guess that's enough for now.

A Moment Away

This week we were again reminded that at any moment we are just a breath away from eternity.

This is how Jennifer's car looked after being whacked by a dump truck. There are so many "what if's" that go through my mind. If the truck had hit the driver's side of the car, Jennifer would probably have been killed. This is a very old car - 15 years old and had no airbags. The good thing is that the older cars are generally well-built and that saved Jennifer from much worse injury.

She had no broken bones, no cuts, no chipped teeth. She has a lot of bruises and stiffness and a very sore neck but no concussion.

As I said before, this crisis reminds us that at any second we can be catapulted into eternity. How prepared are we?

Am I, are you ready to meet our Maker?

Visiting the Past

I promised an update on our short vacation last week. We went to a resort in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario for three days. The resort was on a pretty lake called Balsam Lake and was lovely. I felt a little sorry for the owners of the resort because there were only abut 7 couples/families there and only about a quarter of the units were filled. 

The food was excellent. Because the owners were Chinese, they cooked an authentic Chinese dinner for us one night and it was delicious. I gained 2 pounds in 3 days and my husband gained 4 and no wonder. Our unit had a jacuzzi which I loved and used all 3 nights. It really helps the inflamed tendons in my right heel and my arthritis. Our suite also had a sauna but it was too warm to use this.

The weather was perfect for the time we were there and this was unusual for this summer when rain every day or so has been the norm.

We went on day trips in the area while we were there. We tried to find a cousin of mine in one town but were unsuccessful. On the second day we went to another small town to look for a cottage that I last saw about 55 years ago. My memories of this cottage were very strong and I felt I could find it if it was still there. 

The first person I described the location to owned a business in town. You would think she would know the area pretty well. She did give us directions which  we followed successfully to a degree. I knew this cottage was on the north side of a long stone pier that went out into the lake. The frustration came when I could see the pier but couldn't find a way to it.

After dipsy doodling around, we came upon a restaurant and stopped there. The first person we met walking his dog, didn't live in the area so we went into the building. We talked to a rather rough looking couple. The fellow looked and talked like a tough motorcycle guy - the kind you wouldn't take home to mother and someone I probably would have avoided under different circumstances.

After some discussion between the two of them, the fellow drew us a very crude map which involved us driving back the way we had come. If we had had anything better to do, we probably would have given up at this point but "in for a penny, in for a pound".

We went back and turned north on the highway and although, we didn't find the church we were told to look for and  followed a sign which told us we were going the right way but were not, we actually found the right road.

The cottage was right where I thought it was. The reason the first directions did not work out and would not have taken us there, was that the swing bridge that was on the way to the cottage was not in service. It was being repaired and if we had followed the first set of directions we would never have gotten to the cottage at all. (You would think the business owner would have known that, wouldn't you?)

The picture above shows the cottage. It was a bit of a disappointment, actually. It was much smaller than I remembered. The original cottage was red and white and was in better condition. I was surprised that some of the wood on the front was rotting and the grey paint really needed to be redone. However, although you can't relive the past, I was glad to have found the place I remembered and had many pleasant memories of.

Summertime

It's difficult to believe that this is the first of August already. Half of the summer is over. The weather here has been cooler and wetter than many summers of the recent past but I am not complaining. I do not cope well with the hot, humid, hazy stuff and we have saved a lot of money with not having to water every day.

I took this picture of a rainbow a couple of weeks ago. We had not actually had rain that day but obviously it was all around  us. I wonder what it is about rainbows that are so special to a lot of us? I think that part of it is that we don't see many rainbows. In my life I may have seen a total of 6 or so and that's not a lot considering how much rain I've seen.

The Bible tells us that the first rainbow was given by God to Noah as a sign that He would never again destroy the world with a flood. The Bible talks about a new heaven and new earth but the floods will not cover the earth and destroy everything as they did in Noah's day. In other words, we should not need to build an ark any time soon.

The last two weeks have been interesting. We went away for a three day vacation to a resort. The place we chose was lovely and very quiet. . The food was delicious . The owners were Chinese and one night we had an authentic Chinese dinner - so good. I put on two pounds in 3 days so it's a good thing we didn't stay longer. More about this trip in another blog.

This week we went to a local funeral home and arranged to pay for our funerals. That was fun - and expensive. We didn't want our children to worry about the expense when we die and the charges for services are not going to increase over time. They are locked in at today's prices which are high enough, believe me. Some people are freaked out with the thought of their own death and by the thought of actually planning for it but we aren't. It's just part of life and dealing with the inevitable is no different than planning a vacation, in my opinion.

This week I have my annual medical check-up and that is more daunting to me than planning my funeral. I don't like pain of any kind!

Yesterday I drove a lady in town to her dentist for Community Care. I was so impressed with this lady. She is a widow and lives in her own home where she looks after everything except the outside work. She told me she had finally found someone who could tell the difference between a weed and a plant worth keeping. This lady told me she was 93 and would be 94 in October.  I found that difficult to believe. She was very mobile although she did have a cane and she managed to go up a long flight of stairs to get to her dentist. She was also very sharp mentally. Not everyone her age is so fortunate.

The backyard landscaping is finally finished and looks good except that there are not many bushes. When you live in the boonies as we do, it's difficult to find bushes and shrubs at this time of year. Most of the planting will have to wait until next spring. Our veggie/fruit garden is not too bad although the landscaper tried his best to eliminate it. We've had beets and onions and strawberries and rhubarb and one cucumber. Nothing like fresh from the garden food. The tomatoes are coming although they are a bit later because of the cooler weather.

I guess that's enough for now!

Friends

I have been thinking a great deal about friendship the past few days. Many of you know Giz. I was sorry to read a post on her Face Book page where she talked about being "dumped" by someone she had known for eight years. While this is painful at any age, it seems to hurt more as you get older.

There have been two incidences in my own life this year where I, too, have been "dumped". One is by a member of my own family. With no explanation or warning or reason that I know of, one of our family members has just cut off contact with us. And not only with us. She does not seem to be in touch with anyone in our family. This is a distressing mystery.

The other instance involves friends who we have known for more than 20 years. They had their first grandchild this February and they emailed us when the baby was born. I sent their children a baby gift but I have not heard a word from them since. I expected to hear from them when my mother died but nothing even though we have tried to be supportive and encouraging to them over the years when they have had family tragedies. I sent them a card for their anniversary as is our custom but there has been no response at all. 

I admit that I do not understand this kind of behaviour at all. Some people say that some friendships are only for a season and we should be ready to let go when interest lags. When there is mutual disinterest, I agree that you just move on with your life. I do think, however, that it is only common courtesy to bring some kind of closure to a relationship that last lasted for years. It would be nice, in my case, to get some kind of explanation to the sudden silence because I am tending to treat both these situations as a rejection of me and that may or may not be true.

 The picture with this blog was taken on Saturday. For my birthday, I asked these two couples to meet us for a celebration lunch. We have all known each other for 20 plus years and try to have brunch or lunch every couple of months or so. We had a great time although this year has not been an easy one. Both our male friends have had health problems this past year and all three of the women have lost a parent recently. 

The kind of friendship we share has been a support through some tough times although we do have to work at staying in touch since we live a fair distance away from each other.

Food for thought . . . 

Dealing with Disappointment

I have had some time to think about why I am so upset about the mess in my backyard.  After all, the Queen is not coming to tea any time soon and there is really no pressing reason to have this work done by any given date although I do want to get some plants in the ground while the weather is good. I was so angry on Thursday and I have been trying to control my anger in recent years and have largely been successful until this week. 

There are three reasons for my over-reaction, I think.

The first is that I do get upset when people say they are going to do something and then don't do it. My mother-in-law used to tell Jennifer when she was just a little girl that she would do such and such with her and something would always come up and she didn't carry through on her promises. Although Jennifer was young she was aware that this wasn't right and I was sorry that she had to be so disappointed and hurt at such a young age. I finally had to tell my mother-in-law not to make promises unless she was going to keep them.

The landscaper also built our house and although he and his men do very good work, he never seems to do what he says he will do when he says he will do it. I knew this going in and it shouldn't have bothered me but it does. It is the same as lying to me and I can't abide people who consistently lie.

The second reason is that this is costing us thousands of dollars. This may not be a huge sum to the landscaper who just sold his house for 2 million dollars or so but it is a whole lot to me. We will no doubt get it back when we sell the house (if the work is ever finished, of course) but it is a lot of money. The money was left to me by my mother and I know that part of the anger was at myself. I feel guilty that somehow I am wasting the money that Mother worked so hard for and left to me.

The last reason is that in Canada our summers are so short and ours is quickly moving on. I wanted to be able to enjoy this new space this year. Instead I am looking at a bomb site and even though I asked him to be careful with the established plants, many of them will never survive his disregard for what's already there. I took this picture the first day any work was done and it looks just the same or maybe a little worse today - more than a week later.

The Bible tells us to be careful not to let a bitter root grow in our relationships. I know from sad experience how easily this can happen so I am trying to pray this through so that this man will see a godly example in my reactions to him. Living a Christian life was never supposed to be easy but does it have to be so difficult?

Canada Day

Today, July 1, is Canada Day. it used to be called "Dominion Day" The dominion of Canada stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean. This was a Biblical reference which did not sit well with some of our rulers so we now have Canada Day. 

Our country is 142 years old. I know this is young when compared with other countries in the world but something to celebrate nonetheless.

Canada is a huge country and we are reminded of this every time we drove out to Calgary to see our children. We have driven right to the west coast in British Columbia but, for some reason, we have never been to the Atlantic Ocean yet. Perhaps next year. Just because of its diversity, it has to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

We have many strengths. We are not perfect but we try very hard to be accepting of people from all walks of life. We do have racism here but it is muted and truly anyone can become whatever they are suited for if they have determination and grit.

Our medicare is among the best in the world. Yes, we do have long wait times for some procedures but at least you do not have to go bankrupt when you become ill or old. 

We have our fair share of scoundrels but generally as a country, we are very compassionate and caring when tragedy hits. Many people I know have "adopted" youngsters overseas to try to give them a better life.

We have not treated our aboriginal people at all well and this is our country's biggest shame. There are those who are working very hard to correct this. Throwing money at a situation is not always the best answer but using funds to improve basic living conditions is just a start.

We have a great deal of freedom in this country as well. You can worship, vote, work and play as you wish as long as you follow the laws of the land - which are very liberal -  and respect other people.

There is no place on earth that I would rather live and that's the highest praise I can give.

Happy Birthday, my beloved country!

Holidays

We just returned from a trip to western Canada to visit our children and grandchildren. we were only there for a week and that wasn't nearly enough time to get to know the "grands" and I didn't really have any time to talk to my son. We live so far away and telephone conversations are never really satisfying. The bonus is that we were out last year and this trip was rather unexpected. My sister suggested that we go and this was a major surprise since we had never vacationed together before. The trip was not an unqualified success. My sister is ten years older than I am and she has trouble walking - mostly because, I suspect, she does so little of it. She also tends to be rather negative and each day had a litany of complaints about everything from the hotel to the plane trip to, well . . . you get the picture. The only things she didn't complain about were the kids and grandkids. The object of the trip was that she would have something to remember and I guess we succeeded there!

Before we left we made reservations to go to a resort for three days in July and I have been feeling a little guilty about spending more money on another holiday this year. I don't want to be frivolous with our money but today on my walk I gave myself a reality check.

This has been a rather sad year for me. It seems that every week or so, I hear about another death. Mother died on march 20, 2009 but even before that, there were several deaths - either at the church or friends or in the family of friends or friends of friends or neighbours. It has continued non stop. Since we were away there has been three deaths of people we know. I know that this is partially because of my age but at times a feeling of sadness just overwhelms me.

Then we decided to have the backyard landscaped. We are having the grass ripped out and walkways and gardens put in. the work was supposed to start on June 1 but it is almost July 1 and the work is nowhere near finished. Barely begun, in fact. If the "boss" could actually get some men here for a day or two, the work might be done by now but there has been one guy working a few hours a day and the work is taking forever, He has also destroyed far more of the established gardens than I thought he should and, at times, I am close to tears about the plants being decimated.

So - - - I think that another holiday is not only desired but needed. As I look back on the past 40 years of our marriage, I realized that there were many years when we took no holidays at all because we simply couldn't afford to. The last time we went to a resort was when the kids were very little. Now that we are able to go away, I am determined not to feel guilty about some rest and relaxation that is sorely needed. If we were to stay home, there would always be something to do and so it's better to actually leave!

Heroes

#1

Canadian football players were in a bus driving home from a game in Indiana when an SUV swerved into their lane and crashed into them and burst into flames. One of the players rushed to the SUV and managed to rescue a brother and sister from the vehicle although their mother could not be saved. The team may have lost their game 32-0 but in the "game of life" they are heroes.

#2

I don't know Jerry very well. He is an older gentleman who lives at the top of our street. He moved in a year or two ago. My husband and I see him out on his walk every few days. He usually has a cane but walks very briskly as if heading on a great adventure. He is very cheerful and upbeat when we chat.

Yesterday when I met him, he was using a walker but he was still walking quickly and was quite cheerful about our summer weather.

I don't know what physical challenges he is facing but our world would be a much better place if we all could face each day as if we were going on an exciting adventure that we were looking forward to!

Food for thought. . .

Even though I have only flown four times, I really love being up in an airplane. In this photo you can see the quadrants of Ontario properties.  We had a great flight both to and from Alberta and I would recommend WestJet to everyone. They make flying so easy for even novices like we are.

My sister went with us and it was a bit of a challenge traveling with her from time to time. She is ten years older than I am - coming up to her 75th birthday - and has lived on her own for about 50 years and is very used to doing things her own way. She complained about just about everything except our children and grandchildren! She wasn't horrible and I was glad we had been able to give her this trip of a life time but I don't think we'll be traveling together again any time soon. Jim was wonderful and I couldn't have managed without him. Doreen is having major problems walking. Something is definitely wrong with her legs and I am hoping that she is able to get an MRI in July as scheduled despite the isotope scarcity.

The weather really cooperated. We only had rain in the evenings and over night and we really didn't care about that. It wasn't too hot either which was a bonus for me.

The mountains are as lovely as ever and haven't moved! A week really wasn't long enough but since we weren't expecting to visit this year at all. I am grateful for the time we did have.

My grandchildren are wonderful. Of course, every grandparent says that but, in this case , it is true! ;-)  Aidan (5) is bright and very sharp which will probably get him into trouble in school but he'll learn. At his swimming lesson, he always wanted to be the first one to do what the instructor asked but he didn't make a fuss when she chose someone else to go first.

Emma (2) is at the "parrot stage" and one has to be careful what one says around her. She walked miles at Heritage Park and never complained or whined. It takes her a while to warm up to people but then she is quite comfortable.

I guess that's enough of a report for today.

Walking the walk

I walk every day, including Sundays and holidays :-). My 30 - 40 minute walk basically follows the same route every day. The only difference is when the kids are on their way to school. I try to change my route on these days so that I avoid being run over by bicycles, skateboards and scooters. Even this change is fairly minor and it might seem that this would be boring walking the same way every day.

I find my walks anything but boring. There is always something different going on even in a small town.  Each day I meet different people. I notice that there are a lot less people who walk in the winter. (And I thought Canadians were tough. Hah!) Most of the people I meet in the inclement weather have dogs. Obviously you have to walk the family pooch regardless of the weather. I have become very friendly with many dog owners and know their dogs' names even if I don't know the owner's name.

I also find it interesting noticing houses that go up for sale. In the past year, there have been several houses that have not been sold due to the poor economy. Still others have been for sale for many months. Only one or two have been sold although this is a good neighbourhood.

The other thing I enjoy on my walks is the landscaping of houses I pass. Aside from the mess that dandelions leave after their cheerful yellow flowers disappear, there are a lot of beautiful trees, plants and shrubs in town. The flowering trees - apple, crab and cherry - were particularly lovely. This spring has been cooler and wetter than many we have had lately and the colours of plants have been wonderful. We just finished with lilacs and now the bridal wreath shrubs are in full bloom. Some homes use these as hedges and the white blooms cascade all along the property line.

Many of my neighbours expect me to pass them on my walk and it's interesting when I miss a day or two to be asked if I was sick! Only in a small town would strangers care about your well-being.

I love living within walking distance of a grocery store, bank, garden centre and dollar store. I enjoy being able to make small purchases without getting in the car and using gas which is getting more and more expensive these days.

Walking is supposed to be good for your health. I sure hope so. I am at the very least getting some vitamin D!

This is a little flower called "Snow Cap". It seemed to appear for the first time last spring. I must have planted it the year before but couldn't remember and had no idea of its name. When it came up again this spring, I really wanted to get more but the plant selection down here is less than ideal and , of course, I still didn't know what it was called.

Low and behold, I walked into one of our garden centres last week and they had several containers with young plants there. I bought four to put in some small beds on the south side of the house. Now, if only they all survive the landscaping upheaval!

I haven't blogged here for a while mostly because I get so little feedback. I am ashamed to say that I need far more positive reinforcement than I should at my age. I do communicate with many of you on Face Book and really enjoy that site. If only they would stop making changes!

Mother's Day was very painful. I woke up on Sunday seething with resentment. Not only have I lost my mother and mother-in-law recently but I had no children or grandchildren within hugging distance. Church was difficult since the sermon was all about how wonderful mothers are. I certainly didn't feel wonderful in any sense and I just wished the minister would stop talking. Not the greatest attitude for the Sunday morning service. I called my sister and she was having a rough day as well. She couldn't make herself go to church because she knew the buzz would all be about the "day". She was perhaps wiser to stay home.

Yesterday and today have been much better. After all, I have 360 plus days before this comes around again. I have hated Mother's Day for years. I feel it is a phony celebration and full of hypocrisy  but have never been as down as this year. Perhaps next year will be better.

I have been asked to speak at our church's annual women's banquet in June. I am pretty excited about this. I love public speaking and haven't really done any since we've moved down here. I have named my talk "A Tale Worth Telling". I want to talk about the importance of leaving a written record or journal for our grandchildren and great grandchildren. I am reading a  book right now where the main character is reading a journal written by her great-great-great aunt and it is fascinating. I do wish some of my "greats" had left a written legacy. So many stories have been lost. I think this is especially important for Christians to do. We should be recording the evidences of God's grace and provision in our lives.

I guess that's enough for today. The fingers on my right hand are sore again. This condition - whatever it is - has been going on since December. I thought it was going to clear up when it wasn't as bad for a month or so but it seems just as bad right now as it ever was. It does make typing rather awkward.

Spring is my favourite time of the year - cool temperatures, sun, green lush foliage and not many bugs. Hope you are enjoying your spring whatever the weather!

Colds - Blah!

I was just telling Trish the other day that I hadn't had a cold for about 10 years and guess what? On Wednesday I came down with a nasty little one. It is not the worst cold I have ever had but it will do. I had totally forgotten how irritating a cold can be. Sore throat, raspy voice, runny nose, runny eyes, no energy.

Sniff, sniff, sniff. Blow, blow, blow. Hack, hack, hack. Cough, cough, cough. Sigh, sigh, sigh.

It has been so long since either Jim or I have had a cold that all of our cold pills were well past the "Best Before" date so on Thursday I hustled over to our neighbourhood pharmacy to get something to stop the flow. I had to ask for help from the Pharmacist's assistant because the first thing I chose were allergy pills. Well, they listed all my symptoms!

I finally decided on a box that included daytime pills - non-drowsy -  and nighttime pills that wouldn't keep me awake. I had to buy 40 pills! The reason is that 20 pills cost $8.99 and 40 pills cost $9.99. Figure that one out if you can!

When I got them home and took one of the daytime pills, I was very surprised to find that they were mint flavoured. Who had heard of such a thing? Why flavour a pill that is in your mouth for a total of one second at the most? AND I hate mint! Yuck! Some changes are not for the best, in my opinion.

Ah well, as long as I only get a cold once every ten years, I really mustn't complain. I do have more sympathy for those of you who have already had your cold this year. May we all be cold-free for the rest of 2009!

Favourite Things Beginning with "S"

My favourite things beginning with "S" - not necessarily in order of importance are:

1. Sovereign God: Although I view my heavenly Father with awe, worship, fear, mystery and simple faith, I am glad I believe in Him and He believes in me!

2. Scriptures: The older I get, the more precious the Bible has become. There are still many parts of it I don't understand and that make me uncomfortable but, at the same time, the verses challenge, comfort and convict me. I am even beginning to love the Old Testament prophets because amid the doom and gloom there is always a note of hope.

3. Seasons: There is something about each of the four seasons that I love. I love spring. That's when the promise we have held onto all winter comes to be with green leaves and daffodils. I love summer and the warm, although not the very hot, sunny days. I love fall and the wonderful harvest of vegetables and the vivid colours of the maple trees. And I even love winter. The pure, white snow covers up all the dirt and grime the world collects.

4. Spouse: I have the greatest husband in the world. The past few years have been incredibly difficult at times but Jim has been with me every step. He often doesn't understand me but he accepts me for who I am at any given moment.

5. Sandwiches: There is nothing like a sandwich made by someone else. The ladies in many churches that I have attended over the years make the BEST sandwiches I have ever eaten.

6. Silly songs and limericks: Only the clean, clever and creative ones make my list. Anyone can make an off-colour rhyme but a true genius can make us laugh in a way children can enjoy as well as adults.

7. Serendipity and surprises: Especially the pleasant, unexpected things that happen in our lives. But the unpleasant have their place, too. They make us appreciate the good times and keep us from getting too arrogant.

8. Sister: I am so fortunate to have a wonderful sister. I don't think I could make it through the visits to Mother without her. It is so difficult to see my dar mom so frail and feeble and know that she has no idea who I am. Without my sister there, I would have a complete meltdown, I'm sure. We have not always been close but sisters understand you like no-one else can.

9. Snail mail: I do love getting letters and cards in the mail. I am afraid that as a culture we are losing the ability to communicate by handwritten ( or even hand typed) correspondence. And, no, emails are not the same.

10. Sunsets: I used to have a sitting room that faced west and I so enjoyed the gorgeous sunsets we get every so often. I truly felt that God created them especially for me!

Today is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday - whatever you prefer. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday or the first day of Lent.

Many Christians choose to give up something for Lent, the forty days before Easter. I have chosen to give up chocolate or sugary treats some years. Another year I decided to write a card, note or letter to someone every day for 40 days. I managed to accomplish this too and rather enjoyed it.

This year there have been too many things going on around here and I completely forgot about Lent until Kathy mentioned it in her blog this morning.

There have been times this winter when I have considered just giving up PERIOD but that is not my style. The women in our family generally have not been quitters. My mother turns 96 tomorrow and although she hardly knows her own name these days, last week she told my sister the exact month and date of her birth.

If she's not ready to give up, I have no excuse!

I'll have to think about Lent. It is the most important period of the Christian calendar although Evangelical churches rarely mention it any more. Considering the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf, 40 days meditating on His death and resurrection and commemorating it in some way, seems a small thing.

Thursday musings

This wonderful picture of Mount Rundle in Banff, Alberta was in our newspaper this morning. I felt a bit homesick for the Rocky Mountains again. However, the knowledge that we are planning to visit Banff again in June - two years in a row! - makes things a bit more bearable. The article is more about skiing than anything else but the writer does admit that people go to Banff and Canmore and Lake Louise and Jasper for the scenery - first and foremost. He is exactly right.

The majestic mountains are awe-inspiring. I feel so grateful when I visit there and I just know that God created those mountains specifically for me! :-) The actual town of Banff is not great. The gift shops unfortunately are full of souvenirs made in China or Taiwan. I am a true connoisseur of gift stores so I know! The best ones I have found so far are in Northern Ontario!

Part of me would love to live in Banff but that's not going to happen. First the real estate there is way too expensive for our budget and their winter is far too long.

The last couple of days have been trying ones for me. We have had and continue to have snow and more snow. Add to that four bad headache days in a row - unusual for me lately - and my still sore fingers and you can see why I am not a happy camper.

Things could be worse, however.

Tuesday

We have had no snow today. That is the good news. The bad news is that we are back in the deep freeze and will be for a couple of days. Someone said how pretty the snow looked today. It is pretty if you don't have to drive in it or shovel.

I watched most of Obama's inauguration today as did a lot of people around the world. My daughter-in-law reminds us that he is just a man. I agree, of course, but he is a remarkable man. I watched the reports of the racial conflicts in the 1950s and 60s. So much violence and bitterness on both sides. I would have said it would take a century at least before any black person could ever expect to be President of the most powerful country on earth.

If the only contribution President Obama makes to his country is to give the American people hope then he has accomplished a very great deal indeed. Most people have lost hope these days. The economy, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the lack of integrity in business and politics have resulted in a loss of faith in people and if Obama can even partially restore that, he is a great man.

It has been snowing here ever since Saturday night. Even now it is snowing lightly. It doesn't seem to know when to stop! 

We drove to church yesterday through the snowstorm. It was a very stressful drive that took us twice as long as usual. It would have been OK if it weren't for the trucks that are still in summer mode. No wonder there are so many accidents involving large trucks. Perhaps the wonder is that there are not more accidents especially in the winter. Not too many people made it to the first church service but Baptists are tough and the parking lot was full when we left before the second service.

My fingers are still swollen and sore. I am typing with only one finger on my right hand at the moment and probably will pay for that later. I called the doctor this morning but can't get to see him until Wednesday afternoon and the antibiotics run out tomorrow morning. Ah well . . .

Other than that, not much is new. I am hoping for an early spring!

What an attitude

I love this picture. It says it all as far as attitude is concerned. Once in a while I wake up and this is my attitude. This happened this morning. Although usually there is no rhyme or reason for feeling this way, I do have at least an excuse or two today.

For one thing, I didn't sleep well last night. I've mentioned my very sore, swollen fingers. When  I put the cream on that the doctor recommended, they burn and they burned last night for about two hours. I dozed off and on but didn't really sleep until the burning let up.

Then I had an odd dream. All my dreams are a bit odd, of course. This one was about a family member who is going through a rough time and is ignoring the advice of people who may have a wiser view of the situation. This dream just showed the person doing what others had advised against.

We also found out this week that the mother of a very dear friend has pancreatic cancer. This is the same cancer that killed my mother-in-law in 2007  so it's like reliving that sad time all over again. We can only pray and hope that the outcome is different this time.

Add to this our frigid temperatures (Minus 25*C this morning - way too cold for all but a very short walk) and you can possibly see why I was a bit irritable this morning.

Hope your day is going better.

I am going to try to upload the picture I wanted to show yesterday. I hope I have more luck today.

I went for my walk this morning in -15*C temperatures. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. The sun was shining and there was very little wind. I have an infection in my ring finger on my right hand. It has been infected for about three weeks - not really bad enough to go to the doctor or so I thought. I did show it to my pharmacist and she said I should go to the doctor: that I probably needed a mild antibiotic. This was on New Year's Eve. I decided not to go then because I was afraid that the only patients there would have colds and flu and I didn't want to catch anything.

This week, however, the infection isn't any better (but no worse, either) and two other fingers are also mildly infected. I wish I knew what is going on.

I had to take a lady to the medical building where my doctor's office is located this morning and I went in and made an appointment for Tuesday. Hopefully he will suggest an effective treatment.

Part of the reason I decided to go for treatment is that the very cold temperatures really make the fingers throb. Also I am having trouble gripping a pen. This is not so good for my resolve to write more letters!

The lady I took over for blood work was lovely. I have met such nice people  driving for Community Care. The only problem I have is when the ladies have walkers. This lady did and now my back, arms and neck are letting me know that they didn't appreciate the extra lifting. I feel it's a small price to pay for these seniors who have much more serious health problems than I do.

Snowy Day

This blog may be more disjointed than others. I still find this blog site very frustrating. I have been trying to upload a picture and it has taken 20 minutes and still isn't here so for the moment I have given up and will try to upload it later. (After 4 tries to upload a simple picture, - the last taking 20 minutes -  I have given up and you will have to read this blog without a picture!)  I much prefer Yahoo 360* despite its challenges. Jennifer didn't teach me how to link the two sites so I will try to write another blog for Yahoo later today or tomorrow. I also have two articles to finish and a couple of letters I want to write. I may have a busy afternoon.

This is one of the "interesting" weather days here. We have had rain, a tiny bit of freezing rain, ice pellets and now snow - about 6 inches so far. At least it's mild. Our ladies' coffee hour was cancelled so I had a free morning but didn't accomplish all I wanted. I did a wash and went for my walk and picked up some fresh veggies at the store.

One job we have been doing since the new year began is getting rid of empty boxes. Since we have relatives out west and I send them gifts from time to time, I have been saving boxes that are appropriate for mailing. Unfortunately the boxes have greatly outnumbered the gifts. We have weeded out about 50. I had no idea since they are downstairs and out of sight. It's always good to get rid of excess and this has been good.

Have you noticed how prices are going up? We buy cored pineapple and it used to be $2.99 for one pineapple or even 2/ $5. on sale. Then it went up to $4.99 ( in one week) and last week it was $5.49. I don't know if this is a fair price or not since we obviously can't grow pineapples here in the winter. This is not the only price hike, of course. I try never to buy anything that is not on sale but this is a challenge.

If I am able to upload this picture, I took it in 2002 on a visit to the Rockies. I have been missing them today although I wouldn't want to live there in the winter. For one thing, it is way too expensive and I don't imagine the winter driving is a treat!

We have booked a flight to Calgary in June and will see the Rockies again then. I can't wait.

Christmas aftermath

We put the Christmas decorations away yesterday. It is always a slightly sad time for me. I especially feel badly that we have to take down the outside lights. We have a lot of long dark evenings in winter and the colourful Christmas lights do make the street brighter.

This is the newest addition to my collection of nativity sets. It was a Christmas gift from my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. I love the simplicity of the design.

I look forward to putting it out next Christmas!

I have put on a couple of pounds over the holidays so on Monday, it is back to counting calories. It may not be exciting but it seems to be an effective way to keep my weight under control.

I have not made any New Year's resolutions because that is a recipe for failure for me but I do hope that I will be a kinder, more sensitive person in 2009 and that I will hear God's voice and understand what He is trying to say to me.

I am also hoping that 2009 will be a much better year than the "experts " are predicting!

2009

Jennifer is visiting so I have asked her to get this blogging site set up properly. She has assured me that all is well at the moment.  I sure hope she is correct or this site is history for me.

The experts are all predicting doom and gloom for 2009. I hope they are wrong. Some people are already experiencing pain because of stock market failures and job losses. I don't want anyone to suffer unnecessarily but I do think that a wake-up call is not a bad thing. As a North American culture we are far too used to buying anything we want without thinking. If something like a downturn in our economies gives us pause about buying the latest gadgets that we don't need and that will be out of date a few months down the road, that may not be a bad thing.

Of course, chocolate is NEVER a bad thing. Just so you know!

May your blessings outnumber your challenges in 2009.