SHOP TIL YOU DROP

Well, it's been a busy day. Patricia picked me up at 9 am, and off we went to meet up with Pat and Reta, in North Vancouver for a Saturday of hitting the stores and looking for bargains.

Pat, knows the city like the back of her hand and just knew how to zip around to everywhere, and it was quite impressive for me!

We were on the hunt for good buys and went to some Outlet stores at City Centre in New Westminster and then to Brentwood in Burnaby, and for lunch at Milestones, ....somewhere! I was never sure just where we were. Then our final stop, was a Polish Sausage store near Boundary Road, that has Tom and my favourite different sausages that are soooo good! Patricia is Polish and so she was in her glory and telling me what was REALLY good so, I was buying and came home with bags smelling of garlic and good stuff.

I found a nice blue blouse set in Alia, and a white blouse, there as well. We looked at shoes in the Naturalizer Store, and spent quite some time in there. Women and shoes!!! Are we looking for that magic wonderful looking pair or the fantastic comfortable pair. I guess a little of both! I passed on the shoes.

But, we had some good laughs, some witty comments and came home tired and happy, and full. Just as we were heading home, we ran into a hail storm and boy, did it come down. It's good to be home warm and dry again.

Tom went over to Martin and Joan's this morning and got the GPS sorted out, and also went to visit Meredith and Dave's new BEAUTIFUL home, he said. I would have loved to have seen it also, but will someday.

So, that was my day in a nutshell!! I changed into my PJ's and I'm still feeling chilled, so going to go add some socks and my housecoat to get warmed up.

Short blog today, sorry faithful readers! My numbers are falling for readership, so I'm hoping once March break is over, the numbers will raise up again. Otherwise...nobody will care and I may as well pack it in, although it's fun to find little graphics and just sit here and let my fingers do the walking! Time will tell. See this little crying guy...that's me!

Picture of the Day. Tom just cut this out of today's newspaper and scanned it for me. Now how weird is this!!! Mowing the lawn in the snow!!!

Thought of the day: Shopping is a woman thing. It's a contact sport like football. Women enjoy the scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death, and the ecstasy of the purchase.

IT'S RAINING....again

Time to build an Ark??
Well, I don't really think so yet, but I do yearn for some really warm sunshine....like "hot" would be nice! This morning, we had snow falling, however it never stays, just looks pretty. But, it's cold and has that damp feeling that just goes right to the bone! I just had to go put on a sweater! I hate being cold!

Well yesterday, a real horrible thing happened to me, and it's left me depressed, upset and just can't comprehend what's happened to me! Where did I go?? Where did my youth go. One day, I seem to wake up and I'm happy that I reached age 16 and then I could hardly wait to be 18, and wow...to be 20..that should earn me some respect in being called an adult!

Yesterday, I got the mail, and there was this big brown envelope from the Government of Canada and I though, ahh, just another thing about our taxes or something, so I just tore it open and my next reaction was to go weak in the knees, the blood in my head seem to fall to my feet and I could feel all colour leaving my face. My eyes bugged out of my head and I felt like I'd fallen into the pits of despair!

The envelope was full of forms with a letter to apply now for OLD AGE SECURITY!!!!!!!

Good Lord, even writing about it has me broke out in hives, and I really feel like my self portrait just above, but a tad worse!!

What a milestone eh? I mean, I turned 64 this year, and that never hit me, it just never occurred to me that age 65 meant OLD AGE!!

Then today, Tom and I both had our yearly physicals. Well between us, we have so many tests and medical appointments to mark on our calendar, that our whole summer will be spent testing to see what is broke down, or about to break down in our old bodies!

It's downright depressing!

Tom has been working so hard to get our GPS working. He's on the phone quite often with Martin, getting assistance with this mind boggling problem, which is another effect of our old age, in dealing with this new technical stuff. All I can hear from Tom every now and then, is his favorite swear word when he gets exasperated with something is "Shit and Two's Four!" It makes me wonder what Martin's favourite swear word is every time his phone rings and he sees on call display, who it is!

I guess for all you working folks, you are glad the weekend is over, and for those that had this week off because of an extended Easter holiday, you will be sad it's over. As for me...one day seems to just run into another and it doesn't matter what day it is. I even find that the days seem to be shorter and shorter. We wake up and before you know it, bedtime is here!! But tomorrow, I'm joining some other friends and we are going to some outlet stores to browse and have lunch, and just enjoy the company.

So for all of you, I wish you a wonderful weekend and hopefully, you will join me tomorrow on here to hear about my big shopping day and if I bought anything. Until then, enjoy YOUR weekend, and see you soon.

Picture of the day: Brad and Tom enjoying a nice day on the balcony.

Thought for the day: There is always a lot to be thankful for, if you take the time to look. For example, I'm sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt.

THURSDAY and all is peaceful.

All is at Peace

This is such a beautiful picture that I love!

Wouldn't be wonderful if all God's creatures, including us humans got along like this!

What a wonderful world it would be!

Well, we haven't done very much today, so far and it's noon! Tom is still in his robe, and complaining he has indigestion, and I want him to take a dose of baking soda to get rid of it and then we can go to Whole Foods for a bowl of their delicious soup! Yes....I'm sure it's just indigestion, I'm not trying to kill the poor man!!

I just looked down on the street and there was a squirrel running across the road. It dawned on me that I don't often see squirrels here. Then I got remembering the many freaking squirrels, around my house at home and how I cursed them. (So much for my little saying of God's creatures getting along eh? But these little monsters, drove me insane!! They were everywhere. The whole neighbourhood was complaining about them digging up bulbs they had planted in the garden and eating and chewing other plants. They all wondered who the heck was feeding them peanuts because everyone had peanuts buried in holes in their garden and lawns. But, I found out one day when I complained to my next door neighbour, Edith (are you reading this Edith?), that it was her feeding them and she loved them!! She loved ALL of God's creatures, I just hate squirrels!!

They managed to dig a hole up on the roof, beside a chimney that was once for the fireplace downstairs in the basement, that I had drywalled in, because I didn't want the tenant down there using a fireplace for safety and insurance sake. They were getting in, coming down the wall and into where the electrical panel was downstairs in the tenants bedroom. They hadn't been able to get into the rest of the house AS YET!! So, I became a trapper!! I borrowed traps and set them in the driveway, and loaded them with a piece of bread with peanut butter on it. I caught one the first morning, before I went to work. It was clawing and freaking out in the cage, and I was freaking out, wondering what the heck to do now!! I heard if you take them just a few blocks away and release them, they will be back before you do! So, I took this little creature, very carefully, using the broom handle to stick into the handles of the cage and lifted it into the trunk of my car and drove to work. I let them off a couple of miles away in a beautiful park like setting with lots of trees and other squirrels and skunks. (this is where the city took problem skunks and released them also.) I took them to the College!! I was terrified getting it back out of the trunk of the car and almost made it to the ground before the cage slipped off the broom handled and rolled a few times on the ground. Poor squirrel...but it served him right!! By this time, I knew he was a very MAD squirrel, so I looked around for some help (Some man who MIGHT be braver then me). But, I was always early to work and nobody was around, so I gingerly tried to release the catch with the broom handle, and thinking once he went out of the cage, I'd turn the broom around and use it as a bat to keep him away from me But, soon as that cage door opened up, he was gone faster the the speed of sound!! Yikes..was I relieved!

Anyway, over the course of a week, I managed to trap 7 squirrels and release them in the same spot to join their buddies, sweethearts, mothers, whatever!! All happy little friends and families re-united and happy in a beautiful place! However, just when I'm thinking, I had them all, my tenant, who is terrified of squirrels called at 5 am and said one was in the electrical panel. So, I went down, and he'd been chewing on the electrical wires right to the bare wires!! Scary stuff!!

I put the trap,which just fit, into the panel area, baited it and waited, and within 10 minutes, as we stood there quietly, listening to it move down the wall, we could hear it entering the cage and then SLAM...the door went shut!! Boy was it mad and chattering away loudly. I opened the door, while the tenant, ran hiding in the bathroom, until I removed the little pest. By this time, I was an old pro and even thought, maybe, I'd take on a second job, trapping!! Started to wonder what a squirrel pelt would fetch! Thought, I should get myself a Davey Crocker coon skin hat!! What the heck, I was already getting the reputation on the street of the "Squirrel Lady!". I didn't very much like that label. People may take it as me being nuts, eh??

Finally, I got someone to fix the hole on the roof and the squirrels were ALL gone and all was wonderful again, except for Edith, who was left with a whole big bag of peanuts and no freaking squirrel to feed them too!!! So sad, too bad, Edith's mad and I'm glad..na na na na NA na!!!

They only look cute, but they are like little vermim, flea ridden, disease ridden little rats!!!

So, that's my squirrel story! Gosh, what I do to keep you readers entertained!! I'm writing this blog early, so I can go read my book, or else, we are going out to explore with the GPS, and then tonight, Survivor is on, followed by the 2 hour special of The Apprentice. Boy, was it good this year!!! So, I have a night of tv, and probably an hour after that of reading my book in the bathtub. It's going to be a LONG day!!

Picture of the day: This is a picture of the party when the cottage was sold, and the neighbours came over for a few (MANY) drinks. This is a fully loaded Tom, with his bro. in law, Ken, (just as loaded) doing shooters. They had lost count of how many they had, they were just enjoying!! Look at Toms eyes...hahahhahaSaying of the day: You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job.

HELLLLLOOooooooo

Helloooooo

Helloooo again! This is getting to be a habit eh? Isn't this picture beautiful? I love lions and the majestic look of them. I look at Batman, my cat and can see the same look in him and think he's beautiful also.
Kittens are born with their eyes shut. They open them in about six days, take a look around, then close them again for the better part of their lives....and that's a cat!!!


Well, today was housework day and ironing day, so I can wake up and know I have something to wear that's ironed, which will last me a few days. Tom went off to his chiro appointment and then to see the eye doctor to access, how is eye he had the cataract off is doing and the doc, gave him a A+ and he's scheduled next month to have the second cataract off. He doesn't need to wear his old outdated glasses anymore and sometimes when I look up at him, he looks like he's 20 years younger.
Then we went to the library, where finally, the book I've been waiting for arrived and it's MY turn to take it home and read it. It's 1000 pages and I've only 14 days to read it, so my blog might be a little shorter for 14 days.

http://community.indigo.ca/shelf/Linda-W/205721.html?ShelfID=105869&View=2&Region=0&Sort=0&Page=1&Ipp=36

I don't know if this link will work for you, but this is my list of books with covers showing that I've read in 2007-2008. There may even be a few missing. I guess you could call me a bookworm!

Tom, drove home from the Library and I walked the dog home. There are always people admiring little TJ, and wishing they had a dog like her. This happened on the way home, so I told her if she wanted her and met the qualifications she could have her! So, I hardly got in the door and she called me on her cellphone and told me more about herself. She has two little dogs now and her husband wants 4 dogs as they just love them, and they have a yard and house and they sleep with the dogs...yeah, seems to be that way around, instead of our beds, they also become the dogs bed. So I told her more about TJ and the qualifications she'd have to meet and the inspection we'd have to do to make sure we were not handing her over to just ANYBODY, so she's waiting for her husband to come home and talk it over with him and she will let me know the outcome.

Funny, when someone is really interested in taking her, my stomach gets all sort of sick inside. Then I think of Batman missing her and she will too....being growled at, chased down the hall, and not being allowed to get near me....but TJ, is still company for the cat. However the cat, lately is doing lots of meowing, and starting to drive me nuts as well, so he may be the next to go! I don't know why the meowing, he's in good health, and plays with toys and eats lots and sleeps lots, and I can't see a thing wrong. I think he's bored. He's also controlling and know's how to get under my skin!! Tells me when it's time for my bath, by meowing outside the bathroom door, then comes and sit's with me, until he thinks it's time for me to get out and come to bed, so will meow and become quite persistant about that. Then there's another whole ritual about bedtime we have to go through as well. I would love to be animal free!!! I do know an easy way of doing it with both of them....a little nudge over the balcony with my foot....ooops....7 floors down!! Kidding, kidding!!!!

Today, my Easter gift arrived. Tom bought me a GPS. So, he's been charging it up and now he's gone outside to the middle of the school yard to see if he can find his way home again using the GPS. I just went outside and called his name and told him he lived here! I think it will be a wonderful, useful little device, once it's set-up. I'm to go to a Murder Mystery with the Red Hats in a couple of weeks, so I'll be able to find my way there and back without getting lost.

See this little sad looking bunny? I came across him on the internet today, and it made me laugh out loud. He looks so sad now that Easter is over, or is he thinking ahead of all the Easter eggs he has to get busy and make for next year. Little things amuse me eh?

Well, that's it for today, I have to go make dinner and start my HUGE book. How I'll ever be able to hold it out of the water in the bathtub will be fun!

A storm has just come up and lots of wind. Thunder now and lightening, and TJ is terrified, and I'm trying to hold him and do this..Better go!

Picture of the Day: This is my brother Mike!

Thought of the Day: Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk. I'm glad I have my brother!!!

MARCH 25th FROM THE WEST COAST

From the West Coast

Just think, three months ago today was Christmas Day. Nine months from today, we'll be celebrating it again! Gee, I can feel everyone throwing things at me from here, and the stuff is just whistling past my head.....whoops, there goes a tomato!!! A cabbage....okay, okay....enough!!

I'm sitting in here my normal spot, watching tv and "The View". I do enjoy that show, but sure wish they'd get rid of Elizabeth. She grates on me, like no tomorrow! Her voice alone, drives me round the bend!

We kind of hope, my Easter gift of a GPS arrives today. I believe it's coming via Puralator, so I'll have to stay around. Tom has some doctor appointments so I don't get to go and will miss out on our visit to Tim Horton's. Oh well, I've got lots of work to do around here today anyway and should get my book finished, then listen to Oprah's comcast on Eckhart Tolle. I've had the book ordered at the library and seem to have been the next in line forever. I think I keep getting shuffled back somehow. Also the sequel to Pillars Of The Earth should be due for me to take out as well and that's a really thick one, and they only give 14 days to read it!

Sirens of Baghdad is what I'm almost finished reading now. Written by the same man who wrote Swallows of Kubal, which was very good. It's certainly a different perspective of war, and it just makes me sad that war has to happen at all and why all the hate in the world, over what, religion, greed, politics? Yamina Khandra is a pen name for the former Algerian army officer, Mohammed Moulessehoul, who certainly has seen and writes about it all.


It's a dull day her in West Van, in fact it's raining, but it will change to sunshine around 4 pm today. It always does!


We are seriously thinking of giving up TJ, our dog. She's a beautiful, little white Maltese, but a handful. I guess we just don't like constantly walking her as we get older and having to take her down in the elevator and outside for a pee. She often goes outside, on the deck when we haven't been paying attention to her, or she just let's it go on our white carpet, and I'm always chasing around with bottle of spot remover and swearing horrible words at her which isn't fair. Then Tom wants to take her everywhere with us and to me, it's like taking a baby along everytime we go anywhere. Everything centers around the dog, where we go, where we park, how long we can stay, where to walk her. We can't just book a holiday whenever we want and kennel cost is extremely expensive. It's very difficult to get anyone close by to look after her and relatives shun at the idea, so we don't ask. They like their rugs, pee free I suppose! She really takes to women, and isn't used to being around children, so we are looking for a woman who would give her lots of attention and love and would spoil her, like she's used to.


















TJ, is a cute little girl eh?
Batman is easier to look after, and we have a lady in the building to look after her is we should want to go away. However, he's well past his "expiry date" too!!

This is how Batman feels about all this!!!

Picture of the Day: Another picture of TJ with Roxanne who made him this cute little coat and a scarf for me to match
Message of the Day: Animals have these advantages over man: they never hear the clock strike, they die without any idea of death, they have no theologians to instruct them, their last moments are not disturbed by unwelcome and unpleasant ceremonies, their funerals cost them nothing, and no one starts lawsuits over their wills.

SPRING IN VANCOUVER

Spring in Vancouver

Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
-- William Wordsworth

Does everyone remember this poem from high school? I don't think I ever see daffodils without remembering this piece of memory work.

Today, Patricia and I hit the roads and went shopping and for lunch to Lynn Valley, which is not too far from here. I brought my camera with me, so, whenever we spotted flowers and could safely pull off the road into a parking spot, we took the following shots.

The whole street across from Patricia's condo building had these beautiful trees in blossom.

No leaves on this tree yet! Look at that beautiful lady in yellow!

There's that woman again...wonder who she is!

AHEM!! Ontario people, this is not snow!!!

Look at that beautiful lavender. It seems to be growing everywhere here.

That tree will be in full blossom in a week, I'd think.

Looking down the street, one block away from the Pacific.

This is a shot, of the side of out building. Lot's of greenery, but still tree's without leaves yet.

Well, those are my pic's. I see, I've got something on my lens that clouded down in the bottom middle. Guess I need to wipe the lens off. I dropped the camera in Hawaii, trying to take a picture from a position, I shouldn't have been and went for a tumble and off went the lens.

But, we had a lovely day, except for lunch in Lynn Valley, at the Bears Den, or something like that. I ordered eggs bennie and it was ice cold and the eggs as hard as rocks. I sent it back, and told them I wasn't paying for it! I didn't want another new plate, as that first bite, made me kind of sick to my stomach and I ended up throwing up in the washroom! Yuk!

Then we went to another mall and browsed and had a few laughs. It was good to be out having fun with a girlfriend and sharing our little stories over a Tim Horton's coffee.

Thought for the day....thanks to Suzie in an email today.

Overheard in a bar
''why married women weigh more than single women? It's because a single woman comes home, sees what's in the fridge, can't be bothered, and goes to bed. But a married woman comes home, see what's in bed, can't be bothered, and goes to the fridge!''

HAPPY EASTER

It's Easter 2008, and I wish you all a very happy one, with loved one's near, a delicious meal and many chocolate goodies and most of all...A Happy Heart!

Of course there is also the religious aspect that the meaning of Easter is all about, that we can't forget and for those that may not believe, then, get over it, this is my blog and my belief!

"Now back to lighter things!"

I have all these wonderful graphics I've been seaching for days for, and once today is over, I can't use them anymore, so just sit back and enjoy them!

Yesterday, we we're invited to Isabelle and Ken's (Tom's sis, and husband) for dinner. Belle, loves to entertain, and loves to present her dinner in appealing and fancy ways, and she never disappoints! The table was set up beautiful, with a very cute centerpiece of baskets of pansies, birds and Easter eggs scattered here and there. Dinner was all served on one huge platter, with delicious rack of lamb, new potatoes, carrots left whole with just the tip of the leaves left on, buttery, tender asparagus as well. The whole meal was tasty, tender and delicious!! Dessert was strawberrys in liquour and little cups of chocolate filled with Baileys. MMMMM GOOD!
So to you both....Thanks so much!! It was a delightful, entertaining evening filled with great conversation and many laughs and super company!

Tonight.....we're eating this ham spread we bought at the supermarket, served on chiapata's...toasted of course!!! Maybe even a pickle on the side!! No fancy centerpiece, and no dessert! Ahhh well....back to life!

Now this would make a nice centerpiece eh? There are so many cute things out for all the different holidays now. My favourite place to shop is Home Sense. I love that place, however, I just browse, because if I buy anything, I have absolutely no place to use it, then store it. Our condo is filled up, and small. I used to love shopping and really loved yardsales!! Man, I'd be out the door at 7am for the good deals and come home with the trunk loaded. My girlfriend Betty, from back home, even bought a truck for yardsales!! She was a diehard at it! I would like to go from about 7-10 am and figured the best deals were gone after that, but she'd still be at it at 3 o'clock! She'd wear me to a frazzle!!!
Today's blog is going to be way out of whack and you will have to scoll way down, I expect, until you find yesterdays. I just can't drag and drop the images and pictures, I have to re-arrange the whole darn page, but I'm patient, so just keep scrolling until you catch up.

Well, I think I should finish this off and get myself dressed and go take the dog and myself for a walk. The sun decided to come out, so I'll take the camera and shoot some sites as I walk along

To my family back in Ontario, I love you all, wish you a very Happy Easter and I miss you so much it hurts!! You are all always on my mind and forever in my heart every minute of the day!

Love with all my heart....Mom, and Grandma!