LAZY SATURDAY

GOOD MORNING ON SATURDAY

Hey....whatcha doing?

Oh what a beautiful morning...oh what a beautiful day, Everything's coming up roses,

Everything's going my way!

(sounds like a song eh?)

I'm sitting her in my nightgown at 8:14 am writing on this blog!! I just had a shower and air drying my hair to get more curl for the buck! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, Tom is doing his class on the computer, TJ just went out on the deck, and Batman is out on the bedroom deck soaking up the rays.

Isn't this fellow on my page a cute croc, or alligator. I can never tell the difference, just know I don't want to meet up with a real one, but I came close one time. I was down at my girlfriends place in West Palm Beach, Florida, and she has a summer place in a beautiful, posh trailer park. I went out for an early morning stroll and down at one end of the park was this scenic little park-like area with a little stream of water winding around the perimeter of the park. There was a little kind of a dock built out over the water and I sat down on the dock and took off my shoes and was dangling my feet in the water and sat in the sun, lost in thought for about 10 minutes, then finally decided to mosy on home again. I strolled with my shoes in my hands and walked halfway back across the grass,then stopped to lean against a sign while I put on my shoes. Then turned to look at what the sign read.

CAUTION!!!

ALLIGATOR AND DANGEROUS SNAKE AREA!!

Well, I think I ran so fast my feet never touched the ground after that!

I asked a fellow I met up with, (who I found out was the grounds keeper) how true the sign was and YES, it was true..very true! Often in the morning, the gater's come up on the grass to sun themselves, but even the vibration of someone walking will make them scatter, and yes, they see the odd snake. Also, he said, because of the lack of rain they had, the gater's were likely in a deeper area then where I had been. He warned me not to stroll around in there! I think that was the only time in my life, I was glad to be heavy and make VIBRATION enough to RUMBLE the ground and scare the gaters!!

Well, it's now 10:45 am, we've had breakfast of ham, egg, cheese omelet on a croissant and have sat her reading the Vancouver Sun newspaper and now my good mood has faded somewhat, after reading how nuts the world has become. Why does there has to be so much hatred, why are women and children treated so horribly, why this, why that...what is the matter with you people out there??? Everything I read scares me. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a newspaper filled with all good things. Would people read that....no...they want to hear about everyone else's suffering, but the way the world is going, someday, it may be our suffering that's in the paper! I wish, I wish,I wish things would change and there would be peace and love and the wonderful place we call home...our world would be healed of all it's enviromental problems. I wish for so much. Don't YOU???

Well, off my soapbox, and onto getting dressed now and taking the dog and Tom for a walk maybe down to the seawall and the pier to see the people fishing, or off to the Library to restock my supply of reading material. I must have read 4 books this week. All Sophia Kinsella's Shopaholic, easy read books, but quite funny and entertaining. Her character in the books is such an air-head!

I'm going to add a little piece of Vancouver's sights and news to show you around the area in upcoming blogs. This first attempt is the Nine O'Clock Gun which is heard as far over as we are and it's really kind of neat. We also have and can hear from our place the first few bars of "Oh Canda" at noon. Have a look and then I'll tell you of a prank that happened.

HISTORIC NINE O'CLOCK GUN http://www.cix.co.uk/~dliddlea/timeguns/vancouv.html

Click on the little forward arrow on the first picture.

By Lena Sin
The Province
Thursday, February 28, 2008
VANCOUUVER -- Stanley Park's historic nine-o'clock gun was back to its rightfully bronzed self Thursday morning, weeks after a prank by University of B.C. engineering students left it coated in red latex paint.
"It's the best it's looked since I've been here," said a triumphant Dennis Dooley, a groundskeeper for Brockton Point, where the gun is located.
After weeks of silence, the gun's restoration was marked with a morning blast.
At 10 a.m., Dooley used a wooden stick to carefully tap a bag of gunpowder into the newly polished cannon, then stood back as a computer triggered an electric shock to ignite an ear-deafening pop.
"Vancouver doesn't have a lot of tradition," he said. "I know we're happy to have it back just for tradition."
In early February, UBC engineering students kicked off a booze-filled week to celebrate engineering week. As dictated by tradition, the students pull off pranks and hang a red Volkswagen Beetle off a public structure every year. (This year, they chose to hang the car off the Lions Gate Bridge.)
Vancouver Parks Board chairwoman Korina Houghton said she hoped the students would show some goodwill and pony up for the cost of repairing the gun.
Dooley, who's been loading the gun every morning with a pound-and-a-half of gunpowder for the past 22 years, said he wasn't too happy when he found it swathed in red.
"The engineers have had their week and hopefully they'll think of something better to do next year and in the future," said Dooley. "It's not the first time they've picked on the gun, but hopefully it's the last time."
A bill will be sent to the students, but Dooley refused to disclose the exact amount.
He said it cost several thousand dollars to power-wash, sandblast, polish and assess the structural integrity of the bronze gun.
The gun's wooden carriage was sanded and repaired.
The gun was cast in Woolwich, England, in 1816. It was brought to Stanley Park in about 1894 and used as a 9 p.m. time signal for the public and to allow chronometers of ships in port to be set.

Miserable kids eh? What prank to paint red on that lovely brass. I'm going to attempt to put some soft music on the blog as soon as I wake up one day, with enough brains, to figure out how to do it. Let me know if you like the added feature or not.

Picture of the day: Picture of Indian carvings around the Totem Pole area of Stanley Park.

Thought of the day: There is little chance that meteorologists can solve the mysteries of weather until they gain an understanding of the mutual attraction of rain and weekends

MICE SINGING CONGRATS

CHANDERLLES57

Congratulations to Roxanne's New Business called

Chandelles57

My little retired sister has taken on a new venture. She is making her own brand of candles and her first very successful showing was yesterday!
So here's a toast to your new business, and may it flourish and grow and bring in lots of money!!

A small sample of many kinds of candles....made by hand!!! There are other beautiful scents and designs. So, GO SAM GO!!!!

Well, today, we took some clothes to be altered (I don't sew) and then went to try out Tim Horton's new roast beef sandwich. It was good!! Not crazy about the hard bun though. Jeez, maybe I should get a cut from Tim's for advertising eh?

Then we drove to Deep Cove for a little drive to try out the GPS and listen to JILL,which is the voice we chose on the GPS to direct us. Tom wants to go the shorter route, and poor JILL has to say "Repositioning", until her poor throat must get sore, and it really sounds like she's getting tired of us two dummies. Every time she says "Repositioning", she sounds very put out with us. We asked her to go for coffee with us, but she never answered us back. Probably, glad to get rid of us for a few moments! We do have fun with it and see a different way then Tom would usually go.

Deep Cove is beautiful. http://www.deepcovebc.com/deepcovebcphotopgs.html

We visited the little shopping area and bought some fresh croissants and some nice ham slices and/or a bit of seafood salad to put on the lightly toasted croissants for dinner tonight.Mmmmm good...delicious and easy dinner to make.

There is a big threat of avalanches in the mountains right now. They had lots of snow up at the ski level, and are warning people to be careful. I look at the pictures on TV and the lovely, gentle and some not so gentle slopes, and wish I had it in me to take up skiing again. It seems from what I see, that snowboards have taken over ski's. It's a common sight around here to see a teenagers toting around snowboards.

Right now Tom is pouring me FAT BASTARD wine. I'm feeling it!!

Then on TV, is just came on that my favourite store, Linens and Things are in bankruptcy!

Ohhh no, I love that store!!

I guess now that the weekend is here, everyone has something fun to do....like sleeping in!

I'm going to a Murder Mystery tomorrow night and playing a part. So, if you don't hear from me for awhile, it means Clint Eastwood, had called to direct me in his next picture. I'll probably say no though because I wouldn't have time for my blog!

Have a GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!!!

Picture of the Day: This is " MY SON"..well....step son, Martin, and what a cutie eh? And HIS son.

Ed on his wedding day. Then Tom! They look like pushing him towards marriage and a happy life, like theirs!! Right Martin, right Tom???.....time for more wine for Linda!!

Thought for the day: Here's to matrimony, the high sea for which no compass has yet been invented!

JUST HORSING AROUND

All the birthdays are over for awhile, so it's back to what's going on at the old home front.

The sun is out, it's lovely and warm and feels like summer.

I'm trying to think what I did yesterday to tell you about that was exciting, but if it was exciting, I can't remember what I did!! This getting old is really showing itself in just too many ways, that I don't like!

Ohhhh, yeah...now, I remember. TJ is booked on a flight to Ontario next Thursday. We made the booking finally and after making it, the pit of my stomach fell out at letting her go. Our little Maltese is going to become my sisters little pet. The dog loves Roxanne and TJ will be quite happy, having a big backyard to go out whenever she likes. She can fit through the cat door and have all the freedom she wants, whenever the mood strikes her. We are happy that she's going to a wonderful home, and to someone that will play, love and pamper her. Goodness, she is spoiled now, I can't imagine what she will be like when I go home to visit next year. Roxanne loves to watch the Dog Whisperer on TV, and says she have all TJ's little idiosyncrasies worked out in no time. I sure wish her luck with that one!!

Batman will miss him though....for about a day or two anyway!!Then yesterday, a woman I ment during a walk to the Mall, who lives right across the road, invited me over for tea, so I made a new friend, which is great. So, I'll invite her back to my place and hopefully a new friendship will develop.

See, my memory comes back to me eventually in dribbles and drabs. I'm not a total loss!

Today, Patricia and I went to Lynn Valley and had lunch and browsed around the little mall there, and I had things in my cart, like a new red hat for the RED HAT SOCIETY, and was going to take it to Michael's store and dress it up, but I threw it back before I left and changed my mind.

Another store, I found another cute dish to match my cat bowls, and before we left, decided I didn't need that either, so I came back empty handed!

I can hardly believe myself.....empty handed....WOW!!!

Tom's gone to pick up our vehicle that was in for it's medical checkup for the season and we received a wedding invitation in the mail this morning, so that's about all that's newsy from here.

Toms grandaughter is soon due to have their first baby and of course there is a baby pool going on. I can't remember the date I picked, but I gave her 10 days over the due date. I'm not going to win the Survivor pool, so maybe I'll make a small fortune with guessing when a baby is due.
Which reminds me...I found two year old lotto tickets we never checked and we have about 5 days to check them....so guess where I'm heading on the computer next? The lotto section!
If you hear a loud YAHOOOOO, you will know we won!!!

Picture of the Day: Heading over the Lion's Gate Bridge to the North Shore.

Thought of the day: When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. It's a whole different way of thinking.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUZIE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SUZIE


ISN'T SHE LOVELY!!

This is my sister-in law (more like a sister) Suzie!

Suzie was married to my late brother John, and now married to John -Yves

He's a great guy, and much loved by us all.

(She was trying to whistle with an acorn here!)

Suzie is VERY French, and has a delightful accent, a wonderful sense of humor and a heart as big as the world. She has such a compassionate personality and can express her emotions so wonderfully. Although we don't see each other very often, we can pick up on our conversations, like we just spoke the day before.

She had two children, Patrick and Maryssa and quite a few Grandchildren!

Can you believe she is a Grandmother??? Hard to believe!

So on this day Suzie, we want to wish you a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY

and let you know, we all love you and are thinking of you today!

Suzie, Roxanne and JY

Suzie and Roxanne having a laugh about something!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUZIE

WE LOVE YOU!!

Comment of the Day: Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROXANNE

TO MY SISTER ON HER BIRTHDAY

To My Sister On Her Birthday

You deserve some recognition

for the many things you do,

For your warmth and understanding

and for simply being you.

So, this comes to tell you

now that your birthday is here,

Of the love and admiration

that are felt for you all year

Because you're the kind of Sister

who's dear in every way,

You're being wished a wonderful

and very Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday Sis

Yahooooo, it's Roxanne's Birthday

She loves to party and have a great time! Here she is doing both!

I hope someone bakes you a big cake and I wish I was there to celebrate with you.

I couldn't wish for a more wonderful sister and I love you!

I hope all your wishes come true when you blow out that candle and you are with all your friends who love you!!! Big kiss and hug from your big sister and brother in law Tom.

Picture of the Day! This is mom and Roxanne (Sorry Roxie, the writing of the year of your birthday was already on this picture.)

Thought of the Day: Sister to sister we will always be,A couple of nuts off the family tree.

START OF ANOTHER WEEK

HERE KITTY, KITTY!!

Where in the dickens does the time go?? The month, the weeks and the days fly by like the wind! Not to mention how fast the years are going as well. I seem to just wake up and before I know it, it's time for bed, and I've accomplished pretty well zip!

Actually, I'm feeling very ashamed of myself, knowing there are things to be done, walks to be had, the big pool over at the Senior Center waiting, friends to call, movies to see, books to read....lots of things to keep me busy, and I do keep busy, but like I said, nothing to show what I've done. I think sometimes, I miss the regimented life, of having a position to go to 5 days a week, and rushing around to get things done on lunch hours and after 4:30. And if you believe that, I have this lovely bridge to sell you! On the other hand, being very lazy, and doing things when and if I feel like it, has it's good points also. However, the less I do, the less I want to do!! I need a holiday!!! That's it....a nice long holiday, would fit the bill eh?

The thing about holidays though, kind of scare me now since the airlines have restricted the amount of luggage we can bring. I mean....1 lousy suitcase and 1 small carry-on!! What's with that!! They did allow 2 bags, 50 pounds each. I can fill a 50 pound bag in a minute. Tom says I'm the only person that brings along one suitcase full of shoes only! So, packing is a big problem for me. I can solve it though by packing VERY lightly for Tom and use up the rest of his poundage for me. So what if he has to wear the same undershorts a few times eh?

I'm sure getting the blog done early today. I made a batch of biscotti's for Tom, who say's he can't live without them!! Is he humoring me?? I sure don't know what he see's in then, they are dry old things, but okay, I suppose if you dunk them they arn't too bad! Then, I hung up some laundry, and now the sun is shining, so I MAY summon up some energy and go plant a hosta. Then again, the cat is sleeping in his bed and the dog is curled up in a little, white ball, fast asleep. Tom is on the computer, swearing at something, and the thought of reading my book sounds good too!

I'm listening to Classic Country on TV and have it nice and loud. I could sit here all day, listening and singing away to the tunes, which is really, what I am doing!! Man oh man, where does the time go??

Off I go...the guilt is getting to me! This little guy is suppose to give hugs, but he's not doing it. So, hugs to all of you anyway! Maybe he needs a holiday too!!

Picture of the day: I believe, if I have this right...this is TJ, our Maltese, and her two daughters They are Purebred, champion and the breed is called Munchkins



Thought to Ponder: My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you?

SUNDAY AND ALL'S WELL.

All's well and snoozy

All's well, here and I hope all is well wherever you may be!

It began as a rainy, sleepy type day here, but we went out to the mall for some things we needed and got just a little wet. But as I've often noted before, that if the day starts with rain here in Vancouver, by approx. 4 pm, it will clear up and the sun will shine, and the opposite is also true. If it's sunny skies in the morning, I'm never surprised to see rain around 4 pm. True Vancouverites have never seem to notice this before, and maybe it's just where we are situated with the mountains and the sea so close, that this happens. Someday's we get lucky and have a full day of sunshine.

Well Mike N. and Lynn, I suppose you are feeling very sad for me today on the death of my Uncle Chuck. It came as quite a shock, but he'd been suffering for quite some time. The family didn't go visit because he wouldn't have known us anyway! We are waiting for funeral arrangement and then likely we will fly down. So, no need to send beautiful bouquets and sympathy cards, as we won't be here to receive them, but I know your heart is as heavy as mine! Thanks for the memories Uncle Chuck!

(To everyone else, except Mike and Lynn, disregard the above!)

Why does this cat of mine, meow at the door to get out, and when it's opened he walks away, not wanting to go out at all? I sit back down and he's meowing at the door again!! I believe he has some sort of phobia, or is just trying to drive me closer to insanity!

The dog...she's just as bad! She has dog biscuits hidden everywhere in the couch, and after hiding one, comes back begging for another. The cat, in turn, see's this, and can't be left out and comes away from the meowing at the door, just to get his cat treat, then returns to the door meowing!

My cat is very close to losing all 9 of his lives!!

Hopefully tomorrow, I can finally get at potting some flowers. The bluebells in the pot are full of leaves, but no flowers. Maybe I was to remove them from the pot in the Fall. I bought some Irish Hosta's, just because they were a lovely shade of varigated green, so that's my main objective tomorrow, unless, Patricia or my new friend Irma calls me to go for coffee. I met Irma, while walking to the Mall. We ended up walking together, and we got along nicely and she lives just across the road, so she gave me her phone number to call and come for tea. She called today and likely we will get together tomorrow, so I'm always up to making new friends. She has a lovely Scottish accent.

Well, it's getting close to dinner time, so I better start moving about and getting the stove turned on and doing my domestic, wifely chore. Or is that statement saved for another CHORE! hahah

Picture of the day: Tom and his sister Isabelle...oops....better say..YOUNGER sister!!

Thought of the day:To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.