FATHER'S DAY

HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL DADS Remembering Dad, who passed away in 1991.He stood very tall, was very proud, a giving heart, loving, caring and I'm so happy to have called him my father. Dad, you are missed by Mike, Roxanne, and myself and all your grandchildren and whole family. You would have been proud to see what we've become and the good people we try to be and all we've accomplished. ANOTHER GREAT FATHER


Happy Father's Day to Tom, my wonderful husband and I'm sure his children, Martin and Meredith and all his grandchildren and step grandchildren, agree....he's the best! We love you!!

Another Great Father on my Radar Today
Happy Father's Day to Richard, the father of Matthew and Bradley who are my Grandsons.

Richard has to be the best father ever! Always so much patience, always puts his kids first and just the best guy I know!! So, from Matt and Brad and Me....Happy Father's Day!

LAST BUT NOT LEAST!

Happy Father's Day to Peter, the father of Erica and Sarah, my Granddaughters! The only father I've ever seen to get right down on the floor and play dolls with the girls when they were young. He's a good dad and very loved! Happy Father's Day Peter!!

There are MANY good Father's out there enjoying the love lavished on them today. To all of you, I wish you a Grand Happy Father's Day!!

Sit back, enjoy and have one of these!! On me!!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR GRADUATION MATTHEW

I say in almost every blog, "where has the time gone?" But honestly when I think of how fast the time has flown from when I held this little boy in my arms and cried with joy at my first grandchild. Where did the time go, from when we used to sail kites, play marbles, and play with little cars and trucks and Power Ranger toys? It seems like only yesterday when I bathed him, changed his diapers and rocked him to sleep. When we ran around the yard, soaking each other with water guns, and laughing so hard and loving him so much, I just wanted to hug him to me forever and not let him grow older, but stay the way, he was, cute, blond and with the most wonderful little giggle. There were snowmen we built, we played snakes and ladders, and watched for the Easter bunny and marveled at his enjoyment over all the gifts at Christmas that Grandma just couldn't resist buying for him and his brother.

Then, he grew a little older and I was invited to "show and tell" at school, and I was what he was showing...his Grandma. How special is that! I would tickle his tummy, tell him stories about the birds that lived under his chin, the elephants that lived under his arms and the mouse in his belly button. He'd stay over at night and sleep with me and before bed, there were always stories to read, or ones to make up and always...."just one more please Grandma!"

As Matt grew older, I'd taught him never to cheat at cards, until one time, he caught me cheating (on purpose) and then the fun was on...we didn't trust each other at that game anymore! The game was even more fun now. He learned how to sneak a cheat and his pile of pennies grew, while I went broke!

Time went on and all of a sudden those little shoes I used to put on his feet after kissing his little toes, turned into size 12's! I'd come home from work very tired, walk in and there would be his shoes, like boats, laying by the door and my whole world would light up because he had come to visit and stay the night. Then before taking him to school the next morning, we'd treat ourselves to a big breakfast out.
So many special times between us, most he likely doesn't remember. Some he will, but they will always be vivid in my mind forever.

Matt has turned into a wonderful, well behaved, dependable young man. I'm very, extremely proud of him. He's very athletic, plays almost every sport and has many trophies and awards. He's smart, with good marks at school, well liked and just everything a Grandmother could be proud of.

The only thing I'm sorry for is the last few years, since I moved away and what I've missed. The girlfriends, the accomplishment's he achieved, and how, he has changed into a young man.

I love you Matthew, and Good Luck with College,and you can count on me being there for that graduation! Just remember, to work hard and don't party too much. Watch out girls.....here comes MATT!!!
Love Grandma and Tom!!

xoxoxox

POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING

Everyone these days seems caught up in the power of positive thinking. Oprah as set the world on it's heels with first the book "THE SECRET", followed with Eckhart Tolle "A NEW EARTH", then "THE SECRET BEHIND THE SECRET", "The SECRET OF POSITIVE THINKING", and lately "THE SOUL SERIES" and also, "LAW OF ATTRACTION".

Well, to tell you the truth, I've known all about this stuff for a long, long time! Where do you think Tom came from and my wonderful life with him. I was sending my thoughts out to the Universe! Plus a whole lot of prayers that life would bring me something/someone wonderful!

I use to tell my friends, that someday, I'm going to either win a lotto, or something amazingly wonderful was going to happen. I didn't know when or where or what, but I could feel it right down to the bones, without a doubt, it was going to be really fantastic.

And, it has!! It's my wonderful life now! For some reason, I don't have that feeling anymore, because I think it's happened. I still have feelings that "little" good things are going to happen in my life now, and I don't doubt that, I just have faith, a few dreams, and a whole lot of patience.

I did come across a cute little cartoon, that got me thinking about all this. It's the funny side of life coming out in me.

Evil of me eh? Today, we got up really late. The sun was shining finally and falling right across our bed, and it was so lovely and warm and we just kept doing that lovely thing of waking, then napping,and waking again, until the bones began to ache and we had to get up.

Off we went to Dunderave for Tom to get a haircut and I stopped in at my hairdressers to book an appointment in August before the cruise. What a shock....he's retiring at the end of the month! Ohhh noooo!! The whole business in closing down, but his partner said she would take me at the new place she will be working at. It's a good thing I stopped in, or I'd be out of luck with someone brand new, who didn't know what kind of perm I use, and how I liked my hair cut.

I'll think positive that my hair will turn out okay!!!

Then we went our for lunch, where I had LEMONS in my tea, and now there is a big scare on about all the yucky stuff in Lemon! First tomato's, now lemons!! Holy mackerel, what else!

What the heck is going on with this world we live in anymore? Everything is a scare!!

Tom booked tickets to a Mel Brooks musical production called "The Producers" today. It's suppose to be very funny. So, we go in July to see that, and it looks pretty funny!

Well, that's it for tonight, now I'm going to finish off this 2nd Pina Colada that I'm drinking. Goodness it's good!! I picked up a mix at the grocery store and wow, is it good!! Can't drink too many of these, or I'll be back in bed very early and it seems I just got out of bed!!

NOTICE: THE KITCHEN IS CLOSED FOR COOKING TONIGHT!

Unless it's the bag of popcorn I bought today! Whew, it's also very HOT in here at the moment....it's not the weather!!!

So, before my fingers start to slip off the computer I better finish this off.

Picture of the Day: Tom in his gift of a Indonesia shirt!

Thought for the day: I'm making my favourite thing for dinner - RESERVATIONS!

MADE IT TO WEDNESDAY

Howdy, howdy howdy! Well for all you working folk, you made it past the middle of the week and only two more days until the weekend!! For us retired folks, it's just another week, speckled with doctor appointments here and there. Ahhhh, isn't getting old grand?

The weather here in Vancouver has improved only slightly. It's not raining..for the moment. Earlier, I had my jeans on and was busy working around here, trying to make some extra space for things and then planted some flowers on the deck, and a whole bunch of other little chores. The sun was shining then and I was sweating! So, I changed and put on my knee high pants. (my memory is getting so bad, I can't even think of the proper name. Tom calls them Floods, but that's not it!) Anyway, since then, the sun disappeared, the clouds are darkening and it's getting close to that bewitching hour where it always seems to rain.

We have a doctor appointment, follow-up for 4:30, and I'm NOT changing. I'll freeze if I have to! Likely I will too!

I was hoping Tom would take me out for dinner after, but he got into the leftover meatloaf and brought me in a piece the size of a hamburger, so there goes dinner out!! Tom loves this meatloaf. It has Stove Top Stuffing mix in it, a chopped apple and 1/2 cup of chutney, and a handful of raisins, plus the other odd normal thing, and it's really good.

I sure don't make meals like I used to do. We eat very light and love our salads, not much meat and lots of fruit. Still I gain weight, and I sure don't bake like I once did! We always had a freezer full of different things to munch on. Those days, just seem to disappear. Another sign of age, I suppose. However, if it's there, I'm the first to shove it into my mouth. I wonder if chocolate becomes less a favourite as we age. I sure can't see that happening here!!

Well, since that last sentence, it's now 7:35pm and we've been to the doctor, and all is well and then we went for dinner! We shared a small pizza which was delicious.

Then home to finish this blog, and I keep trying to add pictures , but the blogger site must be having some sort of difficulty, because nothing will work.

So, I can only bid you a fond farewell and say goodnight, and if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be here tomorrow. (I think that was somebody's parting goodbye on some long ago TV show.)

THE BOOK READER

Batman the Book Lover!

Old Batty is such a nutty cat! For an old cat, he sure has so much energy and fun left in him, but he can't jump up very high any more. My lap is too high for him as well as the bed. I have a little file case sitting beside my bed, that he now has to jump up onto it and then make the jump to the bed. However, when he jumps up, I never have any notice and he makes the leap, right beside my pillow! Scares the daylights out of me!! Batty has to be about 17 or 18 years now. He rarely leaves my side anymore, sleeps and eats and still greets us at the door when we come home. Then he has his moments where you would think he fell into a stash of catnip, and runs up and down the hallway, from room to room, like the devil himself was chasing after him!
He also "talks" quite a lot! We are always getting scolded for something, or greeted with his certain little "brrrup" sound.

He was born a barn cat, who got lucky and ended up in a luxury, pampered, and spoiled existence! Did I mention, loved as well!! Since his tormentor left, Batman has become much more relaxed. TJ, the dog was like Cato, the little Chinese fellow, on the Pink Panther, who would lay in waiting to jump out at Peter Sellers, and tackle him.

TJ, has moved to Ontario, and has become very spoiled and loved there! What a life he has and so much more fun then us old geezers gave him. More walks, more attention and the love of the neighbourhood!

Today, after a pile of laundry (bedding), off I went with Patricia. She had some shopping to do, so I went along. Had an A&W hamburger and came back home again. It's been freezing out there! I'm wearing the same clothes I've been wearing all Winter!! My feet were freezing in my canvas shoes without socks. Even the plants at the garden center look dismal. No sun and too much water and very cold! This weather is starting to scare me with all the warnings.

Well, that's my blog for tonight. I was going to make bacon and tomato sandwiches, until I mentioned to Patricia about the sign at A&W about them not having any tomato's, when there was a fruit and vegetable stand practically next door. Then Patricia told me about the scare on tomato's with botulism and the news has been full of warnings to not eat any. Apparently the ones on the vine are okay. So those of you that also didn't hear about it....beware!!

No picture of the day tonight, as I've messed up this blog trying to do it a little different, and adding another picture will really throw it out. So, with that, goodnight and see you tomorrow!

I WANT TO BE IN ONTARIO

The weather here is absolutely pitifull! I can't believe how I always heard the fantastic weather that Vancouver has, and I have to admit when it's nice it's beautiful, but it seems since I arrived here, the horrible weather has persisted!! Is it me?? Everyone is complaining and grumbling and it's just a miserable string of cold, wet days that doesn't seem to be inproving, according to the weather forecast!

Oops...just heard the news and Ontario got hit with a tornado! Gosh, the weather anymore, is getting scary all over the world. I hold my breath that nothing happens more then just rain here, even though, I have no idea how to build an Ark!

This morning we went out for breakfast with Bill and Dianne, two of my most favorite people! What a delightful pair they are and we have such great conversations and laughs. They are 10+ for good people! We went to a place called De Dutch, which makes these huge big thin pancakes that fill the plate, then you have your choice of filling. For some reason, I always order eggs bennie, which is my favourite but sure not great to help me fit into the bathingsuit I bought yesterday!

Then we went to buy a couple of huge geranium plants and a little pot of "hens and eggs", which I planted already into the two empty pots I had on the deck.


After we picked up the plants, we went to buy some shoes for Tom, and I played shoe salesperson, fitting them and finding the right size and having a few chuckles doing it. Another fellow sat down beside Tom and I think he thought I worked at the store and was going to do the same for him. But when Tom found the pair he liked, I said "I quit!" The other guy looked lost and shocked!


Then it was off to the Library, where we live half the time. Comfy big chairs and coffee and goodies and all these wonderful books surrounding us....why not!! I'm still reading Barbara Walters tell all, but I skip lots of pages, looking for the juicy parts. She was quite the gal!! I can't even imagine Barbara Walters having sex, she looks so straightlaced, but she sure did, and probably does! I'll have to read to the end of the book to find out! Even Batman loves it!!

Gas here is a whopping 146.9!!! Doesn't seem to be stopping the flow of cars though. Traffic is still heavy.

Here is the picture I promised you yesterday but forgot to send. It's at the Art Gallery, and I guess it's a baby. Weird looking when you drive by and HUGE!
Well, that was a day in the life of Linda and Tom! It's leftover night for dinner and then the program "The Mole" is on tonight at 10, so I hope I can stay up that long, as I enjoyed that program when it was on before.

Picture of the Day: Not any cats we know, but those birds better get out of there!!

Thought of the day: To err is human, but to blame it on someone else is humaner!


NOTE!! Because I added so many pictures, it screwed up the posting and you have to SCROLL way down to get to yesterdays blog. This happens now and then, and I still haven't got that bug out!

BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS

Beautiful Animals With Beautiful Faces

I was going to ask everyone reading this, which animal did they think was the cutest, but I tried to decide myself and couldn't come up with one in particular! I love them all, but have always been kind of partial to polar bears. But just look at those faces, they are incredible!

This morning we went off for a little drive to no destination in mind, and on the way, I saw so many wonderful things to take pictures of, but how in the heck can you just stop on a free way to take a picture? We saw a whole bunch of dragon boat rowers heading out, and it looked so pretty with them on the water. Then we saw a massive big blow up, air filled baby, at the Arts Center and it would have made a great picture, but it was in yesterdays paper and if I can find it at the end of this blog, I'll send it along. Of course beautiful flowers everywhere, weird looking people too!! Tom showed me where he lived growing up, although his house had been replaced with two modern homes, but it was a nice neighbourhood with beautiful big trees, which he said, were just little when he was there.

Then we ended up looking for a Tim Horton's and ended up in Metrotown which to those that don't know, is a massive big shopping center and the Tim Horton's was in the food garden, so we walked and walked and I saw more of Metrotown, then I ever knew was even there! It's a HUGE place!

Back a couple of weeks ago, we went to Brentwood Mall and into Sears, where I tried on the horror's of horror's,-- bathing suits!!! Mine all have very thread bare bottoms and I needed a new one. I found one, I really liked, in fact two I really liked, but for some reason, after going through that torture, on trying on half a dozen, then trying them all on again, eliminating until I found the one I was going to buy, I changed my mind about needing one, so off we went. Soon as we drove away from the Mall, I regretted not buying it. So, at Metrotown, I went in to Sears to see if they had that bathing suit I liked. Impossible!!!!

So, I mentioned to Tom, I should have bought the one at Brentwood mall a few weeks ago. So, Tom said, lets go back and see if it's still there. I thought very negatively and was sure it was impossible it would still be there! After all, it was weeks ago when I first tried it on. But, off we went, and sure enough...there was the bathing suit but in a larger size. Then I spotted 8 more bathing suits I liked and in my size, so off I go to the fitting room and again, I tried on each one. I liked each one of them, all were nice! (Well, as nice as they could possibly look on this fat bod!) So, I tried them on and off at least 4 more times, until finally eliminating to the final one which was the original one I wanted. Only it's in a bigger size, so I need to have the shoulders straps fixed to make them tighter to lift of my boobs! It was 35% off too, so that will pay for the dressmaker to fix the suit. Now, I just need the nerve to wear a bathing suit in public! But if it's hot enough...which is doubtful in Vancouver lately....I may wear it!

Now, I need a cover-up and lots of nerve!

Oh well, if we can't laugh at ourselves, it's a sad world!

So, now we are home, with a meatloaf and potato's cooking in the oven and the smell is making me salivate!

So, that was our day!

Picture of the day: Roxanne took this picture this weekend of the swans in synchronized preening.

Thought of the day: If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do all the rest have to drown too?