END OF ANOTHER SEASON?

Isn’t this a pretty picture! It’s suppose to be all the seasons. I know that Spring has just begun, but why in the heck does it still feel like Winter? When I first came out here to Vancouver, and we’d have cold or wet weather, everyone would tell me “ Ohhh, but it’s very unusual weather this year!!” So, I believed them for the first couple of years, but now know, that this is just  Vancouver weather. However, this year, I have to admit that I do find this more unusual then the rest, which had been cold, but after looking back at my pictures taken last year, the flowers are so much more behind and it’s real cold! Seems to be that biting wind always pestering us.

I got myself out of yesterday’s couch potato mode and was up and dressed and got some things done that I left undone yesterday! I didn’t even make the bed yesterday and if there is something I hate it’s crawling into an unmade bed. Nothing feels right!

We walked to the Library to get rid of the pile of unread books I never read. The 14 day loan period is just too short to get my pile read! Then, like usual had to pick up another armload to bring home again. That way, I have a pick on whatever mood I’m in at the time to read. These all look pretty good, so I better get reading fast!

Yesterday, I received a wonderful gift from my daughter in the mail for my birthday that was in Feb. TICKETS FOR TOM AND I TO GO SEE LEONARD COHEN LIVE AT GM PLACE IN APRIL!!!

I looked up where we will be sitting and what prime seats we have, and what an enormous prime price she paid!!!! I knew she was buying us tickets, but had no idea the price or the seats she would pick for us!! So, I’m excited that we are going to see one of my favourite entertainers. I love his music and have for a long time….but Leonard and I have been around for a LONG time!! I have some of his songs on the music on the blog, so if it’s not playing, just scroll and have a listen.

 

He’s an old fellow now, but still has a good voice and when he sings, I find him so darn sexy!! He spent time as a monk at one point in his life, writes poetry, and some of his lyrics are a little raunchy, but he sort of half sings, half talks, and it’s a blend of good sound!

So thank you my wonderful daughter for a gift, I’ll enjoy and remember always!

Diet…lets talk about this friggin’ darn diet, the South Beach Diet!

I’ve been on a zillion diets in my life but have never in my life, seen one moving so slow at making me lose weight!!! We’ve been at this for a month now and the scales continue to move back and forth between 8 to 10 pounds. I even turned the scales over and looked to see if they where stuck! I’ve followed the diet exactly as written, without cheating at all, and they read the same thing every night when I weigh myself. Tom has lost 5 pounds but he’s cheating now and then, but he’s full of optimism and I’m just plain fed up!! The doctor says this is a good safe diet, and I hate to switch in mid stream, so I promised myself, I’d go to the end of April and if nothing happens to that miserable scale needle heading south, then I quit!!

If I can’t get into my black jeans by then, it’s game over. I’m going back to Atkins, even if Dr. Atkins died of a heart attack from his diet of too much fat.

Well, enough of this chatter, I’m heading to the bathtub. Nothing on TV until tomorrow night when The Amazing Race is on, so lots of reading time.

If I sat on that moon, it would sink to the ground!!!

COUCH POTATO

That’s me…a true blue Couch Potato today!! It’s now, heading up to 3 pm, and I’m still in my pajama’s and robe.

However, this morning, I got up and made a nice breakfast of bacon and eggs and then went to sit with my coffee to watch The View. For some reason, an urge came upon me, and I set to work cleaning up my little corner area where I sit, on a comfy chair with the computer on my lap, and beside me is a ugly white two tiered table that houses my scanner and all my bits and pieces, that when all contributed, makes this one horrible ugly corner of the room!

I went and grabbed a garbage bag, and started throwing bits of papers with my scribble on them, in the bag, that I know in a few day’s I’ll need, although, I haven’t looked at them in weeks! Out they went!! Some computer passwords to sites I likely won’t return to, bits of healthful tips from Dr Oz, and Oprah, old candy wrappers hidden away (I haven’t eaten ANY candy in a month, since we started this stupid, not working diet!!!!)  I threw out the South Beach diet book, I studied and followed diligently in the garbage bag, but felt guilty and retrieved it, for what reason I don’t know!! Into the bag went old mail, old used,empty envelopes, pens that no longer work, but maybe I should buy refills for….ha!!! When have I ever bought a pen refill, it’s easier to just nab other people’s pens. Tom is still wondering where I nabbed the one from a funeral home and if I have some devious plan to do him in!

Anyway, out went the ugly white table, cleaned up all the junk, my scanner is hidden beside my chair, my computer when not using it sits on another smaller table, and this corner look neater!!

Then Tom got into the act too and decided to start cleaning out the gadgets and junk collected in the cupboards. Out went the too many glasses, out went the broken Silver Bullet, out went the nifty cheese grater, the oil dispensers, my souvenir glass with a light in the bottom, that changes colours, that I got with a cruise drink, that I HAD TO HAVE!!!

Out when many things we don’t use, but takes up valuable space!

And that was our day!!!

Since then I’ve been forwarding a whole mess of jokes that I haven’t opened in days to the people on my joke list, who are probably sick of my name popping up, but too bad because………

                                    ………..that’s what retired people do!!!

So, here I sit, still in my robe, hair uncombed, bed unmade, and garbage sitting in the hallway. Do, I really care? Actually…yeah!! I’m ashamed of myself. I should get dressed, do my hair and make-up and walk to Dunderave, at a good trot and see if these scales will move!! My body just doesn’t want to give up it’s fat!! I SWEAR…I have not cheated even once!!! I’ve followed it to the word. Tom is stuck on 5 pounds and the scales are undecided if it’s 8 or 10 pounds gone….it says it different every time I step on it.  But we will trudge ahead. I’ve set my goal to the end of April and if there isn’t a big weight loss by then, I’m cutting the fat off with a knife!!!

Just to make myself feel better, I will speak the words that hung on the wall in big letters, in my office for many,many years! They where my mantra!!

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Now, I feel better about being a couch potato!! Tomorrow will be different!

HAVE YOU EVER WISHED ON A STAR

 

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Beautiful artwork by www.silentpleadeviantART.com

HAVE YOU EVER WISHED ON A STAR AND CARRIED MOONBEAMS HOME IN A JAR?

I haven’t carried moonbeams home in a jar since my childhood days, when my sister Roxanne and I would sneak out in the night, on the front yard, in our bare feet,while the world slept and was quiet, as we giggled and chased firebugs (which was the closest we could get to moonbeams.)

 Always, still in my old age, I wish on a star!! After all, it makes no difference who you are!!!

Writer: Leigh Harline; Lyrics: Ned Washington

When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires will come to you
If your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star as dreamers do
(Fate is kind, she brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing)
Like a bolt out of the blue, fate steps in and sees you thru
When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true

When I was young, my teacher wrote in my autograph book, “Never let opportunities, like the sunbeams pass you by!”

“Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I
might have the wish I wish tonight.”

If you happen to get the opportunity to make a wish on a star tonight, or the next time the sky is full of sparkling jewels, then MY wish, is for all YOUR dreams to come true!

SNAKES

Why did I pick a topic on snakes?? Beats me, the picture was cute! I had a really neat WMV to show you, but I’ve tried for a few hours to get it to work on the blog and I just can’t figure this out. Back to the drawing board, I guess! I think I have to add some HTML code and that mystifies me!!

However, on the topic of snakes, which I’m sure everyone out there is really interested in, I can tell you a story of what happened to my daughter a few years ago, which involves those slithery creatures, so if you don’t want to read this, click off, but not before you say hello on the guest book page!

Once upon a time, a few years ago (this can be your bedtime story), my daughter decided to enjoy one of the warmest days of Spring and go for a walk with the dog, down the road and down to the creek, looking for pussy-willow’s.

She got down the hill to the creek, not noticing anything, her eyes on the horizon, I suppose. At the bottom, she turned around and the whole hill was moving. She and the dog had stirred up a nest full of garden snakes. She had no choice but to go back up the hill through the snakes!! The dog was even scared. I think of going up that hill and shiver!!

Want to hear another snake story? Your choice…just click off now if I’ve freaked you out already, but sign the Guestbook first!!!!! There are rules ya know!!

Once upon a time, my sister and I had a few days at my daughter Lisa’s cottage at Lake Scootamatta in Ontario. Every morning, we’d take our coffee down to where the morning sun was giving us the most warmth. Early in the week, we spotted a garden snake, or maybe a water snake, which also crawled up onto a rock to get warm. I hate the darn things, but my sisters love for saving creatures big and small, wouldn’t let me smash it with a rock, so I could sit down there without fear. So I let it live, but never took my eyes off the horrible thing, in case it moved, I'd move faster in the other direction!

On the weekend, my daughter Lisa and her dog Sassy, came up to the cottage, so as usual, down we went to the same spot in the sun in our p.j.’s to enjoy our coffee. Roxanne was still getting out of bed. I told Lisa there was a snake around but it hadn’t shown itself as yet, and no sooner then I spoke then up it came, laying in the sun. So, Lisa, and I moved up to the top of the picnic table and watched it while we drank our mug of coffee. Meanwhile, my sister let’s out the dog, who came rushing down to see us, spots the snake, grabs it in his mouth and shook it with all his might, back and forth in his mouth, spreading snake guts and pieces all over us, and landing in our coffee cups. We yelled at Sassy to stop, all the while trying to cover ourselves from the bits and pieces of gory guts, and afraid to get off the top of the picnic table. Finally Sassy dropped the snake which lay dead, while we jumped off the picnic table like the devil was after us!! Sassy picked up the snake again, and with it in his mouth and still shaking it, followed us running, as we could feel the snake hitting our bare legs! YUK!!

Once we got the dog stopped, I took a stick and hooked the snake with it and threw it in the water where it floated away and we ran to get washed off quivering with horror at what was covered on us.

Later in the day, Lisa was going to take us out in the boat, but when she started it, some part of the motor fell off into the water, so, she went to change into her bathing suit for the dive to attempt to retrieve the lost part. She took a big dive, and all of a sudden came flying up and out of the lake, like she was on a springboard, swearing profusely as she hit the dock and ran! The snake was laying on the bottom of the lake, right where she dove in where it had unknown to us, landed and stayed right beside the dock. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong, until she started yelling about the $%^&** SNAKE, I threw in the water. I realized what happened instantly and I started to giggle, and then stood on the dock howling with laugher, holding my side, as tears rolled down my face, as she stood looking at me, with murder in her eyes!!

The dead snake had floated down and landed right beside the dock. She didn’t think it very funny, but it’s one of those fun cottage memories, we still laugh about now.

We’ve had many great memories at her cottage and I hope there will be many more in the future. Fun times!!!

So, that’s my bedtime story for you tonight, my pretties! I hope your dreams are pleasant.

Night, night!

Don’t forget to sign the Guestbook….please!

BIRDHOUSES ON OUR WALK

Note: I just found out, that clicking on a small photo brings it up larger!!! I've changed how I do my blog, writing it in Window's Live and it automatically posts to Blogger, so you can notice how the format and other things, like this collage, with background colour are extra things I can do that I'm still discovering. Clicking on this collage however will not open the picture's larger, just the small picture that I post. 

Yesterday, a sunny, yet cool day, Tom and I went for a drive over to the North Vancouver dog park, directly across from “The Sails” or “Canada Place” in Vancouver, which is where the cruise ships come into. They don’t start arriving until May of each year , which then begins  a steady trail back and forth, cruising their passengers to wonderful vacations in foreign places.

I was facing directly into the sun when I took this picture, and wasn’t even sure I had “The Sails” in view, but luckily, there it was when I downloaded the pictures from the camera this morning.

Along the dog walk, besides every breed of dog you can imagine, all enjoying a run, chasing balls, and just visiting so friendly with each of the other dogs, which never ceases to amaze me at how, when off their lease, and with other dogs, they seem to know it’s their time! It’s their playground, and also their social time. It’s just so much fun for them and joy to watch such happiness in their freedom.

But, also along the walk, are these birdhouses, on nearly every post you come across. Some made out of old computer’s, some are clowns, and some I don’t know what they are suppose to be but they house birds! Then of course there is the regular bird nest up in a tree, made out of sticks and bits of this and that. THEN I included a picture of the tree beside our bedroom window of the @%&&X* big crows or starlings that land there every morning, just past dawn, that CAW and fight with one another and are so noisy, that if I had a shotgun and a good aim…….

Last week, I tried to take a picture of 8 of them at once on the same tree, but soon as I when to shoot….the camera that is…I only got 6 of the miserable little critters!! They don’t get my morning off to a great start!!

 

There are 5 birds on the tree on this picture!! All cawing and making my life miserable!

Trying in my attempt to be creative an get a picture with the snow on the mountains with the Canadian flag in the background.

There where some little buds on that tree, but they didn’t show up.

Vancouver is a few  weeks behind with Mother Nature getting into action around here. I looked at some photo’s taken last Feb.08 and we are no where near with the flowers springing up and the cherry blossoms blooming. 

Tom sitting out of the cool wind, enjoying looking at the water, while I did my picture taking. He has so much patience!!

There has been much interest in all of our trips, and this morning, I realized that I hadn’t started to blog, when we did the Panama Canal trip, so, maybe this afternoon or tomorrow, I’ll dig out my diary and disc of that trip and show how wonderful it was. Lot’s to tell you about and wonderful pictures, so come back and travel along with me on a cruise through the Panama Canal which we took in 2006 of 07…not sure now.

We’ve been asked by some friends we met on our last cruise to Antarctica if we’d join them on a trip through Asia this Christmas. I think we may pass on this one. It’s the flights before the cruise that gets us!!