FINALLY, A NEW BLOG

Batman! My beautiful cat who has lived in pet heaven for a few years now, but I still love to see his picture. To be truthful, I didn't know I had this picture and it just popped up from somewhere from the depths of my computer. So, I'm going with it!

Below, is our new pet. Benji the Budgie! This little fellow has become quite the little entertainer, and has us laughing at his antics.

It took awhile for him to become use to us and his surroundings, but now, he's become very sociable and he's always exploring something or other. 

He talks also, and can say "Benji, Good Boy". I don't know why he took up those three words when I've been teaching him some naughty stuff!

 Now, get this, Tom, believes that the bird becomes more active, when the cartoons are on, thinking it's the bright colours and cute music that get's him excited.

When we go out, Tom turns on Benji's favourite shows..cartoons! Personally, I think Tom is nuts, but whatever!!!

From the picture below, Benji is intent on watching the TV, so I could be wrong. 

Merry Christmas/Happy Birthday to me! I had a birthday on Feb. 24th, and this is what my wonderful husband gave me! We skipped all the festivities at Christmas when Tom was in the hospital, so this was a combined gift! I love it and have always wanted a large amethyst ring! I love the gold band which has a celtic design.

Look at those old hands though!!

In fact when I woke up on Feb. 25th, I had a cold and felt sick all day long, and thought jumping from one year to a year older was the extreme pits!!! I sure hope this isn't what the year will be like!

Tom had a birthday Feb. 9th...I think I gave him a back brush for the shower! (That's how wonderful he is...his birthday was first and he got a lousy back brush, then it was my birthday and look what I got!!) I'm so lucky!

 Byron (Great Grandson), loves to help blow out the candles too! Maybe he figures we old folks don't have enough energy in us to blow them out and a little help may be needed.

 We all look so serious!!

 Auntie Meredith, feeding ice cream to Taya who saw the ice cream container and couldn't wait for the dishes! She is SOOO cute!!

Byron, snuggled up on G-Grandpa's knee for a story.

Last week we had another wind storm and I had gone down on the Seawall for a walk, but when I saw the waves coming over the wall, and with many other's warning to turn around, as it was too dangerous to continue, I of course did!

The Power of Waves!

The next day, this is what the waves threw up onto the Seawall.

See those cement border slabs on the left? Some are laying beside this large log that was also thrown up. Stones as large as your head laying everywhere!

 Incredible power!

 Wouldn't want to get hit with a rock this size! This was just a few huge waves....imagine a tsunami! These blocks of cement would be thrown for miles!

 Also, the next day and it's much calmer. There are two parts to the sea wall that turns and twists, where I walk each morning. One is rocky, which is the above pictures. This is the  sandy shore side and the packed beach in the summer.

 Tom, totally engrossed in the bio of Steve Jobs. He highly recommends it, should you be interested!

More pictures along my walk. Finally a sunny day after a few horrible cold rainy wet ones. It's nice to see someone reading and enjoying the sunshine. 

 Gertrude and Heathcliff surveying their seagull world.

 Looking directly into the sunshine.

 The flowers are blooming and colour is coming back instead of those grey colourless days of Winter.

 This is a little alcove along the Seawall. Lot's of lovely little places around Ambleside.

 This one I'm fooling you! Taken inside a shopping centre, not outdoors! Very pretty through isn't it?

Yesterday though, we spotted cherry blossom trees with pink blossoms just about to pop out in bloom.

I love this time of the year here when God with his brush, does such amazing work!

Swans in their nest. I wonder if there will be babies this year.

 Can you find the bird?

Our fun group lunch for February. Always a good time, with many laughs with this bunch!

 Enjoying our B52 drink. Three shots of liquor in this! No wonder we laugh lots! Dianne and Debbie are sisters, if you noticed the resemblance. Pretty ladies and full of mischief as well!

 Trying to show of my new ring!

Tom telling Bill some story.

 The guys would leave for the washroom and come back laughing about something that was in the washroom, but wouldn't tell us ladies. We asked the server and she took my camera and went in and took a picture of what was keeping the men so entertained!

This little game was in the urinals!

Men just want to have fun!

 More stories before chow time. Not a great picture of Dave and Doug, but we girls we're just a tiny bit busy with our own stories, to get up and get a good picture of the men.

RESERVED...much better than a whole bunch of numbers and a straight guilty face!

 Look at that sky! It was a COLD, MISERABLE day, as we all headed down to the boat dock in Ladner to see Dave and Meredith's new yacht! 

Martin is leading the pack with Tom and daughter Mer, coming along behind him.

 Roll on better weather, as here is 40 feet of fun on the water ahead!

 Martin waiting to help us aboard and out of the cold before the other's arrive.

 Father and his daughter.

 Before the Captain arrived, Tom tried out his seat, and he was making "Vaaarooooom" sounds which gave me a laugh.

It's a boat Tom, not a sports car!

 Here comes the rest of the gang, the Captain, his mom and dad and Gloria (Martin's sis in law)

 The new proud owners, Captain Dave and ADMIRAL, Meredith!
Apparently, I had Meredith on here as First Mate, but just learned of her promotion, and Mickey their dog is First Mate who swabs the deck!

 Wishing you both, many days of sunshine, calm sea's, and happy cruising and exploring!

Back at Martin and Joan's for a birthday dinner for both Meredith and myself. Look at that huge dish of the most delicious lasagna I've ever  eaten! Lots of meat sauce and cheese...what can be better??? We had ribs also! MMMMmmmmm!

The lady beside Tom is Dave's mom, Jenny.

 Byron giving Nana a hug!

 Huff and a Puff and out they go! Hope our wishes come true!

 Yummy homemade birthday cake by Joan. There was also another angel food cake and a big bowl of fruit with whip cream or ice cream! I was in heaven!

 Cutting the cake and a camera screw up!

Finally, our busy hostess with the mostest! She is a gem, this stepdaughter -in-law of mine! Although sometimes in fun,  (I hope), I'm called the evil stepmother. 

From the way she and Martin treat me, I'm sure the "evil" is in fun only, because they always make me feel, so loved, so included as family and we always have a good time when together.

Thank's to both of you and to Meredith for your love which is returned a thousand fold!

I wonder how she made such a great dinner when she's blind???

She's not! The camera caught her with her eyes closed and in a rare moment when she wasn't laughing and cracking a joke.

That is her sister Gloria beside her.

Meredith and Dave with parents Ed and Jenny

 Are we all stuffed or what!! Just relaxing as we drink our tea.

 Grandpa Martin with Taya before she heads off for bed.  She is alway's smiling and so cute!

Well, this has been a long blog and I don't know why my font won't stay the same. It's a problem with Blogger I guess.

To bring you up to date....MY FEET HURT!!

I discovered last year how much I enjoyed walking, and have been going 5 miles a day, with only missing a few days since last March.

All of a sudden it felt like the bones in my feet where coming through the bottom, causing much pain, so I reached in the closet and pulled out a hardly worn pair of runner's I had forgotten about. Wore them for my walk, and made it home with terribly sore toe nails. The shoes where too small, but when I first put them on, they felt okay. They went to the Thrift Shop! 

The nails all turned black and now a few months later after much pain the nails are just about to fall off and that hurts like heck!

Off to get new expensive shoes, which created more pain then ever!

I returned them and got a refund!

Off to get a different pair, the same as my first ones that I figure had just worn out with walking and had no padding left in them.

Well, that hasn't worked either! I added my old orthodics, and had a little relief, but in the end, all was getting worse with each step!

Two years ago, I broke the second toe on my foot and had to have some injections of cortisone, which helped for about 2 months each time. Diagnosed as a neuroma.  Now, my whole foot is sore and the pain has gone into my whole foot!

Last night I had so much pain in my other foot, I couldn't walk!

I'm sitting here actually unable to walk with my feet up and can feel them aching and now and then a shooting pain will run through the toe I broke and into the foot. I'm plain miserable!!!

No walk this morning, and I'm so darn depressed over the whole thing. I love my walks!!

I have an appointment with a Podiatrist March 7th, so I hope she can help diagnose and cure this pain I feel!

So, that's my tale of woe!! Pain of (defeat) the feet!

More another time!