Just Go Do It!

 

Last night I decided to try making a poppy and
here it is.
I couldn't believe how easy it was to do.
It really looks like a poppy in the end.
You can attach it to a card
 or to a hair pin or
pin it to a collar .
You can make many and attach them to granny squares/scarves/shawls/mittens/hats
or put hooks on them and use them as  broaches and or
buttons.
Or you can takes pictures of them just like I did and show them off to your friends.
But the most important thing, is that once you are done making them , they actually
look like a flower. lol

As you can see, this little flower made me quite happy today.

This little video also made me happy today.

I have never seen bats carrying their babies when they go out to feed. nor
Humming bird behavior as it was shown here.

Goes to show that if you are not in the right place at the right time you miss EVERYTHING!!!!

They give a new meaning to the words

JUST GO DO IT!!!

The world is there for you to enjoy.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

It's All About Family

 

Last Night I found these movies and thought they were good to add to my collection.
Three of them have more than one movie on them.
One has 6 - -  another 8 --  and the third  10
All family oriented so it makes it enjoyable to watch.
I especially like the Owl story.
I guess I will always be a kid at heart.
After selecting these movies I thought I'd catch up and see what was in the toy section of the store.
I used to live in the toy section with my kids and now I have absolutely no reason for going there.
I remembered how it meant so much to them to get just the right things.
Now I ask my son if he'd like to visit the toy section and he shrugs off to the clothes section lol
I love teasing him.
I checked out the puzzles because they make beautiful wall hangings
Pikachu was still there, the Hulk,  Even the noisy swords lol but the dolls were different.
I felt kinda sad so the next stop was the thread section.
I got a few skeins and now can sit and enjoy life again on the couch. lol

 

This is another hat I made.
 I think it needs a little more white on the rim but it looks just fine the way it is too.

As I was looking through my various books,
I read this letter Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote to his Dad and I had to laugh.

This sure is not the kind of letters kids would write their parents today. lol
So formal and soo very polite. So refreshing to come across something dignified
and respectful, as opposed to all these movies we watch today, teaching our kids
what's ok and normal. (not).
While I was watching a movie about when the Japanese soldiers attacked Nanking and
 performed atrocities on the children,
My husband walked in and said  " More war, more troops sent, on the News.. More death.
More fighting."  I asked him why was he watching? lol

It's all the same news just a different month and year.It never ends.
People don't want peace. If there was less talking and more keeping busy doing things, life would be better for every one.

xoxoxoxoxoox

Help Is On The Way!!!! (not)

Italian videos always make me laugh and this one didn't disappoint
me either. lol
I can just picture the police man getting into his car and calling the SWAT
 team to handle this one.
--------------------------------------------------------------

I love Asian cards because they are so much fun to look at.
This one I kept because when it's open, it  makes a circle.
It is actually a calendar.

 

I believe this is Japanese because it was illustrated by
Setsuko Machida, from Tokyo, Japan in 1997

 

  Everything looks like a celebration and there is so much color.

It was easy to put the pictures in order because they follow a sequence.
I wish I had the translation to the handwriting in the pics but the calendar,
 itself, is in English

These seem to be colorful lanterns celebrating July August and September

 

December seems to end in a big BANG! lol
The card's last page included an explanation of what Japan celebrates when.

 

This helps a lot. lol
3D is fun.
I also like 3d Books for children.

xoxoxoxox

Magical Old Powers

Turmeric is well known as traditional Ayurvedic medicine of India because of it's magical medicinal powers.

People have known and used turmeric for over 2500 years.  It contains curcumin and is a body cleansing
spice. as well as a treatment for fever, dysentery, infections, jaundice arthritis, and other liver problems. It improves bile flow breaks down fats, treats inflammations, helps stop the beginning of  alzheimers

  No wonder its called Turmeric Gold. I hardly ever use it but I will now.

As we age plants are becoming more and more interesting to know about. Growing it could be nice as it is a perenial.

This week end we shopped a bit. Nothing much to report interesting .

I found I should be more careful about what chicken I buy.
I bought a grain raised chicken. It's smaller and a lot more expensive but the crock pot soup came out delicious from it.
It seems my husband is allergic to chicken. His joints swell up right away and he has terrible pain for a while.
So I said try this chicken cause it's different. The soup bouillon was good and he likes to eat it with a side of rice but he took a few pieces of chicken just to see and he could feel a joint in his fingers swelling almost right away.
So he knows now that what he has, is from chicken.

This is something to look into. Why would people suddenly develop allergies to chicken?

Lately the more I look, the less I wish people had to eat.
I for one would have no problems at all with not having to do that. lol
Eating like sleeping is such a waste of time.
It used to be a good social element as people used to talk around the table but this has been replaced with phones and text messaging. People sit at the table like strangers.
They also look very strange driving in cars alone chatting what looks like to themselves lol
Before you could spot a nut case doing that, today it's harder to do because of technology.

I am not sure all these things are good for people anymore.
Manual living is still the best life. It helps you use your brain and I think less alzheimers could result from it.

I told my husband it's time to get out the old math books and begin reviewing theorems, physics, geometry etc...just to keep your mind sharp.
Last night my husband and I did a crossword puzzle from the local paper and I was surprised at how much I learned from it and how much I also forgot lol.
 It was a fun couple project to do at the table.

  Emily Dickenson said in one of her poems.:

 To live with you....

It would be life ..

And Life is over there...
Behind the shelf ...

Our life  ... like porcelain
A cup..

and

old ones crack.
:)

I admire old cups.
Seems many people do.
Have a wonderful day.
----------------------------------

He rushed to help an elderly lady driver out of the car and sat her down on a lawn chair.

He said with excitement, "you appear quite elderly to be driving."

"Well, yes, I am," she replied proudly.  "I'll be 97 next month, and I am now old enough that I don't even need a driver's license anymore.

"The last time I went to my doctor, he examined me and asked if I had a driver's license. I told him yes and handed it to him. He took scissors out of the drawer, cut the license into pieces, and threw them in the waste basket, saying,

'You won't need this anymore,' so I thanked him and left!"
-------------------------------

Personal and Private

I love all three of these projects because they don't cost much to make
and you can have a lot of fun with them with your own kids and at school.
 I can see Justin Bieber on every girls ears and neck using this method or
you can use it to put your own dog or cat picture/ a Mom and Dad picture.
Valentines Day is coming so I can see creative juices flowing here with these
projects.



They make for great gifts especially if you have grand children
who would love to receive
a gift with their own faces on them.



Paper napkins have always fascinated me. I love to cover little boxes with them.
and here they show how to make cards with them,
 for any occasion, that look totally professional and
without much fuss or mess.

I love it.

I can see me busy with these easy projects. I know the dollar store sells
wooden wine and jewelry boxes, and even plane wood  carved into shapes,
which can be easily turned into something
spectacular!
Kinda gets you excited to see things made easier and easier to do as opposed to before
when it required a whole process.

Have a great Day!
xoxoxoxoxxo

Zuccini Gold

Zuccini used to be so cheap to buy.
Today, it's like you are buying gold.
The prices are unbelievable.
We used to buy them cheap by the bushel and now we have to choose between 3 - 4 for 10 dollars.
I sure miss my Moms' Garden. She had a huge one and we never lacked vegetables, marmalades,
juices and frozen berries, in winter. She supplied us and the neighbors around her lol.
My parents loved to garden. My little boy used to help her collect the beans and peas and they'd spend lots of time talking and playing in the garden. Kids love gardens.

Time to garden for sure for many reasons.
 Even in a small yard, new techniques are developed to garden upwards or run a wire and hang plants upside down so they grow down. People don;t use clothe lines. That's passe today but I still prefer clothes lines to dryers anytime.

We love to eat zuccini and I remember my Mom used to freeze them.
So I think it would be beneficial to grow them in your own garden rather than buy
them in the store in winter.

If you grow them small, like in the picture above,
you could empty them inside, or slice them in circles and then slice again in half
or you can over grow them, empty them and slice in 1 " high circles so you have a circle, with an empty middle.( every one used to laugh at my Mom when they would see her overgrown zuccini but she'd just smile.)

You can blanch them a few minutes in boiling water water or steam them for 3 minutes
put them in ice water three minutes dry them in paper towels and then freeze them in zip lock bags
using a straw to get as much air out of the bag as possible. You make portion bags.

My Mom used to bake the big ones, so she would make portions of 6 - 8 to a bag.
They would have to fit a long pyrex baking dish. The same if you are steaming them in a pot. Usually we mixed stuffed zuccini with stuffed eggplant and stuffed tomatoes. We'd add water with garlic and boil or steam them. The vegetables would simmer and the taste was unbelievably delicious.

In winter my Mom would stuff zuccini and bake them .
She made recipes covering them in her spiced tomato sauce
sometimes adding shredded cheese on top.
 They were soo  good and a very healthy meal. You never gained weight eating her food.

The big circle zuccini were delicious as she would fill the middle and bake it and serve it like a small personal  pizza
 the small ones also could be cut in half into  4" heights and stuffed with meat and rice and then
steamed in a saucepan with tomato juice and your favorite seasonings.
My husband loves stuffed food.
I love stuffed cabbage rolls but I hate the process of getting the leaves to come off the cabbage. They say freezing it is the best way cause then the leaves come off quite easily.

Other people prefer to boil the zuccini and make a liquid out of it and freeze it that way, to add to soups, stews, breads etc.... So many recipes out there to use them in.

The zuccini insides can be used in porridges and soups right away so nothing goes to waste.
 Zuccini are rich in fibre, water, Vit A, C , Potassium, great for weight watching and to boost your immune system

It is excellent for your heart, skin, lungs and eyes.

Today the sun is shining and it feels like spring.
 So I am in the mood to garden or at least plan a garden for spring.
Nothing like inspiration to start a day. lol

There is always a problem of course,with bugs.
 Why would we expect everything to be perfect?

 To avoid that, they recommend not to water over the plant . My husband loves to stand and just drown the plants watering them and he makes me very nervous when I see him enjoying himself around the garden. lol

So I hope he reads this blog.
 DO NOT OVER WATER!!!! lol
Men are funny.
They don't like to be nagged and yet they do everything,  so you have to stand over them like babies and nag  lol

Water under the plant and if you see bugs, squash the eggs under the leaf, which look like red dots, or spray under the leaf with dish soap . Putting newspaper on the ground helps as the bugs crawl under it and you can kill them in the morning. My parents used to put dishes with beer or wine and the bugs would just pile in there, in droves.
 You think only people love booze? Think again. Bugs have a serious alcohol problem
They can't just ....walk on by.lol

This is a good lesson for me to look back on when growing zuccinis. lol

Have a great day ! :)

Money Money How About Some Mulla

Today we saw a money tree (pachira giabra)created I guess for the Chinese New Year Its about 4 plants twisted to grow together. The leaves reminded me of a mango tree but they say it's  known as a French Peanut. Guinea Peanut etc... It grows in tropical areas like Brazil, Puerto Rico etc...
If you let it, it can grow 30-60 feet high. It can yield 10-25 smooth green fruit per tree, the capsule of which is about 4-8 inches.
 An old tree can produce 50-80 fruit per year. You shouldn't expect any fruit for 4-5 years. The seeds are quite delicious they say. They can be boiled fried or roasted and taste like  peanuts.
 They can  be ground and drunk as hot chocolate.
The young flowers and leaves can also be eaten. They contain 16% protein and 40-50% fat.
 The Chinese like these trees because they are easy to grow in pots and can be turned into bonsai trees
which they then call lucky  or money trees.
 The bark of these trees can be used for stomach problems , head aches and to strengthen your blood. Interesting.
The Chinese come up with many fun things to educate oneself with.
Beside this Money tree were beautiful orchids which also take a long time to flower.
 Must be a good year for these plants this year.

Anyway, when we saw them, we asked people what kind of tree it was and no one knew.
They just said Money tree and laughed. That's all the tag said too.

I am sure many curious people like me, went home and tried to find out what exactly, kind of plant it was.
A tree like this can be made out of 4 different plants I am sure, which then can produce different fruit.
Wouldn't that be a wild idea? I used to have a tree in my back yard which was half magnolia and half cherry.
Someone stuck the two of them together when they were small and the trunks melted into each other so it grew as one tree with separate roots.
 xoxoxoxoxox

Life Happens

 

This is a large serving plate and it comes with six little plates.
I have 2 sets of them.
When I like something I never use them .
They wait for very special occasions which never seem to come.
In this picture the plate looks like a disc from outer space
with the black speckled back ground.

 ------------
Life 101 is one of my bloggers.
His name is Rick Watson and he wrote a book called

"Life Happens"

You might get a copy free if you visit his blog.

Have a good day. !

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

TreasureS From the Deep.

 

These crustaceans were just too beautiful to eat.
I don't buy them too often because it just doesn't seem worth it to throw so much of the lobster away.
With a crab, there is always so much more to eat and the shell is not as hard.
Given a choice, crab is always first on my list.

However for New Year, this time we decided to buy lobster.
We shopped around for the specials and we found so many lobster tails for 8.99.
Some were frozen and some were fresh.
No one told you that for 8.99 you could get the whole thing as is , alive, from the store aquarium.
Only my husband could sniff this out because he is the professional
seafood man in our family. lol

I have to admit, they sure look good on a plate though and if the tables were turned,
I am sure nothing would hinder them from taking a good chunk out of you either.
Their claws are willing and eager to clasp onto anything.

The kids used to go crab fishing with nets . From the pier we could see all these crabs walking around under water. We didn't even need nets. All we had to do was walk or dive under water and pick them up by hand.They were all over the place. The only thing that spoiled the fun were all these RCMP Officers who constantly walked around bothering you for licences and making sure you only took males which had to be a certain size or larger and did not exceed your quota.
My boys would lower these nets with a chunk of meat tied to them and watch the crabs crawl onto it, and begin to rip off pieces to digest.
Sometimes you'd have two three crabs all feeding off the same small piece of meat.
The kids found it fascinating to watch.
We went often to the White Rock Pier cause we could put our chairs out and sit to take in some sun while the kids played jumping off the pier and crabbing.
I decided to pack it up and was pulling in this empty crab net when two police officers came to ask me for my license to crab. I told them I wasn't crabbing, just getting ready to go home. They asked who the crabbers were and I told them they were jumping off the pier. lol
They had already checked them for licenses many times.
After they put up parking meters you had to feed on the hour, we lost taste going there because it was too much of a chore to shop, go to restaurants, sun and worry about the meter.

When my Dad came to visit, we took him fishing to White Rock, BC on a boat.
We didn't expect to catch much cause there isn't much out there to catch except maybe some
bony little mud fish we used for crab bait. It was just for the fun of it to sit on the boat and who knows
what ,if anything, would hook onto a hook.

Imagine his (and our) surprise when he pulled out a  4 foot bonnet head shark onto the boat.
His eyes grew sooo big seeing he caught a shark.
This was simply unimaginable to him and to us.
I got this photo from google images to relate the size of the shark he pulled overboard.

---

Angler Capt. Jay Wright Jr., Hollywood, Fla., USA, landed a bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo) on September 5, weighing 10.21 kg (22 lb 8 oz) on 6 kg (12 lb) class line. Wright, an IGFA Lifetime Achievement award winner made the catch using crab for bait while fishing Sebastian, Florida, USA. It took him 10 minutes to land. The current men’s IGFA 12 lb line class record is 22 lb 0 oz (9.98 kg) caught two years ago off McClellanville,SC, USA. Jay released the shark after documenting. (Photo – bonnethead shark – 33895)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

These sharks are found in California , in warmer waters but since they eat crabs , BC
could be an enticing place for it to come visit, higher up the coast.
We couldn't get over , how tough the outer layer of the skin was.
Strangely enough, no one worried about being bit by it as we all tried  to examine it.

After taking a few pics, which I still have to find, of a really happy old man
who just experienced a small thrill of a lifetime, we let it go back into the ocean.
This shark is part of the Hammerhead shark family, grows up to 5 feet and does not seem to be
a danger to man.
We were not very far from shore when we caught it so if it could make it up the coast, so could other, more dangerous sharks.
Something we never think about up here. lol

xoxoxoxox

The Robin and the Bear

 

Our Richmond Casino did not disappoint us.
Bear was still there surrounded by Chinese decorations.

 

Every where we looked something was going on

Outside it was cold and foggy, not surprising since we were by water.

We were too late for the Buffet so we tried some Japanese Sushi places and they were all closed in Richmond.
So we decided to head back home because everything is open where we live. The third choice was Red Robin and it is always a good choice for burgers onions and desserts.
We all had an Onion Soup which was quite delicious.
My husband took a chilli burger, I took the sizzling fajita steak which was very tender, and my son took another yummy burger with fries.We also had their excellent onion rings.
By the time I finished eating I think I ate enough onions today. lol
Even my steak had red peppers with onions on the side.

 

The decor at Red Robin is Vintage.
And I LOVE Vintage.

 

You certainly can go down memory lane here even if it was before my time.

 

Now this bike was still around my time

Some comic books.

 

Who needs an engine when things are SMOKIN at Red Robin.

We had a great day. The fog went away for a while and then came right back.

It was a Red Robin Bear Day today and we even got leftovers for the dogs
who enjoyed them tremendously. 

xoxoxoxoox

Amazing Scallop

 

People look at things in a different way.
Here we were, eating stuffed scallops.
They were delicious.
We never thought about the other treasures these shells held.

Thinking we could re use the shells, we washed them and this is what my husband found.

A cameo like portrait of a lady, inside one of them, along with the shoulders.

 

The other side held an even more intriguing picture of an
American Indian Chief in his head gear.

Now how can it be more perfect?

We  can  develop a story about where this scallop shell had come from?
Did it come from Aboriginal land??

What is it trying to tell us?
What is the cameo lady trying to tell us?

I have another shell which is even more dramatic but after it  dried. the face
seemed to disappear. If I want a shot of it. I have to soak it again in water
but this one does the job.

What makes it even funnier was that I was searching for a crochet or knitting pattern
to make a Thanks Giving turkey square for an afghan with fan shaped feathers.
Instead we found an Indian Chief with fan feathers.

Goes to show you find bounty, in the most unexpected places.

If anyone is interested, I did find one beautiful pattern using Red Heart Thread.

 

 Turkey Talk Throw  -  This throw is gorgeous!
Almost makes you want to have a go at it again.
I have a throw for Christmas I admire. It was fun making it.
It looks so rich on the bed.

You can't buy stuff like this.
 Now I need one for Thanks giving and this throw, with the right thread,
 could be fabulous and an heirloom to pass on.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Basketball Lebron Style

LeBron James is one of my favorite basketball players.
I love the shoulders of these basketball players and they all seem to have the same kind, except for Steve Nash, who is tall,   6"3" , but looks like a shrimp between these guys. lol

Lebron is warming up- and saying "Pop the Molly and Sweat"  so I was singing it along with him and punch exercising with my son
when my son laughed and  explained what Lebron was saying and what I was enjoying with him.

Pop the Molly means to take MDMA  drugs (ecstasy in its pure form)  .
Now how would I know that? lol
A Molly to me, is a tank fish I used to raise. It's red and sometimes has a black tip on the tail.

This is a totally new world today. It reminds me of the day when we thought to go to a gay meeting was to go to a comedy meeting.
Well, I still enjoyed exercising with Lebron, even though I didn't know what he and  I was saying.
He looks like a little boy who needs a spanking lol Seems to me the video was doctored to make him do and say only one thing for effect.

All I can say to Lebron is,  that your children are watching their Dad warming up with drugs on his lips.
and so far, it had about  500 something thousand  hits.

Not bad. :)

xoxoxoxoxo

Amazing Potato

 

Potatoes are amazing vegetables from the solonaceae or night shade family. These include tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. If allowed to grow, the leafy part of the potato may result in fruit which should not be eaten because it's a form of solanine, a poisonous alkaloid

I love the way the Swedes eat their baked  potato.
The peel is supposed to have a high nutritive value, rich in potassium, Vit A,B,C, calcium, carbohydrates, iron ,  salts, .riboflavin,B6, copper, manganese and dietary fibre and is good for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Nutrients in
Potatoes
1.00 each baked (173.00 grams)

Nutrient%Daily Value

vitamin C27.6%

vitamin B627%

potassium26.4%

tryptophan21.8%

manganese19%

fiber15.2%

Calories (160)8%

The juice from a raw potato has anti inflamatory properties and helps with acid conditions in the stomach and thus ulcers. They are antioxydants and broccoli has a run for its money alongside it in phytochemicals.

They promote
carotenoids, flavonoids, and caffeic acid, as well as unique tuber storage proteins, such as patatin, which exhibit activity against free radicals.

Agricultural Research Service plant geneticist Roy Navarre has identified 60 different kinds of phytochemicals and vitamins in the skins and flesh of 100 wild and commercially grown potatoes. Analysis of Red and Norkotah potatoes revealed that these spuds' phenolic content rivals that of broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts, and includes flavonoids with protective activity against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers and they also lower blood pressure.
Eat them steamed baked or sauteed.

So eat and grow potatoes,  chemical free in your gardens.
Eat them with their skins or juice them.
They are good for you.

Have a great day
xoxoxoxoxo

Birks

 

I always loved buying at Birks. You always knew what you got there.
I also always loved making my own accessories with semiprecious stones.lol

 

Fresh water pearls, Tiger eye, bell mother of pearl beads, black stone beads, etc...

 

Aqua marine beads have always been my favorite and I wore necklaces and bracelets
made out of them, all the time.

 Crystal, always sparkled in the sun.
One could always see colors on the wall wearing them.

Necklaces made out of crystal were always beautiful for evening wear.

 

and then I'd play and make some colorful things to wear on the beach and the hot sand
to match my bathing suits.

I have a lot more somewhere but this is the box I found today.
Looking at them now I think I can redo them and refresh them into
nicer ones.
I have lots of beads  to work with and more once I find them lol

Have a good one.
xoxoxoxoxo

A Day in the Life of My Dogs.

 

Tanya doesn't care much for sleeping under tables. lol
She calls them little boxes. Now why would she sleep there when there are comfy warm places
to keep watch from? Don't try smelling her bowl. It's full but it's only there for you to look at.
This consumer will NOT be fooled with.
She'll wipe that smirk off your tongue if you even try LOOKIN in that direction.

 

Sly Beau isn't called sly for nothing. He'll just let her stare . She's gotta sleep sometime. lol
Then, when the time is ripe,  he'll come round and
pretend to say hello to the humans , genteelly walking by her bowl, licking it up on the way.
Wagga wagga wag.

She'll wake up and growl after checking it out.

Yup. Hornswoggled.
He did it again!!
Rats

I got you this time, you scheming scalliwag thief!  Playing nice are we?
Watch your lip. I hang on real tight.

 

OOOOOOh! Like I'm scared lol

 

Beau really does like her and will not let anyone hurt her and vs.
They guard as a team.

xoxoxoxoxo

Chinese Smarts

 

I remember my son bringing this home from their school
outing. I still like things like this because it's like having a little treasure box you open and inside
are little turtles with bobbing heads legs and tails.
It's like carrying a little friend with you , you don't have to worry about feeding or taking out.
Little boys used to carry crickets in boxes like these.

You wonder how this kind of work is done because the details are so tiny.
It takes a lot of patience to come up with something like this.
This little cutie came undone so I looked inside to see how they put it together
and now I know.
Little treasure boxes like this could be made with other things and for other occasions
like to say I Love You or Happy Birthday, or Merry Christmas.
I almost have an inkling to try it but first I would need to get the supplies for such an undertaking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The Bichon Shitzu cross is called a Sichon I learned.

I won't tell you what I thought she was lol

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

(Click to enlarge)

Beau didn't mind giving up his treat for a sandwich.
Trick is to melt the heart of the consumer
so he gives it up.

Guess what? It works :)

 

Sorry. Not working sweet heart. Beau is busy staring.
Men are such idiots sometimes lol
xoxoxoxoxoxox

The Owl and the Pussy Cat

Now this is interesting I never saw a cat playing with an owl before.
I know I played like this with my budgie but we were people and bird. lol

I don't think I'd trust a cat though.
I had a little Pekanese and a small owl came to see if it could eat it.
I thought it was a cocky little guy. Can you imagine taking on a dog that was twice its' size.
He thought better of it  thankfully. lol
He would have probably won since my dog was a little innocent pup.

The drive to the mountains cost me.
My back caught a draft and now I am sitting crooked on the couch.
lol
I still managed to put a blanket to wash and mop the floors a bit cause my Dad said to keep active
and to stretch the muscles which seem to be the culprits here.

My friend told me to take calcium, as lack of it tends to pull muscles as well so I guess I have to begin paying attention to all this stuff.
Funny we never had to pay attention when we were young but now we have to make sure we drink 7 glasses of water a day and take vitamins etc....

Thank God the sun is shining today to lift your spirits. I really dislike dull days.

So we shall see how the day ends.
First it took a while to get rid of a bad cold. Now that's better, we have another worst one, coming up from south of the border, people are dying from.
Now this back ache.

2013 had better get better real quick or I will go on strike lol
That'll teach it.

Ya ... right.

Hope your end is much better than mine.

TGIF.
xoxoxoxoxooxox

When I Can't Dream No More.

 

This is a pewter chess set.
I hide it because the last thing I want, is to lose the pieces.
It's a gorgeous set, very heavy and looks good
as a Christmas decoration.
People always play chess on New Years at my house.
The board is hidden in another box.
How convenient. lol
Sometimes you have to be tricky. lol
Once everything is together, an elegant game of chess war
could be played over a nice glass of brandy.
(but not on New Years)
The game would finish fast if you played me
since I don't know how to play.
If only wars were all so simple and painless.

I am very fond of these coasters as I don't have too many true Canadian things.
We always seem to collect foreign things from around the world.

I want to dream but when I can't....



I'll have you to remember.
xoxoxoxo

Memories and Gifts.

 

When ever I look at this picture it gives me the willies.
Out of the three girls, only I am still alive.
One would never believe such a thing could happen.
We all had a bright future ahead of us.
The girl on the left, was 4 years older than I was.
She always bullied me especially at my aunts' wedding, where we were 3 flower girls and
fought over who would hold her dress. She and this other girl, were both 4 years older than I was.
We all could have held it but she and her friend  didn't want me to and tore my dress but
 I got into trouble
and was quite upset that my Aunt took their side.
I was three and she and her friend must have been 7.
My feelings were very hurt that day and the photographer
captured me looking up at my aunt in my torn dress while the other two looked so
smug holding their flowers lol
Anyway, when she grew up, she lost her weight and became an
accomplished piano player.
She married a nice man, they bought a house, and next thing you know,
she died, right in front of it.
Boom, snap and it was over.
They said it was because of birth control pills .
She was only around 25 years old.
I think they changed  birth control pills after that so this sort of thing wouldn't happen.

The little girl on the right, I played with .
She was a year younger and she was the one who I pinched that day, just to hear her
begin wailing from very low base up to high soprano.
She always got into trouble for that because it sounded like a loud siren and
 very annoying to the ear.
After she calmed down and we were alone, I'd pinch her again and
 she got into trouble again. lol
It was just a little pinch but that's all she needed.
We were all little Angels back then. lol

She had a cute smile and people liked her cause she joked a lot
as opposed to me who was always serious, shy
and philosophical.
She became ill I believe with meningitis cause the whole church was praying for her and
survived
only through Gods' will.
She later she tempted fate by mixing herself up with party kids in High School,
and taking drugs.
We lost touch by then because I
didn't party or do drugs and didn't want to get
into the trouble she always got into.
 She married twice and had a child.

She passed away a few years back at around 40 years of age,
 from cancer and I attribute that to the drugs she took.
Many people who I met in hospital suffering from pancreatic and liver cancers did
drugs and alcohol when they were young.
It all seems fun. Every one does it but it shortens your life.
She left behind a young son who still needed a Mom and devastated old parents.

Thus you lose so many people in your life .
You look back and reality sets in that the day will come for you as well.
Every day is a gift.
Just like the streets you grew up in have changed,
erased everything about your life,
the people all go too and all you have left are pictures and memories and
you sit looking at them, reflecting by gone years.
You have fond memories even of the bad days and remember being told
not to rush to grow up.
 How right they were.

When it comes to children, I want my breast up front first,
to take the bullet so to speak,
so they may live a full life.

The good the bad and the ugly are all
part of lifes' experiences and if we can survive another day
to remember
well... that's a gift too.
-------------------------------
The main dish at a dinner party some friends attended, turned out to be a disaster.
As guests began to leave, my friends' husband tried to console the hostess by saying:
"I'm sorry about the main course but the dessert was excellent."
Yes it was" she answered. "Your wife made it. "
Readers Digest
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

SNOWY WHISTLER

 

All we have at home, in southern BC, is rain, a bit of frost, and a sprinkling
of snowflakes, just to give us a treat.
I DO miss snow for Christmas.

According to the old calender, Christmas is celebrated on the 6th of January
and this was our treat,
SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS. lol

Ok we already had Christmas along with the rest of the world, but still,
it's a romantic thought.

My friend came out to Whistler with her family and since time flies, and
we did not see each other for two years, we made sure to go up there,
so we could catch up on the news and our friendship.
The road changed quickly from rain to snow as soon as we reached Squamish
and going up a slight slope, competing with the tractors constantly
clearing the snow to the houses, was tricky but we managed.

 

It was unbelievably still and quiet up there, just like I remember it
back in Quebec, where truly, we could feast our eyes
on a winter wonderland.
We treasure every season because of how it changes and how good it feels for the soul
to be a part of  this life cycle.
Whistler did not disappoint us.

The boys went snowboarding and then hurried back to watch the football game.
We played a heated game of  scrabble, cause the bratty guys liked to make up words lol,
 had a bite to eat and enjoyed each others company by a crackling fire
and the absolute beauty outside the window.

It was a wonderful day.
The drive back was a challenge since all the roads were snow covered and
the snow never stopped falling up there the whole day.
As we passed Squamish, it again changed to rain and the temperature
went up from 1Celcius to 4C  .

We came  home to green grass and green trees and bare parks and bunnies in our yard.
I must remember to leave them some goodies outside so we can watch them.
They are soo cute.

xoxoxoxox