It was a gorgeous summer day so I decided to take a drive out in the country. One of the routes I enjoy taking is HWY 6 out to Port Dover because it's a straight ride with no highway changes.
Highway 6 takes you through Caledonia, a place I used to love to visit but not since the natives made it a bit foreboding. Today I drove through the town and thought once again how pretty it is, very modern in some aspects but still holding on to that old town feeling. I drove past the infamous "Douglas Estates", the lovely subdivision planned a few years ago by a building entrepreneur but which the natives took over amid burning tires, blocked roads, ranting and drum beating. It hardly seems as though too much time has passed since that awful period in Caledonia but one look at "Douglas Estates" tells another story.
"Douglas Estates" was to be a beautiful new subdivision in Caledonia. It sits right on Hwy 6 and not far from the center of town. But the natives decided that the land belonged to them and they forced the legal owners out, barricaded themselves in and proceeded to harrass the life out of neighboring homes and, actually, the whole of non-native Caledonia. The O.P.P. protected the natives and allowed their criminal and unruly behaviour...we don't know why to this day!
As you drive by "Douglas Estates" today, you'll see what looks like a slum piece of property surrounded by untended weeds. There's a burnt out bus still sitting out front! A sign in front of the property shows it belongs to Six Nations...are they proud of this? If all the land they claim to own was handed over to them, would it all end up looking this way?
I don't believe natives really want the land because they don't know how to take care of it. What they really want is to blackmail the government into paying and paying and paying them into eternity.
"Douglas Estates" is a living example of what happens when we give in to rioting blackmailers. Once they got all that attention and excitement (plus free land thanks to the Canadian taxpayers), they've gone on their way and left a mess behind.
Maybe the natives will build a smoke shop there.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Smart Rules for Buying &Selling on Ebay
BUYING:
1. Before bidding, check out the seller's feedback.
2. Make one bid only, the highest you want to pay.
3. Leave good feedback if you are pleased with your purchase.
SELLING:
1. Be completely honest in your description.
2. Accept first time bidders.
3. Package well.
4. Don't expect to make a living from your sales.
5. Don't leave bad feedback, no matter how awful the buyer is.
I've been buying and selling on Ebay for quite a few years and these are the best tips I could give anyone. Ebay is fun to use and a place to quickly find just about anything you could possibly need but you have to know your prices and check out the seller before bidding. You are bound to get a good buy when using Ebay.
The most important tip on selling is to never, ever give your buyer bad feedback because a bad buyer is almost always a whacky one who will retaliate by lying and leave you bad feedback which Ebay won't remove. It goes without saying that you should always be an honest seller because, if you aren't, it will come back to bite you in the behind.
I buy a lot from China and have seldom had a problem. They are polite, very quick to correct any problem, and their products are cheaper than in any store. I sell mainly items I find at yard sales but have also cleared out unneeded items from my own home. It's a hobby for me as well as a small (very small) money maker.
As in any enterprise, do your research and you'll have fun with Ebay.
1. Before bidding, check out the seller's feedback.
2. Make one bid only, the highest you want to pay.
3. Leave good feedback if you are pleased with your purchase.
SELLING:
1. Be completely honest in your description.
2. Accept first time bidders.
3. Package well.
4. Don't expect to make a living from your sales.
5. Don't leave bad feedback, no matter how awful the buyer is.
I've been buying and selling on Ebay for quite a few years and these are the best tips I could give anyone. Ebay is fun to use and a place to quickly find just about anything you could possibly need but you have to know your prices and check out the seller before bidding. You are bound to get a good buy when using Ebay.
The most important tip on selling is to never, ever give your buyer bad feedback because a bad buyer is almost always a whacky one who will retaliate by lying and leave you bad feedback which Ebay won't remove. It goes without saying that you should always be an honest seller because, if you aren't, it will come back to bite you in the behind.
I buy a lot from China and have seldom had a problem. They are polite, very quick to correct any problem, and their products are cheaper than in any store. I sell mainly items I find at yard sales but have also cleared out unneeded items from my own home. It's a hobby for me as well as a small (very small) money maker.
As in any enterprise, do your research and you'll have fun with Ebay.
Eating Sensibly...-11
Well, the impossible did happen and I only lost 1 pound for the week. Dieters know how weight fluctuates from one day to the next but it's still frustrating. But one pound off is one pound less than I was carrying last week so I'll take that as a sign I did something sensible for the week.
I'm not calling what I'm doing "dieting". For me, that has always been a road to failure because I tend to go at projects of any kind in a frantic and all out way. Over the years, if I dieted, I starved myself and that's no way to lose weight and keep it off. What I'm trying to accomplish these days is a sensible eating pattern, one that rules out too many fats and too many sweets. I will probably always have a problem with carbs, though, because I love pasta. Salt is another problem for me and one I will try to cut down on.
This might be the first summer in a long time that I didn't gain a few pounds. My weight loss buddies and this blog are the main reasons why!
I'm not calling what I'm doing "dieting". For me, that has always been a road to failure because I tend to go at projects of any kind in a frantic and all out way. Over the years, if I dieted, I starved myself and that's no way to lose weight and keep it off. What I'm trying to accomplish these days is a sensible eating pattern, one that rules out too many fats and too many sweets. I will probably always have a problem with carbs, though, because I love pasta. Salt is another problem for me and one I will try to cut down on.
This might be the first summer in a long time that I didn't gain a few pounds. My weight loss buddies and this blog are the main reasons why!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wrong Day to Weigh
I've been feeling quite proud of myself and the way I've been controlling my eating the past few weeks. This morning I couldn't resist weighing myself (even after coffee) and was pleased to see a 2 pound loss since last Friday. The problem is that I'm not supposed to weigh in until tomorrow and I just know that 2 pound loss will disappear into the atmosphere and be replaced by a gain. It's impossible to gain even a pound overnight but we'll see tomorrow if I have achieved the impossible.
Suicide Among Natives
Native leaders are bemoaning the fact that suicide among young natives is at epidemic proportions. They understand they have a serious problem but are not sure how to solve it. This is almost certainly a prelude to asking the government for more money to provide more native recreation buildings and more native counseling programs.
It's a sad state of affairs when such a large group of teens have no future and that's one of the big reasons they become depressed enough to commit suicide. It's not more recreation buildings they need but more jobs to build a future on. When youngsters see 70% unemployment in their future, of course they will wonder about the purpose of their lives.
I've always believed that native reservations are the true downfall in their society. Anything that keeps them from integrating into their resident country can only serve to hold them down. The stimulation of joining a diverse society like we have in Canada will offer them more ideals than they are presently getting on a mainly unemployed reservation. It just makes sense.
There is an old saying, "Welfare breeds welfare.", and that holds true whether it's in a slum or on a reservation. We need heroes in our lives to inspire us to attain better lives. If most of the people we're surrounded by every day lead useless lives then what is there to inspire us? The cheque comes in the mail every month so why slave 40 hours a week for it? Well, with work comes the sense of feeling useful.
What these young natives are experiencing, but on a much higher scale, is the inactivity some seniors feel after retiring from a job they've held all their lives. It's a feeling of, "What am I good for now?". For a teen to feel that way is a disaster waiting to happen.
Natives don't need more recreational time, they need their leaders to lead them into more useful lives. In my eyes, the best way to do that is to demolish reservations and integrate natives with the rest of society. I don't know how easy or difficult it would be to convince them that a monthly government cheque which allows them to remain idle is actually killing them.
It's a sad state of affairs when such a large group of teens have no future and that's one of the big reasons they become depressed enough to commit suicide. It's not more recreation buildings they need but more jobs to build a future on. When youngsters see 70% unemployment in their future, of course they will wonder about the purpose of their lives.
I've always believed that native reservations are the true downfall in their society. Anything that keeps them from integrating into their resident country can only serve to hold them down. The stimulation of joining a diverse society like we have in Canada will offer them more ideals than they are presently getting on a mainly unemployed reservation. It just makes sense.
There is an old saying, "Welfare breeds welfare.", and that holds true whether it's in a slum or on a reservation. We need heroes in our lives to inspire us to attain better lives. If most of the people we're surrounded by every day lead useless lives then what is there to inspire us? The cheque comes in the mail every month so why slave 40 hours a week for it? Well, with work comes the sense of feeling useful.
What these young natives are experiencing, but on a much higher scale, is the inactivity some seniors feel after retiring from a job they've held all their lives. It's a feeling of, "What am I good for now?". For a teen to feel that way is a disaster waiting to happen.
Natives don't need more recreational time, they need their leaders to lead them into more useful lives. In my eyes, the best way to do that is to demolish reservations and integrate natives with the rest of society. I don't know how easy or difficult it would be to convince them that a monthly government cheque which allows them to remain idle is actually killing them.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Approaching 70
Every decade of my life (except age 10), I've approached the birthday with a sense of trepidation...just a little fearful of leaving the comfort of one decade behind me as I am pushed into the next, possible not so nice decade.
The very worst one for me was the year I turned 50 because I was depressed about it for a good six months before it actually occurred. 50 was old in my eyes and meant that the end of my life was all too near.
By the time I reached 60, I had come to realize that age isn't so bad after all. With age comes a few unexpected benefits. Number 1 is that menstruation is gone (for a woman) and no longer an inconvenience. Number 2 is that younger people make exceptions in your case due to your advanced age. Number 3 is that you don't have to worry that being friendly will be misconstrued as flirting. It might actually be but no-one would ever expect it.
I'll turn 70 next week and the only feeling I have about it is one of surprise that I made it this far. The ten year mark is no longer a fearsome thing because, once you're old, you're old and nothing is going to change that. I'm glad I learned acceptance early enough to enjoy my old age. Maybe I'd be bitter if I was in constant pain or in a bad relationship but that isn't the case right now. I'm enjoying life this week at age 69 and I'll enjoy it just as much next week when year 70 rolls around.
Life is good.
The very worst one for me was the year I turned 50 because I was depressed about it for a good six months before it actually occurred. 50 was old in my eyes and meant that the end of my life was all too near.
By the time I reached 60, I had come to realize that age isn't so bad after all. With age comes a few unexpected benefits. Number 1 is that menstruation is gone (for a woman) and no longer an inconvenience. Number 2 is that younger people make exceptions in your case due to your advanced age. Number 3 is that you don't have to worry that being friendly will be misconstrued as flirting. It might actually be but no-one would ever expect it.
I'll turn 70 next week and the only feeling I have about it is one of surprise that I made it this far. The ten year mark is no longer a fearsome thing because, once you're old, you're old and nothing is going to change that. I'm glad I learned acceptance early enough to enjoy my old age. Maybe I'd be bitter if I was in constant pain or in a bad relationship but that isn't the case right now. I'm enjoying life this week at age 69 and I'll enjoy it just as much next week when year 70 rolls around.
Life is good.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Our Precious Baby
Oh, how much I love this little boy. Today was the first time I got to babysit him and he wasn't happy like in his picture. He hasn't been to my house since last year so it was totally strange to him and he doesn't see me enough to be fully comfortable with me. It was so sad to see his little face, wide eyed and looking fearfully around the strange surroundings. His little lip came out and he clung tightly to me and began to whimper.My heart was breaking as I cuddled his tiny body and tried to make him feel safe. He'd been brought to my house by his maternal grandmother who had said he didn't need a nap but he was obviously very tired. I cuddled and cooed and soon he fell asleep, clutching me tightly with his little arms.
I cuddled and rocked him for about an hour but then made the big mistake of trying to wake him up to play. I thought he shouldn't be sleeping so long if his Gramma had said he didn't need to but we were both wrong. He was very upset, not wanting to play but just wanting to be held close. I wasn't about to deny his little arms so up he came again, cuddled in tightly against my chest, and burrowing his teary face into my neck. He cried and sobbed for a few moments before falling asleep once more. Apparently he did need a good nap because he slept for another 1/2 hour until his mother came for him.
All of a sudden we saw the real Nolan emerge from this previously unhappy baby. He looked at his Mommy and his face broke into a big grin as he struggled to reach her. There's no replacement for a mother's love, is there? He kept looking at her and smiling...all was right in his little world again and he was the normally happy child we all knew.
Daddy arrived shortly after and Nolan smiled at him but still kept close to his mother. I told them they need to visit here more often so he wouldn't feel strange when he was here. I didn't want to ever again see that look of fear on his precious face when he came into my house. I want my house to be a pleasant memory for him.
Before they left, another person came through the door and it was Kim, his paternal Gramma. She was on her way home from work but knew he was here and couldn't pass up a chance to see him...she saw him yesterday but that was almost 24 hours ago!
Nolan, my sweet baby, you are really loved a lot!
The Boy Has a NICE Girlfriend
I had been told that my grandson's new girlfriend was a NICE girl, unlike the others he's toted around for years. When I got to meet her yesterday, I couldn't believe my eyes. Not only does her niceness shine out but she's gorgeous. Maybe my boy has finally discovered that SKANK can't compare to NICE.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sad News
I got the news today that my nephew on my husband's side passed away. He'd been so sick for so long that it might have been a blessing. I'm sure his closer relatives haven't come to that conclusion yet but sometimes it's the truth.
I have fond memories of Gerald who was always so gentle and soft spoken. Even in his bad days of severe arthritic pain, he'd make the effort to get out of his bed and come down to visit with us when we were in N.B. He always had a smile on his face and I know how pleased he was that his beloved Uncle Dennis was there to see him.
I'm not sure of Gerald's age, possible early 60's, but he hadn't had an easy time of it for a terribly long time. He did have a family that loved him very much and who will miss his sweet smile now that he's gone.
I hope he runs into his Uncle Dennis and they can reminisce about old times once again.
I have fond memories of Gerald who was always so gentle and soft spoken. Even in his bad days of severe arthritic pain, he'd make the effort to get out of his bed and come down to visit with us when we were in N.B. He always had a smile on his face and I know how pleased he was that his beloved Uncle Dennis was there to see him.
I'm not sure of Gerald's age, possible early 60's, but he hadn't had an easy time of it for a terribly long time. He did have a family that loved him very much and who will miss his sweet smile now that he's gone.
I hope he runs into his Uncle Dennis and they can reminisce about old times once again.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Eating Sensibly...-10
I seem to be stuck on that 10 pound loss so I've been trying a little harder. I gave up french fries a few weeks ago, not deliberately but just lost my taste for them somehow. I won't question the reason why, I'll just enjoy the results.
I've tried brainwashing myself to lose my taste for potato chips because those and the fries have always been my downfall. I haven't had any chips in a week but still consider buying them once in a while. Each time I get the urge, I try to envision all the fat I'd be clogging my arteries with if i give in. It might be working but we'll just have to wait and see.
One of the good things I do is to fill my kitchen with healthy snacks and don't keep fatty food in the house. I always have fresh fruit, unsweetened canned fruit, low calorie yogurt, and bottles of water ready for any urge that comes over me. The bad thing is that I haven't got the willpower to refuse dessert when I'm eating out at someone's house or a buffet restaurant. I tell myself that I probably only eat dessert a couple of times a month so how bad can it be? Well, it can keep me from losing the extra 10 pounds I promised to lose this summer, can't it?
Over my adulthood, I developed the urge to overeat whenever I was upset and it's become such a deeply ingrained part of my psyche that it's not easy to retrain myself. It's like Pavlov's dog...hurt my feelings or make me mad and I reach for a bag of chips. So stupid! I might need a lifetime or two to retrain myself to reach for an apple instead of those damn chips. But it all starts with one day, and then two, and then maybe one day soon I'll be free of those bad urges.
It would be nice.
I've tried brainwashing myself to lose my taste for potato chips because those and the fries have always been my downfall. I haven't had any chips in a week but still consider buying them once in a while. Each time I get the urge, I try to envision all the fat I'd be clogging my arteries with if i give in. It might be working but we'll just have to wait and see.
One of the good things I do is to fill my kitchen with healthy snacks and don't keep fatty food in the house. I always have fresh fruit, unsweetened canned fruit, low calorie yogurt, and bottles of water ready for any urge that comes over me. The bad thing is that I haven't got the willpower to refuse dessert when I'm eating out at someone's house or a buffet restaurant. I tell myself that I probably only eat dessert a couple of times a month so how bad can it be? Well, it can keep me from losing the extra 10 pounds I promised to lose this summer, can't it?
Over my adulthood, I developed the urge to overeat whenever I was upset and it's become such a deeply ingrained part of my psyche that it's not easy to retrain myself. It's like Pavlov's dog...hurt my feelings or make me mad and I reach for a bag of chips. So stupid! I might need a lifetime or two to retrain myself to reach for an apple instead of those damn chips. But it all starts with one day, and then two, and then maybe one day soon I'll be free of those bad urges.
It would be nice.
Friday, July 23, 2010
To Stay or Go
So often in a relationship one becomes so dissatisfied with the arrangement that they want out. I'll bet this happens many times even in the best of marriages but, if the marriage is structurally sound, fences can be mended well enough for the relationship to continue happily.
But sometimes the urge and need to leave is overwhelming. The marriage feels like a miserable trap that you just have to escape from. The atmosphere in the home is stifling when that happens. You might not be able to pinpoint the moment the marriage union is completely severed but you do know that it has and that's when you have to consider all options open for you.
Ann Landers used to say that, before taking the big step to separate, you need to ask yourself, "Am I better off with him/her or without him/her?". We all will have different answers to that question and that's how we should base our decision to stay or go.
An unhappy marriage is a drain on everyone involved. No-one is completely happy and that isn't the way to spend your life, is it? Someone once said that we need to change partners every 10 years because we all mature at different speeds and our needs change a lot in any 10 year span. What satisfied you as a new bride/groom might irritate the hell out of you after 10 or 20 years.
In my lifetime, I've seen many marriages fail but I've also seen some utterly amazing marriages that made me envious. Some of them were second marriages, too, so there is always hope. It's a wonderful thing to have a husband/wife who is also a good friend and companion. But, if all else fails and you end up alone then it might also be better than living out your days uncomfortable in your own home.
It's not an easy decision to make but, whichever way you go, do it with the determination to make your life a better one.
But sometimes the urge and need to leave is overwhelming. The marriage feels like a miserable trap that you just have to escape from. The atmosphere in the home is stifling when that happens. You might not be able to pinpoint the moment the marriage union is completely severed but you do know that it has and that's when you have to consider all options open for you.
Ann Landers used to say that, before taking the big step to separate, you need to ask yourself, "Am I better off with him/her or without him/her?". We all will have different answers to that question and that's how we should base our decision to stay or go.
An unhappy marriage is a drain on everyone involved. No-one is completely happy and that isn't the way to spend your life, is it? Someone once said that we need to change partners every 10 years because we all mature at different speeds and our needs change a lot in any 10 year span. What satisfied you as a new bride/groom might irritate the hell out of you after 10 or 20 years.
In my lifetime, I've seen many marriages fail but I've also seen some utterly amazing marriages that made me envious. Some of them were second marriages, too, so there is always hope. It's a wonderful thing to have a husband/wife who is also a good friend and companion. But, if all else fails and you end up alone then it might also be better than living out your days uncomfortable in your own home.
It's not an easy decision to make but, whichever way you go, do it with the determination to make your life a better one.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Healing Quality of Love
I believe in a physical/chemical transference of love from one person to another. When you are in contact with someone you know loves you, there is a definite vibe in the air that lifts you in some way and explains the true meaning of life. You absorb it and it enhances you.
I just read that paragraph over and it doesn't quite say what I want it to say but it's the best I can do.
What got me thinking in this vein was reading my niece, Valerie's, blog about our latest trip to Florida and how wonderful it was to be part of a huge and loving family. What I felt in the air there was electric, a joining of souls, a vibrant inclusion in a family that made each of us stronger than we'd be by ourselves. It was such a happy experience that expanded exponentially with each additional family member who joined the crowd. Talk about a love fest!
I can understand in a way how a church goer feels when part of the congregation. There is a bonding that occurs which has a healing quality when we're not alone in the world. The more people of a like mind, the more intense the experience. It's similar to the mob mentality that rioters feel but, in a loving context, it's one heck of a nicer feeling.
With the family in Florida, there weren't any two people exactly alike and yet we blended and flowed as one. The binding component was our common love of family and it's importance in our lives. When I look back on that trip, I'll always remember the unique events but I'll mainly remember the good feelings that emerged from being part of the whole.
Family, blood or otherwise, is what gives us purpose. It's what gives meaning to our lives.
I just read that paragraph over and it doesn't quite say what I want it to say but it's the best I can do.
What got me thinking in this vein was reading my niece, Valerie's, blog about our latest trip to Florida and how wonderful it was to be part of a huge and loving family. What I felt in the air there was electric, a joining of souls, a vibrant inclusion in a family that made each of us stronger than we'd be by ourselves. It was such a happy experience that expanded exponentially with each additional family member who joined the crowd. Talk about a love fest!
I can understand in a way how a church goer feels when part of the congregation. There is a bonding that occurs which has a healing quality when we're not alone in the world. The more people of a like mind, the more intense the experience. It's similar to the mob mentality that rioters feel but, in a loving context, it's one heck of a nicer feeling.
With the family in Florida, there weren't any two people exactly alike and yet we blended and flowed as one. The binding component was our common love of family and it's importance in our lives. When I look back on that trip, I'll always remember the unique events but I'll mainly remember the good feelings that emerged from being part of the whole.
Family, blood or otherwise, is what gives us purpose. It's what gives meaning to our lives.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Words Taken Out Of Context
What a fiasco in the United States. A government employee with a rather prestigious job makes a speech which is filmed. Some idiot decides to make his own video of the speech but cuts out some important sections. He then displays his creation on the internet where the lady's words appear to show she is racist, but remember that not all of her speech has been included by the idiot.
Her boss is notified of the seemingly racist video and promptly fires this, as it turns out, innocent employee. Her boss, also an idiot, took the video at face value and neglected to do any further research on the matter.
The very nice, and non-racist, employee's case was then taken up by the media who found out the TRUE story. They took the time, unlike her employer, to watch the entire speech that she had given and presented her case to the public. Red faced government officials apologized and offered her a lovely new job in Washington.
Idiot number 1 was interviewed and whined that he only did a little tweaking of the film before airing it and his intention was not to get the woman fired. Then why would he "tweak" the film to make this woman appear to be a racist by cutting out the parts of the speech that proved she wasn't?
I hate the thought of having to carefully pick my words so I won't be misunderstood but, if someone really wants to smear you, they can twist whatever you say to their advantage. So much trouble can be caused by mean spirited people who seem to get their jollies by hurting others in this passive/aggressive way. When caught out, these idiots will look in wide eyed innocence and claim they never meant any harm. But they did. They just didn't expect to get caught doing it.
It isn't always politicians or celebrities who are targeted. Sometimes it's an every day person who has inadvertently made some idiot jealous and, if that someone is petty and mean spirited, they just might do some truth twisting.
We've all had this happen to us at one time or another but, if we were lucky, the truth came out and the idiot was shown up for the nasty person they were. I wish good always won out over evil but that isn't always the case. Sometimes lives are ruined or changed forever, based on words or actions taken out of context. I'm glad the truth won this time.
Where would we be without a free and honorable press?
Her boss is notified of the seemingly racist video and promptly fires this, as it turns out, innocent employee. Her boss, also an idiot, took the video at face value and neglected to do any further research on the matter.
The very nice, and non-racist, employee's case was then taken up by the media who found out the TRUE story. They took the time, unlike her employer, to watch the entire speech that she had given and presented her case to the public. Red faced government officials apologized and offered her a lovely new job in Washington.
Idiot number 1 was interviewed and whined that he only did a little tweaking of the film before airing it and his intention was not to get the woman fired. Then why would he "tweak" the film to make this woman appear to be a racist by cutting out the parts of the speech that proved she wasn't?
I hate the thought of having to carefully pick my words so I won't be misunderstood but, if someone really wants to smear you, they can twist whatever you say to their advantage. So much trouble can be caused by mean spirited people who seem to get their jollies by hurting others in this passive/aggressive way. When caught out, these idiots will look in wide eyed innocence and claim they never meant any harm. But they did. They just didn't expect to get caught doing it.
It isn't always politicians or celebrities who are targeted. Sometimes it's an every day person who has inadvertently made some idiot jealous and, if that someone is petty and mean spirited, they just might do some truth twisting.
We've all had this happen to us at one time or another but, if we were lucky, the truth came out and the idiot was shown up for the nasty person they were. I wish good always won out over evil but that isn't always the case. Sometimes lives are ruined or changed forever, based on words or actions taken out of context. I'm glad the truth won this time.
Where would we be without a free and honorable press?
5 Years a Widow
Dennis passed away 5 years ago. We'd been married almost 48 years and he's been the rock I leaned on for every one of them. I think my maturity began when he became sick because it was then that large responsibilities settled upon my own shoulders instead of his.
Widowhood isn't easy for anyone, especially at the beginning, because most wives are spared the heavy work of running a household. When anything mechanical or especially dirty went wrong in the house I could always call on Dennis to take care of it. He was a jack of all trades and master of most. I've since learned how to handle a lot of those jobs myself because I had to, not because I wanted to.
I've never minded being alone through the day but it was very difficult at night right after Dennis passed away. Again, he was a protector of sorts just by his presence. I knew that if anyone broke in or a fire broke out he'd be in the forefront protecting me. Men just seem to take on that responsibility naturally, don't they?
As the years passed, so did my fears that I wouldn't be able to take care of business. I learned as I went and, boy, did I have a lot of crises to deal with. My worries that I wouldn't be able to run my own house without Dennis gradually faded away as I managed to handle every crisis that arose. My personal confidence grew every year but I have to admit I miss his input. He'd know what to do immediately while I always have to consider and reconsider every move I make.
Before he passed, he told me I'd have to sell our Florida trailer because there was no way I could look after it. He was wrong about that. I don't believe he realized what I could accomplish once I put my mind to it and losing my little trailer just wasn't going to happen. I was more concerned about being able to look after my house but I've been able to do that, too.
Widowhood makes you more self reliant out of necessity. It's certainly a revelation for an insecure person like me to realize just how much I can do given the opportunity. Maybe having the 12 months of Dennis' illness to gradually take on more and more of his responsibilities helped prepare me for when he wouldn't be here to take charge. I look back on those horrible 12 months and can see how I grew in maturity.
There were moments during the past 5 years that I felt completely lost, thinking I'd never be able to handle one more problem...but I did. It's so true that we all do what we have to if there's no one else to do it for us. Widowhood can, indeed, make us stronger and wiser women.
I thank Dennis every day for how hard he worked during his lifetime to provide for his family. I wish he'd had more time to enjoy the fruits of his labor but life isn't always fair, is it?
My message today is that becoming a widow doesn't mean that we'll fade into the woodwork and become nothing without our mate. It can mean that we'll grow into a more confident and able person. Life does go on and it's our choice whether it will be a sad and defeating one or a progressively good one. I chose to live out the rest of my life in as happy a state as possible.
Widowhood isn't easy for anyone, especially at the beginning, because most wives are spared the heavy work of running a household. When anything mechanical or especially dirty went wrong in the house I could always call on Dennis to take care of it. He was a jack of all trades and master of most. I've since learned how to handle a lot of those jobs myself because I had to, not because I wanted to.
I've never minded being alone through the day but it was very difficult at night right after Dennis passed away. Again, he was a protector of sorts just by his presence. I knew that if anyone broke in or a fire broke out he'd be in the forefront protecting me. Men just seem to take on that responsibility naturally, don't they?
As the years passed, so did my fears that I wouldn't be able to take care of business. I learned as I went and, boy, did I have a lot of crises to deal with. My worries that I wouldn't be able to run my own house without Dennis gradually faded away as I managed to handle every crisis that arose. My personal confidence grew every year but I have to admit I miss his input. He'd know what to do immediately while I always have to consider and reconsider every move I make.
Before he passed, he told me I'd have to sell our Florida trailer because there was no way I could look after it. He was wrong about that. I don't believe he realized what I could accomplish once I put my mind to it and losing my little trailer just wasn't going to happen. I was more concerned about being able to look after my house but I've been able to do that, too.
Widowhood makes you more self reliant out of necessity. It's certainly a revelation for an insecure person like me to realize just how much I can do given the opportunity. Maybe having the 12 months of Dennis' illness to gradually take on more and more of his responsibilities helped prepare me for when he wouldn't be here to take charge. I look back on those horrible 12 months and can see how I grew in maturity.
There were moments during the past 5 years that I felt completely lost, thinking I'd never be able to handle one more problem...but I did. It's so true that we all do what we have to if there's no one else to do it for us. Widowhood can, indeed, make us stronger and wiser women.
I thank Dennis every day for how hard he worked during his lifetime to provide for his family. I wish he'd had more time to enjoy the fruits of his labor but life isn't always fair, is it?
My message today is that becoming a widow doesn't mean that we'll fade into the woodwork and become nothing without our mate. It can mean that we'll grow into a more confident and able person. Life does go on and it's our choice whether it will be a sad and defeating one or a progressively good one. I chose to live out the rest of my life in as happy a state as possible.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Another Night at the Casino
Faye, Mary, and I took another trip to Fallsview Casino on Monday where we, thanks to Mary, got a free room at the hotel. That's the only time I'll ever stay overnight there because it's too expensive otherwise. The rooms are lovely, the view of the falls is gorgeous, and the casino buffet is not for dieters.
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world. Tourists flock from all over the world to gaze at both the American and Canadian falls. The streets close to the falls are tourist traps but not in a really horrible way. They're clean and fairly safe to wander around, at least in the daytime. At night the falls are lit up and display another facet of their beauty. I prefer watching the night lights from the safety of my hotel room window, though. Just a note...if anything, the falls in winter might be an even more beautiful sight. We are so lucky to live within an hour's drive and able to visit them almost any time we choose.
We had our super buffet lunch before we started gambling and it was all we had expected. Darned good! Mary and I paid for Faye's as a birthday present to her. This has become a custom with us...taking the birthday girl to lunch or dinner. There was so much temptation at the buffet and I was fairly careful but it was such an extensive display of food that it wasn't easy to go low cal. I got us a load of cookies to take up to our room for a late night snack, too.
After filling our faces, we re-entered the world of greed and hope. We always separate, go our own ways in the casino, and then meet up at designated times. All 3 of us did well with our gambling right through the day and evening, losing very little or even gaining a bit. At 8 P.M. we went to the stage show, another freebie thanks to Mary, and it was just great. I think it was called "Symphony Rock" and the music and singers were terrific. After the show we separated again for some more gambling. When I called it a night at about 12:30 A.M. and went back to the room, Faye and Mary were already there having a drink and a cookie.
We yakked until 2 A.M., cursed our foolishness for staying up so late, and retired for what we hoped would be a good sleep because we had another full day planned for today. The beds are comfy and it's so quiet that it's easy to get a good sleep there.
Faye was up first, showered and out for a walk before Mary and I got up. Faye returned from her walk with Tim Horton's coffee for all of us! How considerate! It took us ages to get ourselves together, repack, take the luggage to the car, and then return to the casino for a buffet breakfast. If anyone wonders how I can be so fat when I seldom cook, just read my blog and you'll understand.
After breakfast we decided to gamble for an hour before heading to the States for some shopping time. It was in that hour that I managed to lose half the money I'd brought to gamble with. I just never know to leave while I'm ahead, do I?
At noon, we drove over to the States and hit Walmart and then the outlet mall. Mary and Faye found gorgeous dresses for weddings they're going to this year. I found a pretty sleeveless summer top. We each bought a few more small things before going to the food court...see what I mean? I was good, though, and had a small pasta salad and Diet Coke.
All through this mini vacation we yakked and laughed. I love being around these two because I know it will always be fun. I am never disappointed!
Mary dropped Faye off first and then me before driving another half hour to her own home. It was after 5:30 when we got to my house. We're hoping to have another little casino trip before I leave for Florida in October, too. I'm looking forward to it already!
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world. Tourists flock from all over the world to gaze at both the American and Canadian falls. The streets close to the falls are tourist traps but not in a really horrible way. They're clean and fairly safe to wander around, at least in the daytime. At night the falls are lit up and display another facet of their beauty. I prefer watching the night lights from the safety of my hotel room window, though. Just a note...if anything, the falls in winter might be an even more beautiful sight. We are so lucky to live within an hour's drive and able to visit them almost any time we choose.
We had our super buffet lunch before we started gambling and it was all we had expected. Darned good! Mary and I paid for Faye's as a birthday present to her. This has become a custom with us...taking the birthday girl to lunch or dinner. There was so much temptation at the buffet and I was fairly careful but it was such an extensive display of food that it wasn't easy to go low cal. I got us a load of cookies to take up to our room for a late night snack, too.
After filling our faces, we re-entered the world of greed and hope. We always separate, go our own ways in the casino, and then meet up at designated times. All 3 of us did well with our gambling right through the day and evening, losing very little or even gaining a bit. At 8 P.M. we went to the stage show, another freebie thanks to Mary, and it was just great. I think it was called "Symphony Rock" and the music and singers were terrific. After the show we separated again for some more gambling. When I called it a night at about 12:30 A.M. and went back to the room, Faye and Mary were already there having a drink and a cookie.
We yakked until 2 A.M., cursed our foolishness for staying up so late, and retired for what we hoped would be a good sleep because we had another full day planned for today. The beds are comfy and it's so quiet that it's easy to get a good sleep there.
Faye was up first, showered and out for a walk before Mary and I got up. Faye returned from her walk with Tim Horton's coffee for all of us! How considerate! It took us ages to get ourselves together, repack, take the luggage to the car, and then return to the casino for a buffet breakfast. If anyone wonders how I can be so fat when I seldom cook, just read my blog and you'll understand.
After breakfast we decided to gamble for an hour before heading to the States for some shopping time. It was in that hour that I managed to lose half the money I'd brought to gamble with. I just never know to leave while I'm ahead, do I?
At noon, we drove over to the States and hit Walmart and then the outlet mall. Mary and Faye found gorgeous dresses for weddings they're going to this year. I found a pretty sleeveless summer top. We each bought a few more small things before going to the food court...see what I mean? I was good, though, and had a small pasta salad and Diet Coke.
All through this mini vacation we yakked and laughed. I love being around these two because I know it will always be fun. I am never disappointed!
Mary dropped Faye off first and then me before driving another half hour to her own home. It was after 5:30 when we got to my house. We're hoping to have another little casino trip before I leave for Florida in October, too. I'm looking forward to it already!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Full Day
Yesterday was a full day, mostly celebrating with family. I started off the morning with a couple of hours of yard saleing...it was to hot to have done more anyway but that was all I had available. I didn't get much of note and nothing to sell on Ebay but it was still a nice way to spend 2 hours.
Then it was off to the park to celebrate Nolan's first birthday. He'd turned one on July 10th but many of us were in Florida last weekend so today was the day for us to honor our little guy. He'd learned a few tricks since the last time I saw him, too. He could walk with the support of one of his push toys, not especially steady but still pretty darned good. He seemed to know he was doing something special because he smiled to our encouraging and complimentary comments.
Natasha's brother, Sean, and his wife arrived with their baby girl, Aislin, who is just a couple of weeks younger than Nolan. They are a very close family and it's so cute to see the two little cousins together. All told, there were 15 at our little party.
Natasha had made a chocolate creation for Nolan's cake and was quite upset that some of it melted on the drive to the park. It still looked pretty good but turned out to be way too sweet for me to eat. Nolan loved it, though. They sat him on the table and let him go at it with his hands. Natasha is very strict about what he eats so this was his first go at useless calories. It didn't take him long to discover that junk food tastes good. He made quite a mess trying to shove fistful after fistful of cake into his mouth, shaking with anticipation.
We were also given the news that Natasha is pregnant again and the baby is due some time in March. We're hoping for a girl but another beautiful boy like Nolan wouldn't be turned away, either. Natasha had a miscarriage just a couple of months ago so we're hoping all will go well this time. Nick is certainly taking a large responsibility on his 26 year old shoulders but he seems quite happy about it.
We had been at the park for about 1 1/2 hours, nicely ensconced in the shade of one of the park's pavillions when a man walked up and asked how long we'd be there. He and his family had rented the pavillion for their own party! We had no idea that you had to rent the pavillions to use them so we apologized and cleared our stuff away quickly. It was near time for us to go home anyway. By the way, the rental cost for the pavillion was $75 so I guess we got a bargain with our hour and a half party.
At 3 P.M. I drove over to Faye's and joined her and Gary to drive down to Linda (60th birthday) and Les's (40 year anniversary) party. This is another faction of our family. One day I'll have to count the number of people in our whole extended family but I'll bet it's way into the high hundreds and growing all the time. We stayed until about 5 P.M. and then went home to stay.
It had been a lovely day spent with family. How lucky we all are!
Then it was off to the park to celebrate Nolan's first birthday. He'd turned one on July 10th but many of us were in Florida last weekend so today was the day for us to honor our little guy. He'd learned a few tricks since the last time I saw him, too. He could walk with the support of one of his push toys, not especially steady but still pretty darned good. He seemed to know he was doing something special because he smiled to our encouraging and complimentary comments.
Natasha's brother, Sean, and his wife arrived with their baby girl, Aislin, who is just a couple of weeks younger than Nolan. They are a very close family and it's so cute to see the two little cousins together. All told, there were 15 at our little party.
Natasha had made a chocolate creation for Nolan's cake and was quite upset that some of it melted on the drive to the park. It still looked pretty good but turned out to be way too sweet for me to eat. Nolan loved it, though. They sat him on the table and let him go at it with his hands. Natasha is very strict about what he eats so this was his first go at useless calories. It didn't take him long to discover that junk food tastes good. He made quite a mess trying to shove fistful after fistful of cake into his mouth, shaking with anticipation.
We were also given the news that Natasha is pregnant again and the baby is due some time in March. We're hoping for a girl but another beautiful boy like Nolan wouldn't be turned away, either. Natasha had a miscarriage just a couple of months ago so we're hoping all will go well this time. Nick is certainly taking a large responsibility on his 26 year old shoulders but he seems quite happy about it.
We had been at the park for about 1 1/2 hours, nicely ensconced in the shade of one of the park's pavillions when a man walked up and asked how long we'd be there. He and his family had rented the pavillion for their own party! We had no idea that you had to rent the pavillions to use them so we apologized and cleared our stuff away quickly. It was near time for us to go home anyway. By the way, the rental cost for the pavillion was $75 so I guess we got a bargain with our hour and a half party.
At 3 P.M. I drove over to Faye's and joined her and Gary to drive down to Linda (60th birthday) and Les's (40 year anniversary) party. This is another faction of our family. One day I'll have to count the number of people in our whole extended family but I'll bet it's way into the high hundreds and growing all the time. We stayed until about 5 P.M. and then went home to stay.
It had been a lovely day spent with family. How lucky we all are!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Housework..To Do or Delay
Housework is not my thing. I only do it because I have to. There are so many better things to do in a day than scrub, clean, vacuum, and wax but sometimes I can't stand the sight of neglect any more and that's when I take time away from fun things and do housework. Today I washed the floors and cleaned the toilet. Now why would anyone like cleaning a toilet???
If I was rich I'd have a housekeeper and a masseuse. I wouldn't need a cook because I eat out so much already but, if I was rich, I'd dine in better restaurants than I do now.
Some people would love to have loads of money so they could buy expensive clothes and go on expensive vacations but my needs are met quite well with TanJay and my Florida trailer park. Why desire more when I'm so happy with what I already have?
Tomorrow I'm busy all day so no housework will get done but Sunday morning is free and I'm sure I'll find dust and dirt somewhere if I care to look.
If I was rich I'd have a housekeeper and a masseuse. I wouldn't need a cook because I eat out so much already but, if I was rich, I'd dine in better restaurants than I do now.
Some people would love to have loads of money so they could buy expensive clothes and go on expensive vacations but my needs are met quite well with TanJay and my Florida trailer park. Why desire more when I'm so happy with what I already have?
Tomorrow I'm busy all day so no housework will get done but Sunday morning is free and I'm sure I'll find dust and dirt somewhere if I care to look.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
A Sharp Tongue
It must be unknown to some people with a sharp tongue how alienating it is. A sharp word, a quick but nasty comment, a veiled insult...it leaves a lasting impression. I've been guilty of this, too, and it always makes me disappointed with myself when I've done it. Surely we're better people than that, aren't we?
I remember how painful it was years ago when someone spoke to me in hurtful ways but I'm not the same person now that I was then. I don't become hurt anymore. I keep my distance, that's all. I wonder why it happened but I don't spend time worrying about it. You can't change other people's attitudes, you can only change your own and I work on that every day.
I hang out with kind people because I need to. They're the ones I'm comfortable with and the ones who are the most fun to be around. If one of my friends or family were to snap angrily or unfairly even at someone else, I would view them in a different light, too.
A few years ago I got fed up with my sister's temper and kept my distance for a while. We've patched up our differences and she doesn't lose her temper with me anymore but she still occasionally snaps at strangers when she's with me and I hate it. I'm just at a loss about how to handle it because I don't want to cause an argument between us. There is no reason for it except bad temper.
Last year a friend and I were standing in line at a buffet and a man walked up and stepped right in front of us. My sister would have torn his head off but my friend and I just looked at each other and laughed. It wasn't worth getting in a huff about. I don't always laugh at nincompoops but I don't lose my temper, either.
When I had depression I was always angry. I couldn't have told you exactly what I was angry about, just everything in general. Thank heavens the anger has long gone away and I never want to go there again. It's probably one of the reasons that discord bothers me so much now and why I strive to steer clear of it.
Life is so much easier when we treat each other with kindness, isn't it?
I remember how painful it was years ago when someone spoke to me in hurtful ways but I'm not the same person now that I was then. I don't become hurt anymore. I keep my distance, that's all. I wonder why it happened but I don't spend time worrying about it. You can't change other people's attitudes, you can only change your own and I work on that every day.
I hang out with kind people because I need to. They're the ones I'm comfortable with and the ones who are the most fun to be around. If one of my friends or family were to snap angrily or unfairly even at someone else, I would view them in a different light, too.
A few years ago I got fed up with my sister's temper and kept my distance for a while. We've patched up our differences and she doesn't lose her temper with me anymore but she still occasionally snaps at strangers when she's with me and I hate it. I'm just at a loss about how to handle it because I don't want to cause an argument between us. There is no reason for it except bad temper.
Last year a friend and I were standing in line at a buffet and a man walked up and stepped right in front of us. My sister would have torn his head off but my friend and I just looked at each other and laughed. It wasn't worth getting in a huff about. I don't always laugh at nincompoops but I don't lose my temper, either.
When I had depression I was always angry. I couldn't have told you exactly what I was angry about, just everything in general. Thank heavens the anger has long gone away and I never want to go there again. It's probably one of the reasons that discord bothers me so much now and why I strive to steer clear of it.
Life is so much easier when we treat each other with kindness, isn't it?
Conserving Power
I've come to the conclusion that it's time I started paying more attention to the electrical power I waste. When Donna visited the other day she reminded me that doing laundry in the middle of the day was costing me more than if Idid it in the early morning or later in the evening. This would be such an easy adjustment for me and also be more cost efficient.
The weather has been terribly hot lately and is supposed to remain that way for a while yet which means that, for the first time, I'll be more dependant on the air conditioning. I reset the temperature from 75 to 78 but find that a little bit too high. Still, if I have it set at 76 or 77, that would also save a bit on energy.
My house is a storey and a half and the upstairs remains uncomfortably warm even with air conditioning but last night I turned the ceiling fan on medium and opened the bedroom window wide. This cooled off the room better than the air conditioning.
I'm really not concerned about depleting our power sources but I think it only makes sense to not waste money needlessly so I'll try to be more conscious of how I use electricity. Air conditioning set at a tolerable level, unused lights off, and laundry done in the early morning. Not hard to do!
The weather has been terribly hot lately and is supposed to remain that way for a while yet which means that, for the first time, I'll be more dependant on the air conditioning. I reset the temperature from 75 to 78 but find that a little bit too high. Still, if I have it set at 76 or 77, that would also save a bit on energy.
My house is a storey and a half and the upstairs remains uncomfortably warm even with air conditioning but last night I turned the ceiling fan on medium and opened the bedroom window wide. This cooled off the room better than the air conditioning.
I'm really not concerned about depleting our power sources but I think it only makes sense to not waste money needlessly so I'll try to be more conscious of how I use electricity. Air conditioning set at a tolerable level, unused lights off, and laundry done in the early morning. Not hard to do!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Party Review at Val's
Last night Faye, Gary, Cindy, Kyle, Kim, Matt, and I went out to Valerie's house to review the 1000+ pictures taken at the party. Val's husband, Rob, organized them all so we could see them on a big screen...quite a job but very much appreciated.
It was fun reliving the few days we had in Florida but so darned much fun reliving the camaraderie seen between the families once again. Carmen is the heart of any get-together because she is extremely outgoing, leading the rest of us along to enjoy ourselves more than we would without her.
That said, I still hate pictures of myself but it does make me want to work harder at my diet.
Anyway, the evening made us laugh all over again about the silly things that happened in Florida. It also brought back a few tears in memory of the more poignant things that happened...like Jake crying when his father presented him with a medal engraved with a promise to now be able to spend more time with him. That's life. Hopefully a lot of laughter and just a few tears.
Just a note: The picture at the top of the page is of the Budweiser labels my grandson gave to me. Now, am I the only one who would think they'd make great pasties?
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Honor Killings in Canada
Of course we Canadians have noted the ever increasing number of honor killings in this country in recent years. It's been looked upon as an abomination brought here by immigrants, seemingly by Muslims but not exclusively. What disturbed me very much was what I read in today's newspaper.
Rona Ambrose, an Edmonton, Alberta MP, made the statement that Ottawa was considering amending the Criminal Code to include so-called honor crimes. When a Department of Justice spokeswoman was questioned about this, she said that there were CURRENTLY no plans to do that. To me, that is a bright and brilliant red flag that we Canadians should be paying careful attention to.
Why in the world should we allow new Canadians with their archaic practices to change our laws to give (mainly) men leniency if they murder their women? Why would our government even give this a moment's consideration?
Apparently there have been 12 "honor" killings in Canada since 2002 and that is only what is known. How many Muslim females have suffered death or imprisonment in their homes that we don't even know about?
The latest "honor" killing happened when a 16 year old Muslim girl had the audacity to want a part-time job and to go to movies with her friends. Her own father and brother murdered the child and are now serving a life sentence in prison. Her mother made a plea for leniency in their sentence, saying her husband could die in prison. She had little compassion for her own child who had needlessly died at the hands of that same man.
It terrifies me that my government would dare think about putting the rights of women back hundreds of years. If anything, the act of murdering a woman in order to control her should be considered an especially atrocious crime and punishable by the most severe standards available.
It matters not what your country of origin or your cultural habits are. If they contravene Canada's criminal code, they should not be considered as any kind of defence. We must not allow our criminal code to be changed in order to appease any nationality or religion. We can't go back to the days when women were chattels or slaves.
Take heed, Canada, our way of life is at stake and the only people who will keep us informed is our free press.
Rona Ambrose, an Edmonton, Alberta MP, made the statement that Ottawa was considering amending the Criminal Code to include so-called honor crimes. When a Department of Justice spokeswoman was questioned about this, she said that there were CURRENTLY no plans to do that. To me, that is a bright and brilliant red flag that we Canadians should be paying careful attention to.
Why in the world should we allow new Canadians with their archaic practices to change our laws to give (mainly) men leniency if they murder their women? Why would our government even give this a moment's consideration?
Apparently there have been 12 "honor" killings in Canada since 2002 and that is only what is known. How many Muslim females have suffered death or imprisonment in their homes that we don't even know about?
The latest "honor" killing happened when a 16 year old Muslim girl had the audacity to want a part-time job and to go to movies with her friends. Her own father and brother murdered the child and are now serving a life sentence in prison. Her mother made a plea for leniency in their sentence, saying her husband could die in prison. She had little compassion for her own child who had needlessly died at the hands of that same man.
It terrifies me that my government would dare think about putting the rights of women back hundreds of years. If anything, the act of murdering a woman in order to control her should be considered an especially atrocious crime and punishable by the most severe standards available.
It matters not what your country of origin or your cultural habits are. If they contravene Canada's criminal code, they should not be considered as any kind of defence. We must not allow our criminal code to be changed in order to appease any nationality or religion. We can't go back to the days when women were chattels or slaves.
Take heed, Canada, our way of life is at stake and the only people who will keep us informed is our free press.
Monday, July 12, 2010
A Long, Long Blog
This is going to be a long one because it covers a week I just spent going to, being in, and returning from Florida. I wouldn't have missed it for the world because the fun we had took 10 years off our lives. The main reason for this trip was to celebrate my son-in-law's (John)retirement from the U.S. Air Force.
Faye, Mary, and I left here on Tuesday morning, picking up Mary at 6:30 A.M. (she crawled into the car pretending she was awake but I could tell from her eyes that she was in shock). We started our driving trip to Florida and would return 6 days later. Even I thought we were insane even though we were leaving temps in the mid 30'sC (mid 90'sF) so how much worse could it be in Florida? Ho, Ho, Ho! As we crossed the border into the States, the border guard asked us where we were going and when we told him Florida, he looked shocked and yelped, "Why??".
We drove on with 2 distinct maps, one from CAA and one from MapQuest. They differed slightly but we used both of them and never got lost once. Our aim was to at least reach close to Nashville, Tennessee our first night and we pretty well made it. We had bought some booze at the duty free at the border so we happily settled in with our drink of choice before turning in for the night. End of day 1.
Wednesday morning we all crawled out of bed at different times and met in the motel breakfast room once we were washed and dressed. I prefer orange juice to coffee when I'm travelling but couldn't find it at first but soon discovered some cups half filled with what I THOUGHT was odd looking orange juice. Let me tell you that waffle batter doesn't taste very good!
Anyway, teeth brushed, off we went knowing we'd reach our destination later in the day. Every time we got out of the car we just about perished from the heat and we were still heading south! We arrived in Navarre around dinnertime, quickly unpacked and had a fast food meal before driving across to Navarre Island where Shelley and John had rented a huge beachhouse for the week. Most of the family was staying there but we wisely chose to stay in a motel so we could get away from the madness once in a while.
All I had bothered to note about the location of the rental house was that it looked like a castle. Sure enough, we found it, much to the surprise of Faye and Mary who doubted me. As we stepped inside the entrance which was the lower level, we could hear pure bedlam coming from the upper floors so up we went. The house was massive but the crowds of family in the kitchen/dining/livingroom area hid that.
I'll give a quick list of who was staying in the house: Shelley, John, Lisette, Wes, Nicole, Jake, Carmen, Juan, George, Rosie, Johnny, Miranda, Manny (2 1/2 years old and I'm madly in love with him),Cuqui, Rich, Mackenzie, Hayley, Nicholas, Michael, Caroline, their 2 girls and 2 friends, Kim, Cindy, Valerie, Matt (already painfully sunburnt), Kyle...could I have missed someone?? Anyway, this house could hold them all and more.
There were actually 2 laundryrooms in the house. The 2nd floor held the living/kitchen/diningroom plus 2 bedrooms each with an alcove which held another bed, each bedroom had their own bathroom and there was also a guest bathroom on the 2nd level. The 3rd floor had a monstrous family room and (I think) 4 bedrooms also with the added alcoves with beds. The top floor held the master bedroom where Shelley and John slept. The bed was so high you almost needed a ladder to get into it. Did I forget to mention that there were front and back balconies on every floor? The place was damn big! (I forgot to add that there was also an elevator in the house servicing all 4 floors!).
It was so good to see that side of the family again because we don't get to see each other often enough. Matt had arrived on Sunday and Kim, Cindy, Val, and Kyle had arrived just before us. Our combined families love each other very much and I know we're all so thankful it's turned out this way. I gave Carmen a Swedish weaving afghan I'd made for her and she was very touched. I'd also made Shelley some Swedish weaving runners for her Georgia bedroom...she liked them, thank heavens.
Kim had a cute story to tell us. When her party landed at the airport in Florida, she rented a car. Beforehand she'd seen on the internet that married couples and partners didn't have to pay the extra $15 per day so they both could drive the vehicle. When she was filling out the paperwork to rent the car, the clerk told her it would cost $15 per day for Cindy to be able to drive it, too. "Even if we're (gay) partners?", Kim asked. "Oh, you're partners...no, no extra cost then", replied the clerk. Cindy was very tempted to reach over and give Kim a kiss but she didn't have the nerve. They unnerved the clerk so much she didn't even question why Kim and Cindy had different addresses on their driver's licences. My girls will never live this down!
As I said before, it was bedlam in the house with kids running everywhere, people appearing and disappearing into other areas of the house, hugging, kissing, and just soaking up the family atmosphere. Food and drinks were on every surface...help yourself!
The huge house was beautifully air conditioned but it was also pleasant to sit out on the shaded balconies because of the ocean breezes. We were across the road from the beach but could see the ocean easily from the front balconies. The sand was everywhere and not soiled by the Gulf oil spill as I'd thought it would be.
Johnny, John's nephew, is only 17 years old and very talented. He put on a terrific show for us with flaming batons. We had a nice talk one of the evenings and I hope I convinced him to go on to university instead of carrying on with his craft. He was torn about going to university or accepting a job offer in California. I always tell kids that my biggest regret in life is that I never even finished high school and that I wish so much that I'd gone to university.
Later in the evening Faye, Mary, and I went back to our motel and settled in once again with a couple of drinks. As Mary and I sat talking, Faye went running by towards the bathroom with her hand on her mouth. We thought she was laughing but it turned out she'd mistakenly taken a swig of the gin I'd put in a water bottle. We ended up laughing ourselves silly over that.
You know how even on the hottest day in Ontario that the early mornings are usually cooler and fresher? Well, that isn't the case in Florida. We'd step outside to walk up to the breakfast room and our glasses would fog up from the heat, even at 6:30 in the morning. It was relentless.
Well, on Thursday we all had to meet in the late afternoon and join a caravan headed to the base so we could all get passes to enter the base on Friday for John's retirement ceremony. Somehow we all made it to the base. Passes were obtained (3 more of John's family had arrived also) but, one glitch...Matt didn't realize he shouldn't walk up to the guards and take pictures. We heard a yell from one of the soldiers who raced up to Matt and questioned him. He's lucky he wasn't arrested.
We were allowed onto the base and took a little tour of the helicopters and planes on display. It was just too hot to enjoy it and that's how the rest of our stay was...just too hot to reap as much enjoyment outside as we would have liked. When we left the base we all went to a Chinese buffet in the next town. I think there were 32 or 33 of us so we filled 3 long tables. Considering all the younger children there, they behaved themselved beautifully. With a large crowd like that, the older kids usually look after the little ones which really gives the parents a break.
Events on certain days are a little confusing but I believe it was Thursday evening that a man drowned just across the road from the house. I heard that he was attempting to save a couple of kids and ended up drowning himself. So sad.
Friday morning we had to be up at 6 A.M. (poor Mary may never forgive me but she was a trouper through it all) so we could be ready to join the caravan once more at 7:30 A.M. to head to the base for the ceremony. We drove in, easily and politely given access, and drove to the chapel where pictures were taken and coffee was consumed. I think it was around 9 when we all marched out to the courtyard under a blazing, searing sun to sit in our appointed chairs which had been lined up under large awnings. Most of us were very comfortable in the shade but the first row was in the sun and must have been awful for the immediate family. John was in full uniform, as were many of the soldiers present. It was a rather large contingent of officers and family...very impressive.
Much of the ceremony was serious but there was lots of humor, especially when one of the Colonels picked up one of John's old prosthesus (clean) and drank a Diet Coke from it. This has become one of their rituals. There were many complimentary words said about our John but what I'll remember most is when he got up to speak and said that his most precious medal was Shelley. I know, and everyone else knew, that he meant that with all his heart.
As the ceremony ended, John presented bouquets of flowers to Shelley, Lisette, Nicole, Carmen, old Carmen (his grandmother), Elvira (his aunt), and also to me. I was so overcome I cried. As I hugged and kissed John, I could see how overwhelmed he was by all the people who had come to honor him. He's an emotional man but too full of pride to allow himself to break down in front of everyone.
Soon we all went to our cars and drove to what I think is his unit's sort of clubhouse...it probably isn't called that and maybe isn't because it has an auditorium. We filled the auditorium as John thanked everyone and then was presented with gifts from his fellow soldiers and plaques from the Air Force. Shelley received a few, too. When all was said and done, we went into their lunchroom for cake that Shelley had brought for everyone.
As we left the base, once again beaten down by the heat that assailed us just walking to and from the car, Mary and Faye decided to have a little nap while I went over to the beachhouse to help prepare for the evening's party. It seemed as though everything needed was being done but without any clear plan...doesn't make any difference as long as it gets done. John decided he wanted balloons so I went out to Walmart and got them, then picked up Faye and Mary on the way back. A bunch of us blew up balloons, cut and tied on string and then attached them to the balcony railings where most of them quickly broke loose and blew away. Some smart person realized that the string was coming untied so we taped every balloon down with duct tape and hoped it wouldn't take the paint off the railings.
Soon the house began to fill up (even more) with John and Shelley's friends...military and otherwise. Some had come from long distances for the occasion and one even drove John's precious 1966 (I think) Mustang all the way down from Illinois for him. Don had looked after it while John and Shelley were in Bolivia. Most of the kids partied up on the 3rd floor but everyone else crowded the 2nd floor and balconies. We sang "Oh Canada" and "The Star Spangled Banner". Elvira and old Carmen sang something in Spanish but refused to sing the Cuban national anthem because they don't approve of communism.
Much was eaten and drunk...maybe a bit too much on my part at least. I had a wonderful time, darn it. We spoke for a while with the wife of one of John's friends and she happened to know how to give massages and asked me if I'd like one. Hell, yes! Sumkit, a tiny Vietnamese lady, kneaded my back and shoulders until I purred. She said she gives her husband a massage every night. No wonder you see so many military men with Vietnamese wives!
Kyle showed up with a Budweiser label and nobly presented it to me...I have no idea why but I took it. Later in the evening I stuck it on my upper chest and hunted down the boys to show them. Talk about grossing the poor little devils out! Kyle gave me another one and I considered telling him I'd use them for pasties but decided not to because grandsons can only take so much grossing out from their grandmothers.
Johnny gave another flaming baton show while we cheered him on. I'd finally gotten used to his expertise and didn't worry so much about him setting himself on fire so I could really enjoy it.
I think we ended up leaving around midnight and going back to our quiet little motel room for a good night sleep.
Saturday morning we took it easy and didn't go over to the beachhouse until after lunch and just hung around. Shelley had wisely had a cleaner come in and make the house presentable again. Many of the relatives had left for home but the house was still pretty full. We'd apparently missed a wild morning of singing, dancing, and laughter before we showed up and I was so sorry to have missed it. I love John's family. They are so full of love and joy.
Kim told me that she and a few others went over to the beach before we got there and found a lovely arch, chairs, and strewn rose petals, apparently for a wedding. They thought the wedding was already over so they traipsed through the rose petals and posed for pictures in the arbor. Suddenly a screaming woman (wedding planner) came running at them and told them to get out because they'd messed up the wedding setting and the wedding hadn't taken place yet. Good grief!
In the afternoon, Val and Cindy rented mopeds and sped off like demons down the road. I wasn't sure what would end up happening to them but I didn't expect it to end up well. Cindy ended up getting a terrible sunburn which made Matt's look not so bad.
Faye, Mary, and I went out to buy dessert for dinner while the rest of them prepared salads, spare ribs, rice, etc. which the whole gang of us consumed. John explained some of the things that went on in the Air Force. One of their rituals is to carry a coin with them and when one throws their's on the floor, any soldier who doesn't have their coin with them has to buy a round of drinks. When John lost his leg and was lying in the hospital, his commanding officer came to visit him and threw his coin on the floor. John, incapacitated in his hospital bed, shook his head and all he could say was, "Sir". The message his commanding officer was giving him was that he was still part of the group. I'm sure that there are a million stories like that in the military. They are a special breed of people.
Soon it was time for us to leave and the hugging and kissing began in earnest. Kids were called to come out from whatever corner of the house they'd escaped to and subjected to as many kissyhugs they'd tolerate. The adults rapidly made plans to meet somewhere, somehow sooner than we usually do. I hope it happens but we all live busy lives and it's not easy considering how far apart we live.
The beachhouse gang urged us to go and get our car which was parked next door in a vacant lot and drive back to the house, backing in so they could do a ceremonial goodbye by pushing the car onto the road and singing, "Olay, olay, Olay, olay!!!". Mary, who was our night driver because Faye and I can't see to drive in the dark, did as she was told and those crazy, wonderful people pushed us out singing at the top of their lungs. We finally drove away, waving and yelling. It was exhilarating and left me, anyway, feeling so fortunate to be part of that wonderful, high-spirited family.
Faye, Mary, and I started back home about 8:30 A.M. the next morning, happy we'd come but happy to be going home, too. We had an uneventful but fun trip home. We always have fun together and there's always lots of laughter. I thanked them for being such good friends and family, too. I am so blessed to have them.
I dropped Mary off at her house and then Faye off at hers. Then I drove home to a very quiet and empty house of my own. It was nice after being surrounded by chaos, even if it was wonderful, for 6 days. I enjoy my periods of solitude, being alone with nowhere pressing to go and nothing pressing to do.
Before I end this terribly long blog I want to say in print what I say to anyone who'll listen. I will be thankful all the days of my life that John is my baby girl's life mate. I couldn't have wished more for her than this wonderful man.
Faye, Mary, and I left here on Tuesday morning, picking up Mary at 6:30 A.M. (she crawled into the car pretending she was awake but I could tell from her eyes that she was in shock). We started our driving trip to Florida and would return 6 days later. Even I thought we were insane even though we were leaving temps in the mid 30'sC (mid 90'sF) so how much worse could it be in Florida? Ho, Ho, Ho! As we crossed the border into the States, the border guard asked us where we were going and when we told him Florida, he looked shocked and yelped, "Why??".
We drove on with 2 distinct maps, one from CAA and one from MapQuest. They differed slightly but we used both of them and never got lost once. Our aim was to at least reach close to Nashville, Tennessee our first night and we pretty well made it. We had bought some booze at the duty free at the border so we happily settled in with our drink of choice before turning in for the night. End of day 1.
Wednesday morning we all crawled out of bed at different times and met in the motel breakfast room once we were washed and dressed. I prefer orange juice to coffee when I'm travelling but couldn't find it at first but soon discovered some cups half filled with what I THOUGHT was odd looking orange juice. Let me tell you that waffle batter doesn't taste very good!
Anyway, teeth brushed, off we went knowing we'd reach our destination later in the day. Every time we got out of the car we just about perished from the heat and we were still heading south! We arrived in Navarre around dinnertime, quickly unpacked and had a fast food meal before driving across to Navarre Island where Shelley and John had rented a huge beachhouse for the week. Most of the family was staying there but we wisely chose to stay in a motel so we could get away from the madness once in a while.
All I had bothered to note about the location of the rental house was that it looked like a castle. Sure enough, we found it, much to the surprise of Faye and Mary who doubted me. As we stepped inside the entrance which was the lower level, we could hear pure bedlam coming from the upper floors so up we went. The house was massive but the crowds of family in the kitchen/dining/livingroom area hid that.
I'll give a quick list of who was staying in the house: Shelley, John, Lisette, Wes, Nicole, Jake, Carmen, Juan, George, Rosie, Johnny, Miranda, Manny (2 1/2 years old and I'm madly in love with him),Cuqui, Rich, Mackenzie, Hayley, Nicholas, Michael, Caroline, their 2 girls and 2 friends, Kim, Cindy, Valerie, Matt (already painfully sunburnt), Kyle...could I have missed someone?? Anyway, this house could hold them all and more.
There were actually 2 laundryrooms in the house. The 2nd floor held the living/kitchen/diningroom plus 2 bedrooms each with an alcove which held another bed, each bedroom had their own bathroom and there was also a guest bathroom on the 2nd level. The 3rd floor had a monstrous family room and (I think) 4 bedrooms also with the added alcoves with beds. The top floor held the master bedroom where Shelley and John slept. The bed was so high you almost needed a ladder to get into it. Did I forget to mention that there were front and back balconies on every floor? The place was damn big! (I forgot to add that there was also an elevator in the house servicing all 4 floors!).
It was so good to see that side of the family again because we don't get to see each other often enough. Matt had arrived on Sunday and Kim, Cindy, Val, and Kyle had arrived just before us. Our combined families love each other very much and I know we're all so thankful it's turned out this way. I gave Carmen a Swedish weaving afghan I'd made for her and she was very touched. I'd also made Shelley some Swedish weaving runners for her Georgia bedroom...she liked them, thank heavens.
Kim had a cute story to tell us. When her party landed at the airport in Florida, she rented a car. Beforehand she'd seen on the internet that married couples and partners didn't have to pay the extra $15 per day so they both could drive the vehicle. When she was filling out the paperwork to rent the car, the clerk told her it would cost $15 per day for Cindy to be able to drive it, too. "Even if we're (gay) partners?", Kim asked. "Oh, you're partners...no, no extra cost then", replied the clerk. Cindy was very tempted to reach over and give Kim a kiss but she didn't have the nerve. They unnerved the clerk so much she didn't even question why Kim and Cindy had different addresses on their driver's licences. My girls will never live this down!
As I said before, it was bedlam in the house with kids running everywhere, people appearing and disappearing into other areas of the house, hugging, kissing, and just soaking up the family atmosphere. Food and drinks were on every surface...help yourself!
The huge house was beautifully air conditioned but it was also pleasant to sit out on the shaded balconies because of the ocean breezes. We were across the road from the beach but could see the ocean easily from the front balconies. The sand was everywhere and not soiled by the Gulf oil spill as I'd thought it would be.
Johnny, John's nephew, is only 17 years old and very talented. He put on a terrific show for us with flaming batons. We had a nice talk one of the evenings and I hope I convinced him to go on to university instead of carrying on with his craft. He was torn about going to university or accepting a job offer in California. I always tell kids that my biggest regret in life is that I never even finished high school and that I wish so much that I'd gone to university.
Later in the evening Faye, Mary, and I went back to our motel and settled in once again with a couple of drinks. As Mary and I sat talking, Faye went running by towards the bathroom with her hand on her mouth. We thought she was laughing but it turned out she'd mistakenly taken a swig of the gin I'd put in a water bottle. We ended up laughing ourselves silly over that.
You know how even on the hottest day in Ontario that the early mornings are usually cooler and fresher? Well, that isn't the case in Florida. We'd step outside to walk up to the breakfast room and our glasses would fog up from the heat, even at 6:30 in the morning. It was relentless.
Well, on Thursday we all had to meet in the late afternoon and join a caravan headed to the base so we could all get passes to enter the base on Friday for John's retirement ceremony. Somehow we all made it to the base. Passes were obtained (3 more of John's family had arrived also) but, one glitch...Matt didn't realize he shouldn't walk up to the guards and take pictures. We heard a yell from one of the soldiers who raced up to Matt and questioned him. He's lucky he wasn't arrested.
We were allowed onto the base and took a little tour of the helicopters and planes on display. It was just too hot to enjoy it and that's how the rest of our stay was...just too hot to reap as much enjoyment outside as we would have liked. When we left the base we all went to a Chinese buffet in the next town. I think there were 32 or 33 of us so we filled 3 long tables. Considering all the younger children there, they behaved themselved beautifully. With a large crowd like that, the older kids usually look after the little ones which really gives the parents a break.
Events on certain days are a little confusing but I believe it was Thursday evening that a man drowned just across the road from the house. I heard that he was attempting to save a couple of kids and ended up drowning himself. So sad.
Friday morning we had to be up at 6 A.M. (poor Mary may never forgive me but she was a trouper through it all) so we could be ready to join the caravan once more at 7:30 A.M. to head to the base for the ceremony. We drove in, easily and politely given access, and drove to the chapel where pictures were taken and coffee was consumed. I think it was around 9 when we all marched out to the courtyard under a blazing, searing sun to sit in our appointed chairs which had been lined up under large awnings. Most of us were very comfortable in the shade but the first row was in the sun and must have been awful for the immediate family. John was in full uniform, as were many of the soldiers present. It was a rather large contingent of officers and family...very impressive.
Much of the ceremony was serious but there was lots of humor, especially when one of the Colonels picked up one of John's old prosthesus (clean) and drank a Diet Coke from it. This has become one of their rituals. There were many complimentary words said about our John but what I'll remember most is when he got up to speak and said that his most precious medal was Shelley. I know, and everyone else knew, that he meant that with all his heart.
As the ceremony ended, John presented bouquets of flowers to Shelley, Lisette, Nicole, Carmen, old Carmen (his grandmother), Elvira (his aunt), and also to me. I was so overcome I cried. As I hugged and kissed John, I could see how overwhelmed he was by all the people who had come to honor him. He's an emotional man but too full of pride to allow himself to break down in front of everyone.
Soon we all went to our cars and drove to what I think is his unit's sort of clubhouse...it probably isn't called that and maybe isn't because it has an auditorium. We filled the auditorium as John thanked everyone and then was presented with gifts from his fellow soldiers and plaques from the Air Force. Shelley received a few, too. When all was said and done, we went into their lunchroom for cake that Shelley had brought for everyone.
As we left the base, once again beaten down by the heat that assailed us just walking to and from the car, Mary and Faye decided to have a little nap while I went over to the beachhouse to help prepare for the evening's party. It seemed as though everything needed was being done but without any clear plan...doesn't make any difference as long as it gets done. John decided he wanted balloons so I went out to Walmart and got them, then picked up Faye and Mary on the way back. A bunch of us blew up balloons, cut and tied on string and then attached them to the balcony railings where most of them quickly broke loose and blew away. Some smart person realized that the string was coming untied so we taped every balloon down with duct tape and hoped it wouldn't take the paint off the railings.
Soon the house began to fill up (even more) with John and Shelley's friends...military and otherwise. Some had come from long distances for the occasion and one even drove John's precious 1966 (I think) Mustang all the way down from Illinois for him. Don had looked after it while John and Shelley were in Bolivia. Most of the kids partied up on the 3rd floor but everyone else crowded the 2nd floor and balconies. We sang "Oh Canada" and "The Star Spangled Banner". Elvira and old Carmen sang something in Spanish but refused to sing the Cuban national anthem because they don't approve of communism.
Much was eaten and drunk...maybe a bit too much on my part at least. I had a wonderful time, darn it. We spoke for a while with the wife of one of John's friends and she happened to know how to give massages and asked me if I'd like one. Hell, yes! Sumkit, a tiny Vietnamese lady, kneaded my back and shoulders until I purred. She said she gives her husband a massage every night. No wonder you see so many military men with Vietnamese wives!
Kyle showed up with a Budweiser label and nobly presented it to me...I have no idea why but I took it. Later in the evening I stuck it on my upper chest and hunted down the boys to show them. Talk about grossing the poor little devils out! Kyle gave me another one and I considered telling him I'd use them for pasties but decided not to because grandsons can only take so much grossing out from their grandmothers.
Johnny gave another flaming baton show while we cheered him on. I'd finally gotten used to his expertise and didn't worry so much about him setting himself on fire so I could really enjoy it.
I think we ended up leaving around midnight and going back to our quiet little motel room for a good night sleep.
Saturday morning we took it easy and didn't go over to the beachhouse until after lunch and just hung around. Shelley had wisely had a cleaner come in and make the house presentable again. Many of the relatives had left for home but the house was still pretty full. We'd apparently missed a wild morning of singing, dancing, and laughter before we showed up and I was so sorry to have missed it. I love John's family. They are so full of love and joy.
Kim told me that she and a few others went over to the beach before we got there and found a lovely arch, chairs, and strewn rose petals, apparently for a wedding. They thought the wedding was already over so they traipsed through the rose petals and posed for pictures in the arbor. Suddenly a screaming woman (wedding planner) came running at them and told them to get out because they'd messed up the wedding setting and the wedding hadn't taken place yet. Good grief!
In the afternoon, Val and Cindy rented mopeds and sped off like demons down the road. I wasn't sure what would end up happening to them but I didn't expect it to end up well. Cindy ended up getting a terrible sunburn which made Matt's look not so bad.
Faye, Mary, and I went out to buy dessert for dinner while the rest of them prepared salads, spare ribs, rice, etc. which the whole gang of us consumed. John explained some of the things that went on in the Air Force. One of their rituals is to carry a coin with them and when one throws their's on the floor, any soldier who doesn't have their coin with them has to buy a round of drinks. When John lost his leg and was lying in the hospital, his commanding officer came to visit him and threw his coin on the floor. John, incapacitated in his hospital bed, shook his head and all he could say was, "Sir". The message his commanding officer was giving him was that he was still part of the group. I'm sure that there are a million stories like that in the military. They are a special breed of people.
Soon it was time for us to leave and the hugging and kissing began in earnest. Kids were called to come out from whatever corner of the house they'd escaped to and subjected to as many kissyhugs they'd tolerate. The adults rapidly made plans to meet somewhere, somehow sooner than we usually do. I hope it happens but we all live busy lives and it's not easy considering how far apart we live.
The beachhouse gang urged us to go and get our car which was parked next door in a vacant lot and drive back to the house, backing in so they could do a ceremonial goodbye by pushing the car onto the road and singing, "Olay, olay, Olay, olay!!!". Mary, who was our night driver because Faye and I can't see to drive in the dark, did as she was told and those crazy, wonderful people pushed us out singing at the top of their lungs. We finally drove away, waving and yelling. It was exhilarating and left me, anyway, feeling so fortunate to be part of that wonderful, high-spirited family.
Faye, Mary, and I started back home about 8:30 A.M. the next morning, happy we'd come but happy to be going home, too. We had an uneventful but fun trip home. We always have fun together and there's always lots of laughter. I thanked them for being such good friends and family, too. I am so blessed to have them.
I dropped Mary off at her house and then Faye off at hers. Then I drove home to a very quiet and empty house of my own. It was nice after being surrounded by chaos, even if it was wonderful, for 6 days. I enjoy my periods of solitude, being alone with nowhere pressing to go and nothing pressing to do.
Before I end this terribly long blog I want to say in print what I say to anyone who'll listen. I will be thankful all the days of my life that John is my baby girl's life mate. I couldn't have wished more for her than this wonderful man.
P.S. I love the picture at the top of this blog. "Mary, Pat, and Faye", 3 good friends who haven't let age keep us from having a hell of a good time!
Monday, July 05, 2010
Florida in July
I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow morning and I've been worried for ages about how hot it will be there at this time of year. Well, it apparently will be about the same as it is here in southern Ontario...hotter than hell!! Last year we all squawked because we had too much rain and few really hot days but this year it looks like we'll have lots of heat and little rain. Wouldn't it be nice if our weather was perfect all the time? If all of this is the plan of a higher power then I think someone doesn't know what they're doing.
I had to go out today and make a few stops which required me to get out of my nice air conditioned car and traipse through blistering, sun drenched heat until I reached air conditioned buildings. I saw ladies in long cloaks and face shawls and wondered how they could stand it, but then their home countries are much hotter than this. This old lady was clad in shorts and a tank top and I think I saw the cloak clad ladies say a prayer to their god as I walked by. We'll know the Muslims have adapted to North America once we see their old ladies wearing shorts and tank tops. It might take a few generations.
Faye and I are picking Mary up at 6:30 A.M. tomorrow morning and we'll get a quick breakfast on the way. We're also taking a picnic lunch so we can eat at a rest stop next to the highway around noon. I love doing this but it's impossible if I'm travelling alone because I don't like to make it too apparent that I'm by myself. This isn't a safe world and the bad guys look for easy prey.
I think I'm organized and ready to go, just needing to pack last minute items. I've probably got too many clothes packed but that's okay, the more to choose from and the more to change into if I get to feeling sweaty and scruffy. I'm actually a pretty good packer ever since the days when my husband and I would vacation on his sailboat. There's no way you can take too much luggage on a sailboat!
It's still miserably hot for the early evening so I'll wait till the sun goes down and give my plants a last minute watering. Then I'll close up the house, go to bed early, and rise at 5 A.M. ready to set out on my next adventure. I'm expecting a fun filled trip!
I had to go out today and make a few stops which required me to get out of my nice air conditioned car and traipse through blistering, sun drenched heat until I reached air conditioned buildings. I saw ladies in long cloaks and face shawls and wondered how they could stand it, but then their home countries are much hotter than this. This old lady was clad in shorts and a tank top and I think I saw the cloak clad ladies say a prayer to their god as I walked by. We'll know the Muslims have adapted to North America once we see their old ladies wearing shorts and tank tops. It might take a few generations.
Faye and I are picking Mary up at 6:30 A.M. tomorrow morning and we'll get a quick breakfast on the way. We're also taking a picnic lunch so we can eat at a rest stop next to the highway around noon. I love doing this but it's impossible if I'm travelling alone because I don't like to make it too apparent that I'm by myself. This isn't a safe world and the bad guys look for easy prey.
I think I'm organized and ready to go, just needing to pack last minute items. I've probably got too many clothes packed but that's okay, the more to choose from and the more to change into if I get to feeling sweaty and scruffy. I'm actually a pretty good packer ever since the days when my husband and I would vacation on his sailboat. There's no way you can take too much luggage on a sailboat!
It's still miserably hot for the early evening so I'll wait till the sun goes down and give my plants a last minute watering. Then I'll close up the house, go to bed early, and rise at 5 A.M. ready to set out on my next adventure. I'm expecting a fun filled trip!
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Miracle?
I'm not sure what has happened but something deep inside me is overriding my inclination to eat junk food. Last week I had fries at a very nice restaurant but when I bit into them they tasted strange. I couldn't explain but thought it might have been the oil used to cook them. I sent them back and got a baked potato instead.
Since then I've turned my nose up at fast food and have begun craving such delicacies as salad! I've even begun cooking a healthy dinner for myself. It's amost as though my body has said, "Enough of the garbage!", and won't accept my usual fare anymore.
I don't know how long this will last and I can't say I feel any better because of my healthier food choices, but I find the whole thing very interesting. For a french fry addict to suddenly be turned off by her favorite drug, it's a kind of miracle.
Since then I've turned my nose up at fast food and have begun craving such delicacies as salad! I've even begun cooking a healthy dinner for myself. It's amost as though my body has said, "Enough of the garbage!", and won't accept my usual fare anymore.
I don't know how long this will last and I can't say I feel any better because of my healthier food choices, but I find the whole thing very interesting. For a french fry addict to suddenly be turned off by her favorite drug, it's a kind of miracle.
Friendship
Mary and I yakked until 2 A.M. on Friday night when I stayed over at her house. One of the many subjects we covered was the value of true friendship. It's a fact that, should we get a bit snarky or sharp of tongue, a so-so friend will back away and just think you're a bitch but a good friend will set you straight. I guess that's because only a close friend knows the real you.
A so-so friend will be quicker to judge you critically while a good friend will be concerned if you're acting less than normal. And a so-so friend will be quicker to write you off when you behave badly, too (as we all do at one time or other). Good friends see us through those bad times and do all they can to help.
Really good friends are like family, they're here to stay.
A so-so friend will be quicker to judge you critically while a good friend will be concerned if you're acting less than normal. And a so-so friend will be quicker to write you off when you behave badly, too (as we all do at one time or other). Good friends see us through those bad times and do all they can to help.
Really good friends are like family, they're here to stay.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Seniors Giving Birth
I am utterly amazed that any woman over the age of even 50 would consider giving birth. It's sort of creepy to see these senior ladies pregnant, usually by invitro fertilization with a younger woman's egg, and then ecstatically holding their newborn child. They really do look so happy but it's all unnatural. If they're postmenopausal, then they've totally gone against nature.
Raising a child is hard on you physically and emotionally even in your 20's and 30's. A child needs a mother who will be able to keep up with them into their teens and adulthood. If you're 65 (and some are!) and give birth, just how many years will your child have with you and how many will be good years?
I also don't understand why these old mothers don't decide to adopt a child. You can satisfy your mothering instincts and love an adopted child just as easily as one you give birth to. But the biggest question in my mind is why any senior woman would want to be tied down with a baby at all.
I adore my grandchildren and my greatgrandchild but part of the joy is knowing I can leave them with their parents when I've had enough. I can go home to a quiet house and think only of myself. Selfish? Yes, but I've paid my dues and this is my reward.
Many seniors are raising small children by circumstances. Either the child's parents are unstable or have passed away and so it's left to the grandparents to care for the children. That is something completely different because they had no choice but to give the children a home. Most seniors would step in and care for their grandchildren if it was necessary. But you'd be hard pressed to find a senior lady who craves to give birth again.
For one thing, seniors become a little forgetful. We might set the little darlin' down and forget where we left them. That's as good an excuse as any to stop producing babies before we're 50.
Raising a child is hard on you physically and emotionally even in your 20's and 30's. A child needs a mother who will be able to keep up with them into their teens and adulthood. If you're 65 (and some are!) and give birth, just how many years will your child have with you and how many will be good years?
I also don't understand why these old mothers don't decide to adopt a child. You can satisfy your mothering instincts and love an adopted child just as easily as one you give birth to. But the biggest question in my mind is why any senior woman would want to be tied down with a baby at all.
I adore my grandchildren and my greatgrandchild but part of the joy is knowing I can leave them with their parents when I've had enough. I can go home to a quiet house and think only of myself. Selfish? Yes, but I've paid my dues and this is my reward.
Many seniors are raising small children by circumstances. Either the child's parents are unstable or have passed away and so it's left to the grandparents to care for the children. That is something completely different because they had no choice but to give the children a home. Most seniors would step in and care for their grandchildren if it was necessary. But you'd be hard pressed to find a senior lady who craves to give birth again.
For one thing, seniors become a little forgetful. We might set the little darlin' down and forget where we left them. That's as good an excuse as any to stop producing babies before we're 50.
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