Many shiny moments..

to you.. and you... and to you... and to you hiding in the corner....!

To all of you faithfuls!

Thanks for visiting me this past year.... I have appreciated you stopping by for a visit! Health & happiness to everyone.

A picture a day program

Stepping it up...

The sister and I were doing some talking. We do that occasionally.... just a bit. We have decided that we need an extra of walking in the week some where... it's going to be tricky trying to squeeze in another day... but we are planning on going for it. I think it might just be the big hill next to her house... or the even larger hill... the David Pathan connector... I think that is the ticket to some good heart pounding success.

After the almond roca festival that I have had participated in... I am going to need a seven day a week David Pathan connector exercise program to embark upon.

I am so excited!

frolic & festivity!

It's over... because it is... damn it.

You know it's time to take the tree down when it just starts looking trashy. The christmas decorations are no longer perched upon the tree, but are merely hanging on for dear life. In fact.. some have fallen onto other branches.. and there seems to be a large hole in the center of the tree for some reason.

The dog still likes to lie under it... so that is good.

I still have unmailed christmas cards in my vehicle... and Lujza... yours is one of them just randomly floating about next to the front seat. I probably should have remembered to give it to you a week and a half ago when we met at Starbucks.... Oh.. and then there was my little planned Merry Christmas event with your christmas card... but when I lost out on the internet... I couldn't follow through on that either. So baby.... it's all over!

Other than that... I am dulled out.

I spent a boring day at work, doing boring things, and completing boring tasks. I will be repeating the whole event again tomorrow.

The girl moped about until I went to watch a show with her... and then she found one of her HIDEOUS girl shows that she liked.. and then her world was all good again... and mine continued to be boring. I wasn't going to watch her crap... I like it when we agree on a crappy show together....

I went to read a B.C. magazine and it was one that we already had. My new book from the sister has only called to me for one chapter so far... I very much wish to read it... eventually... just not today.

Life on an angle... just by chance!

A white christmas!

An absolute spectacle... snow on christmas... it was very exciting... and my one antlered reindeer was most happy out amongst it all. Sorry Deb... not sure where the other antler went....

I'm back baby!

I was ever so lucky to get a couple of pics posted before the internet world shut down on me. Yes people, completely broken.... and it wasn't because I wasn't short on words... I was short on a connection. The world became very small again for a short period of time... what a weird feeling that was!

Chas... photo's have always been from a Nikon Coolpix E5600 5.1 megapixel.... well...... that was until December 25th... and then along came a newer version... (to my happiest of surprises... a Nikon D40 X!). It's not exactly a pocket camera any longer.... but I can attach a lense that will be able to photograph the best bear pictures in the world......!

Merry Christmas sights!

The King and his Candycane creations

Me... just fiddling with the lighting on my camera

Oh.. and "jen jen" sitting in the christmas tree

Newmantle

I need to do a little sewing..

It's nagging problem actually.

I do not feel the importance to do this sewing until I swing my arms and feel the underwires shoot up into the armpit. I am a fool, a good one... I have to say that.

It's pretty grey out there... but you know.. now that the shortest day has come and gone... it will start getting lighter now.. Yae for the light.

I bought a turkey.

Yae me... me... the turkey buying queen.

I should stop writing now.. and have my servents scribe something for me...

I will go find them now..

ding.

ding ding ding....

dinging dinging dinging dinging.

Apparently I am not the only woman that remembered to buy a turkey today... damn it.... the servents walked out...

And the pink begins...

The boy is busy building a "pink abode" for the girly girl sister. He didn't make a fuss, je just started building... it didn't really faze him that he didn't have coloured ju jubes, or foiled thingies... it's just pure pink, pink and more pink. Of course there is the technically challenging pretzel fence that he must put together as well. This should be so exciting!

There could be some trouble:

The boy went to school today rather quickly... like in 13 minutes.... barelyenough time to complain that he did not have the equipment to make a gingerbread house... lucky for him I did not forget.... although he may have wanted me to forget....

The girl's teacher is not quite as festive....(Lisa what is up with Mrs K in that department...?, if the grade sevens are still doing it... surely the little fives should still have a chance....!)... anyways...so I went to the grocery store and bought about $7.00 worth of PINK M &M's for the boy to build a gingerbread house with..., and along with the supplies that he just told me about last night at 10:00, I left him a really long note (well, I used the back of grocery receipt actually) and told him all about the girls plight of not being able to make a gingerbread house in her scroogeville classroom (the janitor put of the little string of lights for them... yes boo hoo... but hey I am setting the scene here people)... and surely with his great talents he could create a masterpiece with pink m&m's and pretzels... SURELY HE WAS THE MAN FOR THE JOB. Of course at the bottom of the note I did manage to state all the "things" that I do for him on a regular basis... so hopefully he takes the HINT to heart and sets to the task with all do care and attention... or he may just bring the bag of candy home and hand it to his sister... who would more than likely be he happy recipient of a bag of pink m&m's, rather than pick them off a graham wafered overly white icinged paper plate... on second thought.....

I can'twait to see his reaction when he gets home... it could be vile, as that is the way he left this morning... or he could just take it in stride that his mother is crazy, and go with it. If anyone had seen me at the grocery store.. they would have thought I was truly crazy as I stood in front of the M&M's... and SNICKARED away...shoudl I, shoun't I, should I, shouldn't I.... well you know the answer to that....

But we do not know the result...

Good smells

I was cruising through the mall quickly with my Mrs. Debbie friend... and we parted ways.... I left her to buy her jewelry, and I thought it was best that I went home and surveyed the christmas factory that I have hidden deep in my little abode.

I was surprised when I came upon a sale... it was a mens cologne sale. The husbandman is getting himself the big bottle of hugo.boss for christmas.... and can smell good for another year. it even came with a gift... and I don't even know what the gift is... I just grabbed it and ran.

Done... for a Monday!

I have come to the conclusion that perhaps I am just not someone that is supposed to work. I will tell the good and kind workaholic husband that little tidbit later, he might not believe me.

So the job down at the center where I actually work was busy interviewing people today for a job that isn't actually at this center, but for a job that is exactly what I do, for dementia people instead of stroke people. I wasn't one of them. This is troubling, and yet painful.

I will certainly not ask the lady "who I kind of work for but not really" for a reference... EVER! If I could walk away from this center, I would, but that would mean leaving my group, and I wouldn't want that... whatever.

I did it!

I am a changed woman.

This very morning.. I did as I said...

Now I have two blogs to upkeep...

It's very exciting owning two blogs now.

Not that I am sure why that is..?

Life is mysterious you know.

it's Thursday.

It's Thursday people.

I have a couple of presents to buy.... and some cards to sign.. and some cards to BUILD. I have more.... but it's the boring details of life.

Anybody know some good reading out there?

I went to the book club last night.... and we are reading something from 1963. OK... yae... before I was born... but certainly there has to be something that is worthy of reading after the 60's.

That boy of mine found a hill of books to read... again. Not as big as the last stack... it should keep him for about a week or two.

The girly girl even found some things to read. This little chickster doesn't really like to read.. she just likes looking at the pretty pictures in books, and wishing that it was her in these stories. Even Harold her monkey reads.... (pictures later).

Tonight is the last Thursday of Survivor... then Sunday is finale. I like it. People save your comments.. I don't care about them. I like Survivor, as I like many other things in life as well... just as you do.

I am starting a new blog. I just decided that.

Double L!

Today is the first daythat I have done any baking in this kitchen of MINE!

I had some bananas busily disintegrating in their bowl so I decided that it was time to do something with them....

I made one loaf, and then made another loaf. You know.. I just don't like combining ingredients to double the recipe... I like doing it twice...so I pop the TWO loaves in the oven... and one just doesn't look right.. I can't figure out what it is... I double check the ingredients... and everything since right...

Twenty minutes into the baking of the BANANA loaves.. I spot two bananas... just waiting for some action...

I am a banana loaf loser maker.

Now I am just hoping that they are not raw in the middle... now that would be a completely loserish thing to happen.....

HE heeh eh eh eh he he he

M

For MOVING on....

In the alphabet that is....

OK... and now to real life....

I will have to number the thoughts, as they are big and random... (this is for YOU Chas!)

1. finally.. I am having a glass of wine. Sorry Lujza.. I just don't get enough drinking time. I am not sure why this is, and I apologize for my time management problem, which I think this ultimately could be... so I am having one tonight, it's Tuesday.. and it seems all wrong that I am having one... anyone could feel free to correct me on this sit-U-A-tion. Anybody... knock knock.....
2. So I am busily watching the husbandman CAULK again... I noticed that Lady Lujza caught my little slur on words a couple of weeks back.. thank you for pointing out the obvious... I was just pointing out how much time he spends with his precious man toys.
3. Now I have this beautiful mantle to stare at. It is beautiful, except for the fact that the husbandman says that nothing will be able to to sit upon it, as the paint will be far too fresh for "Christmasy things" to sit making dents in the new paint. OMG.. high maintenance....
4. More wine.....
5. I bought the boy a guitar today. I am not entirely sure why I have....(well, the real reason is that i have no more gadgets that I can get the boy, and I am not purchasing the ultimate in gifts which would be the XBOX .360. but I can not do that.... The very expensive sister was with me... and immediately wanted to go to a "place" where they sell instruments... and myself, being the highly cheapishlike person that I am claimed that the $99.99 dollar deal found at "best buy" with the DVD for learning, a padded case, picks, extra strings and a built in tuner was perfect. It should be... the boy just wishes to play music.. and given that he is busily learning how play music off of YOU.TUBE... I shouldn't have to pay for lessons. It may have been the wisest investment yet.. I am hoping.
6. Also... I am getting my front teeth glued together tomorrow... the crookedness is gone, they are uncrossed... of course I haven't worn my retainer in two days.. day or night...so it should be interesting. Even if Mr. Dentist doesn't decide to glue them together.. I don't care... the front teeth are straight... more so than eight months ago.
7. Mr. Boy is still hard at with the xbox theme... I am not sure if I could follow you.tube lessons, and get that much out of it to play piano music that swiftly.
8. Girly girl missed school yesterday. I guess it was her turn growing this week. She appears fine in all respects, other than being tallish...
9. that boy of mine is supposed to be testing for his blackbelt.. so the grandmaster quirky and odd fellow has now postponed it.. and has made testing not this weekend, but next weekend. I have to say ... that boy of mine is in great love and admiration of his black belt instructors.. and you know.. so am I.. oh, did I say that??? Lujza.. remember Errol....L.O.V.E. Yes, I am a traitor... of the king... even with all his kingly ways....no really I still have great LOVE for the king...but there is a little extra for those TKD boys...not that they know that.
10. Do you think that there is suc a thing as a modern day Liberace, without the voice? Some days I think I have that in my son. He just chased the KING out of the livingroom and into the kitchen in slow motion... (the boy had recorded the music to chariots of fire on the piano...and then walks in slow motion about the house).
11. I missed my little christmas party this evening. I think I wanted to go... but then I didn't. I am not sure how badly I really wanted to got then... the problem being that I could not be in two places at once... I had to wait for the boy to call me from his TKD PRISON, and then retrieve him, and then go out to the party. That just didn't work for me.... or so I didn't make it work, I am not sure.
12. I got out the christmas decorators (as the boy used to call them) today. He is the one in charge of setting up the christmas house, and the princess girl is in charge of setting up all of the "Rudolph" figurines. I love those shows from the 60's... I think that is because I am bordering on ancient.
13. We went walking today... but then our group fell silent, that was due to the ice on the ground, and each of us grabbling to find secure footing along the path... we aborted the mission and were saddened by the fact that it was time to call it quits with the winter weather walking, and take it indoors to the mall... which is where I will find myself Thursday morning. Fortunately enough.. I am sure that I will find myself needing to go there anyways...
14. OH.. and a bonus... I started my christmas cards today.. I am into the D's.. which we seem to know a lot of ....the next big his is the M section.... and from that point the rest of the alphabet is all downhill...
15. How is this for a craft... I asked the stroke group to crunch up paper... white paper... and crunch it up good... and then flatten it all out again... and after we did that... we painted these pieces of paper red and green. That's all I wanted.. red and green painted paper.... but then the group went all independent on me.. and started mixing red and green together... and then started painting green with red dots, and then vise versa... and you know.. the FFFF word came to mind... as I told them that this was going towards a greater amount of work.. and I would really just like to see red and green painted pieces of paper... so now I have to work with smudgy brownish and splotted red and green paper and work with this to make pointsettias cards for everybody.... yes,... you would say FFFF too if you had this same reality.... Yes... and the people from the "community centre" do not want me to run the "slight dementia" group... I am wondering why?????

I must go.

L

That insignia is floating on my forehead.

We have reached double digits into December, and the only thing I have done is bought Christmas cards. I have yet to write in any.

Last night I sat at the TKD place where I was lead to believe that the boy would be leaving at any second.... that never happened. Eventually they paused and actually asked me if I wanted to continue to stay... and I was smiled and said NO!, and then the girl and I drove home.... and then once I got home I washed ONE platter, and started to wash another (it's stoneware)... then the boy called me and asked him to be picked up.

I will start things all over again today.

We haven't even brought in Christmas decorations.... as I haven't had the all clear from the husbandman that he wishes for christmassy things... I think I will go and find the boxes today... because you know.. it is double digits and all into christmas time...

home reno.... NOOOOOOOO!

So the husbandman has been doing some renovating.

Yes, shock of shocks...

Him and a hammer... how not him!

And what is this husbandman up to.....

He has decided that the fireplace needs an overhaul. Now he is building a new mantle thingy that surrounds the newly painted brick on the fireplace.

It should be done in due time, especially since it is an important time of year for the fireplace to be in order....

More photos...

I need to take more pictures.

I saw some good pictures yesterday... as in the eye of the camera holder, but not the camera itself.

I used up all my battery power... and must recharge quickly....

In the meantime... I will give you this:

Yes... it's summer again...! he he

SLAP!

The people at the "center" where I work are currently seeking a 'recreation therapist' type person to work with persons 60+ with mild dementia in a community setting.

I had to spell it out to "these people who are doing the hiring" that this is exactly the something that I have been looking for, for quite some time.......

One of the people that is doing the hiring then told me that she sent the job offer over to the college to attract some people out of the "TR" program to apply.

OK... so ouch... that slap in the face really hurt... but it didn't seem to faze the lady "doing the hiring".

OK... here's that word again.. cover your eyes you tender souls...

FREAKING FUCKING FRIDGMAGNETS. .... how do these people just not get it?

I believe that I will not be the first person that they call on the resume pile.

OH well... I applied for another new job again yesterday.

Man... you would think that with all this resume and job application things that I send around that someone would call.... or NOT!

By the time that I get hired on for more than ONE day a week working with older folks with dementia issues... I will be one myself.... I will wait my turn in line for that one.

Holyschmolykins

The snowwhitish hair thing has gone well. The hair colour is dark-ish. It helps to wear bright lipstick... all the time... I have rosy cheeks on a usual basis... but the rosey disposition...please do not fault me!

So.. onto matters that are only important to a mother:

The boy is coming along nicely with "the great grounding"... (that will certainly teach him for disliking his teacher greatly, and chucking his homework in his desk....)....

The ban from the TV, computer and PLAY.STATION has served him well. Well.. he has been allowed to visit you.tube a whole bunch.. and now he is busily playing a piece from "Chopin".. OK.. truth be told it is ONE of the pieces of music from the game halo.3. It's called raindrop prelude opus 15. It's pretty neat sounding... and I had to break it to him that he was actually playing classical music.... he didn't seem too horrified by it all. I love to watch him play... he's a natural. He has the ability to be a real showman... I can just see him being the "king of loungelizards".... oh yes... I see it coming big time.

OH.. so the boy told me he got an "A" on his socials test. I asked him if he had studied, and he told me "NO!". He claimed he did not need to study for socials... EVER. I tentatively agreed with him that if he brought home A's without studying, then I didn't care.

AND... Ms. Lujza will laugh... the boy is actually going to test for his black belt at his "fake" Tae.kwon.do school. He has served enough time in the joint to get it I think. Although the boy does not want his black belt, as he still claims that he does not know enough to even wear it. I don't know... if the "crazy" grand master guy thinks he can test for it.. then maybe he should... he has been asking for many months for the boy to test. Whatever. Once upon a time I told the boy he could quit after he had his blackbelt. Maybe Saturday could be his last day. Somehow I don't think so.... you know.. for as crazy as the TKD grandmaster guy is..... he raised my boys spirits beyond the clouds the other day... so I had to give it to him for that. As far as the instruction.. well...that's another painful typing session to try and spell out.


And.. the girl report.....

Miss Pips hair is turning very wavy. I tried blowdrying it tonight, and it refused to straighten. Now she has this mass of wavy darkening blond hair. Yes, that miss blondy will not be a blondy forever... I knew this day was coming... alhtough now she is stuck having a blond personality... what is one to do?

Early appt.

So I woke up and remembered I had a very early appointment this morning. I had to be there between 0630 and 0645.

I got up quickly, and went right to the appointment.. I didn't even bother to get dressed. Kind of embarassing really, just to show up somewhere in your PJ's.

That's OK I think, the other person didn't seem to mind, or so she didn't say. She just set to work doing her thing.

This home hair colouring thing... it's a pretty easy schedule to keep.... get up, colour the hair, carry on.... it's the actual "doing" that's the painful part.

I'm coloured once again... an even shade of boring brown. It just sooooo suits me.

Sasamat Lake

Eye to eye.

The boy stayed at home on Monday. I couldn't quite figure out why he needed to stay at home, he claimed he was not feeling well, had a headache, his throat hurt, and a list of other little complaints, he wasn't even sure why he wanted to stay at home.

I let him stay home, and he stayed in bed all day.

When he eventually got up, he looked me in the eye....

And that's when I figured it out...

He wasn't sick... he was just growing! I think he was just plain tuckered out by the growing thing. I know this time last week I wasn't able to look him in the eye....

So that was it... and now we will never see eye to eye again. It may be a sign of things to come... he is 12...but soon to be 13 in exactly one month.

this months book club book

I reallythought something would happen in this book, and it just didn't. but I liked it anyways.

I am just the worst...

christmas shopper ever.

I am the klutz of christmas shopping. The chicklets will end up with "things" randomly found in the stores.. and the rest of the people will just be lucky to get something. I am idealess when it comes to the christmas shopping adventures. Hopefully I will have some smart-attack fairly soon to help me in the idea department.

Although... I did manage to buy a new set of lovely sheets and a mattress cover for our bed. How heavenly.. how exciting.. how extravagant, and luxurious!

I write this as the husbandman cleans his rock in the kitchen. It's his evening ritual. I think he loves to shine up his granite, and set the lights low.... and just stare at stuff. Well, really that is all he has left to do anyways is stare at his work. He is even starting to use the kitchen again.

I am also really bad at colouring my hair... it needs some recolouration process, ... hopefully I can manage to pull off a colouring festival tomorrow... in between loads of laundry, and christmas card writing!

the Village of wet

OK, so today it looks green outside.

Mind you... there are puddles the size of a lake.

There are slushies forming all over the roadways.

Just as long as the sun doesn't shine....

# 3

I have two perfectly good working cameras. One digital, and one an SLR.

So I want to know howcome they both are able to make me swear.

Last night as the girl was making her debut with her other stage members in her one minute dance production, all I tried to do was get a picture. One simple picture.

THAT'S ALL I WANTED... THAT'S ALL I ASKED FOR...

one PICTURE.

The little digital just wasn't up to it's proper working self. It just doesn't like low light, and never has, it just doesn't perform in low light, even with a psychotic crazy woman manning the controls. These little cameras are just so smart that theyshould be able to read your mind.... "take a decent picture" was one thought I was having. Funny enough.. do you think it would perform.....?

Hell no.

I have six extra grey hairs today mind you, and I can write on my "psychotic event calendar" that I was stricken again with yet another episode to write about. Damn. Some people just get chocolatey calendars for December....

ANDDDD... December has arrived.

We have just cleared our home of boxes and clutter and left over pieces of stuff from the renovation village that we have lived amongst. It will happen all over again in the coming weeks as we transform our little home into christmasland. We have a lot of christmas stuff... too much christmas stuff really... but I like it. Its one month a year that the little homestead gets transformed into fun and frolic. Interesting... coming from a workaholic kind of husband who doesn't even get what the words fun and frolic mean.

do i , don't i do i , don't i, do i, don't i

That is the question... I wish someone could give me an answer.

Well, I gave myself the answer... it's:

I DO!

There is one HUGE problem when you coordinate a program set for seniors.. a program set for seniors that have suffered from a stroke... do you call it a day when the weather does not cooperate with you... and it's snowy and slushy and impossble to walk through... just to go a group that is supposed to work to support you, when quite invariably you could end up breaking a hip by falling through the slush......

I just didn't know what to do... as our little city has been lambasted with a dose of snow... but to make matters even more interesting... it might just continue to snow, but then again... it might just pour with rain whre the weather people are warning you about the amount of rain that is going to fall...so the amount of water on the roadways has increased tenfold with the amount of snow that has already fallen.....

SEEEEEEEEE..... SEEEEEEEEEEE... how do I make decisions about this sort of stuff?

I went with safety first, that's my motto, and I am sticking to it. I am never overly impressed with the way the city cleans up the front of the building that people enter through... so I justdecided that I wasn't going to risk it... I just couldn't do it... and even more so.. I disliked the fact that I didn't know what was the right or wrong answer......

So tomorrow it will be all lush and green outside, maybe the sun will even pop out... depsite what the weather forecast tells me.... oh who knows. god.

Easily forgotten....

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. A freakishly sad and almost unbelievable account of one's childhood. The book club people picked it.