I am not writing this blog to "toot my own horn" just to say some things happen over again and amaze me. I am a "in your face" type of person. Have to jump in feet first and do things. At work I use to be an executive assistant and to this day still do that job even thought I have a new position. I have to have everything just perfect (or try).

Last April our school held an auction. I joined the committee. The lady running the committee's husband has cancer so she had things on her mind besides the auction. She was so organized it was amazing and she is one lady to look up to. I tried to help her as much as possible, along with a few other women. We came to weekly meetings, got donations, prepared baskets and organized all auction items. The last week we were at the school every night organizing and preparing. The evening before the auction I raced to the school from work in my van and loaded all the items aboard. The next morning, bright and early I got all the buckers together, markers, stickers and prizes and headed of to the taveron to set up. A couple of ladies were there to help that morning right at 10 so we would be ready for the croud at 1pm. I helped organize all the leadership group who attended to help. Made sure each item was shown properly. At the end of the day the leader of our committee got up and thanked everyone by name EXCEPT ME. My sister "B" also came to help. She looked at me and said "she forgot you" I put on a brave face and said yes, must be an oversite. I have to admit I was a little taken back but it was a crazy day and personally I forgot all about it (after 5 or 6 days hahaha).

Well it happened again this week at work. One of our top Finance Managers mother died. I ran down to the card store and bought a card, got all the staff to sign it and mailed it of to his home. (He lives in another province) Well Friday afternoon he sent a thank you to all our office, D, P, D, K & L. WAIT A MINUTE. I started to laugh. What about Cheryl. I have met him only once but everyone knows me. I have been with the company for 17 years and talk non stop and and and. Yes I could go on but who really cares. Someone in the office laughed to and said "you even went and bought the card and L has never met him but he mentioned her" I know it was an oversite and at the end of the day I am the only one who noticed or cared. For an IN YOUR FACE type of person I guess I don't have a face or name HAHA

Cocktail Hour

Last night was my christmas dinner with work. We went to a very posh restaurant in our city. The meal was SO GOOD. We ate, laughed and drank wine. At the end of the evening when coffee came around I ordered a coffee for my husband (he was outside having a cigerate) When he came in he asked if I had ordered a speciality coffee for him. I hadn't. So he asked the waiter for a shot of armadillo. The waiter says "pardon" I pipe up and say "armadillo you know it taste like cherries" He looks confussed and say's armadillo and I say yes armadillo WAIT A MINUTE, STOP THE HORSES I look at my husband who is killing himself laughing. I say ARMARILLO not armidello. The waiter said he was starting to question his drink skills before we both realized what my husband had done.

You know the apple does not fall far from the tree. My parents just bought a new vehicle - B went with them so she is my witness to this. When purchasing it the salesman need some info from them, such as their work address. Dad says Mississauga. The salesman said how do you spell that. Dad and the salesman both got the MISSISS but after that stopped. Mom sits up straight, very proud of her self and says M I S S I S S IP P A. She sits back in her chair very proud of herself. My sister "B", father and salesman all look at her smug look and then all of a sudden she realizes what she had spelled. Yes the apples does not fall far from the tree.

the village idiot

At work today our CEO and RVP came to visit. They are here for our christmas dinner tomorrow. They came today for a meeting with the staff - gave us an overview of the year and what is happening in the company. We are all sat in the meeting listening to every word, commenting when necessary. I being me, take of my shoe so I could put my foot up on the leg of the table - not being noticed by anyone except my college "P". Paul likes to play pranks like he did when he was a kid. He is 49 - past the kid and prank stage.

He looked down and seen my shoe, hooked it with his foot, pulled his chair into the board room table and flicked the shoe under the table, where I could not reach it. I am trying not to laugh - making eye contact to the lady next to me and our manager. Both don't understand what my problem is. Then across the table one of the other guys "D" see's my shoe, takes it with his feet and moves it up next to our CEO, who looks down and is wondering where the shoe came from. Right in the middle of a pretty heated discussion with one of our managers and our RVP I have to cut in and explain why our CEO has a shoe at his feet. Yes I work with the village idiots.

Getting the date right

Yesterday I was convinced it was November 17th. Beautiful warm sunny morning - I am driving up the road and there on the bus stop surrounded by children is my friend Nicole. I roll down the window and as I pass I scream at the top of my lungs HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I laugh all the way out of our subdivision. About 10 minutes later I get a text message from my daughter stating "mom it isn't Nicole's birthday" I then notice it is the 16th. Apparently after I passed her son said "what is Cheryl's problem, even I know your birthday isn't until the 17th" He ten got on the bus and told E what I did. She couldn't wait to tell me of my misteak. I then pulled over to the side of the road and called Nicole and said "I thought today was the 17th" She laughed - I laughed harder.

Moving

I have been so busy. Haven't had much time lately so I have fallen behind on my entries. As many of you know my father had taken ill in August. Well they moved here this past Sunday. My sisters and myself found a beautiful, brand new apartment in a seniors building for them. The furniture showed up on Saturday. My sister, husband and myself went out and got all the furniture and boxes in the apartment. Sunday my sister (partner in crime) and myself decided to go out and unpack some boxes. WELL let me tell you, my mother has more dishes than anyone else I know. B and myself unpacked for hours. Every box seemed to have a plate, glass or bowl. Those packers sure know how to pack EVERYTHING in the house. The techniques they use to get everything in the boxes is unreal. At one point B unwrapped a bowl of GRAPES. Yes real grapes. The next box had a bowl with a real orange and 2 lemons. Did the movers not stop to think that this stuff could rot. When this stuff was being packed my parents original plan was to store it for 6 months and live with me. The movers knew this - so why would they wrap fruit. I figure it is so that after 6 months when we unwrapped the bowl of grapes it would be wine to celebrate their new place.

Swine

As you all know the H1N1 (Swine Flu) is on the rise. Everyone is out fighting for vacanations. Well, in our office one of the staff had the Swine Flu and spent most of the week here at work before the doctors office called her to let her know. I have been at this ladies desk for a month now, helping her, grabing the mouse to show her stuff, drinking her coffee (by accident - thought it was my tea) and I have no sign of the Swine. I just had a major revolation - I can't get the swine flu because I DON'T EAT PORK.

Life has been so busy lately. Last night I went look at an apartment for my parents and didn't get home until late. Had to grab some supper, partner in crime came for coffee, dogs were running mad and my daughter is learning the guitar so she is perched on a chair playing for us. My sister B said "to bad you can't play the Edmund Fitzgerald" well didn't I have the cords and song in my guitar case. We get it out and show it to my daughter. She starts to try to pick up the notes so I decide to sing it. I start with "The leg end lives on from the Chippewa " WAIT that does not sound right, so I start again and so does she. I start singing "The leg end lives on from the Chippewa" WAIT why doesn't this sound right. B pipes up and says "it is LEGEND you idiot not leg ends" OH I get it now. On the notes it was devided by a dash and since I was concentrating on the guitar notes I guess I missed that one.

B and myself took guitar lessons one time. What a great 10 lessons. The 9 people in the class played and I sang. I didn't learn to play the guitar but what great vocal cords I now have.

The bed has never felt better

Last evening I decided to run to the supermarket to grab some food for a dinner I am having Saturday night. As I pulled out of the subdivision I could smell this strong smell of gas. My daughter and myself figured it was the car in front of us. I started driving and the smell stayed just as strong. I even slowed down to let the car go further along so we could get rid of the smell but it didn't go away. All of a sudden I look down at the gas hand and it is at 1/4 then all of a sudden my gas light was on. Luckly for me I was approaching a gas station. I pulled in and looked under and gas was pouring out of my car. I called my husband who, as usual came to my rescue. He came out in his lumber jacket, tore up, paint stained track pants and old dress shoes (odviously took the time to dress for the occasion) - I guess I shouldn't critise as he did wear a tshirt this time (my friends will know what I mean). He got under that hood, I held the flashlight, and he tore that car apart and put it back together, tore it apart again and put it back together AND tore it apart for the 3rd time and seen exactly what the problem was. Of course, for anyone who knows my husband, he had a spear part at home in the garage. So we all pile into the van, stinking of gas, and head home. 20 minutes later we are back - dressed better for the weather this time, and he tears the car apart again, changes some oil rings on some part under the hood and wala, the car starts and the gas is stopped gushing. 2 hours later, in minus 2 temperatures we finally get home. I couldn't wait to get under the covers and get warm.

Other peoples stories

We got our driveway paved today - big exciting times for my husband. He actually took the day of work to over see the whole event.

My co worker told me this story today and she laughed I screamed. I had to share it with you. Her friend went away on vacation last week. The friend asked her father to look after the cat - drop in and feed it/change the litter. The father accidently let the cat out of the house. He couldn't find the cat. He went home but asked the ladies brother, who was her neighbour, to watch out for the cat. The brother looked over the neighbourhood all day and eventually found the cat dead - hit by a car. The father told the brother to put the cat in a bag and put it in the freezer so the sister could see it to say her last goodbyes. He then called his sister and told her the cat was dead. The sister was upset. When she came home she walked into the house and low and behold there was the cat at the door, starving. She looked at her husband and said "if that is our cat who's cat is in the freezer". AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHh I would have screamed and ran out the door.

Anyone missing a cat???

It has been such a busy week. I have had work functions since Tuesday and today I am back in the office for a few hours then of to another dinner. Back to normal tomorrow. 2 things happened this morning - one funny and the other a good thing. First, I had to work at our company booth at the convention this am. My collegue game at 12 to releive me. I had to comment to her beautiful jacket. I say "is it new" and before she could answer me I noticed the price tag, extra button and size tag hanging of her arm put of the jacket. I had to laugh. Then I leave to come back to work and notice I need gas. I stop at a SHELL gas station and get out and this little old man ask me how my day was going. I couldn't believe it, he was actually the gas attendant who had come to put gas in the car for me. I was shocked, and told him so, that there was actually still a gas station around that still did this. That was the best part of the day.

celphone

In our province it is illegal to drive and talk on the cel phone. Yesterday I am driving home from work and my cel phone starts to ring. I figure it is one of my 2 girls as they are the only one's who call me on it. I haul it out and put it on my lap and say HELLO. Now, my girls know to talk really loud so I can hear them. Well, all I hear is a mumble. I am thinking "E is playing soccer, I hope she didn't get hurt and it is a parent/teacher calling" I scream out, can you speak up I can't hear you. Still only a mumble. I scream "Hold on, I have to pull over and I am going 100km on the highway" I am a bit frustrated at this point. I get to the side of the road, without killing myself or anyone else. I pick up the phone and isn't it our Head Office trying to track me down for some information. I started to laugh, because this lady is probably thinking I am nuts. I apoligized for the conversation but explain how it all sent down. I couldn't stop laughing. Needless to say, she won't be calling my cel any time soon.

Painting

Yesterday we finished painting my doors up stairs. Only had the paint 10 months but it is done. Now we are painting my craft room/office. Pink Barney paint - nothing but the best. My husband takes old paints and mixes them all in a big bucket and we always have this hidious pink primer. One thing is for sure you sure appreciate nice color after priming with this stuff.

Ok so I figured how to add a photo but can't figure how to rotate it HA

Fur Balls

Everytime I do a cough - clear your throat type of cough, one of the guys "P" feels the need to yell fur ball. Embarrassing or what but I just tell him to give it up. Well last week, we were do interviews for a position we have available here at our office. One of the ladies came in and I was in the middle of something so didn't get to the door to greet her. She made the misteak of "clearing her throat" to get someone's attention. What does "P" do but scream out FUR BALL. I don't think she will be back.

Happy I have Plumbing

Just had a call from girlfriend and when she finished telling me her story I said "I am happy I have plumbing" and I feel that is something good for this day.

E went to her fathers 65th birthday last evening. Her daugher and boyfriend flew in from Montreal for the occasion (his first time in NS). Her other 2 daughters and boyfriends all boarded their vehicles to head out over the highway for the 1 1/2 hour drive to the big "party". E always tells me that her family is rednecks but you sort of laugh it of. Well when I talked to her this am to see how things went she told me this. While down in her parents community she needed to go to the washroom. She stopped by her sisters trailer. Post little establishment with old cars and odds and sods in the yard. E told her kids to all STAY IN THE CAR. She went in. Her sister had taken the washroom and a bedroom and made it into one large washroom. She had brand new plywood on the floor and a new toilot, sink and bathtub. Her sister proceeded to tell her that they had no running water, so showed her how to take the outside hose and wash down the toilot. She said if E didn't feel like cleaning/flushing the toilot she could leave her "doings" for later and someone else would wash it down. And best of all when E was finished she was just take the same hose and put it in the sink and wash her hands. Poor E was mortified. She then took the kids to a new local pub for supper before the big party. She told the kids when they got to the party not to eat the sandwiches because they were probably made early in the morning and now not fit to eat. The party got underway, with everyone arriving, with moonshine in hand. Yes moonshine. Actually some of them had been drinking moonshine all afternoon so were already drunk by the time the party started. Live band and all - all the local musicians (all over the age of 65) playing all night. What a time. E got out of there by 10:30 before the first fight broke out HAHAHA. I guess I should also say Happy I am not a Redneck

We are sitting in our rec room last evening, K on the computer, E and myself watching a show she had been waiting for all day Look a Like. This show takes ordinary people like ourselfs (ok so I am not ordinary) and do a make over on them to make them look like a star. Last night it was Kristen Stewart from Twillight. Of course, E is one of the biggest Twillight fans. That is all she talkes about, posters on the wall, even wrote on my office calander (in my office) the opening date of New Moon. We during this make over they showed a clip from Twillight of Bella and Edward. We watch and then all of a sudden we hear 'CLAP CLAP CLAP' really loud clapping. It was E clapping and shouting WELL DONE. We just looked at her. She was almost in tears with emotion from the clip of the movie. AND YOU ALL THINK I AM ODD

People we meet in our life time

When I travel by plane I usually don't strick up conversations with the person sat next to me. I would rather taken that time to myself and read, nap, watch some tv/movie. During my recent travels, the lady in the seat next to me struck up a little conversation. First it was a comment that the book I was reading was the same one her husband was reading (2 seats over from me). We laughed. We made idle chit chat. She said where she was going and I said where I had been. Her husband asked about our summer and the weather. I told him the story about our new veggie garden and how we finished planting it at 6pm one evening and at 7 it started raining and it didn't stop for 2 1/2 weeks and now I only have 1 potato. We laughed. He looked like a business man of some sorts, clean shaven, fresh hair cut, nice business casual clothes. The flight took of and we did our own thing. As the plane landed and I took my purse of the floor, the lady commented that my purse had caught her eye (thanks B for the beautiful purse for my birthday) I told her where I had gotten it. For some reason I asked what they did for a living and she told me they were farmers. I was surprised, as this man did not look like your typical farmer. I asked how many acres they had and the wife said 27; pause; then she finished with thousand acres. Yes 27,000 acres. I almost fell of the plane. Here I was talking about my one potato and my farming failure and there they were dreaming of their fields of wheat, flax, etc. I guess I looked like a bit of a country bumpkin to them HAHA.

Larger than Life

While I was away one of our friends from NFLD had to come to our city for an appointment. He is a larger mass of a man. He called just before his flight to see if he could stay at our place. Of course he was welcome but my husband learned the hard way that next time we have over night guest he should inform our children first. Our oldest daughter, K, decided to have a sleep over. As they crawled into bed K told her friend to go into the other room to get a pillow. The friend walkes in and here was our friend P streatch out on the bed in his tighty whities watching TV. The friend is still in theropy HAHA

A great (not good but great) thing happened yesterday, my father came home and is doing wonderful YIPPEE

Rednecks

As you know, I was at my parents for the last few weeks. My brother and his wife were also there. My brother had a friend who was on vacation in Newfoundland. The friend left Newfoundland last week for the 5 day trip across the country to his home in Alberta. My brother W and this guy JC kept on contact with other the whole trip. This guy, JC, had been given moose meat, fish, etc while home so he went and bought a new freezer and put it in the back of his truck so that he could transport the frozen goods back to Alberta. Well part way across Newfoundland the plug on the freezer broke so he went into Canadian Tire and bought a new one. Sure enough, that one broke also so JC went into the next store and bought a generator and hooked the freezer up to the generator and had it running for the whole 5 day trip across the country.

Of course, while passing through Nova Scotia, JC's wife mentioned that they could get Zippo Lighters (don't know what they are) in Halifax, so this guy proceeds to tell my brother that when they got to Truro the made the turn to the PROVINCE OF HALIFAX, where they drove around for 1 hour and couldn't find the lights. 1st of all, Halifax is a city not a province (my brother never had the heart to tell JC this) and secondly, Halifax is 1 hour of the Trans Canada Highway, so this guy, who had a 5 day trip across the country, wasted 3 hours to come the the province of Halifax for lighters. Where did my brother meet this moron LOL

Speaking of Morons, I am driving my kids to a function the other night. I come to a stop sign and there are two guys sitting in their vehicles talking to each other just talking. I sit there, being patient, and wait for them to move. NO, they didn't entertain the though, so I gave my horn a light TOOT TOOT. Thought they might just not see my Burgandy Uplander (hard to miss it) but NO they don't move. So I did what any law abiding person would do - I lay my hand on the horn and wouldn't let up until they moved. I knew that fog horn noice they wouldn't be able to hear each other talk. It worked. My partner in crime was it me, of course. She couldn't believe I did it. Does she not know who I am.

For those of you who know my family, after I wrote the last blog we called an ambulance and had dad put back in hospital. After 9 hours in the emegency room, they found a bed for him and they found fluid on his lungs. He was hooked up to drains for 3 days, very painful, but is much better now and is getting released today. Thanks for your love, calls and prayers.

He's Home

Dad came home today. Cranky as usual - so he must be feeling better HAHA. I have to say, the nurses at the hospital were amazing. I have a new respect for nurses. Those ladies/men worked 12 hours and had a smile for each of us every time they came in dads room. He had a 5 valve bypass on Friday and right from the start Pam, the nurse, talked to us and to him. She would talk to dad even when he was unconsious and tell him what she was doing to him. She took care of dad 3 days in ICU and then we moved to another floor where Afton, the nurse, gave us just as much pleasure with her pleasant smile. The doctor, even with hairy ears, was amazing, explaining everything to us, including the whole open heart operation procedure. Of course, I had to go sit down so I wouldn't faint.I do have a weak stomach. We met lots of wonderful people in the waiting room going through the same thing as our family. Each family sitting waiting until we were allowed to enter the room 2 at a time, just for that 5 minute visit to say "we are here" or "good night". What a relief when I was out today, during our lunch break (visiting hours stoped from 1 - 3:30) I took mom to Sears Bargin Basement for a look around (got a dress for my friends wedding) and we got the call telling us dad had been discharged. We rushed home grabbed his close and went to the hospital. It only took 2 hours to get everything organized and discharged. I am happy not to have to put anti-germ hand cream on my hands.

ALIVE

This is a sad but great blog. My father took a heart attach this week.My partner in crime B and myself hoped on a plane and headed out to assess the situation. My brother and his wife did the same. My father needed a 5 valve replacement bypass. The doctors are in awe that this man is still alive. We are very greatful to God that this man is alive. It was the hardest thing to walk into ICU yesterday and see him lying in a bed so hopeless. This man that has been the rock of our family for 70 years was now lying in bed with so many tubes and iv's hanging out of him. Well, let me tell you, we just got back from our Good Night visit and he is 1000% improved from yesterday. It is a wonderful day today. Yesterday was the scarest day of our lives and today is one of the best. We made the family decision that our 2 other sisters will come out during the next few weeks and to spend time with mom and dad when dad gets back. I know that is hard for them not to be here but because we all live so far away from our parents we have to come in shifts. It does not matter that we have to sit all day just so we can go in and see dad for a 5 minutes. He is back to himself today as he is bord. Just gave him a new book and his flashlight. He needed the light so he can see the clock during the night.

Sunshine and Lunch

Just got back from lunch with my partner in crime B. She was out my way on business and dropped in and we went for salad. I miss lunch with B. We worked in the same office tower for years and went to lunch every day with each other. Now it is only once every "blue moon" that we get to eat lunch together.

The sun is shining out there today. The humitity has been so bad the last few days. 24 deg but if feels like 31. My husband had to take 3 showers yesterday. Hard enought to get him to take 1 a day let along 3. He is of for 2 more weeks of vacation. He has a long list of things to do around the house but put all those aside so he could finish my craft room. That man can be funny. Not sure why he is putting of the things that need to be done but he is. He enjoys manual labour so much. At least someone in our house does LOL.

The vacation is over but we have funny memories

Our vacation may be over but we have some funny stories to share with our friends. Like the guy who was hitchhiking one way but walking the other way. He didn't look like the "sharpest tool in the shed".

We had finally left my husbands family and were heading back to my friends house for a few days. We were a little tired and found the 3 hour drive very long. We decided to stop to stretch our legs and have a washroom break. I told my husband there was a large gas station/restaurant just ahead. We come to an over pass and he says "up this way" I say no but of course he didn't listen and turned of. I am looking at him with my usual "where are we going now" look. He sees me and says that I am the one who should have told him. Lets back track here, my mother has a habit of pointing to where she wants dad to turn even if he has been to that place 1 thousand times. Well I do the same thing. I always point. I am trying to stop it because it annoys my husband when he is driving. Well I didn't do it the other day and look where it got us - on the wrong highway. So we backtrack (which takes a while because there was no easy exit back to our highway) We get on the highway and pull into the gas station. We all get out and walk around. Times are sure good - we all get slushies. We feel refreshed until my husband realizes that he has left his sunglasses on the slushie machine. I run in and grab them and run out just to discover that some lady has opened her car door and we can't get of the parking lot. We stear, glear and finally she realizes we are there and closes the door. Seems to be a habit in the parking lot because as we were pulling in some lady was doing the same thing, only to discover she was changing a diaper (ha). Anyway, we start to leave the parking lot and there are 2 travel trailers pulling car's in front of us. So my husband decides to out run the trailers, spins around and takes of across the parking lot to another exit. He is so proud of himself, he sees me laughing uncontrolable, figuring that I am laughing at his smart move. Then he realizes why I am laughing -- WE ARE GOING THE WRONG WAY, back towards where we just came from. He wasn't impressed, we had to go up around an overpass and back down the way we were lost the first time. As we go under the overpass, the 2 travel trailers are going overhead. I say "you outrun them all right if you were going back the highway we just came from" He growled.

We get to our friends house, finally, after stopping to watch some boats go down a river rapid, and watched some men salmon fishing. I have to say Newfoundland & Labrador must be the most beautiful province. So much natural beauty. We decide to take the kids back to their swimming hole they have found. Our husbands decide to go in. Not a good idea. The kids didn't mind the cold water but the men almost died. I thought we would have to call for a medic at one point when my husband was getting in. I sat and took some pics. It was to funny. My husband actually went down some rapids and got stuck. He was holding a rock for dear life hoping not to be swept into the sea. We thought he was joking at first but no, he was stuck. One of the girls walked out to him and helped him get safely to calm waters. Why is it that men have to be courious and explore dangerous waters.

We left our friends house at 4am to drive to the ferry. We see one moose on the way, everyone is very excited about that. We get to the ferry terminal just to find out it is delayed by 5 1/2 hours. Then the terminal made the misteak of offering free meal vouchers to each person. My husband never moved so fast in his life. His little legs ran across the parking lot. He came back with one for each of us. We had just had coffee and muffins so we decide to wait a little longer before going in to eat. At around 9:30 we went in and the girls were planning to have small breakfast each but my husband wouldn't hear of this. Everyone had to order a big breakfast cause it is free. We all order and then one of the girls asked if she could get a muffing. The lady at the counter made another big misteak, she said we could have what ever we wanted because it was free. Well by the time we left the cash registrar the lady had to give my husband a plastic bag to put all his cookies, muffins and yogarts in. Never tell my husband it is a free. That man loves to eat. Of course while we are waiting for our breakfast my husband made tea and threw the milk and sugar containers in the garbage along with OUR FOOD ORDER NUMBER. I told him not to worry about it as they would remember us and our order when time came to pick it up and I had also noted that when they sung out a order number they didn't take the slip of paper with the number from the customer. Well this wasn't good enough for him, he went to the garbage and had a look inside. The girls and myself told him to stay away from the garbage as we would be embarrassed if he dug into it. But no, he kept walking over and looking inside. At one point he saw the number and reached in to get it, pulled it out and it was the wrong slip. Leave it to him. Our number finally got called and he got our meals and all was good. We finally borded the ferry and got home safe and sound without any more incidents.

Home made bread and a fire

We are coming to a close to our summer vacation. As of right now the visit to this island may be extended by hours or days - not sure. Our ferry caught fire a few nights ago so the ferry service has been delayed. They have put extra boats on and have scheduled extra crossings to get the backlog cleared up. I have been calling for updates as to our schedule. So far nothing so in 10 minutes time I shall wake the troups (at 3am) and head out for a 2 1/2 hour drive to the boat. It really does not matter because I am more than willing to stay here and eat home made bread. This island is crazy. Everyone sells home made bread. We have been eating so much of it that I think I have gained 10 pounds. My husband sure has. The girls have been eating it for breakfast, lunch, snacks (many of them). IT IS SO GOOD and some times you luck in to walking into the the store and it is fresh out of the oven. Sure who could resist a full loaf of bread at 4 in the afternoon. Talk about ruining your supper. Oh who cares, we will eat our supper at 9 pm instead.YES WE DID. No wonder we are rolling home. Sure who needs a boat when we have both grown personal floation devices on the front of our bodies.

Yesterday all the kids (6 of them) and our husbands took the girls fishing of a wharf for cod fish. D and myself decided to stay home and just do some laundry and drink tea. As soon as the van pulled out of the driveway we rushed to the washrooms and hauled out the hairspray and makeup. Of to town we went. Ok so the town only consist of 20,000 people but you take what you can get. Actually they have all major stores (Walmart). We hop into the car and the radio is really loud. Instead of turning it down we put down the windows down and let SUMMERTIME by Kid Rock scream out our windows. We bob our heads like 2 teenagers. Everyone is looking at us like we are cool (sure). Why do we grow up. We were once cool people who listened to loud music in our cars, screamed when we drove by cute guys and even better if a car of cute boys went by us we would scream. When did that start to grow up. Summertime sure is good

Vacation

We left our home 9:15am yesterday and got to our destination at 5:03 this am. Long haul but sure worth it when my bestest newfoundland buddy was waiting for us with homemade bread and tea for all. This lady and her family use to be our neighbours but moved to Newfoundland last July. Was sure a hard day when she left. Sure was a good day when we embrased this a.m. Of course, me being a softie, had a little tear. We were suppose to arrive at 2 this morning but there were delays and rough seas so our trip got delayed. D and her daughters were flashing lights as we came into their community so that we could see their house. We always called their house THE BOAT because it use to be a boat and was converted into a house but after this morning I call it THE LIGHTHOUSE. I still wonder if M's fingers are tired from flashing that light constantly for 5 minutes.

A funny thing happened on the boat last night. We borded and found some seats for us all. Daughter #1 goes to the washroom to brush her teeth. Daughter #2 and #3 wanted to explore the ship but #1 wanted them to wait for her. #2 & #3 were frustrated that they had to wait. My husband said that he shouldn't have told her she had bad breath. #2 says "#1 yawned and she almost threw up". The youngest daughter #3 came into the conversation and said "bread sticks, who said something about bread sticks" We all look at her like she is nuts and say "BAD BREATHE not BREAD STICKS". I see we are of to a great vacation.

Recycle

At our house we are big recyclers. We have our own compost, we seperate bottles from cans, we have a city recycle/compost box we use. It is a big production. We even have a bucket for bones/meat and one for food/veggie scraps. I have even started recycling bottles at work. I usually get about $3 a month for these recycles. Not much but I give the money to my daughter to put towards things. I keep the bag behind my door in my office (out of site). Our staff know where it is and put their bottles there. Well, last night the new cleaner took my bottles. I was so upset this morning to come in and see the garbage bag left there with all the bottles gone. Everyone here takes such pride in putting the bottles in the bag for E. What a big let down. I called the cleaning company and asked them to tell the guy that he is only suppose to pick up garbage not recyclables.

Speaking of recyclables, when my daughter was about 8 she and her friend decided to raise money for the local childrens hospital. They talked about lemonade stands but we convinced her that when it gets -32 here she wouldn't be selling much. They talked about bake tables, etc. Finally they decided to collect recyclables. Well, of they went with their little fisher price wagon around our neighbourhood. Back they came with a full load and they had only been to 5 houses. So my husband and the friends father decided they would take the truck and follow the girls. It was unreal how people responded to 8 year old girls raising money for such a wonder cause. Each Saturday or Sunday all four of them would get ready and hit the streets of our little town. They would come back and unload the bottles in the back yard and all of us (parents included) would seperate the bottles by price (5 cent for pop/juice bottles, 10 cent for beer bottles) We would spend the good portion of a day. This went on for approx 2 months. Finally the big day came to empty the can and see what the girls had raised. Between recycables and donations the girls had $1,000. We called the hospital and they told us that the childrens hospital telethon was coming up and that the girls were welcome to come on TV live and give their donation. The hospital/telethon gave them each a large cheque as a token of what they had done. Every now and then we find that cheque and talk about what a wonderful thing those girls had done.

Relax

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE TO TAKE NAP AT LUNCH TIME. I find the older I get the short time I need to sleep during the night so to catch a little nap during the day is golden. I remember a couple of times I fell asleep and woke myself snoring.

My husband and myself were lying in bed the other night and I decided it was time to change the answering machine. He insisted he wanted to be involved and even came up with our new idea. It is corny but cute. I say Hello (pause) he says Hello. I say "hang up the phone hon I have it ..... You get the picture. We thought we were so funny. We keep calling people and telling them to call. They think we are loosers (B that is you).

Another fun thing that happened is that B's inlaws are in town. They came to my place 2 nights in a row to play cards with my husband and their son and grand son. B and myself sneak down into the tv room to watch Coronation Street on line. It is one of our many guilty pleasures. I tried to watch it on tv the other night with my husband K in the room and I was trying to explain the story line to him but he didn't get it. I think maybe he didn't understand what they were saying. I don't understand that as we have the same accent. It was kind of embarrassing actually because he though it was lame. I think after this week I might have him hooked though. I even have him hooked to So You Think You Can Dance. He enjoys watching it with me.

My most favorite guilty pleasure is my 8pm treat each night. An Ice Cream Sandwich. Each night at 8 K ask me if I want one. Sure do. We are like kids in a candy store eating our hidden ice cream. Yes we hid them. I have at least 6 different types of ice cream for the kids but they all eat our treat soI have to hid them. Sometimes when I get down on myself and think I am "larger than the average bear" I put the ice cream out where the girls can see them so they can eat them all.

Rednecks

So much to talk about. Our friend is leaving the country for 1 year. His family decided to throw a going away party for him. Live music, great food and rain. When this man and his wife got married 2 years ago it rained all day. They threw the reception in the garage/tarp tent. Everyone had a ball eating, drinking, dancing and listening to the rain hitting the tin roof. Well yesterday was no exception. The lead singing of the band is also the garbage man (who was really good), the back up guys were a 94 year old man and his sons/grandsons (who were from another band but tried to play along with the garbage man). I bought along my daughter E and we both decided that there were alot of canidits for What Not To Wear. There was clothes there that definitely came from the 70's - hands down.

I just figured out why this woman was dressed this way. Took me almost 24 hours to get over the shock of jeans with on sides only straps with rinestones and a leather jacket with approximately 300 fringes and of course the leather cowboy hat. She was going to the same place I was going - the KISS concert. (I didn't dress like a 1979 groupie)

The KISS concert - what can I say. My "CONTACT" (B's husband) called at 2 and said he had VIP tickets if we wanted to go. We waited until 8 to make sure it was going to stop raining and that the fog would life enough for us to see the stage. So we trot down. The field where it was held has 9 baseball dimonds - with lots of rain it was very muddy. We slipped and slid as we made our way to the bleachers. My partner in crime was with me, of course. We giggled, she wore her rubber boots and I wore my flip flops - will be removing mud for a month or so from my toe nails. Then KISS started to play - great stuff - we rocked and rolled to 1 1/2 hours of songs that WE HAD NEVER HEARD. We moved our heads, smiled, laughed (alot) as the band played. I figured the people singing every song behind me were die hard fans who flew in that morning from another area of the country to see the concert). By the end of it I was starting to repeat what the people behind me were saying (just so the people in front of me could think we knew something) The last song we knew and by then I had 1 1/2 hours of rocken to fit into that one song. We rocked hard. Then the show was over. Of course they came back for a encore - we knew those songs but had made a pact that we would leave 3 songs into the encore to avoid people traffic (35,000 people and lots of slippery mud). It was a great night - even if I just moved my mouth so people would think I was a cool as them.

the telephone

Our lady that answers the phone at work is of on vacation. So we have all been chipping in to get the phone when it rings. I think someone just call me thinking I was tim hortons. He ordered a coffee when I answered. Then he said who did I call, I think I called the wrong number. YOU THINK SO. I am thinking that he might have been at a drive through ordering coffee when I answered and he said his order into the phone instead of the speaker. Lets hope so.

How often do you go through a drive through and be on the cel phone. My husband is famous for it. So is my sister "B". When our daughters were young I use to pretend I was a bunny on a bike when my husband was ordering coffee, or I would pretend that I was one of the girls and say "daddy can I have a donut" The girls would crack up laughing and my husband would be so embarrassed. Sucks to be married to me some days LOLOL.

Someone's turning 40

My "partner in crime" B is turning 40 this coming Friday. Of course she has labled the week BARB FEST 2009. Her husband is to buy her a little something for each day leading up to Barb Fest 2009. Something simple yet fun. Yesterday he bought her a case of gum. He said she will have enough for a month.
My daughter and B are very close. E (my daughter) wanted to make some Barb Fest 2009 tshirts so I gave her 3 tshirts and she painted each one with the BARB FEST 2009 sloggan. She did a great job. We each put one on (including my husband) and we drove to B's house and all stood outside her kitchen window singing HAPPY BARB FEST 2009 (to the toon of happy birthday). She laughed. We presented her with her official BARB FEST shirt (the one my husband wore).
B just called me to say she took the shirt to work and hung it up in her office for everyone to see.

phobia

I have a phobia to mice, actually all rodents. I just hate the. They freak me out. Well, late friday night, around 12:30, I could hear my cat in the kitchen window crying to come in. We usually try to keep them in the house but it is hard in the summer because we like the doors open and they want to be out. I am all snuggly in my bed when I hear her; I know I have to go let her in or she will cry up there all night and keep us awake. So I get out of bed and stomp my way to the kitchen just to see that she is not in the window. I go to the dining room and turn on the light over the patio and sure enough there she is inside my gazabo. I open the door to get her in and she stops and drops a mouse. I FREAK. I call my husband to come and get the cat and save the mouse. He is in his underwear running around the deck after this cat who, does not want to be caught. Finally I say, hon come in and let nature take its course. Sure enough the next morning when I go out with my morning coffee, there are dead mouse parts under my chair. I go to the lower deck and decide to sit there and there are mouse parts there also. I wait for my husband to get up, pick it up and I bleached the spots.

This story reminds me of 2 other stories. One was over the past winter. I had a croud at my place and we are all laughing and talking, sitting around the living room. We have the doors open because, as usual I have the woodstove in, in the basement. For some reason I just happen to look down in front of me and there was the biggest dead mouse I had ever seen. The cat was sitting right proud to give me a little present. I just started to scream and I was scurrying to climb the couch and wall. I scared everyone half to death with my curdling screams. My poor sister B (partner in crime) was next to me scream for no apparent reason other than the fact I was screaming like a maniac. My husband just scooped that mouse up and left the house. I ran for the mop and bleach.

The second story is when I had bought some new furniture 2 years ago. The furniture delivery guys came and started bringing in furniture. All the doors were open for the joyest occasion. When the guys put together my new dining room table we all came out to see it. I looked down and there on the floor was a dead mouse without a head. I started screaming and climbing up on the new chairs. Everyone just looked at this raving idiot trying to climb up on the chandler by this time. My husband looked down to see the mouse. The delivery guys left at this point, no doubt laughing all the way back to the warehouse.

What is it with me and mice and those cats. The cats always leave little presents at the front door for us. This year they havn't bringing them home or havn't been killing so much (not sure which - think it is the first one)

Like daughter like father

As you may have read, my parents were here visiting us. I dropped them at the airport on Wednesday morning for their 12 hour flight home. Every time they travel they get their friend Louise to drop them at the airport and pick them up. In return Louise uses their car for the time they are away. Well, sure enough when they got back to their airport Louise was waiting for them with a big smile. Mom hugged her and started telling her about the wonderful time she had, and about her wonderful daughters and wonderful grandchildren (yes we are all that wonderful) They talked the whole time that dad was retreiving the luggage. The talked all the way to the car, talked the whole time dad loaded the luggage into the trunk, talked as he opened the back door and closed it. Mom and Louise had a full 2 weeks of talking to catch up on. Louise was going to drive home. So she pulled out of the parking spot and started driving away. Mom realized that they had no change in the car for the parking attendant; she rummaged through her purse for change; she asked dad twice for a dollar, but he wouldn't even reply. Didn't matter, mom always has a purse full of change and she found the money she needed to pay. Mom and Louise continued to talk as they headed for home. For some reason mom turned around to ask dad something to realize HE WASN'T IN THE CAR. "OH MY LOUISE WE FORGOT F (dad). Louise spun that car around in the middle of the road. Where was F she asked. Of course mom and Louise started to laugh. When they got back to the airport there was dad stood there, not looking very impressed at them both. Apparently when he opened the back door he layed his laptop bag inside the car and went to bring the luggage cart back to the building and when he turned around Louise and mom were gone. He looked across the parking lot to see them leaving so he started to jog towards them when he realised they didn't know he wasn't there.

Guess Louise and mom won't live this one down for many years to come.

It happened, yet again

I AM BACK. My parents were in town so I took some time away to spend with them. Great visit. My mother loves to shop/brouse so we did that each and every day. Dad loves to read so he did plenty of that. We bought him the Sony Reader for fathers day so we got that all set up and going for him. Now he can download his books and take them with him everywhere he goes. It is a good thing because he usually travels with 4 or 5 novels. Now he can just take this one small reader and away he goes.

Dad's favorite meal is spagetti. I had all these meals planned out but he requested spagetti so of course you know I will make it. Made a big pot with garlic bread. We all sat to the table with our drinks and plates full. I put our the bottle of parmesan cheese. Dad coated his supper with it, I took it but it sounded "hard/dry" so I put my finger over the cover decided to give it a good shake. OF COURSE I didn't realize the top had two sides to the cover. I had my finger over one cover and dad had used the other side so it was still slightly opened. I shook that container as hard as I could. Parmesan cheese when everwhere. There was a 4 second pause from everyone at the table. There was cheese all over our table, supper and even in the drinks. What a mess I had to clean. I am sure I will find it under furniture and on walls for a few months to come.

I took mom shopping 3 days out of 5. She seen lots of clothes and shoes she just loved but didn't spend a cent, I on the other hand bought lots of things I didn't need and am now broke LOL.

One magical spontanious moment in time

Have you ever had just one magical spontanious moment in your life that was just great. Well as many of you know my family gave me a ticket to see Bon Jovi for mothers day. Well yesterday was the big day. There were so many magical moments. My "sistar" E, friend M and partner in crime "B" all hop in to the COUGER MOBILE (that is what E called it) and head out for the 3 hour drive to the concert. The first one wonderful moment was that my sister "B" had gotten a free ticket to attend. So we had to pick the ticket up when we got the concert city. She went to the hotel where the ticket was waiting to get it and there were (sit down for this) 2 FREE TICKETS WITH BACK STAGE PASSES. Unreal. We were so excited we squealed. We all took our pictures with the passes around our neck. We get to the concert field, after walking about 30 minutes up hill in 30 degree heat. We go in find and find our other friend C and her friends. Chat and at that point B and myself decided to go and check out what is happening behind the sceen. We walk around, not much to see or happening so we go back out into the croud and watch STATE OF SHOCK. By, are those guys good. We sing, hop and dance. We see a few people we know and show them our passes. When the band finishes we decide to go back inside to see what is going on. There is Randy Backman walking across the field. We don't want to be freakes and go ask for autographs so we just keep strolling. We then go watch Randy Backman and Burtin Cummings perform. B says this reminds her of our old border Aiden so I call my brother on the other side of the country and screem into the message machine that I am 20 feet away from his teen idols. They finish so we go for another walk around. We sit on some stairs and just wait for Bon Jovi to arrive. Everyone is waving to us and saying HI like we are somebody. I try to call E to see if she wanted to come in for a bit to look around at basically trucks and road people. No answer. I guess with the crouds outside it is hard to hear a phone. We get up to go back up to the front of the stage to watch the concert (we are between the 50,000 people and stage). As we walk up pulls 2 Suburban trucks with Bon Jovi. They drive up besides the stage. We run to the front just as Richie walks out (S I took a picture for you) (My sister S wanted me to tell Richie that she forgives him for leaving Heather Lockler HAHA) Then Jon runs out. So wonderful. I said there would be 50,000 people, me and Jon Bon Jovi and I wasn't far from it. B and myself stood beside the stage the whole time and danced and sang. I even think Jon laughed at B at one point because she does this little waving motion sometimes when she dances and she just happened to be doing it when he looked over at her. He stated to chuckle. Then he sang MAKE A MEMORY. Breath taking. When the concert ends I say to "B" lets go back and see if we can see them. She follows me like I am going to jail. We walk around the stage and there is no one there. We see the guys legs under a transport truck, as they are getting into their SUV's. I say "come on B we are getting closer" . There are 2 police on motor cycles who are escorting the band away. They don't seem to really care that me and B are stood there. As Bon Jovi pulls away we are the only 2 people stood there waving. I said thank you for making my life complete. Sounds kind of corny but that is exactly how I felt at that very moment.

The band is gone. There are 50,000 people leaving the concert field, we were like a herd of cattle. It took us an hour, shoulder to shoulder with unknown people. At the end of the walk there was a old covered bridge. My partner in crime "B" and myself were walking through with approx 200 people (that is about full capacity) when some guy, at the top of his lungs, started singing (Bon Jovi toon) SHOT THROUGH THE HEART AND YOUR TO BLAME and everyone else sang YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME. It was just a random moment. Everyone laughed. "B" said "that was so cool". And it was. It just put the topper to a wonderful day.

We meet E and M at a gas station and head back home. We got home 3am. I feel like I have been hit over the head by a dump truck. Guess I am getting to old for these late nights. But you know what, I WOULD DO IT ALL AGAIN.

Asparagus and my veggie garden

Asparagus - a delicious veggie - especially on the BBQ. I had never bought it before as I didn't know what to do with it but this spring I bought some. My sister "S" came over for a bbq and she showed me how she has been cooking it. YUMMY. All spring I have been buying it. Well, my nephews fiance came for supper 2 weeks ago and we had asparagus. She didn't eat it, she said it makes your pee smell. We all looked at her like she was a little nuts (Sorry "A"). This past weekend I went for a hair cut and my hair dresser and myself were talking about my new garden (another story) and how I had just showered as I had been out shovelling horse manure for 2 hours. She asked me if I would be growing asparagus. I said I didn't know. She said "it makes your pee smell". Last night my sister "B" (partner in crime) came to her favorite coffee shop (my kitchen) and said "A" was right, asparagus makes your pee smell. Now I have been eating it fresh from the fridge and I can honestly say I have not smelled funny pee. I am a little distrubed by this whole topic because I am wondering how they find this stuff out. How do these people know this, are they on their hands and knees sniffing the toilot.

Speaking of shoveling manure, we had our soil delivered FINALLY. Only took 2 weeks. Of course they deliver it just days before the weather network announces that we are getting a week of rain. So my husband and myself work like dogs trying to get the soil spread and our garden in. We get up and go to the barn the other morning and get a load of horse manure (thanks Pam) and come home and spread it, till it and rake it. I only have tomatos at this point to plant. Well the rain started at 7 Saturday evening and still hasn't stopped. Of course it has been a dry spring so our property is basically dry - well at least the area where our veggie garden is going. WELL, wouldn't you know it, there are 2 run of drains from our septic field that run out right inside the veggie garden wall. My garden is nothing but a big mud swamp. Tuesday morning before going to work I am out there in my white house coat, with my flip flops, slipping and sliding down the hill, with a pitch fork. I am bound and determined to move some of the rock wall to make a drain for the water. I HAVE TO SAVE MY VEGGIE GARDEN. My husband is looking at me like I am nuts (whats new ha). It worked, some of the water started running of. So I go to work. When I come home I decided to go out (in rubber boots this time) and make a big trench right through the middle of the garden to help drain some of the water. Well, when I stepped into the garden I went up to my knees in mud. My husband came down over the hill with a shovel and rake and we started. We had to remove the rock wall we had built, rebuild some walls. At one point I asked my husband if he just wanted to mud wrestle as the "garden" had that sort of consistancy. We shoveled the mud into the "good" section of the garden. We had mud on our faces, all over our clothes all over the yard, you get the idea. Lets just cross our fingers that this works. My garden went down to about 1/2 its size. I have bought all sorts of seeds but as of today the ground is still to wet to plant anything. But the bonus to this is that because of all the bud I have great skin this week HAHA

The phone

I have come up with a new phone message - to the tune of JACK WAS EVERY INCH A SAILER

We're not here right now
We're out shoveling dirt
Mowing, weeding, planting veggies
Man my back sure hurts.

(chorse really fast)

OH shovelling dirt shovelling dirt
We're out shovelling dirt
From May to September
We're out shovelling dirt

The funny thing is that when I had my winter message on the phone the car dealership called for servicing. They left a message and the lady was laughting. The next thing I know someone tells me that his friends mom has the same massage as me and sure enough it was the woman from the dealership - she had stole my message. WELL didn't the car dealership call yesterday for servicing and the lady left a message - first laughing then the message. I don't think it was the same woman but I am not sure.

I use to work the front desk at our office. I would answer the phones and everyone would say I was singing the greeting. I would be the face greeting clients when they came in. One day, I decided since it was spring, to wear my sandles. I looked down and my toe nails were not painted so I went to the drug store and bought some nail polish, came back to work and put a coat on my toes. Sure enough wouldn't that be the time someone came in to pick up something. And the guy was new to the office so we didn't know each other. (most people who know me understand that I am a little strange) So here I am painting my toes and look up and here is the big guy stood there looking at me. I just laughed and explained, really fast why I was painting my toes at my desk. Of course the next time he came in I thought he worked for a whole different company than he worked for and told him I didn't have any paperwork for him. He just gave me that "you dumb woman" look. Then I realized who he was and put my head down and passed him the papers. I don't think he ever came back.

Garden

Well our soil finally showed up last night - 3 beautiful loads. Now we have to move it to our area of the garden where we have preped for the veggie garden. Just went out and bought tomatos. I know I have to many but they were so cheap I couldn't resist. Last time I planted 10 plants I had at least 1000 tomatos. I ended up making salsa. I know that is what will happen again. Of course last year I only planted 4 plants and only got 2 tomatos. That was sad really. Trying to split those tiny tomatos up 4 ways for each of us to share a taste HA. Wrong family. I must have been day dreaming there for a second. Those 2 tomatos tasted mighty fine (don't tell the kids that - I didn't share) The year that we had 1000 I had every window lined with green tomatos. The bushes were so full they were falling to the ground so I ended up picking a bunch every day. I tried to do fried green tomatos - GROSS. I used them in sandwiches, soups, sauce - everything we could think of. I guess I will have to read some Martha Stewart magazine and see what she is doing with hers.

Speaking of Martha, we have been landscaping our front yard AGAIN. I made a simple statement about the lawn does not look finished and I mentioned what we should do. GUESS WHAT we did it. We put liner and mulch all across the front of the yard, whipper snippered the ditch (we put in a rock wall a few years back) and last night we put lights all across the front. Around 11 my husband woke me up to ask if I wanted to take a walk around the yard. He said it looked just like a Martha Stewart yard. Needless to say I grunted and went back to sleep - or at least pretended I was until he shut of the light and went to bed. Our hard work has paid of thought. The yard is spectacular.

To much information

I am sure I have the words DEAR ABBY written across my forhead. Maybe it is the way I listen to everything, taking in any usless information that comes my way. People just volunteer information to me especially strangers in stores.
One of my co-workers (a 48 year old male) has took it upon himself to inform me that he has planter worts. Why he felt I should know is still quite a mystery to me. Every day he comes in and sits in my office and gives me the latest update of the worts. Duct tape seems to fix planter worts, just like it fixes everything else - did you know that? I had heard a rumor. Did you know that BLAH BLAH BLAH - that is what I have been hearing - a bunch of nothing about planter worts. Well, thank God, this morning he came in to announce the the last 3 came out last night. LIKE WHO REALLY CARES. Will I miss his 4 time a day updates NO, NOT AT ALL.

Must be Raining AGAIN

It is raining outside today. I shall do my most favorite thing, the one think I just love to do on rainy days (you already know if you have been following my blog). I am going to meet my girlfriend A for lunch at Cora's. We see each other 4 or 5 times a year and pick up where we left of. We use to eat lunch every day for approx 5 years but then she "retired" and my office moved location so now it is just when ever we get a chance to meet. We will sit, drink coffee, eat yummy food and talk about everything but nothing of great importance. At the end we will hug and say see you next time and yes, we should get together but we never do. Our lives are so busy. A is a wonderful woman and spirit. Her sister died 10 years ago and left behind a 2 year old and 6 week old. "A" was just starting to enjoy the "empty nest" way of life. Bought herself a motor cycle, started travelling with her husband and girlfriends. She even got blessed with a beautiful grandson 4 years ago. Around that time, her whole life changed and she became legal guardian of her sisters children (now 6 and 8). I am sure there are days when she is pulling out her hair and would like to go back to being "empty nest" again but one day those 2 little children she took in to her house, will look at her and say THANK YOU. She has given these children the most wonderful life. I think "A" is a hero. Everyone has a HERO in them somewhere, we just have to look and see where it is sometimes and sometimes it may take years for it to appear.

I am a hero

After reading today's blog, my sister emailed me and had to say this - I feel like a hero right now

There was a guy who got fired in the states for saying that to a customer. They record the calls and his supervisor was listening and he got canned. He then did the talk show tour and I think he’s writing a book. Maybe it’s all because of you! I’m teary eyed just thinking how you inspire soooooo many to succeed

I have met my match

If you think I am a little strange you should meet our office assistant, M. I just went out to speak to her about a bruise I had. Then we started talking about her new deoderant that was giving her a headache. She said "can't you smell it" and she started flapping her arms like a bird flaps its wings. TO FUNNY

I have put my phone number on the NO CALL list that our government has in place. This prevents call centres from calling your house. It doesn't work. I still get between 4-6 calls per day. Sometimes I answer then and hang up, sometimes I answer them and put the phone in front of the TV or radio, you get the picture. I figure if they are going to call they can pay for it on their end. Well I have had 2 funny experiences with these calls over the years. The first one happened about 1 year ago. We had company over one night and the phone rang. My daughter said "mom it is one of those 1800 numbers gain". Me being me, picked up the phone, answered it and layed it on the table. My friends kept talking and after about 4 minutes my husband picked up the phone and could hear a woman saying "is this Cheryls house" He handed the phone to me and said it is a woman looking for you. I thought he was nuts but took the phone and said HELLO. It was my mothers friend visiting from another province. She was in town and thought she would call me to say hi. I felt so bad. I explained why I did it. I checked the phone afterwards to see the phone number she used. It was her cel phone which registered her phone number from her province. My daughter seen it wasn't our area code and just assumed it was a solititation call. Needless to say I check the numbers now before answering.
The second one happened about 2years ago. I had a guy call and start with his blurb. I got a little angry as it was supper time and yet again, about the 5th call I had received from such a number since getting home from work. I said, with my stern voice "I suggest that you take my number of your list right now" and he said "I suggest that you lick my balls" I SAID WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY (I was very loud and mad by now. He repeated himself. I was so mad I hung up and ranted and raved all night. By the next day I calmed down and found it quite funny. Imagine how many calls these guys make in the run of a day and how many rude people they come in contact with. Some days I wish I could use a sentence like that at work (not those exact works)

Toner and me don't mix

I work in an office. Every now and then we have to change the toner in our old spear copier. I have a history with this machine. Approximately 9/10 years ago it needed toner replacement. I usually leave this job to my manger but since he was at lunch thought I would take on this challenge (not sure if it is me that is challenged or the machine - you be the judge) I take out the old toner cartridge, shake the new one, pull out the plastic tab (as on the instructions) and PUFF toner all over the office. I had the toner cartridge upside down. After 10 seconds of total shock I back away slowly. I had to call building maintenance to send someone up with a vacuum immediately to help clean it. Then I called the service department of the photo copier to have them send someone in to clean the inside. Was not a pretty site. Since then we have purchased a new 3 in one machine (fax/printer/photocopier). The toner is much easier to change - but I still leave the honor to my manager. WELL this new and improved machine broke down recently - we were all in a panic so we plugged in the old faithful photopier. I went about my daily work. I could hear 2 ladies from the office talking about changing the toner in the old photocopier. I, being me, trot back to see whats going on. I say "Sure I know how to do this." As I am removing the old cartridge and shaking the new one I tell them the story about my previous experience. We all laugh our butts of and PUFF out comes all the toner from the new cartridge. 3 of us just stood there with the black cloud of toner rising around us. It took about 10 seconds for it to comprehend what had just happened. I HAD DONE IT AGAIN. Needless to say not only the floors had to be cleaned this time but the whole cubicle area where we had it stored had to be cleaned. We were cleaning toner for days.
The reason I remembered this story today is that today I decided to wear my new white capri pants. I go back to boil the kettle for a cup of tea and while waiting I say "Self, you should roll that old printer into the storage room out of the way" So as I proceed to shove this machine across the office I look down and isn't there BLACK TONER all over my new pants. I guess when we cleaned it up last time I made a mess I forgot to clean the back.

Zipper

Another day of unusual things - for me at least. It is only 10:16 in the morning and I have discovered that my zipper is broken. Now I have to go around all day with my "fly" open. Lucky for me my blouse is outside my pants so I have to remember to keep pulling it down.

I remember when I bought these pants. They are black carpi. I use to wear them with high heel boots. One of the guys I work with, Doug, would sing out "beem me up Scottie" He said I reminded him of star track. He even went to the trouble of making all the staff (only 5 of us at the time) little Star Track badges (made of paper). He would walk up to me and hit it and say BEEM ME UP SCOTTIE He thought he was so funny. I was at the coffee shop one day and in he walks with his badge on and said it right in the middle of the shop. What can you do but laugh. Now I wear shoes and not boots with them. Actually now they won't be worn at all unless I get a zipper.

Watch where you stand

Friday at my place is a mixed bag of anything. Sometimes I come home and there are friends of the girls hanging around, some days my husband is out gardening and other days my husbands best friend comes up for a beer and they sit in "man land" and discuss the work week. Well this friday was no exception. I come home and sure enough, there is Rex's big red pick up on the driveway. He has left enough room for me to get my little car between our van and his truck, so that I can drive down around our wood shed and our garage and come back up and park my car between the garage and house. Well, no one knew I was home because when I do my little loop down around the buildings I come up by the back of the shed and there is Rex out having a pee before he goes home. Why he decided to go out behind the garage to pee is beyound me when there is 2 acres of hidden trees. Anyway he got quite the fright when he seen the little green car come speeding out beside the garage. It took about 15 minutes to get my husband of the ground as he was laughing so hard. Poor Rex will never be the same again. Lucky for me I was concentrating on my driving and didn't notice him.

Good Hair Day

Well if I must say so myself I AM HAVING A GOOD HAIR DAY. I find that your hair style determines how your day will go. You wake up with bad hair and you have a bad day. You feel dirty, flat, crazy - what ever your hair does in the morning is YOU. I remember when we had all ringlets around our heads and used a pick to comb them out ever so gently and a can of hairspray to hold them in place. Or when we had the spiral perms and sprayed a can of hairspray on our "WINGS" to hold them in place. Dear a good wind come along we would have taken flight. Our bangs were sprayed approximately 12 inches straight up from our forehead. Yes we had good hair in the 80's and 90's. I had my hair a little longer than most, I think. It was the winter of 1995 that I finally got it all cut of and colored. The year my daughter was born. Couldn't have big out of style hair and look after a child at the same time. So I sacrificed my hair. No big loss, now that I look back at the pics.

Hair

This morning at 6 I got up and died my hair. If you know me you are not surprised. I also put on a load of clothes and hung it out before I came to work. I have lots of energy in the morning. When my hair was finished I jumped in the shower to wash out the color. Even thought the instructions say just rinse and condition I always put shampoo in to tone down the color just a bit (take the edge of). Well, after I shampoo and condition I take down my scrunchy and put body wash on it. Well as soon as I look at the bottle of body wash I realize I have WASHED MY HAIR WITH BODY WASH not shampoo. I had to rewash my hair again. BUMMER. It looks good though. :)

Reading

For anyone who knows me, they will tell you that I have a reading disorder. Have had it for at least 36 years. My parents still tease me about the time we came up to 2 buildings and I said the name of the first building but spelt the name of the second.

Well times sure have not changed. Today I was driving to the barn to get my daughter and I seen a sign at a store that read AVA LABLE. Since I have a new neice named AVA I thought the store owner must of had a child. As I got closer I started thinging that was a weird last name. I read the word above it and it said Scoop. Weird or what. As I passed the store I looked again and the words were SCOOP AVAILABLE. Someone had put the AVA ILABLE apart and from a distance I just didn't see the I. Scoop Available or Ava Lable - whats the difference LOL.

Of course I get to the barn and speak to Pam, the owner, about getting some manure for our new veggie garden. She said they have many years - vintage years actually. We laugh and then I add your manure is like a fine wine. Vintage and the older it gets the better.

That Pam sure has some funny stories. She was telling me about the time one of the horses was really sick. She had to leave our area and go 4 hours to the horse hospital. Her friend accompanied her on the trip. By the time they go to the hospital she said they were full of manure, snot, spite and blood. It was around 1 at night and they didn't have a change of clothes. They checked into a hotel that was changing their computer system over to something "more modern". The clerk gave them a key. Both ladies were exhaused and couldn't wait to get a hot shower and some sleep. As Pam entered the room she flicked on the light and stopped dead in her tracks. Her friend being a little more excited to get in pushed Pam out of the way and stormed into the room only to be greeted by an elder couple sleeping in the bed. The couple screamed, Pam and her friend screamed and they both took of running. The clerk gave them a new room. The next morning at breakfast the elder couple kept pointing and glearing at them. Poor ladies, just trying to save a sick horse and almost ended up in jail for B&E LOLOL

Why Me!!!

Of course today is like every other. It is casual day at work but I felt the top I had on was to business like so I decide to run to the mall downstairs and pick up a tshirt. I came back to the office and needed to change but our office is all windows. My office has windows towards the hall where everyone walks by. I decide to crouch down behind my desk and whip of my top and put on my new shirt. While I was gone one of the guys come into my office to borrowed something from my desk and LOW AND BEHOLD wouldn't this be the exact time that he decides to return it. He walks into my office right around my desk to see me under it with my back exposed. THANK GOD I can dress fast and he seem my back and not my front. All in a days work.

Spell Check

I am not sure why this blog does not have spell check. This is the email I just received from my sister (we will call her wise owl) who just read todays blog

So, when you say Mom is a professional shipper, do you mean shopper or stripper? Think I know the answer but just had to ask!!!!

I will go edit I guess LOL

Washroom Etiquette

What a great day - so sunny and warm out.

Each morning my father sends all his children (5 of us) a good morning e-mail. He gives us a little weather update from his part of the world and a brief overview of his daily activites. This morning I had to laugh out loud. My mother is a "professional shopper" who is always saving my father money LOL. Her is what he wrote this morning (Qe is Queen Elizabeth which is what my father always calls her - her name is Elizabeth) "Qe is excited because Sears has a big sale on Sunday. I suppose she will buy me some new clothes like she always does. Funny she is always buying ME the strangest things. A new purse or A few new dress, or a new bra or two.. She never buys anything for herself, it is always for me. STRANGE???" He is so sarcastic - just so funny.

I went to the dinner theatre last night with my "Peeps" - girlfriends. After it was all over we went to pay and I had to run to the washroom. As I approached the washroom door I could smell somthing FOUL. I walked in and these words just escaped my lips "SOMMMMMEBODY LOST THEIR GUTS IN HERE (my sister keeps telling me to think before I speak but I always forget). I then had to leave or be sick. My girlfriend came out and said "that was you in the bathroom who said that" How did she know. She announced to us that it was not her (thank God). d

This reminds me of the time my sister (partner in crime) and her husband went to a local farm for a work function. Her husband took with a cramp after the supper so ran of to the washroom. As he sat their minding his own business, the guy in the next stall wasn't. He sung out "SOMEBODY'S HAVING A GOOD TIME". My brother in law was mortified - he finished up, ran out and washed his hands and got out of there before his "neighbour" could see his face.

What a shitty subject LOL

I havn't written in a few days - had to give a presentation for work yesterday and I was pretty nervous so I had to practice, practice, practice. I would like to thank my family for their suport - my husband walked out of the room while I was practicing in front of him (guess he didn't understand when I said you can be my audience) and my step daughter kept turning the stero louder the louder I talked. Made for a great confidence building exercise. LOL



I have been thinking about changing my answering machine message at home. I always have a great message but lately I have just changed it to a plain old ordinary message. My winter message was (to the toon jingle bells) "WE'RE NOT HERE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE OUT SHOVELLING SNOW, IF YOU LEAVE A MESSAGE I WILL LET THEM KNOW. OH SHOVELLING SNOW SHOVELLING SNOW, WE'RE OUT SHOVELLING SNOW, FROM DECEMBER TO NOVEMBER WE'RE OUT SHOVELLING SNOW" (you have to put on your evil elf voice for the last section. It was so funny, I had many calls and hang up's (the kids friends phoning to hear it) One lady at the car dealership where we bought our car called to see how our service had been. The message was all laughing and then she spoke. A few weeks later my daughters boyfriend came over telling us that his friends mother had the same message as we did. I think he thought I didn't make it up after all. Well, me being me, had to investigate this farther. I asked where she worked and LOW AND BEHOLD, she worked at the car dealership. It was the lady who had called the house. She had stole my jingle.

I always make good jingles up while driving in the car but can't seem to remember them when I get home. I have a good one for the fall of the year, sung to the toon of the Adams family. Need a good spring song to make one up to.

Emergency Dept

I hate being left alone for any length of time. Yes I enjoy the quiet but sometimes it can be boring. I remember one time, over the christmas break, we were down to only 2 staff one Friday (we are slow during the break) One of my co-workers went to get his lunch so I had to stay behind to man the phones. Well, since the phones were not ringing I decided to go in the kitchen and read the newspaper. I have to admit, I dozed of for a few minutes. I didn't even realize it. I must have just put my head against my arm and presto ASLEEP. Anyway the phone rang so I jumped up grabed my tea and ran - my foot was asleep. I stepped on it and there was no support. I went flying (literally) through the kitchen door, across the hall and into our board room. Well who should be coming in through the door was my co-worker. He thought it was funny. I realized I was in pain, fainted (yes fainted). When I came to I said to my co-worker call me sister (partner in crime) because I have sprained my ankle and have to go to the hospital. Needless to say 7 1/2 hours later I left emergency. The reason I know I was asleep is that when I came to from fainting my co-worker asked if I had been asleep. I said no, he said the reason I know you are lying is that you have a mark across your face from the cuff of your shirt. Can you believe that.

Flyers

I love Thursday - that is when our flyers are delivered. Usually around 4 in the morning you can hear a car slow down in front of the house and throw out the flyers in the fancy pink plastic bag. I usually get out of bed around 6:30, when my husband delivers me my morning coffee. I then go get the flyers. Well last night around 8:30 I was outside checking out my gardens (my sisters will now roll their eyes at that - go figure they say) and their is that fancy pink bag at the top of the driveway. I run up to get it and, as I normally do, I grab the bag and swing it around in a circle and go towards the house. Well, last night when I swung the bag the bottom came out and flyers went all over the driveway. I'd say it was a little embarrassing but it happened once before so I just started singing as I picked them up -just like I had expected them to scatter.

On a sad note, I want to pass on my condolences to my girlfriend D, on the loss of her neice to a horrible traffic accident. She left behind 2 small boys.

Rubber Boots

I have a little obsession with Rubber Boots. I have only 2 pairs but both my daughter and step daughter have 2 pairs. Why so many - BECAUSE THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. You can get robber boots with polka dots, stripes, plaid, animal prints, lips. And they are fashionable. Picture me mowing the lawn in my black boots with pink trim and different colored polka dots. I'm hot. I can just see the envy in my neighbours eyes as they walk by. Of course I have light blue ones with black bears for gardening and wading in our river. My girls ride at a barn so they need them for rainy days. They both have a pair with horses on them. I couldn't resist getting them. Yes they already have a pair each with different designs but just think how cool they look at the barn in their pale blue boots with horses. My sister (B - partner in crime) even has a mauve pair with daisy's on them. Imagine our mothers use to want us to wear them on rainy days and we would down right refuse - better to have wet sneakers we thought, rather than look like some type of nerd. If we had only knows that these beautiful boots would be in style. Why couldn't I have thought about inventing them.

Mothers Day Happy Hour

Mothers day was so relaxing. I planted lots of new seeds and flowers. At around 3 it started to rain so I went into the garage to see what my husband was doing. Typical man, he was getting the lawn mower all cleaned for the new mowing season. I decided at that point in time to call my sister (partner in crime) to inform her that MOTHERS DAY HAPPY HOUR was about to begin. When she arrived I was sat inside the garage door (it was open) with 2 lawn chairs with a crate between them with 2 bottles of wine and some glasses. She giggled at me, then came in and we sat and watched the neighbours and traffic (all 2 cars) and drank our wine. She did say she wasn't coming back to this "bar" as it was to smelly (my husband started the lawn mower and was using all types of lubes and oils on the machine) HAHAHA. Bet she will forget that next year when happy hour starts again.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY 2009

Mothers Day - what a great day to celebrate a mother that you love. My husband and kids bought me my ticket to Bon Jovi that I have hinted for(quite frequently). I am so excited. They also bought me 5 hanging basquets, some plants for my garden and new seeds. I LOVE to garden. I am even forcing bulbs and seeds in my living room window (everyone makes fun of my "grow" operation. )
This year I sent my mother a card but never put a gift inside as my sister S is flying to their house next weekend and we are giving S money to buy mom something that she wants. The woman has everything so it is hard to buy for her. I still felt she should have something mothers day so I ordered her flowers. She was so excited. She even sent me a picture of them. When I told my sister "B"(partner in crime) she looked at me like I was nuts (whats new ha). She had quite the experience last year with flowers.
Mothers Day 2008 - my sister "B" didn't know what to buy mom so she decided to send her flowers. She called mom to see how she liked them, mom said she never received any flowers. My sister called the flower shop and lodged a complaint. They assured my sister they would send out another arrangement. Another call to mom and still no flowers. Mom assured her that she had been home all day. Mom said that she had seen the guy deliver the flowers to the house across the street. My sister, getting a little upset at this point as she paid $80 for the flowers, called the flower shop again. They assured her that the flowers had been sent out, but would send them again. This time my mother received her flowers. She loved them. First time she had received flowers. Exciting times. Imagine she got them and so did a neighbour who didn't know who they came from (so mom thought). Mothers day came and went. On Tuesday dad was putting out the garbage throught the back door and what do you think was on the doorstep. 2 FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS, dying. The delivery guy kept going to the back door, which is downstairs. We are not sure why he kept passing the front door. AND not sure why he didn't see his previous arrangement at the door when he delivered the 2nd. The way moms house is layed out you have to pass the front door to go around the house and the back door is not an easy access to the inside or out. Thank God mom didn't go to the neighbours demanding her flower arrangement (now you know where I get it from)

Funny Comments from the Unexpected

I was at the liquor store today. When I got in line an elderman in front of me was getting checked in. The clerk told him is total was $128. The man said "oh I must get some money out" The cashier said "yes you better do that because your good looks arn't going to get you very far any longer" I couldn't help but laugh. I just couldn't stop. Then it was my turn. My husband put our order on the counter. When the cashier was part way through my husband said he would go on with the box of beer. I said sure but then said to the cashier "I guess I am paying" He looked at me and said "look here Dorothy, you could also haul out your ruby redy slippers and click them together and wish you were back in Kansas" I busted out laughing so loud it was embarrassing. I told the clerk how funny he was. He admited that he had knows the elderly gentleman for a while and knew he could say something. When he had seen me laughing he said he knew he could say something to me also. I laughed the whole way across the parking lot. People were looking at me but I didn't care. The clerk had put me in such a good mood.

What do dreams mean?

I had the weirdest dream last night. I blame it on the good garlic I had at my favorite Italian Restaurant and the donair my husband came home with at 12:30 last nigth (he plays cards with our friends friday evenings) Of course I had to have a few bites.

One of my "bestest" friends moved away last year. We use to sit in her living room and talk all the time. Well I had a dream about her last night. For the life of me I can't see any purpose to the dream. I had a dream that her doctor told her to stop wearing her underwear and start wearing special spandex under's. Well my sister (partner in crime) and myself were sitting in her living room (at her old house) watching her fold clothes. As she would haul her underwear out to fold she would put them in the "salvation army" clothing bag. But the weird part was (as if that isn't weird) all the underwear had skid marks. LIKE WHAT PURPOSE DID THIS DREAM SERVE.

This morning I called her and told her the dream. I don't know if she found it as funny as we did as she was the one with the skid mark under's. I think maybe her husband was wearing her unders as I can't see such a clean woman having these undes. I wonder if I should look on a website of dreams to see what it means.

The Sun gives us Vit D and it feels GOOD

It has been raining and foggy here for 3 days. My sister (or partner in crime most blogs) calls me at work and says "lets go for a tan tonight - I'm so cold and it will warm me up". No problem - I love to be warm. So we get ready at 7:30 last evening to go. I was lying in that bed dreaming of a nice tall Bahama Mama (fruity drink). It felt so tropical with the nice breeze (fan) blowing on me. I love to sing while in the bed. I always wonder if anyone else can hear me because I sing out loud. Really I don't care. I paid my $5 for my 7 minutes of "fun in the sun" and no one better bust my little bubble. Cheapest all inclusive I have ever been on.
As we start to leave my sister starts to laugh. She was telling me her daughter (17) and friends decided to go for a tan that morning (during her off block at school). Her daughter K had never been before so my sister told her to only go in for 5 minutes the first time and gave K specific instructions on what to do when you go in the room. WELL she got her tan, burnt her butt and FORGOT TO CLOSE THE TANNING BED. She said she kept thinking that it wasn't as hot at her mother said it would be. I wonder why.
Her mother keeps compairing her to me - no wonder LOL

Lunch with my friend on a rainy day

There is nothing better than sitting in a restaurant eating lunch with a friend you don't see very often but it is even better when it is raining out. Makes it seem more cozier - you don't want to be out in the rain - would rather drink coffee and talk about nothing. We talked for over 1 1/2 hour - I only get 1 hour for lunch. The time just flew. I am sure we could have talked for another 3 hours if we could have - why do we wait until the work week to do this. We should be doing it during the weekend when we do not have time restraints. I guess our time restraint on the weekend is family and life in general. We have lots of friends over the years. True friendship is someone you can talk to every day BUT if for some reason you don't see them for weeks, months or years, that when you do see each other again you just start to pick up your conversation where you left of the last time you seen them.

That is what I enjoy about Facebook - I have connected with friends who I have not seen for 20 - 25 years. We talk for hours about everything. We laugh about life experiences we had in our past. One of my friends who now lives in the land down under did not remember one incident that happened to her at church summer camp one year. One of the leaders was a mom of some of the teens at our camp. She was a "church lady" trying to be instill morals in us. My girlfiend was about 15 at the time and this camp leader came up to my friend and asked her to put bandaids over her nipples as she found them offensive at the camp where boys were present. At the time we were quite taken back and shocked that a grown lady would have the nerve to ask such a thing. Now that we look back at it we find it totally hillarious - makes me think of the church lady on Saturday night live. Isn't it funny that we can find people who are so self rightous so funny.

The littlest things

The littlest things can bring us such joy and amusement. Revlon has put out a new PEDI-EXPERT pedicure kit. Probably one of the best investments I have made this year. I bought it on my lunch break and used it when I got back to work - I couldn't wait to use it. I can't believe we pay $50 for a pedi when this little charm cost me $10 at the drugstore. I have been going around the office telling everyone about it. One of my co-workers went out and bought 2 (one for herself and a friend). The best part is it is life time guarantee'd. I am guessing the little cheese grader (that is what it looks like) never gets dull. Truly amazing.

I have to add to this because as usual something happened to me this afternoon. After my little outing lunch time, I came back to our parking garage at work and there are hardly any parking spots left. I always park in the same spot every day but because it is raining outside I guess everyone wants to come inside to park. When I returned from lunch someone had parked in my favorite spot. I circle the parking garage and get a spot. OF COURSE when 4:30 rolled around I hightailed it out of work and to my van but WHERE IS MY VAN. I walked towards my usual spot that I have been using for 1 year but no car. Then I remember I couldn't get it. Then I start circling the garage but NO VAN. People are starting to look at this woman walking around amlessly. I finally get out my phone and call my co-worker. She said "you parked right outside the door" I look and can not see the VAN. Then she said something that clicked with me - "THE CAR IS BLUE NOT GREEN" WAIT A MINUTE I am not driving the burgandy van that I have been driving for 3 years???? To save on gas we bought a small blue/green car for driving back and forth to work and I started using it. I can't decide if it is blue or green. Anyway sure enough 2 cars down from where I stood panicking there is the little car waiting for me. I laughed, and laughed for a bit about that one. My co-worker probably is still laughing.

What age is a good age for mom's not to buy their daughters clothes

A funny thought just came to me - how old should you be before your mother stops buying you clothes. My mother is a "professional shopper" If you give my mother a gift card from a store, she will go in, buy everything on sale, size does not matter because she feels it will fit someone. She then comes to visit with an extra suitcase full of these great bargins. As she said "there is something for everyone". Well, last year for my parents 50 anniversary we all decided to go on a cruise to celebrate. My mother was so excited about the trip she started shopping for it immediately. She went to a local supermarket at the end of the season and hit quite the deal on bathing suites. She bought 2 for herself and one for my sister and myself. Well when she sent the suites down I was surprised how nice they were. I tried it on - not so nice. I am 5foot 6in, the body of the suite was made for a woman 4ft nothing. The straps covered my nipples (bearly). I showed my husband - I felt like a circus freak stripper. I also had one for my sister - I warned her in advance but NO she had to try it on anyway. She came out to show her husband the suit and her son was in the room. I think he is scared for life HAHA. The only advantage she had over me is that she is 5 foot nothing so the straps came a little higher than mine. Needless to say we did not take the bathing suites on the cruise.

Stages of FUNNY

Last evening my husband and myself decided to take a walk down the river on our property. We are on the hunt for flat rocks for a walk way and the river has them. I found 2 beautiful rocks - I carried one back through the mud and trees to our property - on the way my boots both got stuck in the mud. I didn't know what to do - here I am holding a 20lb rock that I didn't want to loose and the only way I could walk was to step out of my boots. Luckily my husband came to my rescue.
My stepdaughters school had a riot yesterday (bad thing in my good block - I KNOW). My stepdaughter called my husband to tell him and he told her to get away from the school right way as there were 30 police cars, ambulence and fire trucks going to the school. He wanted to get her away from the fighting, pepper spray and traffic. (Side note - school was cancelled but buses had to be called and get to the school so it could have taken hours). When we sat around to talk about the days events she started laughing. We looked at her as if to say "what is so funny" She said it was hilarious to watch all these "tough" kids fighting and as soon as the police pulled out the pepper spray the fighters all turned and started running. Like I said - different stages of funny. She found it funny and we were concerned.

This morning was so beautiful. I hopped out of bed, made coffee and went on the back deck to see if I could see a bunny. I SAW 2. They were so nice hopping across my yard. My dog seen them and started breathing really hard. About 20 minutes later my sister showed up for her Sunday morning coffee with her dog. I was telling her and my husband how weird the dog was just breathing hard at the bunnies. I imitated the dog - they were not impressed. They asked me not to do it again HAHA I guess I didn't breath exactly like the dog.
We attending a Cancer fundraiser dance last evening. We had so much fun people watching. Hard to believe that you can take people from their home town but you can't the home town out of the people. We are from an island - alot of people leave for work. BUT no matter where they are when they find out that there is going to be a dance playing our traditional type of music, they hall out their mullets, acid wash jeans and best red lipstick and start dancing. Age does not matter. The dance didn't start until 9:30 but at 7:30 car loads of elder people were coming into the hall to get a good seat. When the music started they were the first on the floor.There were over 800 people in attendance. The group who sponsored the event made over $10,000 for cancer research. AMAZING.
I bought my groceries today - the best thing I bought was a set of JAX. Not sure if anyone still plays them - I hadn't seen them in years. My husband thought I was nuts HAHA (whats new). I had to get them and can't wait for someone to visit with small children so we can have a game. When my sister came over earlier she seen them and immediately start telling stories about us playing them in the middle of moms kitchen. The JAX were only $2, the best $2 I have spent in a long time.

Even thought it is misty out today my husband and myself ended up gardening all day. We are always moving rocks and putting in new gardens. Today was no different. We put a rock wall/border up last year. Last year, before the grass grew in, the wall looked lovely but this year with grass now growing around the wall, it looks bad. Today we made the wall straight - my husband has to have ropes out to make sure everything is straight. I have to go around the gardens and get snips of this and snips of that to plant down along the wall. It will all look so nice in a month when everything is in full bloom. It is so nice to go around to all the trees and look at the buds on them. Both my lilac trees are going to bloom this year. I actually just found 2 new one's that I had forgotten I had planted. My tulips are blooming. I love my garden.