A little while ago - a far off cousin in the USA, that I didn't even know existed, found me thru facebook.... my oldest aunt on my mother's side (my mom is #12 out of 13 kids) was her grandmother. I know, weird. However, she has been going thru her grandmother's old photos trying to figure out who everybody was - she's been scanning them onto FB for some of the family to decipher. Which made me think about Dad's mystery of being adopted and even on his deathbed - being convinced that his birth mother didn't want him.
I've also been watching Ancestors in the Attic on the History Channel. It's an amazing show, with all sorts of people helping Canadians find their lost families. I even wrote to them, after my 'cousin' got me interested in digging once again. But alas, the show will not be renewed for another season. :-(
http://www.history.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=235306
In the meantime I've been chatting lots and lots to my Aunt Jean, my Dad's older sister. She was able to give me some insight into Dad as a child... I know he must have been a difficult child to deal with, but in another way, my heart goes out to that poor little boy, who felt unloved, for whatever reason... (BTW - Aunt Jean, if you are reading this.... THANK YOU!!)
Last night on tv, on the History Television channel, they had this 2 hr television story called "Death or Canada" about the Irish famine migration back in 1847. What a show it was!
http://www.history.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=106396
Today, I did some more digging... into the show, into the details, and OMG!! I found this!
http://www.irelandparkfoundation.com/
And in the engraved names link, I found the names of 4 Walsh's that had died coming over in 1847!!! Ellen Walsh, Mary Walsh (which is supposed to be dad's birth mother's name - I know, the age isn't right), William Walsh, Michael Walsh. 4 dead Walsh's, but.... some of the family had to have survived out of the 38,000 that arrived!! I got so VERY excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, so I can't backtrack Dad's history, how about if I try to follow the family lines from 1847? Providing they are the same family line that Dad was from. He was born 86 years AFTER this mass migration, but who knows.... maybe something will show up!! So instead of doing history in reverse from him, I'm going to try it the other way! At least I have a starting point now! 1847!! I'm going to check the ships and see how many other Walsh's were on board... there should be a few more than just the 4 of them that died!!
Okay, I'm soooooo excited! Finally, something to work with! :-)
TTFN
Oh! And I found this! City of Toronto Tax Assessment Transcription Project 1853
http://www.ontarioroots.com/ogs/
If I type in Walsh - there's a shit load of them!! OMG!!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Friday, June 26, 2009
Deaths...
It was a strange day yesterday....
First we get the news that Farrah Fawcett passed away, which wasn't unexpected. The poor woman suffered greatly with cancer, now she is finally pass the pain. I was at the age that I watched Charlie's Angels all the time.. she was part of my life in a way.
And then the REALLY shocking news came over the news! That Michael Jackson died of a heart attack... at first, I thought it was just rumours flying, but no, he really did die! Yes, I know that he got 'strange' in the last few years, but the man was amazing prior to that! Now this fella.. I DID grow up with him! Here he is, just a wee bit younger than me, with money and doctors, and he dies of a heart attack??
And yes, when he got 'strange', everybody made fun of him, but when he was at the top of his game, holy moly, he was an amazing artist! And that's the Michael I'm going to remember! The one that set the world on fire with his music, his videos, his songs! He WAS the King of Pop and nobody will ever be able to top that! Just really weird to me that he died, that there is no more Michael, that he will never be able to be the person he could have been, to 'redeem' himself to his fans - I'm sure, with all his talent, he could have created even more amazing music! What a shame, what a waste. And then there is his kids... yes, their father was 'off', but he WAS their father, and now.... he's gone. So while most of us mourn his loss in the music industry, I'm sure they are even more stunned and shocked and are feeling a great personal loss of the man they loved, just as any of us do when we lose someone we love dearly.
RIP
First we get the news that Farrah Fawcett passed away, which wasn't unexpected. The poor woman suffered greatly with cancer, now she is finally pass the pain. I was at the age that I watched Charlie's Angels all the time.. she was part of my life in a way.
And then the REALLY shocking news came over the news! That Michael Jackson died of a heart attack... at first, I thought it was just rumours flying, but no, he really did die! Yes, I know that he got 'strange' in the last few years, but the man was amazing prior to that! Now this fella.. I DID grow up with him! Here he is, just a wee bit younger than me, with money and doctors, and he dies of a heart attack??
And yes, when he got 'strange', everybody made fun of him, but when he was at the top of his game, holy moly, he was an amazing artist! And that's the Michael I'm going to remember! The one that set the world on fire with his music, his videos, his songs! He WAS the King of Pop and nobody will ever be able to top that! Just really weird to me that he died, that there is no more Michael, that he will never be able to be the person he could have been, to 'redeem' himself to his fans - I'm sure, with all his talent, he could have created even more amazing music! What a shame, what a waste. And then there is his kids... yes, their father was 'off', but he WAS their father, and now.... he's gone. So while most of us mourn his loss in the music industry, I'm sure they are even more stunned and shocked and are feeling a great personal loss of the man they loved, just as any of us do when we lose someone we love dearly.
RIP
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The breaking point...
Well, I've reached it... my breaking point. With Colin. I'm done, kaput. I quit. I'm going to write him a 'letter' and tell him just that. I just can't do it anymore. No more wondering and waiting. I don't want to see him in the hospital, again. And I know it's right around the corner.. cuz that's what he does.
Guess I should start at the beginning. He'd been dry for 6 weeks. Got a good job, started at the begining of the month. Was doing fine. Then he phoned me and chatted on the phone a week ago. (a week after he started the new job) I said to Dave - "he's drinking again." There is just something in his voice, in the manner he speaks, and what he speaks of, that makes the alarm bells go ding ding ding.
Then he popped into my work 2 days later, and I could smell it on him. The booze. When I said as much to him, he got all affronted and backed away from me, especially when I told him to breathe on me. Helloooo??? Like I can't smell it? Oh, and then there is the problem with 'walking' - this time it's because he has "hemorrhoids". And that's also why he is losing weight, because if he eats, he knows it has to come out. Ya. Seems to me he tried pulling a "leg problem" back in January, that was his excuse why he was dragging his leg. I'm seeing a pattern here, and I'm the patsy.
Two days after his visit at my work, he called on the Saturday night. Just this past Saturday. Wanted to know if he could crash at our place for a few days because his place was so hot. Oh, and he had had a walking seisure type episode at work so they sent him to the hospital. Trying to detox himself again, are we? (I didn't say that to him, but it was in my mind!) Oh, but that was because he had been walking too much and drinking too much water and needed electrolytes. Of course I said okay he could stay here for a few days, what else would I say?
The next day, when he was supposed to show up - he didn't. Gee, go figure. Into the bottle probably pretty deeply by that time, is my guess. It's now 2 days later, and haven't heard a peep out of him.
I'm dealing with my own kind of nightmare right now - in the last two months I've only had ONE night without night sweats. The daytime ones I can handle, this night time crap... and night after night.. is getting to me. Last night, I wrote down the times. Just because..
Went to bed @ 9:20. There was number 1. Always, just before I doze off, wait for it, wait for it... yep, here comes the volcano.
Then at 11:45pm. At 1:30am. Another 2:30am. 3:20am. Another at 3:55. This time, I got up and had a smoke. Back to bed - 4:10am - not even asleep yet!!! And at 6:11am. That's eight, count them, EIGHT freaking times I broke out in the sweat!!
I've been trying to do it the 'natural' way. Haven't had caffeine in 3 weeks. Drinking water and gatorade and herbal teas and soy chocolate milk. And eating soy nuts mixed into my snack mix that I munch on at work. Obviously, it ain't working! Today, after last nights horror show, I made a doctor appointment for Monday. Hopefully there is some kind of magic pill. Ya, right. Don't expect much, but at least he will be aware of it. So if I end up shooting myself, he will know why! Nooooo, I'm not going to shoot myself, but I hope something will straighten out SOON!!
And Colin... I've had it, been there / done that. Since he came back into my life in November of '06... I can't even begin to count the drunk times. The detox times. The moves. The up and downs. The B.S. I want our key to the house back from him. He was going to stay at our place and look after the cats when we go on holidays. I don't trust him to be responsible enough to do that! Just like he was supposed to look after Gracie when it was Paddy's grad, and he drowned himself into the bottle. And I had to scramble to figure out where Gracie could stay while we were away. This time - I'm going to figure it out BEFORE we leave town.
I just don't want anything to do with him anymore. He gets my hopes up, and then dashes them down again. "Oh, here we go AGAIN!" I understand it is an illness, I really do. But he doesn't seem to care about much of anything except his precious bottle of vodka. Even when he is dry, he's ...... can't find the word for it. You just know that the next episode is around the corner. His track record sucks. And I am just too damned tired to give a shit anymore. He's a big boy, figure it out on your own buddy. Or not. I can not be responsible any longer for picking up the pieces. You're on your own bucko! Leave me out of it! No more doctors calling me cuz he's in the psych ward, no more councillors calling me because they need to reach him. What am I? His mother? Oh ya, my brother's keeper.
When I told Dave that I was going to wash my hands of this whole mess, he was trying to get me to see that Colin IS my brother. Ya, but there just comes a time when enough is enough. And this IS the time!
Anyway, enough of me venting.
Guess I should start at the beginning. He'd been dry for 6 weeks. Got a good job, started at the begining of the month. Was doing fine. Then he phoned me and chatted on the phone a week ago. (a week after he started the new job) I said to Dave - "he's drinking again." There is just something in his voice, in the manner he speaks, and what he speaks of, that makes the alarm bells go ding ding ding.
Then he popped into my work 2 days later, and I could smell it on him. The booze. When I said as much to him, he got all affronted and backed away from me, especially when I told him to breathe on me. Helloooo??? Like I can't smell it? Oh, and then there is the problem with 'walking' - this time it's because he has "hemorrhoids". And that's also why he is losing weight, because if he eats, he knows it has to come out. Ya. Seems to me he tried pulling a "leg problem" back in January, that was his excuse why he was dragging his leg. I'm seeing a pattern here, and I'm the patsy.
Two days after his visit at my work, he called on the Saturday night. Just this past Saturday. Wanted to know if he could crash at our place for a few days because his place was so hot. Oh, and he had had a walking seisure type episode at work so they sent him to the hospital. Trying to detox himself again, are we? (I didn't say that to him, but it was in my mind!) Oh, but that was because he had been walking too much and drinking too much water and needed electrolytes. Of course I said okay he could stay here for a few days, what else would I say?
The next day, when he was supposed to show up - he didn't. Gee, go figure. Into the bottle probably pretty deeply by that time, is my guess. It's now 2 days later, and haven't heard a peep out of him.
I'm dealing with my own kind of nightmare right now - in the last two months I've only had ONE night without night sweats. The daytime ones I can handle, this night time crap... and night after night.. is getting to me. Last night, I wrote down the times. Just because..
Went to bed @ 9:20. There was number 1. Always, just before I doze off, wait for it, wait for it... yep, here comes the volcano.
Then at 11:45pm. At 1:30am. Another 2:30am. 3:20am. Another at 3:55. This time, I got up and had a smoke. Back to bed - 4:10am - not even asleep yet!!! And at 6:11am. That's eight, count them, EIGHT freaking times I broke out in the sweat!!
I've been trying to do it the 'natural' way. Haven't had caffeine in 3 weeks. Drinking water and gatorade and herbal teas and soy chocolate milk. And eating soy nuts mixed into my snack mix that I munch on at work. Obviously, it ain't working! Today, after last nights horror show, I made a doctor appointment for Monday. Hopefully there is some kind of magic pill. Ya, right. Don't expect much, but at least he will be aware of it. So if I end up shooting myself, he will know why! Nooooo, I'm not going to shoot myself, but I hope something will straighten out SOON!!
And Colin... I've had it, been there / done that. Since he came back into my life in November of '06... I can't even begin to count the drunk times. The detox times. The moves. The up and downs. The B.S. I want our key to the house back from him. He was going to stay at our place and look after the cats when we go on holidays. I don't trust him to be responsible enough to do that! Just like he was supposed to look after Gracie when it was Paddy's grad, and he drowned himself into the bottle. And I had to scramble to figure out where Gracie could stay while we were away. This time - I'm going to figure it out BEFORE we leave town.
I just don't want anything to do with him anymore. He gets my hopes up, and then dashes them down again. "Oh, here we go AGAIN!" I understand it is an illness, I really do. But he doesn't seem to care about much of anything except his precious bottle of vodka. Even when he is dry, he's ...... can't find the word for it. You just know that the next episode is around the corner. His track record sucks. And I am just too damned tired to give a shit anymore. He's a big boy, figure it out on your own buddy. Or not. I can not be responsible any longer for picking up the pieces. You're on your own bucko! Leave me out of it! No more doctors calling me cuz he's in the psych ward, no more councillors calling me because they need to reach him. What am I? His mother? Oh ya, my brother's keeper.
When I told Dave that I was going to wash my hands of this whole mess, he was trying to get me to see that Colin IS my brother. Ya, but there just comes a time when enough is enough. And this IS the time!
Anyway, enough of me venting.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Almost a 6 month catch-up...
Yes, it's almost been 6 months since I last wrote here... and I'm thinking I really should write more often! I like writing, I just am finding time tight... never quite enough hours in a day to do all that I want to! It's like I have something hanging over my head, telling me I DON'T have enough time left on this planet to do it all, so I had better cram as much in as I can NOW!! Don't worry, I'm fine, it's just a 'feeling' I have... maybe it has something to do with the MS and the possibility of me not being able to do things in a few years? Or just me being wonky? LOL
***************
Baby Bush Bunny - taken thru our LR window, across the street!! And then cropped more on the pc, but still... pretty freakin clear!
*************
That's it!
Let's see, where do I begin?
Well, survived another tax season. Believe me, that's ALWAYS debatable! I'm learning to pace myself. Every time something comes in for somebody, it does NOT need to be delivered IMMEDIATELY!! No sense running to the back of the office 10 times, when 1 trip will do. And for the most part, I was successful, and people helped out quite a bit. Certainly saved my legs!
****************
Speaking of saving my legs... for the MS Walk. Which, this year, was the 10th Anniversary of me doing the Walk. Was diagnosed in Nov '98, I did my first walk in '99. I didn't clue into that until a client of ours was talking to me about how long I had been doing it... and OMG, it's been 10 years! Talk about being clueless! LOL I know I missed one, it's such a nasty time of year for me to do it, what with it being tax season and being so bagged! But the ones I have walked, I've always walked the 10k, because I STILL CAN!
Last year I managed to raise $3,050, so this year, I thought to myself, why don't you push it to try and raise $3,500? Well, with 2 weeks to go, I still hadn't hit my goal, and I was thinking "you idiot!". Then with 10 days or so left to go, I reached my goal! Whew, now I could relax, I achieved what I had set out to do. THEN... OMG, I had clients and partners and friends and family donations rolling in, and before I knew it, I was sooooooooo close to $5,000, so close that I set myself ANOTHER goal... to actually hit that $5,000. WHICH I DID!! Total amount raised was $5,080!! HOLY CRAP!! Absolutely unbelievable!!
And because it was such a special feat... this year, I sent out Thank You cards for the first time. Over 80 of them! LOL All handwritten. It just seemed to be the right thing to do! Without ALL those amazing wonderful incredible people helping me out... it just wouldn't have happened! It was the least I could do! (besides actually walking the 10k) Will I try for $5,000 next year? Hmmm... let me think about that.... thinking probably NOT!! If it happens, it happens....
And this year, Gracie came with me and my friend Kathy. I actually walked it with Gracie the weekend before, just so that 1) she could 'see' it for the first time and 2) to time myself. We had been doing lots and lots of prep walks, strengthening up our legs for the big 10k.. believe me, I can't just walk 10k without prepping for it first! At least, not anymore I can't! LOL
***************Colin... we moved him at the beginning of January to an apartment that he was going to share with another fella. I could smell the booze on him at that time. And sure enough, just a little over a month later, we moved his stuff out and stored it at our place, cuz he was back in the hospital, drying out. When he got out he stayed with us for a few weeks until we moved him again to another apartment. It's a really cute little place, and he's managed to hang onto it still.
Hasn't hung onto being sober tho... he dried out again at the end of April. Even managed to have a seizure in the van on April 24th as I was dropping off my last dollars for the Walk. Even as I type this, I can see him convulsing, and all I could do is stand at the open passenger window and talk to him and rub his arm or leg and wait for it to end. It hurt me to see him like that, and not be able to do anything to stop it. Except wait it out. I knew there wasn't any sense running to the hospital in a panic, that he would come out of it eventually. That time, he stayed 3 nights at our place until he was feeling up to being on his own again.
Since then, he's been sober. That's 6 weeks. Still has his apartment. And now has a really good job with Swiss Chalet. I have to give him credit.. he does keep trying, just that that monster keeps getting him. I told him in April that if he keeps doing this to himself, he will be dead before his 40th birthday, and then I asked him... "do you want to be cremated or buried?" Seriously. At that time, I was preparing myself for his death. 6 weeks later... well, as they say "Hope spring eternal", and I hope that this IS the time he will get it together. Please, let it be this time... I can't stand the thought of burying my baby brother!
***************
Aaaahhh... NIGHT SWEATS!!!!!!!! The bane of my existence right now! Started the night sweats about the middle of April. NOT a good time when I really need my sleep! And did I get woken up once thru the night? Oh no, not I!! I sleep for a few hours, wake to the sweat. Sleep for a few more hours, do it all over again. Over and over again, night after night. ~big sigh~ I've had them before, off and on for the last 9 years, but nothing this long, or this many!
Let's see, I've gone off my Pepsi. For the first time in a zillion years I haven't drunk pepsi. So NO caffiene! Drinking my chocolate soy milk, and adding soy beans to my constant trail mix that I snack on all day at work. Drinking tons of water, and sometimes even gatorade. Tried black cohash... didn't seem to do much. Bought 3 wicking t-shirts to sleep in (just got them on Friday - they seem to help) Sleep with the window open and the bedroom ceiling fan running every night. Dave isn't sleeping with me right now... he says he's getting icicles off his nose just being in the bedroom! I've discovered there is a pattern at night... usually about 10 minutes after laying down to go to sleep, the burn begins. Then one wakes me about 1:30 am, another around 3am, and another one at 5am.
And then for the first time ever... I'm getting the daytime chinooks! Whew! My toes will be freezing, but the top part of my torso is on fire! One of the girls at work saw it hit my skin the other day, twice. I guess between my shoulder blades up towards my neck goes a really dark red tone. Well, one thing to be thankful for, at least it isn't my face and the front of my neck!
We bought groceries last Tuesday night, and in the meat cooler department, a chinook hit. Off comes the jacket and there I am, leaning over the cooler. Me, who has always been cold, is now boiling! Kind of ironic, don't ya think? Dave was very helpful... he grabbed a package of sandwich meat and placed it at the back of my neck. Wasn't that swell of him? LOL
I don't really want to do the HRT... I have an aversion to chemicals. Not that I'm a health freak by any stretch of the imagination, just that the side effects... jeez, I feel crappy enough as it is, do I need to add more fun stuff to the diet? I think not! So I'm trying to handle this on my own, for now. I mean, women all over the world have been doing this since the beginning of time, I'm sure it will pass, eventually....
*************
Lynx... is still Lynx, but he doesn't do the stairs any longer. So we've moved his food dish upstairs and the cat litter box too. Just making it easier on him. And we carry him. Everywhere. We are such good servants! When I come home at lunch time, I pick him up and put him outside for 1/2 hr, so that he can soak up some sunshine. Then I carry him back inside when I go back to work. Dave does the same thing when he gets home. See, good servants, at his beck & call. He doesn't 'walk' across the kitchen floor anymore, he sorta 'skates' across the slippery floor. Actually kind of funny to watch. I know, I know, I shouldn't laugh! Poor old guy! I'm not quite ready to have him go over the Rainbow Bridge just yet. He's not in any pain, just that his lifestyle has changed ALOT! He can't jump up on anything, nor can he jump down (does a face plant, cuz his legs won't hold him up when he lands) I'm dreading leaving him when we go on vacation this summer. ~big sigh~
Brewster... managed to slip out one night last week, and Dave couldn't get the little bugger in the house. He finally gave up about 11:30, but left me a note for the morning. Taped to the toilet paper holder so that I would see it first thing in the morning. That's thinking on his part! LOL So Brewster stayed out ALL night long... ya, fun and games while someone is chasing you, not so much fun when you are out there all by yourself all night. In the dark. And the cold. And the spooky noises. He showed up the 2nd time I checked the back door the next morning - popped his head out from under the deck. It's the first time an overnighter has happened, I'm sure it won't be the last. Boys!
And Gracie... we walk, we hill climb, she swims in the canals or the river... she's my 'inspiration' for keeping me walking. Probably wouldn't do it as much without her. So she keeps my legs moving, even when they feel like water-soaked logs and just getting to the top of the stairs makes them feel like lead. So we're good for each other... I don't get those people that drive their vehicles and run their dogs. If I'm going to 'walk' her, I'm going to WALK her. Do as much as she does (okay, maybe not run circles around me and put on that extra 5km that she does!)
************
Dave got me a new camera for my birthday!! OMG, this thing is amazing!! He got me my first digital camera 3 years ago - a Kodak Easyshare, 5 megapixels, 3x optical zoom. Great little camera, took some amazing photos! Sucked at zoom tho! This time around, he gave me a dollar amount, and told me to go find one that 'works' for me, within in the set limit. So I bought a Panasonic FZ28 Lumix. 10 megapixels, 18x optical zoom. Look, I have a Z28!! Okay, so it's not a car, but it does ZOOM!! And both cameras have the rechargeable lithium batteries. What I did is I bought a couple more on ebay, and larger memory cards too! Cuz we are planning a trip up to Yellowknife this summer... and I wanted to make sure I had backup!! I still haven't figured out all the ins and outs of it, but then again, I never did totally with the Kodak one either! LOL Ya, it's larger than my little Kodak, but I've already figured out how to sling it over my back when I'm out walking Gracie. I love it, love it, love it!!
*************Okay, think that's it for now. Or should I say enough for now? Working on the planning of our Feast of Fools, to be held on August 15. I'm painting sheets with 'pictures' with acrylic paint - which the sheets can even be washed, and the paints doesn't! Cool, eh? The dining room table has been covered with one sheet or another for months now. Hey, we don't eat there unless company comes, then I just put it away for a few days, then bring it all out again. 15 minutes here and there, so it's not moving quickly, but I've got a few done so far. I have this idea what I want to do with them... it may, or may not, work out as I have pictured it. We'll see.
That's it!Must go now!
Later'gator(s)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
The last day of 2009... and what a year it has been!! Personally, it's been a wonderful year.... for the most part! And that's all we can hope for - that the good stuff outnumbers the bad stuff!! And it certainly did this past year!
I'll start where I left off last time - the wedding. The Medieval Themed wedding! Other than one hiccup, it went as I saw in my mind's eye! The curtained tents, the tables filled with food. Out of 26 people that were in attendance, we only had one couple and a newbie BF of my GF that did NOT dress theme. Dave's aunt & sister and Patrick's friend ended up being our scullery maids, and did an amazing job pulling the food all together, AND cleaning the kitchen!! One thing I did discover was that it was difficult to be the host/hostess and the guests of honour!!!
The weather cooperated - not too hot, a little shower in the afternoon, and cold and crappy the NEXT day! Whew. The pictures turned out amazing, considering we didn't hire anyone. Both of my sons were in attendance, altho we lost Chris after the service until about 11 that night. Boys!
The hiccup part - I hadn't planned on the evening's entertainment to be gift opening, that got kidnapped on me, but oh well... nothing like the guests being bored watching that!! But all in all, it went VERY well!!! :-) So much so... that I want to hold another Medieval Feast next summer. A potluck one, so that everyone brings food. We'll supply all the 'ambiance' - it's not like we don't have tons of that!! LOL And then we can actually relax at that one and just have fun!!
This past year I went on a really large learning curve!!
* I learnt how to sew better than I ever did before.
* I learnt how to manage my iPods.
* I learnt how to make cards - both the announcement and thank you ones
* The big one... I learnt how to work Movie Maker!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwBJTttfclg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIF1OhI1Sio&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPyNIPEK4QQ&feature=related
The fourth one - the "invite" to the one I want to hold in 2009....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zoe_NKZa2u4&feature=related
I can even see how I've gotten better from the first one to the 4th one!!
Then I made this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7zkstKsN94&feature=related
and I'm working on another few. What I like about it is that I can combine my two favorite things - music and photos!
* I've learnt how to 'scrapbook' - which wasn't too big of a stretch because I always did sorta/kinda stuff like that with photos anyway, just not to that extent!! I'm scrapbooking the wedding. I'm now up to 3 books!! Do I EVER do anything small????
Dave gave me for Christmas a Vinylwriter. I know, you are saying, "what the heck is that??!!" Well, the idea is that it will allow me to actually take my records and transfer the music to my computer. It's a USB turntable. I've attempted it, but it's on hold right now. Not as easy as I thought it would be - it's on my list of things to figure out!
The kids are doing well, both the 4-legged ones and my sons.
* Chris has a good job, being the computer guy that he is, working at Roadata Services Ltd. in their IT department. And it's great, because we can communicate with each other, when both of us are at work. And he's great, cuz I can ask his advice on stuff!! He is very helpful!! And he came for the wedding - I wasn't sure that he would!! He and his brother were our witnesses. And he just spent 5 days with us over the xmas break!! What can I say? The kid loves my cooking!! :-) And for christmas, he took the old tapes from his dad's old video camera, and somehow transferred them onto discs for me. Oh, to watch the kids when they were little... his gift brought tears to my eyes!! We've watched 1990 so far - Chris was 4 and Patrick was 1. OMG, they were soooo little!!
* Patrick took a year off from school and worked for a commercial construction company. That had me concerned, cuz sometimes the money begins to look better than furthering your education!! He was saving money for school, and for his trip to Europe! Yep, he did what I've always dreamt of doing!! He went to Ireland. And points beyond. But he started in London, went to Ireland, and just couldn't leave!! Even tho he had all these other places that he wanted to go to, Ireland "got" him!! We stayed in contact the whole time - god, I love the electronic age!!! So here I was, on this side of the big pond, suggesting places for him to go to, and he would go!! He took tons of photos, I kidnapped almost 200 of my favorite shots from his photos - just have to figure out what I'm going to do with them!! He made it home in time for the wedding, he had to cut his trip short, but he came!! :-) And in September, he went off to college!! At this moment in time, he's planning on getting his CA!! Which I just about choked on!! 11 years I've been working at my job, he's heard me complain about tax season, etc., and HE wants to become an accountant!! Go figure!!
The fur kids:
* Lynx is still managing to walk - he hurt his back over a year ago and has limited mobility in his back legs. He can't run, he can't jump fences, has difficulty jumping on the couch or the bed. Easy to keep him in the yard. But Dave cut him a hole in the fence so that he can crawl in or out of the back yard. Or, if I need him to stay in the yard, I just block the hole! He's coming up to be 10 in the next few months, and if he hadn't adopted me, he probably would have been dead by now!
* Brewster is going on 4. And is finally allowing me to cuddle him on my lap!! It's only taken me 3 plus years to do that!! We've trained him on a harness and a line in the yard. Dave strung a clothes line across our front yard from tree to tree and Brewster has the run of the front yard. Which he thinks is great, cuz then he visits with people that walk down the street!! LOL And if I'm working in the back yard, I clip his line onto the clothesline, and he can be out there with me. He's happy, and I'm happy - will not ever lose him!!!
* Gracie. Hard to believe, but she's going on 5. Best damned dog I've ever owned!! That being said - if I ever got another Rotti, my luck they wouldn't have her personality!! Altho, having a Rotti now allows me to be in that "club" - the people that come up to us that either own one or have experienced one all come up to us and we all remark on how wonderful these dogs are! So I'm guessing it's not just her! And I've met other ones - they are, for the most part, better dogs than other breeds. And believe me, at the off leash area, we see some ill-behaved dogs, dorkus dogs, don't listen dogs... and to toot my own horn - Gracie is well behaved, listens well, doesn't get into fights, and stays with me the entire time... she sure shows those other dogs up!! :-) Last February I took her in to the vet to weigh her, before we started doing our regular walking again. She topped out at 115lbs, by July at her yearly visit to the vet, she came in at 105lb. The vet was amazed and asked if I had changed her dog food or what? I replied - EXERCISE!! For both of us!! LOL
Being married...
Doesn't feel any different than before. Go figure, eh? Might have something to do with not changing my last name, not moving anywhere, so other than I can now call Dave my husband.. nothing has really changed. We just made it legal. And I can see me somewhere down the road changing my name, if it becomes a problem legally - let's say the hospital or the States don't recognise that I am his wife - what do I do? Keep a laminated wedding licence in my wallet at all times? Hmmm... Dave got his first passport a few months ago... guess he's gonna need it if he ever goes to see a Nascar race in the US. I let mine expire, so I had to redo mine too, it's also in my name, not his. See, not much changed. LOL
Colin - well, he's going to our college here, trying to get himself straightened out. He actually spoke to Dave for the first time yesterday, by accident, since he drowned himself in the bottle back in May of 2007. My cell phone rang as I was sleeping, and Dave answered it. Which I'm sure freaked Colin out. I think, I don't know for sure, that he was embarrassed to see either of us after that episode of his. We keep in contact, either via email or facebook and sometimes the phone, but even I haven't seen him since then. Every offer of dinners or drop off some of his stuff to him gets me shuffled off. But at least we are still in contact with each other - I'll take whatever I can get, I don't want to lose him again! As for him being sober, he's had to be, he's been living in a half-way house for months now. Actually, I think it's more a case of him being dry, just not sober. But he's moving out of the halfway house in the next few days and getting his own place with a room mate. I hope it works out for him!!
Yes, I'm still working at the accounting firm. I got probably my most amazing review ever this past year!! However, I didn't get the raise that should have gone with it. When I put Dave onto my insurance at work, with my raise (?), I'm actually taking home $52 LESS a month!!! I tried to be logical and requested they re-consider my raise... didn't happen. Got lots of lip service, but no headway. Seriously pissed me off!! I have 11 years in, and one of the girls that has 3 years in, is making darn near as much as me. That I found out quite by accident, which really set my teeth on edge!!!! But what am I to do? Quit? That's just not gonna happen, I got all my medical insurance in place prior to being diagnosed with the MS... so my ass is covered should I require either of the long term or short term disability coverage. So I've come to the conclusion that I must suck it up and do my job. And at this rate, and the bills involved, I'll be there until I'm 70, at least!! God willing!! I just wish the guys would quit bragging about all their freakin trips to exotic places like Egypt, etc. Just don't be telling me about those sort of things when I'm barely keeping my head above water!!! Jeez!!!
Speaking of trips... I AM GOING TO GO TO IRELAND!!! Okay, so not any time soon, it won't be for about 5 or 6 years. But it really was brought to home last summer, when Patrick went to a place I dreamed of going to since I was in Jr. High... yes, it HAS been that long!!! My big problem was that it was always a dream.... well, now I'm 50, and I still haven't gotten there!!! Partly because LIFE got in the way, and partly because I let it slide. My fault there!! I won't go until Gracie passes on - she has never been away from us for more than a night. Putting her into a kennel or expecting someone to look after her for a month just wouldn't be fair to her!! (or them!) Which gives me enough time to FOCUS on this goal of mine!! Pay off the bills, cut back on spending (did that this year at Christmas - used points to buy gifts) Any extra money... like when I take my pop bottles in, or my loonies and toonies, will all be going into a container. My Irish fund funded with "fun" money. Focus on paying off those damn credit cards!! The last 4 years have been a bitch, what with my dad being sick (I did 29 trips back & forth to Calgary in 9 months), I've had 2 kids graduate from high school, and a wedding. That was all paid for the wrong way. Thank goodness I had credit to do that with, however, that is sooo done with now!! Now when I pick something up, it will be a case of "Do I need it, or do I just want it?" Good question to ask myself!!! Focus!! Focus!! FOCUS!!!!
I can still have fun, and go camping, but do I need to feed everyone when I camp? I don't think so!! My food, my gas - that's all that's required. Speaking of camping - I didn't get out ONCE last year!!! Next year... I'm going!!! I miss it!! So that's another goal of mine... go have fun!!! Go to Water Valley, go camping on the crown land (free camping, free firewood), visit with friends more... last few years I've been totally focused on planning the wedding! I breathed, slept, lived for the planning of it all.
Anyway, that's the past year in a nutshell (okay, a BIG nutshell), and my future plans!! Here's to 2009 and beyond!!! May all the best be with you and yours, and wish me well!!
I'll start where I left off last time - the wedding. The Medieval Themed wedding! Other than one hiccup, it went as I saw in my mind's eye! The curtained tents, the tables filled with food. Out of 26 people that were in attendance, we only had one couple and a newbie BF of my GF that did NOT dress theme. Dave's aunt & sister and Patrick's friend ended up being our scullery maids, and did an amazing job pulling the food all together, AND cleaning the kitchen!! One thing I did discover was that it was difficult to be the host/hostess and the guests of honour!!!
The weather cooperated - not too hot, a little shower in the afternoon, and cold and crappy the NEXT day! Whew. The pictures turned out amazing, considering we didn't hire anyone. Both of my sons were in attendance, altho we lost Chris after the service until about 11 that night. Boys!
The hiccup part - I hadn't planned on the evening's entertainment to be gift opening, that got kidnapped on me, but oh well... nothing like the guests being bored watching that!! But all in all, it went VERY well!!! :-) So much so... that I want to hold another Medieval Feast next summer. A potluck one, so that everyone brings food. We'll supply all the 'ambiance' - it's not like we don't have tons of that!! LOL And then we can actually relax at that one and just have fun!!
This past year I went on a really large learning curve!!
* I learnt how to sew better than I ever did before.
* I learnt how to manage my iPods.
* I learnt how to make cards - both the announcement and thank you ones
* The big one... I learnt how to work Movie Maker!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwBJTttfclg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIF1OhI1Sio&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPyNIPEK4QQ&feature=related
The fourth one - the "invite" to the one I want to hold in 2009....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zoe_NKZa2u4&feature=related
I can even see how I've gotten better from the first one to the 4th one!!
Then I made this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7zkstKsN94&feature=related
and I'm working on another few. What I like about it is that I can combine my two favorite things - music and photos!
* I've learnt how to 'scrapbook' - which wasn't too big of a stretch because I always did sorta/kinda stuff like that with photos anyway, just not to that extent!! I'm scrapbooking the wedding. I'm now up to 3 books!! Do I EVER do anything small????
Dave gave me for Christmas a Vinylwriter. I know, you are saying, "what the heck is that??!!" Well, the idea is that it will allow me to actually take my records and transfer the music to my computer. It's a USB turntable. I've attempted it, but it's on hold right now. Not as easy as I thought it would be - it's on my list of things to figure out!
The kids are doing well, both the 4-legged ones and my sons.
* Chris has a good job, being the computer guy that he is, working at Roadata Services Ltd. in their IT department. And it's great, because we can communicate with each other, when both of us are at work. And he's great, cuz I can ask his advice on stuff!! He is very helpful!! And he came for the wedding - I wasn't sure that he would!! He and his brother were our witnesses. And he just spent 5 days with us over the xmas break!! What can I say? The kid loves my cooking!! :-) And for christmas, he took the old tapes from his dad's old video camera, and somehow transferred them onto discs for me. Oh, to watch the kids when they were little... his gift brought tears to my eyes!! We've watched 1990 so far - Chris was 4 and Patrick was 1. OMG, they were soooo little!!
* Patrick took a year off from school and worked for a commercial construction company. That had me concerned, cuz sometimes the money begins to look better than furthering your education!! He was saving money for school, and for his trip to Europe! Yep, he did what I've always dreamt of doing!! He went to Ireland. And points beyond. But he started in London, went to Ireland, and just couldn't leave!! Even tho he had all these other places that he wanted to go to, Ireland "got" him!! We stayed in contact the whole time - god, I love the electronic age!!! So here I was, on this side of the big pond, suggesting places for him to go to, and he would go!! He took tons of photos, I kidnapped almost 200 of my favorite shots from his photos - just have to figure out what I'm going to do with them!! He made it home in time for the wedding, he had to cut his trip short, but he came!! :-) And in September, he went off to college!! At this moment in time, he's planning on getting his CA!! Which I just about choked on!! 11 years I've been working at my job, he's heard me complain about tax season, etc., and HE wants to become an accountant!! Go figure!!
The fur kids:
* Lynx is still managing to walk - he hurt his back over a year ago and has limited mobility in his back legs. He can't run, he can't jump fences, has difficulty jumping on the couch or the bed. Easy to keep him in the yard. But Dave cut him a hole in the fence so that he can crawl in or out of the back yard. Or, if I need him to stay in the yard, I just block the hole! He's coming up to be 10 in the next few months, and if he hadn't adopted me, he probably would have been dead by now!
* Brewster is going on 4. And is finally allowing me to cuddle him on my lap!! It's only taken me 3 plus years to do that!! We've trained him on a harness and a line in the yard. Dave strung a clothes line across our front yard from tree to tree and Brewster has the run of the front yard. Which he thinks is great, cuz then he visits with people that walk down the street!! LOL And if I'm working in the back yard, I clip his line onto the clothesline, and he can be out there with me. He's happy, and I'm happy - will not ever lose him!!!
* Gracie. Hard to believe, but she's going on 5. Best damned dog I've ever owned!! That being said - if I ever got another Rotti, my luck they wouldn't have her personality!! Altho, having a Rotti now allows me to be in that "club" - the people that come up to us that either own one or have experienced one all come up to us and we all remark on how wonderful these dogs are! So I'm guessing it's not just her! And I've met other ones - they are, for the most part, better dogs than other breeds. And believe me, at the off leash area, we see some ill-behaved dogs, dorkus dogs, don't listen dogs... and to toot my own horn - Gracie is well behaved, listens well, doesn't get into fights, and stays with me the entire time... she sure shows those other dogs up!! :-) Last February I took her in to the vet to weigh her, before we started doing our regular walking again. She topped out at 115lbs, by July at her yearly visit to the vet, she came in at 105lb. The vet was amazed and asked if I had changed her dog food or what? I replied - EXERCISE!! For both of us!! LOL
Being married...
Doesn't feel any different than before. Go figure, eh? Might have something to do with not changing my last name, not moving anywhere, so other than I can now call Dave my husband.. nothing has really changed. We just made it legal. And I can see me somewhere down the road changing my name, if it becomes a problem legally - let's say the hospital or the States don't recognise that I am his wife - what do I do? Keep a laminated wedding licence in my wallet at all times? Hmmm... Dave got his first passport a few months ago... guess he's gonna need it if he ever goes to see a Nascar race in the US. I let mine expire, so I had to redo mine too, it's also in my name, not his. See, not much changed. LOL
Colin - well, he's going to our college here, trying to get himself straightened out. He actually spoke to Dave for the first time yesterday, by accident, since he drowned himself in the bottle back in May of 2007. My cell phone rang as I was sleeping, and Dave answered it. Which I'm sure freaked Colin out. I think, I don't know for sure, that he was embarrassed to see either of us after that episode of his. We keep in contact, either via email or facebook and sometimes the phone, but even I haven't seen him since then. Every offer of dinners or drop off some of his stuff to him gets me shuffled off. But at least we are still in contact with each other - I'll take whatever I can get, I don't want to lose him again! As for him being sober, he's had to be, he's been living in a half-way house for months now. Actually, I think it's more a case of him being dry, just not sober. But he's moving out of the halfway house in the next few days and getting his own place with a room mate. I hope it works out for him!!
Yes, I'm still working at the accounting firm. I got probably my most amazing review ever this past year!! However, I didn't get the raise that should have gone with it. When I put Dave onto my insurance at work, with my raise (?), I'm actually taking home $52 LESS a month!!! I tried to be logical and requested they re-consider my raise... didn't happen. Got lots of lip service, but no headway. Seriously pissed me off!! I have 11 years in, and one of the girls that has 3 years in, is making darn near as much as me. That I found out quite by accident, which really set my teeth on edge!!!! But what am I to do? Quit? That's just not gonna happen, I got all my medical insurance in place prior to being diagnosed with the MS... so my ass is covered should I require either of the long term or short term disability coverage. So I've come to the conclusion that I must suck it up and do my job. And at this rate, and the bills involved, I'll be there until I'm 70, at least!! God willing!! I just wish the guys would quit bragging about all their freakin trips to exotic places like Egypt, etc. Just don't be telling me about those sort of things when I'm barely keeping my head above water!!! Jeez!!!
Speaking of trips... I AM GOING TO GO TO IRELAND!!! Okay, so not any time soon, it won't be for about 5 or 6 years. But it really was brought to home last summer, when Patrick went to a place I dreamed of going to since I was in Jr. High... yes, it HAS been that long!!! My big problem was that it was always a dream.... well, now I'm 50, and I still haven't gotten there!!! Partly because LIFE got in the way, and partly because I let it slide. My fault there!! I won't go until Gracie passes on - she has never been away from us for more than a night. Putting her into a kennel or expecting someone to look after her for a month just wouldn't be fair to her!! (or them!) Which gives me enough time to FOCUS on this goal of mine!! Pay off the bills, cut back on spending (did that this year at Christmas - used points to buy gifts) Any extra money... like when I take my pop bottles in, or my loonies and toonies, will all be going into a container. My Irish fund funded with "fun" money. Focus on paying off those damn credit cards!! The last 4 years have been a bitch, what with my dad being sick (I did 29 trips back & forth to Calgary in 9 months), I've had 2 kids graduate from high school, and a wedding. That was all paid for the wrong way. Thank goodness I had credit to do that with, however, that is sooo done with now!! Now when I pick something up, it will be a case of "Do I need it, or do I just want it?" Good question to ask myself!!! Focus!! Focus!! FOCUS!!!!
I can still have fun, and go camping, but do I need to feed everyone when I camp? I don't think so!! My food, my gas - that's all that's required. Speaking of camping - I didn't get out ONCE last year!!! Next year... I'm going!!! I miss it!! So that's another goal of mine... go have fun!!! Go to Water Valley, go camping on the crown land (free camping, free firewood), visit with friends more... last few years I've been totally focused on planning the wedding! I breathed, slept, lived for the planning of it all.
Anyway, that's the past year in a nutshell (okay, a BIG nutshell), and my future plans!! Here's to 2009 and beyond!!! May all the best be with you and yours, and wish me well!!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Countdown & Catch up...
Wow, where do I begin?
This themed wedding has taken over my life! I'm either sewing, or picking out seams, or ironing, or tracing patterns out onto curtains, or tying ribbons onto crystals, or working on music, or, or, or...
And right now, I can't sleep!! The brain just won't shut off!! Is it the full moon? Are my periods coming? Who knows!! It's 2:46 a.m., and I'm wide awake. Can't do much with Dave sleeping, so I'm finally here catching up here. It's quiet, but also productive. Heaven forbid I sit and do nothing!! LOL
So the sewing is almost done. I've made some extra pieces for guests. Okay, so I've made lots of extras for guests! Along with buying from ebay. I can't do fancy bodices I've discovered. Need a professional grommet setter.... but those I can and have bought from ebay. Then I've made skirts to go with them. And have made some chemises, and bought some.
I couldn't find a decent men's pattern for a poets shirt, BUT I had a decent shirt that I wanted to copy, took it apart, and created my own pattern. Damned if the shirts didn't turn out okay!! And I even had to learn how to do a collar on the things!! Man, my one semester and a half of Home Ec has certainly come in handy!! How many years ago was that?????????
I've even learned how to do the button hole stitch. Not well, but that is my sewing machine's fault. It doesn't like to go backwards to do the stitch properly. I've had that thing apart and cleaned more times than I can to think, and there is just something wrong with the feeder teeth on it. Oh well, don't do reverse often anyway. At least forward is still working! The machine is over 30 yrs old, and this is the most it has been used in years!! Poor thing! I just hope it holds out for a few more things...
Deb S came down the weekend of the 11th, and I was a bridzilla! Made her work, would have made her work more, but Street Wheelers weekend was on... LOL But we got some curtains finished. And here is how THAT went.... first I found a design that I liked. Then copied it onto a plastic sheet, then put that on an overhead projector that I borrowed from work, traced it out onto paper that was taped to the wall, then took the paper to the dining room table, traced the much larger design onto inexpensive 2nd hand store tab top curtains with tracing paper, then went over the design with black felt pens. Got all that? We managed to get done a celtic high cross, 2 matching curtains with medieval style horses, and a gothic unicorn done, with at least one more design to put onto material, but at least it's traced out in black felt pen, ready to go! These will all become "walls" to the sun shade tents that will be set up in the front yard.
Then we also tied ribbons thru crystals - these will be hung from trees - a girl's got to have sparkly things ya know!! I've been collecting crystals for years now. You know those really tacky chandeliers that are brass colored with crystals hanging from them? Ya, well, you can sometimes find them cheap at garage sales, for like $5. The crystals got taken off, the tacky brass got thrown out. Which left me with lots and lots of crystals... knew I was going to use them someday!!
I even made myself a really amazing dress!! Out of a $4, 2nd hand burgandy queen sized duvet cover, which was in really great shape. Took out the zipper, undid the stitching, and proceeded to cut out the pattern. A real one this time!! Altho I did change a few things on it!! Like, no zipper. I made it larger than I required, sewed in D-rings into the back seams, and viola, it has lacing in the back!! It has those really long sleeves and a back hem that drags. But I also wanted to show white inside sleeves, but not wear a chemise or tunic under it. So I created sleeves out of a white sheet, and once I stitched them up with the machine, I hand stitched them to the inside of the dress sleeve to the trim that goes around the bicep area of my arm. Hard to explain, but looks cool. Yes, yes, pictures will be coming!! And it only took me 4 weeks to do!
And the yard.... bought tons of dirt, tons of plants, and just as everything is blooming.... we get hail. Oh wait! Let's hail the next week too! Aaahhh, not done yet!! Let's hail one more week!! Just for good measure! Sheesh!! But I just checked the 2 week forcast from the weather channel, it looks like we'll be dying from the heat by time the wedding is on. Oh joy! NOT! Now I have to go out and trim my poor plants, clean off all the dead stuff, fertize the poor things, and hope they come back, all pretty! Thank goodness we have a covered deck - you should have seen me scrambling to get all my pots under cover!
And because of the hail and horendous winds ...... one of the main suppliers of our famous Taber Corn got totally wiped out. Which was going to be one of the foods for our meal. Hope Safeway has a ton of corn! Who knows! Maybe it will just be burgers we'll be serving!
The music... between what I had (which was lots, believe me!), and iTunes... I have cds burned to play Friday and Saturday, with a combo set for Sunday and Monday in the front yard. Going to put the speakers from the stereo downstairs up into the rumpus room windows, and play out the windows. How's that for ambiance? And this stereo is great... I can put like 20 cds in it, and let it run....
The deck will be playing my iPod... have it all timed out to play certain music at a certain time. The back kitchen door will have a cd player playing back there, with either really Renaissance music, or the Gregorian chant thing happening, or a mixture of both. It will only play 1 cd at a time.. haven't quiet got that figured out yet.
Dave hasn't got off easy either! All the windows of the house have been cleaned, inside and out. He gave the deck a new coat of paint. He's trying to get electricity onto the deck, with a plug in and lights. The plug in works, the lights... not so much. He's going to talk to his electrician buddy tomorrow to find out what the problem is. He's screwed in 6 flag poles (the smaller cheaper ones that you can get from Canadian Tire) onto the front of the house. And figured out a way to hang the flags I've bought from them, so that we will have medieval style flags hanging on the front of the house. I know, overboard, right? LOL But it's the party that I'm planning - the wedding itself is taken care of. Sorta. Still have to pin down the exact wording... Oh, and he's been doing the daily cooking and cleaning while I've been sewing, sewing, sewing!! Poor man. He must really love me!!
Oh, and then I bought this really cool bubble machine! You should see this thing! It freaking takes 8 AA batteries, but man, does it blow bubbles!! You can't help but giggle when this thing is going and you see bubbles just pouring out of it and floating skywards!!
I've ordered the cake from Wal-mart. Hey, it's just a slab cake, decorated up with the theme. Haven't quite got that down pat either... waiting for a plastic castle front to come in to be put onto the cake. Ya, pictures!!
I have the next 3 weeks off from work. 2 weeks before the wedding (well, not quite now), and 1 week after - to collapse or have a heart attack or something like that. Oh, wait, honeymoon. Ya, probably will take a few days, once everything is settled and put away, to go back to the place where Dave proposed. A much needed time of peace and quiet. And no sewing machine!!
So I think I have got you guys up to speed. I really must finish the sewing, and find my inside of the house once again. Right now it is covered, room to room, with all sorts of sewing "stuff' - material, trims, patterns, etc. I be thinking I really shouldn't leave it that way, not with guests arriving later next week!! Really should tidy up, put things away, pull out my medieval accessories... yep, it's on one my to-do lists!!
TTFN!
This themed wedding has taken over my life! I'm either sewing, or picking out seams, or ironing, or tracing patterns out onto curtains, or tying ribbons onto crystals, or working on music, or, or, or...
And right now, I can't sleep!! The brain just won't shut off!! Is it the full moon? Are my periods coming? Who knows!! It's 2:46 a.m., and I'm wide awake. Can't do much with Dave sleeping, so I'm finally here catching up here. It's quiet, but also productive. Heaven forbid I sit and do nothing!! LOL
So the sewing is almost done. I've made some extra pieces for guests. Okay, so I've made lots of extras for guests! Along with buying from ebay. I can't do fancy bodices I've discovered. Need a professional grommet setter.... but those I can and have bought from ebay. Then I've made skirts to go with them. And have made some chemises, and bought some.
I couldn't find a decent men's pattern for a poets shirt, BUT I had a decent shirt that I wanted to copy, took it apart, and created my own pattern. Damned if the shirts didn't turn out okay!! And I even had to learn how to do a collar on the things!! Man, my one semester and a half of Home Ec has certainly come in handy!! How many years ago was that?????????
I've even learned how to do the button hole stitch. Not well, but that is my sewing machine's fault. It doesn't like to go backwards to do the stitch properly. I've had that thing apart and cleaned more times than I can to think, and there is just something wrong with the feeder teeth on it. Oh well, don't do reverse often anyway. At least forward is still working! The machine is over 30 yrs old, and this is the most it has been used in years!! Poor thing! I just hope it holds out for a few more things...
Deb S came down the weekend of the 11th, and I was a bridzilla! Made her work, would have made her work more, but Street Wheelers weekend was on... LOL But we got some curtains finished. And here is how THAT went.... first I found a design that I liked. Then copied it onto a plastic sheet, then put that on an overhead projector that I borrowed from work, traced it out onto paper that was taped to the wall, then took the paper to the dining room table, traced the much larger design onto inexpensive 2nd hand store tab top curtains with tracing paper, then went over the design with black felt pens. Got all that? We managed to get done a celtic high cross, 2 matching curtains with medieval style horses, and a gothic unicorn done, with at least one more design to put onto material, but at least it's traced out in black felt pen, ready to go! These will all become "walls" to the sun shade tents that will be set up in the front yard.
Then we also tied ribbons thru crystals - these will be hung from trees - a girl's got to have sparkly things ya know!! I've been collecting crystals for years now. You know those really tacky chandeliers that are brass colored with crystals hanging from them? Ya, well, you can sometimes find them cheap at garage sales, for like $5. The crystals got taken off, the tacky brass got thrown out. Which left me with lots and lots of crystals... knew I was going to use them someday!!
I even made myself a really amazing dress!! Out of a $4, 2nd hand burgandy queen sized duvet cover, which was in really great shape. Took out the zipper, undid the stitching, and proceeded to cut out the pattern. A real one this time!! Altho I did change a few things on it!! Like, no zipper. I made it larger than I required, sewed in D-rings into the back seams, and viola, it has lacing in the back!! It has those really long sleeves and a back hem that drags. But I also wanted to show white inside sleeves, but not wear a chemise or tunic under it. So I created sleeves out of a white sheet, and once I stitched them up with the machine, I hand stitched them to the inside of the dress sleeve to the trim that goes around the bicep area of my arm. Hard to explain, but looks cool. Yes, yes, pictures will be coming!! And it only took me 4 weeks to do!
And the yard.... bought tons of dirt, tons of plants, and just as everything is blooming.... we get hail. Oh wait! Let's hail the next week too! Aaahhh, not done yet!! Let's hail one more week!! Just for good measure! Sheesh!! But I just checked the 2 week forcast from the weather channel, it looks like we'll be dying from the heat by time the wedding is on. Oh joy! NOT! Now I have to go out and trim my poor plants, clean off all the dead stuff, fertize the poor things, and hope they come back, all pretty! Thank goodness we have a covered deck - you should have seen me scrambling to get all my pots under cover!
And because of the hail and horendous winds ...... one of the main suppliers of our famous Taber Corn got totally wiped out. Which was going to be one of the foods for our meal. Hope Safeway has a ton of corn! Who knows! Maybe it will just be burgers we'll be serving!
The music... between what I had (which was lots, believe me!), and iTunes... I have cds burned to play Friday and Saturday, with a combo set for Sunday and Monday in the front yard. Going to put the speakers from the stereo downstairs up into the rumpus room windows, and play out the windows. How's that for ambiance? And this stereo is great... I can put like 20 cds in it, and let it run....
The deck will be playing my iPod... have it all timed out to play certain music at a certain time. The back kitchen door will have a cd player playing back there, with either really Renaissance music, or the Gregorian chant thing happening, or a mixture of both. It will only play 1 cd at a time.. haven't quiet got that figured out yet.
Dave hasn't got off easy either! All the windows of the house have been cleaned, inside and out. He gave the deck a new coat of paint. He's trying to get electricity onto the deck, with a plug in and lights. The plug in works, the lights... not so much. He's going to talk to his electrician buddy tomorrow to find out what the problem is. He's screwed in 6 flag poles (the smaller cheaper ones that you can get from Canadian Tire) onto the front of the house. And figured out a way to hang the flags I've bought from them, so that we will have medieval style flags hanging on the front of the house. I know, overboard, right? LOL But it's the party that I'm planning - the wedding itself is taken care of. Sorta. Still have to pin down the exact wording... Oh, and he's been doing the daily cooking and cleaning while I've been sewing, sewing, sewing!! Poor man. He must really love me!!
Oh, and then I bought this really cool bubble machine! You should see this thing! It freaking takes 8 AA batteries, but man, does it blow bubbles!! You can't help but giggle when this thing is going and you see bubbles just pouring out of it and floating skywards!!
I've ordered the cake from Wal-mart. Hey, it's just a slab cake, decorated up with the theme. Haven't quite got that down pat either... waiting for a plastic castle front to come in to be put onto the cake. Ya, pictures!!
I have the next 3 weeks off from work. 2 weeks before the wedding (well, not quite now), and 1 week after - to collapse or have a heart attack or something like that. Oh, wait, honeymoon. Ya, probably will take a few days, once everything is settled and put away, to go back to the place where Dave proposed. A much needed time of peace and quiet. And no sewing machine!!
So I think I have got you guys up to speed. I really must finish the sewing, and find my inside of the house once again. Right now it is covered, room to room, with all sorts of sewing "stuff' - material, trims, patterns, etc. I be thinking I really shouldn't leave it that way, not with guests arriving later next week!! Really should tidy up, put things away, pull out my medieval accessories... yep, it's on one my to-do lists!!
TTFN!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Gord Robson passed away...
Gord Robson was one of my favorite announcers on The River, our Lethbridge FM station. He did the morning show, and I won my trip to Denmark with/thru him in 2002. Then he suddenly wasn't there any longer.... either he quit or got fired... and I missed him.
I also listened to him on 630 CHED, when I was a teenager. 630 CHED was THE best radio station ever!! My parents were listening to country AM, with The Farm Report done by Hoss Hammer. So when you discover an AM station that played current music ... it was simply wonderful!! And they would have their listings of the Top 10, or whatever, posted at The Bay, beside the 45's. Man, talk about a walk down memory lane!!
News came thru this morning that he passed away this past Friday in Edmonton. I went digging and found this site, called BC Radio History that is very cut and dried, but with a very good picture of him.
GORD ROBSON (1951-2008)
Veteran broadcaster Gord Robson, whose career spanned five different decades, died last week at his home in Edmonton. He was 56. Robson worked at many Canadian radio stations, including a decade at the legendary CKLG Vancouver.
Guess I'll just keep on missing him.....
I also listened to him on 630 CHED, when I was a teenager. 630 CHED was THE best radio station ever!! My parents were listening to country AM, with The Farm Report done by Hoss Hammer. So when you discover an AM station that played current music ... it was simply wonderful!! And they would have their listings of the Top 10, or whatever, posted at The Bay, beside the 45's. Man, talk about a walk down memory lane!!
News came thru this morning that he passed away this past Friday in Edmonton. I went digging and found this site, called BC Radio History that is very cut and dried, but with a very good picture of him.
GORD ROBSON (1951-2008)
Veteran broadcaster Gord Robson, whose career spanned five different decades, died last week at his home in Edmonton. He was 56. Robson worked at many Canadian radio stations, including a decade at the legendary CKLG Vancouver.
Guess I'll just keep on missing him.....
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Signs of Spring!
Saw my first robin the other day. All puffy and perched on a tree branch, singing it's little heart out!
Just came back from my smoke break outside, walked thru a spider web strand.
Yep, spring has sprung.
Just came back from my smoke break outside, walked thru a spider web strand.
Yep, spring has sprung.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Been remiss...
It started with Christmas, really... my sons gave me a new computer!! So I blame it on them!! But they didn't give me a chance to transfer my shortcuts or any of the info I had on my old pc, so if you are reading this, please contact me!! LOL I have email addresses, but no blog people!
My old pc had 6 GB... this new one.. 138 GB!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woooeeeee!!! I began with putting my celtic/irish cds on it, to make special compliation cds for the wedding. That's another story...
But then, after all that work, I began to freak that if this pc crashes, I'll loose all my hard work. At the same time I was looking at maybe buying an iPod or something for backup (holy crap, those are expensive!!), I rc'd in my email my Air Miles update. Okay, I've had my Air Miles card since before Chris was born, and STILL didn't have enough to fly anywhere. Guess it would help if I bought more than groceries at Safeway, and once in awhile gas at Shell, eh? AHA, but on the front page of the newsletter... were iPods. Hey!! Well, hot diggity dog, with my points I got a 80 GB Classic iPod AND an iBoom box - after I checked with my wizard son, the computer whiz kid!!
So needless to say, I put ALL my cds (over 300 of them) onto the pc, which also transfers over to the iPod. Sweet!! That is where my early morning hours are going... busy with music for all of January and February!! Still have to sort the songs into 'playlists', and then create special cds...
Then, we've also been planning a wedding. Yep, ours. OMG!! Sorry, it is going to be only immediate family and close friends, which still takes us to 37 people, which I'm sure will be less because people won't be able to come, for one reason or another... There are soooo many more I would love to invite, but just don't have the room!!!! It's going to be held in our back/side yard.... and if it rains, guess we'll have to do it inside. ACK!
It will be the long weekend in August. Okay, now that we have a date, we need to get someone to marry us. Interviewed 2 ladies, and decided on one by the name of Louise Odland. For a number of reasons, she came in ahead. :-)
It will just be in our back yard, we are planning a Medieval Theme. But one of my GFs came up with an idea... if I'm going to do all the work for the theme, why not do it for the entire weekend?? Hey!! That's an idea!! How about a Wedieval Festival??? (get it?? Wed-ding and Med-ieval combined?)
So in my free time (?), I've been combing the 2nd hand stores for anything Medieval looking... wooden bowls, tapestries, material, etc. It's ALL in my head, difficult to put it all down on paper!! LOL Oh, and ebay... thank goodness for ebay!!!
This weekend it's putting the invites together, must get them out this week!! Most of the people already know about it, but this way, it will be more formal. Oh, and because I don't want us to stand out, or have neighbors bitch about the noise and mayhem, or people that say to themselves "gee, wish I had of known, I would have done it too!" (that would be me!), I've rolled up 50 Neighbor "Hear Ye, Hear Ye" proclamations... that go like this:
***************************
Once upon a time, in the midst of social chaos, there was born a moment of Pleasure. It sprang from the hearts of two folk - called Love. It Leapt, Danced & Sang all the songs of Summer that had lain dormant for hundreds of years.Knowe ye that thou hast entered the Realm of The Medieval Festival. Enjoy in the revelry & merriment! Come ye good people of the Greenview Close Realm & celebrate your own most pleasurable event!
That being said...
One of your faire neighbours will be holding a Medieval Style Festival – and would like to encourage you to hold your own Feasting & Festivities the same weekend. The festivities will begin on Friday, August 1st, & finish on the Monday, August 4th, in the year 2008.
Be prepared for loads of Merriment & Music somewhere (or maybe everywhere!) on Greenview Close (our apologies now), feel free to hold your own festival on those same dates! We would consider it an honour if you were to partake in such fun, the whole block could be one HUGE Medieval Festival!
We are aiming at a theme such as Shrek, or A Knight’s Tale. (Does anyone have a talking donkey?) Don’t be surprised if you see peasants, buxom wenches, maybe a knight or two, or even a wizard. With a lot of medieval/celtic type music throwne in for good measure. Medieval tent(s), dragon/wizard flags. (Swords & battle axes to be left at the guests’ own abodes.)
So Ladies, wear your gowns. Knights, wear your armour. (okay, maybe not armour, it will be August, after all!) Dress as Vikings, as Wizards & Sorcerers, as Ladies, as Wenches, as poor, lowly Peasants... and ENJOY!!
Yours in service to the ideals of all that is Medieval, we remain...
???????????
It’s a secret, we canna tell ye!!
In 2008 speak – We would love it if Greenview Close became a HUGE block party, Medieval Themed, on the long weekend in August! Looking forward to seeing how many folk will take on this challenge!
http://www.kids-birthday-party-guide.com/knight-birthday-party.html
**************************
Only, it's done in 3 columns widthwise on parchment type paper, with brown ink, in olde script. Rolled up and tied with ribbon. Now all I have to do it deliver them!! Oh, and there are 2 pages of pics of people in period attire, for those that don't have access to computers! LOL But for those that do have a pc, I've also included a list of websites for them to check out.
Did you notice that nowhere in the proclamation is mention of a wedding? hehe And I KNOW for sure the fella across the street will get into it, you should see him dress up his yard for Halloween. And another neighbor goes all out for Christmas... so we'll see.
Then weekends... I looked after my GFs two doggies for one week, they needed to be walked every day!! Then it was my 50th birthday, friends came down for that. This weekend Dave's sis Barb and her daughter were down on Friday and Saturday, and the invites MUST be finished!! Next weekend, Chris and a few of his friends - looks like they are coming down... then it's Easter weekend. At the moment, it's open... LOL
I have a CRAP LOAD of sewing to do.... Oh, and don't forget, tax season is now upon us! ~groan~ And I'm trying to strengthen my legs for my MS SuperCities Walk on April 26th...
At least in May, the walk will be done, and tax season is over. The invites will be out, the theme established. The yard and garden will need constant care to be made bee u ti ful, and sewing and searching will still be on my agenda.
Okay, that's my "catch-up" on behalf of my cousin! Here's to you Vicky!! LOL
Ta for now...
My old pc had 6 GB... this new one.. 138 GB!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woooeeeee!!! I began with putting my celtic/irish cds on it, to make special compliation cds for the wedding. That's another story...
But then, after all that work, I began to freak that if this pc crashes, I'll loose all my hard work. At the same time I was looking at maybe buying an iPod or something for backup (holy crap, those are expensive!!), I rc'd in my email my Air Miles update. Okay, I've had my Air Miles card since before Chris was born, and STILL didn't have enough to fly anywhere. Guess it would help if I bought more than groceries at Safeway, and once in awhile gas at Shell, eh? AHA, but on the front page of the newsletter... were iPods. Hey!! Well, hot diggity dog, with my points I got a 80 GB Classic iPod AND an iBoom box - after I checked with my wizard son, the computer whiz kid!!
So needless to say, I put ALL my cds (over 300 of them) onto the pc, which also transfers over to the iPod. Sweet!! That is where my early morning hours are going... busy with music for all of January and February!! Still have to sort the songs into 'playlists', and then create special cds...
Then, we've also been planning a wedding. Yep, ours. OMG!! Sorry, it is going to be only immediate family and close friends, which still takes us to 37 people, which I'm sure will be less because people won't be able to come, for one reason or another... There are soooo many more I would love to invite, but just don't have the room!!!! It's going to be held in our back/side yard.... and if it rains, guess we'll have to do it inside. ACK!
It will be the long weekend in August. Okay, now that we have a date, we need to get someone to marry us. Interviewed 2 ladies, and decided on one by the name of Louise Odland. For a number of reasons, she came in ahead. :-)
It will just be in our back yard, we are planning a Medieval Theme. But one of my GFs came up with an idea... if I'm going to do all the work for the theme, why not do it for the entire weekend?? Hey!! That's an idea!! How about a Wedieval Festival??? (get it?? Wed-ding and Med-ieval combined?)
So in my free time (?), I've been combing the 2nd hand stores for anything Medieval looking... wooden bowls, tapestries, material, etc. It's ALL in my head, difficult to put it all down on paper!! LOL Oh, and ebay... thank goodness for ebay!!!
This weekend it's putting the invites together, must get them out this week!! Most of the people already know about it, but this way, it will be more formal. Oh, and because I don't want us to stand out, or have neighbors bitch about the noise and mayhem, or people that say to themselves "gee, wish I had of known, I would have done it too!" (that would be me!), I've rolled up 50 Neighbor "Hear Ye, Hear Ye" proclamations... that go like this:
***************************
Once upon a time, in the midst of social chaos, there was born a moment of Pleasure. It sprang from the hearts of two folk - called Love. It Leapt, Danced & Sang all the songs of Summer that had lain dormant for hundreds of years.Knowe ye that thou hast entered the Realm of The Medieval Festival. Enjoy in the revelry & merriment! Come ye good people of the Greenview Close Realm & celebrate your own most pleasurable event!
That being said...
One of your faire neighbours will be holding a Medieval Style Festival – and would like to encourage you to hold your own Feasting & Festivities the same weekend. The festivities will begin on Friday, August 1st, & finish on the Monday, August 4th, in the year 2008.
Be prepared for loads of Merriment & Music somewhere (or maybe everywhere!) on Greenview Close (our apologies now), feel free to hold your own festival on those same dates! We would consider it an honour if you were to partake in such fun, the whole block could be one HUGE Medieval Festival!
We are aiming at a theme such as Shrek, or A Knight’s Tale. (Does anyone have a talking donkey?) Don’t be surprised if you see peasants, buxom wenches, maybe a knight or two, or even a wizard. With a lot of medieval/celtic type music throwne in for good measure. Medieval tent(s), dragon/wizard flags. (Swords & battle axes to be left at the guests’ own abodes.)
So Ladies, wear your gowns. Knights, wear your armour. (okay, maybe not armour, it will be August, after all!) Dress as Vikings, as Wizards & Sorcerers, as Ladies, as Wenches, as poor, lowly Peasants... and ENJOY!!
Yours in service to the ideals of all that is Medieval, we remain...
???????????
It’s a secret, we canna tell ye!!
In 2008 speak – We would love it if Greenview Close became a HUGE block party, Medieval Themed, on the long weekend in August! Looking forward to seeing how many folk will take on this challenge!
http://www.kids-birthday-party-guide.com/knight-birthday-party.html
**************************
Only, it's done in 3 columns widthwise on parchment type paper, with brown ink, in olde script. Rolled up and tied with ribbon. Now all I have to do it deliver them!! Oh, and there are 2 pages of pics of people in period attire, for those that don't have access to computers! LOL But for those that do have a pc, I've also included a list of websites for them to check out.
Did you notice that nowhere in the proclamation is mention of a wedding? hehe And I KNOW for sure the fella across the street will get into it, you should see him dress up his yard for Halloween. And another neighbor goes all out for Christmas... so we'll see.
Then weekends... I looked after my GFs two doggies for one week, they needed to be walked every day!! Then it was my 50th birthday, friends came down for that. This weekend Dave's sis Barb and her daughter were down on Friday and Saturday, and the invites MUST be finished!! Next weekend, Chris and a few of his friends - looks like they are coming down... then it's Easter weekend. At the moment, it's open... LOL
I have a CRAP LOAD of sewing to do.... Oh, and don't forget, tax season is now upon us! ~groan~ And I'm trying to strengthen my legs for my MS SuperCities Walk on April 26th...
At least in May, the walk will be done, and tax season is over. The invites will be out, the theme established. The yard and garden will need constant care to be made bee u ti ful, and sewing and searching will still be on my agenda.
Okay, that's my "catch-up" on behalf of my cousin! Here's to you Vicky!! LOL
Ta for now...
Friday, December 14, 2007
Darcy the Dragon
When the kids were small, they had me play, over and over again, the song Darcy the Dragon by Roger Whittaker. I had a small pewter dragon that would 'skip' to the song. I couldn't find it for the longest time on YouTube, but it's there!! It's there!! And then, just by chance, I just did a search on it... and came up with this site.
I am soooooooo happy!!!! :-))
I am soooooooo happy!!!! :-))
Saturday, December 01, 2007
solvitur ambulando
Been awhile, I know!! Can I say I've been busy?? LOL
We had our xmas party last night, and jeez, it was freakin cold!! Dave, the dear man, went next door to Denny's and got me hot chocolates, which were then 'refreshed' with a wee dram of irish cream. That did the trick!!
But why I am writing... They were doing "Terms of Service" presentations. Knew I was getting something, because I've done 10 years so far. Harvey did my speech, and actually brought tears to my eyes. In other words, he did well...
:-)
What blew me away was altho they had done other awards, when it came to be my turn... the whole freaking room with everybody from every office started cheering and clapping loudly. I mean EVERYBODY!! (altho, to be truthful, there may have been a few NOT making noise!) And seriously, I'm not saying that to blow my own horn, I saying it because I was totally blown away by the overwhelming 'loudness' of it all!!! LOL Those poor new students that haven't started yet, were probably looking around to see what all the hoopla was all about!! And it was just little ole me!! WOW!! What a feeling I'm still carrying with me this morning!! Kinda like Sally Fields, when she said "they like me, they really like me!"
Okay, back to the "solvitur ambulando"...
The girls that were buying the terms of service awards had been asking me about amber, where the best place to buy it was, etc. When I received my 'present', and opened it at the table, here was this small, not even 3/4 of an inch pendant on a chain. The front of it had a design... and the back of it had 'solvitur ambulando'. The design has 4 corners blocks and a center block with lines running from each one. Kinda hard to describe it. Looked like, pushing it, a medicine wheel? Okay, so I was disappointed... no amber. :-( And what the hell is inscribed on the back? What is that, the designer's name???
We left right away, as soon as the VERY loud entertainment began, came home, turned up the heat, got my warm fuzzies on, then it was sleepy time.
This morning (I know, make a short story long!), went on the pc, and plugged in the words 'solvitur ambulando'.... translates into "solved by walking". Okay, things are looking up, now it sorta/kinda fits...
And then I came across this site, which in short form says:
Many people picture a hedge maze when they hear the word "labyrinth" but labyrinths used for contemplation are two-dimensional designs that were found on the floors of medieval cathedrals.
“Labyrinths are not mazes and are not intended to trick you,” said Matthew Gabriele, assistant professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and coordinator of Medieval & Renaissance Studies. “Most follow a simple path in which you don't have to make any choices at all.”
“Labyrinths provide the opportunity to walk in meditation or contemplation and they can help to discern life decisions or aid in physical and psychological healing,” said Gabriele.
A quotation ascribed to Saint Augustine, “solvitur ambulando,” portends to the strength of this exercise. The translation: “It is solved by walking.”
Okay, the design on the front of the pendant could conceivably be a labyrinth... "solved by walking". Now I'm not disappointed, actually am thinking the girls did a pretty good job of picking out my term of service gift!! Now I'm thinking it's pretty cool.... once I figured it out!!! LOL Think I'll keep it.... and be grateful that they found something that fits with me!! They must have tripped over it, quite by accident. Can hardly wait to hear the story behind how they found it!!
Cool, eh?
May 30, 2009
Don't ask me how, but I tripped over this site about labyrinths.. and THIS is the design on my necklace. For the life of me I couldn't find it back then, but suddenly (?), here it is!! Just staring off the page at me!!
"Our Reims™ Cathedral Replica™ labyrinth faithfully replicates the original medieval design built in the French cathedral Notre Dame de Reims, Northeast of Paris. ... Built sometime between 1287 and 1311 of white and black marble, the Reims™ labyrinth was created during the height of the medieval labyrinth building period in the thirteenth century. "
How cool is that????!!!
We had our xmas party last night, and jeez, it was freakin cold!! Dave, the dear man, went next door to Denny's and got me hot chocolates, which were then 'refreshed' with a wee dram of irish cream. That did the trick!!
But why I am writing... They were doing "Terms of Service" presentations. Knew I was getting something, because I've done 10 years so far. Harvey did my speech, and actually brought tears to my eyes. In other words, he did well...
:-)
What blew me away was altho they had done other awards, when it came to be my turn... the whole freaking room with everybody from every office started cheering and clapping loudly. I mean EVERYBODY!! (altho, to be truthful, there may have been a few NOT making noise!) And seriously, I'm not saying that to blow my own horn, I saying it because I was totally blown away by the overwhelming 'loudness' of it all!!! LOL Those poor new students that haven't started yet, were probably looking around to see what all the hoopla was all about!! And it was just little ole me!! WOW!! What a feeling I'm still carrying with me this morning!! Kinda like Sally Fields, when she said "they like me, they really like me!"
Okay, back to the "solvitur ambulando"...
The girls that were buying the terms of service awards had been asking me about amber, where the best place to buy it was, etc. When I received my 'present', and opened it at the table, here was this small, not even 3/4 of an inch pendant on a chain. The front of it had a design... and the back of it had 'solvitur ambulando'. The design has 4 corners blocks and a center block with lines running from each one. Kinda hard to describe it. Looked like, pushing it, a medicine wheel? Okay, so I was disappointed... no amber. :-( And what the hell is inscribed on the back? What is that, the designer's name???
We left right away, as soon as the VERY loud entertainment began, came home, turned up the heat, got my warm fuzzies on, then it was sleepy time.
This morning (I know, make a short story long!), went on the pc, and plugged in the words 'solvitur ambulando'.... translates into "solved by walking". Okay, things are looking up, now it sorta/kinda fits...
And then I came across this site, which in short form says:
Many people picture a hedge maze when they hear the word "labyrinth" but labyrinths used for contemplation are two-dimensional designs that were found on the floors of medieval cathedrals.
“Labyrinths are not mazes and are not intended to trick you,” said Matthew Gabriele, assistant professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and coordinator of Medieval & Renaissance Studies. “Most follow a simple path in which you don't have to make any choices at all.”
“Labyrinths provide the opportunity to walk in meditation or contemplation and they can help to discern life decisions or aid in physical and psychological healing,” said Gabriele.
A quotation ascribed to Saint Augustine, “solvitur ambulando,” portends to the strength of this exercise. The translation: “It is solved by walking.”
Okay, the design on the front of the pendant could conceivably be a labyrinth... "solved by walking". Now I'm not disappointed, actually am thinking the girls did a pretty good job of picking out my term of service gift!! Now I'm thinking it's pretty cool.... once I figured it out!!! LOL Think I'll keep it.... and be grateful that they found something that fits with me!! They must have tripped over it, quite by accident. Can hardly wait to hear the story behind how they found it!!
Cool, eh?
May 30, 2009
Don't ask me how, but I tripped over this site about labyrinths.. and THIS is the design on my necklace. For the life of me I couldn't find it back then, but suddenly (?), here it is!! Just staring off the page at me!!
"Our Reims™ Cathedral Replica™ labyrinth faithfully replicates the original medieval design built in the French cathedral Notre Dame de Reims, Northeast of Paris. ... Built sometime between 1287 and 1311 of white and black marble, the Reims™ labyrinth was created during the height of the medieval labyrinth building period in the thirteenth century. "
How cool is that????!!!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Blue Man Group
Wow! It's been sooooo long since I've been here, time to rectify that!!
Summer went by sooooo very quickly. Had a wonderful vacation to Manitoba, of all places! Visited family in Brandon, had a quick lunch with an aunt of mine in Portage, visited friends just north of Winnipeg (had to drive into Winnipeg so that I could take pictures of Portage & Main!), then east to Riding Mountain (Clear Lake), where I actually got back into a kayak (been about 12 or 13 years since I did that!), visted with family again there, then home again. I documented it all on Facebook. Which has been taking alot of my time lately! LOL But what a great place to put ALL my photos, so much easier there than here!
Anyway, went to see Blue Man Group. OMG!! Worth the $57 ticket, would highly recommend people to pay more and get closer. I know we will if they come back this way again! I've seen them on tv, but nothing like being there in person! See if you can check out these couple of vids from Youtube:
Blue Man Group #2 we saw them perform this!
I Feel Love And this one too, but our singer was better! LOL
They went for a solid almost 2 hours. Man, did I have to pee!! But you didn't want to leave and miss something, that's how good they are!!
Anyway, just wanted to rave about these guys, so...
TTFN
Summer went by sooooo very quickly. Had a wonderful vacation to Manitoba, of all places! Visited family in Brandon, had a quick lunch with an aunt of mine in Portage, visited friends just north of Winnipeg (had to drive into Winnipeg so that I could take pictures of Portage & Main!), then east to Riding Mountain (Clear Lake), where I actually got back into a kayak (been about 12 or 13 years since I did that!), visted with family again there, then home again. I documented it all on Facebook. Which has been taking alot of my time lately! LOL But what a great place to put ALL my photos, so much easier there than here!
Anyway, went to see Blue Man Group. OMG!! Worth the $57 ticket, would highly recommend people to pay more and get closer. I know we will if they come back this way again! I've seen them on tv, but nothing like being there in person! See if you can check out these couple of vids from Youtube:
Blue Man Group #2 we saw them perform this!
I Feel Love And this one too, but our singer was better! LOL
They went for a solid almost 2 hours. Man, did I have to pee!! But you didn't want to leave and miss something, that's how good they are!!
Anyway, just wanted to rave about these guys, so...
TTFN
Monday, July 30, 2007
1st day of trip East
Here's the family Motorhome. It's a '79 Dodge, but it's been thoroughly gone thru, and we should be on the road to MB.
So Dave called one of the guys he works with, and Trevor came out to help put the damned belt back on so that we could drive the MH back to town. Nice view of Trev, eh? Sorry, couldn't resist!
This is our hero, right side up!
Dave & his girls - Gracie and me!
Oops! We haven't even gotten as far as Taber, and the MH was making strange noises. Suddenly Dave has no power steering nor BRAKES!! He coasted us to the shoulder of the hwy, and opened this compartment. Not a pretty sight or smell!! The belt (or what's left of the belt!) was actually the a/c belt. And what caused the problems was the power steering belt being off it's pulley. Which was caused by the a/c belt flopping around. Which, it turns out, the actual pulley was broken. (see pics below!)
So Dave called one of the guys he works with, and Trevor came out to help put the damned belt back on so that we could drive the MH back to town. Nice view of Trev, eh? Sorry, couldn't resist!
This is our hero, right side up!
And here's the belt and pulley and the broken pulley!
So we got back home, about an hour and a 1/2 from when we left. Dave is now out running around to see if he can find another pulley for the a/c.
But get this - This is actually the 2nd thing that happened. On Saturday morning, just after 9 a.m., I was leaning sideways on the couch. I coughed. And *SNAP* went my back. Jeez!! Sunday it was better, and today is a wee bit better.
Crap! Hope there isn't a No. 3 ahead for us!!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Been too long!
Egads! Been waaaaay too long! It's just that it's been so VERY busy, and so VERY hot, and really, it's just "life" happening, so not much to write about.
However, I had to write about this one!! Took my Gracie girl to the vet yesterday. She's 3 now. And with the heat we've been having, neither she nor I have really been doing any exercising. So everything is all good with her. Shots are now updated. Even had her checked for Heartworm (why is it the blood test comes back in 5 minutes at the vet, but for humans it takes 3 days? Things that make you go "Hmmmm....")
Anyway, she was SOOOOOO well behaved!!! She embarrassed me last year, acting like a spoiled child. But this year, she acted like a lady. Sat on the scale thingy they have when I told her to, AND stayed sitting there! Hot damn!
But get this, and this was why I HAD to write.... she weighs in at 48 kg. When you translate that into poundage... she weighs in at 105.6 POUNDS!!! 105.6 POUNDS!! Good Lord! And not overweight either. And once the weather smartens up, and we get walking again, she may get even heavier - 'cause muscle weighs more than fat. So I figure, if I lose my extra 10 pounds, there won't be much difference in our weight!! LOL
Egads! Been waaaaay too long!
However, I had to write about this one!! Took my Gracie girl to the vet yesterday. She's 3 now. And with the heat we've been having, neither she nor I have really been doing any exercising. So everything is all good with her. Shots are now updated. Even had her checked for Heartworm (why is it the blood test comes back in 5 minutes at the vet, but for humans it takes 3 days? Things that make you go "Hmmmm....")
Anyway, she was SOOOOOO well behaved!!! She embarrassed me last year, acting like a spoiled child. But this year, she acted like a lady. Sat on the scale thingy they have when I told her to, AND stayed sitting there! Hot damn!
But get this, and this was why I HAD to write.... she weighs in at 48 kg. When you translate that into poundage... she weighs in at 105.6 POUNDS!!! 105.6 POUNDS!! Good Lord! And not overweight either. And once the weather smartens up, and we get walking again, she may get even heavier - 'cause muscle weighs more than fat. So I figure, if I lose my extra 10 pounds, there won't be much difference in our weight!! LOL
Egads! Been waaaaay too long!
Friday, June 08, 2007
Colin update
Well, since I dropped off Colin on the side of the road last Saturday, I hadn't heard a thing all week from him!! I even emailed his friend in Vancouver to see if she had heard from him - nadda. AHA! But when I got home from work/plant shopping last night, the answering machine was flashing. Whew, when I checked it, it was Colin leaving a message...
"Hey Cynthia, it's Colin. Just calling to say I'm okay and all that kind of jazz. And I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye, bye."
Well, he's alive, that's a good thing! And he sounded "okay", and that's a good thing! And he hasn't written me out of his life, that's a really good thing! So maybe, if I can keep the lines of communication open... crossing my fingers!
TTFN
"Hey Cynthia, it's Colin. Just calling to say I'm okay and all that kind of jazz. And I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye, bye."
Well, he's alive, that's a good thing! And he sounded "okay", and that's a good thing! And he hasn't written me out of his life, that's a really good thing! So maybe, if I can keep the lines of communication open... crossing my fingers!
TTFN
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
My WIsh - Rascal Flats
I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,
But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.
I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.
But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.
This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big
Again, wish you could hear the song, but suffice it to say, the lyrics are great - I think I may have to go buy this CD!!
Sunday, June 03, 2007
My "new" van!!
Dave & I have been looking at getting me a van. Well, Dave more than I. He called me on Tuesday night, before he left work, like he always does. (Do I need or want anything on his way home?) Anyway, he phones me 5 minutes later, telling me to get ready, he's picking me up to see 3 vans!! One was a Chev, another a Dodge, and a Ford. All around the same price. But dollar for dollar, the Ford came out ahead. Less kilometers, and pretty much fully loaded. The only drawback? It's freaking CANDY APPLE RED!!! OMG!! RED!!!!
It's FREAKIN RED!!! (oh ya, I said that already!) But at least it has a gray interior. And it handles very nicely on the highway, and in town. So I've gone from a white 1992 Grand Prix, to a very bright red 2001 Ford Windstar. But at least I can load my camping gear in the back, or even sleep in it if I have to. (Which I did numerous times in my Ford Areostar) Great for the kids, the dog, for grocery shopping, for road trips. And I'm sure it will grow on me.... LOL
TTFN
ps - the stupid wide exhaust is now gone, that was kinda dumb looking!!
It's FREAKIN RED!!! (oh ya, I said that already!) But at least it has a gray interior. And it handles very nicely on the highway, and in town. So I've gone from a white 1992 Grand Prix, to a very bright red 2001 Ford Windstar. But at least I can load my camping gear in the back, or even sleep in it if I have to. (Which I did numerous times in my Ford Areostar) Great for the kids, the dog, for grocery shopping, for road trips. And I'm sure it will grow on me.... LOL
TTFN
ps - the stupid wide exhaust is now gone, that was kinda dumb looking!!
Paddy's Grad!!
This is Paddy & me when we first got into town. At his Dad's GF's house, which we aren't allowed to go into. Go figure. So we had to do our greetings and give him his gifts outside. I'm sure the neighbors thought that a bit strange!! LOL (Oh, and it SNOWED the day before - they even had a snow day from school! So there may be pics of snow on the ground - 5 months after Christmas!)
I ended up taking back Paddy's camera, the Sony, because they don't use a generic memory card, it HAS to be Sony's. Got this one instead (I also took Chris' back, because the darling bought himself a camera before he went to Kelowna on the May long weekend!) The new one is a Canon - you can't go wrong with that brand!!
So here is Patrick opening his Grad gift - he opened it from the back side, and he was thinking maybe it was something to do with computers... had him confused until he turned it over, and MAN, HE LOVES IT!!! Oooeeeee!!! I did good, yup, yup, yup!! :-)
So good that I even got a BIG squishy hug out of the deal!!
This is Patrick & one of his buddies - David.
And his friends, David, Adam, Patrick, Jeff.
This was Patrick at the dinner, doing the Prominade. I'm not even sure if he knew these girls!! LOL Of course, being a mom, I had to stop them as they were winding their way among the tables and take a picture of my baby with a girl on either arm!!
Then I got the girls to each kiss him on the cheek. Poor kid! I think I may have embarrassed him. But that's MY job!! (and I do it well, if I do say so myself!) But the girls were up for it, as you can see by the photo. Good on them!!
And Chris came to the dinner too! I'm really glad he did!! (it did take some talking him into, but he came!) 
And the last shot - a picture of my two sons. All growed up. Where did the time go??TTFN
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Almost Grad time!
I know you can't see it clearly, but on the back of Paddy's dog tag it says:
I'm proud
of you
Love, Mom
Grad
2007
and the front says:
P
A
T
R
I
C
K
in a special font. And it lines up better than what I have done! All nicely in an angle across the front.
As for the cameras - spoke to Chris last Thursday before he headed off to Kelowna for the long weekend with his buds. Damned child! He bought himself a camera for the trip!! Well, there goes his grad gift!! I told him what I had bought for him and his brother, turns out if you buy a Sony camera, you have to buy Sony memory cards. Sheesh. He told me I could take his back, and I could consider it a gift for Mother's Day (which, by the way, my kids DIDN'T forget about!)
So last Saturday, back to Future Shop I went. Returned Chris's camera, and exchanged Patricks for a Canon. It was a bit more money, but turned out to be exactly what I had paid for Chris's watch 3 yrs ago. Altho, I had also bought Patrick the dog tag - he needed something engraved to mark the occasion!! LOL
So today I have taken off from work, getting ready for the big trip. Going to head up to Calgary tonight when Dave gets off work, and stay at D&D's place. Did you hear that Calgary (and north) is getting LOTS of snow today?????!!!! Then Friday, we only have the last hour and a half to travel to get to RD. Which should give us time to see Paddy before his ceremony! Chris has to work until 5, so once we've done the daytime grad stuff, guess we'll go settle into a hotel. Somewhere. Cheap. Which is something else I have to do today - BOOK A CHEAP ROOM!!
Chris did offer us to stay at his place, there is another single bed there, and he said that I could sleep on the floor, since I don't mind doing that! LOL I thanked him nicely, and politely declined. Okay, so I laughed out loud, and told him thanks, but no thanks!!
Then the dinner. If it is anything like it was 3 years ago, it will be soooooo much fun. NOT!! Their father sat on one side of the round table with his other family, and me and the kids and Dave sat on the other side. Not much conversation between sides. ~shudder~ Oh well, this will be the last time we will be forced to sit together, so I'll grit my teeth and suck it up.
After that, Patrick will be hanging with his buds, I'm sure. So we can beat a hasty retreat, maybe do something with Chris, or not. After all, it will be a Friday nite, so I'm sure he'll have plans with his buds too.
Hopefully we'll be able to hook up with the boys on Saturday morning, hang out for awhile, then back to Calgary for supper to have 'real' visit with D&D. That way they won't feel that we just used them for the bed only on Thursday nite!
LOL
And I may have to bring Gracie with us too, but only as far as Calgary. Deb is willing to look after her until we get back. But that's another story, for another time.
Until later....
I'm proud
of you
Love, Mom
Grad
2007
and the front says:
P
A
T
R
I
C
K
in a special font. And it lines up better than what I have done! All nicely in an angle across the front.
As for the cameras - spoke to Chris last Thursday before he headed off to Kelowna for the long weekend with his buds. Damned child! He bought himself a camera for the trip!! Well, there goes his grad gift!! I told him what I had bought for him and his brother, turns out if you buy a Sony camera, you have to buy Sony memory cards. Sheesh. He told me I could take his back, and I could consider it a gift for Mother's Day (which, by the way, my kids DIDN'T forget about!)
So last Saturday, back to Future Shop I went. Returned Chris's camera, and exchanged Patricks for a Canon. It was a bit more money, but turned out to be exactly what I had paid for Chris's watch 3 yrs ago. Altho, I had also bought Patrick the dog tag - he needed something engraved to mark the occasion!! LOL
So today I have taken off from work, getting ready for the big trip. Going to head up to Calgary tonight when Dave gets off work, and stay at D&D's place. Did you hear that Calgary (and north) is getting LOTS of snow today?????!!!! Then Friday, we only have the last hour and a half to travel to get to RD. Which should give us time to see Paddy before his ceremony! Chris has to work until 5, so once we've done the daytime grad stuff, guess we'll go settle into a hotel. Somewhere. Cheap. Which is something else I have to do today - BOOK A CHEAP ROOM!!
Chris did offer us to stay at his place, there is another single bed there, and he said that I could sleep on the floor, since I don't mind doing that! LOL I thanked him nicely, and politely declined. Okay, so I laughed out loud, and told him thanks, but no thanks!!
Then the dinner. If it is anything like it was 3 years ago, it will be soooooo much fun. NOT!! Their father sat on one side of the round table with his other family, and me and the kids and Dave sat on the other side. Not much conversation between sides. ~shudder~ Oh well, this will be the last time we will be forced to sit together, so I'll grit my teeth and suck it up.
After that, Patrick will be hanging with his buds, I'm sure. So we can beat a hasty retreat, maybe do something with Chris, or not. After all, it will be a Friday nite, so I'm sure he'll have plans with his buds too.
Hopefully we'll be able to hook up with the boys on Saturday morning, hang out for awhile, then back to Calgary for supper to have 'real' visit with D&D. That way they won't feel that we just used them for the bed only on Thursday nite!
LOL
And I may have to bring Gracie with us too, but only as far as Calgary. Deb is willing to look after her until we get back. But that's another story, for another time.
Until later....
Monday, May 21, 2007
gazebos
http://terraefinis.org/gw16/index.htmlThis is one of many pics of medieval "tents" from this Gulf Wars website that my friend Shari shared with me. Not so crazy about the "picture" on the side of it, but..... I found the one below, new, at a store, which looks pretty much the same thing to me - I know, it's hard to tell, but it DOES have the striped arms also, so I'm thinking the one above was like the one below. Make sense?
The one directly above this writing is the latest one I bought. The first ones I bought, 9x9, has a TON of poles, haven't had a chance to set them up yet, but I'm thinking its gonna be ALOT of work!! But the 10x10 Pop-up Gazebo that I bought yesterday is soooooo simple to take down - which we had to do at the store, 'cause it was the only one left!!! So I'm thinking it will be even easier to put up!!
My plan is to decorate these gazebos up - first I will have to take them out of the box and set up at least one - to see how possible it will be to add "walls", maybe scalloped edges around the top edges. Summertime project, out in the back yard! I can just see them on my front yard, hiding "modern" tents my sons or other guests could use. And I'm thinking that they would be great to take camping too!! Either for a kitchen area, or to put my own tent under!! When I bought the first ones in the middle of April, I meant to get two green ones. As I'm putting them in my car, I see that I have one green striped one, and one blue striped one. Crap!! Thought about taking the one back in, but it was cold and blustery. And the darn things aren't that lightweight either! So I made a snap decision to keep them both, just decorate them individually, instead of the same.
http://terraefinis.org/gw16/gw16-Pages/Image213.html
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