Boxing day,..... Sell sell sell.... Buy buy buy......!!!!!! I find this to be such a sad tradition. My son in law works at Best Buy and he had to work today. The sales were expected to be a million dollars just for his local store a lone. Good for the company but I am sad to say not for the consumer. People are spending money they don't have....... I remember a time when stores were closed on Christmas day and boxing day. Even gas stations were closed. Folks had to plan ahead. It was a mad dash to get to the bank, grocery store and gas station to stock up for 2 whole days while every thing shut down. We all survived. It was great just to slow down and spend time with family and friends. Not any more! Stores are open even on Christmas day and the boxing day sales are getting far too carried away. It's all about the money.... Even the Christian book stores stay open just in case they can make that last minute sale. How sad. People are known to line up at 2 in the morning just to be first in line to get the fantastic boxing day sale. That 37 inch flat screen TV that they just can't live without. I think they must be crazy. You would not catch me waiting in line in minus below freezing in the wee hours just to get my hands on any electronic device for any good deal. I do not get it. Some how people have lost the whole meaning of this Christmas tradition. It's not about the money and the gifts and the spending. What would bring me great joy during this holiday season would be to give and serve others less fortunate than I. Next year I want to go and put on a turkey dinner for people who are truly without. I have an aunt who does this every Christmas. Her and her hubby go out on the streets on Christmas day and give out food to the street people. That is my goal.

Okay, aside from my feelings on boxing day and the crazy retail biz , I want you all to know that I did survive Christmas with my ex. What was especially sweet was that my son was right by my side at all times. Him and his gorgeous wife were my champions. They never left me for a minute. And My Abby was so lovely. What was so sweet was during dinner she said out of the blue " I love you Gramma" It did my heart good and is what I needed to hear. So yay, it's over and I survived and I know that my babies love me and it's all good. Happy holidays to everyone and a wonderful wish for the best in the new year. Above is my to little grandbabies. They are so sweet are they not!

Happy birthday to my sweetie pie. Abby is 3 today. Love that little girl. My how time flies when you're having fun. I can't believe she is already 3. It seems like only yesterday that her daddy was 3 and I was taking him for walks and kissing his boo boos. I think back 3 years ago when Abby was born and I feel bad for my daughter inlaw. Abby was born exactly one week before Christmas and Jen and Jordan brought our sweetness out to family christmas dinner. She must have felt so overwhelmed with a new born and adjusting to a new baby(first one). Sorry Jen if we freaked you out. I remember what it was like to have a new born (the first) and being so upset going to dinner with family and friends. Everything was so new. I am so grateful for our little girl. Thank you Jen and Jordan for Abby.. She is such a joy and delight to our family. Anyway, like I said time truly does fly when you're having fun. Happy birthday Abby darlin. Gramma loves you so much!

I know I have not been around much. I just don't seem to know what to post about. Then I thought , why not post about my beautiful little grand babies. They are truly my joy and what keeps me going. In fact all my kids(inlaws included) keep me going. Some days it is hard, but when I see my kids and granddaughters all is right with the world. Christmas is only a week away and I approach it with much anxiety. This year I have been invited to my daughters for Christmas. She is so excited about hosting Christmas at her home this year( for the first time). She has also invited her dad to join us(my ex) and his new wife and new family. This will be a first. I don't know how the day will play out. I pray that it will all go smooth. There has been a lot of hurt that has come from this divorce. Hurt mostly on my part, so I don't know how it will be. I hope it will not be too stressful. If I feel too overwhelmed I will just have to excuse myself and quietly withdraw. My kids do have a right to be with their dad too. So we will see what happens. Are my grand babies cute or what. I adore them.

Abby will be 3 in a few days and Jo will be 3 months on Christmas day. What sweet granddaughters I have.

My blogger friend Wanda has started me thinking about nativity scenes. I recently viewed her show case of unique sets. She has very beautiful ones. I have 2 sets. One from Mexico that a client of mine gave me over 17 years ago , made of rustic plaster. Very small and important just the same. The other set is one that I have been collecting since 1988. It is a set made by the Fontanini family from Italy. My ex mother in law started me on this set by giving me Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. The beauty of this set is you can add a figurine when ever. Each one is sold separately, with a gift card that has a brief story about the charachter. My family has been giving me a figurine or 2 every year since 1988. I have a total of 50 figurines to my set and counting. The Fontanini family have been in business since 1908. Today Fonatnini Heirloom Nativities are acclaimed for their life-like sculpting, painstaking painting by hand and meticulous detailing. You may remember seeing the virgin Mary featured in the Mr. Bean Christmas special. When Mr. Bean is in the department store with the toy chopper..... If not familiar with that scene then forgive me for ranting. I love the fact that Fontanini is a family business that has passed on the traditions from generation to generation. I have continued on my own tradition by starting my daughter and sister on sets of their own. It's fun to see what figurine is added each year on Christmas morning. My sister has also started her sister in law on this Fontanini journey. The other nice feature about the Fontanini collection is that the figurines are not breakable, so my grandchildren can touch and experience the nativity hands on. Each year if I don't put out any other Christmas decoration, at least you can be sure that my Fontanini nativity set will be set out. It makes me happy.

I am so excited. Our home team (football) won the ultimate prestigious trophy for all of Canada.The Grey Cup. It has been 18 years since our team won the last one. Last night it was their turn. Today they returned home to a chilly temp of minus 20. Of course we have to factor in the wind chill. With that it felt like minus 34. Can you say Brrrrrrrrrrr! Even with the frigid temp our team came home to waiting fans all bundled up. How can you tell we have the best fans of all. When you show up to greet our team in minus 34 weather (outside) and show our love and gratitude for winning the trophy for us. It was amazing. Last night after the game people were out in the streets in the cold and snow cheering till all hours. I went to bed around ten and still heard car horns and people yelling wee into the early hours. It was a great time. Great job Saskatchewan Rough riders. It truly was your turn to win. Yahhhhhhooooooo!!!!!

You know how some parents live their lives vicariously through their kids! Well I am living my life through my folks.

Here are my beloved parents enjoying themselves in Texas, on the gulf of Mexico. I miss them very much ,but I am so happy that they are able to travel and experience new and different things. The positive side is that they skip the cold Saskatchewan winter. Mom has been swimming in the ocean, and dad( who does not like water too much, unless it is a hot tub.) has become a beach bum. When my parents broke the news to my siblings and I that they were going to sell the house, buy a fifth wheel trailer and truck and head to warmer climates, I have to admit that I was a bit anxious. Okay a lot anxious. I call it separation anxiety. After a few weeks I finally had to come to terms that I would have to cut those apron strings and give my parents their independence. It has been an adjustment but things are okay. I am so happy for them. They deserve to be enjoying life. They have worked so hard and put many dollars towards the government pension. It's about time they cashed in. Good for you momma and daddy. I miss you so much but am so happy for you and love seeing the

photos. Like I said I am living my life through my parents.

Shame, Shame, Shame! Someone has been caught with egg on the face!





This week my manager was caught in an embarrassing situation. She made a racial comment to one of my co workers. The thing is that this comment was made in front of not only my co-worker, but in front of many more. I was witness to this racial slur. I could not believe what I had heard. When my co-worker stood up for himself and put my, our manager in her place, she began to apologize. By then it was too late. The damage had been done. She then tried to explain to the rest of the group that what she had said was wrong and she should not have said what she said. So now my manager is left to eat crow so to speak. I feel so bad for my co-worker. He was not only slandered by harsh, racial words, but he was told so in front of many of his peers. I'm sure he must have felt very small. This is not the first time that my manager has made staff feel small and doubt their self worth. She has made me feel insignificant a time or two in my time working for her. I really hope that this does not continue. I hope that she will be stopped once and for all for what she tries to pull. Our policy at work is zero tolerance to harassment of any kind. I hope my manager will be put in her place once and for all. Enough is enough already. Harassment is harassment whether it is in jest or not. My manager did send out an apology saying that she was only joking and that she should not have said what she did. But like I said the damage has been done. Words hurt!

Today I spent a couple hours with my granddaughter Abby and her baby sister Jo. While Jo slept, Abby and I played a world of make believe. She told me stories about " Once upon a time there was this little girl named Athena and Poppa and gramma and Athena colored on the walls and gramma cried and ..... ..I found it so cute. Some of this may have happened. Like perhaps Athena did color on the walls but I don't know if gramma cried or not. ( she meant her other gramma). Abby has lots of grammas. I just found it so lovely to hear my little granddaughter tell me stories. We also pretended to go on a trip to visit Athena. We got in our make believe car , put on our seat belts, and set off on our trip with map in hand( that Abby had made prior to our trip) and gifts to give . The gifts were chocolate and shoes. Flip flops( Dora ones) and all her idea. Of course all women love chocolate and shoes. Along the way we saw many things . Elephants , Tigers and Wombats. We had to honk the horn to warn the animals to move out of our way. It was so good to play make believe with Abby. At first she thought that her gramma was kinda strange when I said come on Abby get in the car and drive. The car was the couch and we had a pretend steering wheel and made sure we buckled up. She was shy at first and then she totally got into the whole pretend trip. I enjoyed playing make believe with her. I hope she had fun too. Then baby Jo woke up and needed to be changed and then needed her mommy to feed her. But it was fun while it lasted.

And another one falls!

Today we were informed of another RCMP officer that was shot and killed in the line of duty. This is the 2nd one in less than a month. Over the last 2 years that makes 8. This young constable that was killed last night was only 20 years old. He just graduated from training 6 months ago. How very sad! I know it touches those of us who work for the RCMP, but I can not even imagine the horrible sadness it is for those family members who are left behind. I do know that it affects the cadets who are going through training right now. It does fill them full of fear! It makes them stop and think about what they are doing here. I try to encourage the troops as they pass through our facilities. I tell them I am so proud of them and I tell they that they are so needed. Training to become an RCMP officer is very strict and brutal at times. There are many that pack it in part way through training because they can't cut it. So it is very sad to hear that a cadet makes it through training only to be killed 6 months into his career as a police officer. This coming up weekend is "Remembrance Day" here in Canada. It is a time we remember the lives that have been lost in the wars, and those veterans still alive who fought, and those who still fight. I also take it one step further and think of all those who fight the good fight every day keeping us safe from crime. I REMEMBER!

Well momma and daddy hooked up their home on wheels to their big red truck and took off down the highway heading south. They have officially become Canadian geese. Or snow birds as many call them. Corpus Christi Texas is the destination of choice. Near the sand and surf. They are now dipping their toes in the warm sandy waters as I speak. I am so jealous. I say good for mom and pop for being able to take on this adventure in their golden years. They so deserve it. I am happy cuz they are able to do this, but sad cuz I won't see them for 6 whole months. Come spring , like the geese, they will fly north for the summer. I am not only longing for spring , but also seeing the folks again. I am thankful once again for the internet (instant messaging). I can keep in touch with them daily.

Down but not out.



After a week of being out of the internet loop I am back. I have not had internet for a week and boy have I missed it. I will now get back to catching up on all my freinds posts. Hope all is well with everyone. Glad to be back in the loop. Oh how we come to depend on things instant.

PLAY DOH AND DORA CARDS! Does this sound like fun? It was to me! I played with my grand baby Abby for hours today with play doh and then with Dora cards. I was educated on the characters of Dora the Explorer. Benny the Bull is not Benny the cow as I called it. I asked Abby who the cow was and she said " Benny" I said "Oh Benny the cow" and she said "No Benny the bull" Of course it would be Benny the Bull. I am so out of the loop. I must get with it as far as Dora the Explorer goes. Come on Gramma keep up, get with the program. I had a great time with Abby today. What fun with the brilliant Dr. Abby. She did tell me what the longest bone in the body was. I am so glad cuz I did not know. I don't know if you all know this, but my
Abby girl is brilliant. I can brag cuz I am Gramma.

Twinkle Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. I was reminded of this little tune as I sat watching the night sky. Last night it was so clear and the stars shone beautifully. When I was a little girl I remember sitting in the back seat of my families car going home from somewhere, late at night. As a wee little one I was only big enough to see up into the sky from the window where I sat. The sky was so clear and gorgeous. I do recall singing the song Twinkle Twinkle little star. As a very young child I thought this to be so amazing . Amazing because the night sky was so much bigger than I. It was so vast and went on forever. As I sat the other night with my memories, another recent memory came to mind. Last time I looked after my sweet granddaughter Abby, she was singing that very song. I hope that she will soon be able to truly look up in the great big sky and see all the beautiful diamonds.

I had a fantastic thanksgiving weekend. ( I agree with one of the other Canadian bloggers, when they said the US Thanksgiving is way too close to Christmas) Our thanksgiving in Canada is a perfect time to be thankful. So as far as my weekend goes.. it was a fantastic weekend. It started with my kids being away for the weekend ..... That is not happy.... It was a fact. They were not in the city to celebrate with me. So me, mom and dad planned to just go out for Chinese on Sunday lunch after church. Early Sunday morn we got the invite to go for Turkey lunch at a great friend of families place. Even though I had my taste buds set on the Chinese dinner, it was so nice to get together with friends instead. Later that same afternoon we went to sisters house for coffee and pumpkin pie. We ended up staying on through dinner time and was invited to stay for turkey left overs. It was not intentional. It just happened that way. It was such a nice time. Then today my daughter called me up and invited me over for a visit . I ended up staying all afternoon and watched a show called " The IT Crowd" I thought it was a very funny show. Had a real giggle. We then went for Chinese food with mom and dad and Tiff and Brian( favorite daughter and son in law) okay only daughter and only son in law. I must say it was a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Instead of sitting in my apartment staring at the walls all day( cuz kids were away) I had a great time being out with family and friends. I enjoyed it very much. So hey, US, how about changing your Thanksgiving day so it is not so close to Christmas. ;)

By the way the above photo is of my granddaughter Abby playing in the leaves last fall.

Thanksgiving in Canada




I am thankful for many things. My family. Mom and dad for all the love and support they have to give. My children, and granddaughters , they are my light and joy. They light up my life. I'm thankful for my sister . I adore her and she is such an encouragment to me. My nephews (all 5 of them) who make me laugh always. My brother inlaw who is an example of one who is an amazing dad to his sons and loves God with all his heart, and he shows it regularly. My brother who has a wonderful sense of humour and also loves God. My sister inlaw who is an amazing hostess and has a gift of hospitality. She takes such great care of my brother and her boys. I am so very blessed to have such a wonderful family and I never take them for granted. I love them all so much, I am truly thankful for them all.

More photos courtesy of Jen and Jordan. Love the little baby and her sister.

Okay I just have to post some clearer photos of my liitle grand baby. ( courtesy of Jen and Jordan) So here she is. My little lovey and her fantastic big sister. ( her mommy too) xoxoxox

She's Here, she's finally here! Josephine Lauren arrived at 1:53 am. Sept. 25 2007. Almost 2 weeks overdue according to Doctors calculations. Right on time according to Josephine. She weighed 8lbs 10 1/2 oz. I got a call to go look after Abby just before 1:00 am. I hurried over and my son and daughter inlaw left for the hospital. From the time they arrived at the hospital, got registered and in a room there was only 13 minutes to spare. Jen was fully dialated and ready to push. I was just getting myself settled in for the night when the phone rang a few minutes past 2:00 am. It was Jordan saying "mom she is here". I thought I was dreaming. I said "but you just left here"! Talk about cutting it close. If they had waited any longer to call me, Jordan would have had to be the doctor and deliver his daughter at home or in the car. Whew! All is well. Mom and baby are doing fine. I am now a grandma to 2 beautiful girls. I'm so happy and proud. I got to go to the hospital this afternoon to see her and hold her. She is adorable. Lots of dark hair like her sister had. Jen gets to come home from the hospital in the morning already. Gone are the days when we had to stay for a week straight( when my kids were born). I'm tired tonight as I did not sleep much. That's okay. I had more sleep than my son and daughter inlaw got. I can catch up easy. Not so easy for parents of a new born. I'm so happy that I got to go look after Abby during this time. It was so lovely spending time with her. She is going to make a very wonderful big sister.

The Bathtub Test It doesn't hurt to take a hard look at yourself from time to time, and this should help get you started. During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized. "Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub." "Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup." "No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window" DID YOU PASS, OR DO YOU WANT THE BED NEXT TO MINE?

Well my new baby granddaughter is due any time now. Her actual due date is not til the 13th of Sept. but she could arrive any time. I am so excited to meet her. My other grand baby Abby is also looking forward to meeting her new sister. Her mommy and daddy are too. I have been asked to be the middle of the night call to come look after Abby if Jen should go into labour. I said (without hesitation) of course! So I will be waiting by my phone expectantly. I may be sleeping but I will still have one ear to the phone. Can't wait.

Girls night out. It was a very nice time. 6 of us met at my sisters house tonight for a girls movie night. We watched "Dream Girls" A total chick flick. My sister has three boys and (since they were away for the weekend ) it was nice to watch no boys allowed. In attendance was Carla who is the wife of our youth pastor, and mommy of little one year old Memphis. Sarah, wife of our senior pastor and mommy to 10 month old Joshua. Pam and great friend and mommy to 2 teenage children. Tiffany, wife of Brian, and wonderful daughter to Moi. Sister Peggy, mommy to 3 teenage boys and wife of Ken.( great brother in law) and then me. Invited was my sweet daughter in law( who is due to give birth soon). She declined, understandably. Maybe next time she will be able to join us.We had snacks of nachos and diet coke, and enjoyed a great movie. It was decided that we need to do this more often. Not just when sisters boys are away. We need to make this a tradition. It was a very much needed event. After the movie we just stayed around and visited. I think we will make this a common tradition. It's so good to get together.

Does anyone know who this is? I was a young girl when I saw him on screen for the first time. For anyone too young to know, this is Topogigo. He is a Spanish mouse. I saw him at the movies when I was maybe 6 or 7. I can't even remember if it was a film about him or if I went to see another movie and Topogigo was the pre movie filler. I think I can recall him on the Ed Sullivan show. Maybe Ed's mousy sidekick?? I did not watch too much T.V. as a child so I'm not sure. But the mouse does stand out to me. I don't know what sparked this childhood memory. Maybe it is because we have mice at work and I don't like mice. I do however like Topogigo. Not so scary. He was a cute mouse. Not so much fur and was quite charming. So I ask again. Does anyone remember this mouse? Please say yes and help me feel not so old.

A TRIP TO WALMART

You are in the middle of some kind of project around the house. Mowing the lawn, putting a new fence in, painting the living room, or whatever. You are hot and sweaty. Covered in dirt or paint. You have your old work clothes on. You know the outfit, shorts with the hole in crotch, old t-shirt with a stain from who knows what, and an old pair of tennis shoes. Right in the middle of this great home improvement project you realize you need to run to Wal-Mart to get something to help complete the job. Depending on your age you might do the following.

In your 20's: Stop what you are doing. Shave, take a shower, blow dry your hair, brush your teeth, floss, and put on clean clothes. Check yourself in the mirror and flex. Add a dab of your favorite cologne because you never know, you just might meet some hot chick while standing in the checkout lane. You went to school with the pretty girl running the register.

In your 30's: Stop what you are doing, put on clean shorts and shirt. Change shoes. You married the hot chick so no need for much else. Wash your hands and comb your hair. Check yourself in the mirror. Still got it. Add a shot of your favorite cologne to cover the smell. The cute girl running the register is the kid sister to someone you went to school with.

In your 40's: Stop what you are doing. Put a sweatshirt that is long enough to cover the hole in the crotch of your shorts. Put on different shoes and a hat. Wash your hands. Your bottle of Brute Cologne is almost empty so you don't want to waste any of it on a trip to Wal-Mart. Check yourself in the mirror and do more sucking in than flexing. The spicy young thing running the register is your daughter's age and you feel weird thinking she is spicy.

In your 50's: Stop what you are doing. Put a hat on, wipe the dirt off your hands onto your shirt. Change shoes because you don't want to get dirt in your new sports car. Check yourself in the mirror and you swear not to wear that shirt anymore because it makes you look fat. The cutie running the register smiles when she sees you coming and you think you still have it. Then you remember the hat you have on is from your buddy's bait shop and it says, "I Got Worms".

In your 60's: Stop what you are doing. No need for a hat anymore. Hose off the dog crap off your shoes. The mirror was shattered when you were in your 50's. You hope you have underwear on so nothing hangs out the hole in your pants. The girl running the register may be cute but you don't have your glasses on so you are not sure.

In your 70's: Stop what you are doing. Wait to go to Wal-Mart until they have your prescriptions ready too. Don't' even notice the dog crap on your shoes. The young thing at the register smiles at you because you remind her of her grandfather.

In your 80's: Stop what you are doing. Start again. Then stop again. Now you remember that you needed to go to Wal-Mart. Go to Wal-Mart and wander around trying to think what it is you are looking for. Fart out loud and you think someone called out your name. The old lady that greeted you at the front door went to school with you.

In your 90's: Stop what you are doing. Stay home.

You know it's hot in Canada When you see sights like this. My cousin sent this to me. I thought it was so great.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert. After they got their tent all set up, the men fell sound asleep. Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, "Kemo Sabe, look towards sky; what you see?" The Lone Ranger replies, "I see millions of stars." "What that tell you?" asked Tonto. The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says,"Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, the Lord is all powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What's it tell you, Tonto?" "You dumber than buffalo shit. Someone stole tent."

Man it's hot. I'm not complaining! It is just so hot. Even at 9:30 at night, the air is so hot and humid. Plus 30 Celsius. I do love summer. I am experiencing so much stress at work that I have been forced to take a stress leave. Yesterday I went with my mom and granny to the valley . (Granny is visiting from B.C) www.dallasvalley.com where dad is cooking for summer campers. He invited us out for a turkey dinner during the lunch time. I enjoyed it very much. It was so peaceful to just sit and look out at God's creation. It was hot but there was a nice breeze blowing so it was not unbearable. The time away from work was so what I needed to forget about the strife and focus on the beauty surrounding me. I am thankful for the time I was able to spend out in nature and enjoy the beautiful landscape and summer weather. It made me forget the strife at work. I must say it was wonderful.

Two doctors opened an office in a small town and put up a sign reading"Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones, Psychiatry and Proctology."The town council was not happy with the sign, so the doctors changed it to"Hysterias and Posteriors."
This was not acceptable either, so in an effort to satisfy the council they changed the sign to"Schizoids and Hemorrhoids."No go.
Next, they tried"Catatonics and High Colonics."Thumbs down again.
Then came"Manic Depressives and Anal Retentives."Still not good.
Another attempt resulted in"Minds and Behinds."Unacceptable again.
"Analysis and Anal Cysts?"Nope.
"Nuts and Butts?"Uh uh.
"Freaks and Cheeks?"Still no go.
"Loons and Moons?"Forget it.
Almost at their wit's end, the doctors finally came up with:" Dr Smith and Dr. Jones, Odds and Ends."

And the town loved it.

Tonight I sat out on my balcony enjoying the gorgeous summer night. I looked in the blue sky and caught a glimpse of a bird soaring over head. For one brief moment I wished that I was a bird. Oh to fly free with out a care. What would that be like? To have wings to just fly away from all the cares of the world. The wind catching my wings and lifting me high above the clouds, up towards the heavens. In the middle of my day dream, my eye caught sight of a fluttering moth. One that I am familiar with as it has been twitting from leaf to leaf on my tree outside for days now. It doesn't appear to know where it's going. It flies between leaves softly touching down , then off it goes in an instant. I think the moth is lost, trying to find a place to land. I relate more to the moth than the bird soaring. In my heart I know the answer. I know how to become a soaring bird and not a fluttering moth. It's just the journey that I find so difficult.

For weeks now the TV has been advertising this great music concert , with fantastic music stars, to promote our world in crisis. Al Gore is at the fore front of it. A great cause this going green. But has no one else asked the question on how much energy it takes to put all the music stars together? How much power does it take to plug in the sound systems, guitars, microphones..... and for all these places all over the

world. And not to mention the media coverage it will receive. As I sat watching yet another plug on TV for this " SOS" "Live Earth concert" I could not help but think about all this! I see

other ads coming forth telling us to save energy by changing our light bulbs, and recycling, and driving environmentally friendly cars, or taking the bus, and Go green world. I mean really. So this message that Gore is trying to get across is a great one, I feel he is going about all wrong.With all these concerts all across the world you and I know that energy is not being saved one bit. Am I the only one to think about this? Am I totally out to lunch here thinking that all this effort and energy is so not the right way to grab peoples attention? I find it so much an opposite of what the world( Al Gore ) is trying to prove. I'm all in favor of going green. There has to be a better ,more energy efficient way to getting that message across.

I'm just busting a gut right now. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I just heard the news tonight. It was a report on Al Gores son being arrested for the possession of drugs and other substances. That was too bad. That's not what I'm laughing at. For anyone who does not know who Al Gore is, he is the ex Us vice president and is now on a campaign against global warming. A very good cause! The news report that made me laugh was, "Al Gores son was arrested on the possession of drugs , but he was driving a hybrid, environmentally friendly vehicle. " That is what made me crack up. What an oxy moron. Sorry I do feel bad for Al Gores son. After all We all make mistakes. Sometimes the media does take snippets of stuff and run with it. When I heard the report it did give me a giggle the way it was worded. I only wish the best for the son of Al Gore.

Well it was indeed my son's 25Th birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday Jordan . I am so proud of you. You make me so happy! I know you make your wife and daughter happy too. God bless you richly as you continue on in your married life. Love you son.

A week from today that little blonde haired, blue eyed boy will be 25 years old. He's my baby. I can't believe it. He has been my calm and comforting little boy. I remember when he was 6 months old and I was sad, he would just snuggle me and look deep into my eyes, and even though he did not talk I would feel he was saying to me " mommy it's okay, everything will be okay." Then years later when my husband and I divorced he was still there comforting me , and giving me the strength and courage to keep going. He has always had such a tender heart. Now he is a daddy and I am so proud of him. I have always been proud of him. He is a wonderful daddy. Every time I see him with his little girl, I see his eyes light up with love. They just shine whenever his Abby girl is near. I understand the total feeling of joy that he feels towards his child. That's how I feel about him! Whenever I see my children , my eyes light up and my heart skips a beat. I am so blessed to have a precious child like Jordan. He is not a child any longer but a man, with a child of his own. He is still my child though. Happy birthday Jordan my son. I love you more than you will ever know.

Summer time.... when the living is easy........ Lalalalala.....

It is so gorgeous her right now. The temp is in the plus 30 degree Celsius. That is welcoming summer. Tomorrow is summer solstice. I can't believe how short summer is. I will enjoy it while I can. Before I know it, fall and winter will be here. As you can see my baby girl Abby and Athena are enjoying the summer fun just fine.

I was just recently reminded of a time in my childhood when I first loved to sing. I watched a video of a girl named Conny who sang, "Some where over the rainbow." It was gorgeous. She was 6 years old when she sang that. I remember when my family took a trip to Tulsa Oklahoma. We went by train. On our way back home to Canada, after many set backs( a transit strike and many hours waiting at train stations and bus stops) we finally made it home. As the train was nearing our Canadian destination, I remember looking out the window and I started to sing the song, " Born Free." It was 1966 and the movie "Born Free" had just been released in the movie theaters. I had not yet seen it as I was only 7 years old. I had only heard the song on the radio. I thought it was such a beautiful song. It touched my heart at such a young age. So as our train pulled in to the station in Canada , I remember singing Born Free, as free as the wind blows..... I think it was then that I knew that I loved music. I am not a musician or a song writer, but I know that music touches me deep to the core. Music can make me burst into tears without notice. It only takes a few words of a song and I am touched deep within my soul. Before you know it I can be crying like a baby. I think music is fantastic. I'm all for promoting music in schools . What a fantastic way for young people to express them selves.

Yellow Shirt I don't know who wrote this, but I thought it was gorgeous.

The yellow shirt had long sleeves, four extra-large pockets trimmed in black thread and snaps up the front. It was faded from years of wear, but still in decent shape. I found it in 1963 when I was home from college on Christmas break, rummaging through bags of clothes Mom intended to give away. "You're not taking that old thing, are you?" Mom said when she saw me packing the yellow shirt. "I wore that when I was pregnant with your brother in 1954!"

"It's just the thing to wear over my clothes during art class, Mom. Thanks!" I slipped it into my suitcase before she could object. The yellow shirt be came a part of my college wardrobe. I loved it. After graduation, I wore the shirt the day I moved into my new apartment and on Saturday mornings when I cleaned. The next year, I married. When I became pregnant, I wore the yellow shirt during big-belly days. I missed Mom and the rest of my family, since we were in Colorado and they were in Illinois. But that shirt helped. I smiled, remembering that Mother had worn it when she was pregnant, 15 years earlier.

That Christmas, mindful of the warm feelings the shirt had given me, I patched one elbow, wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom. When Mom wrote to thank me for her "real" gifts, she said the yellow shirt was lovely. She never mentioned it again. The next year, my husband, daughter and I stopped at Mom and Dad's to pick up some furniture. Days later, when we uncrated the kitchen table, I noticed something yellow taped to its bottom. The shirt! And so the pattern was set.

On our next visit home, I secretly placed the shirt under Mom and Dad's mattress. I don't know how long it took for her to find it, but almost two years passed before I discovered it under the base of our living-room floor lamp. The yellow shirt was just what I needed now while refinishing furniture. The walnut stains added character.

In 1975 my husband and I divorced. With my three children, I prepared to move back to Illinois . As I packed, a deep depression overtook me. I wondered if I could make it on my own. I wondered if I would find a job. I paged through the Bible, looking for comfort. In Ephesians, I read, "So use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up."

I tried to picture myself wearing God's armor, but all I saw was the stained yellow shirt. Slowly, it dawned on me. Wasn't my mother's love a piece of God's armor? My courage was renewed.

Unpacking in our new home, I knew I had to get the shirt back to Mother. The next time I visited her, I tucked it in her bottom dresser drawer.

Meanwhile, I found a good job at a radio station. A year later I discovered the yellow shirt hidden in a rag bag in my cleaning closet. Something new had been added. Embroidered in bright green across the breast pocket were the words "I BELONG TO PAT." Not to be outdone, I got out my own embroidery materials and added an apostrophe and seven more letters. Now the shirt proudly proclaimed, "I BELONG TO PAT'S MOTHER." But I didn't stop there. I zig-zagged all the frayed seams, then had a friend mail the shirt in a fancy box to Mom from Arlington , VA. We enclosed an official looking letter from "The Institute for the Destitute," announcing that she was the recipient of an award for good deeds. I would have given anything to see Mom's face when she opened the box. But, of course, she never mentioned it.

Two years later, in 1978, I remarried. The day of our wedding, Harold and I put our car in a friend's garage to avoid practical jokers. After the wedding, while my husband drove us to our honeymoon suite, I reached for a pillow in the car to rest my head. It felt lumpy. I unzipped the case and found, wrapped in wedding paper, the yellow shirt. Inside a pocket was a note: "Read John 14:27-29. I love you both, Mother."

That night I paged through the Bible in a hotel room and found the verses: "I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be very happy for me, for now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do, you will believe in me." The shirt was mothers final gift. Only

If I had known,for three months that she had Lou Gehrigs disease. Mother died the following year at age 57.

I was tempted to send the yellow shirt with her to her grave. But I'm glad I didn't, because it is a vivid reminder of the love-filled game she and I played for 16 years. Besides, my older daughter is in college now, majoring in art. And every art student needs a baggy yellow shirt with big pockets.

I think this is so beautiful. The Love of a mother and child.

TICK WARNING!I hate it when people forward bogus warnings, and I have even done it myself a couple times unintentionally...but this one is real, and it's important. So please send this warning to everyone on your e-mail list.If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks due to the warm weather and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!! THIS IS A SCAM!! They only want to see you naked.I wish I'd gotten this yesterday. I feel so stupid.

This is going to be one of my most stupid trivial posts of all. It's

going to make you think, who the frick cares. But I'm going to

post it anyway. Here goes. I am in love with Jude Law! I have

recently watched " The Holiday" And Jude Law made me melt!

I have never seen him to be a heart melting kind of guy before,

but watching him in this movie made me turn to mush.

Especially when I found out that he was the.... Oh I don't want

to give it away. In case any of you have not seen the movie

before. If you have not, go rent it. You too might fall in love

with Jude. My love affairs with leading men do pass. I used to

have a huge crush on Colin Firth after I watched "Bridget

Jones Diary". I still do Love Colin, but now I have a new crush.

Please forgive me Colin. I still love you. I think it's the british

accent I go ga ga over. Or maybe the dimples in the chin and

cheek. Or the deep blue eyes. Or the way he fell head over heals

for Cameron Diaz. I told you this was going to be a totally

trivial post. Who cares. But come on ladies, look at him. He's

pretty cute right!

8 Random facts/habits about me.
I've been tagged by artpuppy.

1. I twirl my hair. I have since I was a little girl. It is so soothing!

2. I collect teddy bears. My kids think I have too many. I think not.

3. My first crush was my cousin Lance. I think I was 3.


4. My favorite thing to do is spend time with my granddaughter Abby. I'm addicted to her.

5. I love watching movies.

6. I love to read.

7. I fantasize about being a chef in a villa in Italy.

8. I'd seriously love to quit my job and travel the world.

I tag Jen

Tiffany

Kelle

Amanda

Michelle

Kathy

Imran

Amanda Franks

Today driving to work I saw a very interesting sight. There were 2 people dressed in yellow slickers head to toe, and ventilator face masks, riding on the back of a flat bed truck. In the hands of these 2 yellow slickered folk were hoses , that were spraying water and chemical up into the trees. As I got closer I realized what they were spraying the trees for. Here in our Province, we have Cankerworms. They are ugly, crawly, blend in with the tree branches, and munch on the leaves until you have no leaves left. As I passed this yellow, spraying crew, I burst out giggling. The yellow slickers were covered in many black slimy cankerworms. Good job yellow slicked out people. Thanks for saving our trees and putting up with being covered in slime. I don't think I could do it. Just talking about the creepy crawlers makes me feel, creepy crawly. I had some cankerworms on the tree outside my balcony. There were so many that it looked like the tree branch was moving. What I did, was got out some disinfectant spray and attacked them and the dirty nest too. I feel like the wicked witch from Wizzard of Oz. I'll get you my pretty, and your little nests too! Except these wormies are not so pretty and do major damage to our trees. So Maybe I'm a hero like the yellow slickers. I'm saving many birdies homes. Ya, that's it.

It is my daddy's 73rd birthday today. Happy birthday daddy! I hope it was a wonderful one. I adore my daddy. He has always been an involved, helpful, lending a hand and ear, father. Right from the time we were kids he was there playing with us kids, taking us camping, playing baseball, or taking us fishing. I must admit that I have been very lucky to have a dad that has been so involved in our lives. Other children have not been so fortunate. Even my own kids, have not been as blessed to have a dad like mine. But my children have been blessed to have a grandfather who has been just as involved in there lives as he has been in mine. Thanks Dad for stepping up to the plate and being an example to me and my children, and showing what a father is really supposed to be like. I am blessed, my children are blessed and your great granddaughter Abby is so blessed to have you in our lives. Love you Daddy.

I just came back from the most wonderful stay at a bed and breakfast. The rooms were elegant, the breakfast was scrumptious, and the hospitality was like no other. Okay I have to admit that the B&B was run by my brother and his wife in Alberta. I may sound bias because I am related to the host and hostess, but beleive me when I tell you that staying at the Rose Cottage is an experience you won't want to miss. www.therosecottagebb.com The bed and breakfast that I speak of is in a little hamlet called Rosebud Alberta. In this hamlet is a school that is called "Rosebud school of the arts." The school teaches students to act, produce, sing, and serve in theatrical productions. The school puts on dinner in the mercantile, then guests move across the street to the theater for a fantastic performance put on by the school. The last drama was called "On Golden Pond" It runs for 3 months then the next play starts. I was there the last weekend of "On Golden Pond" In a week the next play will start. My brother is the maintenance, and gardener hired for the school. Also he and his wife have this bed and breakfast that I have mentioned. Please check out the link to the Rose Cottage B and B. My brother John and wife Sue do a fantastic job. Not only is the bed top shelf, but the breakfast is to die for. It is candle light, fresh roasted coffee(brother roasts his own daily) and gourmet eggs benedict, or tomato, basil fritata, or whatever else my Susie chooses to serve. It is above and beyond the regular ho hum muffins and and cheese that mosts b&b's serve. In fact one b & b in the same town does not even serve breakfast, which makes me wonder why it is called bed and breakfast. It should just be called bed..... Any way, my weekend was great! I did not have to pay because I am family but I do try to earn my keep by helping out when I'm there, either by changing linens, cleaning , or helping with the meals. But if you do happen to be a paying guest, it is so worth it. You will truly be pampered.

I got a new hair cut. I'm not sure what to think. I have to play with it for awhile and see how it goes. It's called the wind blown, sassy, messy look. We'll see.