Our weekend on the Mainland......

My weekend on the mainland was fun. The weather was ....shall we say....a little of this and that. We arrived at my sisters by 5:30 and caught my future brother-in-law with a mop and rag in hand, stretching to reach hard to get places and dusting.....bless his heart. My sister was busy in the kitchen putting finishing touches on appies and dinner. My sister and her fiancee love to entertain and they are wonderful hosts. After dinner we sat around and nattered some more, talked about their up coming wedding and how their plans were coming, and of course how she was feeling. She was looking great. She has been given a date for her surgery of May 2nd. She's nervous and understandably so. She is such a trooper. She remains in a bit of denial, but that is bound to be expected. She is finally starting to read some of the literature she was given and trying to understand what she is in for. I think the plan of attack is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Douglas and I awoke early on Saturday morning. The sun was shining and we got up and put on the coffee and just lazed for a little. My sister and her fiancee had an appointment with the caterer that morning, and I was going to show Douglas some of the surrounding areas before we headed off to my daughters recital, which as it turns out wasn't a recital but rather a dance competition.
I decided to take hubby to a place I used to take my girls for picnics. It's called Buntzen Lake, which is actually a reservoir created by a dam which provides hydro electric power to Vancouver. It's is surrounded by the local mountains and as I had recalled use to be a lovely drive. Much to my surprise, urban sprawl has made it's way up the mountain. What use to be a lovely mountainous drive with the odd house here and there is now just an extension of the surrounding community. I was so disappointed.....but once we got into the park and by the lake....it was still very pretty.

Buntzen Lake, Port Moody British Columbia

After leaving Buntzen we headed to Belcarra park. Belcarra park is a lovely setting. When you are on the dock you have a wonderful vantage point of viewing Deep Cove directly across from the dock....to the south you see Burnaby Mountain and Simon Fraser University....looking north you can see up Indian Arm. This is a great place for pleasure crafts to cruise up and down the inlet and drop anchor in some secluded cove. I can remember as a child spending many hours boating with my parents and doing just that....dropping anchor and rowing the dingy ashore or mooring the boat next to a log boom and making our way across the logs to shore. Ah what wonderful memories.

We left Belcarra and headed to my daughters dance. Her competition was at the Michael J. Fox Theater. Most of you I am sure have heard of Michael J Fox. He's the actor who stared in the Back to the Future movies or his sitcom Family ties. But did you know that he grew up in Burnaby. Yup, he grew up in my home town. Anyhow, we weren't allowed to take pictures while they were performing, but hubby got some shots of them on stage awaiting the awards and some of her outside.

On stage and awaiting the judges decision.

Proud mom and her daughter.

After the competition, Roisin had to do a few errands with her dad, so hubby and I went sightseeing again and we met up with Roisin later for dinner and a movie.

Our next stop was Deer Lake, Burnaby Village museum, Shadbolt center for the performing arts and the rhododendron gardens. Now I know this sounds like a lot but they are all within walking distance of each other. We parked the car at the Burnaby art Gallery and made our way down the path to Deer Lake. We walked along the lake path and made our way up to the Village museum. Unfortunately the museum isn't open yet, but we were able to look into the window of the building where they have a carousel that has been restored. It is truly lovely and I have photos of my girls riding the carousel when they were young. We then made our way up through the path towards the Shadbolt center and came across this lovely rhododendron and flowers....

from there we made our way to the rhododendron garden and the Peace pond.....and here is what we saw.....this amazing tree....

We left here and later picked up my daughter and went for a great Greek dinner and a movie. This morning we were up early and got on the 10:30 ferry home. Douglas's dad was making a Birthday dinner for Mother-in-laws birthday. And what a wonderful dinner it was. Mother-in-law was the recipient of one of my homemade cards and a dozen roses. So that was our weekend. Very full, but lots of fun. Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Cheers!

Let's do the Friday dance!!!!!

Well here we are heading into another weekend. Is is just me or did this week seem to fly by? Maybe for me it's because of the night shifts and I just seem to loose track of time. That's a picture of Chrome Island hubby took last weekend.

It's starting to look like spring around here. The sun is shining today. I was outside this morning washing and cleaning my car it was glorious. The sun has shone for the past couple of days and I actually have been able to get out into the garden and do some planting. I am really looking towards early summer to see what the garden will look like in bloom. I'm only just learning how to garden, so it's by trial and error. There are so many things to learn about gardening. It really is an art unto it self. I mean, you have to take into consideration the soil conditions, the lighting, the time of year you want things to come into bloom....the height of the plant...the amount of space you need.....oh I get tired just thinking about it. But I have persevered and been buys planting away. Much to my dismay....one of the roses I planted the deer liked as well and managed to eat the leaves off of it. Urgh! Mother nature. Guess that's a small price to pay for having an opportunity to live in the environment to which I do.

This weekend takes hubby and I to the mainland to watch my youngest daughters first dance recital. I am really looking forward to it. She is a little nervous but I am sure she will do fine. Going to the mainland also gives me an opportunity to be with my sister who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of the month. We are going to stay with her, so I am sure we will have lots of time to catch up.

Well this is short must get ready for the weekend.....I'll post some pictures when we get back.

Cheers all and happy weekend!

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt

This weeks theme is "Hobby". I find this so funny as last week I was talking about finding myself a new hobby. After collecting these photos I don't think I need anymore hobbies.

So here are just a few things I like to do. My first attempt making cards.

I love to watch birds....I guess you could call me an amateur birder

I love to ski

Sky diving was fun!

I like to get out on my quad

I like to bake

Go parasailing...

Make costumes

And hangin with my hubby

I didn't realize till I started doing this, that there are a lot of things I have for hobbies, some I haven't shown here, like playing softball, gardening,water skiing, and boating. Gee I don't know if I need anymore hobbies.....well maybe.....who knows. This has been fun.

Happy Hunting all!

Spring is here......for some......

Wow!......I am so impressed with the comments I received yesterday on my post about "Change". Every ones' comments were so insightful and well thought out....it was great.....in reading all of your responses I felt like I was in a room with you all and the mediator was going around asking us about change. Thank you all I really enjoyed your comments!

Now I have been watching the news and reading some of your blogs.....I am sorry to say....I think the "groundhog" was wrong this year. I mean with all the snow in the prairie and eastern provinces and states have been getting it's just crazy. I hate to rub it in, but it has been fairly pleasant here. No not always sunny and warm, but at least I have been able to get outdoors and work in my garden and property.

For us it is a sure sign of spring when the hummingbirds arrive. They have been here for a few weeks now. But I think there is more activity as the female has arrived. You see, the Rufous hummingbird,(which is the most common humming bird on the west coast)makes it's journey from Mexico. The male hummingbird leads the way and a couple of weeks later the female arrives. Then the fun begins. They flitter and flutter all over the place, you can hear their humming in the air, that sound is caused by the speed in which their wings move. Last evening was particularly entertaining. They were very active....they were chasing after each other, and at times flying into my front window. Poor things....but it was amazing to watch. I got the camera out and was able to get a picture of both the female and the male, at our feeder. I am still waiting for the shot when I can get them in flight.

This is the female "Rufous hummingbird" They are distinguished by the spotted neck and the green rufous sides and white chest.

The male. Note his colourful red neck...it is iridescent. These birds fly 3900 miles, are high energy birds...always on the go.

This photo gives you an idea as to their size, which is 9 cm.(3-5 in.)

Hope you all have a great weekend! Happy Friday all!

Changes........

Oh boy did I over do it yesterday......I found parts in my body that hurt that I didn't even know I had.

The weather was perfect....not to hot....not to cold.....kinda like the porridge for the bears. Anyhow, I got out there and chopped, and raked, and hauled, and mowed and planted.....I really felt like I accomplished something....things are coming together slowly. You know your life has changed, when you get excited about a load of dirt being delivered.

It's funny I was thinking about that the other day. How our lives change. Do you remember the song by David Bowie....."Changes......cha cha cha changes time to face the change....." When we are young we get out there...go go go....travel...be daring....meet new people all the time....lots of socializing. Then, if you chose comes marriage and with that often children.....but not necessarily in that order. Then those years of raising you children.....then something happens......the kids are grown....your not rushing around getting them here and there...appointments and the likes. Well, maybe the appointments continue....it's just different kind of appointments. My point being.....our priorities change.....or maybe it's our focus changes. My life has changed dramatically over the past 2 1/2 years. I got divorced, moved, remarried, started a new job and now live somewhere I never ever thought I would live. I am doing things this city girl never thought she would see herself doing. This whole working the land, and using the implements of torture I call them.....but I love it. I am looking at the possibility of starting a cottage industry.....but have to test the waters(no pun intended)first. I feel so fortunate to be living where I do. I have a whole new appreciation for the beauty of nature. It is so bountiful here. I think I have always longed for a life like this but never thought it possible. And now here I am. Although I wish I had my girls with me.....I am close enough that I can be there for them in heart beat if they need me. They are very independent strong girls and have a close relationship with each other and for that I am thankful.

Yes my life has changed. And continues to change. My hubby is revamping his business and thinking of moving his operations onto our property, which of course will cause huge change. But change is good........I find change challenging....and I love a challenge.......you know what they say....."a change is a good as a rest"

Some people say they fear change.......or that change is difficult for them......for me change is inevitable.....what do you think? Do you think change is inevitable.....and how do you cope with change?

It's an outdoor day......what about you?

In reading my post from yesterday and the comments I received, I fear I might have given you all the wrong impression. I admit, I was tired having just finished my set of night shifts. But with that being said, I love nursing. I feel privileged that I have opportunities to enter into someone else's life and help them in the best way I can to get back onto the road to recovery and good health.

The purpose of my post yesterday was to elicit dialogue about choices we make regarding our own health. I stated that there are many things out of our control, but when there are things within our control should there come a time that we must become accountable for our actions?

Anyhow, I want to apologize if I gave the impression of being burnt out. It's another day, I am on days off, I know I will go back to work feeling rejuvenated and deal with whatever is placed before me.

So here we are "Hump Day" the middle of the work week for most. It's a funny day of the week don't you think? You've got two days under your belt but you have three to go. When I worked Monday to Friday I used to say the biggest challenge was getting my head off of the pillow, once I accomplished that I felt like my day was in gear and soon to be over. Funny how we rationalize things in our heads. But whatever works....right? Happy Hump Day!

Today the sun is not quite sure whether it wants to shine or not. It is bright with a briskness in the air. Personally I think it is perfect for an outdoor day. Still lots to do on the property and I just read in our local paper that we can't do anymore outdoor burning after April 15th so I have to get at it. Do you have any plans for today?

I shall leave it at that....get this butt in motion.....wishing you all Happy Wednesday!

Life is choices....or is it?

It's Tuesday.... the end to the Easter long weekend, and for me ...the beginning of days off....and they couldn't come soon enough. The past two night shifts have been challenging for me. I found myself questioning my value system. I first ask myself, are these feelings coming from being tired and worn down? Or are they legitimate? Am I being unreasonable and non empathetic? Are these feelings stemming from the news about my sister? I am not sure...but what I do know is that I was feeling frustrated and almost angry at a few of the patients we had... knowing that it is their lifestyle that brought them to the ICU or was it?

If I accept that life is choices, and we are products of those choices, then that just makes me more angry. If I accept that life is choices influenced by our environment then I seem to be able to rationalize and accept the outcomes better. Nature verses Nurture.

Case in point. Three patients.

Patient 1) is 38yrs old, born with FAS(fetal alcohol syndrome), drug and alcohol addict, with personality disorder,pseudo siezures, hepatitis C positive and homeless.This patient is well known to the ER deparment. On this admission it turns out the patient overdosed on drugs vomited and aspirated which caused pneumonia.

Patient 2) 45 yr.old end stage COPD(Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)abuses drugs and continues to smoke, was on the wait list for lung transplant but removed from list as patient wouldn't change lifestyle habits. Came to ER with extreme shortness of breath and required assisted ventilation.

Patient 3) 46 yr. CP/MI(chest pain/myocardial infarction)history of heart attack 2 years ago had angiogram with angioplasty with stents(that is were they open up the artery and put in a stent)patient continues to smoke and is overweight and took self off of blood thinning agents.

Patient 1) was verbally abusive swearing, very aggressive, and confused. There was something that made me just not want to nurse this patient. It challenged my morale fibre. This patient was a harm to themselves and to society. I felt this person should be kept in isolation till the drugs wore off and then seen by psychiatry. This was not going to be the case. We had to nurse this patient....their spitting(putting us at risk due to their Hep.C), swearing, and inappropriate actions made me angry, but I knew they needed our help to get well. What frustrated me the most is that I knew that once they were well enough they would discharge themselves and go back out onto the street use again and end right back in ER. As has been this patients practise.

My question ....is all this really their fault? Their mother abused alcohol while they were in-vetro and as a result this patient was born with FAS. Right from the beginning he was a ward of the system. One foster home to another until such time he was old enough to be on his own. Having no education or social skills this patient has had to find a way to fend for themselves on the street. Should this patient have been certified and made to stay in an institutional environment, based on being a harm to themselves? Or do we let this patient go back out into the community knowing that they can't take care of themselves and just wait for the police or EHS to bring them back into the ER again, or even worse wait till they end up dead? So is this nature verses nurture? Or life choices?

Patient 2) This patient is what we in the health care system call a "frequent flyer". This patient has had many visits to the ER for increased shortness of breath. This patient was born with bad lungs but rather than choose a life where one can limit their exposure to harmful agents, this patient continues to live a life which is detrimental to their health. They come to the hospital when they find they are to short of breath and need to be put on drugs to improve breathing and provide assisted ventilation. My challenge here....this patient willing makes bad choices...why?.... when their condition is exacerbated they come to the ER wanting to be fixed up and then discharges self and repeats the same. Why? In these times of sky rocketing health care costs we continue to spend dollars on extending their life when their actions show the opposite. Should there come a point where we just should not treat? Does there come a point that we should make them pick up part of the cost? Can we change their life style patterns? And is that even our mandate to try to attempt to do that? One would think that being removed from the transplant list would be reason enough to change ones lifestyle?

Patient 3) presented in the ER with chest pain and increased shortness of breath. Turns out the patient has had another heart attack. Patient continue to smoke. Even on admission to the ICU the patient is saying how they would love to have a cigarette. What the.....again I ask myself, what is it that this patient doesn't get that causes them to make bad lifestyle choices. They are educated, they operate their own business. Now I can appreciate that owning your own business can be stressful and can increase a persons risk for heart disease. But when you have a cardiac history and have been told that you need to quit smoking and exercise or this will happen again but you don't.......where is the accountability? Then the thoughts of why should I have to continue to pay for your health care cost when you don't even take care of yourself?

There are so many things in our lives which we can't control. Genetics play a huge role. We can't chose the families we are born into and hence can't pick our gene pool. But if one knows that they are at risk for a particular disease, when does it become their responsibility to be accountable and take care of their health? In this day an age there is no excuse for a person to live a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle. Even folks with disabilities are able to make positive life choices.

When I was little I was taught that we have a "free will" what we chose to do with that free will is up to us, just like choices. My question is this, does everyone have to suffer because some people chose to make bad choices? Does nature or nurture play a role in life choices?

Happy Tuesday all!!!

Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt

This weeks theme is "Clean" Wow now that is a hard one.... should it be the kitchen after I have cleaned it...or laundry just in off of the line, or dishes all washed...a baby just bathed... I guess anyone of those would do....but I kinda of like this......

Fresh "Clean" mountain water....tastes fantastic and makes your hair feel like silk.

Happy Hunting all!

Believe.....

I want to thank you all for your vote of confidence on my attempt at card making and I am glad you all enjoyed the jokes. Like I said I don't get that many jokes that I truly feel like sharing but those two just tickled my fancy.

As for the cards. I had no idea what or when I would use them. But I find my self putting one in the mail today. I received some very disturbing news early yesterday. My eldest sister called. Great, but she called during the day. She never calls during the day unless she is calling to ask me a medical question or a favour or to be the bearer of bad news. Yesterday she was the bearer of bad news. She had just left an appointment with my other sister A. and they were just in the car and called. My sister A. has been diagnosed with breast cancer. I am dumb struck...holy crap .....I really did swear...but I won't here.....I couldn't believe it. I was just talking with my sister A on Wednesday, she never mentioned a thing....she was so upbeat.....she has just become a first time grandma last week and she is planning her own wedding in July. No this can't be, this just can't be happening.

As I write this I am still in shock. This is what I know so far, she has to undergo surgery and then she will receive radiation. The radiologist was not keen on radiation for my sister as she has a pacemaker and suffers from asthma. But after a long discussion with the two doctors it was agreed that they would proceed with the lumpectomy and radiation afterwards. As we know it the surgery will be in 3 weeks....then she has to heal for a month before they can even consider radiation.....and that of course depends on what the outcome of her surgery is. We are all saying prayers and crossing our fingers. She is still planning her wedding and I think that is wonderful and I pray that she will be strong and well enough.

The card I chose to send her is the "Believe" card. I believe she is a strong woman and will fight this will all her might. I believe she has the courage and determination to not let it get the best of her. I believe in her, in her beauty as a woman, a mother , a sister, an aunty, a soon to be wife and now a new grandmother that she will set an example for all of the woman of the family to be bold and brave. Dear God I love her and I pray that he gives her strength....I believe...I must.

A new day dawning, and I must look within myself and find strength and believe that she too will find that each day gives new beginnings and new hopes.

I wish you all a good day.

Humor.....

Some days you get sent emails that are so worthy of sharing....today I was the recipient of not one but two such emails which I would like to share with you.......

HOW TO CLEAN THE HOUSE

1. Open a new file in your PC.

2. Name it "Housework."

3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN

4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN

5. Your PC will ask you, "Are you sure you want to delete "Housework" permanently?

6. Calmly answer, "Yes," and press the mouse button firmly......

7. Feel better?

If only it was that easy!

Then there is this one.....if you are feeling old....just wait till you read this one.....

Growing old ~

Have you ever been guilty of looking at others your own age and thinking "Surely I can't look that old" Well....you will love this one!

I was sitting in the waiting room for my first appointment with a new dentist. I noticed his DDS Diploma, which bore full name , suddenly, I remembered a tall, handsome dark haired boy with the same name had been in my high school class some 40 odd years ago.

Could he be the same guy that I had a secret crush on, back then? Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with the deep line face was way too old to have been my classmate. Hmmmm....or could he???

After he examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended Morgan Park High school. "Yes. Yes, I did. I had a mustang" he gleamed with pride.

"When did you graduate?" I asked. He answered, " in 1965, why do you ask?" "you were in my class!" I exclaimed.

He looked at me closely.

Then the ugly, old, wrinkled son-of -a- bitch asked, " what did you teach?"

It's Craft day "101" At a Place I call Home.....

Yesterday I mentioned that I was suffering from sore muscles from working out on the property. I was thankful for the rainy day as I thought it would be a good time for me to try and take up a craft.

Did I mention that I am NOT a crafty person. Oh how I would love to be able to make some of the things I have seen on so many blogs. I sometimes wonder if being left handed makes a difference? Excuse number 99. I like to pretend I can create things, like some eccentric artist... a little this... a little that and voila!

Oh I have fumbled my way through knitting and have made a few things.....sweaters,and scarves. I did make my youngest daughters coming home from the hospital outfit. I felt pretty good about that. I took up cross stitch for awhile.... that was when I quit smoking, I needed something better to do with my hands other than putting food in my mouth. So again I made a few things..... Once I got the no smoking under control bye bye cross stitch. Sewing.... I took sewing lessons in school....I sucked.....my dust cloth looked like a rag....the shirt....the collar never matched....zipper...who needs a zipper anyways ....you'd think I would have given up then.....oh no....when I was pregnant with my first daughter I wanted to make a floor to ceiling canopy and skirt with linens for the bassinet, I don't know what I was thinking, but with my sisters guidance I accomplished it.... Oh I have dabbled in candle making, ornament making, I made Christmas wreaths, and arrangements for the table. But you know I have never found anything that I have really had a passion for. You know I think I take up hobbies because I think that is what is expected.....sounds weird I know.....I try to prove to myself that I can be crafty. I mean really as a woman am I not suppose to know how to do all these things? One of the most pleasurable things I took up was belly dancing .....Yeah out of the blue I decided I wanted to take lessons.....what a hoot. There I was shaking my thing.....Shakira I am not..... I never got into scrap booking or stenciling other than the one time I stenciled the walls in my girls bedrooms. I go to craft stores or fairs and I see all the wonderful things people have made and I say to myself....."self you can do that"..... I would get all motivated and geared up to try it and well...it never seemed to turn out how I visioned it.

Now my MIL bless her heart, got wind that I am interested in stain glass. She had dabbled in it for awhile and I am told she made some pretty neat stuff. Anyhow, she has allowed me to use her stain glass tools so I can try my hand at it. Today she even went to the library and got me out a couple of books. Bless her heart. I think before I even attempt to take that on I need to do some reading and investigating. But I think I am going to give it the old college try but not today.

I went out on the hunt for something new to try. I explored a variety of stores, bought a little of this and a little of that not really knowing what I was going to do with it all, but it all looked so "Crafty"..... at the end of the day...this is what I came up with.....

Well there you have it.....my attempt at making cards. I like the "Believe" one the best.... for a beginner they're ok. I would do a lot of things differently, like add more texture for one......but they are my first attempts so I won't beat myself up about it....it passed some time...and I realized with some more practice I could do this. But I don't think it will be my hobby....After ungluing my fingers and cleaning up all the little bits.......I think I will put up with the sore muscles and stay outdoors.....rubber boots and weed whacker here I come!

Happy Thursday!

It's an Indoor day......

It's raining outside....and I say....Thank God.....I don't think I could go out and work on the property today. I am so sore. Hubby and I have been busy trying to make some sense out of our overgrown property. It's wonderfully well wooded and you do feel like you are a million miles away from everything, but......there is a lot that needs to be... shall we say groomed. The poplar trees are abundant here and a bit of a pain in the royal you know what....Hubby bless his heart has taught me how to use the chainsaw....so there I have been cutting down these poplar trees....it's one thing to cut them....then you have to haul them to the burn pile....and then cut them smaller to make it easier to burn. So that is the cutting part....then there is the weed whacking.....hubby again bless his heart has put a nice big strong blade on the weed whacker so I can go into the brush and cut it all back....yahoo!! Oh if you could have seen me....there I am this once city girl...in my rubber boots, sweat pants...grubby ol sweat top and my ball cap and safety goggles....oh my what a sight. Of course after one has mulched down all this brush...one has to rake....yes rake...the implements of torture....rake, lift and wheel barrow to the burn pit.....what a day. I was exhausted after that....but felt proud of my accomplishments. There is still so much to do, but I think you can see that I am making a bit of a difference.

So it is raining, and I am looking forward to a nice peaceful day.....I think I am going to go to the craft store and buy something crafty. I have been looking at all these wonderful blogs where women are creating the most beautiful cards, and tags, and quilts and paintings...and the list goes on. There I am....weed whacking and cutting and chopping. Not very elegant....but then my mom always told me I was such a tom boy. Anyhow, I am going to try my hand at a craft. So I will keep you posted.

This morning as I was looking around my place when I noticed my African violet had come into bloom. Last year I had to transplant it as it was outgrowing its pot....I think I am going to have to change it again this year.

Cheers all!!!

Looking back and forward.....

Well here we are.....it's Tuesday already the 3rd of April. I was just chatting with my niece online and her eldest daughter my great niece graduates from high school this year. Yes next month....where has the year gone. It was just this time last year I was helping my middle daughter get ready for her graduation. Gosh how time flies.

Do you remember your graduation? I remember mine....unfortunately. You hear about all those wonderful stories about how much fun people had in high school all the friends they made and all the things they did. High school is such a blur to me. School was never easy for me. Suffering from dyslexia everything was a challenge. I didn't know that I was dyslexic until my third daughter was diagnosed and then it all came in place. I digress. School wasn't easy and to complicated matters I went to 3 different high schools and hence never really made any great connections.

It's funny how life makes full circles, the folks I graduated with were kids I used to play against in school tournaments. Needless to say when I came to their school I was really the outsider. Then there was the distance. I use to have to take 3 city buses to get to my school....it would take at least 1 1/2 hrs. to travel by bus to school. So other than sports I tended not to do a whole lot near my school. Which was a disadvantage, as everyone else who went to the school lived either within walking distance or a 10 min drive and were able to hang out together.

Anyhow.....graduation arrived. Yes and by the time I graduated I had made friends....but because I was a year older than most in my class I didn't date any of the boys from school. At time of graduation I was seeing this "older" boy....I had asked him if he would like to go to my dinner dance with me he agreed. He told me he had to be out of town for a little while but that he would be back in plenty of time. The week of my dinner dance I called him....no answer. Two days, one day no contact. My Home Economic teacher heard that I didn't have a date....she asked one of the forgein students if he would be my escort. I was so embarrassed. But you know he was the most polite and kindest person. He got me this lovely wrist corsage, picked me up and took me to the dinner/dance. My brother and I graduated together and we had the after grad party at our house....this nice guy brought me home stayed for awhile and then was on his way.

Our dinner/dance was in May with graduations ceremonies in June. I can't believe it will be 27 years this year since I graduated from high school. They don't call them graduations ceremonies anymore. They call them Commencement Ceremonies. The rationale I am told is that the results of the provincial exams are not known until the fall, and of course graduation is suppose to happen in June. Also, regardless of the results of the provincial exams some students would not graduate anyways, but by having the "Commencement Ceremonies" everyone gets to participate.
Here's a picture of my mom and I. Parents of course were invited to the dinner dance.

I look at this photo and wonder what was going through my head. The world was my oyster. I had no idea what would lay before me.

Our day out.....

Ever find that when you start on one job it leads to another, and then whilst you are doing that job you realize you don't have this or that and so the list of what you need at the hardware store begins. Well yesterday hubby and I decide that this would be the day that we complete our list and go out to the hardware store. Now for most of us that doesn't seem like much, but from where we live it is a 55 km drive to the store we need to go to. So we get ourselves organized and off we go.

Have you ever heard of the song "Heads Carolina" by Jo Dee Messina? Well it's a song about taking a road trip and flipping a coin to decide the direction they are going to take. That is exactly what we did.....at the end of the road we flipped to decide whether we take the old scenic highway or put the top down and take the new highway. The air was crisp but the sun was shining....and another decision had to be made....top on or off......we decided off

I meant the roof.....should we drive with the top of the Mustang on or off...... So off we go. We near our destination when the weather decides it is going to change. It starts to sprinkle...but just a little....then it decides it wants to snow/hail. That is when it was time to pull over and put the top up. Oh we chuckled....how funny we must have looked. But really it was sunny when we left home.

We arrive at the hardware store. Looking for this and that.....I think I ended up getting more of this than that....you know the things that weren't on the list....like the metal ornamental rooster that I just had to have that would greet you at my front door....or the two rose bushes I just had to have that would climb up the arbor that my hubby now has to make. Oh yes it was one of those kind of shopping days. As it turns out this store didn't have everything we needed so off to another store we go. We get what we need and it is now time to make our way home. The coin is flipped and we decide to take the old highway home. Top up, weather to unpredictable.

We make a few stops on our way home. One of the stops is more of a stop for nostalgia than anything else. We are travelling down this road.......

When what should cross our path but this......

Yup that's him....a turkey....to funny....you know that joke....why did the "turkey" cross the road? We just found this so funny....right out in the middle of know where and here is this turkey walking along the side of the road and then in front of us....it just seemed to be a picture moment....here are some more shots.....he decides to make it off into the shrubs and then hops up onto the fence.....

After watching his antics for a little while we decide to head further down the road to the waters edge when what do we see but this.....

Yup there were another 4 of them down at waters edge. It was all to amusing.....along the road we had noticed a tree had fallen on a fence......I guess the ol turkeys thought this was their chance to go out for a Sunday stroll. I don't know how the owner would have felt about having to gather up the turkeys but it certainly made for a interesting picture opportunity and entertainment for the end of our drive.

Happy Monday all!!

April Fool's

So here we are April 1st.......Happy April Fool's Day. Now I don't know how many of you acknowledge this day. But I can remember as a child changing the sugar in the bowl to be salt....or playing a practical joke on someone.....you always had to be on the look out on April fools or at least up until noon. That was the rule you could only pull pranks and jokes up until noon on April Fool's day. Look out teachers if this day fell on a school day.

As an adult I got out of the habit, but my girls would pull the odd prank on me. It is my colleagues at work that are bad.....this one group of friends would make up a dummy patients and hook them up to the monitor and give you some cock a mime story about this patient get you all worked up and then you go in only to find they had pulled a fast one on you. Or you start your shift and they tell you that you have to go on a transport get you all geared up, get the adrenaline going they'd get you into a state then once they realized they had got you....they would shout "April Fool's" mean bastards!!!

Oh there have been some mean practical jokes pulled over the years.....but you know I truly didn't know where this tradition came from .....so of course I had to look it up....and this is what I found.....

Origin
The origin of this custom has been much disputed. Many theories have been suggested.
What seems certain is that it is in some way or other a relic of those once universal festivities held at the vernal equinox, which, beginning on old New Year's Day, the 25th of March, ended on the 2nd of April.
It has been suggested that Europe derived its April-fooling from the French.[2] France was one of the first nations to make January 1 officially New Year's Day (which was already celebrated by many), by decree of Charles IX. This was either in 1564 or in 1582 when Gregorian calendar was established (See Julian start of the year). Thus the New Year's gifts and visits of felicitation which had been the feature of the 1st of April became associated with the first day of January, and those who disliked or did not hear about the change were fair game for those wits who amused themselves by sending mock presents and paying calls of pretended ceremony on the 1st of April. French and Dutch references from 1508 and 1539 respectively describe April Fools' Day jokes and the custom of making them on the first of April.
Though the 1st of April appears to have been anciently observed in Great Britain as a general festival, it was apparently not until the beginning of the 18th century that the making of April-fools was a common custom.
In Scotland the custom was known as "hunting the gowk," i.e. the cuckoo, and April-fools were "April-gowks," the cuckoo being there, as it is in many countries, a term of contempt.
In France the person fooled is known as poisson d'avril. This has been explained from the association of ideas arising from the fact that in April the sun quits the zodiacal sign of the fish. A far more natural explanation would seem to be that the April fish would be a young fish and therefore easily caught. The French traditionally celebrated this holiday by placing dead fish on the backs of friends. Today the fish has been replaced with paper cut-out.
The Dutch celebrate the 1st of April for other reasons. In 1572, the Netherlands were ruled by Spain's King Philip II. Roaming the region were Dutch rebels who called themselves Geuzen, after the French "gueux", meaning beggars. On 1 April 1572, the Geuzen seized the small coastal town of Den Briel. This event was also the start of the general civil rising against the Spanish in other cities in the Netherlands. The Duke of Alba, commander of the Spanish army could not prevent the uprising. Bril is the Dutch word for glasses, so on 1 April, 1572, "Alba lost his glasses". Dutch people find this joke so hilarious they still commemorate the first of April.
Chaucer's story, the Nun's Priest's Tale, written c.1400, takes place on 32 March; that is, 1 April; it is Chanticleer and the Fox, a story of two fools.

There you have it. So what did you do for April Fool's?